129-F/IMBA

[expatrica 0]

I am one of the unlucky ones whose application has been returned. :-( I have two questions

1) Do you think they'll review the whole petition from scratch or just run the security checks? I ask because I realized just now that I might have answered the question about how we met incorretly. Well, not incorrectly . . .

When I filled out the application I read it as just asking for proof that we'd met in the last two years. Well, since we lived together in London from 2003-2005 I put that and detailed our visits since. I didn't explain how we actually met which was way back in 2001. They obviously approved our petition the first time around but do you think this might be a problem now?

FYI - I am a femal USC and my fiance is a male UK citizen. I think from that it's pretty obvious that we didn't meet through a marriage broker and I have absolutely no ciminal record but now I'm paranoid that something else will delay us even more!!!! Also, I am the only person in the states by my names so a background check should be pretty straight forward.

2) Has anyone been able to get a realistic timeframe for all this? I know that the situation is bad for all those whoe petitions have been recalled but it's especially bad for us. We're having a wedding on July 23rd which will now likely have to be a non-legal committement ceremony after which L will return to the UK. The thing is - his job and lease end mid-July so once he returns he'll be homeless and unemployed! Well, he'll be able to crash with friends but still. I'm just wondering what people think we're looking at here. A delay of a couple of weeks, two months, six months . . . what?

Sorry this is so long!!!

~ E

[gtigiant 0]

1 - your answer to the question was fine based on other threads (i had this same concern on my filing).

2 - timelines are unknown right now

[Yodrak 7]

~E,

Security checks don't seem to be the issue.

Yodrak

I am one of the unlucky ones whose application has been returned. :-( I have two questions

1) Do you think they'll review the whole petition from scratch or just run the security checks? ...

~ E

[aussiewench 9]

expatrica

That is exactly what they are asking.....One of the requirements of the I-129F is having met IN PERSON within the 2 year period immediately prior to submitting the petition. So I wouldnt be stressing on that.

As gtigiant said....there is no time frames on how long this is going to take.

Hang in there. I really feel for you and all that are dealing with returned petitions *hugs*

Lorelle

[expatrica 0]

I'm sorry Yodrak - what do you mean that security checks aren't the issue? Isn't that what this whole thing is about?

From what I understood security checks are required to be done on the American citizen as of March 7th of this year. However, they were not done on certain apps all of which are now being returned for this purpose. If during the checks anything suspicious is found (criminal record, multiple K-1 visa filing, marriage broker etc.) then the foreign fiance will be informed and further action taken.

Am I wrong?

E

[Larry and Maria 0]

Go to this link

http://travel.state.gov/visa/laws/telegram...grams_2927.html

it is in the post I did earlier on this subject.

There's a statement about criminal background investigation.

That link is the official link; there's also another thread about this.

[expatrica 0]

expatrica

That is exactly what they are asking.....One of the requirements of the I-129F is having met IN PERSON within the 2 year period immediately prior to submitting the petition. So I wouldnt be stressing on that.

As gtigiant said....there is no time frames on how long this is going to take.

Hang in there. I really feel for you and all that are dealing with returned petitions *hugs*

Lorelle

Thanks - that's what I thought. Then I read how others included very lengthy descriptions of how they met in the first place which I did not.

The lack of timeframe is the most frustrating part. I have no idea how to plan from here. I already have the apt we're going to be living in leased - that's fine. It's my fiance I'm worried about. I have no idea what he's going to do if he has to return to the UK after the "wedding." Which, incidentally is two months from today.

I just called USCIS again and the person I spoke to knew absolutely nothing about this whole thing.

Erica

Go to this link

http://travel.state.gov/visa/laws/telegram...grams_2927.html

it is in the post I did earlier on this subject.

There's a statement about criminal background investigation.

That link is the official link; there's also another thread about this.

Thanks for posting the official statement. I read it first thing this morning and have been following it all day. That thread got quite long so I started this one specifically to see if anyone had been able to get more info out of an officer at USCIS.

Also, I have read the oficial statement and it still seems to me that what it is saying is that the apps are being recalled so that the background/additional security checks (which were not required before March 7th) can be run on the USC in accordance with the new law. Yodrak seemed to say this was not the case.

[aussiewench 9]

I'm sorry Yodrak - what do you mean that security checks aren't the issue? Isn't that what this whole thing is about?

From what I understood security checks are required to be done on the American citizen as of March 7th of this year. However, they were not done on certain apps all of which are now being returned for this purpose. If during the checks anything suspicious is found (criminal record, multiple K-1 visa filing, marriage broker etc.) then the foreign fiance will be informed and further action taken.

Am I wrong?

E

Security checks are done regardless of IMBRA.....what is now necessary is background checks on the petitioner re criminal history, any past petitions etc Think I got what yodrak meant

Edited May 23, 2006 by aussiewench

[Yodrak 7]

E,

Those things you list are not security checks, certainly not in the sense that the term 'security check' has been associated with for the last few years.

Let's not introduce that confusion.

Yodrak

I'm sorry Yodrak - what do you mean that security checks aren't the issue? Isn't that what this whole thing is about?

From what I understood security checks are required to be done on the American citizen as of March 7th of this year. However, they were not done on certain apps all of which are now being returned for this purpose. If during the checks anything suspicious is found (criminal record, multiple K-1 visa filing, marriage broker etc.) then the foreign fiance will be informed and further action taken.

Am I wrong?

E

[expatrica 0]

E,

Those things you list are not security checks, certainly not in the sense that the term 'security check' has been associated with for the last few years.

Let's not introduce that confusion.

Yodrak

Ah, ok sorry. I guess I'm not familiar with what the term "security check" means in this instance. Sorry - my fault.

I just wanted to make sure that the background checks (more appropriate term?) are the only thing that's going to be done on the recalled petitions. Presumably, if the background check is uncomplicated and the petition had already been approved on all other terms, then it should be approved once again.

My main concern now is simply how long all this paperwork will take. :-(

[rlt 0]

E,

Those things you list are not security checks, certainly not in the sense that the term 'security check' has been associated with for the last few years.

Let's not introduce that confusion.

Yodrak

Ah, ok sorry. I guess I'm not familiar with what the term "security check" means in this instance. Sorry - my fault.

I just wanted to make sure that the background checks (more appropriate term?) are the only thing that's going to be done on the recalled petitions. Presumably, if the background check is uncomplicated and the petition had already been approved on all other terms, then it should be approved once again.

My main concern now is simply how long all this paperwork will take. :-(

---

Ok. I think we all agree that the petitions that never left the Service Center are being held.

We can also say that the recalled petitions are gonna be processed first, since the Processing Date on USCIS website is now back to March 6th.

I read on a post here today there a Congressman called Vermont, and was told that they are waiting for Washington to give them new instructions, since they don´t have a clue of what they should do with the aplications they have.

We also read that they are gonna send some kind of document asking the petitioner to provide their criminal records to USCIS.

Since they are still waiting for instructions, we can presume that Washington (DHS???) is working on a new form or whatever so USCIS can send this to applicants.

I tracked down the package that the Consulate in Rio returned to United States and it reached the NVC yesterday in the morning.

I called NVC and they said they fwd everything to the Service Centers when Consulates return it to them. They won´t keep any records of it, being impossible to confirm if they have already sent it to the Service Centers or not.

If the USCIS do not update status of recalled petitions on their website, we won´t know where our case is!

From what I heard, the Government only issue new forms or laws on the 1st or 15th day of the month.

So, what I think is that we can´t expect anything being sent to petitioners before June 1st.

What we can expect is an update in our status.

Let´s see.

I agree with those who say the american citizens should call their Congressmen and Senators requesting information.