ijeme

Please provide advice on changing interview dates at the Lagos Embassy. We need to pick up minor applicants who are with relatives. Neither parents nor petitioner are in the country and are unable to go to the Embassy in person as suggested by the Embassy in response to our first email.

We waited 4 months past case completion. Both minors have the same interview date.

My hubby has been scheduled for his I-130/CR-1 interview for Jan. 2007 in Lagos. Some of you may remember my post back in Oct. 2006 about my husband being denied for his visa for the K-3. Afterwards, it had to go through administrative processing which at that time the Lagos embassy told me it would take between 6 and 12 months. My question is does the CO look at the K-3 during the CR-1 interview? Is the administrative processing over and that is why they scheduled the interview for the I-130? If you can tell, I don't know what is really going on. Someone, Please tell me what is going on!

Congrats on getting your CR-1 interview. I am excited about Lagos shortening their processing times from 8 months to 5.

The k3 and I130 are two different processes on two different timelines. Lagos scheduled your K3 interview. NVC scheduled your I130 based on availability of interview times in lagos. One has nothing to do with the other when it comes to scheduling.

Because your k3 is under administrative review, the case is still open but once the cr1 is uploaded and scheduled for interview the k3 should technically be closed by Lagos. However, Lagos will note the reason why the k3 was in administrative reivew and that reason may be revisited during the cr1 interview. In my own opinion it would be best for you to be prepared to address the issues for the administrative review before he goes for his interview.

Best of Luck

This is an emotional time for me but I want to share with those still in the journey. I have cried, danced, jumped and thanked my God - not in that order but repeatedly over the past week. My husband has his visa after 16 month separation.

It has been a long journey for me. My story is unlike anyone else's. We were hit with a 10yr ban after traveling to Nigeria. I nearly died when i heard the news of the denial as it was not expected.

Here is our visa journey, I met and married my husband in the US. Prior to adjusting his status in the US we traveled to Nigeria for a family emergency. Traveling was our 2nd mistake (the first being the overstaying).

Overwhelmed by the emergency we thought (incorrectly) we could apply for a K visa for his return home. While there we had a beautiful traditional wedding. 4 months later we got our K3 interview and to our surprise was denied. Big DAH! Due to my husband's previous overstay we faced a ban. Devastated but determined we begged our way into the waiver process. The Lagos consulate agreed to start the waiver process as soon as our I130 was approved. We spent 3 months writing a waiver and obtaining congressional support. As soon as our approved I130 NOA was in hand we returned to the embassy and filed our waiver. True to their word, Lagos sent the waiver to DHS in Accra for processing within 30 days. However before sending it we were told it could take 15 months to process it. I went crying to my congressman. With a congressional request of expedited processing, our I601 waiver process took 3 months at DHS in Accra. We were notified by our congressman and Washington DC that our waiver was approved. Our next interview came at the end of the following month with the Lagos embassy, where they issued a K3 denial with a 221g. We were told to wait for our I130 to be "at post" before the interview for the Cr1 visa could be set and the approved I601 waiver could be applied. Basically our K3 was denied because waivers are for immigrate visas in Lagos.

Thankfully following month our I 130 was completed. So in summary, 7 months after the I130 was approved and 9 months after our first k3 denial our CR1 was completed at NVC. We thought case complete meant “at post”. We spent the next month calling the voice response system at NVC and getting case complete and having NVC agents to say "we are still waiting for an interview to “be set” by Lagos”. Then I had a tragic death in my family to deal with and applied for an expedited request via my congressman. We also FAX’d our own expedited request directly to NVC. NVC approved it but would not send the completed case to Lagos with out them first agreeing to schedule the interview them selves. Well we held our breath and Lagos did agree to schedule it. (We were notified by our congressman of this approval). So the expedited I130 case file was sent to lagos where it sat for another month, lost. We emailed and emailed and no one at the embassy knew where it was. So we called NVC to alert them and they put a trace on it. The trace showed they received the case 4 days after it left NVC. The wait now was for them to upload the case so it would be seen and scheduled. I personally went to the embassy through the inquiry line and got an interview date. We suspect the case was uploaded when the trace was completed. Anyhoo, the interview for the Cr1 was set for 3 weeks later but I got it with no issue. My husband returned the following week to pick up his packet and interview letter.

I returned to the US and gathered everything for an updated I864 and evidence of relationship and shipped to my husband. He went to the phone company and got a printout of incoming and outgoing calls.

The 7 am Cr1 interview:

They immediately called on people to collect items not in NVC File, like passport, ds230 part II, 2 passport pictures, and medical records. The were asked to Swear for oath and were fingerprinted (left and right forefinger) Then asked to return to their seats.

It was about 2 pm before they called my husband - the staff apparently went on break between 10am-1:30.

During the interview, he as asked typical questions, when did we meet, when did we marry, why did he overstay, when did he see me last. That was when true interest came in when learning of my 6 visits. He asked for proof of my visits and my husband showed my 3 Nigerian visas and 12 entry/ departure stamps from my passport. Then he asked for pictures of our weddings and family. The photo album could not fit through the whole at the interview window so my husband had to turn pages for him. That was all the evidence requested of my husband. no emails, phone logs, I864, police report etc... I am sure it is hard to doubt a relationship when you have visited 6 times over a 16 month period and sure information was being applied from our prior K3 case file. Oh yeah, they asked for a copy of the waiver. After the interview he was told him to sit back down. When the CO returned he handed my husband a pink slip and all originals from the NVC file and told him to come back in a week to pick up the visa.

We did not really celebrate until the visa was in hand because you never know...... When he got the visa they handed him an orange envelope, his passport with a beautiful CR1 visa stamp, xrays and the supporting evidence for the waiver.

Now we are celebrating because our lives can go on.

Thanks for all support obtained on this site and best of luck to those still in the journey. Remember everything that has a beginning has an end.

Wonderful! Enjoy your new journey together!

wooo hoooo!

HI ALL, HERE IS MY SITUATION. MY WIFE JUST GOT DENIED HER CR1 VISA INTERVIEW IN CHINA TODAY. THE REASON: HER POLICE REPORT WHEN SHE STUDIED IN LONDON HAS EXPIRED THE 1 YEAR LIMIT. WHEN I STARTED THE CR1 VISA PAPERWORK IT TOOK 1.5 YEARS BEFORE SHE GOT THE INTERVIEW TODAY. I DON'T THINK IT IS MY FAULT THE POLICE REPORT EXPIRED. IN ANY CASE, IF ANYONE HAS ANY EXPERIENCE, CAN SHE GET AN UPDATED POLICE REPORT WITHOUT GOING TO LONDON? IF YES, PLEASE ADVISE THE STEPS NEEDED. THANK YOU!!!

Can't help on the poclice report. Just wanted to say how sorry i am to hear about your denial. I am assuming your denial was a 221g which isnt the end just more administrative processing (on your part) before another interview can be set for you. Good luck on getting your police report and just remember it could be a lot worse! Hang in there.

Also, dont bring too many personal items not relevant to your interview to the Embassy. The list on display of restricted items is not complete. If you have something that is not allowed you will have to leave it outside (unattended). While waiting in line the guard was asking me if i had, camera or cell phone (even lip gloss and mascara), umbrellas or large metal items as they were not allowed inside. However bottled water is OK.

Maybe someone can add to this.

I am so happy for you S&S. Congrats and enjoy the rest of your lives together. Thank you lord.

Rose

Rose you are next!!!! Good Luck!!!!

Congrats!

How awful. I would not have expected such behavior either. Hang in there.

How exciting! Enjoy! and Best of Luck in your reunion!

north american has constant fairs six months out and their websit flynaa.com now allows selection of lagos for round trip or one way to JFK. The cost of round trip is nearly the same as one way from lagos. ~$1100 with taxes.

The flight is about 10 hrs from JFK and beats any other flight (timewise) that lands in another country. landing in another country adds at least 10 hours to your already long trip. I used Jetblue as my domestic airline to get to JFK for $79 one way... i purchased 7 days out.

North American Reservations seems to fill the plane from back to front. The plane is not as full either way and you should try to change your seating to be near the front when checking in. The front is where you are likely to find a couple of joining seats empty to stretch out in. I usually sit as close to business class as possible. (business class is a ghost section!) 1st or 2nd rows behind business class are usually free. Even at the window! I think they fill these seats last to reserve for children flying alone. One down side is they kept serving food from front to back and ran out of choices of meals each time by the time they got to my seat. The food is not bad but if you can bring your own you could do better. Drinks are plenty but who likes to drink alot on a plane? I think they showed 3 new family friendly release movies (comedies or action without nudity).

Wonderful!!! All the best to you and yours!

What are the common reasons for the US consulate of Lagos to deny a visa?

Don't risk a denial on a 221g...missing information. Make sure you follow the packet checklist andyou will be fine. Dress is not an issue. An outdated 864 is. make sure your financial information is current with paystubs, verification of employment letters and/or deposit history.

all the best and chill out....you are almost done!

WoooHoooo! How wonderful! Way to stick it out! Much success in your reunion and lives together.

This is really great news! Thanks for sharing so soon!!!!

Welcome and best of luck with your filing. Remember, we have very little control on our wait times but we have a right to have our significant other or spouse with us in the USA. So, throughout your journey be diligent and very very patient...

I have just found out that my husband has gotten an interview date for November for the CR-1.

Congrats on your getting a date to end your wait! You must be excited!

I am curious. When did your case complete its processing at NVC? When was it shipped to Nigeria? Many of us with CR1/IR1 filings are waiting in a backlog (and behind K visa processing) and it would be nice to know if the 8 month time line is shrinking.

thanks in advance.

Wow how interesting. Seems the visa process is a major part of all the lives in the VJ family. There isnt a day that goes by that is discussed seriously. We have even tried to omit talking about it only to have it to force its way into our conversation by either an email or letter from the NVC or embassy. It is important but I really want to add more to my life than a discussion on the visa process via the Lagos embassy.

In Lagos where my spouse waits there are churches everywhere, you wake up to the call of one religion and try to sleep when there is a revival going on at another. Churches seem more like a booming business in his area. You can not pass a block and not see or hear one it seems. That is always an option and an interesting topic to discuss as well.

My spouse was a world traveler. We met and married here in the US. When he returned to Lagos it was nothing as he remembered. He suffered sever culture shock because he was forced to stay against his will.

He is a proud Nigerian that educated all he came in contact with about the goodness and progress of Nigeria since its independence. However, it is a different story now. He had only been living in Lagos City area for more than 1 month at a time with family over 15 yrs. So his comforts were always minimally compromised. Now it has been over a yr and he is near stir crazy. It is too frustrating to go out and he is suffering from cabin fever. Can you imagine? And it is not like you can just up and travel to another place "alone" with any true sense of security.

Here in the US we ejoyed libraries, all sorts of places of entertainment, parks and places for recreation, all levels of opportunities in education to fill voids of time like short courses at Tech colleges for next to nothing in cost, online courses, fulltime courses, trade schools etc....

He has cable, internet access, web cam but an unpredictable source of electricity has damaged 2 PC's and one TV. The option of running his generator all the time is very expensive but in order to take an online course that is what he would have to do. Taking a class at a local college that is not accredited in the eyes of the US may be a waste of money and cause unnecessary frustrations. It is already frustrating just trying to look for options for classes to take. (He is interested in technical courses and computer certifications)

We are really running out of options for ways to fill the days, months, who knows how long. I am reaching out for more suggestions that may help us out.

Thanks again

How is your SO passing the time? Working, taking classes, support group? Share by suggestion different ways to wait with a purpose.

Share if your SO has every been to the US and only returned home to process visa.

I thank you in advance.

I had the same question. I initially filed for my spouse paying the $70 then later filed for our children paying nothing.

I emailed nvc to ask for an exception to the fee. It was confirmed that i should not pay again and noted on our case files without having to send in any of the kids fee bills. So we SKIPPED the aos bill logging at NVC for the kids. We equally followed up with phone calls for confirmation.

However, we still had to send in 864s for each of the kids.

Call NVC to confirm if in your case you could send one $70 fee with all bills in the envelop since you are filing at one time. If interested you may want to ask how/when the kid's file will be updated and if it will be ahead of your spouse in processing or kept in sync.

Our lives are in limbo too. We are energetic go getters with goals for professional certifications and private businesses. This immigration process brings so many stressful days it makes it mentally too difficult to focus on anything other than managing my day job and home. We have to even put moving into a new home on hold... argh!

Even vacationing is impacted, there are so many things I want to experience with my husband, i don't feel up to planning much outside of the town I am currently in. We are both missing out on a lot and we are not getting any younger.

To keep sane is visiting him every 3-4 months, talking on the phone ~ 3 hrs a day, and doing video chats but I agree that cyberspace is no replacement for physical presence. What helps me to cheer up when I am lonely is thinking of the wonderful time we will have trying to play catch up when he returns.

wonderful news! I am happy for you and your family!

We were told by our congressman's office and NVC that I130 interviews are scheduled by NVC. K visas are scheduled by the Lagos embassy.

Also we were informed that Lagos is struggling with a high volume of visa applications. Lagos schedules cases that they have in-house first then open slots remaining on the schedule are made available to the NVC for scheduling completed cases that the handle.

Since K visa cases are just sent to Lagos as they are completed, they get scheduled a lot faster.

If you have ever been to the embassy you can attest to the high number of people lining up to apply, interview and inquire for visas. Interviewees are called in 3 or 4 waves. They have to wait outside across the street for a turn to get in. (you have to pay to sit directly across the street you also have to pay to park , hell you can even pay the guards to give you a heads up so you can get jump in line before they call the folks to line up to go in.) I digress.

It is true the visa lottery has a priority and the backlog worsens during this predictable period. Also alarming is the number of return visits applicants are making to address the requests of the embassy. These return visits get scheduled during the interview or upon showing up during inquiry proving they have met some additional request. These on the spot re-interviews are possibly taking up slots for awaiting I130 cases. If they could tell you one time everything instead of piece mill they possibly could shed 25% of the workload or rework load.

Anyhoo, it is hard to care about an embassy's workload when you have been waiting for over a year for your family to be reunited, right?

The Lagos embassy processing is slower than we all like. Maybe with your congressional inquiry they can find a solution for them and us.

Please keep us informed.

If I do not send a letter of employment and pay stubs with my i864 will I get an RFE?

I am asked to send tax form and w2 on the NVC petitioner packet

Others are reporting "RFE"s from the NVC for missing the employment letter and pay stubs.

I don't understand this desire to NOT send things that you easily have to hand. The instructions read fairly clearly to me, and the part that is ambiguous, well, why not just send it? Especially since someone at the NVC seems to think that the emp letter and pay stubs are a requirement.

I don't even understand the point in asking the question; feel free to enlighten me.

To enlighten you. It could take weeks to get anything from my HR at work. I am looking to send this out ASAP.