Visiting Visa While IR1-CR1 Is Pending

[sandra68 10]

Hi,

It all depends on who is checking I guess, we travel every 4 to 5 months to the States, last month was the first time that we travelled after starting the DCF procedure.

Our POE this time was Detroit(normally we fly into Dulles).

This was the first time that they told me it was illegal to stay in the USA to try to adjust my status (?), I explained that besides my USC husband and sons I also have another son that was still in Germany and that I currently still hold a job there aswell. According to them the consulat should have told me not to travel during this process.

Interesting, seeing that all other times nothing was asked and this time I was given advice without asking.

If you do travel, make sure to be able to show ties with your home country.

Sandra

[MELNM14 0]

Its not a good idea to travel, my wife of 20 years - married to a US Citizen, was turned back to Spain because she was processing her I130 and was entering with her tourist visa. The officers (in Boston) acted like they are gods and have the power to revoke your visa "forever" even though she was traveling with children with American Passports. There was a lot of bullying going on at these check points with foreigners so just stay on the safe side and don't travel regardless of what people say here or anywhere (embassy, people at visa processing,etc). It all comes down to the officer you get and whether he is in a "good" mood or "bad" mood.

[Tina Marnia 7]

Any Member on this site from Bangladesh applied for a B-2 visa to USA while waiting on their CR-1 and got approved for a visit?

I would like to hear about it.

[altito 63]

Its not a good idea to travel, my wife of 20 years - married to a US Citizen, was turned back to Spain because she was processing her I130 and was entering with her tourist visa. The officers (in Boston) acted like they are gods and have the power to revoke your visa "forever" even though she was traveling with children with American Passports. There was a lot of bullying going on at these check points with foreigners so just stay on the safe side and don't travel regardless of what people say here or anywhere (embassy, people at visa processing,etc). It all comes down to the officer you get and whether he is in a "good" mood or "bad" mood.

I am sorry about your wife´s situation. I disagree with you on keeping on the safe side. What people say here can help others to face their visa journey with personal experiences to take into account. Indeed, it helped me a lot. This doesn´t mean everyone has to make personal desitions about travelling to the US that might take risks. My husband filed I-130 for me last January and, since then, I traveled twice to the US without any problem under the VWP as Spaniard. I already knew before travelling there that the final desition of entry is made by the CBP officer at the POE. I also knew the US Immigration Act does not forbid to go to the US while a visa request is in process. I was clearly informed (and even warned), of that by the American Embassy in Madrid and did all the official research. But, thanks to visajourney also, I decided to go there as better prepared as I can and took the risk. Everything went smoothly. According to my experience, I just tell what I lived.

I wouldnt recommend anyone to travel or not to the US. I just share what I saw, lived and felt to help them to make their desitions. That is all.

[MELNM14 0]

I am sorry about your wife´s situation. I disagree with you on keeping on the safe side. What people say here can help others to face their visa journey with personal experiences to take into account. Indeed, it helped me a lot. This doesn´t mean everyone has to make personal desitions about travelling to the US that might take risks. My husband filed I-130 for me last January and, since then, I traveled twice to the US without any problem under the VWP as Spaniard. I already knew before travelling there that the final desition of entry is made by the CBP officer at the POE. I also knew the US Immigration Act does not forbid to go to the US while a visa request is in process. I was clearly informed (and even warned), of that by the American Embassy in Madrid and did all the official research. But, thanks to visajourney also, I decided to go there as better prepared as I can and took the risk. Everything went smoothly. According to my experience, I just tell what I lived.

I wouldnt recommend anyone to travel or not to the US. I just share what I saw, lived and felt to help them to make their desitions. That is all.

I am glad that you had a good experience, but as you mention its a risk. It may depend on the point of entry and officer you get. We entered in Boston, If the officers were a little more understanding when we went through perhaps I would think differently, but once they take you into the other room and see the treatment to us and others there, I would not recommend it to anyone. They treat you like you are a criminal regardless of what you say. Horrible experience.

[casualsurfer 25]

I'll chime in again, based on my own experience with my wife. Due to the two airlines we used in the past year and half we have gone through:

- Chicago

- Dulles

- Detroit

- Minneapolis

- San Francisco

- Guam (honeymoon)

We had officers asking stupid questions and making comments about my wife and I, but each time she was able to come in on her visa. We were prepared though and have documentation and employment letters and such so that they know my wife will leave the US after the visit.

The advice here have been extremely valuable, I would say each and everyone's experience will vary due to the POE officer's own stereotype and background, but they are mostly very nice. I do want to say that it's often the minority officers (non-whites) that are very aggressive in questioning, in my own limited experience.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far, there's been a lot of people relating their ease/difficulty of entry which helps others and is what I intended when I created this thread.

Has anyone gone through immigration at Dublin before?

[bananite 67]

/Sigh. Is there any option for non VWP countries? My husband is Israeli...looks like he can't even visit. We submitted the I-130/CR-1 over 5 months ago and he won't get his visa for another year. This is really heartbreaking.

[Ryan H 3,812]

/Sigh. Is there any option for non VWP countries? My husband is Israeli...looks like he can't even visit. We submitted the I-130/CR-1 over 5 months ago and he won't get his visa for another year. This is really heartbreaking.

If you want to visit each other in the US during the process, he will need a tourist visa. If he is not issued one (and the chances that he would be are slim at best) then you will either have to meet in a 3rd country where you are both able to enter or you will have to travel to Israel.

[laurenmat 2]

Been meaning to write on here for a while.

I travelled to LAX a couple of weeks ago to see my husband (currently still here, yay)

I was beyond nervous about going through customs as I only returned from California in February. I had everything ready, my NOA1, my work letter, my return flight printed.

The guy ended up being the NICEST officer I have ever come across. We had a lovely conversation about Lake Elsinore (where my husband lives), he didn't ask my any questions other than how long I was there for. And then that was it.

All my worrying for nothing!! Yay!!

[Ryan H 3,812]

***Unrelated hijack posts removed and Administrative Action taken.***

[Tina Marnia 7]

What is a VWP member, and has anyone from Bangladesh who is waiting for their CR1- to process had visited a US spouse?

I would like to know.

I have visited my husband before we got married,

But He has never been to U.S.A to visit me.

I would love a visit from him even if its just a few weeks!....

[Ryan H 3,812]

What is a VWP member, and has anyone from Bangladesh who is waiting for their CR1- to process had visited a US spouse?.

VWP is the abbreviation for the US Visa Waiver Program. This list (Bangladesh is not on it) shows all the countries that participate in the program: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/visit/visa-waiver-program.html

[mjardine 12]

My husband and I are debating him coming over for the length of his VWP (3 months) while we wait for his CR-1. We have already been waiting 5 months, but are just tired of being apart. Does anyone have any advice or experience with visiting for that length of time? He will likely not have a letter of employment since he would be resigning, however, we have followed every step appropriately so far and plan to continue to do so regarding the visa. Our strongest case, in my opion, is that he will have to return to Australia for the interview whenever that happens. He will also have a return ticket proving that he will go back before entering with his visa.

We're very nervous of the rejection, any thoughts/ideas/suggestions/advice would be great!

[thiskentuckygirl 0]

My husband and I are debating him coming over for the length of his VWP (3 months) while we wait for his CR-1. We have already been waiting 5 months, but are just tired of being apart. Does anyone have any advice or experience with visiting for that length of time? He will likely not have a letter of employment since he would be resigning, however, we have followed every step appropriately so far and plan to continue to do so regarding the visa. Our strongest case, in my opion, is that he will have to return to Australia for the interview whenever that happens. He will also have a return ticket proving that he will go back before entering with his visa.

We're very nervous of the rejection, any thoughts/ideas/suggestions/advice would be great!

I can let you know as of Thursday evening, as my husband is due to arrive then from Australia! It is soooooo nerve wracking, but he's going to travel with all the paperwork showing all of the steps we've taken along the legal path with the I-130 and NVC (we're now just waiting for the visa application to be processed at NVC and to get an interview date). Reading other stories on here with VWC makes us feel slightly less nervous, but I won't be able to relax until Thursday afternoon when he says he's made it past customs! Fingers crossed!