Fiancee visa processing: Administrative delay

Some fiancee visa interviews do not conclude in one day, and the consular officer requires additional time to review the case. This situation is referred to as "administrative delay". While many administrative processing delays can be resolved within 90 days, some take longer. The Department of State provided some information for those cases taking longer than 90 days.

K-1 fiancee visa denial: Visa Office explains

It's always devastating when a fiance(e) gets a denial of their fiance(e) visa at the interview. According to the Foreign Affairs Manual, the consular officer must provide the section of the law that the applicant was denied under, but also a factual basis for the refusal. That explanation for the reason for denial sometimes seems to be glossed over leaving the applicant confused about why s/he was denied.

AILA approached the Department of State about this trend, and here's the liaison's response:

"VO believes that while using clear language to describe refusals is essential, explanations of why a visa could not be issued need not be lengthy. Using precise legal citations creates less confusion and is less likely to be misinterpreted than other notes that consular officers provide. Because resources at posts are often stretched, we instruct our officers to use the cleared language available to them in the FAM to describe refusals."

USCIS' ICE unit to combat document fraud

USCIS announced the expansion of their forensic lab in Boston. One of the purposes of the expanded lab will be to combat document fraud. Document fraud, unfortunately, is widespread and affects not only work-based immigration petition but marriage-based and family-based petitions as well. Bogus college transcripts, employment records, divorce decrees, or death certificates can be purchased overseas in cottage industries that cater to immigrants seeking to bolster their immigration benefit applications. It's not worth it. The USCIS is aware of these schemes and the penalties are severe, possibly leading to a permanent ban on entering the USA.

Applicants seeking a green card and permanent residency should provide the documents required by the immigrations, but realize that secondary evidence may be provided in the event the primary documents are no longer available.

Contact my office at 626-771-1078 or visit us at http://www.myfianceevisa.com/ for more details.

NVC documentation receipt notations

It's always great to hear from the NVC when they state that all required docs have been received and the case is ready for the next step. In the case of Immigrant Visa applications, it's an interview at the US embassy or general consulate. What I find a bit confusing is the notations the NVC uses to essentially denote the same status with slight variations.

For example, to indicate that a document has been received, the NVC uses the following:

• D= certified document received
• O= original document received and accepted as meeting post requirements
• S= scanned document received. Original document must be presented at time of interview.
• Y= the required document has been received.

I appreciate the detail that these notations provide, but there must be an easier way to convey this information. Hopefully the NVC will streamline this process and make it easier to work with.

E visa unit to be partially closed in December

Just got the schedule for the E visa unit hours at the US embassy in London for the month of December. I've processed cases through London and the embassy has been good to work with. My clients have expressed satisfaction with the services they've received there. Always good to hear given the workload those officers face.