ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone 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
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-02-16 23:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
Anyone else having trouble contacting DOS? It used to put you on hold right away to be able to wait to talk to a visa specialist. Now, you get a message that says "We're sorry, all visa specialists are currently busy helping other customers. Please hang up and call back later. thank you." then they disconnect you. So you have to keep calling and keep calling until you finally get the message that says "Your call may be monitored for quality assurance......" then they tell you your waiting time. I wait, and then they disconnect me. After like 2 min of waiting, they just automatically "CLICK". What gives? I have been trying to call them for 2 weeks. Its annoying. Anyone else having this problem? Myhusband has been too busy with his work schedule to call the embassy and I don't have enough energy to be able to stay up til 2am.
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-02-16 08:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
USMOMO and IT_1...
Our CO told us also, that AP should take 2-3 months. He said it could be shorter or longer. So.. it has been over 3 months. We were not missing any documents or anything. they said that our visa was aproved and that we would hear from them when to submit our passport. I dunno if the reason it is taking so long is because we filed for K3 visa or not. So, just keep up your hope. things will be fine. Insha'Allah. take care all. Allah Hafiz.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-02-15 10:54:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
Wow... I did not know that ABENITEZ. (discreet congrats) hehe. You know, I never thought of it that way before.. But perhaps you are right.. Being white or by-birth American may be holding up some of it. I never considered that before. I just hope that all of this gets finished soon. If I go by the averages on the spreadsheets, it seems that K3 visas take about 134 days to process. So, its been like 103 days for us or something. So, Insha'Allah it wont be much longer. I don't mind one way or another how long it takes really.. as long as he DEFIINITELY gets the visa. We asked the Embassy like over 2 months ago if the validity date on his K3 visa (4 months from approval) would affect us. She said no because she said that THEY (the Embassy) decides the validity date. So, the August 28-December 28 validitiy date on our I-797c doesn't matter. Obviously. well, I hope everyone is having a nice day. Its very windy here in South Florida today. rained a bit yesterday, but enjoying, for the most part the 40-65 degree weather. I am not a beach-goer, so it doesn't affect me in any way. But tourists are getting a bit fussy. I went to Babies R Us yesterday and this rich snooty old lady was trying to rush me and my friend because she didnt want to wait in a long line. So she interrupted our convo about my friend needing to pick up her son and said "WHy dont you leave your stuff here and have the cashier hold it, then come back later?" and we were like "Cuz we have to drive 30 miles from here to go pick him up". Not fazed, the cashier called the next two customers to a new register and she practically pushed us to go. I hate rich people.
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-02-13 13:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
Congrats to all of you who had good interviews or were called by embassy. ABENITEZ - Did they keep your hubby's passport? I don't remember. I know that they gave Zaheer's back to him. I dont know if it is because he has a stamp from Canadian Temp Res Visa in it, but, he has never used it. He works for the government, so we are thinking that must be the problem that is holding up our case. He works for the Sessions Court, and he deals with a lot of criminal cases, some involving al Qaeda and stuff, so the Senator's Liason told us that may be the cause for delay. Also, his last name, Ahmed is very common. But, Don't worry ABENITEZ, all will be ok, Insha'Allah. I had to come back to the states alone as well. At least you don't have to give birth all alone. It has been so hard. We thought we could wait it all out too. I miss Zaheer terribly. I never was away from him so long before. We decided that after a couple months if he still doesnt get it and the baby is here, I will bring her to visit him.

We received a letter from the Senator's Office which is a response to the inquiry into our case at Islamabad. It says something to the extent of:
To the Honorable Senator Ron Klein..... (this is not verbatim), We recieved your request for information about Applicant Zaheer Ahmad's K3 Visa Case # ........... on behalf of your constituant Tara Ahmed. The Applicant's Visa is currently pending further Administrative Processing which cannot be Expedited nor waived. We will contact Mr. Ahmed when his visa is finished processing. If you have any further inquiries regarding this case, please contact our office. Signed (whatever the guy's name was) Consul General. I think it was Christopher Robert or something.

The thing that was disturbing for me was that when they put his name under the subject line and case number.. they spelled his name Zaheer AHMAD. But his last name is AHMED. No "A-D" just "E-D". So I sent a message to the embassy and the senator's liason asking if this could pose a problem processing the case and they (senator) immediately responded that the Embassy has recived my inquiry and I have no reason for concern as it does not disrupt the case. But, sometimes they say one thing then another thing happens.. So I am still a little unsure. But, I just keep praying and hoping. The Senator's office did call me a few day's ago asking when my due date was so they could reitterate the fact to Islamabad and try to speed things along. Please pray for us everyone. I know Wellmux and ABENITEZ and some others have been waiting longer than us, and I don't pretend to deserve it more or anything of that sort. I want all of us to get to be reunited with our loved ones as soon as possible. I continue to pray and just ask for that, simply. Prayer on our behalf. All of you, please take care and Insha'Allah, AP will be finished quickly. Allah Hafiz.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-02-13 00:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
Congrats to Both of you on your good news. Good luck to you both.
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-02-10 12:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
Salaam. Congrats on al that. I wish I had not gone with the K3. It has been more than 3 months for ours now. We filed the original I-130 in March of last yr. So, we have been waiting a long time. So, i am so glad to hear yours was wrapped up so quickly. Congrats. Yeah, I been trying to call DOS too but because of the stupid message that they have on there you cant get ahold of an operator. I tried calling NVC like it says to do about the Haiti Visa Inquiry, but its always busy and I cant get thru. My husband is always busy at his office during the day when the Embassy's Operators are available so we have no idea when we will be able to talk to anyone. Luckily, though, the Senator's office said they are going to contact the embassy again and remind them of my due date and the importance of my husband coming home. I hope it works. Wish us luck and take care and congrats. Allah hafiz.


Thanks :) Yes, it was me. I called DOS on Friday and they said that its in final processing. Monday I called Islamabad and they said they mailed the visa...it was stamped for last Thursday and it arrived in Lahore today, Tuesday. Basically the whole thing wrapped up in the matter of 3 days. From start to finish the whole CR1 process took 9 months for us. I am really happy I decided not to go with K3 as per my original plan.




thank you so much :) I hope the POE goes smoothly for you guys!




inshALLAH- we both got the requests for more info at the same time if I remember correctly. You had to email your brothers' names and we had to submit his past phone numbers. Hopefully, they are almost done with your case as well.


ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-02-09 19:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
Feisal bhai. Thank you so much for your well wishes. I really appreciate it. I am sorry that I am a little emotional. It has been such a long time for me to be without my husband, and the idea of having the baby without him being able to see her first moments of life makes me sad. But, Allah know's what's best for us. So, that's all I can consider. And, if he hasn't gotten the call for his visa by the time I am recovered from my surgery and the baby is healthy and strong enough, i will go back to Pakistan to be with him. I can't be without him. I know that I have everything for the baby here, everything is ready... but I need my husband and my daughter needs her father. So.. I just wanted to thank you so much for the kind words.

Hopeful... Congrats on our man receiving his visa! I have been waiting daily to find out whats happening with it. You both are a great inspiration for me, you and Feisal bhai. I worry all the time that there will be a problem with my case because of me getting my divorce just a short time before I married Zaheer. But the Dept Of State told me that shouldn't matter, and also, the US Embassy in Islamabad obviously didn't have a problem with it because when I applied for a new passport with Zaheer's last name on it instead of my previous name they gave it to me, no questions asked. So.. whenever I see that its taking sooooo long for this AP, I just think about your cases and realize that all was well and good with yours as well, but it just took time. So.. I let you both be my hope. thanks for being there for me when I was worried as well, both of you. Good luck to you both and have a safe Kashmir Day. Allah Hafiz.
~Tara

Feisal bhai. Thank you so much for your well wishes. I really appreciate it. I am sorry that I am a little emotional. It has been such a long time for me to be without my husband, and the idea of having the baby without him being able to see her first moments of life makes me sad. But, Allah know's what's best for us. So, that's all I can consider. And, if he hasn't gotten the call for his visa by the time I am recovered from my surgery and the baby is healthy and strong enough, i will go back to Pakistan to be with him. I can't be without him. I know that I have everything for the baby here, everything is ready... but I need my husband and my daughter needs her father. So.. I just wanted to thank you so much for the kind words.

Hopeful... Congrats on our man receiving his visa! I have been waiting daily to find out whats happening with it. You both are a great inspiration for me, you and Feisal bhai. I worry all the time that there will be a problem with my case because of me getting my divorce just a short time before I married Zaheer. But the Dept Of State told me that shouldn't matter, and also, the US Embassy in Islamabad obviously didn't have a problem with it because when I applied for a new passport with Zaheer's last name on it instead of my previous name they gave it to me, no questions asked. So.. whenever I see that its taking sooooo long for this AP, I just think about your cases and realize that all was well and good with yours as well, but it just took time. So.. I let you both be my hope. thanks for being there for me when I was worried as well, both of you. Good luck to you both and have a safe Kashmir Day. Allah Hafiz.
~Tara



P.S> that's supposed to say YOUR man. LoL. Take care.
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-02-04 22:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD

There is an update to my case visa has been printed(not sure of the date) and this is now confirmed that the procedure for getting the passport back with the visa has changed as it has happened to Hopeful786 as well.

Once the Embassy prints the visa the passport is sent to the Department of State in the US, they go through it one last time and then forwards it back to the Embassy - only after this the embassy hands over the passport to Amex for delivery to Applicant.


Gosh... news just keeps getting worse. We are still waiting and waiting for any news or updates on zaheer's case. Considering the amount of time its been so far up to the C-Section Scheduled date, it will put us at like exactly the amount of time it took you to get the call for your visa. But, now you say it has to go to USA before it can come back to Pakistan. Jeez.... we cant catch a break. I wish we'd gone ahead with the CR-1 now. Bhai, I am so happy for you that your ordeal is finally almost over and you will get to be with your wife soon. But I am so sad that Zaheer probably won't get to see his daughter be born. And I don't want to be sitting up in the operating room all alone without my husband. It's sad news for me, please pray for me. My husband went to Taxla today to speak to his Pir Sahib. Any prayers and well wishes are extremely beneficial for us right now. take care all.. Congrats again bhai. Allah Hafiz.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-02-03 21:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD

Hello everyone,

I have been reading different posts esp old posts. Once i started Islamabad thread i started reading from the first post,
I dont know may b im wrong but young males with either category CR1, or K3,K1 when they were accompanied by US citizen Spouse they had the shortest AP, Like Mumtaz, they had AP of 29 days, theres one more couple that i remember had AP of 35 days only. I think accompanying ur hubby at the interview could actually make a difference,

What do u guys think?

~MOMO

Not true my friend. I am a USC and I lived in Pakistan with my husband for 11 months. I attended his interview with him, being obviously pregnant and all ultrasounds and such in hand. We are only 26 and 25 yrs old. We applied for k3 and Zaheer has been waiting over 3 months for visa to be issued now. He is still in AP. So, unfortunately, no. Abinetez is still waiting too. And she went to the interview with him as well. So, attending the interview with your hubby doesn't seem to matter. Mumtaz didnt even get to speak to the officer, they were very rude to her. Our CO was very nice to us and said that he believed our intentions to go to USA were "for the best", etc. And he said we were approved. Well, its nice to know we are approved.. but I don't think my baby is gonna wait for them to finish processing him. We got the approval letter from USCIS that they sent it to NVC back in September. we thought we'd have enough time. Interview was originally in october, but they closed the embassy the day we were scheduled and we had to come back a week later. So, now.. its the first week of February and the baby is due in 6 weeks. If Feisal's experience is any indicator, I dunno how long it will take after they call Zaheer for submitting passport before he will actually get it. However, in my case, I think his job working for the Pakistani Government in the court system is what is holding his case up. ANyhow.. good luck to you all. USMOMO, I hope you get good news soon. Same to all the rest of you waiting. Allah Hafiz.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-02-01 18:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD

Well, I don't know if this will make you feel any better, but when I call DOS they say case is still pending AP and I said well they emailed my fiance saying to submit his passport for visa issuance and the lady said oh they didn't put that update in the system yet. (at that time it had been 13 days I think and DOS said the same thing)

Maybe they didn't update it, maybe they did and the operator didn't check the right window. Mary told me that there are a few windows when they put in the case number.

Don't overwhelm yourself, just keep in touch with the embassy because they will have the most up to date information when it comes to the AP for embassy level.


I specifically asked DOS one time why some people get called for their visa and the DOS still tells us "Still pending". She, Anna, said "Uh.. well, I think in very rare cases this may happen, but we update our systems daily.". She also said it is very rare that someone be told at their interview that they are approved and then go through lots of AP just to be denied... Poor KhalidnFatima, guess they are one of those rare cases??? Anyhow... I asked them the other day if there were any updates in their system for our case and she said "As of Jan 12, when your husband called to update his phone number info, it was still pending". So, she said that they updated his contact info the day he called. But, my husband called them today and said "We email you constantly, and no one ever replies.. why is that?" and the guy said "Because you also call all the time, so we tell you what you need to hear over the phone then delete your email.". Guess that makes sense. Anyhow.. I would call the embassy and ask them about the email in the system. That would be the best thing. Can't DOS update your info?
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-01-28 20:34:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
Congrats Mumtaz! I hope Haseeb is proud and Happy of his little boy. I hope you are recovering well. I believe my C-section will be scheduled for March 17th or so. But not sure if she will wait that long, she seems to be a bit impatient. Some stories we will have to tell our babies, huh? About their fathers' struggle with all this immigration. Well, good luck to you and your new little family. May Allah Bless you all.
Allah Hafiz.
p.s. good luck to all the rest of you who are waiting for good news as well. We are still right here waiting with you.
~Tara Ahmed
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-01-27 15:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD

Sorry to hear how she treated you, I guess sum people forget their roots, and feel working for the embassy sum how makes them better than others. As for the contact #, the number that was given to my husband is .... 051-208-2700. Is this correct, and also my husband interview was the 7Th of this month. Do you think it's to soon to call ?



I dont think its too soon. We started calling the embassy after 2 weeks. So.. it doesn't hurt. good luck.
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-01-23 21:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
As far as Haiti goes, I have had the hardest time contacting my Senator's office because Islamabad said they replied to his office regarding our case last monday. I have been trying to call my case worker everyday, leaving messages, everything. Finally the receptionist told me that because she works on Immigration and non-citizen matters, and we are the State of Florida (closest to Haiti, and where most Haitians sneak into the country), they have been swamped all week with hundreds of walk-ins, calls, appointments... etc. So.. now because of all this even the people who are supposed to speed up my case are not able to help me. What gives? I know if I wasn't pregnant and hubby was here we would go over to Haiti to help as much as possible. We have friends in Dom Rep. who are probably being affected. But, if we had the money, we'd take some surgical goods and garments from our factory in PK here and take them to Haiti. Just sucks we can't afford it right now. They are in my prayers either way, though.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-01-22 19:18:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD

What is the number you called to contact the DOS? I tried calling them through the number I found on the Department of State website but it was just an information line that took me in automated telephone circles. It would be somewhat mentally reassuring to know some sort of status on our AP. Thanks!


I simply call the number that they give you with the letter for the NVC. Dont have it on me, but it ends in 1225 I think. As soon as the automated operator answers, just push 1, then 0. I actually had to yell at one "Visa Specialist" the other day. Some lady named BJ or VJ or whatever answered and she was very rude to me. WOuldn't let me talk. She kept interrupting me, talking over me, being loud with me, when all I had was a question. Finally, she just said "Ma'am, I can't tell you anything about your case except AP." then she hung up before I could ask her anything. SO I called back, waited on hold, AGAIN< for like 10 min. Then Anna answered. She was nice but I told her I wanted a supervisor. When she asked why I told her that I needed to talk to someone about the treatment I received. Then she said she was sorryand asked if I wanted the supervisor to contact me back since they aren't allowed to transfer calls. Then she offered to help me out and asked what happened. I explained it all and she said she was greatly sorry and that no one should talk to us like that. I told her that we are told by NVC, Embassy, and DOS themselves to contact DOS regarding our case and that I thought they were supposed to be there to help us and answer our questions. We are not TRYING to harass or bother them, even though it may seem like it since all the get is calls all day. But it;s not our fault their computers are always down or that there are no updates on our cases. We have no way of knowing anything about our futures or the status of our loved-ones' futures. We can do nothing but inquire, and I figured that was what I was supposed to do. She said "You are right, we are here to help you." so I gave her the case number again, and she told me AP also, but at least told me that AS OF Jan 12 it was in AP, so it had been updated in the system since then. She said there are no problems with the case, no papers are being requested, yes it still says approved.. etc. So, she apologized again and asked for the lady's name and I told her BJ and she said she will tell her not to treat the callers like that anymore and that it is not right. Then she asked if I still wanted to file a complaint and I said no. SO anyhow. Thats what's up at DOS.
~Tara
p.s. the thing that pissed me off most was that most of this "visa specialists" are obviously not American by birth, you can hear in their voice. Of all people they should be a little more sympathetic of the immigration process.
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-01-22 19:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD

tara did they keep your husbands passport???


no they gave it back. they only put a sticker on the back of it that matches the one that is stuck to the paper.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-01-21 18:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD

Hi,

I had my interview on Dec 30th 2009 and at the end of it the lady said told me "congrats you're approved and enjoy your new life in America". I got excited thinking I was not going to be put in AP since I lived in US for 5 years, but, then she handed me a Green Sheet saying that I had been put in AP and they will ask for my passport when they are done.

The thing is that she TOOK my passport right then, I even got a little pinkish receipt so I could pick it up from the American Express offices.
I noticed that most people over here placed on AP were returned their passports and told to submit them latter. So why was mine kept?

Its been three weeks now and I still have not heard anything yet.

What does all this mean? They took my passport, so is that a good sign? How long do you guys think I will have to wait in this limbo?

I have been trying the embassy but as you can imagine they have not helped at all. I cant even get through to a person anymore. The phones are stuck in this infinite loop meant to drive us insane :(.

Answers anyone?


Well, they told us that we were also approved and that the CO also believed that our intentions for going to USA were for the best. Then he gave us the list of AmEx offices, no pink/blue/green sheet, just the list of offices and he circled the one in Sialkot, and stapled the purple sticker to it and stuck one on Zaheer's passport. He said that the AP was mandatory and takes on average 2-3 months, could be longer or shorter. That's all we were told. Its been almost 3 months now, and I have been back in USA away from Zaheer for 1 month now. I am getting worried about having the baby without him. The good news is that I contacted DOS today and they said as of Jan 12 it is still pending AP, but I asked her if they would just suddenly decide to deny him even if they told him he was approved. She said no they dont usually do that. Also, she said she could see no indication by our case that there were any problems. No one has asked about his brothers and sisters so far. Some people on this site talk about getting Emails from the embassy, but I never ever get any. We have emailed them like 10 times and to this day, over 1.5 months, they have not responded to a single email or fax. Our senator's office even contacted them, and they told my husband last monday that they replied back to her that day. Just keep us in your prayers people. I want Zaheer to be here for our daughter's birth. I never wanted to be away from him, that's why I lived in Pakistan for almost a year. So.. anyhow. Take care all. Allah Hafiz.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-01-19 22:53:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
Hey guys. wanted your opinions. Tell me what you think we should do from here. We finally got Zaheer's IV Bill from NVC. Should we go ahead and pay it and start on the I-130 route? Or should we just keep waiting on the K3? its been 10 weeks of AP for the K3 already. We have all the paperwork complete and awaiting whatever they ask for. So, if all we have to submit is another DS230, we have that. We have the I-864s, we have the evidence, all of that stuff. He would have to do another Medical, I'm sure, but, anyhow, what do you guys recommend? I read on one of these forums that someone had their K3 interview, got put in AP and after 4 weeks, had the interview for I-130 and ended getting their CR1 visa in 2 weeks instead of the K3. So tell me what you all recommend we do. Its only another 10 weeks til the baby will be born. So, what should we do? I really need him here.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-01-09 16:54:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD

To those who have already gotten visas please can you answer a question for me? I would like to know how often you all called DOS or emailed them, Thanks


Between me and my husband, we call about once a week. I havent been calling lately, but he has been calling the Embassy. It doesnt matter which one you call, they both have the same info available to them and nothing more. You can try emailing or faxing but they almost never reply. So, good luck to you, and like my senator's office said to me.. it doesn't make a whole lot of difference if you call. The only benefit you get is talking to another person about your case. whether its just to hear Still Pending or not. good luck.
~Tara Ahmed
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-01-08 00:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsEveryone going through Administrative Processing in ISLAMABAD
It just came to my mind... any of you guys think the reason that our case is taking so long is cuz that form they send you about the I-130 and who is your agent to receive your mail, we didn't send it til like 3 weeks ago. we were pursuing the K3, which is what we had the medical, the interview etc for. So, do you think that by not turning in that form to the NVC about who to receive the mail regarding I-130 info could be affecting our AP? It specifically asks you on there if you want the mail sent to you or your spouse or an agent/attorney. then you fill it out, sign it, and send it back to NVC. The NVC said they got it like right after I sent it, but Zaheer didnt wanna send it from Pakistan, he wanted to send it after reaching USA. Which, didnt happen. So,now I sent it from here. Ok, you all tell me what you think. I know I ask a hundred thousand questions. But I am pregnant and just wanting my husband by my side when I have to be cut open and sitting in recovery... ok, well, you all take care and good luck to all of you.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-01-06 23:23:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP TIME FRAME
AP has been a difficult process. We have been in AP for 5 months now in Islamabad. We are hoping that it will end soon, Insha'Allah. I had to return to the States and have a C-section to deliver our baby all alone. I was hoping my husband would have been able to be with me. Our original interview was scheduled for Oct 26th, but the Embassy was closed that day and didn't give any kind of warning. So we drove all the way to ISL which is about 5 hours while I was about 5 months pregnant, and they were closed, so they rescheduled us for a week later. Now, it is almost April and we are still waiting for his visa. They did request some Domicile information from me recently, just to prove that I was in the USA. Now, we are just waiting for them to finish processing. They said like 2 weeks ago that his AP was finished and that Final review was finished.. and when he called last week, they told him it was BACK on AP. So.. now we don't know what they are doing. Please pray for us that it gets over with soon so that my husband can see his daughter for the first time and be able to hold her. Take care everyone, and I wish you all a very short AP wait.
Allah Hafiz
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-03-29 20:52:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)Hardtime with congressional liasion
My congressional liason told me the embassy has 30-45 days to reply back to them. They cannot make the embassy reply, but if they do not reply within 30-45 days they are breaking the law. So, it took about 2-3 weeks for my one senator's office to get a reply from Islamabad, and she sent me the response in the mail. But my second senator's office got an email reply within 2-3 days of inquiring. So, keep trying.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-05 20:58:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP on Hold?!?!??!
Just a theory.. but here is our case it may help. They finished my hubby's AP and final review, and we had sent them his passport with the RFE documents they requested. So, then we called after a week since they had told him case was finished AP. Then they said case was BACK in AP. I have since read several posts of people who were requested by Embassy to submit passport, and then it takes "Additional Processing" after Passport is submitted. It takes about 41-45 days to get the passport with visa back. That, I believe is the processing they are referring to. So, don't stress too much. Take care.

~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-10 15:51:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)No End In Sight
Hey.. keep your chin up, all. Zaheer got the visa on Friday! So, we are finally gonna be together again! He finally can see his little princess, Stevie, for the first time. She is almost 2 months old and he hasnt seen her yet. It is so great. Insha'Allah, you all will hear good news soon. AP is like purgatory.. but once it's over, it is like God smiled on you and said "I was only teasing." haha. Take care.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-25 10:03:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)VISA RECEIVED AFTER AP 8 MONTHS
Congratulations to my dear Brother, Rana bhai. I am so happy for you and Patricia! When I read that you had gotten your visa it was such a relief. I felt like the way I was excited as if I heard the news for myself! I hope you keep in contact with Zaheer. Take care and enjoy Florida.
Allah Hafiz and bohut bohut mubarak!
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-05-01 08:24:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g):o AP 221g and Visa Interview
Hey Wellmux. I am sorry you been in AP so long. We are at 7 week mark. My baby is due in 15 more weeks, but, because of the flight situation, I will have to leave Pakistan and my hubby behind and return to USA if the embassy doesnt call by tomorrow. Its sad. I want him to be there for the birth of our child. I called DOS enough times to know that they will never tell you anything besides "Pending AP". The Embassy even told me not to bother calling DOS and just call them for updates. When I called the day before Thanksgiving, they told me that "Insha'Allah, all will be clear after Eid". Well, Eid is over, and when I called them on Tuesday following Eid, they told me that they recieved my forms. But I never sent anything, so I asked "Which forms?" and he said "The forms you sent us" and I said I didnt send any and asked if they had requested. He said "Oh oh, I see... no we received them from DOS" and I said "What forms?' and he said "Your visa app". And I said.. oh ok. Then a couple days ago I called again and they said that the Non immigrant unit transferred them to the Immigrant unit and they were now working on it. So when i called yesterday, the guy said that he has no idea why anyone at the embassy would take the time to explain that the non immigrant unit transferred the papers to the imigrant unit.. but he said its still pending admin processing, but I do believe he told me it was in the final stages and just needed admin review. So.. keep praying for us and we will keep praying for you. I am sorry this has been so rough for you as well. I think that I should have gone with my husband's I-130 instead of the K3. Well, live and learn, I guess. Take care and Allah Hafiz.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2009-12-10 04:03:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP start from 1st or 2nd interview??
I'm sorry Bhai. Insha'Allah you will hear good news soon. Allah has a plan for all of us. My biggest issue right now is trying to decide what to do when he does get here... I mean, depending on whenever it will be, renting a moving truck is expensive! Its upwards of $700 USD to move from my home state of Florida to South Carolina where Zaheer's future boss lives. My husband hasn't even seen his daughter yet. And she is 5 wks old now and has a terrible cold. He has been horribly worried about her and very sad he has never seen her face to face. I wish you the best of luck, brother. We all pray for good news.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-24 00:16:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP start from 1st or 2nd interview??

sister i called to embassy and they told me the same which DOS said to my wife.
i m just curios that wat doest it's mean??? :bonk:

i m waiting...

thanks


i know they r confusing. they tell all kinds of unclear answers because they are not allowed to give any details. All they told me the other day was the notes from the embassy look good/positive. But, still pending AP. Dont worry Bhai, u will hear something soon, Insha'Allah.
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-16 21:34:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP start from 1st or 2nd interview??
hard to tell. u have to ask them what it means if the answer is not clear. or call embassy.. they have more accurate info than DOS.
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-15 12:11:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP start from 1st or 2nd interview??

hey dear VJs howz going ur life mine so depressed.lol

today i called to islamabad embassy and they guy was so rude and he don;t give me informations abt my AP he told me we already givr april 2 2010 u called. and they said ur in the process of AP.

so my question is that i don;t know y everybody is keep telling that in america everyone have rights and stuffs like so i don;t where is the human rights bz when american citizen called to DOS or embassy they r not giving any updates i don;t know how they have human right even american citizan can;t ask for their relative visa even wife can't ask for her right in american that we r apart from each other bz AP and y its taking so long and no updates over a months and some cases over a year and some peolpes got their visas without AP rules for all and same.thats not fair...

i don;t think that they r givig their rights or same attention till to contact wd congressman or senator.
sorry if i said something wrong. :bonk:



Dont worry Bhai. I know how you feel. They seriously can be very rude at embassy sometimes. My husband told them he was told that his case was finished and they told him so and that someone told him he will hear results in 8-10 days. that was a month a go. When he called about 10 days later, a guy said "You are lying, no one from our staff would have ever told you 8-10 days. Its true that your case was finished. But it is back in AP." So, they really dont care because I had to go thru surgery and give birth to our child without my husband being here. Now she is 1 month old, and still he isnt here. I dont know when it will finish. Just wish us luck. By the way.. when AP is involved.. the senator or congressman wont be able to get any different response than what they tell you. Just "Pending AP and nothing can be done to speed it up." So.. just be patient and pray to Allah, it is in His hands.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-14 12:17:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)Denied
In response to calling the embassy... my husband discovered that if you dial the 051-208-2700 number and press 1 then 2 then 1. then it will obviously say "That number is busy try again later". Just push "1" again like right after it says that. dont hang up or anything.. keep pushing "1" as long as it tells you its busy. Then it shortens the wait. LoL. Good luck all. Happy Holidays, Eid Mubarak and best of luck with APs and all of the cases.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2009-11-25 12:43:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)Denied
Fatima.. I am so sorry that this happened to you but at least now you know what the problem is. I bet that is such a relief. But I just wanted to say good luck with this and I am so glad to be friends. Take care and Insha'Allah all will be resolved soon.
Allah Hafiz and Eid Mubarak.
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2009-11-24 06:17:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP TRACKER

:dance: :dance: :dance: My husband Wellmux got his visa today, at long last this hellish wait is over with, thank God, i hope you all get your visa's soon, they seem to be issueing more these days it seems. What a HAPPY DAY THIS IS!!!! :dance: :dance: :dance:

Congrats!!! Im so happy 4 u!!!!!
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-30 12:01:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP TRACKER

That's a good question and, what if as a USC, you're with your spouse - I was picturing going in the Immigrant line at POE with him. What are they gonna do, tell me to go somewhere else? I'm so worried about POE (and we don't even have a date of course). But my husband doesn't speak English (French or Arabic, a little Spanish)...they would have people who speak other languages, right??


Yes, if the spouse goes with, then usually the immigration officers will let the immigrant go through the USC line. but i am not goin to be with him. but i called Dulles airport and they saidhe goes thru immigrant line. thanks for all the help and congrats. just 4 more days til he comes! and tomorrow i finally get to see my 3 yr old after more than 1 yr!!! Allahke shukar. Good luck to all of u. hope to reunite with u guys in usa!
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-30 11:48:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP TRACKER
I tried to get Zaheer to file refugee for asylum in USA, but withthat, you are unable to return to your home country because you left in fear of your life. At least that is what I understood. He didnt want to not be able to return. I can understand why Alen would be afraid. I was so worried about Zaheer all the time because he works for the government and his office is right across from the prison. there was an uprising at the prison once and several guards and police officials were killed. My father in law was taken hostage and the prisoners took his uniform so they could try to escape dressed as a gov't employee. Zaheer works for the sessions court and I always worry because the courts and police depts are always under attack in Pakistan.

Anyway. I pray you all hear good news soon. Congrats to malarie!!! I am so glad you got your visa! Insha'Allah, Rana Bhai will hear something soon. Starlight and HotGuy are almost there.. I can feel it. I know within a week I am gonna come on here and see more good news!

Zaheer booked his flight, he will be here in a week!! He flies from Lahore to Dubai to washington DC and then from DC to FL. He will arrive in West Palm Beach, FL at 5 in the afternoon on the 5th of May. I am so excited! I can't wait to see him and for him to see Stevie! well, keep praying for us, and I will certainly keep in touch with you all and praying for all of you to be out of this purgatory.

Just curious... since he has a K3 visa, does anyone know whether he goes through the Immigrant or Nonimmigrant line at the Airport Customs/Immigration? He is coming into Dulles (washington dc).
Take care

~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-27 14:49:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP TRACKER
Thanks again everyone. Pat, I don't know if they did a field investigation. they never tell me what they do. In november the embassy told us that the file was sent back to embassy for processing. So they finished the US checks within the month, and then it was 4 and a half months of AP at the Embassy level. They never asked about his brothers or anythng. We think it took such a long time cuz he works for the gov't. I wish you the best of luck and Zaheer was worried about rana bhai. he said "Allah Bless him". So.. we hope to hear good news from you soon.

~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-26 21:02:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP TRACKER
Thank you thank you thank you so much everyone for all your well wishes and congratulatory comments. I am praying so much for Wellmux and HotGuy. I hope you hear something so soon. To all of you who are in AP, I will keep you in my prayers because I really do understand how hard this is. Insha'Allah, it will all be over soon. Zaheer is planning his trip for May 6th. So lets hope he has a very easy POE at JFK, NY. Its pretty warm here in South FL, so I am hoping to take him to the ocean so he can see it for the first time. I am not a beach person, but I would love to show him around. Well, thanks so much all of you who prayed for us and held out hope. May Allah Bless you and make all your dreams a reality.

Allah Hafiz
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-24 14:12:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP TRACKER
Hey everyone! Great news! We got an email from Embassy saying that they sent his passport and visa packet thru courier yesterday. Today Zaheer went to SpeedEx and picked up his visa!!! Yah! Allahu Akbar!!! I cant wait to see him again. Unfortunately, the baby is sick... but Insha'Allah she will be well again before he arrives. Good luck to all. Im praying that Islamabad gets on the ball about issuing visas now. Take care. Allah Hafiz!
~Tara
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-24 01:55:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP TRACKER
Thank you Meredith. My little one isnt so healthy right now. She has a cold. She is only 5 wks old, and has a cold. She is so miserable. No fever though, Alhamdullilah. I cant believe the DOS operator told u she cant see any updates.. then seh gives you an update. LoL. They are ridiculous sometimes. I read on way way earlier posts.. like at the beginning of last yr that if you can get ahold of ppl like Sarah or Jessica at DOS they will give you more info. I also read somewhere that the older employees give out more info because they have worked there since before they made it so that the visa officers cant share the info. So sometimes they do share. I can only wish you good luck and hope that all will work out. Take care.. and Allah Hafiz.
~Tara


PS.. anyone out there in the Carolinas??
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-24 00:22:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)AP TRACKER
The thing about AP is that I never knew anything about it until right before the interview when i started reading on visajourney. If I had known about it, perhaps we would have not tried to get pregnant when we did. I never wanted to be apart from him let alone travel while pregnant, all alone, give birth alone, recover from C-section, and take care of a newborn all alone with no income and only help from gov't in the form of foodstamps, wic, and medicaid. I wish they would tell you when you apply for immigration status that you will definitely have AP, even if it is just a few days. they should let us all know that it is a reality and we have to face it. It has been almost 6 months for my husband's AP and they have had his passport since the 12th of March. It only took Feisal 35 days to get his passport with visa back. So, let's see what happens. Zaheer calls AmEx office all the time to check and make sure if they have received it.. but they never say yes. =(
I pray for all of you to have a speedy AP especially HotGuy and Rana bhai.
ZaheersShezadiMalePakistan2010-04-23 08:58:00