Jamaica 🇯🇲- one year drug ban until case resumes

[ashhroiall 10]

Any updates from the embassy??!

Our ban ends on Oct 25 -- This year has been painful trying to get any information from Kingston or St. Andrews. 

We've had one mandated test so far -- and have gotten a few ourselves for additional proof -- but I just wish I knew what the process was once the ban is lifted. 

There is ZERO information out there. Any chance you'd mind telling me what happening? Did you require an additional interview with the embassy? 

Did you have to pay for another DS160 to get things reactivated? I just wish I could start scheduling this from now because I know how long wait times can be and would rather not have to wait for the ban to be up to get any information. But yeah seems they refuse to respond until the ban is up... 

[Stmar22 12]

12 minutes ago, ashhroiall said:

Any updates from the embassy??!

Our ban ends on Oct 25 -- This year has been painful trying to get any information from Kingston or St. Andrews. 

We've had one mandated test so far -- and have gotten a few ourselves for additional proof -- but I just wish I knew what the process was once the ban is lifted. 

There is ZERO information out there. Any chance you'd mind telling me what happening? Did you require an additional interview with the embassy? 

Did you have to pay for another DS160 to get things reactivated? I just wish I could start scheduling this from now because I know how long wait times can be and would rather not have to wait for the ban to be up to get any information. But yeah seems they refuse to respond until the ban is up... 

Hello,

 

Trust me , I understand your pain, there is absolutely no information anywhere.

 

Our ban ended on June 1st.  He was contacted by Andrew’s for his last random drug test on May 30th.

 

I first emailed the embassy on June 1st to see what the next steps would be, I received no response.  I emailed them three more times within  a 2 week period.  Finally on June 21st, my fiancé received a call from the embassy, they asked him a few questions regarding the drug tests, when was the last test etc., He advised them that his last test was done on May 31st.  They told him that once they received his results from Andrew’s, he would be contacted.  About 15 minutes after, he received another phone call from the embassy, they told him that they are sending an email with instructions to set up a new medical exam.  The email also gave instructions to submit passport to the embassy using courier service.

 

The email provided instructions to set up a new medical exam online, I completed that, about 3 days later, I received an  email with the date for medical.  Medical was completed on June 29th.

He submitted passport to the courier on July 5th.

 

Right now I am currently waiting for a response from the embassy.  I’m guessing once they receive the medical and passport, they will provide next steps.

 

I’m not sure if there will be another interview or now.  There is also a child involved (K2).  He was told by the embassy that the child should not complete his medical yet, they will advise us when the child should complete their medical.

 

I will update progress once I hear back from them.

 

Good luck!

[ashhroiall 10]

8 hours ago, Stmar22 said:

Hello,

 

Trust me , I understand your pain, there is absolutely no information anywhere.

 

Our ban ended on June 1st.  He was contacted by Andrew’s for his last random drug test on May 30th.

 

I first emailed the embassy on June 1st to see what the next steps would be, I received no response.  I emailed them three more times within  a 2 week period.  Finally on June 21st, my fiancé received a call from the embassy, they asked him a few questions regarding the drug tests, when was the last test etc., He advised them that his last test was done on May 31st.  They told him that once they received his results from Andrew’s, he would be contacted.  About 15 minutes after, he received another phone call from the embassy, they told him that they are sending an email with instructions to set up a new medical exam.  The email also gave instructions to submit passport to the embassy using courier service.

 

The email provided instructions to set up a new medical exam online, I completed that, about 3 days later, I received an  email with the date for medical.  Medical was completed on June 29th.

He submitted passport to the courier on July 5th.

 

Right now I am currently waiting for a response from the embassy.  I’m guessing once they receive the medical and passport, they will provide next steps.

 

I’m not sure if there will be another interview or now.  There is also a child involved (K2).  He was told by the embassy that the child should not complete his medical yet, they will advise us when the child should complete their medical.

 

I will update progress once I hear back from them.

 

Good luck!

Thanks for the quick response!
Sigh... I feel like my man is already on probation before he's even gotten to America! It's REDICULOUS.

Do you know if your partner actually failed his first drug test?
Or did the physician just recommend him for the ban?

I can't get anyone to answer my emails or requests for copies of our records, mind any other information.
St. Andrews says once they send off the medical to the embassy they no longer have the results -- which I find hard to believe...

But I'm almost positive our test was negative and we are just going thru this institutionalized racist practice. 

I'm so sorry you are still waiting this long after your ban date!
Thats my concern. We are Oct 25 -- so I know I'm not expecting to get thru till 2023 with all the backlogs, delays, excuses and holiday season. 

We've got a 1.5yo daughter and another on the way. So yeah I'm over this .  We started filing when I was 3 months pregnant with our first. #######. 

Sucks too that you've got a kid to petition for and he's had to wait because of this unfair practice. Makes me wonder why I'm doing all this sometimes -- but after 10 years in Jamaica I'M DONE with them too. lol. 


 

[Stmar22 12]

4 hours ago, ashhroiall said:

Thanks for the quick response!
Sigh... I feel like my man is already on probation before he's even gotten to America! It's REDICULOUS.

Do you know if your partner actually failed his first drug test?
Or did the physician just recommend him for the ban?

I can't get anyone to answer my emails or requests for copies of our records, mind any other information.
St. Andrews says once they send off the medical to the embassy they no longer have the results -- which I find hard to believe...

But I'm almost positive our test was negative and we are just going thru this institutionalized racist practice. 

I'm so sorry you are still waiting this long after your ban date!
Thats my concern. We are Oct 25 -- so I know I'm not expecting to get thru till 2023 with all the backlogs, delays, excuses and holiday season. 

We've got a 1.5yo daughter and another on the way. So yeah I'm over this .  We started filing when I was 3 months pregnant with our first. #######. 

Sucks too that you've got a kid to petition for and he's had to wait because of this unfair practice. Makes me wonder why I'm doing all this sometimes -- but after 10 years in Jamaica I'M DONE with them too. lol. 


 

No worries, I feel the same way.

They never told us whether or not he failed the drug test. We know he did not because he doesn’t smoke at all, he admitted to using it years ago.  So  I’m know the physician recommended the ban.

 

I’m still surprised the didn’t let the child complete a new medical at the same time, since they did them together last year.

 

I know it must be hard dealing with babies by yourself, but (fingers crossed) hopefully once October gets here , they’ll move much faster.  I just pray that we don’t have to pay the visa fees all over again.
 

I will definitely keep sharing our progress because i know there is no information at all out there regarding this process.

[Ms. Clarke 32]

On 6/21/2022 at 9:00 AM, Stmar22 said:

Quick update:  The refusal letter that we received a year ago stated that his ineligibility expires on June 1, 2022.  My fiancé was contacted for another random drug test on May 31st.  I’ve been emailing the embassy since June 1st.  Finally today someone called my fiancé from the embassy and asked when was his last drug test.  They told him that once they receive the results from the hospital, he will be contacted.   About 10 minutes after that he received another call telling him that they will email some instructions.  The email contains a letter to schedule a new medical exam, he also need to submit his passport using the courier service.  
 

There is also a child (K2) involved.  He was told that the child will complete a medical after.

How he schedule another medical exam? Did he just call ? 

[Stmar22 12]

5 minutes ago, Ms. Clarke said:

How he schedule another medical exam? Did he just call ? 

We scheduled the appointment here: https://www.amhosp.org/usmedical/

After you fill out the form online, they will email you back within 3 days with the appointment date and time.

Once he arrived at Andrew’s, he had to provide the new medical Letter that he received from the embassy.  

[Ms. Clarke 32]

My update : I went on the appointment website and under the missed appointment tab I stated I want an expedited appointment. So I will see what happens?  All the information on my case seems frozen from his last interview information. @Stmar22 you think it’s possible to just schedule the medical appointment on my own ? 

[Ms. Clarke 32]

1 minute ago, Stmar22 said:

We scheduled the appointment here: https://www.amhosp.org/usmedical/

After you fill out the form online, they will email you back within 3 days with the appointment date and time.

Once he arrived at Andrew’s, he had to provide the new medical Letter that he received from the embassy.  

What does the medical letter actually say ? Is it personalized or look like a generic letter?

[Ms. Clarke 32]

Did his status change on his application? On the https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx website? If so when? @Stmar22

[Stmar22 12]

12 minutes ago, Ms. Clarke said:

What does the medical letter actually say ? Is it personalized or look like a generic letter?

The letter was a generic letter, however they sent another letter that had his name and case number written on it, they requested that at the medical.

Just now, Stmar22 said:

The letter was a generic letter, however they sent another letter that had his name and case number written on it, they requested that at the medical.

I tried to add a screenshot, but it would not upload

[Stmar22 12]

4 minutes ago, Ms. Clarke said:

Did his status change on his application? On the https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx website? If so when? @Stmar22

The case status was the showing the same date since last year, it was updated on June 21st, that’s the day that they called him and sent the email, then it was updated again last Friday, I’m guessing they received either the medical or the passport, but I have not heard from them since.

[Stmar22 12]

On 7/20/2022 at 6:31 AM, Stmar22 said:

The case status was the showing the same date since last year, it was updated on June 21st, that’s the day that they called him and sent the email, then it was updated again last Friday, I’m guessing they received either the medical or the passport, but I have not heard from them since.

Update: we received a call and and email for the child (K2) to complete medical.  They told my fiancé that the received his medical from the embassy but they still have not received his passport.

[ashhroiall 10]

Yesss -- movements! Albeit slow as ever. It's happening. 

 

So any advice or feedback on the following -- maybe I should start a new topic but its pretty related. 

 

My fiance is a performing artist and previously had a transit visa to the US which upon receiving our ban they also returned his passport with a stamp on his transit visa that says "cancelled without prejudice" - which SUCKS. We worked so hard for that transit visa so we could land in the US and fly elsewhere for touring.

 

Now that the music scene is up and coming again, we have received inquiries for shows abroad (after our ban -- like November -- ban ends Oct28 ). I know the k1 wont be sorted by then. Does it make sense to try for another transit visa in the meantime? As long as we have the documentation that it is for work maybe they'd consider? It's pretty screwed up they also took the transit visa like he is gonna run or something. sigh. Talk about not giving a about people livelihoods. 

[Ms. Clarke 32]

@Stmar22 ok so today the embassy responded and said that he don’t need an interview but he needs to complete the random drug testing. And send a authorization form to courier in passport and photo. Should he go and contact medical now ? What to do ? 

[Ms. Clarke 32]

On 7/20/2022 at 4:11 AM, Stmar22 said:

We scheduled the appointment here: https://www.amhosp.org/usmedical/

After you fill out the form online, they will email you back within 3 days with the appointment date and time.

Once he arrived at Andrew’s, he had to provide the new medical Letter that he received from the embassy.  

He never received a letter to go back to medical. Where do I request that from ?