A Nightmare from Kyiv

[MDresident 0]

AP basically means an FBI world class name check against the database, that means she's already approved pending that her past is clear of any crimes. tis is a random check, there is nothing you can do to speed this process but sit tight and wait unfortunately especially that it could take a few months. Good luck!

[Phil & Alla 26]

Just reading your post was refreshing and at some point I will also post some of my contempt for the visa process, and risk some bashing. As far as your “high horse” it is not high enough for me. No we are not entitled nor have the right to have a loved one immigrate here, but as you put it we are American Citizens and have the right to answers from our government. It is the intent the government works for us and we should always demand answers. In Barron’s post “they are doing the job they are trained to do” is correct, but to take 10 weeks to do it and not give any indication what is going on is a bit outrageous.

As far as your situation like you I sent ample documentation with Alla to her interview, to the point the guards teased her a bit on the amount she had; they only requested the forms (I-130 and DS forms) from her and never even looked at any of the financial documents, or proof of the ongoing relationship. From my experience it appears that they intended to issue a visa and that is why her passport was taken. Also from what I know I would also guess that it has nothing to do with the package of documents you provided, rather something that came up on a data base, but you deserve and should demand some type of answer, to be able to correct something or start over again. To investigate something for 10 weeks is a bit over the top, I solved homicides in less time. It sounds like you have taken the right path and done all you can; I would say keep on them with calls and emails. The only other thing is maybe call 20/20 or Dateline or even a local new station – they always like stories about an average citizen getting stonewalled by the government. Good luck I was I had better advice for you!!

[easyriders2011 14]

....and you have no "right" to immigration for a foreign spouse. Get off that high horse and don't worry, if all is fine all will be fine.

Yeah that 4th Amendment "the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness" doesn't mean squat.

Except if you're an illegal alien, then you're provided all of those very protections that a law abiding citizen trying to follow the rules isn't afforded.

Edited February 2, 2012 by easyriders2011

[san diego 407]

I have 2 questions that I see no answers to:

1) How many times you met in person and when?

2) Did your fiancee have previous visits to US? Did she apply for visa before?

[Robert&Karen 264]

We went through everything many times and rehearsed it.

That's the part that concerns me. Rehearsed means it will sound the same every time. She will answer questions from memory and not from the heart. This can send up some flags. This is the only thing that I can see on YOUR end that may be an issue. AP involves so may deeper things that are out of your control. It can be a while under AP, keep logging evidence if a relationship and press on.

[Robert&Karen 264]

Yeah that 4th Amendment "the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness" doesn't mean squat.

Except if you're an illegal alien, then you're provided all of those very protections that a law abiding citizen trying to follow the rules isn't afforded.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is in the declaration of Independence. Note it said pursuit, not achievement. You can be a hamster on a treadmill for many years.

AMENDMENT IV:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

[Katiedog 6]

I have 2 questions that I see no answers to:

1) How many times you met in person and when?

2) Did your fiancee have previous visits to US? Did she apply for visa before?

We met on four of my five trips to Ukraine from 2009 through 2011. The second trip in June, 2010 I met her as the second woman I was to meet and from that point forward we were together, I met no other women. The 3rd trip was made in November 2010. For the 4th, I returned to celebrate New Years and Ukraine Christmas in late December 2011. I took my 11 year old son. In May 2011 I made the 5th trip to Ukraine and it was the 4th trip to be with Marina and her family. This was right after filing the K1 Petition in April 2011. Each time I spent about two weeks or more in Ukraine. She has never been outside of Ukraine in her lifetime.

As I told my attorney the other day, if the people at the Consulate have questions about our relationship, all they need to do is look at the package with the documentation. It is in-escapable and irrefutable of a bona fide and genuine relationship. Probably even more evident than at least half of the other petitioners not only in physical proof but by face to face contact time. There are even signed affidavits from my 27 year old daughter and my 11 year old son about their knowledge and affirmation of the relationship and our intent to marry in the USA. Additionally not many men take one of their children to meet their significant other in Ukraine BEFORE they file a K1 Petition as I did.

[Tanya and Barry 59]

Erudite..Is this you?

Kiev is an easy embassy. Like Gary said there has to be something that they hit on. Either a name check or an anomoly in your or your fiance's background. But it is not random or spurious.

Best of Luck,

Boris

[AmyWrites 593]

We met on four of my five trips to Ukraine from 2009 through 2011. The second trip in June, 2010 I met her as the second woman I was to meet and from that point forward we were together, I met no other women. The 3rd trip was made in November 2010. For the 4th, I returned to celebrate New Years and Ukraine Christmas in late December 2011. I took my 11 year old son. In May 2011 I made the 5th trip to Ukraine and it was the 4th trip to be with Marina and her family. This was right after filing the K1 Petition in April 2011. Each time I spent about two weeks or more in Ukraine. She has never been outside of Ukraine in her lifetime.

As I told my attorney the other day, if the people at the Consulate have questions about our relationship, all they need to do is look at the package with the documentation. It is in-escapable and irrefutable of a bona fide and genuine relationship. Probably even more evident than at least half of the other petitioners not only in physical proof but by face to face contact time. There are even signed affidavits from my 27 year old daughter and my 11 year old son about their knowledge and affirmation of the relationship and our intent to marry in the USA. Additionally not many men take one of their children to meet their significant other in Ukraine BEFORE they file a K1 Petition as I did.

Affidavits don't mean squat... anyone can make them. Most evidence can be faked somehow.

I agree that if she memorized what to say, it will sound suspicious. Did she take the interview in english or in her native language? The memorization bit will be all the more obvious if she took it in English.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

What seems misunderstood here is that the AP is not for the US CItizen. It is for the foreign national. The US Citizen's part, the petition, is over. Now the immigrant is applying for a visa. The USC is not told the details out of courtesy/safety to the foreign national. I see a lot of indignation and sense of entitlement, because the USC paid a few hundred bucks they should get to hold power over someone else's privacy? You got your service, an approved petition. This is out of your hands now.

Do you expect the US Government operating in a foreign country to tell you all the details about a foreign national? That they are involved in organized crime, they are a spy, or they are a prostitute? I bet Ukraine would be pretty mad if the US told secrets about their nationals to a person who is not even the person's relative.

There are reasons this is happening. I do sympathize with the opacity of AP, but it is there to protect YOU, the USC.

Often in fraudulent visa scams, the USC is totally and really committed to the relationship, and the foreigner is duping them. They are not questioning the USC's motives, for sure. They aren't necessarily questioning her motives either, as we don't know the reason for AP. But talking about how committed you are doesn't add to your argument.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[Katiedog 6]

Don't think CO's are idiots. They are not, and they go through hell to get their jobs. Don't compare them to TSA employees because the TSA employs mainly mediocre people, to be a CO you have to pass through horrible difficult hoops to MAYBE get hired.

Something must be up for it to be put in AP in such an easy embassy. Time to go through every single little thing that could've slipped through.

I don't find anything in my posts about "idiots". I am familiar with this type of government bureaucrat, the "career" type with powers over people in daily life or business.

They are known as "lifers". They are in it for life and they handle the job like the robots they were trained to be. Nothing outside of the box, follow procedure letter for letter, think in negative terms first before considering anything objectively, NEVER "think on your feet", make sure you preserve the status quo culture of the job and the department for your own future and security. Enjoy the benefits and power trip you have been given courtesy of the United States Government. Go home to your family and enjoy your personal life which is something you may have denied or maybe destroyed of another person because of your "job". Know that you get ahead in the government culture and system by not questioning anything to do with the job. Know and fully comprehend by finding fault, guilt, non-conformance to government policy or requirement (no matter how small or accidental) or problems with the real world people and their situations, you are a most valued government employee to be given further discretionary powers over the same private citizens in their lives. Your negativity is to be rewarded and you will never be held accountable for doing your job in this manner. You do not even have to show common respect and decency to the private citizen, you are immune from accountability to them.

This is NOT the government the Founders of America or Thomas Jefferson envisioned for America.

Erudite..Is this you?

Kiev is an easy embassy. Like Gary said there has to be something that they hit on. Either a name check or an anomoly in your or your fiance's background. But it is not random or spurious.

Best of Luck,

Boris

Yes, it is me. None other.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

With all due respect, you are just sounding bitter because you don't have a government job.

I mean, I don't have one either, so don't think I'm coming from that angle.

[Robert&Karen 264]

I don't find anything in my posts about "idiots". I am familiar with this type of government bureaucrat, the "career" type with powers over people in daily life or business.

They are known as "lifers". They are in it for life and they handle the job like the robots they were trained to be.

I resent that. I worked at the US Embassy in Dushanbe for the Dept of State. The people who get jobs in embassies are not your typical DMV employees. You get highly educated people with advanced degrees. Heck even the cleaning lady had a Masters. Have you even seen the entrance test for State? It makes the GRE look like tic-tac-toe. If you think you can do better, I encourage you to apply and change the system for the better.

[AmyWrites 593]

I don't find anything in my posts about "idiots". I am familiar with this type of government bureaucrat, the "career" type with powers over people in daily life or business.

They are known as "lifers". They are in it for life and they handle the job like the robots they were trained to be. Nothing outside of the box, follow procedure letter for letter, think in negative terms first before considering anything objectively, NEVER "think on your feet", make sure you preserve the status quo culture of the job and the department for your own future and security. Enjoy the benefits and power trip you have been given courtesy of the United States Government. Go home to your family and enjoy your personal life which is something you may have denied or maybe destroyed of another person because of your "job". Know that you get ahead in the government culture and system by not questioning anything to do with the job. Know and fully comprehend by finding fault, guilt, non-conformance to government policy or requirement (no matter how small or accidental) or problems with the real world people and their situations, you are a most valued government employee to be given further discretionary powers over the same private citizens in their lives. Your negativity is to be rewarded and you will never be held accountable for doing your job in this manner. You do not even have to show common respect and decency to the private citizen, you are immune from accountability to them.

That's not true, they are highly educated, and work very difficult to get in the Foreign Service. These are not TSA employees. You have no idea what you're talking about (or to who, apparently).

Some of us are on that track for that career or are in it already, and we didn't get here by being "robots" or being bitter. We got here because we want to represent the USA as best as we could, positively, and using our skills and knowledge towards that goal.

[Katiedog 6]

I see a lot of indignation and sense of entitlement, because the USC paid a few hundred bucks they should get to hold power over someone else's privacy? You got your service, an approved petition.

There are reasons this is happening. I do sympathize with the opacity of AP, but it is there to protect YOU, the USC.

You are correct in your brilliant deduction that I am indeed indignant at my treatment, the methods and the manner this matter is being handled. I did not get my service, I did not get a Visa nor did I get the reasons for this happening or the delay. I have not been given any opportunity to handle any problems in the matter to solve the dilemma, nor has my fiance for her part of the petition. If my fiance has lived a double life in Ukraine, I suppose anything is possible. But Harpa Timsah I did not "fall off the turnip truck" driving into town. My larger head has been in control of the situation for quite some time.

Yes, I am also familiar with the US Government's idea of "protection". Many times I have seen it and many times I have seen it fail and falter. We are getting into politics here but let's witness Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, the dictatorship and diefication of J. Edgar Hoover, the failure to follow through with the impeachment removal of Bill Clinton (for only God know how much he did wrong or illegal as President), the manipulation of information about WMD in Iraq leading to war a second time, the slap on the wrists of Charles Rangel for not paying taxes (not only as a private citizen but also as a trusted elected member of Congress), like the one sided railroad system of "Justice" backed by the deep pockets of the United States Treasury, like utter failure of handling the illegal alien community within the law, like giving the child of an illegal alien US Citizenship after being born here of illegal parentage and paid for by US tax dollars. Yes, it's here to "protect" me and perserve my way of life, the average US Citizen. But, I digress.

All I want is fairness, consideration and the basic courtesy that any human being deserves. A person has the right to know about what is going on in this type of matter. Even my fiance said that. After all it is our life and our life together.