DOS said our case is @ embassy

[carolynhotstuff 252]

Worth_The_Wait,

Your words did not offend me they made me laugh and I needed a good laugh. My husband is coming up on 1 year of AR/AP. Pakistan is famous for long AP's. Not everyone gets AP and no one knows how they choose who will get it and who won't. In our case we were never told we were approved so we pray daily that this long wait will result in a visa.

When talking with the Department of State they will only give you a little useful information about your case. They might say "it's pending at the embassy they are working on it". This tells you that your case has not been denied yet and sent back to USCIS but it doesn't tell you much else.

Sometimes the people that work at Dept of State will give you the wrong information like I was told our AP was complete when it wasn't. It's important to call back and verify what a visa specialist tells you.

A long AP will test your relationship and your sanity. Many relationships suffer under the strain of it. I am blessed my husband very supportive but I know AP is harder on him then it is on me because the visa could come at any time he's scared to start a new job or go back to school, things like that.

I pray that when you have your interview you either don't get AP or have a short one.

[EAbbas 213]

My thoughts and prayers are with you EAbbas. Let us hear the good news soon. Our case is still at Embassy with CO, I am going on Leave to see wifey, hopefully she can travel back with me .

Thats good you can go to her and hopefully she will come home with you... inshallah thats my prayer for you!!!! wishing you the best!!

What the heck?! Why are they waiting sooo long to approve all of you? Are they trying to wait until you can all fly on the same plane or something. Damn.....Seriously this is starting to make me upset.

I hope I dont offend anyone by my words but this is getting ridiculous.

Sorry had to get that off my chest.

You all deserve your Always and Forever and happiness.

IDK... some ppl dont have AP some have a week or two and like us we sit and wait.. dont know the real reason we never will... just know that we are waiting for our happily ever after and it hurts...

[bigdog 376]

Good news have a good time.

[worth_the_wait 12]

Worth_The_Wait,

Your words did not offend me they made me laugh and I needed a good laugh. My husband is coming up on 1 year of AR/AP. Pakistan is famous for long AP's. Not everyone gets AP and no one knows how they choose who will get it and who won't. In our case we were never told we were approved so we pray daily that this long wait will result in a visa.

A long AP will test your relationship and your sanity. Many relationships suffer under the strain of it. I am blessed my husband very supportive but I know AP is harder on him then it is on me because the visa could come at any time he's scared to start a new job or go back to school, things like that.

I pray that when you have your interview you either don't get AP or have a short one.

I am glad I didn't offend you. I just think it is very wrong of them to keep you in such a grey area for soooo long. It's not just a process, it's people's lives that we are talking about. I feel like this system is very broken and have empathy for all of you and probably even myself in due time. I am able to obtain a Visa to Pakistan within 6 weeks at the most and because of that fact sometimes I feel embarrased by my Government.

People are more and more able to interact with other people across borders, oceans and any other barrier. Because of this it is natural for relationships to grow and loved ones want to be together. Problem is that Government processes aren't keeping up with the changes in the world and therefore making life difficult of anyone who attempts to do things the "right" way. There needs to be some reward for people who actually take the time to do things the right way and pay the required fees and stand up when questions are asked and provide efficient proof.

In my case I received an RFE because I accidentally sent them my Divorce Petition instead of my Divorce Decree. I promptly sent the Decree which they acknowledged that they recieved it. So why in the world am I sitting here 5 weeks later still waiting for my approval? Are you kidding me? It seems more like the people who try to do everything exactly by the book get punished by time.

My finace has already had numerous job offers between the time that we filed and today. He hasn't accepted any of them because we keep thinking he will join me here soon so why start something that you can't perform 100%? Some days we talk about everything under the sun and other days there is nothing to talk about. It is difficult and we certainly are committed to however long it takes but there just seems to be no reason why it takes so long.

Ok I know there are alot of people who are waiting as long if not much longer than me but being able to say these things outloud to an audience who understands somehow makes me feel just a tiny bit better.

Ok I will stop my venting now.

[EAbbas 213]

well said all of you!! We dont mind the extra checks at all cos we know its for everybodys good but at what point is enough? We cant do joint bank accounts we cant do joint lease we cant move forward in our married lives we could start a family but i dont want to be separated from my husband while im expecting and i cant imagine him not here for the birth or our first child so that too is on hold our love grows day to day but the visa is our chance to live our lives as we were meant to be living them...together in one house in one home inshallah this process will end

[carolynhotstuff 252]

My husband and I are afraid to make plans for the future together for fear we won't get the visa. My husband was asked during his interview what we would do if our visa was denied. He said we would appeal because we love each other and want to be together.

When we started the visa process we had no idea what we were getting into. We thought a year or less was all it would take. It's been two years sense we filed our I-130 petition. We had a lot of bumps along the way and we prayed we wouldn't get AP and then when we got it we prayed it wouldn't last long. So far our prayers concerning AP have gone unanswered. Unlike Eabbas, I do mind the security checks. I think the embassy is wrong to waste time and resources doing long security checks on couples they intend to deny but that's just my opinion.

I've seen many couples on VJ get denied at their interview. I know it hurts and shocks them but isn't it better to know right away then to spend months and months in AP waiting for an answer. Then if denied spend another year or more waiting to be able to appeal.

My husband and I tried to do things the right way. We got married, filed our petitions and he went to the interview. We have paid a heavy price both emotionally and financially for falling in love and doing things by the book. Many couples on here that got their visa's easily have no compassion for others who suffer through this process. Of all the people that I started out with on VJ only one of them is still in contact with me. They get their visa's and move on and that's ok cause some of those couples are not together now and my husband is still with me.

I hope one day they will fix the immigration system. It won't come in time to help me but it will help couples that come after me.

[worth_the_wait 12]

So at what point would you consider leaving the US and going to live in Paksitan just to be together?

My fiance and I have recently began talking about the "What If's". What if he isn't approved? What if he get put on AP forever and ever. At what point is enough enough?

Personally I love him so much that nothing else matters except that we spend all our days together. I tell him all the time that a lifetime isn't long enough for me to love him. So in my eyes this complicated process steals those days away.

I have some very dear friends who met on a cruise ship. He was a waiter and she was on vacation. After her cruise ended, his ship docked in NY, she met him there and they got married. 3 weeks later he got his green card and 3 years later he was a permanent resident. That was 30 years ago. With time and experience you'd think the process would have sped up. Instead it has deteriorated to the point that I can now completely understand why the US struggles with Illegal Aliens. Before I started this process I couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't go thru the legal and right process. When I talk to these friends about the status of my petition and my fiance they are completely shocked at the struggle I deal with.

I think also that making friends along this journey is fabulous. I have felt alone in this process becasue I don't know any other people who are married to a Pakistani man. Many of the people who do know that I am engaged to a man from Paksitan they take it as some kind of joke and it offends me to the point that I just don't talk to anyone about it anymore. It is my heart, my choice and my life. I'd be ecstatic if we were to be friends today and beyond the end of our Visa Journey.

Edited October 27, 2011 by worth_the_wait

[EAbbas 213]

i would never have left i would have gladly stayed and lived with him there and he and his family would have loved that...as would i...but i have small children that i cant legally take with me and i wont leave them here without me so for a few years this was our only option until the kids were older

[EAbbas 213]

falling in love with my husband was the best thing that ever happened to me...we are truely best friends and soul mates and rite now there is a huge void in my life and my home.... Evbody is now asking when hes coming and im starting to break down now when they ask my children want to do a family sand ceremony so we can be joined as a family nothing more than symbolic but hugely important for them to be part of my husband and him a part of them. He truly completes our lives

[lokidew 0]

So at what point would you consider leaving the US and going to live in Paksitan just to be together?

My fiance and I have recently began talking about the "What If's". What if he isn't approved? What if he get put on AP forever and ever. At what point is enough enough?

Personally I love him so much that nothing else matters except that we spend all our days together. I tell him all the time that a lifetime isn't long enough for me to love him. So in my eyes this complicated process steals those days away.

I have some very dear friends who met on a cruise ship. He was a waiter and she was on vacation. After her cruise ended, his ship docked in NY, she met him there and they got married. 3 weeks later he got his green card and 3 years later he was a permanent resident. That was 30 years ago. With time and experience you'd think the process would have sped up. Instead it has deteriorated to the point that I can now completely understand why the US struggles with Illegal Aliens. Before I started this process I couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't go thru the legal and right process. When I talk to these friends about the status of my petition and my fiance they are completely shocked at the struggle I deal with.

I think also that making friends along this journey is fabulous. I have felt alone in this process becasue I don't know any other people who are married to a Pakistani man. Many of the people who do know that I am engaged to a man from Paksitan they take it as some kind of joke and it offends me to the point that I just don't talk to anyone about it anymore. It is my heart, my choice and my life. I'd be ecstatic if we were to be friends today and beyond the end of our Visa Journey.

For me its like this, I have been serving in Military since 2007 been in two different combat zones both IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN . We have shed our tears and blood for our country and still my wife was put on AP and dumass CO asked my wife to bring proof of on going relationship. I am 28 and a injured Veteran, Even tho Department of Defense does not allow R&R leave for U.S. Army Active Duty Soldiers. And the month we got married I went to Pakistan after 8 years. I am to the point where Ive already talked to my chain that this is unfair and Inhumane to keep military spouse away like this and willing to request for Hardship Discharge in next 2 months if my wife does not get a visa. I feel like I have served and wasted my career for nothing, I ve already filed a complain to Inspector General at DC and hoping to get a reply soon. I am willing to and go and start a family somewhere else if this does not resolve withint 2 months even tho I was willing to retire one day from U.S. Army. I cannot spend our lives playing waiting games with Islamabad EMbassy.

Edited October 27, 2011 by gtvapsamtik

[EAbbas 213]

For me its like this, I have been serving in Military since 2007 been in two different combat zones both IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN . We have shed our tears and blood for our country and still my wife was put on AP and dumass CO asked my wife to bring proof of on going relationship. I am 28 and a injured Veteran, Even tho Department of Defense does not allow R&R leave for U.S. Army Active Duty Soldiers. And the month we got married I went to Pakistan after 8 years. I am to the point where Ive already talked to my chain that this is unfair and Inhumane to keep military spouse away like this and willing to request for Hardship Discharge in next 2 months if my wife does not get a visa. I feel like I have served and wasted my career for nothing, I ve already filed a complain to Inspector General at DC and hoping to get a reply soon. I am willing to and go and start a family somewhere else if this does not resolve withint 2 months even tho I was willing to retire one day from U.S. Army. I cannot spend our lives playing waiting games with Islamabad EMbassy.

Don't worry your wait is almost over... the women don't seem to last so long in ap like the men!! you will hear some good news soon im sure of it!

[lokidew 0]

This morning, Embassy sent me the same automated reply as they set me on 07OCT2011.

Islamabad, IV Query

Dear Sir/Madam,

We have forwarded this case to a Consular officer for review. We’ll contact you in few days to inform about the further process.

I hope this information will be helpful to you.

U.S Embassy

Consular Section

Immigration Unit

Islamabad, Pakistan

Edited October 27, 2011 by gtvapsamtik

[EAbbas 213]

This morning, Embassy sent me the same automated reply as they set me on 07OCT2011.

Islamabad, IV Query

Dear Sir/Madam,

We have forwarded this case to a Consular officer for review. We’ll contact you in few days to inform about the further process.

I hope this information will be helpful to you.

U.S Embassy

Consular Section

Immigration Unit

Islamabad, Pakistan

Listen.. your soooo close to being complete and visa issued!!!!! I've only gotten pending admin processing... so the fact its been forwarded means its in the CO possession and they will review the file and issue the visa... don't lose hope your sooo close!!!!!! Just wish we had the same response... I feel im drowning in this hell of ap...

[lokidew 0]

Listen.. your soooo close to being complete and visa issued!!!!! I've only gotten pending admin processing... so the fact its been forwarded means its in the CO possession and they will review the file and issue the visa... don't lose hope your sooo close!!!!!! Just wish we had the same response... I feel im drowning in this hell of ap...

It is you all that keeps me going day to day.

[EAbbas 213]

It is you all that keeps me going day to day.

ohh.. noo.. not me but the fact I understand evthing and how much a family means... I read something just today that said The family you come from isn't as important as the family you will have... Ive reflected on that and i love my family and I love my husbands all of them to the moon but it is our own family that will be the most wonderful part of my life... thats what keeps me going and thats what I want all of us that reach for loved ones across the ocean from pakistan to have... One day we will all have our happily ever after... some of us sooner but in the end we will have it...

Your wife is coming to you soon.. I feel that... and i think you;ve been lost so long in ap your numb but its happening.. get ready for her!! LOL clean the house she's coming soon!! INSHALLAH INSHALLAH INSHALLAH AMEEN!!!!