IR-1 Visa: from I-130 to GC

[stupid 2]

Dear all,

After some thinking times, my wife and I finally decided to prepare the I-130 from in order to get a visa for me.

FYI: I formerly posted on this forum while I was expatriated in Easter Europe but we changed our plans and decided to live a bit longer the expat' life

post link http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/368664-decision-taken-we-move-to-the-usa-in-2013/#entry5385970

We plan to be in the USA by May2013.

I will remind and summarize below our situation and will ask you some questions on the Visa Process

-- Us, and our situation ---------------------
Her: American (Texas)
Me: French
We live in: France (European Union)

We got married in February 2012 in the USA. (marriage was transcribed in the French civil registries)

-- IR-1 step by step ...and questions ----

A FAST AND RELIABLE MAILING COMPANY

We plan to mail everything via express mail from France.
Shall we use FEDEX of UPS ? Any issues encountered with these ?

I-130

Finally easier to prepare than expected, thank to all the information present on the site.

Regarding the BonaFide part, please can you tell me if such information will be enough:

- My wife changed her name to mine (as it is on her new passport)

- Common lease of our appartment in Paris (unfortunately in French but mentionning "Mr et Mme XXXXX")

- Merging of accounts in France (HSBC account statement in english) and in the USA (CHASE bank statements).

-> we don't have much money on these, probably 1600USD max. Do you think it is enough ?

- Various pictures of our travels in Europe in various locations, pictures of our wedding, plane tickets, opera tickets etc... (20 pages)

-> the printed pictures are in black and white: does it matter?

- Original wedding invitation

Regarding the check, we will use one of our CHASE account... with our both 1st names on it.

CERTIFIED TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENTS FR -> US

Does anyone know a company which does such translation on Paris ? I could not find any looking "serious" on the internet. Thanks

DS-230

I am preparing the form in advance to gain some time, and I have a question about the PART1, field34

- I have been "exempted" of military service (because of studies). I have my "certificat de position militaire"

-> to I tick the box YES or NO for previous military Service ? ( I would assume yes as I am free from military obligations)

I-864 AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT

This is where the things start to be tricky...

My wife does not work in France, and she has a Resident VISA (for the moment valide for 1 year), so she has ZERO income.

I have approx. 140kUSD of various assets, mainly because of my appartment market value (minus Mortgage Debt I still owe).

My Bro-in-Law accepted to be a joint-sponsor to help us. His earnings cover the poverty guideline x125% without any problem.

-> can my wife have her DOMICILE country be the USA ?

she still declares taxes there, we have a bank account there and she has a SSN, besides being a US citizen (passport)

we read that it is preferable to have her with a domicile in the US for sponsoring and enabling co-sponsoring.

-> can my wife DOMICILE be a sponsor ?

is she by default so we can ask for a joint sponsor (bro-in-law) ?

-> do you think I sould enter a paperwork mayhem and declare my assets ? or should we only play the joint-sponsor card ?

we think it is preferable to have my brother-in-law as joint-sponsor (he's a US Citizen living in Texas)

That is it for today

I-130 "dossier" is ready to be mailed and I will just wait until monday to get your opinions and answers (for i-130 to start !)

Thanks a lot in advance for the time you will spend answering our questions !!

Have a great day y'all.

[CaizLurol 36]

Hi! I will answer your questions below in blue.

-- IR-1 step by step ...and questions ----

A FAST AND RELIABLE MAILING COMPANY

We plan to mail everything via express mail from France.
Shall we use FEDEX of UPS ? Any issues encountered with these ?

Either should be fine. I've used both in the past and they're both very reliable.

I-130

Finally easier to prepare than expected, thank to all the information present on the site.

Regarding the BonaFide part, please can you tell me if such information will be enough:

- My wife changed her name to mine (as it is on her new passport)

- Common lease of our appartment in Paris (unfortunately in French but mentionning "Mr et Mme XXXXX")

- Merging of accounts in France (HSBC account statement in english) and in the USA (CHASE bank statements).

-> we don't have much money on these, probably 1600USD max. Do you think it is enough ?

Yes, as they don't look at how much is in your bank account for the I-130.

- Various pictures of our travels in Europe in various locations, pictures of our wedding, plane tickets, opera tickets etc... (20 pages)

-> the printed pictures are in black and white: does it matter?

No, I don't think that matters. As long as they are clear and clearly show both of you (at various stages throughout the relationship... not just wedding photos).

- Original wedding invitation

Regarding the check, we will use one of our CHASE account... with our both 1st names on it.

CERTIFIED TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENTS FR -> US

Does anyone know a company which does such translation on Paris ? I could not find any looking "serious" on the internet. Thanks

Call or email the US Consulate where you're filing and ask them about that. They can provide you with services or point you to someone who can translate and are recognized by them.

DS-230

I am preparing the form in advance to gain some time, and I have a question about the PART1, field34

- I have been "exempted" of military service (because of studies). I have my "certificat de position militaire"

-> to I tick the box YES or NO for previous military Service ? ( I would assume yes as I am free from military obligations)

If you are exempt from military service, then tick "yes" and provide your certificat de position militaire (translated into English)

I-864 AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT

This is where the things start to be tricky...

My wife does not work in France, and she has a Resident VISA (for the moment valide for 1 year), so she has ZERO income.

I have approx. 140kUSD of various assets, mainly because of my appartment market value (minus Mortgage Debt I still owe).

My Bro-in-Law accepted to be a joint-sponsor to help us. His earnings cover the poverty guideline x125% without any problem.

-> can my wife have her DOMICILE country be the USA ?

she still declares taxes there, we have a bank account there and she has a SSN, besides being a US citizen (passport)

we read that it is preferable to have her with a domicile in the US for sponsoring and enabling co-sponsoring.

Just to clarify, you are going to be moving to the US, correct? Perhaps you can use your brother in law's address if you don't know where you're going to live. If you plan on staying in Eastern Europe, then you cannot go through this process as permanent residents are for people living in the US. (Sorry if I misunderstood your situation. Can you clarify?).

-> can my wife DOMICILE be a sponsor ?

is she by default so we can ask for a joint sponsor (bro-in-law) ?

Not sure if I understood your question correctly but if you're asking if her brother can be a sponsor, the answer is Yes.

-> do you think I sould enter a paperwork mayhem and declare my assets ? or should we only play the joint-sponsor card ?

we think it is preferable to have my brother-in-law as joint-sponsor (he's a US Citizen living in Texas)

Have your brother in law be the joint sponsor. I believe you can also declare your assets, too (just in case) but definitely include him.

That is it for today

I-130 "dossier" is ready to be mailed and I will just wait until monday to get your opinions and answers (for i-130 to start !)

Thanks a lot in advance for the time you will spend answering our questions !!

Have a great day y'all.

Hooray! I answered your questions in blue, above. I just submitted my I-130 on Saturday for an IR-1 for my husband, too!.

It looks like you have all your ducks in a row for the I-130 so submit it today!!! Maybe we can have a "contest" to see who completes the entire process, first... my husband and me or you and your wife?

Edited July 29, 2013 by CaizLurol

[stupid 2]

Thanks a lot for your anszwers ! my precisions below in red.

I-864 AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT

This is where the things start to be tricky...

My wife does not work in France, and she has a Resident VISA (for the moment valide for 1 year), so she has ZERO income.

I have approx. 140kUSD of various assets, mainly because of my appartment market value (minus Mortgage Debt I still owe).

My Bro-in-Law accepted to be a joint-sponsor to help us. His earnings cover the poverty guideline x125% without any problem.

-> can my wife have her DOMICILE country be the USA ?

she still declares taxes there, we have a bank account there and she has a SSN, besides being a US citizen (passport)

we read that it is preferable to have her with a domicile in the US for sponsoring and enabling co-sponsoring.

Just to clarify, you are going to be moving to the US, correct? Perhaps you can use your brother in law's address if you don't know where you're going to live. If you plan on staying in Eastern Europe, then you cannot go through this process as permanent residents are for people living in the US. (Sorry if I misunderstood your situation. Can you clarify?).

We definitely want to move to the US once I'll get the Visa. I give myself then 1/2 months to find a job and 1 more to move everything with my wife there.

We live in FRANCE, not Eastern Europe anymore, and YES, the adress we will mention as the one we intend to live (time to get a job and move) will be the one of my wife's sister and her husband (aka my brother in law).

Apparentmy she NEEDS to have her Domicile in the USA to be a sponsor.

-> can my wife DOMICILE be a sponsor ?

is she sponsor "by default" so we can ask for a joint sponsor (bro-in-law) ?

Not sure if I understood your question correctly but if you're asking if her brother can be a sponsor, the answer is Yes.

He is the HUSBAND of her sister. But my question was if she was sponsor "by-design" being my USC-wife, and also if we can have my in-law joint sponsoring me without her being sponsor. (hence the previous Domicile question)

-> do you think I sould enter a paperwork mayhem and declare my assets ? or should we only play the joint-sponsor card ?

we think it is preferable to have my brother-in-law as joint-sponsor (he's a US Citizen living in Texas)

Have your brother in law be the joint sponsor. I believe you can also declare your assets, too (just in case) but definitely include him.

OK. But I am afraid this may trigger lots of paperwork...

Hooray! I answered your questions in blue, above. I just submitted my I-130 on Saturday for an IR-1 for my husband, too!.

It looks like you have all your ducks in a row for the I-130 so submit it today!!! Maybe we can have a "contest" to see who completes the entire process, first... my husband and me or you and your wife?

Good idea ! But we will send everything next monday just before we take holidays to Spain.

We have to redo some pictures to the correct 5x5 US format !!

I guess I'll start with a small handicap: let the contest begin ;-)

Edited July 29, 2013 by stupid

[NikLR 13,227]

We plan to mail everything via express mail from France.

Shall we use FEDEX of UPS ? Any issues encountered with these ? - inquire within your regional forum if people prefer one or the other

I-130

-> we don't have much money on these, probably 1600USD max. Do you think it is enough ? - Doesn't matter... you have joint accounts, more than some people have.

-> the printed pictures are in black and white: does it matter? - Sure doesn't matter again.

Does anyone know a company which does such translation on Paris ? I could not find any looking "serious" on the internet. Thanks - anyone fluent in both languages can translate. It does not need to be official or notarized. If you are fluent you can do the translations yourself.

DS-230

I am preparing the form in advance to gain some time, and I have a question about the PART1, field34

- I have been "exempted" of military service (because of studies). I have my "certificat de position militaire"

-> to I tick the box YES or NO for previous military Service ? ( I would assume yes as I am free from military obligations) -If you have not served in any military service in France or anywhere else, then you check NO you have not served in the military. If you had, you'd be required to provide prior military records.

I-864 AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT

-> can my wife have her DOMICILE country be the USA ? - Your wife's domicile is where she lives. She will need to prove that she will re-establish domicile in the USA. What is required varies greatly by consulate so it is best to ask this question in your regional forum.

-> can my wife DOMICILE be a sponsor ? - I have no idea what you're asking. Yes you can have a joint sponsor. Your wife will ALWAYS be the primary sponsor because she is the petitioner Any joint sponsors must be in the USA and show proof of US citizenship or LPR status. You do not have to be related directly or indirectly to a joint sponsor.

-> do you think I sould enter a paperwork mayhem and declare my assets ? or should we only play the joint-sponsor card ? - It is up to you. If you want to use your assets they have to be in USD or easily converted as such. The best member to ask about this is pushbrk.

[Ryan H 3,810]

CERTIFIED TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENTS FR -> US

Does anyone know a company which does such translation on Paris ? I could not find any looking "serious" on the internet. Thanks

For USCIS, the only thing that is required is for the person doing the translating sign an attestation statement stating the translation is accurate and that they (the translator) are competent to translate. Anyone can sign the attestation statement, it need not be professionally done.

For the NVC/Embassy phase of the process, check with the Embassy and find out what document translation requirements are. For some countries, if the document is in English or in the official language of the country, no translation is required. I'll repeat for emphasis, you need to find this out from the Embassy.

[stupid 2]

OK.
Thanks all.

I think I have the info needed for to start the I-130. I'll gather more information during the process, especially regarding Affidavit and military duty.

Now time to do some more paperwork !

[stupid 2]

Hello to all,

My Wife and I are planning to go to the USA in early 2014.

We will be filling from Paris, and I am concerned by the rapidity of the process when one files from outside the US.

Is there a way to SLOW DOWN a bit the process ? We plan to leave the US in Apil-May 2014, time for me to setup everything here properly.

thanks !

I'll update the form aforementionned when I'll have more visibility on our petition's timeline !

[stupid 2]

One more stupid question...

Being French, I have 2 Middle names (hence, technically a total of 3 "1st names")

On my passeport I have

MYNAME Sebastien Jean Bernard

Jean and Bernard Being my 2 middle names...

What do I put in the documents ?
"Jean" being a girl name in the US, I started to fill everything with "Bernard" as my US Middle Name, and forgetting about "Jean".

Should I put both names "Jean Bernard" as Middle Name on the I130 and DS230 ? or just keep "Bernard" ?

thanks !

[lucybelle 453]

Hello to all,

My Wife and I are planning to go to the USA in early 2014.

We will be filling from Paris, and I am concerned by the rapidity of the process when one files from outside the US.

Is there a way to SLOW DOWN a bit the process ? We plan to leave the US in Apil-May 2014, time for me to setup everything here properly.

thanks !

I'll update the form aforementionned when I'll have more visibility on our petition's timeline !

If you plan to leave to the USA April/May 2014 I highly suggest you file NOW. You *may* be processed within 3 months instead of six. But it will still take 4-5 more months to do the rest of the application. Plus, once you are given the visa you have 6 months to use it.

I filed in March and was hoping to move back to the USA in January, and I'm not sure that will happen anymore.

[NikLR 13,227]

Up to you. Personally I'd keep whatever it said on my birth certificate. You do not have to use it in an every day setting, I like to use my middle initial on things like credit cards but you're in no way forced to ever use your middle name anywhere. However, it may be required to match up your ID and if your birth certificate or passport says you are one and then the green card says you're another or your other ID says you're another, it can get confusing.

[LoveExile 27]

Hello to all,

My Wife and I are planning to go to the USA in early 2014.

We will be filling from Paris, and I am concerned by the rapidity of the process when one files from outside the US.

Is there a way to SLOW DOWN a bit the process ? We plan to leave the US in Apil-May 2014, time for me to setup everything here properly.

thanks !

I'll update the form aforementionned when I'll have more visibility on our petition's timeline !

Even if you got your immigration visa approved as early as December, you'd still be fine since you have six months to use the visa.

[NikLR 13,227]

You can also slow down at the NVC stage, up to a year between contact/submission.

[stupid 2]

Hi all,

After having thought about it, I decided to go with Jean Bernard. NLR post above conviced me that it may be a continuous pain in the lower intestine to have to deal with different names on different documents. Besides, on some american documents like my Texan Marriage Certificate, my full "Sebastien Jean Bernard" name is used, and it is the same on the Chase Account we commonly have with my wife.

Let's make it simple and keep it the same everywhere.

(But of course, on the I-130 anf G-325, the "Jean Bernard" word is too long for digital input ;-) )

Some Remarks following the paperwork I have been doing recently. I hope it may help:

1. PREPARE YOUR DS-230 AND THE I-130 AT THE SAME TIIME

most dates and informations are on both documents, and you want them to be the most consistent possible.

Moreover, on DS-230, you will present documents too, and everything (I130, G325, supporting documents for USCIS, DS230, AOS, supporting documents) must be consistent.

My personnal Example: we left easterneurope on the 17th of March, and arrived in France around the 20th (journey by car with some visits in Germany). In the I130 docs, I rounded the date of leaving the country to 04-2013, but I checked my local Police certificate and the date of validity was 17th of March.

-> using 03-2013 as date of entry in France will avoid us some questions and is more consistent with the reality of facts.

2. IF YOU HAVE AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE... COPY THE ORIGINAL

The Original of the Marriage Certificate and the Certified Copy are almost exactly the same in my case.

I realized I had put a copy ... of the certified copy. (Stupid me... hence my username here)

Add to that the fact that, in Texas, the Marriage Certificate is ALSO a marriage licence and is entilted "Marriage Licence" in BIG on the 1st page... and you understand the importance of being adamant on the quality of documents you have to show.

(FYI: in some states, Marr. Licence and Certif. are the same doc: you file for the Licence, then have to wait 3 days to avoid shotgun-marriages, and then this document is completed with the marriage date below, making it a marriage certificate)

3. READ INFO ABOUT THE ADJUDICATION PROCESS

Found on the FORUM see below : Intersting info on the use and meaning of N/A vs "none"

Note

You should be aware that the use of the term "N/A" is a common ploy used to try to conceal relevant information (e.g., prior marriages, children, beneficiary's status in the United States) by implying the answer is "none" without actually stating it. Therefore, "N/A" should generally not be considered an acceptable answer.

This states that it is important to precise none when needed.

For anstance, if you don't have a prior marriage, N/A will not mean that you don't have a marriage, but that the info is Not Available.

It is better to precise "none" in this case.

Thank to all for your help. We are now ready to file the I-130. I just have to update my US format photograhps and then to go to the nearest post office !

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[stupid 2]

how to edit the previous post ?

[NikLR 13,227]

You can't after a certain period of time. It has to be done quickly, only moderators and organizers can edit at anytime.

You can ask a moderator to edit your post for you or just copy/paste and edit yourself, then ask for the previous post to be deleted. Up to you.