Finally, our journey is over

[ijeme 0]

This is an emotional time for me but I want to share with those still in the journey. I have cried, danced, jumped and thanked my God - not in that order but repeatedly over the past week. My husband has his visa after 16 month separation.

It has been a long journey for me. My story is unlike anyone else's. We were hit with a 10yr ban after traveling to Nigeria. I nearly died when i heard the news of the denial as it was not expected.

Here is our visa journey, I met and married my husband in the US. Prior to adjusting his status in the US we traveled to Nigeria for a family emergency. Traveling was our 2nd mistake (the first being the overstaying).

Overwhelmed by the emergency we thought (incorrectly) we could apply for a K visa for his return home. While there we had a beautiful traditional wedding. 4 months later we got our K3 interview and to our surprise was denied. Big DAH! Due to my husband's previous overstay we faced a ban. Devastated but determined we begged our way into the waiver process. The Lagos consulate agreed to start the waiver process as soon as our I130 was approved. We spent 3 months writing a waiver and obtaining congressional support. As soon as our approved I130 NOA was in hand we returned to the embassy and filed our waiver. True to their word, Lagos sent the waiver to DHS in Accra for processing within 30 days. However before sending it we were told it could take 15 months to process it. I went crying to my congressman. With a congressional request of expedited processing, our I601 waiver process took 3 months at DHS in Accra. We were notified by our congressman and Washington DC that our waiver was approved. Our next interview came at the end of the following month with the Lagos embassy, where they issued a K3 denial with a 221g. We were told to wait for our I130 to be "at post" before the interview for the Cr1 visa could be set and the approved I601 waiver could be applied. Basically our K3 was denied because waivers are for immigrate visas in Lagos.

Thankfully following month our I 130 was completed. So in summary, 7 months after the I130 was approved and 9 months after our first k3 denial our CR1 was completed at NVC. We thought case complete meant “at post”. We spent the next month calling the voice response system at NVC and getting case complete and having NVC agents to say "we are still waiting for an interview to “be set” by Lagos”. Then I had a tragic death in my family to deal with and applied for an expedited request via my congressman. We also FAX’d our own expedited request directly to NVC. NVC approved it but would not send the completed case to Lagos with out them first agreeing to schedule the interview them selves. Well we held our breath and Lagos did agree to schedule it. (We were notified by our congressman of this approval). So the expedited I130 case file was sent to lagos where it sat for another month, lost. We emailed and emailed and no one at the embassy knew where it was. So we called NVC to alert them and they put a trace on it. The trace showed they received the case 4 days after it left NVC. The wait now was for them to upload the case so it would be seen and scheduled. I personally went to the embassy through the inquiry line and got an interview date. We suspect the case was uploaded when the trace was completed. Anyhoo, the interview for the Cr1 was set for 3 weeks later but I got it with no issue. My husband returned the following week to pick up his packet and interview letter.

I returned to the US and gathered everything for an updated I864 and evidence of relationship and shipped to my husband. He went to the phone company and got a printout of incoming and outgoing calls.

The 7 am Cr1 interview:

They immediately called on people to collect items not in NVC File, like passport, ds230 part II, 2 passport pictures, and medical records. The were asked to Swear for oath and were fingerprinted (left and right forefinger) Then asked to return to their seats.

It was about 2 pm before they called my husband - the staff apparently went on break between 10am-1:30.

During the interview, he as asked typical questions, when did we meet, when did we marry, why did he overstay, when did he see me last. That was when true interest came in when learning of my 6 visits. He asked for proof of my visits and my husband showed my 3 Nigerian visas and 12 entry/ departure stamps from my passport. Then he asked for pictures of our weddings and family. The photo album could not fit through the whole at the interview window so my husband had to turn pages for him. That was all the evidence requested of my husband. no emails, phone logs, I864, police report etc... I am sure it is hard to doubt a relationship when you have visited 6 times over a 16 month period and sure information was being applied from our prior K3 case file. Oh yeah, they asked for a copy of the waiver. After the interview he was told him to sit back down. When the CO returned he handed my husband a pink slip and all originals from the NVC file and told him to come back in a week to pick up the visa.

We did not really celebrate until the visa was in hand because you never know...... When he got the visa they handed him an orange envelope, his passport with a beautiful CR1 visa stamp, xrays and the supporting evidence for the waiver.

Now we are celebrating because our lives can go on.

Thanks for all support obtained on this site and best of luck to those still in the journey. Remember everything that has a beginning has an end.

[raymaga 25]

Congrats on the approval and best wishes for your lives together in the US.

Your persistence paid off!!!!

[MaryandMian 1]

Congratulations and what an experience you endured.

Mary

[Neya 0]

God is good and this is a testament to your love and devotion to each other. May blessings continue to flow in your lives together. Welcome home to your husband and Congratulations to you both...

Neya

[Optimystic 0]

Congratulations!

[forchika 4]

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND!!!!!PRAISE GOD!!!!!!! THAT'S AWESOME NEWS!!!!! True test of endurance,devotion,love and patience. ENJOY YOUR CELEBRATION!!!!!

[OHENSANNE 0]

This is an emotional time for me but I want to share with those still in the journey. I have cried, danced, jumped and thanked my God - not in that order but repeatedly over the past week. My husband has his visa after 16 month separation.

It has been a long journey for me. My story is unlike anyone else's. We were hit with a 10yr ban after traveling to Nigeria. I nearly died when i heard the news of the denial as it was not expected.

Here is our visa journey, I met and married my husband in the US. Prior to adjusting his status in the US we traveled to Nigeria for a family emergency. Traveling was our 2nd mistake (the first being the overstaying).

Overwhelmed by the emergency we thought (incorrectly) we could apply for a K visa for his return home. While there we had a beautiful traditional wedding. 4 months later we got our K3 interview and to our surprise was denied. Big DAH! Due to my husband's previous overstay we faced a ban. Devastated but determined we begged our way into the waiver process. The Lagos consulate agreed to start the waiver process as soon as our I130 was approved. We spent 3 months writing a waiver and obtaining congressional support. As soon as our approved I130 NOA was in hand we returned to the embassy and filed our waiver. True to their word, Lagos sent the waiver to DHS in Accra for processing within 30 days. However before sending it we were told it could take 15 months to process it. I went crying to my congressman. With a congressional request of expedited processing, our I601 waiver process took 3 months at DHS in Accra. We were notified by our congressman and Washington DC that our waiver was approved. Our next interview came at the end of the following month with the Lagos embassy, where they issued a K3 denial with a 221g. We were told to wait for our I130 to be "at post" before the interview for the Cr1 visa could be set and the approved I601 waiver could be applied. Basically our K3 was denied because waivers are for immigrate visas in Lagos.

Thankfully following month our I 130 was completed. So in summary, 7 months after the I130 was approved and 9 months after our first k3 denial our CR1 was completed at NVC. We thought case complete meant “at post”. We spent the next month calling the voice response system at NVC and getting case complete and having NVC agents to say "we are still waiting for an interview to “be set” by Lagos”. Then I had a tragic death in my family to deal with and applied for an expedited request via my congressman. We also FAX’d our own expedited request directly to NVC. NVC approved it but would not send the completed case to Lagos with out them first agreeing to schedule the interview them selves. Well we held our breath and Lagos did agree to schedule it. (We were notified by our congressman of this approval). So the expedited I130 case file was sent to lagos where it sat for another month, lost. We emailed and emailed and no one at the embassy knew where it was. So we called NVC to alert them and they put a trace on it. The trace showed they received the case 4 days after it left NVC. The wait now was for them to upload the case so it would be seen and scheduled. I personally went to the embassy through the inquiry line and got an interview date. We suspect the case was uploaded when the trace was completed. Anyhoo, the interview for the Cr1 was set for 3 weeks later but I got it with no issue. My husband returned the following week to pick up his packet and interview letter.

I returned to the US and gathered everything for an updated I864 and evidence of relationship and shipped to my husband. He went to the phone company and got a printout of incoming and outgoing calls.

The 7 am Cr1 interview:

They immediately called on people to collect items not in NVC File, like passport, ds230 part II, 2 passport pictures, and medical records. The were asked to Swear for oath and were fingerprinted (left and right forefinger) Then asked to return to their seats.

It was about 2 pm before they called my husband - the staff apparently went on break between 10am-1:30.

During the interview, he as asked typical questions, when did we meet, when did we marry, why did he overstay, when did he see me last. That was when true interest came in when learning of my 6 visits. He asked for proof of my visits and my husband showed my 3 Nigerian visas and 12 entry/ departure stamps from my passport. Then he asked for pictures of our weddings and family. The photo album could not fit through the whole at the interview window so my husband had to turn pages for him. That was all the evidence requested of my husband. no emails, phone logs, I864, police report etc... I am sure it is hard to doubt a relationship when you have visited 6 times over a 16 month period and sure information was being applied from our prior K3 case file. Oh yeah, they asked for a copy of the waiver. After the interview he was told him to sit back down. When the CO returned he handed my husband a pink slip and all originals from the NVC file and told him to come back in a week to pick up the visa.

We did not really celebrate until the visa was in hand because you never know...... When he got the visa they handed him an orange envelope, his passport with a beautiful CR1 visa stamp, xrays and the supporting evidence for the waiver.

Now we are celebrating because our lives can go on.

Thanks for all support obtained on this site and best of luck to those still in the journey. Remember everything that has a beginning has an end.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Now, the waiting is finally over!!!

May God Bless You!

[pbgirl 1]

Congrats! Few people could deal with that amount of "not knowing" and "running around"! Happy reunion...

[masterpiece 2]

A truly inspiring story of the power of love....now go crystallize the memories of these turbulent times past for the turbulent times ahead....

Congratulations to you both..

[rprater 0]

Congrats, I'm so happy for you both.

Rose

[Taye500 0]

Congratulations May you have a nice life together. I'm so happy for you.

[ForeverAmen 0]

Congratulations! May God continue to bless you in abundance!

[sercontigo 1]

Talk about indurance! Congrats...you two sure deserve it!

[Callina 1]

Congratulations on the big and long-awaited success! May God bless you and your husband!

[Charles' Angel 0]

Oh my goodness - your story made me cry! Congratulations and God bless you both throughout your lives and may you never be separated again!

This is an emotional time for me but I want to share with those still in the journey. I have cried, danced, jumped and thanked my God - not in that order but repeatedly over the past week. My husband has his visa after 16 month separation.

It has been a long journey for me. My story is unlike anyone else's. We were hit with a 10yr ban after traveling to Nigeria. I nearly died when i heard the news of the denial as it was not expected.

Here is our visa journey, I met and married my husband in the US. Prior to adjusting his status in the US we traveled to Nigeria for a family emergency. Traveling was our 2nd mistake (the first being the overstaying).

Overwhelmed by the emergency we thought (incorrectly) we could apply for a K visa for his return home. While there we had a beautiful traditional wedding. 4 months later we got our K3 interview and to our surprise was denied. Big DAH! Due to my husband's previous overstay we faced a ban. Devastated but determined we begged our way into the waiver process. The Lagos consulate agreed to start the waiver process as soon as our I130 was approved. We spent 3 months writing a waiver and obtaining congressional support. As soon as our approved I130 NOA was in hand we returned to the embassy and filed our waiver. True to their word, Lagos sent the waiver to DHS in Accra for processing within 30 days. However before sending it we were told it could take 15 months to process it. I went crying to my congressman. With a congressional request of expedited processing, our I601 waiver process took 3 months at DHS in Accra. We were notified by our congressman and Washington DC that our waiver was approved. Our next interview came at the end of the following month with the Lagos embassy, where they issued a K3 denial with a 221g. We were told to wait for our I130 to be "at post" before the interview for the Cr1 visa could be set and the approved I601 waiver could be applied. Basically our K3 was denied because waivers are for immigrate visas in Lagos.

Thankfully following month our I 130 was completed. So in summary, 7 months after the I130 was approved and 9 months after our first k3 denial our CR1 was completed at NVC. We thought case complete meant “at post”. We spent the next month calling the voice response system at NVC and getting case complete and having NVC agents to say "we are still waiting for an interview to “be set” by Lagos”. Then I had a tragic death in my family to deal with and applied for an expedited request via my congressman. We also FAX’d our own expedited request directly to NVC. NVC approved it but would not send the completed case to Lagos with out them first agreeing to schedule the interview them selves. Well we held our breath and Lagos did agree to schedule it. (We were notified by our congressman of this approval). So the expedited I130 case file was sent to lagos where it sat for another month, lost. We emailed and emailed and no one at the embassy knew where it was. So we called NVC to alert them and they put a trace on it. The trace showed they received the case 4 days after it left NVC. The wait now was for them to upload the case so it would be seen and scheduled. I personally went to the embassy through the inquiry line and got an interview date. We suspect the case was uploaded when the trace was completed. Anyhoo, the interview for the Cr1 was set for 3 weeks later but I got it with no issue. My husband returned the following week to pick up his packet and interview letter.

I returned to the US and gathered everything for an updated I864 and evidence of relationship and shipped to my husband. He went to the phone company and got a printout of incoming and outgoing calls.

The 7 am Cr1 interview:

They immediately called on people to collect items not in NVC File, like passport, ds230 part II, 2 passport pictures, and medical records. The were asked to Swear for oath and were fingerprinted (left and right forefinger) Then asked to return to their seats.

It was about 2 pm before they called my husband - the staff apparently went on break between 10am-1:30.

During the interview, he as asked typical questions, when did we meet, when did we marry, why did he overstay, when did he see me last. That was when true interest came in when learning of my 6 visits. He asked for proof of my visits and my husband showed my 3 Nigerian visas and 12 entry/ departure stamps from my passport. Then he asked for pictures of our weddings and family. The photo album could not fit through the whole at the interview window so my husband had to turn pages for him. That was all the evidence requested of my husband. no emails, phone logs, I864, police report etc... I am sure it is hard to doubt a relationship when you have visited 6 times over a 16 month period and sure information was being applied from our prior K3 case file. Oh yeah, they asked for a copy of the waiver. After the interview he was told him to sit back down. When the CO returned he handed my husband a pink slip and all originals from the NVC file and told him to come back in a week to pick up the visa.

We did not really celebrate until the visa was in hand because you never know...... When he got the visa they handed him an orange envelope, his passport with a beautiful CR1 visa stamp, xrays and the supporting evidence for the waiver.

Now we are celebrating because our lives can go on.

Thanks for all support obtained on this site and best of luck to those still in the journey. Remember everything that has a beginning has an end.