ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)221g Blue Form after Interview

My husband had his CR1 interview in Saudi Arabia Riyadh Embassy on April 9th. At the interview the CO asked him about our relationship and how we met and how we got married. The CO also asked him about his profession and what he would like to do when he moves to the US. The CO looked at the photographs and asked about the people who were with us on some of the pictures. After the interview he was given a blue 221G form asking for the following 3 documents.

1. Certified copy of wife's divorce decree
2. Copy of Wife's naturalization certificate
3. Proof on ongoing relationship - Phone bills and e-mails

Background of my petition:
1. We were married in 2007 and I was a permanent resident at the time of marriage. Filed petition under F2A originally and upgraded to IR1 recently
2. He is from Pakistan and I am originally from Bangladesh
3. I was married before and have a child from previous marriage
4. The only proof of ongoing relationship he took for the interview was photo album with pictures starting the day we get married in Bangladesh till recent. It included pictures of two of us with my parents, my daughter and my extended family.

My husband submitted the additional documents in person at the Embassy on April 19th. As proof of ongoing relationship we submitted some phone bills from each year. We sumbitted 10 phone bills (cell bills for showing incoming calls from him and home phone bills to show outgoing calls from me to him)and 10 e-mails (we only had e-mailed e-cards he sent for my bdays, valentines day, Eid and some other ones about our travel plans to see each other). They have kept his passport, made him pay for FedEx to send passport back and told him that they will call him if they needed anything else. When my husband asked how long it might take to process the person who accepted the documents replied 3 weeks.

Has anyone been in similar situation? Should I be worried that the CO might refuse Visa.

Any opinion and experience will be helpful.

For them to keep his passport is a good sign. Worrying is not productive it's best to wait with optimism.
I wish both of you good fortune.
jalieFemaleItaly2011-04-25 16:40:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)DS-3026

As far as I know, they will give you the form when u have your medical done, meaning the physicians will have the form, you do not need to provide it.
ps: Sorry, I understand Italian but I don't speak or write it.. :blush:


Thanks Mrs&Mr D.
I went back and read the instructions on packet 4 more carefully and understood that, yes, section 1(Past Medical History) is to be filled out prior to my medical appointment.
Again thanks for the thought.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-08-14 08:05:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)DS-3026
Ciao! Mi chiamo Julia e sono su K-1. Avrò l'intervista i primi di Settembre 2010 e intanto sto compilando i forms necessari da portare con me. Sono un pò perplessa riguardo del form DS-3026. ??? Lo devo compilarlo adesso prima della visita medica o posso compilarlo la all'Istituto Varelli dopo la visita medica???
Grazie infinite e un caldo saluto di buon Ferragosto!
jalieFemaleItaly2010-08-14 06:49:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)Shipping to US (Houston, TX) from Italy (Milan)
Hello European VJourneyers! My visa has been delivered and now its time to pack. I live in Milan (too far from the nearest port) and have noticed that there exists plenty of shipping agencies that service my country Philippines but alas, services for USA is nil. Not unless, of course, if one has to ship a full-container load. MailBoxesEtc. is charging 500 Euro/100kg but I find it too expensive. I also got quotations from various International movers but I find theirs unreasonable too. As I'm only sending 2-3 boxes (72x45x76) I conclude its not practical to use a mover, but since they are quite heavy its impractical too to send via MailBoxes.
Please, anybody can give me a hand sorting this out? How did you send yours?
Many thanks!
jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-25 08:13:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)Any italian/american couples out here?

You are so lucky! Hope the rest of the journey goes smooth. Speaking of, since I see you are applying for the AOS, are you allowed to travel outside the US while waiting on your AOS approval? Thanks :thumbs:


First of all Welcome Jalie! You lived here for 20 years so you are more than welcome here! Naple was a nightmare? This sucks...so what did you do? Were you already applying for a K1? Hope now it's going better..

Thanks for the welcome. I am now at the AOS stage and will go in for interview on the 20th of this month. Yes, IVNaples for me was a nightmare and a heart ache but tell you what, the IO was very professional, gentle and very humble. He gave me a hard time because of discrepancies that I was not able to explain in simple language. I guess it would have been better If I chose Italian to converse with him ( On the interview day,after your oath taking you will be asked which language would you prefer, I chose English).
What did I do? Take a look at this, http://www.visajourn...an/page__st__15, And this, http://www.visajourn...an/page__st__15
As to your question regarding travel while on AOS, yes you can as long as you file for I-131(Advance Parole).
Happy weekend.
jalieFemaleItaly2011-04-02 10:07:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)Any italian/american couples out here?

I took a look around but seems like there's not many italian/american couples in the forum, BUT I've seen a few! So come on, let's come together and keep in touch! We can help each other :dance:

Hello. I may not be an Italian but I bet I am more Italian than the Italians that I have met here in the US. ;)I lived in Italy for more than 20 years. I too passed thru Naples consulate and it was one of the worst nightmares I have ever had. But of course that was my personal experience. Each case is different and what I have observed in the times that I was there, Italian nationals pass their interview (K-1) without much fuss . "Liscio come l'olio" as they say in Italian. Y'know, the standard question, what do you do for a living, where did you meet your fiance/ fiancée, what's his/her job in the US, and the like. If you are well prepared with your documents/supporting evidence and your family name is not Mohammed the IO won't waste his time throwing questions at you. There was one who was asked one boring question and the next thing I heard was, "You are approved, your visa will be ready for pick up by 5PM at MailBoxesEtc.".
Good luck to everyone. You can PM me if there is anything you want to ask.
jalieFemaleItaly2011-04-01 15:56:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHELP Birth Certificate!!!!!
Ciao Cecile. Been almost two months since you posted this but it is only now that I saw it. Yeah, that is how they do it in Rome regarding the issuance of birth certificates. If one goes there personally the wait is shortened to 30 days. I know because I too had the need then of a birth cert. exactly from Rome. And that was the reason why my interview was postponed for 45 days.
I hope you'ge gotten it by now.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-25 12:53:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionPolice records and affidavit generic questions

Hello everyone! Having a couple of questions over here :)

We just started our journey, but we're trying to be as productive as we can so that we keep busy and at the same time we can at least try to make things faster once we get our NOA2.

First question is about police records: I (the beneficiary) don't have any criminal past, but I guess I need to bring the police records with me at the interview anyway, right? And if so, do they need to be translated in english?

Another question is about Affidavit: my fiancè is coming to visit in July, and it's gonna be our forth month after NOA1...can I ask him to bring his Affidavit and relative documents so that he wont need to send them after we received our interview date, or does Affidavit need to be filled like (let's say for example) within 30 days prior the interview?

Thanks everyone :thumbs:

Yes, you'd need to bring with you a police certificate (Certificato del Casellario Giudiziale). You can request it online or by mail at the Procura Della Republica office nearest you. And no, you need not translate it to English.
It would be great if your fiancé would bring you all the needed documents and supporting evidences as it would save you time and mailing expenses.
jalieFemaleItaly2011-04-08 22:31:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionIssue on My Name - need advice!
Sorry about the emoticon, I have no idea how it got there.

Edited by jalie, 24 April 2011 - 02:53 PM.

jalieFemaleItaly2011-04-24 14:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionIssue on My Name - need advice!

My question is about my name. My original birth certificate carries my full THREE first names (example) MARIA CLARA TERESA. But for sometime previously I had been using a shorter form of my name, ie MA. TERESA. Then when I replaced a stolen passport 2 years ago, I reverted to my full complete name. Now all my major IDs (passport, driver's license) are in my current full name as in birth certificate. I should also mention that I have previously traveled to the US (and other countries) on both my old passport (short name) and my current one (full complete name). I was also issued a 10 year B1/B2 visa with my current passport, with no problems.

Here is my question:

When we submitted my G-325A with the petition for fiance, on the blank asking All Other Names Used (Include names by previous marriages) I stated "NONE". Is this correct? My logic was that my previous shorter name was a subset of my complete name--it's not as if I had used a different name such as LUISA or ANGELA for example. Now I am uncertain. And now I have to fill up the DS-156 which asks in question 9 Other First and Middle Names Used.

What should I do? Any inputs? I want to be consistent on both forms. Should I go ahead and just state NONE as in my G-325A?

Btw, for my NBI clearance I have my full complete name, but on the line A.K.A. I had them put MA. TERESA.

What you've done you have done but I'd suggest that in DS-156 to :whistle: state all other first names used by you.
If you were issued a B1/B2 visa then there should't be any problem however just be prepared to explain to the interviewer about the name change in your passport. If I were you I'd procure an affidavit of support from your embassy/consulate affirming the change of name. My K-1 visa was delayed just because of a similar story.
Good luck.
jalieFemaleItaly2011-04-24 09:38:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionMedical exam Q!

Hey everyone, I was wondering if my fiance's vaccination record needs to be translated into English before he has his medical exam in Naples.

Thanks!

No. The medical people who will be doing the exam are Italians.
jalieFemaleItaly2011-04-20 20:46:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionTranslations of Everything into English???

I know for documents that are in any language beside English you have to translate...but what about documents from the local country?? Such as police records, etc...shouldn't the embassy be able to understand documents from that particular country? For example, do documents in Italian need to be translated into English for the American Consulate in Naples?

No, there's no need to translate. Packet 3 instructions regarding translations state that documents NOT in English or Italian must be accompanied by certified English translation.
jalieFemaleItaly2011-06-02 12:37:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionK1 Visa approves in UAE

Currently, we are processing our petition and waiting for the NOA2. I put the US General Consulate in Abu Dhabi UAE to process my visa application once the petition is approved as I am presently residing and working here. My concern is that when I get the approval of my visa, I want to go home to the Philippines to see my family and will start my journey from there going to the USA (i.e. Philippines to USA). Can I do that or do I have to return to UAE and will start my journey?

Another thing, can I start my vaccination even if there's no assurance when our petition gets approve? Will physicians entertain mw even without any doctor's appointment? I'm asking this because I've read that vaccinations are needed for AOS processing. Is this correct?

I highly appreciate your feedback/s if there's such rule like that.

Thanking you in advance.

Chym, yes doctors will give you the shots you need but you will first supply them your past vaccination records in order for them to determine what vaccines to administer. Sadly it will be a waste of time and money as US embassies require visa applicants undergo medical exam by a doctor certified by the US Public Health Service.
If your papers are being processed in Abu Dhabi follow the instructions contained in their website.
Yes you can go home and depart from there, it will be best to go visit your family before coming to the US.
Good luck!
jalieFemaleItaly2011-06-03 13:33:00
Philippineslet's talk about American Food

All my life I grew up in the Philippines and I only know Filipino dishes.
Leaving my home means leaving some dishes and adjusting to a new life, new food, new culture and new friends.

I am a big fan of Korean, Japanese and Italian food and of course I am pro in terms of cooking Filipino dishes but none of these countries will be my new home but its America. People Im going to meet and brush elbows with are different races but with American taste.

Now, I am wondering what are these dishes that most Americans do love? Simple or complicated dish they usually serve on the table?

Share your recipes and/or ideas (F)

Hi Matet, are you from Bagabag?
Most americans love to try new dishes and foreign cuisine, otherwise these Hibachi grills, Chinese buffet, Olive Garden, New Delhi restaurant (just to name a few) would have closed business long time ago. Simple or complicated? You're lucky your hubby likes everything you cook. You can make a fried tilapia simple and can also turn that same fried tilapia complicated by breading it first before frying (just to brown), then transfer it to a baking pan, add some capers,black whole olives, chopped tomatoes, onions and garlic, dash of pepper, some pinch of salt, an abundant dash of parsley and a good douche of EVOlive oil. 20 min into the oven on 400°F. And to make it more complicated, you can pour over it a sauce of your liking, like sauteed button mushrooms thickened with brown gravy or any green or red cheesy sauce of your own creation before serving. A simple fried tilapia can be appreciated also with gusto when you try to substitute the fresh tomatoes with green onions as side dish with fried onion rings and steamed greens plus bruschetta. Well, this is only a way to tell you that you can create your recipe like the chefs do. And you can americanize your Igado without your hubby noticing it. One poster says that american cuisine may be bland for our taste but I say that a real american will surely find Italian to be blander. If I'd to put up an Italian restaurant with real, authentic Italian dishes I'd go bancrupt the next day. Everything (speaking of dishes) here has been americanized and I can see lots of reason why.
Does your hubby like fish by the way? My hubby's knowledge of fish is limited to shrimp and octopus, and he recognizes his shrimp ONLY if it's done tempura style and his octopus Italian salad style. My daughter finds him to be a bore... and a clown as he doesn't like squid (being slimy). Are not squids cousins of octopuses? Well, if he doesn't like it I'll feed him anyways perhaps by creating a stuffed squid that looks like a squid but doesn't taste like squid. There are many veggies and meat my hubby do not like, but I do serve him anyway and many times he comes to love it. My father (when I refused to eat the malunggay and papaya with the tinola) used to tell me when I was a kid that this or that veggie is good for the eyes for the skin,bla, bla, bla. I use that trick too, it works!
Your hubby being american I bet love burgers. I can send you some samples of my own creation, totally different from the banal McDonald's, but you need to hit the gym the day after coz its packed of trillion calories. Just PM me if you're interested otherwise the web is rich with ideas, if you disagree with one ingredient (perhaps against your taste buds) you can substitute it with your own choosing.
I hope to have suggested an idea.
jalieFemaleItaly2011-05-25 18:17:00
PhilippinesWhy do Filipinos don't greet each other?

I always meet people (mostly white) on the street or in an elevator etc who greet you (Good morning, How are you?) even if they don't personally know you. I also met a lot of Filipinos who doesn't even bother to smile.

Is this a culture thing, or is it because we are just afraid to be rejected? Are we scared to smile or greet for fear that it might not be a Filipino after all? Or are some Filipinos just snobs and think highly of their stature now that they live comfortably abroad? I am just wondering...

If the white people can say "Hi, how are you?", why can't we?


Yes of course we can, but what if you have been doing it for years and most of the time you get rejected? My 12 year old (then)daughter told me several times, "why do you insist on greeting our co-Filipinos if they do not even smile at you". I am talking of Filipinos in Italy. This kind of attitude baffles me until now. Now that I'm in the US I see that the pattern is pretty much the same. I am new in Texas and eager to have Pinoy friends so I smile a lot to every co-national that I encounter but so far no fruit yet. Maybe I really have to go and approach them and say, "how are you". I have greeted mistakenly in the past lots of Japanese, Thais, Malaysians and the like so the problem with me lies not on that. It's more of the fact that I'm afraid to be snubbed like in the past. And so the Filipino who sees me evaluates me as a snob too.
I'm all praises to the Filipinos in Spain and Prague because they are way too friendly and hospitable, inviting you for a meal in their place without even knowing you.
I don't think its a culture thing. I guess it has got to do with the population. Say, if you live in a certain place for quite sometime and have not seen any co-national yet I bet the minute you see one you'd go running to meet/greet her. But if you live in a certain place full of Pinoys and they seem to be succesful in their careers driving BMWs and Mercedes comparing with my raggedy rickety Mazda, of course I'd feel ashamed to greet them.
jalieFemaleItaly2011-06-03 15:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNVC and Interview
Hi Cecile, you will send only Part 1 of DS-230. However if you are in the last stages at the NVC you will soon receive the packet 3 (Instructions for Fiance(e)Visa Applicants.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-17 16:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsVisa Approved in 3 1/2 months!
That's great! Congrats!!! I had mine in triplicate too but...
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-17 11:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reportsvisa in hand
Sono felice per te... Evidently your case is the normal, classic one (no hassles on names, no changed/amended passports) unlike mine. Been interviewed twice but still no conclusion. I do not even know if I am denied (but denied for what grounds? I was not told any)or wait till the break of the 3rd world war.
Again my congratulations!!! And come back at our Italy portal everynow and then to give us some hints, smiles, suggestions whatsoever. Ciao!
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-24 18:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsVISA Approved!!!!

we'll i'll be dingle danged! we finally got it! 17 damn months after filing!
i had flown over to be with Bindu on sept 13, after 126 nites of a lonely summer apart. we first did her police report and medical and submitted our 6 inch stack of evidence to the consulate and paid the exhorbinant fee. the nice Nepali lady said, ok, her interview is on tueday! so we waited in Krapmandu for 4 days. we showed up promptly at 1pm for interview but i wasnt allowed inside. i waited out along road and worried. 2 hours later she came out, neither crying or smiling, and handed me a paper. Visa not approved due to "administrative processing". I was pissed! so i demanded to go in to speak to someone. i asked the officer if he could give us a better timeframe than what they'd told Bindu of 1-4 weeks. I told him this was my 5th time over here since we got engaged. He replied that i didnt have to be here at all. i said, i know but our attorneys (Allan Lolly & Assocs)had said it'd look better, and that she was scared doing all this stuff alone. his eyebrow raised in an "Ahh-Haa! I caught you!" kind of way. "whys she scared?, he asked me, suspiciously. i said cuz coming to awful huge Kathmandu alone is scarey, as is doing police report and medical and coming to the US embassy. He then said, OK we'll call her in 1-2 weeks. So we went back to her lovely peaceful city of Pokhara to wait. 2 weeks passed. I exercised, running mountain trails and riding my old mountain bike that lives here. we rode our junky rented 150cc motorbike yp to her family home for dinners. i called embassy. no news. 3 weeks, nothing. Lawyers said enlist my congressman or Senators which i did. I called at 4 weeks 1 day. the officer said it could take months. I was livid! Lawyers said they're surely doing a Homeland Security check on me/us. Why? they already did that thru USCIS months ago. I was pissed again. My name isnt Abdul, and her's aint Mohammed. how could any check take longer than a mouse click nowadays? I emailed the consulate. Depression and anxiety ruled us. would i have to return to Montana alone again for the 5th time? A long winter alone with my german shepard Jed? Then.. the next day...her mobile rang. The Embassy! can you come to your 2nd interview friday at 2pm. Yes sir! so the next day we took an awful $7, 8 hour, 120 mile, bus ride back to the capital. we showed up early. again only she was allowed inside. i worried 2 hours. smoked a cigar, drank a coke, tried to read. soon it was just me and the guards. the other hopefuls filed out one by one, most sad looking. i bet the embassy makes lots of money from those non-refundable visa app fee's. lord knows they spent a bundle on the new embassy here. i felt like puking. then,.. she came out...SMILING! its a "YES"! we both broke into tears as we embraced, all the guards watching us. we took a 30 cent, crammed microbus rite down to a travel agent in the Thamel tourist area,and booked a flite round-trip back to Pokhara to say goodbyes/pack, and then on tuesdays nite flite we're outahere, via Hong Kong. The officer had said she can pick up her PP with K-1 visa affixed on tues at 11am. we hope theres no snags cuz i am out of money/over budget. Shes gonna absolutely freeze in Montana soon. Heck, she's never even touched snow. But i already got her a new pair of cross-country skate skiis waxed and ready. thank "whoever" that we can finally begin our new life together and that torture of the last two years is finally over. but i tell ya'll one thing, shes my last woman! im never marrying anyone again, its too damn much trouble. Tom Sewell/Facebook/peakbagger.com, Pokhara Nepal


I'm happy for both of you. Been following your story and I can relate. I too had lumps in my throat as I was reading your post. CONGRATULATIONS!
jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-24 03:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsInterview cancelled

Thanks everybody! It's just so frustrating!

Ale, it's but human nature to be frustrated, I'd be totally irked and be cussing and swearing if it happened to me. But... if you take it on a lighter stand, say God must have something in store for the both of you hence the delay, then you'd feel more relaxed and hopeful. I can say this as I had a somewhat similar experience (I bet it was worse) and it's only now that I'm able to decipher the message of those delays or hurdles. I wish I could go back and would wish fervently that my visa will be delayed even more to give me ample time to prepare everything that is to be prepared before leaving everything that I have come to love and cherish for all those days that I have spent in my beloved Italy.
I have read cases much worse than yours and mine, years of waiting on their visa journey and eventually got approved. Just a proof that everything has its TIME.
jalieFemaleItaly2011-05-25 22:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDS-156 AND D-157 QUESTIONS
Try looking at your old passports. When you applied a visa before the embassy must stamped your passport like in my case. I myself wrote only the year as I do not remember the exact date. I was not asked during the interview. I believe they have all your records in their data base anyway.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-16 15:15:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureshelp
Frabra, I have observed that the interviewing consul in Naples is very professional, generous, kind and cultured. I have been there twice and witnessed how he generously hands out visas. Unfortunately for me and all the others who possess previous passports he is hard to please. I have renewed 4 passports already and the latest is an amended one. I also have a 17 yo daughter named in the petition but he never asked her any question nor questioned her regarding her paternal status (figlia non riconosciuta).
Di nuovo congratulazioni e in bocca al lupo per la tua nuova vita negli Stati Uniti. A proposito, dov'è lo stato che andrai a vivere?
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-25 04:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresFilipina fiance working in Canada

Alright, I hope someone has some insight for me.

I am engaged to someone who is a citizen of the Philippines and who is living in Canada right now under a Canadian worker VISA. What obstacles might I have with trying to get her a K1 Visa to the USA?

Is the fact that she is currently in Canada going to make things easier or harder on us?

Any input is appreciated...

Obstacles? Perhaps there will be some. We do not know exactly what accord Canada has with the Philippines and between US Immigration and Canadian legal workers/immigrants. Before my fiancé filed for the K-1 petition I never thought of obstacles and never considered going home to do my interview.Although I heard good reviews about Naples consulate and US Embassy Manila being quite severe. I had a friend who got such visa from Naples too easily but we all know that it is a case-to-case basis.PM me if you want to hear my story.
I have read reviews from Canadian applicants and again one can not say that being currently in Canada (being a Filipina) can make things easier or harder. Having had an experience, all I can say is there are things more easy if done there but there are things too that are harder. You want one? In Canada they spend Canadian dollar, whereas in the Philippines they spend peso. You get what I mean?
Just my opinion of course. Good luck!

Canada and Italy are both developed countries and I presume there are similarities in bureaucracy.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-26 10:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDo we need to consult an immigration attrony?

Thank you marriedtomrg and jalie for you quick responses. Jalie what are you doing to address the issue? What did your consulate ask for you to bring? Would a driver’s licence or some other ID work? Please let me know what you are doing to fix the problem. Thank you so much



... My consulate did not ask me of anything, in fact I was the most confused human right after the second interview. I was told to wait for two weeks and that two weeks is not yet due.
Thanks to an angel from DOS, he told me what the problem is.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-04 10:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDo we need to consult an immigration attrony?


Hey fellow members,

First of all I would like to thank you all for taking the time to read this.
As you know I am the beneficiary of a K1 visa. I am originally from Ethiopia,have been residing in the UK for a few years and I am now a naturalised british citizen.
In my country origin we use our father's 1st name as a surname. When birth certificate are issued, they would put your 1st name then your father's first name
(Surname to us) followed by your grandfather's 1st name as your full name. For ppl that are not from Ethiopia it would seem as if I have a given middle name which I dont. My birth certificate is the only document that has listed my grandfather's name after my surname. All other documents e.g. Passport, school etc. all have listed my name and surname only.
Here are my questions.
1) On form G-325a it asks all other names used, I wrote down NONE. Do you think I should of put down full name as listed on my birth certificate.
2) on D-230, Q3. It asks for full name in native alphabet,
Do you think I should put my full name as in birth certificate or passport?
3) do you think the fact that name on mypassport dont match to my birth certificate
might cause a problem at the consulate stage ? Or if I explain to them the name at the end is my grandfather's name, then it would be ok. Or do I need to write same person, one person aaffidavit? Or Do we need to consultan an immigration attrony? Please share your knowledges and experiences on this matter.
Thanks very much in advance. God bless!

2... "Do you think I should put my full name as in birth certificate or passport?"
...This is quite complex...If I were you I would call and get info from my embassy. Your birth cert contains your grand pa's 1st name but in your passport it does not appear. In my country it takes 6 months of legal proceedings to correct a birth cert (plus of course a sumptuous fee) .It is only you who can decide if you want to correct EITHER your birth cert or your passport entries. And if one possesses a passport that have discrepancies with the birth cert one should have those errors corrected. One can not just go and appear for interview and tell the interviewing consul; "oh look, that person in the passport and that one in the birth cert are one and the same". One should have a proof (passport amendment receipt, consular cert, affidavit of support,... whatever) that the person in the birth cert with the grandfather's name and the person with a passport without the grandfather's name are ONE AND THE SAME!!!
... again this is only my opinion...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-04 09:45:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDo we need to consult an immigration attrony?

Hey fellow members,

First of all I would like to thank you all for taking the time to read this.
As you know I am the beneficiary of a K1 visa. I am originally from Ethiopia,have been residing in the UK for a few years and I am now a naturalised british citizen.
In my country origin we use our father's 1st name as a surname. When birth certificate are issued, they would put your 1st name then your father's first name
(Surname to us) followed by your grandfather's 1st name as your full name. For ppl that are not from Ethiopia it would seem as if I have a given middle name which I dont. My birth certificate is the only document that has listed my grandfather's name after my surname. All other documents e.g. Passport, school etc. all have listed my name and surname only.
Here are my questions.
1) On form G-325a it asks all other names used, I wrote down NONE. Do you think I should of put down full name as listed on my birth certificate.
2) on D-230, Q3. It asks for full name in native alphabet,
Do you think I should put my full name as in birth certificate or passport?
3) do you think the fact that name on mypassport dont match to my birth certificate
might cause a problem at the consulate stage ? Or if I explain to them the name at the end is my grandfather's name, then it would be ok. Or do I need to write same person, one person aaffidavit? Or Do we need to consultan an immigration attrony? Please share your knowledges and experiences on this matter.
Thanks very much in advance. God bless!

1)Yes, you should have mentioned your granny's 1st name as other names used.
2)If you possess a name in your native alphabet then say so. Your birth certificate must match your passport entries.
3)It definitely will cause a problem. (And that is also my problem now, more or less).
... of course this is only my opinion!
2
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jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-04 09:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresErrors on G-325a and I-129F

Jalie, any updates? BTW you did say yours and mine have similarities but what exactly is the discrepancy in your case?


UPDATES? Yeah... I got an email Tuesday, Oct. 12, telling me that the consulate can now process my case to completion... to send them my passport so they can issue the visa.
DISCREPANCY? My names, birthday, birthplace, parents' names on my annulment decree were totally different from my passport.
If you want to know more my story is here: http://www.visajourn...l-inconclusive/
jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-14 15:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresErrors on G-325a and I-129F

Hi Jalie,

Just saw your post, Sorry you're going through this. Any updates from the embassy? Do you think it would have made a difference if you had added your other names on ds-230 where it asks for other names used? Please update us on their decision, if my memory serves me right the consulate will let you know in 2 weeks.

By the way guys, manage to speak someone at the London consulate, they advised me to write other names on DS-320 and mention at the interview that we have made mistakes on i-129f and G-325a. I asked them if this will create a problem for us and they don’t know but that’s what we will do. Please pray for us. If any of you have been through similar situation or have heard of similar situation please let us know. I hope I won’t get denied for misrepresentation. I am so worried. we failed to see the discrepancy and now we are trying to correct it in the DS-320. Please share your knowledges and experiences on this. Thanks a lot.



Two weeks... two months... two years I will never know. But I do understand better now! When I say to my american fiancé "two minutes" he really expects 2 mins. as in 120 seconds precisely. But me, being a Filipina and been Italianized, two mins. CAN mean half an hour or more. What I'm meaning is that the american precision does not apply at the US embassy/consulate.
Everyone's case is unique. Yours and mine tho have similarities (discrepancies)but my use of other names were documented on my I-129F and G-325A forms not like you... BUT... STILL... the consular officer is giving me a hard time. I do not take it against him, he is only doing his job. Ironically enough I admire his professionality, his dedication to his work and his politeness.
In the meantime while my case is sitting on who-knows-who's desk I guess it's time for me to take a break. I lost my job just pursuing this K-1 document hunting (In Italy it took me 3 months to get a birth cert, sure them at the registrar's office say it will take only 45 very short days) and of course there were other docs too. Time for me to take a vacation!!!
Surely, I'll include you in my prayers that London is not as damn nitpicky as Naples.
.

Anyway you have gotten a good advice from your consulate. Basing on my own experience, them at the consulate their hands are tied. But personally I do not take "I do not know" for an answer.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-08 16:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresErrors on G-325a and I-129F

I would wait until they send you an RFE and not do anything until then, because things could get very confusing if you tried to correct your information by submitting unrequested documents.


Wanna hear mine? There was a discrepancy between my passport and marriage cert entries but I was approved all the same at the normal pace without any RFE. I myself failed to see it, but the interviewing consul noticed it. Now, sadly, frustratingly I am in LIMBO!
jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-06 16:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedurescongressman request
:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

Gotcha, and I wasn't picking on you. I just don't want people to sit around and wait on a letter that might not come ;)

I am fussing at the people who are calling Congressmen at less than 6 weeks into their journey. It's ridiclious and a waste of time.



What additional information could you possibly need a Senator to handle at less than 8 weeks out? It's not a "suggestion" as the USCIS website says DON'T CONTACT US ABOUT IT until it has been 5 months.


jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-15 17:11:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedurescongressman request

First and foremost, no one needs to email their Congressman unless they are out of the 5 month mark. No excuses. There is no reason good enough to bother a Congressman with cases that are within NORMAL processing times. (Especially those of you who filed less than SIX WEEKS AGO!!!) If you want general status inquiries about the time between your NOA1 and your NOA2 then you call the Department of State at 1-202-647-4000 and follow the automated system.

Please take note of a perviously written thread about when and WHY you should actually call your Senator's Office.

Call Your Senator!!!



I am not sure where you received this information. Did YOU have to do that yourself? If so, it might be your particular state. I did not have to do anything like that.


My fiancé did it... but of course I perfectly agree with what you stated. You have exactly worded out my thoughts on the matter. I was just answering Don's question, "On another note, is there a copy or draft of the congressional inquiry here on VJ that we can use/follow in contacting our congressman?"
jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-15 16:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedurescongressman request

It will be the congressman's office that will send you a form to fill out, authorizing them to make an inquiry on your behalf.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-15 15:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedurescongressman request

I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a downer but I took a look at your timeline and I saw that you're not even passed the 3rd month. I thought that you should only write to your congressman/senator if you haven't heard/gotten a decision after the normal processing time (5 months). Isn't that what's going to prompt the congressman's staff to take action on? That you want them to follow up on your application because it's outside the USCIS'S normal processing time? Am I wrong in this assumption?

On another note, is there a copy or draft of the congressional inquiry here on VJ that we can use/follow in contacting our congressman? I'm 2 weeks away from my 5th month and looking to write my congressman as well.

Cheers!


jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-15 15:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedurescongressman request

My fiance e-mailed their congressman and they response quickly , would that be a good sign for our noa2 ? even just a lil help? thanks atleast It gave us another hope that we will have it soon enough , right ?


Congressman's staff can only make an inquiry on your behalf, and I guess that is a good sign in the sense that you will be informed of how your case is doin'.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-15 03:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresContacting a Congressman

Thank you Gary. Yes, Carlo has managed to contact the staff of Ron Paul. They were sweet humans and have already adviced us what steps we should take. I will post more when I will know more. As of now there is nothing to do than wait.


Here's the update:

September 22: The sadly famous second interview. CO decided to lock me in AP hell for two weeks. Asked him what's the problem but only got a curt 'sorry' for an answer.

September 28: Sent a terse letter to IVNaples and the Visa Section. Another copy was also sent to the Liaison Officer of my fiancé's Representative.
Received an immediate auto reply from Naples Visa Section telling they expect to answer my message in about two weeks, bla, bla.
Fiancé received a call from the liaison instructing him on how to proceed with our case.

September 30: Fiancé received a call from DOS. This good samaritan delivered the answer to my question which CO never liked to divulge.

October 06: End of the two-week time frame: NO ACTIVITY: No archangels in sight. Email traffic is boringly same o, same o.

October 12: Received an email from 'Gabriel' of IVNaples telling me to send them my passports as the visas are ready to be issued. WOW! Can't believe what I was reading. I suspected it to be a spam!

October 22: Visas were finally delivered. But took me an hour to finally eyeball them. When the courier got to my address I could not open the door for him. For some reason, the key won't work, the door bar/lock would not budge an inch.


I thank you all for being with me on this part of my journey. You will be hearing from me again soon in the next chapter. May God bless us all!!!
jalieFemaleItaly2010-10-23 12:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresContacting a Congressman

I have some interaction with our states Senators. I can tell you the BEST way to get attention from his congressman (or Senator) is to go to their office. Their district office(s) will be listed at their website. If it is within a few hours drive I STRONGLY SUGGEST he go there. Just go there. Walk in and say he needs to speak with someone on an immigration issue. They will most likely see him and discuss the matter. The issue will be handled by a liason that represents the Congressman. This can have a lot of JUICE or none, depends on that congressman. I can tell you that when Senator Leahy's office calls, they pay attention. If that doesn't do the trick, then go to a Senator who usually has a lot more clout but in a state like Texas can be very difficult to contact. In Vermont it is easier to deal with one of our two Senators rather than our ONE congressman, besides the state is barely bigger than a west Texas county so it is never a long drive to the office and BOTH our Senators are wicked powerful in Washington.

Start with the congressman. Have COPIES of evrything with you and be prepared to critique your case. They do not want to be standing at the copy machine making copies of your emails or whatever. Have a file ready to hand to them. IF you want results. They are lawyers, they are not FREE secretaries to make your copies. (most liasons are attorneys)

Thank you Gary. Yes, Carlo has managed to contact the staff of Ron Paul. They were sweet humans and have already adviced us what steps we should take. I will post more when I will know more. As of now there is nothing to do than wait.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-29 15:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresContacting a Congressman

Sounds like you are possibly in AP status if you had a second interview. We went that route and I stopped at my Congressman's office across the street from my work. They have their own special contacts that can update them
somewhat on what is happening with your case. They also sent more info via email to the embassy in Thailand and we got our visa shortly after that. They are required to answer them within 14 days but they just gave us the visa
and never gave a formal answer. Depending on what you perceive is the problem, they may be able to help. You should have an idea of what the holdup is by the questions asked during the second interview. Usually a second interview is done by the fraud unit because they are trying to clarify something. So try to figure out what it is and have an explanation that you can have the Congressman's office send with their letter.

Thanks Tom, your story of course gives me some hope. I was not given any blue slip or was not informed what was wrong after the second interview so I have not a minimum idea what the problem is. I was only told that he will contact me in two weeks.
I am only guessing that it is about name discrepancies as the consul asked me to send him my previous passports. And when he received those he asked me to go for a second interview "to clarify certain discrepancies that have arisen". My fiancé asked if there are documents that I should bring but he said no.
Anyway we already sent documents (affidavit and consular cert.)this morning to clarify those discrepancies.
Again,thanks, I'll give updates if something positive/negative will happen.
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-29 14:58:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresContacting a Congressman

A couple of weeks for what? For a decision?

... for a formal denial? or to give me the reasons for the denial?... perhaps!
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-28 11:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresContacting a Congressman

What happened after the second Embassy interview on September 22?

I was told to wait for a couple of weeks!
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-26 14:29:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresContacting a Congressman
Thanks Irina, that's great!
jalieFemaleItaly2010-09-25 05:35:00