WonTanNara

I really don't think you guys will have a 1 year wait so I advise you not to even think about that. Normal cases take about 4-8 months so you are well in that time range right now, don't think about what-ifs. I on the other hand thought at 6 months it would be 16 months and doesn't seem so ridiculus now and that's because that embassy is jam packed or whatever the causes they like to give while being hyporites and giving visas to others who have waited a lot less in that embassy.

You guys will be fine, it will just take a few more months, 1-2 at most and you will get the visas.

Julia- I too have had a nightmare of a weekend. I don't even know how to become normal again. My husband is not doing well at all and his family is giving him problems, though not related to visa. I haven't let myself think about those sweet things like hugs and kisses, though they haunt me at night.

I really hope that we will rise above like the Phoenix and be able to tell success stories.

Love,

Tam

Gotta stay positive ladies. We WILL rise above and tell our success stories. The power of the mind is incredible. I tell myself these things every day... envision seeing him in NYC at the airport, see us together in our house eating dinner together, imagine us going to dance class together and see him drumming for you. Sometimes when I'm driving in my car i pretend he's sitting there beside me. SEE IT. Believe it. It will happen.

Here is something that is helping me take better care of my body... do any of you ladies want to have babies? Take care of your body for the health of your future child.

Hey guess what, we just made it through another weekend! We are one weekend closer to being together. Courage!

This is such a roller coaster ride. I am feeling really depressed today.

My fiance is asking me what we are going to do if he still doesn't have his visa after 1 year in AP. I told him let's not talk about that unless we have been in AP for at least 6 months. I just can't deal with that right now.

This is the longest we have gone without seeing each other in person. 6.5 months. I just need to hug him.

P.S. Indianheart - I am sorry for snapping at you...I have been on edge lately and didn't mean to sound so rude.

Let's hope the week ahead is a bit easier to get through than the last.

I need to hug mine too! My fiance asked me the same thing and I felt so helpless. I said I'm so sorry but the only thing we can do is wait. I haven't found an attorney who believes a writ of mandamus will help a beneficiary who is outside of the country. October 29th is our six month mark and we are praying every day. If he's not here by the middle of November I'm buying a ticket to go back to Africa for a month in December. I think you're right Julia, just hold on and see what happens after six months. No sense worrying about "what if" now. You might have an advantage and get through more quickly because summer months are the busiest time for DOS/USCIS. Courage.

Me too! I sleep until 10am then draaaaaag my butt out of bed to MAKE myself go to my Guinean dance class because it's the only thing keeping me going now. I come home, shower, then look around like... ok now what? I have so many things I could be doing, so many things I used to love doing, and now I have absolutely no motivation to do them because I want my honey here with me! My friends are all giving me a hard time saying 'you're not getting out of the house enough.' I don't wanna! This has been the longest nine months EVER.

I'm also tired of having to explain this. Why did I fall in love with somebody overseas? Can't tell y'all how many times I've been asked that one. Well who the heck can ever control who they fall in love with? Somebody actually said to me today, with a face that made me want to just shake her, "Well I HOPE it works out for you." I wanted to say you suck. Why would you say that? Of course it's going to work out, but one million people are applying for visas every year so we have to wait and wait and wait... Her response was (with that same face) "Well they all can't come here." Yeah actually, if it's family, then can, unless they've had previous problems, we just have to wait, so bite me. I didn't say bite me but I wanted to! Hahaha. The kicker is that her partner is also Guinean, but SHE didn't have to bring him here, he was already here. They didn't have to do the work, and I will say this, the two of them don't appreciate each other. They fight constantly. I hope when our men get here we can all appreciate each other and never forget what we've been through. Never take each other for granted. I know my honey and I will succeed because of what we're going through.

People are so narrowed minded and they just don't get it. Why can't ya fall in love with a good ol' American homeboy? No offense to the truly good American men out there, but guess what, been tryin' that all my life and it hasn't worked out so well. I found my fiance when I wasn't even looking and I'll wait as long as it takes!

Insh-Allah may we all be reunited very soon!

GIRLLLL don't even give ear to those bliotches I'm telling you no one can even FATHOM love the way we found it. It's like totally out of their heads how it could possibly happen. I had a girl ask me similar things I since then I don't bother to delve into conversations with other people about this except for you guys.

Love you, yes Insha-Allah soon.

hi, i totally agree with you, how can any other person understand this unless you go through it yourself, i have waited all of my adult life for this man i am 48 years old and with him is the most wonderful thing ever. love has no rules no countries, no religion it is just two people , LOVE and GODS will for them to be together, good luck on your journey and hope you are with your love one very soon

ellie

Beautiful Ellie!

And Beautiful Tammy too!

Hi Everyone,

Hmmmm....What I dislike (not hate, as that's such a strong word) about America is:

1) The fact that Americans don't spell words and write numbers properly, as in the way it was intended to when the English invented it and the way it's spelt in Canada and other coutnries too, which is more formal and makes more sense. For example: colour not color, centre not center, cheque not check, grey not gray, dd/mm/yyyy not mm/dd/yyyy. Oh and did I mention about the metric system and not the non-metric system? I guess that this would be under the "academics" category...

Spelt is something you can use to make bread for no-wheat eaters. It's spelled, actually. Or, is that another American mis-spelting? Hee hee...

I saw a post in a different thread that Pacific took her (his?) visa on Monday of last week! It will come, have patience and courage!

Yup here it is, Pacific has a visa!

Pacific's post

Revived...............K1........ Pakistan/Islamabad........ 12/04/2007...........administrative processing

thepacific............K1.........Morocco.........................12/12/2007..........administrative processing

SAD EYES........ K1.........United Kingdom............... 02/25/2008...........221g

WonTanNara.......K1........ Guinea/Dakar, Senegal... 04/29/2008.......... security clearance

Jpost..................K1..........Pakistan/Islamabad..........04/29/2008...........administrative processing

Khengool............K1...........Iran................................05/20/2008...........administrative processing

Indianheart........ CR1..... ..Chennai India............ .... 06/06/2008.......... document verification

CassandraHaydar K1........ Iraq/Seoul ......................06/17/2008...........administrative processing

miamiwife............ K3 ........Turkey/Ankara.............. .06/24/2008.......... administrative processing

Lurking............... CR1....... Nigeria .........................07/07/2008 ..........document verification

FSUmome........... CR1...... Iraq/Ukraine.................. 07/15/2008.......... administrative processing

hyd617............... CR1....... India/Chennai................ 07/28/2008.......... 221G security check

Waheed and Kris..K3..........Pakistan/Islamabad.........07/28/2008...........221g AP

JULIAFERNO....... K1........ Turkey ...........................07/29/2008...........administrative processing Nita&Assaad ........CR1.......Lebanon.........................9/29/20008.......... 221g

It saddens me to see the AP list growing and as Revived and the Pacific get near their year mark they have nothing positive or hopeful to post We all need to see a case finish the AP that will give hope to us all

I saw a post in a different thread that Pacific took her (his?) visa on Monday of last week! It will come, have patience and courage!

I called Dos yesterday coz i was free and had nothing to do , so i thought calling DOS would be some thing good , i was thinking this time they will say case is again in AP but surprisingly they said same thing case is under administrative review in embassy but visa specialist also said that ,"passport Requested". i asked her again what indeed is there in your computer can u please tell me she told me again , all i can see about your case in my computer is that " it is under administrative review and they need your new passport coz your passport has been expired " honestly this is true my passport was expired last month and i have made new passport already "

I asked her then when they will contact me she said , this up to embassy when they will contact you we can not force them to contact u but she told me soon they will contact you via phone or sending u letter to submit your passport . she was very nice lady and thanks to her ... her name was ANNA OR MONA i forget that but sounds like Anna i guess i hope some one know her here

but i need to know some stuff , do they need my passport coz my passport is expired or they will need passport coz they will issue me visa

any one has any idea about that , or any experience

thanks in advance

Chaingang

They will need a valid PP to put the visa in!!!

i know that brother , but i am confused about one thing that what lady told me saying "PASSPOR REQUESTED" she did say they need your new passport coz it is expired , but what is in my mind they need passport to issue me visa after long wait of 19 months or they will put again in some sort of ####### processing ,,,, as far as i know whoever called by embassy especially in Pakistan to submit their passport they get their visa with in 5 working days and recently happened with one of my friend that is now in usa ,

alot of people told me Ar is good thing they review case to check everything and then issue visa on that , any one has any idea about that

I don't know, but it sounds like good news to me! If they weren't ready to issue the visa, why would they need the passport? At least you know they are actively reviewing your case. Hopefully it means they are ready to give the visa. Looks like you will know very soon! Have you tried calling the embassy? I'd call and tell them what DOS told you.

well you are right about that , if they were not interested it would never come in DOS computers saying "Passport requested"l today is Sunday or i would call them , DOS lady told me same thing contact them for further updates , tomorrow they will be open and i will call them and will tell them what DOS told me , hopefully i will call them tomorrow ,inshallah it will be good news ........

That is good news! Best of luck to you this week!!

Me too! I sleep until 10am then draaaaaag my butt out of bed to MAKE myself go to my Guinean dance class because it's the only thing keeping me going now. I come home, shower, then look around like... ok now what? I have so many things I could be doing, so many things I used to love doing, and now I have absolutely no motivation to do them because I want my honey here with me! My friends are all giving me a hard time saying 'you're not getting out of the house enough.' I don't wanna! This has been the longest nine months EVER.

I'm also tired of having to explain this. Why did I fall in love with somebody overseas? Can't tell y'all how many times I've been asked that one. Well who the heck can ever control who they fall in love with? Somebody actually said to me today, with a face that made me want to just shake her, "Well I HOPE it works out for you." I wanted to say you suck. Why would you say that? Of course it's going to work out, but one million people are applying for visas every year so we have to wait and wait and wait... Her response was (with that same face) "Well they all can't come here." Yeah actually, if it's family, then can, unless they've had previous problems, we just have to wait, so bite me. I didn't say bite me but I wanted to! Hahaha. The kicker is that her partner is also Guinean, but SHE didn't have to bring him here, he was already here. They didn't have to do the work, and I will say this, the two of them don't appreciate each other. They fight constantly. I hope when our men get here we can all appreciate each other and never forget what we've been through. Never take each other for granted. I know my honey and I will succeed because of what we're going through.

People are so narrowed minded and they just don't get it. Why can't ya fall in love with a good ol' American homeboy? No offense to the truly good American men out there, but guess what, been tryin' that all my life and it hasn't worked out so well. I found my fiance when I wasn't even looking and I'll wait as long as it takes!

Insh-Allah may we all be reunited very soon!

There are a few things your Senator can help with, at least mine has. After our interview, the officer could (or would) not tell us anything other than I'm sorry, this requires further administrative processing. I asked her what does that mean, and I asked her in every way I could think of but the answer was the same. Further administrative processing. I now know that could mean so many different things from document verification to relationship verification to security clearance.

I contacted Senator Leahy's office and I also had to wait about 3 weeks for them to do the inquiry. The first thing they did was send an inquiry to the embassy. The embassy's response indicated that our relationship had been verified, all of our paperwork was in order, and they are awaiting security clearance from Washington. After that, Leahy's office sent an inquiry to the DOS and I too got the form letter. We are very sorry for the inconvenience, but your fiance's case must undergo mandatory security procedures, blah blah blah...

So why heck couldn't they tell us that after the interview as we were both standing there in utter disbelief? My Senator's office said because consulates are very closed-mouthed about their processes. No kidding?

Another note, we had our interview April 29th and the DOS did not receive our case until May 24th, so don't be surprised if it takes a few weeks for your case to show up in Washington after the interview.

Now, Senator Leahy's office does a monthly status check for us with their DOS liason. For a while I was calling the DOS every week as well and eventually asked the question, so what exactly is the next thing you see after AP is complete? I've asked more than one person this question and they always say "visa issued." Well, that would mean the case has been sent back to the embassy, the embassy has contacted my fiance, processed his case to conclusion, and he has his visa in his hand. Is there no other update or status change that you can see in between AP and visa issued? The answer has been, from more than one person, "Well it depends on the person entering the notes." So there are no consistency standards? No kidding!

After I discovered this I asked Leahy's office, "When your DOS liason does a status check, can she see if the security checks are complete and if the case has been sent back to the embassy?" The answer was yes. So, I've stopped calling the DOS and am relying on these monthly status updates from my Senator's office.

Best wishes to everyone and may we all be reunited soon.

Why is it that so many people see "being taken care of" as a financial thing?

My fiance is from Guinea and can fit all of his earthly possessions into one suitcase. I've paid for absolutely everything and I will continue to support him in Africa through this entire process because he just wouldn't be able to foot the bill himself. If all I cared about was a man "taking care of me" (ie paying for everything) then I would have walked away from an amazing person that has so much to offer and loves me very much. I also have no expectation of him "making it all up to me" because this is a partnership. He hasn't been able to contribute any money, but he's contributed and taken care of me in many other ways. I'm sure he'll also contribute when he's here whether it involves money or not. But, we are not keeping track...

i am confused about onething first administrative review happens or administrative processing coz when i called in the month of december 2007 they told me your case is under administrative review , i guess during AR they check your papers what u submitted and under ap they do security clearence , any one can throw some more light on it , coz its 19th month started and our embassy in islamabad they dont reply of any email , if send them mail or my lawyer send them mail they dont even reply , they have stopped replying of old cases and they reply new cases its damn confusing why would they dont reply to old cases and reply to new cases

any one can please tell me difference between ar and ap which one happens first ,

Chaingang, I'm not sure about the difference between AR and AP, but I do know that AP can mean several different things. AP can mean document verification, security clearance, or passport processing just to name a few. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think AR is that your case needs further scrutiny or verification of certain facts.

I'm so sorry you have been waiting so long. Your petitioner really ought to contact their Senator's office here in the states to do an inquiry with the Dept of State. Also, if I were him/her I would be filing a Writ of Mandamus which is an order requesting that the agency take action. If you search VJ forums for Writ of Mandamus you will find much information. If my fiance's clearance does not come through within 12 months I will be filing.

Good luck.

I called the Embassy today to check on our status. They told me the final checks were requested on September 8th and they expect to get them within 3 months. If they haven't heard in 3 months, they will call. I begged for some sort of timeline and this is what she gave me. This means the beginning of December. At least I have somewhat of a timeframe.

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but these estimated timelines don't really mean anything. I don't say this to be harsh, but so that you will not be surprised if it does take longer. My fiance had his interview in Dakar on 4/29/08 and the embassy told us then "If you don't hear from us in 60 days then please contact us." I did, and the response I got was "We're sorry your case is still pending administrative processing and we must wait." My Senator's office did an inquiry for me and has told me that our relationship is verified, our paperwork is all good, and we are just waiting for security clearance. Five months later we are still waiting...

Earlier this summer I talked to a relatively nice woman at the Dept of State and asked her the same question I ask everybody every time I call. How long will this take? She said "I can't make any promises but typically they clear within six months." My Senator's office also told me that the worst she's seen is six months. I consulted 3 different attornies, two did not respond but one told me the worst she's seen is 12 months. Tammy and her husband have been waiting over a year because the embassy in Dhaka sat on her case and the first round of checks expired! I also know of another Guinean who was cleared in three months. Every case is so different, it's maddening.

Ask your Senator's office to do regular monthly checks on your case on your behalf. The Dakar embassy has a list of pending cases that they check on on a "regular basis" so see if your embassy can do the same thing. If you feel up to it, call the DOS on a regular basis (I haven't done it in a while because I got sick of "I'm sorry your case is still pending). Don't let them sit on it and that's about all you can do.

I know exactly how you feel Cassandra, this really sucks big time. I know this sounds cliche, but it will all unfold as it is meant to be. Hang in there, and talk to your sweetie as much as you can. Hopefully we'll all be reunited very soon.

I was thinking about this for a few moments and a realization hit me - I always wondered why some of the most caring and hard-working people of VJ have left this site. I often write to these people and hear the same thing again and again...that hateful nature, the ignorance, the lack of compassion and understanding of newbies does this to them. They feel after a while, what is the point in sharing thoughts and giving advice when it will be chopped into pieces...

Ya know Tam, before you and I personally connected I had decided I was done with VJ for that very reason. I'm tired of hearing all the insults not only to each other but also to our country and to the people who are working our cases. Believe me, I feel the frustration just as much as anybody else but what good does it do to spit venom? When I hear somebody say something like, "What are they doing for the past six months while I wait? Sitting on their lazy @sses?" Uh, no, they are probably working on the THOUSANDS of cases that came in before yours did. And yeah, sometimes it's not a first in-first out deal as I think both you and I have experienced first hand, and there are lots of unfair things about this process, but didn't our mom's always tell us that life is not fair? What's the saying, may God grant me the strength to change the things I can change, the courage to accept the things that I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference. Something like that...

I too am really tired of the constant negative vibes and if it wasn't for you I would have permanently signed off long ago.

Ok I'm getting off my soapbox now, let the stoning begin.

i dont know at what point it is appropriate but im as we speak gathering anything and everything we have tried and plan on filing one myself our wait has been way to long for simple k 1 visa we have not even gotten noa2 yet so i feel we are out of time or at the very least i want an answer as to what they are doing for so long................................................

just that fact that i saw a guy had done it himself and gotten it done gives me the courage to file one..................

It looks like you've been waiting over a year for NOA2 and I am so very sorry for that! That does seem utterly ridiculous for a K1. If you find an attorney that says a writ will help your overseas beneficiary, please let us know.

well u could ask gogo his case was not getting the noa2 either and he found an attorney to file it but if u hire an attorney for it its about five thousand at least i believe that is what he said he had to pay most time they do not let it get into court they adjudicate before it gets that far today i have heard of one man that did it himself..........in our case i just want them to adjudicate it one way or the other.......if its denied i want the reason for it if its approved ok we will be able to go forward........... gogo just look him up as a member and u will see all of his post

Thank you, and good luck to you!

i dont know at what point it is appropriate but im as we speak gathering anything and everything we have tried and plan on filing one myself our wait has been way to long for simple k 1 visa we have not even gotten noa2 yet so i feel we are out of time or at the very least i want an answer as to what they are doing for so long................................................

just that fact that i saw a guy had done it himself and gotten it done gives me the courage to file one..................

It looks like you've been waiting over a year for NOA2 and I am so very sorry for that! That does seem utterly ridiculous for a K1. If you find an attorney that says a writ will help your overseas beneficiary, please let us know.

Tammy AOA,

I have read quite a bit of posts that you do. Very enlightening. I am kind of surprised to the fact that the embassy is not giving you a proper reply. US Embassies and Consulates around the world work under the Dept of State. You can get in contact with them over here in the US. If that is not working out for you, file a writ of mandamus. If you have not done anything illegal and wrong why should you be scared. I myself did a writ of Mandamus and got AOS cleared in 15 days. Writ of Mandamus is not fighting with the govt, its just asking for help from the court to order dept of state or in my case USCIS to adjudicate my case. Did you ever look into that?

At what point is it appropriate to file a writ of mandamus? My fiance has been in AP for 2 months - is there anything I can do at this point that would be proactive, or can I just wait?

After five months of AP waiting for security clearance, I recently consulted two different immigration attorneys about a writ of mandamus. Both told me the same thing, that regardless of the amount of time you've been waiting, it wouldn't do any good if the person you are filing for is outside the borders of the US.

I also consider myself to be Tammy's friend and really appreciate her positive outlook.

I had to chuckle to myself when I saw the words "More google, Less God." What? When my fiance was placed on AP five months ago, I Googled the ####### out of the subject. Can I say #######? Sorry if that is a no-no, Captain! Sure, you can find all sorts of information on Mantis, Condor, NCIC and how long the DOS publicly says it "typically" takes to complete security checks. Mantis is "usually" completed in 30 days, Condor is usually completed in 90 days, blah blah blah blah dee blah. But wait, how many of us actually know WHAT security check is being done? After our interview the officer couldn't even tell us what "further processing" needed to be done, I had to consult with my Senator to find out that it was for security clearance. After that I've been able to obtain no further information. Believe me, I've tried every angle. There's also all the things that have been mentioned before, like some people getting their visas the same day, Tammy's case taking a year while another will get their clearance in a couple months, etc, etc, etc. If there are patterns I'd surely love to see the evidence...

I'm with you Tammy, my friend. I've done everything that is possible for me to do and at this point my faith is in God, not google.

Hi, I was wondering if your fiance had gotten his visa yet. It's been almost five months, hasn't it? Can you update us?

Hi coyote, my fiance's visa has not been released yet. It will be 5 months to the day on Monday the 29th.

This summer I talked to a really nice woman at the DOS. I asked her the same question I ask every time I call, how long will this take? She's the only one that offered more than the standard "It's impossible to say." She said I cannot make you any promises but generally security clearance comes through within six months, but it is possible for it to take longer. I've also asked this question of my Senator's office, and my liason says that in her experience the most time she's seen is six months, but she's only seen about a dozen cases go through this. When this first happened, I also consulted 3 different attornies to see if anything could be done. Two did not respond, but one did and in her experience the longest time she's seen is 12 months for an Afgani man that was in exile in Pakistan. So, this all takes me back to the same place... pray every day.

I will definately update my timeline when we get the security clearance.

Tammy u know how to talk , this is great thing about you , and here all with out you don't know even know what they talking about , any ways May Allah show them right path

but hat's off to you and keep on thinking , talking like this , you encourage people , you sympathize with them and u share their grief with them ,

Thank you to you for that

your brother

Chaingang

Chaingang, we agree on this one! Tammy, you really are a shining star and I'm thankful to have you as my new friend.

I too pray that everyone will soon be reunited with their loved ones.

BRAVE People dont cry.

Wrong. People who are secure with themselves and not afraid to express their emotions cry.

regards to your comments on world trade Center , if your pointing Muslims for that , then you are opening here new debate , and you need to watch other things beside bush lies , go and search for other videos that is made by Americans not by any muslim , hindu or jew that is stating it was inside job.

I'm not "pointing" to anyone but I also believe the notion that the attack was "an inside job" is absolutely ridiculous.

if you are saying that coz of wtc u kill million of people in iraq , afghanistan and bombing My people in pakistan is justice with what happened in newyork , pentagon, then i surely belive that you think like your president.

I've never killed anyone in my life, and absolutely feel compassion toward innocent people who are suffering. Do not put words into my mouth. I never said what is happening in the middle east is just.

i can give u links of hundereds of debates, videos, that is against bush lies, and what happened with wtc and pentagon ,

Sure, and I can give you hundreds of links containing stories about alien abduction. It doesn't mean it's true.

so please stop acting like u dont know wat is going on in muslim world , u only discussed people in america that is killed , u never mentioned millions of people get killed by hitlor bush in our countries .

I know exactly what is going on in the Muslim world. My fiance is Muslim and we discuss it on a regular basis. I mentioned what happened in America simply because you continue to insult our country in spite of the fact that you so badly want to come here.

Do justice and u should think positive ......

I think my attitude is a heck of a lot more positive than yours, tears and all. Best of luck to you.

I think that table on the USCIS website is, as somebody else said, a CYA worst case scenario thing. When I filed my K1 petition for my fiance in January of this year, the table said they were processing K1 petitions received in July of 2007, ie a six month wait time. My petition was approved in six weeks. I have a friend who filed for a K1 in January of '06. They were saying six months at that time too and her petition was approved in three. While I was waiting, I watched the dates on the tables change from month to month and there was no variation. I think they just have a script that they run that automatically bumps up each date by a month.

Bigangrytexan, I noticed on your signature something along the lines of "Let the nightmare begin." Your sign-in name clearly states you're angry. I've said this before but I'll say it again, the power of positive thinking is amazing. If all of your energy is negative and angry then this wait will be much more painful for you. You cannot do anything to speed this up, you can only change your outlook. Try to think about the things you are thankful for.

I know this is so much more easily said than done. I've been waiting 8 months so far, we've been on AP for security clearance for 5 months and they won't tell us how much longer it will take. I cry a lot and I know my fiance is sad too, but every night we talk about something that is good.

Change your signature to say something good, change your angry sign-in name, and put some positive energy into the air. It will come back to you. Just think, there are people in the world who never find true love or worse are 'trapped' in unhappy marriages... be happy you've found love. Have faith, this will all unfold as it is meant to be.

i am sure on one thing when i am daddy of 3 kids and i call them they will say case pending for Ap lol ahahaah, they believe bomb is stuck up in our @zz if we sit in plane we will explode , no embassy takes that much time like they do , and i hope same thing happens to them , i believe they love suffering , pain and torture and i hope one day it will rain down in their lives too.

bush and chenni go and F***k your self

You know what, it's a priviledge for you to come to this country, it's not your God-given right. I am so offended by your negative and venomous comments. Have you forgotten why our officials are doing thorough checks on people who want to come here? Because several foreign nationals came here, blew up the World Trade Center, tried to blow up the Pentagon, and tried to blow up the White House. What they did was absolutely unforgivable and I for one do not want to see it happen again.

Every day I cry because I've been waiting for months to bring the love of my life here with me. Every day he's stuck in impoverished West Africa, half the time without electricity or running water. I am feeling this too as are many others, but there is still much to be thankful for.

You really ought to consider an attitude adjustment and stop insulting the place that you obviously so desperately would like to reside. Is there nothing you have to be thankful for? Try focusing on that for a while. Put some positive energy into the air and maybe it will come back your way.

Tammy, congratulations!

Our case is another example of a fast NOA2 and a longer AP. Our I129F petition for a K1 was approved by the Vermont service center within 6 weeks of NOA1, and our interview was on April 29th. It only took 3 months from NO1 to the date of the interview. We know our relationship has been verified and all the paperwork is in order. We are waiting for security clearance and will reach the 5 month mark on Sept 29th.

Your suggestions are good. To address one point though, the checks may take more than 3 or 4 months the first time around. Our checks have not expired, I've been in regular contact with DOS and the embassy as well. The Dakar embassy has a list of open cases they check on a regular basis, but just to be safe I call the DOS every couple of weeks. The DOS has also told me that the summer months are a lot busier than the winter months.

I also wholeheartedly agree with you about not insulting this country and it's officials. There are reasons these checks are in place and people should not forget what 7 year anniversary we just passed. It was not a good one. We need to keep our borders safe so that type of tragedy does not happen again. It would be nice if the processes were more timely, but it is what it is.

I don't think we can make sense of any of this. As you've said, put your faith in God and trust that it will all unfold as it's meant to be. It will be so worth the wait.

Has anyone called the DOS lately? Someone in the African Sub Sahara said she called frequently and randomly talked with kind people who offered her information. When I call, I get someone who is curt. I will call again next week, but they make me not want to call.

I call every week. Sometimes I get a nice person, sometimes I get a rude person. Within the last 6 weeks it seems that the DOS has changed their system so that the people answering the phone can only see the status of the case and nothing more. Earlier this summer I got a really nice woman who had told me that an update had been made to my case at the end of May (we went on AP for security clearance April 29th). Since that time I have not been able to get any more information.

Hang in there...

If the non USC is female younger and asian it is fine. If the younger non USC is male and black then the KKK mind set of the united states takes over and you are in for a hard time

Well, my fiance is a male Guinean, 12 years younger than me, and I am a white female. We had no problems with our age difference or verifying our relationship. We are on AP for security clearance, and that is really difficult, but after what happened on 9/11 I can see why security processes have been made to be more stringent.

I think the statement "the KKK mindset of the United States" is a very negative, generalistic, and unfair comment. There are horrible people wherever you go in the world, and there are also wonderful people wherever you go in the world. After having spent months in poverty stricken and underdeveloped Western Africa, I believe that people here should realize we are very fortunate for what we have.

Send out positive energy and it will come back your way.

Inshallah.