K1 Action Plan - Getting Consulates to Process Our Visas

[tris&kris 132]

1 minute ago, Dougefresh56 said:

I’ve contacted Mike Bost (Representative)

Richard Durbin and Tammy Duckworth. No response yet. 
 

wow they bleeped out Durban’s first name. Lol
 

next I’m going to start calling

Awesome!! Calling is great! Much easier to copy and paste a scripted response to an email than it is over the phone. Let us know how your experience with it goes.

 

Reps typically have an office in their actual home state that you can call.

[Ermehgerdd 172]

Thank you for this! I contacted my senator tonight, and an immigration attorney prominent on social media requested a copy of the email the embassy sent to hopefully raise awareness about this issue, as well.  Whether or not anything actually comes of it, it feels better to be actively trying to address something than passively hoping for something to happen someday.

[Lyssalou 13]

I emailed my congressman (Mike Johnson in the 4th district of Louisiana) to raise awareness and bring up the requests in the initial post in this thread. After ten months into this process and being at the final step (the interview) I'm super ready to take action and welcome any other suggestions. 

 

I also emailed the Frankfurt consulate for clarification.

[MaruMaru 76]

Hi,

 

The small group of Italian fiancées and I have tried to make a petition on The White House website. He have also emailed several major American Newspapers.

 

I will try to reach out to our Congressman too at this point. 
 

We do not know what other actions we can do. 
 

The last EO should exempt us but we are constantly excluded from the exception list which make me think that Consulates&Embassies will give the freedom to choose for our future. 
This is NOT ACCEPTABLE. 
Now they EU is also extending the travel ban to US Travelers starting from July 1 and we CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER.

[payxibka 10,047]

2 minutes ago, MaruMaru said:

 

The last EO should exempt us but we are constantly excluded from the exception list which make me think that Consulates&Embassies will give the freedom to choose for our future. 
 

The consulates will not have the freedom to choose.  When the time comes and routine visa services are available. the department of state will publish in the FAM how everything is to be handled so it will be consistent from Moscow to Montreal. 

[Liam&Lizz 36]

I emaied Tammy Duckworth (IL Demo Sen) and in the works for Richard Durbin and John Shimkis asking them to urge the Dept. of Homeland Security and Department of State to clarify K-1's as family based mission critical visas and to use the current FAM handbook and not the PP's to issue visas. it may be just a shot in the dark but im ready to write letters to the pope and god at this point. *cue pity party for a moment* I would live the rest of my life throught a skype screen if i had to but i really just want to hold his hand again :(.  Thank you OP for the suggestion, it feels better to try something than wait around for nothinig.  Cheers and lots of love to all the K-1-ers and families fighting to be together.

[MaruMaru 76]

I have prepared an email to send to our President, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. We need to take action on this. 

[Dougefresh56 201]

6 hours ago, MrsMills said:

I emaied Tammy Duckworth (IL Demo Sen) and in the works for Richard Durbin and John Shimkis asking them to urge the Dept. of Homeland Security and Department of State to clarify K-1's as family based mission critical visas and to use the current FAM handbook and not the PP's to issue visas. it may be just a shot in the dark but im ready to write letters to the pope and god at this point. *cue pity party for a moment* I would live the rest of my life throught a skype screen if i had to but i really just want to hold his hand again :(.  Thank you OP for the suggestion, it feels better to try something than wait around for nothinig.  Cheers and lots of love to all the K-1-ers and families fighting to be together.

No pity party we are all doing whatever we can

[LibbyG99 65]

On 6/22/2020 at 9:21 PM, tris&kris said:

Awesome job trying though!! You may have better luck with your House Representative. They tend to get a smaller volume of emails and may actually read them. 
 

Note, it can be a cumbersome process. I had to print, fill out, and mail a privacy release form in order for them to contact the Embassy on my behalf 

You got them to contact the embassy!? Wow. What's your secret?

[SalishSea 18,020]

2 hours ago, LibbyG99 said:

You got them to contact the embassy!? Wow. What's your secret?

US senators and members of congress have the role of assisting US citizens and residents with issues related to federal agencies.  Most of them have a link on their websites that you can use to print and sign a disclosure allowing them to do this.  For immigration, it is usually used in the context of specific case delays, rather than addressing actual policy.

[Aly123 84]

Hey guys! Did my part to contribute. I contacted both senators and all of the Democratic House Representatives in my state (6). Hopefully I’ll hear back. I also sent messages under the White House and Department of State contact us sections. Don’t know if anyone will actually see them but it’s worth a try. Also the travel state department’s twitter regularly interacts with comments and tweets @ at them. So I would try tweeting them and letting them know just how many people are affected by K1 visas not being processed and I’m sure it will at least draw attention to our situation 

[MaruMaru 76]

Guys, 

 

Please, join this private group on Facebook - Couples Separated by EU/US Travel Ban - and sign the petition - https://www.change.org/p/donald-j-trump-liftthetravelban-on-europe !!! We can do it. 

[tris&kris 132]

Wow! Great to see all this activism going on!  Kudos to everyone!

 

As others have mentioned, contacting the White House directly is another option. 

White House: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Also, Social Medial is a great way to engage.  You can leave comments on the State Department Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/travelgov/) or tweet @TravelGov.  Remember to always be respectful and polite no matter who you are engaging with. 

 

Reportedly, the State Department is negotiating with the EU as we speak about possibly revising the travel restrictions (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-24/u-s-eu-discuss-restarting-travel-after-bloc-considers-a-ban).  WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME NOISE OR WE WILL BE FORGOTTEN AGAIN WHEN THEY WRITE THE NEW ORDER!

 

Thanks to all again!  You are doing amazing work!

[Fabercham 22]

Why is London embassy STILL insisting K1s are included in the immigration ban when we aren’t? Let’s get noisy! I’m fed up of this rollercoaster !

[Ermehgerdd 172]

9 minutes ago, Fabercham said:

Why is London embassy STILL insisting K1s are included in the immigration ban when we aren’t? Let’s get noisy! I’m fed up of this rollercoaster !