US Citizen Just Married to Colombian! Filed I-130! Advice...

[geraldineacevedo1 28]

Hello All!  I am new to this forum and have read so much helpful information from all! 

I wanted to ask for your advice on my current situation. 

Here is our story:

 

I am a US Citizen from New York City (29 years old, Colombian-American, professional).  My husband is a Colombian Citizen from the capital, Bogotá (31 year old, professional).  We met and fell in love early last year and I decided to move to Colombia in May, after my husband was denied a Tourist Visa in April to come to the US. 

 

We decided to try for the tourist visa AGAIN while we lived abroad together.  So, I worked remotely from May-November and in November he was denied ONCE AGAIN of a Tourist Visa!  They claimed the reason behind this was that the visas were scarce and they suspected he would want to stay in the US (he has a 12 year old daughter in Colombia and didn't request to travel with her).

 

After this, I traveled back to NY between November 2019-January 2020 and then returned to Colombia on January 3, 2020.  We married on March 2, 2020 (civil ceremony) and we FINALLY applied for the I-130 on March 10, 2020!

 

Now, unfortunatey, I traveled back home a few days ago (the 18th) because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and had to leave my husband behind in Colombia.  Obviously, we are aware that this visa process will be a VERY long process, and we are trying to find some kind of a solution to expedite this, if possible.  😓

 

I really cannot afford to live in Colombia for another year, and have planned to just keep visiting my husband every few months. 

What would you all recommend for our experience?  Do you all think perhaps my husband could travel to visit me in the US (perhaps with a special permission or a tourist visa)?  

 

Thank you for reading!!!

 

Geraldine 🙂

Edited March 20, 2020 by geraldineacevedo1

[gregcrs2 1,778]

Unfortunately, with the Coronavirus, all travel is complicated for the next few months.  No visas to the USA are being issued now either!

Edited March 20, 2020 by gregcrs2

[Timona 4,207]

Unfortunately,  you cannot expedite the process because of COVID19, otherwise,  every other person who's on the queue would. 

Now that you are married, I highly doubt that he'll receive a tourist visa any time soon. 

Best solution..just wait. Time will pass. 

[Crazy Cat 41,981]

There is no "special permission".  His additional attempts to obtain a tourist visa visa will very likely fail.  If you have sufficient grounds to expedite the petition, you can try.......but currently the CR-1 process is taking 12-16 months....I think you will have to visit outside the US until he is allowed to enter via a spousal visa. .....good luck.

[geraldineacevedo1 28]

Thank you all for your advice!! Yes, Colombia is not allowing any foreigners to travel there at the moment, all borders are closed.

[NancyNguyen 1,657]

With 2 previous denied tourist visas, don't apply for it again to save some money, especially he has a pending petition now. Try to live with it, it will come in no time. Good luck.

[NOR2020 10]

To qualify for a visitor visa, you must establish that you do not have an “immigrant intent,” the intent to remain the U.S. permanently. This is a basic component of most temporary U.S. visas. The U.S. government wants to know that you will return before your visa expires. Unfortunately, the form I-130,  filed on your husbands behalf, signals that he intend to live permanently in the U.S. at some point in the future. Consequently, people with pending immigrant petitions run into more scrutiny when applying for a temporary visitor visa.

Edited March 20, 2020 by NOR2020

[Ryan H 3,813]

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.

[Natalia Malone 4]

Hi! We have talked about turist visa with our lawyer, however she said is very unlikely to get a turist visa while you're in this process, however there isn't a problem if you want to apply, she said that you need to be very honest on the interview about why you want to get the turist visa and never ever cover your spouse visa process because they will know you're lying to them. Now if you want to expedite your case unfortunately this is rarely approved for most of the cases you need to have evidence that your case needs to be expedite because of extremely situations in this link you can find the information: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/forms-information/how-make-expedite-request

For most of us we just need to be patient with this long process and wait for the best!

Good luck