frank1538 Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 An interesting thing happened today. A guy from the FBI called me and wanted to talk about my future stepson. Sure, I said. When? Now, he said. Ten minutes later, he and another man had shown up at the office with appropriate credentials and a file about a half an inch thick. They verified a number of factual items, apparently from the I-129F- Jingwen's name, her kids's names, where I lived, etc. I couldn't tell if they were checking me out or really just checking the facts. The gentlemen were most cordial and, after the q&a sorta apologized for having to do this. I asked what the deal was and was told my files had been randonmly selected for follow-up as part of a program trying to indentify visa fraud. The lead guy said all was in order and there was nothing further to be done. I asked him to confirm a few things for me on the namecheck/security process at NVC and then at GZ. He did not provide anything specific but thought that both the petitioner and beneficiary were vetted at NVC, where the emphasis was on potential domestic (US) violations. When GZ sends in the request, he thought the emphasis was more on what the individual might have done in his home country that would make him a potential threat if he were to come to the US. The two men left after about 15 minutes. Link to comment
Mick Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Wow! Just when you think you have heard it all... I can imagine your experience might have been a bit anxiety provoking to say the least. Glad it all worked out ok. Link to comment
Dave G. Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Once again, I'll scream: TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON ADMINISTRATION, NOT ENOUGH ON ENFORCEMENT http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/sauer/angry-smiley-025.gif Link to comment
bobmal99 Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 I agree Mick, just when we thought we had heard it all. Must have been quite an anxious phone call and interview!!! Hope things happen quickly from here on out. Link to comment
Mick Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 I agree Mick, just when we thought we had heard it all. Must have been quite an anxious phone call and interview!!! Hope things happen quickly from here on out. Yeah, I'm surprised the two officers weren't Mulder and Scully. Getting a visa involves aliens and often seems like something right out of the X Files. Link to comment
Bob & Minglian Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 Yes, just when you think you've heard it all. Interesting they showed up in just 10 minutes and it took two of them to ask the questions. Probably always travel in pairs, though. I'm not sure how the line of questioning related to visa fraud since they only asked what they already obviously knew. Glad to know all went well and that it's over. Link to comment
warpedbored Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 Are you sure they weren't really mormon missionaries? the wear suits and travel in pairs. The bicycles would be a dead give away.Carl Link to comment
keelec Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 What an interesting experience......Black suits and ties?Just like a scene from “Men in Black”? Did they ask you about “Aliens” too? I know that it is not uncommon for “Fraudulent / Sham” marriages for people who are already in the USA for one type of visa, and want to extend it to a permanent residency. Unfortunately, many of the women who do this are abused and hurt (and are driven only by the hope for future happiness in the USA). My first thought would be that Internet SHAM Marriages would be so difficult to do that it just wouldn’t happen. But, maybe there is a possibility of fraud for personal gain. Consider someone who would “Introduce” acquaintances to friends or family members so that the acquaintances would bring the family members to the USA. They could then add something extra to sweeten the pot. Then again, many people fall in love with men or women that friends introduce them to. There is nothing wrong with an introduction, or fixing up someone with a date. Hmmm, I guess the internet would be the perfect front for a man to look for someone that would be willing to do ANYTHING, or give ANYTHING to get to the USA. Except that one can only marry 1 woman at a time, and the government would certainly scrutinize any attempt to bring in a second or third woman in a short time. I just hope the Chinese (and Russian) women are smart enough not to allow themselves to “make an agreement with the devil” just to come to the USA, and to wait until “True Love”, or something closely resembling it, comes by. Random Spot-Checks certainly wouldn’t be designed to “catch” people. It does little other than give the FBI information about their method of processing (and, perhaps scare people with less than noble goals). Good statistics should be the basis of their immigration policies. If they find that 50% of the applications are "fraudulent", then they should approach the applications with more scrutiny. If, on the other hand, they find 0.001% of the applications are fraudulent, then they should let them pass through quicker. Furthermore, if they can identify TRENDS in fraudulent applications, they would be able to determine which applications needed the most scrutiny. Now, I would be most interested to find out what the FBI thought they could learn from you in a 15 minute interview. Obviously there would be a problem if you didn't know simple things like the existence of a stepson (which was in the application), or his approximate height and age (hopefully also his birthday and hair color (black, right)). Of course, you supposedly filled out the application forms so you should know his birthday and the name of the school, birth city, and etc….. Glad I didn’t have a pop quiz. You should also be able to describe the circumstances of your meeting your wife and any pictures that you included in the packet (hmmm, I forgot exactly which pictures that I sent, it has been so long). The FBI should be able to find your official passport photo, and I assume you sent in personal photos as well as photos of the two (or three) of you together…. They should all match. Seeing you in person should help too. In many senses, I am glad that the USA is bothering to check up on the applications and gather information through personal interviews. Hopefully they will send a note off to China saying that you are “OK”, and schedule the final interview as soon as possible. But, the more information the better….. And, at least you know your application isn’t just growing cobwebs. ------ Clifford ------ Link to comment
tywy_99 Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 Just think,,,we're all popular and well known by our very own government! The FBI, DHS(BCIS), DOJ, DOS(NVC), IRS, SSA...did I leave any out?,,,oh,...... the MIB and the Delta Force!... Link to comment
frank1538 Posted October 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 I couldn't tell if they were checking me out or really just checking the facts. The more I think about this, the more I think that they were checking me out. Asking the questions about Jingwen and the kids may have been an attempt to determine if I really knew them. One question they did ask was how often I had been to China. I did notice that they were looking around the office quite a bit - they surely saw all the photos of Jingwen and the kids. One side note. I guess they do travel in pairs, and these two presented both sides of the FBI. One guy was wearing his PR clothes(sport coat and tie), but the other guy had on black SWAT fatigue pants with bulging pockets - the image of a no nonsense FBI. Maybe he was trying to intimidate me. Who knows. I now put this little episode behind and hope that nothing comes of it. Link to comment
MoonCarolCafe Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 Did you notice any extra paperweights on yuor desk/shelves after they left? Link to comment
Mick Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 Also, be sure to keep an eye in the rearview mirror for Black Ford sedans or non-descript SUV. Link to comment
Dave G. Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 "...part of a program trying to indentify visa fraud" sounds like enforcement to me?Sorry, Don. Disagree. Investigating someone who's not even here is an administrative act. As if the screening process isn't thorough (and long) enough. Now FBI investigating a minor? (Assuming they told the truth about why they interviewed Frank) Don't get me wrong -- I have no issues with our government being thorough. Especially in this day and age. But, because of this day and age, it seems the FBI has better things to be doing. Everybody hear about the inmates charged with serious sex crimes being released from prison? All illegal. Told to report to deportation hearings. Duhhhh.....none of them showed up. Those two FBI guys would be better off tracking them down. That's enforcement! http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/waffen/violent-smiley-089.gif Link to comment
whoever Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 When is your fiancee gonna be in America Dave? Link to comment
Dave G. Posted October 31, 2003 Report Share Posted October 31, 2003 When is your fiancee gonna be in America Dave?Tuesday. Why? Afraid the Don's been right and I've nutted up? http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/alles_moegliche/mixed-smiley-006.gif Link to comment
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