JennaL

There was one person from visa journey forums , M.R123 who got their visa. Her husband was in AP for 16 months. He got his visa in Oct from Islamabad embassy. 

Wow, @bashar26, thank you so much for sharing this. These types of personal stories need to get told more often. I feel like so many here in the US have no idea just how far reaching and extreme the effects of this ban have become on US citizens and their far away fiancés and spouses. 

Wow, @bashar26, thank you so much for sharing this. These types of personal stories need to get told more often. I feel like so many here in the US have no idea just how far reaching and extreme the effects of this ban have become on US citizens and their far away fiancés and spouses. 

Yes, definitely let me know when the podcast is out - I’ll be happy to share it.

Wow, @bashar26, thank you so much for sharing this. These types of personal stories need to get told more often. I feel like so many here in the US have no idea just how far reaching and extreme the effects of this ban have become on US citizens and their far away fiancés and spouses. 

I just want to keep this thread alive and say that I am with all of you. Lots of prayers and positive energy to you all. 

Right, he is not banned so does not get a waiver, however, as he has a connection to a banned country by being born in one, he requires extra vetting which is what the 221g is for.
 
Also, the last time he was here in the US was in 2014. Back then, he did not need a visa, just his Norwegian passport. Two years ago he was planning a trip to visit me here in the US and found out the rules had changed and he would need to apply for a visa since his Norwegian passport lists his birthplace as Iran. We never have heard anything from the embassy in the past two years and his visitors visa has been in AP since then as well.
 
I'm beginning to become a little suspicious of any "exceptions" like being a dual citizen, etc. It seems if you have any connection at all to a banned country, you are indefinitely on hold from entering the US.
 
Hopefully there is an end in sight and fiances and spouses will soon be allowed to be reunited with their loved ones in the US  
 
 
 
 

Right, he is not banned so does not get a waiver, however, as he has a connection to a banned country by being born in one, he requires extra vetting which is what the 221g is for.
 
Also, the last time he was here in the US was in 2014. Back then, he did not need a visa, just his Norwegian passport. Two years ago he was planning a trip to visit me here in the US and found out the rules had changed and he would need to apply for a visa since his Norwegian passport lists his birthplace as Iran. We never have heard anything from the embassy in the past two years and his visitors visa has been in AP since then as well.
 
I'm beginning to become a little suspicious of any "exceptions" like being a dual citizen, etc. It seems if you have any connection at all to a banned country, you are indefinitely on hold from entering the US.
 
Hopefully there is an end in sight and fiances and spouses will soon be allowed to be reunited with their loved ones in the US  
 
 
 
 

Right, he is not banned so does not get a waiver, however, as he has a connection to a banned country by being born in one, he requires extra vetting which is what the 221g is for.
 
Also, the last time he was here in the US was in 2014. Back then, he did not need a visa, just his Norwegian passport. Two years ago he was planning a trip to visit me here in the US and found out the rules had changed and he would need to apply for a visa since his Norwegian passport lists his birthplace as Iran. We never have heard anything from the embassy in the past two years and his visitors visa has been in AP since then as well.
 
I'm beginning to become a little suspicious of any "exceptions" like being a dual citizen, etc. It seems if you have any connection at all to a banned country, you are indefinitely on hold from entering the US.
 
Hopefully there is an end in sight and fiances and spouses will soon be allowed to be reunited with their loved ones in the US  
 
 
 
 

Right, he is not banned so does not get a waiver, however, as he has a connection to a banned country by being born in one, he requires extra vetting which is what the 221g is for.
 
Also, the last time he was here in the US was in 2014. Back then, he did not need a visa, just his Norwegian passport. Two years ago he was planning a trip to visit me here in the US and found out the rules had changed and he would need to apply for a visa since his Norwegian passport lists his birthplace as Iran. We never have heard anything from the embassy in the past two years and his visitors visa has been in AP since then as well.
 
I'm beginning to become a little suspicious of any "exceptions" like being a dual citizen, etc. It seems if you have any connection at all to a banned country, you are indefinitely on hold from entering the US.
 
Hopefully there is an end in sight and fiances and spouses will soon be allowed to be reunited with their loved ones in the US  
 
 
 
 

@JessM28, I think this is a great idea. My fiancé is a Norwegian citizen but born in Iran. Under the travel ban, he is not technically banned, but instead now singled out for additional vetting. There is no timeline and I've heard of others in the same situation that have been waiting upwards of a year now, so it actually does feel like a ban to us. My sister is also married to an Iranian refugee. They have been waiting in Turkey for his paperwork to go through for two years now. Everything was sailing along until the ban became effective and since then their process has completely stopped, with no news or direction on what will happen to them next. They have actually been featured on some podcasts and the local news in our hometown did a great interview this summer with my parents talking about the frustrations of not knowing when their daughter will be able to bring her husband home. It's so disheartening to know that our spouses/fiances have been vetted backwards and forwards just like everyone else and then some, and are still not able to enter the US because of this new ban. I think anything you can do to highlight the fact that this is happening to people who have a legitimate reason to come to the US is helpful. Especially the lack of transparency and information from the DOS that we keep running into time and time again. I would love to help in any way possible.  

Thank you so much! Exactly, it’s hard to be accurate! I sent them another one just in case though lol 😂 

Thank you so much! That made me feel so much better lol. I’m happy you and your fiancé got approved as well 🙂 good luck on the rest of your journey! 

I'll jump in with my story.  My fiancé has been a Norwegian citizen for most of his adult life, however, he was born in Iran, which is what has been holding our case up.
 
In December 2016, he applied for a visitors visa to come and see me in the US and it has been in AP since then - no updates on the website since that day almost two years ago.  I contacted my senators who have made inquiries for me many times, but have never found out anymore information that I have on my own.
 
We decided to go ahead with the fiancé visa in the meantime and everything went smoothly until the interview.  My fiancé was placed in AP immediately and given a 221g with the supplemental questions to fill out.  This was barely one month ago and we've had no status updates. Hoping this doesn't continue on for another two years like the visitor's visa.
 
So very frustrating and hard to see other people from other countries being approved on the spot and being allowed to begin their lives with their spouse/fiancé right away.
 
I'm thinking of you all and hoping and praying we all are granted the opportunity to be with our loved ones soon.

My husband has similar story. He was born in Iran and has been living in Sweden for almost 15 years. His case is pending on AP since January. It's been almost 10 months. There were several updates in September but no news. I contacted the senator office too. They inquired about our case but nothing happened so far. 
He also had a pending visitor visa back in August 2016 with no update at all. 
I hope this difficult time ends for all of us soon. It's very frustrating  

Sooo many things wrong with this thread, unbelievable.
 
OP, as you've been told - you can have your sister be a joint sponsor. This is done all the time. People were trying to tell you only that she isn't sponsoring your wife (directly) per se, she is technically sponsoring YOU, so that you can sponsor wife.
 
To everyone else thinking that mental illness is as simple as "man up" - oh boy. Y'all must have no idea. Also, why couldn't wife work and support husband once she gets here? What's so wrong with that? It's not the 1930's where women must sit at home and men must be the breadwinners. Every family makes it work however they wish. None of anyone else's business. Plus, once wife starts working - she is definitely NOT a public charge concern  

I’m sure the SSA screened through all this already. Getting assistance based on anxiety is very difficult, you need a lot of evidence to show it’s at a debilitating level. I’m not really sure why you seem to think it’s the OP’s responsibility to prove to YOU or anyone else here that deserves assistance. Seems really irrelevant to his question.
 
OP, you can use a joint sponsor if they meet the income requirements. They will need to complete the proper forms and provide their tax and income info. I’m sure you’ve heard the news about cracking down on immigrants who could become public charges, so don’t go into this thinking you will be free of scrutiny (you’re already getting a bunch here on the forum) but just make sure you present your case the best you can without misrepresenting your situation. 

You're right, most work from home job ads are scams. Unless you have a specialized skill or you have established yourself within a company, working from home is not that easy. 
 
OP, you can definitely use your sister as a joint sponsor, no problem with that. Many people have used joint sponsors. 
 
Have you tried data entry jobs? Or something else where you don't have to interact with people? I don't know your skills or abilities, but there are career paths where you can be on your own. Working part time us also an option. 

Thank you for sharing hope everyone got issued ASAP,totally agree with you only some days it’s really hard to be patient and not think about that.

I think the government should focus on the big picture of enforcing immigration laws - that is, employers who employ people illegally. If it's impossible for illegal immigrants to find work under the table, then they won't really have an incentive to stay. Harassing people trying to get married on a tourist visa is ridiculous. People shouldn't have to wait for months and years to be with their family. 
 
And I agree with stricter requirements for tourist visas, as long as they're objective and based on documents and not on a random officer's mood. 

I stumbled upon your thread. We are not in the banned countries but I wanted to let you know that I'm sending prayers your way that you all have some good news soon. ❤️ I hope you don't mind if I posted here. 

Generally, you wait until the status changes to say "Ready" - that means the embassy has received your case and is now ready for you to schedule an interview. Shouldn't be more than a few days until the embassy receives your petition, so keep an eye out for that status change.

Here's a slightly different perspective on this hot button issue.  I was born a dual citizen of both the US and Canada, and I have lived about half of my life in each country.  I have seen the advantages and disadvantages of both, have two degrees from US universities, and one from a Canadian university.  I received my K-12 education in Canada, and saw the K-12 system first-hand as a parent in the US.  Here are my opinions on the two countries, for the benefit of OP and anyone else who is interested for future reference.
 
Canada has a better K-12 system, the US a better university system.  Canada has more affordable health care than the US, at a quality that is almost as good.  The US has more opportunity for business success, with the accompanying problems of a wide disparity of income, i.e., more rich, and more poor.  Canada has a more equal distribution of income, with fewer ultra-rich, yet fewer poor.  The social system in Canada takes care of the poor, the elderly, the handicapped.  The US system does not take care of these people as well.  The culture in the US is much more focused on material wealth, fame, fortune.  The culture in Canada is based on more respect for basic human rights.  The US embraces a melting pot concept for immigrants, where everyone is expected to learn English and to become "American," whereas in Canada cultural diversity is encouraged and immigrants are encouraged to retain their traditions and culture.  The government in Canada, currently, is more welcoming to immigrants than in the US.  Taxes are higher in Canada vs. the US, but services are also better.  Both countries are wealthy economically.  The weather can be cold in most parts of Canada, whereas in the US, there are places like Florida, California, and Arizona that have moderate, warm, or even hot climates.  The US has more people, Canada has more space.  Both countries have cities with high quality of life, and others with the opposite.  The US has the most powerful military force in the world, with a tradition of using it to influence other countries, whereas Canada's is small, and its role in the world is often one of peacemaker.  The two countries are allies, and at one time had the largest economic trade between two nations in the world.  (Now it is US-China.)  Some say that Canadians are more friendly, more laid-back, more modest.  Others say that Americans are more ambitious, self-centered, and obnoxious.  There is a nugget of truth in these stereotypes, but I have known many people on both sides of the border, and no two people are the same.  What kind of life do you want?  What is important to you?  Do you aspire to be a famous actor?  Then move to California or New York.  Do you aspire to be a professional hockey player?  Then move to Toronto or Montreal.  If you love the desert, move to Las Vegas or New Mexico.  If you love ocean views and nature, move to Vancouver Island or Prince Edward Island.  There is a place for every taste, for every interest, in one country or the other.  
 
The bottom line, in my opinion, is that both countries have much to offer.  Because of this, I have known many people who spend summers in Canada and winters in the US, and maintain an official residence in one or the other for citizenship and tax purposes.  The best environment for specific people comes down to personal choice, an individual's career, and opportunities that present themselves in an unexpected way.  I ended up in the US for career reasons.  When I look for job opportunities, I search in both countries and right now I happen to live in the US.  My career is in higher education.  If I were teaching in the K-12 system, I would look in Canada only.  So it depends.  I love both countries.  Both are beautiful in their own ways.  Their histories are intertwined.  I am a citizen of both.  I do not see one country as "better" than the other.  They are both great places to live, to work, to raise a family.  It really comes down to personal choice, and individual circumstances.  So consider all the factors, what is most important to you and your family, and make a decision if you are in a position to have a choice between them.  Do your research and know what you are getting into.  It is difficult to switch permanent residences between the two, so make one your "home," but if you know the laws and follow them carefully, you can enjoy the best of both!
 
Good luck to OP in this journey, and to all the VJ family out there!

Thank you.   We were approved.   🎉   
 
 I want to thank all of my fellow Thai K1 applicants (past and present) and everyone else who has contributed to Visa Journey.   Everything progressed with our I-129F Petition and K1 Visa application as well as I could hope (other than being a long slow process).   I am not sure if I could make that claim if VJ was not holding our hand along the way.
 
Honorable mentions go to @Loren Y for letting me follow in his footsteps, @Naes for being a VJ friend and someone to talk to, @Greenbaum for his support, and @TBoneTX for setting me straight when I was off target and teaching me to be a good VJ contributor. (I am sure he has no idea what I am talking about.  😀).
 
Now I need to figure out which of the many VJ forums I need to start paying attention to...    

Here’s the link to the official instructions on filling out the I-134: 
 
https://www.uscis.gov/system/files_force/files/form/i-134instr.pdf?download=1