Our roller coaster ride, and why you should never lose hope....

[imprezaowner27 8]

I'll try to keep this as brief as possible but I feel like our case has been the most Roller Coaster of emotions that is nearly impossible to believe.

A little about us: My wife and I attended the same high school, at the same time (albeit one year apart) and had many many mutual friends, yet never met until years later when she was already abroad. We started talking on facebook via mutual friends comment sections of their posts, then it escalated into a private chat and the rest was history.

This is important, because itll come into play later on.

Our CR-1 visa process started off normally, I sent in the packet in August and it was transferred to Texas....NOOO the black hole!

Shortly after that we were transferred again to Potomac....new service center WOOO! fastest!....WRONG, we were between NOA1-2 for 7 Months essentially.

After we were finally approved and on to NVC the strangest thing happened....we were expedited without asking for it.

Apparently due to the Olympics, our case was sent to Rio de Janeiro to get processed quickly.

Interview date was scheduled before I even got news that my packet had been touched.

I fly to Brasil to be with my wife during her interview and boom...DENIED

the reason was because she had lived here before and turned 18, stayed until she was 19 and 34 days. Thats right, because of essentially 34 days she had a 10 year ban.

she had lived in brasil for 8.5 years so the officer told us to just wait out the extra time and try again

Something was right though, when she lived in the states she was in the process to get her Green Card, she had work authorization, she had a drivers license, etc, so there was no way she was illegally here. I fought it and started emailing every document I had in my possession that proved her legal status in the US while she was an adult.

IT WORKED!

fast forward 10 days and she received her passport in the mail with the sealed entry packet, the visa in her passport, the A number with the paperwork to pay the fee's

we are ecstatic and purchasing tickets etc before they call us and change their minds hahahha

never lose hope, and never trust those who tell you "its impossible" "she overstayed and now she has to pay the consequences" If you are persistent and you are right, things will work out.

[etihad101 0]

Very happy for you. Congratulations.

I'm honestly shocked to hear, they'd turn back a confirmed denied decision based on emailed evidence. Are you sure it didn't simply go into AP, while they requested a certain type of evidence etc?

[LionessDeon 2,060]

Congrats! Glad you can now move on with your life together.

[imprezaowner27 8]

Very happy for you. Congratulations.

I'm honestly shocked to hear, they'd turn back a confirmed denied decision based on emailed evidence. Are you sure it didn't simply go into AP, while they requested a certain type of evidence etc?

100% denied, based on the overstay. Officer said to retry again when the ban was up and that was it, he had no evidence on his computer of her green card application.

we are as shocked as you are, didnt expect it at all

[JFH 12,190]

Many of us have had a complicated visa journey and it's good to hear we are not alone and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Congratulations!

Never give up. Never lose hope.

[meemee1 34]

Yes so true never give up and congratulations