many questions

[Joe&Diane 0]

I filed for CR1/IR1 and was approved on July 23rd. I have many questions that i'm concerned about and need vj members help!

1.I submitted a timeline with the I-130 packet, but do i need to update another one for my wife before her interview? If so, do i just add that we chat,talk on the phone, etc. on the time line? because I haven't made any trip back since our wedding in February 2010.

2.On our wedding certificate she didn't change her maiden name to my last name. It was hell just getting the certificate so we forgot to ask while we were there. So when is she able to change that? she also wants to take out 1 of her middle name since it will be confusing with 2 middle names

3. anything else i need to prepare while assembling the I864 affidavit of support? I got 3 yrs tax, letter from my employer, filling out DS-230. I heard I have to pay $400? anything else?

4. I've read members got blue slip because they need more proof of relative list. Since my wife doesn't have any immediate family in the States, should i write up an affidavit letter stating she doesn't and send to her parents to sign? or am I over reacting. It's hard to believe she doesn't have any immediate family here but it's true.

5. I asked my wife to get a police clearance report because I found out it usually takes about 2-3 weeks. So she already did that. she took and got 6 passport photos. I'm going to fill out form DS-230 for her and scan it to her so she doesn't have to worry about it when packet 3 comes. is that ok? does she need to do anything else right now?

it's been very stressful process. thanks in advance!

[What's next 1]

I filed for CR1/IR1 and was approved on July 23rd. I have many questions that i'm concerned about and need vj members help!

1.I submitted a timeline with the I-130 packet, but do i need to update another one for my wife before her interview? If so, do i just add that we chat,talk on the phone, etc. on the time line? because I haven't made any trip back since our wedding in February 2010.

Yes, include another one as evidence at the interview. have a couple handy as well just in case you don't get pink. They will most likely will request another timeline.

2.On our wedding certificate she didn't change her maiden name to my last name. It was hell just getting the certificate so we forgot to ask while we were there. So when is she able to change that? she also wants to take out 1 of her middle name since it will be confusing with 2 middle names

I would leave it as is. It's just going to compicate things more. Wait until she does her citizen paperwork in a couple of years.

3. anything else i need to prepare while assembling the I864 affidavit of support? I got 3 yrs tax, letter from my employer, filling out DS-230. I heard I have to pay $400? anything else?

W2's, bank statement, pay stubs

4. I've read members got blue slip because they need more proof of relative list. Since my wife doesn't have any immediate family in the States, should i write up an affidavit letter stating she doesn't and send to her parents to sign? or am I over reacting. It's hard to believe she doesn't have any immediate family here but it's true.

I would not volunteer this info just yet, if they ask for it, then provide it.

5. I asked my wife to get a police clearance report because I found out it usually takes about 2-3 weeks. So she already did that. she took and got 6 passport photos. I'm going to fill out form DS-230 for her and scan it to her so she doesn't have to worry about it when packet 3 comes. is that ok? does she need to do anything else right now?

nope, just relax, take it one step at a time.

it's been very stressful process. thanks in advance!

[Joe&Diane 0]

i really appreciate your advices and input!

[lindal24 1]

I filed for CR1/IR1 and was approved on July 23rd. I have many questions that i'm concerned about and need vj members help!

1.I submitted a timeline with the I-130 packet, but do i need to update another one for my wife before her interview? If so, do i just add that we chat,talk on the phone, etc. on the time line? because I haven't made any trip back since our wedding in February 2010.You should keep it updated just in case... I would keep it short and simple only adding important events.

2.On our wedding certificate she didn't change her maiden name to my last name. It was hell just getting the certificate so we forgot to ask while we were there. So when is she able to change that? she also wants to take out 1 of her middle name since it will be confusing with 2 middle names Typically, native VN people don't change their name when they get married. If your wife chooses to, it would probably be easier to do that here in the US, but then she'll risk not having her documents here match her documents back home...

3. anything else i need to prepare while assembling the I864 affidavit of support? I got 3 yrs tax, letter from my employer, filling out DS-230. I heard I have to pay $400? anything else? Sounds like you got everything for the I864, some may recommend that you get a tax transcript from the IRS (it's more official?!). As for the DS-230, the fee was $355 plus $70 unless it went up (which I had heard about)

4. I've read members got blue slip because they need more proof of relative list. Since my wife doesn't have any immediate family in the States, should i write up an affidavit letter stating she doesn't and send to her parents to sign? or am I over reacting. It's hard to believe she doesn't have any immediate family here but it's true. It's not hard to believe she doesn't have any immidate family here. What I've read other people say/do is an affidavit stating the fact. Also, to go one step further, you could get old family records showing siblings and then get residence data for them.

5. I asked my wife to get a police clearance report because I found out it usually takes about 2-3 weeks. So she already did that. she took and got 6 passport photos. I'm going to fill out form DS-230 for her and scan it to her so she doesn't have to worry about it when packet 3 comes. is that ok? does she need to do anything else right now? That is what I did with my husband. The packet came before the police certificate was ready even though we did it 3 weeks in advance (I told him to go get it as soon as I found out USCIS approved the petition). Search the forums, but look at a sample Pkt 3 someone posted a few months back to make sure you got everything that was needed then. It may be different now, but at least you got a starting point!

it's been very stressful process. thanks in advance!

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Others have already answered your questions, but I just wanted to add a comment about the name change...

In many states, you can automatically change your surname when you apply for a marriage license. The new name will become legal as soon as the marriage is registered. In many states, either party can change names. However, there are usually restrictions. They can take their spouse's surname, or choose a hyphenated name, but they can't choose any random surname they want, nor change any portion of their given name.

You may not be able to get an automatic name change in your state because you didn't marry there. Even if your state allows her to change her name based on the marriage, they will probably not allow her to change any portion of her given name (which includes her middle names) based on the marriage. You may have to petition for a name change in court. This isn't a big deal, and name changes are usually granted for reasonable cause. It's usually not expensive, and is usually finished in a single brief court session.

Unless it's important to you that she have your surname, you might want to consider not having her change her name. First, as Linda said, it's typically not done in Vietnamese culture. Second, it makes the paperwork a whole lot simpler. Her passport and other legal documents will not conflict with her new name. I had a third reason for not having my wife change her surname - I wanted her kids to have a parent with the same last name. The kids have their biological father's surname, but my wife and her ex-husband were both named "Nguyen" (no big surprise there), so the net result is the same. Also, "Phuong" just didn't sound right followed by my Scottish name.

[Joe&Diane 0]

Thanks a bunch!

[Joe&Diane 0]

Jim, thanks for laying it all out to make it easier for me . I just thought maybe once she get to the States and enroll in school it might be easier. My wife wants to change her last name to mine but it's no biggy if she doesn't. However, my wife's name is Dung (pronounce like Zume) Thuy Ngoc Pham. I know there will be people that will call it like cow DUNG and i know that i will be sensitive about that! So that's why I thought it might be easier for my wife to add a "z" to make it DZUNG and drop 1 of her middle name Thuy. So it will be Dzung Ngoc ..(my last name). But after reading what you and Linda advice, it will be too complicated. Currently I have so much stress concerning how my lawyer is handling my case that the name thing can be subsided for now i guess.

*is there a place where we can just rant?*

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

*is there a place where we can just rant?*

Yeah, the off topic forum. Only the bravest dare enter!

[luckytxn 2,263]

Come on to the off topic and have fun.

I go there once in a great while.