Anyone had this happen at Moscow embassy??

[elya 17]

My fiances interview was on Jan 11, 2010. They only asked 3 or 4 simple questions and didn't even look at 90% of his stack of evidence. They immediately told him it was approved; some days later, we got his passport with visa in the mail. We were so happy! About three weeks later(he was almost ready to leave and come to me!!) we get a call from the embassy saying they need to correct an error with an "internal number" in his visa. He needed to return it. So he did.

After over month of waiting and getting no info whatsoever through inquiries by phone, through our lawyer, etc., finally got an e-mail back from embassy saying his case is under "additional administrative review" which must be completed before a final decision on a visa can be made.

After about six weeks I called my congressman's office and they have so far sent a total of three inquiries. The first time, they told them it was a normal process and should take 1 or 2 more weeks (didn't happen). The second time, they just said they will contact us when they're done. The third time, they ignored them completely. Now the Congressman's aide is trying DOS but so far, nothing...

Now last week the embassy called his parents. They asked questions about some previous and current addresses, our relationship (me and him), and his ex-wife. They would not say how long it will still take except "maybe soon".

Today is the 100th day since he returned his visa to the embassy. I don't understand why they decided to investigate us after they had already approved his visa, especially when the interview went so smooth and they didn't even want to look at his evidence!

I miss him so much... this waiting is driving me crazy :-(

Has anyone here heard of something similar happening? Or any other experiences with administrative processing/review and the Moscow embassy?

Much appreciate any responses...

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Adminstrative review after an interview is fairly unusual at Moscow and Kiev, but it does happen. I have never heard of it happening AFTEE issuing a visa and in most cases it never could be. Makes a case for buying your plane tickets ahead of time.

In any case, you heard nothing from your attorney because attorneys are fairly worthless in this process and do not get any information from the consulate. They had their $12 per hour clerk fill out your forms with info you gave them and that is pretty much the limit of what they can do. Oh, stuff the envelope with everything and mail it.

You are going the correct route with your elected representative. I give you 2 to 1 odds his aid is an attorney wth much more immigration knowledge than most attorneys that charge for their "service" and they are about the only ones that can knock the USCIS or the DOS off dead center.

You may also look into who is the Inspector General for that consulate. IGs can be called in when their has been incompetence or illegal acticity by a government agency and this sounds like incompetence to me. DO NOT do this while your elected representatives aid is looking into this. Government hacks hate it when you go around them. They have to fllow procedure and going to someone else is like "line jumping" and they will drop you post haste. You may suggest the IG to the aid working with you.

I do not know if you are using a Representative or a Senator. In my case, I would use a Senator only becasue the Senators from our state are far more influential than our single, freshman representative. Leahy and Sanders are very accessible and have great staffs including attorneys as case workers for immigration issues (we are a border state and that probably makes a differecne)

You also need to be calling them and reminding them. You are not the only case they handle. Also expect several weeks between steps. They have the ability to go right to Hillary Clinton if they want to, but they have to follow procedures and proticol, it IS politics you know.

Sorry this happened, it is very strange. Have you any clue why it would happen? Does your fiance? This was NOT a random AP case (some of them are entirely random, this one is not) IF he has any knowledge of why this may have happend, it may be advantageous for him to clear up a misunderstanding...volunteer information so they don't have to grope around for it. I do know of one case here in Vermont where an AOS was held up, and the applicant went to several interviews, because the applicant had been a member of the Komsomol! ALL students were members of the Komsomol, they had no choice at that time. When this was discovered and explained the "problem" went away. Just thinking out loud and groping around, actually, but if he can think of anything that would cause this...

[baron555 934]

Emailing the Moscow Embassy will probably yield better information than calling.

Yes this is very strange but obviously something was called to their attention during the visa reissuance part.

Is there anything in your fiance's background that should be suspect? Previous military service or countries visited?

I'd get your Senator involved as well as the Rep.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Emailing the Moscow Embassy will probably yield better information than calling.

Yes this is very strange but obviously something was called to their attention during the visa reissuance part.

Is there anything in your fiance's background that should be suspect? Previous military service or countries visited?

I'd get your Senator involved as well as the Rep.

I have had occasion to work with my Senators on many occasions and I will advise you one thing. IF you bring in another official, such as Phil suggests (and it is certainly your right to do so) then let them both know what you are doing. They WILL find out. The liason they deal with is the same and the liason will say something..."Hey, I am hearing this from Representative Foggy Bottom about Betty Lu also..." at which point they get pissed off that they are using their valuable time for you and you are two-timing them. Don't let them hear it from someone else.

Also you may indicate in informing them that you have also contacted Senator Rusty Drawers because you were told he had a back channel to the DOS. Be upfront with these people, they are sensitive and full of political proticol. Besides, just piling on the same liason will get you no where. If the Senator knows what has been done, then he can try something else, there is no need to repeat efforts.

Also, run it by them before you do anything on your own such as write letters, etc. You brought them into this and you have to keep them informed. If you do not already have the aid's direct phone line, get it. These people are a very valubale resource and are actually the people getting things done.

[visaveteran 1]

This is a lesson to never relax until your wife/fiancee clears POE. And a lesson in why many suggest never buying the plane ticket ahead.

The power for congressmen/senators to really do much is very limited. This is now an issue of time passing. Not much else to do but wait it out.

[elya 17]

Thank you very much for your responses!! As for buying your plane tickets in advance... yes you cannot even imagine how much we are kicking ourselves that he didn't just come to me right away. Trying to save a couple grand so he could finish up his dental work but at what cost... ugh.

I sure figured out the attorney is no help anymore :-( I think I will stick with the Representative's office, we're a small state with only one and he's been around forever. Plus, so far his aide has been very helpful and following up regularly with me and the embassy. Definitely much better than the attorney we paid for. I have been trying hard to hold back and not write any more e-mails or make any more phone calls since they are handling it.

Inspector General is good advice, I will pass that on to them! Thank you so much Gary and Alla!

The review could theoretically be for any number of reasons - we were actually prepared for a much tougher interview. We've both been married before, and my ex-husband got a green card because of me (he was already in the U.S., it was just AOS); my fiance spent several years (legally) in the U.S. with his ex-wife; he's also been denied a visa before. He studied in the military department of his University and did go through basic training. Also the area he studied was physics, which I hear can be a flag sometimes.

But ALL of that information was clearly indicated in our paperwork from the very beginning. We never tried to hide anything, and there's nothing new. I mean, if there's anything that concerns them enough to put us in AR, wouldn't they have noticed it the first time around?? And at least asked questions about it during the initial interview?? if not put us in AR on the first round? It just doesn't make sense :-(

The only thing that happened between filing the I-129F and his interview was a vacation in Thailand that we went on together, and a vacation to Western Europe to visit my relatives (he showed them pictures) but how can that be suspicious? Thailand has issues but it's not a MENA country.

Although, it may be the address thing that's confusing them. The address they asked his parents about when they called was an address that he listed on some of his previous immigration paperwork as a permanent address in Russia, but we didn't include it in the list of places he's lived for the last 10 years. That was in good faith - his parents sold the apartment he grew up in and moved, so his Russian "registration" was at that new apartment, but he never actually even laid eyes on that apartment much less lived there. By the time he got back to Russia they had moved to a different place and that's where he lives and is registered now. On the other hand, my fiance looked himself up in the Russian White Pages and apparently he's still listed at that address that he never lived at, so maybe they just got it from there and not his previous immigration paperwork.

If we wanted to volunteer information to explain that, how would we do it? Send an e-mail?? Is there even any point to e-mail and explain now since his parents already told them that they moved out of that place years ago, when he was still in the U.S.?

I almost wish we could just request another interview so that we can answer any and all their questions, but I've never heard of anyone doing that...

In one of my original e-mails I did ask them if they needed any other information or documents, and got a standard non-answer that says basically - you cannot do anything but wait.

One other fact that was interesting to me, but our lawyer said was irrelevant, was that the phone call from the embassy came the day that my I-129F expired, which was (by pure coincidence) also the day after we put on his visa application that he intends to come to the U.S. The lawyers had recommended putting any specific day more than 2 weeks after the interview. We weren't 100% certain it would work that quickly, and then he got delayed a little with the dental work and dealing with some family issues etc., but we were planning to buy the tickets that very weekend :-(

Thanks for reading...I really appreciate anyone's insights, opinions, and suggestions!!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Thank you very much for your responses!! As for buying your plane tickets in advance... yes you cannot even imagine how much we are kicking ourselves that he didn't just come to me right away. Trying to save a couple grand so he could finish up his dental work but at what cost... ugh.

I sure figured out the attorney is no help anymore :-( I think I will stick with the Representative's office, we're a small state with only one and he's been around forever. Plus, so far his aide has been very helpful and following up regularly with me and the embassy. Definitely much better than the attorney we paid for. I have been trying hard to hold back and not write any more e-mails or make any more phone calls since they are handling it.

Inspector General is good advice, I will pass that on to them! Thank you so much Gary and Alla!

The review could theoretically be for any number of reasons - we were actually prepared for a much tougher interview. We've both been married before, and my ex-husband got a green card because of me (he was already in the U.S., it was just AOS); my fiance spent several years (legally) in the U.S. with his ex-wife; he's also been denied a visa before. He studied in the military department of his University and did go through basic training. Also the area he studied was physics, which I hear can be a flag sometimes.

But ALL of that information was clearly indicated in our paperwork from the very beginning. We never tried to hide anything, and there's nothing new. I mean, if there's anything that concerns them enough to put us in AR, wouldn't they have noticed it the first time around?? And at least asked questions about it during the initial interview?? if not put us in AR on the first round? It just doesn't make sense :-(

The only thing that happened between filing the I-129F and his interview was a vacation in Thailand that we went on together, and a vacation to Western Europe to visit my relatives (he showed them pictures) but how can that be suspicious? Thailand has issues but it's not a MENA country.

Although, it may be the address thing that's confusing them. The address they asked his parents about when they called was an address that he listed on some of his previous immigration paperwork as a permanent address in Russia, but we didn't include it in the list of places he's lived for the last 10 years. That was in good faith - his parents sold the apartment he grew up in and moved, so his Russian "registration" was at that new apartment, but he never actually even laid eyes on that apartment much less lived there. By the time he got back to Russia they had moved to a different place and that's where he lives and is registered now. On the other hand, my fiance looked himself up in the Russian White Pages and apparently he's still listed at that address that he never lived at, so maybe they just got it from there and not his previous immigration paperwork.

If we wanted to volunteer information to explain that, how would we do it? Send an e-mail?? Is there even any point to e-mail and explain now since his parents already told them that they moved out of that place years ago, when he was still in the U.S.?

I almost wish we could just request another interview so that we can answer any and all their questions, but I've never heard of anyone doing that...

In one of my original e-mails I did ask them if they needed any other information or documents, and got a standard non-answer that says basically - you cannot do anything but wait.

One other fact that was interesting to me, but our lawyer said was irrelevant, was that the phone call from the embassy came the day that my I-129F expired, which was (by pure coincidence) also the day after we put on his visa application that he intends to come to the U.S. The lawyers had recommended putting any specific day more than 2 weeks after the interview. We weren't 100% certain it would work that quickly, and then he got delayed a little with the dental work and dealing with some family issues etc., but we were planning to buy the tickets that very weekend :-(

Thanks for reading...I really appreciate anyone's insights, opinions, and suggestions!!

Doesn't sound like you have any issues (IF that is all the issues) that would prevent the eventual approval of the visa. Some of the issues would generate questions. It could be nothing more than what you ahve told them.

Alla was just an interpreter for an AOS interview a couple weeks ago. It was for a man from Armenia who speaks Russian. It was his THIRD AOS interview. The interview was done by the same officer that did Alla's interview. It bolied down to the whole "problem" being that he waws in the Komsomol as a student, Big deal, ALL students were in the Komsomol. He explained this and then Alla even added that he was telling the truth and that she had also been in the Komsomol, had listed it on her I-485 and the officer had not asked her ANY questions about it.

He approved the green card.

They may have had a head slapping moment afterwards. They realized he was still in the country and lured him back with the "something wrong with the visa" thing.

Question...

Have they returned his passport minus the visa?

[elya 17]

Doesn't sound like you have any issues (IF that is all the issues) that would prevent the eventual approval of the visa. Some of the issues would generate questions. It could be nothing more than what you ahve told them.

I sure hope so... just wish they would have asked us the questions right away instead of putting us through all this!!

Alla was just an interpreter for an AOS interview a couple weeks ago. It was for a man from Armenia who speaks Russian. It was his THIRD AOS interview. The interview was done by the same officer that did Alla's interview. It bolied down to the whole "problem" being that he waws in the Komsomol as a student, Big deal, ALL students were in the Komsomol. He explained this and then Alla even added that he was telling the truth and that she had also been in the Komsomol, had listed it on her I-485 and the officer had not asked her ANY questions about it.

He approved the green card.

That is crazy... my fiance was a Pioneer (like every child in the Soviet Union), but barely missed Komsomol (age-wise). Good thing it worked out for the Armenian guy! He is lucky it was your wife as his interpreter :-)

They may have had a head slapping moment afterwards. They realized he was still in the country and lured him back with the "something wrong with the visa" thing.

Question...

Have they returned his passport minus the visa?

Yeah the "correction" thing sounded weird from the beginning... :-( just wish they would tell us what they need so we can clarify whatever it is they're after! No, they haven't returned his passport. They're still holding on to it. I guess that's a good thing? Today is day 101.

[baron555 934]

No, they haven't returned his passport. They're still holding on to it. I guess that's a good thing? Today is day 101.

Yes but holding his Russian Passport "hostage" is not a very politically correct move. I'd be emailing them every day with some explanation, .....or get off the pot.

[elya 17]

Yes but holding his Russian Passport "hostage" is not a very politically correct move. I'd be emailing them every day with some explanation, .....or get off the pot.

I guess I'd rather they keep it than have some other reason to delay us further. Just means he can't travel, but traveling is not really a good idea with AP going on anyway, from what I've heard.

We've been trying to get an explanation through every possible avenue we could think of for months! The congressman's inquiry did something, I guess - the embassy's call to my fiances parents came after their 3rd letter; at least they are doing something now even if not explaining anything.

[slim 1,525]

I have never heard of this happening. (And I've been on VJ for about 5 years.)

But, it seems legit. Most interviews are done by someone and then reviewed by a supervisor later. Your fiance probably slipped through the cracks and then was later "reviewed" a little bit more. From what you've typed here, there are several things they'd probably like to check a little more. Yes it seems like it's taking a long time, but in reality, 101 days isn't really that long for them to review.

As long as your application and relationship is genuine, then his visa will be reissued. I'd say there were just too many red flags in his case and the person who initially granted the visa shouldn't have done so.

Try to be patient. It shouldn't be too much longer.

[elya 17]

I guess it's not the review itself that is upsetting me so much (although I'm not happy about it of course) - if they had wanted to look into our case some more after the interview, sure, I understand. They can dig all they want, our relationship is real. But the timing is so wrong. I had no idea they could do this after the visa was issued, and it sure doesn't feel legit to me. He had a visa for three weeks - we made plans and important life decisions already! And now we are stuck in limbo having already started his move over here, to suddenly have to cut everything off hanging mid-air.

I understand the need for administrative review in some cases, including ours if that's what they felt was needed, but 3+ months of admin review is in my opinion NOT ok when people already changed everything in their lives based on a visa having already been issued. Would they really do this for just typical red flags that were clearly indicated from the beginning? It's not like it wasn't in our application, and I'm sure we're not the only ones with previous marriages and/or immigration history.

I understand they're only human and they make mistakes but I guess my (irrational?) fear is that the fact that they did this means something substantial - some kind of huge major issue - and I have no idea what it is, other than that whatever it is they have the wrong idea.

If on the other hand they are just doubting the validity of the relationship, then it upsets me that we didn't even get the chance to answer any questions at the interview, because whoever interviewed him obviously didn't have the same concerns as the people who decided to review his case. Nobody ever even saw the ticket stubs and passport stamps for all our constant travel to spend time together, or any of the printouts of our recent correspondence, and barely any pictures from our vacations together! He had everything but the woman just cut him off and said ok, you're approved...

Well, I guess at this point this post is more of a vent than anything useful or productive. Trying to be patient and just wait it out...

Thanks for reading...

[Brad and Vika 129]

Looks like you are getting great advice here. I can't speak to anything Russia specific - but I would think twice before accusing the Dept. of State of holding a Russian passport hostage, as was suggested above. They are wrong (obviously), but if you pressure them about keeping the passport you might get it back immediately with the visa canceled and an invitation to apply again. Then the Congressional Aide would get "we had no choice, he wrote us and demanded his passport be returned". Let the political help you have enlisted run its course. It might just be a mixup over his name or something. Good Luck!

[elya 17]

Thanks :-) yeah we decided to let the passport thing go... him not having it is the least of our worries right now! I'm sure if we demand it back we'll get it right away, as you said, with visa canceled. If things don't clear up soon I hope to visit him in July and maybe we'll go to St. Petersburg, he doesn't need a passport for that :-)

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Looks like you are getting great advice here. I can't speak to anything Russia specific - but I would think twice before accusing the Dept. of State of holding a Russian passport hostage, as was suggested above. They are wrong (obviously), but if you pressure them about keeping the passport you might get it back immediately with the visa canceled and an invitation to apply again. Then the Congressional Aide would get "we had no choice, he wrote us and demanded his passport be returned". Let the political help you have enlisted run its course. It might just be a mixup over his name or something. Good Luck!

Good advice Brad. If you use congressional help and they CAN help, then you have to "let go the wheel" and let them do their thing which does not happen overnight.

Anther thing you need to be aware of is that they CAN do this at any point actually and my guess is that if it hadn't happened now, it would have for the AOS process...and still could. I do recall one case similar to this where a fiance from Canada got his visa, but was turned back at the border when he tried to enter the US because of some similar thing. It is not over, really, until he becomes a citizen. Though I imagine once you get past this hurdle, whatever it is, it ought to get better.