B1/B2 and K1 denial - applying for CR1 Visa

[Maureen&Todd 0]

My husband and I need serious help..... We have known each other for over 6 years now and our first wedding anniversary is in two months time and we are yet to be together

We started with b1/b2 visa in 2010 and it was denied because they said they weren't sure I was gonna come back then. After the denial of the b1/b2 we met each other in ghana and got engaged

And in 2011 we did a K1 visa that was denied saying that we are doing it for immigrant purpose

And my husband and I got married in 2012 and we wanna apply for a CR1 visa and we are both scared of being denied again

Its really heart breaking and annoying to think that you being together with someone you love have to be decided by someone that knows nothing about both of you.

We aren't really sure what they problem is if its our age difference or if it was just something we aren't doing right. Even tho we hired an attorney to help us with the case file of our K1 visa we still didn't get the visa and now we aren't even sure if its gonna happen.

After my K1 visa interview I asked my interviewer what he advice us do and he said my husband should come over and see if we could get married and now we are married and its gonna be a year soon and I haven't seen my husband.

Both visa interview took place in Lagos.

Please I need help with anyone with this experience any help at all. Will appreciate your reply. Thank you

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from Introducing Our Members to Africa: Sub-Saharan regional forum.

[samename 28]

Hello Maureen, I am sure our more knowledgeable members will add to this but here are my two cents on the matter .Lagos will more than likely approve your CR1,especially since its been six years.i'm sure you have tons of evidence that proves your relationship till date.However, you will need to address the reason for your past denial.what are your red flags? How much of an age difference is there ? How was your interview ?

Edited June 6, 2013 by samename

[Maureen&Todd 0]

Hello Maureen, I am sure our more knowledgeable members will add to this but here are my two cents on the matter .Lagos will more than likely approve your CR1,especially since its been six years.i'm sure you have tons of evidence that proves your relationship till date.However, you will need to address the reason for your past denial.what are your red flags? How much of an age difference is there ? How was your interview ?

Honestly I didn't see any good reason, like I said the b1/b2 said its because I wasn't gonna come back to Nigeria.... Every document that was asked from me I presented to them.

The K1 says we are doing the k1 visa for immigration purpose, like an arrange plan or something like that like am not gonna marry my fiancee then when I get there.

Our age difference is that he is 26 years older than me... Thanks for your reply

[dwheels76 5,468]

Honestly I didn't see any good reason, like I said the b1/b2 said its because I wasn't gonna come back to Nigeria.... Every document that was asked from me I presented to them.

The K1 says we are doing the k1 visa for immigration purpose, like an arrange plan or something like that like am not gonna marry my fiancee then when I get there.

Our age difference is that he is 26 years older than me... Thanks for your reply

Okay forget the B1/B2 because a nigerian man or woman getting a tourist visa to US is highly unlikely unless rich or elderly.

So they said you wouldn't come back. What did you show to compile them that you have strong country ties. remember you were applying knowing you have a fiance' in the US strong reason not to ever come back to them.

Next you say you had a lawyer and i can bet my next check they didn't prepare nothing. By that I mean did they even front-load your petition? Putting your best evidence upfront. Or did they say "You can bring evidence to interview"? Which is a BIG misconception when dealing with lagos.

You must have evidence submitted up front if you expect it to get into the CO's hands before interview. Most never get a chance to present evidence at interview.

What did you submit in your petition besides the required, letter of intent?

1. Pictures of you two with family and friends (a must for lagos)

2. Visa Stamps in passport showing all your visits.

3. IM, Email, SMS, Skype, webcam log and some samples

4. Ring receipt

5. Wedding arrangements

6. Letters to each other

These are items you surely need to have in your CR1 petition. And I would most definitely write an Evolution Timeline of the relationship. Since it is so long you need to show that.

Although yes most who get denied K1 get married and reapply get approved its not always a guarantee. You need to prepare.

If you answer the questions we can better understand what may have went wrong.

Also although they said "for immigration purposes". What were the questions asked?

What was the focus of the CO? meaning did they ask alot of questions on one thing?

The age difference is of no matter since he is the one older so thats not a cultural problem at all.

Are either of you divorced?

have children?

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

It is rarer for a woman to denied through Lagos but less women apply.

How did you meet your now husband ?

Has he been married before ? Does he have children ?

How many times have you been together ?

Has he been to your compound and met your family ?

[Maureen&Todd 0]

Okay forget the B1/B2 because a nigerian man or woman getting a tourist visa to US is highly unlikely unless rich or elderly.

So they said you wouldn't come back. What did you show to compile them that you have strong country ties. remember you were applying knowing you have a fiance' in the US strong reason not to ever come back to them.

Next you say you had a lawyer and i can bet my next check they didn't prepare nothing. By that I mean did they even front-load your petition? Putting your best evidence upfront. Or did they say "You can bring evidence to interview"? Which is a BIG misconception when dealing with lagos.

You must have evidence submitted up front if you expect it to get into the CO's hands before interview. Most never get a chance to present evidence at interview.

What did you submit in your petition besides the required, letter of intent?

1. Pictures of you two with family and friends (a must for lagos)

2. Visa Stamps in passport showing all your visits.

3. IM, Email, SMS, Skype, webcam log and some samples

4. Ring receipt

5. Wedding arrangements

6. Letters to each other

These are items you surely need to have in your CR1 petition. And I would most definitely write an Evolution Timeline of the relationship. Since it is so long you need to show that.

Although yes most who get denied K1 get married and reapply get approved its not always a guarantee. You need to prepare.

If you answer the questions we can better understand what may have went wrong.

Also although they said "for immigration purposes". What were the questions asked?

What was the focus of the CO? meaning did they ask alot of questions on one thing?

The age difference is of no matter since he is the one older so thats not a cultural problem at all.

Are either of you divorced?

have children?

Yes he has been married before twice and he has kids too.....

The interview didn't take long at all, the interviewer just asked me how I met my husband, I gave him my answers, he asked me when last I saw him I told him, he asked for pictures of our trip to ghana I showed him, he asked for our chat logs which was more than a text book I just cut it out and gave him few of it he didn't even read it and then he asked what my husband does with his free time and I told him

He also asked where he worked I gave him all that answer, he asked me who his on his facebook profile with my husband and I told him his son because the last time I check it was his son that was on his profile picture and then the interviewer showed me a picture of my husband and his daughter and I told him that's his daughter and he was like ok.

So I don't no what exactly went wrong, my husband and I met online. We met in ghana in 2010 and he came to nigeria in 2012 met my family every, I and his family talk on skype and phone.

[Olakunle39 11]

What i can say is the US embassy in Nigeria drills Nigerians too much because of our so-called reputation other people say we have, in every way of life, so these guys at the US embassy don't really know who is who, they believe 70% of our application for any type of visa are fake except if a parent is filing for a child or a child is filing for a parent. I am a Nigerian living in South Africa and i am filing for my CR-1 here because i live here and i got married to my wife here and i must file for my immigrant visa where i got married according to the United State immigration rule.

Age can never be the problem in any filing because people fall in love regardless the age, tribes or cultures but the location and the orientation that is given to the US embassy staffs working in Nigeria is the main issue. If you want to know what i am talking about go check this link and see US embassy South Africa Review and compare it to US embassy Nigeria review.

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/index.php?cnty=South%20Africa

They are friendly and hardly ask for more than 4 questions whether is K1 or whatever. I advice you to file for Cr-1 and you dont have to worry about it..you already have a strong reason to be given in your defense. Good luck !

[sanlot 4]

What i can say is the US embassy in Nigeria drills Nigerians too much because of our so-called reputation other people say we have, in every way of life, so these guys at the US embassy don't really know who is who, they believe 70% of our application for any type of visa are fake except if a parent is filing for a child or a child is filing for a parent. I am a Nigerian living in South Africa and i am filing for my CR-1 here because i live here and i got married to my wife here and i must file for my immigrant visa where i got married according to the United State immigration rule.

Age can never be the problem in any filing because people fall in love regardless the age, tribes or cultures but the location and the orientation that is given to the US embassy staffs working in Nigeria is the main issue. If you want to know what i am talking about go check this link and see US embassy South Africa Review and compare it to US embassy Nigeria review.

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/index.php?cnty=South%20Africa

They are friendly and hardly ask for more than 4 questions whether is K1 or whatever. I advice you to file for Cr-1 and you dont have to worry about it..you already have a strong reason to be given in your defense. Good luck !

Please show me where it says a person must apply for visa where they got married.

[Ryan H 3,812]

and i am filing for my CR-1 here because i live here and i got married to my wife here and i must file for my immigrant visa where i got married according to the United State immigration rule.

For CR-1 visas, there is no such rule. If the beneficiary and USC got married in country X but the beneficiary lives in country Y, the beneficiary will be able to interview in country Y.

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

Dwheels76 gave you good advice and like she said save all your communication and relationship evidence and make sure you frontload everything, then have your husband be there for your interview in case something goes wrong he can ask to speak with the CO.
Lagos likes to see frequent visits, get another visit in before filing.
Submit more current communication proofs at the interview, not just a few pages....lots of pages, bring the whole stack, also
the communication with family. You may have been a bit too light on this evidence in your K1 because you said you took only a few pages out
of the notebook.
Bring lots of photos and wedding photos.
You can have family and friends write affidavit letters in support of your genuine marriage.

Lots of K1's get denied in Lagos and the same people marry and file a CR1 and get approved. The blanket statement "for immigration purposes only" is just something they use as reason if they want to deny because they believe you are not bona fide. So convince them with much more evidence.

[Maureen&Todd 0]

Thank you guys so much! It's been a while i got on here... I wanted to double check because my cr1 interview is on the 5th of august and doing my medicals next week. Hopefully everything will go well. Wish me luck guys. And good luck to all of you.

[EOC 440]

Thank you guys so much! It's been a while i got on here... I wanted to double check because my cr1 interview is on the 5th of august and doing my medicals next week. Hopefully everything will go well. Wish me luck guys. And good luck to all of you.

I wish you goodlurk in your forth coming interview. Please kindly share your interview experience with us after your interview. All the best.

[DIANE2013 2]

Best of lucks