accompany wife to interview? and more Q's

[Skye_Cohen 1]

Hi everyone, quick background for my question: I am a US citizen and recently married an indonesian. I plan to file I-130 in about 1 month when i recieve my wedding paperwork from the slowly moving office life in bali.

My questions: Money is tight, i looked at process times and and according to the tables from vj it looks like i could recieve the noa2 in as little as about 85 days. If i understand correctly from reading around on here and elsewhere, I would then be notified of an appointment date for the interview at the embassy in Jakarta with as little as one month notice. Am i missing a step here? Im happy if I'm not because that is fast but also Jakarta is a long way from portland OR and having one month to arrange for leaving work is not easy. to summarize: am i reading process times correctly? am i missing a step that takes more time after the noa2 arrives? and once it arrives, is there a fixed date for an interview or does an applicant have a window of six months to schedule an interview(i have read both)?

that leads to the next question. i know I'm not required to be at the interview, but I'm guessing it would look good if i was.(is that assumption correct in your opinions?)

Also my wife speaks almost no english, i however speak indonesian but I'm worried that her lack of english skills will be a deterrent at the interview, also i would like to be there because if she receives her visa on that first interview we could return to the US together. Either way i will need to accompany her into the US as she speaks no english and hasn't been on a plane before and it is allways at least 3 flights between my home and her. Better to be there for the interview but risk going home alone (if they request more info or a second interview) and then wait another six months or so to save up money and return to bali so she can return with me

lastly i spoke with a great lawyer whom i trust and who helped my brother(from south africa) and also a friend of mine(from nigeria) but she charges a flat rate of $2100.00 is it faster with a lawyer? my understanding is that it isn't, if everything is done correctly(forms filled out correctly etc...) lawyers help to make sure i do all that correctly but the process doesn't change. do i understand correctly?

Thank you and i apologize if the information i seek is already on the boards, I have been reading from many sources and not all of them speak of the same process

pics of the wedding and prep from my mothers shutterfly page at http://skyesbaliwedding.shutterfly.com

[Rongko 0]

Hi, KomangSkye

I am not familiar with I-130 petition since I went with K1 visa route instead.

Assuming the process of I-130 is similar to I-129F, I would say you will be notified by Jakarta Embassy within 1 week after the case being sent from NVC through email. I believe they don't use mail post. I think we both know how terrible Indonesian post office is maybe the Embassy knows that too

Regarding your question whether to fly there for the interview and wanting to return together, I say it's kind of gamble if you do it that way. If your money is tight, then I would say prepare her to go to the interview by herself. When visa is in hand, then you can plan your trip to return to the US together. That's what I did for my fiancee, I was like you that I wanted to be there with my fiancee for the interview. But I think Indonesia Consulate won't let you stand next to her during the interview. If you're able to wait for another 6 months separation from your wife, that would be fine with your plan to return and picking her up after 6 months.

"Either way i will need to accompany her into the US as she speaks no english and hasn't been on a plane before and it is allways at least 3 flights between my home and her. " => I think she has to fly 3x to Jakarta at least for Medical, Interview, then picking up the Visa.

Regarding Lawyer, You're right, it's not making the process faster. However, they can help in completing the requirements since they do this many times vs you that will do this for the first time. The question is ... is it worthy to fork $2,100 for something that you'll do most of them by yourself? I used lawyer for my petition filing, and it costed me $700 and to this day, I think that's a bit too much for the work that I do it myself most of the time.

[Dan J 277]

Lawyer will not speed anything up. If your case is straightforward, you probably wont need one. Even with a lawyer, you will still need to get all the information needed for the forms and filing anyway. If it affords you peace of mind, it might be worth it for you.

[Indy&Benji 0]

Firstly, I'd like to congratulate you on your marriage. Regarding your questions about the step after you get NOA2, I think you are missing something for the NVC part. Cause after you get NOA2, your case will be sent to NVC then you and your wife will have to submit some documents to them, and in this stage there is no exact time frame. It really depends on whether you give the documents they need or not. Then after the NVC accepts all the documents, they will forward the case to the US Embassy in Jakarta and the NVC will set the date for your interview. Usually you will have around one or two months ahead from the interview date, this interview time based on the availability time the US Embassy in Jakarta have to interview the intending immigrant. While your wife is waiting for the interview, she will be required to get a medical check, which can only be done in Jakarta (read the US Embassy in Jakarta site). And yes, I do not know whether you can accompany her while she is being interviewed. Cause intending immigrant is being interviewed in a small room. Well, you may call the embassy to ask for it. Again, good luck on your journey.

[Married2009 32]

Grats on your marriage! If you fill out your timeline, you can find timelines similar to yours, and see how long the process is currently taking. Also, there is a region specific forum that might give you more insight into what to expect. As to the lawyer, we decided to do the paperwork ourselves, and save the money for getting on with our lives. That is something you and your wife have to decide together. Read the guides, they help!

Edited March 13, 2010 by Married2009

[Skye_Cohen 1]

Thanks to you all.. good info and to Rongko dan+gemvita and indy-benji I'm excited to see others here with connections to indonesia

Rongko.. right about the flights, im not too worried about domestic indonesian flights just intl. ones but after reading some more online and hearing what you all have said perhaps the best option is to just let her do the interview alone and book my trip after she gains her visa.

and im sorry i forgot who corrected me but yes i was missing a step, thanks for straightening me out. I have been reading and researching a ton, i suppose my brain is on overload i should take a few days off now and then so as to more accurately absorb all of the tons of information here.

and yes i definitely will make a timeline but only after i file the I-130, maybe 3 weeks from now, waiting for indonesian paperwork

[patz79 0]

Thanks to you all.. good info and to Rongko dan+gemvita and indy-benji I'm excited to see others here with connections to indonesia

Rongko.. right about the flights, im not too worried about domestic indonesian flights just intl. ones but after reading some more online and hearing what you all have said perhaps the best option is to just let her do the interview alone and book my trip after she gains her visa.

and im sorry i forgot who corrected me but yes i was missing a step, thanks for straightening me out. I have been reading and researching a ton, i suppose my brain is on overload i should take a few days off now and then so as to more accurately absorb all of the tons of information here.

and yes i definitely will make a timeline but only after i file the I-130, maybe 3 weeks from now, waiting for indonesian paperwork

Hi,

Just want to share my experience about the interview, my hubby was insisted to be with me during my interview but cant fit his schedule with the interview date. So he wrote to US embassy in Jakarta asking if its possible to re-schedule the interview to our preferable date, and wholaaaa without any hassle next day we got reply state that they re-schedule the interview. So, i think it worth to try if you ever face any same situation. Good luck for your journey!..

[TBoneTX 43,286]

There are NO drawbacks to being "around" (even elsewhere on the consular premises, or outside) during your SO's interview. It can be worth its weight in gold if you hand your U.S. passport to your wife to have her take it to show the CO, because it adds strength and authority to the validity of your relationship. Your presence also lends emotional strength to your wife during a high-pressure time when all the marbles are on the table. Consider the alternative, and mentally balance the expense now against months of fighting a 221g or an outright refusal, si man.