Hi,
I am in process of helping my fiance come to the USA (K-1 visa). He has a lot of enemies and they are threatening to try to hinder his process by creating false documents (marriage certificates, etc)... how can we fight or refute these?

Good day V.O,
I attended the follow-up interview on the 24th of july.
I was told I fell into the category of common names
And they need to do more background check
After that day my status on CEAC changed from Ready to Administrative Processing.
And the dates on update keeps changing. Formally it was 18th of july. After my follow-up interview it's changed to 24th, 26th,28th and now 29th. Does this mean it's in progress and being updated as you do your findings (background check) ?
Besides my host just informed me he has moved to a new home with another address different to the previous one he gave me that I included in the form I sent to KCC. How do I update the embassy? And I hope this will not affect the background check?

Hi everyone,

Before I catch up on the many questions, I wanted to let you know that my awesome staff came in over the holiday weekend and printed almost all of the approved Immigrant and Diversity Visas! They'll go out to the collection center today! So starting tomorrow, your visas should be ready for pick-up.

As always, you may wish to call the collection center just to be sure, before making the trip all the way out there.

Thank you for your patience! I apologize for the inconvenience, but we're back on track now.

And a cautionary tale. Please note that the names below are only a few of the Diversity Visa imposters who were unfortunately detained by Nigeria's Police Special Fraud Unit in July....

http://www.punchng.com/feature/super-saturday-crime/visa-applicant-lands-in-police-net-after-boyfriend-helped-forge-visas/

Visa applicant lands in police net after boyfriend helped forge visas

July 26, 2014 by Kunle Falayi

Some visa applicants nabbed at the US Consulate-General in the month of July have been handed over to the Police Special Fraud Unit in Lagos for prosecution.

According to SFU’s spokesperson, Ngozi Nsitume, a petition from the US Consulate Lagos on July 9, 2014, alleged that one Adegbola Esther appeared at US. Consulate-General for a Non-Immigrant Visa Interview with forged Canadian Turkish and Angolan visas showing entry and exit stamps.

But investigation was said to have revealed that the visas were forged by Esther’s boyfriend, one Oloni Olawale, after she paid him N100,000 for the three fake visa, to facilitate approval of her US visa application.

In another case, the US Consulate-General alleged that on July 10, 2014, another applicant, Akinlade Olugbenga, appeared for a US Immigrant Visa interview with fake name – Awoleye Tope, an individual said to have won a visa lottery.

“The suspect knowingly and fraudulently appeared at the US Embassy to steal the identity of the real winner of the diversity visa lottery,” the statement said.

A day after Olugbenga was nabbed at the embassy, another applicant, Adewole Fatimah whose real name was Adeniyi Motunrayo, was alleged to have appeared at the embassy with one Adewole Oluwaseun for a diversity visa interview. Motunrayo was said to have attempted to steal the identity of the real winner of the diversity visa lottery.

It was the same case of identity theft against applicant Omoyemi Olaiya, whose real name is Samuel Ojo and Ibenne Nkem whose real name is Ogundipe Emmanuel.

Like a harvest of fraudulent applicants, the SFU said one Babatunde Abiola and Babatunde Adenike was also nabbed for presenting forged bio-data, wedding pictures, marriage certificate and fake result to the embassy even though their real names are Oguntimehin Olanike and Aderoju Eunice.

Nsitume said, “One Aderoju Qasim and Aderoju Eunice presented forged bio-data and fake documents to the US Embassy for immigrant visas. Their real names are Oyewole Tunde and Abelese Olayinka. Both suspects fraudulently appeared at the embassy to steal the identity of the real winners of a diversity visa lottery.

“In this same month, one Christiana Omagu, a female Nigerian–American citizen, appeared before the US Consulate General to process a US passport for a male child. Investigation revealed that the suspect and her husband, Donald Omagu, were not the parents of the child, but only needed the passport to traffic the child to US.

“Finally on July 17, 2014, one Idrisu Martins, an impostor appeared at the embassy for an immigrant visa but investigation revealed that he was not the winner of the diversity visa lottery he appeared to claim.

“Investigation is on-going on these individuals. All suspects would be charged to court soon to serve as a deterrent to other intending visa fraudsters.”

Copyright PUNCH.

VisaOfficer: Hi everyone,

Before I catch up on the many questions, I wanted to let you know that my awesome staff came in over the holiday weekend and printed almost all of the approved Immigrant and Diversity Visas! They'll go out to the collection center today! So starting tomorrow, your visas should be ready for pick-up.

As always, you may wish to call the collection center just to be sure, before making the trip all the way out there.

Thank you for your patience! I apologize for the inconvenience, but we're back on track now.

Welcome back from sallah break.hope U̶̲̥̅̊
enjoy d loooooooooong weekend?

Good morning VO, glad to have you back,we sure missed you a lot. Quick one: what are the necessary steps my sister needs to take to go put to birth in the US?
Ps she was born there but has not returned ever since.

VisaOfficer: Hi everyone,

Before I catch up on the many questions, I wanted to let you know that my awesome staff came in over the holiday weekend and printed almost all of the approved Immigrant and Diversity Visas! They'll go out to the collection center today! So starting tomorrow, your visas should be ready for pick-up.

As always, you may wish to call the collection center just to be sure, before making the trip all the way out there.

Thank you for your patience! I apologize for the inconvenience, but we're back on track now.

Good morning ma'am and a very big kudos to u and your indefatigable staff.Thanks so much for keeping your promise of updating us.Have a good day.

guddylover: @visaofficer,

A friend of mine went for U.S visa lottery interview sometime in 2007 and he and his then wife was refused the visa, now he is wondering if he can apply again with his real information since his fingerprints was not taken back when he went for interview.Cant go into why he is now trying to use his real info, but I think that happened as a result of what these silly agents made him do. My question is that, can the U.S embassy fish him out with just the Police character cert. obtained from Alagbon? Once again, his fingerprints was not taken at the embassy. Thanks

He can certainly come back and apply again, and he should definitely use his real identity from here on out. And, yes, we will know about his previous application(s) under a false identity, even if his prints were not taken. (We know things.) Assuming he qualifies for the visa he next applies for, he will likely need a waiver in order to proceed, but as long as he is honest from here on out, there's still a chance.

PMBL: Yes you are correct, the misrepsentation happened almost 12 years ago which had absolutely nothing to do with the fiance case. Now I do know you are truly who you say you are, because I never told you that and only someone experience and knowledgeable would know it didn't have anything to do with the fiance case. The CO did believe we have a bonifide relationship. I really respect you for helping us alll, see I am new to this forum and didnt know what to expect. Thank you kindly, but I do need to know if this will effect my I130, because it's been 8 months now and no NO2 and am worried? We never received a NOIR for our k1 petition or anything, but when I called they told me our petition for the k1 (i129f) is still active. Wouldn't that be impossible since we filed it in June 2012 & our last interview when we received the denial was in July 2013?

You're wise not to trust internet voices! Glad I've convinced you of my bona fides.

The previous filing will not affect your I-130. I'm not sure why your I-129F is considered open, but it's possible that someone at USCIS simply didn't click the button. I-129F petitions are technically only valid for four months, so often when they're sent back for revocation, no further action is taken by USCIS.

Best of luck!

deejaysly: Plz help me out, am a young guy of 29, v aplied 4 a visitin US visa twice last year(august nd oct) nd I was denied in bot cases, bt diz time I want to apply tru a platform for a one week training, wot is my chance of getin d visa approved diz tym. Tnkx

Please ask my non-immigrant visa colleagues at https://www.nairaland.com/1792662/u.s-non-immigrant-visas-listening .

mathlaw: Dear Visa Officer,we appreciate your precious time here.Pls i need your advice here,i paid for Non-immigration Visa fee for my wife at GT Bank and it was when she came back from work i realised i used her old passport that she was using before we got married which is even expired instead of her new passport copy to pay for the Visa fee.
The only difference frm my old passort and new pssport is the surname,the old passport bear my father's name before i got married and my new passport bear my husband name and my old passort is even expired,infact the bank cashier didn't even notice that it has expired when paying for the fee.
When i went back to bank to notify them i was told they can't do anythin on it again that i can still use the payment reference number so far is only the surname that is difference.Pls what can you advice on it.I will wait for ur reply urgently.Thanks

I don't have the answer to this one. Please ask my non-immigrant visa colleagues at https://www.nairaland.com/1792662/u.s-non-immigrant-visas-listening .

marymary14: Good morning VO,
I finally got my visa approved and I really want to thank you for your advise so far. But I have a challenge now, my parents will be celebrating their wedding anniversary in December and I really want to be there for it, but the thing is my medicals expire October. I'm wondering if it's possible to extend it or do I have to do another one?

Well, there are a few options here. First, you could go to the U.S., then return for your parents' anniversary. I know how expensive the flights are, though, and if you don't get your LPR card in the meantime, you'll need a boarding foil from us in order to return to the States.

If you have a Diversity Visa, we can issue a new one for you as long as it's issued before September 30. There's no fee for reissuance of a Diversity Visa.

If you have an Immigrant Visa, we can do this for you but you would have to pay the $230 fee again. If it's any kind of immigrant visa besides an IR or a CR, though, that can only be done before Sept. 30 .

If your visa is an IR or a CR, we can issue a new visa until Sept. 30, 2015 (not 2014), but you would have to pay the $230 fee again.

(Ks can also be replaced but I think this post is already complicated enough...)

Reissuances / replacements are done when an applicant can't travel for reasons outside his / her control, but I would be willing to consider your parents' decision to get married and create an inconvenient anniversary date for their future child something that is beyond your control.

Dansy: Pls sir, what are the questions ask at the point of entry USA and other information.I will travelling first week next month. I am first time traveller

I think you'll understand why I'm not going to answer this question. Just tell the truth.

LUCAS99: Dear Visa Officer I'm a Nigerian living abroad please do I have to be physically present in Nigeria inorder to renew my F-1 Student visa through the Dropbox Renewal Service program or can I ask my sibling or friend to drop off the application confirmation sheet, passport photos, visa fee receipt, and appropriate forms to one of the DHL facilities in Abuja or Lagos.And when the visa is ready my sibling or sister can collect the passport with the visa attached on my behalf and mail it back to me in the United States.

Please ask my non-immigrant visa colleagues at https://www.nairaland.com/1792662/u.s-non-immigrant-visas-listening . I don't work with student visas or with the dropbox program. (I do know that yes, you have to be here in Nigeria to renew a visa here.)

aariwa: Dear VO.please i need some clarifications.If a nigerian man marries his first cousin who is an american citizen in nigeria or ghana,is he eligible to file for form i 30 or immediate relative/spouse visa,The cousin is from a state in U.S where first cousin marriage is legal while the laws in Nigeria and Ghana are silent on it.

Based on what you've written here, yes, the spouse can file an I-130 on his behalf. The beneficiary will still need to convince the officer that the two have a bona fide spousal relationship.

johnsonadex: Hello the VO, can someone travelling in November 2014 pay for his USCIS fee in July 2014 while he's still in Nigeria? Hope its not too early?

Not too early - in fact, that's ideal!

valworld: What a great chance we have here to count you ?
Dear V.O, I need your advice, my appointment letter (DV) came with all our name in improper order i.e.: YZX instead of XYZ: will this pose any problem?
Thanks in anticipation

Greetings! What you describe should not be a problem, especially if the order is consistent on your documents.

pepson:

hello VO,i wish to know if it is a good idear to get an immigration lawyer to follow up my case? i plan to get one in the US to follow up my case

Hi Pepson,

My personal opinion: I wouldn't worry about getting an attorney at this stage. Filing a waiver application (the I-601) is pretty straightforward. Of course, it's a personal choice, and getting an attorney isn't going to hurt; it's just not really necessary.

lifeainez: Hi,
I am in process of helping my fiance come to the USA (K-1 visa). He has a lot of enemies and they are threatening to try to hinder his process by creating false documents (marriage certificates, etc)... how can we fight or refute these?

We do sometimes receive information from people trying to cause trouble, unfortunately. While that information can lead to new lines of questioning, we realize that often the "information" is simply malicious nonsense. We would never refuse to issue a visa just because someone sent us a nasty e-mail, for example (especially a nasty anonymous e-mail). As long as your relationship is bona fide, that's all that matters.

Ddream77: Good day V.O,
I attended the follow-up interview on the 24th of july.
I was told I fell into the category of common names
And they need to do more background check
After that day my status on CEAC changed from Ready to Administrative Processing.
And the dates on update keeps changing. Formally it was 18th of july. After my follow-up interview it's changed to 24th, 26th,28th and now 29th. Does this mean it's in progress and being updated as you do your findings (background check) ?
Besides my host just informed me he has moved to a new home with another address different to the previous one he gave me that I included in the form I sent to KCC. How do I update the embassy? And I hope this will not affect the background check?

Greetings! You're in an unfortunate situation, especially so close to the end of the DV season. We absolutely cannot print any 2014 Diversity Visas after Sept. 30, 2014. I hope the case is resolved one way or the other before then. We will contact you right away as soon as we know something; you don't really need to check your status. (Although I understand why that is irresistible.)

You can let us know the new address at your follow-up interview.

Good luck!

marymary14: Good morning VO, glad to have you back,we sure missed you a lot. Quick one: what are the necessary steps my sister needs to take to go put to birth in the US?
Ps she was born there but has not returned ever since.

If she was born there, she's likely an American citizen. If she has a U.S. passport, she can simply travel to the U.S. and give birth, no wahala. If she's never applied for a U.S. passport before, this is definitely a good time to do that! http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/acs_abuja_passports.html has information about applying in Abuja and in Lagos.

Dear v.o,
I already attended the follow-up interview on the 24th of july. According to the email I got from the embassy, I was told that my case is nearly complete.
About the change of address, He told me just some days ago.
Well, I just hope my case is resolved before the 30th of September.
As for the change of address, what do advice me to do?
Thanks.

VisaOfficer: Hi everyone,

Before I catch up on the many questions, I wanted to let you know that my awesome staff came in over the holiday weekend and printed almost all of the approved Immigrant and Diversity Visas! They'll go out to the collection center today! So starting tomorrow, your visas should be ready for pick-up.

As always, you may wish to call the collection center just to be sure, before making the trip all the way out there.

Thank you for your patience! I apologize for the inconvenience, but we're back on track now.

Dear VO,

I wanna say thank you for everything u have done for us here on dis thread, you are such a wonderful darling God reward u abundantly

This is to inform you that I av just pickup my Visa Package today @DHL and it will expire January 2015.

Thank you.

Ddream77: Dear v.o,
I already attended the follow-up interview on the 24th of july. According to the email I got from the embassy, I was told that my case is nearly complete.
About the change of address, He told me just some days ago.
Well, I just hope my case is resolved before the 30th of September.
As for the change of address, what do advice me to do?
Thanks.

Just remind us when you come back for your next interview, and we can update the case notes for you.

Adeboy007:

Dear VO,

I wanna say thank you for everything u have done for us here on dis thread, you are such a wonderful darling God reward u abundantly

This is to inform you that I av just pickup my Visa Package today @DHL and it will expire January 2015.

Thank you.

Thank you sir! Safe travels. I expect to hear of great successes from you and your future family over there!

I'm going to hassle you one more time, because I can. I feel a sudden urge to remind everyone that American culture has a weird fixation with youth and beauty, and everyone firmly believes that the words "old" and "elderly" only apply to people at least 15 years older than they themselves are. Even if they're 70, in their hearts they will believe that only 85-year-olds are old. Even when it's patently untrue, you may want to practice looking surprised when someone (male or female) tells you their age, and saying "I never would have guessed, you look so much younger!"

Along the same lines, never ever tell anyone that they have gained weight, and NEVER ask a woman if she is pregnant, even if she is visibly giving birth right that moment.

Trust me.

VisaOfficer:

He can certainly come back and apply again, and he should definitely use his real identity from here on out. And, yes, we will know about his previous application(s) under a false identity, even if his prints were not taken. (We know things.) Assuming he qualifies for the visa he next applies for, he will likely need a waiver in order to proceed, but as long as he is honest from here on out, there's still a chance.

Thanks for the response Sir/Ma,

So as long as he can apply with his real information this time he should be fine? So basically now, every applicants that apply for any visa gets fingerprinted inside the embassy? In this case, my friend now lives in London, England but he wants to visit USA from there, so that is why is worried about his previous application from Lagos despite he was not fingerprinted. Any more info would be appreciated. Thanks

VisaOfficer:

Thank you sir! Safe travels. I expect to hear of great successes from you and your future family over there!

I'm going to hassle you one more time, because I can. I feel a sudden urge to remind everyone that American culture has a weird fixation with youth and beauty, and everyone firmly believes that the words "old" and "elderly" only apply to people at least 15 years older than they themselves are. Even if they're 70, in their hearts they will believe that only 85-year-olds are old. Even when it's patently untrue, you may want to practice looking surprised when someone (male or female) tells you their age, and saying "I never would have guessed, you look so much younger!"

Along the same lines, never ever tell anyone that they have gained weight, and NEVER ask a woman if she is pregnant, even if she is visibly giving birth right that moment.

Trust me.

So true.

guddylover:


Thanks for the response Sir/Ma,

So as long as he can apply with his real information this time he should be fine? So basically now, every applicants that apply for any visa gets fingerprinted inside the embassy? In this case, my friend now lives in London, England but he wants to visit USA from there, so that is why is worried about his previous application from Lagos despite he was not fingerprinted. Any more info would be appreciated. Thanks

Yes, London will be able to see his previous Lagos application, even though he was not fingerprinted. I'm not promising he'll be fine, but if he tries to hide his previous false identity, he will definitely not be fine. Candor and openness are his only path to possible visa issuance from here on out.

VisaOfficer:

Yes, London will be able to see his previous Lagos application, even though he was not fingerprinted. I'm not promising he'll be fine, but if he tries to hide his previous false identity, he will definitely not be fine. Candor and openness are his only path to possible visa issuance from here on out.

Thanks,

So what about if he waits till he gets his British passport, that way he won't need to apply for a visa I believe. Thanks for the swift response

guddylover:

Thanks,

So what about if he waits till he gets his British passport, that way he won't need to apply for a visa I believe. Thanks for the swift response

He'll still have to sign up through ESTA (the Electronic System for Travel Authorization) and pass through Customs. His moment of truth will be postponed, but it is very likely inevitable. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ for more information on the visa waiver program.

VisaOfficer:

Thank you sir! Safe travels. I expect to hear of great successes from you and your future family over there!

I'm going to hassle you one more time, because I can. I feel a sudden urge to remind everyone that American culture has a weird fixation with youth and beauty, and everyone firmly believes that the words "old" and "elderly" only apply to people at least 15 years older than they themselves are. Even if they're 70, in their hearts they will believe that only 85-year-olds are old. Even when it's patently untrue, you may want to practice looking surprised when someone (male or female) tells you their age, and saying "I never would have guessed, you look so much younger!"

Along the same lines, never ever tell anyone that they have gained weight, and NEVER ask a woman if she is pregnant, even if she is visibly giving birth right that moment.

Trust me.

Uhm,thanks for that advice.Adeboy oko omoge(girls' sweethearts) heed this advice o!!!lol.It tickled me that u (V.O) were the only one able to harrass/deal with Adeboy where our royal council of elders failed.

Thanks a lot for for the response, what if it's just the medicals that's expired? Whereas the visa still has its six months validity what do I do?it's for the dv

VisaOfficer:

Well, there are a few options here. First, you could go to the U.S., then return for your parents' anniversary. I know how expensive the flights are, though, and if you don't get your LPR card in the meantime, you'll need a boarding foil from us in order to return to the States.

If you have a Diversity Visa, we can issue a new one for you as long as it's issued before September 30. There's no fee for reissuance of a Diversity Visa.

If you have an Immigrant Visa, we can do this for you but you would have to pay the $230 fee again. If it's any kind of immigrant visa besides an IR or a CR, though, that can only be done before Sept. 30 .

If your visa is an IR or a CR, we can issue a new visa until Sept. 30, 2015 (not 2014), but you would have to pay the $230 fee again.

(Ks can also be replaced but I think this post is already complicated enough...)

Reissuances / replacements are done when an applicant can't travel for reasons outside his / her control, but I would be willing to consider your parents' decision to get married and create an inconvenient anniversary date for their future child something that is beyond your control.