Doverdiver, LOL. Yeah, maybe that was the biggest problem.
I don't know how this works for US Immigration but up here, the "sponsor" can also be the representative and interact with Immigration/Embassy on behalf of the applicant. I wish we'd done that. Had we done so, perhaps things would have turned out differently. Who knows?
The whole thing is unbelievably frustrating. And to me, it is most heinous that the applicant must pay every time they apply, with no refund coming their way if they are denied. Oh yeah, not to mention must have already purchased the airline ticket. What the hell? How are they supposed to buy a ticket and then get refused? That means they've got to pay a higher fare to ensure they have a fully refundable ticket in case of being denied.