Interviews Islamabad Embassy June 2015

[HafsaJawwad 39]

I think your guess is right. I think the officers would question a difference in race very high to Pakistani filers. The officers in Morocco or Philippines are more used to seeing interracial couples and the social norms against interracial marriages are not as extreme. They would probably be more suspicious of your Pakistani fiance trying just to find any American to court.

I'm not saying that your relationship isn't legitimate or anything negative about your engagement. I'm not saying you guys did anything wrong, but that's probably the AP reason - they are probably suspicious of his intentions. If you were there at the interview with him, I'm sure that would have helped, though. Hopefully you guys are able to visit each other again real soon and you guys have lots of pictures together doing a lot of different and fun things! If you were able to visit him in Pakistan, then any pictures you guys have taken during that trip or any other evidence of relationship can be saved in case they want a second interview with him.

Yeah that's one thing we have been worried about. I was able to visit him once and we had plenty of pictures from that visit. I can't get another visa to visit again though. I applied to visit back in December for his sister's wedding and was denied. I put the email from Pakistan consulate in our paperwork for ongoing relationship explaining why I didn't visit again. And again I applied last month to visit for Ramadan/Eid but that was also denied.

At this point we are thinking to get married in Dubai and stay there because I can't even go back to Pakistan for wedding and this visa is taking too long. If we have to wait then I wanna wait while being married.

[Amhara 460]

Yeah that's one thing we have been worried about. I was able to visit him once and we had plenty of pictures from that visit. I can't get another visa to visit again though. I applied to visit back in December for his sister's wedding and was denied. I put the email from Pakistan consulate in our paperwork for ongoing relationship explaining why I didn't visit again. And again I applied last month to visit for Ramadan/Eid but that was also denied.

At this point we are thinking to get married in Dubai and stay there because I can't even go back to Pakistan for wedding and this visa is taking too long. If we have to wait then I wanna wait while being married.

America doesn't want you seeing him and Pakistan doesn't want you seeing him! Oy vey! You may even want to consider applying for a US visitor's visa and see what happens. He will probably be denied, but he can show that he wants to visit you and that he will return after visiting you, it may mean something to the officers. Maybe not, but you only have $165 to lose. One reason he may be able to present (if they let him present anything) is that you guys are really close to getting approved for K-1 visa, so he will return to get that? (I don't think it will work though, but I think we would try it if we were in AP for longer than 3 months.)

But why would he say you two would go to Pakistan to have another wedding ceremony if you could not get a visa to Pakistan?

You or he would need a residence visa for UAE to get married in Dubai. UAE doesn't let visitors get married - you can have a ceremony, but it's not legally binding and the local courts won't register it. However, two foreigners can get married in Turkey. I think a Turkish visitor's visa for Pakistanis may be hard - I know it's hard for Afghanis to get. He may get a Turkish visitor visa easily if he has a Schengen visa or a visa from any OECD country. That would require him getting approved to visit a country in Europe, or he could just try for a Turkish visa. Other option would just meet in Dubai without being married - just chaperoned.

[HafsaJawwad 39]

America doesn't want you seeing him and Pakistan doesn't want you seeing him! Oy vey! You may even want to consider applying for a US visitor's visa and see what happens. He will probably be denied, but he can show that he wants to visit you and that he will return after visiting you, it may mean something to the officers. Maybe not, but you only have $165 to lose. One reason he may be able to present (if they let him present anything) is that you guys are really close to getting approved for K-1 visa, so he will return to get that? (I don't think it will work though, but I think we would try it if we were in AP for longer than 3 months.)

But why would he say you two would go to Pakistan to have another wedding ceremony if you could not get a visa to Pakistan?

You or he would need a residence visa for UAE to get married in Dubai. UAE doesn't let visitors get married - you can have a ceremony, but it's not legally binding and the local courts won't register it. However, two foreigners can get married in Turkey. I think a Turkish visitor's visa for Pakistanis may be hard - I know it's hard for Afghanis to get. He may get a Turkish visitor visa easily if he has a Schengen visa or a visa from any OECD country. That would require him getting approved to visit a country in Europe, or he could just try for a Turkish visa. Other option would just meet in Dubai without being married - just chaperoned.

No that's what I was trying to say. Even if we wanted to get married in Pakistan, we can't because of the visa issue. So that's why we thought of Dubai but I didn't know we have to be residents. Of course we wouldn't get married without it being legal. He mentioned that it would be difficult to visit Turkey so that's why we thought of Dubai. He said Dubai would be easy to get to. Do you know if it's easy for him to get resident visa so we could get married there legally? I don't really have a chaperone available for me to just visit. Plus it's more expensive than we can afford. I'd have to go and have a job that would pay for airfare and accommodations.

[Amhara 460]

No that's what I was trying to say. Even if we wanted to get married in Pakistan, we can't because of the visa issue. So that's why we thought of Dubai but I didn't know we have to be residents. Of course we wouldn't get married without it being legal. He mentioned that it would be difficult to visit Turkey so that's why we thought of Dubai. He said Dubai would be easy to get to. Do you know if it's easy for him to get resident visa so we could get married there legally? I don't really have a chaperon available for me to just visit. Plus it's more expensive than we can afford. I'd have to go and have a job that would pay for airfare and accommodations.

The UAE visas are not too easy for Pakistanis either. They need a sponsor. A hotel, airline or friend/family member can sponsor a Pakistani visitor. However, when we went, I got our tickets through Air Emirates thinking they could sponsor his UAE visa, but it turns out that an Afghan resident can't get airline sponsorship through them. But when I started that process, it looked like Pakistani citizens could. When I later called, they asked if my fiance's passport was handwritten or electronic, so that may have something to do with it. I know on Fly Dubai, one of their criteria is "Passport should be machine readable and in good condition", so that is electronic visa.

A hotel charges around $1,500-2000 (USD) to sponsor, but they give it back after he returns back home. The easiest was a family sponsor, which gave us three months to use the single-entry visa. There are many Pakistan citizens working in UAE; if he gets a job there, he can get an employment sponsorship and I believe that is a resident visa. Then you two can get married. It's not so easy because you need a job offer first. But that can go for you too. You can look for jobs in UAE and if you get an offer and move there, then you can sponsor his visit and marry. But in that case, I would suggest you find someone else to sponsor him because they may not allow a woman to sponsor a man unless they are married first. From what I seen, it can take about 20-30 days to finish registering a marriage - so your conscience would need to guide you on the best option. Whether to bring him to UAE to marry then for him to return after the registration is complete or for him to stay since your marriage is underway. That is a hypothetical situation - but for you two to decide and not for me to judge.

I don't know what sort of requirements there are to the employment visa, but I don't think they are too strict. If Filipinos can work at a fast-food shop on employment visa, then I don't imagine you have to have 'critical skills' or 'technical training' to do so. The only thing is that it's terribly expensive to live in Dubai. Most people seem like they rent bed space - not a whole flat. From the signs around the city, it looked like the bed space rent was sort of reasonable when compared to USD, but I don't know what the wage level would be.

You may need to try for a visit even if marriage is unattainable at this point. Besides, if you marry, then you cannot be approved for K-1. You would need to start with I-130. If you do that, then living in a third country without US domicile would be difficult to meet. You would need to show intention of living in US after UAE job or a more permanent domicile in US compared to UAE domicile. However, if you work for an international company, that wouldn't apply. Also, sometimes US entities, like USAID look for third country applicants for positions they have available. So you still have options.

[Shabaz 67]

Yeah that's one thing we have been worried about. I was able to visit him once and we had plenty of pictures from that visit. I can't get another visa to visit again though. I applied to visit back in December for his sister's wedding and was denied. I put the email from Pakistan consulate in our paperwork for ongoing relationship explaining why I didn't visit again. And again I applied last month to visit for Ramadan/Eid but that was also denied.

At this point we are thinking to get married in Dubai and stay there because I can't even go back to Pakistan for wedding and this visa is taking too long. If we have to wait then I wanna wait while being married.

As far as i know a U.S citizen can visit any country at any time....? r u a U.S citizen...?

[HafsaJawwad 39]

As far as i know a U.S citizen can visit any country at any time....? r u a U.S citizen...?

Yes I'm US Citizen but it's not quite that easy to travel some places. I can visit most countries without visa but Pakistan requires tourist visa for US Citizens and they are very restricted if you do get one. The visa I had let me stay for just 30 days. One entry. And it had a list of restricted areas.

Even us tourist visa is good for 6 months.

[Amhara 460]

Just to add an update on our experience in Kabul, we were concerned because we were not getting any responses to our emails about our interview dates. I was able to pull up the DHL tracking information that confirmed our petition was shipped and delivered close to the CEAC.GOV dates, but were later told by the embassy they didn't have our petition. However, today, we got more clarification in the email below:

Normally it takes 4-6 weeks from the date we receive file at Embassy mail room to receive at consular section and enter into our systems. If you have information that the embassy has received the shipment on May 4, 2015, there are chances that we will receive your fiancée’s application till June 15, 2015. We hope your fiancée’s appointment will be schedule in July. You will be contacted with appointment details as soon as we receive his case at post. We appreciate your patience in this regard.

The first one said:

Our records indicate that we have received electronic records of your fiancée’s application at post. However, we are still waiting for physical file to arrive. We will schedule his interview and the appointment notification will be email to you at the provided address in the petition. Unfortunately, you have schedule your fiancée’s appointment under non-immigrant visa data base. However, your fiancée’s application is an immigration. Please wait till we receive physical file and schedule his appointment. We appreciate your patience in this regard.

Mail is so bad in Afghanistan that it takes a month to deliver down the hall!!! LOL!

[Amhara 460]

I seen one Pakistan profile for fiance that had interview today that was put in AP and one spousal visa that was approved.

[star173 0]

My interview in on 9th June 2015 , I will fly to Islamabad on 7th june 2015 InshaAllah with brother . Its our 1st visit in Islamabad , so every thing is new for me . So I want to hire white cap for American embassy , So any one here can give me contact no of white cap service

And I hope they knows the address of American embassy .

Regarding interview I want to ask following question

1.My interview time at 7:am , at what time I reach at shuttle point

2. will they allow hand bag in interview

3. I will have 2 folder , either i place them in bag or in shopper

Assalam o Alikum.

Good luck

1- you can find cab easily ....no problem....just tell them u wanna goto USA consulate......some transport vans go there too.

2-dont worry about the time 7am.........they give same time to everyone.....just be there around 6:30....or 6

3- you have to give them your bag .....they will give u a shopping bag ....to put your documents ....you cannot take ur leather bag inside the embassy.

4-cell phone has also be given to them ...

5-200 RS for transportation/shuttle inside the embassy

take care

My interview in on 9th June 2015 , I will fly to Islamabad on 7th june 2015 InshaAllah with brother . Its our 1st visit in Islamabad , so every thing is new for me . So I want to hire white cap for American embassy , So any one here can give me contact no of white cap service

And I hope they knows the address of American embassy .

Regarding interview I want to ask following question

1.My interview time at 7:am , at what time I reach at shuttle point

2. will they allow hand bag in interview

3. I will have 2 folder , either i place them in bag or in shopper

Assalam o Alikum.

Good luck

1- you can find cab easily ....no problem....just tell them u wanna goto USA consulate......some transport vans go there too.

2-dont worry about the time 7am.........they give same time to everyone.....just be there around 6:30....or 6

3- you have to give them your bag .....they will give u a shopping bag ....to put your documents ....you cannot take ur leather bag inside the embassy.

4-cell phone has also be given to them ...

5-200 RS for transportation/shuttle inside the embassy

take care

[AUMER 3]

Thanks

[samkruger 23]

Hey there. My interview was on 4th June, It went great, I took the dss(shuttle service), reached the embassy at 7:15 am, got in at 7:45am and was assigned a token no., after a wait of 30 minutes I was asked called to give fingerprints and submit my pictures, after that I was asked to remain seated til they call again, then after 30 odd minutes I was called for submission of original documents and also latest tax transcripts of my wife, after that the consular asked me in what language I would prefer the interview, I selected English, then I was told to wait again for my final call for interview, then after 40 minutes I was called at the window, the American guy interviewed me, he asked me following questions;

How did you meet your wife?

Did she visit you after marriage?

Who does she lives with?

Where does she work?

Then he asked me for pictures of me and my wife together, since i was living in England for the past 2 years for my studies, he told me about his graduation from university of Manchester and asked me where I was living, then we had a good laugh and he said your case has been approved you will get your passport in 10 days, I thanked him and wished him a good day and left the embassy.

Next day i checked my status and it said issued. Alhamdulilah very happy.

[subz1987 6]

Hey there. My interview was on 4th June, It went great, I took the dss(shuttle service), reached the embassy at 7:15 am, got in at 7:45am and was assigned a token no., after a wait of 30 minutes I was asked called to give fingerprints and submit my pictures, after that I was asked to remain seated til they call again, then after 30 odd minutes I was called for submission of original documents and also latest tax transcripts of my wife, after that the consular asked me in what language I would prefer the interview, I selected English, then I was told to wait again for my final call for interview, then after 40 minutes I was called at the window, the American guy interviewed me, he asked me following questions;

How did you meet your wife?

Did she visit you after marriage?

Who does she lives with?

Where does she work?

Then he asked me for pictures of me and my wife together, since i was living in England for the past 2 years for my studies, he told me about his graduation from university of Manchester and asked me where I was living, then we had a good laugh and he said your case has been approved you will get your passport in 10 days, I thanked him and wished him a good day and left the embassy.

Next day i checked my status and it said issued. Alhamdulilah very happy.

How long did it take for you to get your passport back? And where the tax transcripts from 2014? Edited June 8, 2015 by subz1987

[AUMER 3]

Tomorrow is my interview Inshaa Allah...........at what time I will reach at shuttle service

Little nervous........ Pray for me .........every thing will be ok

[samkruger 23]

I gave my interview on 4th june i received my passport today i.e 9th june. In Sha Allah all the best.

Edited June 9, 2015 by samkruger

[Amhara 460]

Tomorrow is my interview Inshaa Allah...........at what time I will reach at shuttle service

Little nervous........ Pray for me .........every thing will be ok

How did your interview go, Aumer?