Hello from Tunis

[Sarah B 26]

So hello all of you other people going through visa insanity.

My name is Sarah, Im a USC and Im married to Anis, a tunisian resident. We met in Francewhere I have been a grad student since 2006 and came back to Tunis to deal with his immigration stuff before we can finally settle in the US. So after reading this site, I have a couple of questions:

As per DCF rules I have to be a resident of the country for 6 months, so I am now at month number 3 even though I have been here since September. Ok great. So the last time I went to the Embassy I was told to send in the I130 now to shorten the wait, but as I do not live in the US, and have not been in the US since 2006 wouldn't this just complicate my life further? I mean won't it jsut be easier to bring the paper to our appointment in June? Or is the consul just confused and should I just keep collecting our documentation and waiting out the next three months? Has anyone else been told this?

Confused and frazzled in Tunis.

[YuAndDan 153]

One thing you say you have not been resident in the USA since 2006? I hope you have maintained your US Domicile, and can show that your foreign residency has been temporary.

The petitioner (YOU) Must provide an I-864 Affidavit of support, and the I-864 REQUIRES US Domicile.

MORE: http://travel.state.gov/pdf/I-864GenInfo-FAQ-Final.pd

[txladykat 1]

I would go based on what the consulate has told you. To the poster that says you should have maintained a residence, this simply is not true. You only need to show that you have taken steps that re-establish a domicile in the US. More times than not, something like bank statements, driver license -showing an address in the US is sufficient, along with a letter explaining your intent to re-establish a domicile in the US.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

since you are a grad student, it is "understood" that your foreign residence is temporary. Send in copies of your student visa(s); and indeed show that you have remained domiciled in the US (bank accounts: open one, voters' registration, etc).

DCF is designed precisely for folks like us.

[Sarah B 26]

In regards to my permanent residency, it has always been in the US. I havekept all of my temporary one year residency permits from France hsowing that my permanent residency is in the US. I just don't have a bank act anymore since my bank went out of business. Here is the problem:

If I send I130 as if I was living in California on the 130 form there is a question asking where and when my husband and I lived together. Of course I wrote that it is in Tunis and is current. How would this be possible if I were supposed to be in CA? Am I supposed to be lying? I mean wouldnt that jsut be even more of a hassle?

I guess I should jsut call the embassy on Monday. Ugh.

THanks anyway

[Marina-Del 10]

In regards to my permanent residency, it has always been in the US. I havekept all of my temporary one year residency permits from France hsowing that my permanent residency is in the US. I just don't have a bank act anymore since my bank went out of business. Here is the problem:

If I send I130 as if I was living in California on the 130 form there is a question asking where and when my husband and I lived together. Of course I wrote that it is in Tunis and is current. How would this be possible if I were supposed to be in CA? Am I supposed to be lying? I mean wouldnt that jsut be even more of a hassle?

I guess I should jsut call the embassy on Monday. Ugh.

THanks anyway

If you are applying DCF you are supposed to be living abroad, NOT IN THE US. You cannot file DCF if you are living in the US! That's the whole point of this way of filing! The other posters were simply saying that you need to show that you have kept a domicile in the US. I assume you still have your drivers license with (perhaps) your parents address? Did you vote in the presidencial election? Ect....you say that you don't have a bank account. Does one of your parents (or something else) have power of attorney over you and could possibly put your name on a bank account that you could use to show you have a bank account? It is not necessary that you do have a bank account, but it is a good way to show that you have remained ties in the US. Do you still get mail in the US? Showing this could help as well!

But by no means put that you are living in the US! You want them to know you are living abroad. Also you said that you have been living there since September...so why are you only at month 3? Shouldn't that make you at month 6? Please be aware that you don't NECESSARILY have to be a resident for 6 months. You should talk to the consulate about this. I spoke to the Brazlian consulate here and they said that my 'residency' of 6 months began when I entered the country on a tourist visa --as long as when I apply DCF I can show that I have legal residency at that time. BUT, this is different for every consulate (I think I have read that Denmark is the same as I have just stated)...so you should check with the consulate where you are! Maybe you're already at 6 months!! So definitely check into that!

Edited March 14, 2009 by Marina-Del

[dandkam 0]

I'm putting together the package to DCF for my husband at the embassy in Doha. On I130 you put your address where you live in Tunis with your hubby, and on line # 18 the address where you may live when you return to US ( your parents address i.e. ). I was told so by the CO at the US embassy here in Doha.

I opened a bank account with Wells Fargo online. I think all major US banks offer the option to open an account online. Good luck

[Sarah B 26]

In regards to my permanent residency, it has always been in the US. I havekept all of my temporary one year residency permits from France hsowing that my permanent residency is in the US. I just don't have a bank act anymore since my bank went out of business. Here is the problem:

If I send I130 as if I was living in California on the 130 form there is a question asking where and when my husband and I lived together. Of course I wrote that it is in Tunis and is current. How would this be possible if I were supposed to be in CA? Am I supposed to be lying? I mean wouldnt that jsut be even more of a hassle?

I guess I should jsut call the embassy on Monday. Ugh.

THanks anyway

If you are applying DCF you are supposed to be living abroad, NOT IN THE US. You cannot file DCF if you are living in the US! That's the whole point of this way of filing! The other posters were simply saying that you need to show that you have kept a domicile in the US. I assume you still have your drivers license with (perhaps) your parents address? Did you vote in the presidencial election? Ect....you say that you don't have a bank account. Does one of your parents (or something else) have power of attorney over you and could possibly put your name on a bank account that you could use to show you have a bank account? It is not necessary that you do have a bank account, but it is a good way to show that you have remained ties in the US. Do you still get mail in the US? Showing this could help as well!

But by no means put that you are living in the US! You want them to know you are living abroad. Also you said that you have been living there since September...so why are you only at month 3? Shouldn't that make you at month 6? Please be aware that you don't NECESSARILY have to be a resident for 6 months. You should talk to the consulate about this. I spoke to the Brazlian consulate here and they said that my 'residency' of 6 months began when I entered the country on a tourist visa --as long as when I apply DCF I can show that I have legal residency at that time. BUT, this is different for every consulate (I think I have read that Denmark is the same as I have just stated)...so you should check with the consulate where you are! Maybe you're already at 6 months!! So definitely check into that!

The first time I went to the consulate the consul told me that to speed up the process I should send in the I130 now as if I was living in the US, but then I would no longer be doing the DCF as you have correctly written. This makes no sense to me. So I called back today, they said they had no idea what that meant and that I had to come in to prove my reidency before I could make an appointment regarding my husband's DCF. In regards to residency, here in Tunisia you have to be a resident, your tourist stamp is not cute enough, you must have the gigantic page long residency stamp. Anyway, I will let you all know what other strange things the embassy will tell me on my trip later on in the week.

By the way, thanks for the idea about being able ot open a bank acct online. Will do once I clear this mess up.

[WROCLAW 0]

good luck