My wife's interview today, not good.

[Haruki 0]

Today, my wife had her interview. I got a call from an attorney who apparently works by the Embassy or in the Embassy. I knew the news would not be good. She got a 221g. The attorney then briefly told me of the reasons for the denial and informed me that our case is complex. He told me that my wife would like to hire him to take the case. Then, I said “okay, how much?” He responds $600 down and $3,000 when the visa arrives. I declined for now. My wife had the 221g scanned and sent to me. It appears I needed more photos. Remember the lost mail I sent back in November, well that had 176 photos of me with my wife, friends, family. It also mentions VHS and DVD, which I found odd. I thought they declined electronic media. They also want an EOR. I had one signed, notarized, scanned, front loaded and sent her the original along with 288 pages of daily chat logs. They want a detailed statement of all the times I went to China and how we spent our time together. Again, was in my original 2 page EOR. They want statements from both of us regarding our ex-spouses, how we met, how long we lived together, number of children and reason for divorce. I guess they want you to be divorced for more than a year before you re-marry. BTW, this is the first time I filed an I-130. They also want copies of my passport showing the entry/exit stamps (which I front loaded and sent), but they want every page notarized. They want photos of my wife with her daughter during her childhood. I don’t know if I need to hire an attorney or not. I don’t know if this is a complex case. I also think it’s a little late to try to fly back to China at this stage. I think I just added another 3 months or more to getting her and her daughter a visa. But then, I guess they can still deny even if I submitted everything they require. No offense, but I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me, just need some good options. Thanks. Not sure how to load the scanned 221g.

[Wally G! 58]

$3600 :blink:

All of the documents they are requesting and work can be done by you for a fraction if not waaaayyy less that $3,600!!! The Visa process is costly enough. Lawyers!!!

You will need to get the original documents again. Then send them again to your fiancé. Pain!! (I-864, tax returns, pay stubs, photographs, EOR letter etc)

As for the photos if you have them in digital format re-print them at Wal-Mart, Kodak etc. Don’t print them on you color printer!

Lawyers for Visa process are most effective when you have extreme cases. The Visa process for the petitioner is a Due Diligence process, Home work, research and love for your wife and daughter.

Have your wife contact EMC for tracking on the package. This is just in case you are able to obtain that mail. If not, start getting those documents together ASAP for the embassy.

Statements from both of us regarding our ex-spouses,

How we met,

How long we lived together,

Number of children and reason for divorce,

Copies of my passport showing the entry/exit stamps (which I front loaded and sent), but they want every page notarized,

Photos of my wife with her daughter during her childhood etc...

You will need to comply with all requests in the 221g form. What it will cost you for gathering all these documents is a lot less then what the lawyer is asking for. They will do the same things you would do!!

Other VJ’ers will chime in to assist you with more details and suggestions.

God Bless and Good Luck!!

[bigdog 376]

That sound good to me, keep it simple and clean. Follow the guides.

[pushbrk 12,824]

Today, my wife had her interview. I got a call from an attorney who apparently works by the Embassy or in the Embassy. I knew the news would not be good. She got a 221g. The attorney then briefly told me of the reasons for the denial and informed me that our case is complex. He told me that my wife would like to hire him to take the case. Then, I said "okay, how much?" He responds $600 down and $3,000 when the visa arrives. I declined for now. My wife had the 221g scanned and sent to me. It appears I needed more photos. Remember the lost mail I sent back in November, well that had 176 photos of me with my wife, friends, family. It also mentions VHS and DVD, which I found odd. I thought they declined electronic media. They also want an EOR. I had one signed, notarized, scanned, front loaded and sent her the original along with 288 pages of daily chat logs. They want a detailed statement of all the times I went to China and how we spent our time together. Again, was in my original 2 page EOR. They want statements from both of us regarding our ex-spouses, how we met, how long we lived together, number of children and reason for divorce. I guess they want you to be divorced for more than a year before you re-marry. BTW, this is the first time I filed an I-130. They also want copies of my passport showing the entry/exit stamps (which I front loaded and sent), but they want every page notarized. They want photos of my wife with her daughter during her childhood. I don't know if I need to hire an attorney or not. I don't know if this is a complex case. I also think it's a little late to try to fly back to China at this stage. I think I just added another 3 months or more to getting her and her daughter a visa. But then, I guess they can still deny even if I submitted everything they require. No offense, but I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, just need some good options. Thanks. Not sure how to load the scanned 221g.

Yes, I would say it IS a complex case. That's clear from the extensive list of requests. However, I would not hire a lawyer lurking around the Consulate building in Guangzhou, even if their office is inside the building. (It's a big building.) This is not just a matter of submitting what they request. It's a matter of submitting all that in such a way that it is ultimately evaluated in your favor.

[Haruki 0]

To be precise, this is we received:

It’s blue cover sheet stating:

Dear Immigrant Visa Applicant:

The Consulate is unable to issue you an immigrant visa because according to the section of the Immigration and Nationality Act listed below; you are currently ineligible:

(A checked box) 221(g) (lacking Documents/Further Processing)

(A checked box) For information and steps you can take to overcome this decision, refer to:

(A checked box) the attached sheets

Further consideration will be given to your visa application after you obtain and present the documents on the attached sheets and/or the following:

(Handwritten) - photos of applicant and daughter since childhood

The following pages are white and the checked boxes are:

A detailed statement, written by the petitioner, describing the evolution of your relationship. Be sure to, at the very least, explain how you met, when you started dating, and how, when and why you became engaged.

A statement, written by the petitioner, listing every trip s/he has taken to China to visit you and explain how you spent your time together. Include dates and locations. Explain who arranged his/her trip China, purchased his/her tickets and who accompanied him/her.

Explain in detail your relationship(s) with your ex-spouse(s), explaining how you met; whether you filed an I-130 petition for this spouse; how long you lived together before separating or divorcing (give dates and locations); how many children you had with this ex-spouse and who these children currently live with; and why you got divorced.

(Checked) Petitioner’s ex-spouse(s)

(Checked) Your ex-spouse(s)

A notarized copy of petitioner’s passport pages clearly showing Chinese visa and entry/exit stamps. Copy the entire passport, even if some pages are blank. Properly notarize each page as seen and compared to original by notary. All entry and exit dates must be legible.

Photographs taken of you and your petitioner together since you first met. Describe as much relevant information as possible for each submission, such as all individuals in photos, dates, locations and photographer. Label photo albums with your case number and name.

Photos of your wedding ceremony or celebration. If you did not celebrate, or you celebrated but didn’t take photos, submit a credible explanation.

Thanks for your responses. I'll start getting the photos re-printed, get started on a stronger EOR statement, a statement about my trip to China, show I paid for my tickets and visa, a statement about my exes' and have my wife draft one for hers and have it translated at the Civil affairs office. I guess I supposed to mail it all to her and she mail it to Guangzhou? Should I be e-mailing the consulate? Not sure.

[Darnell 8,478]

Yikes - if you'd like, I can write a bunch here about this 221g. My schedule is tight for now, perhaps this evening or the weekend?

One quick bit - on 'how to respond' to this 221G -

It's listed in the paperwork she received back. I'll guess it'll be some postal packet from her.

Edited December 16, 2011 by Darnell

[Haruki 0]

Yikes - if you'd like, I can write a bunch here about this 221g. My schedule is tight for now, perhaps this evening or the weekend?

One quick bit - on 'how to respond' to this 221G -

It's listed in the paperwork she received back. I'll guess it'll be some postal packet from her.

Thank you! You're awesome! The Yangs were kind and scanned the 221g for me and sent to me before my wife left for Wuhan. In the mean time, I'll try to get the images downsized and posted.

[Haruki 0]

'Just read that I have to mail it all to her and she will mail it to the Embassy along with a completed EMS COD waybill.

My link

[Darnell 8,478]

Yes, I would say it IS a complex case. That's clear from the extensive list of requests. However, I would not hire a lawyer lurking around the Consulate building in Guangzhou, even if their office is inside the building. (It's a big building.) This is not just a matter of submitting what they request. It's a matter of submitting all that in such a way that it is ultimately evaluated in your favor.

I second these bits in bold. Those in the building are sharks. Same venue as lawyers who chase ambulances into the ER at a hospital. I do understand that there may be 2 that maintain offices there, that are actually any good - it's still on you to decide to use them, in the end.

[Haruki 0]

I second these bits in bold. Those in the building are sharks. Same venue as lawyers who chase ambulances into the ER at a hospital. I do understand that there may be 2 that maintain offices there, that are actually any good - it's still on you to decide to use them, in the end.

When I got the call from them, I haven't seen the 221g yet. They offered to translate between me and my wife. The guy told me she got a denial because we only had pictures of us wearing nice clothes, no wedding pictures or video. He said we need pictures of daughter when she was young, together with mother. Your wife wants to use our services to get the visa for your wife and your daughter. She wants to know what you think. He told me his cost, I declined. He rebutted saying: "you have a difficult and complex case, you need a video of your wedding, you have that?" I graciously told him I need to think about it.

[Haruki 0]

Thank you! You're awesome! The Yangs were kind and scanned the 221g for me and sent to me before my wife left for Wuhan. In the mean time, I'll try to get the images downsized and posted.

The images were too large to post so I put them in my gallery. This is all the paperwork I have from her so far. Darnell, is this the paperwork you are referring to?

[Palladin 18]

Good luck preparing all your documents as required. I am not sure if getting the help of Zhong Jie (visa mediators in the Consulate building) would help or backfire at this point. Be very careful. I told my wife to avoid any contact with such mediators. My wife was denied with the white slip of denial, the worst kind. I think I was successful in getting them hopefully switch the case to a blue slip of denial and hopefully get a second interview soon. They did not ask any further document thus far.

Your case is a blue slip of denial. Hopefully you can turn things around. You definitely need to get your Congressman involved in helping you.

This is how you attach images to your post, as below. Please post your 221(g) slip so people can tell you what it is:

[Palladin 18]

Clearly they doubted your relationship. The evidences you submitted are not convincing enough to them. You have to understand where they came from: there are sham marriage cases where all the evidences can be fabricated to be even more real than the real ones. So keep that in your mind when you prepare the documents.

Try to perceive yourself in a sham marriage situation. You are a poor American citizen and in need of some money and this Chinese lady contacted you and she would marry you so she get a green card and you get certain benefits. And she arranged for you to make some trips to her and so you can take some photos together, and you even get a real marriage certificate in China. And you present all the "evidences" to the US Consolate and they detected that this could be just another sham marriage.

Now move yourself away from that perception, clearly you are NOT like that. You have a real relationship. You did not and would not engage yourself in a sham marriage. But how do you differentiate yourself away from all the evidences that the sham marriage case could present? A mere few photos are definitely not enough. Think about it hard and put yourself in the shoes of the visa officer. What evidence can you present that is strong and convincing? It is hard, but it can be done. Don't trust the mediators. You need to spend your own time and effort to do this. This is where you demonstrate that you have real love.

Good luck!

[dan_ling 6]

I don't think you need an attorney, maybe if it was a white slip instead of a blue slip.

You said that you had to mail the photos because they were lost, it sounds like they never received them. Didn't your wife take any photos to the interview and were there any of the wedding and/or wedding celebration? The blue slip is easy to overcome just follow the directions and send all of the information they are requesting. It sounds like they are requesting all of your evidence of bonafide marriage again?

Good luck.

[Chynna/gapamix 11]

Clearly they doubted your relationship. The evidences you submitted are not convincing enough to them. You have to understand where they came from: there are sham marriage cases where all the evidences can be fabricated to be even more real than the real ones. So keep that in your mind when you prepare the documents.

Try to perceive yourself in a sham marriage situation. You are a poor American citizen and in need of some money and this Chinese lady contacted you and she would marry you so she get a green card and you get certain benefits. And she arranged for you to make some trips to her and so you can take some photos together, and you even get a real marriage certificate in China. And you present all the "evidences" to the US Consolate and they detected that this could be just another sham marriage.

Now move yourself away from that perception, clearly you are NOT like that. You have a real relationship. You did not and would not engage yourself in a sham marriage. But how do you differentiate yourself away from all the evidences that the sham marriage case could present? A mere few photos are definitely not enough. Think about it hard and put yourself in the shoes of the visa officer. What evidence can you present that is strong and convincing? It is hard, but it can be done. Don't trust the mediators. You need to spend your own time and effort to do this. This is where you demonstrate that you have real love.

Good luck!

I agree with Palladin 100%. Very well put.