My K1 visa was issued today, long list of questions!

[SouzaGarcia81 2]

13 hours ago, Boiler said:

I am not sure you have to give it a few days now to get a SSN, back in the day I gave it a week before rocking up and applying for a SSN.

 

Actually is not uncommon for GC to be obtained before AP is granted.

 

Looks like you will need EAD to get a DL.

 

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/resources/communities/new-mi-residents

 

I don't believe I need that, but link is helpful. It says:

 

Documents needed:

• Proof of legal presence
• Proof of Social Security number
• Proof of identity
• Proof of Michigan residency (two documents)

[SouzaGarcia81 2]

15 hours ago, NorthByNorthwest said:

 

#3 - as the immigrant, this would all be household effects: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/kbyg/customs-duty-info#:~:text=Household effects conditionally included are,books%2C implements%2C and instruments. Technically you're supposed to have owned everything at least a year, though I have not heard of that ever being verified.

 

#4 - interesting question, for most people this tends to be used for container shipments arriving well after the immigrant has already arrived in the US and these forms are handled by the moving company. I would think sending 20-30 boxes by FedEx from the Netherlands will cost you well over $10,000 - have you looked at other options? For reference, 7 years ago I spent about $12,000 to get 17m³ worth of stuff from Japan to the US including packing on the Japan side with separate crating of a 70" TV and an expensive bike. If you have the money, by all means go with FedEx, but that's not a common way of doing it.

 

 

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Yes normally it would be anywhere between 10-16K to ship, but not with their last-minute prices. It will actually be only 1-1.6K which is perfect!

[SouzaGarcia81 2]

2 hours ago, mam521 said:

#2. Traveling with the cat -  make sure you've spoken to the airline and have paid the pet fee to bring the cat with.  The airline will likely have a requirement that the cat have a a health certificate issued by a vet stating the cat is healthy and fit to travel, issued within 10 days of your flight.  You may be asked to see a rabies vaccination certification for the cat.  

 

Make sure kitty isn't drugged out.  You can potentially use a calming spray, but some people want to give the pet a sedative and that's not typically ok when the airline wants to see that the cat is healthy. 

 

Make sure your carrier is good for that long of a trip.  We have SleepyPods which are pricey, but have been a great investment.  I know my cats tend to pee in their carrier within the first half an hour of me putting them in it.  I now put a puppy pad around and another under the bedding in the carrier so I can just pull it and chuck it out.  No one wants to smell kitty pee and kitty certainly doesn't want to be stuck in their urine for an overseas flight.  

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks.

Yes I have done all that, the airline doesn't require anything either. I was mainly curious about the check at the POE.

13 hours ago, SalishSea said:

Why I-601?

 

Vaccine waiver.

[SouzaGarcia81 2]

2 hours ago, Izzymael said:

Out of curiosity, where in Michigan are you moving to? I'm moving to Detroit in one month!

 

Ithaca, Gratiot County!

[NorthByNorthwest 216]

4 minutes ago, SouzaGarcia81 said:

Yes normally it would be anywhere between 10-16K to ship, but not with their last-minute prices. It will actually be only 1-1.6K which is perfect!

 

Cool, I didn't know that was a thing. Out of curiosity, what is that product/service called at Fedex?

[Boiler 43,544]

9 minutes ago, SouzaGarcia81 said:

 

I don't believe I need that, but link is helpful. It says:

 

Documents needed:

• Proof of legal presence
• Proof of Social Security number
• Proof of identity
• Proof of Michigan residency (two documents)

So what other document do you have?

[Redro 4,601]

27 minutes ago, SouzaGarcia81 said:

 

I don't believe I need that, but link is helpful. It says:

 

Documents needed:

• Proof of legal presence
• Proof of Social Security number
• Proof of identity
• Proof of Michigan residency (two documents)

You will need to wait for your EAD or Green Card to get your driver’s license in Michigan. 
In addition, you will have to take the written and the driving test. You cannot exchange your license unless it is from Korea, Germany or Canada. 
Source: I went through the process in 2022. 
For proof of residence you’ll need bank statements sent to your home address or credit card statements. If you don’t have them in your name you can also your the social security envelope addressed to you (once you get your social) and mail addressed to your future spouse with marriage certificate to show you are married. 

 

Edited February 1 by Redro
Added proof of residence information.

[SouzaGarcia81 2]

6 hours ago, Redro said:

You will need to wait for your EAD or Green Card to get your driver’s license in Michigan. 
In addition, you will have to take the written and the driving test. You cannot exchange your license unless it is from Korea, Germany or Canada. 
Source: I went through the process in 2022. 
For proof of residence you’ll need bank statements sent to your home address or credit card statements. If you don’t have them in your name you can also your the social security envelope addressed to you (once you get your social) and mail addressed to your future spouse with marriage certificate to show you are married. 

 

 

 

This is an application form:

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/-/media/Project/Websites/sos/03lawensn/Applying_for_lic_or_ID_SOS_428.pdf

 

I am confused you had to wait for your EAD/green card. I am not filing for and EAD so I will not get one. But when I look at this application form it looks like if I get an SSN and show my card, my passport with visa and proof of residency (which I can provide by then) that I have enough documents to apply for a driver's license in Michigan? I likely do need to do the tests, which is fine but seems like the supervised practice period of 30 might be waived since I have had a Dutch license for 25 years. Interesting how you can just exchange your US DL here in the Netherlands for a Dutch one if you come from the US with mostly wide open roads and automatics, while Dutch people who are used to trains in the streets, bikers everywhere and millions of tourists terrorizing our streets with their amazing driving abilities while we have to shift manually and have a thousand eyes everywhere need to take a test in the US. I'm not worried about a test, and it's cheap too! You pay much more here in The Netherlands for a test.

I guess I'll just go to the DMV as soon as I have my SSN and see what they say. 

[Redro 4,601]

Just now, SouzaGarcia81 said:

 

 

This is an application form:

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/-/media/Project/Websites/sos/03lawensn/Applying_for_lic_or_ID_SOS_428.pdf

 

I am confused you had to wait for your EAD/green card. I am not filing for and EAD so I will not get one. But when I look at this application form it looks like if I get an SSN and show my card, my passport with visa and proof of residency (which I can provide by then) that I have enough documents to apply for a driver's license in Michigan? I likely do need to do the tests, which is fine but seems like the supervised practice period of 30 might be waived since I have had a Dutch license for 25 years. Interesting how you can just exchange your US DL here in the Netherlands for a Dutch one if you come from the US with mostly wide open roads and automatics, while Dutch people who are used to trains in the streets, bikers everywhere and millions of tourists terrorizing our streets with their amazing driving abilities while we have to shift manually and have a thousand eyes everywhere need to take a test in the US. I'm not worried about a test, and it's cheap too! You pay much more here in The Netherlands for a test.

I guess I'll just go to the DMV as soon as I have my SSN and see what they say. 

You need EAD or GC. I did this in 2022. 
Read proof of legal presence #2 on the list. 
You will see that K1 visa holders are not one of the proofs accepted. 

[NorthByNorthwest 216]

45 minutes ago, SouzaGarcia81 said:

I am confused you had to wait for your EAD/green card. I am not filing for and EAD so I will not get one. But when I look at this application form it looks like if I get an SSN and show my card, my passport with visa and proof of residency (which I can provide by then) that I have enough documents to apply for a driver's license in Michigan? 

 

This is a fuzzy area where lawful status is not the same as being in a period of authorized stay - here's some reading on the subject: https://www.murthy.com/2018/12/17/differences-between-lawful-status-period-of-authorized-stay-unlawful-presence-2/ This is also why you need to be paroled into the country (through I-131/I-512 Advance Parole) if you want to travel while your I-485 is pending.

 

Different states handle this differently, coming to Washington from Japan I got lucky with my Japanese DL granting me an exemption from the test. Also, I was just able to get by with just enough documentation within the first 90 days while my I-94 was still valid, otherwise I might have had to wait for EAD as well. It might be worth asking if you can gather all the required documentation while your I-94 is still valid, but it sounds from the other Michigan folks like this might not work.

 

I think I used something like these and scraped by with 10 days to spare:

 

Social Security Card

Swedish passport with K-1 visa and I-94 printout / still valid

Swedish driver's license

Japanese driver's license with translation/certificate from Japanese consulate

 

Edited February 2 by NorthByNorthwest

[SouzaGarcia81 2]

49 minutes ago, Redro said:

You need EAD or GC. I did this in 2022. 
Read proof of legal presence #2 on the list. 
You will see that K1 visa holders are not one of the proofs accepted. 

 

That is not how I read that. I read there I need to show passport + visa + I94 and the mentioned visas need additional forms. How do you read K1 visa holders are not accepted?

[Ontarkie 13,918]

4 minutes ago, SouzaGarcia81 said:

 

That is not how I read that. I read there I need to show passport + visa + I94 and the mentioned visas need additional forms. How do you read K1 visa holders are not accepted?

A K1 visa is for 90 days, they will only issue a DL for 90 days and that would be a big if they do  issue one on a K1. DL needs to match the expiry of the visa.

Edited February 2 by Ontarkie

[NorthByNorthwest 216]

5 minutes ago, Ontarkie said:

A K1 visa is for 90 days, they will only issue a DL for 90 days and that would be a big if they do  issue one on a K1. DL needs to match the expiry of the visa.

 

Interesting, that was not the case for me in WA back in 2017, but things could certainly have changed since then or WA is just more lenient.

 

If EAD is deemed sufficient in MI one could argue that EAD by itself doesn't grant you lawful status, you're still just in authorized stay while I-485 is in process, but perhaps it's seen as good enough for DL in those states?

[Boiler 43,544]

There is no mention of them issuing one on a K!.

 

I had to go to my DMV recently, took several weeks to get an appointment, you can no longer turn up and wait.

 

So lets say a best case scenario and they will you would get  learners permit and then take the test and then get a full DL which would expire 90 days after entry assuming that had not past.

 

Michigan seems to just require you to do this as soon as possible there is no grace period.

[Ontarkie 13,918]

59 minutes ago, NorthByNorthwest said:

 

Interesting, that was not the case for me in WA back in 2017, but things could certainly have changed since then or WA is just more lenient.

 

If EAD is deemed sufficient in MI one could argue that EAD by itself doesn't grant you lawful status, you're still just in authorized stay while I-485 is in process, but perhaps it's seen as good enough for DL in those states?

It seems many states have started getting pretty picky on things.