In Admin Review.. but need to travel!!!

[mnydriven818 2]

Hello VJ friends,

So we have been in AP for over a year now. Embassy did request her passport in June and upon receiving they said due to the new developments they would need more time to review.. (probably her trips to meet me in Kuwait as I was working here).

Now that I am going back home to the US. and she would need to either visit me in the US or go back to England in the mean time around December. would it cause more delays if we request her passport back from the embassy?

I would like to wait as much as possible as we still have sometime in Kuwait, but don't want her passport stuck at the embassy forever and prevent her from traveling. when will be the best time to request her passport back if we are leaving from kuwait in December?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Are you saying she is currently in Kuwait without her passport? Or she wants to travel from the UK to Kuwait in December and leave with you for a visit to the US?

[mnydriven818 2]

she is currently in Kuwait.. we have been in Kuwait for the past year. I sent her passport in to the UK when the embassy requested it. so yes she is without her passport at the moment.

[britishdakota 18]

Not having your passport when abroad is a bad idea.

I'm also surprised at how long AP is taking for a British citizen.

[mnydriven818 2]

very true.. esp in the middle east.. but we took our chances.

I just need to figure out when to request her passport from US embassy in London .. I still have till december to leave from here. Just dont wanna jeopardize our chances of getting her visa.. now that we have waited this long... it has been 60 days tomorrow since they received her passport at the embassy. I am hoping we would have the visa now that we were in AP for over a year and more than 60 days since they requested her passport.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I really don't know the definitive answer, but wouldn't they notice she didn't exit Kuwait and enter the UK by looking at that passport? Couldn't the delay continue until she quits all this travel out of the UK? A year in AP from London is pretty serious stuff and waiting it out in Kuwait backfired or she would have gotten the visa in June when they completed the AP. It seems like you already jeopardized getting the visa.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Nich-Nick

[mnydriven818 2]

she mentioned in the interview that she would be joining me in Kuwait since i work here for the US government. They knew in advance she will be traveling. Didnt think that would be a big deal since it was already mentioned in the interview.

Does that really jeopardize our case?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

she mentioned in the interview that she would be joining me in Kuwait since i work here for the US government. They knew in advance she will be traveling. Didnt think that would be a big deal since it was already mentioned in the interview.

Does that really jeopardize our case?

Jeopardize as in denial...I don't think so.

Jeopardize as in further long wait? Maybe

When they talk about police certificates from other countries, they say they are valid indefinitely unless you travel back there. So that gave me the idea of being in the middle east for a year past that interview date and still there means whatever clearance they did before isn't current, so has to be done anew. But she isn't even out of there yet. So can they start anew until she is home? I really don't know because they never tell anything about AP, so it is all speculation. But it is the Middle East.....

Then you want to say give my passport back so I can get out of Kuwait, where I am with no passport. I think it looks a bit dodgy maybe. If she had stayed in England and out of Kuwait, I think she would have had her visa in June.

Ignore me because I don't know what I'm talking about. Just rolling it around in my head and saying the various thoughts that come to question.

[Am&Er 0]

Hello VJ friends,

So we have been in AP for over a year now.

Sorry to hear that - indeed that's a long time for London. Would you say your wife fits into any of the generally known factors (which by now you're probably aware of) which causes AP?

I am in AP almost 7 and half months now after the K1 interview in London and I fit into that general profile with a very common name, place of birth and travel history in/out of MENA region.

Embassy did request her passport in June and upon receiving they said due to the new developments they would need more time to review.. (probably her trips to meet me in Kuwait as I was working here).

It's speculation but I agree with you and even I am of the opinion that when you sent the passport in June, they confirmed the change in travel history [airport entry stamp(s)] and put the case back in AP. It's unfortunate because after the interview if COs tell you additional processing is required and return the passport, they do so the applicant can travel if they need to and also as they realise it could take several months before the processing is over so no point in holding passports for as long as the process takes. Unfortunately if the applicant does travel during AP they run the risk of a further delay in processing because of a new development (i.e. additional information to travel history question in DS157). But that still doesn't make sense as any travel after interview should be irrelevant since the information provided on the forms were true at the time application was made. I don't know - I guess we will never know. Either way, I think it would be better if DOS/Embassy makes it clear to applicants that any change in travel history could further influence AP so applicants can rethink any travel plans.

I guess on your part what you could have done differently was to email the embassy the new place of residence (since any change in address by the applicant needs to be updated) and when the processing would complete they would ask the passport from the embassy in Kuwait. Or perhaps you guys could have come back to the UK when they asked the passport in June but I don't know your personal circumstances so please ignore me and anyway the airport entry/exit stamp would still be an issue.

Now that I am going back home to the US. and she would need to either visit me in the US or go back to England in the mean time around December. would it cause more delays if we request her passport back from the embassy?

Again impossible to say anything for sure but if we are looking at the possibilities and given that in your case you have been put back in AP after "new developments" - I would say yes there is a very big possibility of more delays if the embassy does not have the passport when asked for.

I would like to wait as much as possible as we still have sometime in Kuwait, but don't want her passport stuck at the embassy forever and prevent her from traveling. when will be the best time to request her passport back if we are leaving from kuwait in December?

I would do the same. Wait as much as possible and hopefully before December they issue the visa. But if that does not happen have you considered a temporary passport / emergency travel document?

If she's a British national there's some information here: https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document

You will need to check with the British Embassy in Kuwait if you're eligible to apply for one but if this means the original passport with the US embassy becoming invalid, then this is surely not advisable. I have a feeling she'll get it soon because if the embassy would anticipate a very long further delay in processing as a result - they would have anyway returned the passport before you asking. Maybe you can call/email the embassy asking if they are planning to return the passport as a result of the new processing and see what they say. This way it won't seem like you're asking the passport back and based on their answer you could perhaps make up your mind. But again, unfortunately we can never say these things for sure and I would be surprised if the embassy gives you any straight forward answers - no harm in trying though.

When they talk about police certificates from other countries, they say they are valid indefinitely unless you travel back there. So that gave me the idea of being in the middle east for a year past that interview date and still there means whatever clearance they did before isn't current, so has to be done anew. But she isn't even out of there yet. So can they start anew until she is home? I really don't know because they never tell anything about AP, so it is all speculation.

This is a very interesting point and very much a likelihood but as was rightly pointed out, we really don't know. But what you can take from this is it would be advisable for you to get a police clearance while you guys are still in Kuwait. I got mine ordered last year through the Kuwait Embassy in London (as I was born/raised in Kuwait) and it takes a lot of time (nearly 6 months+) and procedures like getting your finger prints and attestation from FCO (Foreign Commonwealth Office) and so on. However due to recent updates and I guess after they realised how much hassle it was for non-residents of Kuwait, they removed the requirement for non-residents of Kuwait. So although I had mine they did not take it from me at the interview in February. I sometimes wonder - could they not requiring my Kuwait police clearance and yet having me on AP for more than 7 months have any correlation/consequences? And then I tell myself - well I tried giving it to them on my interview but just didn't want it - so hopefully it will not add to my AP..

Sorry for going off topic. Below is the procedure to obtain the Police clearance from Kuwait. I don't think you will need it unless the embassy asks plus for immigrant visa's the embassy has to send you a letter requesting the certificate from the Ministry of Interior (Kuwait). You can find the information from the Country Reciprocity Schedule at http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_3272.html

Police Records

Available only to those residing in Kuwait; age 18 and above must get the police clearance certificate if resided in country for 6 months or more.

A police certificate, or 'Good Conduct Certificate,' can be obtained from the Ministry of Interior, General Department for Criminal Evidence, Department of Identification and Automated Search located in the Farwaniya-Dhajeej area, Airport Road 55, opposite the Kuwait Airways main building. Phone: 2434-6101. Fax: 2434-5790.

Each applicant must provide the following:

- A letter from the US Embassy*

- One recent front-view color photograph

- Passport and one photocopy

- Kuwaiti Civil Identification Card and one photocopy

*The Embassy will only provide the letter of request to immigrant visa applicants. U.S. citizens and other individuals seeking Kuwait police clearances should obtain a letter of request from his/her local sponsor or the requesting embassy.

The process to obtain a police certificate takes 1 to 2 weeks.

--

Good luck and keep updating!

- Amer

[mnydriven818 2]

Amer,

Thanks for your detailed response. I do appreciate it. You are correct about my wife being in one of those categories that land you in AP no matter what.

I am in a new dilemma now that her passport is at the embassy while we are still in Kuwait finalizing everything to get out of here.. I am thinking they probably ask her for a third medical and Uk police report even IF they approve her lets say this month because the last one would be expiring soon again.

Her CEAC status hasn't changed for a while.. is that a bad thing? the last time it was changed/touched was when I wrote to the embassy to check on her AP status on Sep 10.

[Am&Er 0]

Amer,

Thanks for your detailed response. I do appreciate it. You are correct about my wife being in one of those categories that land you in AP no matter what.

I am in a new dilemma now that her passport is at the embassy while we are still in Kuwait finalizing everything to get out of here.. I am thinking they probably ask her for a third medical and Uk police report even IF they approve her lets say this month because the last one would be expiring soon again.

Her CEAC status hasn't changed for a while.. is that a bad thing? the last time it was changed/touched was when I wrote to the embassy to check on her AP status on Sep 10.

From my understanding CEAC status date changes when they reply to your questions and congressional/senatorial enquires. The other reason is when they need anything from you and they emailed to ask for any documents or passport and so on.

I don't think its a bad thing if it hasn't changed for a while.. In fact, I have seen quite a few on VJ say their CEAC status did not change even after the visa was issued.

Good luck!

[mnydriven818 2]

So when I inquired that if they would be returning the passport since I am still in AP. They sent me a reply stating I can request the passport and will have to pay the courier again if they were to request her passport again.. which i expected anyways.

They have been replying almost 4-5 business days every time I emailed them. I emailed on the 9th of this month requesting for the passport to be returned . CEAC status shows updated twice this week on the 15 and 17th but they did not respond to me or anything.... could it be that its time to issue her visa and or ??/ file being updated twice this week but no reply to my email..