221(g) jeopardy switching consulates, please help

USA H1B Visa
1

Hey all,

please spare a minute and give me some kind advice or share your experience on this matter

Ive attended US consulate in Paris on nov 25, 2013. i am not a french resident and was there visiting so decided to meanwhile apply for my H1B restamping ( 2 years out of 3 already spent in US working for the same company). After a long interview CO told me my visa was approved, next day i got an email from the embassy asking to appear for re-interview on dec 5, 2013…that day i was issued a 221(g) and asked for supporting documents related to the time when i was in US on my B-1, B-2 visa. Ive submitted the documents requested after a few days at the embassy, then was issued another 221(g) by the same CO asking for more supporting documents on that matter.Submitted them the next day, after that had no news from the consulate for couple of weeks.

Meanwhile my french visa was getting expired, so i had to leave to my home country, Was checking CEAC website every day but no updates were made. I tried sending sincere emails to the consulate, asking to escalate my case as i couldnt come back home to US for christmas and had all my belongings from the last 2 years over there. The only email i got back is asking if i have any more docs i want to submit, my answer was " no, i dont"

The story is getting crazier over here : I did send a withdrawal letter to the consulate, explaining the reason why i want to reapply at my home country( my french visa is no longer valid) after 2 days I recieved an email from the consulate to appear for the 3rd interview on dec 31 !!! I was at my home country that day and my french visa would expire on January 1 st, so i did reply there is no chance for me to attend the interwiew.

On dec 30( a week after ive sent a whithdrawal letter) i appeared at my local US consulate for interview, however it was just a waist of time, because my case in Paris still appeared to be opened.And it is not possible to open a new case until the other one is whitdrawn.

My question is: what to do next? And why wouldnt the consulate in Paris just let go off my case, because i have a reason for it. Also, is it okay to have 3 interviews? My AP case was updated several times on CEAC website, even after ive sent a whithdrawal letter.

Please advice!!Any responce would be appreciated.

2

It must be a real nightmare to be stuck abroad like this, so sorry to hear. Your withdrawal letter was never read, a US Embassy is a government office, there is no place to docket an out of process letter except the recycle bin. I suggest applying for stamping in home country once again with a cover letter addressed to VO in Paris with following language “Thank you for taking time to talk with me regarding my Case #. Per your advice, I am now withdrawing my open file in Paris and reapplying for travel documents in my home country”. Fax this letter to Paris, don’t bother to get a response, carry a copy to local embassy, place it on top. All the best!

Dr. Sandeep Shankar, Colorado Heights University, Denver, CO 80223, USA. www.chu.edu; sshankar@chu.edu

3

Thank you for your answer!
In fact this is what i did. First thing i did at the interview at my local consulate is showed them the withdrawal letter I’ve sent to Paris and explained my situation, after that i was told that they can’t take any action until some decision is made about the first opened case. They also promised to get in touch with Paris consulate, but i haven’t heard back from them ever since. This is so frustrating.

4

They are Gov offices they will work like that . One time they took 18 months to approve my visa just because they where not tracking my case in time and so on. Tough to be in this kind of no mans land