Should I contact my congresswoman?

[zaytoona 8]

Hi Everyone,

I hope all is well. I have read many MENA posts in the past about contacting one's congressman/woman when a case has been denied but how about before an interview? My fiance's interview date is scheduled for April 13th and I want to make sure I have all my bases covered. If it is indeed helpful to contact my congresswoman prior to the interview, what is the best way of doing so? Should I send over an email or should I call? Most importantly, what do I say?

Thank you for your time!

Zaytoona

[illnevergetthis 5]

Don't contact them before the interview. There is nothing they can do for you. Try to relax and just make sure that you have all of the paperwork ready.

[Vanessa1 7]

I actually was considering doing this myself. The only thing you could request at this point would be to fill out the paper that allows your congresswoman to access your file. I don't know what this is called. The reason I was considering this was just in case we run into problems because I'm going to be over there in Morocco for several weeks and it would be easier to get this done now and also if the embassy threatens to send our petition back then there's only a short amount of time to stop them from doing so. But I haven't done it yet or even checked it out and I'm probably being paranoid. I'm still working on NVC right now so I'll decide for sure after that's done.

[~kiyah~ 14]

There are many people who have contacted their senate or congressional rep before the interview takes place. This is clearly a personal choice, and it has worked in the favor for a couple of members I know of.

They contacted their rep to let them know their case was up for interview, provided some details regarding the case, completed and submitted the required Immigration Privacy Release Form before-hand in the event a congressional inquiry was necessary after the interview.

Honestly, it cannot hurt you if you do this, it can save you time in the event you need them to make an official inquiry on your behalf regarding your case.

The best way of contacting your senate or congressional rep is to visit their web site and either locate a telephone number to call, or use the contact form directly on the site. You will need to know the name of the person who handles all immigration matters, every senate/congressional rep has one, this is the person you want to be in contact with. Signing the release form is first on the list, they cannot do anything on your behalf until you provide this completed form, many have this form available for download directly from their web site.

If you do not know who your congressman/senator is, use the following links to find out who represents your area:

US Congressional Representatives (By State)

US Senators (By State)

Good luck!

~kiyah~

Edited March 31, 2010 by ~kiyah~

[illnevergetthis 5]

That is great if they can help you before the interview. I guess I am just thinking about my experience here. My senator was absolutely no help when I contacted her and the person in her office was so rude.

Anyway, If they will help you before the interview...then I say go for it and contact them. What do you have to lose?

Best of luck to both of you!

[zaytoona 8]

There are many people who have contacted their senate or congressional rep before the interview takes place. This is clearly a personal choice, and it has worked in the favor for a couple of members I know of.

They contacted their rep to let them know their case was up for interview, provided some details regarding the case, completed and submitted the required Immigration Privacy Release Form before-hand in the event a congressional inquiry was necessary after the interview.

Honestly, it cannot hurt you if you do this, it can save you time in the event you need them to make an official inquiry on your behalf regarding your case.

The best way of contacting your senate or congressional rep is to visit their web site and either locate a telephone number to call, or use the contact form directly on the site. You will need to know the name of the person who handles all immigration matters, every senate/congressional rep has one, this is the person you want to be in contact with. Signing the release form is first on the list, they cannot do anything on your behalf until you provide this completed form, many have this form available for download directly from their web site.

If you do not know who your congressman/senator is, use the following links to find out who represents your area:

US Congressional Representatives (By State)

US Senators (By State)

Good luck!

~kiyah~

Thank you so much my dear! I have just emailed my congresswoman! Thank you to everyone!

Zaytoona

[~kiyah~ 14]

That is great if they can help you before the interview. I guess I am just thinking about my experience here. My senator was absolutely no help when I contacted her and the person in her office was so rude.

Anyway, If they will help you before the interview...then I say go for it and contact them. What do you have to lose?

Best of luck to both of you!

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your senator. If it were me, I would write a letter to this senator and provide details of your experience. It is quite possible the actual senator is not aware of the way their constituents are being treated when coming to their office for assistance. If their staff is not willing to treat a constituent with respect and dignity regardless of why they are being contacted then they definitely need to be made aware...if they already know, then they absolutely need to be reminded. They are here to serve us, sounds like her staff needs to be reminded of this fact.

Even though my senate rep wasn't able to get the results I wanted, I was very happy with their effort. They demonstrated multiple times they cared about our situation, and did everything they could to stop our file which was ultimately returned to the USCIS. I am still grateful for the way I was treated during that part of our process. Good luck with the rest of your journey!

~kiyah~

[illnevergetthis 5]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your senator. If it were me, I would write a letter to this senator and provide details of your experience. It is quite possible the actual senator is not aware of the way their constituents are being treated when coming to their office for assistance. If their staff is not willing to treat a constituent with respect and dignity regardless of why they are being contacted then they definitely need to be made aware...if they already know, then they absolutely need to be reminded. They are here to serve us, sounds like her staff needs to be reminded of this fact.

Even though my senate rep wasn't able to get the results I wanted, I was very happy with their effort. They demonstrated multiple times they cared about our situation, and did everything they could to stop our file which was ultimately returned to the USCIS. I am still grateful for the way I was treated during that part of our process. Good luck with the rest of your journey!

~kiyah~

Thank you!!!

[wantknow 11]

Immigration Privacy Release Form - Hi, this is the link to the form hope this will help everyone! Best Wishes!

My link

[wantknow 11]

There are many people who have contacted their senate or congressional rep before the interview takes place. This is clearly a personal choice, and it has worked in the favor for a couple of members I know of.

They contacted their rep to let them know their case was up for interview, provided some details regarding the case, completed and submitted the required Immigration Privacy Release Form before-hand in the event a congressional inquiry was necessary after the interview.

Honestly, it cannot hurt you if you do this, it can save you time in the event you need them to make an official inquiry on your behalf regarding your case.

The best way of contacting your senate or congressional rep is to visit their web site and either locate a telephone number to call, or use the contact form directly on the site. You will need to know the name of the person who handles all immigration matters, every senate/congressional rep has one, this is the person you want to be in contact with. Signing the release form is first on the list, they cannot do anything on your behalf until you provide this completed form, many have this form available for download directly from their web site.

If you do not know who your congressman/senator is, use the following links to find out who represents your area:

US Congressional Representatives (By State)

US Senators (By State)

Good luck!

~kiyah~

Thanks for this information it's very helpful .... Iposted the form that you talked about in your post maybe this too can be a helpful tool in their Visa Journey!

[wantknow 11]

Hi Everyone,

I hope all is well. I have read many MENA posts in the past about contacting one's congressman/woman when a case has been denied but how about before an interview? My fiance's interview date is scheduled for April 13th and I want to make sure I have all my bases covered. If it is indeed helpful to contact my congresswoman prior to the interview, what is the best way of doing so? Should I send over an email or should I call? Most importantly, what do I say?

Thank you for your time!

Zaytoona

Hi,

Zaytoona question for you: Did you chose interview date or did consulate?

[Vanessa1 7]

Hi,

Zaytoona question for you: Did you chose interview date or did consulate?

The NVC is the one who schedules the interviews for Casablanca. Once your case is complete with the NVC they send your entire petition to the embassy and once it's there they check the availability with the embassy and then schedule you. It is not up to you.

[wantknow 11]

The NVC is the one who schedules the interviews for Casablanca. Once your case is complete with the NVC they send your entire petition to the embassy and once it's there they check the availability with the embassy and then schedule you. It is not up to you.

Thank you