CR1 is DQ, current wait time for interview in Manila?

[E4G67 1]

To further muddy the waters, here is the response I received to my request for a congressional inquiry about the NVC/U.S. embassy in Manila CR1/IR1 situation. The data being tossed about seems to be all over the place and fairly useless in detecting any meaningful trends in regards to future actions, at least to me anyway. The scamdemic travel restrictions added an additional two years and three months to this process for my wife and I. We filed her I-130 in late April of 2022 and did not receive the approval until early November of 2023. Documentarily qualified in early December of 2023. I thought we were finally on the verge of completing this process, and actually thought she'd be here in the U.S. in 2024. Now I'm starting to believe that 2025 is more optimistic.  

[powerpuff 6,677]

A link to a Facebook group has been removed. We do not allow such links as in the past it has led to safety issues.

 

VJ Moderation 

Edited February 22 by powerpuff

[top_secret 2,402]

3 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

A link to a Facebook group has been removed. We do not allow such links as in the past it has led to safety issues.

 

It is indeed a wise policy not allowing Facebook links.   However, the link someone posted here earlier was to US Embassy Manila's official verified Facebook page and a rather daft post the embassy made bragging about how awesome they have done reducing their non-immigrant interview backlog from over 6 months a year ago to less than a month now, all during a time period that has seen the backlog for spousal interviews increase from less than a month at the beginning of 2023 to almost 10 months where it stands now.  Some may want to Google US Embassy Manila's official verified Facebook page if they have any commentary on the embassy's priorities when it comes to interview backlogs.

[Ontarkie 14,215]

~~A second post with a FB link has been removed. We do not allow any links to fb, official or not. Please do not post any further links.~~

[Jason and May 79]

5 hours ago, top_secret said:

 

It is indeed a wise policy not allowing Facebook links.   However, the link someone posted here earlier was to US Embassy Manila's official verified Facebook page and a rather daft post the embassy made bragging about how awesome they have done reducing their non-immigrant interview backlog from over 6 months a year ago to less than a month now, all during a time period that has seen the backlog for spousal interviews increase from less than a month at the beginning of 2023 to almost 10 months where it stands now.  Some may want to Google US Embassy Manila's official verified Facebook page if they have any commentary on the embassy's priorities when it comes to interview backlogs.

I saw that on their page. Well said about the embassy. Daft indeed.... 

[Timmy Clark 1]

Sorry I didn't realize that I couldn't post a link , just thought some people might want to read the story and all the comments and may add a comment 

[Ontarkie 14,215]

7 hours ago, Timmy Clark said:

Sorry I didn't realize that I couldn't post a link , just thought some people might want to read the story and all the comments and may add a comment 

Thanks, completely understandable. A screen shot of that comment would work. 

[top_secret 2,402]

Just noticed that it's now been more six months since any VJ member has reported a CR1/IR1 interview at US Embassy Manilla.  Previously you would frequently see multiple approvals a month reported here from the Philippines.  I doubt you could find any more than a two or three month gap in reported Philippines approvals in the entire history of this board.

 

https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list.php?op6=All&op66=All&op7=Philippines&op1=3&op2=&dfile=No&op3=5&op4=1

[LonelyGringo21 3]

6 hours ago, top_secret said:

Just noticed that it's now been more six months since any VJ member has reported a CR1/IR1 interview at US Embassy Manilla.  Previously you would frequently see multiple approvals a month reported here from the Philippines.  I doubt you could find any more than a two or three month gap in reported Philippines approvals in the entire history of this board.

 

https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list.php?op6=All&op66=All&op7=Philippines&op1=3&op2=&dfile=No&op3=5&op4=1

I'm going to draft an email this weekend.  It will be addressed to my congressman (bless his heart).  Sending it to my senators, too.

 

I'll post what I wrote, and maybe it can help us get the word out to lawmakers.  

 

Just trying to help.  Sooooooooooooooooooooooo frustrating...

 

[Jason and May 79]

15 hours ago, top_secret said:

Just noticed that it's now been more six months since any VJ member has reported a CR1/IR1 interview at US Embassy Manilla.  Previously you would frequently see multiple approvals a month reported here from the Philippines.  I doubt you could find any more than a two or three month gap in reported Philippines approvals in the entire history of this board.

 

https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list.php?op6=All&op66=All&op7=Philippines&op1=3&op2=&dfile=No&op3=5&op4=1

The irony of the Department of State's proud end-of-year summary detailing the number of tourist, employment, and student visas approved, which was a seemingly astronomical amount, and then--tongue-in-cheek--in fine print trying to convincingly state they also proudly reunified an unprecedented number of families....

The month before I saw that press release, I had noted USEM approved something like 13,000 tourist visas, 51 CR1 visas, and just over 100 IR1s (I think those were the November 2023 stats). 

I'm in a Rod Serling screenplay, playing some dude who's simultaneously baffled but also not even a little bit surprised. 

[LonelyGringo21 3]

I said I would do this, so here it is.  I've copied the text and pasted it into this post.  I'm also attaching the word document of it (Word 97 because it's .doc).

 

Please make sure you personalize these.  It isn't meant to be sent as-is.

 

1 to YOUR representative in the U.S. House ("congressman")

1 to EACH of your TWO senators ("senator")

Feel free to cc the embassy 😉 (Dearest MaryKay...)

 

I just hope it helps get something going for us.  This site has been so important to me: understanding the process, making choices, my mental health, all of it.  I want to help where I can, too.

 

pth

 

--------------------------

Greetings, ______________:

 

I am a U.S. Citizen/LPR/Immigrant.  I am trying to bring my wife/child/mom/stranger who promised candy to America.

Unlike many others, I am working within the boundaries of the U.S. system, including the USCIS, the State Department, and the U.S. Embassy in Manila.  We have navigated the first two, and we await an appointment from the Embassy for our final interview.

We thought that we were coming to the end of the process, and we began making plans for arrival in our heads.  Unfortunately, it has been __________ months/weeks/minutes since the National Visa Center has approved us for an appointment.  I’m not talking about the date of the interview; we haven’t even gotten word of when it will be.

Things get more complicated. 

I spend time on a website, Visa Journey.  It’s a Facebook-like site for those working through the immigration process.  Since I had heard back from (my congressman), I posted how long we were expected to wait.  Immediately, people began posting their dates.  They are all different, even though we are all waiting for the same step.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila is quite proud of the way it has trimmed the backlog of non-immigrant visas from a two-year queue to only a few months.  It seems they have done this by disregarding all immigrant visa appointment.  One person noted that NOT ONE VISA JOURNEY MEMBER HAS POSTED AN INTERVIEW DATE in six months.  It seems that nobody on the site has seen this before.

Tourism is important.  Visits are important.  But we are trying to build families here, and we are stuck in an eternal queue if they ignore the process.

It would be very supportive and helpful if you would encourage the Embassy to begin its work on immigrant visas.  Also, many of us would like to know how this decision was made (and by whom).  If there is something you need from me to do these things, please let me know.

As always, I remain grateful for the assistance you have provided in the past.  I remain hopeful that our family is united soon.  Please help.

Sincerely,

 

YOUR NAME HERE

 

Congress U.S. Embassy Manila.doc

[top_secret 2,402]

January's visa statistics just came out.  Predictably, US Embassy Manila processed a whopping 4 (FOUR!!!)  CR-1 and 86 IR-1 visas.  That is with a ten month backlog that must be in the thousands.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Immigrant-Statistics/MonthlyIVIssuances/JANUARY 2024 - IV Issuances by Post and Visa Class.pdf

[Jason and May 79]

6 minutes ago, top_secret said:

January's visa statistics just came out.  Predictably, US Embassy Manila processed a whopping 4 (FOUR!!!)  CR-1 and 86 IR-1 visas.  That is with a ten month backlog that must be in the thousands.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Immigrant-Statistics/MonthlyIVIssuances/JANUARY 2024 - IV Issuances by Post and Visa Class.pdf

Nothing to be concerned or infuriated about here. 😑

 

I’ve come to a point where I’ve decided I prefer not to spend 4k or more a retainer and writ, and so I’m (at my own discretion in some ways) powerless over this issue. And so I just wait. Until 2025, it appears. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[top_secret 2,402]

46 minutes ago, Jason and May said:

Nothing to be concerned or infuriated about here. 😑

 

In the same month they processed 86 IR-1 and 4 (FOUR!!!) CR-1's they did manage to knock out 13,399 B1/B2 tourist visas and that doesn't even include all the interviews they completed that resulted in denials.

 

At least K1's are doing well with 771 K1 visas issued.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Non-Immigrant-Statistics/MonthlyNIVIssuances/JANUARY 2024 - NIV Issuances by Post and Visa Class.pdf

 

The embassy is convinced they are doing awesome. 

[Jason and May 79]

5 minutes ago, top_secret said:

 

In the same month they processed 86 IR-1 and 4 (FOUR!!!) CR-1's they did manage to knock out 13,399 B1/B2 tourist visas and that doesn't even include all the interviews they completed that resulted in denials.

 

At least K1's are doing well with 771 K1 visas issued.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Non-Immigrant-Statistics/MonthlyNIVIssuances/JANUARY 2024 - NIV Issuances by Post and Visa Class.pdf

 

The embassy is convinced they are doing awesome. 

I saw those tourist visa stats. After I read your post I went to check the nonimmigrant stats just to see. 

 

The Department of State sure is proud to be reuniting families, they say. 🙄