Bring them back with me!

[sunandmoon 450]

from the Us consulate webpage:

The I-129F fiancé(e) petition is a single entry visa that is valid for six months from the date of its approval. " If the petition expires ", a consular officer may revalidate it for another four months (provided that both parties remain legally free to marry).

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwh3204.html

Keyword is may. I don't know what happened when it expired in February/March. But going through St. Luke's and the interview again seems like a new visa being issued of 6 months versus a revalidation of 4 months.

just for FYI. the revalidate for another four months is for the I-129f Petition Approval Notice, not the Visa. if a visa is expired, it would need to be reissued. there is no revalidation of a visa.

What if the fiancé(e) must delay their arrival in the U.S.?

The K-1 visa is valid for a maximum of six months. If the visa bearer is unable to leave for the United States immediately and the visa expires, a new one may be issued upon written request to the Embassy and the payment of another application fee of US$240.

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwh3204.html

[Hank_ 9,174]

just for FYI. the revalidate for another four months is for the I-129f Petition Approval Notice, not the Visa. if a visa is expired, it would need to be reissued. there is no revalidation of a visa.

What if the fiancé(e) must delay their arrival in the U.S.?

The K-1 visa is valid for a maximum of six months. If the visa bearer is unable to leave for the United States immediately and the visa expires, a new one may be issued upon written request to the Embassy and the payment of another application fee of US$240.

http://manila.usemba...v/wwwh3204.html

:thumbs:

His references even states that is the 129 petition, not the visa itself... yet he... oh well ... you know.

Safe Flight back to the Southwest Hank! Let us know you arrived safely! Grace right behind you! :thumbs:

Hey Thomas!

We be home! Arrived Friday at 3 AM, still not sleeping for #######. Did get out for a short ride on the bike but for the part we are like two stoned zombies... a good nights sleep would be really nice.

[sunandmoon 450]

His references even states that is the 129 petition, not the visa itself... yet he... oh well ... you know.

he's begining to make me feel like a school teacher, correcting his mistakes.. I'll give him an E for effort... he's still learning... as we all are. his posts still tend to be too drawn out and wordy.

at least he listened to one suggestion of your's...

[Hank_ 9,174]

he's begining to make me feel like a school teacher, correcting his mistakes.. I'll give him an E for effort... he's still learning... as we all are. his posts still tend to be too drawn out and wordy.

at least he listened to one suggestion of your's...

Hopefully that was to have some postings deleted.

[Eve & Jim 4]

I hope goes well, I see what happened to you in your situation. Wish the Embassy could just renew your visa instead of having to go through the whole process again. Make sur eto show your visa to the US Consulate when she interviews again. This is a crucial consideration. Should also show to the pre-screener as well.

Great the CFO is done. That saves a lot.

Once you are approved, MAKE SURE TO ASK WHEN you can pick up the visa, or how soon.

When asked CALMLY (I know this will be hard), explain your situation. You have training in the States to conduct in Orlando. Because of the problem with the Visa, and the issues you felt it wise to come to the 2nd interview to make sure things went well this time. You have tickets for everyone to go back, and are hoping the Consulate Officer will understand what happened and allow an exception this time. You really do not want any mor eproblems in getting your fiancee (make sure you say Fiancee) and her child to the states to be with you.

Have the shipping number or MNL number for the visa. if the USEmbassy will not let you pick up, Call the embassy in a day or two (when they say it will be printed,) to find out if printed and shipped. Follow up on this. Know it may take 3 days to 10 days. I hope the embassy helps you in your plight.

I see what happened though.

Her medical exam was just after my fiancee's (just a week after), we were in Butuan while your fiancee was going through St. Luke's.

September -- St. Luke's

they cancelled the Consulate interview. then finally cleared you in November.

December -- retested- Cleared

December interview passed with 221g

February -- met conditions of 221g

March -- visa expired.

the problem is they used the first date of the Medical exam in September. Not the re-est in December. (Was her St. Lukes;s medical exam sticker updated in her visa to December? (if not, this is what caused the problem.)

the visa was issued from the September date. Because of this, the visa expired in march (6 months from September to March)

Normally, the consulate would renew the visa with no problem. However, the US Philippine Embassy issues based on Medical exam date. Since the medical exam DID have concerns with spectum test, The Embassy wants a renewed date from St. Luke's for clearance before renewing the Visa. You should be good to go in the US Embassy this time. The problem is the Embassy did make a mistake, whether honestly, or by clerical error. the big issue is did the sticker in her passport get updated for the December date from St. Lukes (or it is covered up now), or was it the girl's was printed fine for September, but not your fiancee? One could have passed, but one was held up. (the K-2 visa should have had a one-year date to it, this might have also been mis-printed? it seems like everything is the your fiancee though.)

Wish you the best. Keep calm. I know this is frustrating when something like this happens. the worst part is knowing how to handle it when you have no direct ability to help. Hopefully, this time goes well for you. Best of luck.

We totally understand exactly why all this happened. The idea that a visa is good for a year is a total misunderstanding. The CDC has a protocol for TB evaluation. If they don't test you for anything and you pass with a perfect exam, your medical is good for 6 months from the exam date. If you have to get further testing such as a sputum test, even if it is all negative, your medical is valid for 3 months from the results of the test. Manila won't allow you to go to an interview or even review your paperwork until the medical is cleared. I our case they required a police clearance from Japan because my fiancee worked there over 10 years ago, and according to the Japanese statutes they won't report anything older than 10 years ago. The Japanese Police Clearance took 2 months, that left 1 month of medical clearance. 1 week of that was wasted while St. Lukes sat on the notification that the result was back. Then the embassy lost another piece of paperwork and that cost us another 2 weeks, so by the time they issued the visa if was only good for a very short time period and part of that was wasted in waiting for them to print and ship it, and the other part on the CFO.

There is a whole lot more to this that I will go into later, but I'm just focused on getting the visas and getting out from under their jurisdiction before I tell the whole story.

I'm really working on that "Keep calm" thing. I saw this t-shirt that I really wanted to buy and wear to the interview that says "God didn't give me enough middle fingers the express how I feel about you." but I haven't bought it. I'll be nice and then deal with it at some point in the future.

--Jim

[Hank_ 9,174]

For the most part I think the people at the embassy do a good job and try very hard to make things move smoothly (as best as can be done with the large volume of visas they handle), but they have a huge set of rules to follow just like us... and some times that sucks.

[gretchen_darren 67]

This is a case where multiple issues compiled to make one huge mess..... He ran into the "perfect storm" ..... I understand his frustration.... I can't even imagine how he feels.... I didn't have these problems like he is having. I know I went to meet a gri lin the Ukraine during my birthday one year which turned into a complete disaster. But that is nothing compared to this. I just hope it all works out. I know being calm is going to be the hardest thing you do. But it will win you MEGA points with the counselor. Please stay calm. I know it will not be easy.

(the one year thing I was referring to the K-2 follow me, and not the K-1. I know the K-1 is six months. I am also asking you to look at the K-2 visa time as well. Look at BOTH eve AND Mae. Make sure no other hidden treasure troves of problems come up.)

Keep the faith. It will happen. Just a lot of policies and procedures due to several "trips" on the process which were NOT expected. I am sure there is much, much, much more to this story. Don;t worry. I have been there to. I see lots of issues, and am taking notes on problems with the process. I am just hoping my senator stays in office so I can get his help in reform.

[Eve & Jim 4]

For the most part I think the people at the embassy do a good job and try very hard to make things move smoothly (as best as can be done with the large volume of visas they handle), but they have a huge set of rules to follow just like us... and some times that sucks.

I think that sometimes a little bit of power over someone else goes to a persons head and they do things that they shouldn't. That same power can lead to corruption and mistakes cause by one person having authority when they don't have the necessary information, refuse to acknowledge the information, or just ignore the information. Our nation was built on a system where there are 3 branches of govenment so that they could keep each other in check. Why some level of checks and balances aren't maintained in other parts of our government is just beyond my understanding.

If the rules are too complicated for them to follow then those rules need to be changed so that the intent can be accompolished without the complications.

People sit back and defend the Embassy's processes, but we can't even monitor the process of our own cases without try to make expensive phone calls and getting the run around, or no answer at all. We have to resort to forums like these to create psudo estimations of what might be going on. The rely on fax technology that doesn't provide a reasonable image of a document, when we have the means and technology to easily do most of this via electronic means. I can certainly check my financial records over the internet, I can see cases status information from almost every court in the country. Yet this process is totally in the dark ages of technology. In this day and age we wouldn't accept this type of behavior from a bank or most other businesses, so why do we accept it here?

--Jim

[Hank_ 9,174]

Yes some people do abuse power, I think the CO at window 61 defines that... she seems to have C-PMS.

Hard reality is that your issues were for the most part from not paying attention to the expiration date on the visa when it was delivered, had you paid attention and beat feet to the airport you would have not had to complete this current process. Delays caused by the TB issue are not uncommon in the Phils. Its common knowledge the visa is only good for 6 months, but that timeline is defined by the date of the medical, not the date the visa is issued.

$hit happens! We all have our moments of having to wade through it.

You are almost to the winners circle, time to focus on the rainbow!

[Darnell 8,479]

Hopefully that was to have some postings deleted.

I think so, as an entire topic has gone missing recently. Poof-gone.

[Eve & Jim 4]

This is a case where multiple issues compiled to make one huge mess..... He ran into the "perfect storm" ..... I understand his frustration.... I can't even imagine how he feels.... I didn't have these problems like he is having. I know I went to meet a gri lin the Ukraine during my birthday one year which turned into a complete disaster. But that is nothing compared to this. I just hope it all works out. I know being calm is going to be the hardest thing you do. But it will win you MEGA points with the counselor. Please stay calm. I know it will not be easy.

(the one year thing I was referring to the K-2 follow me, and not the K-1. I know the K-1 is six months. I am also asking you to look at the K-2 visa time as well. Look at BOTH eve AND Mae. Make sure no other hidden treasure troves of problems come up.)

Keep the faith. It will happen. Just a lot of policies and procedures due to several "trips" on the process which were NOT expected. I am sure there is much, much, much more to this story. Don;t worry. I have been there to. I see lots of issues, and am taking notes on problems with the process. I am just hoping my senator stays in office so I can get his help in reform.

We basically had to start over with the visa application just like the petition had just been approved. All the dates start over, and Eve and Mae will enter the U.S. at the same time. Mae's visa expired due to her medical only being valid for 6 months (The longest currently possible) just a couple weeks after Eve's. That is what led to the problem with the plane tickets. Even though the K2 visa isn't valid without the K1, the K1 expired almost 3 weeks before the K2. They both started their medical exams on the same day.

The idea that a K2 has a year to follow is very misleading. The K2 can follow within a year, but only as long as their medical is valid and the longest possible time for that is 6 months. The only way to get a year out of the K2 is to have the K2 person wait to do their medical and interview until after the K1 is either at the end of their visa ro has already entered the U.S. This gets more complicated because they usually want to do the interviews at the same time, and the K1 almost has to be ther for the K2's CFO seminar.

One thing would fix things really fast when it comes to government and that is to make the people who make the laws deal with the laws they make and have in place. If we didn't let congress members use an accountant or some tax professional to do their taxes, and they all had to fill them out and do it themselves, including business taxes and all the other complicated parts of the tax laws, things would change VERY QUICKLY! Make them test their systems like we expect from any company who sells us a product. Things would change dramatically if they simply had to use what they create. Take things one step further and make they use alpha and beta testers and actually teach someone how to use the current system of laws, and we would see true reforms that actually made life better.

--Jim

[Hank_ 9,174]

I think so, as an entire topic has gone missing recently. Poof-gone.

Wellllllllllll $hit! I am impressed he did that!

[Eve & Jim 4]

Yes some people do abuse power, I think the CO at window 61 defines that... she seems to have C-PMS.

Hard reality is that your issues were for the most part from not paying attention to the expiration date on the visa when it was delivered, had you paid attention and beat feet to the airport you would have not had to complete this current process. Delays caused by the TB issue are not uncommon in the Phils. Its common knowledge the visa is only good for 6 months, but that timeline is defined by the date of the medical, not the date the visa is issued.

$hit happens! We all have our moments of having to wade through it.

You are almost to the winners circle, time to focus on the rainbow!

You are looking at the timeline and that is what you would think from the timeline. The sad fact is that the date the visa was issues doesn't include print time, mailing delays, and then complications with CFO. The TB delays wouldn't be a problem if they were in fact valid and reasonable. I need to explain that part later. There was critical time lost due other things also that I can't talk about yet.

Yes, I hope it is almost over. If there is a problem this time they are going to have to look me in the eye and explain it to me face to face, not the way thing have been done so far.

This was all caused because of reasons I have not mentioned here yet. The only thing here on VisaJourney is the results of something else that I'll talk about later. The only hint I can give you is that they asked for a CENOMAR for Mae's father which isn't in any policy that I have been able to find, and even though a completly valid one was provieded they demanded one directly from the NSO and then it was lost for over 2 months until a call from my Senator. They already had Eve's CENOMAR, Mae's CENOMAR, and both birth certificates, all clearly showing that Eve had never been married to Mae's father. Mae's father even offered to go to the Embassy in person to sign whatever document they needed, he doesn't object to this at all.

--Jim

[sunandmoon 450]

(the one year thing I was referring to the K-2 follow me, and not the K-1. I know the K-1 is six months. I am also asking you to look at the K-2 visa time as well. Look at BOTH eve AND Mae. Make sure no other hidden treasure troves of problems come up.)

I still do not think you understand. let me try to clarify. Let's say a K-1 is issued today May 13, 2012. the K-2 is going to be follow to join. then the K-2 Visa must be issued by May 12, 2013. once issued, the K-2 will have up to six months to enter the USA.

[Hank_ 9,174]

You are looking at the timeline and that is what you would think from the timeline. The sad fact is that the date the visa was issues doesn't include print time, mailing delays, and then complications with CFO. The TB delays wouldn't be a problem if they were in fact valid and reasonable. I need to explain that part later. There was critical time lost due other things also that I can't talk about yet.

Yes, I hope it is almost over. If there is a problem this time they are going to have to look me in the eye and explain it to me face to face, not the way thing have been done so far.

This was all caused because of reasons I have not mentioned here yet. The only thing here on VisaJourney is the results of something else that I'll talk about later. The only hint I can give you is that they asked for a CENOMAR for Mae's father which isn't in any policy that I have been able to find, and even though a completly valid one was provieded they demanded one directly from the NSO and then it was lost for over 2 months until a call from my Senator. They already had Eve's CENOMAR, Mae's CENOMAR, and both birth certificates, all clearly showing that Eve had never been married to Mae's father. Mae's father even offered to go to the Embassy in person to sign whatever document they needed, he doesn't object to this at all.

--Jim

I understand there is more to the madness then you are discussing on VJ, and that is fine and not necessary to share. Iam simply wishing the best for you and Eve now and was only suggesting to focus on the happiness that is to be. Soon ... very soon!

I still do not think you understand. let me try to clarify. Let's say a K-1 is issued today May 13, 2012. the K-2 is going to be follow to join. then the K-2 Visa must be issued by May 12, 2013. once issued, the K-2 will have up to six months to enter the USA.