Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Middle East and North Africa	MENA Baby Names	Hey people. I am 21 weeks pregnant with our first little girl together. Her name will most likely (Insha'Allah) be Stevie Zainab Ahmed. I always liked Stevie as a name and my husband liked it the moment I said it. It was always going to be Stevie because for a girl we couldn't decide anything else. His family will obviously call her Zainab, but we will call her Stevie. If it had been a boy we would have named him Zainul Abidin Ahmed or Zakir Ali Ahmed. My husband's name is Zaheer so we wanted to keep the Z names. But I have a daughter from a previous marriage. Her name is Maille (Molly) Nahar. I spelled her name in old Gaelic since my heritage is Irish/Scottish/Native American. I just couldn't see naming my kid Aisha or anything like that because there are like 100 Ayesha's in my husband's family alone. The one who lives in our house is the exact same age to the day as my daughter and she never stops screaming or crying and she is almost 3. It drives me nuts that her mom doesn't ever tell her no or stop her or even pay attention to her. The kid eats dirt and whitewash for God's sake. Anyhow.. the name Ayesha is supposed to symbolize peace and a calm nature. Not at all this kid. But, I saw that her father had written on a picture of her from when she was newborn "Aasiya Mehfooz" instead of Ayesha. And we believe that is part of the problem because it says in Islam that there are certain names you do not give your child and Aasiya is one of them. It means "Disobedient". ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2009-11-11 05:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	November Visa Interviews	QUOTE (SSB @ Oct 28 2009, 05:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My husband's date for interview has changed from oct 28 to nov 19 isn't Pakistan lovely I know what you mean. We drove all the way there and all they did for us was switch ours from Oct 26th to Nov 23. Even my husband begged them "please nmy wife is 5 months pregnant, travelling 6 hours back and forth is difficult, she will be 6 months then, can't we have an early date?" and the guy said "Nov 23rd is the earliest date we have available for those affected by the closure, everyone else is getting Dec 15th or 16th." SSB, I think we should email the embassy too and try to see if perhaps, Insha'Allah, they would be able to move our dates up as well? Did they say anything to you about a new scheduling letter? Because they told Zaheer that he doesn't need one, just write down the new date on the old letter. What do you think? ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2009-10-28 23:05:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Interviews for November!!!	QUOTE (christeen @ Oct 28 2009, 06:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey... Just found out our request to get an earlier interview was approved... We had one Nov 10, they moved it one week earlier, Nov 4th YAY!!!! QUOTE (layla40 @ Oct 28 2009, 05:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> but what they ask you in the interview? is it possible that they don't give the visa to you? why? Be wure to read the embassy experiences (it is a tab at the top) to get an idea of what they ask and the stuff you need to prove... Mainly you have to prove that you have a bonified marriage or ongoing relationship for K-1 and that you have the financial resources to support yourselves in the US Just curious, but how did you request an earlier date? We originally had an Oct 26th date, but Islamabad closed their embassy for this week. So when we called to reschedule, they told us the EARLIEST date they have available for those who were affected by the closure was Nov 23. But when I went on the Islamabad thread, someone's husband got a call from Embassy and they rescheduled their Oct 28th date to Nov 19th. So, how do I get an earlier date for my husband? I am pregnant and really need to get back to USA soon for prenatal care but my hubby wants me at his interview. Any advice? ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2009-10-28 22:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CR1 vs. K3 & time limit to enter US following visa?	We chose K3 over CR1 just because I am pregnant and we decided that since K3 is "supposedly" faster, we thought it was our best bet to ensure we would get to USA in time to have the baby. He was approved in September and our Interview was originally issued for October. But you know Islamabad, security threats and all, our interview was rescheduled for Nov. We had the interview and now we are still in AP. so you can see why back in September we decided, Hey the baby isnt due til March, that gives us enough time to take the K3 and get there. Well.... we are still waiting in Administrative Processing and we have seen CR1s and IR1s whizz past us from interview to issue while we sit her twiddling our thumbs waiting for ours. Baby is due in about 7 weeks, and now we dunno what to do. So, i suggest that you go ahead and take the time to do CR1. K3 may actually make your timeline slower than the CR1 from interview to issue. good luck. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-01-28 00:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Visa Denied: Divorced to an Illegal Immigrant, now married to a woman in Colombia	Hi .. I hope it may help. We have not Received the visa yet, but they told us we are approved and that my husband's case is just pending administrative processing in Islamabad, Pakistan. I married a man back in 2002 who was on an expired student visa. He had been illegal for 5 yrs prior to my marrying him, which i did not know. We only applied for his I-130 because he was working under-the-table and not paying taxes, which my parents were unhappy about. So we filed. We were married 7 yrs and had a daughter together. It wasn;'t until the baby was born that I realized I was unhappy. I met a man through a friend of mine over the phone and at first it wasn't even about friendship, he was just an acquaintance, "hi" "Bye" kinda thing. Then we realized we had a lot in common, we started talking more often on the phone and internet. I realized that just by his personallity that I loved him, and I barely knew what he looked like. So, upon my separation from my hubby, I travelled with my daughter to Pakistan to meet him. We were together there for a little over 3 months, and then I had to come back to finalize my divorce and hand over custody of my daughter to my ex. My ex naturalized shortly after, and I returned to Pakistan, got married, and filed for I-130 and K3 for my husband. We had the interview for K3 on Nov 2, and are still waiting for our visa. They said it was approved and everytime we call Dept Of State they say it is just fine and only undergoing processing. So. my words to you are good luck and I dont think your divorce will affect your wife's visa as long as the divorce is clear and final and there is no question about it. Being unfaithful to your spouse is a moral sin, not illegal, or else there would be a lot of people in jail for cheating. It is a civil matter which is grounds for divorce, but the reason for the divorce shouldn't affect your chances of visa. I think they were asking her just to make sure she knows what she is getting into. There was a man at the embassy in Islamabad that was marrying a girl and they asked him if his wife was a good cook. And he said he didn't know. then they told him "If you are marrying her, don't you think you should know if she is a good cook or not?". So.. good luck to you and take care. If you still have concerns, contact your local Senator's office. They usually have people who handle immigration cases, you can give them your case number and ask them whatever questions you want. They have been doing it for years and have seen many different circumstances. Don't be afraid to ask. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-01 19:06:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Had Interview in Riyadh USE	Fiaz Bhai... do not worry. The fact that they kept your passport is a good sign. You shouldn't get disheartened by the AP. When Zaheer and I went for his Interview on the 2nd (same day as yours) in Islamabad, we had our minds set that we were most likely going to get AP too. They didn't ask to see any of our evidence, just asked me how long have I been in Pakistan. Zaheer told them since Aug 2008 and the guy looked shocked then i said "No, I left for USA in Dec and came back again in Jan" so.. he was like "Oh, that makes a big difference". Seems that if what Zaheer had said would be true, we would get denied because of lack of Domicile on my behalf. Anyhow, we didn't get any slip. No blue, no green, no pink, no white. Just he gave us back original documents, returned our passport with a purple sticker on the back of it and gave us a list of Approved Couriers in Pakistan and circled the one in Sialkot. He said "This is where you submit your passport when we call you, then we will return to them your visa and passport" He said there is a mandatory Administrative Processing, there is no problem or anything, just they have to do it (I think it has to do with the fingerprints). He said there is no specific time limit but that the AVERAGE time is between 2-3 months but it can be shorter or longer. So, Bhai. Keep your chin up. You can always do what we did, we were so nervous about this whole thing, why didnt we get a slip? Why did they give us back passport? So we called the embassy to ask and the guy we spoke to said It really doesn't matter whether or not they keep your passport and also he said that by reviewing our case number, it was written in our file that the case was approved. So, Insha'Allah, its just a matter or time. At least you are in Saudi Arabia. I have been here in Pakistan with Zaheer since August, originally, and then since January I haven't returned to USA. I miss my family, I miss my food.. etc. But I am sticking it out for him. Now, we are expecting a baby in March, I just worry what will happen with us. So, please bhai, pray for us and we shall pray for you and Brenda. We also were crying after the interview, but now we had time to think about it all.. and everything is fine. AP is mandatory either way, so, keep faith in Allah, bhai. It will be ok. Allah Hafiz ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2009-11-03 23:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Anyone got any ideas as to what we should think about this? : Zaheer called the embassy last wednesday and they told him Admin Processing was finished, Final review was finished and that that day they were doing some work on the case but he couldn't tell us what it was. He just said that Insha'Allah, in 8-10 days he should get the results. He said call back next week or so and we shall have results for you. So I called DOS yesterday and the girl said its still being worked on and no visas have been issued yet. She didnt say AP. But she said there were no updates since March 17th (when he called them). So, he called the embassy again today, and the guy he spoke to was very confused. He asked him his name two or three times. then he asked him what kind of info he was looking for on his case. He told him what the other guy had told him and he said "oh ok." So he told him the case was still processing. He told him detail for detail what the man he spoke to last week had said so that guy said "Yeah, its still the same." and he said "But you said its still processing. Is AP and final review finished, or not?" and the guy said "Yeah, its finished.. its doing final processing. they are doing work on it now." Zaheer asked "What is final processing?" and he said "You sent documents and so they reviewed it and now they are doing final processing which is where they do things like matching data and printing the visa, and things like that." he kept saying "Dont worry, don't worry, it will not be much longer. It will be finished soon. Maybe couple weeks, or so, but not as long as you are thinking." So Zaheer was quite confused. So when I called DOS today to ask about this call, the girl said "There have been no updates since November 2009 and that says pending AP" and I told her the whole story as listed above. And she said "Oh, ok." checked some different setting and windows and then said "Oh, ok.. its still processing. I dont know what kind of processing. But maybe you are right. The last update just says he called on the 22nd." so.... anyhow. anybody got any ideas what we should think????? take care and Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-24 16:04:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Insha'Allah, Rana bhai will recover quickly and will be able to join you in USA very soon. Take care and try not to worry yourself too much. Keep praying. Only Allah can provide for us. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-23 22:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Congratulations on the birth of baby. how did the Azan saying gone ? It was good. Zaheer was able to call me on my cell phone while I was in the recovery room, maybe 15 min after she was born. the nurse brought her to me and I put the phone on speakerphone, and he said azaan in her right ear then in her left. Then after I went back to my room, I asked the nurse for some sugar-water, and she gave it to me and I put a drop on my fingertip 3 times and put it inside her mouth. I don't remember what you call this, but I know that it is Hadith. So, I did it. anyhow.. thanks all who wished us well. If anyone wants to see pictures, just message me with your email address or you can see them on myspace. www.myspace.com/soflapunk. take care all and I hope for some good news this week. Insha'Allah. take care... Allah Hafiz. ~Tara and baby Stevie	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-23 01:19:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Baby Stevie Zainab is here. She was born on March 18 at 12:52 pm. 8 lbs 4 oz. healthy baby girl, looks just like her Papa! Please pray for us, we want Zaheer home with us soon. Take care all . Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-20 20:55:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Well everyone. Zaheer called the embassy yesterday and spoke to a gentleman who told him that the case was still the same. Then he asked him "What does that mean? The Same? Is it in AP? they told me it was in review after receiving the documents, so what is going on? Is it AP or Review?" and the guy said "Whatever they told you the other day, its still the same." So, he was getting a little bit annoyed. So he was like "Ok.. what does that mean?" And he was like "They are doing something on it, but it is still the same, that is all I know." and then the guy hung up. So, he called me and told me to call the Dept of State and ask them about it maybe I would get a less confusing answer.... so I called DOS and spoke to Anna again. Lately, she hasn't sounded like she really is very happy to help. So I gave her Zaheer's info and she said "They are still working on it." and I was like "Yeah, but after they received the papers they told us the case was in 'review' so I just wanted to know if they updated it or not?" and she said "yeah they have your papers and they are still working on it." and I was like "Ok, but when was the last update?" and she said "I dont know." and that was kind of annoying. So I was just like "Ok, thanks, bye." so, unfortunately... no one wants to give us any info. At least they have stopped telling us it is in AP. But, both DOS and Embassy have told us "its still the same" and "They are still working on it". So, wish us good luck, please. Please pray. I need my Zaheer here with me especially since the baby will be here tomorrow at approx 12:30pm. So, I won't be able to check on you all's info for the next few days. But I wish all good news for you all! I hope that when i come back we hear some good news from some of you, i.e. Wellmux. Well, please pray for a good surgery for me and a healthy baby girl. Take care all. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-17 07:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Hey everyone? Just wondering if there was anything new going on? Just 2 more days til the C-section. So just wanted to check in on you guys and see who's got what going on. We're still hoping for some goodnews soon. All I know is that I have received an email from the Embassy last Friday, I think it was, saying that they have received all our documents and are now reviewing them and will call us when it is finished. Zaheer had sent his passport, so, let's hope for some good news. Please pray for us. I hope to hear some good news from you guys soon too. take care and everyone have a good week. Allah Hafiz ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-15 17:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	hello everyone happy news on my side.Thanks to ALMIGHTY ALLAH my wife got the call from AMEX to pick her and our daughter passport and she picked up today.I cannot describe the happiness in words.four long years but all is well that ends well.I pray to God that all who are in this Ap come out soon Amin.congratulations to all who got the visa.I will check on this site to check for sis tara and wellmex and all others .God bless you all and please remember in your prayers Regards Faisal Thank you Faisal Bhai. I am so glad that your wife and daughter will be able to join you now! It is like our situation, only opposite.. haha. Me and our daughter will be in USA waiting for Zaheer to join us. Haha.. I hope that all will be well with your family and that they have a safe POE as well. Please keep us in your prayers as well. I am missing my husband greatly, but the impending birth of our daughter keeps me positive. To everyone else: Congrats on the good news. Hope all goes well with your families. Rana Bhai.. Insha'Allah, the time is almost finished and soon you will be out of AP as well. Take care all and Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-11 14:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Salam everyone....thanks to Allah Almighty today i got call from amex.....and now i have visa in hand.......update the spread sheet..........im really thankful to all members of VJ for thier support Congratulations! I am glad you had an easy journey. Aren't you glad its over? Haha... well, enjoy your trip to USA and keep faith in Allah. We shall pray for a safe POE for you. Take care and Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-11 07:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	OMG OMG AMEX CALLEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD to pick up passport mashaALllah tabark ALlah LOL i cant eveen type riwght MOMMMOOO Yay! See? I told you. hehe. I am so happy for you! Mubarak! Bohot bohot mubarak! As for us, Zaheer received my documents via UPS to prove domicile. he called the embassy a few days ago and they said he can send his passport along with them. So, today he sent the documents, I assume. I havent called him yet. I received an email from the embassy today saying that they received my email with the scanned copy of my passport, drivers license, and social security card and they said Thank you for the information provided and we will call you when processing is complete. they didnt say when "Administrative Processing" is complete. Hehe. Anyhow. Wish us luck. I will talk to you all soon. Congrats again Momo! Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-10 07:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	still waiting for passport............. ~momo Im sorry Momo. I know this waiting game sucks. Its hard on everyone, no matter what stage of waiting they are in. I do like your signature quote though. Verily, with hardship there is relief. I totally agree with that, and thank Allah everyday for anything He gives us and everyday I am able to wake up and everynight I am able to lay down safe and healthy in my bed and close my eyes with His name on my lips with a thank you. Please take care and Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-09 09:18:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Hello everyone Its been 2 weeks that my wife is put in AP.I called DOS today and the lady told me "Your wife case is extremely good"so i asked her is it ready for the visa but she said its pending.I asked her what this means.She told me that its pending and the embassy will call her when visa is ready.God know what that means.If anyone knows anything about this please let me know.I understand its a very hard time on all of us going through AP.May God let everybody come out of this soon.I wish everybody best of luck and to you Tara that you come out of this soon cz i m in in it for 2 weeks and you guys are in it for more than 6 months.But i have been married for 4 years and its been 4 years i am trying to get my wife and daughter here.My daughter is asking me all the time "when are you coming to take us"its making me cry guys.Please pray for us. Regards Faisal Salaam Bhai. I am sorry for your unfortunately long wait. But, the good news is that AP is dramatically shorter for women, than it is for men. Do not fret over this. It is positive to hear them say that your wife's case is extremely good. Remember the additional posts if you read back, sometimes, the DOS has several different windows open when they enter your case number. You could try asking them for any updates on your case and if they know what those updates were. I read somewhere in this forum that the best time to call DOS is on thursday or friday because they have more updates ready by then. I am sorry your daughter is missing you so terribly, but Insha'Allah you will be with them soon. Also, it is not me who has been in AP for 6 months.. we have been for 4 months, a little more... but Wellmux and Waiting4Rana have been waiting for 6+ months. Don't worry, Bhai. everything will be fine soon and your wife's AP will be over with quickly. Honestly it has been very hard to wait for Zaheer's AP to finish. But, now that I know he won't be here for the baby's birth.. I have resigned myself to that knowledge and am just trying to focus on what I need to do for her instead. Zaheer is trying to get ready to do her Akikah, and Sajdah for us... so... I have been continuing to say my prayers as I had been before. I haven't ready Surah Maryam in a couple months so I think I should probably read it to the baby again before she is born. I will keep all of you in my prayers still. I really do hope Allah unites you with those you miss so desperately, soon. Life is short and we need the ones we love to be our strength. take care and Allah Hafiz. ~Tara Oh.. Rana Bhai.. P.S... I finally got a reply from islamabad via email!! It was only to say "Dear Sir/Madam, there were no attachments to this email." hahaha. I think they misunderstood what I was telling them. I was informing them that I SENT them documents in the mail.. but, oh well, I attached the copies of my passport and drivers license and social security card to that email reply and re-sent it to them. Hahah.. so hopefully they will get it now. Wow.. after 4 months I finally got a reply!	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-08 18:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Thanks everybody. Well, I tried to fax them several times, and still never could get thru. I would get a busy signal, or no answer. So, I scanned my Driver's License (Which was re-issued on Dec 31, 2009), my Social security Card (Which was issued Dec 30, 2009) and my two passports, the cancelled one with my old last name that had my entry visa on it, and my new one with the Ahmed last name on it and the exit stamp on it (proving that I exited the country on Dec 19th from Lahore). Then I emailed the documents to them. Just to make sure I would send it to the right place, I sent it to PakIvQuery, PakNivInfo, and PakNivQuery. Just to make sure. Since it is a K3 visa. I made sure to include all the information in the beginning of the body of the email. Such as his name, d.o.b., contact info, case number, my name, my d.o.b., his passport #... etc. So.. it was good. I just wrote a short email explaining that the rest of the documents will arrive in a day or so, and that if they could confirm the receipt of that email. Zaheer called them later on today when the visa unit was open to inform them that we sent the email. I told him to stop dialing the English Operator Number because I am not there, so he can speak to the Urdu operator. Because he always gets that girl who has no idea.... so he did it this time and he spoke to a man. He told them that I sent them the email with the documents. the man said "At this moment, there are too many emails in our system to confirm if we have received it or not, but when we get it, we will print the documents and pass them on to the concerning officer so he can start working on the forms". then Zaheer told him that since he was going to send the original documents via SpeedEx in a couple days would it be possible to send his passport along with it because they have a hard time getting ahold of him. and the guy said "Yes it would be a good idea to go ahead and send us your passport along with those original documents." So, I guess if they agreed to us sending the passport.... that's good. Also, I am glad the guy said that the emailed documents will work for the officer to get started working on that part of case. Keep us in your prayers please. We are still keeping our fingers crossed and praying that zaheer will be able to be here soon. Its only 10 more days til baby. So, we are hoping he will be here very soon after her birth. take care all and I will pray for all of you as well. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-08 06:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	I am beginning to wonder about something. Should I email them some information regarding my domicile? Because the papers I sent to Zaheer won't reach Pakistan until the 11th and then it had to go through customs, so I dont know how long it wll take. I have tried faxing the embassy. But it is 1am here, 11am there in Pakistan and it seems the embassy's fax is not on yet because it says "No Answer" when I fax them. Any how. Zaheer asked the girl "Can I email you the documents?" and she said "No, your wife has to send them to you and you have to send them to us via American Express or SpeedEx office." but. I am not so sure if I should take her response seriously, as she didn't even know that the embassy had been trying to contact Zaheer. And on top of that, I have read several of you all VJer's posts and it seems it is an ongoing occurance that they say "Embassy has been trying to call....." but really they haven't. So, do you think I should go ahead and fax them the exit stamp page of my passport proving when I left pakistan, along with my recently re-issued driver's license and social security card bearing the dates of my receipt and also address of domicile here in USA? Please tell me what you think, guys? I know that they have requested info from some of you and you have been able to email them. So help me out please. For those of you who responded with the requested info, how long did it take you afterwards to get your visas? Take care all and Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-08 01:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	U need to send the email to inquire about ur husbands case and when u send them email make sure that u send them email like this below . Subject your husband case number. and then in the message body u will type like this below. Name of Visa Applicant: xxxxxxxxxxxx Name of Petitioner: xxxxxxxxxxxx Case #: xxxxxxxxxxxxx Dear Sir/Madam, We want to know about our case status in some detail.Is there any update for us? We are waiting for ur response. We would like to know when our case has last been updated also? We are waiting for your reply. Please respond us as soon as you can. thanx Petitioner name and Applicant name. p.s u said that embassy never reply ur emails make sure that u send them email with ur english name. my name is pakistani name and when i send them email they never reply my email but when they receive email from my wife ( english name ) they reply the next day. they asked u for ur domicile in usa after u send them domicile just send them an email asking them if they received the document and they would surely reply you. Salaam bhai. Actually. That is the template that we use when we email the embassy all the time. We always include his case number as the subject. We always include his name because my real name from birth is Tara. It is muslim/english either way. So, it makes no difference. Sometimes I put next to case # "Additional Information" or "Requested Information". Stuff like that. Then the body is always. Case #:********** Applicant name: ******** DOB: ********* Passport #: ********** Petitioner Name: *********** DOB: **** Visa Type: K3 Interview Date: ******* Dear Sir/Madame of Immigrant Visa Unit - Anyhow, you get the point... but basically this is what we do whenever we email them. The ony thing they ever say when we email them is to make sure we include case number, petitioner's name, applicant's name.. date of birth.. etc. But we have never, ever ever received an email from the embassy. No matter what we ask or request. When we call, if a man answers, he is nice to Zaheer. But if a woman answers, she is not nice to him. We are just hoping that this may be the last thing they will need from us. We are tracking the UPS order to make sure it gets there. Cuz once we sent Tax documents to pakistan from USA and they went to PANAMA instead of PAKISTAN. Needless to say, we don't use the US Postal Service anymore. I have already emailed the embassy telling them in detail the type of items I am sending them and would appreciate notification once they receive the documents. Which, I know they won't. So Zaheer will call them after he sends it to make sure they receive it. I told him that he should ask the embassy if he can also submit his passport along with the documents since they have such a difficult time getting ahold of him it would save them from taking so much time and effort to call him and ask him to submit it. That way we only have to wait for the call from the SpeedEx office. Well, I hope that you hear some good news this week, Bhai. My documents won't get to zaheer til Wednesday, if customs doesn't hold them up. Then, I have to wait for him to send it to embassy. So, I am looking at more than a week or so before I can know what's going on. Please pray for us, still. Take care everyone and Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-06 18:25:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Ok, I have decided that the Embassy really has absolutely no communication whatsoever within its own walls. Ridiculous. Anyhow. We found out why they have been trying to call Zaheer. It seems they want proof of my domicile.... again.... That was the one thing the CO said at our interview was that I could not have been in PK more than 12 months without returning to USA or having some proof of domicile. Which, at the interview we were able to prove I hadn't been there more than 10 months at the time. The CO said, Oh ok, thats fine then. So.. Zaheer called them at exactly 12:30 and spoke to a lady and he said "I am calling about my case" and she asked his number and he told her and she said "Sir you are still pending AP and they will call you when it's finished" and he stopped her from hanging up and said "Wait! You have been trying to call me.. thats why I am calling. I want to know why." and she said "Oh.. ok.. hold on, let me ask somebody." so she went and checked with someone and then checked in her computer and she was like "Yes, we need proof of your wife's domicile." and he was like "She has been back in USA since December, you shouldn't need that." and she was like "Well, we have no proof that she is back in USA, so she needs to send proof." And he was like "Should I email it to you?" and she said "No, your wife has to send it to you, then you send it through SpeedEx to us." And he was like "Ok." So that was it. Out of all the faxes and emails I sent them, contact from the Congressman's office.. etc etc. You'd think it would be obvious. I even sent information to the NVC who has been contacting me at this address..... there is a real lack of communication. If they really checked so hard into our backgrounds to do these Background Checks, they would be able to tell that I renewed my Social Security Card and Driver's license back in December. They'd be able to see based on Immigration and Border Control that I left the country.. But, I guess they really don't do so much checks on the USC as they do on the Intending Immigrant. So, alas.... it was basically RFE. They just want us to prove to them that I am back in USA besides all of the emails I sent them, which they completely ignore, by the way. So, people, my thoughts to you, is even if they tell you its in AP.. keep probing them for info. Because the lady was just gonna tell Zaheer "Pending AP" and hang up but he had to tell HER that they been trying to call him. Then she asked about his phone number and he asked her which number are they calling and she gave him his old number. then he said "No, I updated my info January 12th, and you put it in your system that day too." and she said "Oh, you mean this number.........." and he said "Yes." and she said "Oh... yes they have been calling that number too." and he said "Well, I checked with the phone company and they said that of all the incoming calls there were none from Islamabad.". So then I dunno.. whatever. They are really confused over there. So, I guess I gotta get a bunch of evidence together and send it to him and have him send it to them before they can keep working on our case. Wish us luck people. We need it. Guess he wont be able to be here anywhere near the baby's birth. Take care and good luck to all. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-05 03:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Oh Bankermai.. I am so very sorry for Saba sister! I am trying not to let the tears come in my eyes, but that is horrible. I read this SAME exact situation just a week or two ago on one of the other threads. the lady was USC and her husband from somewhere in Latin America. He finally got the call to pick up visa and before he could even get to USA he died suddenly. She didn't say how. It breaks my heart. I worry so much about Zaheer's blood pressure because he has been diagnosed with high BP. I keep telling him to eat less salt. He never eats meat. rarely even chicken. He is pretty much a vegetarian. So, I think it is hereditary since his mother also has high BP and his sister. His two brothers do not show any signs. But Oh! It is so hard to be away from the ones we love. When I was in pakistan, I was so scared for my father because he is getting older. Now he is 60 yrs old in 2 weeks. When i was overseas I prayed all the time that Allah doesn't let anything happen to him. He gets depressed so much lately due to Florida's high unemployment rate. He cannot find a job and he is always in deteriorating health. Anyhow. I am so sorry to change subject. I am just emotional right now. I am trying not to think of what has happened to Saba sister. I wish Allah gives her strength. This is such a tragedy. Are you nearby to her, Bankermai? Like same city/state? Does she have any other relatives in USA? Cousins, aunts, Uncles? I pray the best for her. Oh I hope Allah gives her so much strength now. this is a very sad news. Please tell her that I will pray for her and not to shed too many tears, they are very precious. We should all cherish our loved ones every single day of their lives. I know we all do our best, and then we still feel guilty after someone has been called to Allah like "We could have visited/called more often...." but, Allah knows the day of our birth, marriage, death.... before we even take our first breath in this world. Insha'Allah, Saba sister will find comfort in Almighty. My hands are shaking so much, I am afraid I cannot type much more. I want to just say thank you, also, to all who wished me best luck toward Zaheer's case. thank you Rana bhai, also, for always thinking positive for me. We pray for you and Patricia also every day. If it is just additional info they want, i am not concerned. At least it is a contact. Please keep us in your prayers and baby Zainab too... she will be here in 2 weeks from today!! (if she doesn't try to make a break for it early). My prayers are with you all and best wishes to you and your families. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara Ahmed	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-04 17:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	OK, sorry for the double posting, but I called DOS again because it occured to me to ask them if his case is still pending. Duh. Of course it is. She told me the same thing I told her. LoL. I said "They just told me they were trying to call him but I wanted to know if he was still pending." so she came back on the phone and said "Ma'am, it says they have been trying to call your husband since last month." and I said "I know.. he changed his number and..." and she said "Do we have your new number?" and I said "You should, they updated it." and she asked for his number, so I told her and she said "Yes, that is the number we have for him, is he just not picking up?" And I said "No, he always answers his phone." and she said "Ok, well, it shows they were calling since last month and once again yesterday." and I said "Yes, I know.. I told him already, he will call them tomorrow." and she said "Ok." and I said "But i wanted to know if he is still in AP or...." and she said "As far as I can see it says he is still pending" and I said "Do you know what they have been trying to call him for?" and she said "No, it just says he is still pending and that they have been trying to call him." and I was like "Ok, well, I appreciate it." and she said "You're welcome, have a good day!" and I said "Yep you too." and that was it. Any ideas, folks? I am not too worried, I am feeling good at least they have been trying to contact him. But why didn't they email us if they have been trying for 2 weeks? Oh well. take care all. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-04 10:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	OK, sorry for the double posting, but I called DOS again because it occured to me to ask them if his case is still pending. Duh. Of course it is. She told me the same thing I told her. LoL. I said "They just told me they were trying to call him but I wanted to know if he was still pending." so she came back on the phone and said "Ma'am, it says they have been trying to call your husband since last month." and I said "I know.. he changed his number and..." and she said "Do we have your new number?" and I said "You should, they updated it." and she asked for his number, so I told her and she said "Yes, that is the number we have for him, is he just not picking up?" And I said "No, he always answers his phone." and she said "Ok, well, it shows they were calling since last month and once again yesterday." and I said "Yes, I know.. I told him already, he will call them tomorrow." and she said "Ok." and I said "But i wanted to know if he is still in AP or...." and she said "As far as I can see it says he is still pending" and I said "Do you know what they have been trying to call him for?" and she said "No, it just says he is still pending and that they have been trying to call him." and I was like "Ok, well, I appreciate it." and she said "You're welcome, have a good day!" and I said "Yep you too." and that was it. Any ideas, folks? I am not too worried, I am feeling good at least they have been trying to contact him. But why didn't they email us if they have been trying for 2 weeks? Oh well. take care all. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-04 10:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Hey everyone. well, Zaheer talked to that Pir Sahib (or whatever he is, I am unsure if he is Pir or not) from Wazirabad and he said that someone was praying against us and that he was going to pray for us. He said Insha'Allah everything will be fine soon and for us to both continue our prayers. Well, today I have been awake since 3 am because being pregnancy, I just can't get comfortable to sleep. So, I was getting ready to sleep just now, even though its 9am, I just tried to called DOS. I spoke to Anna on Monday, as I said and she said no updates. As I said before she sounded like she had a headache and didnt really say anything but AP pending and no updates. So this time I spoke to Sarah. She came back on the phone without even asking Zaheer or my name, just case number and said "Ma'am, the Embassy has been trying to call your husband for 2 weeks!" I said "Really!?" then she said "Yes, they cannot get ahold of him on the phone number provided." and I said "He called them and gave them his new phone number over a month ago." and she said "Oh, well they have been trying to call him since February 24th and they also just called him yesterday, so... can yu please tell our husband to call the embassy?" and I said "I definitely will! Do you know why they are calling him? Do they need info from him?" and she said "I think so, maybe. Just have him call them back." and I said "Oh yes I will! Oh, by the way, are there any other updates?" and she said "No, nothing that I can see." so I was just like "Oh, well thank you so very much!" So... I cant contain myself!! What do you guys think? You think they want him to submit his passport? Or you think maybe they want brother/sister info? What would you all say???? Any of you who were asked for additional info, how long did it take after that for them to request your passport? Oh, thanks be to Allah! Allahu Akbar! I am just so happy I cant stop shaking and Zaheer was like so excited he couldn't stop getting teary eyed. And he was saying "Wow, maybe if they want my passport, if they had known my new number (which we sent them on Jan 12 and they updated system), maybe I could Definitely be there in time to see the baby's birth!!" Oh, please people, please please pray for us! Please. take care all. Allah Hafiz and good luck to all. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-04 09:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Thanks Abenitez. I am so glad your hubby will be coming to you soon. I am glad you are concerned with our cases. I am still praying Surah Quraish everyday on top of my normal prayers. I hope it will help. Zaheer's Pir Shaib, or whatever he is, I am not sure exactly, he said that someone had been praying against us, and he is going to try to correct it with prayer. So, please, any and all additional prayers are much appreciated. Its 2 more weeks til the surgery. I am excited, but this also gives me strange dreams. Haha. I keep dreaming about the tv show, Scrubs. LoL. I keep hoping that Patricia and Rana bhai hear something soon, as well as I go to bed at night praying that Zaheer wakes me up to tell me that the Embassy called him. That would be such wonderful news. I do still wonder daily what makes some cases go slower than others... but I guess there really is nothing we can do. I wanted so badly to have him here. We got our approval notice back in August. It had the priority dates on it Aug 28-Dec 28th. Well, as you can tell, that was a long time ago. Even when i asked the Embassy about the priority date they said that they are in charge of issuance so they don't go by the priority dates. oh well. good luck to all. Allah Hafiz ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-03 11:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	just want to see how many months weeks days my ticker says now , am sure i have break all the records the longest AP was 6 months and this 4th march i will be number one . wow waiting4rana now you know alot about SSN when it arrives lol. Haha.. you guys are so funny. Writing to each other on VisaJourney. Sometimes I message Zaheer on Myspace, but mostly he uses mine anyhow. it looks kinda funny to message myself. hahaha. I'm sorry for your long AP, Bhai. I hope, Insha'Allah your waiting will be finished soon. I wonder if the state of Florida has anything to do with it? You all, Us, Sibtain... all Florida. Just curious. Well, take care and hope you all pass this week easily and hear some good news. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-01 23:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Tara i know a woman , she went to pakistan married her husband, came back to usa , then she got cancer, her prognosis is not good, she sent the embassy doctors letters about this cancer and told them she needs her husband to be here now, still they waited 9 months in ap, that is just heartless, but i have been told ap is supposed to be shorter these day, it doesnt seem so for us. Yeah I know Sibtain. I spoke to him, well, typed to him here on VJ a few times. I felt bad for his situation, but actually, I didn't know his wife had cancer. He didn't even tell me about going to FL until after he GOT to FL. So, I wish there were things we could do to help others' AP go quicker. But, I guess you are right, they are supposed to be going quicker nowadays, but I hope it goes quicker than for him. Sometimes, I wonder whether or not the Embassy Personnel are working continuously on one case at a time or if they work a little bit here, a little bit there, and workon mre than one case at a time. It seems odd for me ht if they do the exact same process and procedure for each and every individual that the processing time shouldn't differ by more than a month. But, when you see that some people are getting AP and some aren't. And those who do get it some get 2 weeks, some get 6 months...? I dunno. I thought it was the last name, because according to this site http://www.usaimmigr...tiveReview.html they say that some countries have a limited selection of last names and the most common ones take the longest time to process. But, when IT-1 said that his last name is Ahmed also and that his AP was only 2 weeks, it makes me wonder. I dunno what is taking so long, I always hoped they would tell us something. Back in Nov they were always giving us updates like "Case is moving forward" "case will be complete after Eid", "Documents returned from DOS" "Case transferred from Non-immigrant Unit to Immigrant Unit" etc... now, they never tell us anything. Since the first week of December the haven't told us anything other than pending. DOS sometimes says it was updated in computer on this day or that day but not what the update was. Today I called also, and asked Anna (Who seemed to sound like she had a headache or wasnt feeling well), if there were any updates and she said "Not really". I could tell that if I asked anything else it might push her buttons, so I just said ok thanks. But I wanted to know what Not REALLY meant. Anyhow. I keep praying for you guys as well as Zaheer. He called his Pir Sahib in Wazirabad and the guy said "You need to come visit me". Usually he says "Don't worry, yu will be leaving soon." always. But this time he said "You need to come visit me." I hope everything is ok and no one is praying against us. Well, I wish they had Darbars in USA because I would definitely spend like everyday there. I miss going to Darbars in pakistan. the Data Sahib darbar in Lahore was really big but really crowded. I like Imam Sahib darbar in Sialkot because it is quiet and peaceful and I can sit there and pray without feeling squished by a ton of women and no one begs there. Well, take care to all of you and I hope Allah smiles on you soon. I ask Him to bestow His Graces on me daily and thank Him for all the greatness He has given me lately. I don't care for money or success in business or anything. I just want my family to be all together here in USA and live happily. Thats all I need. Happiness. I wish happiness to you and all your families. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-03-01 17:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Hi Tara, My husband also has your husbands (wellmux) last name is same as your husbands last name and we waiting now almost 6 months in AP , we can only be patient and wait, i know its hard, I have good days and bad days , i get so aggravated with those people thinking why cant they just send him the visa, we are not criminals and we provided everything they ask for, it seems so rude of them and heartless to just let us sit and wonder and not telling us anything, but as i always tell myself and my husband, one day, one day they have to give it to him and i also think each day that passes is one day closer to rana getting his visa. I will go back to Pakistan in the fall if he does'nt get his visa by then, we have been apart too long now. Hang in there, my dear, one day it will all be over. Pray for us as i am praying for you all as well. Patricia Ahmed Thank you Patricia. I have family in the same town as you. It has been hard to be without Zaheer for 2 and a half months now. Thats the longest I have ever been away from him since we met. the first time I came back to USA was only for 5 weeks. Now, I am pregnant and far away from him and he is having such a hard time being away from me and the baby. He gets so sad thinking about missing her birth. I wanted everything to be perfect and always thought that when we got the approval notices back in the summer, we thought we'd have plenty of time to get to USA before the birth. Insha'Allah, we will hear some good news soon. I hope you will hear something soon as well. I know this wait must be hard on you as well. take care and keep your faith strong. These, I believe, are all tests from God. The Qur'an says that He does not put any strain or difficulty on any man that he cannot handle. so, these are just tests. So we have to keep our faith strong in The Almighty. Take care and good night. ~Tara Ahmed	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-28 21:40:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	HEY TARA ARE U A MUSLIM??? Yes. I converted 7 years ago. But only recently after meeting Zaheer started learning the proper ways to do things.	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-28 21:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Well, yet another week has passed and no contact from Embassy. Even the Dept Of State only had this to say "Case was updated mid-february" but she didn't know what kind of update it was. No we didn't contact them or receive any contact from them in that time frame. I received two letters this month from my both congressmen's offices. Saying exactly same thing about how Zaheer's case is still in Administrative Processing and it can neither be expedited Nor Waived, and that they will contact when it is finished. All I can say is that I noticed on the spreadsheet on this thread that there are a few people whose cases took exactly 127 days. But they were not K3 visas like ours. We are I think, like 118 days into our AP. They finally gave me the date of the C-section which will be March 18th. So, I don't know if Zaheer will be able to be here for that. I wish he would be able to say Azaan to our baby for the first time and everything. We just keep praying. But, on the AP Tracker Thread their spreadsheet goes back a couple years, and some of the Pakistani applicants from 2008 are just now getting their visas. Why is that? That worries me how some people were waiting for so many many months and even years in some cases. How is it possible? I mean, I understand if it is your parents or your siblings, not a spouse... but this is really hard to digest. I can't imagine being without him for so long and it will be very difficult for me having to go back and forth between Pakistan and USA with the new baby. I just remember my older daughter, at 22 months was getting diarrhea and other stomach upsets all the time and we were only there 4 months at that point. I seem to have an allergic reaction to the water too, mostly on my skin.. because I drink bottled water. But, I endured everything I could for 1 yr just to be with Zaheer. If it weren't for having to havea c-section, I probably would still be in Pakistan right now. I tend to believe that the only thing holding up our case is our last name. Ahmed is such a common last name and it matches in sooooo many different countries. So, I think that is part of the delay. Well, good luck to you all and I pray that you hear some good news in the upcoming week. Please pray for us as well. I really want Zaheer to be here as soon as possible in our daughter's life. Take care, all. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara Ahmed	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-27 13:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	I don't think thats true because our original interview date was scheduled for October 26th. Thats pretty much the LAST week of the month. But when we got there the embassy was closed because of security reasons. when we called the embassy to reschedule they gave us a new date of November 2nd. So, I don't think it is true. But you never know. Good luck to you. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-25 19:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Yes. I am praying for Wellmux to get his visa soon too. All the time. I know he has waited so long. I know it must be so hard for you, sister, waiting for him to come home. I have only been away from Zaheer for a little over 2 months, but still.. it has been so hard. I hope the weather over on your coast is good. It has been a little cold here on the southeastern coast of FL. which is unusual for us. Iguanas have been falling from trees. Imagine. A big green lizard falling out of a palm tree. LoL. We lost a lot of strawberry crops too. I hope when your hubby gets to come home the weather will be nice and cooperative. Sometimes, I am thankful to Allah that Zaheer didn't get his visa last week, or before that.. or whenever they were having such bad weather in NYC. I don't want him to have to get stuck there like I did. It sucks that he can't just fly directly into FL and has to go through NY. But, I wish that all works out. Congrats to all who have passed their waiting game of AP and keep praying for Wellmux and myself to hear something soon. This friday I find out the scheduled C-Section date for the baby. Just 3 more weeks. It will be either March 17, 18, or 19, most likely. So, everyone pray that all goes well for me as well. This is my second surgery and I am afraid since Zaheer isn't going to be here with me. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-23 23:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	UPDATE YOUR SPREADSHEET!!!! VISA IN HAND!!!! He got the call and picked it up today After only 4 months! YAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!! I'm SOOOOOO Happy for you! Bohut bohut mubarak! Many congrats! Tell hubby that we say congrats. Oh that is so wonderful for you. I was worrying why your case was taking such a long time as well. I know my hubby has a very common last name and blame his wait-time on that. But for you I was hoping you would hear back soon. Yay! I am so happy for you. Now its time for Wellmux too, Insha'Allah. Waiting to hear some more goodnews. Oh Mash'Allah that is wonderful. Allah Hafiz. and Safe POE to ur man. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-23 18:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Im sorry that people are giving you a hardtime Wellmux. Same thing is happening to Zaheer. his coworkers and family, especially his older brother, keep asking him daily when he is leaving and why he hasn't gone yet. My family always asks me "Is he gonna be here in time for the baby to be born?" I can only say I hope so. Well, I hope things go well for both of us this week, Bhai. I am praying we will hear something soon. Insha'Allah. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-21 20:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	ZaheerShezadi. I am really sorry to hear all tht. Specially how you had to leave ur daughter at the airport. Ahhhh... Allah is testing you. Keep praying hard. You must pass this test since u r already in the situation and you cant fail. He cant keep you away from your daughter. She is just a little girl. And you are her mother. I am a pre law student, and I didnt think this is a possibility to keep a child away frm mother at this age. But once your husband comes here you guys will be able to show them tht u can keep her well fed and well sheltered Inshallah. This is going to be a time When ur X fails and you can celebrate your sucess time. Keep yourself strong and Say No to Fear. This is where we fail. we have lots of fears tht keeps us weak inside. Say No to fear. Initiate a step even if its hard and keep all your trust in Allah. Trust me.. it gauranteed... when we initiate a step in unfavorable circumstances only having a strong honest faith in Allah... then Allah makes us go through the end and grant us with success. If a person is having a trust in Allah... Allah wont do anything to fulfil the trust? Impossible.... Keep you faith Strong. These times are making you stronger. You are not going to be a person that have fears anymore. These situations only makes us stronger. I have experienced tht. I know I still have lots of fears .... but I have tried tht.... Taking a step with a trust in Allah... When nothing works out Allah makes u go through tht. Also do not forget to Thank Allah for what He has blessed you with. You have parents, a family, you have a loving husband mashallah and your second child is on ur way. Hope u r well fed and well sheltered. And the moments you r waiting for are right at the corner. Inshallah. I have lived without parents.... There have been times when I have missed them more than anything. In my own mind I have argued with Allah for why He took them away... But then I understood Allah has my best interest... if not in this world then the next final world. But I know Allah will not be unfair to me. If all these hardships makes me come closer to Allah then why not. I do not want to be one of those who have everything but they are not close to Allah. They have everything even then they do not Thank Allah. I will still Thank Allah for making me stay well fed and giving me shelter even if something important is missing. These situations keeps us closer to Allah. The ones who have hardships in lives are the chosen ones. It gives them a reason to stay near to Allah. And if they only look at Allah, He comes closer and listen to them.... Keep ur self strong sweets... It will be over soon. The time is just around the corner when u ll be with ur two kids and ur husband.. Inshallah... Keep smiling and enjoy the time thinking about the baby who is coming soon Inshallah. You are in my prayers. thanks so much. I appreciate your kind words. I am thankful to Allah all the time because I know that He has my best interests in mind. Things are working out for me slowly. I still just wait for Zaheer to be here because he is my strength, but I am assuming tthat as soon as I see my baby girl for the first time, I will be a little more upbeat. I still pray constantly and try not to lose faith. I know my ex cannot keep her from me. It is illegal to voluntarily and without good reason (abuse), keep a child from the non-custodial parent. He can go to jail or get sentenced to 10 yrs probation, and yeah, they will probably drug test him, and knowing him, I doubt he will pass. I just feel bad for my parents because they miss her too and want to see her and he is keeping her away from them too by not bringing her around. But he doesnt care. Well, thanks to all and good luck everyone who is struggling with AP as well. I hope all of us will hear some good news soon. Insha'Allah. Good luck to those of you whose spouses are on their way. Safe POE to all. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-20 21:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Nope no updates for us. Thanks to all you who ofered your prayers and support. My dad asked my ex today if I could see my daughter and he said no... go figure. Anyhow.. I have been praying as much as possible. So has Zaheer. He will go over to his Pir Sahib soon and see what he says. I have been praying Surah Quraish 21 times a day on top of my normal prayers because we were told this was what we needed to do in our case. Zaheer is reading Surah Muzzamil and also doing something, I am unsure what (sorry I am not familiar with culture), where he prays over a cup of rice and then throws it on the roof for the birds in the morning. I am unsure what the purpose of it is but he says he can't talk about it until he gets what he prays for. I am grateful, however that due to this situation he has become a lot more "on-schedule" with his prayers. He used to never miss Namaz before we got married, but after that, he kinda got off the routine. Now, at least he has been getting up for all prayers and even at 2 am too. I keep having dreams about an older man dressed in all white Shalwar Kameez and a Tupi who puts his hands on my head like the way elders do when they meet you. I have had it a couple times and each time in the dream i am speaking Punjabi. Anybody got any ideas why? I also had a dream that I asked a woman with a feather in her hair if my husband woudl come to me soon and she nodded her head. I hope these dreams are good signs. let me know what yu all think. Good luck to you all and congrats on good POEs. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-20 17:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Hey everyone. Wow. I am sorry that you guys had to go through so much in your immigration processes. Yes, Allah does test us. It has been very hard for me as well. But I didn't technically have any family members stopping me from filing. I was lucky enough that I was able to do everything myself and use my father's address in USA (where I currently am) to send through. My story is a bit different than all.... I was married to a Bangladeshi man for nearly 7 yrs. We had a daughter together and after she was born, he started ignoring me and hanging out more and more with his friends. He would get high on weed, drunk, gamble all night long at poker parties with his friends and leave me home alone. We bought a 4 br house back in 2005 but his family got the DV visa and came over from BD. There were 13 of us living in one house. in a 4 br house. It was insane. So, I didn't want to sit in front of the TV with his mom chewing Paan and watching Indian Soap Operas all night, so my baby and I would spend all night in my room, practically just locked up because there was no other room in the house. The niece and nephew were always taking up the computer and phone. And I had nowhere to go. I grew up as an only child with two working parents, so this was quite an adjustment for me and I wasnt able to handle it. I started staying at my parents' house more and more on the nights he would hang out with his friends. He would usually come there afterwards and stay the night, but there wasn't a big enough bed, so we both slept seperate. Soon, he started just sleeping over at his friends' houses. After that, he started just going home and leaving me at my parents' house and only taking me home because his mom wanted to see the baby. He never gave me money for gas because "we had to buy a truck since he owned a boat" and it was MY vehicle (in his name) and it ate up too much gas for him to give me gas money. He never let me use my cell phone since none of my friends at AT&T and it would cost too much to chat on the phone. I couldn't use the house phone cuz some of his family was always on it. The only freedome and peace I had was staying at my parents' house. I asked several times for him to pay more attention to me and the baby. But he would get frustrated and say he is stressed about cash. Everytime I asked for some time, he would say "Are you trying to start an argument?" Once I told him that he never makes me feel special and neither does anyone else and he said "Well you have to earn it". I was like "What the hell?" that was when I lost a great amount of respect for him. It slowly went down more and more. I started staying at my parents' house more and more. I met my "friend" (now husband) through another friend of mine who had a Pakistani husband. She used to try to reach him, and he would not answer his phoen or something, so she would have me (who had calling cards), call up her hubby's friend, Zaheer, and ask him to contact her husband. This is how we started talking. We just realized we had a lot in common and it went from there. I had told my ex that I wanted a divorce several times, he didnt take me seriously. When he found out that I was leaving him for real, he was pissed and threatened to take our daughter away. But by that time, I had already planned a vacation to Pakistan to visit Zaheer and to help gain experience for a book I was writing. My ex had already signed for her passport, and I applied for our visas. When he threatened to take her away from me, I called my friend who is a police officer and asked can he do that? and she said "No, but unless you two have a custody agreement, you both have equal rights over that baby". So, I left for Pakistan. I intended to only stay a little while because I wanted to come back home for the holidays. But my ex kept calling us and threatening us and saying "The FBI is after you, they are gonna catch you and arrest you for kidnapping and you will go to jail ... " etc. I was so scared. The Lahore embassy came ot our house to check on the well-being of me and the baby because he told my parents to have them come and check on us. they asked us some questions about what do we eat, and how do we like it there and took pics of me and her. Then they left. They were very nice. My parents said they never told them anything except that we were fine and healthy. My ex finally agreed to give me the divorce if I come home. I told him I will as long as he doesn't press any kind of charges because I did nothing wrong. He said "I will only not press charges if you give me the baby" and I said "Joint custody" and he said "Full custody". I didnt agree and he said "Fine, then you wont get the divorce, or immigration for Zaheer and you will get arrested as soon as the FBI gets there to you." He said "Just think about it, they will find you, its just a matter of time, and they already know where you live. They will take that baby from you in Pakistan and you will be stuck. Do you want them to take the baby?" and I was like no. So i reluctantly agreed, and went home. He promised that he would not press charges and etc. But still threatened that unless i gave him the baby he would fight the divorce until the day he had her. So, when I arrived at JFK, the security held me up, called the FBI cuz "someone" flagged my passport. I had to wait in a retaining room with a sick 2 yr old for 5 hours. No food, no medicine for her fever, nothing. they wouldn't tell me anything. Then finally they got ahold of the FBI and they said "Yeah, she is fine, let her go ahead" but by then I already missed my flight and had to stay overnight. I didnt have enough money for a hotel so they wanted me to stay at a homeless shelter. But the FBI had said that my ex was gonna pay for a hotel. but when we got there, they said "no. let her stay at the shelter". I had just enough money for one night at the JFK airport hotel. It was so late at night there were no restaurants open and no pizza places would deliver that late. So, no dinner for me and baby. I gave her a candy bar I had in my bag and some left over lemonade. I gave her a bath but there was no warm water in the tub so I had to warm it in the coffemaker and dump it into the tub for her. She was so sick and miserable. Had a cold. then, I got her out, dressed her, and laid her down for bed even though we had to get up in 4 and a half hours to make the next flight. That was the last time I got to snuggle my baby. I held her all night that I could, and she woke me up in the middle of the night cuz she was hungry or wanted me to hold her tighterr. I didn't want that night to end. The next morning, I flew to miami. the FBI was waiting for me when I got off the plane. They told me they had to escort me to my ex, and give him the baby. She was in the stroller, so I just handed the stroller over to him and he hugged her. She was confused why he was sad. But he kept telling me "What you did was wrong". I just stood silently. He had calle dmy aunt and grandmother too, they were waiting there for me. I gave him her things, and I didn't want to tell her goodbye because I was afraid she would start crying and be sad because since the second she was born I have never ever been away from her. I only went to the movies like 3 times, leaving her with my parents. Other than that.. I was always with her 24/7. I told him to change her diaper so she could be more comfortable, and to give him a bit of responsibility since he never took care of her before. We had made an agreement that I would be able to see her anytime I wanted. I left with my aunt, watching him take my baby girl and push her in the stroller towards his car. She looked over the edge, sleepily at me, but never cried. I never said goodbye. That was the last time I saw my baby. that was in December of 2008. She was almost 2. I don't pretend what I did was right. I should have thought things through better. But, he had turned my family against me and Zaheer. He lied, boy did he lie, about things I said or did. I have never been in trouble in my life, dont even have any traffic violations. never did drugs. Never dropped outta school. Never went to parties or drink alcohol. Nothing. He does all that stuff. But still, he won. He stayed at my mom and dad's house. He claims it was so he had help with the baby. But he insisted on having her, if he needed help to take care of her, he shouldn't have insisted on full custody. He just did it to prevent me from staying with them and getting support from them. He knew if I had nowhere to stay, I would have no choice but to go back to pakistan. He stayed there, he sold my truck. yeah, that gas-guzzler. I had no job, no home, no vehicle... no money. I lived with my aunt for a few weeks. we finalized the divorce and after everything was said and done under the pretense that I would be able to see her even if he had primary custody, he came to me and said "I will never let you see her or speak to her ever. I dont want her to get messed up like you." And to this day, he has held true to tthat promise. Not letting me see her. Or Speak to her. he tells my parents that if I had stayed in USA, he'd let me see her. But thats not true. Where would I stay? Now that his famiy is back in Florida, he moved back into the foreclosed house with them, living rent-free til the bank takes it back with 8 other family members. I am at my parents' house. I havent seen my baby and everytime my dad asks him to let me see her he says no. I know I can file contempt charges against him.. but I wwas waiting for Zaheer to get here for that. Because since it is child abuse to withhold a child from one parent with a court-ordered visitation order (unless abuse is at stake), he could go to jail or I could get custody. So I wanted Zaheer to be here to prove we are a stable family and can take care of her better than he can. So, I am buying my time, it is hard, but I am waiting it out til the time is right and I can get my baby back in my life. I have missed 2 birthdays, 2 Christmas's, 4 Eid's, and several other holidays and important dates in my daughter's life. I want her at the hospital to see her sister when she will be born.. but I dont see that happening. So, now, maybe you all can understand why being without Zaheer is so hard. It was hard enough missing my daughter for over a year, but now missing both and facing a repeat c-section alone.... its hard. Luckily I have WIC and Medicaid. It is a rough existance and I am trying not to lose faith in Allah. Please pray for me. I spoked to FBI after this was done adn they said I never commited any crime and what I did was not wrong becuase there was no custody issued at that time. I asked the Dept of State, the Embassy, and the Senator... they all said this will not affect my Immigration case for Zaheer. So... please pray for me people. It's really hard to be strong sometimes. Very. Insha'Allah.. I will be ok soon. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-19 17:22:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Yeah but the embassy never replies to our emails. they have never replied to a single one. And besides. We did not email them on the 11th. We havent gotten ahold of them in several weeks and the Senators office had contacted them on the 6th. So. When my husband asked them why they never reply to our emails the guy said "Because if you email us about AP and then a week later call us, we tell you the answer over the phone. there is no need to respond to your email if we have already spoken to you." So to this day, we have never received any kind of email from Islamabad. Zaheer called them to update his new phone number back in January, and that was the last update they had had before this. And we had called a few times after that, and they kept saying Jan 12th was the last update. So, I don't know how their updates work. But, I am still holding out hope. One thing I dont get. If everyone has to go through the same exact processing , why does it take 3 days to do some peoples' AP and 5-6 months to do someone elses? I mean, we can't all be THAT different. Whenever we ask why it takes just a day or two to process some visas for AP and months for others, the embassy just says "Everybody goes through same AP, some just gets finished quicker". But, if that is true, what are they doing? Just checking over and over same things? Zaheer also told me that when he had done his fingerprints at the Embassy, the girl who took them kept trying to pull up his case in the computer, and then she said "You have to wait, some other officer has your case opened on his computer, so I cannot access it. You have to wait" then took the next few people in front of him, then called him back to do it again. Why did they have his case open before we even entered the waiting area? It's like they set their minds to "Ok, this guy is gonna get AP, and that guy isn't" before you even get to the interview part. That's my opinion. I think they know before you go in who they want to put in AP and who they don't. If it was really because of all the National Security fears and stuff like that, then everyone from the middle east and over to the phillipines would be in AP for months on end. there would be no exceptions. I think they just have it set ahead of time. Anyhow. Thanks to all of you who are being supportive. It gets harder day by day to wait for him. Its just like 25 more days or so til they will do the C-section. I dont think Zaheer will be able to be here in time, but I keep praying. I dont want my baby to have to hear the Azaan over the phone. Well, you all take care. Allah Hafiz. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-17 19:26:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Everyone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD	Well, I finally got ahold of DOS. I asked her the case status, and she said AP. And so I asked about any updates and she said "No updates since November". And I was like "What? Anna told me that it was updated jan 12 last time I called". She said "Oh, ok.. hold on let me check the database." she kept checking over and over different databases. I mean she must have checked four or five. She kept saying "I dunno where she found that.. I dont see this" then finally, she said "Oh! I think she meant to tell you February 11. There is an update in here as of February 11". So I asked "The case was updated last week?" and she said yes but its still in AP. So I was like. Ok.. thanks so much. So, I know I couldnt get ahold of them for at least 2-3 weeks, and my husband hasnt called the embassy in a while. So.. they must have actually updated it. haha. Well, just wanted to share that. tOh yeah.. the lady also told me that sometimes they dont put the updates or info in the computer. So.. I hope that helps you guys too. It gave me a little hope. Well, you all take care now.. and Insha'Allah, short AP for you all. ~Tara	ZaheersShezadi	Male	Pakistan	2010-02-16 23:52:00