HAITI

[CAP waiting 18]

19 hours ago, Jacques'son said:

For anyone interested this article was released Friday  April 30th by the state department. It explains the prioritization of visa categories at embassies and consulates to reduce the interview backlog at all posts.

 

Immigrant Visa Prioritization

Last Updated: April 30, 2021

 

As noted in our recent visa services operating status update, the Department of State is committed to sharing the current status of our worldwide visa operations.  As part of that effort, we would like to provide more details regarding how our embassies and consulates are prioritizing immigrant visa applications as the Department works to reduce the backlog of such applications resulting from travel restrictions and operational constraints caused by the global COVID pandemic.

The health and safety of our personnel, U.S. citizens seeking assistance abroad, individuals seeking immigration benefits, and local populations is paramount.  Posts that process both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas are prioritizing immigrant visa applications while still providing some nonimmigrant visa services.  However, the volume and type of visa cases each post will process continues to depend on local conditions, including restrictions on movement and gathering imposed by host country governments.  In addition, consistent with U.S. government guidance on safety in the federal workplace, U.S. embassies and consulates have implemented social distancing and other safety measures, which have reduced the number of applicants consular sections are able to process in a single day.  Consular sections will resume providing all routine visa services as it is safe to do so in that particular location.

The petitioners and applicants in the immigrant visa process are more than just numbers.  We acknowledge the stress and hardships they have borne during the past year of reduced operating capacity as a result of COVID and necessary measures taken to protect health and safety or to comply with local requirements, as well as COVID-related limitations on their travel or visa issuance.  We also recognize the importance of each immigrant visa category.  However, during the pandemic the Department has been forced to make difficult decisions regarding how our consular sections should prioritize immigrant visa applications as they operate at limited capacity and as they work through a backlog of immigrant visa cases once they resume full operating capacity.  The guiding principle on which we have based immigrant visa prioritization is that family reunification is a clear priority of the U.S. Government’s immigration policy, a priority is expressed in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  Specifically, the Department’s prioritization relied on clear direction from Congress that the Department must adopt a policy of prioritizing immediate relative visa applicants and K-1 fiancées of U.S. citizens, followed by family preference immigrant visa applicants.    

Consistent with those objectives, U.S. embassies and consulates are using a tiered approach to triage immigrant visa applications based on the category of immigrant visa as they resume and expand processing.  While our consular sections, where possible, are scheduling some appointments within all four priority tiers every month, the following lists the main categories of immigrant visas in priority order:

• Tier One: Immediate relative intercountry adoption visas, age-out cases (cases where the applicant will soon no longer qualify due to their age), and certain Special Immigrant Visas (SQ and SI for Afghan and Iraqi nationals working with the U.S. government)
   
• Tier Two:  Immediate relative visas; fiancé(e) visas; and returning resident visas
   
• Tier Three: Family preference immigrant visas and SE Special Immigrant Visas for certain employees of the U.S. government abroad
   
• Tier Four: All other immigrant visas, including employment preference and diversity visas

Many embassies and consulates continue to have a significant backlog of all categories of immigrant visas.  This prioritization plan instructs posts to maximize their limited resources to accommodate as many immediate relative and fiancé(e) cases as possible with a goal of, at a minimum, preventing the backlog from growing in these categories and hopefully reducing it. However, the prioritization plan also instructs posts to schedule and adjudicate some cases in Tier Three and Tier Four each month.  The Department recognizes that visa applicants, particularly those in Tiers Three and Four, will face continued delays.  We further acknowledge that certain programs, including the diversity visa program, operate on a fiscal year basis as required by law.  The Department values the diversity visa program and is making every effort to process as many diversity visa cases as possible, consistent with other priorities, despite the severe operational constraints and backlog resulting from the COVID pandemic.  However, as a result of COVID the number of visas issued in lower-priority preference categories or in such programs as the diversity visa program likely will not approach the statutory ceiling in Fiscal Year 2021.   

Thank you so much for this - of course we will see but I appreciate the mention of us not just “being numbers”. 

[Jacques'son 39]

6 hours ago, Justus Forever said:

I just read this early this morning and I swear Haiti acts as if they don't have to following rules and it's all embassies 

I agree, this is why we need to stay on top of things. Later this month when the visa issuances for the month of April are released I expect to see more immediate relative (IR1, IR2, K1, & K2)  visas issued than the previous month. And that trend should continue as we progress through this year. Embassy in Haiti will use all excuses possible  from covid to insecurity to issue minimal immigrant  visas to Haitians. We as U.S. citizen petitioners are our family member's only advocates. The  embassy in Haiti needs to know we are privy to what is going on. Meanwhile the neighboring country is issuing twice as much immigrant visas although they have more cases of covid. Hence why I advise those waiting 18 months or longer for their beneficiaries interview to be scheduled to be proactive. Call the Haiti  embassy tell them you aware of the prioritization for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to get their interviews scheduled by the direction of the department of state. Embassy in Haiti needs to get the ball rolling, the backlog will not clear with just 140 IR1 visas issued a month. The backlog for interviews in Haiti dates back to 2019! We're practically in the middle 2021! Very ridiculous. The DR did 347 in March, I hate to compare but I have to. 

[CAP waiting 18]

24 minutes ago, Jacques'son said:

I agree, this is why we need to stay on top of things. Later this month when the visa issuances for the month of April are released I expect to see more immediate relative (IR1, IR2, K1, & K2)  visas issued than the previous month. And that trend should continue as we progress through this year. Embassy in Haiti will use all excuses possible  from covid to insecurity to issue minimal immigrant  visas to Haitians. We as U.S. citizen petitioners are our family member's only advocates. The  embassy in Haiti needs to know we are privy to what is going on. Meanwhile the neighboring country is issuing twice as much immigrant visas although they have more cases of covid. Hence why I advise those waiting 18 months or longer for their beneficiaries interview to be scheduled to be proactive. Call the Haiti  embassy tell them you aware of the prioritization for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to get their interviews scheduled by the direction of the department of state. Embassy in Haiti needs to get the ball rolling, the backlog will not clear with just 140 IR1 visas issued a month. The backlog for interviews in Haiti dates back to 2019! We're practically in the middle 2021! Very ridiculous. The DR did 347 in March, I hate to compare but I have to. 

I’ve been in contact with my Senators office and working with an advocate since last October but she is only been in contact with NVC. I am going to ask her and encourage her to contact the embassy directly.

[mjcharles69@gmail 9]

Is anybody knows what month are they scheduling please?? I was dq sept 2019 no letter no nothing, ,,,call nvc & H embassy  2 me is usless they cant give u no info,the only answer u get is to wait!!! 

[CAP waiting 18]

1 hour ago, mjcharles69@gmail said:

Is anybody knows what month are they scheduling please?? I was dq sept 2019 no letter no nothing, ,,,call nvc & H embassy  2 me is usless they cant give u no info,the only answer u get is to wait!!! 

This is awful, I think anyone from 2019 needs to call their senators office 

[Jacques'son 39]

U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince Haiti updated their webpage today with this announcement. 

[CAP waiting 18]

49 minutes ago, Jacques'son said:

U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince Haiti updated their webpage today with this announcement. 

Do you feel like this is different from previous announcement? Maybe adding the NVC info in? 

[Jacques'son 39]

28 minutes ago, CAP waiting said:

Do you feel like this is different from previous announcement? Maybe adding the NVC info in? 

The previous message was released by the department of state. This is an update on the US embassy in Haiti website. So, they acknowledged that are supposed to be prioritizing visa interview for immediate relatives of U.S citizens. We have to pay attention in the weeks and months going forward to see if they actually do that. Haiti embassy is not very informative usually so this a good sign. But again, actions speak louder than words.

[CAP waiting 18]

14 minutes ago, Jacques'son said:

The previous message was released by the department of state. This is an update on the US embassy in Haiti website. So, they acknowledged that are supposed to be prioritizing visa interview for immediate relatives of U.S citizens. We have to pay attention in the weeks and months going forward to see if they actually do that. Haiti embassy is not very informative usually so this a good sign. But again, actions speak louder than words.

I feel like their website said something similar prior but I am cautiously hopeful and appreciate you posting. And yes we need to keep an eye on it. 

[kendelle 103]

On 5/6/2021 at 7:36 PM, Jacques'son said:

The previous message was released by the department of state. This is an update on the US embassy in Haiti website. So, they acknowledged that are supposed to be prioritizing visa interview for immediate relatives of U.S citizens. We have to pay attention in the weeks and months going forward to see if they actually do that. Haiti embassy is not very informative usually so this a good sign. But again, actions speak louder than words.

I totally agree "this is a good sign" Let's keep hope alive because we cannot control what happens with Haiti embassy, but we can definitely control our attitude toward what happens with that embassy. 

[Vzla90 25]

My dad was DQ’ed today. I am waiting for an interview in Bogota, Colombia.

[kendelle 103]

On 5/7/2021 at 9:37 PM, Vzla90 said:

My dad was DQ’ed today. I am waiting for an interview in Bogota, Colombia.

Congrats! Hopefully the process is not as long as it is in Haiti.

[kendelle 103]

Ok guys, let's not stop this forum as it is very helpful. It gives hope when learning that someone in the queue get to move forward. Keep posting any new info.

Thank you all for your participation

[mjcharles69@gmail 9]

Its mid May already, this is ridiculously ridiculous, what the hell is going with haiti??? Anybodyknows a good lawyer??? The whole process started 12/18 dq 9/19 and its 5/21 i am still waiting for an interview with  no update no nothing,that doesn't make no sense come on yall,anybody got interview letter recently????

[CAP waiting 18]

11 hours ago, mjcharles69@gmail said:

Its mid May already, this is ridiculously ridiculous, what the hell is going with haiti??? Anybodyknows a good lawyer??? The whole process started 12/18 dq 9/19 and its 5/21 i am still waiting for an interview with  no update no nothing,that doesn't make no sense come on yall,anybody got interview letter recently????

I have no advice, I’m at one year DQ. You have been waiting for 10 mons longer then me and I wanted to send support. IT US WAY TO LONG !!!! Very ridiculous. 

Edited May 18, 2021 by CAP waiting
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