USA, Canada / Getting a VISA to USA by a Polish person nowadays [339]

That's absurd - the notion that Poles are more inclined to subject themselves to unskilled manual labor than Chechs,Slovaks,Latvians,or for that matter South Koreans is offensive - Poland was the only other country to support Bushs' war with their own troops,(apart from the UK) and this is how their loyalty is repaid - it's a scandal

News / Are Polish People Being Discriminated Against? Problems getting a US visa. [258]

Exactly! It's a cute game they play - "the refusal rate is too high,so we can't give you a visa,and the more visa's we don't give,the higher the refusal rate is"

I posted a related topic on this forum about a week ago. As a US citizen who is currently living in Poland,I can only say that I am appaled at this process.Ashamed.

I grew up in New York City,where I work construction,so,let me say that I am very familiar with illegal immigrant workers,and immigrants in general.While it may be said that Poles were likely to stay illegaly about ten years ago,the situation has changed dramaticly within the past 6-7 years.Poles are most likely to go to the UK/Scottland/Ireland/Holland to TEMPORARILY seek employment,if at all.

While I agree there is a need for a stringent immigration policy within the US, it is clear to me that such policies are being applied to the wrong people. As a New Yorker,I am VERY familiar with the events of Septemebr the 11th 2001.When I hear bureaucrats use this as an excuse to treat people like ****** really irritates me.The majority of the US labor/service market is saturated with illigal immigrants from Central/Latin America and the Carribean,(NOT Eastern EU countries).

To apply this degrading process to Christian,educated,mostly English speaking Europeans is nothing short of obscene.If you go to any major city within the US,you will quickly see that this policy has done little/nothing to stop people from TRUE third world countries,who do little to assimilate and will not speak English.

When Bush inducted several Eastern European EU countries into the Visa Waiver Program,he heralded it as a true end to the last remnant of the cold war - Pretty amazing that they let everyone else in under that pretense (even Slovakia!) and left Poland out in the cold -WHEN IT WAS POLAND WHO PUT THE END TO THE COLD WAR TO BEGIN WITH

To appl

News / Are Polish People Being Discriminated Against? Problems getting a US visa. [258]

One more thing - I consider myself to be pretty patriotic (I was Honorably Discharged from the United States Marine Corps) - However,the immigration policies in the US are a form of totalitarianism. Completely arbitrary,no accountability,and out of control.I've spoken with older Poles who have said plainly,that they weren't treated this badly since the PRL days of communism,and the secret police.After seeing my own girlfriend JAILED at JFK airport and held without criminal charges for no less than 26 hours without food,water,or a phone call - I would have to wonder if the PRL's secret police wouldn't have treated people better.

News / Are Polish People Being Discriminated Against? Problems getting a US visa. [258]

Just last summer! She's been coming in to stay with me in New York since 2000 (she had a two week overstay in 2003) but had since travelled in 2005 without incident on tourist visa

Her flight arrives an hour late at JFK in New York - I'm waiting anxiously but not anticipating anything serious - after 2 hours of waiting I approach "security" (the guy was form West Coast Africa and I could'nt understand a thing he said) -

Eventually,after about 6 hours I get a call from my girlfriend - hysterical and crying,clearly tramatized - saying that she has been shackled (hands and feet),and placed in a 'detention facility' in New Jersey - her clothes and personal effects were taken,she was made to wear an orange jumpsuit,not fead,not given so much as a bottle of water,and told she would remain in custody until the next flight,which due to weather conditions would not depart until almost two days later - If she didn't have the return portion of her ticket,she could have rotted in that place for almost a month,or until a relative sorted out a ticket

The only reason she could call me was because some "gaurd" let her use his mobile

I tell people ,(my family,friends) about this and they all think I'm putting them on or exadurating....I'M NOT THIS **** IS REALLY HAPPENING IN THE US

News / Are Polish People Being Discriminated Against? Problems getting a US visa. [258]

The irony of all of this is - when I explain my situation to the consulate officers at the US consulate in Krakow,they advise me to apply for a fiance visa -an immigrant visa - when my girlfriend has absolutely NO intention of immigrating or settling/living in the US - she genuinely only wants to come over for the summer,and they advise us to lie or cheat the system. They contradict themselves.

There is no consistency with the policy.No set rules.The rules are subject to the whims or moods or character analysis of any consulate officer,or customs agent.Completely subjective,and even with an experienced and trained official - faulty. It's a faulted system,that is harming good people,and doing NOTHING to stop people who abuse the system and "bad guys" into the US.

News / Are Polish People Being Discriminated Against? Problems getting a US visa. [258]

Does the US discriminatre against Poles?

Well, discriminate would imply that there is a systematic bias applied toward Poles who apply for visas. Yes. I believe that there is. To suggest that other EU members (UK,Germany,France) impose less of an inherent risk to the security of the US,is absurd.

I know from personal experience,that the UK,France,and Germany are host countries to a considerable Muslim population.I'm not implying that all immigrtant Muslims within the EU are millitant,but a significant number are known extremists,openly preaching "death to America" - These subjects enjoy citizenship,and EU status of said host countries,making it all the more probable for them to enter the US on the Visa Waiver Program granted to western European countries who benefit from a relaxed status.

Point is,it is absurd that Poland,a country that is 90% Chatholic,should be treated with more scrutiny than other "western" EU countries,which,frankly,impose a far more considerable threat to Unite States national security.

News / Are Polish People Being Discriminated Against? Problems getting a US visa. [258]

PolishCowboy

Maybe if they don't put the missile shield in Poland, for a consolation prize they will put it on the VWP

You've lost me? "If they DON"T put a missile sheild,they will put them on VWP?"
It would seem to me,that if they don't need Poland for a missile sheild,they won't do anything for them - and the ***** of it is - If they DO use Poland for the missile shield aginst Russia, they STILL won't put Poland on the VWP

News / Are Polish People Being Discriminated Against? Problems getting a US visa. [258]

To plk123:

If you think it's a reasonable policy to criminalize,shackle,and jail Europeans (Poles) who overstayed a tourist visa by two weeks,then misguided at best. Do you think such treatment would be acceptable if your daughter/sister/mother were traveling into England/France/Germany for a holiday,and was shackled,denied basic rights,and tramatized after getting off the airplane - all because the last time she was on holiday in Europe (several years ago) she stayed at Euro-Disney for six weeks,insteadt of four weeks?

If any North American were treated the way my girlfriend was treated,I can GARUNTEE you it would be a diplomatic scandal.

News / Are Polish People Being Discriminated Against? Problems getting a US visa. [258]

To plk123 :

You've apparently missed my point on how US immigration policy is applied to Poles and EU members. As a native New Yorker and someone who works in construction,I have personal experience with the immigrant population (legal/illegal).I maintain that Poland never has,and never will pose any serious threat to the US job market,and certainly no threat to our national security. To suggest that the majority of Poles that apply for entry visas are dubious,is beside the point. They shouldn't have to go through this process to begin with!

If you think there would be waves of "slavic hordes" rushing over - your dilusional.Frankly,even if there were,I wouldn't see it as such a bad thing.Poles are by and large more skilled,better educated,and assimilate better than the Central/Latin American - Carribean immigrants who are a growing exponentially throughout the US.

So yes,should the US have strict immigration policy - I think so - but it would be nice if they actually APPLIED it toward the masses of Latin Americans and Carribeans who are pouring into the country, and not towards college educated,English speaking,Christian Europeans.

YES plk123 - It religious background IS a relevant issue. I'm not suggesting that all Muslims pose a terrorist threat (I am close to many Muslim Americans in New York),and I wouldn't suggest that different measures be applied to Muslim applicants - BUT - It shouldn't be EASIER for a person from Germany/England/France who is of Muslim descent to enter the US on the VWP - Having lived in various parts of Western Europe,I can tell you there are radical Islamists preaching "Death to America",and would like nothing better than to "visit" New York on a Visa Waiver compliments of European host country.

So,it makes no sense to subject Poles (predominanlty Christian) to harsher scrutiny than Muslim visa applicants coming from host countries under the VWP.

It's dangerously naive.

News / Are Polish People Being Discriminated Against? Problems getting a US visa. [258]

******** ..huh - You obviously haven't spent much time around North London - "shouting death to anyone will get you locked up in the UK"

I was fearing for my life on a Camden street corner when a group of Somali youths heard my American accent,started spitting chewed chat at my feet and said ,and I quote..''George Bush,we kill your George Bush,you see..." and proceeded to try to surround me - about five of them

I'm grew up in New York,so I'm used to it - but, you can call ******** all you want- the fact is,there is a significant Muslim population growing within Europe,and I'm simply saying it's perverse that Poles are scrutinized more than a British national of Muslim faith,who practices Sharia law and more often than not has a very unfavorable view on US foreign policy.

It would seem to me that such an individual should at least be subjected to the same scrutiny that a Polish national, certainly nothing LESS.

And while it's cute to suggest anyone who spends six weeks at Euro-Disney needs locking up (I would agree),the point being made is that such treatment would be unacceptable for any US citizen traveling in Western civilization,and this policy of criminal processing and detainment is unnecessary,expensive,and disgraceful. I challenge anyone to say otherwise.

USA, Canada / Applying for a US Visa in Krakow? Good and Bad Stories. [18]

Honestly , she was going to return in 3 weeks - I left America (New York City) to live with her in Poland - We bought a very nice place here and are doing very well - MUCH better than I was doing in New York - We only want to visit my mother in Florida for 2 weeks, and spend tourist dollars

USA, Canada / Applying for a US Visa in Krakow? Good and Bad Stories. [18]

Thanks for the link - but it's in Polish, and it looks like the same statistics that everyone knows - I am trying to compile recent experiences from people and try to get a consensus of negative or positive - I can't believe this is a Polish forum in English , and nobody has anything to say about the absurd process of getting a US Visa - everyone seems to be talking about racism and Hitler - Oh well!?

USA, Canada / Applying for a US Visa in Krakow? Good and Bad Stories. [18]

That's what seems so absurd - if they deny visas based on the percentage of denials, umm, isn't that the same as saying I can't give you something today because I didn't give it to you last week - It's literally nonsense - I could understand if it were based on % of overstays - but it's not. And the 214b denial is also absurd - no visa for lack of sufficient evidence or establishing strong ties to your country, ACCORDING TO THAT PARTICULAR CONSULAR OFFICER - there is no criterium - I know of people who were denied by a consular officer and came back the next week with the same story, and granted a visa by the consular officer in the next booth (they can't give you the same one twice) - But that proves that the system is completely an arbitrary process. No guidelines or regulations - they really should explain minimum requirements to establish sufficient ties, and explain that under certain circumstances there is no way to get a B2 Visa (past overstays and statue of limitations) - By failing to provide guidelines or rules for people to follow, they make the process unfaire


I'm sure the topic has probably been discussed here quite a bit - I'm just trying to get the most recent advice and information about specific consular officers in Krakow right now - the last time my girlfriend was denied , which was 3 years ago, she went to the embassy in Krakow and had a guy who was impossible to reason with (214b visa denial) - she went back with the same information the next week, was interviewed by a different consular officer in the next booth (a black guy I think), and he was very pleasant and gave her a 3 month B2 tourist visa - which she of course, complied with and did not overstay.

I understand that all of the consular officers are highly trained and have a lot of experience, but some are perhaps a little less prickly than others - Does anybody have any RECENT information about which Consular Officer is most difficult to deal with (they are NOT all the same)

USA, Canada / Applying for a US Visa in Krakow? Good and Bad Stories. [18]

Absolutely Right - As a US citizen I am DISGUSTED with how we're handling this - The Consulate gives people a 214b rejection letter, saying that you haven't proven ties to Poland regardless of what documents you bring - I know of several cases of people with way more than enough proof to tie them to Poland, no family in the US, and never applied for a visa before - and were denied under 214b after the C.O. doesn't even look at any documents- Then they tell you that you are welcome to come back anytime and pay another 500 zloty to try your luck - Christian, educated, middle class Europeans are denied entry to the US, while we give illegals who jump the Mexican border a free pass and benifits to "refugees" from radicalized Islamic States who later bomb us -

And anyone who says it's Poles fault are stuck in the 1980's - There are no Poles who would go to the US to work, and none that would stay with extended family who emigrated over 20 years ago - Poles only want to go as tourists and spend money

Everyone on Polish Form should check out this link : dropvisasforpoland.org/en/

USA, Canada / Applying for a US Visa in Krakow? Good and Bad Stories. [18]


I'm assuming it was your girlfriends first time traveling to the US - so she had no problem - I'm glad for the both of you

I have been with my girlfriend for 13 years now - we didn't marry in the US because we have no intention of living there (we love Poland) - she has an extensive travel history with the US going back to 2001 - but never more visits than once every 2 years - the last time she was there was 3 years ago - So they tell her she will marry her American 'fiance' and change status as soon as she is there - DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BOTH BEEN LIVING IN POLAND AND SHE COULD HAVE EMIGRATED 5 TIMES ALREADY

Merged: U.S. Citizen Living In Poland - How To Get Non Immigrant Spousal Visa From Poland?

I am a US citizen living in Poland, with my girlfriend. We have been together for 13 years, and did not marry in the US because it would require living there for a % of time, which we do not want to do. We do NOT want to live in the US - but we do need to visit from time to time. When she applies for a B2 tourist Visa, she is denied because of her 'travel history' (visiting once very 2 years since 2001) and she said once that her boyfriend was American, which is why she travels there. Since then the Consulate denies tourist visa, and says she needs a Fiance, or Spousal Visa.

The problem is, I have no 'nexus' in the US, because I now live in Poland. I can not file or petition from the US for the Fiance Visa, and it seems to me, that the "Non Immigrant Spousal" still requires an affidavit of support which I cannot provide (I don't earn $18,000 a year )- and I have no one to sponsor me. It seems that to enjoy rights as an American, you must have MONEY$$.

So, is there anybody out there who has a similar circumstance, or can advise me?

USA, Canada / Applying for a US Visa in Krakow? Good and Bad Stories. [18]

But that is the whole problem - nobody seems to understand that I am an American Expatriot - I do NOT want to live in the United States, she and I live in Poland - but I should be able to travel with my wife, who I will marry in Poland - NOT the US -

I can not be the only American in the world who finds himself living in another country with a foreign wife who wants to visit his family once a year together.

What do other people do, who don't live in the US anymore?

And shouldn't need to do any of this, because they should just give us a tourist visa - but they won't because they say we will move to the US together, when CLEARLY we live in Poland (house , work, bank, etc.) -

So, they're telling us to do Spousal, which is not possible because I don't live in the US, because they won't give us B2 tourist because they think we want to live in the US - Doesn't anybody see how crazy this is?

And as a former United States Marine, YES, I definitely feel that my right to travel with my spouse has been violated.

Law / U.S. Citizen Living In Poland - How To Get Non Immigrant Spousal Visa From Poland? [7]

Thank you for responding - I appreciate the feedback