VisaOfficer:

I'm glad you had a good experience! It's nice to have positive feedback.

The flag at half mast is such a powerful image of respect and sorrow. It's emotional for me, too. Thanks for noticing it.

My Wife entered the US with me a few days ago. It was a seamless process at the port of entry.

I'm glad to be done with this process for the next 21 months (filing to remove conditions).

Once again thanks for sharing your insights.

I accompanied my Spouse to the interview recently.

Had nothing but good feedback for the staff that was encountered. The interpreter was a God sent and we are indubitably eternally grateful.

I wasn't allowed to join the interview as expected but I used the restroom and the staff for that process was very professional.

It was emotional for me to see our flag at half mast.

VisaOfficer:

All I can say is that if they are truly married, they are not going to have any problems with their follow-up interview. I'm not aware of this specific case, but we have several similar ones, and I really don't want to publicize tips on how to convince us that you're really married. I'm sure your friends are good people, but I know that these forums are widely read...

Does this mean that the post is now interviewing Couples together as the original poster said?

World history is littered with devious people who are gifted, unfortunately, with skills to perform mind control on others. It is my opinion that some of these folks really believe that they are indeed pregnant when they are not.

How can we explain the people that drank Jim Jones koolaid and the Heavens Gate cult.

Of course, as long as the DNA is performed by a certified lab and it fails then no benefit should be given. I do wonder though if the people who sought American benefits fully understand what DNA is. Do the applicants know that a DNA would be performed and they just took a gamble?

I am starting to see some of the causes of the length of time it takes to unite legitimate families. You folks are too busy dealing with time wasting silly stuff like this at the embassy.

Hello Consular Officer:

I have another question and it's regarding proof of money transactions.

There is a debate on how the post looks at this, specifically Western Union receipts.

I send money to my Spouse on a monthly basis from the US for her support and for adult education school fees, I included those receipts as proof of financial intermingling.

Some folks worry that this might be looked at negatively. I can possibly understand if the money was coming from a foreign country to a USC, but in my case it's the reverse.

I would like to hear your personal opinion in particular and the post in general on this.

Thank you once again.

VisaOfficer:

Greetings! A lot of questions to answer. I’ll try to take them in order…

We (as a post, and speaking for myself personally) absolutely do not look at applicants who require interpreters in a negative light. We know that not everyone speaks English, and we have a diverse staff who are glad to help interpret. (Many of us are studying the local languages so that we can communicate more easily, too!).............

I imagine that all of the above was annoying to read, given that your fiancee did not receive a visa.
Hope this helps.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Yes I had quite a bit of questions, apologies, but I am not a fresh wild eyed petitioner. I have been on this journey for 2 years now and have involved Senators and Congressperson from my district and state.

I was not annoyed by the answers actually and I found it quite educative. I think my Wife will be a little bit more comfortable during this next interview since I'm flying down to support her during this interview even if it means hanging out outside the gate. No worries.

If you have time in the future I would like you to address a rumor that based on the petition package that you have already made your decision prior to the interview. Thus many people "front load" with a lrge amount of relationship evidence with the petition. Petitioners dealing with posts in Visa Waiver Program countries do not do this.

Once again, thank you for your time.

PS: The cost of a flight to Lagos is about $1,000. I spend that on telephone calls in 4 months so that I can continue a relationship with my Wife. I think giving the USC an opportunity to come own to the interview will be a nice customer service opportunity. You also did not address my thoughts on performing a stokes interview if there is indeed a doubt about validity of the relationship. At least one South American country requires USC tobe at the interviews. In the Phillipines US embassy, USC are allowed into the interview. Why the double standard for Nigeria? Just curious.

Greetings And Salutations.

My Fiancees K1 visa was denied, sadly but we have an approved I-130 and so will be visiting your post shortly for another interview.

Does the post look at applicants for family based visa, not employment or education based, that require an interpreter in negative light or it doesn't matter?

How about you personally?

I have a sneaky feeling that she might have been refused due to the fact that she used an interpreter that but I have no proof. I filed for and received a FOIA but all it provided was the same generic lack of "bona fide relationship" reason that is so common at your post.

Thank you for any insight that you can provide.

PS: Perhaps you can also share why your post routinely re adjudicate petitions. It seems this way to us.

It is my understand that as far back as when Mr. Powell was Secretary of State, that there was a notice that was sent to post not to do this exact task. It is confusing to those of us USC that had our approved petitions returned to USCIS.

http://www.gurfinkel.com/imm_archive/2004/apr18-2004.html I cannot readily find the link to the DOS website.

Additionally, since you may not know, when you return petitions to WAC they do not get reaffirmed and the petition dies without giving any opporunity to object to the return or provide any additional evidence. Petitions returned to EAC have a slight chance of being reviewed.

Anyways, thanks for what you do for us, keeping rogue elements out of our doorsteps. I know immigration is a privilege and not a right but I just wished that there was some opacity to the inner working so we as citizens don't always feel like we're falling into a dark hole.

Thank you.

PPS: Why doesn't the embassy just mandate that the USC also accompany the applicant to the interview so they can have a stokes interview right there and then?