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

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

If it is this case and debt was an issue - and it presumably would be if he’s been gone two years so it’s been owing for ages - I still don’t see why AP would take so long to resolve, though. It’s not a security issue and (I’d expect) a decision one way or the other could be made fairly quickly?

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

Debt does seem enough of a concern to the poster for him to voluntarily mention it. 

 

But then again, no one here understands AP. We could speculate to the hilt..

[Ab28 4]

11 hours ago, WeGuyGal said:

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? 

Yes, it was mine. Sorry for the delayed response as it was mid-night in my country.

 

5 hours ago, WeGuyGal said:

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. 

Yes, it was mine on ***removed***, but no one responded me on that forum. Visajoureny.com seems to me a better place to get some advice/insight.

 

4 hours 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.

Yes, you are right that relations between US and Pakistan are more constrained. But, then one of my colleagues got US visa in October last year. He too was interviewed at US Consulate Karachi one month before my interview ( in May 2018).

He however, has one difference with me. He is much junior to me, was going to US for the first time, and never visited any other country as well.

On the other hand, I made two visits to China ( first in 2009, second in 2010) on official assignments. But, then again, I had already made those visits when I first got US visa in 2011.

4 hours ago, WeGuyGal said:

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. 

I talked  online to two different attorneys ( thru paid membership of Justanswer.com) and asked them about the debt issue. They both told me that if the debt didn’t include federal loan, then it wouldn’t come into background checks. I told him that my debt didn’t include any federal loan.

Another thing that comes to my mind is the fact that I am no more subject to 2-year home country residency requirement ( it’s been more than 2.5 years since I am in Pakistan), so the State Department or the Consulate might have been thinking that I might have immigrant intent. But, I don’t have that intent as I have already served 15 years in my govt department. Another 10 years of service and I can get full retirement benefits.

[Ab28 4]

2 hours ago, WeGuyGal said:

Debt does seem enough of a concern to the poster for him to voluntarily mention it. 

 

But then again, no one here understands AP. We could speculate to the hilt..

I voluntarily mentioned it because I couldn’t think of any other reason for so much delay in my visa. Even the strained relations between US and Pakistan can’t be the reason as one of my colleagues got his visa in October 2018 after being in AP for about 4.5 months. He applied on official passport as he his MS studies were being funded by our govt.

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

17 hours ago, Ab28 said:

 

Yes, you are right that relations between US and Pakistan are more constrained. But, then one of my colleagues got US visa in October last year. He too was interviewed at US Consulate Karachi one month before my interview ( in May 2018).

He however, has one difference with me. He is much junior to me, was going to US for the first time, and never visited any other country as well.

On the other hand, I made two visits to China ( first in 2009, second in 2010) on official assignments. But, then again, I had already made those visits when I first got US visa in 2011.

I talked  online to two different attorneys ( thru paid membership of Justanswer.com) and asked them about the debt issue. They both told me that if the debt didn’t include federal loan, then it wouldn’t come into background checks. I told him that my debt didn’t include any federal loan.

Another thing that comes to my mind is the fact that I am no more subject to 2-year home country residency requirement ( it’s been more than 2.5 years since I am in Pakistan), so the State Department or the Consulate might have been thinking that I might have immigrant intent. But, I don’t have that intent as I have already served 15 years in my govt department. Another 10 years of service and I can get full retirement benefits.

Can't really compare other cases with yours. No two cases are alike, each situation is different. 

 

Quick question.. you paid for membership for advice about the debt issue. Have you made any payments to the credit cards whom you owe? 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

I can see many reasons for lengthy AP here to be honest. There is very often lengthy AP for any Pakistan visa. Added to this you have someone doing high level research in an area that is at least peripherally related to TAL, from a country on the security concern list, working in a senior official capacity, having made more than one visit to another country on the list...and then you can add in the debt issue.  

 

I know you’re not at SUNY but this page is a good summary showing at least 3 reasons as mentioned above why you might be on AP.

https://www.esf.edu/international/TAL.htm

 

The consulate may also be trying to figure out exactly what you’ve been up to the last couple of years at home given that you now want to return to the US for more than a brief visit. You can see every rationale from your perspective, but surely you can see that from the consulate’s perspective it may seem like a pretty dubious set of circumstances. 

Edited February 16, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[Ab28 4]

15 minutes ago, WeGuyGal said:

Can't really compare other cases with yours. No two cases are alike, each situation is different. 

 

Quick question.. you paid for membership for advice about the debt issue. Have you made any payments to the credit cards whom you owe? 

Quick answer is NO. For online advice, it was only $5. I want to pay all of my debt in lump-sum as I have made enough money in my country over the last 2 and a half years. I however, want to negotiate with credit card companies about my interest accrued.

[Ab28 4]

9 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

I can see many reasons for lengthy AP here to be honest. There is very often lengthy AP for any Pakistan visa. Added to this you have someone doing high level research in an area that is at least peripherally related to TAL, from a country on the security concern list, working in a senior official capacity, having made more than one visit to another country on the list...and then you can add in the debt issue.  

 

I know you’re not at SUNY but this page is a good summary showing at least 3 reasons as mentioned above why you might be on AP.

https://www.esf.edu/international/TAL.htm

 

The consulate may also be trying to figure out exactly what you’ve been up to the last couple of years at home given that you now want to return to the US for more than a brief visit. You can see every rationale from your perspective, but surely you can see that from the consulate’s perspective it may seem like a pretty dubious set of circumstances. 

I provided detailed information to US Consulate after my visa interview. That information included my 15-year travel history,  purpose of all foreign visits, 15-year addresses, 5-year phone numbers, social-media handles, email addresses, 2-year bank records, CV, list of publications, information about my family, parents, and siblings. There is nothing that I hid or misrepresented to the best of my knowledge. God knows when this AP will conclude. 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

27 minutes ago, Ab28 said:

I provided detailed information to US Consulate after my visa interview. That information included my 15-year travel history,  purpose of all foreign visits, 15-year addresses, 5-year phone numbers, social-media handles, email addresses, 2-year bank records, CV, list of publications, information about my family, parents, and siblings. There is nothing that I hid or misrepresented to the best of my knowledge. God knows when this AP will conclude. 

So are you saying you were asked to complete a DS5355?  That’s an important bit of info, sorry to say but some people in the DS5355 thread have waited over a year on AP.

And yes you gave the info, but they still have to check up that everything you said is true. Unfortunately some of the countries involved do not really cooperate with the US, and just that fact by itself lengthens the process.

[Ab28 4]

8 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

So are you saying you were asked to complete a DS5355?  That’s an important bit of info, sorry to say but some people in the DS5355 thread have waited over a year on AP.

And yes you gave the info, but they still have to check up that everything you said is true. Unfortunately some of the countries involved do not really cooperate with the US, and just that fact by itself lengthens the process.

No, I didn't fill DS5355. Instead, CO wrote the above mentioned things by hand on blue slip. I then sent all the information in one pdf file.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

33 minutes ago, Ab28 said:

No, I didn't fill DS5355. Instead, CO wrote the above mentioned things by hand on blue slip. I then sent all the information in one pdf file.

The questions are the same https://tr.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/DS-5535-Supplemental-Questions-For-Visa-Applicants.pdf so it’s logical to assume you are going through the same extended background check process. That right there probably answers a big part of the “why so long” question.

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

3 hours ago, Ab28 said:

Quick answer is NO. For online advice, it was only $5. I want to pay all of my debt in lump-sum as I have made enough money in my country over the last 2 and a half years. I however, want to negotiate with credit card companies about my interest accrued.

 

3 hours ago, Ab28 said:

I provided detailed information to US Consulate after my visa interview. That information included my 15-year travel history,  purpose of all foreign visits, 15-year addresses, 5-year phone numbers, social-media handles, email addresses, 2-year bank records, CV, list of publications, information about my family, parents, and siblings. There is nothing that I hid or misrepresented to the best of my knowledge. God knows when this AP will conclude. 

AP is by design open-ended. Nothing we say here would shorten the length of AP. All the detailed questions you had to respond to are part of the ds5355. I've seen a number of posts by certain country nationals submitting the ds5355 followed by extensive background checks. 

 

While not necessarily immigration/visa related, credit card interest is compounded daily afaik. It's something that should've been addressed from the get-go, but it sounds like you intend to address the debt issue only if you get a US visa. 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

5 hours ago, Ab28 said:

Quick answer is NO. For online advice, it was only $5. I want to pay all of my debt in lump-sum as I have made enough money in my country over the last 2 and a half years. I however, want to negotiate with credit card companies about my interest accrued.

Um

I’m assuming this “negotiation “ will be done online anyway so that begs the question of why you haven’t started the “negotiation” yet?

Is that how it works in Pakistan btw? You just don’t pay and then try to renegotiate the terms of lending you agreed to later when you decide you want to pay? And why the focus on lump sum, credit card debt is designed  to be repaid in installments in the first place? Obviously your credit record is totally shot, though again I’m not sure if that’s an immigration issue.

Edited February 17, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[Ab28 4]

7 hours ago, WeGuyGal said:

 

AP is by design open-ended. Nothing we say here would shorten the length of AP. All the detailed questions you had to respond to are part of the ds5355. I've seen a number of posts by certain country nationals submitting the ds5355 followed by extensive background checks. 

 

While not necessarily immigration/visa related, credit card interest is compounded daily afaik. It's something that should've been addressed from the get-go, but it sounds like you intend to address the debt issue only if you get a US visa. 

Visa or no visa, I will pay back my debt. It’s my legal and moral obligation. 

[Ab28 4]

5 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Um

I’m assuming this “negotiation “ will be done online anyway so that begs the question of why you haven’t started the “negotiation” yet?

Is that how it works in Pakistan btw? You just don’t pay and then try to renegotiate the terms of lending you agreed to later when you decide you want to pay? And why the focus on lump sum, credit card debt is designed  to be repaid in installments in the first place? Obviously your credit record is totally shot, though again I’m not sure if that’s an immigration issue.

I wouldn’t defend wrong on my part. I will clear my debt.