Falene

I'm looking for some advice.  My fiance had his interview back in July and we were given 221g.  We gathered the requested documents (including his passport), and he submitted them in September which was within the allowed time frame.  On 10/16 it was returned and we knew at this point it was denied.  He opened a case after that asked about the status of the visa and his passport.  Below is a timeline from when they asked him if he wanted to withdraw his passport.
 
10/26 - He opened a case on Oct 26 and in the response they said "Also, kindly confirm if you wish to withdraw your passport."
11/2 - He replied on Nov 2 and said "This is in reference to the above mail I would like to request you to please release my passport as early as possible."
11/9 - One week passed without any response and again on Nov 9 he said, "As I have requested for withdrawal of my passport but I have not heard anything till now regarding the same. I request you once again to please release my passport".
11/14 - Then, on Nov 14 I also sent a request for his passport to be released.
11/15 - The response I received on Nov 15 said, "a case with the case number "Case-XXX" has already been escalated and is still in the process of being reviewed. So we request you to wait for the response."
11/21 - The date on the Notice of Decision I received from USCIS that stated all action was concluded due to petition being expired.
12/1 - I sent another request asking about his passport, but I have not received any response.
12/18 - I sent a request through the office of Senator Brown (Ohio), and they stated they would tell me when they hear from the embassy.
1/8 & 1/9 - I tried to send another request to the embassy, but I did not get the automated response that tells me a case has been opened.
 
The situation now, is that he hasn't received his passport back and we are not getting any communication.  He lost a job in Dubai because he is not able to travel.  He is talking to a lawyer who offered to serve a legal notice to the embassy, but this person is not an immigration lawyer so I'm not sure how much experience he has with this type of case.  Does anyone have some advice for what we can do?  We are already upset that he didn't get the visa, but this is just making the experience so much worse.

Sorry I didn't respond sooner.  The interview could have gone better.  We don't have the visa yet.  We were given 221(g) and our case is in Administrative Processing.  The 221(g) is a standard form requesting more evidence of our relationship, but then she also wrote "Wedding Plans" on the form.  She asked why we didn't get married in India between last time (2013) and now.  I tried to explain that we were told that we could apply again for fiance visa and didn't know it would take so long to get approved.  Also that there is a long waiting period in India for a court marriage.  There is a requirement to post something for 30 days and both people have to be present.  I don't have vacation time like that.  Also, we're not going to have a big wedding, just a court wedding and my parents are giving a reception.  When she gave us the paper and wrote wedding plans, she said that there needs to be more details like what we are going to wear, decorations, etc.  I could have given her all of that information, but I did not know she wanted it.  She just simply asked our wedding plans and didn't ask us to elaborate.  The other mistake was that when she asked for photos, we only had old photos from 2011 and 2012.  I forgot to print pics from 2014 and 2015 trips.  I felt so bad about that.  They should already have those anyways because I already sent them to USCIS, but it's like they don't even look at your case until you're standing at the interview window.  
 
Today, my fiance dropped off all of the evidence they were requesting.  I hope it is sufficient.  We have included photos from all trips together including this one in 2017.  We have a large printout of conversations on WhatsApp and Skype.  We have given details about our wedding plans and I have an invoice for where the reception will be.  We are planning to rent the conference center at my office.  I included some other support for the wedding such as photographer, peacock theme decorations, casual dress, etc.  We also included support letters from my parents and his sisters.  Now we are waiting again.  I hope it won't be long especially since they have his passport. 
 
Thanks again for all your support.  I hope your journeys are going smoother than ours. 

Here is an update.  When he was ready to schedule the biometric appointment, we were trying to figure out if he could schedule the medical at the same time.  For the medical, the interview appointment is needed.  I contacted the embassy.  They told us to schedule the appointments and take the confirmation page for the biometric appointment to the medical appointment.  Then when he chose the biometric appointment date and continued to the next screen, it was to schedule the interview.  So, it can all be scheduled at the same time on the website.  There were only two dates available, both were Fridays. He did both his biometric and medical exam today.  His interview is on July 28.  I will arrive on the 26th and attend the interview with him.  I'm so nervous and excited. 

Here is an update.  When he was ready to schedule the biometric appointment, we were trying to figure out if he could schedule the medical at the same time.  For the medical, the interview appointment is needed.  I contacted the embassy.  They told us to schedule the appointments and take the confirmation page for the biometric appointment to the medical appointment.  Then when he chose the biometric appointment date and continued to the next screen, it was to schedule the interview.  So, it can all be scheduled at the same time on the website.  There were only two dates available, both were Fridays. He did both his biometric and medical exam today.  His interview is on July 28.  I will arrive on the 26th and attend the interview with him.  I'm so nervous and excited. 

Here is an update.  When he was ready to schedule the biometric appointment, we were trying to figure out if he could schedule the medical at the same time.  For the medical, the interview appointment is needed.  I contacted the embassy.  They told us to schedule the appointments and take the confirmation page for the biometric appointment to the medical appointment.  Then when he chose the biometric appointment date and continued to the next screen, it was to schedule the interview.  So, it can all be scheduled at the same time on the website.  There were only two dates available, both were Fridays. He did both his biometric and medical exam today.  His interview is on July 28.  I will arrive on the 26th and attend the interview with him.  I'm so nervous and excited. 

Thanks for your replies.  He submitted the DS-160 and is planning to leave by the end of this week.  We're still not sure if we will pick the date or if they will just give us a date.  He will be back in India, so it should not be a problem.  
 
@TexasHeartsIndia The main reason we had a problem was because his sisters did not know about our relationship.  Now they know and have sent a letter for our second RFE which stated that they have given us support.  We felt it should not have been an issue because he was working in Dubai and both sisters are married and living with their husband's families.  Also, their parents have passed away, so there is no question about parents' support.  Now we have overcome that, even though we waited more than 2 1/2 years for our petition to be approved.  (The first time only took 4 months.)
 
Good luck to you all!

Yes, they asked if his parents know, and he said they are gone.  Then they asked if his siblings know, and he said no.  Finally they asked if anyone in India knows, and he explained that his friends know.  Then that's when his interview ended.  It seems they thought our relationship was not genuine because he didn't tell his sisters. 
 
I don't think you need to worry.  The pictures with his family should be enough evidence. 

We are planning to go to the courthouse. Then my mom wants to give us a reception. I want the reception to be small and gave her a guest list of about 50 people. My fiance does not have any family or friends here so it will be a chance for him to meet mine. The only thing that I purchased is a dress. Right now we are stuck in administrative processing and we don't know when we will be able to plan anything. Sometimes I think about having a traditional Hindu ceremony at the temple where I attend, but the cost is a big concern.
It's nice to see everyone's plans even though it's impossible to plan anything definite.

I went alone the first time I met my fiance in person. It was probably the craziest thing I've ever done. My mother was terrified, but she had all my contact info and hotel info. She also made me email her everyday so she knew that I was still ok. Like KDH said, I could have died. Before I met him, I had talked to many other people online. I was more afraid to drive 6 hours to meet someone in the next state than to fly to India to meet my fiance. (I never met the other person.) I trusted him and I felt safe with him.
I think it's good that your friend has already met him. Still, make sure someone knows where you are staying and has good contact information for you. I hope you have a great time and a safe trip!

Malaysia Embassy (KL) age difference 10 years and we known each other for 7 years and spend about 2 weeks together. we just confessed to each other 2 years ago ... we were BEST FRIEND. I'm not rich and I have parents to take care of , I can't quit my job and spend couple of months there and burden my fiancee . that's why need to file a K-1 and the propose of that visa is to bring the person you love close and legally get marry. what's the damn point to have such visa if need to suspicious this and that. treating human like a damn criminal like they convicted a crime. k-1 visa should give us USC a favor and help us during a hard time like this not giving us more stress in life. we are a good citizen and obey the damn law by bringing the person u love LEGALLY. okay I'm done i'm just a bit insane at this moment =)