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mnmike40

Hello and I am glad to be here.

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Hello everyone. My name is Michael. My fiancee's name is Alianny. We have dated for over a year and recently I popped the question. She said yes and now we are beginning the K-1 Visa process. I have done a lot of reading and studying the past two days. Tentatively planning to have paperwork and fee ready to send in next week. I will update our process as best as I can. I am from Minnesota and she is from the Dominican Republic.

If you have any questions or advice, please don't hesitate. Let the journey begin!!! :dancing:

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Hi :-)... Welcome to this wonderful site! I hope that we hear positive posts from you, and that your process go as smoothly as it can possibly go.

SORRY, I FORGOT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS!

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Thanks a lot H & B!! I hope it does also. I hope I can contribute positively also! I'd love to read your story....

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: China
Timeline

Welcome to the forum.

Completed: K1/K2 (271 days) - AOS/EAD/AP (134 days) - ROC (279 days)

"Si vis amari, ama" - Seneca

 

 

 

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
Timeline

Welcome to the forum.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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Thanks a lot H & B!! I hope it does also. I hope I can contribute positively also! I'd love to read your story....

Hi, well my love story is very short, and simple. My story with uscis is also short, and simple. NOW, MY STORY WITH NVC...... I will rather not go into details because is long, ugly, and discouraging. After almost one year that my petitions got to NVC, I am still waiting for them to be completed. Good luck!

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  • 4 months later...

Hello everyone, and Happy 4th to you all!! :dancing:

It has been a few months since I opened this thread, and a lot has changed for us. After careful consideration, we decided not to do the Fiancee Visa. There is just too much fraud in the Dominican Republic, so we didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. So I married Alianny on June 5th in Santo Domingo, and we had a great honeymoon in Punta Cana. Now we are both gathering all of the paperwork, so we can begin this Spousal Visa process. Just to update you all. I have pretty much spent all of my extra time here the past few days reading up. Although I studied quite a bit, I still have two questions that are unanswered. If anyone feels like they can point me in the right direction with some advice, that would help me a lot.

Okay, the first issue. My wife's cousin went through this exact process, and her Dominican husband came to the US with his visa approved last month. She wasn't born in the US, she was born in the Dominican Republic but came here with her grandfather. Later, she became a US citizen. She is of course helping us with advice. One thing she said is that she was required, along with her husband, to get birth certificates for herself, himself, and their mothers and fathers. I was born in the US, and I don't see anything telling me that neither her or myself would have to get those certificates. Does anyone know about this? I thought this was only required of her cousin because she was not born here, but I am not sure.

Second issue. This isn't until down the road but the sponsor form is a concern for me. My situation is a little unique. I was married to a Colombian woman, and then divorced her and moved back here. I never started any Immigration things with her. I lived in Colombia for 3 years. I returned back to the US in May of 2013. So I didn't file a return for 2012. I worked as an English Teacher and didn't earn a lot. I think I can track down some documentation through my former employer, but there is no way I made the required amount working that year in Colombia. So if I can only produce 2 consecutive years of tax returns where I earned well over the required amount, will that be an issue? Or if I file a return for 2012, with an amount under the required amount, will that be bad?

Thanks in advance! I am only starting out but have been through a crazy 5 years. If I can help anyone, please feel free to ask

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
Timeline

*** Thread moved from Introducing Our Members forum to the CR-1 Process forum. ***

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: China
Timeline

Hello everyone, and Happy 4th to you all!! :dancing:

It has been a few months since I opened this thread, and a lot has changed for us. After careful consideration, we decided not to do the Fiancee Visa. There is just too much fraud in the Dominican Republic, so we didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. So I married Alianny on June 5th in Santo Domingo, and we had a great honeymoon in Punta Cana. Now we are both gathering all of the paperwork, so we can begin this Spousal Visa process. Just to update you all. I have pretty much spent all of my extra time here the past few days reading up. Although I studied quite a bit, I still have two questions that are unanswered. If anyone feels like they can point me in the right direction with some advice, that would help me a lot.

Okay, the first issue. My wife's cousin went through this exact process, and her Dominican husband came to the US with his visa approved last month. She wasn't born in the US, she was born in the Dominican Republic but came here with her grandfather. Later, she became a US citizen. She is of course helping us with advice. One thing she said is that she was required, along with her husband, to get birth certificates for herself, himself, and their mothers and fathers. I was born in the US, and I don't see anything telling me that neither her or myself would have to get those certificates. Does anyone know about this? I thought this was only required of her cousin because she was not born here, but I am not sure.

Second issue. This isn't until down the road but the sponsor form is a concern for me. My situation is a little unique. I was married to a Colombian woman, and then divorced her and moved back here. I never started any Immigration things with her. I lived in Colombia for 3 years. I returned back to the US in May of 2013. So I didn't file a return for 2012. I worked as an English Teacher and didn't earn a lot. I think I can track down some documentation through my former employer, but there is no way I made the required amount working that year in Colombia. So if I can only produce 2 consecutive years of tax returns where I earned well over the required amount, will that be an issue? Or if I file a return for 2012, with an amount under the required amount, will that be bad?

Thanks in advance! I am only starting out but have been through a crazy 5 years. If I can help anyone, please feel free to ask

Answers:

  • The only reason you would need a photocopy of your birth certificate is to establish US Citizenship (an alternative would be a copy of every page of your passport). Your wife will need her birth certificate at a later stage in the process. Birth certificates from your parents or her parents will not be needed.
  • As far as sponsorship goes, current income is what counts not income or lack thereof from prior years. If you weren't required to file a tax return for a year that is being requested, you simply write a letter stating why.

Our journey:

Spoiler

September 2007: Met online via social networking site (MySpace); began exchanging messages.
March 26, 2009: We become a couple!
September 10, 2009: Arrived for first meeting in-person!
June 17, 2010: Arrived for second in-person meeting and start of travel together to other areas of China!
June 21, 2010: Engaged!!!
September 1, 2010: Switched course from K1 to CR-1
December 8, 2010: Wedding date set; it will be on February 18, 2011!
February 9, 2011: Depart for China
February 11, 2011: Registered for marriage in Wuhan, officially married!!!
February 18, 2011: Wedding ceremony in Shiyan!!!
April 22, 2011: Mailed I-130 to Chicago
April 28, 2011: Received NOA1 via text/email, file routed to CSC (priority date April 25th)
April 29, 2011: Updated
May 3, 2011: Received NOA1 hardcopy in mail
July 26, 2011: Received NOA2 via text/email!!!
July 30, 2011: Received NOA2 hardcopy in mail
August 8, 2011: NVC received file
September 1, 2011: NVC case number assigned
September 2, 2011: AOS invoice received, OPTIN email for EP sent
September 7, 2011: Paid AOS bill (payment portal showed PAID on September 9, 2011)
September 8, 2011: OPTIN email accepted, GZO number assigned
September 10, 2011: Emailed AOS package
September 12, 2011: IV bill invoiced
September 13, 2011: Paid IV bill (payment portal showed PAID on September 14, 2011)
September 14, 2011: Emailed IV package
October 3, 2011: Emailed checklist response (checklist generated due to typo on Form DS-230)
October 6, 2011: Case complete at NVC
November 10, 2011: Interview - APPROVED!!!
December 7, 2011: POE - Sea-Tac Airport

September 17, 2013: Mailed I-751 to CSC

September 23, 2013: Received NOA1 in mail (receipt date September 19th)

October 16, 2013: Biometrics Appointment

January 28, 2014: Production of new Green Card ordered

February 3, 2014: New Green Card received; done with USCIS until fall of 2023*

December 18, 2023:  Filed I-90 to renew Green Card

December 21, 2023:  Production of new Green Card ordered - will be seeing USCIS again every 10 years for renewal

 

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Answers:

  • The only reason you would need a photocopy of your birth certificate is to establish US Citizenship (an alternative would be a copy of every page of your passport). Your wife will need her birth certificate at a later stage in the process. Birth certificates from your parents or her parents will not be needed.
  • As far as sponsorship goes, current income is what counts not income or lack thereof from prior years. If you weren't required to file a tax return for a year that is being requested, you simply write a letter stating why.

Thanks a lot Ryan!! The first answer I could find anywhere, so that solidifies it for me. I think I have a solution for the 2nd part, We will probably get the I-130 sent out by the end of this month. So if it takes between 4-6 months to get to the next step, then I will be able to file my 2015 taxes in January and include it in with the other 2 years I have. But thanks for the input on that too. :)

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  • 4 months later...

So I thought that I would throw you all another update. About a month ago, while waiting on the CR1 process, my wife applied for a Visitor Visa. I hadn't seen her since the beginning of June, and I thought it was important for her to spend some time here to get used to some of the differences. I live in Minnesota, so I thought that it would be a good thing for her to experience her first winter! It wasn't that long of a process for her down in Santo Domingo, I think it took about 5 weeks. She had her interview and everything was in order, including a letter I wrote. She was denied!! Apparently the woman did read my letter, but it was obvious that the decision was made before she had arrived. She said there was about 30 people there at 7:30 am, and she saw the woman for 5 minutes. The woman told her that she was denied because she lived in the DR and I lived in the US. I guess they figured she wouldn't return. Personally, I think that was a terrible excuse. She had a job, school and her family to go back to, not to mention, there was no way we were going to take a chance and screw up the CR1 Visa!

We accepted that decision. We continued to talk about how important we thought it was for her to be here as soon as possible. Then I read all about the K3 Visa. That looks like she could come here until the CR1 process was ready for her to go for the interview. Currently, for the CR1 Visa, they are about 7 months behind at the Nebraska Service Center. This is one of the reasons we didn't want to wait, if there were other options. So, I mailed in the application this past Friday and we are going to wait on that decision.

Meanwhile, I get to go spend the end of December/January with her. That will be great, as we have had to be apart for over 6 months at that point. I know, many of you all have gone much longer that being apart. If the K3 does not work, we will just do our best to sit back and be patient. I will continue to update you all as we go along this path.

Have a great Sunday!! Go Vikings!!

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K3 is virtually obsolete. Please read the k3 forum to see why.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.  - Dr. Seuss

 

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