Visa Denied Due To Unobtainable Document

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Just wondering if anyone has encountered this situation.

A required document is unobtainable (clearly stated in Foreign Affairs Manual and on the required documents section of the invitation letter sent by the NVC). Consular official at the Embassy denied the visa until such time as the document (Korea National Police Certificate) is produced.

Naturally the immigrant visa section does not accept calls. I sent an email but, to date, I have never gotten a response to an email so I'm not too optimistic about this time either.


Consular official sent my wife to the South Korean Embassy. They, apparently, will request the document and told her she has to wait a month to get it. But the US Dept of State website says the KNPC will not be provided to anyone outside of Korea.



Just wondering if anyone has specific experience pertaining to the KNPC (especially if you were able to obtain one outside Korea) or a request from the consular officer for an unobtainable document.


Edited to add:

The interview was fairly straight forward. Asked some questions about how we met and questions about her work and time in Korea. I've seen a lot of places advertising their services to coach/prepare you for the interview but I could never understand the need for it (unless you were being less than honest). The only real issue she had was that there was a little bit that she had trouble understanding and there was no one available to translate the question to her native language for the few points that were not clear. But they managed to get through it in English. All original documents were returned and she was advised that she would obtain her visa (CR1) just as soon as she produced the KNPC.

At the Korean Embassy, they were very nice and told her that they could get her the certificate. Since all the info I have says otherwise, I hope the woman at the Embassy was correct.

[nichole]

I've read a long thread concerning people who worked in Korea from various countries. People reported success getting the certificate throught the Korean Embassy in Manilla.You don't mention what country the visa interview was. Photocopies of the passport were needed and 2 passport photos. They were told to return to the Korean embassy in 5-6 weeks to get the certificate. Some thought it would be mailed and found out it had been sitting at the Korean Embassy waiting to be picked up in person.

Of more importance, you say the visa was denied. Denied is a strong term. Is the visa only delayed pending receiving the missing document? Denied is bad. They send your case back to the US and it's a big deal to proceed from there.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Ok... delayed.

I specifically left the country out in case I eventually said something I might later regret. ;-) But there is, of course, enough detail in there that the CO, were they to follow these forums, could recognize the case.


Interesting thing about the interview. Had it been me going, I would not have taken anything with me because the interview invitation letter clearly showed that all required documentation/evidence had been provided. My wife took all of our (mine/hers/baby) vital documents that we had compiled for purposes of Consular Report of Birth and for the Visa application. Even though all of this documentation had been provided, the CO demanded that she produce much of it again. Luckily she had it with her. He also wanted her to produce evidence of my last trip (such as photos) to visit her and the baby (which she didn't have). She said she could have at least shown him photos on her phone except that the Embassy confiscates all electronic equipment upon entry. He then said it didn't matter.

Anyway, she has requested the document through the Korean Embassy and has been assured that they can get it for her. They took copies of her passports (old/new) and family information and details on when she was in Korea but I don't believe they took any photos. She was told they would call her in approximately 1 month. We have to wait a month to know for sure whether she gets the document.


She was provided a letter to take with her to the Korean Embassy and, since they have these pre-printed document requests ready, perhaps the certificate really is not unobtainable. If the certificate is obtainable by going through the Embassy, then I think they need to update the Foreign Affairs Manual. Had the applicant documentation section on the Dept of State website not stated that the document was unobtainable, we would have tried getting it before instead of now being forced to wait at least another month for the visa. Even before I found that, I had already gotten the same info from the US Embassy in Korea. Whether it is eventually received or not, it's my opinion that the CO shouldn't even be asking for it since it is listed as unobtainable.

There have been a number of things about the whole visa process that have just gotten under my skin and this is one of them. Still, we're better off than the other applicants she spoke with today. Everyone else that she spoke with (that were there for interviews today) had been at least 1 year in process.