Visa denied in Algeria

[DanniandMary 1]

I am so sorry that you are having to go through all of this. I know you are heartbroken. Just keep your chin up and fight for your husband! I hope and pray you can get this turned around soon.

Take care,

Meriem

Thank you Meriem! I appreciate all the kind words. You all have been very nice and helpful. My husband and I are working hard to collect as much proof as we can including letters from his family and friends that have met me. I am planning a trip to Algeria in February or March. March 7 is our anniversary.

[~ameriptian~ 54]

April, I'm very sorry you have to go through this... It must be a stressful time to both of you... But be strong, keep your chin up, and do what you got to do.. You are in my thoughts and prayers! (F)

[sachinky 465]

I'm sorry -- I hope something can be worked out. Good luck!

Edited December 17, 2009 by sachinky

[DanniandMary 1]

I'm sorry -- I hope something can be worked out. Good luck!

Thank you all! My husband sent me an email of everything they asked him at the interview. He said they had already printed the denial letter before they even asked him any questions. He felt he was doomed from the beginning. He took a number for interview but they called him last. The refused to look at any pics, emails, mail, phone records, nothing. They did not offer an interpreter to help him find some words in english. He speaks english but he forgot what the english words for gallbladder and hernia to tell them what type surgery I had. It's just frustrating to know that they only went by what they saw in our file and did not even give him a chance. It is also sickening that my senator's office said they are denying a lot of muslim men now.

[Y's_habibitk 2]

I'm sorry -- I hope something can be worked out. Good luck!

Thank you all! My husband sent me an email of everything they asked him at the interview. He said they had already printed the denial letter before they even asked him any questions. He felt he was doomed from the beginning. He took a number for interview but they called him last. The refused to look at any pics, emails, mail, phone records, nothing. They did not offer an interpreter to help him find some words in english. He speaks english but he forgot what the english words for gallbladder and hernia to tell them what type surgery I had. It's just frustrating to know that they only went by what they saw in our file and did not even give him a chance. It is also sickening that my senator's office said they are denying a lot of muslim men now.

Your senator also said that he was using you for a GC, dont let anything they said get under your skin hun.

If you file again, frontload that petition to the gills with evidence. If they had their minds made up by just looking at your file this time....give them what they want next time, and then some!

good luck and go enjoy your visit with him

[Staashi 371]

April, forgive me as I'm going out on a limb here. I wonder if there is something that you do not know about your husband. I'm not here to try to instill doubt or anything, but they must have something, some reason, and I bet it's good, as to why they are not going to approve his visa. One question, was he ever the beneficiary of another visa application?

[~Jackie~ 30]

Staashi I was just thinking that myself. Or maybe several attempts at a B1 visa or lottery visa.

April~my heart goes out to the both of you. Don't give up.

Jackie

[Staashi 371]

April, I think you need to call the embassy and ask them if they can give you any inkling as to why they denied the application. Something is up here and it's not kosher. They've got their reasons and I bet it's a good one. Revocation is pretty damn serious. That's like playing Monopoly - "Go to jail, go directly to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect $200." It's a mandate and they're not bs'ing, which I have found that the 221g is kind of like - we're gonna make you sweat for this visa. You all love each other so damn much, well dammit, prove it.

I'd ask them if he had ever applied for any other visas.

[DanniandMary 1]

April, I think you need to call the embassy and ask them if they can give you any inkling as to why they denied the application. Something is up here and it's not kosher. They've got their reasons and I bet it's a good one. Revocation is pretty damn serious. That's like playing Monopoly - "Go to jail, go directly to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect $200." It's a mandate and they're not bs'ing, which I have found that the 221g is kind of like - we're gonna make you sweat for this visa. You all love each other so damn much, well dammit, prove it.

I'd ask them if he had ever applied for any other visas.

That's funny because my congressman asked me the same exact thing and I asked my husband last night. He said he never applied for any visa to the usa before. I wonder why they won't tell me anything. They said in the email that I have to wait until my case gets back to uscis to find out anything. So it sounds like the embassy is not willing to tell me anything. I just wish I knew their reasons.

[Minya's wife 24]

April, I think you need to call the embassy and ask them if they can give you any inkling as to why they denied the application. Something is up here and it's not kosher. They've got their reasons and I bet it's a good one. Revocation is pretty damn serious. That's like playing Monopoly - "Go to jail, go directly to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect $200." It's a mandate and they're not bs'ing, which I have found that the 221g is kind of like - we're gonna make you sweat for this visa. You all love each other so damn much, well dammit, prove it.

I'd ask them if he had ever applied for any other visas.

That's funny because my congressman asked me the same exact thing and I asked my husband last night. He said he never applied for any visa to the usa before. I wonder why they won't tell me anything. They said in the email that I have to wait until my case gets back to uscis to find out anything. So it sounds like the embassy is not willing to tell me anything. I just wish I knew their reasons.

The response you received from the consulate seems to be answering you in regards to the possibility for a second interview. Did your initial e-mail also ask them shed more info on the denial, or did you just ask for a second interview. If you didn't ask for further info in your first e-mail, perhaps you can e-mail the consulate again but this time requesting information specifically as to the reasons they came to the conclusion to return the petition?

[DanniandMary 1]

The response you received from the consulate seems to be answering you in regards to the possibility for a second interview. Did your initial e-mail also ask them shed more info on the denial, or did you just ask for a second interview. If you didn't ask for further info in your first e-mail, perhaps you can e-mail the consulate again but this time requesting information specifically as to the reasons they came to the conclusion to return the petition?

Yes, I asked for another interview with me there so that I could possible prove that the marriage is ligitimate. I will write them back and ask if they can give me a reason/s.

[jpaula 20]

Have you tried calling them? With a little persistence you can usually get through to them in person and maybe they would be a bit more forthcoming that way.

I agree with others that there is something quite stark about this and there must be a specific reason. But, I do think the quick meeting/marriage and then only one week together is enough for them to deny that this and this alone could be the reason. If this is the case then spending some time there and building up evidence over the course of the year or so it will take to get the NOIR could be a huge help. I know this sounds like a really long time, but you also have to consider that Algiers is a very (relatively) quick Consulate once a case gets back to them and the time will go faster than you think. And, spending some time with your husband and his family in Algeria will teach you a lot about his culture and where he comes from which is a real opportunity. Maybe a silver lining? Apologies if you are distraught and do not want to hear a positive spin, but I can't help but try.

And really, call your other Senator or better yet Representative. As this board will attest, Muslim men are granted visas every day.

Edited to add: you may want to delete his last name from posts you make here as it is a public site.

Edited December 17, 2009 by jpaula

[morocco4ever 63]

The short relationship is a big red flag, but if you weren't permitted to show any evidence how would they have known that? Was that information in the forms that you sent to the USCIS?

My husband had a friend that got married about a week after we did. She got there to visit him a few days before I arrived, so we spent a lot of time together. I had known my husband almost a year, but she had only known hers for a few weeks. Even though there was no other red flag for this couple other than the fact that they had just met they did get denied a visa. Of course this is out of the UK. They told him that he was only using her for a visa even though by the time of his interview she was pregnant with their 1st child. She fought hard and won, but it was hard on her due to the fact that she had to give birth without him there. I really suspect that the reason was that they didn't hardly know each other when they got married. They were close to the same age, and she is a fairly attractive woman. Not thin, but just a little chubby. Nothing that would strike anyone as odd.

They have been married now for over 5 years, and are expecting their 3rd child. I won't say their life together has been a bed of roses however. Both being young it never struck them to discuss their goals, their expectations, and their culture differences. I must say this is one of the big reasons I took a lot of time getting to know my husband first. I was so naive about the visa process, so I didn't realize the impact all of these things would have on it.

But if you don't have your congressman backing you up may I suggest you get another one?

[Sofiyya 1,687]

The short relationship is a big red flag, but if you weren't permitted to show any evidence how would they have known that? Was that information in the forms that you sent to the USCIS?

My husband had a friend that got married about a week after we did. She got there to visit him a few days before I arrived, so we spent a lot of time together. I had known my husband almost a year, but she had only known hers for a few weeks. Even though there was no other red flag for this couple other than the fact that they had just met they did get denied a visa. Of course this is out of the UK. They told him that he was only using her for a visa even though by the time of his interview she was pregnant with their 1st child. She fought hard and won, but it was hard on her due to the fact that she had to give birth without him there. I really suspect that the reason was that they didn't hardly know each other when they got married. They were close to the same age, and she is a fairly attractive woman. Not thin, but just a little chubby. Nothing that would strike anyone as odd.

They have been married now for over 5 years, and are expecting their 3rd child. I won't say their life together has been a bed of roses however. Both being young it never struck them to discuss their goals, their expectations, and their culture differences. I must say this is one of the big reasons I took a lot of time getting to know my husband first. I was so naive about the visa process, so I didn't realize the impact all of these things would have on it.

If I remember correctly, she spent a lot of time visiting with her husband and his family during the time between their denial and their success. That must have strengthened their case and provided them with additional evidence of their commitment to each other and determination to stay together. I don't remember if gis denial was as severe as this one seems to be, but, if it's based on their lack of time spent together, more time together can't hurt. However, I'm not convinced that that's all there is to it here, based on what I've read so far.

[jpaula 20]

I think it is important to understand that Algiers is a much different Consulate than, say, Casa or Cairo. There just are not a lot of petitions going through there and they are much less used to seeing the on-line one visit/marriage relationships. There are very few American tourists, in fact almost none, and not many American women marrying Algerian men. When I was on Algeria, we could get an appointment to go to the Consulate on the day we called to request it--there are just that few Americans. They told me that most of the marriage based petitions they see are Algerian-Americans (often men I would guess) coming home to marry and sponsor someone. So, my guess is that it is not considered a high fraud country--yet--because there are not, again yet, a large number of Algerian men finding American wives on-line. But as these cases start to come through they are going to look very strange to the Consulate. I can tell you that there is definitely TONS of visa and marriage fraud in Algeria, but in the past it has been more directed toward EU visas. As Algerians in larger number both become more fluent in English rather (or in addition to) French and then realize they can find American women on-line, I can only imagine that the Consulate will become much tougher. It could be that there is more going on in April's case, but it could also be that this is just the beginning of an inevitably more suspicious Consulate.