G-325A headache (yes, already searched)

[Abby&Mario 100]

Hello all,

My husband and I are preparing the I-130 packet. I've searched the forum but still can't find a straight answer for our specific situation. We have some doubts about the address and employment section on both of our G-325A forms.

For me (Abby), the USC, the issue is the following: I spent January 2010 through mid December 2011 living in Buenos Aires, where my husband and I met. I did not have any sort of visa or legal residency to work or live there, but I did take a TEFL course and work and live there, first as an English teacher working for several institutes and then for a startup. I was there with "irregular" tourist status (no such thing as illegal immigrants in Argentina) and both of my jobs paid in cash. Where it says "Applicant's residence last five years," I should include my time in Argentina, right? The word "residence" always confuses me because I'm never sure if it refers to legal residence or just a place where you lived. Because again, I did not have legal residence, but my passport definitely shows my two years spent there. Should I include both of those jobs in Argentina in the employment section? "Full name and address of employer" is a bit difficult for the teaching stuff since I worked for three institutes, as well as giving private classes. Do I include all of them? And then what about "last address outside the United States of more than 1 year"? I moved so much in Buenos Aires that I never spent a full year in one apartment. What do I write there, if anything? Nothing?

In summary, my questions for myself are: 1) Do I include my time in Buenos Aires on this form even though I had "irregular" status? If so, 2) Do I include both jobs there and all relevant job addresses no matter what? 3) Is it necessary to list every single dwelling I lived in there? All were furnished rooms paid in cash except for the first one, a dorm room I stayed in during my TEFL course for a month. My name was never on any official contract, light bill, etc. for the other places I rented. 4) Do I leave "last address outside U.S. of more than 1 year" blank since I never rented an apartment abroad for more than one year?

For my Colombian husband (Mario), the issue is the following: He worked as a contractor/consultant based in Argentina from April 2008 through the end of May 2012. He had a DNI (Argentine national identity document/residency) thanks to his job. He took various contracts during that time, all coming from the same company. However, he has many addresses in Buenos Aires and one in Córdoba. He did the same thing I did--renting furnished rooms, paying in cash, nothing connected to his name. He says that in total he lived at six or seven addresses, but he doesn't remember all of them and doesn't have a way to get in contact with most of the landlords to get that information. I have read on the forum some suggestions of just putting "various addresses, city, country." Can anyone confirm that this is accepted?

Thanks for reading this long post. For such a short form, the G-325A sure is throwing us for a loop.

[Ryan H 3,906]

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.

[nightingalejules 678]

If it were me, I would definitely include your residence in Argentina. Then, since all the pay was in cash, I'd write that you were "self employed" as an ESL teacher, for all of that time. It avoids gaps, and is technically true, since you weren't on a traditional employee payroll. I'm a musician and singing teacher, and all of my jobs doing that are technically "self-employment," like a subcontractor.

It's the truth, (you were teaching all that time) and avoids trying to remember exact dates and names of companies.

[Abby&Mario 100]

If it were me, I would definitely include your residence in Argentina. Then, since all the pay was in cash, I'd write that you were "self employed" as an ESL teacher, for all of that time. It avoids gaps, and is technically true, since you weren't on a traditional employee payroll. I'm a musician and singing teacher, and all of my jobs doing that are technically "self-employment," like a subcontractor.

It's the truth, (you were teaching all that time) and avoids trying to remember exact dates and names of companies.

Thanks. Self employed is certainly true, and I did give a lot of private classes. We definitely have nothing to hide and I was going to include my time in Buenos Aires unless someone had a really good and confirmed reason why I shouldn't. My end is solved-- I found all my addresses for the past five years (nine in total, sheesh) and will put them all so I have no gaps, even the ones that were only for a month or two. Well, there will be one gap of about a month but my husband and I were traveling in Colombia so I could meet his family for the first time. That's gotta be okay, right? Under "Applicant's last address outside the U.S. for more than 1 year" I will put "see above/attached" as recommended on another thread since I didn't live in any one apartment for more than a year, but was abroad for more than a year.

My husband is still struggling. He searched his e-mail and cannot find all the addresses and as stated before, has no way to get them unless we basically look on Google maps and guess. At least the form doesn't require apartment number (although I am putting them). Has anyone faced this issue?

EDIT-- Problem might be solved. He moved around a lot for work in 2008, but we don't have to include information from that year. Doing math correctly would have helped us from the beginning...Lesson learned.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Abby&Mario