Tarsha

I just wanted to come on to let you all know I am still praying for everyone here. I have been reading, but everytime I try to respond from my cell the crazy “Amazon you’ve won” things come on which is annoying. 

Congratulations to everyone who has recently received their visas! To the ones who have not, you will soon. It took us 8 months, but when you are finally together, it makes all things we’ve endured worth it! Keep praying!!!!! 

7 hours ago, JTT said:

Hello, I just faced the same AP issue as many of you. I'm an Italian/Venezuelan citizen and I was applying to my H1b visa in the Madrid US consulate, the officer told me that in order to approve my visa he would need to verify some information and he handed me a peace of paper containing the DS5535 questions, although he only asked me to send my email, phone and social media. He told me that the review process would last aprox 3-10 days.He didn't give me any 221 paper or verbal notice. I sent the info the same day of the interview (May 21st) . I had no updates from the interview date in the CEAC website and emailed the embassy, they told my I was still in AP. On June 12th I had an update at 8pm (Spain time) and next day I had another update at 9 am. Today June 14th the status changed to ISSUED.

I wanted to share my experience because I know how painful it can be to wait. I'm a physician entering to residency in a hospital and was very worried that they would not wait for me till the visa issue was resolved. But luckily it did. Have faith, if you have nothing to be afraid of then it would work just fine :).

Congratulations to you! Thank you as well for entering the field to save lives

5 hours ago, Mia12392 said:

was anyone on here interviewed in August 2017? 

My fiance was. He has his visa now

Just now, K-1Applicant2017 said:

thank you Tarsha - How long did it take to go to from AR to AP and finally to  ISSUED?

Returned Medical on a Monday. 

Turned to Application Received on Tuesday

Turned back to Administrative Processing Wednesday 

Turned to issued Thursday 

Visa in hand the following Monday 

50 minutes ago, K-1Applicant2017 said:

 

 

 

 

Dear all, to give you guys a quick update... our status changed from Administrative Processing to Application received today. it states:

 

"Your case is open and ready for your interview, fingerprints, and required documents. If you have already had your interview, please check your status after two business days. If no interview was required, please check back in two business days for the status of your application."

 

Has anyone else seen this? is this normal?  Our case opened date also changed to today. I thought it would just go from AP to Ready then Issued. 

 

 

 

This is normal. Mine went from Administrative processing to Application received back to Administrative processing and then to issued

On 5/26/2018 at 2:43 PM, ibnfawzi said:

Hello Everyone. This thread is 118 pages long. Wow. What a shame so many people are being held up by wanting to immigrate to the US legally. 

Has anyone actually gotten a K1 visa after the new process and form DS5535? 

I applied for my Moroccan fiancee's visa in Feb, 2017. Did it all correctly and by books, and it was accepted, etc. She finally got a call to do the final interview for Sept 29, 2017 in Casablanca at the consulate. Everything went well in the interview and she surrendered her US visitor visa (which is SOP). She turned in her DS5535 form on Oct 5 after getting a couple of things she wasn't able to get in time for the interview (they only gave her 3 days notice for the interview to get everything). We're now in month 8 of Administrative Processing. I even tried to escalate our case to my Senators and Representatives. They are proving to be worthless and act like they made a huge discovery by telling me she's still in AP.

 

I tried to visit the consulate when I visited a couple of months ago, but they refuse to discuss her visa application with me. The consulate website even states that they will not discuss.

We just want to start our life together. 

Hi. My fiance did receive his visa after being given the ds5535. We waited for 8 months and 2 days exactly when they called for my fiance to do his medical over. He did the medical over and returned it. After returning it on a Monday, his status went to issued and he now has his visa in hand. 

Thanks everyone! It was a long road and I pray all of us that have kept each other sane through this time journey of waiting ends soon! 

Visa was issued today! 

13 hours ago, Jojet said:

hello you may want to read this

https://www.nafsa.org/Professional_Resources/Browse_by_Interest/International_Students_and_Scholars/Discontinuance_of_Visa_Issuance_Under_INA_243(d)/

He received a call to bring in a new medical today. The link is talking about B1/B2 category visas. Does not apply to K1 and spousal visas and they also have worked that out with the country as well 

5 hours ago, Shazyyo said:

I sent no link...you may be saying this to somebody else

I’m sorry! I got you confused with someone else 

3 hours ago, Khan1985 said:

Great news. When did your fiance submitted the DS 5535 form?

Thank you! He returned the form August 28th

5 hours ago, LebanonUSA2018 said:

Good luck 

 

 

Thank you 

2 minutes ago, Shazyyo said:

Oh Okayss... Good luckk to both of youu

I saw your reply with the link and yes, that’s for B visas not K1s and spousal visas. Thank you 

1 minute ago, Shazyyo said:

Thats great... When was his interview? And is he Pakistani?

His interview was the 24th of August and no, he’s from Sierra Leone 

Hi everyone! They called my fiancé this morning to bring a new medical, passport pics, and passport! 

7 minutes ago, ibson2 said:

I had my interview at the US Embassy on February 7th. I'm sparing you the details it's still the same steps payment verification of docs and interview with the consular officer. He asks me the basic questions. At the end he tells me you will receive your passport and your maximum visa in 3 days. I was happy and 2 days later I get an email from the embassy that tells me I have to fill out a form on the DS 5535. I did not know it was what so I saw the form in bulk we ask you to put all your social networks, all your old trips and with what financial means, all the phone numbers that you had, all your e-mail addresses, all the numbers of your old passports. Basically it's to check if you do not represent a threat. Until then I thought it's just a formality since I blame myself and it will not take much time. As the site was buzzing, I sent an email to the embassy asking if they received. The next day the embassy called me to say that they received and they can not answer everyone to say if it came or not and that the procedure can take 1, 2.3 months it do not know it depends. So I looked at the forum http://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=703725 and noticed that others had been waiting for more than 6 months or more and it's not just about immigrant visas but all type of visa the procedure was introduced since May in Washington type on Google you will see this law. So I started to worry and saw another forum http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/637938-form-ds-5535-supplemental-questions-for-visa-applicants/? page = 23 But unlike many people we updated at least 2 times in the week my status. But I was stressed because it took a lot of time for many people. So I decided to stop looking at my status. And Friday the 13th as by chance I look and the status has changed in issued I did not believe it too much I was relieved and happy, Finally. The following Tuesday I received an email regarding the return of my passport and I received it today.
 

Congratulations to you! Your case went fast 

4 minutes ago, JoulieS said:

8 months is just waaaaaaay too long. do you mind me asking is your fiance muslim or ever been to one of the red flag countries, ough I really hope you hear some good news soon!!

Hi! My fiancé is not a Muslim. We are both Christians. His country is considered a Muslim country because they have Muslims born and living there like we do in the US, but over 60% are Christians. He has never visited any of the banned countries on the list. Only visited Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa to work. I pray I hear something soon as well and everyone in this forum 

My case was updated yesterday. Haven’t did an inquiry in a while. Praying this is done soon. The 28th will be 8 months that my fiancé turned the form in 

7 hours ago, JoulieS said:

I am just curious and have been investigating into why some are taking longer than others and maybe there is a way to help future applicants??!  I am not on the boat yet but I am preparing myself just incase. Is having a FB/twitter/instagram/linkedin and being very active on them might affect the process because they might be looking deeply into it?  Old pictures, old posts, scanning anything that screams red flag.  My fiance just has FB and he rarely posts anything but sport and funny videos. I really don't understand what they are looking for, 3-6 months is a bit extreme unless they are just sitting on their desks not doing their job fast enough.

 

let me know what type of social media your loved one uses, i think facebook is the big one but maybe having facebook for over 10 years might be the reason of the slow processing.

My fiancé has Facebook, Twitter, and IG, but barely post on any. Actually you can stroll and just look. The amount of cases, may take a while to do, but I don’t think it takes months. 

On 3/22/2018 at 11:32 AM, Eternity1516 said:

I don't think Department of State can do anything when it's at the US embassy. You need to get your governor or state representative involved they can inquire and figure out what the situation is. 
 

Use this link
http://ziplook.house.gov

And the US citizen can search for their local house of Rep using their zip code in the top right corner. 

Contact them and fill out a privacy release form 

Hello, I did voice my concern to my congresswoman and had to fill out a release form. She sent a letter back and stated she will be getting in contact with the US Embassy on my behalf and will inform me with any information she receives 

38 minutes ago, tiyyo said:

Well now I am really worried. My husband didn't get the "official" DS5535 form, in fact, he was given a photo copied unofficial letter that basically has the same questions but not as extensive as the official form. Nothing asking about relatives, only the names of any siblings/children/partners not recorded on the DS-160.  He listed none....

it was so confusing what they gave him. I hope we gave them the information they wanted...

Actually the ds-5535 only ask for siblings names. It’s a replica of ds-160, just not as long

23 minutes ago, yousef5 said:

Hi my friend how u doing I hope u doing great. I contacted with the Congress two weeks ago and they email back today. They said they contacted with the nvc and they said they said contact with the embassy, so now the congress is contacting with the embassy and I’ll let u know whatever the embassy say to the congress I hope we all get a good news soon.

I contacted my congresswoman as well and she sent out a letter yesterday for me to fill giving permission to retrieve information concerning my fiancé’s case

3 hours ago, letitgo said:

I called talked eith option 4 operator. Didn’t answer referred me nvc number:( any other option to try?

Why did you push option 4? What is your visa type? 

49 minutes ago, rafiq akhtar said:

Can the DOS call the embassy where the interview was and say eveything has been cleared ages agao and tell them to hurry the process or no?

No, but you can request a supervisor if you’re the USC

1 hour ago, letitgo said:

Can somee please put together the number and email address for DOS? There are few numbers here and a bit confusing. I tried and no luck. Do they work within the US only? Also I did some search but couldn’t find exactnumber. Thanks 

202-647-4000. Are you the petitioner? 

3 hours ago, rafiq akhtar said:

I just emailed DOS... U think that would make any diffrence

You may not get a response back by email