KrishnaBanana

I filed my N-400 last August 30th and received a notification today that I was scheduled for a biometrics appointment on September 20th.

I just flew from LAX to MNL 2 days ago and wasn't expecting it to come so soon. It looks like I can reschedule this appointment online but the latest it can reschedule is for October 6th.

I called the USCIS contact center and the agent wasn't super helpful. They told me they can't submit a request to reschedule. I can choose to call them 12 hours before the appointment date and time and they can submit a request to reschedule to USCIS but they will take 30 days to respond to this. They can't guarantee that my application won't be dismissed.

Does anybody have previous experience with rescheduling twice online? I was thinking I should reschedule for October 6th and hope that the next time I reschedule, it will show me dates up to October 20th, which is when I would arrive back in Los Angeles. Will this plan work or will it hurt my application in any way?

Thanks!

On 3/15/2022 at 11:51 PM, laurangela said:

Hi! @KrishnaBanana I just saw this today and I am in a (somewhat) similar situation. :) Did you ever know why they revoked your B2 visa in the first place?

 

I didn’t overstay in the US while on a tourist visa. My assumption is it’s because of me needing a sputum collection - I needed to cancel my original interview date (my biggest heartbreak this month). The revocation email didn’t offer additional details so I wanted to know if this is expected.

 

Thanks in advance! And I saw your timeline, glad you’ve been approved! :)

Sorry, this reply is probably too late. I have a hunch it's because I'm in the US very frequently, probably more than 6 months in a year. I didn't overstay my visa either. I would just leave and come back. There's an unwritten rule wherein if you stay in the US for more than 6 months in a year, it's pretty much your place of residence. That violates the purpose of the tourist visa.

However, that didn't affect my green card. Though every time I fly into the US, I am held at secondary inspection. It's a little annoying, but they'll let you pass at the airport since technically, you didn't really violate anything. 

35 minutes ago, Villanelle said:

Your passport should have been stamped IR. Its ok though. IMO you are going to get the 2 yr card (in error) because the systems are all linked. So it will generate you a card based on your stamp which is CR (and wrong). So what do you do now? Well you can look into deferred inspection sites for CBP. https://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/deferred-inspection-sites.  You can call or email them and explain you were suppose to get IR and got CR. You may be able to get them to correct it before the plastic greencard is printed wrong and sent to you. If you can not or do not get it corrected at deferred inspection and do get the incorrect 2yr card like I suspect you will- you will need to send it back to them with the i90 to correct it. You must mail them the incorrect card. It can take them a while to send you a replacement (few months on average) you can use the stamp in your passport as proof of status (i551) until you get the corrected card. 

Thank you! Super helpful. I've been googling on that issue for the past 1 hour, and I suspect the same. Thanks for the resource, btw! I will call them tomorrow. I tried talking to an immigration officer last night, but I don't think they understood my question, and I probably lacked conviction cause I wasn't sure it had to be stamped IR-1. I might need to just have it corrected.

UPDATE!

My visa expiry date is November 3rd. I left the Philippines on November 3rd, 9 PM and arrived in Los Angeles on November 3rd, 5:40 PM.

Everything went well.  I was detained for about an hour, though I didn't really freak out. I kind of expected it because I was back and forth LA and Manila for the past 2 years and was detained and questioned for about 2 hours during my last visit. This time, I heard the officer just confirming some details over the phone about my visa, then she gave me back my stamped passport after a few minutes.

My passport was stamped CR1 since that was the visa given to me, so I'll just have to wait and see if I'll be given a non-conditional green card for 10 years since I arrived the day after our 2-year anniversary. Will update here when I receive it. 

I was in and out of the US for the past 2 years with my tourist visa. Though we filed for the I-130 just last year. The only time I had a problem with reentry was during my last visit, because I've been spending way too much time in the US (probably more than 6 months in a year collectively). But my visits never exceed 6 months, I always leave before then.

During my last visit, I got detained for about an hour and was interviewed by an officer and warned me not to stay long. They did decrease my limit from 6 months to 4 months -- this is why I always look at my I-94 to check when I should go back. In the end, I got my schedule for a visa interview, scheduled a flight back to my country (then COVID happened and it got delayed for another 6 months, lol). They revoked my tourist visa, but it had no effect on my CR-1 visa since I never exceeded my stay.

I just booked my flight. thank you for the advice! Hopefully all goes well from here. 

I meant my visa, lol. 

Wanted to get your insight. My passport expires Nov 3rd. I'm about to book my flight but not sure if I should book my flight to:

• Leave Nov 2nd (Philippine Time) and arrive Nov 2nd (Pacific Time)
• Or leave Nov 3rd (Philippine Time) and arrive Nov 3rd (Pacific Time)

I'm more worried about whether or not the airlines I'm booking with will allow me to board on the day my passport expires and if it's acceptable for immigration in LAX to land on Nov 3rd as well. 

UPDATE: Got my passport today and looks like they extended it to another day. It expires the day after our anniversary. I still feel like it's risky though.

Got my passport today! 🙌🏼 Thank you for the reassurance.

I got a text today that my passport was being delivered, but I was staying in the province so I missed it. Also, I was told the delivery guy left very quickly. What happens now?

Will 2GO delivery try to come back? I already left an authorization letter this time. Does it get returned to the Embassy? How do we claim it if that happens?

Thanks for all the responses! I'm still waiting on my visa and crossing my fingers. I don't know if I can request it to be extended to be after Nov 2nd (or how to do it), and I agree that flight delays are a risk, so not really sure what to do. I haven't booked a flight yet and will wait to get my visa. Will update here.

Also, I did my medical on June 1st, so it hasn't even been 6 months since then. But they required me to take a sputum test and now my medical expires 60 days after or something. It's all confusing.

Ahh got it. I guess I'll figure it out when I get the visa in the mail.

In case I do enter on our 2-year anniversary, is there anything I need to tell officers at the port of entry? Or do they determine that on their end and I don't need to do anything?

2 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Your visa will not convert but your entry status will.  Downside is having to remove conditions in 2 yrs.  

Thanks for the quick reply. I don't think I mind having to remove conditions if it's an easy process, lol.

Mostly looking to see if I should push my luck and enter on November 2nd. Not sure what would happen if they have issues with my medical expiring on that day as well.

I just finished my interview at the US Embassy in the Philippines yesterday, and the interviewer said everything looks good and he'll recommend it for approval (plus 2 weeks to process the visa. My medical expires (he said, but not sure if it's accurate because the clinic said Oct 30th?) on November 2nd, which is our 2-year wedding anniversary.

Does it make any difference if I enter the US exactly on that date? Will my CR-1 visa be converted to IR-1? Not sure if it's worth delaying my flight and pushing it to the edge. I could fly in on November 1st and arrive on November 2nd in the US. Though that's technically a day after November 2nd in the Philippines and I don't know if that makes a difference.

What's the downside of just keeping the CR-1 visa?

Thanks in advance

5 hours ago, payxibka said:

go to the Philippines regional forum.   A few have been successful 

Thanks!

Has anyone been able to successfully reschedule their interviews? 

Mine was supposed to be last March 24th, but got caught up in the lockdown/quarantine in Manila, plus Trump's suspension.

My medical is expiring on Nov 3rd and the clinic suggested that I call/email to reschedule. When I called, they said there were no interview slots available, and was told to email when it's 30 days or less before my medical expires, because then I will meet the qualification for expediting. Though honestly, I doubt they will allow me to reschedule.

However, I'm hearing rumors that spouse visa interviews are being scheduled still on a case by case basis. Interested to see if anybody has been able to do it. And if you did, were you able to leave immediately?

Additional question: medical expires Nov 3rd, but our 2-yr anniversary is coming up on Nov 4th. I would prefer to be on IR-1 category when I get there but not sure how to sort this out.

49 minutes ago, Troy B said:

I remember reading a post here about a husband admitting he drank at a party a week or 2 before, and he was ordered to take a 6 month substance abuse with testing.

I would imagine it's more of a money grab for the medical facility. This doesn't even make any sense.

14 hours ago, notantifun said:

I have. It was for what I personally think is a way serious and worse reason than yours. I self harmed as a teen and has visible scarring on my wrist. I underwent psyche evaluation and my application was delayed but was not impacted at all. I am here in the US for close to 3 years now.

Thanks @payxibkaand @notantifun!

I feel less worried about yesterday. I hope things go well. 🤞🏼

Has anyone gone through a Psych Evaluation for their medical (specifically in Manila)?

How does this affect your application?

I just finished mine literally a few minutes ago. We were going through my timeline then the psychiatrist kinda struck a chord and made me a little teary eyed (basically still grieving for my grandpa who died 2 yrs ago).

After that detail, we wrapped up immediately and he kept saying "Good luck to you," in a creepy way. I feel like I'm being paranoid??? 

But how many people actually get their visas affected by things like this?

37 minutes ago, Stein said:

Maybe the group knows - could this have happened because you did a coaching certification which could be construed as work or education related on a tourist visa and not the appropriate student or work visa?

Possible. Though I don't think anyone knew, tbh. It's also kind of a gray area, like it's not really formal education and not really work either. It's weird.

Ahh, thanks for the clarification, pushbrk! 

One of the paperwork we had to send to NVC was unfinished (we just didn't know we had to do it, lol), so my husband and I flew to NYC to do that. I stayed for a few more weeks to attend a required retreat for my certification. More than that, staying longer was just convenient, I suppose.

Thank you! I think I just need assurance that this won't affect the green card. I guess I'll just have to wait it out.

I received an email from FPMManila@state.gov saying:

Quote

On behalf of the United States Department of State, the U.S. Embassy hereby informs you that additional information became available after your visa was issued and your B1/B2 visa with expiration date 13-Sep-2027 has been revoked, in accordance with Section 221(i) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended.  You should not attempt to travel with your visa to the United States, as you will not be permitted to enter the U.S. and will be returned to your point of origin.

Is this normal?

Context: I'm a frequent traveler (to just anywhere, because I'm a digital nomad), but I got detained during my last visit to the US because apparently I've been spending a lot of time there with my husband (more than 6 months out of the year). I had to stay longer the last time I went because we had to take care of some marriage paperwork plus I had to go through a coaching certification program. I noticed they decreased the amount of days I can stay in the US during that time (made it 4 months instead of 6, glad I always check my I-94 so I never overstay). Anyway, during that time, I got my letter for interview back in Manila, so I went home, but my interview got cancelled due to the pandemic quarantine.

Just today I got that email today saying my B1/B2 visa got revoked, and I'm a little nervous. Will this affect my green card application? Or does this usually happen when you're about to get your green card? It concerns me that the email came from FPMManila@state.gov (I assume FPM means Fraud Prevention Manager?).

To add: as they keep delaying opening up again for interviews, I probably need to pay for the medical again. *sigh*