Service Corps & Expediting Questions (Haiti)

[SalishSea 16,770]

1 hour ago, chabalal said:

Thanks for the advice. It's a fairly small program and they are essentially making an exception for my friend and one other person that has applied. I don't think that I nor my organization knew that it would be this complicated 😓

 

If anyone's still out there, could you do me a favor and let me know if the DS-160 form is working on your computer? The "Start Your Application" button has been grayed out/not working for me all day. I tried posting in a thread someone started about this a while ago, but haven't gotten any replies. I tried clearing my cookies/history and viewing from multiple devices/OS/browsers. Not sure if it's a site overload issue or maintenance. It's just somewhat troublesome for when we have our questions all answered and are fully ready to start the application.

 

You are getting some great advice here from some of VJ's best senior members, but you do not seem to be absorbing it.

 

Your friend cannot use a B visa to stay in the US for a year, or to work for the program which you have described.  He will be denied, possibly compromising his path to the correct visa for him. 

 

You seem very keen to help him with this, but I guarantee that if you rush into it without educating yourself and your friend on the subject, the outcome will not be what you hope for.

[leslie12 0]

Sorry for leaving this part out - as per your advice, I put in a request with a local immigration law agency and have also been asking around to see if the organization has connections.

 

However, we will still need to access this form once we have been given the legal advice, correct?

[SalishSea 16,770]

1 minute ago, chabalal said:

Sorry for leaving this part out - as per your advice, I put in a request with a local immigration law agency and have also been asking around to see if the organization has connections.

 

However, we will still need to access this form once we have been given the legal advice, correct?

You have some work to do before worrying about that form.

[Boiler 43,430]

First things first.

[leslie12 0]

Ok, but it may only be a few days, and I'd like to know that the form is working.

 

If it's down nationwide, that is actually a very big issue and I'm wondering why no one else seems concerned?

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

1 hour ago, chabalal said:

Ok, but it may only be a few days, and I'd like to know that the form is working.

 

If it's down nationwide, that is actually a very big issue and I'm wondering why no one else seems concerned?

To be pedantic (about the “nationwide”), no one inside the US should care if that form is down, as it’s only for people wanting visas to enter. Also., it’s sunday. I haven’t tried the form myself, these things go down every so often, usually not for very long.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

If you want to prep anything, rather than the DS, I’d suggest you look into what might be needed to be done if the lawyer says it has to be J1 (as I think you will have to undergo some red tape to register as a sponsoring organization in that case), or alternatively if the organization can alter the terms for an unpaid, maximum 6 month volunteer opportunity instead as that would be ok for a B visa (afaik).

Edited July 22, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[milimelo 4,194]

Where’s this other applicant from? And how did these applicants learn of this opportunity? 

Plenty of Haitians in the US who could do this, no? 

Based on what you said, the organization would have to register with State Department and/or USCIS to be able to issue papers for J-1 program... Not something completed in three weeks time. 

[aaron2020 11,651]

Time to be blunt since OP is not getting it.

 

You have no idea what you are doing.  You are fixated on the DS-160 because you think it's the correct form.  It's not.

 

You are seriously messing with people's lives.  If there are other opportunities for them to come to the US, you are screwing with it.

 

Just stop what you are doing.  Just stop.  Wait for the lawyer to get back to you.  Don't presume that the lawyer is going to tell you that you are on the right path.  I guarantee you that you are not.   

 

For their sakes, just stop and wait for the lawyer to give you legal advice.  

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

Hi I can’t speak for the most appropriate type of visa in this situation but I will let you know it’s highly unlikely he would have an interview in Haiti by Aug 12, never mind starting the program in the US by then. The current political situation is seriously creating a backlog is appointments, etc.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

53 minutes ago, Luckycuds said:

Hi I can’t speak for the most appropriate type of visa in this situation but I will let you know it’s highly unlikely he would have an interview in Haiti by Aug 12, never mind starting the program in the US by then. The current political situation is seriously creating a backlog is appointments, etc.

Well, that's an excellent point that also depends on the type of visa. I just looked it up. Visitor (B) visas are a 340 calendar day wait at Port-au-Prince, but student/exchange visitors (ie if they can get the J stuff sorted out) is just 2 days, as are other NIVs. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html

 

Either way, it looks like there is little chance of an August 12 start date (I am assuming that whatever is needed for J sponsorship is going to take longer than a week or two).

Edited July 22, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[ElDiablo 95]

Sounds like a wishy washy plan for a wishy washy role.

 

Whole think just screams 'wrong'.

 

Your friend won't be getting a B2 visa for this and rightly so.

[milimelo 4,194]

So looking at the website, I don’t see anywhere where it looks like they would accept an international person to come be a fellow or work for this organization 

https://www.hfi-pgh.org/holy-family-service-corps/

 

Op, how about some more details on your friend from Haiti? How do you know him and how was he specifically selected for this opportunity? What’s his educational background? 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

3 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Well, that's an excellent point that also depends on the type of visa. I just looked it up. Visitor (B) visas are a 340 calendar day wait at Port-au-Prince, but student/exchange visitors (ie if they can get the J stuff sorted out) is just 2 days, as are other NIVs. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html

 

Either way, it looks like there is little chance of an August 12 start date (I am assuming that whatever is needed for J sponsorship is going to take longer than a week or two).

That’s a great site! To the OP though - even if it was a j visa I wouldn’t trust that site as being accurate as I’ve been looking to help out a cousin schedule an appointment to register his daughter as a US citizen and they only have appointments only 2 days a week - a month out. The embassy was closed for about a month in June due to political turmoil. And that’s for US citizens never mind Haitians! 

 

Realistically your company should look into this student starting next summer and even then, unfortunately, it’s really difficult for Haitians to come... I just hope that he hasn’t been given false hope of it definitely happening in a few weeks. 

[SalishSea 16,770]

Yet another case of radio silence from an OP who doesn't return after the feedback isn't positive for what they want to do.