Success Story: How Our Office Successfully Expedited an Immigrant Visa for the Spouse of a U.S. Citizen

Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this blog post, we celebrate a client’s recent success story and share with you how our office was able to expedite our client’s immigrant visa (CR-1) to help him reunite with his U.S Citizen spouse in the United States.

We recognize that these are truly challenging times in the world of immigration and would like our readers to know that they are not alone. For many, there are alternatives and solutions that can be explored by our knowledgeable immigration attorneys to help them reunite with their family members. From our staff members to our attorneys, we are with you every step of the way on your immigration journey.

For a comprehensive consultation to discuss solutions to your immigration issues, you may contact us at 619-819-9204.

Suspension of Routine Visa Services Continues at Most Consulates Worldwide

As our readers will know, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made it extremely difficult for immigrants residing abroad to secure appointments for visa interviews at U.S. Consular posts and Embassies worldwide.

While some Consulates and U.S. Embassies have resumed routine visa services, these are very few and far in between. At the moment, routine visa services are only available on a “post-by-post” basis as individual country conditions permit operations to return to normalcy. For the most part, Consulates and Embassies have not been able to provide specific dates regarding when each post will completely resume routine visa services. This has left many immigrants in a state of uncertainty during what is already a very difficult time in our history. Many family members remain apart for extended periods of time with no end in sight.

Despite these limitations however, Consulates and Embassies are continuing to accommodate emergency and expedite requests for applicants with urgent matters who need to travel immediately. Where an applicant has been documentarily qualified by the National Visa Center, a U.S. Citizen petitioner may submit a request with the NVC to expedite the consular interview based on extreme hardship to the U.S. Citizen. Extreme hardship to a U.S. Citizen spouse can be demonstrated in several ways including where the USC is suffering from a disability or severe medical and/or psychological condition.

Our Client’s Situation

Amid this backdrop, our client came to us in a state of desperation. Our client had petitioned to immigrate her husband to the United States under the CR-1 category. The good? Her husband was already documentarily qualified by the NVC. The problem? Unfortunately the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan refused to grant him an interview due to the general suspension of routine visa services.

After speaking with our client, we discovered that we could assist her in filing an expedite request with the NVC based on severe medical conditions she was suffering, including a variety of potentially life threatening conditions, a brain tumor, as well as a diagnosed anxiety disorder for which she was receiving medication and treatment.

Our office quickly contacted the National Visa Center and requested that the Embassy expedite her husband’s interview on grounds of extreme hardship, based on the severe medical conditions she was suffering without her husband’s comfort and assistance. Her husband eagerly awaited his interview in order to enter the United States and care for her.

Our attorneys skillfully advocated for our client explaining to the NVC that our client’s separation from her husband aggravated her existing medical conditions and made them more difficult to treat. We also provided documentation evidencing the medical conditions as well as a comprehensive psychological evaluation. We discussed in detail the various conditions suffered by our client, making clear that she needed to be reunited with her husband who alone could provide the necessary love, support, and care required for her wellbeing.

We are happy to report that our communications with the NVC were successful. Our client was informed that the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan accepted her husband’s case for expedited processing, and the NVC immediately sent his case to the Embassy for interview scheduling. Our client’s husband will soon be on his way to the United States and finally be reunited with his wife after much time apart.

Conclusion

We share this success story as a reminder that applicants should not be discouraged during these challenging times. There are many alternatives and options for those with urgent needs, and especially those suffering from serious medical and/or psychological conditions. Do not lose hope. If you would like to know whether you may qualify for an expedite request based on extreme hardship to your U.S. Citizen spouse, please contact our office for a consultation. We want you to know you are not alone. If there is a solution, we will make sure your voice is heard.

Helpful Links

Questions? If you have immigration questions and would like to schedule a consultation, please call 619-819-9204 or text 619-483-4549. Our toll free number is 866-488-1554.

JOIN OUR NEW FACEBOOK GROUP

Need more immigration updates? We have created a new facebook group to address the impact of the new executive order and other changing developments related to COVID-19. Follow us there.

For other COVID 19 related immigration updates please visit our Immigration and COVID-19 Resource Center here.