221g Petition being returned to NVC/USCIS

[RealAI 1]

My husband had his IR1 interview on April 9th in US embassy in Riyadh. After the interview he was given a 221g blue form requesting additional documents. They requested

1. certified copy of my divorce decree

2. copy of my naturalization certificate

3. Proof of ongoing relationship- Phonebills, e-mails etc.

My husband submitted the requested documents within a few days in person at the US embassy in Riyadh. They kept his passport and the documents, made him pay for fedex for passport return and told him that they will request additional documents if needed.

On May 15th I called the embassy to check the status of the petition. The rude guy who answered the phone said that the petition was missing the divorce decree. I told him that my husband submitted it in person. So he doublechecked the file and told me that he found it. I asked him that how much longer it might take because my husband needed to travel to U.K for a conference. He said that he will send the passport back. I asked him if they will request the passport again when they needed it for visa, his reply was "yes, if the petition is approved".

today on May 17th my husband got his passport back with a 221g blue form dated May 15th saying that his case was being sent back to NVC/USCIS with recommendation for revocation.

I have already spoke to an attorney and got the Congressman's office involved. Both said that we have to wait till the case reaches California Service Center which has initially approved my petition. Once USCIS contacts me then we need to respond effectively.

Has anyone experienced the same situation. Is there anyone who had their case returned to USCIS after consular interview and finally got visa. Please share your experience.

[Sergi9 110]

My husband had his IR1 interview on April 9th in US embassy in Riyadh. After the interview he was given a 221g blue form requesting additional documents. They requested

1. certified copy of my divorce decree

2. copy of my naturalization certificate

3. Proof of ongoing relationship- Phonebills, e-mails etc.

My husband submitted the requested documents within a few days in person at the US embassy in Riyadh. They kept his passport and the documents, made him pay for fedex for passport return and told him that they will request additional documents if needed.

On May 15th I called the embassy to check the status of the petition. The rude guy who answered the phone said that the petition was missing the divorce decree. I told him that my husband submitted it in person. So he doublechecked the file and told me that he found it. I asked him that how much longer it might take because my husband needed to travel to U.K for a conference. He said that he will send the passport back. I asked him if they will request the passport again when they needed it for visa, his reply was "yes, if the petition is approved".

today on May 17th my husband got his passport back with a 221g blue form dated May 15th saying that his case was being sent back to NVC/USCIS with recommendation for revocation.

I have already spoke to an attorney and got the Congressman's office involved. Both said that we have to wait till the case reaches California Service Center which has initially approved my petition. Once USCIS contacts me then we need to respond effectively.

Has anyone experienced the same situation. Is there anyone who had their case returned to USCIS after consular interview and finally got visa. Please share your experience.

There is a story behind this story. More than likely you have formulated some opinion on why this has happened. Either the interview results or something in the paperwork or the background check.

So fill us in on the details so we can point you in the right direction.

[RealAI 1]

There is a story behind this story. More than likely you have formulated some opinion on why this has happened. Either the interview results or something in the paperwork or the background check.

So fill us in on the details so we can point you in the right direction.

We are not being able to understand the reason for denial. At the interview they mostly asked about our relationship. He could not answer one question. He told them we met online. They asked for the date of first contact and he said I dont remember the exact date and it was a few months before we got married. We gave them a lot of pictures of us together, family pictures of me, him and my daughter together and also of us with my relatives.

Here are some details

1. He is from Pakistan and I am from Bangladesh

2. I was married before and have one daughter from previous marraige

3. We met online in August 2007 and got married in November of the same year in Bangladesh.

4. I was a greencard holder when we got married and became a citizen in January 2011 and upgraded the petition to IR1

from the background can you figure out why the petition was returned?

[EAbbas 213]

We are not being able to understand the reason for denial. At the interview they mostly asked about our relationship. He could not answer one question. He told them we met online. They asked for the date of first contact and he said I dont remember the exact date and it was a few months before we got married. We gave them a lot of pictures of us together, family pictures of me, him and my daughter together and also of us with my relatives.

Here are some details

1. He is from Pakistan and I am from Bangladesh

2. I was married before and have one daughter from previous marraige

3. We met online in August 2007 and got married in November of the same year in Bangladesh.

4. I was a greencard holder when we got married and became a citizen in January 2011 and upgraded the petition to IR1

from the background can you figure out why the petition was returned?

We met online 3 yrs ago this coming fall and I dont think we could possibly tell them that one either...but at that time we were just on a game and not romantic only friends...it didnt turn romantic until almost a year or so later...that's when we realized we needed to save everything but up until then we dont have much...

[sara..... 371]

US embassy in Riyadh is a hard one to get thru there are a few vj members that have had to deal with them with their s/o from India and a few other places.

just wait until California gets the returned petition......i have no doubt that you will over come this but it will take a little longer than what you thought it would.....

i will add you to my prayers

sara

[RealAI 1]

This morning I spoke to a live person in Riyadh Embassy and wanted to know more details why the petition is being sent back. He said that the CO made the decision and he did it because from the interview he was not convinced about the existence of a true relationship. When I told him that we had given so many pictures and some phone bills, he said the story did not make sense or seem real to the CO.

Can anyone give us some idea from their experience how an IR1 visa interview should go? I don't know what gave the CO the impression he got.

[EAbbas 213]

maybe yor husband should give you details of evthing that happened n tell u each question tht was asked n what his answer was that may give u insight more than we can but we are here for u and our prayers go with u

[katiemanny 64]

This morning I spoke to a live person in Riyadh Embassy and wanted to know more details why the petition is being sent back. He said that the CO made the decision and he did it because from the interview he was not convinced about the existence of a true relationship. When I told him that we had given so many pictures and some phone bills, he said the story did not make sense or seem real to the CO.

Can anyone give us some idea from their experience how an IR1 visa interview should go? I don't know what gave the CO the impression he got.

How often have you visited your husband after marriage?, sometime when you get married shortly after meeting someone that can raise a lot of suspicion, plus your husband did'nt give the exact date you guys met each other that's reason enough for denial. Now your only hope is to appeal the decision, it will take a while don't lose hope.

Edited May 18, 2011 by katiemanny

[sara..... 371]

How often have you visited your husband after marriage?, sometime when you get married shortly after meeting someone that can raise a lot of suspicion, plus your husband did'nt give the exact date you guys met each other that's reason enough for denial. Now your only hope is to appeal the decision, it will take a while don't lose hope.

Im not too sure about this but I think that unless he has a family visa when he works there its pretty hard to get into saudi unless it is for religious reasons......

sara

[Sergi9 110]

We are not being able to understand the reason for denial. At the interview they mostly asked about our relationship. He could not answer one question. He told them we met online. They asked for the date of first contact and he said I dont remember the exact date and it was a few months before we got married. We gave them a lot of pictures of us together, family pictures of me, him and my daughter together and also of us with my relatives.

Here are some details

1. He is from Pakistan and I am from Bangladesh

2. I was married before and have one daughter from previous marraige

3. We met online in August 2007 and got married in November of the same year in Bangladesh.

4. I was a greencard holder when we got married and became a citizen in January 2011 and upgraded the petition to IR1

from the background can you figure out why the petition was returned?

Your petition is going through a high fraud embassy, and your fact pattern falls into a quasi typical fraud scenario if you got your greencard through marriage to a US Citizen and divorced. Was this the case or were you on H1b and then adjusted?

How did you meet your US Citizen spouse (if that is what happened), how long were you married and when was your divorce final?

Also did your current husband use any type of document preparation service to file any of his paperwork? What about previous attempts at VISA's to US for him?

[san diego 407]

Can you elaborate on the timeline:

1) You got married - date

2) Came to US - date

3) Got green card - date

4) Got divorced - date

5) Met your current husband - date

6) Got married to your current husband - date

This is not a curiosity but rather needed information to determine what raised red flags to battle them. Major red flags that I learned from my lawyer:

1) Age difference

2) Absence of prove of the relationship

3) If you came here on fiancee/CR1 visa, get divorced, get married again and bring another person into the country based on K1/CR1

I think the third one is your case. If you elaborate on the dates, VJ members may pinpoint the problem and provide you with the advice/ guidelines

[EAbbas 213]

Can you elaborate on the timeline:

1) You got married - date

2) Came to US - date

3) Got green card - date

4) Got divorced - date

5) Met your current husband - date

6) Got married to your current husband - date

This is not a curiosity but rather needed information to determine what raised red flags to battle them. Major red flags that I learned from my lawyer:

1) Age difference

2) Absence of prove of the relationship

3) If you came here on fiancee/CR1 visa, get divorced, get married again and bring another person into the country based on K1/CR1

I think the third one is your case. If you elaborate on the dates, VJ members may pinpoint the problem and provide you with the advice/ guidelines

These are good questions actually and instead of simply asking us why they denied you without any information along with it you will get better results if you complete this time frame and of course like i said bfore get details from you husband then between the answers you give here and those ppl who have great knowledge of this surely they can help you overcome the next time you submit or appeal this....without this information the ppl who can help are basically running around in the dark looking for a needle in a haystack....let us help you if we can...

[RealAI 1]

Your petition is going through a high fraud embassy, and your fact pattern falls into a quasi typical fraud scenario if you got your greencard through marriage to a US Citizen and divorced. Was this the case or were you on H1b and then adjusted?

How did you meet your US Citizen spouse (if that is what happened), how long were you married and when was your divorce final?

Also did your current husband use any type of document preparation service to file any of his paperwork? What about previous attempts at VISA's to US for him?

I was married to a permanent resident. Because of domestic violence in my marraige I got greencard through the violence against women act (abused spouse of citizen or LPR)after my divorce. My first marraige lasted 2 years. I got divorced in 2002 and married my present husband in 2007.

I visited him in Saudi Arabia where he lives only once. I can get a family visit visa since my husband is a doctor over there. but Saudi arabia does not issue any other tourist visas except for family or religious visits. I have a child from my first marraige and Saudi arabia does not recognize step children and it is impossible to get a visit visa for her. Since I can not leave her behind in the US or take her along with me to SA we usually met in a 3rd country. Through the last 3 and 1/2 years I visited him in SA once, we met in London 2 times and in Bangladesh twice. We met every six months.

Any comments or insights anyone?

[san diego 407]

I was married to a permanent resident. Because of domestic violence in my marraige I got greencard through the violence against women act (abused spouse of citizen or LPR)after my divorce. My first marraige lasted 2 years. I got divorced in 2002 and married my present husband in 2007.

I visited him in Saudi Arabia where he lives only once. I can get a family visit visa since my husband is a doctor over there. but Saudi arabia does not issue any other tourist visas except for family or religious visits. I have a child from my first marraige and Saudi arabia does not recognize step children and it is impossible to get a visit visa for her. Since I can not leave her behind in the US or take her along with me to SA we usually met in a 3rd country. Through the last 3 and 1/2 years I visited him in SA once, we met in London 2 times and in Bangladesh twice. We met every six months.

Any comments or insights anyone?

Very hard to follow the timeline. I suggest filling out the timeline and we can help. This is irrelevant why it happened. What is relevant what did CO think.

[Shenzhen 34]

We are not being able to understand the reason for denial. At the interview they mostly asked about our relationship. He could not answer one question. He told them we met online. They asked for the date of first contact and he said I dont remember the exact date and it was a few months before we got married. We gave them a lot of pictures of us together, family pictures of me, him and my daughter together and also of us with my relatives.

Here are some details

1. He is from Pakistan and I am from Bangladesh

2. I was married before and have one daughter from previous marraige

3. We met online in August 2007 and got married in November of the same year in Bangladesh.

4. I was a greencard holder when we got married and became a citizen in January 2011 and upgraded the petition to IR1

from the background can you figure out why the petition was returned?

He could not answer one question correct he is why he failed. He should have an exact answer for each question. We met approximately the first week of June 2009. ETC ETC. The exact date time and place is even better. Next time be prepared.