Ghugho

Greetings Everyone, I apologize for my delayed response. It has been an incredibly long journey for me. I've been reading through the comments, and while some people reached out to me, I couldn't find the strength to reply and update about my case. You see, my heart shattered when my Hardship waiver was denied last year. The entire process, from the moment I started the case to receiving the dreaded Not Favorable Recommendation, took over two and half years. I used to be a relatively normal person, but this ordeal pushed me to the brink of despair. I had to resort to depression and anxiety medication to cope, and panic attacks became a regular occurrence. Weekly therapy sessions were essential, as my mental health was in tatters. The strain took a toll on my professional life, resulting in the loss of a few jobs on the way. To add insult to injury, at the age of just thirty-four, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and prediabetes. I understand that some may find the above paragraph somewhat dramatic, especially if they haven't had to endure the agony of waiting for more than 30 months just to receive a simple "Yes" or "No" in their case while they have hardship. While it might be true that my hardship case may have been deemed weak by some, I firmly believed it had a strong foundation, as affirmed by three attorneys I consulted. What I struggled to come to terms with was the interminable waiting and the incessant checking of my case status online. Even though my case had been approved for over six months, I unintentionally found myself compulsively refreshing the DOS website. But here's the good news: I finally received approval this year through the prosecution route. You can find the detailed timeline attached. I strongly urge anyone facing the fear of returning to a country ravaged by war or terrorism, especially if there are concerns that people back home may view you as an American agent or if you have a political background and face threats, to consider pursuing the prosecution route. This approach eliminates the step of seeking sponsors' views for government funding J1 waivers. I sincerely hope that the Department of State (DOS) recognizes the immense impact their actions have on people's lives. It is disheartening that the adjudication of a hardship waiver, which should not take more than a month, has been prolonged unnecessarily. In my case, they didn't even request Sponsor Views for an entire year. I truly wish that someone within the DOS would come across this message and convey the urgency of the situation to the policymakers responsible for the decision to extend the adjudication period for hardship cases to two years, starting from 2018-2019. Previously, it used to take no more than six months or even less. I hope they have a change of heart and realize that we are not just abstract cases, but real people with real families, including children. It's important to note that there are fewer than 400** J1 cases each year based on hardship or prosecution. It should not take them more than three months to come up with recomendations. I am not suggesting that they approve every case, but at the very least, provide us with a timely response, whether it is an approval or denial. The prolonged period of uncertainty is causing immense suffering to individuals and their families. If any of you have experienced a decline in your mental well-being during this process, I wholeheartedly recommend seeking professional help. I understand the initial hesitancy, but believe me, it made a tremendous difference, and I started feeling better. If anyone wishes to discuss their case or mental health, please don't hesitate to reach out to me via direct message. I'll do my best to respond to your comments and provide support whenever possible. Please do not ask any questions regarding the specifics of both cases and I am an Asian, I will not specify my country as well. I feel very much normal now, I am off of medication although it took sometime to wean off. But this case has left a permanent scar on my soul. ** look in the bottom for J1 waiver statistics https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics/nonimmigrant-visa-statistics.html

Hi Rashab, no whatsoever. I am officially entering 19th month with DoS tomorrow (June 1, 2022). My I612 and I613 are with DoS since December 2020.

Did you had government funding? Or sponsor was a private entity? TIA