ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Asia: SouthVisitor visa
It is a hardship on me to just get up and go to India. If we get a second interview I will go no matter what, however my fiance wants to come and visit me in the mean time. He has a residence there, he would only be visiting here, he does not qualify for VWP.

How would you prove economic ties, social ties, and binding ties? He doesn't own anything of his own. As most Indians do, he still lives with his parents and still handles everything in cash. I read somewhere that he needed to have $50,000 USD in a bank account. That seems extreme. He's only 26, wouldn't it seem fishy for someone that age to have that much money in a bank account already?

How long does the process take to get a visitors visa?
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia1/30/2010 10:06
Asia: SouthWhat's this mean?

0:00 - but I suggest 1:30 instead. Should take about that amount of time to fill out another K-1 or to fill out the I-130.

IE - you don't have to wait at all - once it's been pegged to be 'tossed back' to USCIS from a Consulate, you can apply for a new petition, IMMEDIATELY.

Good LUCK !


Thank you darnell! I think I will wait for the letter from my Senator to come in and then I want to make another call or two to the various agencies involved and then make my final decision as to how to proceed. It's nice I don't have to wait. I have him getting details for if we get married there and I'm planning my next trip - with one of my 3 kids in tow since the embassy wanted to drag them in the middle. I'm not giving up till I get my man!
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2/3/2010 19:49
Asia: SouthWhat's this mean?

Wow - that is weird, I never heard that about the denial not being permanent! :o Anyway keep calling, can't hurt!

I do know that once you hear that the petition has been returned to USA, there are other steps to take but I don't believe they have ever been successful. :( People usually just start over again with another petition.



Bleh....if I have to reapply, how long do I have to wait to reapply? I'm trying to understand the CR-1 process but I have so much going on I feel like I can barely read it...it's all in some foreign language only spoken by government officials lol. Where is my easy button......
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2/1/2010 0:20
Asia: SouthWhat's this mean?
Well, I'm on an adventure. I've called back a few times (or more) and I have spoken to 3 different representatives and gotten transferred to the automated system. It has a lot of good information and the first thing it says is about the denial not being permanent. But there is no way out of it and it doesn't say anything about reaching a live person. When I called the emabassy I simply stated "I need to speak with someone about my fiance's interview" and they said hold on and then transferred me to that system. I don't know what it is or how they got me there, but it's nice to get something out of them lol.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2/1/2010 0:17
Asia: SouthWhat's this mean?
Okay, so I've been calling everyone I can all weekend about this interview mess. Delhi is finally open again and I've been calling like crazy. Of course the 8062 number never answers so I called the 8000 number instead. The guy answered the phone sounding very American (this is funny...follow along) and I told him I needed to speak with someone regarding my fiance's interview and he said hold on and transferred me to an automated system. I had never heard this before and this was not my first call to either of those 2 numbers. The automated system gave me all these choices for different things I could do and I finally selected the one about the visa being denied. Then it said that a visa denial by the consulate is not permanent and if there is evidence that was not received by the consulate or was overlooked during the interview process we could request a review. Then it mentioned reapplying and starting over and we could do that as soon as 3 business days had passed after the interview. Then I waited to try to get back to the main menu and the system hung up on me so I called back to the 8000 number. This time the same American sounding guy answered and pretended not to hear me then he said his greeting in his Indian voice (that's the funny part) and hung up on me while I was talking. So I called back and he said he didn't transfer me to an automated system the first time (it was his same American voice when he answered but he went back to being Indian after a few sentences lol) and said that I needed to wait and call the 8062 number. He talked to me this time as I tried to explain I really wanted to be transferred to the automated system again because I was getting good information that was helping me and he insisted I call back between 10 am and noon on the 8062 number.....I gave up lol.

So all that stuff about the denial - does that apply to the K-1? I know I'm now trying even harder to get the review requested. I will be making more phone calls all day tomorrow and probably gonna be up all night. Any thoughts? ideas?

Thanks!!
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia1/31/2010 23:29
Asia: South6th January Interview Anyone
Congratulations!!! My fiance got his interview for Jan 28. I'm so excited! Please come back and let us all know how your interview goes!
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia12/10/2009 22:30
Asia: SouthA glimmer of hope
***BEWARE.....RANDOM VENTING ******

Stupid snow!! I need to file my complaint with DOS before I run out of anger. Bleh....they need to come back to work. Somebody send a snow plow up there and lots of salt....please.....
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2/9/2010 20:36
Asia: SouthA glimmer of hope

it took a good 2 months before our case made it back to uscis.


Thank you for that information, I was curious how long it would take them.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2/5/2010 21:12
Asia: SouthA glimmer of hope
I got my letter from the Senator. There was 2 copies enclosed of the response from the embassy. They didn't even apologize, they only said that they regretted it happened and that customer service was a high priority. Then they restated that the visa was denied for our NOA-2, but that is not what was in the DOS computer. He also said that the consular officers have to uphold the strict regulations and laws. That's good...coz this one broke the regulations and I have this letter to show that they agreed he wasn't supposed to. I may never know if it happened, but at the very least I hope they let him know he had a congressional inquiry filed against him so he can sweat over it. At the very least with his BS response I have more evidence for my case.

My fiance contacted the prime minister, who as it turns out is from his city and went to the same college and was recently discriminated against and denied a visa by the New Delhi embassy, to request his assistance. Regardless of the outcome we are both going to continue filing complaints. In the meantime we are also working on moving forward and continuing to pursue a visa, just at this point we are not sure which one - this one or a new one. The waiting sucks and still a full week later the NVC has not received his package back yet. I will keep you all posted.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2/5/2010 14:25
Asia: SouthA glimmer of hope

I am curious what information did you send in with the original petition that told the USCIS about your children? I have 3 children, and I dont recall where I could of included this information. I did send in divorce papers and the kids are in there... also when it is time for me to do the AOS I am going to have to earn enough for 5... so they will be included there. I am just wondering if you sent in any additional information... Or am I missing out on something?



Wow... you know I havent even considered this until this case, that our petition could be denied because of my kids... any advice for the rest of us that has yet to have an interview? I have 3 kids... and regularly they draw pictures etc... and I mail these to Amit and his family. Amit has mailed the girls some jewlery. When it comes time for his interview I am going to fly to Delhi with my Mom, and go along with him. I am open to suggestions on what else I might need to prepare for that I can get together and start collecting or doing...

Melody


Just a note, not sure if it matters. My fiance is 26, I am 32. He has never been married and has no children. These details would not ordinarily matter too much, and they may not now, but just so you know what I'm working with. His family is an educated family and is a lot more modern thinking than most of the Indians I have met.

In my case my divorce decree is about 20 pages long. There are full details about the children, child support, custody, etc. We divorced through the military and they covered every angle. I sent all the information mentioned in the guides here on visajourney and I did not front load my petition. There may be more details in my divorce decree than most people have. I wrote letters that were turned into the VFS - explanation of finances, details of me learning Punjabi to speak with his family, and a letter about meeting him - 4 pages in all. He turned in 27 pictures and 10 pieces of snail mail along with all the required documents. For my I-134 I submitted my tax transcript and a copy of the actual tax papers for 2008 and my W-2 statements, my divorce papers (again), 4 pay stubs from each of my jobs, job letters, bank letter, and all the required things listed here on visa journey. The consular officer found no problems with any of our documentary evidence.

My fiance took a photo album written by me in Gurmukhi (Punjabi) and English with over 100 pictures, more cards and letters, and some backup evidence just in case they were not satisfied with what was already submitted. That included more employee letters, and a couple of papers I thought were needed. They never asked for anything.

I got through to the USCIS today and spoke directly to an Immigration officer. The immigration officer told me that she believed the CO sent my case back out of his own bias. She told me that I did the right thing by contacting the Senator. I spoke with the Senator again today after faxing some papers they asked for and the lady who was helping me sounded upbeat and excited and told me they had contacted the embassy and that they had a response from them. She then advised me in an upbeat, happy tone again that they had sent me something in the mail and she was unable to tell me any information because she was not my actual case worker and that my case worker was the one who sent me something. I do have a little hope, but to be honest I am just happy to have had someone hear me and take action with me. Since her tone was upbeat and she didn't sound like it was not good news I'm a little hopeful that what they are sending me is good news. I will definitely keep you all posted. I'm not done making phone calls. I intend to call the NVC tomorrow. I don't expect them to be a tremendous help, but I want to talk to them to see if I can find out anything. Any information helps.

I am fully prepared to see all of this through to the end. I am prepared to accept if things do not go well and we have to start over, even though I would not be happy about it. I just feel like I owe it to myself to see this through. I feel like I owe it to the entire immigrant community to keep fighting and help curb this kind of ridiculous and frivolous ####### that is being dealt by the embassy. When my own case is over, I am seriously considering devoting myself to fighting for some kind of reform. I know it's not phenomenal but I will have a BSCJ in criminal justice on April 25th. I have already started pursuing training and opportunities to enforce my learning and I plan to use my skills to help others. I plan to be a thorn in immigrations side the way MADD is to drunk drivers. The CO's are not above the law and something needs to be done about their behavior. I am not the first and I will not be the only one fighting. In the meantime I found some links that you guys may be interested in or may find helpful. They are definitely worth reading.

Part 1 - http://www.ilw.com/a...0429-ellis.shtm
Part 2 - http://www.ilw.com/a...1018-ellis.shtm

Pay close attention to how often he mentions lawsuits. These CO's get sued all the time. This cost the government too much money, the more of us that stand together, the harder they will be on the jerks that pull this ####### on us and the more likely they will be to continue to regulate them. They won't keep losing so much money forever, they will want this kind of stuff to decrease.

I will keep you all updated as things continue to play out. Thank you all so much for your support, it's kept me strong and been very helpful through this entire process.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2/2/2010 21:12
Asia: SouthA glimmer of hope

Looks like your hard work is paying off! :thumbs: Bravo for getting so much info!

Certainly, there is no doubt that the Consular officer made his own decision based on his own biases, but that is normal. It is part of the Indian culture to suspect why a man would want to marry a women who already has children from a previous marriage. It is definitely true that the CO is not supposed to deny a case based on facts already known by the USCIS but again, cultural discrimination pays a big part and even with very very determined people (several cases I have read on VJ over the years) I haven't so far come across a case where they were approved once the case was denied and returned to USA. I HOPE YOU ARE THE FIRST!! Please keep calling and making contacts with anyone who you think may help. Don't depend upon one person (example, the Senator's office), but try to get others to help you too, both in India and in USA. Think and think who else you can contact, and be determined. Keep us informed of every step! :yes: Hope and pray you can get your case approved ASAP! :luv:


Well, thank you! I'm definitely not done. I don't know what is going to happen with the petition now, however I was sure I had read on here of someone who had their petition reaffirmed and sent back but it had taken so long to accomplish. Even if this doesn't work out I want to make sure my complaints do not go unheard. As it is the embassy is not emailing me back and I've emailed several email addresses there associated with the embassy. I'm going to spend tomorrow making more calls....looks like I could be snowed in so I may get them all made tomorrow.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2/1/2010 22:39
Asia: SouthA glimmer of hope
Don't get me wrong, I'm not delusional, I just see the good in this. I spent my weekend and most of today on the phone calling everyone that I could. As it turns out my Senator's office is going to help me! I never got through to the embassy - was calling from Friday until today, at least not to anyone helpful. Today I got through to the DOS. Boy let me tell you....some things are seriously out of place. There was no mention in their files that the case was denied because the NOA-2 expired, which if you saw the document I posted it clearly says it was expired and that was part of the denial. She said it wasn't even mentioned as a reason for denial. Then she told me the consulate had entered information in there as his reason for denial that was information that I had included in the original petition to USCIS. Specifically he typed in there that I was married with three children as part of the visa denial. She couldn't tell me word for word but after I developed a repoir with her, she gave me a lot of information, including a direct number for someone very specific to call at USCIS who could help me even more. According to their own regulations he can't deny (or revoke...don't have the info in front of me) the petition for things that the USCIS already knew. The consular officer also said because my fiance was nervous that he suspected fraud. Now that part I can't fight but so hard, he was nervous. Furthermore he was not offered or given the chance to speak with anyone in his native language and due to his nerves his English was very broken. But now that I know what the consular officer said, I have a much better understanding of what has happened. I also have hope that if I keep fighting this will turn out well.

The DOS told me that USCIS would interview me either in person or by mail and then the embassy may grant the visa with no second interview, may require us both to come in and be interviewed either separately or together. I'm ready.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement. Any of you ever been given this kind of information? I know now we are headed for the appeals process most likely, but it was my understanding the DOS didn't give you the information from the interview and I am surprised that she gave a direct line to someone at USCIS. I know in my heart the consular officer abused his authority to cause us trouble for no reason, and it looks like someone in a better pay bracket agrees with me. I feel more hopeful now.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2/1/2010 20:11
Asia: SouthSubmission of documents to VFS before the interview? Or ok to submit on date of inteview?

Chennai website for Packet IV says one has to submit documents atleast 10days before the interview date to VFS. It also says one has to atleast pay the courier fee even though documents could be submitted right at the time of interview .

The problem for us is that my wife is atleast 12hrs away from the nearest VFS office and we have an infant child. So it is hard for her to go with all the original documents to submit to VFS office 10 days prior to the interview. I mean we will do it if we have to and do not have an option, but I am not sure about the wording on Packet 4 (information to appicants on Chennai website) as it says we can even submit on the day of the interview. So if it is optional we would just like to give them on the day of interview instead of making a trip to VFS office 10 days prior to our appointment.

Can anyone who has finished their Interview in any of Indian consulates , tell me on their experiences and let us know if it is required or if it is optional to submit all original documents to VFS? Could you also let me know if the applicant has to be present when paying the courier fee or if we can have someone else with our permission pay that VFS fees so we can avoid the travel to the VFS office.




Regards.


I highly recommend you turn them all in to the VFS early. I know it's difficult, however they want that information early so they have time to review it. If they don't have time to review it they could feel like you have information to hide. You want to give yourself the best chances possible, not give them a reason to delay your case. Maybe your wife could find a cousin or friend who could go with her to help care for the baby. She could treat it like a little mini vacation and if possible you can give her a little shopping money to buy something cute for herself and the baby. Set it out to be an adventure. Get her a motel room there if you have to, take some of the burden off the trip.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2/2/2010 21:18
Asia: SouthAn Update
I wish I could afford a lawyer. I would definitely do whatever I could. We don't have any immigration lawyers close by so I would have to miss a day of work for each appointment and have the $2500 retainer fee that the ones I contacted wanted. I know that seems like a fairly small amount in the grand scheme of things but if we have to refile, that requires a new visit which is going to be around $4000 total, and if we get reaffirmed I'm going for the interview. It would take all my savings for the trip to get a lawyer with no promise that it would help anything at all. And unfortunately I think we all know how slow the legal system is so while I'm waiting for all the legal stuff the entire visa process could be screwing us over completely and then it would be too late. This whole thing is just so stressful. It's destroying my fiance.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia4/7/2010 11:19
Asia: SouthAn Update
Thanks everyone! I'm planning for this to go both ways. Either it will get reaffirmed and I will go back to Delhi for the interview this time. Or I will go back to India and get married and starting over. I know that means staying there for about 6 weeks but at this point I'm tired and frustrated with a lot of things and I could sure use the vacation from life here. And not matter what, in the end I will have no regrets and I won't wonder if I did everything I could have done. And if if I find something else that I can do, I will do it just to be sure I leave no stone unturned.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia3/28/2010 21:00
Asia: SouthAn Update
The last time I was able to post my fiance's visa had just been "denied" by the CO in a much heated attack on my fiance. I signed a lease because I had to prepare for my fiance's arrival and it had already taken me 6 months to find a suitable house anyway. I spent February packing and moving and I'm still unpacking boxes. My life has been a whirlwind or I would have been back sooner. This has been an extremely stressful time and this visa mess has been a struggle - one I feel should have been unnecessary.

I wrote to my Senator and he completed a Congressional Inquiry. From that I got a personal letter from the CO which danced around the issue of saying he was sorry and was complete BS but nevertheless I got it. I filed a complaint with DOS who took my side based on what they saw this jackass had put in the computer. They also told me to call and file a complaint directly with another agency and provided me contact information with someone there. Then it was just a waiting game. But that didn't stop us and it won't. I will continue my phone calls, I will continue following up on everything.

USCIS has now received my petition back and I've been informed that no one has access to it except the reviewing officer and after asking them a million and one questions was informed there is no way to find out any new information until the review is done. We have to give them until July to complete it. In the meantime we have written to the Indian Prime Minister (I know he doesn't have anything to do with the process however his visa was recently denied by the same consulate....so we felt it could be good to let him know this kind of behavior did not stop so that maybe...just maybe someone somewhere would listen and kick the right person's butt to get that place back in line). We wrote to President Obama - focusing more on the economic disadvantage of CO's breaking rules and costing taxpayers money for no reason, but mentioning our case nonetheless. I wrote to the Ambassador of the Embassy as well. This kind of behavior cannot go on and someone has to do something. I know that DHS has stepped in and taken away a lot of authority the CO's have already because of bad behavior and I really feel like more needs to be done.

We have not heard back from anyone we wrote to, however I intend to continue writing to President Obama about the current abuse of power in our U.S. Embassies until I hear something back even if my case is over and done. I will be going to New Delhi and I will continue on my fight as long as it takes to be with my fiance. If that means I wind up living in India once I have all of my other business here settled then so be it. But I'm not giving up. Thank you all for your continued support - even if you think I'm crazy for doing all that I'm doing.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia3/26/2010 19:09
Asia: Southengagement rings

I wear both my rings (engagement, wedding) all the time.

However, that has nothing to do with religious customs but just 'cause I like the bling.



Lol....I feel naked without my ring. My fiance on the other hand rarely wears his because the stones catch on his pockets when he digs his phone out and he's scared he's going to lose it or mess it up (and he is terrible about things like that....he leaves it in his pockets and his mom gets pissed when she finds it in the wash hahahaha....). I got my ring in India and there is nothing like it here. It is 2 flowers with the leaves around them and it has 3 different colors of stones in it. I can't imagine not having it on. I know my fiance has told me that people don't pay that much attention to rings over there and they are not an outward show of whether or not you're taken like they are here but my niece wasn't buying that lol. She's only 15 so she really doesn't know yet.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia4/23/2010 16:13
Asia: Southengagement rings
Okay, so I'm debating my niece about Hindu customs and my fiancee is on a trip for the next few days and I'm unable to ask him. Our debate is about the importance of the engagement ring. After a couple has a ring ceremony and have placed rings on each other's fingers how important are they to keep on? In America once you put them on you don't take them off and they are generally worn daily. Is it the same in Hindu/Indian society or can the engagement ring just be worn for special occasions? Would a Hindu/Indian person put their ring away and store it and not wear it daily?
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia4/22/2010 19:18
Asia: SouthRomantic Bollywood movies...with english subtitles

I couldn't sit through Pyaar Impossible. I tried, I really tried but Uday Chopra and that bratty child gave me a helluva migraine.


Lol, the kid got better. But she was a brat, even I wanted to spank her.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia4/24/2010 22:16
Asia: SouthRomantic Bollywood movies...with english subtitles
I just watched Pyaar Impossible and it was a fabulous love story. Very beautiful movie. I think you'll like it.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia4/23/2010 20:46
Asia: SouthRomantic Bollywood movies...with english subtitles
It's not Hindi but I really like "the other end of the line" it's about an american that falls in love with an indian girl over the phone....it's so good. Also from Amritsar to LA is good, you can find it in english or subtitled as well. In english it's "Bride and Predjudice" I believe.

Also, go on Netflix.com and you can browse their categories. they have an impressive selection of indian movies.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia1/31/2010 15:44
Asia: SouthRomantic Bollywood movies...with english subtitles
I really liked Umrao Jaan. It's old and heartbreaking, but the story line was so good. The movie was captivating. I also liked Yuvraaj. If you're looking for other movies with a slight love theme you can try Ghajini. I have more but they are packed up right now coz I move on Saturday! Yay me!

Edited by ms_jinga_lala, 28 January 2010 - 08:43 PM.

ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia1/28/2010 20:42
Asia: SouthFiancee Visa Received - After the second re-file of K-1
Congratulations! Always good to hear news like this!
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia4/23/2010 20:51
Asia: SouthHow was your day today?
My day was frigid and full of snow. I actually had to get someone to pick me up at work after my car got snowed in....yeah...my HHR is no match for icy roads lol...but I LOVE IT!!!! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia12/18/2009 20:46
Asia: SouthHow was your day today?
If you can possibly make it through Christmas, January is known to be the worst month for sales of anything, so there will likely be some really good deals, better than the economy boosting ones that are around now. Some of the deals may start to show up just before or just after Christmas. You can take the time now to start figuring out what is important to you (as far as features go) for your new car.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia11/23/2009 19:43
Asia: SouthHow was your day today?
It's a great day to be alive!! The sun is shining....we're awaiting packet 3 to come in the mail any day. I'm so happy. It's great to be in love, and I know there is no guarantee that we will pass the interview but at the same time, it feels good to know we are so close to our chance to prove ourselves. I'm really excited, even though it costs me $60 to mail round 2 of documents needed for last part of this process lol. I just feel good. I hope you all can be optimistic throughout the rest of your visa process.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia11/2/2009 19:23
Asia: SouthJust an update
Well, without trying to air all my struggles this year.....
I absolutely think it's worth it if you can have your spouse with you. But how can I get him here? As it stands my income is down to $800 a month to raise my 3 kids on and I can't get public assistance because on paper they think I make significantly more.

As for my job they only allow personal leave for 30 days at a time and after that you have to resign and reapply. The company contracts for clients where information and the job change daily so they even tell you that they don't expect you to be capable of doing your job if gone longer than that and they send you back to square one (training) when and if they rehire you. I'm not making excuses, this is unfortunately my reality. I have no money, I have nothing left to sell because I've already sold it all. That's also why I've said that I'm tempted to just say screw all of this and move to India with him and just be done.

I'm definitely going to check into the getting married then registering that you mentioned because I had been previously advised here and he had a lawyer there tell him that I needed to be in the country with an address to provide the registrar there for 31 days while our information was posted on a board for anyone to be able to dispute. Maybe I read it wrong when it was written on here to me by an Indian citizen, which I'm gladly hoping I did because maybe then I can find a way through this.

This is not an issue of his worth at all - it's about trying to balance life with funds I don't have. I've invested quite a bit of money into this relationship already, it's just that the money has run out. I have no problem sacrificing. But facing all this and trying to think about starting over with $1200 plane tickets, $700 for a wedding, $500 for filing fees (or more with the new fee schedule coming out) and not knowing when I will even be able to start all of that is worse than holding onto the shred of hope that this may still go through.

Please don't judge me and my intentions without knowing what I'm going through. I'm just trying not to post all my personal information here for the world to slam me harder than I'm already getting slammed. I am considering all the options and I just can't find a way to make any of them work.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia7/11/2010 15:54
Asia: SouthJust an update
I can't afford to refile right now and getting to India is also going to pose a major challenge sine I'm dealing with my son's medical issues. I'm just missing too much work to save enough money to go and keep all the expenses paid here while I'm gone. I'm not quite sure how I could stay there the required 31 days to get married either because that would pretty much mean quitting my job. It's hard enough to get a week off much less 5 weeks (counting travel). Ugh...I'm still hoping that this will get reapproved and then I will do whatever it takes to be at that Embassy this time. And the lawyer is more about filing for consular misconduct because there isn't much else she can help us with.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia7/10/2010 21:45
Asia: SouthJust an update
Well things have been stressful to say the least. Today marks 120 days since the USCIS finally decided to log my case into the computer. I called them and requested them to notify me of action and status of the case only to find that I have to allow them 45 days to get back to me. WTH. Relationship wise things have been a bit strained due to other things getting in our way in addition to the visa. I'm about ready to throw in the towel, sell all my ####### and move to India because this is all just bs lol....I'm really tired of it at this point. I know we all have felt this way at more than one point in the process.

I've decided to contact a lawyer. I got her number from some Indian friends here who have used her and say she is really good. I will see. So far I don't think she deals with K-1's too often because she already suggested I go get married and then reapply. But the thing is, that would set me back even farther. If I go over there to get married I'm just not coming home lol. Ugh....when will it end :(
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia7/8/2010 20:51
Asia: SouthImmigration to India
Thank you all for the great information! I looked up a couple of things with the info you guys provided and it looks like it's gonna take about 3 months from the time the process starts to get approval for the visa. So I'm going to get started ASAP. I had my fiance ask some questions over there as well and he found out there will be some kind of police inquiry at his home during this process. So there is no guarantee.

Do you guys think I should get a tourist visa before applying for the immigration visa? I don't want things to wind up like they did here and us not have either.

Thanks! Going to do more research now.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia7/31/2010 10:37
Asia: SouthImmigration to India
I've given all your answers to my previous posts much thought. I can't stand going through another year of the kind of hell I've been through this year alone and things only keep getting worse. So I have decided to pack up and go to India. But I'm not sure how long I'm going for. I don't want to get married the same week I get there. I want to relax a little, spend time with my fiance and then get married. This will make the 6 month tourist visa validity a tight squeeze to work into. So I'm thinking about moving there for at least a year, possibly a lot longer. I've searched online and at official Indian websites but I'm still confused about some things. First off....how the hell do you immigrate to India. There doesn't seem to be any visa paperwork for that so right now I'm considering an employment visa though I know that's a stretch. Is there any kind of marriage visa or immigration process for people who want to become citizens of India?

Also, I need to know more about this going over and getting married thing without having to be there 31 days first. Just in case I do have to get married quickly because I'm not sure I can work my plane ticket and other factors in my life around getting there well in advance of whatever date the astrologer sets for us. I know his parents can arrange everything but what do I need to do/have/take. What's my part in this besides showing up and participating so that I can get the legal certificate to be able to bring my husband back if I come back. Any pointers, tips, advice from people who have been there and done that is appreciated. Thank you in advance.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia7/26/2010 21:18
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Praise God!!!
Finally the NVC forwarded our case to the consulate!! They were sent the case on 9/22 and just forwarded it yesterday. We are working on a K-1. Just fyi for those of you who are also in additional processing.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2009-10-27 09:32:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)AP at the NVC
QUOTE (ScottThuy @ Sep 29 2009, 06:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
... waiting sucks but I would rather wait a little longer than allow more terrorists into the country... And when it boils down to it.. that is what the background checks are supposed to prevent...


Hmm, I thought they were checking to see if the beneficiary is legit and if the whole thing is a scam or fraud because they want to prevent people from getting into the country to take advantage of the social services here?

Any case, waiting a little longer wont hurt anything, so long as its just a little longer smile.gif
Happy2BeMalePhilippines2009-09-30 11:24:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)AP at the NVC
QUOTE (ScottThuy @ Sep 28 2009, 01:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The link I posted has a great deal of information that could explain this.. It could be random or it could be a background check flag that caused the file to get pulled. Not much that anyone has found that can be done.. Stephen faxed a letter to the DOS and the next day he was approved, but we dont know if it was a coincidence...

Call everyday during the week after 4 est.. as thats approx. when the files go out...


Hmm, would that make them upset, calling every day? They seemed grumpy when I called them about my case. My petition is also in AP, and there seems a clerical error that has flagged my case to be reviewed by a supervisor. They say my name does not match the name on the petition, yet I have both NOA letters from the USCIS that clearly state my name as the petitioner. The NVC lady said they will flag it and I should call back in 15 business days to get an update. I planned to call in 1 week, i don't want to call too many times and annoy them. I already called twice. The first time I called, I got the case MNL# and found out its in AP but forgot to ask when they received my petition from the USCIS so I called the next day and thats when they told me my name does not match.

Edited by Happy2Be, 28 September 2009 - 11:14 PM.

Happy2BeMalePhilippines2009-09-28 23:14:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)STUCK @ NVC for AP
QUOTE (dhc @ Sep 29 2009, 02:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Let's all get through this guys..we are all frustrated, this forum has been a great help and very supportive. Good luck to all to the rest of their journey and maybe since we are nearing the 2-4 week mark that we all get some well deserved news before this week ends.



Here here!

And I would also add... try not to "flood" the NVC offices with phone calls. If you must call, try waiting a couple days in between calls. I can imagine how the operators must feel there getting inundated with calls everyday. I am sure they got tons of applications to go through and they are trying to make sure none are fakes or scams.

Anyway, one of my chat friends has already got their letter from the Embassy. Her fiance filed the I129F 1 week earlier than I did, so who knows, maybe my girl with get her letter in a week or two wink.gif
Happy2BeMalePhilippines2009-09-30 11:18:00
IndiaQuestion for VJ-ers from India: to expand or not expand initials?
I think it is better safe than sorry so you should write out the full names. It eliminates any confusion during the investigative phase as to who exactly your husband is. Just as an example, I'm in North India and there are 3 people within a 1 block radius with the same name as my husband. His dad has the same first initial as one of the other's father as well. Should an investigator come through here verifying our affidavits we would absolutely want to be certain they got the right Rohit. (In North India they attach their father's name to everything they do so it's important that only his information be found and not someone else who could ruin things for us or confuse an already skeptical immigration official.)
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2012-04-08 14:37:00
IndiaIndian Visitor Visa: Experiences
When we applied at the New Delhi embassy for my husband he was only asked two questions. Why did he want to go to the US and how much money did he make. Once he answered the money question they denied him. They didn't ask for our proof of real estate holdings or how much was in our bank account. I'm in a group with about 300 gori's and the ones who went through the tourist visa process said it took 2-3 tries to get it. BUT, that is in the situation of a mixed marriage. From all of their experiences and my own I gather they're looking mostly for monetary assets primarily.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia2012-04-08 14:32:00
Asia: SouthCall India for 2.4 cents a min
I've been using this service for months and just this past week they lowered their rates to India. I talk to my fiancee daily so this was fabulous for me lol. It's now only 2.4 cents a min and I waited to be billed and double check because I felt these rates were unbelievably low. But that's all I'm being charged.

www.jaxtr.com

my username is kristy13

How this works is you put in your phone number and information and the number you would like to call. They give you a number that is local to you and as long as you have unlimited long distance it's a free call. For example, I live in North Carolina but got a Texas number to dial. It's free for me to call, and I only get billed by jaxtr. You have to prepay your jaxtr account and they have several options available. It works in many countries, just check to see to make sure yours is available. My fiancee tried to use it in India, but received a number that cost him 2 rupees a min which was better than the 10 it cost to call me before. Then he had to pay for jaxtr in addition to that. It was still a lot cheaper.

Also they have something you can set up to call for free to anyone on the jaxtr network. I didn't have any luck with that because my fiancee would still have to pay to dial in. Then it went to voice mail. You have to approve callers before jaxtr will allow the calls to go through. Check into it and see which options work for you.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia12/27/2008 21:49
Asia: SouthCalling your SO cheaper
I posted this on the South Asia thread and just thought maybe it would be good here too. There current rates from the US to India is 2.4 cents a min and it keeps a call log for you that you can download to MS Excel and print. You have to prepay for the minutes of use, but there is also a free option too that might work for you.

www.jaxtr.com

How this works is you put in your phone number and information and the number you would like to call. They give you a number that is local to you and as long as you have unlimited long distance it's a free call. For example, I live in North Carolina but got a Texas number to dial. It's free for me to call, and I only get billed by jaxtr. You have to prepay your jaxtr account and they have several options available. It works in many countries, just check to see to make sure yours is available. My fiancee tried to use it in India, but received a number that cost him 2 rupees a min which was better than the 10 it cost to call me before. Then he had to pay for jaxtr in addition to that. It was still a lot cheaper.

Also they have something you can set up to call for free to anyone on the jaxtr network. You have to approve callers before jaxtr will allow the calls to go through. Check into it and see which options work for you.
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia12/29/2008 6:39
Asia: SouthIndia birth certificate questions
Thank you both for your help! It's very much appreciated!
ms_jinga_lalaFemaleIndia3/4/2009 10:54