Russian and recently interviewed in Warsaw Poland?

[StevenInAtlanta 41]

@blakezero  When it became clear to us that we were not going to get her visa on that trip, we contacted the Embassy help line via the online message system and requested that her passport be returned because we had already been there 3 weeks, we were running low on $$ and I was tired of extending flights and hotel accommodations.  We spent easily an additional $3-5,000 while waiting.  We got an actual phone call the next day from someone at the embassy that works in the immigration area and she was trying to help us, trying to get our package processed but because I could not produce my federal income tax TRANSCRIPT for the current year we could not meet the "we want that IRS transcript document also" request.  Knowing that we could not produce the last minute document requested, she told us to just go by the embassy anytime, show the guard at the door her 'green sheet' and they will let her in and she could pickup her passport.  And we did, and we left the Warsaw embassy and Poland the next day empty handed.

 

I am still totally PO'd about this entire last minute while we are already here IRS transcript request and I had no way to solve the problem while I was there.  The IRS has no expedite my request for a transcript option and it was not available to me online because I had filled my most current return just days before the trip.

 

All that being said, I know exactly what you are going through and if you send them a note or if there is a number at the Israel US embassy to actually call, you can request them to return the passport and if they operate like Warsaw, she can just go pick it up right away.  It is also possible that telling them you can not wait any longer and must go home MIGHT get your petition to the top of the stack and it will mysteriously get processed and hopefully approved.

 

You are basically powerless against the embassy personnel, if they want "it", your petition will be held till they get "it". 

[To_the_moon 94]

On 6/9/2023 at 5:58 AM, blakezero said:

Hi @To_the_moon,

 

How long it took to get the passport back from the embassy? 

 

We transferred our IR5 case from Warsaw to Jerusalem. The interview was on May 30th, they asked all documents and took my mother-in-law's passport. They did not say of any missing document. The status on ceac says "Administrative Processing". We're still in Jerusalem waiting for the passport to be returned. We keep extending our hotel reservations and flights. This is costing us a fortune. I also got severely sick and I could see a doctor because I don't have Israelii medical insurance. I found a private doctor who prescribe me antibiotics, without them, I know know what would have be of me in a different country. My mother-in-law is also getting sick and her blood pressure medication is almost gone. 

 

We are suffering here trying to get answers from the US embassy in Jerusalem but not luck. We have requested to release the documents so we can go back to our respective homes but no answer so far. We felt it is was a mistake to transfer the case here, from what I hear Warsaw if giving the passports back within 3 days. 

 

Thanks,

 

I have mentioned our timeline in this post:

 

 

[blakezero 8]

On 6/9/2023 at 10:24 PM, StevenInAtlanta said:

@blakezero  When it became clear to us that we were not going to get her visa on that trip, we contacted the Embassy help line via the online message system and requested that her passport be returned because we had already been there 3 weeks, we were running low on $$ and I was tired of extending flights and hotel accommodations.  We spent easily an additional $3-5,000 while waiting.  We got an actual phone call the next day from someone at the embassy that works in the immigration area and she was trying to help us, trying to get our package processed but because I could not produce my federal income tax TRANSCRIPT for the current year we could not meet the "we want that IRS transcript document also" request.  Knowing that we could not produce the last minute document requested, she told us to just go by the embassy anytime, show the guard at the door her 'green sheet' and they will let her in and she could pickup her passport.  And we did, and we left the Warsaw embassy and Poland the next day empty handed.

 

I am still totally PO'd about this entire last minute while we are already here IRS transcript request and I had no way to solve the problem while I was there.  The IRS has no expedite my request for a transcript option and it was not available to me online because I had filled my most current return just days before the trip.

 

All that being said, I know exactly what you are going through and if you send them a note or if there is a number at the Israel US embassy to actually call, you can request them to return the passport and if they operate like Warsaw, she can just go pick it up right away.  It is also possible that telling them you can not wait any longer and must go home MIGHT get your petition to the top of the stack and it will mysteriously get processed and hopefully approved.

 

You are basically powerless against the embassy personnel, if they want "it", your petition will be held till they get "it". 

Hi @StevenInAtlanta,

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. Yep, It looks like that's our case too. We have decided to go to the embassy tomorrow and try to get the passport back. I want to made it home before Father's day and be with my little daughters. Unfortunately, grandma will not be with us this time. We will continue the case in another time.

 

What I don't understand is if they know we transferred the case and we are not Israel nationals with not a permanent residence in the country, why are they taking the passports knowing the case will take long time in "Administrative Processing" ??? it does not make any sense.....

 

 

 

 

[BenNomad 89]

On 6/9/2023 at 10:24 PM, StevenInAtlanta said:

we could not meet the "we want that IRS transcript document also" request

@StevenInAtlanta  I've just spent the past hour or two reading about this whole depressingly miserable experience. Really hope it works out to a happy end. I just happened by chance today to see the advice about the tax transcript. I submitted my complete 2022 e-filed tax return to the NVC last month, and so did the joint sponsor. Both returns have been ✅accepted  by the NVC but I would have NEVER given a thought to obtaining the transcript too. I will certainly try to get them when or if they become available. The joint sponsor filed taxes only last month. 

 

I and many others are indebted to the experiences shared here. My family isn't at the end of the road yet, but we'd probably be stuck somewhere near start if it weren't for this forum.