Visa Denied...HELP ME

[Kil 0]

Sorry to hear you got denied. Why not move to Santo Domingo so you can be together??

[Minya's wife 25]

I got married Aug.11.07, started to do his papers in September '07, got our appointment in SANTO DOMINGO Dec.29,08 He got his visa denied and they closed the case, the paper said it was a fraud marriage which they are so fukin wrong but they don't care, we just messed up on the interview. That was the hardest & saddest day of my life , i felt like it was unfair. I'm dominican born in the US & he's dominican...i don't understand why the didn't leave my case open so they can investigate, if they did investigate i would be with my husband right now.

The consulate in Santo Domingo are known to be the worst people.

And a yesterday i called the consul in Santo Domingo they said the case was sent back to the US, USCIS told me they have to review it and they choose to deny it or send it back to Santo Domingo & get another appointment, So i gotta wait like 120 days.

Can somebody tell me what happens or what can i do ??

Wait, your timeline is a bit strange. The consulate denied issuing the visa 9 months ago, and you're just now contacting the consulate in Santo Domingo to inquire about your case? What exactly did you 'mess up' on at the interview. You the US citizen were also at the interview and you left the building upon receiving the denial? Did you not request an explanation? Did you not contact someone, anyone after your interview, your congressman, senator, news media? Perhaps you did, but you didn't state it in your post. Now, 9 months later you're asking what to do? The best thing to do in these situations is to ACT IMMEDIATELY. If they denied your husband's visa and sent the petition back stateside, then it will be re-adjudicated here at the original service center where the petition was approved initially. You're saying you contacted the consul, but also saying USCIS is telling you they will review the case? Did you also contact USCIS? From your initial post, it is unclear what you have done in the time since your denial.

You should definitely get in touch with the immigration liaison for your congressman and senator. Once you sign a release, they can inquire with USCIS as to the status of your returned petition. Perhaps there is further evidence you can provide, so that USCIS can re-affirm your petition. Once that occurs, it will be sent back to Santo Domingo and you will get a second interview. It is also advisable for you to get in touch with a qualified immigration attorney.

Because your initial denial was based on a suspicion of fraud, that suspicion will remain if and when you have your second interview. Your 'burden of proof' will be even greater. Make sure you have a TON of documentation attesting to the validity of your ongoing and valid marriage. Phone records, plane tickets, letters etc., showing that you are maintaining constant contact.

Good luck!

[ANODES09 0]

Hi, I wish I could help, but I am new at this and I don't know much. I just wanted to show some support as a fellow Dominican. I know that the consulate in DR can be very difficult, and I am nervous myself about my own case because even if our relationships and marriages are true, they don't care they just decide whatever they want. I'm sorry to hear about what is happening to you, sorry I can't help. Good luck and if you speak Spanish, con Dios delante todo saldra bien, solo hay que tener fe.

I'm inclined to slightly disagree with your comment....

Yes, the consulate in the Dominican Republic can be difficult, but you have to understand why they are being difficult. Fraud is extremely high in this country for numerous reasons. No, the consulate cannot just decide on whatever they want. That's against the law. If that were the case, I'm pretty sure no one would get approved. It's up to us to be prepared properly. If we know that we're going to be tested and tried going into the fire then we need have ALL (and I mean ALL) documentation prepared. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. If you go in to the consulate with a gaping hole in proving your relationship is valid....guess what? They are going to hone in and move in for the kill. No doubt about it.

[Old Dominion 26]

Like consulates elsewhere, it can be just an interviewer's hunch based on what's said, how questions are answered, etc. that can lead to denial. That's their job and their decisions will be backed up by their superiors.

For some reason, in this case at least, the OP's marriage doesn't seem to be too much of a bond or there wouldn't have been such a very long, long delay in following up on the denial.

[Karina & ALex 0]

I got married Aug.11.07, started to do his papers in September '07, got our appointment in SANTO DOMINGO Dec.29,08 He got his visa denied and they closed the case, the paper said it was a fraud marriage which they are so fukin wrong but they don't care, we just messed up on the interview. That was the hardest & saddest day of my life , i felt like it was unfair. I'm dominican born in the US & he's dominican...i don't understand why the didn't leave my case open so they can investigate, if they did investigate i would be with my husband right now.

The consulate in Santo Domingo are known to be the worst people.

And a yesterday i called the consul in Santo Domingo they said the case was sent back to the US, USCIS told me they have to review it and they choose to deny it or send it back to Santo Domingo & get another appointment, So i gotta wait like 120 days.

Can somebody tell me what happens or what can i do ??

After i got denied i went to the top immigration lawyer in Dominican Republic and she was an ex-consul and she said i can't do anything. I did talk to congress they said i have to wait till i get a letter from USCIS that explains why i got denied. So i'm just waiting. Then i have to prove my marriage is real. I've talk to every department that has to do with immigration. I'm going to talk to Congress again. Everyone says to. Thanks everybody you helped me a lot.

Some of you guys say to move to DR but I'm still in school. And i visit my husband alot.

[Karina & ALex 0]

Hi, I wish I could help, but I am new at this and I don't know much. I just wanted to show some support as a fellow Dominican. I know that the consulate in DR can be very difficult, and I am nervous myself about my own case because even if our relationships and marriages are true, they don't care they just decide whatever they want. I'm sorry to hear about what is happening to you, sorry I can't help. Good luck and if you speak Spanish, con Dios delante todo saldra bien, solo hay que tener fe.

I'm inclined to slightly disagree with your comment....

Yes, the consulate in the Dominican Republic can be difficult, but you have to understand why they are being difficult. Fraud is extremely high in this country for numerous reasons. No, the consulate cannot just decide on whatever they want. That's against the law. If that were the case, I'm pretty sure no one would get approved. It's up to us to be prepared properly. If we know that we're going to be tested and tried going into the fire then we need have ALL (and I mean ALL) documentation prepared. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. If you go in to the consulate with a gaping hole in proving your relationship is valid....guess what? They are going to hone in and move in for the kill. No doubt about it.

I said the same thing your saying. But look what happened to me. When i was there i think only 4 couples got their visas, once they tell you to go to room 11, its over.

[brlukath 1]

Tim is right about Yadira... so many Dominicans are tricked into thinking she knows something and giving her money. My SO gets mad at me when my advice doesn't mesh with hers... Ha! I wish I could get her time slot, at least then people would be paying for accurate advice from a US attorney who does this sort of work, and I'd get DR RICH in the process!

The advice NOT to listen to her about US immigration issues should be pinned on the DR portal page and on DTTUSA!

[R de la R 2]

Hi, I wish I could help, but I am new at this and I don't know much. I just wanted to show some support as a fellow Dominican. I know that the consulate in DR can be very difficult, and I am nervous myself about my own case because even if our relationships and marriages are true, they don't care they just decide whatever they want. I'm sorry to hear about what is happening to you, sorry I can't help. Good luck and if you speak Spanish, con Dios delante todo saldra bien, solo hay que tener fe.

I'm inclined to slightly disagree with your comment....

Yes, the consulate in the Dominican Republic can be difficult, but you have to understand why they are being difficult. Fraud is extremely high in this country for numerous reasons. No, the consulate cannot just decide on whatever they want. That's against the law. If that were the case, I'm pretty sure no one would get approved. It's up to us to be prepared properly. If we know that we're going to be tested and tried going into the fire then we need have ALL (and I mean ALL) documentation prepared. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. If you go in to the consulate with a gaping hole in proving your relationship is valid....guess what? They are going to hone in and move in for the kill. No doubt about it.

I said the same thing your saying. But look what happened to me. When i was there i think only 4 couples got their visas, once they tell you to go to room 11, its over.

The consulate it is not difficult, we are the difficult. Maybe your partner was messing around with other girls and you didn't know about it. They do field investigations and nobody knows they are doing that. They go undercover. No logos in the clothes, not ID, not vehicles. They just go like a simple person but they are employees, they have been trained in investigation techniques.

You figure out what you both did to have the denial on your petition. I am almost sure there is something wrong here.

[~kiyah~ 14]

First let me say I am sorry you are going through this. Second, let me say that the consulate refusing to issue the visa is not a hard denial. The consulate has returned the petition/application to the originating USCIS office for review along with a recommendation for revocation. Only the USCIS can revoke (deny) the petition...hence the petition/application return process.

Now, you say the interview was 9 months ago? If so, did you not get a receipt notice from the USCIS stating they received your returned petition along with a recommendation for review? There are steps to this process that each petition goes through regardless of which consulate handled the initial interview. If you have received nothing from the USCIS, and it has been 9 months since the interview, then you do need to contact your senate/congressional representative and ask them to inquire about the status your case. Have you moved residences at all since the interview date?

There is quite a lot of information located in my VJ signature, but this is the link you need to read first -> ~ Returns & Refusals...What They Don't Tell You ~

Then I suggest you immediately contact your senate/congressional rep to have them inquire about the location and status of your case:

• US Congressional Representatives (By State)
• US Senators (By State)

Your rep needs to contact the consulate directly, and obtain the Diplomatic Pouch number that your file was returned in. This number can be traced to see when the file was actually returned, when the NVC Fraud Management Unit receives the file, and finally when the originating USCIS office received the file for review. To track a returned petition/application with a Diplomatic Pouch number your rep can call the following Department of State phone number: (202) 663-1588.

You do need to find out where your file is first and then the status, only then can you determine what your next step options are. Read the information in my signature, contact your representative and get them on this asap. Let me know if you have any questions.

~kiyah~