Sabian

I think it depends what part of the US you are in. Most Americans are very tolerant and friendly. I think most countries have some form of racism or ignorance. I think the US is one of the greatest countries in the sense of expressing your cultural/religious diversity. US laws are some of the greatest in the world on protecting minorities.

Just because you love your husband doesn't mean you should put up with bad behavior--you must love yourself too. If you feel he is not doing the right things, it sounds like you may need a talk. I just don't want to see you get taken advantage of. Good luck.

How will you go to the embassy? As far as I know they will not let you in unless you have an appointment. I will also be going back to Pakistan. Good luck and I hope you get some answers as to what is going on.

We have requested 3 different times to have my husbands passport returned to him. Each time the embassy says they cannot return it because they are still working on our case. We were told our case was denied in November 2011, but then told we are in AP January 2012. As we have been in AP for 8 months already, we wish to move to Dubai for the time being so we can continue our life together. We don't know if we are in AP, or if they are refusing our visa. Everytime we call the embassy they say it is NOT denied and we are being reviewed by an officer. Since we have very little consistency with the embassy and we are missing one another so much we wish to move to Dubai. There is very little future for us in Pakistan, especially if we plan on having children in the next 3 or 4 years. Can an embassy hold a persons passport? I am returning to Pak soon to stay with my husband for a few months and told the embassy I am going there if they need to talk to me. I still haven't gotten any reply (2 weeks since the email).

Thank you!

I would contact the embassy, because they have the most up to date information. The same thing that happened to Mohsin happened with us. It is good that you didn't get told your visa was denied, because it is devastating. Perhaps they are just running some more background checks, or they need to confirm something. I am not sure what an adjucating officer is though, I would be interested to find out. If and when you do please let us know. Thanks!

Thank you for all your replies!

I would be honest with the embassy and do what they tell you to do. If you performed a nikah its still a marriage ceremony no matter how small.

Exact same thing happened to us. We have no idea what is going on. The only difference is NVC has no record of it being sent back. It is annoying, confusing and emotionally draining.

Does anyone know if I can file and I 129 F for an IR1 CR1 that is currently in Administrative Processing at the embassy level? My husband and I have been waiting for about 8 months in AP, and we would like to see if he can live with me here until they make a decision. Please let me know if this is possible.

You are reading that right. Pakistan is very difficult to immigrate from. Many of us have been waiting years. If you are a male there is a 90% chance your going to put in AP, possibly denied, and no limit for AP. Just being honest with you.

Personally, I'd get a lawyer. Pakistan is really complicated. Its not just the paperwork. People from Pakistan are heavily scrutinized.

Thanks Sabian

But i wasnt in AP

I just had to wait for my Priority date thats it hehe

Thank u

I see. Thanks for the clarification. Your welcome

Congrats I am happy to hear good news from the Islamabad Embassy! You had to wait quite a long time so that gives hope to the rest of us that are in AP.

Exactly the same happened to us. My husband had his interview on April 9th 2011. After the interview he was asked to submit more proof of relationship which we submitted within a week. Then after 3 weeks embassy sent back my husband's passport saying that his visa was denied and was being sent back to USCIS for revocation. The reply was same to the senators inquiry. I waited for a month and case was not back. In June I went to Saudi Arabia and called the embassy. The staff at the immigrant visa unit told me that the case was still in the embassy and was being reviewed by the senior consulor officer. They sounded like the case was never supposed to be sent back. I requested them to give us a second interview to make a decision and they did call us the second time. They interviewed us both with the same questions separately and then approved us for the visa. That was in August 2011. I was lucky that back then US embassy in Saudi Arabia was accepting phone inquiries for immigrant visa. So, I got to speak to them and make a request.

I think they want to send your case back to USCIS, but they do not have strong grounds to do it. I read that consular officers have need to fit a case into certain guidelines before they can send back to USCIS. Keep contacting the consulate. If emails dont work send registered letters. Hope things work out for you and your hubby soon.

Thank you so much for sharing your story. The consulate has absolutely no grounds to send it back. If anything, it would have to be sent back at an officer's discretion. The officer I spoke to on the phone was plain rude and was making baseless accusations. I could not reason with the guy at all! I was afraid our case was in the hands of someone who just wanted to deny us. It may have gotten to his boss and they have to review it again, like what you said about a "senior" officer. I hope that they call us or interview us again. I would be more than happy so we can just move on with our lives. I have sent emails with no reply, but I will try your suggestion of registered letters. God bless and thanks again!

I am also going thru the same thing my intervoew was on March 5, 2012 and they told us that we were denied for fraud and for misrepresentation i also sent a letter of complaint to the general consul and when i called VS they told me my case is under AP, so i am hoping that they dont send my case back to uscis and just issue a visa or give us another appointment since the consul was very rude. wishing u the best of luck and keep me posted

Did they ever give you examples of what this misrepresentation was? Let me ask you a question, are you guys interracial? If you don't feel comfortable you don't have to answer, but I find a lot of people have trouble when they come from different ethnic backgrounds. If you google red flags in marriage fraud, interracial couples are the most critsized because it is apparently a flag for fraud.

I agree that the consul is very rude. I tried to shrug it off as it being part of their job. I just hope that no one is abusing their power on some sort of ego trip, or racial profiling to determine peoples eligibility for a visa. Because visa approval is up to an officer's discretion there can be many good people denied and many bad people approved. Perhaps because we complained (and I noticed a few others did too) that perhaps is was linked back to a particular officer. Maybe that is why we are back in AP?

Could the original email saying it was being sent back to USCIS and the information given to the senator been a mistake on the part of the embassy?

If your case had been sent back to USCIS and they reaffirmed it you would have gotten a letter from USCIS and it takes many months for USCIS to get a case back from the embassy.

If the embassy and DOS both say it's in AP then we can be thankful it wasn't sent back. May God bless you and your husband and have your visa issued soon.

yes this is what I am hoping that it wasn't sent back. Thank you for your blessings and I hope that everything works out in your case as well.

Hey dear... not sure about any of that but i would think that if it was sent back to USCIS and they reaffirmed it then they would have a record of that.

It almost sounds as if the embassy was going to send it back but never did. Not sure if anyone else has this same issue.. I know Mohsin does but dont know anybody else that has gone thru that. If i find any info ill send it your way...

Stay strong and thinking of you!

Thank you! Everyone seems confused by their behavior and it is why it is so stressful and irritating! I was posting in hopes someone else might be able to explain their strange behavior.

I was told in November 2011 that our case was denied via email and sent back to USCIS for revocation. My Senator also looked into the case and told me the same thing in January 2012. Well whenever I call the embassy, DOS, or send an email they all reply that I am not denied and our case is in Administrative Processing. USCIS has no record of it being revoked. We have also requested our documents back but the embassy says they cannot give them back because they are actively working on our case. I just don't understand this conflicting information! I sent them an email this week asking about what is going on and attaching the conflicting correspondence that I have from my Senator and from the Embassy. Is it possible that the embassy sent it back to USCIS and they reaffirmed it and it was sent to a different consulate officer for review? I did make a formal complaint about the previous consulate officers we dealt with becuase they were very abusive, and made false accusations of marriage fraud against us. I am wondering if my complaint got back to the embassy and they decided to not deny it? I am wondering if this is a possibility. Please give me your opinions, thanks!

Thx for the quick reply. Yes they did submit it and according to FedEx in USA that the embassy did receive the papers last Friday. I am just little worried of this AP dark hole and hoping that we wont go through that.

No worries, I hope so too. AP is really difficult.

I tried to register on here but it says that the license is expired.

It looks like you need a co-sponsor (whoever Mr. and Mrs. Z is). Once they sumbit their IRS forms they will continue your process. It doesn't necessarily mean that they will issue you a visa, it just means that they require this other documentary evidence to continue working on your case. I would submit your forms as soon as possible.

contacting your senator or congressman won't do anything. An attorney won't do anything...I've been where you have been and the embassy is just doing whatever it wants. I suggest the only way that we will be able to anything is if we file a complaint collectively. I have been in AP for 8 months, told my case is being sent back for revocation, then told back in AP. They won't return our documents. Honestly it is pure emotional torture. I hate it and I don't think that us individually can make a serious complaint. I think we should do so collectively.

we also have asked for our docs back. It has been 3 months and they still havent' sent our case back to USCIS and refuse to return our docs. I really don't know what is wrong with this embassy.

My husband also had an interview almost identical to yours. It is not out of the ordinary. It looks like you guys will be fine. He will probably be put in Administrative Processing. And yes...the lady that answers the phone at the embassies is very RUDE to everyone. Don't worry it sounds like it went well.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Don't feel too bad, lots of people are being put in AP. I hope yours goes quickly. I think for women it usually does.