My fiance picked up the packet 3 at the embassy today. They actually call it a K-1 information packet. All she had to do was turn back in the 1st part of the DS 230 which she had completed before she went in. No checklist. If anyone been through Jamaica recently, can you tell if this is the normal experience? How long did it take to get an interview date? Anything special to note about Jamaica? They gave two set of instructions for the i-134. One said last tax return, the other said last 3? Phone call did not help to clarify. Any ideas?

I am going to be there with my fiance for the interview and do not anticipate any problems, but just want to make sure.

Trinilad -- you might want to post this up top in the "Yardie" thread. We went through Kingston almost a year ago and some things have changed. There are some people who just had interviews and they will be able to help.

Trinilad,

I am not K-1 but K-3, so I can't address the 1st part of your question. But my husband was asked for the last three years of my tax returns. They looked at 2004 (the most recent at the time), but kept all 3 years.

Hey Trinlidad-

We just had our interview last month in Kingston so maybe I can help. If she turned in the DS230 yesterday, you can start calling next week around Thursday to see if they have scheduled your interview. It will probably be in early October.....as per my timeline, we dropped off the DS230 at the end of May and our interview was scheduled for July 10. This is pretty normal.

They DID ask for all 3 years tax returns at the interview but returned the 2 oldest after they reviewed them. Just to be safe, you should bring all 3....

Okay..so now you need to do these things if you have not done so already......

1. Wait until you find out the actual interview date. Once you have it, go ahead and make the medical appointment. You can make the appointment over the phone without the actual interview letter but you need the appointment date and she will need the interview appointment letter when she goes in for the medical appt.

2. Get the no-impediment form from the Register Generals office. (It takes a few weeks to receive)

3. Get updated birth certificates and a valid passport.

4. Get the police cert from Kingston

5. Get 12 passport size photos.

6. Get all of her immunization records together so she can bring them to the medical appointment.

7. Make sure her system is clear of any "ganja"...they will test for it and it is an automatic ban for 3 years if she is tested positive.....

8. Wait for packet 4 to arrive.....this has the appointment letter and medical forms included.

9. Start gathering all of your financial things including a letter from your employer and a letter form the bank.

10. Get the I-134 form notarized after your complete it.

I think this it it..If I remember anything else, I will try to give you the information.....

Good Luck!!!

Trini..our approvals came a week apart...so I'm glad you posted this topic...and Kim...thanks for all that info! I was actually about to post the same kind of questions in the yaardies thread!

Hi,
We went in August , they only took last year's tax return. Start applying for the No-Impediment to marriage Cert. as soon as possible.Follow Kim's advice and you should be just fine.



SHAr

The good thing about is is that as soon as I got the RFE I started gathering this information and had everything ready within about a week. She also got the police reportt done last week, applied for the certificate of non impediment to marraige and had the last of her shots about two weeks ago to update her immunization( figure will save time and money when she gets here). So all the docs are in place and the package was mailed to her yesterday with the tax return, I-134, bank statement , job letter and I threw in some recent pay stubs for good measure. I am going to get the additional tax returns to be safe. I will be there for the interview. But just in case of flight delay, storm or some odd disaster, I figure I would make sure she has all documents needed in case I am not there. I figure everything is covered and I should be ready.

Thanks Guys!





Jamaica does move fast on some things. She has turned in DS230 part 1 and I am still to get a letter from NVC telling me the case went there. I am just so tired of the distance. Thank God Cable and Wireless has that service that gave my fiance a US telephone number so we can sit on the phone for 2 / 3 hours a day without breaking my pocket. She just mailed the last of her personal belongings to the US today. 200 LBS of luggage including 1 suitcase of shoes, 1 suitcase of pocket books. How do women accumulate so much clothes? I do not get it.



This may be an odd question, but what is the issue with the bank account. I am not sure what is acceptable to them and what they are looking for. Is it a specific balance, time account opened or amount deposited . I am not one of those people with the 6 figure balance in my account . The many trips to Jamaica add up. But I make way more than the income requirement, so I figure I am safe. Just curios if anyone had any questions asked about the bank account balance .

This may be an odd question, but what is the issue with the bank account. I am not sure what is acceptable to them and what they are looking for. Is it a specific balance, time account opened or amount deposited . I am not one of those people with the 6 figure balance in my account . The many trips to Jamaica add up. But I make way more than the income requirement, so I figure I am safe. Just curios if anyone had any questions asked about the bank account balance .
[/quote]



We did'nt have 6 figures, what I believe they are interesting in is your saving history and not the balance.


Shar

Can you let me know how you were able to do this. My phone bills are outrageous

My fiance Ordered DSL through Cable and wireless. Once DSL is installed she then ordered a NET Speak package . The Net Speak package is about $25.00 US per month and the DSL is about 30 US per month. On avaerage her bill with DSL, and Net Speak and her local calls come to between 80 and $100.00 US. When you get the net speak, you select a US area code. You will then have two phones in the home. One connected to the regular Analog land line and the other connected to the DSL modem. Just get 2 different color phones with different rings so you do not get confused. So when I call her on the Net speak phone, I dial a US telephone number with a 410 area code and therefore it is aand dial my phone number here which is a local call.So you can talk for as long as you would like for only $25.00 per month. You can see the calls accumulate on the online statement, but when you get your bill, you will only see the 1 charge of about $25.00. Last month my fiance made $85,000.00 JA in calls to me which would have been about $1,400.00 US. Her phone bill was only $85.00 US which included her local calls to Jamaica plus the DSL charge. Trust me, I pay that bill every month without fail. The rule is , she never use the line connected to DSL to make a call to Jamaica because then she would be making a long distance call. She can call anyone, anywhere in the US and it will never cost a dime.

I will swear by it. We have has the service since January 2006 and the average accumulated calls per month is about $60,000.00 JA. To make $1,000.00 US in calls each month and pay only $25.00 US for them, or should say $50.00 with the DSL is the best thing we ever did. In addition to which, when time comes for that interview and you show that consular office the list of calls made totalling $60,000.00 per month, they would have no doubt that this is real.

Thank you!!!

Thank you too.

With most of my family in Jamaica, this sounds like a great idea. Thanks!

bumping up for Ebony.

Wow, good info....

MIGAWD! So Cable and Worthless IS good for something. Thanks for this info, Trinilad (gotta tell my Trini best friend all yuh actually help me out wid something! )

We had the exact same experience. Took both sets of tax returns.

*BUMP*

Hope recent yardies to the process can verify or modify this information?