Received K1 and K2 in the mail! Question about next steps...

[Purple_Paladin 16]

So we got the visas in the mail yesterday. 

Of course there are a few snags (aren't there always?)

 

For one, his passport was due to expire in October and they attached the K1 to it, so he's worried now about coming with a passport that will expire so soon. In France, you must relinquish the old passport to have the new. Also you can't file for a new updated passport earlier than sometihng like 6 months before the expiration. He did all he could for that, but his interview happened while waiting for the new passport so they took the old and attaached the K1 to it.

 

Now he's not sure what to do about that. He can't relinquish the passport because of this. France doesn't give out passports unless you relinquish. He'll techinically come with a passport that has 'enough' time left on it... but only just. He's worried about what documentation  he'll have while waiting for his COS to process. 

 

The other concern/question was: Is it possible for him to open a bank account here before he comes? He wants to close out his financials over there and would like to open his bank account here before coming so that his money is already here. Is this possible? 

 

Then there's the little things, he's bringing his cat... we're trying to figure out the best way to do that. Does anyone have experience with this?

 

What about his cell phone? Can he use the same phone that was bought in France here and just change the cell service provider? I'm guessing that they'd just change the chip?

 

TIA for any helpful tips!

[MalloryCat 705]

most banks require a SSN at the very least to open a bank account. some require a state ID as well.

you might be able to add him to a joint account without a state ID, but he will need a SSN. Which he can apply for one when he gets into the US. Just not before. He'll need to make an appointment with a SSO for that. you cannot just walk in anymore -

but in short, no he more than likely cannot open a US bank account until after he arrives and has gotten an SSN

 

you might need to check directly with whatever airline he will be coming over with, but should only need documentation for the cat, like updated vaccine records. but different airlines have different requirements. but its typically very easy to do.

 

it depends on how he got his cellphone and what kind.

if he got it directly through a carrier (not sure what its like in France) it might be locked to that carrier, and he would have to get a different one in the states.

if it is something he got secondhand or directly through the manufacturer, it might be unlocked, and can be put on any cell providers plan. my husband has an iphone that he had purchased long before he moved here on his K1, but Germany almost always has phones that are unlocked, regardless of where you get them. and we were able to just add him to a cellphone plan here, no need to do anything

depending on what kind of phone he has he should be able to just google "how to check if my phone has a carrier lock" or something like that. an iphone will say "No SIM Restrictions", which means he should be able to be put on any cell plan. it should say something similar on androids.

[maryaaaa 135]

Just now, Purple_Paladin said:

So we got the visas in the mail yesterday. 

Of course there are a few snags (aren't there always?)

 

For one, his passport was due to expire in October and they attached the K1 to it, so he's worried now about coming with a passport that will expire so soon. In France, you must relinquish the old passport to have the new. Also you can't file for a new updated passport earlier than sometihng like 6 months before the expiration. He did all he could for that, but his interview happened while waiting for the new passport so they took the old and attaached the K1 to it.

 

Now he's not sure what to do about that. He can't relinquish the passport because of this. France doesn't give out passports unless you relinquish. He'll techinically come with a passport that has 'enough' time left on it... but only just. He's worried about what documentation  he'll have while waiting for his COS to process. 

 

The other concern/question was: Is it possible for him to open a bank account here before he comes? He wants to close out his financials over there and would like to open his bank account here before coming so that his money is already here. Is this possible? 

 

Then there's the little things, he's bringing his cat... we're trying to figure out the best way to do that. Does anyone have experience with this?

 

What about his cell phone? Can he use the same phone that was bought in France here and just change the cell service provider? I'm guessing that they'd just change the chip?

 

TIA for any helpful tips!

 

 

Congratulations!

 

I am taking my cat too and here's what I was asked to provide.

 

- Vaccine records (we have the 4in1 vaccine; the most important is vaccine against feline panleukopenia)

- updated anti-rabies shot/s

- microchip

- deworming records

- Import certificate from Bureau of Animal Industry

- Clearance from the veterinarian

 

There are the most common requirements based on my research.

 

[jan22 3,173]

Check the official information on bringing an animal into the US at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/another-country-to-us-import

[Purple_Paladin 16]

Update for those following:

 

They gave him the new passport, they asked him to submit a declaration that he would destroy the old passport (standard in France) once he's finished using it since the embassy attached the K1 to the old passport.

 

The cat has had all of his medical appointments/shots and now has his own passport.

 

Regarding his cell phone: it's showing signs of age so we'll just get him a new one on my plan when he gets here, same with step-daughter.

 

[Nywoek 130]

10 hours ago, Purple_Paladin said:

Update for those following:

 

They gave him the new passport, they asked him to submit a declaration that he would destroy the old passport (standard in France) once he's finished using it since the embassy attached the K1 to the old passport.

 

The cat has had all of his medical appointments/shots and now has his own passport.

 

Regarding his cell phone: it's showing signs of age so we'll just get him a new one on my plan when he gets here, same with step-daughter.

 

Let me know if you got a good deal, we are getting both my girls new phones and the problem has been that had they jumped over to a new provider they would get free phones, but since their stuff right now is norwegian that wont work.

 

My fiance is considering setting up 2 accounts for them on his current plan and changing over to the new one with included phones to save 30 dollars a month for 2 years, but I feel that it might not work because of some fine print somewhere, lol.

 

Good luck with all the preparation! How exciting. ^-^

[Purple_Paladin 16]

2 hours ago, Nywoek said:

Let me know if you got a good deal, we are getting both my girls new phones and the problem has been that had they jumped over to a new provider they would get free phones, but since their stuff right now is norwegian that wont work.

 

My fiance is considering setting up 2 accounts for them on his current plan and changing over to the new one with included phones to save 30 dollars a month for 2 years, but I feel that it might not work because of some fine print somewhere, lol.

 

Wouldn't it work regardless due to the fact that you're getting two new phones on two new lines and closing out their previous plans?

Are you doing it a different way?

 

 

2 hours ago, Nywoek said:

Good luck with all the preparation! How exciting. ^-^

Thank you!

[Nywoek 130]

On 6/11/2025 at 3:16 AM, Purple_Paladin said:

Wouldn't it work regardless due to the fact that you're getting two new phones on two new lines and closing out their previous plans?

Are you doing it a different way?

 

 

Thank you!

Technically, yes. But considering I do not understand why creating two new lines would not count, I feel like we might end up paying like 100 dollars to set up new phonelines and then try to change them over and run into an issue getting the new phones comped. But I have delegated that to my fiance, I have enough ####### to deal with right now, lol. 

[SL2024 291]

15 hours ago, Nywoek said:

Technically, yes. But considering I do not understand why creating two new lines would not count, I feel like we might end up paying like 100 dollars to set up new phonelines and then try to change them over and run into an issue getting the new phones comped. But I have delegated that to my fiance, I have enough ####### to deal with right now, lol. 

I just kept the same phone (as my phone is dual SIM compatible) and then got added to my father in laws family plan with AT&T and got a US SIM for it 

[Purple_Paladin 16]

On 6/19/2025 at 3:58 AM, Nywoek said:

Technically, yes. But considering I do not understand why creating two new lines would not count, I feel like we might end up paying like 100 dollars to set up new phonelines and then try to change them over and run into an issue getting the new phones comped. But I have delegated that to my fiance, I have enough ####### to deal with right now, lol. 

 

The feels! lol! 

There is so much!

And then I feel like everything that I delegate to him, I have to double-check anyway to be sure that he understood it correctly, not at all his fault, English isn't his first language and things translate differently in French, but it gets over-whelming! 

[appleblossom 4,307]

On 6/19/2025 at 3:58 AM, Nywoek said:

Technically, yes. But considering I do not understand why creating two new lines would not count, I feel like we might end up paying like 100 dollars to set up new phonelines and then try to change them over and run into an issue getting the new phones comped. But I have delegated that to my fiance, I have enough ####### to deal with right now, lol. 

 

You shouldn't have to pay anywhere near that amount! I set up a new phone line with Mint mobile before I moved which was $15 a month I think. It's an e-SIM, so worked the moment I landed and activated it. Now I just toggle between my two lines on my phone depending on which country I'm in. 

[OldUser 9,654]

On 6/20/2025 at 7:16 AM, Purple_Paladin said:

And then I feel like everything that I delegate to him, I have to double-check anyway to be sure that he understood it correctly, not at all his fault, English isn't his first language and things translate differently in French, but it gets over-whelming! 

The best you can do it let your partner learn it. You're not even his parent to be checking his work. He can also join VJ and spend his own time understanding how immigration works. Beyond forms I-129F and I-864, every other from filed techically belongs to immigrant, not US citizen spouse.

 

Good luck!