K&J Avouzi

On August 10, 2017 at 1:20 PM, K&J Avouzi said:

8/1/17 - Received the email below:

Case records indicate a call-in letter was mailed to the Applicant on 27-JUL-2017.

Consular Section

U.S. Embassy – Accra, Ghana

 

I have been emailing asking if an electronic copy can be sent to me, the petitioner because of the sub-par postal mail system in Ghana.  After 10 days with no response, they finally responded.

 

8/10/17 - Received the email below:

The overwhelming majority of our applicants do receive their call in letters. If Applicants do not receive their call-in letters within 1 month of mailing, they are advised to email us and we will give them instructions on how to retrieve it person.

We do not email call-in letters.

 

Consular Section

U.S. Embassy – Accra, Ghana

 

So since I will not be receiving an electronic copy of the letter, here are my questions:

1. What is a call in letter?
2. What does it mean?
3. What do they typically say?
4. Is this something thats different per case or everyone's letter is the same?
5. Per VG, no one ever actually receives this letter OR they receive it long after they have already interviewed.  In this case I've read that we are to print the email chain between embassy and I and the CEAC case status update and just go to embassy and pick up the packet.  My fear is that those effort will be in vain since we dont have the letter.
   1. Is there a specific day of the week and time where they allow us to pick up these packets?
   2. Is there a cost associated with picking this up?
   3. Does this mean my husband has an interview date?
6. Can anyone shine any light on this "call in letter" process?

***UPDATE*** Visa Approved 10/23/17!

8/1/17 - Received the email below:

Case records indicate a call-in letter was mailed to the Applicant on 27-JUL-2017.

Consular Section

U.S. Embassy – Accra, Ghana

I have been emailing asking if an electronic copy can be sent to me, the petitioner because of the sub-par postal mail system in Ghana.  After 10 days with no response, they finally responded.

8/10/17 - Received the email below:

The overwhelming majority of our applicants do receive their call in letters. If Applicants do not receive their call-in letters within 1 month of mailing, they are advised to email us and we will give them instructions on how to retrieve it person.

We do not email call-in letters.

Consular Section

U.S. Embassy – Accra, Ghana

So since I will not be receiving an electronic copy of the letter, here are my questions:

1. What is a call in letter?
2. What does it mean?
3. What do they typically say?
4. Is this something thats different per case or everyone's letter is the same?
5. Per VG, no one ever actually receives this letter OR they receive it long after they have already interviewed.  In this case I've read that we are to print the email chain between embassy and I and the CEAC case status update and just go to embassy and pick up the packet.  My fear is that those effort will be in vain since we dont have the letter.
   1. Is there a specific day of the week and time where they allow us to pick up these packets?
   2. Is there a cost associated with picking this up?
   3. Does this mean my husband has an interview date?
6. Can anyone shine any light on this "call in letter" process?

On 6/16/2017 at 5:31 PM, K&J Avouzi said:

Please help...

 

We were denied, reaffirmed, and now our case is on its way back to US Embassy in Accra Ghana...

 

My questions are:

will we have to repay all those fees (i.e visa application)

will we have to redo medical records & translation

will we have to redo police records & translations

will we have to redo court records & translations

 

Or better yest, what should we expect?  How long of a wait do we have?  How likely is it that they will just give my husband his visa?  Or will he have to interview again?

**update**

On CEAC site our status has moved from Expiring Soon to Administrative Processing as of June 5th. 

How long will we sit in AP?

Should I start calling the embassy in Ghana now?

5 hours ago, lutz said:

Congratulations on your reaffirmation.  I see that others have answered most of your questions, but I can shed some light on how long you will probably have to wait, even though your file is on its way back to Ghana.

My husband's file was reaffirmed in December 2016.   It didn't reach Ghana (or at least was not logged in there) until March 2017.  It was then touch in April 2017, but he still hadn't heard about a second interview date.  I was advised from this site to send an email to the embassy.  

I sent an email and surprisingly it was answered the same day. That was shocking enough.  I was told to have my husband come in and pick up his packet on any Wednesday at 7:30am.

He did that, and now has his second interview date for early August 2017.

Not to be a downer, but I doubt your husband will just get the visa.  I'm pretty sure he is going to have to go through another interview.  

Hope this info helps.  

Thank you! So there is a "Packet" step BEFORE the interview? Is this a common step?  I always like to ask to make sure things aren't independent to just one person, but it happens to all.  If you don't mind me asking, whats in that packet?  Did you have to supply all those documents you front-loaded AGAIN, or will they even ask for that? 

On June 17, 2017 at 5:19 PM, bravagreen said:

Well I don't know were you get that 1500 cedis from or the last time you did medicals in Akai house. As it stands now phy lab and chest x-ray is 1,030.00 and passport pics is 8.00 and they will subtract your vaccinations that are not expire and give you those which are expired and the one that is not expired is only 1. No body pays 1500 cedis at it stands now for reaffirmed medicals. 

So if the medical fee $1030 or $1500?

On June 17, 2017 at 3:29 AM, elloyin said:

For holy trinity hospital,the medical cost is reduced to 1200 ghc if u are redoing it but if it ur first time,than u pay close to 2000ghc.

Is this for certain.  Is this for everyone?

On June 16, 2017 at 7:35 PM, jakelake said:

I've noticed that on many of your posts you are providing a lot of incorrect information. People are interested in facts and not invalid opinions.

If you are unsure about something, then do not post incorrect information.

Right.  Everyone is here because we are desperate and hopeful.  So all we want are the facts, good or bad.

17 minutes ago, bravagreen said:

No you will not pay any fee except your medical and police report. As for visa fee and AOS you don't pay them again because they don't expire. So just prepare for your medical and police report fee. The medical is around 2000 cedis now and the police report is 120 cedis.

WOW!  2000cedi = $450+USD....what a rip off...I cant wait to get my husband out of that country...they charge for every single thing....

28 minutes ago, Ben&Zian said:

As far as I know all fees will have to be repaid, also anything like medical/police reports need to be redone/renewed if they are expired.

 

Definately they will be doing another interview and it probably will be pretty thorough if already dealing with one denial previously.

Yikes, this completely contradicts what someone else just said.  I guess I  better prepare for both scenarios...

Please help...

We were denied, reaffirmed, and now our case is on its way back to US Embassy in Accra Ghana...

My questions are:

will we have to repay all those fees (i.e visa application)

will we have to redo medical records & translation

will we have to redo police records & translations

will we have to redo court records & translations

Or better yest, what should we expect?  How long of a wait do we have?  How likely is it that they will just give my husband his visa?  Or will he have to interview again?

On 2/1/2017 at 10:15 PM, K&J Avouzi said:

We received a 221g October 2015...

We got a NOIR...

They sent a request for more evidence and recieved our packet of evidence November 2016...

We have not heard back..

How long will we have to wait?

Will this executive order affect the processing of CR1 cases already pending?

Since there is a hold on processing cases from the seven countries in the ban, will this either speed up the processing of other countries or hinder it more? I don't mean to sound insensitive.

**UPDATE**

5/22/2017 Case was REAFFIRMED by USCIS!!!!!!!!!!!

5/22/2017 Case was sent to DOS for VISA processing

6/7/2017 Case was sent to US Embassy in Accra Ghana

*now waiting for next steps*

QUESTIONS:

• Ive heard that sometime they will just give you a visa and NOT make you interview again...is this true?
• I heard that they typically do NOT DENY you once your case has been reaffirmed..is this true?
• How long of a wait are we looking at to hear a decision at this point?

USCIS acknowledges receipt of our response to this RFE on Nov 28th 2016. We still haven't heard back and its now Feb 22nd 2017! 

When I emailed them for answers, I received this. (see below) but what does this mean? Is this a good or bad sign?

Thank you for your inquiry about your I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. 

Our records show we received your response to our Notice of Intent to Revoke (NOIR) on November 28, 2016. The NOIR response was connected back to your case file and the file was returned to the adjudications officer that sent the NOIR. That officer has reviewed the case and has determined that additional review is necessary.

USCIS is committed to adjudicating immigration cases in a timely and efficient manner while also ensuring public safety, national security and compliance with all relevant directives. While the processing steps for most requests are completed quickly, a small percentage of cases involve unresolved issues that may result in adjudication delays. For example, if our review reveals an issue that may impact an individual’s eligibility, further inquiry is needed. The inquiry may include an additional interview and/or contact with another agency or USCIS office for updates or more comprehensive information.

We are unable to determine at this time when the review process will be completed. USCIS will issue a decision once certain issues are resolved. We are striving to resolve these issues as soon as possible. We understand that this may cause some frustration. However, USCIS must balance individual inconvenience against broader issues of public safety and national security. 

We hope this information is helpful. If we may be of further assistance, please let us know.

The National Customer Service Center’s toll free number is 1-800-375-5283 or you may access the CIS web site at www.uscis.gov should you have any further questions or need additional information.

Can ANYONE shine some on light on my next steps or how much longer I will have to wait to get a response to my rebuttal?  I see on here that people are tracking other cases and time frames some how.  How and where is that done?  I'd like to see a case like mine (Ghana) to compare time frames.   And with my visa application expiring soon, is there something I should be doing in the mean time?

10/19/16 -USCIS sent NOIR

11/28/16 - Evidence was received by USCIS

1/11/17 - I sent a inquiry about why my case is taking longer that our processing time. 

1/11/17 - USCIS sent a GENERIC reply saying I should give them 60 days to review

My Case Status: 

Response To USCIS' Request For Evidence Was Received

On November 28, 2016, we received your response to our Request for Evidence for your Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, Receipt Number LINxxxxx. Our Nebraska Service Center office will begin working on your case again. We will mail you a decision or notify you if we need something from you. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

CEAC Status:

27 minutes ago, jb2015 said:

Hello

 

On July 12, 2016, I submitted the I-485 to USCIS. I have been waiting a long time and today I got a letter stating they would like me to submit a I-693, report of medical examination and vaccination record AGAIN! This is so frustrating as I paid $600 before I left Australia on my k-1 and submitted it in July when I was adjusting my status and now I need to do another one again? I find this so unfair has anyone else been asked to do this? 

This is GOOD news!!! Be happy that you finally heard back. Its common to have to repeat your medical records. If that's all you have to do, be quick about! You're almost there!

We received a 221g October 2015...

We got a NOIR...

They sent a request for more evidence and recieved our packet of evidence November 2016...

We have not heard back..

How long will we have to wait?

Will this executive order affect the processing of CR1 cases already pending?

Since there is a hold on processing cases from the seven countries in the ban, will this either speed up the processing of other countries or hinder it more? I don't mean to sound insensitive.

My CR-1 husband had his interview in Ghana on Oct 8th 2015, for whatever reason he was denied his VISA to the USA under 221 (g). I understand what that means, but I am looking for timeframes of when we will hear back on this process. Early March 2016 we received a letter stating:

Department of State Sent Case to USCIS For Review

On March 4, 2016, the Department of State sent us your case, Receipt Number LINXXXXXXXXXX, for review. We are reviewing it, and will notify you by mail when we are done.

Please help me find answers to the following questions:

1. Now what?
2. What should I expect next?
3. How long will it take for them to contact us again?
4. What should I, the US citizen be doing/preparing to help our case in the mean time?
5. Will this cost any more money?
6. If they require more evidence, what type of evidence should I gather?

Thank you all SOOO much! I find VJ to be quite helpful in this dreadful process.

It depends on what you expect your senator to accomplish.

For some it has been helpful in requesting a second interview or to locate their case and inquire exact status when they had no idea

if they are in AP or had been returned to USCIS.

A senator can not override the consulate's decision but can request and inquiry on the petitioner's behalf if the consulate refuses

to respond through email.

You don't appeal a returned case, you respond to the NOID/NOIR letter you receive from USCIS in a rebuttal and submit more

evidence. If USCIS revokes (it seldom does) the returned petition, then you can appeal IF you have overwhelming solid evidence that

they made a mistake in their findings.

Right now there is nothing to appeal.

You do have to wait 6-12 months until you receive the NOID/NOIR letter, depends on how long the embassy "sits" on it before returning

the petition. Contacting a senator while the embassy sits on it can be useful with a short and sweet " requesting to return the case now "

request without any long drawn out emotional noise that side tracks the immigration liason. Either the CO keeps a case in AP for investigation

or returns it, sitting on it for months should be questioned through a senator.

Is the NOID/NOIR letter the letter my husband was given when denied? How would we respond to it?

On 10/7 my husband and I went for interview, we were giving a slip that states we needed a co-sponsor (which I thought was odd being that I make over the required about per the government guidelines) and he was advised to come back on today 11/5. My husband returned today and he gave the co-sponsor affidavit and was told to wait. He waited for hours and was the last of three people there. The white co with initials km advised him after reviewing our pictures she wasn't convinced our marriage was real. ? I follow this site and quietly did EVERYTHING that others failed to do. Any piece of evidence that could've been turned in I did. Chats, emails, video logs, western union scripts, my insurance info, post cards, letters, affidavits of acknowledgement to our marriage... There was nothing missing...I currently cover him on my Athem bluecross blue shield medical insurance... He's the beneficiary on my life policies, hell, we even have our names tattooed on each other. But she states after viewing our pictures she isn't convinced our marriage is real. Dear God... ?

I WISH they would get rid of that KM! She us ruining our lives. Someone said get your senator involved. I wrote every senator, district attorney, governor, even Obama...they all responded (cause they have to) but they all said there was nothing they could do. So that was pointless. You jut have to wait 6 mos to get the denial letter and appeal. At least that's been my experience. If anyone knows if there is anything we can do in the mean time, please share. 6 mos is going to drive me crazy.

Also, I wanted to know if I should NOW get a immigration lawyer or is this something we can handle on our own?

To answer a few questions:

1. I've only been there once.
2. That's when we had our engagement party and was married.
3. I haven't been back because we cant really afford it and we didn't have a clue that this would take so long. Each time we thought to travel we would heard back from the NVC giving us hope that the end of all this was right around the corner.
4. Now that he was denied, I plan to head back in January. While there, we will obtain more "bona fide" supporting documentation. Any tips?
5. We dated 6 mos then I took the long trip there and got married. I know you're wondering, but for religious purposes we don't see the need for long engagements.

**Most importantly, had I known what I know now...I would have stayed longer, went back more frequently, documented EVERYTHING, and even stage things. I say staged because the truth isn't enough. They WANT to see the fluff. Baffles me...

Oh! And since he was denied I haven't written my local congressman and senators for ANY assistance they could give. I read on here that its a long shot, but some have been successful. Any advice?

Just another Ghana bona fide return. You will receive a NOID/NOIR letter from USCIS in 6-12 months and you (USC) then have the chance for a rebuttal.

If USCIS is satisfied with your reply then they will send it again to the embassy with recommendation to approve, they can approve or return it again.

Be on the premises for the next interview ! Visit now while you wait until you receive the letter next year, then you have even more evidence to include.

To those talking about appeal, there is nothing to appeal unless USCIS denies the petition. The embassy can't deny but only refuse to issue the visa

and return the petition with recommendation to revoke.

This is about responding to the future NOID/NOIR letter and that's it.

Thank you so much, very helpful information

Any time someone wants to show other vj members an attachment....such as a letter from NVC, be sure to cover private information first. You don't want to reveal your case number, social security number. etc etc.

Thanks for the heads up on this!

After speaking with him he mentioned that not only could he not answer the sibling question (cause he honestly didn't know and will not lie!) But the interviewer asked of all the photos, why didn't she see a photo of us at the municipality holding hands and him placing a ring on my finger. My answer to that is because we simply didn't do all that. We didn't wear our rings until the day we got married and since we didn't have a traditional ceremony, but a courthouse one, we didn't those 'type' of photos. However we were both in wedding attire and took plenty of photos in the garden with all our witnesses (family and friends). We had an engagement party, the legal marriage then planned to do a huge reception in the US. So no, our plans was to only go to the courthouse for the legal aspect of our marriage.

My point here is that we are NOT TRYING TO PROVE A LIE...WE ARE TRYING TO PROVE THE TRUTH!!!

Thats why its so hard for us to comprehend because we can't make up the TRUTH.

And to answer a few of the questions:

We are only 3 years apart in age.

He speaks perfect English and teaches french.

He knew everything down to when I get vacation time at work so there was no nervousness. We were overtly prepared for this day.

Please help guys cause I could honestly die.

submitted with the i-130 or civil docs for the ds-260?

if no, was a waste of time, no Vice Consul makes time during the interview to review evidence.

We definitely front-loaded....and supplied more at the interview.

Accra, Ghana

We did everything right, we had ample evidence and supporting documents. He was asked a question about my siblings and couldn't answer it so they denied him.

What are our next steps? Do we have to wait another year? What should I do? How do I get him another interview and quickly???

Please, my heart is broken and its hard to breathe.

And here is the letter my Husband was give....what on earth does this mean???

Accra, Ghana

We did everything right, we had ample evidence and supporting documents. He was asked a question about my siblings and couldn't answer it so they denied him.

What are our next steps? Do we have to wait another year? What should I do? How do I get him another interview and quickly???

Please, my heart is broken and its hard to breathe.