a girl get EMS today

[AngryTexan]

We were resubmitted on December 30, and we are still not cleared, so the two week promise, like so many others that have been made, are meaningless. There is no due process here, no court of final resort to which we can appeal, nothing. We are at the complete mercy of DOS and GZ, and they can basically do whatever they want to us, without any consequences of any type. And we have to just sit back and take it.

What more proof do you need of this than my experience with the e-mail I received from Lisa Piascik? I have sent her an e-mail, a fax, and left two messages for her to call me and explain why she informed me that my fiancee's name had cleared when it had not. No response. I did receive an e-mail form Maura Harty this morning, promising to look into it, but no response today.

Read Joseph's posts about his Congressman receiving a similar e-mail from GZ, which appears to have also been mistaken.

Read Mick's post from this morning regarding the failure of GZ to resubmit his wife's name, despite the fact that he had been told earlier that it had already been done.

In the 1970's, when the Soviet Union prohibited Soviet Jews from leaving the country and joining their loved ones in Israel, the U.S. wisely, and justifiably led the world in condemning the Soviet government for its heartless violation of the human rights of so many of its citizens. Yet, when our government today prevents our loved ones from joining us here, the policy is applauded by the public at large as evidence of a greater commitment to national security.

Sorry for the negativity today, but I think we have been too naive for much too long. For many of us, the only sure way that we are going to be with our loved ones soon on a full-time basis is to consider a move to China. How in the world could it have ever come to this??

[AngryTexan]

Oh, and by the way, if you think the Christmas holidays and Chinese New Year have/will slow things down, just wait until war with Iraq begins.

[Mick]

Oh, and by the way, if you think the Christmas holidays and Chinese New Year have/will slow things down, just wait until war with Iraq begins.

I can just imagine how that will slow things down!

 

Your post is well-penned and right on the money Texan. It is a shame that many have to consider moving, just to be with their loved one. It is injustice and, in my view, borders on criminal neglect. I am, as you know, living in China as I write this and have been for five years.

 

What galls me most is the fact that two concepts that have made America great during the past, truth and accountability, have been lost completely in this process. Want evidence? Who among us can accurately say what went wrong and who is responsible? It's is a travesty my friend, a complete and unadulterated travesty.

 

Now we add a war to the scenario. Do you think anyone will pay attention to our plight while such a conflict is going on?

 

I fear it will only make matters worse.

 

I, too, apologize for the negativity here but yesterday was not a day filled with bright news for us. And the beat goes on....

 

[Mick]

Jim:

 

I have also been hesitant to believe, or especially voice, what you said in your post. Yet I agree with you and feel that we are all at the mercy of some conspiratorial policy spawned from higher places. Ashcroft has always spooked me, and now we have another Bob Jones alumnus to contend with. Now we add a war to the mix. What's next?

 

I am still not convinced, however, that the media cannot help. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe I'm clutching at straws, but I think in the long run, there may be a shred of hope from the press quarter. Perhaps I am wrong, I, unlike GZ, do make mistakes.

[tonado]

I hope the delay is not due to the quota system. I agree if war breaks out, then all the resources will go there. Also, the US economy will suffer more.

[Eric&Yuhui]

I hope the delay is not due to the quota system.  I agree if war breaks out, then all the resources will go there.  Also, the US economy will suffer more.      

Let's get real. I can't agree with this. Consular Affairs is only one department at State.. Their time will not be taken by Iraq or God knows what else. It's like saying that Customs won't be able to do their job, because the folks at Treasury are too busy dealing with a recession.

I agree about the economy though. War always wreck economies..

 

The quota is an immigrant quota.. And if the petition was approved.. then it's a mute issue.

The answer is much simpler and down to Earth . Plain pass-the-buck and incompetence

[Jatuke]

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I don't see why a war in Iraq should affect name checks and the processing of visas. The only loss of resource would be Powell, and even now the bonehead isn't even paying attention to visa affairs. He has underlings to take care of visa affairs, DOS has underlings that are in charge of visa affairs, and that's why there are numerous departmental agencies to handle and provide services.

 

When the U.S. "accidentally" bombed the Chinese Embassy, visa services proceeded as normal. And the fiasco with the U.S. spy plane, visa services proceeded as normal.

 

Maybe from a media exposure perspective, it might affect our plight. I still feel the best media exposure is to protest or form a demonstration, like the current anti-war protestors.

[Eric&Yuhui]

Jatuke.. see above.. we must have posted simulteanously

[Eric&Yuhui]

Jatuke.. see above.. we must have posted simulteanously

And I don't agree with some sort of "vast conspiracy" either:

1/ We are insignificant in the scope of State's general mandate and worries

2/ Conspiracies require organization and coordination.. Have you seen any in the past year?

[AngryTexan]

Eric,

War with Iraq WILL affect us Eric, because they will use it as simply another excuse to explain the delays. I can just hear it now: "Sir, how can you be concerned about something as inconsequential as being reunited with your wife/fiancee/children. Don't you know that there is a war going on right now? How can you be so selfish?"

And Jim, thank you for having the guts to say what has needed to be said for quite some time now. For those of you who do not know about Bob Jones University, it is a fundamentalist Christian "university" located in (I believe) South Carolina. Among its central teachings is that interracial dating is immoral, and it is strictly prohibited on the Bob Jones campus. I do not believe Ashcroft is actually a graduate, but he did receive an honorary degree. Also, Bush paid a visit there during the 2000 campaign, to shore up support from ultra-conservatives when McCain was breathing down his neck.

And these are the people who are in charge of deciding if we will ever be allowed to live with our loved ones in the U.S. All I can say is shame on any of you who voted in such a way as to allow it to happen.

[Eric&Yuhui]

Eric,

War with Iraq WILL affect us Eric, because they will use it as simply another excuse to explain the delays.  I can just hear it now:  "Sir, how can you be concerned about something as inconsequential as being reunited with your wife/fiancee/children.  Don't you know that there is a war going on right now? How can you be so selfish?"

  And Jim, thank you for having the guts to say what has needed to be said for quite some time now.  For those of you who do not know about Bob Jones University, it is a fundamentalist Christian "university" located in (I believe) South Carolina.  Among its central teachings is that interracial dating is immoral, and it is strictly prohibited on the Bob Jones campus.  I do not believe Ashcroft is actually a graduate, but he did receive an honorary degree.  Also, Bush paid a visit there during the 2000 campaign, to shore up support from ultra-conservatives when McCain was breathing down his neck.

And these are the people who are in charge of deciding if we will ever be allowed to live with our loved ones in the U.S. All I can say is shame on any of you who voted in such a way as to allow it to happen.

Well, we can have different opinions.. that's OK.

I still disagree. Visa restrictions and policies are already in place. a war won't change that, for better or worse.

But I'm sure they can find another excuse for yet a " 2 to 3 weeks delays- We're working on it "

[AngryTexan]

Eric,

I am not saying that a war should affect things. It should not have any affect. But it will, because it will be used as yet another excuse to deny us. I agree - we can have differences of opinion. I guess that's what makes this board so much fun.

[Eric&Yuhui]

Eric,

  I am not saying that a war should affect things.  It should not have any affect.  But it will, because it will be used as yet another excuse to deny us.  I agree - we can have differences of opinion.  I guess that's what makes this board so much fun.

yes true.. But I'm right. You're wrong.. Live with it..

 

Juuuuuust kidding

[tonado]

With a war, the agencies (CIA, FBI) will probably move some people from doing name check on our loveones to some other areas related to war.

[Eric&Yuhui]

With a war, the agencies (CIA, FBI) will probably move some people from doing name check on our loveones to some other areas related to war.

maybe, but then again, we know close to squat about how all those guys work. So I won't start conjecturing and second-guessing.. Been there . Done that.. It's just torturing ourselves unecessarily..