F-1 in Long AP; Options? [split topic]

[Ab28 4]

US visa policy is random. In my case, I have been a graduate student at Ohio State University  for the past 7 years.Out of these 7 years, I was Fulbright Fellow ( J-1 visa holder) for 5 years. Since I couldn’t complete my PhD degree in those 5 years, thanks to health issues, so I was told by my sponsor, Fulbright, to go back to my home country, complete the remaining research from there, and come back to US once my dissertation defense was ready. I was ready for my thesis defense in Autumn 2018, so I applied for US visa ( F-1) in June 2018. It’s been 8 months since I have been waiting for the approval of my US visa. It is still in administrative processing. I never overstayed in US, and was never out of status.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Perhaps it feels random to you, no idea why you are on AP so long & hopefully it gets sorted out soon, but the person nenanena was asking had gone out of status before which explains the denials.

[Ab28 4]

43 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Perhaps it feels random to you, no idea why you are on AP so long & hopefully it gets sorted out soon, but the person nenanena was asking had gone out of status before which explains the denials.

I have described my case in detail here.

Do you see any wrong-doing in my case? I am so depressed that I have once again started taking anti-depressants. I can’t study in any other country too as I have already invested 7 long years into my PhD( Electrical Engineering) studies. It has sapped my energies.

 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Not an expert but many Pakistanis these days face long AP, and the fact that you’re applying on a private passport doesn’t change your job. I’m assuming you are being subjected to extensive background checks, especially if your degree is TAL related. 

[Boiler 45,496]

Could you defend a dissertation on a B?

[Ab28 4]

28 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Not an expert but many Pakistanis these days face long AP, and the fact that you’re applying on a private passport doesn’t change your job. I’m assuming you are being subjected to extensive background checks, especially if your degree is TAL related. 

I never hid my job. I always maintained that I had been working in the same federal govt department since March 2004. I was granted visa twice ( first in 2011 and then in 2014) with the same job. I don’t work on weapons. My work is related to satellite communication. I have checked TAL and my degree ( PhD electrical engineering, thesis topic: Antennas) doesn’t fall into any secret technology.

[Ab28 4]

25 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Could you defend a dissertation on a B?

Yes, I can. But the reason I applied for F-1 was that TA or RA position can only be secured if you are on F-1 visa. It is to be noted that one needs to be enrolled for , at least, 3-credit hours for the semester in which one plans to do dissertation defense. I secured TA position for Autumn 2018. So, applied for F-1 visa. 

 

Now, after waiting for so long for F-1 visa, I was thinking to apply for B2 visa. But, then I stopped because this again will go into administrative processing. On top of that, this will be considered a desperate attempt from my side to get into US as it will be my third visa application. So, I am reluctant to apply on B2 before my F-1 case is adjudicated.

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

10 hours ago, Ab28 said:

I have described my case in detail here.

Do you see any wrong-doing in my case? I am so depressed that I have once again started taking anti-depressants. I can’t study in any other country too as I have already invested 7 long years into my PhD( Electrical Engineering) studies. It has sapped my energies.

Was it you in another forum who mentioned $20,000 in US credit card debts that have not been paid?  Or am I confusing you with someone else with very similar circumstances? 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

8 hours ago, Ab28 said:

I never hid my job. I always maintained that I had been working in the same federal govt department since March 2004. I was granted visa twice ( first in 2011 and then in 2014) with the same job. I don’t work on weapons. My work is related to satellite communication. I have checked TAL and my degree ( PhD electrical engineering, thesis topic: Antennas) doesn’t fall into any secret technology.

I didn’t say you hid your job. But you said something about changing the application to a different passport. Clearly you expected that would help, I’m suggesting that it's the fact that you work for the government and not the passport you use that’s an issue.

i understand it’s frustrating when your situation don’t seem to have changed yet this happens, however the external environment in which you are applying has clearly changed. 

Edited February 15, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[TBoneTX 45,288]

The foregoing posts were split from an inactive thread.

[databit 328]

Do you owe any money to the US for any healthcare you may have received while here?

[Ab28 4]

19 minutes ago, databit said:

Do you owe any money to the US for any healthcare you may have received while here?

Nop.

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

2 hours ago, databit said:

Do you owe any money to the US for any healthcare you may have received while here?

The post in another forum I was referring to had this quote: 

 

"I have a very good government job in Pakistan and none of my family members or immediate relatives lives in US. So, I have strong ties with my home country. Having said this, I have one blemish in my case which I am not sure will effect my case. I had accumulated about $20K loan from 5 different credit cards during my stay in the US. However, none of this involves a federal loan and, as of today, no criminal or bankruptcy proceeding has started against me. I don't know if paying my loan from abroad will improve my visa chances or it will be considered as desperate attempt on my side to enter into the US. Visa or no visa I will pay my debt. That's a moral and legal obligation on me.Currently, I plan to pay the loan in lump-sum once I reaches the US."

 

The individual in that post is a pakistan govt employee on a Fulbright scholarship, and other similarities to the OP. 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

And almost identical wording to OP’s other post.

regatdless, I don’t think that’s why he’s on AP. I don’t know how precisely they look at the specifics on the TAL list, but while OP’s thesis topic is obviously in one specific area, the broader field is of TAL interest and I still wonder about that angle. Relations between the 2 countries are, in my limited understanding, significantly more strained than when OP began his/her PhD.

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

29 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

And almost identical wording to OP’s other post.

regatdless, I don’t think that’s why he’s on AP. I don’t know how precisely they look at the specifics on the TAL list, but while OP’s thesis topic is obviously in one specific area, the broader field is of TAL interest and I still wonder about that angle. Relations between the 2 countries are, in my limited understanding, significantly more strained than when OP began his/her PhD.

Assuming OP left the US in 2016, and racked up those credit card bills without paying, his US credit would have been shot. I wonder if a significant accumulation of debt comes up during background checks, since OP's would be extensive owing to TAL. But the other forum post shows OPs concern about this debt potentially affecting his visa, assuming the other poster is in fact OP. He has so far opted not to address whether or not it is he who posted elsewhere. 

 

Of course the deteriorated relations between the US and OP's country could also be playing a part behind the AP. From what I've seen online, the US has restricted travel by pakistan diplomats in the US to a certain radius of the embassy.