Just need to vent. Month 17 of our wait.

[bananite 67]

Hi everyone. I am SO FRUSTRATED RIGHT NOW.

I don't know if my husband and I just have REALLY bad luck, or if EVERYONE at UCSIS and the Consulate in Jerusalem and the Universe hates us.

Here we are in MONTH 17 of waiting. I am so frustrated I feel like I'm going to punch a hole through my computer. I have been staying at my husband's parents apartment in Israel for the last 7 MONTHS. This was supposed to be a temporary thing. We have been waiting for our life to start for almost a year now. No jobs, no income, no car/bikes, life is on permanent hold and I HATE it. I haven't been home in over 3 years.

Our NOA1 date was Feb 17, 2014. 1-130 was approved Aug 18 2014. Case complete at NVC in March 25 2015.

Here's some of the UNIVERSE-HATES-US stuff that has happened to us.

• The Israeli military took several months to send my husband's discharge papers (and they were the wrong papers). So our IV packet was sent 4 months after our 1-130 was approved. We sent it in December 19 2014. I thought this would be our only glitch in the mission. But this turns out to be NOTHING to what happens next.

• In March 2015, I called USCIS and they LITERALLY LOST our IV packet. The expected time for processing the IV packet is 60 days (because of the visa delays of 2013-2014). On VJ I read that our center (NSC) was having technical issues/snow days/etc, and it was late for everyone. So I waited. One of my other immigrant friends urged me to call, so I did. I called in the beginning of March. The guy said "Oh yeah...that's past the due date. Let me get my manger and get back to you." Later he told me that they found it UNDER A BUNCH OF PAPERS, forgotten on someone's desk. IV packet took over 90 days.
  
• Our time to get an interview also took 2 months. NSC also had huge problems then. A ton of us waited on a VJ thread, checking every day. Suddenly on April 17, everyone got their interview dates. Our was May 28. I was so happy. "We're get to go home mid June", I thought. HAHA WRONG.

• Interview - went poorly. My husband and I are good, polite people. Somehow we got the meanest interviewer at the consulate. She was rude to me, and didn't tell us what was going on. She finger printed my husband, asked him questions alone and he took the oath. All good, right? WRONG. "So, are we approved?" "The guy at the next counter will explain." "We are rejected?" "The guy at the next counter will explain." Meanwhile, the guy at the next counter said, "She didn't tell you that you've been rejected?" Yeah. I started crying right then and there. This translates to 3 more months of this jail sentence. We were "missing documents" - rather, the documents we gave were not acceptable.
  • One. The military sent him the wrong documents. Because it's not enough that its run by 19 year olds who don't care, take MONTHS to find my husband's papers and then send the wrong ones.
  • Two. They didn't believe our Intent to Return to the US. I started panicking, because I sent a TON of documents for this. I said "Look at all the papers we sent you to establish Intent to Return." "Oh, I didn't see those...just leave them here." > SO I don't even know if this is resolved or not. I sent extra documents but I'm so worried by this.
  • Three. Apparently I can't be the financial sponsor because I'm overseas. Which is wrong because I have enough money to support us both. So, we have to get my mom to be the sponsor.
• The mail takes 2 weeks to get here from California. We mailed the missing documents to the Consulate on June 18th. And wait. And wait. And wait some more. BECAUSE GUESS WHAT, MORE TECHNICAL ISSUES!!! I guess everyone got this message on the AIS website:
  
• Technical issues that affected the Department of State's ability to process visas over the last two weeks are being resolved. All applicants can schedule and attend appointments as normal. Due to the backlog of cases, applicants can still expect delays in the processing of existing and new applications.

  • On the AIS website it still says SEND DOCUMENTS. Since it was registered mail, we can SEE that the consulate got them 2 weeks ago and put our status to AP. I'm really confused about this. Emailed them. But of course they won't respond for a month, like always, and then say "we can't answer any questions because you need to include your husband's mother's cat's favorite ice cream flavour."

So this is my life right now. I'm sitting in 30 degree heat, 12000 Km away from my home. My parents are very sad every time I say there has been another delay, and I HATE telling them that I can't come home yet. The place on my wall where I bang my head is so big that I could probably run a falafel stand out of it.

Edited July 6, 2015 by Penguin_ie

[bigr 0]

dont feel too bad mine 14 month and i still have couple more to go its bad journey its stuck at the us embassy in Jerusalem for missing some doc

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

I am so sorry, that is one of the worst "multiple mess-ups" stories I have read on here. I hope you get the visa soon.

PS: edited out a couple of swears words we don;t allow on VJ. I can totally understand why you used them though!

[newtothelift 15]

That is so awful I don't really know what to say other than I wish you all the best and that things will hopefully resume at some point. One thing I have learnt through my 18 month process (just waiting for visa to arrive now....taken 3 months) is that the American government is unemotional, uncaring and terribly run. At not a single in the entire process has their been any form of competence, good management or efficiency. I really wish you all the best in your future immigration endeavors

[dhlunar 25]

I know how USCIS and the State Department can be. Took USCIS 10 months for them to approve my wife's I-130 petitions for her parents, since the adjudication of I-130 wasn't a top priority for them.

Then NVC (State Department) ends up losing one of my father-in-laws documents that is after their, we will get back to you in 60 days deal. Request for an expedite, we were told had to be approved by the Embassy, was denied (they didn't care that he had health issues might not make it, and NVC lousing one of his documents). Then at medical, the doctor says they can tell the difference is something is TB or not on an X-Ray, but it appeared my father-in-laws x-ray was inconclusive. So that equaled another 2.5 month way for him to get his visa. Then once the Embassy calls to request his passport since his file is now complete to issue him his visa, DHL said it would be there the same day. Wrong, it took 3 business days to get there, then another 2 days for them to issue the visa then another 3 business days for DHL to return the passport and visa packet back, since they just didn't care and left the package sitting in some processing facility.

From the day that we went to the Post Office to mail the I-130 petitions to the day they were actually admitted was almost 19 months. To my wife, that was the worst 19 months not only because she didn't know when it was going to end, but because her dad was also hospitalized for a month due to chronic health issues, and then was confined to a bed for another 2 to 4 weeks before he got better to start walking around again. Everyone didn't think he would make it to their visa appointment date.

[Mark&GinaW 4]

19 months for us so far

[SuzieQTpi 54]

Took us 25 months from first paperwork to having immigration visa in hand.....

[Darnell 8,478]

Hi everyone. I am SO FRUSTRATED RIGHT NOW.

I don't know if my husband and I just have REALLY bad luck, or if EVERYONE at UCSIS and the Consulate in Jerusalem and the Universe hates us.

Here we are in MONTH 17 of waiting. I am so frustrated I feel like I'm going to punch a hole through my computer. I have been staying at my husband's parents apartment in Israel for the last 7 MONTHS. This was supposed to be a temporary thing. We have been waiting for our life to start for almost a year now. No jobs, no income, no car/bikes, life is on permanent hold and I HATE it. I haven't been home in over 3 years.

Our NOA1 date was Feb 17, 2014. 1-130 was approved Aug 18 2014. Case complete at NVC in March 25 2015.

Here's some of the UNIVERSE-HATES-US stuff that has happened to us.

• The Israeli military took several months to send my husband's discharge papers (and they were the wrong papers). So our IV packet was sent 4 months after our 1-130 was approved. We sent it in December 19 2014. I thought this would be our only glitch in the mission. But this turns out to be NOTHING to what happens next.

• In March 2015, I called USCIS and they LITERALLY LOST our IV packet. The expected time for processing the IV packet is 60 days (because of the visa delays of 2013-2014). On VJ I read that our center (NSC) was having technical issues/snow days/etc, and it was late for everyone. So I waited. One of my other immigrant friends urged me to call, so I did. I called in the beginning of March. The guy said "Oh yeah...that's past the due date. Let me get my manger and get back to you." Later he told me that they found it UNDER A BUNCH OF PAPERS, forgotten on someone's desk. IV packet took over 90 days.

• Our time to get an interview also took 2 months. NSC also had huge problems then. A ton of us waited on a VJ thread, checking every day. Suddenly on April 17, everyone got their interview dates. Our was May 28. I was so happy. "We're get to go home mid June", I thought. HAHA WRONG.

• Interview - went poorly. My husband and I are good, polite people. Somehow we got the meanest interviewer at the consulate. She was rude to me, and didn't tell us what was going on. She finger printed my husband, asked him questions alone and he took the oath. All good, right? WRONG. "So, are we approved?" "The guy at the next counter will explain." "We are rejected?" "The guy at the next counter will explain." Meanwhile, the guy at the next counter said, "She didn't tell you that you've been rejected?" Yeah. I started crying right then and there. This translates to 3 more months of this jail sentence. We were "missing documents" - rather, the documents we gave were not acceptable.
  • One. The military sent him the wrong documents. Because it's not enough that its run by 19 year olds who don't care, take MONTHS to find my husband's papers and then send the wrong ones.
  • Two. They didn't believe our Intent to Return to the US. I started panicking, because I sent a TON of documents for this. I said "Look at all the papers we sent you to establish Intent to Return." "Oh, I didn't see those...just leave them here." > SO I don't even know if this is resolved or not. I sent extra documents but I'm so worried by this.
  • Three. Apparently I can't be the financial sponsor because I'm overseas. Which is wrong because I have enough money to support us both. So, we have to get my mom to be the sponsor.
• The mail takes 2 weeks to get here from California. We mailed the missing documents to the Consulate on June 18th. And wait. And wait. And wait some more. BECAUSE GUESS WHAT, MORE TECHNICAL ISSUES!!! I guess everyone got this message on the AIS website:

• Technical issues that affected the Department of State's ability to process visas over the last two weeks are being resolved. All applicants can schedule and attend appointments as normal. Due to the backlog of cases, applicants can still expect delays in the processing of existing and new applications.

  • On the AIS website it still says SEND DOCUMENTS. Since it was registered mail, we can SEE that the consulate got them 2 weeks ago and put our status to AP. I'm really confused about this. Emailed them. But of course they won't respond for a month, like always, and then say "we can't answer any questions because you need to include your husband's mother's cat's favorite ice cream flavour."

So this is my life right now. I'm sitting in 30 degree heat, 12000 Km away from my home. My parents are very sad every time I say there has been another delay, and I HATE telling them that I can't come home yet. The place on my wall where I bang my head is so big that I could probably run a falafel stand out of it.

I assume you are USCitizen,

so

if feasible for you, make an appointment with ACS, American Citizen Services and speak to a Vice-Consul about this stuff. The Vice-Consuls staffing ACS hours usually are the same Vice-Consuls that handle the IV Interviews.

It's sad your docs were not in order on interview day, but a personal trip into the Embassy, talking with a Vice-Consul, should get some movement as you can easily remind them that they lost paperwork and misplaced paperwork and never reviewed the new stuff. Use some indignancy whilst there, and don't leave until the Vice-Consul has either pulled the casefile and had a personal review of it or the Vice-Consul can tell you exactly when the casefile will be reviewed by another Vice-Consul.