nicoleelaine

On 2/24/2017 at 10:56 AM, susanm26 said:

I just got chills reading that!     I am sooooo happy for y'all and it gives me so much hope!!!!

 

enjoy your hubby!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Hi @susanm26 just wanted to see how everything is going with yall?

Just now, susanm26 said:

I just got chills reading that!     I am sooooo happy for y'all and it gives me so much hope!!!!

 

enjoy your hubby!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you! Please let me know how it works out with yours!! I'm glad that sharing my story helped even just one person. This kind of situation can be so devastating to someone's life.

53 minutes ago, Patient said:

Forget the cleaning, have a haircut and go pamper yourself ..... housework can wait ..... I do not think he will care that much about it either until jet lag wears off you have many hours to clean ........ just make sure there are cold beers and easy food in reach in the fridge for those jet lag munchy moments! 

Ok so. He has a tourist visa that expires in a year. Because they question anyone who has a tourist visa for longer than three months, they pulled him into "Level 2" security. Sounds intimidating but they just sat him in a room and asked him questions for ten minutes. He said they weren't hard questions, they just wanted to know what he was doing, who he was staying with, when he was returning to Australia, etc. He offered to show his paperwork, but they said don't worry about it. He told me this isn't the first time he's been questioned while entering the US on a long term visa, so it's quite common. The pending I-130 was not even mentioned. I don't think they even knew about it, so tell your husband not to bring it up at all.

After that, he walked through the regular security for domestic flights since he has a connecting flight to Austin. Talk about a nervous breakdown when he initially said he was going through customs and I didn't hear from him for about 45 minutes. But he's through immigration waiting to board his Austin flight!!! His flight is ahead of schedule so he'll be landing at 2:15!

9 hours ago, susanm26 said:

That's great news!!!! So did he board the plane and is on his way over?!

Yes he was able to board and is now about an hour from San Francisco. He text me from the plane's wifi. He said he'd let me know when he gets through customs in San Francisco...I'm still a bit nervous about that. After that he will fly home to Austin! Should be arriving at 2:45! I have to much to do this morning.. like CLEAN haha!

5 hours ago, susanm26 said:

Oh I know you are so nervous!!!! I have been thinking about y'all!!!

please let me know if he is able to board!

He got through check in, immigration, and is now outside the gate waiting to board!! I think he's going to be ok! Ugh I wish I had looked into this a long time ago!

On 2/17/2017 at 6:57 AM, nicoleelaine said:

!!! Yay!! So happy for you! I was wondering how it went! Yeah I'm definitely still nervous about him getting in too. But I think it's natural to feel that way when we both dealt with them being unexpectedly turned away at the airport. 

 

So my husband is supposed to land here in Austin on the 24th at 1:30 pm... a week from today! I will let you know how it goes. Trying not to be worried! 

@susanm26 Since he's a day ahead, I will know around 5:00 pm today if he was able to get on the plane. SO NERVOUS! Will update! 

7 hours ago, susanm26 said:

My hubby got his visitors visa in the post today!!! ????

I am still so nervous about home coming to visit and being turned away.....

 

you must tell tell me when your man comes over to visit and how it goes at customs!

 

thank you soooo much for sharing your story on here!!! 

!!! Yay!! So happy for you! I was wondering how it went! Yeah I'm definitely still nervous about him getting in too. But I think it's natural to feel that way when we both dealt with them being unexpectedly turned away at the airport. 

So my husband is supposed to land here in Austin on the 24th at 1:30 pm... a week from today! I will let you know how it goes. Trying not to be worried! 

2 hours ago, UsSwedlover said:

 

I have a waiver sitting on my desk right now, that I got back after emailing my Senator. I am thinking I shouldn't even bother? I don't believe the USCIS is giving clear or honest responses to anyone. 

Well by the time we received those responses from USCIS, from what we could tell on the VJ site, we were pretty close to approval anyway. So we decided to just wait and then got approved on Feb 1st. By all means, try everything you can. Nothing really to lose but I also wouldn't expect much. Who knows, maybe your experience may end up better than mine? 

20 minutes ago, cake68 said:

well the congressional offices for both my Senator and Congresswoman required a signed waiver that gives permission to contact the USCIS on your behalf.  of course they also ask for basic info surrounding your case.  i think the idea is that department will give them an update within a reasonable amount of time because they are members of Congress.  It has been exactly 3 weeks....so...fingers crossed.  PD July 1st.

@MrsRP We also contacted both Senators and Congressman. After signing a privacy release waiver, they contacted USCIS and got back to me. Basically USCIS was completely unhelpful. USCIS sent nothing back but incorrect information. They even told the Senators office that it was against their policy to transfer any petitions to other service centers based on workload. When obviously, not only is it completely their policy, they do it CONSTANTLY. USCIS also told them incorrect current processing times (they referred to the website where the dates hadn't been updated in months). So I guess either USCIS just said anything to stop us from bothering them, and/or they don't know how to do their jobs. So irritating.

3 minutes ago, rac717 said:

 

FWIW - my husband flew in with me in Oct and stayed until late Dec, helping me get our house set up.  Then he went back to Argentina for a few weeks for business.  When he flew back here in Jan, they gave him another 6 month entry without a single question.  So you certainly can stay longer than a month without problems - obviously depends on each official but it's not an absolute.  In our case, he is lucky enough to have a long history of entering/leaving the US so I think that helps. 

 

So hoping to hear something soon - we filed Aug 18!  When we started, the estimated date for noa2 was christmas.  Now we're looking at late feb to mid-march.  Ugh.

 

@susanm26 ^ This. 

5 minutes ago, tayaj said:

@BlessingDawn: For lack of sth better to do this weekend, I ran up a number of case number before mine. I saw that the case ending till 2328 was processed. That might give you some hope.

 

@susanm26:For those applying for B1/B2 visa: My suggestion would be to carry any and everything that proves you are going to return to your home country. Bank statements for last 3 months, tax returns, property documents, rent receipts, letter from employer etc etc. And do NOT book a 1 way ticket or a ticket with return dates for 2 months later or beyond. It is a tourist visa and it gets suspicious if a tourist wants to stay in a country for more than a month.

@susanm26 We just booked a flight with a return date of August 1st. We set it up so it could be cancelled or the date changed at any time (when you book the flight just select the option to do that). His Visa is valid for a year. 

1 minute ago, susanm26 said:

When was his interview? 

I am so excited and nervous!!!!

I believe the interview was last Monday or Tuesday? It was the day of my original post. I think that was a week ago? Then on the Visa it said the issue date was February 10th (my birthday!) and he reeived it yesterday. 

Does anyone know why NVC is closed today? I'm calling to see if they have received our case and it's saying they're closed. Friday there was just a solid busy signal ALL day. We just need our case number.

2 hours ago, susanm26 said:

He has his interview Wednesday morning!!!!! Or Tuesday afternoon for me!

i am so excited and nervous at the same time!!!!

oh yayyy! Tell him to make sure to bring lots of evidence that he's returning. Then I think he should be fine. My husband just got his Visa in the mail yesterday.

11 hours ago, susanm26 said:

We completed the online application yesterday. We haven't heard anything yet. I so anxious to get him to the embassy for an interview!

My husband said he was able to schedule the interview online right after submitting the application and fee. He's sleeping right now of course but when he gets up I'll ask him how he did that.

On 2/8/2017 at 10:32 PM, susanm26 said:

It is the worst! 

Any update on your situation? Were yall able to get an interview soon?

6 hours ago, chamma said:

Well here is my case:-

 

1. I already have a B2. Did visit my husband for 2 months even before we applied for i130.

2. Now its been 6 months out of the US & I want to know my options of re-visiting US.

3. I have questions on what else need to be carried to establish strong ties with my country other than

•  My flight ticket
• my pending i-130 

I am not working any more - so I cannot establish an employment.

 

Any help in this regard will be helpful.

I really don't have a lot of experience with this other than our experience with Australia. I heard that if you already have a B2, you can travel. However, I would definitely consult with an immigration lawyer if I were you. I don't think just a flight ticket and pending I-130 is enough evidence that you will be returning. Actually the opposite. An I-130 is showing intent to move to the US. They want to know that you will be returning to your country once your tourist Visa is expired. It is unfortunate that you cannot establish employment. I think that would be a big factor in their decision. If you have proof of an address in your country like a lease agreement or home ownership where you would be returning, that would be helpful. 

In all reality, Trump has recently put a travel ban on some of India's nearby countries. US immigration is going to be very hard on people trying to enter from that area of the world. Ultimately, once you arrive in the US, the point of entry officer has the decision to not let you enter. Unfortunately, the US is using a lot of profiling in that sense to make decisions regarding entry into the US right now. 

As an American, I am currently experiencing the crazy things that are going on over here involving immigration and racism, I would strongly advise people from that area of the world to not try to enter the US at the moment. Definitely not a good time.

9 hours ago, susanm26 said:

Can I ask you what documents he took to the interview?

we want to make sure we do this right! 

 

We are submitting the online application for the visitors visa tonight ?

So our case is a little different because we actually are planning on moving to Australia with my daughter (his stepdaughter) for 6 months. So he brought:

1. Signed and notarized travel consent form from daughter's biological father with precise dates of when we would be there

2. Return flight confirmation (we made sure it was refundable first in case we needed to change anything, or they denied us)

3. Daughter's proof of school enrollment in Australia

4. Employment letter 

5. Expiring lease agreement here in Austin for that time

6. Bank statement showing he can support himself

I saw a different article that said that you definitely need an employment letter and proof of address in Australia (like a lease agreement or proof of home ownership). He has to prove stronger ties to Australia than his spouse in America. But yeah, my husband also said they didn't look at the paperwork. I guess it depends who you get an interview with. Hope this helps.

14 minutes ago, Patient said:

Best BBQ and beer slabs .....but worst rugby players to those from New Zealand ....  I am told.

Best BBQ and beer? I beg to differ but I'm from Texas so I'm pretty sure nothing compares to Texas BBQ haha. And yeah, NZ definitely is #1 in rugby, we have to give credit where credit is due. 

1 hour ago, susanm26 said:

It is 4:56 in the morning over there and I am dying for my hubby to wake up so I can tell him this news!!!!!!

 

I know the pain of what you have gone through! Jaden was on the phone with me when he was boarding in Sydney to come over last September when he was stopped and denied. It felt like my heart was ripped right out. I cannot imagine being with him and having to get on that plane and take that flight without him!

 

i pray everything works out for y'all and I will keep you posted on our situation!!!!!

 

i am just so happy to know that it is a reall possibility!

Haha isn't it the worst waiting for them to wake up? The Australian time difference is a serious struggle.

23 minutes ago, susanm26 said:

Thank you for this! My husband is in Australia and was turned down coming to the states. But we didn't go this route!!!

this is the best news I have heard in months!

Oh good! I'm glad this may help you! Of course this is a case by case basis, and I'm really not sure how it all works so obviously I can't guarantee anything. After doing some research, I finally told my husband about it. I honestly expected them not to approve him for that so I didn't get my hopes up. But he came to the interview armed with seriously substantial evidence that he was returning (about 7 forms), so I figured it would be unreasonable for them to turn him down.

Back in August, we were returning from a family visit to Australia when they turned him away at the airline check in at the Sydney Airport. I had to get back to the US so I got on the plane without him. We had NO idea he was going to be gone for over six months now. It's been really difficult so I decided to try any option I could at this point. Good luck, I wish you the best. If you decide to do this, please let me know how it goes. He can schedule an interview very quickly after you submit the forms.

5 hours ago, Napkin34 said:

so guys already i  have b1-b2 tourist/business visa and i can visit my wife but i have doubt maybe they wont let me in u.s. And after i have to come back all the way to my country if you have b1-b2 visa it dosent mean you can enter in usa so flight ticket is so expensive for myself almost 700$ so what is chance for entering? Do you have any idea? Should i try? And i am a muslim from turkey pls advice thanks 

Honestly with Trump's travel ban going on right now Muslim-majority countries, I definitely wouldn't risk it if I were you.

1 minute ago, cake68 said:

congratulations.

 

unfortunately all embassies are indeed different and certain nationals are scrutinized much harder.  my husband also interviewed for the B1 Tourist visa with lots of paperwork in and they too didnt even LOOK at the documents, however he was declined....TWICE.  took only a few minutes though.  

 

enjoy your visit.

 

looks like i will be abroad for a very long time.

Yes this is true. I hate that there is so much discrimination within the immigration system. I want to clarify to everyone I don't mean to upset anyone with this news, I just thought that maybe it might help someone out there who might want to give it a try and maybe they'll get approved. 

I have some news that might help some of you. There has been a debate going about whether or not a spouse can visit the US on a B1/B2 tourist Visa. Many people said that if you apply for a tourist Visa while your I-130 is being processed, they'll deny the tourist Visa.

Well that is not true. I was in the same boat as all of you. I figured we'd pay the fee to apply for the B1/B2, set up the interview, and worst case scenario they'd say no. 

I sent my husband to Sydney and he brought a ton of papers to prove that he would be returning to Australia at the end of his stay in the US (that's what approval is based on). This included an employment letter, return flight ticket, etc. He said they didn't even LOOK at the paperwork. It took about 15 minutes. They said "So you're planning on returning to Australia?" When he said "yes", they approved him. He can now return to the US for I believe it's 6 months. His Visa will arrive within 10 days and he will be home in 2-3 weeks! Of course this is Australia, and every embassy is different. But I thought I would throw this out there to everyone else in the same situation. Maybe it'll help someone.

HI EVERYONE.

I have some news that might help some of you. There has been a debate going about whether or not a spouse can visit the US on a B1/B2 tourist Visa. Many people said that if you apply for a tourist Visa while your I-130 is being processed, they'll deny the tourist Visa.

Well that is not true. I was in the same boat as all of you. I figured we'd pay the fee for the B1/B2, set up the interview, and worst case scenario they'd say no. 

I sent my husband to Sydney and he brought a ton of papers to prove that he would be returning to Australia at the end of his stay in the US (that's what approval is based on). This included an employment letter, return flight ticket, etc. He said they didn't even LOOK at the paperwork. It took about 15 minutes. They said "So you're planning on returning to Australia?" When he said "yes", they approved him. He can now return to the US for I believe it's 6 months. His Visa will arrive within 10 days and he will be home in 2-3 weeks! Of course this is Australia, and every embassy is different. But I thought I would throw this out there to everyone else in the same situation. Maybe it'll help someone.