BLUE SLIPS

[Guest DragonFlower]

OK,I was at the consulate on Sept. 30 for the info session.

 

The VO that gave the talk had this to say about Blue Slips.

 

The VO's have great discretion over who gets Visa's,the rules are kind of gray.Many of their initial decision's are based on gut reactions.They are only allotted a certain amount of time to reveiw the material before the interveiw.Then they only have a limited amount of time at the interveiw.

 

What this means,is that if their gut reaction throws any kind of red flag up.

They may not look at anything at the interveiw,they have already decided that your case needs further reveiw.Which they do not have time for at the initial interveiw.For us that means we will get a blue slip,we will be asked to bring requested info back the next day.Often times the info will be just the info you had at the interveiw,which they could not take the time to look at,that day.

 

In the VO's own words---When you bring your info in,it will sit on his desk until he takes the time to reveiw EVERYTHING,he says he can not go home until the pile of cases on his desk is reveiwed.

 

In a nutshell,he said do not sweat a blue slip,initially.It simple means they need to take more time to reveiw your information.

 

Fraud is a major problem,they see all manner of fake paperwork.Up to and including fake US passports and IRS paperwork.

 

 

I know this does not seem very fair but it kind of explains some of the inconsistencies we see.

 

Some of us real people are getting swooped up in the big game.

The VO did not seem the least remorseful about how some people might be asked to return again and again,even though their homes might be thousands of miles away.Although overall,he seemed to be a nice guy.

 

I heard what I have heard often here-----bring as much documentation as you can get.They may look at it OR they may not.Every case is different!

 

The good news ,if any!Tell your SO to stay calm,if a blue slip is issued-quite possibly it can be resolved with just the paperwork you already have.They just need to take the time to look at it.

 

 

Well,that is how he explained it.

 

Beyond that,I think sometimes they just ask for off the wall Items(like videotapes)to see how people will respond.If there was a big complete list of everything you needed,then I suppose the fakers would have a fake everything when they show up for the interveiw.

 

 

long

[Guest Gene]

Thank you very much for passing that along. Very interesting and it does go long way in explaining some of there actions.......Now if they would just hire about ten more of those guys to speed things up a little

[oregonknl]

Thanks Long,

 

Very valuable information!!

[Guest strawberry nose]

Long,

 

Thanks for your useful and helpful info. I will help to post it on our 001 web so that make the girls relief.

 

Aggie(We met on Oct.1 party at SZ).

[Guest DragonFlower]

In reality,this guy said they had hired new people.In fact were overcrowded.Which brought up the new facilities talk(I talked about in Another thread).As I said there,they have even considered having a second shift.

 

Some of this might be the same old song and dance ,though.It is still very frustrating that we the people who are trying to work inside the system seemed to be taking the worst abuse.If you are Scamming and scam fails -shame on you!If you are playing it straight and you fail-it is very heartbreaking.

[PJ]

Wow, that is very valuable information. Thank you very much for sharing that with all of us. I had never heard of that much useful info coming out of the Thursday info session.

 

Incidentally, I had wanted to go to the sept 30 one and thought about it, but was too busy having a fever and dashing to the restroom to go. Glad someone made it.

 

P.J.

[Guest DragonFlower]

Thanks Aggie

 

I apreciated the opportunity to meet so many 001er's.I am glad Mark invited us,it was a chance for my wife to see that we are not alone.

 

long

[Guest DragonFlower]

It was a very small meeting and this guy did seem to be very helpful.

Maybe 20 people in all,Mostly ABC and green card.

 

One other possibly interesting thing was happening.

 

There was discussion of the email server problem(we have heard this before).

 

 

For people at the meeting-they were allowed to fill out a problem sheet and turn it in to a window.We were told they would get immediate attention.I do not know if this will remain SOP or not.Can only suggest if you are having problems and can get to the consulate on Thursday afternoon,give it a try.

 

long

[johns]

Excellent insider info.

 

Thank you!!!

 

My experience at info session in mid August.

 

I found out staying through the whole info session when others started to leave I got to chatting with some of the VOs or whoever was running the session. They would give me more inside info face to face then to the whole group. In my little chat we talked more about fraud and fiances English level. See one of my previous posts for futher info

 

Of course my impression was that the more about the process I knew the more willing they were to answer my detailed questions. NOT questions like "could you check the status of my case today???"

 

john

shiu niu

[Jason+Joanna]

Very good info, thanks. It is a pity, however, that some bad apples have to spoil the bunch...

 

Incidently, I plan to attend one of information meetings at the consulate next year -- maybe Feburary or May.

[PJ]

Fraud is a major problem,they see all manner of fake paperwork.Up to and including fake US passports and IRS paperwork.

 

I do agree that fraud is a big problem. However, I am a firm believer that it is worse to deny one valid case then to approve ten fraudulent cases, just as I believe it is worse to send one innocent person to prison than to let ten guilty criminals off the hook. Just my humble perspective on things.

 

P.J.

[Jim - Portland, USA]

Thanks Long for this very helpful information! This does take some of the mystery out of things. Our interview (oops, I mean her interview) is next week. This info will better enable me to cope should my honey walk out of there with a blue slip.

[keelec]

Fortunately, very few visas are "DENIED". Most of the people can get the necessary information in a month or so and the visas are approved. For example, Carl had to fly to China and spend about $1K. However, his wife got the visa and they two of them are now "Living Happily Ever After".

 

-----------

 

This is the US Government. If they have concerns, why can't they make requirements that would help prevent fraud:

 

1 - If fraudulent tax returns are a concern. Get a "Real Transcript" from the IRS, and compare that to the one that the fiancée brings in. Does the US scan the "original" returns? It would be pretty hard to forge a scanned copy without having had the "original" that was submitted (if you still submit in hard-copy like I do as well as keeping copies of the ones submitted to the IRS).

 

2 - Want to verify a continuing relationship. Require the US Citizen to bring fiancée/spouse into a US Embassy anywhere in the world sometime after the K1/K3 was submitted, and at least a month before the interview. One would then meet the man AND woman. Verify a real copy of both of their passports. Stamp the fiancée’s passport, and take her fingerprints in the presence of the USC. Double check the fingerprints at the interview and again at the POE. Do new US passports have the same "biometrics" that the US is requiring other countries to provide? If the USA has biometric passports and the American Citizen is holding the passport in a US Embassy, it would be pretty hard to falsify the passport

 

3 - If the interview is an important step of the process, how much would it cost to do ½ hour interviews with both the petitioner and beneficiary present? Maybe hour long interviews, half with the petitioner and beneficiary together, half with them separate. An extra $50? Anybody here willing to pay an extra $50 for better, more accurate interviews, and perhaps shaving 6 months off of the process?

 

4 - The USC not in China? Conduct a phone interview with a verifiable callback number registered in the USA to the USC at a verifiable street address (maybe caller ID would also work). Or, better yet, require the USC to come in person into an INS office or Consulate somewhere in the world for an interview.

 

5 - Terrorist activities a concern? Start biometrics EARLY so that info could be added to the namechecks.

 

If recruiting labor is an issue… set the fees and wages right, and there will be no problem recruiting help. What happens to the $500 or so that are paid in fees anyway?

 

If Fraud is the problem, the US Government should figure out what they need, and fix the problem rather than taking a year to do a 5-minute cursory review of the documents and basing decisions on "instinct".

[Guest DragonFlower]

All valid points,the system needs a serious overhaul.

But this is our Uncle we are talking about,the many headed beast just keeps plowing along the same course.

 

Unfortunately,we must work within the system as it exists today.Unless we want our SO's to come live with us in the old folk's home.

 

 

I am particularly nervous about this gut reaction thing.We are 19 years different in age and got married fairly quickly.FLAGS.

We have a wonderful relationship,that just keeps getting stronger every day.But I suspect we will be required to jump thru hoops.I try to apply gentle persuasion to my wife to learn English,but she also has a demanding job to take care of.So,I just try to cover all the bases,with info from here,and firsthand encounters with others who have gone before.I happen to work with 5 Chinese immigrants.

 

I appreciate CFL a great deal.When walking thru a minefield,it is at least helpful to know where most of the mines are.I am just trying to return the favor by passing on the knowledge that has come to me.If all of us do this simple thing, then the group gains strength.Perhaps someday our voices can be heard and we can help change the system.

 

 

long

[Guest strawberry nose]

Long,

 

You can let your flower view below website which we called 001.

 

http://usa.bbs.net/bbs/01/index.html

 

It's a Chinese website talking about K/CR1 visa. your wife would get a lot of useful and helpful info from it. And make friends as well. Party on Oct. at SZ gathered from 001 website.

 

Aggie