ForeverHopeful

Hi, this week is the 4 month mark since the interview. The case is still in administrative processing. No word from the embassy or the state department. 

My fiancé and I are a same sex couple. I'm a US citizen. He is an Iranian living in Iran. We're two men who fell in love, got engaged, and are waiting to get married in the US where it is safe and legal for gay couples to marry. I filed for a K1 visa the first week of January 2017. Trump took office and started a series of travel bans that blocked us. The K1 interview was in August 2017. The case was put in Administrative Processing. We were told it would be two weeks to four months for an answer. Months passed. The supreme court upheld the ban. I reached out to Senator Duckworth of IL for help in June of 2018. Her office took 4 months to respond. When they did finally engage and reach out to the embassy, the response from the embassy was non committal. Months continued to pass. Senator Duckworth's office was inconsistent in their support, often ignoring emails and phone calls for months at a time. We finally hired an attorney and filed a writ of mandamus in April 2019. That same month Trump declared the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization. The IRGC is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. For reference, Iran requires mandatory military service for young men coming of age. It's not voluntary and you have no say in which branch of the military you get assigned. It's completely random. My fiancé was conscripted (forced) into the IRGC for his mandatory military service. That was 15 years ago. He served the minimum time and got out. He received no weapons training. He saw no combat. He never left his state or country. The Department of State dragged the mandamus suit out for 10 months. The judge finally ordered the embassy to adjudicate our visa petition in February 2020. Within approximately one business day, the embassy refused the visa based on Presidential Proclamation 9645 and INA 212(a)(3)(B). They offered no waiver. We suspected the 212 was because of his forced military service in IRGC. My partner is not a terrorist. He has never been nor will he ever be a terrorist. Our attorney wrote a really good legal brief detailing why he qualifies for an exemption under the law and sent it to the embassy. The embassy invited him for a second interview to discuss his military service in detail under oath. The interview occurred the first week of July 2021. It went very well but at the conclusion they handed back his passport and said the decision whether to give him the visa was not theirs to make. Only Washington could make that decision. We were devastated. After multiple emails to the embassy from the parking lot, multiple conversations with the embassy's receptionist, and waiting an additional 2 hours in 110+ degree heat, we gave up and headed back to the hotel. From the hotel, I reached out to Senator Duckworth's office again for assistance and summarized everything. They reached out to the State Department and the embassy. The embassy responded that they had submitted everything to their partners in Washington immediately after the 2nd interview. State never responded. That was 90 days ago. I am now back in the US. My fiancé is back in Iran. We are waiting with no idea how long it will take for an answer or what that answer will be. It's going on 5 years since we applied for the K1 visa. Five years. Days have turned into weeks, which have turned into months, which have turned into years of waiting. I can't begin to explain the pain we are in. This has impacted both his and my mental and physical health. I have reached out to Senator Duckworth's office four times this week and have received no response. Three emails and one voice mail. Complete silence. I emailed The White House and the President immediately after the 2nd interview back in July. I've received nothing except a generic auto reply. This week I have started emailing The White House daily. No response. It doesn't need to be this difficult. It shouldn't be this difficult. I need this to matter to someone in power. I need to know that we matter. My fiancé is not safe in Iran. Being gay in Iran is punishable by death. The US government knows this. This is not a hard call to make. 

My fiancé and I are a same sex couple. I'm a US citizen. He is an Iranian living in Iran. We're two men who fell in love, got engaged, and are waiting to get married in the US where it is safe and legal for gay couples to marry. I filed for a K1 visa the first week of January 2017. Trump took office and started a series of travel bans that blocked us. The K1 interview was in August 2017. The case was put in Administrative Processing. We were told it would be two weeks to four months for an answer. Months passed. The supreme court upheld the ban. I reached out to Senator Duckworth of IL for help in June of 2018. Her office took 4 months to respond. When they did finally engage and reach out to the embassy, the response from the embassy was non committal. Months continued to pass. Senator Duckworth's office was inconsistent in their support, often ignoring emails and phone calls for months at a time. We finally hired an attorney and filed a writ of mandamus in April 2019. That same month Trump declared the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization. The IRGC is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. For reference, Iran requires mandatory military service for young men coming of age. It's not voluntary and you have no say in which branch of the military you get assigned. It's completely random. My fiancé was conscripted (forced) into the IRGC for his mandatory military service. That was 15 years ago. He served the minimum time and got out. He received no weapons training. He saw no combat. He never left his state or country. The Department of State dragged the mandamus suit out for 10 months. The judge finally ordered the embassy to adjudicate our visa petition in February 2020. Within approximately one business day, the embassy refused the visa based on Presidential Proclamation 9645 and INA 212(a)(3)(B). They offered no waiver. We suspected the 212 was because of his forced military service in IRGC. My partner is not a terrorist. He has never been nor will he ever be a terrorist. Our attorney wrote a really good legal brief detailing why he qualifies for an exemption under the law and sent it to the embassy. The embassy invited him for a second interview to discuss his military service in detail under oath. The interview occurred the first week of July 2021. It went very well but at the conclusion they handed back his passport and said the decision whether to give him the visa was not theirs to make. Only Washington could make that decision. We were devastated. After multiple emails to the embassy from the parking lot, multiple conversations with the embassy's receptionist, and waiting an additional 2 hours in 110+ degree heat, we gave up and headed back to the hotel. From the hotel, I reached out to Senator Duckworth's office again for assistance and summarized everything. They reached out to the State Department and the embassy. The embassy responded that they had submitted everything to their partners in Washington immediately after the 2nd interview. State never responded. That was 90 days ago. I am now back in the US. My fiancé is back in Iran. We are waiting with no idea how long it will take for an answer or what that answer will be. It's going on 5 years since we applied for the K1 visa. Five years. Days have turned into weeks, which have turned into months, which have turned into years of waiting. I can't begin to explain the pain we are in. This has impacted both his and my mental and physical health. I have reached out to Senator Duckworth's office four times this week and have received no response. Three emails and one voice mail. Complete silence. I emailed The White House and the President immediately after the 2nd interview back in July. I've received nothing except a generic auto reply. This week I have started emailing The White House daily. No response. It doesn't need to be this difficult. It shouldn't be this difficult. I need this to matter to someone in power. I need to know that we matter. My fiancé is not safe in Iran. Being gay in Iran is punishable by death. The US government knows this. This is not a hard call to make. 

My fiancé and I are a same sex couple. I'm a US citizen. He is an Iranian living in Iran. We're two men who fell in love, got engaged, and are waiting to get married in the US where it is safe and legal for gay couples to marry. I filed for a K1 visa the first week of January 2017. Trump took office and started a series of travel bans that blocked us. The K1 interview was in August 2017. The case was put in Administrative Processing. We were told it would be two weeks to four months for an answer. Months passed. The supreme court upheld the ban. I reached out to Senator Duckworth of IL for help in June of 2018. Her office took 4 months to respond. When they did finally engage and reach out to the embassy, the response from the embassy was non committal. Months continued to pass. Senator Duckworth's office was inconsistent in their support, often ignoring emails and phone calls for months at a time. We finally hired an attorney and filed a writ of mandamus in April 2019. That same month Trump declared the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization. The IRGC is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. For reference, Iran requires mandatory military service for young men coming of age. It's not voluntary and you have no say in which branch of the military you get assigned. It's completely random. My fiancé was conscripted (forced) into the IRGC for his mandatory military service. That was 15 years ago. He served the minimum time and got out. He received no weapons training. He saw no combat. He never left his state or country. The Department of State dragged the mandamus suit out for 10 months. The judge finally ordered the embassy to adjudicate our visa petition in February 2020. Within approximately one business day, the embassy refused the visa based on Presidential Proclamation 9645 and INA 212(a)(3)(B). They offered no waiver. We suspected the 212 was because of his forced military service in IRGC. My partner is not a terrorist. He has never been nor will he ever be a terrorist. Our attorney wrote a really good legal brief detailing why he qualifies for an exemption under the law and sent it to the embassy. The embassy invited him for a second interview to discuss his military service in detail under oath. The interview occurred the first week of July 2021. It went very well but at the conclusion they handed back his passport and said the decision whether to give him the visa was not theirs to make. Only Washington could make that decision. We were devastated. After multiple emails to the embassy from the parking lot, multiple conversations with the embassy's receptionist, and waiting an additional 2 hours in 110+ degree heat, we gave up and headed back to the hotel. From the hotel, I reached out to Senator Duckworth's office again for assistance and summarized everything. They reached out to the State Department and the embassy. The embassy responded that they had submitted everything to their partners in Washington immediately after the 2nd interview. State never responded. That was 90 days ago. I am now back in the US. My fiancé is back in Iran. We are waiting with no idea how long it will take for an answer or what that answer will be. It's going on 5 years since we applied for the K1 visa. Five years. Days have turned into weeks, which have turned into months, which have turned into years of waiting. I can't begin to explain the pain we are in. This has impacted both his and my mental and physical health. I have reached out to Senator Duckworth's office four times this week and have received no response. Three emails and one voice mail. Complete silence. I emailed The White House and the President immediately after the 2nd interview back in July. I've received nothing except a generic auto reply. This week I have started emailing The White House daily. No response. It doesn't need to be this difficult. It shouldn't be this difficult. I need this to matter to someone in power. I need to know that we matter. My fiancé is not safe in Iran. Being gay in Iran is punishable by death. The US government knows this. This is not a hard call to make. 

The issue isn't the legitimacy of our relationship. Our obstacles have been the travel ban and the terrorist activity charge. Switching to a spousal visa will do nothing to overcome the INA 212(a)(3)(B) finding and will in fact set us back 15 months or more. And then we will still have to fight the terrorist activity charge after the interview. I appreciate the effort to help but this isn't the path forward. 

I was so very excited to start this process. I was feeling like a would have a family that truly loved me. I fought for 1 and half years to bring this women and her child to the US. I sent money every month so they could eat and buy necessities. I would help this woman's child with home work over video.  I spoke 2 times a day and reassured them I would bring them to the US. I truly loved and cared for these people!!
 
After the long wait they finally arrived here in the US. I was so excited to see them and finally get to hold my family in my arms. It seemed relaxed at first until the first day of school for the child, I woke to arguing. I asked what was happening and she responded with "My daughter will soon be an alcoholic or marry one!!!" then she kept going with "I wish I had never birthed this child, she has ruined my life!!! I should have had an abortion!!!" This is were I stepped in and ask "Why would you say this where your child could hear this, that is horrible" then I asked what happened and she replied with "Her bangs are in her eye's, she looks terrible and this will hurt her eyes!!!!" That is when I realized something wasn't right.
 
So, I felt I needed to step it up and be a super dad so this child would have some kind of sanity in her life. The daughter and I were close and she could tell I was trying to be the best father that I could be. The bond we formed was wonderful!! In the mean time the K1 wife was fighting as much as she could. So, I couldn't figure out what the problem was, then I discovered that she was married to a man in Norway!!!! I was blown away!! I asked her are you still married, because if so you lied on the Visa app. I found out that she is! That is not good!!!
 
Needless to say she changed completely after she got here. I did see some red flags while she was in Ukraine, but I chalked it up to stress and living conditions. I visited Ukraine 2 times and never once did she mention her marriage in Norway. I even offered to help with the divorce from the man in Norway, but she was only in it for the green card. I found even more out that I will not mention, but it was enough for me to send her home. I am so devastated, I lost my family and child. I was planning on adopting the child!! Now all gone.
 
Please be careful, this really does happen and does not feel good. If you have any questions or are concerned with your situation, please message me and I will give any information that I can. I will not look for just the negative, I am not bitter, only sad from my loss. I can't even tell you how much money I spent!!!

Hi, this week is the 4 month mark since the interview. The case is still in administrative processing. No word from the embassy or the state department. 

This on again off again travel ban is both heartbreaking and financially unfair. I started the K-1 process before Trump became president. Iran was not a blocked country. I paid a filing fee to the USCIS to apply for a petition and paid an interview fee to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi for an interview for my fiance. We are in administrative processing. And now it is nearly (if not completely) impossible to get a K-1 visa because the law has changed mid process. How is this fair? The government took my money and then changed the rules. What if anything will the courts do for those of us in this situation? It's maddening. I feel cheated. And worse... I am heartbroken. I hope the ACLU is victorious and gets this order over turned once and for all. 

The USCIS, the NVC, and the US Embassy are all parts of the US government. The people working there are employees of the US government. The fact remains that I paid money to the US government with the expectation that it was technically possible to get approved (not guaranteed, but possible). With the latest ban it is practically impossible to get approved for a visa for someone from Iran. Money paid, process started, rules changed, success impossible. Not fair emotionally or financially. 

This on again off again travel ban is both heartbreaking and financially unfair. I started the K-1 process before Trump became president. Iran was not a blocked country. I paid a filing fee to the USCIS to apply for a petition and paid an interview fee to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi for an interview for my fiance. We are in administrative processing. And now it is nearly (if not completely) impossible to get a K-1 visa because the law has changed mid process. How is this fair? The government took my money and then changed the rules. What if anything will the courts do for those of us in this situation? It's maddening. I feel cheated. And worse... I am heartbroken. I hope the ACLU is victorious and gets this order over turned once and for all. 

It's been 80 days since my fiance's K1 interview in Abu Dhabi. The case is in Administrative Processing. I just sent an inquiry using the Contact Us page of the US Embassy, Abu Dhabi website. I've used the page before when we were waiting for an interview and never got a response. Has anyone used the page and received a reply? Thanks!

The USCIS, the NVC, and the US Embassy are all parts of the US government. The people working there are employees of the US government. The fact remains that I paid money to the US government with the expectation that it was technically possible to get approved (not guaranteed, but possible). With the latest ban it is practically impossible to get approved for a visa for someone from Iran. Money paid, process started, rules changed, success impossible. Not fair emotionally or financially. 

This on again off again travel ban is both heartbreaking and financially unfair. I started the K-1 process before Trump became president. Iran was not a blocked country. I paid a filing fee to the USCIS to apply for a petition and paid an interview fee to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi for an interview for my fiance. We are in administrative processing. And now it is nearly (if not completely) impossible to get a K-1 visa because the law has changed mid process. How is this fair? The government took my money and then changed the rules. What if anything will the courts do for those of us in this situation? It's maddening. I feel cheated. And worse... I am heartbroken. I hope the ACLU is victorious and gets this order over turned once and for all. 

This on again off again travel ban is both heartbreaking and financially unfair. I started the K-1 process before Trump became president. Iran was not a blocked country. I paid a filing fee to the USCIS to apply for a petition and paid an interview fee to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi for an interview for my fiance. We are in administrative processing. And now it is nearly (if not completely) impossible to get a K-1 visa because the law has changed mid process. How is this fair? The government took my money and then changed the rules. What if anything will the courts do for those of us in this situation? It's maddening. I feel cheated. And worse... I am heartbroken. I hope the ACLU is victorious and gets this order over turned once and for all. 

This on again off again travel ban is both heartbreaking and financially unfair. I started the K-1 process before Trump became president. Iran was not a blocked country. I paid a filing fee to the USCIS to apply for a petition and paid an interview fee to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi for an interview for my fiance. We are in administrative processing. And now it is nearly (if not completely) impossible to get a K-1 visa because the law has changed mid process. How is this fair? The government took my money and then changed the rules. What if anything will the courts do for those of us in this situation? It's maddening. I feel cheated. And worse... I am heartbroken. I hope the ACLU is victorious and gets this order over turned once and for all. 

To let everyone know, my attorney filed a writ of mandamus on 10/13/17 and my husband's visa was issued today (11/3/17). We had been in AP 8.5 months when we filed. We were at the embassy in Armenia.

if ur a truthseeker, then try to understand the process better.  u expect 6 months for k1 is crazy.
 
nothing gonna get ur girl here for christmas.  
 
u think getting people to complain with u gonna help?  try change.org petition.  every few months guy like u who new and do not understand come here and try to get people here to complain together thinking that matter.  many here try.  all here fail.
 
no body lie.  u do not understand.  goal.  not promise.  
 
vent okay but you wrong and u no understand things.
 
google san bernadino killer.  she came on k1.  u tell us citizeens that we ignore k1 rules.  we not scruitinze.  we let all k1 filer in right away.  u okay with more k1 killers?  or u think america need to scrutinize?  
 
u need to understand process better.  u need to have patience.  u stay like this and u both go crazy from wait.  accept long wait and u deal better with situation u can not change.  nothing gonna change process so u must learn and accept or u go crazy.

Just about everyone here can relate to your frustration because almost everybody has experienced a wait time similar to yours or longer. My wife and I applied for a CR1 and it took 13+ months before she joined me here. During the early part of that wait, I found it to be extremely unfair in much the same way you are expressing. But as I read more and more threads here at VJ, I came to understand that having a spouse join me in the USA is not a right, it's a privilege. Once I realized that my wife's immigration was a privilege it really changed my views on USCIS, specific service centers, the public employees that examine our applications, etc.
 
You can call, but it's not really going to speed things up. And if you were to summon a movement where all applicants are calling all the time, it probably still won't have any affect.
 
The immigration process is all about patience, and you need a boatload of it to make it through. Good luck.

I did the same....Lets hope!