All Japan Filers

[CS_Bradshaw 55]

On 11/2/2020 at 3:30 PM, dandl0504 said:

E-filed the I-130 for my husband, priority date 7/29/2020. Initially was assigned Nebraska so we were expecting to have update sometime in the next few months, but found out today we got transferred to Vermont at some point, which has up to 30 month wait for I-130. Yikes.

 

Anyone applying from Japan get transferred to Vermont?? I feel like all the cases I see from Japan tend to go smoothly, so hard to believe we'll really be waiting until 2022 just to get approval on our I-130  

I didn't have that type of experience (transferred the case to other Service Centers), but it seems there are also cases that get approved earlier than the period that written on the site. One of my friend even got approved after 5 months (mine is 9 months, lol). Hopefully you won't wait that long and will hear something soon next year  

[exitlizard 1]

Finally got documentarily qualified (DQ) yesterday, after several rounds on phone and email with the NVC. My initial document submission date was around August 13. There were two requests from them for me to supply information that had already been supplied. (Pro-tip: us the ASK NVC function on the US State Dept website for enquiries... my phone calls to the NVC in New Hampshire were ineffective, and the lack of written confirmation of the outcome of those discussions wasted a few weeks of my time).

 

Now we wait for them to notify us of our interview date at the US embassy in Tokyo. I have not given up hope that we can get the interview done, and get my wife's visa, in time to leave Japan before the end of the year, but it will be cutting it close. I notice in some countries the wait can be longer than 2 months to get an interview. I'm hoping Japan can do it more quickly. Also hope the coronavirus surge doesn't shut down the embassy again. 

[shaolincrane 69]

We just attended her biometrics yesterday and shortly after saw an update on the case tracker. Still searching for my medical evaluation answers but good to know things are moving along again

[Dome 24]

Hi I have a few questions about the K1 interview at the Tokyo embassy if anyone is able to assist.

 

1. Are the IRS Tax Transcripts sufficient or are the 1040 and W2 also needed?

2. Does the I-134 and Letter of Intent need to be original, or can they be scanned?

3. Has anyone been asked for the DS-5540?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[shaolincrane 69]

Our case just updated to "Interview ready to be scheduled" for the i485 but nothing showing for the i765. Anyone have an idea when she might get her EAD/AP approval?

[ChelseaOx 4]

We finally had our interview last week at the Tokyo Embassy. Our situation was a little unique as the husband (UK beneficiary) and I (US petitioner) have been living in Japan for the last 3 years non-military. This was a decision made partly because I've been continuing my language studies and wanted the experience of living in Japan together, and partly because we didn't want to be separated during the application process as we were newly married and new it would take at least a year. My dad is our joint sponsor and we honestly thought that if there was something they would pick apart it would be on the financial or public charge side of things. However, our visa was refused due to domicile issues. During the NVC stage I submitted proof of voting records, bank accounts maintained in the US, driving license which has been maintained,  last few years of tax returns, a letter from my dad stating that we would be living with him upon arrival in the US, my undergrad and graduate degree to back up being able find a good job in the US, and some insurance quotes (this was mostly in case lingering questions regarding public charge popped up). I submitted this proof as it was what was suggested throughout this forum and multiple other immigration sites, and we did not receive an RFE in regards to domicile. However, at the time of interview our officer stated that none of those documents are significant in proving domicile or domicile intent. o.O At the time of refusal they gave us a document that suggested I buy plane tickets, ship furniture, or provide a job offer to prove domicile. They told my husband that once we submit this evidence they would approve our visa within two weeks...but I'm a bit hesitant if that will really be the case.

 

They specifically state that the petitioner doesn't need to travel to the US before their beneficiary partner, but it really feels like that's not the case.  Our lease is up December 31st and to renew the contract is almost ¥400000, which seems insane to pay if we are just going to cancel it and pay cancellation fees once (if?) the visa is approved. My husband and I ended up purchasing plane tickets for the beginning on January because we want to travel together to the US, mostly for logistic reasons as we are going to have a lot of luggage and a dog. I'm scared we are going to be in a situation where they still won't approve the visa and I will have to return to the US alone, while my husband will be stranded in Japan. This process is so anxiety inducing.

 

This is what I have provided so far to try and overturn the refusal:

 

-plane tickets for my dog and I from Tokyo to Detroit (we didn't know if showing my husband's tickets would cause problems since he hasn't received his visa yet, so we only showed mine...obviously we will have to cancel his if the visa stays refused)

-a resignation letter from my job in Japan

-the email of me submitting my resignation letter

-change of voting address to my father's address 

-change of USPS address to my father's address 

 

What else could I provide?  I have taken the steps to end our lease, but the documents are all in Japanese meaning I would need to get them translated. I also wasn't sure if that would look bad since my husband still technically needs a place to live given his current refusal. They mentioned  providing proof that we are shipping stuff to the US...but to be honest we just planning on selling all of our furniture since shipping is expensive and there is nothing we own here that we can't buy in the US. Would purchasing insurance be considered intent of re-establishing domicile? Before Japan I lived on and off in the UK for 5 years during college, in which I was on my parent's health insurance, so trying to look at it all now is a bit confusing. I know the enrollment period for marketplace coverage is open now, but wasn't sure if I should hold out on enrolling in a marketplace plan since I would ideally be joining a plan through an employer once I find employment. Would purchasing a short-term plan be helpful, or work against me since it is only temporary? I feel like I am going crazy having to second guess every piece of evidence 😩 

Edited November 23, 2020 by ChelseaOx

[cculbertson81 43]

46 minutes ago, ChelseaOx said:

This is what I have provided so far to try and overturn the refusal:

 

-plane tickets for my dog and I from Tokyo to Detroit (we didn't know if showing my husband's tickets would cause problems since he hasn't received his visa yet, so we only showed mine...obviously we will have to cancel his if the visa stays refused)

-a resignation letter from my job in Japan

-the email of me submitting my resignation letter

-change of voting address to my father's address 

-change of USPS address to my father's address 

 

What else could I provide?  I have taken the steps to end our lease, but the documents are all in Japanese meaning I would need to get them translated. I also wasn't sure if that would look bad since my husband still technically needs a place to live given his current refusal. They mentioned  providing proof that we are shipping stuff to the US...but to be honest we just planning on selling all of our furniture since shipping is expensive and there is nothing we own here that we can't buy in the US. Would purchasing insurance be considered intent of re-establishing domicile? Before Japan I lived on and off in the UK for 5 years during college, in which I was on my parent's health insurance, so trying to look at it all now is a bit confusing. I know the enrollment period for marketplace coverage is open now, but wasn't sure if I should hold out on enrolling in a marketplace plan since I would ideally be joining a plan through an employer once I find employment. Would purchasing a short-term plan be helpful, or work against me since it is only temporary? I feel like I am going crazy having to second guess every piece of evidence 😩 

@ChelseaOx, I'm sorry that you're stuck in this situation so close to the end of the process.   I think the steps you have taken so far are the kinds of evidence they are looking for. Other evidence you might try to provide would be:

• Transfer funds to your US bank accounts.
• Making financial investments in the US.
• Proof of seeking employment in the US. An accepted job offer is even better.
• Utility bills in your name. Cellular service is perfectly acceptable.
• Evidence of selling assets and property.
• Closing/consolidating your Japanese bank accounts and utilities.

Those one-way tickets are great evidence, as is your resignation letter. I think the emphasis is on direct evidence that you are planning to return to the US within a definite timeframe. You're not wrong to second-guess all of the evidence. Better to be over-prepared than under-prepared!

 

Best of luck with collecting the evidence you need. Hopefully we'll hear of your visa approval soon!

[ChelseaOx 4]

On 11/24/2020 at 7:51 AM, cculbertson81 said:

@ChelseaOx, I'm sorry that you're stuck in this situation so close to the end of the process.   I think the steps you have taken so far are the kinds of evidence they are looking for. Other evidence you might try to provide would be:

• Transfer funds to your US bank accounts.
• Making financial investments in the US.
• Proof of seeking employment in the US. An accepted job offer is even better.
• Utility bills in your name. Cellular service is perfectly acceptable.
• Evidence of selling assets and property.
• Closing/consolidating your Japanese bank accounts and utilities.

Those one-way tickets are great evidence, as is your resignation letter. I think the emphasis is on direct evidence that you are planning to return to the US within a definite timeframe. You're not wrong to second-guess all of the evidence. Better to be over-prepared than under-prepared!

 

Best of luck with collecting the evidence you need. Hopefully we'll hear of your visa approval soon!

@cculbertson81Thank you for the response! I know this process is stressful for everyone  I am looking into purchasing cellular service in the US. I usually use pay as you go services like Straight Talk or Mint Mobile, would I just need show evidence that I purchased service and a sim card sent to my US address, or do you think only contracted cellular services like Verizon or Sprint would be applicable? I was also unsure about proof of seeking employment. Is this just as simple as providing screenshots or emails of submitting applications? I am going to close out my Japanese account tomorrow, thanks for the idea! 

[exitlizard 1]

We finally got our appointment with the Embassy, after being Documentarily Qualified on November 14th. Embassy appointment is December 14th. My wife has made her medical exam appointment. I feel like we are approaching the end of a long tunnel. 

 

It blew my mind that we got the appointment notification on November 27th Japan time (November 26th US time). I was sure that nothing would get done over the Thanksgiving weekend. 

Edited November 28, 2020 by 2020ParkTower

[dandl0504 4]

On 11/4/2020 at 11:09 AM, CS_Bradshaw said:

I didn't have that type of experience (transferred the case to other Service Centers), but it seems there are also cases that get approved earlier than the period that written on the site. One of my friend even got approved after 5 months (mine is 9 months, lol). Hopefully you won't wait that long and will hear something soon next year  

Thanks for the encouragement (and sorry for the late reply!) It's nice to hear anecdotally that people have gotten approved below the estimated wait times. Visa Journey's estimate has our I-130 approval for January-February 2020, so keeping our fingers crossed things will start to move forward. 

[ChelseaOx 4]

Just an update, after submitting the extra evidence regarding my US domicile, my husband's visa was issued and is now in our hands  If anyone is in a similar situation, I just posted our interview experience in the consulate/embassy reviews section. Already have plans to move back to the US with our dog in the beginning of January  Thanks for the support, everyone! We were surprised at how quick things have moved along for us, and hope everyone else waiting will hear good news soon!

 

Our Visa Journey

I-130 Application Submitted Electronically: January 15th, 2020
I-130 Application Approved:                        April 5th, 2020
Case Received by NVC:                             June 6th, 2020
Documentarily Qualified:                             September 20th, 2020
Email of Interview Notification:                    October 14th, 2020
Interview Date:                                            November 9th, 2020
Interview Result:                                          Refusal due to insufficient domicile evidence
Domicile Evidence Submitted:                    November 22nd, 2020
Visa Issued:                                                November 30th, 2020
Visa Received:                                            December 1st, 2020

[cculbertson81 43]

13 hours ago, ChelseaOx said:

Just an update, after submitting the extra evidence regarding my US domicile, my husband's visa was issued and is now in our hands  

Congratulations to you both! I'm glad to hear that the additional evidence was enough to get your husband approved. Best wishes as you start your life together in the US!

[Takami 30]

Hi all 🙂

How did U.S. Embassy Tokyo send P3, by E-mail or mail? I was wondering because I fave moved. 

 thank you in advance.

[exitlizard 1]

We had our interview on December 14th. Apparently my wife's emedical report was not received by the embassy, and so our visa application was rejected. The guy at the embassy said it was a technical glitch on their side, and that they would try to resolve it within a day. An incredibly frustrating result as we had been checking and double-checking documents in the lead-up to our interview. We were confident we had all documentation needed. The only thing out of our control was the emedical report that gets sent directly from the hospital to the embassy. 

 

It seemed to be a routine technical error that had happened before, and the guy at the embassy didn't give us any cause for alarm, and indeed he said we didn't need to do anything further. However we walked out of the embassy with a formal rejection notice, and a promise that it was just a temporary issue which required the help of the embassy IT staff to resolve. 

 

A very disappointing result, but I am hopeful it can be resolved soon. They kept my wife's passport and pre-paid envelope, so that gives me hope we will soon get approved, but for now... nothing. Note to future filers, you may want to consider getting the physical report, rather than opting for the emedical report (which is supposed to be faster and more convenient). For us, the lack of the emedical report is causing us a lot of unwanted stress. 

[MJ&YY 124]

On 12/14/2020 at 6:04 AM, Takami said:

Hi all 🙂

How did U.S. Embassy Tokyo send P3, by E-mail or mail? I was wondering because I fave moved. 

 thank you in advance.

 

They sent it by mail to the beneficiary's address that appeared on the I-129F (my fiancee's was then forwarded to her new address since she had updated the post office of her move).

 

Here's a copy of the English pages in the packet 3 (I removed the cover page with my fiancee's info).  The document had Japanese translations as well, but we did not scan them.

 

@Greenbaum - in case you want a more legible version of packet 3 for Japan.

packet3_japan_english.pdf

Edited December 15, 2020 by MJ&YY