ying2000:
Would it make it difficult to apply for an H4 visa if spouse hasn't got H1-B stamped? He got his H1-B last year. I will be attending H4 interview outside the US. Would it create any problem? Do I need to put in his F1-OPT documents too?

This is a question for my non-immigrant visa colleagues at https://www.nairaland.com/1792662/u.s-non-immigrant-visas-listening .

Dear VO,

Weldon on the good job here. I need your advice/guide on what could be wrong with my position of not securing an entry visa to the US. I worked as a Salesman in a multinational in Nigeria. We (myself and my wife) were denied visa for my B1/B2 non-immigrant visa application in Lagos in May 2014. The reason given us was we were unable to demonstrate our intended activities will be consistent with the classification of visa applied for and we didn't have strong evidence of home ties. Shortly after, we were granted UK visa, visited the UK for 3wks in September (to celebrate my spouse's birthday and have my vacation). We have applied again this year for B2 (TOURISM/MEDICAL TREATMENT) in Abuja and was denied again in June 2015. The questions asked were few (4) and the consuls stopped after I answered, I will pay the medical bills with credit cards while in the US. The same reason as that of 2014 was given for denial (the US Embassy claimed we have insufficient proof that we would return back to our base in Nigeria right afterwards). This is despite my presenting all our correspondence with the Hospital in the US. In spite of this setback, however, I wish my wife alone reapply, but this time and for purely medical purpose as opposed to the vacation/medical trip we both planned.
Just so you know, she is desperate to re-attempt immediately because of the pressure and stigma that goes along with infertility in this part of the world, especially since she was the one the dead-ended preliminary tests conducted here manipulated. However, I have my immediate elder brother in the states (a US Citizen) who gave us Invitation on both occasions. Kindly advice if there are any other means my brother can HELP out of this case by securing her entry visa to come for the diagnosis, aside from the fact that I wish to experience visiting the US (which must not be now). The infertility case and trauma attached has been disturbing us, this affects my input at work, lifestyle and relationship with people. It's a secondary fertility case, I still believe a proper examination by sound physicians will go a long way. Thanks.

Profitboss:
Dear VO,

Weldon on the good job here. I need your advice/guide on what could be wrong with my position of not securing an entry visa to the US. I worked as a Salesman in a multinational in Nigeria. We (myself and my wife) were denied visa for my B1/B2 non-immigrant visa application in Lagos in May 2014. The reason given us was we were unable to demonstrate our intended activities will be consistent with the classification of visa applied for and we didn't have strong evidence of home ties. Shortly after, we were granted UK visa, visited the UK for 3wks in September (to celebrate my spouse's birthday and have my vacation). We have applied again this year for B2 (TOURISM/MEDICAL TREATMENT) in Abuja and was denied again in June 2015. The questions asked were few (4) and the consuls stopped after I answered, I will pay the medical bills with credit cards while in the US. The same reason as that of 2014 was given for denial (the US Embassy claimed we have insufficient proof that we would return back to our base in Nigeria right afterwards). This is despite my presenting all our correspondence with the Hospital in the US. In spite of this setback, however, I wish my wife alone reapply, but this time and for purely medical purpose as opposed to the vacation/medical trip we both planned.
Just so you know, she is desperate to re-attempt immediately because of the pressure and stigma that goes along with infertility in this part of the world, especially since she was the one the dead-ended preliminary tests conducted here manipulated. However, I have my immediate elder brother in the states (a US Citizen) who gave us Invitation on both occasions. Kindly advice if there are any other means my brother can HELP out of this case by securing her entry visa to come for the diagnosis, aside from the fact that I wish to experience visiting the US (which must not be now). The infertility case and trauma attached has been disturbing us, this affects my input at work, lifestyle and relationship with people. It's a secondary fertility case, I still believe a proper examination by sound physicians will go a long way. Thanks.

This is a question for my non-immigrant visa colleagues at https://www.nairaland.com/1792662/u.s-non-immigrant-visas-listening . I really don't know the answer -- it's not my area. Good luck!

dear VO, pls what's the timeframe a derivative is expected to apply for his/her visa to join the principal applicant whose visa was granted. derivative was part of an approved I-130 on which principal applicant got their visa, but derivative didn't attend interview with principal applicant because he/she would like to follow to join. thanks

Superflex:
dear VO, pls what's the timeframe a derivative is expected to apply for his/her visa to join the principal applicant whose visa was granted. derivative was part of an approved I-130 on which principal applicant got their visa, but derivative didn't attend interview with principal applicant because he/she would like to follow to join. thanks

The time frame is "after the principal applicant travels but before s/he naturalizes":

The spouse and children of a principal applicant are entitled to derive immigration benefits from their principal’s approved visa petition and may travel to the United States at a later date. Under no circumstance will the derivative spouse or child be allowed to travel to the U.S. ahead of the principal applicant.

Following-to-join applicants may derive immigration benefits only if:

1. The spouse or children were acquired before the principal applicant’s admission into the United States; and

2. The principal applicant gained lawful permanent resident (LPR) status or was issued an immigrant visa under the family-preference (F) or employment-based (E) visa categories or was issued a non-immigrant K or V visa. Foreign nationals who immigrated to the U.S. under an immediate relative (IR or CR) visa category need to file a separate Form I-130 visa petition on behalf of their spouses and children.

3. The principal applicant has not naturalized. Once the principal applicant becomes a U.S. citizen, a separate visa petition needs to be filed on behalf of the spouse and/or children to qualify for immigration benefits again.

many thanks for the detailed response VO.
does derivative need to complete form I-824 when s/he is ready to apply for visa or s/he just need to schedule a visa appointment?
thanks

Superflex:
many thanks for the detailed response VO.
does derivative need to complete form I-824 when s/he is ready to apply for visa or s/he just need to schedule a visa appointment?
thanks

I'm so glad you asked, because I love these complicated little details.

It depends whether the principal applicant traveled to the United States on the immigrant visa (or on a K1 or K3), or whether s/he traveled on a non-immigrant visa (such as B1/B2 or student visa) and adjusted status to become a Legal Permanent Resident.

If the principal applicant traveled on the immigrant visa (or a K1 or K3), no, the I-824 form is not needed. Just shoot an e-mail to LagosIV@state.gov and let us know the derivatives are ready to follow-to-join!

If the principal applicant traveled on a non-immigrant visa and then adjusted status, yes, the I-824 form is needed.

People can also contact NVC and ask them if the I-824 is needed in their particular case. Their e-mail address is NVCInquiry@state.gov.

again thank you VO.
going back to your earlier response "following-to-join applicants may derive immigration benefits only if: 1. The spouse or children were acquired before the principal applicant's admission into the United States..etc"

1. what happens in a situation where the derivative was not included in the original approved petition on which the principal migrated to the usa (but derivative name was filled in form DS-260 as spouse/child of principal applicant). does derivative need to complete form I-824 or does s/he just need to email lagosiv@state.gov asking for name to be included, even though the principal's visa has been issued and principal is already in the usa? Wont the case be considered closed once the principal has been issued a visa?

2. if the derivative was not included in the original approved petition but was later added to it by emailing lagosiv@state.gov, however derivative did not attend visa interview with principal because s/he wishes to follow-to-join, will s/he need to fill form I-824 or s/he just need to schedule an appointment and submit form DS-260 with required documents?

thank you

Superflex:
again thank you VO.
going back to your earlier response "following-to-join applicants may derive immigration benefits only if: 1. The spouse or children were acquired before the principal applicant's admission into the United States..etc"

1. what happens in a situation where the derivative was not included in the original approved petition on which the principal migrated to the usa (but derivative name was filled in form DS-260 as spouse/child of principal applicant). does derivative need to complete form I-824 or does s/he just need to email lagosiv@state.gov asking for name to be included, even though the principal's visa has been issued and principal is already in the usa? Wont the case be considered closed once the principal has been issued a visa?

No I-824 needed in this case. We can reopen the case to add derivatives. Do keep in mind that if someone's claiming to be the spouse or child of a principal applicant who never said anything to us about being married or having children, we become even more focused than usual on confirming that the relationship is bona fide.

2. if the derivative was not included in the original approved petition but was later added to it by emailing lagosiv@state.gov, however derivative did not attend visa interview with principal because s/he wishes to follow-to-join, will s/he need to fill form I-824 or s/he just need to schedule an appointment and submit form DS-260 with required documents?

thank you

Again, no I-824 needed. An e-mail to LagosIV@state.gov will do.

Thank you VO for the detailed explanation/clarification. I'm sure your response answers many questions in other readers' mind.
Stay well and have a nice week.

VisaOfficer:


Thank you for the kind words! You do need to include the I-134 affidavit of support when you submit the I-129F fiance petition. When the petition is documentarily complete and has been approved by NVC, which generally takes around six to eight months, NVC will send it to us. At that point we will contact you and give you instructions for making an appointment online.

Dear VO,

Thank you so much for you speedy response! Its great to have a timeline :-)

Hi VO,

Welldone on the good work. So i have like 3 questions to ask..

First my interview for k1 was supposed to be on the 16th of july but i rescheduled to an earlier date because the evidence of support came in earlier than we expected hope it is not a red flag

Secondly, i had a medical condition six years ago and i have been treated and cleared. I was totally honest about it during my medical examination and the doctor was proud of me... i went for my result two weeks ago and i asked the receptionist if everything was ok since i could not see the doctor and the result in a sealed envelop. She said yes that if not i wont be getting the result. So my question is if the clinic has the right to hold a medical exam if the person has a medical condition.

The third question is for the house ... please who has his/her interview on the 10th i need someone to gist with while we wait

VisaOfficer:
[size=16pt]Oh, the sweet music of all our printers cranking away at 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning![/size]

Good morning,

My name is Abubakar Dauda. My case number is LGS2014648015. I'd like to also know when I can pick up my passport. I'd be extremely grateful if you could provide me with an accurate status update on this case. I've been tracking my passport and this case since the technological issues started to no avail. Thank you so much for your help.

finally VO, when a derivative who is following-to-join notifies the consulate that s/he is ready to apply for a visa, how long does it take to schedule an interview date? will s/he has to go through the NVC to schedule an interview date; thus a long waiting period, or is the date scheduled by the consulate? if scheduled by the consulate, what's the estimated waiting period? thanks

Dear VO,

I applied for a non-immigrant visa (B1/B2) July 2014 but was denied because i couldn't provide my old expired passport that carries visa's of countries i have been too. Do i still need to provide it at my next application as car my car was stolen with my old documents?
Will it affect my new application as i will be applying as family?

queenkaf:
Hi VO,

Welldone on the good work. So i have like 3 questions to ask..

First my interview for k1 was supposed to be on the 16th of july but i rescheduled to an earlier date because the evidence of support came in earlier than we expected hope it is not a red flag

Not a red flag.

Secondly, i had a medical condition six years ago and i have been treated and cleared. I was totally honest about it during my medical examination and the doctor was proud of me... i went for my result two weeks ago and i asked the receptionist if everything was ok since i could not see the doctor and the result in a sealed envelop. She said yes that if not i wont be getting the result. So my question is if the clinic has the right to hold a medical exam if the person has a medical condition.

While the doctor should inform you of the results, if the results in any way affect your medical clearance, they must be delivered directly to us in a sealed envelope, so that we can attest that they were not tampered with.

The third question is for the house ... please who has his/her interview on the 10th i need someone to gist with while we wait

See you on the 10th!

HouseofThoughts:


Good morning,

My name is Abubakar Dauda. My case number is LGS2014648015. I'd like to also know when I can pick up my passport. I'd be extremely grateful if you could provide me with an accurate status update on this case. I've been tracking my passport and this case since the technological issues started to no avail. Thank you so much for your help.

Your visa was printed on Saturday and is on its way to the collection center today. However, the collection center is about to receive thousands of passports from us, so it may take them longer than usual to sort everything for pickup. It's a good idea to call them before you make the trip; or, you could wait until early next week, by which time your packet will definitely be ready for you.

VisaOfficer:

One thing this crisis has taught me is that the tracker is not always accurate. It's probably best to call the collection center before you go. BUT, we have printed a heck of a lot of visas, so it is more likely to be true than not!
Again, this weekend and Monday ONLY, if people ask me here about status updates I'll do my best to let you know where your passport is. But please understand that I have to stop as of Monday at close of business -- it's just not an efficient use of my time. Immigrant visas only.

Good day Ma'am,

please ma i checked the ustraveldocs.com site to track the status of my passport maybe its ready for pick up and this is the response i am getting. "There is no status update available for the passport number submitted". Please ma kindly help me locate if its already at the collection center. LGS2015513063.
I will be grateful to hear from you very shortly ma.

Thanks and God Bless you always ma.

Superflex:
finally VO, when a derivative who is following-to-join notifies the consulate that s/he is ready to apply for a visa, how long does it take to schedule an interview date? will s/he has to go through the NVC to schedule an interview date; thus a long waiting period, or is the date scheduled by the consulate? if scheduled by the consulate, what's the estimated waiting period? thanks

When derivatives contact us (with their full names and dates of birth so we can add them to the cases), we instruct them to contact us again after they have filled out the online DS-260 and obtained their medical reports and police certificates. When they contact us to say they're ready, we give them the next available appointment, usually in a couple of weeks' time.

It's actually best for the principal applicant to contact us and say "I want to add the following derivatives to my case." Otherwise we're like, Who are you and why are you asking to be added to someone's case?

KUNZEEL01:
Dear VO,

I applied for a non-immigrant visa (B1/B2) July 2014 but was denied because i couldn't provide my old expired passport that carries visa's of countries i have been too. Do i still need to provide it at my next application as car my car was stolen with my old documents?
Will it affect my new application as i will be applying as family?

This is a question for my non-immigrant visa colleagues at https://www.nairaland.com/1792662/u.s-non-immigrant-visas-listening .

Colemaxgrl:


Good day Ma'am,

please ma i checked the ustraveldocs.com site to track the status of my passport maybe its ready for pick up and this is the response i am getting. "There is no status update available for the passport number submitted". Please ma kindly help me locate if its already at the collection center. LGS2015513063.
I will be grateful to hear from you very shortly ma.

Thanks and God Bless you always ma.

It's on its way to them today. But please keep in mind that they are receiving THOUSANDS of passports from us today, so it will take them longer than usual to sort through everything. If you go next Monday, it will definitely be ready for you. If you'd like to go this week, that's fine, but I'd call them first to be sure they're ready for you.

VisaOfficer:


Your visa was printed on Saturday and is on its way to the collection center today. However, the collection center is about to receive thousands of passports from us, so it may take them longer than usual to sort everything for pickup. It's a good idea to call them before you make the trip; or, you could wait until early next week, by which time your packet will definitely be ready for you.

I appreciate this information very much. It's a relief to finally receive a viable reply of any sort. I'm grateful. Does this mean to ignore the status on the CEAC website which currently states 'Ready' and also the passport tracker that claims 'there is no status available for this passport'?

VisaOfficer:

It's on its way to them today. But please keep in mind that they are receiving THOUSANDS of passports from us today, so it will take them longer than usual to sort through everything. If you go next Monday, it will definitely be ready for you. If you'd like to go this week, that's fine, but I'd call them first to be sure they're ready for you.

Thank you soo much ma'am.
God Bless you and your entire households and all consular officers diligently serving with selflessness.

do enjoy the rest of the day and the week.

Thanks again ma.

HouseofThoughts:


I appreciate this information very much. It's a relief to finally receive a viable reply of any sort. I'm grateful. Does this mean to ignore the status on the CEAC website which currently states 'Ready' and also the passport tracker that claims 'there is no status available for this passport'?

Yup.

Good day Ma'am,

How's your day going? Sincere thanks to you and your crew for working the whole weekend to clear the backlog issue.
I would like to know if it is OK now to ask about visa/passport pickup status . Case number again is LGS2015526036. Thanks a lot.

VisaOfficer:


No, that won't help. It's taking us a bit longer than usual to answer e-mails, due to our technological problems. Feel free to e-mail us again.

Hello ma, have sent the mail as requested and still got the same reply have been getting for the past eight months. Meanwhile the ceac website is showing "ready" on their profile. Please ma, we'll really need your help as this is getting too long. Thanks.

simi2015:

Good day Ma'am,

How's your day going? Sincere thanks to you and your crew for working the whole weekend to clear the backlog issue.
I would like to know if it is OK now to ask about visa/passport pickup status . Case number again is LGS2015526036. Thanks a lot.

Printed; on its way to the collection center this very moment. It will probably take the center some extra time to sort through everything, though, so please give them a few extra days!

Xfinity:
Hello ma, have sent the mail as requested and still got the same reply have been getting for the past eight months. Meanwhile the ceac website is showing "ready" on their profile. Please ma, we'll really need your help as this is getting too long. Thanks.

I'm afraid I don't have enough information to assist you. I'd need to know a case number, at least.

While the doctor should inform you of the results, if the results in any way affect your medical clearance, they must be delivered directly to us in a sealed envelope, so that we can attest that they were not tampered with.



Thank you a lot....but i read that no sealed envelop would be allowed into the embassy we have to open all sealed envelops at the gate.
I did not see the doctor the day i went for my result the receptionist only told me the result was ok that if not i wont be getting my result also i did not get a copy of the result. Ionly got a result with my xray disc stapled to it that i am supposed to show at the airport..

VisaOfficer:


Printed; on its way to the collection center this very moment. It will probably take the center some extra time to sort through everything, though, so please give them a few extra days!

Thanks dear VO.

queenkaf:
Thank you a lot....but i read that no sealed envelop would be allowed into the embassy we have to open all sealed envelops at the gate.
I did not see the doctor the day i went for my result the receptionist only told me the result was ok that if not i wont be getting my result also i did not get a copy of the result. Ionly got a result with my xray disc stapled to it that i am supposed to show at the airport..

The panel physician will probably send the results directly to us. We unseal the envelopes before they come inside the building.

Good day Ma'am i just want to thank you for your answers to my inquires. God will continue to bless you.
Pls. Ma'am could you help me check if the embassy has already reviewed the results. Thank you in anticipation for your reply. Thank you and God bless.
LGS2014737052
LGS2014737050
LGS2014***049