Many questions! Please help!

[Kellycrowley 0]

Hi everyone! I'm very new to this whole process. I'm lost when it comes to all the abbreviations and forms, etc. I've just married my partner from Australia, but he's back home now until we get his visa approved, so he can then move here. So, I have many questions, and from what I've been reading, everyone on here sounds so helpful and knowledgeable...

1: I should be petitioning for the cr-1 visa for him to move here and get his green card, right?

2: I definitely think it will be worth it for me to get some help with this process. Would anyone be able to recommend rapidvisa.com vs. a lawyer?

3: what kind of "proof" of relationship would you guys recommend to provide (I've got millions of pictures, emails, Facebook messages...). Is there anything else that has proven very useful to have?

4: when do I need my "proof"? When I send in my petition, or when I go in for my interview?

5: I've been noticing on profiles that the average approval time seems to be about 7 months... Is that about right? Is there ANY way for my husband to be here and be legal to work BEFORE his visa/green card is approved? Seven months is so long to be apart!

Thank you sooooo much for any advice that can be offered! This is already stressing me out like crazy, and I haven't actually begun just yet!

[florida4life 29]

Follow this link and it will give you and ideal on how the process goes

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/IR1_and_CR1_Immigrant_Visas

[Ms Hogan 296]

All of your questions are answered in the guides and wikis.

I don't think there is anyone here who would suggest getting a lawyer or paying someone else to do this process for you UNLESS you have something going on that needs additional processing other than the "norm" This is a very much DIY (do-it-yourself) support kind of place. Almost everyone here is doing all the work themselves and with the proper research and preparation, getting through everything much quicker than having a lawyer in the middle of it all. They would have no sense of urgency for you and would also add to a lot of unnecessary back and forth work that you could be doing yourself!

[Kellycrowley 0]

Thanks so much guys! I looked over that link, and I think I will go ahead and take a stab at this without paying for help. do you think it will be an issue, though, if I spent all 2011 traveling and living abroad so I don't have a tax return from then, and then 2009 I was a peace corps volunteer, so I have a very small tax return? I have bank accounts to show savings, and can get a letter of employment. I just don't want to run into anything that could slow the process! Thanks again!

[Ms Hogan 296]

I believe you have to file a tax return for 2011 even if you didn't make any money, don't you? Someone else will be able to chime in on that!

But either way, I don't believe you need a lawyer for any of this!

[The Mean Lady 604]

Hi everyone! I'm very new to this whole process. I'm lost when it comes to all the abbreviations and forms, etc. I've just married my partner from Australia, but he's back home now until we get his visa approved, so he can then move here. So, I have many questions, and from what I've been reading, everyone on here sounds so helpful and knowledgeable...

1: I should be petitioning for the cr-1 visa for him to move here and get his green card, right?

2: I definitely think it will be worth it for me to get some help with this process. Would anyone be able to recommend rapidvisa.com vs. a lawyer?

3: what kind of "proof" of relationship would you guys recommend to provide (I've got millions of pictures, emails, Facebook messages...). Is there anything else that has proven very useful to have?

4: when do I need my "proof"? When I send in my petition, or when I go in for my interview?

5: I've been noticing on profiles that the average approval time seems to be about 7 months... Is that about right? Is there ANY way for my husband to be here and be legal to work BEFORE his visa/green card is approved? Seven months is so long to be apart!

Thank you sooooo much for any advice that can be offered! This is already stressing me out like crazy, and I haven't actually begun just yet!

1. Sure sounds like it.

2. The only help most of us need is the website you're already on.

3. Those are good. Also, anything combining funds would be great if you have any joint leases, bank accounts, etc.

4. Send it in with your I-130

5. Check this out - http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/64-australia-dcf/

[inqztve 42]

Hi everyone! I'm very new to this whole process. I'm lost when it comes to all the abbreviations and forms, etc. I've just married my partner from Australia, but he's back home now until we get his visa approved, so he can then move here. So, I have many questions, and from what I've been reading, everyone on here sounds so helpful and knowledgeable...

1: I should be petitioning for the cr-1 visa for him to move here and get his green card, right?

2: I definitely think it will be worth it for me to get some help with this process. Would anyone be able to recommend rapidvisa.com vs. a lawyer?

3: what kind of "proof" of relationship would you guys recommend to provide (I've got millions of pictures, emails, Facebook messages...). Is there anything else that has proven very useful to have?

4: when do I need my "proof"? When I send in my petition, or when I go in for my interview?

5: I've been noticing on profiles that the average approval time seems to be about 7 months... Is that about right? Is there ANY way for my husband to be here and be legal to work BEFORE his visa/green card is approved? Seven months is so long to be apart!

Thank you sooooo much for any advice that can be offered! This is already stressing me out like crazy, and I haven't actually begun just yet!

Here is the list my lawyers sent as proof of relationship:

1) Copy of marriage certificate

2) Copy of invitation of the ceremony attended by both families and about xx (number) of guests

3) Personal statements written by us on how we met and fell in love and chose to marry

4) Pictures capturing wedding ceremony, and other events before and after our marriage

5) A representative sampling of phone record spanning the course of the relationship (dating from xx to present) evidencing the frequency with which we were in contact

6) Copy of her facebook page where she talks about plans I made for her on Valentine's day

7) Copy of Valentine's day card she sent me

8) Evidence of shared address... (Well, this may not be applicable to you) A representative sampling of bills and credit card statements, copy of correspondence from the bank evidencing joint bank account, copy of creadit cards under the same account

9) Evidence that she changed her last name ie. copy of DL and SSC before and after indicating her name change

10) Copy of our plane ticket for our trip ... (we went to India )

Our process went well. No RFE and fairly easy interview. So, I have faith with what my lawyers filed for us.

[Kellycrowley 0]

This is all very helpful! I really appreciate all the feedback and links!

[Roosha 51]

If you didn't make any money in 2011 then you don't have to file taxes, but you'll have to include a statement about why you didn't file taxes when it's time to submit the Affidavit of Support. It also helps to include a copy of the IRS publication for that year that states filing thresholds, which you can find on the IRS website.

[Kellycrowley 0]

Sorry, one more question... My affidavit sounds so stiff! When your giving the details of your relationship, do the want it straight to the point, or do they actually want to read about how you fell inlove?

[Kellycrowley 0]

Here is the list my lawyers sent as proof of relationship:

1) Copy of marriage certificate

2) Copy of invitation of the ceremony attended by both families and about xx (number) of guests

3) Personal statements written by us on how we met and fell in love and chose to marry

4) Pictures capturing wedding ceremony, and other events before and after our marriage

5) A representative sampling of phone record spanning the course of the relationship (dating from xx to present) evidencing the frequency with which we were in contact

6) Copy of her facebook page where she talks about plans I made for her on Valentine's day

7) Copy of Valentine's day card she sent me

8) Evidence of shared address... (Well, this may not be applicable to you) A representative sampling of bills and credit card statements, copy of correspondence from the bank evidencing joint bank account, copy of creadit cards under the same account

9) Evidence that she changed her last name ie. copy of DL and SSC before and after indicating her name change

10) Copy of our plane ticket for our trip ... (we went to India )

Our process went well. No RFE and fairly easy interview. So, I have faith with what my lawyers filed for us.

Thank you! Your lawyer recommended showing that your wife changed her last name. Do you think it'd be recommended that I go ahead and change mine? I was just worried that I wouldn't ba able to get my passport changed before I turn in my paperwork, so I didnt want 2 different last names showing up during the process, confusing anybody. Or do you think it will be fine since they'll have a copy of my marriage certificate? Thanks so much for your advice!

[caly 48]

Thank you! Your lawyer recommended showing that your wife changed her last name. Do you think it'd be recommended that I go ahead and change mine? I was just worried that I wouldn't ba able to get my passport changed before I turn in my paperwork, so I didnt want 2 different last names showing up during the process, confusing anybody. Or do you think it will be fine since they'll have a copy of my marriage certificate? Thanks so much for your advice!

I'm the beneficiary and I didn't (and still haven't) changed my name. Just sayin'.. It's not necessary to change your name once you get married. When and if you do it should be your choice, not to please USCIS or anyone else.

But if you want to file using your married name, all you need is the marriage certificate, yes.

Edited January 17, 2013 by caly

[The Mean Lady 604]

Sorry, one more question... My affidavit sounds so stiff! When your giving the details of your relationship, do the want it straight to the point, or do they actually want to read about how you fell inlove?

It's funny, I kinda know how you feel about this.

My evolution of relationship was very straight and to the point and extremely cold sounding.

I don't show feelings to other people so it's the way I was best able to express it.

I have no real answer to give you other than mine was not very heartfelt and never mentioned the way I felt about my husband or anything like that.

[inqztve 42]

Thank you! Your lawyer recommended showing that your wife changed her last name. Do you think it'd be recommended that I go ahead and change mine? I was just worried that I wouldn't ba able to get my passport changed before I turn in my paperwork, so I didnt want 2 different last names showing up during the process, confusing anybody. Or do you think it will be fine since they'll have a copy of my marriage certificate? Thanks so much for your advice!

Name change is NOT required by any means to prove a bona fide marriage. Now the question is... are you going to change your name irrespective of the immigration process? If you decide to change your name, my recommendation would be to use your married (changed) name. Using multiple last names while applying for AOS is a non-issue. There will NOT be any confusion on the part of USCIS since (as you rightly pointed out) they'll have a copy of your marriage certificate. Also, the form has a field with the effect of something like "All other names used". So, you would be explicitly declaring multiple names (if used) anyway.

It was the same case for my wife. She wanted to change her name. So, we used her married name in all of the forms. By, the time of the application, we updated the name in DL and SSN but not in the passport. We submitted like that. By the time of the AOS interview, we had her new passport with the married name. When the IO wanted to see her passport we showed him both the old and the new passports. There were no issues or confusion. He didn't ask any question related to different last names.

Don't worry. Like another VJer said here... Bona fide marriages don't get declined.

Edited January 17, 2013 by inqztve

[The Mean Lady 604]

Name change is NOT required by any means to prove a bona fide marriage. Now the question is... are you going to change your name irrespective of the immigration process? If you decide to change your name, my recommendation would be to use your married (changed) name. Using multiple last names while applying for AOS is a non-issue. There will NOT be any confusion on the part of USCIS since (as you rightly pointed out) they'll have a copy of your marriage certificate. Also, the form has a field with the effect of something like "All other names used". So, you would be explicitly declaring multiple names (if used) anyway.

It was the same case for my wife. She wanted to change her name. So, we used her married name in all of the forms. By, the time of the application, we updated the name in DL and SSN but not in the passport. We submitted like that. By the time of the AOS interview, we had her new passport with the married name. When the IO wanted to see her passport we showed him both the old and the new passports. There were no issues or confusion. He didn't ask any question related to different last names.

Don't worry. Like another VJer said here... Bona fide marriages don't get declined.

They do for lack of proof.