Travel Ban Support Group

[Anibunny 9]

On 12/11/2018 at 4:43 AM, salhasl said:

His interview was before the ban but got visa in May. This was a k1.

 

The one without military service was a k1 as well. 

This was 25 month AP or total process?

[JessM28 62]

Hi all,

  I just posted my video today for the in-it website. They are trying to collect videos to share with Congress and other stakeholders to get rid of the ban. The videos have to be short- like 1-2 minutes and explain how the ban is impacting you or someone you care for. They want to try to use these in the first 100 days of the new Congress so the sooner the better. They are making great social media pieces around this issue to bring public attention to it again. Right now all the videos deal with Iranians so it would be great to get some other diverse voices on the site- anyone impacted by the ban!! 

 

Please spread the word and please post a video. You can make it anonymous if you prefer. Check out the other videos and post your own! 

 

 

https://app.in-it.com/missions/StopTheBan

 

 

Thanks! 

-Jess

Edited January 9, 2019 by JessM28

[M-A-F 0]

Hey everyone

I posted here a few months ago about my situation and how my fiance’s K1 case has been in admin processing since July 2016. Well, we still haven’t heard from the embassy AT ALL and I think they’ve completely forgotten about our case. Anyway, we’ve decided to move to another country, but I have a few questions and would appreciate your response.

I plan on getting a work visa to move to Qatar with my fiancé temporarily until this situation ends. Before doing so, I want to go to Iran within the next few months to marry my fiancé so that I can take him with me to Qatar once I’m granted a work visa. Once I’m married, I plan on coming back to the US to petition for a CR1 visa for him, then move with him to Qatar while his case is being processed here. However, I heard that I would have to be present in the U.S. while his visa case is being processed because I’d have to show that I’m working in the U.S and I am able to support him. I was wondering if this is true. If so, what if my father or brother sponsor him…would I still need to present in the US?

This (below) is what I found on the USCIS website, but I’m not sure if it relates to my situation or not.  

If you filed an immigrant visa petition for your relative, you must be the sponsor. You must also be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. You must have a domicile in the United States or a territory or possession of the United States. Usually, this requirement means you must actually live in the United States, or a territory or possession, in order to be a sponsor. If you live abroad, you may still be eligible to be a sponsor if you can show that your residence abroad is temporary, and that you still have your domicile in the United States.                                                                                                                                                         Thanks

[Ron12345 17]

On 1/9/2019 at 5:02 PM, JessM28 said:

Hi all,

  I just posted my video today for the in-it website. They are trying to collect videos to share with Congress and other stakeholders to get rid of the ban. The videos have to be short- like 1-2 minutes and explain how the ban is impacting you or someone you care for. They want to try to use these in the first 100 days of the new Congress so the sooner the better. They are making great social media pieces around this issue to bring public attention to it again. Right now all the videos deal with Iranians so it would be great to get some other diverse voices on the site- anyone impacted by the ban!! 

 

Please spread the word and please post a video. You can make it anonymous if you prefer. Check out the other videos and post your own! 

 

 

https://app.in-it.com/missions/StopTheBan

 

 

Thanks! 

-Jess

 

You did an excellent job. The best imo. Tbh, since you live near DC, I would request meetings with your rep and Senators in their offices. 

 

16 hours ago, M-A-F said:

Hey everyone

I posted here a few months ago about my situation and how my fiance’s K1 case has been in admin processing since July 2016. Well, we still haven’t heard from the embassy AT ALL and I think they’ve completely forgotten about our case. Anyway, we’ve decided to move to another country, but I have a few questions and would appreciate your response.

I plan on getting a work visa to move to Qatar with my fiancé temporarily until this situation ends. Before doing so, I want to go to Iran within the next few months to marry my fiancé so that I can take him with me to Qatar once I’m granted a work visa. Once I’m married, I plan on coming back to the US to petition for a CR1 visa for him, then move with him to Qatar while his case is being processed here. However, I heard that I would have to be present in the U.S. while his visa case is being processed because I’d have to show that I’m working in the U.S and I am able to support him. I was wondering if this is true. If so, what if my father or brother sponsor him…would I still need to present in the US?

This (below) is what I found on the USCIS website, but I’m not sure if it relates to my situation or not.  

If you filed an immigrant visa petition for your relative, you must be the sponsor. You must also be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. You must have a domicile in the United States or a territory or possession of the United States. Usually, this requirement means you must actually live in the United States, or a territory or possession, in order to be a sponsor. If you live abroad, you may still be eligible to be a sponsor if you can show that your residence abroad is temporary, and that you still have your domicile in the United States.                                                                                                                                                         Thanks

You might be able to file direct consular filing at the US embassy in Qatar if resident there. That would save a lot of time. Contact them for more info. Personally, I would force resolution on your K-1 case if you prefer to live in the U.S. 

[JessM28 62]

On 1/10/2019 at 1:28 AM, M-A-F said:

Hey everyone

I posted here a few months ago about my situation and how my fiance’s K1 case has been in admin processing since July 2016. Well, we still haven’t heard from the embassy AT ALL and I think they’ve completely forgotten about our case. Anyway, we’ve decided to move to another country, but I have a few questions and would appreciate your response.

I plan on getting a work visa to move to Qatar with my fiancé temporarily until this situation ends. Before doing so, I want to go to Iran within the next few months to marry my fiancé so that I can take him with me to Qatar once I’m granted a work visa. Once I’m married, I plan on coming back to the US to petition for a CR1 visa for him, then move with him to Qatar while his case is being processed here. However, I heard that I would have to be present in the U.S. while his visa case is being processed because I’d have to show that I’m working in the U.S and I am able to support him. I was wondering if this is true. If so, what if my father or brother sponsor him…would I still need to present in the US?

This (below) is what I found on the USCIS website, but I’m not sure if it relates to my situation or not.  

If you filed an immigrant visa petition for your relative, you must be the sponsor. You must also be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. You must have a domicile in the United States or a territory or possession of the United States. Usually, this requirement means you must actually live in the United States, or a territory or possession, in order to be a sponsor. If you live abroad, you may still be eligible to be a sponsor if you can show that your residence abroad is temporary, and that you still have your domicile in the United States.                                                                                                                                                         Thanks

My husband and I had looked into me living with him in Spain while applying for our CR1 visa. I got mixed advice from the lawyers we talked to. One said that I could start the application process and live with him until we got close to the interview time and then I would need to come back. However we could not figure out how for me to keep a place in the USA and also have a job that I could immediately come back to and start working at. I think- if your American employer is willing to take you back and you get a letter - you could possibly use it as proof toward domicile. It's a tricky situation and I would talk to a lawyer if i were you - just know that they might all give you different advice. Sorry things did not work out with your K1- best of luck in the future! 

 

Also you should consider making a video for in-it- I think people would be really astounded that you have to move to another country because of the travel ban! Send me a private message if you are interested in more details! 

[JennaL 151]

Just wanted to mention I just uploaded my video to https://app.in-it.com/missions/StopTheBan - it was very easy to do and only takes a couple of minutes of your time.

 

If each one of us affected by the ban here on VJ would take the time to contribute a short video, in-it would be able to reach their goal and use our experiences to make a difference and hopefully allow us all to be reunited with our loved ones sooner rather than later. 

 

Happy recording! 

[JessM28 62]

2 hours ago, JennaL said:

Just wanted to mention I just uploaded my video to https://app.in-it.com/missions/StopTheBan - it was very easy to do and only takes a couple of minutes of your time.

 

If each one of us affected by the ban here on VJ would take the time to contribute a short video, in-it would be able to reach their goal and use our experiences to make a difference and hopefully allow us all to be reunited with our loved ones sooner rather than later. 

 

Happy recording! 

Thanks Jenna for making your video! You did a great job and I really do believe it will make a difference. 

 

If people are nervous about being seen in a video- you can do it  anonymously- and have it so your face is blurred. Please consider speaking up and sharing your experience of how the ban has impacted you and/or a loved one. Please feel free to message me with any questions. 

 

-Jess 

[Ron12345 17]

14 hours ago, JennaL said:

Just wanted to mention I just uploaded my video to https://app.in-it.com/missions/StopTheBan - it was very easy to do and only takes a couple of minutes of your time.

 

If each one of us affected by the ban here on VJ would take the time to contribute a short video, in-it would be able to reach their goal and use our experiences to make a difference and hopefully allow us all to be reunited with our loved ones sooner rather than later. 

 

Happy recording! 

The Ban does not apply to dual nationals. Did your fiance complete military service in Iran? 

 

I would take the following steps:

1. Consult with lawyer 

2. Wait 6 months post interview and consider possible legal action as discussed with said lawyer

[Ron12345 17]

12 hours ago, JessM28 said:

Thanks Jenna for making your video! You did a great job and I really do believe it will make a difference. 

 

If people are nervous about being seen in a video- you can do it  anonymously- and have it so your face is blurred. Please consider speaking up and sharing your experience of how the ban has impacted you and/or a loved one. Please feel free to message me with any questions. 

 

-Jess 

 

Congress wont take action. My impression is that they generally dont care. They will pay you lip service, but there is no follow up. 

 

The orgs supposedly fighting this have no strategic understanding either. You wont overturn the ban with this congress. Best scenario is to increase exemptions, but the orgs "fighting" this are too stubborn and ideological to try this approach. Not as if they have much of an active presence to begin with. We could get a group of folks in person to barnstorm their members, but it probably wouldn't amount to a hill of beans. Might be worth an attempt though. This issue has been framed very poorly from the start. The focus should have been on the family separation aspect, and not the religious aspect, which plays terribly with the American public. The biggest problem is that there is no media coverage now. The issue is completely off the radar.

[JennaL 151]

1 hour ago, Ron12345 said:

The Ban does not apply to dual nationals. Did your fiance complete military service in Iran? 

 

I would take the following steps:

1. Consult with lawyer 

2. Wait 6 months post interview and consider possible legal action as discussed with said lawyer

Right, it supposedly does not apply to dual nationals, but through these efforts, we are trying to effect change in how people associated with the MENA region in general are processed when attempting to enter the US to be with their American spouses and fiancés.

 

It should not take multiple years for someone like my fiancé to attempt to receive a visa to join me here or simply visit the US, especially when he has already been thouroughly vetted like everyone else.

 

My fiancé was able to visit the US freely back in 2012 using only his Norwegian passport, no visa required. He is no longer able to do that, so clearly something has changed in the past two years since applying.

 

By encouraging this ban to be overturned, we are hopeful that the current process for MENA area citizens will not be so abhorently difficult, especially as it relates to those simply waiting to be reunited with their American fiancés, spouses, and immediate family members, whether caused by the current ban or not.

 

May I ask what your personal experience has been with this ban? Thank you for the comments.

 

Attempting to effect change may not always have the results we hope for but it’s always worth a try, right? 

[Ron12345 17]

10 minutes ago, JennaL said:

My fiancé was able to visit the US freely back in 2012 using only his Norwegian passport, no visa required. He is no longer able to do that, so clearly something has changed in the past two years since applying.

Blame Obama for that. He signed a poison pill bill. It's called HR 158.

 

12 minutes ago, JennaL said:

By encouraging this ban to be overturned, we are hopeful that the current process for MENA area citizens will not be so abhorently difficult, especially as it relates to those simply waiting to be reunited with their American fiancés, spouses, and immediate family members, whether caused by the current ban or not.

I agree that it's a problem, but that's a separate issue entirely. I think any effort to overturn the ban should be focused solely on overturning/improving the ban and securing waivers.

 

Why are the processing times so lengthy pre-interview stage? These are serious issues that are patently unfair, but it's very difficult to mobilize the American public around bureaucratic minutiae that they do not understand and that does not impact them. I dont see any serious effort to improve this situation or the slow administrative processing times post interview.

17 minutes ago, JennaL said:

May I ask what your personal experience has been with this ban? Thank you for the comments.

 

Spouse is a banned national.

 

18 minutes ago, JennaL said:

Attempting to effect change may not always have the results we hope for but it’s always worth a try, right? 

Absolutely, but the approach to overturn will fail on its face. I've personally met with members staff. To have any chance of passage, you better get some Republican senators on board. And if you want to think in terms of veto proof majority forget about overturning completely. In that case, just sit and wait until the 2020 elections and hope for the best.

[Yamen 10]

On 1/9/2019 at 5:02 PM, JessM28 said:

Hi all,

  I just posted my video today for the in-it website. They are trying to collect videos to share with Congress and other stakeholders to get rid of the ban. The videos have to be short- like 1-2 minutes and explain how the ban is impacting you or someone you care for. They want to try to use these in the first 100 days of the new Congress so the sooner the better. They are making great social media pieces around this issue to bring public attention to it again. Right now all the videos deal with Iranians so it would be great to get some other diverse voices on the site- anyone impacted by the ban!! 

 

Please spread the word and please post a video. You can make it anonymous if you prefer. Check out the other videos and post your own! 

 

 

https://app.in-it.com/missions/StopTheBan

 

Thanks! 

-Jess

Thanks for sharing. I uploaded mine as well.  

[NJ515 73]

19 hours ago, Ron12345 said:

The Ban does not apply to dual nationals. Did your fiance complete military service in Iran? 

 

 I would take the following steps:

1. Consult with lawyer 

2. Wait 6 months post interview and consider possible legal action as discussed with said lawyer

Ron, the ban doesn't apply to dual nationals but the "extreme vetting" (DS 5535) still does for most from these countries. We even have a forum member with a Norwegian passport who isn't allowed to travel to USA because it says he was born in one of the banned countries.  So in essence it's still taking way too long to receive a visa. Right now the extreme vetting process takes anywhere from 4 months for some lucky individuals to more than 20 months and counting, for others. 

[JessM28 62]

23 hours ago, Ron12345 said:

 

Congress wont take action. My impression is that they generally dont care. They will pay you lip service, but there is no follow up. 

 

The orgs supposedly fighting this have no strategic understanding either. You wont overturn the ban with this congress. Best scenario is to increase exemptions, but the orgs "fighting" this are too stubborn and ideological to try this approach. Not as if they have much of an active presence to begin with. We could get a group of folks in person to barnstorm their members, but it probably wouldn't amount to a hill of beans. Might be worth an attempt though. This issue has been framed very poorly from the start. The focus should have been on the family separation aspect, and not the religious aspect, which plays terribly with the American public. The biggest problem is that there is no media coverage now. The issue is completely off the radar.

The great thing about American history is that it has shown that change is possible- but history has also taught that it does not come easy (American Civil War, women’s suffrage, Civil Rights Movement). The end of slavery, the rights of women and African Americans in the US were all made possible (in some cases still not perfect) because people raised their voices again and again and demanded that things change. Remaining silent will certainly get us no where- we have to start somehow. The in-it campaign is trying to make a narrative about family separation and bring this issue back to the public attention. We are all on this page because we have someone we know and love going through a very difficult situation- let’s remember to support and encourage each other as much as possible- this journey is tough enough. 

[Ron12345 17]

7 hours ago, NJ515 said:

We even have a forum member with a Norwegian passport who isn't allowed to travel to USA because it says he was born in one of the banned countries.

This is unrelated to the travel ban. This was signed by President Obama. If an EU citizen travels to certain countries of concern, then they are also required to apply for a US visa. I know a handful of people who have not traveled to the US as a result. Non-dual nationals, people who literally traveled to these countries as tourists. 

 

The D5535 does nor require a waiver, which means those folks will receive their visas eventually. That's a much better position to be in.

 

I agree that these policies are abhorrent and stupid, but they are not directly related to the Travel Ban.