Cairo - another horror story - please help!
May 7th 2004, 10:11 am
#16
SUPER CRUNCHY BALCONY COW
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 9,476
Re: Cairo - another horror story - please help!
Originally posted by masri
I posted a couple of months about the experience my wife had during her K3 interview at Cairo. Unfortunately, the same thing happened earlier today in Cairo.
My wife had her CR1 (IV) interview today, and it was hardly an interview at all. First, they automatically assumed my wife did not have my 2003 tax information and were about to wave her away, but my wife supplied them the tax documents immediately. Having crossed that hurdle, my wife thought things would get easier from there.
Unfortunately, the opposite was true; when the interviewing officer noticed the K3 in my wife's passport he grew annoyed and kept asking "Why didn't you travel with the K3?" and "Why would you apply to both visas at the same time?" My wife answered that the K3 required that we apply for the CR1 first, and that because the K3 was delayed, the CR1 paperwork ended up in Cairo sooner than expected, so we decided to pursue the CR1 through Cairo.
Needless to say, that explanation did not suffice, he kept asking the same questions repeatedly, growing ruder more annoyed each time. My wife remained calm and informed him again that this was the most logical choice. He then cancelled the K3 visa, and informed my wife the following:
"There are new procedures for the CR1, all the paperwork has to go through Washington and it will take at a minimum two months. If you do not hear from us within two months, you can email us then and only then."
He then returned the passport to my wife along with the original marriage and birth certificates. He was visibly annoyed that we were going through Cairo for both the K3 and CR1. There was no interview, he did not ask her one question about our relationship, nor did he ask to see any of the evidence she had.
My wife was shaken from the experience, and is still upset at what she thought would be a routine interview. I too am very upset because we have booked tickets and set all our plans in place. I did not expect that the CR1 interview would be such a risk, but I should have known that anything is risky through Cairo. I am hoping this is a new CO that is just having a bad day and decided to take it out on my wife.
Does anyone know of these "new procedures" he mentioned? My understanding is that the file goes through Washington only if there is an FBI name check. But he didn't even take her fingerprints. Has anyone had any similar experiences, in Cairo or anywhere else?
Your help is greatly appreciated.
I posted a couple of months about the experience my wife had during her K3 interview at Cairo. Unfortunately, the same thing happened earlier today in Cairo.
My wife had her CR1 (IV) interview today, and it was hardly an interview at all. First, they automatically assumed my wife did not have my 2003 tax information and were about to wave her away, but my wife supplied them the tax documents immediately. Having crossed that hurdle, my wife thought things would get easier from there.
Unfortunately, the opposite was true; when the interviewing officer noticed the K3 in my wife's passport he grew annoyed and kept asking "Why didn't you travel with the K3?" and "Why would you apply to both visas at the same time?" My wife answered that the K3 required that we apply for the CR1 first, and that because the K3 was delayed, the CR1 paperwork ended up in Cairo sooner than expected, so we decided to pursue the CR1 through Cairo.
Needless to say, that explanation did not suffice, he kept asking the same questions repeatedly, growing ruder more annoyed each time. My wife remained calm and informed him again that this was the most logical choice. He then cancelled the K3 visa, and informed my wife the following:
"There are new procedures for the CR1, all the paperwork has to go through Washington and it will take at a minimum two months. If you do not hear from us within two months, you can email us then and only then."
He then returned the passport to my wife along with the original marriage and birth certificates. He was visibly annoyed that we were going through Cairo for both the K3 and CR1. There was no interview, he did not ask her one question about our relationship, nor did he ask to see any of the evidence she had.
My wife was shaken from the experience, and is still upset at what she thought would be a routine interview. I too am very upset because we have booked tickets and set all our plans in place. I did not expect that the CR1 interview would be such a risk, but I should have known that anything is risky through Cairo. I am hoping this is a new CO that is just having a bad day and decided to take it out on my wife.
Does anyone know of these "new procedures" he mentioned? My understanding is that the file goes through Washington only if there is an FBI name check. But he didn't even take her fingerprints. Has anyone had any similar experiences, in Cairo or anywhere else?
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Oh my!!
I am so sorry to hear your wife's terrible experience, why do they have to be so hard on visa applicants in Cairo?, That bites!!
I wish you nothing but the very best!!
((Masri)) here is a hug
May 7th 2004, 12:37 pm
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 142
Re: Cairo - another horror story - please help!
Mohamed,
jefferyhy hit it right on the head. the heavy security check and extra scrutiny come with the cr-1 visa. my husband's security clearance took just shy of 2 months.
the good thing is that this is the end....the last thing to be done before issuing the cr-1 visa. so when this clearance comes back negative, her visa will be issued and in her possession within 30 days.
just be a little more patient and you will have the best outcome in my opinion....meaning that she will have her green card within a couple of weeks of putting her feet on american soil. then immediately she will have all the rights and privileges that take many people months (!) to get.
a few months of extra waiting on the front end save you many months on the back end - not a bad trade off in my opinion.
jefferyhy hit it right on the head. the heavy security check and extra scrutiny come with the cr-1 visa. my husband's security clearance took just shy of 2 months.
the good thing is that this is the end....the last thing to be done before issuing the cr-1 visa. so when this clearance comes back negative, her visa will be issued and in her possession within 30 days.
just be a little more patient and you will have the best outcome in my opinion....meaning that she will have her green card within a couple of weeks of putting her feet on american soil. then immediately she will have all the rights and privileges that take many people months (!) to get.
a few months of extra waiting on the front end save you many months on the back end - not a bad trade off in my opinion.
