Denied in Cairo

[DarwishAE 19]

I just got word our case was revoked and sent back to USCIS. I'm in absolute shock. What happens next? I'm going to be getting a lawyer involved.

[Ken Adams 41]

I just got word our case was revoked and sent back to USCIS. I'm in absolute shock. What happens next? I'm going to be getting a lawyer involved.

could you please explain what happened at interview and update your timelines

[DarwishAE 19]

My husband has his interview on September 1st at 730am. His fingerprints were taken promptly after him entering the embassy but then had to wait an hour before being interviewed. The consular officer was an American man who spoke Arabic. He treated my husband poorly from the start and told him his English sucked. The interview lasted only 30 minutes. Asked how we met, where I went to school and did I graduate, the names of my family members, very basic questions. The CO told my husband at the end he believed he was not telling the truth because of our language barrier and gave him a paper requesting our chat logs from Facebook since that is how we commonly communicate. My husband tried to show the CO more evidence he had brought with him but he refused to look at it. Simply told my husband "I want more" in a rude tone and ended the interview.

We submitted 50 pages of chat logs that spanned our entire relationship. They requested his passport on September 10th so I thought all was fine. I emailed Cairo to confirm they got his passport. They told me they had but the case had been sent back to USCIS for re adjucation and to contact USCIS for the status.

[Hypnos 6,578]

Only USCIS can revoke the underlying I-130 petition, not DoS. DoS will return the file to USCIS and state their reasons for why they believe your I-130 approval should be revoked. USCIS will either agree with DoS' recommendations and send you a Notice of Intent to Revoke (NOIR), or disagree, re-affirm your approval, and send it back to the NVC.

If USCIS decides to issue a NOIR you will have an opportunity to rebut the negative points that USCIS have decided.

You should file a FOIA request in order to obtain a copy of the case file from the embassy which will tell you why they denied the visa.

It will take around 6 months for USCIS to decide what action they are going to take. You should strongly consider retaining an immigration attorney experienced in these sorts of cases, or at the very least consult with them.

[EOC 440]

My husband has his interview on September 1st at 730am. His fingerprints were taken promptly after him entering the embassy but then had to wait an hour before being interviewed. The consular officer was an American man who spoke Arabic. He treated my husband poorly from the start and told him his English sucked. The interview lasted only 30 minutes. Asked how we met, where I went to school and did I graduate, the names of my family members, very basic questions. The CO told my husband at the end he believed he was not telling the truth because of our language barrier and gave him a paper requesting our chat logs from Facebook since that is how we commonly communicate. My husband tried to show the CO more evidence he had brought with him but he refused to look at it. Simply told my husband "I want more" in a rude tone and ended the interview.

We submitted 50 pages of chat logs that spanned our entire relationship. They requested his passport on September 10th so I thought all was fine. I emailed Cairo to confirm they got his passport. They told me they had but the case had been sent back to USCIS for re adjucation and to contact USCIS for the status.

I wonder why the CO would think he wasn't speaking the truth because of the language barrier. That really sucks!!! Since when has language barrier stand as proof of refusal or denial.

Just wait to hear from USCIS, I pray it get sorted out soon.

[ashleyphilly 70]

I read a lot of cases in which language barrier is a big factor in COs decision.

[DarwishAE 19]

Only USCIS can revoke the underlying I-130 petition, not DoS. DoS will return the file to USCIS and state their reasons for why they believe your I-130 approval should be revoked. USCIS will either agree with DoS' recommendations and send you a Notice of Intent to Revoke (NOIR), or disagree, re-affirm your approval, and send it back to the NVC.

If USCIS decides to issue a NOIR you will have an opportunity to rebut the negative points that USCIS have decided.

You should file a FOIA request in order to obtain a copy of the case file from the embassy which will tell you why they denied the visa.

It will take around 6 months for USCIS to decide what action they are going to take. You should strongly consider retaining an immigration attorney experienced in these sorts of cases, or at the very least consult with them.

Thanks for the info. I'm getting a meeting with an attorney tomorrow.

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

The embassy did not revoke your case, they refused to issue the visa.

USCIS will send you a NOID/NOIR letter to which you must respond to rebut your case.

Many people have received their NOIR's after 2-4 months, some 6 months.
You don't need an attorney for this in my opinion if you know how to respong to the NOIR.

If they accept your NOIR response they will again send your case via NVC to the embassy for another interview.

A FOIA can take longer than a NOIR but may shed some light on the refusal, if you do file a FOIA be very specific in your request, detailed

questions and ask for CO notes or you will get a blanket answer.

[R.bwithlove 1]

I recommend you get an attorney, my daughter did after she got denied the first time for the same excuse that her fiancé did not speak English, that was not true 2nd petition with attorney and Senotor my son inlay is here and married.

[Dave & Mong 29]

The "non common language" response must becoming common place. My fiance had her interview in Ho Chi Minh city, VN and was given a 221g. That had a list of about 12 questions for me! One of the questions was how do we comunicate with a non common langauge. I was able to explain that she has taken English classes for a little while, but has no one there to speak it with. As for me, My neighbors are Vietnamese and I am envited over to gatherings they have and they all speak in Vietnamese, so after about 7 years, I have a basic (though crude) understanding of the language. That was good enough for them. She will be here Wednesday! Good luck.

[Ning 619]

My husband has his interview on September 1st at 730am. His fingerprints were taken promptly after him entering the embassy but then had to wait an hour before being interviewed. The consular officer was an American man who spoke Arabic. He treated my husband poorly from the start and told him his English sucked. The interview lasted only 30 minutes. Asked how we met, where I went to school and did I graduate, the names of my family members, very basic questions. The CO told my husband at the end he believed he was not telling the truth because of our language barrier and gave him a paper requesting our chat logs from Facebook since that is how we commonly communicate. My husband tried to show the CO more evidence he had brought with him but he refused to look at it. Simply told my husband "I want more" in a rude tone and ended the interview.

We submitted 50 pages of chat logs that spanned our entire relationship. They requested his passport on September 10th so I thought all was fine. I emailed Cairo to confirm they got his passport. They told me they had but the case had been sent back to USCIS for re adjucation and to contact USCIS for the status.

It would be a good idea to contact your Senator about this. Find the form on their web site then send it in right away. I would also set an Info Pass meeting with USCIS and talk directly to them in person.

This is one case I have seen where the infamous embassy in Egypt has really gone out of its way to make things as difficult as possible based I think on other experiences having nothing to do with the facts surrounding this exact case.

The O P here has done everything she can to make sure this went well and as we see they still wont issue the visa. I don't know for example if his English " sucked " but he is Egyptian so how could he be expected to have perfect English? I'll bet the COs ability in Arabic isn't perfect either. His English was good enough to have a long term relationship with the O P. Long enough to have married her. My English still isn't perfect but 8 years ago no one questioned my ability at the embassy.

[samy + janet aly 9]

hello there,

i just read this and i see what you are facing because i have faced it as well, being sent back from the embassy in cairo 2 times for NOIR. the first one we got reaffirmed and seems the embassy didnt like it because the 2nd time they sent it back to uscis for review because i had not been there in awhile.

you can contact all the senators and congressman you want but it will not help a thing. uscis and dos all work on their own merits and take seriously what the embassy writes back.

our was revoked on jan 7 2014 while i was in cairo visiting my husband for 6 weeks, we are now int he appeals process and it doesn't look good.because a few months ago i got a letter from uscis saying they are telling the board of immigration appeals to keep our petition revoked. so i wait the long hard trail of not knowing now. ot has caused alot of hardship for me and my husband now.

the first send back was may 2012 and we waited almost 9 months in review with uscis before i heard anything from them. 2nd one was in 2013 and waited over 7 months in review.

just be ready when you get anything from uscis and follow what they say, if they give you a chance to prove yourselves, you will have 30 days to show what ever they want you to send, be prompt and straight forwarded with them.

let me know if i can be any help!!!

[MUXAGIRL 69]

Oh! This is so brutal, considering your health condition! Try the FOIA, senator and any other avenue available to you. In the meantime, is there any other common country you two can move in till everything is sorted out? I remember you mentioned anytime you visit Egypt, you get really sick. Stay strong sister. Consider this sh*tty experience is a prelude to a lifetime of happiness ahead of you.

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

A senator can't do a thing and an infopass with USCIS will be useless. A lawyer not needed UNLESS you need help and input on how to

formulate the NOIR response.
I would add every word that the CO said to your husband to the response in the NOIR

and overcome your burden of proof about the language accusation with quality written communication evidence, spanning the entire relationship

from day one to current.

50 pages was not enough in my opinion.

[IslAmy 122]

I can't imagine. I'm sorry this has happened to you.