AmericanExpat

Thanks for replying Lynne,

As far as I know I can only use the VWP to visit for tourist activity and if the immigration people at the airport think I`m going to visit a girlfriend I will be refused entry and wont be allowed to use the VWP again as I will be deemed to have abused it. As far as I know there is no legal way to visit her .

Going to visit a girlfriend/boyfriend is still going as a tourist. You're not staying, so you are not abusing. Simple "I'm just visiting friends" is a good enough answer at immigration. A boyfriend/girlfriend is not a official category, they are still just friends... hence the 'friend' part of the term.

You'll be fine visiting friends on the VWP.

They wouldn't grant the expedite in your situation.

Financial reasons for expedite are rarely granted. It WILL certainly stay in your file, and won't look good for you at your interview considering your filing for the K-1.

Expediting speeds it up, sure... but you're still looking at minimum 4 months (see my timeline) from filing date. Ride it out there, and don't give the consulate any reason for possibly denying you.

First of all, you of all people should have been personally escorted into the Embassy by US Marines and given more personal service.

As to why non-americans are filling these interviewing posts, may be they couldn't get enough qualified Americans to work in Malaysia? <shrugs> Regardless, the Ambassador should be made aware of any poor service/ mistreatment of any Americans by any US Embassy/ consulate.

I have emailed this embassy before, and received responses that are ridiculous. (aparently written by a Taliban with poor command of the language).

Well, after a surprise that they wanted 2011 W-2's along with 2011 tax return receipts, my wife's visa was approved, and in time for her to return to the US with me. Guess I'll be reporting back on time after all

You know, I tried contacting the Ambassador once before. No response. I emailed him, sent him a message to his Twitter account, and to his Facebook page. Nothing. Guess he was to busy handing out checks to the save the Malaysian Tiger foundation...

As for the Embassy. I NEVER recieved the appointment package they supposedly mailed to us at our home, IN MALAYSIA... One of the few times that the Consular responded to any of my emails was to send us a scanned copy of the letter they supposedly mailed so that we could get the medical exam done, and for entry for the actual appointment. I wonder what other documents were included in that IV 4 package... oh well.

They certainly need training for proper grammer and email etiquette in responses. It looked like a student emailing a friend.

Glad it's finally over though. I hope I never have to go inside the KL Embassy again for any visa issues...

Question for those who recently attended interviews for your spousal visa in the KL US Consulate: Did they require you to produce your original Malaysian identity card (Kad Pengenalan - IC) at any point?

The reason why I am asking is because I seem to have recently misplaced my Malaysian IC! I travel a lot for work and now haven't a clue where it is. The last time I remember definitely having it was about 3 months ago when I had to make copies for my Malaysian police cert application.

I have my original passport and Malaysian driver's licence. Everything else is with the NVC (original marriage cert, original birth cert, original police certs, but not the Malaysian IC because it was never requested).

Please say my passport is all they need!

Give them your driver's licence at the guard house for your visitors pass, and keep your passport for inside the embassy. Make an extra photocopy of your passport for the guardhouse too just in case.

I'd get married in Haiti and refile the CR-1.

It's going to take a long time either way, and you'll have to re-file either way. Might is well make it official so it doesn't look like an old friend helping someone come into the US.

Good luck!

They don't check the Petitioner's records. Only beneficiary has to submit criminal history check.

Co-sponsor does NOT have to live in the same household.

We need a brave test subject to go in wearing only 1 shoe, and see if they can pass.......

We need a test subject to go in and say "I don't WANT to go to the US... I HAVE to go to be with my husband, and he HAS to go because X. He doesn't WANT to go either"...

You will need an official divorce document from the Islamic Court there, translated to English of course.

Dear everyone,

Received NOA2 feb 5,2013. and I read in the notice: " you should allow a minimum of 30 days for dept. of state processing before contacting the NVC".

Any experience about this stage of processing? Any papers to prepare? Thanks a lot.

Mike

What country?

Get the basics together. Original birth certificates, police security clearances (this takes 2 months or more in some places so get started!), marriage certificates, divorce certificates, photos and other proof, joint bank statements, etc All documents need to be translated into English

Everything you want the Embassy that is doing the interview to have to prove the marriage is real needs to be sent to the NVC. They send it along to the Embassy

Hi every one, i am a student who is on F 1 but fall out of status since last year,,but fell in love with my girlfriend and got married newly.. i am new to the forums i just wanna begin my applications for residence..please will some one help me on documents requirements and my wife doesn't make up to $ 20,000 a year,i hope i do need a sponsor, even if i need, what documents will i require from him or her before filling for my case..

Thanks and God bless.

Benchris.

You are "out of status"? You mean you overstayed and are now in the US illegally? You just complicated your case... Is your new wife a US citizen or a permanent resident?

Read the guidelines here for information about what to file:

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

And you're in the military no less? And they still treated you like a schmuck?? That's outrageous!

Yes from what I've heard from my inlaws, that Embassy is staffed by a bunch of A-holes. I wanna go over there and stir the pot a little bit lol.

Best of luck with your process.

I'm in the military, and I couldn't even enter the US Embassy one time I went because "I didn't have an appointment"... My understanding was that US Embassies worldwide are US Sovereign territory. A little piece of the nation. So I couldn't enter my own country because I didn't have an appointment....

Yes, they are a "bit" insane. I thought about starting a protest up at one point. I'm sure they'd love that, a protect led by their own citizen in a foreign country... Oh well, maybe AFTER the interview They need to get stirred up. Maybe having actual Americans doing the interviews instead of foreigners. Not sure why Brits and Aussies are interviewing people for entry into the US...

I don't know the definite answer to this question but my understanding of the role of the medical exam is this: US immigration law requires certain vaccinations. The doctor must either confirm that your wife meets these requirements or state that it is "medically inappropriate" for her to receive any one or more of the required vaccinations.

It looks like the doctor is stating that the two vaccinations are "medically inappropriate" - the first due to your wife's age, and the other due to there being insufficient time. What I am not sure of is what the CO will decide to do with that information. I really hope you get your visa on time!

I'm in the same boat as you guys (Malaysian too), although I've been blessed to be able to travel on my B2 visa to visit my husband in the US while waiting for my immigrant visa. Not as far along as you guys are, but we've finally submitted the last of the DS-230 documents to NVC yesterday (Malaysia police cert which took forever, my fault for not applying for it sooner!). Out of interest, could you not have scheduled a medical exam as soon as you knew your case was being forwarded to the KL embassy? The reason I ask is because I've been thinking of scheduling prior to NVC case completion but am not sure if it's a good idea.

You really are lucky. My wife tried to get a B2 to visit my family with me after we got married, but it was denied... because she was married to a US citizen. At that point we had no plans to move to the US, but since then the military recalled me, so I have to return. Be careful they don't find out and deny you entry on one of your trips!

There are only 3 clinics in Malaysia that can give the medical exam for the US Embassy. 1 in KL, 1 in Penang, and the other in Sabah. None of them will allow you to make an appointment until you have receive the interview letter with the date of interview. They won't even tell you how much the exam will cost unless you have a date (It was RM570 for us). The exam is also valid only for 6 months. What you could do is go to your regular doctor, get the vaccines there, and just provide proof of them when you go to the exam. We did that, got a few out of the way, but most clinics don't stock all the vaccines that the US medical exam requires, including the Tdap vaccine.

That vaccine cocktail is in 3 shots. 1st, then booster 4-6 weeks after the first, then the final 6 months after the second.

That's what we're worried about now, because there was no info about that, and she could only get the 1st shot of the series at the exam.... Now it's interview time

Start getting your shots now at your regular doc, and save the records of everything you get!

Dude the KL Embassy is crazy. My wife's siblings tried on 3 occasions with plenty of supporting evidence (and they have detailed packages with I-134's from me as well) that they have strong ties to Malaysia, and they were denied. Based on intending immigration. In your case, that would be true, however there'd be no reason for illegal immigration. I did hear that once you file an I-130, it's unlikely that she'd get a B1/B2 visa. They just make you wait. That's standard for many Embassies.

BTW, hello everyone.

I agree completely SteveAndTiff!! The KL Embassy seems to be staffed with a bunch of A-holes.

There is 0 logic to the way they apply policies.

However shortly after getting denied the tourist visa, my military unit back home sent me notification. We ended up having to send in the I-130 packet about a week later after the tourist visa interview.

My wife's interview is scheduled for Tuesday, hope it goes well. I have to be back in the US by 1 March, so sure as hell hoping they approve! All the paperwork is there so... fingers crossed!

There is not enough time to get the remaining shots before the interview.

Her next shot in the series cannot be given for 6 weeks. Her interview is in 3 days.

The forms says that blanket waivers are granted... but I've never heard of this before.

My wife's interview at the KL Embassy is in 3 days, on 19 Feb.

We just got back the medical exam sheet, and at the exam, she was given a few vaccines. However, out of the ones missed because "not age appropriate", there is one that was not given because of "Insufficient Time Interval", between one vaccination shot, and another in a series.

It says that Blanket waiver(s) To Be Requested if Vaccination not medically Appropriate.

The vacine series that wasn't given was the TDAP. She could only get the 1st shot, but could not be given the entire series.

Has anyone else run into this issue at the KL Embassy or elsewhere? Is it a problem? Do CO's customarily grant the waiver and the remainder given in the US prior to AOS or what?

people who come on tourist visas with the intent to marry and adjust status are breaking the law, plain and simple, not a risk worth taking. The reason people cannot get visitor visas from certain countries with pending petitions is because of people who abused the system and adjusted their status while here on said visas. The government doesn't need to be reminded of how broken our system is, they are well aware of it. Have you watched the news lately? Ever hear of immigration reform? They are working on it.

They do need to be reminded of it. "They are working on it." They have been "working on it" forever. The only thing they are really working on is re-election and fundraising.

Useless career Politicians.

Some of you VJ members should run for State Rep or Senator. Forget the paperweights that are currently in office making a mess out of everything. Then some change might truly happen.

Regular people representing their neighbors for a short period of time, then going back to their real lives... Not some out of touch politicians. No wonder why nothing gets fixed.

I signed.

Hello all,

I am an intended immigrant (currently Canadian & living in Canada, married to an American) with a CR1 visa application in process. We were married this past August and had our application package sent off in November. It was approved and our case is now in process. Here's the current dilemma: We have just become aware that despite birth control efforts I am pregnant and I'm due this August. According to the current processing times, (and correct me if I'm wrong) it seems like we are probably looking at about 8-9 months total wait time from the point we were approved.... so it looks like my interview would probably take place very close to the time that the baby is due and (God willing) we should expect to move to the states within a month (give or take) from baby's arrival - either before or after. We are quite aware that being pregnant will not help speed along the immigration process so it's a little unnerving to know that it's all likely going to happen around the same time - we can't really even be sure of where I'll give birth (Canada or the US)

Although we're thankful for this baby, obviously this is a complicated situation which we hadn't planned on and I am just wondering if the baby is born in Canada before I am granted my visa, how complicated things will get at that point... Can anyone tell me what the next step would be after that (would we need to go to the American embassy in Canada to register baby or can we just move as planned with baby already considered an American citizen because my husband (baby's father) is American? I know that as long as the child has one American parent he/she will be granted American status because of that fact as long as he/she resides in the States, which will be the case once I'm granted my visa... but if baby is born before that happens, the baby will obviously stay with me in Canada until I can move to the States with my husband. Since the move will likely not occur more than a month or so after the baby's birth though, do I need to make a trip to Montreal (from Toronto) to register the baby's birth or can I just wait until we move and register in the states? Would that cause huge issues at the border when we move if we all of a sudden have a baby with us??

Please help!

Thank you

If you can do it in the States, do it that way. Much simpler... Never know, the kid might want to run for President someday, need to be born in the US to do that

Dear fellow VJers,

I am currently waiting for the NOA2 from my K1 visa. I am the beneficiary. It's been a long wait since we file for the petition.

Now we are thinking to get me to US just to visit and meet him again because it's been almost a year since I saw him.

I do not have any intention to stay there other than to visit him and to see the city he lives and just get to know the neighborhood I will live in the future.

My questions are :

1. Do I have a chance to get the B2 visa? Since I am currently in the process of K1 visa.

2. I do not have a lot of money in the bank. I have an average income and my savings are not in significant amount. It is not a must to present financial statement. But I know it's a good reason to submit ones. Will it be a trouble for me?

3. Do I need to get a letter from my fiance, the US citizen, to guarantee that I will not be a liability to US?

4. I will also include a recommendation letter from my company stating that I am working there.Will it help me?

I know it seems that my chance is slim.. But I want to know the possibility.

Thank you for your kindest information.

They won't grant it. My wife and I tried to get a tourist visa for her, to visit my family in the US. We were married, and I was living abroad. They denied it. No amount of proof would convince them that we had no intention of migrating.

Shortly after our last attempt, my military unit ordered me back, so now we HAVE to return... and go thru the entire GC process. Luckily it seems to be going fast because of the military orders for my return.

Once that's done, we'll give back the GC. Maybe that will convince them to let her have a tourist visa, so we can just visit...

We are currently OCONUS. I am here sponsored by his command.

His PCS is on Nov 2013... It will be back to the US.

Right now, we're at the I-130 petition stage. I was hoping he can get a copy of his PCS orders less than a year out BUT he said it is more likely he will only get his orders 2-4 months before he has to leave.

That doesn't really give us any extra time at all

Is it possible for us to expedite if we ask his commander to provide a letter stating the urgency of my visa bring approved in time for PCS?

He belongs to a very deployable segment of the air force. In fact, my husband deploys practically every week.

Yes, expedite request is possible. All the forms state that the military member must be deploying, but that isn't actually necessary always. It's up to the person reviewing the expedite request. I am not deploying, but have to return to my unit in the states. USCIC and NVC both expedited my petition. It went thru USCIS in 16 days, and not much longer at NVC. Now just waiting on the local Embassy, and hopefully they don't drag the process out.

Good luck! US immigration policies are certainly not designed to keep families together...

How exactly does the medical work? Does the consulate send you somewhere specific? Or do you have to book something in advance with your family physician?

We are close to out estimated NOA2 date and I just want to know if there is anything we could be doing in advance so as not to be held up waiting on something like a Dr. appointment.

Thank you for your help! ~K

All you could do is get all the vacines required done beforehand...

My husband is from DR we got the police report in spanish , do i need to translate that to send it with the DS 230 ?? anyone help !!

Every document needs to be translated to English.

Hi! Quick question...I thought I had everything in order, but I just read a review of someone not getting approved in Juarez due to not presenting a long form birth certificate. In WI, they just give you one with your parents last names and first inital. I'm afraid that this won't be enough information for them to consider it 'long form'. I gave my fiance a copy of my entire passport as well. Can this copy serve as proof of citizenship or do I have to send him my original passport? Any help is greatly appreciated since I'm going to have to DHL it this afternoon to get it there in time. Thanks!!

Emily

Have him print out and bring a copy of your passport for backup. Your birth cert should be fine. Do they even have a "long form" birth cert in the US? I never had one... They accepted my regular one from MA so far... which sounds just like yours in WI.

Finally..... 248 days after NOA 1 is received. After 8 grueling months, gallons of sweat and tears, our prayers were answered. All of you May and June 2012 Vermont Service Center filers, please hold on and be patient. The best is yet to come.

Holy #######! 8 months?? Congratulations.... You're getting closer. I hope the end speeds up for you! What a test of endurance ...

I'm impressed you got a response at all!

When I first started the process (after my wife was denied a tourist visa when we wanted to visit family), I got no response at all. I suppose they are too busy gathering campaign contributions for their re-election fund already...

You said a lot that thousands are already thinking! Keep pushing, you can become the spokesman!

I just called the USCIS again. I can send in the appeal (Form I-290B) along with the additional information.

This is all my fault.

Listen to experience. The appeal will prolong the whole process.

File a new petition, and submit EVERYTHING this time. You have to prove everything you state. Read the guides here before submitting.

Good luck...