millefleur

Switzerland seems like an odd choice, a country notorious for not being very welcoming. Any reason they tired that one?

I'm not sure if for security reasons they might be suspicious of an unsolicited attachment? Maybe better just reach out first and mention the offer then go from there based on what they specifically ask for. Seems easier.

I'd go with physically relocate. Update it once you move to the new place.

No idea. It was quite some years ago and was the first time I'd ever heard of someone from Europe (WVP country) having to apply for a visa. Maybe they ran a background check somehow and found something?

By contrast, Haiti appears to be of zero importance to the US, so my guess is natural resources/geographic position. I always assumed it was about Crimea specifically and naval dominance in the Black Sea. Also the natural resources embedded under that sea, along with Ukraine's other resources which are not too shabby either. Although now much of the chernozem ("black soil") has been mined and is littered with decaying military equipment and dead soldiers, so this one might be rendered useless for a good long while.

Like many engineering disasters/accidents, many little things going wrong and aligning that all lead to one big boom.

**Moved from US Embassy and Consulate Discussion to RUB forum; discussion is country/nationality specific**

I've heard of this case before: UK citizen with history of substance abuse applies for ESTA, is denied, has to apply for a B and do a medical. I don't have all the details but it does seem like something that happens at least for UK citizens. I'm no longer in contact with this person so I don't know what the wait time was between doing the medical and getting approved for the visa, but if it's any consolation this person did get approved for a B was able to visit the US. Best of luck and let us know how it turns out.

Supposedly they lost control of the ship and its propulsion (note: I know nothing about sailing.) It seems insane though that something like this could fail to such a degree that they hit the pillar and bring down the whole bridge....perhaps one of those rare "one in a million" type accidents. I suspect the company who owns the ship will pay out major money in damages.

Saw a good video recently which might explain why:

If you're just looking for some assistance, nonprofits that help immigrants might be able to help. Sometimes they work with pro bono lawyers and offer that kind of review/help for free. Usually large urban areas have such resources. You can also check here by state: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/list-pro-bono-legal-service-providers

It seems they very much suspect immigrant intent, being married to a USC was already a strong tie to the US. Her travel history of being turned away for things like no return ticket and heavy baggage and then being denied again after getting a B....odds do not look good. It's only been 1 year since she denied entry. If it were me, applying for another B doesn't seem worth it. Better just go straight to the immigrant visa application and plan to live in the US for a bit. I think the only way she can overcome immigrant intent is applying for the spousal visa, then either live in the US for a bit and relinquish the green card or just relinquish the GC right after entering on the spousal visa. Frustrating but I'm just not seeing another way around this.

Based on asylum approval rates for Russians, in 2023 it seems 63% of cases were granted. https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1107366/dl That said, adjusting status via marriage is a much easier and faster route. Just be aware there's no adjustment for being engaged/someone's fiancee. You would need to be married to file the I-130.

I'm not even sure the CO's at the embassy have any idea how long it can take. Based on this post, it sounds like it goes on behind closed doors among other staff, and thus total AP time may not be known to the CO's: Thus I would take whatever estimated time they give with a grain of salt. They may just me giving random estimates based on hearsay. :/

It's a common misconception that bringing evidence of ties to the interview will change the outcome or bolster your case. In reality, they rarely look at supporting documents. Philippines is a tough nationality when it comes to tourist visas. She can apply again now that it has been 1 year since her last rejection. Apply again and see is all you can do in this case. I would say odds of approval are low but if you don't mind her spending the money for the fee you can always try again.

I wouldn't worry about the old paperwork as USCIS and the embassy will have access to that. If you yourself are curious to get it again, you can file a FOIA request and USCIS should be able to pull all of it for you. As for the divorce decree, you need to contact the court where it was filed and request a new copy. If you can't find anyone to contact online, trying calling. The record is there it's just a matter of getting someone to pull it for you and paying for a new copy.

Seems promising. Some embassies/consulates are more demanding than others with what counts. I don't see any harm in reaching out to Frankfurt ASAP to see what they say. Please update us if you hear anything back.

Only time I've ever heard them ask to look at documents is when the purpose of travel is due to some official and specific reason, like being invited to some special event when you're going to perform, speak, etc. Never heard of them ever asking for family trip or vacation related documents. Perhaps it happens, but must be rare.

Ugh, this is a joke. For all that money that changed hands, there isn't even a fine???

There are small, private nonprofits all over the country offering services like food pantries and other household items. It might be worth looking into just as a plan B in case their benefits run out (most likely at some point.) For health care, you can look into purchasing a plan for them via the marketplace + tax credits. The tax credits don't count as a means tested benefit so there's no issue with immigration. Generally speaking healthcare for elderly parents can be an issue due to expense, just something to think about and budget for if they can't get Medicare or SSI anymore. There are some lost cost or "pay based on your income" (aka "sliding scale fees") clinics around if you search for them, but if you're looking for regular, ongoing health care then some kind of insurance will be needed.

I don't know how London works but when we did DCF there were two parts: first the I-130 and then the interview. During the I-130 part nobody kept any passports. The passport was not taken until after the final interview and we were told the visa was approved. Maybe just contact London and see if they can clarify?

This is a complex situation. I would look into pro bono immigration lawyers who might be able to give you some free advice about what the best path forward is here. Check out some resources here: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/list-pro-bono-legal-service-providers You can also look into other immigrant nonprofits in your area/state to see if they can help with navigating U4U/TPS or another path towards staying here.

Could depend on how major/off the error is perhaps? In any case it seems OP's stamp looks good so at least it's nothing he has to worry about.

The stamp endorses the visa making it a valid I-551. There are other large I-551 stamps but those are given out to people who need proof of status but don't have a visa or a GC. You can rest assured it's all recorded in the computer systems too. They goofed on my husband's initial stamp and put the wrong year. We called CBP and they said there's no reason to worry or change anything because it's all been recorded properly on their end. The stamp is there just as a reminder/formality for the passport holder.