Wrong name on appointment at US consulate

[tchiowa99]

Asked this on FT and it was suggested this would be a better forum.

Short description: Brother in law (Thai) applied for a tourist visa to US. I helped him fill out the online DS-160. He submitted the application, I paid the fee. He then set up an appointment for his interview.

He showed up on his interview date with all his paperwork including the appointment confirmation. The girl outside with the clipboard checked his appointment sheet and said there was a problem. The problem is that while his confirmation is just fine, the report she has on her clipboard has *my* name on it instead of his. So they won't let him in for his interview.

I have tried to talk to several people including USCS (who said they aren't allowed to talk about the visa section) 3 e-mails to the visa section (all unreplied) and the girl with the clipboard. She confirmed that his appointment sheet was proper but the problem is with her "daily report". She doesn't know how my name got on the report (my suspicion is that the DS-160 asks if anyone helped filling out the form and I did so we put my name there). She said she doesn't know how to change it or how to get past the problem. But until we do, he's not allowed to have his interview. I showed her the appointment, the receipt, the submission acknowledgement. All have his name. None have mine. Doesn't matter.

You have to love the government logic. "You have a problem. We won't tell you what the problem is. We won't tell you why there is a problem. We won't tell you what to do to fix it. But you have to fix it."

Anyone run into this situation before and know the solution?

[Gonsalviz]

Sounds normal to me.

Make a new appointment?

[tchiowa99]

Sounds normal to me.

Make a new appointment?

Tried. Same problem.

[Suradit69]

Presumably you're using the email address: [email protected]

You and he may have hit a bureaucratic wall and end up having to reapply (with cover letter explaining the problem you had this time around). Security issues make everyone overly-cautious about identity and cause lower level employees reluctant to bend the written rules.

If you live near some place where they have consular outreach visits, you might try talking to a consular or security officer face-to-face in the hopes of getting a sympathetic response ... but I wouldn't put too much hope in getting any definite answer from them since the visa section is separate from Citizen Consular Services.

Only the person(s) scheduled will be allowed to enter the Embassy.

In order to reapply, applicants must again follow the same procedure by filling out a new visa application form and paying another visa application (MRV) fee. A refused applicant can reapply as many times as he or she likes. As a matter of policy, we try to have the case reviewed by an officer who has not seen it before. However, reapplying without significantly stronger evidence or proof of a significant change in the applicant's circumstances is not likely to change the result.

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas/frequently-asked-questions.html#8

[taxout]

It's your brother-in-law, so write your Congressman with cc's to the Ambassador in Bangkok and the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs in Washington. Keep it brief and to the point, but mention not only the dilemma your relative faces but also that there's no route to remedy this situation, with no channel whatever for clearing a problem such as this. That is, it's less the problem itself -- no doubt problems like that happen -- but that there's no way to resolve it.

You'll have to do this by snail mail, but include your email address in the letter.

Edited November 22, 2015 by taxout

[tchiowa99]

Presumably you're using the email address: [email protected]

You and he may have hit a bureaucratic wall and end up having to reapply (with cover letter explaining the problem you had this time around). Security issues make everyone overly-cautious about identity and cause lower level employees reluctant to bend the written rules.

If you live near some place where they have consular outreach visits, you might try talking to a consular or security officer face-to-face in the hopes of getting a sympathetic response ... but I wouldn't put too much hope in getting any definite answer from them since the visa section is separate from Citizen Consular Services.

Only the person(s) scheduled will be allowed to enter the Embassy.

In order to reapply, applicants must again follow the same procedure by filling out a new visa application form and paying another visa application (MRV) fee. A refused applicant can reapply as many times as he or she likes. As a matter of policy, we try to have the case reviewed by an officer who has not seen it before. However, reapplying without significantly stronger evidence or proof of a significant change in the applicant's circumstances is not likely to change the result.

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas/frequently-asked-questions.html#8

Yes. You're right. When I called the embassy they gave me a completely different e-mail address.([email protected]). Today, after 4 days, I got the e-mail reject notice. I searched their website and found the address you just posted a couple of hours ago. Sent another e-mail.

It's your brother-in-law, so write your Congressman with cc's to the Ambassador in Bangkok and the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs in Washington. Keep it brief and to the point, but mention not only the dilemma your relative faces but also that there's no route to remedy this situation, with no channel whatever for clearing a problem such as this. That is, it's less the problem itself -- no doubt problems like that happen -- but that there's no way to resolve it.

You'll have to do this by snail mail, but include your email address in the letter.

That's next. It's what I ended up doing after 2 years of fighting with them over my wife's Green Card. She has a Green Card but nonetheless they forced her into "Secondary" every time we came to the US together. We found out there was a data error in her record (it showed she hadn't been approved even though she had been approved and actually had the Green Card). DHS and Customs & Immigration took turns pointing fingers at each other saying it was their responsibility to fix. Finally gave up, visited my Congressman, and 3 weeks later got a letter saying it wouldn't happen again. And it didn't.

[slapout]

As you are a new member on TV, I am not doubting your word on this discribed fisco, but why do you or your bother in law want him to be granted a visa to visit the land of the free, brave and sometimes disappearing tourists who have disappeared after being admitted to the country.

If anything has been noted in the passport he will, could, would present to homeland security upon on arrival, (if /when the consulant ever approves his application for visa) he could run into other people just as obstinate or even more so and put on the next plane home.;

[tchiowa99]

As you are a new member on TV, I am not doubting your word on this discribed fisco, but why do you or your bother in law want him to be granted a visa to visit the land of the free, brave and sometimes disappearing tourists who have disappeared after being admitted to the country.

If anything has been noted in the passport he will, could, would present to homeland security upon on arrival, (if /when the consulant ever approves his application for visa) he could run into other people just as obstinate or even more so and put on the next plane home.;

I have been married to his sister for nearly 20 years and she lives with me in the US. He just wants to visit us.

[slapout]

As you are a new member on TV, I am not doubting your word on this discribed fisco, but why do you or your bother in law want him to be granted a visa to visit the land of the free, brave and sometimes disappearing tourists who have disappeared after being admitted to the country.

If anything has been noted in the passport he will, could, would present to homeland security upon on arrival, (if /when the consulant ever approves his application for visa) he could run into other people just as obstinate or even more so and put on the next plane home.;

I have been married to his sister for nearly 20 years and she lives with me in the US. He just wants to visit us.

Unfortunately the Consulate nor Homeland security care less what he ,you, or your wife wants. They want to be convienced that he will return to Thailand by the end of any ''permission to stay in the US until....?" has passed.

[tchiowa99]

As you are a new member on TV, I am not doubting your word on this discribed fisco, but why do you or your bother in law want him to be granted a visa to visit the land of the free, brave and sometimes disappearing tourists who have disappeared after being admitted to the country.

If anything has been noted in the passport he will, could, would present to homeland security upon on arrival, (if /when the consulant ever approves his application for visa) he could run into other people just as obstinate or even more so and put on the next plane home.;

I have been married to his sister for nearly 20 years and she lives with me in the US. He just wants to visit us.

Unfortunately the Consulate nor Homeland security care less what he ,you, or your wife wants. They want to be convienced that he will return to Thailand by the end of any ''permission to stay in the US until....?" has passed.

I'm aware of that. But that's not the problem. They problem is that they won't let him even come in for his interview. He showed up on the date and time of the interview and they turned him away because of an internal data error that they refuse to explain.

[tchiowa99]

As you are a new member on TV, I am not doubting your word on this discribed fisco, but why do you or your bother in law want him to be granted a visa to visit the land of the free, brave and sometimes disappearing tourists who have disappeared after being admitted to the country.

If anything has been noted in the passport he will, could, would present to homeland security upon on arrival, (if /when the consulant ever approves his application for visa) he could run into other people just as obstinate or even more so and put on the next plane home.;

I have been married to his sister for nearly 20 years and she lives with me in the US. He just wants to visit us.

Unfortunately the Consulate nor Homeland security care less what he ,you, or your wife wants. They want to be convienced that he will return to Thailand by the end of any ''permission to stay in the US until....?" has passed.

I'm aware of that. But that's not the problem. They problem is that they won't let him even come in for his interview. He showed up on the date and time of the interview and they turned him away because of an internal data error that they refuse to explain.

Follow up. Got an e-mail from the visa section apologizing for their error. They admitted it was wrong and said they would do some more training. And invited my brother-in-law to come back for an appointment.

Have to acknowledge one thing. It's the first time in my time on Earth that I have seen a government apologize for a bureaucratic error.

All's well that ends well.

[DirtyDan]

With the universe sending you warm vibes like that, you need to go buy a lottery ticket while it lasts..