Visa Denied in Ciudad Juarez

[AlexandMaria 0]

Hey y'all... I was initially embarassed to post about this, but I figured, hey, what the hell... My fiance's visa was denied because he admitted to smoking marijuana to the doctor during his medical exam. He told the doctor that the last time he smoked was Sept 7, 2005. So, the next day at the interview, the consular officer told him, sorry buddy, you have to be clean for three years. Come back in 2008.

Soooo... cancel all the plans we made, and he is still in Mexico and I'm in Texas again. My family insists that I talk to a lawyer, that maybe somehow that will help the process. I, however, am skeptical. I don't know how a lawyer could possibily get around this, because the law is pretty darn clear.

Can anyone give me advice on the next step I should take?? I tried searching for similar discussions on this forum, but was unable to find anything conclusive. What about a waiver??

Thanks!

[sarah and hicham 3]

I'm really sorry to hear about this. I don't have any advice but I wish you good luck.

[zauberblume 0]

Sorry to hear about that.

You know, honestly, I think your fiance should've never admitted to smoking pot. Yes, honesty is necessary in this process, but I don't think there would've been any way for the doctor to find out about an isolated pot smoking incident that happened a year ago unless your fiance still smokes pot, in which case it would show up in his urine.

[djcess 0]

Sorry to hear about that.

You know, honestly, I think your fiance should've never admitted to smoking pot. Yes, honesty is necessary in this process, but I don't think there would've been any way for the doctor to find out about an isolated pot smoking incident that happened a year ago unless your fiance still smokes pot, in which case it would show up in his urine.

i guess some things are better left unsaid? i dont know . . i do wish you both can find a way to be together though. 3 years of long distance is hard. Have you thought of moving with him for the meantime? Sorry to hear bout your situation.

[AlexandMaria 0]

Yeah, I was definitely mad when my fiance told me he had fessed up to that. But... I was the one who had prepared all the visa stuff and I sort of just filled him in on the details. I guess I forget to have the talk about "remember back when marijuana was your favorite college pastime? Let's pretend that never happened."

He told me that during the medical exam he had to take of all his clothes, and then the doctor left the room. He was left there facing signs that read "lying to this doctor is a federal crime" and things like that. So I guess he got intimidated/scared, and when the doctor came back and started asking him all kinds of questions he just said everything.

The worst part about this whole thing is that the next day, not only did they deny his visa, they took away his tourist visa!! He can't even enter the country! Anyway, I was accepeted to grad school here, so it looks like we'll be apart for the next two years. Ni modo...

[seldi 1]

Wow, that really sucks

[vartan 0]

You know, honestly, I think your fiance should've never admitted to smoking pot. Yes, honesty is necessary in this process, but I don't think there would've been any way for the doctor to find out about an isolated pot smoking incident that happened a year ago unless your fiance still smokes pot, in which case it would show up in his urine.

You would be amazed was hair samples will show.. Very Very expensive tests but with your hair you can test very very far back to see if drugs were used.

[webeback 0]

Yeah, I was definitely mad when my fiance told me he had fessed up to that. But... I was the one who had prepared all the visa stuff and I sort of just filled him in on the details. I guess I forget to have the talk about "remember back when marijuana was your favorite college pastime? Let's pretend that never happened."

He told me that during the medical exam he had to take of all his clothes, and then the doctor left the room. He was left there facing signs that read "lying to this doctor is a federal crime" and things like that. So I guess he got intimidated/scared, and when the doctor came back and started asking him all kinds of questions he just said everything.

The worst part about this whole thing is that the next day, not only did they deny his visa, they took away his tourist visa!! He can't even enter the country! Anyway, I was accepeted to grad school here, so it looks like we'll be apart for the next two years. Ni modo...

I have to tell you how bad I feel as the same thing happened to my daughter and her husband at Juarez in Dec. of 2004. He also got a 3 year ban and is not eligible to go back until Oct. of 2007. He didn't think quick enough and told them the last time he smoked was 2 months before the medical exam so it truly is a 3 yr. ban. I guess my thoughts to you is to not waste your money on lawyers. My daughter and I have spent thousands of dollars on lawyers and countless hours on the phone with Homeland Security etc. I have talked to people from Washington DC to Juarez. They just won't budge. In fact I sent another letter yesterday ( an e-mail).

My daughter flies to Mexico every 3 months or so to spend a few days with her husband. He wsa denied a tourist visa from the beginning as he was a risk not to go back to Mexico cuz his wife was here. So that wsa out. We did file a FOIA ( Freedom of Information Act) which took 9 months to get the results. The lawyers would not take the case until they werw 100% positive that his drug test was negative--which I can understand. We got the file back and the test was negative-just as we knew it would be.

The lawyers looked into it and the law states that if you used drugs MORE THAN ONE TIME you are a drug addict/abuser and therefore have a 3 year ban.

I am sorry to have to share this information with you and you can certainly try anything that you can think of but Ireally doubt it will work. We even got our Congressman involved -that was a total waste of my time. He was useless unless he had voters standing around him in ear shot-- then he promised that he would help. As soon as the voters were gone--nothing happened. He did send a formleter--much like what we sent. That was it. Useless.

If you go to the MExico thread and look under cuidad Juarez ( under webeback---or my daughters threads esperando enohio) I am sure all of our stuff is still there. If I can help you at all please let meknow. You can PM me if you like. I don't get on here much anymore but I do have thee-mails sent to me from the sight.

My daughter was in Grad school at the time and she has now graduated and can't live in Mexico with her husband because she is a social worker and there are no jobs there for her PLUS she has to work to start paying back all the expenses they have incurred since this whole process started 4 years ago. They will be married 3 years in Jan.

I do wish you all the luck in the world and my heart truly goes out to you. If you would like to talk to my daughter about this ( she is the one that has filled out all the paper work etc) you can send a reply back and I'll see that she gets it--she is lving at home now. She will be going to Mexcio to see her husband in October and we will go at Christmas to be with him. He is in school there and has never been out of the country--he goes for a blood test every month so he can take it back to those bozos and prove that he is not a drug addict. Again--I am truly sorry and I know what you are going thru but don't give up and hang in there.

Where in Mexico is your fiance?

Webeback

[webeback 0]

[Can anyone give me advice on the next step I should take?? I tried searching for similar discussions on this forum, but was unable to find anything conclusive. What about a waiver??

Thanks!

I just posted a response to your post but I did forget to mention that Drug use is the only denial that there is NO waiver for. You can sell drugs and get a waiver but you can't use them. Sorry. I know--I am right there with you and I am just the mother-in -law.

Hang in there. They told us the time would go by quickly. We have a year from October left ( it has been almost 2 years)and so far it has gone by quickly--but not quickly enough and the pain is there every day.

Webeback

Edited August 19, 2006 by webeback

[AlexandMaria 0]

Thank you so much for your reply. You basically confirmed what I suspected - that there isn't much we can do at this point. I do think that lawyers would probably be a waste of time and money. I am hoping the time goes by fast, and hopefully with school it will. My fiance is in Mexico City now, looking for a job. I plan to go down there for the holidays and any chance I get. The good thing is that we're both still young (no kids or anything!) and we have wonderful and supportive families. It's not the end of the world for us.

[Can anyone give me advice on the next step I should take?? I tried searching for similar discussions on this forum, but was unable to find anything conclusive. What about a waiver??

Thanks!

I just posted a response to your post but I did forget to mention that Drug use is the only denial that there is NO waiver for. You can sell drugs and get a waiver but you can't use them. Sorry. I know--I am right there with you and I am just the mother-in -law.

Hang in there. They told us the time would go by quickly. We have a year from October left ( it has been almost 2 years)and so far it has gone by quickly--but not quickly enough and the pain is there every day.

Webeback

[webeback 0]

Thank you so much for your reply. You basically confirmed what I suspected - that there isn't much we can do at this point. I do think that lawyers would probably be a waste of time and money. I am hoping the time goes by fast, and hopefully with school it will. My fiance is in Mexico City now, looking for a job. I plan to go down there for the holidays and any chance I get. The good thing is that we're both still young (no kids or anything!) and we have wonderful and supportive families. It's not the end of the world for us.

You sound very optimistic and that is good. Hang on to that. If you do decide to do something and it works please let me know. Did you get a 221g? We are now wondering if we have to go thru the whole process again or if we can just call and they will set up another medical exam, etc. If we have to go thru the whole thing again--it could take over a year like before and we need to start now.

Did you go to the interview with him? My daughter went. I am glad she was there to support him thru it. It was a very rought day and week for the both of them.

Take care--If you need anything-please let us know

Webeback

[Can anyone give me advice on the next step I should take?? I tried searching for similar discussions on this forum, but was unable to find anything conclusive. What about a waiver??

Thanks!

I just posted a response to your post but I did forget to mention that Drug use is the only denial that there is NO waiver for. You can sell drugs and get a waiver but you can't use them. Sorry. I know--I am right there with you and I am just the mother-in -law.

Hang in there. They told us the time would go by quickly. We have a year from October left ( it has been almost 2 years)and so far it has gone by quickly--but not quickly enough and the pain is there every day.

Webeback

Thank you so much for your reply. You basically confirmed what I suspected - that there isn't much we can do at this point. I do think that lawyers would probably be a waste of time and money. I am hoping the time goes by fast, and hopefully with school it will. My fiance is in Mexico City now, looking for a job. I plan to go down there for the holidays and any chance I get. The good thing is that we're both still young (no kids or anything!) and we have wonderful and supportive families. It's not the end of the world for us.

You sound very optimistic and that is good. Hang on to that. If you do decide to do something and it works please let me know. Did you get a 221g? We are now wondering if we have to go thru the whole process again or if we can just call and they will set up another medical exam, etc. If we have to go thru the whole thing again--it could take over a year like before and we need to start now.

Did you go to the interview with him? My daughter went. I am glad she was there to support him thru it. It was a very rought day and week for the both of them.

Take care--If you need anything-please let us know

Webeback

[Can anyone give me advice on the next step I should take?? I tried searching for similar discussions on this forum, but was unable to find anything conclusive. What about a waiver??

Thanks!

I just posted a response to your post but I did forget to mention that Drug use is the only denial that there is NO waiver for. You can sell drugs and get a waiver but you can't use them. Sorry. I know--I am right there with you and I am just the mother-in -law.

Hang in there. They told us the time would go by quickly. We have a year from October left ( it has been almost 2 years)and so far it has gone by quickly--but not quickly enough and the pain is there every day.

Webeback

[meauxna 15]

I'm so glad that you posted, webeback--I wondered what happened to you all.

Your story is the best response that could be offered here. I know how much work your family has done on that case... if anyone would have answers, it's you.

Best to your family & good wishes for the OP!

[webeback 0]

I'm so glad that you posted, webeback--I wondered what happened to you all.

Your story is the best response that could be offered here. I know how much work your family has done on that case... if anyone would have answers, it's you.

Best to your family & good wishes for the OP!

I am glad I saw the post and could offer some help. I did forget tomention that what my son-in-law told the doctors and the consular officer and what was written in the report were different. The doctor that wrote the report for the file was not the doctor that he talked to and if I'm not mistaken the psychologist was also different. But it would be our word against theirs and you can't win against the government.

I also forgot to mention that in one of our several letters we told them that my daughter is a licensed drug/alcohol counselor as well as a licensed social worker ( how ironic in this case!!) We told them that you could not find a better place to live if you were a drug addict/abuser ( in their eyes anyway) .They didn't see that our way either. They told him to go to rehab--which he did. Rehab would not see him because after all the tests etc they said he was not addicted or an abuser and he would be taking the space of someone who needed it. We also told them that--nada.. Didn't matter. This is all bringing back memories . I do think about it everyday and I write letters at least once a week but as time goes on you forget the little details..

We will be sure and let everyone at VJ know when my son-in-law is "allowed" in our country. It will be a very HAPPY day but my daughter refuses to get her hopes up. Take care Oh--What does OP mean? You said good wishes for the OP? Jusr curious.

Webeback

[meauxna 15]

OP= Original Poster. AlexandMaria in this case.

I never have time to drop by the i-601 forum at i2us anymore; hope all are well there too! I sure direct a lot of people over there....

[Ladylethal 12]

Sorry about this.