My Interview AP experience

[anitacastillo 0]

My husband came from the DR - took 21 months to get an interview (the previous hellish wait days) and then we had 11 months of AP - name hit. Sometimes they clear quickly and sometimes not....

At least you know they believe your relationship.

It isn't really useful to bug the consulate -- they need approval (name clearance) from DOS before a visa can be issued.

Call DOS info line every week. One day they will tell you the name clearance is done and then you can bug the consulate for the visa.

Keep busy - clean, exercise, volunteer, hang with VJ waiters.

[Bocajr27 3]

My husband came from the DR - took 21 months to get an interview (the previous hellish wait days) and then we had 11 months of AP - name hit. Sometimes they clear quickly and sometimes not....

At least you know they believe your relationship.

It isn't really useful to bug the consulate -- they need approval (name clearance) from DOS before a visa can be issued.

Call DOS info line every week. One day they will tell you the name clearance is done and then you can bug the consulate for the visa.

Keep busy - clean, exercise, volunteer, hang with VJ waiters.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with this last post (from our own personal experience). We were told the same thing by someone else (to contact DOS) but unfortunately, DOS does not always have the updated information. When we received the e-mail from the Emabssy stating that my wife was eligable for the visa but that we had to file an I-212 with our local USCIS office, I contacted DOS to ask them a few questions.

When I asked what their system showed about our case, they immediately responded that we were still on AP and should just wait. The reality was that we were already out of AP (a week before I called) and their system was not up to date. Even USCIS did not have the correct information up to date when I walked into the local office.

My advise (again) is to try to contact the Embassy in DOMREP via e-mail. If you can not find their e-mail, buy the pin and contact them via phone on a weekday. Request they give you the e-mail address to the IV Center. You're not bugging them. You're doing what you need to do to make sure your family is together. Persistance pays off. Just make sure that you're always polite with them. After all, they are the gate keepers.

Good Luck

[R de la R 2]

Here is a part of my interview experience. If any of you could tell me why you think we are on AP, or what steps we should take next, I'd appreciate it. And NO my SO has NEVER tried to enter the US illegally, NEVER had his finger prints taken by the police, and NEVER been in trouble, and is the ONLY person in the entire country with his FULL name, including his mother's maiden name. Ok, now read on.....

So we are called to window #20. Our CO was a guy in his mid 30s and his name was Glenn but looked more like a Bubba. He had a heavy American accent and was balding. He instantly struck me as a laid back guy, and it seemed like it was going to be easy. Glen swore us in. Shaking our heads was suffice, we didnt even verbally have to say yes. I told him I would do the interview in Spanish because I wanted my SO to understand everything, but he said no. That hed do it in English and Spanish. Well, the whole interview was a mix of the 2. He spoke to us in both, my SO and I responded in both. So each question we just picked different languages. At least he was able to see we both had no problems talking English and Spanish. He only asked me what was my SOs Bday and where I worked. The rest of the questions were to my SO, but I chimed in and had to clarify some questions-answers.

Were did we meet? We told him, and then he said, OK Im going to google the place. But then said, just kidding. Then he said it was better than meeting on the internet like some other people do.

He asked us what our religion was since that was on the original application as to the circumstances on how we met.

He asked my SO had he ever been out the country including Cuba PR etc...

He asked my SO what is Bed Bath and Beyond? That was on the original application as one of my past employers. Another CO said, "Hes not going to know that!" Then I realized why he was asking and told the CO that it was a temp job for a few months to save up for DR, and that my SO wouldnt know the name of the company, but that if he asked about my other employment he would know.

He asked my SO if he knew my ex boyfriends name? My SO said yes and told him. The CO asked if they were friends, my SO said not yet. Lots of laughs here.

He asked my SO if he knew my email address and to write it down. I told the CO my SO only knows my cerezadulce1@....com address and that is not the address I used for my petition. I used a more professional one. Either way my SO wrote it down. Then the CO was like, "ok back to level 2 spanish let me try to see if I can figure out what this means...sweet cherry 1?" I said "yes, that is part of the meaning of my name." He said ok. The CO then saw my jetblue miles and said "wow you have a lot. What happens when you get 100?" I told him I get a free flight. Then he saw my cerezadulce1 email address on my jetblue paperwork and said ok.

Then he started looking at our proof that I had sent in with the original paperwork. He started reading some emails and started saying jokingly, "What does this say here? Besame besame? A donde? Whoa!" Then I said, no that is not possible. He was joking again. Then he wanted to open up the photos we sent with the original petition but it was glued and stapled shut and he couldnt get it open. He said jokingly, "its the most fun to see the dirty pictures, lets see what you got" Again, I told him I didnt send stuff like this. He said he was most interested to know WHO took the pictures of us. But when he couldnt get it open was like "forget it, I dont want to see it that bad." So then I knew he was positive of our relationship. There were lots of laughs and we joked a lot.

So at this point all I was looking for was a green paper to start feeling happy. I see him pulling out a small green piece of paper-like a ticket and start to clap. He says "your visa is approved BUT"..... (the words I never wanted to hear and was my worst fear)...."there is some more processing to be done." He took my SOs passport and told him that when the processing is done, the visa will be delivered to his house. So right there my heart dropped as I thought of people waiting so long like TJ, Wfeliz, and Deale, and I said "this is bad news. This means this is going to take another 2-6 months." Then the CO said, "no this could take 24hrs to 2years, but as soon as you go pay Domex, I will hit the send button to Washington and this might be resolved very quickly." Then I asked if there was a hit with his name and he said very sarcastically because at this point there was no reason to joke anymore "Mmmmaybe yes, mmmmaaaybe not." I told him I wanted my SO to come back with me Friday for my sisters wedding, and he said that was never going to happen. We took the green paper and headed to the crazy long Domex line. Instantly I start crying and had my face red like a tomato and I was tore up. Instantly everyone begins to stare and stretch their necks to eavesdrop in my SO and mines convo to hear what the problem is. So we talk in english to avoid this and I start giving dirty looks to at the people staring and that resloved that problem. People were so confused as to why I was crying if were ON THE DOMEX LINE. My SO had a friend also petitioning his wife the same day. Apparently they called my SO back to window 20, but we never heard. Instantly his friend came running to the line to tell us to go back to window 20. So instantly we begin to think this was one of the COs many jokes or figure there was some mistake. But no, he forgot to give us another large green slip explaining everything, and that we were to present the slip to Domex. So then I say to the CO, "so basically we are under administrative review?" And he said, "no you are under administrative processing." Then I said, "thats the same thing." He didnt refute it. He also began to stare at me because I was a total mess even though I didnt cry in front of him, it was obvious I was crying. He told me, "Hey at least you get to find out if your SO is a drug dealer" Again, NOT the time to joke around! "I said I am positive he is not." I wasnt laughing either. Then we went back to the Domex line where I began to cry the entire hour till we paid Domex, and cried the whole night pretty hard. My eyes were so puffy I could barely see, and they are still puffy now even though I stopped crying yesterday. It seems like this ####### always happens to me. I am wondering if when the CO said, "all he had to do is hit send" if that means this is a process done by email?? If so that would make things quicker that waiting for DHL to send packages.

The don't issue a green ticket for paying DOMEX, if you are not approved.

Maybe he was new and he is not sure about what he is doing.

Anyway DOMEX takes to 1 to 3 weeks to deliver the passport with the visas stamped. Good luck!!

[TBoneTX 45,305]

Two different (respectable) immigration attorneys told me not to waste my time calling the DOS Visa-info line. Only the consulate has all the up-to-date information that you need and want, si man.

[Cereza 1]

R de la R- Yes we are approved, but they are checking his name with a match they have in their database. I called the visa specialist and I was told many times they are still processing the case. Domex usually has visas ready in less than a week now.

Boca & Anita- I understand what the both of you are saying. The case was sent to Washington (so the CO told me) so it's the DOS that needs to clear it, so the embassy needs to wait on them. However, the embassy might actually have the info public before the DOS does. But like I mentioned there is no email address that the embassy uses to correspond. So, for now I will have to do with sending them faxes and writing emails to the generic email address.

TBone-Calling the embassy in the DR-(which is actually a hotline in Mexico) will give you the same exact information as calling the visa specialist....for free.

Edited October 20, 2009 by Cereza

[anitacastillo 0]

My husband came from the DR - took 21 months to get an interview (the previous hellish wait days) and then we had 11 months of AP - name hit. Sometimes they clear quickly and sometimes not....

At least you know they believe your relationship.

It isn't really useful to bug the consulate -- they need approval (name clearance) from DOS before a visa can be issued.

Call DOS info line every week. One day they will tell you the name clearance is done and then you can bug the consulate for the visa.

Keep busy - clean, exercise, volunteer, hang with VJ waiters.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with this last post (from our own personal experience). We were told the same thing by someone else (to contact DOS) but unfortunately, DOS does not always have the updated information. When we received the e-mail from the Emabssy stating that my wife was eligable for the visa but that we had to file an I-212 with our local USCIS office, I contacted DOS to ask them a few questions.

When I asked what their system showed about our case, they immediately responded that we were still on AP and should just wait. The reality was that we were already out of AP (a week before I called) and their system was not up to date. Even USCIS did not have the correct information up to date when I walked into the local office.

My advise (again) is to try to contact the Embassy in DOMREP via e-mail. If you can not find their e-mail, buy the pin and contact them via phone on a weekday. Request they give you the e-mail address to the IV Center. You're not bugging them. You're doing what you need to do to make sure your family is together. Persistance pays off. Just make sure that you're always polite with them. After all, they are the gate keepers.

Good Luck

Having to file a I-212 is a whole other problem, which I will not comment on.

Cereza - there is one man on the visa line - Chris - who many times told me, sorry still processing. Then one day, he said the name is cleared I suggest your fiance go to the consulate (we hadn't paid DOMEX, it was new at that time). He received the visa that day. The DR consulate is very hard to get info from. My congressperson's office got a response a few times - still processing.

Stay patient and keep the faith.

[Bocajr27 3]

Having to file a I-212 is a whole other problem, which I will not comment on.

I'm glad you're not commenting on the I-212, Especially if you did not go through it and therefore have no idea what's involved in the process. But, if you would have actually taken the time to read the entire post, and break down what I wrote, you would have seen that I contacted DOS to get more information on our case a week after the embassy stated that my wife was eligible and they did not have any updates, just that we were still in AP (which was obviously wrong).

The point is, don't contact DOS to get RELIABLE information, and if you do do not take what they say to heart. Their systems are not up to date (from my experience).

[anitacastillo 0]

All I know about I-212 is for people who did bad things (overstays, deportations, etc). Not something the OP's husband or my husband were facing.

When you had contacted DOS they were not ready to issue your wife's visa. Her name had cleared AP, but still needed that I-212.

Also, the DR consulate is very different than Columbia. Columbia may have more time to answer their phones/emails. Until recently the DR was VERY backed up - which is why we waited 17 months from the NOA2 to get an interview.

Good Luck to the OP!!! AP sucks!!!

[jpcanon 0]

Two different (respectable) immigration attorneys told me not to waste my time calling the DOS Visa-info line. Only the consulate has all the up-to-date information that you need and want, si man.

TBoneTX,

I just had to say, that this quote on your profile is CLASSIC:

"Among the 99.44% HOSED at the Guayaquil consulate"

Probably not funny when it was happening to ya, I'm sure!

Joe

[Cereza 1]

Guys!!!!

Today we are out of AP! Wow the power of prayer!! Thanks all for your help, and I wish you all a speedy process.

[Bocajr27 3]

Guys!!!!

Today we are out of AP! Wow the power of prayer!! Thanks all for your help, and I wish you all a speedy process.

Didn't I tell you? I love it when I'm right. See you got all worked up and it didn't last 2 weeks. Congrats.

[Terca 6]

Cereza thank you for the detailed interview description. It is very helpful glad you guys are out of AP

[moe1985 8]

AP took 4 months for me , during the 4 months they called me like 3 times saying Congrats, you got approved, please send in passport to issue the visa, I get all excited and 2 days later , i received my passport back with no visa, i call and ask whats going on and they tell me you were put on AP again. They did this to me 3 times and finally they called and asked me to send in my passport for the third time to issue the visa, i sent my passport in and wasnt excited at all thought i would receive my passport blank again with No visa but the third time it worked out, they send me the visa and a sealed envelop.

AP could be very aggravated sometimes, In this Game Patience is the only Key.

Wish you the best of luck.