Observations please... US Consulate

[JD Jones]

Raise hell with your US Congressman's offices. The bureaucrats at Consular offices are much more likely to move their arses with a little shake from Washington. Just be sure it's written well and tell them how important you are.

I am beginning to think this is the way to go.

Contact my congressman's office by phone first, find a sympathetic ear, send an email request, and hope a letter gets sent to the consular office. I hope being a citizen is important enough.

I've been told this has worked in the past, takes very little effort, makes sense, and has as good a chance as anything else.

We'll also wait another 6 months until we try again.

I appreciate everybody's comments so far. Thanks for chipping in.

 

[Aguaita29]

There are a few people that get visas in JDJones' situation. VERY FEW. It encourages people in that situation to spend money and try again and again. The US loves that money.

Perhaps because they apply for a tourist visa but approach it like a green card. They want to "sponsor" someone to get a tourist visa.

 

[JD Jones]

Perhaps because they apply for a tourist visa but approach it like a green card. They want to "sponsor" someone to get a tourist visa.

Is that what I'm trying to do? I never thought of it that way.

And I would agree there are very few people in my situation. Very few indeed. How many Americans are there living in the DR that are trying to get a VISA for their spouse?

I'd guess not many at all.

 

[windeguy]

Raise hell with your US Congressman's offices. The bureaucrats at Consular offices are much more likely to move their arses with a little shake from Washington. Just be sure it's written well and tell them how important you are.

If I were going to do something like that, I wonder where I would start? Ah, I remember. I started with where I was born and got an audience with the congressman from that district over this issue of lack of visitor visa for my wife. He told me there was nothing he (or any other congressman) could do.

At this point, I have no domicile in the US so what congressman would care? If a person is living in the DR and trying to get a visa for a spouse to the US, they may or may not have a domicile.

 

[cavok]

I think the only way something like this might work would be to get an appointment to see the ambassador here. Remember, he was appointed by Trump, so make sure you wear a MAGA t-shirt or cap when you go to see him.

 

[windeguy]

Is that what I'm trying to do? I never thought of it that way.

And I would agree there are very few people in my situation. Very few indeed. How many Americans are there living in the DR that are trying to get a VISA for their spouse?

I'd guess not many at all.

It is not likely to be many. Most people from the DR want to live in the US. My wife is not one of those people. And it sounds like your wife is not one either.

If you have been approaching this like you are sponsoring her for a visitor's visa, yes that is a reason for failure. The visa is granted strictly on her.

I am a bit surprised that others have said a congressman can help. Certainly was of no use to me. Try it and see, I guess.

 

[cavok]

It is not likely to be many. Most people from the DR want to live in the US. My wife is not one of those people. And it sounds like your wife is not one either.

If you have been approaching this like you are sponsoring her for a visitor's visa, yes that is a reason for failure. The visa is granted strictly on her.

I am a bit surprised that others have said a congressman can help. Certainly was of no use to me. Try it and see, I guess.

I think anyone trying this will get the exact same result you did, unless maybe he has a very close connection and, even then, I don't the ambassador here or immigration would pay any attention at all to a letter from a congressman over a tourist visa.

 

[bienamor]

When I suggested this to my congressman a few years ago he told me that it would probably do more harm than good. Not a good avenue to pursue.

 

[Derfish]

When I suggested this to my congressman a few years ago he told me that it would probably do more harm than good. Not a good avenue to pursue.

I agree with this totally. I over the years have been asked to write a letter of invitation to someone from Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Panama Ecuador and Honduras and probably a couple more . They all "know" that if they have a letter of invitation from an American they can easily get to the USA. But though I have done it probably 20 times it has never done any good at all.

 

[Expat13]

Maybe its the touche approach. The DR Residency has been a unreliable, changes year to year sham over the past 10 years. Temporary visa's, changed from a year to 5 years without notice and no grandfather clause, Permanent Residency is just a misused term as now I believe its only valid a year before you need to renewing. Sadly this effects your esposas but the way we are treated here seems far worse than what Trump or USA is doing to Dominicans.

 

[windeguy]

Once again: Unless you have someone so influential that they can give an order to a USCIS official in the DR to approve a visa, which would be illegal and a corruption of the system, the visa is entirely on the person applying for it to prove they will return to the US. That decision is on one person, the person doing the interview.

 

[windeguy]

Maybe its the touche approach. The DR Residency has been a unreliable, changes year to year sham over the past 10 years. Temporary visa's, changed from a year to 5 years without notice and no grandfather clause, Permanent Residency is just a misused term as now I believe its only valid a year before you need to renewing. Sadly this effects your esposas but the way we are treated here seems far worse than what Trump or USA is doing to Dominicans.

This has nothing to do with the DR's policy on residency and immigration. My situation goes back over 14 years. Identical to what is being discussed now.

 

[cavok]

And those immigration officers are given wide lattitude and authority in making that decision. Plus, even with the tourist visa in your passport, the immigration officer at the point of entry, at his sole discretion, for whatever reason he deems valid, can deny entry to a visa holder.

 

[keepcoming]

Immigration use to have (or still does??) a ombudsman. A friend of ours contacted them a few years ago and surprisingly was helpful. One would think you should be able to get a visa for your spouse. You can get residency for your spouse, you should be able to get a visa. Unfortunately dealing with immigration is a crap shoot, one never knows. Wish you well.

 

[JD Jones]

Immigration use to have (or still does??) a ombudsman. A friend of ours contacted them a few years ago and surprisingly was helpful. One would think you should be able to get a visa for your spouse. You can get residency for your spouse, you should be able to get a visa. Unfortunately dealing with immigration is a crap shoot, one never knows. Wish you well.

I gotta tell ya, I can't shake the feeling we are doing something wrong, (or should I say, there's something we're not doing right?)

 

[bienamor]

JD
if we is the US state department then yes, if we is you and your wife then no
I was once told by a state department type here that the consulate is self supporting, in other words pay your $160 and roll the dice. An hope the interviewer male or female either got some last night or at the very least did not **** off the opposite sex they were with and cause a fight.

 

[windeguy]

I gotta tell ya, I can't shake the feeling we are doing something wrong, (or should I say, there's something we're not doing right?)

I had that feeling as well until I realized how hard it is for a US citizen to get a Dominican spouse a visitor's visa. I felt offended and worse until I finally understood the futility of it.

 

[Aguaita29]

I over the years have been asked to write a letter of invitation to someone from Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Panama Ecuador and Honduras and probably a couple more . They all "know" that if they have a letter of invitation from an American they can easily get to the USA. But though I have done it probably 20 times it has never done any good at all.

These days, invitation letters from friends or relatives in the US are useless. Even for Canadian tourist visas, where they do take them into account, the visa applicant must be able to have his/her own funds and be able to qualify for himself. If you say you'll pay for all of your guest's expenses, including plane ticket, that's not a good thing.
The only case where I heard this to be different is for a supervisa for parents, but this is a different type of visa.