sailorboy

I'm going to jump in here also for a couple of reasons!! One, I may have stated in my anger (or anguish) my opinion of the Black Pearl (or Widow), but after reading this...I want to retract it immediately. Hindsight is always 20/20 and now with my wife at my side, it is a clearer picture I am seeing. Obviously this is a different person than her predecessor. My plans didn't happen as I wanted, but I have to say, what followed actually turned out better than I could hope for. I applaud your persistance and hope that the GUZ staffs a position for USC that come to the interview and can immediately chat with someone about a blue slip for clarification and explanation. Also, the guards DO NOT run the consulate...if they do, then we have serious Homeland Defense issues!! Bring back the Marines!! Congratulations!! Dave

I would like to offer my recent experience on this very subject. We were given a blue slip on the basis of the "Spousal Visits" question. Anticipating this, I wrote the following letter: My wife had the Black Widow and she blue-slipped us with a request for a letter from my employer stating I was not entitled to vacation during the period from our marriage until the Friday before our interview. We overcame the blue slip. So I guess I would suggest that, if you go my route, also get a letter from your employer stating the facts. I thought notarized letters were legally binding but apparently not. Some of the responses I have read here seem to point to no vacation balance on the books, so just state that. We are riding a thin line because if you take a leave of absence and end up losing your job, you no longer make the salary requirements (125% of Poverty Level) which is a basis for denial. Also, I'm of the belief that being there for the interview is most important. We were able to overcome in a very short period of time because I could expedite the necessary paperwork immediately after reading the blue slip. Just my 2 cents....good luck to all!! Dave

One visit to marry is grounds to Deny!? Oh man... Well I am going in April. Will that please the Black Widow? I get 3 weeks of a year and only 5 holidays (Xmas, Thanksgiving, 4th, memorial, labor day, new years), so I can't go that often either. Not to mention the cost. 171109[/snapback] You know...in most cases nothing has ever been mentioned in the form of a denial reason. The question always gets asked for some reason but most VOs seem to blow right by the answer. Go figure. I think my letter was a move in the right direction but if you are going to get denied, they will find a reason for it. I am trying not to be vindictive, but the more I think about it, the more I am incline to say there is strong indictors that denials are premeditated and the questioning is grilled unless an "excuse" can be attained. The requirements state only one visit every two years is required. But they also have the power to deny on nothing more than their own hunch (no facts, just feelings or gut instincts). This is where I draw the line in the sand as being unfair and a breech of trust of the US citizen. Good luck!! Dave

Just a quick note to say she arrived OK. I did have to wait for 2 hours for her to come through customs. Seems there were 3 other flights landing at the same time. Regardless, you can imagine how the butterflies start kicking in with yet more issues at Immigration. Turns out my worries were ill-founded. She breezed through Immigration once they got to her. Customs asked her why I was wasn't with her and she told the guy I was outside waiting for her. He flashed her through without baggage check. Seeing her finally coming through that door was the most wonderful thing I could ever imagine! All the imaginations I have had over this long and drawn out procedure all began to come true. Her first impressions have been great from what I can tell. She loves the fact that there are not people everywhere you look and not many cars. I haven't shown her the 405 during rush hour yet....eh, eh, eh... Finally, I want to thank all of you for your congratulations and good wishes. I know my time with CFL has been limited due to my interests on "that other board", but believe when the time came that my wife's paperwork was headed for GUZ, you had all my attention. This is a great board and a great resource for someone going down this path. You old-timers are to be commended for your devotion and loyalty. I truly hope the day comes soon when this process is accomplished more efficiently and, moreover, accountability for the actions of the VO are more closely and openly scrutinized. Too many times I have had my heart tore up by some unknown entity only to be left totally helpless in attempting to resolve whatever problems there were. I wish the very best to all and will continue to be in the background for a little longer if anyone has any further questions that I might help on. Cosmiclobster....I think the dock is planning the weekend after Thanksgiving for the welcome home party. Please plan on attending with wife!! See ya there!! Dave

I arrived in GUZ on Sunday, 11/6...our interview was 11/7. Everything was fairly typical of previous posts regarding forming lines around 7:00am and such. They started letting us in around 7:45am and as we got close to the guy handing out the green cards, my wife (in a fit of haste) surge forward and grabbed the next card. Bad idea!!! The number on the card was 00013!!! We went up the escalators to the 3rd or 4th floor (I forget) and my wife gave up her card and proceeded up the next escalator. I went to the coffee shop and began the wait from h***. As I looked around, I did see 3-4 other US guys waiting. I finally joined one of them and we small talked for awhile and then just sat in nervous silence. Two hours later, they started coming out...my heart started to explode almost! My first and permanent impression of the scam artists was very bitter. These poor girls coming out have no defense against them! What a total scam! Anyway, as some of the ladies with the US guys came out, everyone was saying it was too easy. Just got asked a couple of easy questions, then the "OK, you pass...you get visa". For them it was a slam dunk. Then my wife comes out and I could tell by the look on her face the news was not good. She was given the blue slip!! I was stunned to say the least! She apparently got the Black Widow and she asked my wife numerous questions and looked at everything my wife had brought in detail. Finally, she found her power trip reason for denial. Among the top 10 questions posted here is "how many times has your SO visited you." Anticipating that question and knowing I had only been there once to marry my wife, I wrote a letter of explanation and had it notarized. Further, as added incentive for the VO, I offered letters of reference and recommendation from family and friends. 25 of them to be exact!! Well, the VO saw where I stated in my letter that I was not entitled to vacation in my job and would have lost my job if I made follow-on visits. So she blue slipped my wife and stated for us to bring a letter from my employer stating I was not entitled to vacation as I had said in my letter. Some of you more knowledgeable than I type guys/gals may know more, but I was of the impression that a notarized document is legally binding. Thus when I notarized my letter, I was legally bound to it in a legal proceeding. But that isn't good enough for the Black Widow. Instead, she wanted a non-legally binding letter from my boss. Go figure!! Long story short, we made an appointment for the following Monday. I had my boss FEDEX the letter immediately. I came back to the US on that Thursday (11/10) while my wife stayed behind for the Overcome Interview. The letter arrived the day I left. On Monday, 11/14, my wife took it in with the blue slip and a copy of my passport with visa stamps for good measure. Was told to come back on Wednesday, 11/16 for answer. She did so and got the red slip. All that was said to her by a nice Chinese VO was "You are OK now" and she handed my wife the red slip. My wife picked her passport and packet up at the China Post on Friday. Said she had to wait for 2 hours!! She spent Saturday partying with her friends in GZ and celebrating. And now, just the flight remains. Oh, total time from NOA1 to her arrival in the US will be 424 days. Speedy, eh? Better luck to all who follow us!! Dave

Rick, We also have an 11/07 interview that day!! We're staying at the Garden Hotel...I'm arriving on the 6th (cutting it close but couldn't be helped). Funny, I just relocated to So. Cal from Seattle in 2001. Seattle has always been my home town. Lived in Ballard down at a marina there. Let me know if you want to get together....don't know how much time I'll have. We have a ton of shopping to do for Christmas and the like. Hope to hear from you!! Dave

OK...everyone's fingers crossed??? Just emailed GUZ about the extra interview...good luck everyone!! I sure hope someone from this forum gets it!! Dave

Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions...I'll go with David's suggestion and email the consulate tonight about so hopefully that will open up a spot for someone else on the 8th. Yes, I agree with the notion that both were so close together that it just fell through the crack. Dave

Hey there, So my wife tells me her Interview letter states she has a CR1 Interview on the 7th and a K3 Interview on the 8th. I'm guessing the K3 is automatically cancelled after the CR1 interview, but if things go south, does the K3 (with less requirements) serve as a back-up? I hadn't read anywhere about this so I'm mildly curious. Any thoughts? As always, thanks so much!! Dave

Mark, You ol' rascal!! Called DOS today and, you guessed it, we have an interview date. It is Nov. 7th....so let's do a little comparison...you said we would get our P4 on 9/30...funny, DOS states it will be sent out tomorrow morning (hmmm, that makes it 9/30)...HE SCORES!!! Next you said we would have our interview appointment on Nov 14th, it's Nov 7th....what's with that??? Wow, I have been stunned all day long at the accuracy of the predictions...whoa! I had better settled down a little, my blood pressure is starting to rise beyond normal limits. Incredible job, Mark!! And yes, I'll update my VJ timeline as well. Thanks so much for your hard work!! Dave

Scott, So sorry to hear about the down turn in your relationship. I am not totally sure either but seems I read somewhere that once she has permanent status she can stay in the USA. As for marriage time, I think the timeframe is 2 years is all. I hope you can resolved everything with your wife and this will become a non-issue. Some of the other guys on this board have more knowledge than I do so I defer to them and their collective wisdom. Good luck. Dave

CONGRATS!! I'm breakin' out the tequila shooters for ya! Have a great life together!! Dave

CONGRATULATIONS!! Good luck to you in your new life together!! Dave

Boy am I ever sympathetic to what you're going through. Same thing happened to me! It took forever for CSC to even notify me of my RFE. I was so mad I could be fit to be tied because I knew I had included everything they needed. Just to make sure, I looked again at the copies of the petition I sent and, OMG, there it was...I had not sent in both of our divorce papers. We went through that drill when we were married so I didn't think it was needed....WRONG! When the RFE finally came, that was what it was...I sent them and two weeks later our case was approved. I beat the livin' crap out of myself for about a week. Only advice I can give is once you learn what the reason for the RFE was, avoid looking at mirrors for awhile. Good luck! Dave

Wow Mark!! That's great news!! Will call tomorrow morning and see if there's been a change. Called Tuesday and also sent email to GUZ, but no luck there. Definitely will call everyday. Congrats!! Given your date, maybe I am looking at the end of the month now. Whatever, just want a date for sure. Dave

Thanks all, actually I totally agree about DOS but then they can get pretty "canned" also, especially the newbies working there. Sharon has been my personal favorite for her friendliness and understanding. I just thought it was a bit different from the usual emails coming out of GUZ. Dave

I also wish to extend my condolences. :candle: :candle: :candle: How devastating and utterly unfair at a time when the greatest happiness of having your SO join you so very soon in your new life together. I imagine there is significance here that only you will know and treasure beyond our capabilities. I pray for you and your family during this solemn event. I have also lost my mother quite some time ago now and I often think of her and the gift of life she gave for me even at the end. Take great care at this time. Many are counting on you to be strong and faithful. Deepest sympathies, Dave

Just emailed GUZ to see if the dark clouds opened up and they sent out a P4 to my wife. Got this reply back. Now the last response I got was about a month ago and they flatly stated it would be about 3 months (definitely sounded canned). According to our predictions experts, my wife should get her P4 sometime this week (actually 9/30) for an interview date of 11/14. The other thing that makes me believe a human sent the email is that the grammar seems off from a canned response. What do you all think? Looking for good vibes that it is geniune but then, considering it's from GUZ, well....you know what that means. Thanks for your opinions!! Dave

Oops... CONGRATULATIONS!!! :D

I was in James' group when he made up the shortcuts for VJers. To disspell some myths...none of what James wrote for us to do is illegal. James is a very legal minded individual. All the shortcuts do (and I followed each one of them) is cut out about of month's worth of wait time for NVC to mail documents to you. The trick was to wait until the IVR stated a form was being mailed and then drop the completed form you self-generated into the mail. For us here, there is an added form to the DS-230 package (P3) that NVC sent out. It was the P3 Supplemental Form. While I didn't send that in when my DS-230 was generated, it did not, repeat not, keep our case from completing. I sent it to my wife and she completed it and faxed it to the Consulate once they had our case in the computer. Over at VJ, James' shortcuts have been used AND abused. If you can believe it, I know of 2 or 3 petitioners who self-generated all the forms and sent them in at once after they got their case number. Whoa....scary there!! But you know what....their cases were completed. Go figure!! So it is not illegal. What you are doing is working against a computer system not a human. Oh, VJ's record when last I saw was 52 days from case number to case completion. Yeah...the guy used James' shortcut!! Dave

Your timeline doesn't indicate it, but from your subject I assume NVC has approved your case. The next steps at the consulate will take 5-6 months to complete unless the consulate picks up the pace a little. As for expediting anything, you really have to have good cause. Once NVC sends the case to GUZ, it will hang around customs for a month or so and then maybe as long a two weeks after that before it is entered into the computer. After that it is about 3 months to interview. You can get a pretty good overview by checking out Timeline's (Mark's) pinned prediction tables. Hang in there... Dave

Never hate yourself for being honest....you'll get your just reward one day. I concur with an earlier post, use USPS. I've never had any problems at all. I sent a ton of presents last year for Christmas and lately sent my digital camera to my wife. Declared it as a gift and insured it (which is to say I stated the value). No problems, no customs. And it arrived exactly when they said it would!! Good luck next time. Dave

First, I want to say I know your frustration very well...and I live in CA!! My case went to CSC directly, then came all the transfers from NSC, TSC, etc. Thinking that since I lived here mine would be prioritized over the transfers proved way wrong. At the time, transfers held the highest priority and were sent merrily on their way while I sat for 168 days for my approval. Now it would appear that the opposite has taken effect....is there no end to this insanity!!! I do wish you a speedy exit out of CSC...they have no merit in my mind because it isn't first come, first served. Good luck!! Dave

WHEW!!! GLAD THAT'S OVER!! CONGRATS!!! Dave

You know...that's a interesting question...but I think if my wife did run into it, she (and perhaps all seeking immigration) look at it as a necessary evil and another reason why she wants to come to US. It wouldn't surprise me at all if there was a ton of corrupt governmental officials. We have them too! Dave