ghanta81

Congratulations! That is wonderful! They wouldn't have you come pick it up if they didn't give the visa. I think this is very good news!

I am so happy today my wife got her visa and will be on a flight to the US by the end of the week. I am so excited!!!!!!. Thanks for all your support thru this difficult time and I pray that your visa will also be issued soon. good luck.

I'm sorry I feel bad because knowing that I'm not the only one they're toying with makes me feel a little less alone. I hope they don't keep you in it as long as I have been already.

Get your Senator to call DOS, they were the only ones who would tell that we were in AP, I didn't even get a "blue" sheet. Which state are you in?? I'm in VA, Warner is the best to call here, Webb doesn't have enough seniority yet....They responded to Warner in just a couple of days.

I am in texas, im trying to figure out who to contact here. They did'nt give you the blue sheet, did they just tell you to send in the union council letter. Did they give you any indication that your case was going into AP. My was not given any such indication, so im not sure what will become of our case. And they still have'nt responded to my status e-mail.

Yeah i know, although its sounds bad but its is good to know that we're not alone in the process and there are other couples out there going thru the same deal. I hope that this process comes to at happy ending soon for the both of us.

Please keep me updated if you find out about anything that might help my case and I'll do the same if I come about any such info. Thanks

Big development, I am not sure yet if its good or bad. My wife received a call from american express in karachi telling her that her passport and original document will be ready for pick up on monday. but she was'nt told whether the visa had been issued yet or not. I am soooooo nervous, I hope this is the end of this ordeal. Please pray for me, thanks.

I'm sorry I feel bad because knowing that I'm not the only one they're toying with makes me feel a little less alone. I hope they don't keep you in it as long as I have been already.

Get your Senator to call DOS, they were the only ones who would tell that we were in AP, I didn't even get a "blue" sheet. Which state are you in?? I'm in VA, Warner is the best to call here, Webb doesn't have enough seniority yet....They responded to Warner in just a couple of days.

I am in texas, im trying to figure out who to contact here. They did'nt give you the blue sheet, did they just tell you to send in the union council letter. Did they give you any indication that your case was going into AP. My was not given any such indication, so im not sure what will become of our case. And they still have'nt responded to my status e-mail.

Yeah i know, although its sounds bad but its is good to know that we're not alone in the process and there are other couples out there going thru the same deal. I hope that this process comes to at happy ending soon for the both of us.

Please keep me updated if you find out about anything that might help my case and I'll do the same if I come about any such info. Thanks

If you read the automated FAQ, it says that they will not respond to inquiries about AP cases and the second address if they are less than 10 months old, I almost cried when I read that part.

As for the certificates, the link I sent you is the Department of State accepted documents list. They say the only accept the union council certificate, though I, like you thought a court certificate would have more standing.

I also read a case by a court in New Jersey that sets precendence for the acceptance, specifically of Pakistani Divorce documents from Pakistani courts....so...the DOS accepts union council...but there is precedent for both. Read all the way down on the Pakistan accepted documents link I sent you, it is directly from the U.S. Dept of State.

I hope your case goes straight through! Please let me know when it is successful and thank you for your well wishes. I miss living with my husband so much!

Today, I am applying for Canadian Immigration. I have decided that whichever one goes through the fastest is where I will live. I don't care, I just want to live with my crazy Pakistani/Canadian husband I have both certificates, hopefully they will accept at least one of them!

I know this is a really hard time in our lives, and I hope things work out for all of us. I cant believe the system is so messed up, I have seen that webstite before. When I had initially checked on that website it said the same thing a year ago at the time i was filing the case, and that is why I never imagined that there was another document out there. This is really messed up. Judging from your case and mine it seems like this is not just a thing that they requested by chance but something that they ask from each person where a divorce is involved. What really is the most frustrating part of the whole deal is the fact that they can request that document on the website but they dont.

I had called up the DOS a month ago and had asked the same question refering to the website, since they have a pakistan desk. The department deals with policies and envoys from pakistan. Initially they were nice about answering question and then I was refered to talk to some one that basically just told me that there was nothing that I could do , besides submitting the document that was requested. I was so annoyed because there were roit going on at the court at that time which made it even more hard to get the document.

I really can't understand why the system is the way it is, but surely some one needs to step in and fix it. I dont know if their testing our commitment level or what. I can understand how you feel and I hope for the best for you. I just hope that my case is not stuck in AP, its day 2 and I still have'nt received a response back on my e-mail which makes me even more nervous.

Its my wifes birthday tommorrow its feels so weird being so far away from her, I just hope this is all over soon. Thanks for responding back, I really do appreciate it.

They tried to keep my hubby's passport, but I knew from the forum how long this stuff takes and didn't give it to them (that was back in February.) Since yours started in ISL, I don't think it will be sent to DOS unless they decide something is "wrong" with the documents. I had to get a Senator involved just to find out it was in AP and sent to DOS. Since then I called DOS and they "accidentally" told me it was in ISL, not realizing it wasn't an ISL case, they told me it was there. The woman was shocked when I asked why since it was a MTL case. She then refused to answer any more questions.

I wrote ISL to inquire about it, they sent me a generic FAQ letter back and told me not to email until it had been ten months, I guess so they could tell me they won't answer my questions again.

Hopefully yours will take less time, since it originated in PAK and is staying there instead of traveling like mine did.

Yours will probably go much better than mine also because of my NWFP problem, what consular officer goes there very often to investigate?? (rhetorical question.)

I have a question about the court certificate. Mine was on Govt. of Pak watermarked paper, tan in color with a burgundy/reddish design on the top with a Karachi Court stamp in red. Is this what your's looked like?? AND the union council one, did they give you an Urdu and English copy?? Mine came that way and I'm trying to understand if that is normal.

I believe that is normal because thats what i have exactly, I also had the union council letters notarized from the ministry of foriegn affairs in karachi. After doing alot of research and talking to various people I have come to the conclusion that the union council letter does not have any recognition internationally and is just a domestic document. Although the divorce is recongnized in pakistan but will not be accepted in any foriegn countries. The court document that you mentioned is what is actually recognized internationally as it has a triangle shaped stamp on it that gives it that authority. It seems like that stamp is what makes a document internationally recognized. The stamped says, " Notarized to take effect in all continents out of pakistan under international law".

I had my nikkah nama also attested from the ministry of foriegn affair and they had also stamped it with the triangle stamp, but when I had sent the union council letter the ministry did not use that stamp. That is why I believe that the union council letter is not recognized under international law. This is just what I think it might not be true.

My wife went to the location where all documents are submitted to be sent to the embassy and they looked up her case via her passport number and they told her that the embassy was processing her passport, god knows what that means, but we believe the case is not in AP based on what the guy told her. I hope i'm right and the case stays away from AP.

I also got the same FAQ e-mail when I had sent my e-mail to the pakIVinfo address, I believe its an automated response. So then I sent the same exact e-mail to the query address attached with a read receipt and according to the receipt It was received and read yesterday but I still have not received an e-mail back yet to my status request.

Do you have a timeline on when AP will be done on your case, I hope its soon?

Its been two day since I had sent that e-mail out I hope I get a response back soon or i'll have to get the congressman involved.

Did you ever send in the court certificate?

Yes I did send the court documentation in, its been 4 weeks but I still have'nt heard back. I remember talking to you earlier, my wife has sent in her passport along with the court document as she was instructed. Did they do the same for you when they requested the union council letter. Honestly I think this is a big scam and their just making us do the run around. I am going to contact the congressman this week, in addition I have sent the ISL embassy a e-mail requesting assistance. How is your case going, and what kind of a response have you got back. I am still not sure if my case is going to be sent to DOS. How do you find out because the CO in ISL never mentioned any thing of that sort. Thanks for responding.

After my wife had her interview in pakistan she was handed a blue sheet of paper. There were 2 items check marked the box for 221 g and other administrative processing. They had asked for the court documentation for her previous marriage and had asked her to send her passport along with the court document. Can any one explain to me what this means and how long of a wait am I looking at. I would really appreciate and prompt responses. Thank you.

They really did'nt ask anything too detailed in the interview, just a few question about me, my family and texas. Then they asked for the court doc, and everything went downhill at that point.

She had a letter from the arbitration council with her which is listed on the basic documentation requirement, but during her interview the counselor asked for the court documentation. The couselor said it would take 3 months, so I has'nt sure if they sticked me in AP. I have sent the embassy in pakistan an e-mail asking for the status of my case. The only positive thing that I see in my case is the fact that they asked for the passport along with the document and hopefully the other administrative processing means that they will need to review the document that I am sending in.

I guess my next questions is that, (1) Do they mark the other: administrative processing by default for any new documents requested. (2) How can one tell when the embassy sends the case back to the united states to be investigated by another agency. I would like to thank everyone that took the time to repond to my questions. Thank You.

After my wife had her interview in pakistan she was handed a blue sheet of paper. There were 2 items check marked the box for 221 g and other administrative processing. They had asked for the court documentation for her previous marriage and had asked her to send her passport along with the court document. Can any one explain to me what this means and how long of a wait am I looking at. I would really appreciate and prompt responses. Thank you.

I need some guidance:

Situation: My wife had filed the certificate that she had received from the union council in karachi, the embassy in islamabad sent her back with a blue letter with a 221 (g) asking for court documentation.

Question: How do I acquire a court document, and what are the necessary steps needed to get this done in karachi pakistan. If anyone has been through this please advice. Thank You.

I need some guidance:

Situation: My wife had filed the certificate that she had received from the union council in karachi, the embassy in islamabad sent her back with a blue letter with a 221 (g) asking for court documentation.

Question: How do I acquire a court document, and what are the necessary steps needed to get this done. If anyone has been through this please advice. Thank You.

My wife had her interview (CR1) in islamabad yesterday, and after 5 min. of questioning about me and my family, the lady there started asking about my wife's previous marriage. She started scrutinizing the divorce document. My wife took the divorce document that she had received from the The union office administration in karachi, but apparently that was not sufficient and they needed additional document. The objection letter says that they need the court issued divorce document and the administrative processing paperwork. But my understanding is that the local council offices issue the divorce certificate. They told her that it may take 2-3 mnths to process everything. After raising the objection they asked her to send her passport along with the additional documentation.

I am trying to get all of the requested information together, the interview was on monday 0ct 5, and I am planning to send everything back by next week.

My questions are:

1) What is the most reliable documentation that I can get for them in karachi pakistan

2) How long does it really take from this point, is the 2-3 mnths time for real

3) What do they specifically need when they say administrative processing paperwork for the divorce

4) If you have been thru this please let me know what should I do.

I'm really depressed with this whole deal, I dont know how long its going to take to have my wife here with me. I was expecting them to ask more question regarding my marriage instead they drilled the hell out of her previous marriage documentation. I would really appreciate any feedback, I am not sure what is the right course of action at this point. Please respond as soon as possible, I'm trying to send out the infoby next week. Thanks ya'll, I would really appreciate any guidance.

I don't have much to add, but I wanted to wish you luck in dealing with this. Sounds to me like embassy has concerns about the previous marriage ending which might also be reflected in the current marriage. Others will likely have better input, but I would also suggest letters from friends and family, lots of pictures of your marriage, proof of current ongoing relationship - phone bills etc as additional documents.

BTW, it might be more helpful if you share more details as to processing dates, etc.

My case went to islamabad in beginning of april and the intrview date was for Oct. They asked a few basic question about texas and stuff, and the asked her to send her passport along with the missing documentation. She had all the pics and stuff on her!

How long does it take if you get an objection on your interview due to lack of prior marriage termination documentation.

I hope someone can help you here, have you also posted this as a new topic on the forum?

Yes, I did, I have'nt heard back from alot a people.

I know its like what ever work, there is not a set listing of required documents. I thought I had all my bases covered, but surprisingly it seems like they had no interest wat so ever in my marriage but the divorce decree became the center of everything. My wifes family was told by the rep. at the union council that the council was the final authority and that the court was not required in this process, and that why they did'nt need go to court. The worst part of it all is that I think she might need to go to court to get the decree, and that making me really nervous. Do you know what alls needed for the decree, when you've already received the letter from the union council. I am trying my best to get it done as soon as possible.

Does getting a senator involved in the process help, and how do approach them for an immigration issue like ours. How long do you think I need to wait before making contact. Your insight has been really helpful and I hope we can get the thing done with. Good luck with everything.

How long does it take if you get an objection on your interview due to lack of prior marriage termination documentation.

My husband went to his interview in Montreal, his divorce was in Pakistan as well. He had a court certificate, stamped by the Karachi Courts, in ENGLISH!

The Montreal consulate faxed this document to Islamabad, Islamabad denied that it was good enough and demanded a certificate from the Union Council in NWFP. I think that in the case of divorces they are just very suspicious. In my searches, I have found on travel.state.gov warnings to consular officials to be very wary of ANY divorce certificates from Pakistan and to scrutinize them well.

I sent in the Union Council Certificate in July and the consulate STILL WILL NOT RESPOND TO ME! They continuously ignore my emails or tell me they still have "administrative work" pending.

The only thing I can say is to send in whatever you can get with original stamps, get duplicates, and DO NOT give them her original passport until they are ready to do the visa, because you will not get it back until they are completely done, and they don't always respond to you.

As far as I know, you have to wait it out and make sure to keep a Congressman/Senator in the loop.

I did send them the letter from the union council in karachi, but they are asking for the court certificate. They have also asked her to send back the passport along with the documents. In addition to the court certificate I am thinking about sending additional document, i.e. the letter from the religious scholar that finalized the divorce and the notice she sent asking for the divorce. I am not sure if that will help or not. When did he have is interview, I have no idea how long its going to take and this thing really making me nervous. I'm hoping the fact that the fact that the guy she was previously married to has also got re-married will help my case.

My husband's family got the court certificate from the local court, it was much simpler than the union council certificate.

Did that help your case out, as thats what im working on getting?

My wife had her interview (CR1) in islamabad yesterday, and after 5 min. of questioning about me and my family, the lady there started asking about my wife's previous marriage. She started scrutinizing the divorce document. My wife took the divorce document that she had received from the The union office administration in karachi, but apparently that was not sufficient and they needed additional document. The objection letter says that they need the court issued divorce document and the administrative processing paperwork. But my understanding is that the local council offices issue the divorce certificate. They told her that it may take 2-3 mnths to process everything. After raising the objection they asked her to send her passport along with the additional documentation.

I am trying to get all of the requested information together, the interview was on monday 0ct 5, and I am planning to send everything back by next week.

My questions are:

1) What is the most reliable documentation that I can get for them in karachi pakistan

2) How long does it really take from this point, is the 2-3 mnths time for real

3) What do they specifically need when they say administrative processing paperwork for the divorce

4) If you have been thru this please let me know what should I do.

I'm really depressed with this whole deal, I dont know how long its going to take to have my wife here with me. I was expecting them to ask more question regarding my marriage instead they drilled the hell out of her previous marriage documentation. I would really appreciate any feedback, I am not sure what is the right course of action at this point. Please respond as soon as possible, I'm trying to send out the infoby next week. Thanks ya'll, I would really appreciate any guidance.

My wife had her interview (CR1) in islamabad yesterday, and after 5 min. of questioning about me and my family, the lady there started asking about my wife's previous marriage. She started scrutinizing the divorce document. My wife took the divorce document that she had received from the The union office administration in karachi, but apparently that was not sufficient and they needed additional document. The objection letter says that they need the court issued divorce document and the administrative processing paperwork. But my understanding is that the local council offices issue the divorce certificate. They told her that it may take 2-3 mnths to process everything. After raising the objection they asked her to send her passport along with the additional documentation.

I am trying to get all of the requested information together, the interview was on monday 0ct 5, and I am planning to send everything back by next week.

My questions are:

1) What is the most reliable documentation that I can get for them in karachi pakistan

2) How long does it really take from this point, is the 2-3 mnths time for real

3) What do they specifically need when they say administrative processing paperwork for the divorce

4) If you have been thru this please let me know what should I do.

I'm really depressed with this whole deal, I dont know how long its going to take to have my wife here with me. I was expecting them to ask more question regarding my marriage instead they drilled the hell out of her previous marriage documentation. I would really appreciate any feedback, I am not sure what is the right course of action at this point. Please respond as soon as possible, I'm trying to send out the infoby next week. Thanks ya'll, I would really appreciate any guidance.

My wife had her interview (CR1) in islamabad yesterday, and after 5 min. of questioning about me and my family, the lady there started asking about my wife's previous marriage. She started scrutinizing the divorce document. My wife took the divorce document that she had received from the The union office administration in karachi, but apparently that was not sufficient and they needed additional document. The objection letter says that they need the court issued divorce document and the administrative processing paperwork. But my understanding is that the local council offices issue the divorce certificate. They told her that it may take 2-3 mnths to process everything. After raising the objection they asked her to send her passport along with the additional documentation.

I am trying to get all of the requested information together, the interview was on monday 0ct 5, and I am planning to send everything back by next week.

My questions are:

1) What is the most reliable documentation that I can get for them in karachi pakistan

2) How long does it really take from this point, is the 2-3 mnths time for real

3) What do they specifically need when they say administrative processing paperwork for the divorce

4) If you have been thru this please let me know what should I do.

I'm really depressed with this whole deal, I dont know how long its going to take to have my wife here with me. I was expecting them to ask more question regarding my marriage instead they drilled the hell out of her previous marriage documentation. I would really appreciate any feedback, I am not sure what is the right course of action at this point. Please respond as soon as possible, I'm trying to send out the infoby next week. Thanks ya'll, I would really appreciate any guidance.