Who do I complain to get a policy change?

[yketwaroo 10]

I'll have to go to Nairobi for my K1 interview. I'm from Mauritius, which is a island off the east coast of africa, about 3000 miles from Nairobi.

Aside from the fact that my fiancee and I would have to fork out over $2000 to travel there (I've never been to Kenya and it's likely I'd be lost if I go there alone), Kenya is a dangerous country (http://travel.his.com/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1151.html#safety). It's a completely different issue that the Nairobi consulate is notorious for being a very harsh one.

All the hoops the US government makes us have to jump though just to be with the people will love is basically putting our lives at risk! There has to be a way to put a stop to this. My own country has a medium sized embassy and it's not inconceivable that they could handle all local K1 requests.

Who can we appeal to?

How do we start a petition what will be taken seriously?

Can we prove in a court of law that the US government is taking people emotionally hostage and knowingly pulling their lives at risk? It has to stop dammit

The thing is, we can't just convince ourselves that just because nothing can be changed in our time frame that we should just give up trying to change the system.

[TeapotGirl 66]

I do not know what's the answer to your question.

Just curious, why your interview has to be in Nairobi? Do you currently live in Kenya or there's no US embassy in Mauritius?

[yketwaroo 10]

THere is a US embassy in Mauritius. but apparently they can't issue K1 visas so I have to go to Kenya. I do not live in Kenya and have never lived anywhere outside my home country.

[wee carrington 33]

I used to work with a really lovely man from Mauritius. I don't have much to add in the way of advice, however, I know that there are ways to lodge formal complaints. Hopefully someone will be able to point you in the right direction. I completely understand your anxiety of having to travel a long distance to an unfamiliar country (I would feel the same). I really do wish you the best of luck!

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Interviewing in the home area is one of the things that happens in the process. The country reports in many countries makes it sould quite dangerous to show up at all. The warning for Kenya is pretty much like the one for Nigeria. That does not mean that everyone is going to be kidnapped / suffer car robberies. You need to concentrate on your safety in the areas you will be. You don't need to be travelling about looking for trouble, You need to arrive, get to safe lodging and get to the interview , go for food ( most good hotels you can eat at the hotel of you are that worried ) get back to the airport and leave.

[TeapotGirl 66]

THere is a US embassy in Mauritius. but apparently they can't issue K1 visas so I have to go to Kenya. I do not live in Kenya and have never lived anywhere outside my home country.

Just be safe then...

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

This is a matter of policy rather than law, so a petition certainly could make a difference. Whether it actually would depends on why the US Embassy in Mauritius doesn't handle K1 visas. My guess is that it's probably because Mauritius has a total population around 1 million, so they probably wouldn't get very many K1 visa applications there, and they can't justify the expense of having an immigrant visa unit at that embassy.

Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to try. Direct your petition at Secretary Clinton.

[yketwaroo 10]

they can't justify the expense of having an immigrant visa unit at that embassy.

The funny thing is that the embassy in MU handles K3 visas for local and 2 neighbouring countries. And curiouser, it seems that it also handles K1 interviews for inhabitants from neighbouring Reunion island, which is a French colony (do we still say colony these days? sounds so.. colonial.)

Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to try. Direct your petition at Secretary Clinton.

Thanks. that's an idea.

[yketwaroo 10]

Interviewing in the home area is one of the things that happens in the process. The country reports in many countries makes it sould quite dangerous to show up at all. The warning for Kenya is pretty much like the one for Nigeria. That does not mean that everyone is going to be kidnapped / suffer car robberies. You need to concentrate on your safety in the areas you will be. You don't need to be travelling about looking for trouble, You need to arrive, get to safe lodging and get to the interview , go for food ( most good hotels you can eat at the hotel of you are that worried ) get back to the airport and leave.

thanks for the advice. I do realise that it doesn't happen to everyone. But it is true that it has a higher chance of happening. My fiancee and I are planning to meet up there together. It's just.. worrying.. that something might happen to her there..

[Harsh_77 718]

The funny thing is that the embassy in MU handles K3 visas for local and 2 neighbouring countries. And curiouser, it seems that it also handles K1 interviews for inhabitants from neighbouring Reunion island, which is a French colony (do we still say colony these days? sounds so.. colonial.)

Thanks. that's an idea.

Its kinda weird that they process K1 from neighbhouring island and not from MU and they making MU resident go to Kenya for interview.

There must be some logic either they dont have enough K1 application or not enough staff.... not sure.

You can try as most ppl said to request for change, but this is not a matter of law so no court can do anything....

It seems its more of a logistic issue.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

The funny thing is that the embassy in MU handles K3 visas for local and 2 neighbouring countries. And curiouser, it seems that it also handles K1 interviews for inhabitants from neighbouring Reunion island, which is a French colony (do we still say colony these days? sounds so.. colonial.)

Interesting. Their website says they don't handle any immigrant visas, which means they don't have an immigrant visa unit. While K1's and K3's are technically non-immigrant visas, they are still handled by the immigrant visa unit in most consulates because both types of visas specifically allow for immigrant intent.

Anyway, go ahead with a petition. It couldn't hurt.

[jimmynug 13]

You know, for someone that is not even a U S green card holder yet, you sure seem to want to change the U. S. and complain about your rights. If everything is so bad with the U. S. gov't, maybe you might want to reconsider whether you really want to live here or not. You can sneak in illegally and have rights, but until you get here, you don't have any. While your finance does, they are her's, not yours, and even her rights doesn't protect you or her if she is out of the country.

Or, you could just do what everyone else on this board does, follow the rules as they are, wait your time, and quite complaining about the country that you seem so eager to get to. Be it right or wrong, usually the embassy does have a reason for their madness, and part of their madness is for the benefit and protection of current u s green card holders and actual citizens. Do some research on visa fraud, terrorists trying to enter the u. s., etc and you will find the answer to your questions.

I am sure that there are others on here who would be more than willing to offer advice on how to best deal with your situation, by following the rules that they had to follow.

[mehellie 9]

You know, for someone that is not even a U S green card holder yet, you sure seem to want to change the U. S. and complain about your rights. If everything is so bad with the U. S. gov't, maybe you might want to reconsider whether you really want to live here or not. You can sneak in illegally and have rights, but until you get here, you don't have any. While your finance does, they are her's, not yours, and even her rights doesn't protect you or her if she is out of the country.

Or, you could just do what everyone else on this board does, follow the rules as they are, wait your time, and quite complaining about the country that you seem so eager to get to. Be it right or wrong, usually the embassy does have a reason for their madness, and part of their madness is for the benefit and protection of current u s green card holders and actual citizens. Do some research on visa fraud, terrorists trying to enter the u. s., etc and you will find the answer to your questions.

I am sure that there are others on here who would be more than willing to offer advice on how to best deal with your situation, by following the rules that they had to follow.

Is it really necessary to be so rude? Perhaps you should consider the possibility that not all those who are doing a K1 visa are just thrilled at the prospect of living in the United States. Contrary to what you may believe, not every person in the world wants to live there. In this situation it is simply a necessity in order to be together. Is everyone here eager to complete the K1 visa process because they'll be US green card holders? No, they're eager because they'll be able to be with the person they love. Don't assume that research hasn't been done; that we haven't already scoured the forums and posted numerous threads asking for information and advice. No one has the right to judge anyone else here. Not yet having rights in the US does not mean you do not have rights as a human. It's a shame that as another person undergoing this process, you're incapable of showing compassion to someone's feelings of desperation and hopelessness.

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Simple.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

You know, for someone that is not even a U S green card holder yet, you sure seem to want to change the U. S. and complain about your rights. If everything is so bad with the U. S. gov't, maybe you might want to reconsider whether you really want to live here or not. You can sneak in illegally and have rights, but until you get here, you don't have any. While your finance does, they are her's, not yours, and even her rights doesn't protect you or her if she is out of the country.

Or, you could just do what everyone else on this board does, follow the rules as they are, wait your time, and quite complaining about the country that you seem so eager to get to. Be it right or wrong, usually the embassy does have a reason for their madness, and part of their madness is for the benefit and protection of current u s green card holders and actual citizens. Do some research on visa fraud, terrorists trying to enter the u. s., etc and you will find the answer to your questions.

I am sure that there are others on here who would be more than willing to offer advice on how to best deal with your situation, by following the rules that they had to follow.

I don't think that's fair criticism. The OP was simply asking if it was possible to petition someone so that the US consulate in their country could provide the same services they routinely provide in other countries. I tend to agree that it's asking a lot for someone to travel from an island nation off the coast of Africa to Kenya in order to interview for a visa when most consulates make a very big deal out of visa applicants applying in their own home country. The OP isn't asking for any special treatment or for any US laws to be changed. They're asking for more or less the same treatment that visa applicants get in most of the rest of the world.

How would you feel if the US Embassy in Manila told you that you had to travel to China to interview for your visa?

[jimmynug 13]

I don't think that's fair criticism. The OP was simply asking if it was possible to petition someone so that the US consulate in their country could provide the same services they routinely provide in other countries. I tend to agree that it's asking a lot for someone to travel from an island nation off the coast of Africa to Kenya in order to interview for a visa when most consulates make a very big deal out of visa applicants applying in their own home country. The OP isn't asking for any special treatment or for any US laws to be changed. They're asking for more or less the same treatment that visa applicants get in most of the rest of the world.

How would you feel if the US Embassy in Manila told you that you had to travel to China to interview for your visa?

Starting a petition and challenging the government in a court of law? Something has to be done about this. How ridiculous is that? You might not care about others bashing the U S, but i do. And if I was told that I have to go to China for an interview, I would if I really loved the one I was trying to marry. I would not try to challenge the rules and laws of the country I was trying to go to.

To the OP, you know there are always choices in live, you don't have to live in the U S to be together, it is your choice to. If you don't want to be here, by all means don't come. But if you do want to come here, just play by the rules, and if everything is legit, your time will come.