Observations please... US Consulate

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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and I'll appreciate if comments about age difference or gold digging are avoided. However, if you can't help it, I'll understand.

As most of you know, I remarried last year. My wife is a devoutly Christian girl (the whole family is for that matter)

We did both the civil and religious ceremonies.

We went through the VISA process back in July, and she was rejected but told to apply again. She was told by the interviewer that she had no reason to return if she went to the states.

We applied again and she went for her second interview yesterday and was rejected again, and was told nothing has changed and to wait a little longer and apply again.

Both times, she told them in the interview that she is married to and lives with a U.S. Citizen who has lived on the island for 4 decades and is the manager of a Free Zone business. She owns a house with her mother in La Romana.

She (we) have sufficient money in the bank. She has a car. She told them we only want to go to the states for a family reunion so she can meet everyone.

Seems like a slam dunk, right? Anything but.

Of course they don't tell you why.

Here are some possible mitigating circumstances.

I was married to a Dominican previously and she received a visa back in 2000 after 2 months of marriage.

We had an age difference of 28 yrs, and were divorced in 2010.

My current partner and I have an age difference of 32 years and we were married in Dec of last year.

Would anyone like to suggest what may be holding her back?
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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I take it you are looking for a visitor's visa for your Dominican wife? I had also applied twice for a visitor's visa and was denied. I don't think the new administration has anything to do with this specific set of circumstances.

Then I found out that it is rare (as in almost impossible) to get visitor's visas for spouses of US citizens. I went through the process of getting her US residency. We made a number of trips to the US after she got residency, but did not spend enough time there and her residency would have been removed. At the advice of people from the US Embassy, before her residency was pulled, we turned in her residency for a 10 year visitor's visa and have been using that to visit the US from time to time.

That is what you might also have to do if the policy is the same as it was when I was trying to get my wife visitor's visas. What is holding her back from a visitor's visa is that a US citizen is married to her.
 

jstarebel

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Oct 4, 2013
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JD, I'd suggest you talk to D-mo at dominicanstotheusa.com. He's very sharp on these matters and is always helpful with issues such as you are experiencing. Good Luck.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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I take it you are looking for a visitor's visa for your Dominican wife? I had also applied twice for a visitor's visa and was denied. I don't think the new administration has anything to do with this specific set of circumstances.

Then I found out that it is rare (as in almost impossible) to get visitor's visas for spouses of US citizens. I went through the process of getting her US residency. We made a number of trips to the US after she got residency, but did not spend enough time there and her residency would have been removed. At the advice of people from the US Embassy, before her residency was pulled, we turned in her residency for a 10 year visitor's visa and have been using that to visit the US from time to time.

That is what you might also have to do if the policy is the same as it was when I was trying to get my wife visitor's visas. What is holding her back from a visitor's visa is that a US citizen is married to her.


We're trying for the B1/B2, which is the same VISA my previous spouse received. Am I to understand that's not what we want?

When one goes through the process on the website, they present the different circumstances that define what type of VISA one should solicit, and B1/B2 is what they recommend.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
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Thinking outloud, is your first wife in the DR?

No, she has remarried and is living in Italy. I believe her B1/B2 VISA is still active for another few years.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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JD, I'd suggest you talk to D-mo at dominicanstotheusa.com. He's very sharp on these matters and is always helpful with issues such as you are experiencing. Good Luck.

Thank you. I will pursue that option. I appreciate your contribution.
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
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JD a friend of mine has had the same situation US citizen married to a dominicana. They have tried an been turned down twice. somebody at the embassy said that it would be easier to get the residency. Does not make any sense out there it's a crap shoot.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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We're trying for the B1/B2, which is the same VISA my previous spouse received. Am I to understand that's not what we want?

When one goes through the process on the website, they present the different circumstances that define what type of VISA one should solicit, and B1/B2 is what they recommend.

The B1/B2 visa is the same visa my wife was denied twice. Then we went the full residency/Green Card process and used that until they were going to pull it and turned it in for the B1/B2 visa. I suspect her being denied is because you are married to her. They will think she has no reason to return to the DR.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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JD a friend of mine has had the same situation US citizen married to a dominicana. They have tried an been turned down twice. somebody at the embassy said that it would be easier to get the residency. Does not make any sense out there it's a crap shoot.

I agree that getting his wife residency, as I did, was the only way for my wife to ultimately end up with a B1/B2 visa. I expect he will see the same answer on any web site regarding Dominicans and US visas with respect to already being married to a US Citizen.
 

zoomzx11

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Jan 21, 2006
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Went through the same nonsense with the embassy. Agree totally with winde. The visitor visa is a pretense and they give out very few.
The reason is that the overwhelming number of Dominicans who got visitor visas in the past left and did not come back.

After being turned down for the visitor visa we went and applied for a green card, returned to the US and wife became a US citizen.
With the green card your wife is required to live the majority of the time in the US but she can visit the DR.
Otherwise your wife is a prisoner.

Donald is working to reduce the number of immigrants to the US by half so I would not wait.
Even green card holders presently in the US have a longer wait time to process citizenship applications as they are very busy with people nervous about trump.


At the green card interview they had all the information from the turned down visitor visa application and sneakily asked a number of questions aimed at introducing fraud on our part so they could turn down the application.
This was aimed at changes in our business situation in the time between the visa turn down and green card interview.
We had the same interviewer for the turned down visa application asking questions in the green card interview.

Its a harrowing process and they are not your friends.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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So, being a long term resident here with no intentions of moving back and looking for a visa to visit for a couple of weeks we should be pursuing residency?

That doesn't make sense.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
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Jan 9, 2009
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Today's Listin Diario has an article about Dominicans and US immigration, and how much harder it will get. I'm not clear about these new residency requirements - do even spouses need to have the education proof, or is that just for any Jose or Juanita who wants to move to the USA?

https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...a-los-dominicanos-el-plan-migratorio-de-trump

For those who don't read Spanish [JD doesn't need this :) ], here's a somewhat garbled computer translation:

Benefits and restrictions that would bring to the Dominicans the migratory plan of Trump

Deyanira Polanco
Santo Domingo

The plan of principles for future immigration reform sent by US President Donald Trump to Congress would benefit some 200,000 undocumented Dominicans living in that territory, but would limit entry to some Creoles who are waiting for a visa of residence.

This was posed by immigration expert Roque Leonel Rodríguez after analyzing President Trump's plan that, according to EFE, includes the wall along the border with Mexico, speeding up the expulsion of Central American minors, hiring more agents and limiting the concession of visas through a system of merits.

Regarding the expulsion of minors, Rodríguez says that in this aspect does not affect so much the Dominicans because the children do not enter by the border with Mexico, but that this regulation is for the Central American ones, since the smaller creoles entered a long time ago time to the United States and today there are less than one hundred thousand that are among the so-called "Dreamers".

"Dominican children entered a long time ago and are the 'Dreamers' and for that their own law is needed," he says.

Trump asks for wall, agents and expel minors in immigration reform plan
On benefits, the specialist understands that any immigration reform would provide documents to Dominicans living illegally in the United States.

"In a general sense, Dominicans who are hoping to legalize their status, who are the minority, I would say that some 200,000, being more or less generous who are undocumented, would only benefit from immigration reform and I would recommend that from now on, if they do not know English, they generally do not know, that they start to study fully, because any immigration law that comes, to give a residence will require the knowledge of English language, mandatory to take the exam, " he says.

Visa for merit would harm Dominicans

In what would be harmed many Dominicans is in case of passing a law of residence by merit, since according to Rodríguez, the majority of the emigrants of Dominican Republic "do not have a university degree if want, many are not bachilleres, in their majority, and when it is residence by merit is given residence to those of greater knowledge, who have masters and doctorates.

He states that only 8% of all Dominicans who emigrate to the United States. have a university degree. "Thus it is not possible to benefit from residence by merit"

He said that even if the request is longer, in a merit system it lasts less time.

"That was proposed by President Trump when he gave his address in January. It is a law that has worked very well in Europe and Canada , where the more prepared the person is, the easier it is to emigrate to the US, even if he does not have a relative who asks for it. Even that merit system includes that if you are being asked by your mother and you are a high school graduate and there is another person who is asking for his mother and has a doctorate or a master's degree, that goes first, that's the system of merit, "he explained.

Trump also proposed to eliminate 50 percent petitions for residency of father children, and even eliminate the requests of married children and siblings.

One hundred thousand Dominican Dreamers

Of the 800,000 undocumented youth with a humanitarian permit that has allowed them to work and study, and has prevented them from being deported, it is estimated that fewer than 100,000 are Dominicans.

These Creoles live in New York, New Jersey, some in Boston and a few in Florida.

According to Rodríguez's explanation, that permit (DACA or Deferred Action for Child Arrivals) has been renewed annually, but it is not a law and being a presidential decree Trump has the attribute of canceling it and that is what did. "He canceled it in September and said he will not give more permits."

The current permit expires next year and when it is expired are subjects of deportation, all, absolutely all. " So before six months, Congress is going to have to create a law to legalize these young people, because everyone agrees to legalize the" Dreamers, "if they do not legalize it, they are subject to deportation because they have a law of deportation stopped, given the permit. Last Thursday the deadline expired, but the majority had renewed, has a permit of a current year, concludes.
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
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So, being a long term resident here with no intentions of moving back and looking for a visa to visit for a couple of weeks we should be pursuing residency?

That doesn't make sense.

As I said its a crap shoot! Housekeeper just received her B2. Has 4 housekeeping jobs makes about 12-15k a month, no bank account, no assets, can't go right now as don't have the money for the ticket to NY but has a 10 year visa.

good luck in your quest.
 

cavok

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Jun 16, 2014
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The short time you are married could be one problem(?). I think you were very, very lucky to have gotten that visa in 2000 after only being married two months. Possible sham marriages are a red flag. Things have changed. In general, being married to an American citizen makes things very difficult.

Does your wife have any children? They would be an additional tie to the DR and a reason for her to remain. Does she have any relatives in the US? That would be a red flag and a possible reason to be denied. Are you frequently travelling to the US? They might have suspected that you intend to short cut the immigration process by filing for an adjustment of status when the two of you got there(?).

Having said that, I am an American citizen married to a Domincan woman with about the same age difference as you. Legal resident here in the DR. Hadn't been to the US in two years. She has three children from a previous marriage. We have a joint bank account, but she has no car and the condo is in my name. We've been together for over 10 years and married for 3 years.

We applied for a B2 visa last year and were denied. Very perfunctory interview. In less than 3 minutes she was given a slip saying insufficient ties to the DR. We tried again this year in August and she was approved for a 10 year multiple entry visa.

A lot of it is just plain luck. We got a very nice American female immigration inspector this time(it was a Dominicana last time). Took her time and asked a lot of questions. Also, my wife was in a wheel chair due to a leg injury, so I was able to accompany her to the interview. Almost all the questions were directed at me.

I saw a lot of smiling faces that day, so don't let anyone try to tell you that the current administration is anti-Dominican immigration. My wife's aunt applied for her B2 visa for the first time in April of this year. She is self-employed as a seamstress, no car, and owns a modest house with her Dominican husband who is a truck driver. She was approved for a 10 year multiple entry visa also.

Keep trying and good luck. Maybe you'll get a better immigration officer next time. I've heard other stories like this where the only difference the next time around was a different immigration officer.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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Moving forward with a residency by merit plan is a good idea.

Now back to getting spouses of Dominicans at least a visitor's visa. As I know, that is hard to do.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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I too have been on this path JD (and Winde). As a warden for the ACS, I went upstairs and b!tched but there was nothing they could do. They told me that it was an obvious mistake. The interview was as has been said "perfunctory" and the age difference did come up. I was advised to request a residency visa! I think I will take one more chance with the B1/B2 Non-immigrant Visa and if not, then I will go with residence...D@mnit, they are such axx---- over there....

JD, it is amazing how similar our cases are....

HB