My letter to Consular Affairs

[AZwolfman]

For the few still trapped in the Black Hole and others, feel free to take any thing that you feel useful from this letter if you wish to use in your own letter. I am not faxing until tomorrow, so I am open to suggestions as everything I have done so far has yet to produce a visa. Should I delete the 2nd paragraph?

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LETTERHEAD (with small pic of us)

Dear Kxxx Cxxxxx,

 

Along with thousands of others, my fiancée in China is still awaiting her visa even though several visas have been issued to people who interviewed much, much later than my fiancée. In your email to me of Jan. 13, you stated, "We are working to clear up the older clearance cases so that the visas can be processed to conclusion." We ARE one of the older cases. You also stated, "The majority of new clearance requests are now processed within approximately two weeks." Although over 2 months have passed since our last namecheck resubmit (Jan. 4, 2003), we have had no indication of movement on our case. We have been waiting over 7 months since her interview (Aug. 8, 2002) for the consulate to notify Xxxx to pickup a visa.

 

I have read several of your form letter responses from you and other Consular Affairs officers to myself and others that have contacted you with appeals for help with this problem. Your responses have suggested that the problem has been resolved, or at least significantly improved. Your letters say name check clearances are now averaging 2 weeks, and most if not all names have been re-submitted between January 4th and 13th. The truth is that the problem has NOT been resolved. We continue to suffer this unreasonable wait.

 

In the past month, I have read on internet boards and forums of many more recent visa applicants getting timely name check clearances, visa pickup notices, and visas. I do not understand why this is happening when we and so many others, going as far back as August 2002 interview dates still have not received a visa.

 

My fiancée and I have been waiting since late 2001 to be together again. Maybe you can imagine our frustration of not knowing when we may ever be together. I think Xxxx is one very special woman to wait so long for me and to still (so far) have at least a small amount of faith remaining in the U.S. government's willingness to allow us to live together as husband and wife. I try to keep her spirit up and her faith alive with daily communication, but we often wonder how long our government will keep us apart or if the U.S. will ever allow us to be together.

 

Perhaps you don’t fully understand the impact of your course of action (or lack thereof). Please, I want no more misdirection and delays. This problem is YOUR responsibility. I am asking you locate our specific case, find out if our name check is cleared, if it is have the consulate print our visa and EMS a pickup notice to my fiancee immediately. If there is a problem with our case, find out what it is and tell me what we need to do to fix it. We deserve immediate attention since my fiancée has been waiting since last August - much longer than most of the applicants who have recently been issued visas. Please, no more form letters. Answer us directly. We have waited long enough to deserve at least this much.

 

I look forward to your timely response regarding this matter…

 

Most Sincerely,

Xxxxxxx Xxxxx

[Eric&Yuhui]

For the few still trapped in the Black Hole and others, feel free to take any thing that you feel useful from this letter if you wish to use in your own letter.  I am not faxing until tomorrow, so I am open to suggestions as everything I have done so far has yet to produce a visa. Should I delete the 2nd paragraph?

No. Second is fine. But ditch the 4th.... You make it sound that she should care after 5 PM.. This is the job she does and breathes all day long, and as much as we would like those folks to dream of us at night too, I frankly don't blame her/them if she forgets about CA/DoS at this time of the day, going home.

IMHO

And lower case the "YOUR" responsibility...

Other than that... fire off my friend.. You deserve no more crap form letters..

But this is just my opinion on letter writing and what one wants to accomplish.. and I think I've paid my dues with that crap myself...

Hang though buddy, but don't let them off the hook a minute, let alone "2 more weeks "

But perhaps I shouldn't post this anyway, as I'm off the hook now.. Just trying to help I suppose

[AZwolfman]

Thanks guys. I guess I didn't get all the anger edited out. I think you are right about deleting the personal attack in the 4th paragraph. Maybe i should even edit it out of the post in case CA is reading.

[owenkrout]

I like the edited version, Wolfman. I absolutely agree that those who are still waiting in the black hole deserve some kind of personal attention and answers. If there is a problem, say so and let you decide what to do from there, don't just leave you hanging with no information at all.

[AZwolfman]

THANKS EVERYBODY! You have all given me so much help with this letter (with both your posts and PMs) in such a short time. Here is the likely version that will go out tomorrow.

___________________________________________________

LETTERHEAD (with small pic of us)

Dear Kxxx Cxxxxx,

 

My fiancée from China and I are among those waiting longest for a visa: seven months since her interview (Aug. 8, 2002), more than two months since our last namecheck resubmit (Jan. 4, 2003). I’m appealing to your sense of humanity and fairness to help us out—not with another form letter, please, but with a direct response to OUR case.

 

I am asking you, Ms. Cxxxx, to locate our specific case and find out if our name check is cleared. If it has, I besiege you to have the consulate print our visa and EMS a pickup notice to my fiancée immediately. If there is a problem with our case, or if there is a hold on it, please tell me what we need to do to fix it.

 

We deserve your immediate attention. My fiancée has waited longer -- in some cases much longer -- than most of the applicants who have recently received visas. In your email to me of Jan. 13, you stated, "We are working to clear up the older clearance cases so that the visas can be processed to conclusion." You also stated, "The majority of new clearance requests are now processed within approximately two weeks." We ARE among the oldest cases still pending.

 

Please put yourself in our place. Xxxx and I have waited since late 2001 to be married and begin our life together. I try to keep her spirit up and her faith alive with daily communication, but we often wonder how long our government will keep us apart. The pain is only compounded as we read of other couples issued visas so quickly.

 

In the past month, I have read on internet boards and forums of more recent visa applicants getting timely name check clearances, visa pickup notices, and visas. I do not understand why this is happening when we, who have waited longer, still have not received a visa.

 

I know your department has moved mountains to clear up this backlog. I ask you personally, please don’t leave us behind.

 

Most Sincerely,

[Mick]

I like the edited version, Wolfman.  I absolutely agree that those who are still waiting in the black hole deserve some kind of personal attention and answers.  If there is a problem, say so and let you decide what to do from there, don't just leave you hanging with no information at all.

Without a doubt, Owen is right on the money. Everyone deserves timely and accurate information, especially those remaining in the Black Hole group. Good letter AZ, minus paragraph four. Hope you get good results with it. Keep us posted and our prayers are with you.

[tparrent]

I liked the original. At least I think it's the original - the one at the top of this thread.

 

Forceful but controlled. If I were you, I'd be totally fed up with "understanding" their problems and accepting their excuses.

[Lurker]

If I were you, I'd be totally fed up with "understanding" their problems and accepting their excuses.

So would I. But if you look at the letters on this board that appear to have gotten results, they have refrained from personal attack and strived for a personal connection.

[Eric&Yuhui]

AZ, it really kills me to agree with Eric.

Hey !! I saw that !

[Guest LarryQun]

Dear AZ,

keep on preasurizing them.

In the meantime, I believe you will receive good news soon as many JMs in 001 are receiving EMS recently.

[Eric&Yuhui]

THANKS EVERYBODY!  You have all given me so much help with this letter (with both your posts and PMs) in such a short time.  Here is the likely version that will go out tomorrow.

___________________________________________________

LETTERHEAD (with small pic of us)

Dear Kxxx Cxxxxx,

 

My fiancée from China and I are among those waiting longest for a visa: seven months since her interview (Aug. 8, 2002), more than two months since our last namecheck resubmit (Jan. 4, 2003). I’m appealing to your sense of humanity and fairness to help us out—not with another form letter, please, but with a direct response to OUR case.

 

I am asking you, Ms. Cxxxx, to locate our specific case and find out if our name check is cleared. If it has, I besiege you to have the consulate print our visa and EMS a pickup notice to my fiancée immediately. If there is a problem with our case, or if there is a hold on it, please tell me what we need to do to fix it.

 

We deserve your immediate attention. My fiancée has waited longer -- in some cases much longer -- than most of the applicants who have recently received visas. In your email to me of Jan. 13, you stated, "We are working to clear up the older clearance cases so that the visas can be processed to conclusion."  You also stated, "The majority of new clearance requests are now processed within approximately two weeks."  We ARE among the oldest cases still pending.

 

Please put yourself in our place. Xxxx and I have waited since late 2001 to be married and begin our life together. I try to keep her spirit up and her faith alive with daily communication, but we often wonder how long our government will keep us apart. The pain is only compounded as we read of other couples issued visas so quickly.

 

In the past month, I have read on internet boards and forums of more recent visa applicants getting timely name check clearances, visa pickup notices, and visas. I do not understand why this is happening when we, who have waited longer, still have not received a visa.

 

I know your department has moved mountains to clear up this backlog. I ask you personally, please don’t leave us behind.

 

Most Sincerely,

Great letter now

[Guest LarryQun]

AZ,

by the way, I like your second version of letter.

[Mick]

Great letter AZ. Second version is direct and personal, yet not too aggressive. Again, I wish you much success.

[Charlotte]

AZ, keep the pressure until you hear from them. But just also be prepared get EMS any minute. I would not be surprised you receive a form letter reply from them after you have your visa in hand. As someone said earlier, the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing! --- State of visa processing business!!!

Good luck and waiting to hear your good news any second!!!

[Calvin]

I think all the August blackhole people should send the fax to CA at the same time. It will be more effective in getting their attention to work on our case when more than one voice is heard.

 

Azwolfman, I could smell your EMS coming out of GZ's door!