Asking if Beneficiary has spoken to Petitioners parents - Jakarta

[jakartausa 28]

VJ Friends!

My fiance in Jakarta is concerned about whether or not the CO will ask her if she has spoken too or met my parents. She had another friend who married a Bule (white guy from USA) and she was questioned about whether or not she spoke to his parents regarding the engagement , their relationship etc.

Ive told my fiance that given the circumstances (My parents are in their 60s, have never been to Indonesia and they can barely use a cell phone let alone skype or whatsapp) that it would not be unreasonable to say that you have not spoken to them. Besides its also next impossible for a person from Indonesia to get a tourist visa unless they are rich with much to lose by immigrating to the USA.

Has anyone been exposed to this line of questioning at any embassy interview regardless of country?

Your advice is helpful here.

Thanks

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

I have heard that type of question asked and vice versa about if the USC has talked to the beneficiaries family.

It always seems to be country specific, which in Indonesia I have heard it has been asked before. Whether the answer "No" is a good or bad thing hard to say.

My partner was never asked either way around and quite honestly I never have even talked to his dad and he has never spoken to my family. Neither of us are very close to our families respectively so.

It can be asked though yes.

[jakartausa 28]

I have heard that type of question asked and vice versa about if the USC has talked to the beneficiaries family.

It always seems to be country specific, which in Indonesia I have heard it has been asked before. Whether the answer "No" is a good or bad thing hard to say.

My partner was never asked either way around and quite honestly I never have even talked to his dad and he has never spoken to my family. Neither of us are very close to our families respectively so.

It can be asked though yes

I told my fiance that this is a question that you cannot just say NO too. You can say NO but you must elaborate with a clearly defined and practical excuse. My take is that non native english speakers will balk at questions like this and not elaborate but someone like you and I could easily give proper reason. I told her that just a plain NO will not suffice.

[IcezMan_IcezLady 582]

So how do you contact your parent?

[jakartausa 28]

So how do you contact your parent?

I call them or email them

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

I told my fiance that this is a question that you cannot just say NO too. You can say NO but you must elaborate with a clearly defined and practical excuse. My take is that non native english speakers will balk at questions like this and not elaborate but someone like you and I could easily give proper reason. I told her that just a plain NO will not suffice.

Exactly, that also has been something seen on VJ about the beneficiary not being able to give specifics sometime or reasons for their answers.

So that is something you and she should discuss so that she understands to make sure and have a basic explanation to go along with the answer.

[usmsbow 801]

My now-wife wasn't asked about my parents or anything about my family, but that might be because she had pictures of our engagement party, which included my mom and a couple other non-Indonesians. Perhaps that's why the question wasn't asked. I really don't think it is a problem though. There was another applicant who got her K-1 visa the same day as my wife, and she had never met her fiancé's family. Don't know if she was asked though. I'm assuming not meeting the USC's parents is more common than having met them, given how far apart the two countries are.