K1 Process - Administrative Processing

[GeeRaf 61]

Please, we need your help.

 

My finance and I met face-to-face as we were both expats in the same city. We've been together since 2012. Filed K1 Visa in December 2016 and didn't get an interview until December 2018. We thought it would be OK since we'd been together so long. However, they're asking for extensive proof of relationship (ie chats). Since we lived in the same city, there aren't a huge amount of chats but over the years we managed to find 350 pages worth. We have tons of pictures together, have vacationed in difference countries together, and they're still not happy with this. There's not a huge difference in our age, just five years. Our attorney isn't responding to messages. Please help. The CEAC still says AP.

[Khallaf 646]

1 minute ago, GeeRaf said:

Please, we need your help.

 

My finance and I met face-to-face as we were both expats in the same city. We've been together since 2012. Filed K1 Visa in December 2016 and didn't get an interview until December 2018. We thought it would be OK since we'd been together so long. However, they're asking for extensive proof of relationship (ie chats). Since we lived in the same city, there aren't a huge amount of chats but over the years we managed to find 350 pages worth. We have tons of pictures together, have vacationed in difference countries together, and they're still not happy with this. There's not a huge difference in our age, just five years. Our attorney isn't responding to messages. Please help. The CEAC still says AP.

when was the last time it was updated to AP?

 

in the CEAC does it say immigrant visa or non immigrant visa?

 

have you confirmed they got all the information they requested after interview?

[GeeRaf 61]

1 minute ago, Khallaf said:

when was the last time it was updated to AP?

 

in the CEAC does it say immigrant visa or non immigrant visa?

 

have you confirmed they got all the information they requested after interview?

It was last updated yesterday when he went in for the 2nd time to take more information.

 

Immigrant visa.

 

Yes. He's gone back twice already. First it was for my tax papers and first consular said that the POR was enough, then I assume the next person wanted more. They called him the following day to bring in more info and schedule him for the next week, so he did on the 13. Now, today I received an email for him to pick up his passport. Could they have put the visa in within a day's time? As of now, it still says Jan 13 - Administrative Processing.

[Khallaf 646]

1 minute ago, GeeRaf said:

It was last updated yesterday when he went in for the 2nd time to take more information.

 

Immigrant visa.

 

Yes. He's gone back twice already. First it was for my tax papers and first consular said that the POR was enough, then I assume the next person wanted more. They called him the following day to bring in more info and schedule him for the next week, so he did on the 13. Now, today I received an email for him to pick up his passport. Could they have put the visa in within a day's time? As of now, it still says Jan 13 - Administrative Processing.

if the visa was ready CEAC will change to non immigrant. it is possible that they didn't update, which is very possible but I wouldn't not say for sure 100 % he is getting his visa.

 

IMO I would recommend getting married in his country and file for a spouse visa. if they deny the K1 its dead in the water, there is no appeal for it, if they tell him they are sending it back it will be left to expire.

 

I know its a heartbreaking time to go through this process, if he gets his passport back and the visa is not there, take the steps to get married, and then file for CR1 visa.  If it is in there well of course congrats, this process is so stressful and I will pray for the best outcome for you.

[Greenbaum 12,258]

2 minutes ago, GeeRaf said:

It was last updated yesterday when he went in for the 2nd time to take more information.

 

Immigrant visa.

 

Yes. He's gone back twice already. First it was for my tax papers and first consular said that the POR was enough, then I assume the next person wanted more. They called him the following day to bring in more info and schedule him for the next week, so he did on the 13. Now, today I received an email for him to pick up his passport. Could they have put the visa in within a day's time? As of now, it still says Jan 13 - Administrative Processing.

The visa preparations can take 5 min. There are only two ways to look at this, one he has a visa in the passport and you are good to go or they have made a decision and you are facing denial with a returned passport. No one can say for sure which that it is. I can't honestly say which that it is.

[GeeRaf 61]

2 minutes ago, Khallaf said:

if the visa was ready CEAC will change to non immigrant. it is possible that they didn't update, which is very possible but I wouldn't not say for sure 100 % he is getting his visa.

 

IMO I would recommend getting married in his country and file for a spouse visa. if they deny the K1 its dead in the water, there is no appeal for it, if they tell him they are sending it back it will be left to expire.

 

I know its a heartbreaking time to go through this process, if he gets his passport back and the visa is not there, take the steps to get married, and then file for CR1 visa.  If it is in there well of course congrats, this process is so stressful and I will pray for the best outcome for you.

We tried getting married in our host country but since it's a Muslim country and the male elder was there to give permission, they denied our request to marry. If it's not approved, we will definitely look at other options. Thank you and I appreciate your response. I will update you tomorrow.

1 minute ago, Greenbaum said:

The visa preparations can take 5 min. There are only two ways to look at this, one he has a visa in the passport and you are good to go or they have made a decision and you are facing denial with a returned passport. No one can say for sure which that it is. I can't honestly say which that it is.

Oh, I didn't know that. The person made it seem as if the passport had to be taken to the US, flown back, etc. I hope there's good news. I appreciate your response.

[Khallaf 646]

1 minute ago, GeeRaf said:

We tried getting married in our host country but since it's a Muslim country and the male elder was there to give permission, they denied our request to marry. If it's not approved, we will definitely look at other options. Thank you and I appreciate your response. I will update you tomorrow.

Oh, I didn't know that. The person made it seem as if the passport had to be taken to the US, flown back, etc. I hope there's good news. I appreciate your response.

I got married in Egypt so I am confused as to why it being a Muslim country would have anything to do with it. I am Catholic my husband is Muslim. 

[Greenbaum 12,258]

1 minute ago, GeeRaf said:

We tried getting married in our host country but since it's a Muslim country and the male elder was there to give permission, they denied our request to marry. If it's not approved, we will definitely look at other options. Thank you and I appreciate your response. I will update you tomorrow.

Oh, I didn't know that. The person made it seem as if the passport had to be taken to the US, flown back, etc. I hope there's good news. I appreciate your response.

If it is approved the yes he will need the passport to fly to USA.

[GeeRaf 61]

25 minutes ago, Khallaf said:

I got married in Egypt so I am confused as to why it being a Muslim country would have anything to do with it. I am Catholic my husband is Muslim. 

The MOI in our host country said that the woman needs permission from her father, eldest brother, or senior mail relative. The request to marry was denied because he was not available. It's the rule of the country.

[GeeRaf 61]

26 minutes ago, Greenbaum said:

If it is approved the yes he will need the passport to fly to USA.

Right. The person communicated that the passport would be taken to the US for the visa to be inserted then taken back to the host country as if the visa's were not printed on site.

[Greenbaum 12,258]

5 minutes ago, GeeRaf said:

Right. The person communicated that the passport would be taken to the US for the visa to be inserted then taken back to the host country as if the visa's were not printed on site.

I believe that is not true. All visa's are produced there in country and applied to the passport and returned to the beneficiary for the completion of his/her travel to a POE in the USA.

[John & Rose 7,237]

2 hours ago, GeeRaf said:

Right. The person communicated that the passport would be taken to the US for the visa to be inserted then taken back to the host country as if the visa's were not printed on site.

The Embassy IS US soil...They do all the visa printing onsite.

 

[GeeRaf 61]

3 hours ago, John & Rose said:

The Embassy IS US soil...They do all the visa printing onsite.

 

Does it make a difference if the status reads immigrant or non-immigrant on the CEAC site that says AP?

[John & Rose 7,237]

2 minutes ago, GeeRaf said:

Does it make a difference if the status reads immigrant or non-immigrant on the CEAC site that says AP?

Nope.  The K-1 is kind of the red-haired step child.  It is a non-immigrant visa with immigration as the goal.  When you track in CEAC you will even see that change a few times!

Edited January 14, 2019 by John & Rose

[GeeRaf 61]

1 minute ago, John & Rose said:

Nope.  The K-1 is kind of the red-haired step child.  It is a non-immigrant visa with immigration as the goal.  When you track in CEAC you will even see that change a few times!

Gotcha. Thank you. This process has been extremely long and now very stressful. While I have you, our attorney has seemingly ditched us. He's been non-responsive for the past month or so. I didn't want to complain because I didn't know if he would say or do something to impact the outcome. Are there any steps to file a complaint and should we wait until the process is done? He claims to be on the team of people who spearheaded the Department of HS so I don't know how much clout he has.