Calling everyone going thru Islamabad Embassy, version 2.0

[fareash 0]

hey guys my lawyer emailed the ISB "Dear Consul,

We are following up the status of our client's immigrant visa application. Your last correspondence on October 26, 2007 was that his case was under administrative review and the applicant would be contacted.

Please note that this case has been pending since August 28, 2007 and would appreciate your office following up the status of this "administrative review" as to why it has not been completed.

Your prompt response is appreciated."

and the response that my lawyer recieved

Thank you for contacting the Immigration Visa Unit at the U.S. Embassy

in Islamabad, Pakistan. Please see the information below for answers to

the questions we most often receive from the public. If your questions

are not answered after reading these FAQs, you may contact us at

PAKIVQUERY@STATE.GOV

Please include your CASE ID. Your case ID begins with "ISL" followed by

10 digits.

If your question is about administrative processing, please refer to

Item 1 in the section 'After the Interview.'

Please note that if you send a question to PAKIVQUERY@STATE.GOV that is

answered by the items listed below, you will not receive a reply.

Thank you.

U.S. Embassy Islamabad

Consular Section

Immigration Visa Unit

Pakistan

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. I understand that my case number should begin with "ISL" and be

followed by a 10-digit number. How do I find my case number?

The Applicant or Petitioner may contact the National Visa Center in

order to obtain the case number. They may also send an email to

PAKIVQUERY@STATE.GOV with the full name and date of birth for the

applicant, and it may be possible for us to assist.

2. I need to update my address and/or phone number. How do

I do this?

The Applicant or Petitioner is required to send a signed

written request via fax at +92-51-2822632.

3. My case has been approved by the National Visa Center.

My file has been transferred to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan.

What do I do next?

Please wait patiently. The Applicant or Petitioner should receive an

"instruction packet" labeled 3.5 once the file has been reviewed by the

embassy. This process can take 2-3 weeks. The instruction packet 3.5

will be sent to the applicant at his/her mailing address. If you do not

receive your packet 3.5 after one month, please write to

PAKIVQUERY@STATE.GOV with your case number, and the name of the

applicant.

4. What is my priority date?

Your priority date is the date on which your petition was filed with

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). The table below

indicates which priority dates are "current," meaning that there are

visas available. If your priority date is earlier than the date listed

below for your visa classification, then your case is considered

"current." The most up-to-date Priority Date Table can be found at

http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin...letin_1360.html

IMMIGRANT VISA NUMBERS FOR JANUARY-2008

SYMBOL PRIORITY DATE CATEGORY

Pakistan & Others India

Family Categories

F1 01-FEB-2002 01-FEB-2002 Unmarried Son & Daughter of U.S.

Citizen

F2A 22-FEB-2003 22-FEB-2003 Spouse & Children of Permanent

Resident

F2B 22-NOV-1998 22-NOV-1998 Unmarried Son & Daughter of

Permanent Resident

F3 08-MAY-2000 08-MAY-2000 Married Son & Daughter of U.S.

Citizen

F4 08-JUL-1997 15-SEP-1996 Brother & Sister of U.S. Citizen

FX 01-MAY-2002 01-MAY-2002 Spouse & children of Legalized

Beneficiary

Pakistan & Others India

Employment Categories

E1 C C Priority Workers

E2 C 01-JAN-2000 Professionals with Advanced Degrees or

Exceptional Ability

E3 15-OCT-2002 01-MAY-2001 Skilled Workers with

Baccalaureate Degree

E4 C C Certain Special Immigrants

EW 01-OCT-2001 01-OCT-2001 Other Workers

SR C C Professional Religious Workers

C5 C C Employment Creation

T5 C C Employment Creation in Targeted Area

5. My priority date is current. What do I do now?

The Applicant or Petitioner may contact the U.S. Embassy at

PAKIVQUERY@STATE.GOV with the applicant's current mailing address and

telephone number in Pakistan. Once we have received this, we will send

the instruction packet 3.5 to the applicant.

6. I am preparing for my interview. What documents do I

need to submit to the U.S. Embassy?

In order to process the case and schedule applicants for

their interviews, we require the following documents. All documents

should be submitted in their original form along with an English

translation and photocopies. The instruction packet 3.5 cover letter

must accompany all documents. Interviews will not be scheduled until

all documents have been received by the U.S. Embassy and have been fully

completed by the applicants and petitioners. Incomplete documents and

forms will delay the scheduling of your interview.

Please submit these documents via our approved courier service

(American Express) (List enclosed in packet 3.5):

* DS 230 Part I for all applicants (all questions must be

answered)

* DS 230 Part II for all applicants (all questions must be

answered)

* Visa Photos for all applicants (Front view, 2x2 inches, white or

off-white background, unaltered)

* Police Certificate(s) for every applicant over 16 from all the

places where the applicant has lived in Pakistan for more than 6 months

after reaching the age of 16 years. Police certificates are required

from all places outside Pakistan where the applicant lived for one year

or more after reaching age 16.

* Birth Certificates from the Union Council for all applicants

along with English translations. If the birth was not registered, a

sworn Affidavit of birth on a proper stamp paper from applicant's close

relative(s) or family friend(s). This is required for every applicant.

The original birth certificate of the petitioner is also required when

the immigrant petition is based on a parent /child or sibling

relationship.

* Marriage Certificates from the Union Council along with English

translations (for the principal applicant) .

* Divorce or Death Certificates for the principal applicant from

the Arbitration Council (as applicable).

* Copies of passports for all applicant(s). Please provide copies

of the pages showing the issuance date of the passport and the photo of

the applicant.

* I-864 Affidavit of Support, signed by the petitioner. The I-864

does not need to be resubmitted if already submitted by your Petitioner

to NVC. However, if your petitioner did not submit the I-864 to NVC,

you will need to submit this as well. (K visa and employment visa

applicants do not need to bring the I-864, but must otherwise

demonstrate that they will not require financial assistance from the

U.S. government.)

After you have received your interview letter, please complete

your medical report from one of our panel physicians 2 weeks prior to

the interview date and bring it on the interview day.

7. I have already submitted my documents. How long will it

take before I have my interview scheduled?

Once we have received your documents, we will review

them. Generally, it takes approximately 2-3 weeks to review these

documents. If your documents are incomplete, we will send a deficiency

sheet to you with instructions on what is needed from you in order to

complete your file and to schedule an interview. If you have completed

all the requirements, we will send an interview letter to you.

8. When I filed a petition I was a Green Card holder. Now

I am a U.S Citizen. How do I update my case?

A clear copy of petitioner's naturalization certificate

or passport is required in order to upgrade the petition. The copy must

be mailed (not faxed or e-mailed) to our mailing address mentioned

above.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

1. I appeared at the U.S Embassy for my interview. I was told that

administrative processing is required for my case. What does this mean?

Administrative Processing is a standard procedure

required by law for visa applications. It is a normal process and it

does not mean anything is wrong with your case. The processing is not

completed here at the U.S. Embassy and we have no control over the

processing time, nor any influence on the processing. Some cases take

longer to process than others; this does not necessarily mean anything

is wrong with your case. Once the administrative processing has been

completed, we will continue with your visa application. We will contact

you to let you know when your case is complete, and will ask you to

return your passport if we have not retained it. Once we have printed

your visa, we will return your passport along with the visa packet via

our approved courier. If it has been more than 10 months since your

interview, please e-mail Pakivquery@state.gov with the date of your

interview and case number. However, please note that routine

administrative processing questions for cases less than 10 months will

not be answered.

2. I appeared at the U.S. Embassy for my interview. I was

told that I needed to provide additional documentation. What do I need

to do now?

At the time of your interview, you received a blue

refusal sheet with instructions telling you what to do. In most cases,

applicants should obtain the requested documents or photographs and send

them to the U.S. Embassy through our approved courier service. A list

of the approved courier services was provided at the time of the

interview.

3. I appeared at the U.S. Embassy for my interview. It was

suggested that I take a DNA test. What do I do now?

In order to take a DNA test, the first step is for

petitioner to submit his/her DNA samples at one of the labs listed found

at:

www.aabb.org/About_the_AABB/Stds_and_Accred/aboutptlabs.htm

The lab will then send a DNA kit to the Embassy. Upon

receiving the DNA kit from the lab, we will contact you to schedule your

appointment for the DNA test. The test will be conducted at the U.S.

Embassy. This process takes several months to complete.

4. I appeared at the U.S. Embassy for my interview. I was

told that my case has been suspended and the Embassy has sent a request

for revocation. What does that mean?

Your petition has been returned to the National Visa

Center with a recommendation for revocation. This means that the

consular officer who interviewed your case had concerns about the

relationship that was the basis for the petition. The final

determination on your case will be made by U.S. Citizenship Immigration

Services (USCIS) in the United States. Questions about a case that has

been returned with a request for revocation should be referred to the

U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS) office where the petition

was filed originally. No appeal or reinstatement request will be

processed at the U.S. Embassy.

So basically this means nothing other than it may take up to 10months for Admin Processing and after that ISB is willing to entertain our questions. uggh !!!!!

Edited January 23, 2008 by fareash

[asmo 0]

Hi Guys,

I have a question. Do I need to pay any fees for CR-1 visa @ ISL embassy at the time of the interview? I have already paid Visa Fee and Affidavit of support fee ($380 and $70) in NVC. thankx in advance.

asmo

[asmo 0]

sorry for repeat thread

Edited January 23, 2008 by asmo

[tamztamztamztamz 0]

Hi Guys,

I have a question. Do I need to pay any fees for CR-1 visa @ ISL embassy at the time of the interview? I have already paid Visa Fee and Affidavit of support fee ($380 and $70) in NVC. thankx in advance.

asmo

my wife says that she did'nt pay anything at embassy(except those 15rs for shuttle ticket.lol).she saw the officer attaching a tag with her passport and NVC PAID is written on it during the interview.

[Bushra 2]

Hi All,

I'm very happy to say that after 1 year and 7 months my wife has finally received her I-130 visa!! She will be coming the the US in a couple of weeks and we will at last be reunited. Good luck to all of you with your visa journey. InshAllah, you will all be reunited soon.

Here is a rough timeline of our case. We had to endure two security checks....

May 3, 2006-- Applied for I-130

Aug 15, 2006-- NOA2, sent to USCIS

Dec 28, 2006-- USCIS approves, sent to Islamabad

Jan 8, 2007-- Islamabad Embassy receives case

Mar 6,2007-- Packet 3.5 sent

June 22, 2007-- Interview date, on AP

Oct 15, 2007-- First security check completed

Oct 23,2007-- Embassy calls my wife and asks a few basic questions about our marriage.

Oct 27,2007-- DOS informs me that we are on a second security check.

Dec 17,2007--DOS says that second security check has been completed.

Jan 18, 2008-- Visa issued!

Jan 23, 2008-- Wife receives visa!

[asmo 0]

Hi Guys,

I have a question. Do I need to pay any fees for CR-1 visa @ ISL embassy at the time of the interview? I have already paid Visa Fee and Affidavit of support fee ($380 and $70) in NVC. thankx in advance.

asmo

my wife says that she did'nt pay anything at embassy(except those 15rs for shuttle ticket.lol).she saw the officer attaching a tag with her passport and NVC PAID is written on it during the interview.

Thanks tamz...

[tamztamztamztamz 0]

Hi All,

I'm very happy to say that after 1 year and 7 months my wife has finally received her I-130 visa!! She will be coming the the US in a couple of weeks and we will at last be reunited. Good luck to all of you with your visa journey. InshAllah, you will all be reunited soon.

Here is a rough timeline of our case. We had to endure two security checks....

May 3, 2006-- Applied for I-130

Aug 15, 2006-- NOA2, sent to USCIS

Dec 28, 2006-- USCIS approves, sent to Islamabad

Jan 8, 2007-- Islamabad Embassy receives case

Mar 6,2007-- Packet 3.5 sent

June 22, 2007-- Interview date, on AP

Oct 15, 2007-- First security check completed

Oct 23,2007-- Embassy calls my wife and asks a few basic questions about our marriage.

Oct 27,2007-- DOS informs me that we are on a second security check.

Dec 17,2007--DOS says that second security check has been completed.

Jan 18, 2008-- Visa issued!

Jan 23, 2008-- Wife receives visa!

wow congratulations and happy reunion.

[MaryandMian 1]

Hi All,

I'm very happy to say that after 1 year and 7 months my wife has finally received her I-130 visa!! She will be coming the the US in a couple of weeks and we will at last be reunited. Good luck to all of you with your visa journey. InshAllah, you will all be reunited soon.

Here is a rough timeline of our case. We had to endure two security checks....

May 3, 2006-- Applied for I-130

Aug 15, 2006-- NOA2, sent to USCIS

Dec 28, 2006-- USCIS approves, sent to Islamabad

Jan 8, 2007-- Islamabad Embassy receives case

Mar 6,2007-- Packet 3.5 sent

June 22, 2007-- Interview date, on AP

Oct 15, 2007-- First security check completed

Oct 23,2007-- Embassy calls my wife and asks a few basic questions about our marriage.

Oct 27,2007-- DOS informs me that we are on a second security check.

Dec 17,2007--DOS says that second security check has been completed.

Jan 18, 2008-- Visa issued!

Jan 23, 2008-- Wife receives visa!

Congratulations to you both! I am very happy to finally read that the visa is ajudicated.

Mary

[tamztamztamztamz 0]

Hi All,

I'm very happy to say that after 1 year and 7 months my wife has finally received her I-130 visa!! She will be coming the the US in a couple of weeks and we will at last be reunited. Good luck to all of you with your visa journey. InshAllah, you will all be reunited soon.

Here is a rough timeline of our case. We had to endure two security checks....

May 3, 2006-- Applied for I-130

Aug 15, 2006-- NOA2, sent to USCIS

Dec 28, 2006-- USCIS approves, sent to Islamabad

Jan 8, 2007-- Islamabad Embassy receives case

Mar 6,2007-- Packet 3.5 sent

June 22, 2007-- Interview date, on AP

Oct 15, 2007-- First security check completed

Oct 23,2007-- Embassy calls my wife and asks a few basic questions about our marriage.

Oct 27,2007-- DOS informs me that we are on a second security check.

Dec 17,2007--DOS says that second security check has been completed.

Jan 18, 2008-- Visa issued!

Jan 23, 2008-- Wife receives visa!

Congratulations to you both! I am very happy to finally read that the visa is ajudicated.

Mary

welcome back marry sis,howz ur son?

[MaryandMian 1]

Thanks for asking, we have been running back and forth to the doctors. He is deaf now and we are going to have to go and get a hearing aid within the next few weeks. They are discussing more surgery but decided that it may cause more harm than good. I appreciate everyone's concern and above all their prayers.

I hope to see more approvals in this forum soon too.

[Sky2k 0]

Sorry wrong file

Edited January 24, 2008 by Sky2k

[KandD 1]

Does anyone know if ISB embassy requires 3 years tax return or only 1 yr? I have read 1yr is required and the other 2yrs are optional, Which is correct pertaining to ISB?

[Sky2k 0]

Guys,

Here is list of people who are going to ISB with K3 visa. If your name doesn't appear in this list, please update your timeline by using the link below.

Thank you,

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/intro.php

PK_K3_list.htm

[Overin2911 0]

That is so great!! I hope you have a fantastic reunion.

Hi All,

I'm very happy to say that after 1 year and 7 months my wife has finally received her I-130 visa!! She will be coming the the US in a couple of weeks and we will at last be reunited. Good luck to all of you with your visa journey. InshAllah, you will all be reunited soon.

Here is a rough timeline of our case. We had to endure two security checks....

May 3, 2006-- Applied for I-130

Aug 15, 2006-- NOA2, sent to USCIS

Dec 28, 2006-- USCIS approves, sent to Islamabad

Jan 8, 2007-- Islamabad Embassy receives case

Mar 6,2007-- Packet 3.5 sent

June 22, 2007-- Interview date, on AP

Oct 15, 2007-- First security check completed

Oct 23,2007-- Embassy calls my wife and asks a few basic questions about our marriage.

Oct 27,2007-- DOS informs me that we are on a second security check.

Dec 17,2007--DOS says that second security check has been completed.

Jan 18, 2008-- Visa issued!

Jan 23, 2008-- Wife receives visa!

Hey Mary,

Im so sorry to see he will need a hearing aid. I hope everything else is going well.

Laney

Thanks for asking, we have been running back and forth to the doctors. He is deaf now and we are going to have to go and get a hearing aid within the next few weeks. They are discussing more surgery but decided that it may cause more harm than good. I appreciate everyone's concern and above all their prayers.

I hope to see more approvals in this forum soon too.

[Overin2911 0]

Hey Girlie!

I wish I could remember!!!! I do know that I took 3 years worth of tranascripts and returns to the interview, I can't remember what she gave back. Better to be safe than sorry.

Laney

Does anyone know if ISB embassy requires 3 years tax return or only 1 yr? I have read 1yr is required and the other 2yrs are optional, Which is correct pertaining to ISB?