I-864 and other forms, questions

[LlamaInvasion 76]

Hi all!

We're assembling the package now, and I want to double check we've got it right, since we can't really afford any delays from filling out stuff wrong.

1) First of all, I went directly to the USCIS website and downloaded all their forms from there; yet at the top some of them say they expire 12/31/2010. Is this a problem?

2) For form I-864, my father in law is sponsoring me. So my husband should check, "1e. I am the first of two joint sponsors," and my father in law should check, "1e. I am the second of two joint sponsors," correct?

3) Do I fill out an I-485 supplement A, or just the I-485? I'm going to assume no, since none of the items in Part B, questions 1 and 2, apply to me?

4) The guide states to fill out and send I-693, but I thought I didn't do that until after the medical with a civil surgeon?

5) Do the affidavits from third parties confirming our relationship and marriage, need to be notarized? Or can they be formatted with something along the lines of your translation example on the guides?

And if I've understood it correctly, this is what we do to file:

File I-130 package and I-485 package together; containing I-130, G-325s for both me and my husband, I-864 for my husband and father in law, and all the extra material listed at the guide page?

Wait for NOAs and a notice that tells me to get a medical by a civil surgeon?

Civil surgeon completes his part of the I-693, we send that?

Interview, some unknown time later?

[LlamaInvasion 76]

Oh, also, does my father-in-law need to include anything with the I-864 besides copies of his tax returns for the last three years?

[Haarp425 26]

I was just wondering regarding your husband's yearly income.

If your husband yearly income is over $16,500 for two households then he can file I-864 himself for you.

2 households - Income must be $16,500

3 households - Income must be $20,750

4 households - Income must be $25,000

[LlamaInvasion 76]

My husband is a student and has had $0 income for the last three years.

[LlamaInvasion 76]

...okay, so from what I gather, 1 and 3 are resolved (the date doesn't matter as long as it's the most recent document edition, and I should NOT fill out an I-485A, just the I-485).

I'd still like to double check about 2, 4 and 5, though. Do my husband and my father-in-law tick "1e.?" Will I get a notification about making a medical appointment, where the I-693 will be filled out? And do the affidavits need to be notarized?

As soon as we know the answers to these questions, we're filing!

[Little_My 463]

We are about to send our I-130 and I-485 packages tomorrow, and here is how I've understood the process:

1. I have the medical examination papers already, sending those with the I-485. Based on information from this site and USCIS, I gathered that it would be better to submit that along with the initial application/petition package. You WILL be required to get the medical, and the medical is always the same examination with same requirements, so I'd assume it will speed things along for you guys if you submit that form along with the full package. Don't know how it goes if you don't - i.e. do you get an RFE or will they just ask you to bring the medical form to the interview. They won't refer you to a specific doctor - you need to pick a civil surgeon from the list on USCIS site, make an appointment, fill out the first part of I-693 and take it to the appointment. Also bring your vaccination records. For me, the whole process from making an appointment to getting all my papers from the civil surgeon took about a week. You need to go back after the first visit to the doctor, because they do a TB test, and the civil surgeon needs to check those results usually 2 days after the first visit.

2. I've found some conflicting information about whether or not third party affidavits need to be notarized or not.. We got ours notarized, just in case. In theory, if they are not notarized, you could have written and signed those yourself with someone's name. So, just to be on the safe side, we had our friends and family members notarize their affidavits.

3.Also remember to send in the I-131 for Advance parole, if you think you might need to travel abroad while waiting for your GC, and the I-765 for employment authorization, if you think there is a chance you'll want to work before your GC comes through.

[LlamaInvasion 76]

1. I have the medical examination papers already, sending those with the I-485. Based on information from this site and USCIS, I gathered that it would be better to submit that along with the initial application/petition package. You WILL be required to get the medical, and the medical is always the same examination with same requirements, so I'd assume it will speed things along for you guys if you submit that form along with the full package. Don't know how it goes if you don't - i.e. do you get an RFE or will they just ask you to bring the medical form to the interview. They won't refer you to a specific doctor - you need to pick a civil surgeon from the list on USCIS site, make an appointment, fill out the first part of I-693 and take it to the appointment. Also bring your vaccination records. For me, the whole process from making an appointment to getting all my papers from the civil surgeon took about a week. You need to go back after the first visit to the doctor, because they do a TB test, and the civil surgeon needs to check those results usually 2 days after the first visit.

Blergh, okay. Nothing to do but wait the extra week, then, while I take care of the medical appointment. XD It sucks living in the middle of nowhere; the closest civil surgeon is more than 2 hours away. Lets hope I can get an appointment really fast!

2. I've found some conflicting information about whether or not third party affidavits need to be notarized or not.. We got ours notarized, just in case. In theory, if they are not notarized, you could have written and signed those yourself with someone's name. So, just to be on the safe side, we had our friends and family members notarize their affidavits.

Maybe I shouldn't include those, then? We don't have time to get them notarized, and we have a lot of joint stuff (phones, bank account, joint leases for the past 3 years, etc) and photos?

3.Also remember to send in the I-131 for Advance parole, if you think you might need to travel abroad while waiting for your GC, and the I-765 for employment authorization, if you think there is a chance you'll want to work before your GC comes through.

I'm still on the fence about the AP. Let's say I get my interview August 3rd. That's too late for me to attend and still be able to travel home, but still a whole three weeks before I'm due. I've heard that rescheduling, while possible, could cause trouble. And even if I do reschedule, I don't get to pick a date. I'd have to stay in Norway for at least a month past the birth, in order to have time to get my baby his or her papers from the embassy, opening for the possibility of possibly having to reschedule the interview twice or more times.

Employment authorization isn't an issue, since I've still got a year left of school and would break my back if I tried working, raising an infant and doing 18 credits at once.

[Little_My 463]

Like I said, I don't know what the USCIS procedure is if you don't submit the civil surgeon form with the initial application - meaning, I don't know if you will get an RFE which would probably prolong the processing time, or if they would just ask you to bring the medical forms to the interview, which maybe then would not prolong the process.. Maybe someone here has experience of this?

I would say, just based on gut feeling, that why not send the affidavits without them being notarized.. I've read here that people have done that, and with no problems. If they want those notarized, they will ask you to do that for the interview. I don't see how it would hurt your application to just submit the affidavits as they are, if you already have obtained them anyways..

For the AP, I'd just get it. You don't have to use it, but if you don't have it and something happens and you suddenly and unexpectedly had to travel back to Norway, for example, leaving without the AP would be an issue. So why not just apply for the AP, it won't prolong your processing time and won't cause any additional head ache.. that is probably the easiest form to fill out And you definitely have a "legitimate reason" to possibly have to travel before the GC, due to your pregnancy.

[LlamaInvasion 76]

I'm mostly scared about having to reschedule my interview; I read a different topic on here that said it was risky and advised against doing it. Possibly having to do it twice is scary.

If I do get the AP though, I could enter the country just on that? Since my Visa will be expired?

[Haarp425 26]

Hi all!

We're assembling the package now, and I want to double check we've got it right, since we can't really afford any delays from filling out stuff wrong.

1) First of all, I went directly to the USCIS website and downloaded all their forms from there; yet at the top some of them say they expire 12/31/2010. Is this a problem?

2) For form I-864, my father in law is sponsoring me. So my husband should check, "1e. I am the first of two joint sponsors," and my father in law should check, "1e. I am the second of two joint sponsors," correct?

3) Do I fill out an I-485 supplement A, or just the I-485? I'm going to assume no, since none of the items in Part B, questions 1 and 2, apply to me?

4) The guide states to fill out and send I-693, but I thought I didn't do that until after the medical with a civil surgeon?

5) Do the affidavits from third parties confirming our relationship and marriage, need to be notarized? Or can they be formatted with something along the lines of your translation example on the guides?

And if I've understood it correctly, this is what we do to file:

File I-130 package and I-485 package together; containing I-130, G-325s for both me and my husband, I-864 for my husband and father in law, and all the extra material listed at the guide page?

Wait for NOAs and a notice that tells me to get a medical by a civil surgeon?

Civil surgeon completes his part of the I-693, we send that?

Interview, some unknown time later?

Here's how I interpret joint sponsors:

Your husband fills out I-864 form.

- Selects 1.(a)sponsor/petitioner.

- Selects 8. and select YES

If the joint sponsor lives in the same house as with the primary sponsor, the joint sponsor needs to fill out only I-864A because your husband (primary sponsor) needs to include the joint sponsor in 24. (b)

However, if the joint sponsor does not live in the same house, then the joint sponsor needs to

- Fills out another I-865 form

- Selects 1.(d) - the only joint sponsor,

- Selects 8. and select YES

I've search other sites and found these

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100124160739AADOtZW

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100219131816AAtQwtm

[Little_My 463]

Yes, with the AP you will be able to leave the U.S. and re-enter, during the processing of your I-130 and I-485 applications. That is the purpose of getting advance parole - it permits you to re-enter the country before you have your GC. If there is a chance you might have to leave and re-enter more than once, you should request for a multiple entry AP. If you don't have it, leaving U.S. is not recommended until you have the GC. You'll run into trouble trying to get back in.

When were you planning to go to Norway?

[LlamaInvasion 76]

Thank you guys so much for the help. My husband will check 1a, and my father in law will check 1d, then!

Mrs. Finland, I'm going to postpone going home for as long as possible, in the hopes of getting my interview in first, but I can't leave any later than around July 23rd, as that will leave me 8 months pregnant, and airlines won't let me fly much later than that. (I also think it's kind of scary flying that far, that late in my pregnancy.)

[BMW4me 12]

looks like all is good for you but make sure you got your I-693. I walked in right away, and got the results in as little as 3 days. cost me 320 though

or you'd receive an RFE.

guess we'll be on the march filers, lol we are just waiting for our certified copy of marriage certificate from Vegas

[Little_My 463]

Mine was $170, with blood work and all. Didn't need any vaccines, had all in order. You'll get all the documents with you from the doctor on your second visit when he/she checks your TB test - assuming there is no need for any additional tests.

[Haarp425 26]

Will I get a notification about making a medical appointment, where the I-693 will be filled out? And do the affidavits need to be notarized?

You will call have to call the local USCIS Civil Surgeon first because some does not accept walk-in.

Fill out the first page on I-693 and fill it out using your computer and then print. Bring that 1st page to a USCIS Civil Surgeon. The reason why I want you fill it out at the computer and print it because I don't want the Civil Surgeon clerk to type your hand written information wrong on their own I-693 form. You may have to come back after 2 days if they administer some shots. Anyway, if everything goes ok, the civil surgeon will have you sign the I-693 form they generated (VERIFY YOUR INFORMATION IS CORRECT on the I-693 FORM) and the civil surgeon will seal the I-693 form in an envelope. DO NOT open the sealed envelope because you have to submit it to the USCIS along with your AOS application. However, the civil surgeon will print you a copy of what is inside the seal envelope.

Check your local USCIS civil surgeon: https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=offices.type&OfficeLocator.office_type=CIV

BTW, if you were out of status at one point. Do NOT leave the USA until you get your GC.