MENA K1 "Vent"

[True Love at Last 15]

I applied for an expedite because I'm on the verge of losing my home over a technicality and having my fiance here would make it possible for me to keep it. It's the home where my kids have security and continuity after a difficult divorce, and it's my source of income because it contains a legal income property in the basement. I have two special needs kids and a three-year-old. The other of my four kids has been talking about suicide. Just found out today that our expedite request was rejected. So now I either have to lose my house and income, or go get a job and put my autistic son, young daughter, and suicidal son in daycare. FML.

I can't stop crying. This means he won't get his interview until probably June and doesn't want to travel right before Ramadan because that would make our first month together so strange and it would be so hard for his family to have him gone right then. So I won't see him until August at the earliest now. I just can't think. I need him here. I have absolutely no other security net and now I just have to somehow get stronger and do the impossible. I can't even think, I'm so disappointed and upset.

Lots of four-letter words running through my brain. Sorry for the "vent" but isn't that what this thread is for? (And please, be kind in your replies. I just need a little compassion right now.)

I am truly saddened to hear about your terrible situation. I have been thru similiar situations over the last several years but the one thing I know is that you have your children to keep you strong. They need you and your time will come to be with your love. He will then help you rebuild and regain what material things you may lose. In the end, your love together can rebuild a better fresh future for you and your family. I have children with disabilities also so I can sympathize with you in many ways. Its not easy being a single mother but you are strong and Im sure, and I pray that you find what you need soon. Take care and feel free to vent anytime. VJ was created for exactly this reason and many more great things.

[LizzieBee 25]

Thank you for your compassion. I know everybody has difficulties in life and mine aren't any more special than anybody else's, but we all go through times of peace and times of hardship and today is just one of those times of hardship that I don't feel strong enough for. I guess I'm about to get stronger.

[Mithra 1,185]

I feel overwhelmed just reading this, I can't imagine experiencing it. I'm also a mother of 4 so I know how challenging that can be in and of itself and I don't have special needs kids. Try looking at the situation as a blessing in disguise. By the time your fiancé gets here you should have something figured out as far as child care and employment, hopefully. That way when he gets here he isn't immediately thrown into the Mr. Mom role to 4 children that aren't his own. That could certainly put a major strain on your relationship and you don't need that on top of everything else. I hope things settle for you and aren't nearly as bad as they appear to be. You're a mom, you can do this!

[sparkles_ 456]

As a mother of one special needs child and another prone to seizures, I also feel you. Recently, I had to seek full time employment as well as put the boys in care, too. There are childcare centers that accept special needs children which was a surprise to me so consider this as well. Sending hugs and prayers; if you ever want to talk to someone PM me. I've been through what is happening to you.

[Elchelle 5]

Thank you for your compassion. I know everybody has difficulties in life and mine aren't any more special than anybody else's, but we all go through times of peace and times of hardship and today is just one of those times of hardship that I don't feel strong enough for. I guess I'm about to get stronger.

LizzieBee, I am so sorry! Waiting and waiting is a maddening process as it is, but add the circumstances you are facing, and it is worse!

I'm waiting and waiting too. I'm worried that because my fiancé was married when we started our relationship, that is will hurt us. He was in a "traditional "marriage, basically an Upper Egypt conservative, arranged marriage. He is divorced now, and was divorced before we submitted packet one, but I hope this does not hurt us.

He was denied a visitors visa in March of last year, and he said the experience at the embassy was "atrocious". I know he is going to be nervous wreck going in this time.

[Rana A 2]

So just to update you all...I contacted my senator for a status request. The reply was immediate. Egypt is currently working on scheduling those who returned package 3 in September. I assume this means they will start scheduling us (my fiance and I) and October returners in March, we hope and pray. The senators office was told that there is a back log and they are going in chronological order of returned packages not by initial filing date.

We just hope this information is correct but again we will take it with a grain of salt and simply continue being patient.

Good luck to us all, inshaAllah.

Hi! just wanted to give you some good news because I noticed our timelines are pretty similar. My fiance returned his packet 3 on October 18th and we received a call today that his interview's in March so you guys should be hearing something pretty soon if you haven't already

good luck with everything !

[True Love at Last 15]

OMG!!!!! Just received notice of interview today for the middle of March! I'm so very excited. Alhamdulillah. At least this is the progress we were praying for! Keep up your good spirits, they seem to be doing what they said.

Take care to you all and I will keep you updated.

Salam

Melody and Tarek

[Elchelle 5]

Congratulations! That is wonderful news. My prayers and positive thoughts are with you!

[Elchelle 5]

I just looked at the newly posted interview schedule for the US Embassy in Cairo. I want to pull my hair out!! Nearly 2/3 of the interviews for March or diversity visas. Another quarter of them are not even from Egypt! While they deal with diversity visas, and people from countries that are not Egypt, families are kept apart for months and months and months! Shouldn't husbands, wives, Fiancés, children, parents, be highest priority?!?!

It's absurd!

[sandinista! 1,816]

well the refugees are kinda emergent. cause, like, refugees.

i don't know that it's fair either to discount diversity visas as being somehow less worthy of schedule time.

[Elchelle 5]

I did not discount diversity visas as being "less worthy". What I said is they are getting priority. They're getting 2/3 of the interviews this month. 2/3. In the meantime, families are being kept apart. Spouses are being kept from spouses for months and months; children are being kept from their parents. Do I think that priority should be given to family members of American citizens? Yes I do. It is, after all, the American Embassy.

And I wasn't talking about refugees. No one said anything about refugees or political asylum. These are people trying to get the same types of visas that the Egyptians are trying to get. The Egyptian Embassy certainly needs to help out neighboring countries sometimes, but 1/4 of interview slots are going to foreigners, and 2/3 to Diversity Visas, exactly when do family members of American citizens get their interviews? I'll tell you when. Seven, eight, nine months from now.

Edited March 5, 2014 by Elchelle

[sandinista! 1,816]

No, not that kind of refugee. They're essentially embassy refugees because of even more dangerous and complicated political situations than Egypt's, and I would say that they're being put out a whole lot more by, like, everything than perhaps slightly longer wait times for Egyptians and their American petitioners.

Family members will get interviews when the embassy is ready for them. The abundance of DV interviews this month does not mean they have priority, it's just what they've scheduled. Having a spouse or children does not confer special snowflake consideration. The people getting diversity visas are no less a priority than someone who married an American, or whatever else.

[Elchelle 5]

They are getting priority when they consistently get the vast majority of appointments. And I don't know what snowflake consideration means, but I do think that American citizens should get priority considering we are Americans at the American Embassy. We will just have to agree to disagree on this. If you were an American citizen being kept from your child and spouse you might think differently. Or maybe you'd be okay with a 10-12 month wait. I don't know.

[True Love at Last 15]

Elchelle: My Fiance almost said the exact same thing as you did. I understand that everyone has filed and is waiting for one reason or another but I agree that waiting for your loved one is very difficult on all of us. All of these situations are in need of timely handling and it just doesn't seem to be any ryme or reason to how and when they are scheduling these interviews.

We are at the mercy of the Embassy and the instability of Egypt. Patience and Faith have been the only things that have given me the hope that ONE DAY, I will be reunited with my love and my life can finally resume. Currently it has been on hold for much longer that anticipated.

Wishing and praying for us all.