Soldier's wife and kids denied visa in Manila

[Anonymous 0]

Soldier's wife and kids denied visa in Manila

I just saw this story on CNN and found it inspirational for those of us who have had or are currently having issues with the US Embassy in Manila. Having personally endured 9 months of AR hell, I can't say anything in this story surprises me.

The best advice I can give anyone looking to avoid a similar outcome is this: choose what information you wish to divulge to a consular officer (either in writing or during the actual interview) VERY, VERY carefully and VERY, VERY wisely. Working in a bar may sound like an innocent enough occupation but, through the eyes of a consular officer, it becomes a window to a personality - an example of promiscuous characteristics. Certainly, women working at bars in the US never exhibit these same characteristics!?!? Guess what? It doesn't matter, they aren't trying to get US visas through the US Embassy in the Philippines.

Now, I'm definitely NOT condoning lying to a consular officer but you have to remember they are not your family or friends either. They are trained interrogators and suspicious of everything they are told.

Here is another link to the story and a transcript for those of you unable to view the video:

He took an oath to defend the Constitution and all the laws of the land. Now a U.S. soldier, and Texas A&M grad says those very rights he fights to protect are not being upheld when it comes to his family.

Back in April we first told you about Captain Cheyne Parham and his Washington County family, who are taking on the government to bring his loved ones to the U.S., after the American Consulate refused them passports.

It's been almost a year since Parham began his fight, and his family is still being denied access into the country despite some new evidence.

Now after months of litigation, the soldier speaks out.

"This would have been one of the most amazing Christmas gifts I could have imagined, to have my family here," Captain Cheyne Parham said.

For Captain Cheyne Parham visiting his parents in Washington County this holiday is bittersweet. What he hoped would be homecoming for his entire family, has now turned into another Christmas without his wife and kids.

"I've missed out on all but about a month of their lives, and that's one month combined," Parham said. "I've got to miss their first step I got to miss their first real word."

For pretty much all of 2009 Captain Parham has been fighting the government to bring his wife and twin daughters to the U.S., after the American Consulate in the Philippines questioned the paternity of the children, and denied them passports and visas.

"The Consulate said, 'I'm just not 100 percent convinced you were exclusive at the time of conception.' Now she based that statement off my wife working at a bar in Korea," Parham said.

Parham produced birth certificates, marriage certificates, insurance forms, and even a court ruling saying the kids are his without any luck. When that didn't work he even recently took a DNA test.

"We sampled my wife, one of my daughters, because the other one was sick at the time, and I got sampled as well. The results came in three to four days later after we got it to the lab, and 99.98 percent of American Caucasian males are excluded from being the father," Parham said, "So it's 99.99 percent I'm father."

But Parham says the Department of State is ignoring this latest piece of evidence and now wants him and his family to submit to another DNA test--this one conducted by the American Consulate in Philippines.

"Someone who has already insulted my wife, that has insulted my children by calling them illegitimate children," Parham said.

Parham is now preparing his wife, and family for another holiday apart...

"The only thing I can tell her is to keep faith," Parham said.

It's faith that keeps them fighting to be together once again.

"I have a responsibility to every other service member who has been through this, and that will be in this situation. Because if I don't fight then the wrong will just happen again," Parham said.

According to the Parham's an initial federal court dismissed their case back in August after the State Department argued that Cheyne had not exhausted all avenues possible--and should have also filed for a certificate for identification.

Since then, Captain Parham has requested that document, but has been told that form hasn't been actively used since the late 80's.

Currently the Parham's are appealing the earlier ruling, citing other cases ruled on by the Supreme Court.

News Three did attempt to contact the U.S. State Department about this latest information, but our calls went unanswered.

In the past though, officials with the department told News Three that the burden of proof always rests with its applicants.

Meanwhile, Parham's wife, and children can not even come to U.S. on an immigration or just temporary visa or passport because of the current probe into the kids citizenship.

[*JG* 2]

If it weren't for people circumventing the system and all the falseness out there, this wouldn't be an issue.

But, that being said...........so many people get caught up in the BS when they shouldn't even be questioned. Makes me mad when you have to rely on someone else's judgement as to if your relationship is real or not.

2 edged sword.

[TripleG 3]

Anonymous wrote:

"The best advice I can give anyone looking to avoid a similar outcome is this: choose what information you wish to divulge to a consular officer (either in writing or during the actual interview) VERY, VERY carefully and VERY, VERY wisely. Working in a bar may sound like an innocent enough occupation but, through the eyes of a consular officer, it becomes a window to a personality"

Although I agree with that statement, the mods on here will see that as asking someone to commit fraud of some sort. So I don't think this post will stick around long. A topic about an OP's fiance being an ex-bargirl (which is alot different than just working in a bar in Korea) generated alot of banter about this subject. I personally think sins of the past shouldn't keep two people that love eachother from being together.

A friend of mines wife was asked about drug use during her interview. My friend told her to be completely honest to the CO. She told the CO she had tried shabu when she was a teenager She had never told even my friend that. She got put in AR and delayed the process about 6 months. I think if he had it to do over again he would have told her to be honest, except don't tell them you ever tried drugs This happened about 15 years ago, and the system was a little different back then.

Wyatt

[Anonymous 0]

If it weren't for people circumventing the system and all the falseness out there, this wouldn't be an issue.

Agreed, but why does it really matter if they are his kids or not? If he chooses to accept them as his and raise them as his own, then that should be his choice. People marry parents of young children in the US all the time. For that matter, US citizens marry foreign nationals with children (who are of no relation to the US citizen) all the time and successfully petition them for immigration to the US. Those children will have to, eventually, pass the US citizenship requirements if they want to become US citizens, but they are certainly not denied entry to the US. The only difference in this case is that the petitioner is claiming the children are his own, which immediately entitles them to US citizenship. It's a silly technicality, IMO. If his wife had run across the border and given birth to the children on US soil, there would be no question of paternity and citizenship. They wouldn't care who the father was but...then you'd have the issue of illegal entry to deal with, and that's an entirely different topic.

The bottom line is that our immigration process has WAY too many flaws in it. But, it's the only option we have and we are forced to play by their rules/laws or else they will make our lives miserable.

[*JG* 2]

Anonymous wrote:

"The best advice I can give anyone looking to avoid a similar outcome is this: choose what information you wish to divulge to a consular officer (either in writing or during the actual interview) VERY, VERY carefully and VERY, VERY wisely. Working in a bar may sound like an innocent enough occupation but, through the eyes of a consular officer, it becomes a window to a personality"

Although I agree with that statement, the mods on here will see that as asking someone to commit fraud of some sort. So I don't think this post will stick around long. A topic about an OP's fiance being an ex-bargirl (which is alot different than just working in a bar in Korea) generated alot of banter about this subject. I personally think sins of the past shouldn't keep two people that love eachother from being together.

A friend of mines wife was asked about drug use during her interview. My friend told her to be completely honest to the CO. She told the CO she had tried shabu when she was a teenager She had never told even my friend that. She got put in AR and delayed the process about 6 months. I think if he had it to do over again he would have told her to be honest, except don't tell them you ever tried drugs This happened about 15 years ago, and the system was a little different back then.

Wyatt

It's the same way at Jamaican embassy. Admit to it EVER at medical and automatic denial.

Agreed, but why does it really matter if they are his kids or not? If he chooses to accept them as his and raise them as his own, then that should be his choice. People marry parents of young children in the US all the time. For that matter, US citizens marry foreign nationals with children (who are of no relation to the US citizen) all the time and successfully petition them for immigration to the US. Those children will have to, eventually, pass the US citizenship requirements if they want to become US citizens, but they are certainly not denied entry to the US. The only difference in this case is that the petitioner is claiming the children are his own, which immediately entitles them to US citizenship. It's a silly technicality, IMO. If his wife had run across the border and given birth to the children on US soil, there would be no question of paternity and citizenship. They wouldn't care who the father was but...then you'd have the issue of illegal entry to deal with, and that's an entirely different topic.

The bottom line is that our immigration process has WAY too many flaws in it. But, it's the only option we have and we are forced to play by their rules/laws or else they will make our lives miserable.

I agree with you. But, the sins of the past (and I do mean the fakers here) do hold water with those going through it now. Sad; but true.

[Anonymous 0]

Although I agree with that statement, the mods on here will see that as asking someone to commit fraud of some sort. So I don't think this post will stick around long. A topic about an OP's fiance being an ex-bargirl (which is alot different than just working in a bar in Korea) generated alot of banter about this subject. I personally think sins of the past shouldn't keep two people that love eachother from being together.

A friend of mines wife was asked about drug use during her interview. My friend told her to be completely honest to the CO. She told the CO she had tried shabu when she was a teenager She had never told even my friend that. She got put in AR and delayed the process about 6 months. I think if he had it to do over again he would have told her to be honest, except don't tell them you ever tried drugs This happened about 15 years ago, and the system was a little different back then.

Wyatt

Your friend was lucky. I know of several cases that have occurred recently with that exact scenario (admitted shabu or marijuana experimentation). I'm sure you're aware but, sometime within the last 15 years, the US enacted the "no tolerance policy" in which any admission of any past drug use immediately draws a lifetime ban. In the aforementioned cases, petitioners were told their wife could never come to the US and forced to move to the Philippines if they wanted to be with their spouse.

[ScottThuy 140]

Agreed, but why does it really matter if they are his kids or not? If he chooses to accept them as his and raise them as his own, then that should be his choice. People marry parents of young children in the US all the time. For that matter, US citizens marry foreign nationals with children (who are of no relation to the US citizen) all the time and successfully petition them for immigration to the US. Those children will have to, eventually, pass the US citizenship requirements if they want to become US citizens, but they are certainly not denied entry to the US. The only difference in this case is that the petitioner is claiming the children are his own, which immediately entitles them to US citizenship. It's a silly technicality, IMO. If his wife had run across the border and given birth to the children on US soil, there would be no question of paternity and citizenship. They wouldn't care who the father was but...then you'd have the issue of illegal entry to deal with, and that's an entirely different topic.

The bottom line is that our immigration process has WAY too many flaws in it. But, it's the only option we have and we are forced to play by their rules/laws or else they will make our lives miserable.

The reason it matters is because of the type of visa that would be granted the child... different if he is the father than if he is not... strictly a classification issue as well its built in to prevent people from taking children from one country to another without the biological parents consent.

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

Your friend was lucky. I know of several cases that have occurred recently with that exact scenario (admitted shabu or marijuana experimentation). I'm sure you're aware but, sometime within the last 15 years, the US enacted the "no tolerance policy" in which any admission of any past drug use immediately draws a lifetime ban. In the aforementioned cases, petitioners were told their wife could never come to the US and forced to move to the Philippines if they wanted to be with their spouse.

which is pretty much a good reason to have that long conversation with one's intended on this subject before even starting the visa process.

[david_loves_amie 0]

The reason it matters is because of the type of visa that would be granted the child... different if he is the father than if he is not... strictly a classification issue as well its built in to prevent people from taking children from one country to another without the biological parents consent.

If it's really about the kids then it's not a visa issue at all. Seems to me that the Consulate is refusing to issue a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), which infact makes the Kids US Citizens and issues them US Passports. The only mention of a visa is "Parham's wife, and children can not even come to U.S. on an immigration or just temporary visa or passport because of the current probe into the kids citizenship." - There is no other mention of the wifes Visa procedings.

P.S. I currently have 2 children at home in the Philippines 1 has gone through the CRBA procedure and we are still waiting on the NSO BirthCert for our baby girl...

Edited December 22, 2009 by david_loves_amie

[Anonymous 0]

The reason it matters is because of the type of visa that would be granted the child... different if he is the father than if he is not... strictly a classification issue as well its built in to prevent people from taking children from one country to another without the biological parents consent.

Bleh. Again, a technicality. The consular officer in this case suspects the wife was having an affair or one-night stand with some guy she met at a bar. If that were true, the father probably didn't even know she was pregnant or didn't care, or both. Do you think the consular officer in this case is really worried about the possibility of some father coming forward to claim his children were taken without his consent? NO! He's just playing God by judging this girl's sense of morality and punishing them by keeping them from being together. Consular officers have waaaay too much leeway in these circumstances. They take their jobs far too seriously and lack the ability to know when to let common sense prevail. Being careful in cases of suspected terrorism is one thing...one thing this case is so obviously not.

[The_Sage1 2]

I personally think the consulates in Manila need to clean up their act. It's not just soldiers who are experiencing these problems, it's other honest people too. I hope with this big media coverage this man has that someone with authority will notice what's going on and take some real action.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

First let me say that I have the utmost respect for our military, I grew up in an Army family.

This guy is a disgrace because he thinks that the rules which apply to everyone else don't apply to him.

The genetic paternity of the twins is important for a CRBA so his evidence of Birth Certificates, Court Orders etc isn't the end-all say-all he wants it to be.

Is it reasonable for the CO to say they need DNA results to issue the CRBA? Yes it is.

Is it reasonable for him to expect USEM to accept his 3rd party DNA results? No it isn't. That would be like my wife taking a medical screening in her hometown and getting angry because the USEM wants something from SLMEC!

For them to say he has been "Fighting the US Government" to bring them here is so much Bull... It's a process and he needs to just shut-up and follow the requirements.

He's offended because the CO thinks his wife working in a Bar in Korea at the time they met is reason enough to suspect she might have had sex with someone else, is he really that ignorant?

He's a Capitan so it's assumed that he has an understanding of the chain of command and how to follow process and procedure yet he wants to be treated special.

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

He's a Captain so it's assumed that he has an understanding of the chain of command and how to follow process and procedure yet he wants to be treated special.

we often called that 1st lt, second award.

[anonymousperson 0]

My fiancee just had her medical exam in Manila. She was completely honest and said she had a one-time experimentation with drugs eight years ago to the interviewing physician. She asked the interviewing physician if this would be recorded in her file. The physician stated it would not.

Now I am worried. Will this automatically be reason for denial? delay? She has had a previous clean drug test and records to prove (by sheer happenestance) for one of her employments. She is in no way an abuser or addict and has never shown behavior consistent with that. She was just being completely honest.

I really wonder if the physician is good to her word in confidence or is this gonna be a problem?

Does anyone have instances where this was not a problem?

As you can tell, I am a bit worried. Never figured that telling the truth about a teenage indiscretion would be the wrong thing to do.

Thanks in advance. Any advice moving forward is also appreciated.

Edited December 24, 2009 by anonymousperson

[sjr09 155]

Soldier's wife and kids denied visa in Manila

I just saw this story on CNN and found it inspirational for those of us who have had or are currently having issues with the US Embassy in Manila. Having personally endured 9 months of AR hell, I can't say anything in this story surprises me.

The best advice I can give anyone looking to avoid a similar outcome is this: choose what information you wish to divulge to a consular officer (either in writing or during the actual interview) VERY, VERY carefully and VERY, VERY wisely. Working in a bar may sound like an innocent enough occupation but, through the eyes of a consular officer, it becomes a window to a personality - an example of promiscuous characteristics. Certainly, women working at bars in the US never exhibit these same characteristics!?!? Guess what? It doesn't matter, they aren't trying to get US visas through the US Embassy in the Philippines.

Now, I'm definitely NOT condoning lying to a consular officer but you have to remember they are not your family or friends either. They are trained interrogators and suspicious of everything they are told.

Here is another link to the story and a transcript for those of you unable to view the video:

He took an oath to defend the Constitution and all the laws of the land. Now a U.S. soldier, and Texas A&M grad says those very rights he fights to protect are not being upheld when it comes to his family.

Back in April we first told you about Captain Cheyne Parham and his Washington County family, who are taking on the government to bring his loved ones to the U.S., after the American Consulate refused them passports.

It's been almost a year since Parham began his fight, and his family is still being denied access into the country despite some new evidence.

Now after months of litigation, the soldier speaks out.

"This would have been one of the most amazing Christmas gifts I could have imagined, to have my family here," Captain Cheyne Parham said.

For Captain Cheyne Parham visiting his parents in Washington County this holiday is bittersweet. What he hoped would be homecoming for his entire family, has now turned into another Christmas without his wife and kids.

"I've missed out on all but about a month of their lives, and that's one month combined," Parham said. "I've got to miss their first step I got to miss their first real word."

For pretty much all of 2009 Captain Parham has been fighting the government to bring his wife and twin daughters to the U.S., after the American Consulate in the Philippines questioned the paternity of the children, and denied them passports and visas.

"The Consulate said, 'I'm just not 100 percent convinced you were exclusive at the time of conception.' Now she based that statement off my wife working at a bar in Korea," Parham said.

Parham produced birth certificates, marriage certificates, insurance forms, and even a court ruling saying the kids are his without any luck. When that didn't work he even recently took a DNA test.

"We sampled my wife, one of my daughters, because the other one was sick at the time, and I got sampled as well. The results came in three to four days later after we got it to the lab, and 99.98 percent of American Caucasian males are excluded from being the father," Parham said, "So it's 99.99 percent I'm father."

But Parham says the Department of State is ignoring this latest piece of evidence and now wants him and his family to submit to another DNA test--this one conducted by the American Consulate in Philippines.

"Someone who has already insulted my wife, that has insulted my children by calling them illegitimate children," Parham said.

Parham is now preparing his wife, and family for another holiday apart...

"The only thing I can tell her is to keep faith," Parham said.

It's faith that keeps them fighting to be together once again.

"I have a responsibility to every other service member who has been through this, and that will be in this situation. Because if I don't fight then the wrong will just happen again," Parham said.

According to the Parham's an initial federal court dismissed their case back in August after the State Department argued that Cheyne had not exhausted all avenues possible--and should have also filed for a certificate for identification.

Since then, Captain Parham has requested that document, but has been told that form hasn't been actively used since the late 80's.

Currently the Parham's are appealing the earlier ruling, citing other cases ruled on by the Supreme Court.

News Three did attempt to contact the U.S. State Department about this latest information, but our calls went unanswered.

In the past though, officials with the department told News Three that the burden of proof always rests with its applicants.

Meanwhile, Parham's wife, and children can not even come to U.S. on an immigration or just temporary visa or passport because of the current probe into the kids citizenship.