My Costa Rica nightmare is over.

[victorbrown 0]

I dont think ive ever got the same answer to the same question when dealing with immigration.

But after last week being told it would be 1 to 2 more weeks. they told my wife 2 to 3 more weeks.

Then yesterday morning my wife called again and they told her it would be over a month.

Then she called me crying.

Then an hour later they called her to tell her that her visa was done to come pick it up.

The last 2 months was the most frustrating experience of my life.

I want to thank everyone here.

And i will check back and try to help out others.

Now i have to start reading about what we have to do next.

Again Thank you

Victor Brown

[raymaga 25]

I don't think you are alone in getting different answers every time you ask a question. That happened to us all the time, and at one point, were told that I could just come to the U.S. from Canada, get married, and adjust status.

We were very excited about that good news and almost went ahead and did just that and then I found out that we would have been no further ahead, except I would have to apply for the K-3 Visa, instead of the K-1 Visa, but I would have had no home to live in back in Canada because I would have given it up to move to the U.S. to get married.

I only wish that everyone knew that you can't trust ANYTHING that you get told from the USCIS mis-information line!!!! They are just staffed with people working at a call centre that know less about immigration issues than we do. They are not trained USCIS immigration officers at all, they are just reading from scripts.

Glad to hear that you are finally done with this phase of your journey. Best wishes!!!!

[Mononoke28 134]

Hmm... I think I remember you talking about how difficult the whole thing had been. I'm really glad your wife finally got her visa and that it's almost over now.

Congratulations!

[hmm 0]

I dont think ive ever got the same answer to the same question when dealing with immigration.

But after last week being told it would be 1 to 2 more weeks. they told my wife 2 to 3 more weeks.

Then yesterday morning my wife called again and they told her it would be over a month.

Then she called me crying.

Then an hour later they called her to tell her that her visa was done to come pick it up.

The last 2 months was the most frustrating experience of my life.

I want to thank everyone here.

And i will check back and try to help out others.

Now i have to start reading about what we have to do next.

Again Thank you

Victor Brown

congratulationss

[captainButch 0]

I dont think ive ever got the same answer to the same question when dealing with immigration.

But after last week being told it would be 1 to 2 more weeks. they told my wife 2 to 3 more weeks.

Then yesterday morning my wife called again and they told her it would be over a month.

Then she called me crying.

Then an hour later they called her to tell her that her visa was done to come pick it up.

The last 2 months was the most frustrating experience of my life.

I want to thank everyone here.

And i will check back and try to help out others.

Now i have to start reading about what we have to do next.

Again Thank you

Victor Brown

Victor

Way to Go! I'm happy for you dude. We both are out of the woods with the Adam Walsh fiasco. Looks like we both got our visas within days of each other.

I know it was a pain in the butt, however, all things considered we got off easy. there are a lot of good people out there who are still going through the hassle.

Good luck with your new life

captainButch

[vylex 0]

Holy Rollercoaster Batman!

I am sorry you and your wife had to go through that. I hope she (and you of course) felt huge happiness when they rang her back and told her the Visa was issued.

Best of Luck moving forward!

[meauxna 15]

Felicidades, Victor y Senora Victor!

I'm so glad to hear that your logjam has broken. Your life in CR sounds so idylic tho--can't believe you're leaving even for a little while!

Happy travels!

[victorbrown 0]

Felicidades, Victor y Senora Victor!

I'm so glad to hear that your logjam has broken. Your life in CR sounds so idylic tho--can't believe you're leaving even for a little while!

Happy travels!

Thanks I only come back to the states here and there for a couple months at a time to work with family. I dont know when those times will arise.

So i couldnt plan ahead to get a visa everytime for my wife. It looks like im reading that my wife can not leave for more than 6 months a year.

I really only wanted to come back here for 2 or 3 months a year at most.

I just did 3 months without my wife and son and i dont want that to happen again.

[victorbrown 0]

I dont think ive ever got the same answer to the same question when dealing with immigration.

But after last week being told it would be 1 to 2 more weeks. they told my wife 2 to 3 more weeks.

Then yesterday morning my wife called again and they told her it would be over a month.

Then she called me crying.

Then an hour later they called her to tell her that her visa was done to come pick it up.

The last 2 months was the most frustrating experience of my life.

I want to thank everyone here.

And i will check back and try to help out others.

Now i have to start reading about what we have to do next.

Again Thank you

Victor Brown

Victor

Way to Go! I'm happy for you dude. We both are out of the woods with the Adam Walsh fiasco. Looks like we both got our visas within days of each other.

I know it was a pain in the butt, however, all things considered we got off easy. there are a lot of good people out there who are still going through the hassle.

Good luck with your new life

captainButch

Thanks Captain It was rough and i really feel for the others still waiting.

I can only imagine how many people still out there that dont know about this website and are just calling and getting different answers all the time.

The reports of people starting to get appointments and such that got posted here really helped. Especially yours since we were dealing with the same district.

So Thanks alot

[meauxna 15]

It looks like im reading that my wife can not leave for more than 6 months a year.

hi victor, did you read that here at VJ? Can you show me where?

I ask, because that is a rumor among new PRs, that they can not leave for more than 6 moonths at a time. It is not true.

Please see the links in my signature, especially the first one. It details important rights & responsibilities, including information about living outside the US. You want to be particularly concerned with 'maintaining permanent resident status' and you seriously might want to meet with a lawyer about the best strategy for your wife to keep her PR status current. Your situation is sufficiently unique that this would be worth your money and time.

The consequence is your wife being stripped of her PR status and having to re-immigrate or get a different visa.

The 'six months' is not a phantom--if a PR wants to naturalize to USC, they have to be aware that an absense of +6months at a stretch impacts their eligibility to apply for USC. But the rules for just remaining a PR are different.

[victorbrown 0]

It looks like im reading that my wife can not leave for more than 6 months a year.

hi victor, did you read that here at VJ? Can you show me where?

I ask, because that is a rumor among new PRs, that they can not leave for more than 6 moonths at a time. It is not true.

Please see the links in my signature, especially the first one. It details important rights & responsibilities, including information about living outside the US. You want to be particularly concerned with 'maintaining permanent resident status' and you seriously might want to meet with a lawyer about the best strategy for your wife to keep her PR status current. Your situation is sufficiently unique that this would be worth your money and time.

The consequence is your wife being stripped of her PR status and having to re-immigrate or get a different visa.

The 'six months' is not a phantom--if a PR wants to naturalize to USC, they have to be aware that an absense of +6months at a stretch impacts their eligibility to apply for USC. But the rules for just remaining a PR are different.

Thanks i appreciate all the advice i can get. I will just go back for 3 and half months from December14 to march 31 i think just to play it safe.

I live up in maine and this is no place for costa ricans during that time.

My wife speaks perfect english and is very book smart so getting her naturalisation should be no problem.

So i just have to be carefull not to leave to long for the first 2 years then get the naturalisation.

Then i should be able to come and go when we want.

I am a builder so this is a pain i wont be able to have projects going here and down there and go back and forth when i need too.

I dont remember were i read the 6 month thing i thought it was on the big welcome to america download.

Again thank you so much

Victor

[meauxna 15]

Thanks i appreciate all the advice i can get. I will just go back for 3 and half months from December14 to march 31 i think just to play it safe.

I live up in maine and this is no place for costa ricans during that time.

My wife speaks perfect english and is very book smart so getting her naturalisation should be no problem.

So i just have to be carefull not to leave to long for the first 2 years then get the naturalisation.

Then i should be able to come and go when we want.

I am a builder so this is a pain i wont be able to have projects going here and down there and go back and forth when i need too.

hi again victor,

If you maintain a permanent home in the US, and your wife can tie herself to it, you should be able to split your time out OK--we did, for the first couple of years (til it got too expensive!)--read up on it a bit more so you know what to consider.

Permanent Resident status can be 'lost' in a single day, or a person can be out of the US for a years and still maintain their status. It is very individual and too complex. Your plan of naturalization makes sense to me--freedom was a big motivator for us, too.

You do want to re-check your timeline assumptions.

Your wife will become a Permanent Resident on the day she enters the US.

2 years after becoming a PR, she will have to Remove Conditions with form I-751. She may send this in any time in the 90 days before the expiration date on her Green Card.

3 years after becoming a PR is the earliest she may naturalize to USC. The earliest she may apply is in the 90 days before her 3rd anniversary as a PR. Being eligible involves more than time as a PR and time in the US (her language proficiency etc will certainly help her!) so be sure to have a look at the Guide to Naturalization from uscis.gov for all the details.