agripa

You need to provide more details if you want some help here. I would first write down everything that happened during the interview. You need to figure out what may have caused the consular officer to suspect misrepresentation or fraud. This is vital to figure out.
 
You can of course file for a waiver without a lawyer. However, trying to overcome a misrepresentation or fraud charge is incredibly difficult. You need to try and figure out what went wrong at your interview and then I would strongly urge consulting a lawyer. Consultations are often free and by doing so you can get an idea of the magnitude of the task you're facing. Best of luck!

Hey All,
 
I haven't really seen any description of the medical examination here in Chennai, so I thought I'd describe what it was like for my wife (the applicant) and me.
 
Our interview date (Sep. 1, 2017) got fixed on August 1, 2017. We immediately called the Apollo clinic and made an appointment for August 14 and August 16. Note you are required to be there for at least two days; one day for the examination and one day to pick up the results. Because August 15 was a holiday (Independence day), we had to stay for 3 days. In general, it seemed like they had a lot of open/free dates and getting an appointment wasn't really an issue.
We were told to show up at 8 am. The Apollo hospital has an entire floor dedicated to visa medical examinations (US, UK, Canada, and Australia); we filed out some forms and were immediately ushered into a room where my wife gave a blood sample, followed by a urine sample, followed by x-rays. At this point, the receptionist informed us that the panel physician would not be in until 11:30 AM!! Why they asked us to show up at 8 am wasn't very clear. I'd recommend if you're making an appointment to ask when the doctor is going to be in and schedule your appointment roughly 1.5 hours prior to this time. Anyways, we went and got some breakfast. We came back at 10:45 AM and paid the medical examination fees (12,500 INR) and then spent another two hours waiting for the doctor. The doctor's examination was really brief and most of it was spent filling out paperwork required by the US consulate. The doctor did a very brief physical examination and then reviewed my wife's vaccination history.  
Quick side-note about vaccines --
The list of "required" vaccines is provided on the following website (link here). My wife had zero records of past vaccinations. When we saw the list on the NVC website, she was a bit worried about getting SOO many vaccines all at once. So starting ~2-3 months prior we got some blood tests done to prove immunity to a bunch of disease and started getting the remainder of the vaccines slowly. However, we were kind of surprised to learn during the medical examination that the follow vaccines for someone her age were not required (31 year old female) - Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningicoccal, Pneumonococcal. So my advice to people who have little or no vaccination records, and don't mind getting 4-6 injections all at once : wait until the official medical examination. The number of required vaccines may be far less than you think!
 
The doctors finally recommended one additional vaccine, which a nurse gave. At the end the nurse at the desk told us that we'd receive a phone call by noon two days later if there was anything wrong. If there was no phone call, she said we could come by 4 PM to pick up our results. We came back two days later and picked up our sealed envelope as well as a certified copy of her vaccination history (we asked for a separate copy of this as I think it's useful to have when my wife searches for jobs or if she chooses to go back to school in the US). 
 
In summary, the medical exam is actually really short. The problem is there's like constant waiting between every step - 1.5 hour wait for the doctor, 30 minute line to pay the fees, 30 minute wait for the nurse to go get the vaccine, 30 minutes to wait for an x-ray, etc. Bring a book!

Hey All,
 
I haven't really seen any description of the medical examination here in Chennai, so I thought I'd describe what it was like for my wife (the applicant) and me.
 
Our interview date (Sep. 1, 2017) got fixed on August 1, 2017. We immediately called the Apollo clinic and made an appointment for August 14 and August 16. Note you are required to be there for at least two days; one day for the examination and one day to pick up the results. Because August 15 was a holiday (Independence day), we had to stay for 3 days. In general, it seemed like they had a lot of open/free dates and getting an appointment wasn't really an issue.
We were told to show up at 8 am. The Apollo hospital has an entire floor dedicated to visa medical examinations (US, UK, Canada, and Australia); we filed out some forms and were immediately ushered into a room where my wife gave a blood sample, followed by a urine sample, followed by x-rays. At this point, the receptionist informed us that the panel physician would not be in until 11:30 AM!! Why they asked us to show up at 8 am wasn't very clear. I'd recommend if you're making an appointment to ask when the doctor is going to be in and schedule your appointment roughly 1.5 hours prior to this time. Anyways, we went and got some breakfast. We came back at 10:45 AM and paid the medical examination fees (12,500 INR) and then spent another two hours waiting for the doctor. The doctor's examination was really brief and most of it was spent filling out paperwork required by the US consulate. The doctor did a very brief physical examination and then reviewed my wife's vaccination history.  
Quick side-note about vaccines --
The list of "required" vaccines is provided on the following website (link here). My wife had zero records of past vaccinations. When we saw the list on the NVC website, she was a bit worried about getting SOO many vaccines all at once. So starting ~2-3 months prior we got some blood tests done to prove immunity to a bunch of disease and started getting the remainder of the vaccines slowly. However, we were kind of surprised to learn during the medical examination that the follow vaccines for someone her age were not required (31 year old female) - Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningicoccal, Pneumonococcal. So my advice to people who have little or no vaccination records, and don't mind getting 4-6 injections all at once : wait until the official medical examination. The number of required vaccines may be far less than you think!
 
The doctors finally recommended one additional vaccine, which a nurse gave. At the end the nurse at the desk told us that we'd receive a phone call by noon two days later if there was anything wrong. If there was no phone call, she said we could come by 4 PM to pick up our results. We came back two days later and picked up our sealed envelope as well as a certified copy of her vaccination history (we asked for a separate copy of this as I think it's useful to have when my wife searches for jobs or if she chooses to go back to school in the US). 
 
In summary, the medical exam is actually really short. The problem is there's like constant waiting between every step - 1.5 hour wait for the doctor, 30 minute line to pay the fees, 30 minute wait for the nurse to go get the vaccine, 30 minutes to wait for an x-ray, etc. Bring a book!

Hey All,
 
I haven't really seen any description of the medical examination here in Chennai, so I thought I'd describe what it was like for my wife (the applicant) and me.
 
Our interview date (Sep. 1, 2017) got fixed on August 1, 2017. We immediately called the Apollo clinic and made an appointment for August 14 and August 16. Note you are required to be there for at least two days; one day for the examination and one day to pick up the results. Because August 15 was a holiday (Independence day), we had to stay for 3 days. In general, it seemed like they had a lot of open/free dates and getting an appointment wasn't really an issue.
We were told to show up at 8 am. The Apollo hospital has an entire floor dedicated to visa medical examinations (US, UK, Canada, and Australia); we filed out some forms and were immediately ushered into a room where my wife gave a blood sample, followed by a urine sample, followed by x-rays. At this point, the receptionist informed us that the panel physician would not be in until 11:30 AM!! Why they asked us to show up at 8 am wasn't very clear. I'd recommend if you're making an appointment to ask when the doctor is going to be in and schedule your appointment roughly 1.5 hours prior to this time. Anyways, we went and got some breakfast. We came back at 10:45 AM and paid the medical examination fees (12,500 INR) and then spent another two hours waiting for the doctor. The doctor's examination was really brief and most of it was spent filling out paperwork required by the US consulate. The doctor did a very brief physical examination and then reviewed my wife's vaccination history.  
Quick side-note about vaccines --
The list of "required" vaccines is provided on the following website (link here). My wife had zero records of past vaccinations. When we saw the list on the NVC website, she was a bit worried about getting SOO many vaccines all at once. So starting ~2-3 months prior we got some blood tests done to prove immunity to a bunch of disease and started getting the remainder of the vaccines slowly. However, we were kind of surprised to learn during the medical examination that the follow vaccines for someone her age were not required (31 year old female) - Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningicoccal, Pneumonococcal. So my advice to people who have little or no vaccination records, and don't mind getting 4-6 injections all at once : wait until the official medical examination. The number of required vaccines may be far less than you think!
 
The doctors finally recommended one additional vaccine, which a nurse gave. At the end the nurse at the desk told us that we'd receive a phone call by noon two days later if there was anything wrong. If there was no phone call, she said we could come by 4 PM to pick up our results. We came back two days later and picked up our sealed envelope as well as a certified copy of her vaccination history (we asked for a separate copy of this as I think it's useful to have when my wife searches for jobs or if she chooses to go back to school in the US). 
 
In summary, the medical exam is actually really short. The problem is there's like constant waiting between every step - 1.5 hour wait for the doctor, 30 minute line to pay the fees, 30 minute wait for the nurse to go get the vaccine, 30 minutes to wait for an x-ray, etc. Bring a book!

It will likely take ~1 year before you have a visa in your passport. You've filled out a timeline and it shows your I-130 approval should come within a month or so. After your I-130 application is approved, you have the following steps to still look forward to --
 
Application is forwarded and scanned at the NVC (1-3 weeks). AOS and IV fees are unlocked; fill out DS-261 (1-3 weeks). NVC vets your documents (~11 weeks; could be shorter if your embassy allows electronic processing). NVC schedules your visa interview (~1 month). So after your NOA2; you probably have 3-4 months until your interview will be scheduled.

NOA stands for notification of action. You'll receive two of them from USCIS; one when you're application is received by the service agency (NOA1) and another one when your application is finally approved (NOA2). You've just received NOA1; in about 4-6 months you should receive a NOA2. 

AOS Fee (one-time fee paid by the petitioner) : $120
IV Fee (for each immigrant): $325.
Medical Fee: Varies by country. You should look in the Vietnam specific forum for information about costs.

Is it absolutely necessary? Of course not! You provided a single document establishing an ongoing marital relationship. You have technically satisfied the requirements.
 
The problem is what ultimately constitutes sufficient evidence of a bonafide marriage ultimately comes down to the officer who will adjudicate your application. They may feel that this single document is not sufficient. The reason why people provide a LARGE amount of VARYING evidence is to essentially cover our bases. An officer may not believe a single piece of evidence, but if you include a large amount of different types of evidence, the chance he sends an RFE goes down dramatically. Everyone wants to avoid an RFE (as it can potentially add MONTHS of extra time wasted), so most people try to include as much evidence as possible (including stuff you wrote in red).
 
The other problem you face is that you will interviewing at the Lebanon embassy. Most embassies/consulates in the Middle East and North Africa are hard! The consular officers in these locations are used to many people trying to game or cheat the system. Typically these officers have MADE up their mind on whether to approve/deny your application BEFORE they even talk to your spouse. Thus, the only chance you have to make an impression on them is to add AS much evidence as you can in your initial application (what people on this website call "front-loading" your petition).
 
In any case, there's nothing you can do now. Trying to send in additional evidence before they look at your application is a total waste of time. There's zero chance any more documents you send in now will be added to your application. You'll just need to wait and see if they ask for additional evidence.
 
 

I have generally found calling USCIS to be a complete waste of time. 99.9% of the time they're just going to say "Sorry sir/ma'am, you're still within normal processing deadlines". Nevertheless, I completely understand the need to keep calling them. This entire process sucks and it helped me a lot stay pro-active. Here's the script I used to follow --
 
Ask about the status of your applicaton. You'll likely be given the standard spiel that your application is still within normal processing deadlines. Push back a bit firmly stating that you've seen that XX application submitted on the same day as you have already been approved. Ask why yours might be delayed. They'll try to waffle and not give you a firm answer. Push back with specifics; has it reached an officer's desk? is is it subject to background checks? when did these checks start? You have to be a bit realistic with these phone calls. 99% of the time I called, I got nowhere. The best you can hope for is some small kernel of extra information (i.e., it's in background checks, it just reached an officer's desk). These phone calls are unlikely to speed up your case. Best of luck!

I have generally found calling USCIS to be a complete waste of time. 99.9% of the time they're just going to say "Sorry sir/ma'am, you're still within normal processing deadlines". Nevertheless, I completely understand the need to keep calling them. This entire process sucks and it helped me a lot stay pro-active. Here's the script I used to follow --
 
Ask about the status of your applicaton. You'll likely be given the standard spiel that your application is still within normal processing deadlines. Push back a bit firmly stating that you've seen that XX application submitted on the same day as you have already been approved. Ask why yours might be delayed. They'll try to waffle and not give you a firm answer. Push back with specifics; has it reached an officer's desk? is is it subject to background checks? when did these checks start? You have to be a bit realistic with these phone calls. 99% of the time I called, I got nowhere. The best you can hope for is some small kernel of extra information (i.e., it's in background checks, it just reached an officer's desk). These phone calls are unlikely to speed up your case. Best of luck!

I have generally found calling USCIS to be a complete waste of time. 99.9% of the time they're just going to say "Sorry sir/ma'am, you're still within normal processing deadlines". Nevertheless, I completely understand the need to keep calling them. This entire process sucks and it helped me a lot stay pro-active. Here's the script I used to follow --
 
Ask about the status of your applicaton. You'll likely be given the standard spiel that your application is still within normal processing deadlines. Push back a bit firmly stating that you've seen that XX application submitted on the same day as you have already been approved. Ask why yours might be delayed. They'll try to waffle and not give you a firm answer. Push back with specifics; has it reached an officer's desk? is is it subject to background checks? when did these checks start? You have to be a bit realistic with these phone calls. 99% of the time I called, I got nowhere. The best you can hope for is some small kernel of extra information (i.e., it's in background checks, it just reached an officer's desk). These phone calls are unlikely to speed up your case. Best of luck!

There's no need to go out of your way to disclose this. I don't believe there's anywhere on the I-130 form to indicate this fact, in which case I would not type this on the cover letter. Like others have indicated here, they'll know that he's overstayed. When you get to later stages (the DS-260), you will have to disclose this fact, do so at that time.

There's no need to go out of your way to disclose this. I don't believe there's anywhere on the I-130 form to indicate this fact, in which case I would not type this on the cover letter. Like others have indicated here, they'll know that he's overstayed. When you get to later stages (the DS-260), you will have to disclose this fact, do so at that time.

Did you receive one? An RFE could be for literally anything. It's really hard to speculate. But based on reading stories here on VisaJourney, common RFEs are :
You didn't fill out the I-130 or G-325a properly (e.g. left a box you were supposed to fill out empty). Forgot some required document (e.g., marriage certificate, birth certificate, passport) Insufficient evidence of a bonafide marriage (e.g., you might need to send even more proof of a bonafide marriage). It's impossible to say for sure, but the above three are the usual suspects.

Having a B1/B2 visa will have zero impact on your IR1 application or visa. When you get to the NVC stage, you will fill out an application called the DS-260. This form will ask if you have ever applied for a US visa. You will need to disclose all visas you have ever applied for and what the outcomes was (successful or not). 
 
Your B1/B2 visa will be cancelled when and if your IR1 visa is issued.

You cannot enter the United States with the intent to adjust your status. I know it's frustrating, but looking at your timeline, you're so close to the end!! It looks like maybe another 2-3 months until you should have an interview scheduled. You're free to try and visit your husband, but you cannot adjust your status.

You cannot enter the United States with the intent to adjust your status. I know it's frustrating, but looking at your timeline, you're so close to the end!! It looks like maybe another 2-3 months until you should have an interview scheduled. You're free to try and visit your husband, but you cannot adjust your status.

Lots of good advice here, but I would have a serious conversation with your daughter ASAP. As @NigeriaorBust has pointed out, the Republican-controlled Senate has specific proposals floating around looking to specifically remove adult children of US Citizens/LPR for applying for a Green Card. 

I'm really sorry to hear about this! Hope the background check completes soon.

Oh my God! I just got approved!!!! Soo elated and over the moon, my wife and I were just screaming at each other over the phone.
 
My PD was October 4, 2016. I was at Nebraska the entire time, no transfers or anything. I was approved on April 10, 2017 and received the hardcopy yesterday April 14, 2017. There was no notification online (in fact my status still hasn't changed).
 
Never fear guys, approvals are are on the way for everyone!

Oh my God! I just got approved!!!! Soo elated and over the moon, my wife and I were just screaming at each other over the phone.
 
My PD was October 4, 2016. I was at Nebraska the entire time, no transfers or anything. I was approved on April 10, 2017 and received the hardcopy yesterday April 14, 2017. There was no notification online (in fact my status still hasn't changed).
 
Never fear guys, approvals are are on the way for everyone!

Oh my God! I just got approved!!!! Soo elated and over the moon, my wife and I were just screaming at each other over the phone.
 
My PD was October 4, 2016. I was at Nebraska the entire time, no transfers or anything. I was approved on April 10, 2017 and received the hardcopy yesterday April 14, 2017. There was no notification online (in fact my status still hasn't changed).
 
Never fear guys, approvals are are on the way for everyone!

NOA stands for notification of action. You'll receive two of them from USCIS; one when you're application is received by the service agency (NOA1) and another one when your application is finally approved (NOA2). You've just received NOA1; in about 4-6 months you should receive a NOA2. 

Oh my God! I just got approved!!!! Soo elated and over the moon, my wife and I were just screaming at each other over the phone.
 
My PD was October 4, 2016. I was at Nebraska the entire time, no transfers or anything. I was approved on April 10, 2017 and received the hardcopy yesterday April 14, 2017. There was no notification online (in fact my status still hasn't changed).
 
Never fear guys, approvals are are on the way for everyone!

This sounds truly horrible and I hope that you get a quick resolution soon. Here's what I'd recommend --
Contact an immigration lawyer immediately. They may be able to file a more formal appeal which could help your case. Reach out to your other senator and your congressperson. They may not have much more luck than your other senator, but it's worth a try. Contact the DHS Ombudsman (see link here). The Ombudsman is an employee of the Department of Homeland Security tasked with assisting people with their casework at USCIS. It would help to have a lawyer do this as the paperwork can be a bit tricky. Make an InfoPass appointment with your local USCIS office (see link here). This may yield nothing again, but sometimes face-to-face communication has led to results here for other members of VisaJourney. Good luck and let us know how it goes!