Few general questions and cosponsor question for CR1 Algeria

[dzmichellebkt 22]

Asalam alaykum. Hello all. 

 

My husband and I have been married for a little over a year. I've been living here in Algiers since March 2017 before we married. 

We are exactly one year and five days apart in age. I have one son who is 21 as of yesterday and we actually have been trying for a family of our own. We've had one pregnancy that ended in miscarriage. (I certainly wouldn't include this information if it wasn't necessary.) 

 

I reverted BEFORE I met my husband. 

 

We did meet through a mutual friend online. 

 

I'm working here, am very close to his family but we are ready to go to the US for a while to establish a life there so I can be close to my son for a bit again. 

 

We are sending in our I130 this week. We are including 15 pages of Skype and Facebook conversations from the day we started talking until January of this year when I came back from visiting my son. 

 

Also three letters of support from his family members and three from mine plus 30 photos of us together, me and his family, us with family and our wedding. 

 

I will be moving back in March or April to establish residence again and start working again as a nurse but will still be using a cosponsor probably just in case. 

 

My question is: does anyone think we're going to have many problems with this petition, if any? And my cosponsor is a close friend who will be using her SSI and SSI disability income as our proof of financial support. Is this OK? I have SO MANY people fear mongering me that they are going to deny us. 

 

Thank you in advance for your help!!! 

[dzmichellebkt 22]

Also I wasn't sure if I should add more pages of general married life messages from January till now as proof too? 

[EandH0904 1,184]

I dont think people are fearmongering to be malicious this is a hard process and we see a lot of rejection on these boards. People who have successful visas are less likely to be posting about their problems so maybe our perception is admittedly a little skewed but not completely unreasonable. 

 

If you look at uscis stats Algeria approves 10-15 CR1s a month. They dont release information on how many are not approved so take that number as it is. 

 

My big concern for you would be use of a co-sponsor on SSI/SSDI. Do they make enough money to support your husband and themselves? Why would someone on SSI want to be burdened with assuming responsibility for another adult? If you had an employed co-sponsor I think it would be better. It can be any US citizen doesn't have to be family member. 

 

Your case isnt so much a concern....close in age, same religion, plenty of time together.....its the financial part that makes it more questionable.  

 

@janet3 may have other suggestions 

[dzmichellebkt 22]

31 minutes ago, EandH0904 said:

I dont think people are fearmongering to be malicious this is a hard process and we see a lot of rejection on these boards. People who have successful visas are less likely to be posting about their problems so maybe our perception is admittedly a little skewed but not completely unreasonable. 

 

If you look at uscis stats Algeria approves 10-15 CR1s a month. They dont release information on how many are not approved so take that number as it is. 

 

My big concern for you would be use of a co-sponsor on SSI/SSDI. Do they make enough money to support your husband and themselves? Why would someone on SSI want to be burdened with assuming responsibility for another adult? If you had an employed co-sponsor I think it would be better. It can be any US citizen doesn't have to be family member. 

 

Your case isnt so much a concern....close in age, same religion, plenty of time together.....its the financial part that makes it more questionable.  

 

@janet3 may have other suggestions 

These are not people on here fear mongering, more people that really don't know anything or have been denied themselves. 

The reason for this cosponsor is because she's the only person I trust really. I don't even know if I'll need one tbh. 

And she's not even seeing herself as being burdened. We aren't going to need her inshaAllah. It's only because I've been living here that we are even having to worry about the financial part. I worked in the US in over a year and a half. 

[janet3 1,170]

On 9/12/2018 at 10:36 AM, dzmichellebkt said:

These are not people on here fear mongering, more people that really don't know anything or have been denied themselves. 

The reason for this cosponsor is because she's the only person I trust really. I don't even know if I'll need one tbh. 

And she's not even seeing herself as being burdened. We aren't going to need her inshaAllah. It's only because I've been living here that we are even having to worry about the financial part. I worked in the US in over a year and a half. 

I agree completely with @EandH0904

 

You have a lot of solid evidence (obviously.....you have lived with your husband in Algeria) make sure to document as much of that as you can....receipts, pictures, documents....

 

As for the co-sponsor.......this will bring a lot of scrutiny to the interview (not that it’s necessarily “bad” to have a sponsor.....but your co sponsor is on SSI and SSA). If you decide to use this sponsor expect some difficult questions....(questions for your husband to answer during the interview)

such as:

why do you need a co sponsor?

what does your wife do for a living?

what do you plan to do for a living in the US?

she doesn’t make enough money to support you?

who is the co sponsor?

have you met the co sponsor?

does the co sponsor know you?

have you spoken to the co sponsor?

why would she/he sponsor you?

how is the co sponsor related to your wife?

your wife has lived in Algeria for (x amount of time) why move?

if you can support your wife in Algeria, why can’t she support you in the US?

why don’t you stay in Algeria?

 

Just a few examples of questions that might be asked.....

 

It’s completely up to you.....but, if I were you, I would try to make it without the sponsor....there’s too many variables and it makes the process a lot more complicated.

[dzmichellebkt 22]

Janet,

 

Thank you for your response.

 

I see what you mean about a co-sponsor. Actually, here's the plan. (We all know plans never go according to plan hahaha...) 

 

We will file the end of September which means they will receive our packet first of October. Then we probably have about 6 months( best case scenario) from then until we receive our NOA2 and I have to start filing support paperwork. I plan on flying back around Jan - March, which will be 3-5 months from filing. I have a place to live already with a close friend and I PLAN on having a job lined up before I go. I'm a nurse back in the states so I can easily begin looking for a job before I go back. 

 

My plan is to have a job in place and already begin working and within a month have an apartment for us by the time we start the NVC part of the process. With a nursing job I can make the income requirement and don't feel I'll have any problem with getting letters from an employer. 

 

However I will not have income tax that was filed because I haven't work in the past two years in the US. Only worked here in Algeria. 

 

I mean we have an explanation of why we need a cosponsor. I've been here for 2 years. 

 

The cosponsor is plan B in case we need him/her. 

 

I appreciate the time you both are giving me and your help is so much appreciated. I like to plan for the future as much as possible and have all my plans in place! Please tell me what you all think. 

[janet3 1,170]

I would file taxes for the last two years (I assume you are talking about the years 2017 and 2016). Even if you are exempt from paying taxes (and/or the IRS says it’s not necessary to file) you can still file (married and jointly....if you were married during those two years). It can be seen as additional proof of co mingling of finances.

 

You can also apply for an ITIN for your husband when you file....I think it makes some processes easier (adding your husband to bank accounts, leases, etc) but @EandH0904 may have much better advice and a lot more knowledge on this subject.

 

I think your plan sounds reasonable and doable. 

 

@EandH0904 any other thoughts?

[EandH0904 1,184]

4 minutes ago, janet3 said:

I would file taxes for the last two years (I assume you are talking about the years 2017 and 2016). Even if you are exempt from paying taxes (and/or the IRS says it’s not necessary to file) you can still file (married and jointly....if you were married during those two years). It can be seen as additional proof of co mingling of finances.

 

You can also apply for an ITIN for your husband when you file....I think it makes some processes easier (adding your husband to bank accounts, leases, etc) but @EandH0904 may have much better advice and a lot more knowledge on this subject.

 

I think your plan sounds reasonable and doable. 

 

@EandH0904 any other thoughts?

When was the last time you were in the US working as a nurse? Are your certifications etc still valid? I'm an RN un IL and its VERY hard to get a job here if you haven't worked with your license in more than 12 months. 

 

Your plan sounds good in theory but Algeria is a tough consulate. If it was me I wouldnt file without having a job first. Putting unemployed on a petition just doesnt look great and would open your husband up to a lot of questions Janet mentioned. 

 

If you want to get an itin for your husband you have to wait until next year at tax time. 

[dzmichellebkt 22]

15 hours ago, EandH0904 said:

When was the last time you were in the US working as a nurse? Are your certifications etc still valid? I'm an RN un IL and its VERY hard to get a job here if you haven't worked with your license in more than 12 months. 

 

Your plan sounds good in theory but Algeria is a tough consulate. If it was me I wouldnt file without having a job first. Putting unemployed on a petition just doesnt look great and would open your husband up to a lot of questions Janet mentioned. 

 

If you want to get an itin for your husband you have to wait until next year at tax time. 

I last worked as a nurse in July 2016. I am also a freelance writer and so I was working as that from home full time until I moved here. My license is up to date. I am not unemployed as I teach business/medical English here at a private school since last year. (Edited to add: the reason I quit nursing was because at the time I was being put on different blood pressure meds and having issues with low blood pressure so I stopped working with patients at that time. It wasn't for any other reason.)

 

I'm planning on being back in the states before tax time next year anyway and working. I've already starting applying for jobs.

 

I understand we will be open to questions such as why do we want to move back and why can't your wife support you there if you support her here but as I've said that's a pretty easy question: because she's been living here and working here for almost 2 years. I mean are they that ridiculous at the consulate to see a 39 year old and a 40 year old who will have been married two years by interview time, living together in Algiers, strong relationship with his family and everything else to just say, "Oh well we don't think this relationship is bona fide so we're going to deny you at this time." ? (Also please understand that I've dealt with this consul at this embassy before we were married and after and it was not a 10/10 experience.)

 

And I don't ask the above question to be silly, flippant or naive or to be rude. I genuinely want to know. 

 

I moved here to meet his family, learn his culture and way of life and to start our life without doing this visa song and dance waiting to get married or to marry and spend years and years apart due to scrutiny over our relationship. Mostly to learn about him and know his family and them know me. 

 

I'm ready to go back to the US and see my son consistently and be back in my profession and we start our lives there. I hate to think that this scenario is so hard for them to imagine. 

 

Again I thank you both for your time and replies. It really does help me and I look forward to continuing to get advice and hopefully helping others ☺️

Edited September 20, 2018 by dzmichellebkt

[dzmichellebkt 22]

I just wanted to update anyone following this thread: I moved back here to the US on June 28th and am in the process of finding job and apartment. 

 

We've found a different co-sponsor who doesn't reply on SSI/SSDI for income. 

 

We are currently at 9 months waiting for NOA2 at the Nebraska Service Center. Our 2nd anniversary will come this month, making our case IR1.  

 

Hopefully not too much longer!