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Lana07
07-26-2008, 09:33 PM
Hello,
Dec. 13, 2004 Hubby entered US on a K3 visa
June 2005 Annulment from EX
Sept. 18, 2005 Got married :bells:
Dec. 13, 2005 I130 was filed
March 23, 2006 I130 approval
Dec. 13, 2006 visa expiration date
Jan. 18, 2007 Our daughter was born :cheerful:
June 7, 2007 Hubby left the US (to Lebanon) :bluesad:
April 9, 2008 Visa appointment (DENIED! 10 year ban… unlawful stay in US>365 days) :confused::confused::dizzy:
May 19, 2008 Filed I160 waiver (at Beirut Embassy)
June 6, 2008 Waiver application received in USCIS Athens (180 days processing period):pullinghair:

Here is my story: My husband married a USC who brought him to the US. When he got to the US she decided she no longer wants to be with him so they got an annulment. Soon after we met, got married, and had a child. We had already filed for an I130 and had an approval; but our lawyer said because of the K3 entry my husband needed to go back to his country(Lebanon) and get a new visa. So when our daughter was only 4 months old he left us and went back to get his visa. Under our understanding he visa was only 5 months expired. It was during his visa interview when they told us that his visa actually had expired within 6 months upon entry to the US and the date on his visa was admissible. (visa denied:10year ban). That was an unexpected decision. We filed the waiver and now waiting.
here are some stuff I included with our waiver:
1. I am the primary caregiver of my mother and brother: Medical record included. Both suffer from chronic depression. Mother: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, sleep apnea
2. Financial Obligations: Mortgage, home and school loans, credit bills
3. I am a pre Med student: school schedule and school transcript. Expected graduation date: June 2009
4. Condition of the country is horrible: War breakage this past summer, government is unstable, Articles about the country
5. I am naturalized USC: Ran away from Saddam to three different countries when finally brought to the US through UN as a refugee and given a second chance to live normally. My husband, however, is from Lebanon who has lost a brother during the earlier war. Country condition is really bad and there is no way a new couple can start up a stable home.
6. We have a one and a half year old USC daughter
7. Letters from Professor, friend, and relatives saying how I've suffered without my husband and how this situation has effective my everyday and school work
8. I’ve been diagnosed with depression: memory loss, hair loss, loss of appetite, feeling depressed all the time
It has been over a year since my husband left me and our daughter. I’m currently attending school and have never had a job. I’m still working on getting some additional paperwork but it’s been really hard since I had to sell my car to make our bill payments and spend on our daughter. I had to sell my wedding ring to pay for a lawyer who hasn’t been much of a help.
Is there anything I can do to have to processing time cut down as there is no way I can survive another month without my husband. My life has been a total mess lately. I’ve contacted my state senator to have him help me but all he did was send an inquiry. Condition of Lebanon hasn’t improved much. They just went through a civil war and it’s kind of still going on. Every day I hear about people getting shot and it worries me to death because it’s soooo close to where my husband lives. I’d like to have him back before he gets hurt or even worse.
Please help a young couple get back together and start a new life. :cry::cry:
Thanks.

momof1
07-26-2008, 10:12 PM
I'm in a similar situtation only I've been married for six years. My son has a serious heart condition and my husband is also from a muslim country(algeria) that has been a history of violence and numerous bombings in the past year. I would like to say that an expedite is easy to get but I'm just not sure. My husband has been gone for 15 months :(

Someone else with more experience will be around with a better answer for you. Hope we can be of some support to eachother.

Lana07
07-26-2008, 11:04 PM
I filed a request for an expedite for his visa appointment and it was approved withing 2 weeks and he had his appointment the following month but when I tried to contact Athens(where his waiver has been sent), they just told me that I have to wait 180 days and I should stop contacting them because it would just delay the processing!!!

Is there something we can do for expedite? like a request or a file or something?

thanks

REDaja05
07-28-2008, 01:06 PM
Lana,

Have you been in connact with your congressman or woman, they can help greatly. They can help tell how to expedite your husbands waiver. Good luck

Lana07
07-28-2008, 01:58 PM
I thought about it but then I just turned to the senator who just an inquiry and nothing more. Isn't a senator more powerful than a congressman????
thanks:)

emt103c
07-28-2008, 06:22 PM
Not really. You have to specifically ask for an expedite request though and give REALLY good reasons before they will submit it with you. Otherwise, they will just do an inquiry.

They don't HAVE to support it, it just can be helpful.

Lana07
07-28-2008, 06:57 PM
oh thanks. i'll make plans to go to the congressman's office this week!
Edit:
Can someone tell me what backlogged means???? I see it in most of people's time line after waiver was received....

Lana07
07-31-2008, 02:38 AM
OK... NO ONE CAN EXPEDITE!!!! hmmm... i'm gonna try to get in touch with the president!!! do u think athens will listen to him??? lol
They have us going for a long run......

emt103c
07-31-2008, 03:19 AM
OK... NO ONE CAN EXPEDITE!!!! hmmm... i'm gonna try to get in touch with the president!!! do u think athens will listen to him??? lol
They have us going for a long run......

It can be expedited, you just have to have life or death type reasons. . .your congressman may or may not want to help.

Backlogged is only applicable in Mexico where they have a pilot program (wherein people can be approved the same day that they submit the waiver.) Mexico is the only country that has the pilot program and thus the only one where you can be "Backlogged" as opposed to immediate approval.

momof1
07-31-2008, 06:29 AM
They have us going for a long run......

I hope this doesn't sound harsh. I know it has been a long time since you saw your husband BUT they don't care how long you have been separated. The only time that matters is the time since Athens received the waiver and that has only been less than two months. I don't think you will get much from anyone during the 180 days unless, like emtc103 said, you have life or death situations.

BE STRONG! Try to be positive. Your case is moving forward now and although it will take a while longer you will NEVER have to do this again. You will then have him all to yourself forever.

Lana07
07-31-2008, 02:41 PM
thanks everyone...
I talked to the congressman's caseworker yesterday... she's sooooo nice. Both senators and the congressman's office told me the same thing "they will send an request for expedite with all the new evidence i got but Athens is not obligated to even look at it"... The senate sent me a request of expedite about 2 months ago.. NOTHING YET!
and since Athens is understaffed, they dont have time to look at waivers differently... first come first serve, all I601 forms have to prove harshness so no one's harsh condition is to be put above someone else's....

Lana07
08-02-2008, 04:48 AM
Lets just hope after the long wait they wont just deny us :*

mosaic
08-27-2008, 03:51 AM
HI Lana... I just wanted to ask you how did you expedite your husbands visa apt... My husband is in Albania and we are waiting for nvc to forward his case to Albania... My attorney said we have strong enough case to expedite our 601 so I dont see why we cant expedite our visa apt as well... Any advice would be appreciated...

blueblue
08-27-2008, 05:03 AM
Lana,
I'm sorry your family is having such a hard time. Your lawyer should have provided a better expectation for you on the validity of the K3 visa and any overstay. If there was an overstay, he should have identified it (assuming you gave him all the relevant information) BEFORE your husband left the country so you could have been better prepared and had the waiver done ahead of time.

As to the expedite, you can send a request to expedite on your own or with the help of your senators/congressman. I would contact all 3 and see who's office is most responsive and willing to help and then use them. You will need to show VALID reason(s) based on serious issues to convince them to expedite. Athens is one of the worst as far as responding on these type issues, IMO. Here is the general basis for an expedite request: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=38a127720928f010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCR D&vgnextchannel=a9243529fdb7e010VgnVCM1000000ecd190a RCRD

Whether the CIS office agrees to the expedite is at their discretion.
Take care!