The Hard Part: What takes place in the beneficiary's home country...

[Ale_Grisolia 4]

OK--there is lot of information on here (and other sites). There is so much information about initial filling as well as a lot information concerning the process once a fiance arrives in the U.S.

However, there is not much information about the middle/end steps that take place in the beneficiary's home country! Please help.

I appreciat anyone that can offer commentary or insight in the following areas:

1. Is the information/documentation sent by the embassy to my fiance in English or in the home country language?

2. Does anyone have any experience with how to handle a situation where their fiance is learning English and speaks/understands at a low-intermediate level?

3. Does anyone have any experience with living apart from their fiance and the fiance has gone through most of the process alone? What about language issues involving the information from the Embassy, etc.?

4. I read somewhere that all documents/information sent back to the Embassy must be translated to English? Is this complicated? How do people go about handling this?

5. I also read somewhere about police certificates for all areas my fiance has lived since he was 16. This sounds very complicated. How do people go about handling this?

6. How are particular are the consulates/embassies with the beneficiary home country documentation?

Again...help! Thanks.

Each country is diferent, from what I read in the answers.

In Argentina they send your fiance in english and spanish instructions on the next step, that is medical and droping papers at the embassy to be reviewed and issued and interview date, and in the instructions they state that can be in native language or english the birth certificate and police record, IF not in native language or english, THEN you need a certified translator to do the translations, you also have online websited that offer the service, like http://www.daytranslations.com/?gclid=CPW1ktbyvsQCFe_m7AodhkwAxA

When you attend the interview, at least in Argentina, they offer to do the interview in english and spanish, and though they say it is recommended that the petitioner is there, it is not required and most people can not drop their work and go to the interview.

The police record your fiance can request it at http://www.dpf.gov.br/that is the federal police in Brazil, also in Argentina youdo it this way, and if they have the same kind of service youcan request the certificate to be ready as soon as 24 hs from requested.

A big percentage of people go through this process living apart, it is hard, and I don't agree with the process that takes months of living with your family, but, it is what it is!

Usually the best information about the moment of the interview you can gather at the reviews of the US Embassy in Brazil, usually the users post which are the questions they were asked, waiting time, language of the interview and much more, it is helpful and calming to know what others went through when they had their interview.

Good luck!

[retheisen 10]

I do not have all the answers for you just yet, but I will be going through many of these same adventures in the coming months (hopefully). Our K-1 application was submitted on Sept 24th and we hope to hear about USCIS approval in the coming weeks. Fiancee is in Brazil, speaks little english, we will interview in Rio de Janeiro (hopefully in early July)

I have heard that the US Consulate in Rio will accept all required documents in English or Portuguese. Only documents in a third languauge would need certified translations.

My fiancee is working on her english, but of the consulate reviews I have read over on this site ... most interviews are done in Portuguese.

Attend the interview if at all possible. I believe you will be allowed in the room with your finacee based on the current guidelines. (who knows if that will change tomorrow or next week or next year)

My finacee and I are living apart ... she in BR, I in the US. I have been managing and fretting the process from this side of the equator. She has been preparing for the wedding and spending time with her family in BR. I have asked her to begin making arrangements for the medical exam so she is going start getting busy down there too.

I do not yet have a copy of the packet from the Embassy so I do not know if it is in English or Portuguese, I'll update when I do know.

In Brazil she will need a police certificate from each State she has lived in and also one from the Federal Police. Also, if she has ever lived outside of Brazil, she will need a police certificate from that country as well. There is information on acquiring police certificates online ...

Police Certificates

All applicants older than 18 must present both a Federal Police Certificate and a State Police certificate from all states they have lived for more than 6 months in the last 5 years. The U.S. government requires a certificate issued by the secretary of public security of the state. Certificates issued by the judiciary or the registry are not accepted in any way.

Re: 6. The embassy is US soil and a US government agency full of US government bureaucrats and civil servants. They get paid whether you get your visa or not. They get reprimanded if they let something fall through the cracks. Be as exact as possible. Provide what they request ... no more ... no less.

[Jawaree 717]

I would imagine they need to find a professional translator to translate the

documents & evidences including police certs .

Police certs are required from applicants for all countries lived

over 6 mths since they turned 18 yrs...if not in English translations

needed

[anamaral 4]

Hello, I'm Brazilian; I've just sent the I-130; but I've done some research about the police certificates. In Brazil, both State Police (all States she has lived since 16 or 18yo) and Federal police are required, but they are not dificult to obtain; you can get on line.

Here is the Embassy website:

http://brazil.usembassy.gov/interview/forms-for-fiancee-visas.html

Abou the translation: If documents are in Portuguese or English, they won't need translation. If necessary, it can be done by someone fluent in both languages (I know some professional translators if your fiancee needs recommendation), there is an example of the requirements here, in VJ.

From what I have read about Brazilian here in VJ, in the interview they ask if you prefer English or Portuguese, so she should be fine. Anyway, always better if you can be with her

Good luck for us all!

[Rhaegar Targaryen 0]

I would gladly help more, but unfortunately I have no idea at all how to obtain certified translations of the required documents (for example beneficiary's birth certificate) in Brazil, since it is very country specific. Same for the police certificate. By saying just google it, I meant to say that you could google how to get a police certificate in Brazil. As for helping your fiance understanding the embassy instructions, he could scan the papers the embassy sends him and email them to you and you could translate them to Portuguese and explain everything to him.

Good luck!

You've been more than helpful--I really appreciate it.

[Rhaegar Targaryen 0]

Except for one person, I really appreciate all of the help and responses!

I am glad that I made this thread since it does seem that there is a plethora of information out there, and the procedure/process can be different depending on the consulate, embassy, city, etc.

I will respond to each of you in kind. Thanks!

That guide looks out of date. Those forms are no longer needed and were replaced a couple years ago with the DS160.

Not all consulates have the same procedures and requirements. Why not simply go to the Brazil consulate website and check out the instructions and forms that can be found there?

http://brazil.usembassy.gov/interview/forms-for-fiancee-visas.html

This is very helpful--thanks!

A certified translation is just that, a certified translation. It will be easy to find certified translators in her home country, in any country. Google is your friend. Have her Google it in her language from her country. It's recommended to attend the interview for moral support and also to help prove a bonafide relationship to the consulate. Not everyone is able to attend with their significant others, I attended with my husband. For the specific police certificate needed go to the website for the consulate in Brazil and look. Not sure why you ask what you should Google, it's pretty clear what you need to Google and I am not sure why you tell people you communicate in Portuguese and then go on to ask how else you would communicate. The majority of people communicate with their significant others in English and how would anyone here know that you don't communicate that way? We are not mind readers. This is a do it yourself site, there are many knowledgeable people who have gone before you that are willing to help and there are also guides to the process at the top of the page, but we cannot do it for you.

Gross.

[Rhaegar Targaryen 0]

1. Is the information/documentation sent by the embassy to my fiance in English or in the home country language?

The embassy will send the information in Portuguese.

2. Does anyone have any experience with how to handle a situation where their fiance is learning English and speaks/understands at a low-intermediate level?

Yes, my now husband spoke no English when he arrived in the US. I enrolled him in English classes right away. That was very helpful. Keep in mind that it is a very difficult transition when you don't speak most English. Having school was really helpful while he was waiting for EAD and green card. It also helped him feel more comfortable here being around others that were learning English. If you are concerened about the interview, they will do it in Portuguese.

3. Does anyone have any experience with living apart from their fiance and the fiance has gone through most of the process alone? What about language issues involving the information from the Embassy, etc.?

We spent the majority of our process apart. I only visited once after filing the papers. We communicated on Skype constantly. I researched every part of the process and kept him updated on what he needed to do and what forms to fill out.

4. I read somewhere that all documents/information sent back to the Embassy must be translated to English? Is this complicated? How do people go about handling this?

That is not true. As long as they are in Portuguese or English, there is no problem. The only translations needed are at the Adjustment of Status stage. If you are fluent in both languages, you can do the translation or ask someone else who is fluent in both. They aren't exactly certified. The translator just needs to sign a statement saying they are fluent in both languages and the translation is accurate. There is an example here on VJ.

5. I also read somewhere about police certificates for all areas my fiance has lived since he was 16. This sounds very complicated. How do people go about handling this?

Check out the embassy website for more info on police certificates. I believe many can still be obtained online. If he has only resided in Brasil, it will be much easier.

6. How are particular are the consulates/embassies with the beneficiary home country documentation?

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Are you referring to evidence of relationship?

Please see my answers above in red. The official Brasil consulate website has much more information both in English and in Portuguese. Also, there have been some recent cases at the interview when the beneficiary was required to come back at a later date with the fiance. You might want to read up on some people's experiences who have recently interviewed. It didn't used to be the case but seems to be more common now. Good luck with your process!

Wow--thanks.

Very helpful responses.

Your response to #4 answered my #6 question.

And yes--English is important. My fiance is learning English now, and he will immediately enroll in classes once he moves to the United States.

Thank you. It is good to know that a lot of people translate for themselves.

[Rhaegar Targaryen 0]

Are you talking about areas within Brazil or foreign countries? I know in the UK when you fill out a form for a UK police certificate you list your previous addresses within the UK. That would count for "areas" I presume? For foreign police certificates look on the foreign country's embassy/consulate websites to see what they require. I was required to send a letter to the Japanese consulate, then I had an application form + a fingerprinting form sent to me. I was then required to arrange my own fingerprinting then I had to take my forms to the consulate in person. Then began the 3 month wait! The foreign police certificate was the most awkward part of the process for me.

In the UK all foreign police certificates were required to be in English or have an official translation. I found this information on the London US Embassy website so I'm sure that if you do enough searching on the embassy your partner will be attending you can find this out too. Sorry if I'm not much help, good luck!

You have been helpful. By areas, I was talking about areas within Brazil.

[Rhaegar Targaryen 0]

Each country is diferent, from what I read in the answers.

In Argentina they send your fiance in english and spanish instructions on the next step, that is medical and droping papers at the embassy to be reviewed and issued and interview date, and in the instructions they state that can be in native language or english the birth certificate and police record, IF not in native language or english, THEN you need a certified translator to do the translations, you also have online websited that offer the service, like http://www.daytranslations.com/?gclid=CPW1ktbyvsQCFe_m7AodhkwAxA

When you attend the interview, at least in Argentina, they offer to do the interview in english and spanish, and though they say it is recommended that the petitioner is there, it is not required and most people can not drop their work and go to the interview.

The police record your fiance can request it at http://www.dpf.gov.br/that is the federal police in Brazil, also in Argentina youdo it this way, and if they have the same kind of service youcan request the certificate to be ready as soon as 24 hs from requested.

A big percentage of people go through this process living apart, it is hard, and I don't agree with the process that takes months of living with your family, but, it is what it is!

Usually the best information about the moment of the interview you can gather at the reviews of the US Embassy in Brazil, usually the users post which are the questions they were asked, waiting time, language of the interview and much more, it is helpful and calming to know what others went through when they had their interview.

Good luck!

Thank you. Your commentary and links are helpful. And yes--it seems like it is different in each country.

I really want to be at the interview with my fiancé!

[Rhaegar Targaryen 0]

I do not have all the answers for you just yet, but I will be going through many of these same adventures in the coming months (hopefully). Our K-1 application was submitted on Sept 24th and we hope to hear about USCIS approval in the coming weeks. Fiancee is in Brazil, speaks little english, we will interview in Rio de Janeiro (hopefully in early July)

I have heard that the US Consulate in Rio will accept all required documents in English or Portuguese. Only documents in a third languauge would need certified translations.

My fiancee is working on her english, but of the consulate reviews I have read over on this site ... most interviews are done in Portuguese.

Attend the interview if at all possible. I believe you will be allowed in the room with your finacee based on the current guidelines. (who knows if that will change tomorrow or next week or next year)

My finacee and I are living apart ... she in BR, I in the US. I have been managing and fretting the process from this side of the equator. She has been preparing for the wedding and spending time with her family in BR. I have asked her to begin making arrangements for the medical exam so she is going start getting busy down there too.

I do not yet have a copy of the packet from the Embassy so I do not know if it is in English or Portuguese, I'll update when I do know.

In Brazil she will need a police certificate from each State she has lived in and also one from the Federal Police. Also, if she has ever lived outside of Brazil, she will need a police certificate from that country as well. There is information on acquiring police certificates online ...

Police Certificates

All applicants older than 18 must present both a Federal Police Certificate and a State Police certificate from all states they have lived for more than 6 months in the last 5 years. The U.S. government requires a certificate issued by the secretary of public security of the state. Certificates issued by the judiciary or the registry are not accepted in any way.

Re: 6. The embassy is US soil and a US government agency full of US government bureaucrats and civil servants. They get paid whether you get your visa or not. They get reprimanded if they let something fall through the cracks. Be as exact as possible. Provide what they request ... no more ... no less.

Good luck!

So, you applied 6 months ago? It takes so long.

Our situations are very similar. Thank you for responding. You have definitely put me more at ease--I will re-read your post again and again over next several months.

[Rhaegar Targaryen 0]

I would imagine they need to find a professional translator to translate the

documents & evidences including police certs .

Police certs are required from applicants for all countries lived

over 6 mths since they turned 18 yrs...if not in English translations

needed

Thank you.

But this is contrary to what just about everyone else has said so far (documents can be in home country language, translation can be done without a certified translator, etc)...

???

Hello, I'm Brazilian; I've just sent the I-130; but I've done some research about the police certificates. In Brazil, both State Police (all States she has lived since 16 or 18yo) and Federal police are required, but they are not dificult to obtain; you can get on line.

Here is the Embassy website:

http://brazil.usembassy.gov/interview/forms-for-fiancee-visas.html

Abou the translation: If documents are in Portuguese or English, they won't need translation. If necessary, it can be done by someone fluent in both languages (I know some professional translators if your fiancee needs recommendation), there is an example of the requirements here, in VJ.

From what I have read about Brazilian here in VJ, in the interview they ask if you prefer English or Portuguese, so she should be fine. Anyway, always better if you can be with her

Good luck for us all!

Obrigado!

So, there is no need for translation if documents are in Portuguese, correct?

[menina 50]

At the embassy stage, documents can be in English or Portuguese. When you do the adjustment of status, you will need to have everything in English.

[raven52 233]

If your time line was filled in, it would help in getting the answers you seek. We know very little about you.

I do not think you even said what kind of visa you were seeking, or if you were for sure seeking a visa.

These people are smart, here, but if the information is easily found, most people prefer you seek it out, and it would help you more, finding your own information.

Good luck on your journey!

[anamaral 4]

Exactly. To the embassy, in Rio, documents can be in Portuguese (its on the embassy website). All the documents you send to the US, have to be translated.

Have you started the journey yet?

Good luck!

[Rhaegar Targaryen 0]

If your time line was filled in, it would help in getting the answers you seek. We know very little about you.

I do not think you even said what kind of visa you were seeking, or if you were for sure seeking a visa.

These people are smart, here, but if the information is easily found, most people prefer you seek it out, and it would help you more, finding your own information.

Good luck on your journey!

Fiancé

And the information I am seeking, while sometimes "easily" found, is often conflicting--as evidenced by the responses above.

At the embassy stage, documents can be in English or Portuguese. When you do the adjustment of status, you will need to have everything in English.

Thank you.

At the embassy stage, documents can be in English or Portuguese. When you do the adjustment of status, you will need to have everything in English.

Thank you.

Exactly. To the embassy, in Rio, documents can be in Portuguese (its on the embassy website). All the documents you send to the US, have to be translated.

Have you started the journey yet?

Good luck!

Thanks again. :-)

Just starting now.

But we will be using the consulate in Recife, not the consulate in Rio.