NVC: Cairo Embassy IR-1/CR-1

[together4evr 360]

Wendy, please tell us how you are surviving?! Are you contemplating moving to Egypt or Mexico or anywhere else? Do you have a final plan or are you staying in the USA and keep praying that the AP ends? I keep praying wishing hoping for your AP to end because you are waiting the longest on this thread and it breaks my heart. So, I will keep praying that his visa comes February. But if it shows up Jan 31 I will accept it also. heehehee

[MahaAhmed 1]

Ohhhh do not freak out yet. And do not move yet. Look at the statistics. Most people get the visa between 2-3 months.

Just keep being patient. My husband and I have also spoken of what to do at the 3 month wait mark.... I need to be in the USA. I have a sick mom, grandma, children, a home, a great career. But ask me again in 3 months... I might go to Egypt because we could live a very good life in cairo but it is not the life I am used to. As a tourist it is great to visit for extended periods of time. But when I am there I miss getting in the car and going to the grocery store and driving to my moms. In Egypt he only drives. I have an international license but the first time I went there my car got injured 4 times and I kind of hit a few peoples hand or elbow... so I have been banned from egypt driving. lol

I have not injured my car or anyone in the USA!! lol

I keep thinking about how fast the last 8 months have passed. So, I believe the next few months will also pass quick and he will be here with me soon. Also, our processes went quicker then i expected and the interview was not a 6 month wait. So, this next 14 weeks will still be within the 1 year timeframe of my expectations. At this moment I am calm....check back in about 15 minutes...cause my mood is changing frequently.

You try and keep me calm and patient and I will try to keep you calm and patient. And together we will all get through this. Inshallah

Insha2Allah...I know what you mean about different lives. It helps to have other people going through this otherwise I would be completely panicked by now lol

I sent the question to the lawyer will tell you if I get a straight answer.

[meno-is-mine 37]

I'm praying for you all too!!! The wait is horrible but when looking back, like togetherforever said, the time does seem to have passed quickly.

Hey Wendy, I've never spoke to you before and am not that familiar with your progress. I tried to send u a private message but it said you weren't accepting messages here. I just wanted to ask the reason for the one year lapse between NOA1 and 2? If you don't mind sharing of course.

[together4evr 360]

It looks like on wendys profile page that her case was transferred from csc to vermont or something...a few times. So, I do not know what the hold up was back then. I see that happen on an occassion on VJ over the last few months also. But I do not know why they do it.

[MahaAhmed 1]

ok so I sent the question off and here is how I put it and how he responded:

Q: I guess I just have to atleast wait for the 2 months to be up because the paper says so. My main question is I should avoid contacting DOS and asking for updates or asking at the embassy right? I would just like to know why talking to someone about a status slows down AP. If you could shed some light that would be great.

A:

Maha-

If you think of the process as different people doing different jobs, there will be one officer who is in charge of Ahmed’s case, and there will be another officer who is in charge of responding to consular inquiries. If the first officer is actually working on Ahmed’s case, and a second officer needs to take the case file in order to respond to an inquiry, then the first officer can’t finish his job without the file in front of him, and we lose a couple days because the file’s being moved around instead of where it needs to be to make a decision. That’s why if there is a good chance that they are actively working on it, I don’t want to disturb them. However, once we get the feeling that they are not actively working on it, then that is when we do the inquiry, to shake something loose.

Hope that helps...so based on this I will avoid asking just like the paper says so I don't get it more delayed.....I guess this is a physical file so they can only work on it while it's there and not being asked about?

[together4evr 360]

hmmm... it is not a physical file.

My husband asked the embassy if the file goes to washington and she said no. the file never leaves the embassy. She states it is all done through computer.

But, it makes sense. Sometimes computer systems will not allow 2 people to open the account at the same time. So, one person has to close the page so another person can open it..... But That is in my healthcare nursing field. I am not sure about government

Thanks for answering Maha.

[Wendy<3Ahmed 12]

I just called DOS-----

I called DOS

she would not answer anything

and she became more angry each time i asked something

lol

I said I would like a case status update

she said please hold

i said ok

she came back 30 seconds later

and she said this is from cairo

this is for your husband

i said yes, yes

she said this case is still under review for administrative processing

I said is the case at dos

she said no

I said the case is still at the embassy?

she said We dont process any cases here ma'am

I said Does DOS perform the name checks?

She said I am not gonna go into all that ma'am

I said is his case being reviewed at DOS

She said cases are reviewed at the embassy

they are reviewed and denied at the embassy and this is under AP

I said well thank you for your time

bye

I am paying this witchs salary with my taxes. WTH. That was the most unhelpful line I have ever called.

I will call her again tomorrow. lol

[Wendy<3Ahmed 12]

Wendy, please tell us how you are surviving?! Are you contemplating moving to Egypt or Mexico or anywhere else? Do you have a final plan or are you staying in the USA and keep praying that the AP ends? I keep praying wishing hoping for your AP to end because you are waiting the longest on this thread and it breaks my heart. So, I will keep praying that his visa comes February. But if it shows up Jan 31 I will accept it also. heehehee

How am I holding up? Some days I feel like it will end any time soon. That when we least expect it, we will be notified its done. Other times I cry like a baby coz I feel it will never end. We have been in this procedure since Jan. 2010(meet in person June 2008). Moving to Egypt is completely out of the question for me. I have a daughter for my previous marriage, her father and I hold shared custody. I would never leave her, my husband(Ahmed)completely understands that and respects my decision. The only choice I have is to be patient, wait and pray the AP will finish one day and we will be able to start our lives together here. Inshallah. Thanks for having us in your thoughts and prayers. We pray that all us waiting will finally be with our loves one soon.

Yesterday, I was felling pretty down, estimating 2-3 more months in this black whole. Todays mood is better, alhamduliah. Hoping for an end this month.

[together4evr 360]

Well today I have a new mood..it is kind of interesting---today I hate everyone and their mother.

I am sure this is a normal part of the AP emotional rollercoaster-right?

lol just joking...i do not hate moms---ok i do hate the moms of the DOS workers and embassy workers. loooooooool

Edited January 31, 2012 by togetherforever13

[together4evr 360]

How am I holding up? Some days I feel like it will end any time soon. That when we least expect it, we will be notified its done. Other times I cry like a baby coz I feel it will never end. We have been in this procedure since Jan. 2010(meet in person June 2008). Moving to Egypt is completely out of the question for me. I have a daughter for my previous marriage, her father and I hold shared custody. I would never leave her, my husband(Ahmed)completely understands that and respects my decision. The only choice I have is to be patient, wait and pray the AP will finish one day and we will be able to start our lives together here. Inshallah. Thanks for having us in your thoughts and prayers. We pray that all us waiting will finally be with our loves one soon.

Yesterday, I was felling pretty down, estimating 2-3 more months in this black whole. Todays mood is better, alhamduliah. Hoping for an end this month.

I hope I never have to feel your pain. I am so sad for your wait. I think it is 4 months in about 2 days? I am sure feb is gonna be a good month for you.

By the way, the ambassador hasn't wrote me back yet.... I think I will email her mother

[meno-is-mine 37]

Well today I have a new mood..it is kind of interesting---today I hate everyone and their mother.

I am sure this is a normal part of the AP emotional rollercoaster-right?

lol just joking...i do not hate moms---ok i do hate the moms of the DOS workers and embassy workers. loooooooool

ROFL!!! I'm at work reading this and I burst into laughter... Ppl think I'm crazy... Take it easy buddy...

[Wendy<3Ahmed 12]

I'm praying for you all too!!! The wait is horrible but when looking back, like togetherforever said, the time does seem to have passed quickly.

Hey Wendy, I've never spoke to you before and am not that familiar with your progress. I tried to send u a private message but it said you weren't accepting messages here. I just wanted to ask the reason for the one year lapse between NOA1 and 2? If you don't mind sharing of course.

Gosh, let’s see. We initially filed our I-130 & I129F (spouse visa) in Jan. 2010. Both NOA1 came back quickly. They were first directed to the CSC. Then we received a letter in June 2010 our cases were transferred to the Local Service Center and that we would be notified of a pending interview. Something that shouldn’t happened ever. Being that Ahmed is not in the US yet, but in Egypt. I went several times, to ask why it was transferred there and to bring that to their attention. Nothing worked. Our cases sat in the Fort Lauderdale Service Center for six (6) long months. By the way this office is maybe 3 miles from my office. I contact my senator, nothing was done there either, was only told to wait. Finally by the 6th months someone paid attention to me at one of my INFO-PASS and looked into it at the Local Service Center and the cases were transferred to the VSC on Feb 2011 for adjudication. About a week or two both cases were approved. Thanks god. NVC was a breeze; our case was completed on April 5, 2011. I was in Egypt when the revolution started, then we had to wait for the Embassy to reopen. Six months later we got our interview October 3th, 2011, both my husband and I attended. Now we are in AP for 4 moths this Friday. It has been hell for us. I don’t wish anyone what we have suffered. Thats our story.

[together4evr 360]

I called DOS again. I waited a full 23 hours to call them back.

This time my approach was different. I started the conversation with

And your name again? It is Genevieve?

She said it is

she then asked questions like the call was being monitored. his name and my name and birthdays. put me on hold for 22 seconds

came back and politely (but a bit bored) said

This case is currently being reviewed and they have not finished checking it yet.

I said thank you so much. Have a great day.

Than I hung up and swore at her mother

[MahaAhmed 1]

Gosh, let’s see. We initially filed our I-130 & I129F (spouse visa) in Jan. 2010. Both NOA1 came back quickly. They were first directed to the CSC. Then we received a letter in June 2010 our cases were transferred to the Local Service Center and that we would be notified of a pending interview. Something that shouldn’t happened ever. Being that Ahmed is not in the US yet, but in Egypt. I went several times, to ask why it was transferred there and to bring that to their attention. Nothing worked. Our cases sat in the Fort Lauderdale Service Center for six (6) long months. By the way this office is maybe 3 miles from my office. I contact my senator, nothing was done there either, was only told to wait. Finally by the 6th months someone paid attention to me at one of my INFO-PASS and looked into it at the Local Service Center and the cases were transferred to the VSC on Feb 2011 for adjudication. About a week or two both cases were approved. Thanks god. NVC was a breeze; our case was completed on April 5, 2011. I was in Egypt when the revolution started, then we had to wait for the Embassy to reopen. Six months later we got our interview October 3th, 2011, both my husband and I attended. Now we are in AP for 4 moths this Friday. It has been hell for us. I don’t wish anyone what we have suffered. Thats our story.

I'm sorry to hear that you to go through all that. Sounds like bad luck mixed with people not doing their job. Have you tried contacting them to see if they are actually working on the case? 4 months sounds like more than average...altho it seems people can't get answers anyways. Inshallah they will give you an answer soon.

[meno-is-mine 37]

Gosh, let’s see. We initially filed our I-130 & I129F (spouse visa) in Jan. 2010. Both NOA1 came back quickly. They were first directed to the CSC. Then we received a letter in June 2010 our cases were transferred to the Local Service Center and that we would be notified of a pending interview. Something that shouldn’t happened ever. Being that Ahmed is not in the US yet, but in Egypt. I went several times, to ask why it was transferred there and to bring that to their attention. Nothing worked. Our cases sat in the Fort Lauderdale Service Center for six (6) long months. By the way this office is maybe 3 miles from my office. I contact my senator, nothing was done there either, was only told to wait. Finally by the 6th months someone paid attention to me at one of my INFO-PASS and looked into it at the Local Service Center and the cases were transferred to the VSC on Feb 2011 for adjudication. About a week or two both cases were approved. Thanks god. NVC was a breeze; our case was completed on April 5, 2011. I was in Egypt when the revolution started, then we had to wait for the Embassy to reopen. Six months later we got our interview October 3th, 2011, both my husband and I attended. Now we are in AP for 4 moths this Friday. It has been hell for us. I don’t wish anyone what we have suffered. Thats our story.

Wow, I'm sorry you had to ensure all that. I hope February brings good news to us all... Keep hanging in there and I'll pray for you too inshalla...