The REAL Visa problem

I believe that each and every one of you who have attempted to obtain a visa for friend or fianc?e has been stymied by Ms MARIA ARAN, head of INS Santo Domingo (US).

She believes and acts as if the INS is her personal fiefdom, and depending if she likes you or not, you will either be declined or approved. The only real solution to change this situation and help not only you but also the thousands of others who follow is to get your US Senator or Congressman involved.

Letters to Ambassador Manatt, letters from your US Representatives will eventually institute a Congressional probe that just may get rid of this despot.

Currently, there are several pending investigations of her handling of cases and refusals to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests.

If each and every time you get the run around, you ask your Representative for assistance and file a FOIA request, something will eventually give.

Gov. Bush has introduced a plan to separate enforcement and consular duties within the INS., this may lead to some reform if he is elected.

Again, the only way this horrendous problem will ever become resolved is through political pressure to investigate and remove MARIA ARAN for her dereliction and abuse of duties

Just to let you know, it isn't different on the Dutch Consulat in Santo Domingo. The first secretary of the Dutch Consul is Dutch and a few other people on the top are also, the other higher places have Dominican people who speak english and spanish.
If a dutch person phone's the consulat and he cann't speak english ore spanish, he has a problem because on the phone they donn't connect you to annyone of the people who speak dutch.
If you visit the office it will be the same, unless you start talking a little louder and at a point only saying: "I WANT TO SPEAK THE CONSUL!" and then, like she just arrived, you can speak to the secretary.
I myself had phoned from holland to the office in SD. to ask about the papers whe needed for my wife's dutch passport.
after a long time of talking the person on the other side asked me to hand over the phone to my wife.
the first thing she did was shouting to my wife that if she wanted to know something, she should phone by herself and not a person who could not speak spanish. Otherways she would give no more information to me.
then I wrote a fax in dutch, adressed to the Dutch Consul with a remark on the letter that I also would send a copy of this fax to the Ministery of Forrein Bussines (where the Consulat is deppendig to) in holland.
And look what happends, the next time I phoned, the same person as before was speaking to me, only at this time she could perfect English. and the only theng she said,: I'm sorry sir, but the papers are not readdy at this moment and I don't know when they are, I also cannot ask it on the person who's working on it, because she has a day off today. Please, if you don't hear annything till next week, please phone back. thank you and have a nice day.

While I would be the LAST person to defend the immigration process, given how tough it was to get my fiancee (now wife) here, I would also say that it is absurd to argue that one person at the US Consulate has personally "sytmied" the effort. I read somewhere that the DR consulate handles 10s of thousands of applications a year. Do you really think that Ms Aran personally derails all of them?

Besides, the fault is not entirely the US Consulate. Dominicans attempting to enter this country through fraud, deception and lying are the most responsible. That puts all applications, including those of us who have legitimate requests under a deep cloud of suspicion.

When I was doing my application, I used a US immigration attorney who got very frustrated with the DR Consulate. So he did some additional research and discovered that the DR was one of the top-10 countries identified for visa fraud, thus all the heavy-handed processes.

You have been going on with this mission for over a year about writing to Congress to complain about Ms. Aran, but it is not going to amount to anything. The US is not particularly immigrant-friendly and no Congress is going to investigate a bureaucrat clamping down on visa processing in a country with such high visa fraud. It is more likely they will give her congressional commendations.

Regular comments on this board from people looking for advice on getting visas to the US through deceptive means (such as the conversation on filing a fiancee visa for a spouse or conversations about filing a fiancee visa for a boyfirend or girlfriend) only underline my point and show what a tough job the consulate has (remember, they don't make the stupid laws, Congress does, they only apply them).

I can't believe that I actually just defended the US Consulate. God, I hate that place, and thinking of it only brings up bad memories. Nonetheless, the people there have a really tough job to do.

Visa problem You are right Greg,

also in the Netherland, the DR. is on a blacklist when it has to do with getting a visa.

"You have been going on with this mission for over a year about writing to Congress to complain about Ms. Aran, but it is not going to amount to anything. The US is not particularly immigrant-friendly and no Congress is going to investigate a bureaucrat clamping down on visa processing in a country with such high visa fraud. It is more likely they will give her congressional commendations."

Care to wager on that? Who do you thin Aran ultmately reports to, people who elect Congressman.

Unless you have a mucg baeetr contcat in State and Justice than I do, I knwo things are still progressing, and I will right the same for 5 more years if necessary

Yom

"Do you really think that Ms Aran personally derails all of them?"

No, but I have personal knowledge that she has final approval or denual to the 5& that reach er desk, so in effect; you get weeded out early or are referred to Aran where sh has 100% authority

It's no skin off my back, I have had 5 "non standard" persons come to the US for 2-6 weeks within the last 2 years. If you don't believe in askig for assistance from your Rep, don't and suffer along. If you are happy with the Way INS is in Sto Dom, don't coplain to anyone.

And they are anything but understaffed, imporperly staffed YES

Your anger is misdirected

I just don't get what you want us to complain about to our congressperson. That the head of INS in SD has absolute authority over who gets a visa? Of course she does. Is that different anywhere else?

If you are angry, complain about THE LAWS and work on getting them changed. The LAW says that in immigration matters you are GUILTY OF VISA FRAUD UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT! This is of course exactly the opposite of what the US Constitution says about guilt for US citizens. I guess it is OK for Americans to live by one set of rules but not allow them for possible immigrants.

The burden of proof is shifted from the government to the applicant. All the consulate has to do is see some red flag (and every application has SOMETHING) and they can nix the application.

Going back to my original point none of this would be necessary if people did not commit visa fraud. The fact that the DR has such a high fraud rate simply makes a bad situation much worse.

No anger, just facts

Graeg

I am not arguing the law, but fair application of same. My anger is not misdirected, but a known fact (It makes it worse that I can't "prove" it to you, sounds like I am blowing smoke). Try filing a FOIA request regarding denials by Ms Aran and see what you run into. I'm sure you are aware of the FOIA and it's broad reaching power, Ms Aran doesn't seem to believe it applies to her and keeps making end arounds when cornered.

I have had multiple "successes" with obtaining visas, it is one incident of Ms Aran refusing to re-issue a green card due to a person admitting to losing her green card (A Medical Doctor)and Aran's refusal to re-issue. Each and every time documentation and sworn affadavits are rpoduced, Aran comes yup with another, Attorneys, Senators and Congressman have repeatedly asked "Is therre anything else", Aran replys no that is fine, than comes up with an excuse like 'He put down 54 Ave Nuncez and it is really 45! Just plain garbage.

To now have a former Sen Majority leader involved, and an ad hoc Senate Sub Committee, there is some basis to my complaint

Tom

Maria Aran is no longer in Santo Domingo

Maria Aran no longer works in Santo Domingo.

Re: No anger, just facts

My Goodness Tom, I thought it was just us who got her run around about information like that.

Two years ago.. (I'm sure you remember) First with my now husband , she claimed that we were missing a stamp on my son's birth certificate so we needed to get an entirely new certificate.. When we brought it back to Window 14 I saw the other certificate and asked to see it.. The girl didn't know better, she handed it to me and I compared the two. Now, mind you, we were denied my HUSBANDS visa a few days before the wedding because we "might" be involved in Visa fraud because we were missing a stamp on his son's birth certificate!! Ok.. once we FINALLY got home for the wedding..We began the fight for my son. Well.. first we were missing our "Financial Papers" (How could that be? She had them for my husbands visa.. and there were two sets) So we faxed them down.. Then she told my congresswoman.. I don't make enough to support the 3 of us. When we shot back that I made more than double of what they require, my congresswoman was mad!! She realized it when we faxed her the requirements.. and she got on the phone and refused to hear them out. She spoke with Hale Kaughnot who was the most wonderful guy!! He got it all done within days..

I trully do believe that there is one person in there worse off than the rest.. none of them are truly saints, they enjoy their power, but not as much as that Queen!

Best of luck!
Jenny

Re: No anger, just facts (jenny)

Jenny,
Could you please tell me what the financial requirements were to qualify for your husband's visa. I'm in the process of filing for my wife and I want to know what to expect in terms of earnings requirements. I'm in grad school, so I really don't make that much money at the moment. Are future earnings ever considered? Thanks.