gemini23nj

Hello everyone, 
Thanks to visa journey members. Have learn so much from this place. Below is my timeline from interview.
July 24th 2019- Interview at U.S embassy Paris, I went there and I was 7months pregnant. Everything took
                          less than 15minutes. Interview officer told us congrats his visa is approve and we will            
                          receive it in 5-7days.
July 29th,2019- We received email instructing us to fill DS5535. We did and send same day. 
      Since then we was put on administrative processing. I emailed them every other week and still get the same response. 
Contacted the Senate and Congress representatives they emailed them every month for 3month then congress representative advice to seek professional help from lawyer or so. Senate representative told me to contact them again after 3month to send another email.  During this wait I contacted 6 different lawyers including Jim hacking. 3 told me to wait for one year the file the writ of mandamus, one told me to be patient and it’s not advisable to sue the department of state, the 5th one told me he can file after 6months of AP. The 6th HACKING LAW FIRM told me they can sue right away. Paid $100 for consultation then he requested a total of $3,400 for his charges plus I pay government fees. But he can’t start until I give $2,500 upfront which I didn’t have at the moment, the other lawyers said if the visa get approved before the sue I won’t have to pay the whole sum, but Jim hacking said it doesn’t matter they sue or not I’m responsible for paying everything. So I decided to wait after 6months during this time I keep emailing the embassy every 2weeks and I send them my family pictures and send them pictures of my children. Also told them if them need any documents I will gladly provide instead of delaying my case. 
 
January 22,2020- case status change ,mailed or available. Since then we see update  date change  everyday. That same evening we called the senate representative they sent an email to Paris                             embassy for status update.
January 29th, 2020- Senate representative emailed us that AP is completed they waiting on new medical to proceed.  
February 3rd, 2020- Second medical done.
February 4th, 2020- Medical packet was dropped off at the embassy.
February 4th evening- case change back to mailed/available.
February 6th,2020- status Changed to Issue. During this period we did not receive no email from embassy. 
February 12th, 2020- we sent an email as to why we haven’t received letter with pick up instructions.
February 13th,2020- we received ready for pick up email. My husband pick up the passport same day.
February 16th 2020- Arrived in the U.S.A.
Thanks everyone!!!
I pray everyone receive good news soon. 
 
                                  
 

Update...
Interview Oct 21,2019
Updates on CEAC website Oct 22, 28, 30 Nov 19, 20
 
I emailed in December after 60 days passed and received the generic response back. Husband emailed 2/1 and received the generic response back, HOWEVER...
 
Feb 4 website updated to READY
Feb 5 website updated to ISSUED!!!!!
 
What a journey it has been! 

Yes, Gemini23nj, since that post I have discovered that it depends on the insurance company. Some require it and some don’t. 

quick update guys - been in application processing since my interview 20th November but checked today and it said issued so i am guessing that is positive news!!!

Hi Guys,
 
I have been following this forum for a couple of months and it has been very helpful. Wanted to share my journey as well so that it can help ppl around as well and we can document DS 5535 supplement questions cases (Pakistan)
 
My husband applied for a CR1 visa for me and I had my interview on August 28, 2019. My interview went pretty decently (I had assumed it had gone pretty good actually), the consular asked me basic questions and I was prepared with all the evidence, tax transcripts and basically anything and everything that they could possibly ask me.
 
One question that the consular asked me was where have you traveled (I had travelled quite a bit due to my work and because i like to travel) so I told him my countries. He wrote all my answers on his computer- that was the only thing personal that he asked about me while everything else was related to what my husband did, his finances and our marriage (even marriage questions weren’t a lot because I had some a lot of evidence of our calls, photos and vacation).
 
Anyway I was told my visa was approved and to expect my passport in “one to two weeks.” However,  ten days later (6th September) I was emailed a 221g asking me to send information of my travels, social media, my siblings names etc i.e. the supplemental questionnaire email. 
 
We didn’t expect this and so cautiously filled the form and asked a lawyer to look at it on our behalf and see if we had filled it properly - we then sent it on 16th September. During this time my case on the ceac website kept on updating - 28th August (Ready to AP), 30th August (AP- case updated), 6th Sept (we got the email and case date updated as well), 13th Sept (AP case updated), 16th Sept (we replied to their email and case updated the same day). After our reply the case updated on following dates:
 
20th Sept 25th Sept 27th Sept - we emailed to check if they had gotten our response and they replied back to us that they did - so case updated because somebody must have checked our case before emailing us back. 2nd October  3rd October  7th October  18th October - we emailed the embassy asking if there was an update but we only got a formal reply of being in AP 25th October - this is where we got the small change or “mailed/ available” to “mailed or available”. For me this change gave me some hope since I had read some encouraging stories - my husband on the other hand laughed at this and he said I was overthinking. I like to think this was my silver lining. Lol 28th October- AP 5th November Issued 6th November issued (And then my CGI portal started updating and I could track my visa). i hope this posts helps. I think on CR1, girls do have it easy - I read another couple of girls in Pakistan who almost had the same timeline as I did. From 28th August to 5th November - I was in AP and DS5535 questionnaire for some 68 days. Lesser if I count the time from when I submitted the form (sept 16th). 
Total updates on case when I had not sent an inquiry were 11 if I don’t count my interview day.
 
I feel and this could very well be an assumption on my part but successful candidates are usually told “they would get visa in one week” - some case (including my own) - we were told “one to two weeks” and maybe this is one sign where they keep us in AP. The only other one is of travelling. I had gone to Turkey thrice, Dubai (these countries could be a reason), otherwise all other countries were in Europe of places like Thailand or Srilanka. Again I can’t be sure if this was because of travelling. I am not much of a social media person- so I doubt anything could be a trigger there.
 
This is just loud thinking on my part. Best of luck to everyone here waiting!

congratulations. How did you submit medical via courier  ? or by hand ? and how did you know your medical reached at embassy ? kindly replay thanks  

A friend I met on here filed one and her husbands case was returned for not enough evidence of bonafide relationship that coupled with the rate that attorneys are charging for it makes me not ready to file one myself.  I need to see enough positive turn around to decide if its worth the 3500-6000 I have been seeing attorneys quote.
Mubarak ho!!  Please keep us in your prayers!
 
 

Alhumdulilah, with the grace of Allah, my visa has been issued. And I am in USA😊
 
Total time in AP with DS5535 is 15 months 3 days
Embassy is Islamabad

That's only true for tourist visas. Not K-1 or immigrant visas. Unless your fiancé has residency in one of those countries, you have to go to Guyana.

I did a K1 from Philiippines about 3 years ago, got approved in 30 days.  Other people from California Service Centers was getting approved in 7 to 10 days. 
 
I think I used the Texas Service Center
 
 

I just got my approval letter for my son yesterday

Oh god! Thats not good if thats is the case, My husband lives in Cuba, politics are the worst! But, I thought that all citizens are the same here!  

Hello. 
If anyone hears about US embassy re-opening in Havana, Cuba please let us know. US delegates met with the cuban government last week and they are deciding whether to re-open. Hopefully for those who haven't had their Notice of Approval Letter yet, this is good news. Anyways, Cuba or Colombia, but I'm looking forward to hear if anyone has more info on this topic. I heard it would re-open in March 4. 

Thank you for the input! " I don't believe" that there is anything the lawyer could do for him, kinda like separating an onion, a lot of layers and a lot of tears:) I-130 Direct Consular idea is great, I didn't think of that!!

We began our visa journey back in 2004 applying for the K-1 fiance visa. We have hit many road bumps, and had many good experiences along the way. This forum provided us with very important information to help keep us on track, may the journey a bit easier. It is time for us to pay it forward. We applied here in NJ, and have experience with both Newark and Cherry Hill local offices, in addition to interviewing through the San Jose Costa Rica consulate. We have put passports through the washer, had green cards stolen while abroad, and made simple mistakes with paperwork. Although we can laugh about much of it now, none of it was funny when we were going through the process. Inbox me with any questions, I would be more than happy to help! I wish everyone the best, if you are in this forum you have either already began this very complicated journey, or are about to. Good luck to all!