sandinista!

SUGARCOATING red flags at notoriously DIFFICULT consulates doesn't help anyone. SCRUTINY sure can though. Effective help here is of a scrutinizing, analytic sort. No one made any accusations of fraud or untoward behavior by this couple. People are stating how their story comes across to them, not to be bltchy, but to highlight what stands out as suspect, from an interviewing officer's POV. If they want an amen corner there's plenty of that sort of thing in facebook groups and stuff.
OP, I would highly recommend against private messaging about visa matters, no matter how nice or informed that person may seem. Inaccurate, mistaken, and potentially disastrous bad info gets spread more easily that way.

SUGARCOATING red flags at notoriously DIFFICULT consulates doesn't help anyone. SCRUTINY sure can though. Effective help here is of a scrutinizing, analytic sort. No one made any accusations of fraud or untoward behavior by this couple. People are stating how their story comes across to them, not to be bltchy, but to highlight what stands out as suspect, from an interviewing officer's POV. If they want an amen corner there's plenty of that sort of thing in facebook groups and stuff.
OP, I would highly recommend against private messaging about visa matters, no matter how nice or informed that person may seem. Inaccurate, mistaken, and potentially disastrous bad info gets spread more easily that way.

SUGARCOATING red flags at notoriously DIFFICULT consulates doesn't help anyone. SCRUTINY sure can though. Effective help here is of a scrutinizing, analytic sort. No one made any accusations of fraud or untoward behavior by this couple. People are stating how their story comes across to them, not to be bltchy, but to highlight what stands out as suspect, from an interviewing officer's POV. If they want an amen corner there's plenty of that sort of thing in facebook groups and stuff.
OP, I would highly recommend against private messaging about visa matters, no matter how nice or informed that person may seem. Inaccurate, mistaken, and potentially disastrous bad info gets spread more easily that way.

People are not denied based on personal opinions or whims of consulars or any such nonsense. Not understanding the process, or having very little actual knowledge of the process seems to often fuel that absurd conclusion, but that doesn't make it true. People's real red flags are often embarrassing though, and personal, and it's a whole lot easier to pin blame on consulars than aspects of one's own personal life, or the lives of friends and family. If anything, throughout MENA, even though a couple consulates are some of the most difficult in the world, overall they seem to err on the side of giving a visa in the most absurd of circumstances, rather than denying them. They're far more generous, forgiving, and understanding than they're given credit for here.

People are not denied based on personal opinions or whims of consulars or any such nonsense. Not understanding the process, or having very little actual knowledge of the process seems to often fuel that absurd conclusion, but that doesn't make it true. People's real red flags are often embarrassing though, and personal, and it's a whole lot easier to pin blame on consulars than aspects of one's own personal life, or the lives of friends and family. If anything, throughout MENA, even though a couple consulates are some of the most difficult in the world, overall they seem to err on the side of giving a visa in the most absurd of circumstances, rather than denying them. They're far more generous, forgiving, and understanding than they're given credit for here.

People are not denied based on personal opinions or whims of consulars or any such nonsense. Not understanding the process, or having very little actual knowledge of the process seems to often fuel that absurd conclusion, but that doesn't make it true. People's real red flags are often embarrassing though, and personal, and it's a whole lot easier to pin blame on consulars than aspects of one's own personal life, or the lives of friends and family. If anything, throughout MENA, even though a couple consulates are some of the most difficult in the world, overall they seem to err on the side of giving a visa in the most absurd of circumstances, rather than denying them. They're far more generous, forgiving, and understanding than they're given credit for here.

People are not denied based on personal opinions or whims of consulars or any such nonsense. Not understanding the process, or having very little actual knowledge of the process seems to often fuel that absurd conclusion, but that doesn't make it true. People's real red flags are often embarrassing though, and personal, and it's a whole lot easier to pin blame on consulars than aspects of one's own personal life, or the lives of friends and family. If anything, throughout MENA, even though a couple consulates are some of the most difficult in the world, overall they seem to err on the side of giving a visa in the most absurd of circumstances, rather than denying them. They're far more generous, forgiving, and understanding than they're given credit for here.

I couldn't agree with this more. You can see the phenomenon so often when a couple with red flags is denied, and somewhere in the recap is their surprise that they would get denied when others with red flags were approved. The consulates are difficult in the sense that the fraud is high and so there are a ton of denials, but I don't at all think they're difficult because the CO's are mean or petty or capricious.
I think one issue is that people tend to focus on the quantity of their evidence rather than the quality. Like, "We submitted 300 pictures, 200 pages of chats, hundreds of emails...but they denied us anyway, the CO must have been having a bad day or just not have liked my husband." But what does the evidence show? Were the 300 photos taken in the course of 1 week's visit? Is there something suspicious in the demeanor or absence of the beneficiary's family members? Is there awkward body language or facial expressions on the couple? Do the 200 pages of chat show meaningful chemistry, or do they reinforce the CO's suspicion that there's a language barrier, that the couple's communications are superficial, that the beneficiary is just feeding the petitioner canned compliments, or whatever? I'm not saying these examples are the situation here, but it's rarely helpful when a couple lists the pounds or inches or pages of evidence they submitted when no one else can see what is revealed on those pages. In addition, even if the evidence is high quality, it may not speak to the specific red flags the CO wants to see addressed. Sometimes minor red flags can be overcome just by showing happy photos and lots of face time, other times it might be more useful to address certain red flags directly with a statement from the couple.
Those are just some general thoughts from what I've seen in MENAland over and over through the years. I suspect here the CO's were caught up with the introduction through friends, age of the petitioner, quick courtship, and language barrier. I do hope you get concrete information about the denial. That seems hard to come by and I think that's terrible....couples have a right to know specifics, IMHO, to have a fair chance to dispute them. But at least as an outsider who has read a few of the OP's prior posts here, that's the direction I would focus on unless told otherwise.

People are not denied based on personal opinions or whims of consulars or any such nonsense. Not understanding the process, or having very little actual knowledge of the process seems to often fuel that absurd conclusion, but that doesn't make it true. People's real red flags are often embarrassing though, and personal, and it's a whole lot easier to pin blame on consulars than aspects of one's own personal life, or the lives of friends and family. If anything, throughout MENA, even though a couple consulates are some of the most difficult in the world, overall they seem to err on the side of giving a visa in the most absurd of circumstances, rather than denying them. They're far more generous, forgiving, and understanding than they're given credit for here.

People are not denied based on personal opinions or whims of consulars or any such nonsense. Not understanding the process, or having very little actual knowledge of the process seems to often fuel that absurd conclusion, but that doesn't make it true. People's real red flags are often embarrassing though, and personal, and it's a whole lot easier to pin blame on consulars than aspects of one's own personal life, or the lives of friends and family. If anything, throughout MENA, even though a couple consulates are some of the most difficult in the world, overall they seem to err on the side of giving a visa in the most absurd of circumstances, rather than denying them. They're far more generous, forgiving, and understanding than they're given credit for here.

It can be argued that the (Christian) west has done a lot to keep those countries where they are politically. Much of the middle east would be very different were it not for the involvement of imperial powers like the US and UK.

Or asking the pope to comment on snake handling or the burning of crosses.

Makes sense. Asking Muslims to denounce heinous actions by other Muslims is no different than asking Italians to denounce the Mafia. I think everyone is aware that most Italians believe the Mafia is a group of law breaking thugs and want nothing to do with that lifestyle. I'm not sure why Muslims are not given that same benefit.

You mention facts and scientific research while linking to Mercola's website.
You are putting me in a bad spot here. It's very difficult to simultaneously respond to this rubbish and adhere to the TOS.

So I thought a lawyer was awesome for the K-1. I didn't have a clue where to start and she did it all. We have done the rest of steps and applications on our own and been fine, and sometimes I think we could have done the K-1 okay on our own. But I also think the other applications have been doable because we had a model application to look at. It was a couple thousand for the lawyer, but worth it for us. A good lawyer will know what the consulates want and how to make the process smooth. But they are pricey.
As for skype records, I think its tricky, and that's why our lawyer actually didn't use our skype stuff. She said that the nature of skype is not very concrete, meaning, you could be anyone and it just doesn't prove much. Whereas phone records are tied to real people with accounts and names etc. We also texted multiple times a day, everyday, and we printed all those records off through my account. He would call me and my cell phone records showed those calls...I can't remember exactly how we got those records, but I think it was just online in my account history. I also had an international phone card that also showed the records of the time and date of every time I called him. She also had us submit emails, but not every email, just a monthly sampling that showed our ongoing contact.
There was other stuff, affidavits, letters telling our story etc. But her big focus was our in-person meeting evidence: Plane ticket info, receipts from stores & restaurants, train tickets etc. So when you do make that first visit - keep ALL that stuff. And take lots of pictures of you in "landmark" kinds of places that show you together in noticeable locations....not just selfies of you close up, that kind of thing. And don't forget you have to have proof of a solid income to be his "sponsor." I'm a teacher so I was just barely okay, but you have to make above a certain amount or you'll also need to find somene else to "sponsor" him when he comes to the US. And you'll compile all this stuff into your application along with a million other forms and things required on his end. Its kind of overwhelming.
Sorry I'm getting ahead of myself and telling you more than you asked. But I just hate the immigration process !! You just want to be together and you have to jump through all these hoops and pay all this money and wait and wait and wait. However, in the end - so worth it to be together!

When you start posting links from credible sources, people might start listening to you. Don't like vaccinations? Don't get vaccinated, but stay the eff away from the general population.

Lets say for the sake of argument that vaccines kill 5000 people a year, yet save millions (I seriously doubt the real number is anywhere near that.) I'd say it's worth the risk. It's pretty selfish IMO to not get vaccinated regardless of religion. Enough people are already dieing because of religious based wars/conflicts. No need to add disease to it.
In fact, I think all the people that refuse to be vaccinated for whatever reason should be rounded up and put on an island somewhere with a life time supply of tin foil.

If anything immigrant kids are more at risk in southern California than at home, some parts of southern California have worse vaccination rates than Chad. The exemptions are too easy to get, and their abuse should have immediate and painful financial consequences.

Your link is behind a pay/membership wall. Regardless, discussion of endemic cases where these kids are from doesn't trump the actual Dr here in the US who has examined them and cleared them. He has no reason to lowball TB. The kids also received their needed vaccines, and many had their vaccine records on them. Their drs have not found a majority of them to be undervaccinated. Also, details. No one made country to country comparisons. There are unvaccinated pockets in the U.S. no one said anything about the country as a whole.
Religious exemptions, true ones are hard to get an accurate number on, in many places it's the only non medical exemption allowed so people will claim it.

If anything immigrant kids are more at risk in southern California than at home, some parts of southern California have worse vaccination rates than Chad. The exemptions are too easy to get, and their abuse should have immediate and painful financial consequences.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/immigration-border-crisis/vectors-or-victims-docs-slam-rumors-migrants-carry-disease-n152216

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/swine-flu-vaccine-fearmongering/

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/swine-flu-vaccine-fearmongering/

There is no danger from thimerosal in flu vaccines. It's excreted from the body very quickly. It's not the same form of mercury present in large fish, etc that bioaccumulates and is neurotoxic.
Andrew Wakefield and everyone at Natural News can shovel excrement in hell.
Along with anyone else perpetuating this garbage. Flu shot irresponsibility kills babies and old people. And a lot of people in between. Get your shots and shut up.