US Immigration from Netherlands

Hi everyone.

My fianc and I have filed our K1 in December (4th). We got our first letter to say they've received it, which I believe is NOA1?, which states they received it on January 31st. I am assuming that we should take the January date when researching how long it might take.

We recently saw the price increases on all the immigration forms etc, however I'm having trouble to figure out which fees will apply to us. I'm assuming that we will not receive our NOA2 before April, that would be way too fast, so I'm assuming the only fee we got 'lucky' with was the first filing fee. Does anyone have an estimate of which fees would apply for us and how much they would total after the increase?

My wife and I are preparing for our move to the U.S. with a CR1 visa, following her I-130 petition for me. We're currently living abroad but planning ahead to avoid delays, even though we haven't reached the NVC stage yet. My wife is still considered domiciled in the U.S., as our stay overseas is temporary, and her address in the U.S. is with her parents, where we plan to live upon our arrival until we have found our own place. This address was also listed on our I-130 form.

Last year, my wife was completing her graduate studies and did not earn enough to meet the income requirements for sponsorship. As a result, her parents have agreed to be our additional sponsors. Since they file their taxes jointly, we're exploring the best approach for them to become sponsors:

• Form I-864A Use: Is it appropriate for my wife's parents to use Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member, in our situation? If so, considering their joint tax filing, is it necessary for both parents to complete the form, or would only one parent suffice? Additionally, how would this choice affect the household size calculation for the I-864A form would it be 3 if one parent fills it out, and 4 if both do?
• Regular I-864 Form: Alternatively, could they opt for the regular I-864 form as joint sponsors instead? If choosing this route, how does it impact the household size calculation would it then be considered 2 for the purposes of the I-864 form?
• Comparison and Recommendation: Are there any advantages or disadvantages between choosing Form I-864A versus the regular I-864 form for our situation?

I appreciate any guidance or experiences shared, as we want to avoid any delays because of RFEs.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi all,

I got married at a courthouse in the US a few weeks ago. In my excitement (or simply a misunderstanding) I accidentally gave them my birthplace address twice, instead of my birthplace and current residence. I did live at my birth address for many years of my life and only moved to my new address a year ago (it's a student dorm, but I am currently registered at that address). I was wondering if this makes my marriage certificate invalid, since I did not give them the correct information about my current residence and if this will impact my upcoming CR1 visa application. Amending this would be difficult as I went back to my home country and my partner is getting deployed soon.

Thank you in advance!

So today I made the mistake of calling USCIS to see if there is an update because I was supposed to call them if I hadn t heard back after 120 days after my last interaction with them. Well, that didn t go as I had hoped.. Timeline of what happened when:

August 2021: Filed I-751

*crickets*
December 2022: Biometrics
*crickets*

June 2023: Received RFE for evidence of continued marital life, etc (because, and I quote, your case was submitted in August 2021 so we need updated info )

June 2023: Submitted requested info, received confirmation from UPS with date and time of receipt by USCIS. I had to send the RFE response info to the California Field Office in Fresno, which I think was odd.. Was told in RFE letter that they would respond within 60 days

September 2023: Contacted USCIS because I received no update or answer. They couldn t find my RFE response info. They submitted a request and I received an email stating that my case was sent to the California Field Office at the end of 2022 (why is it there??) and that I should call back if I haven t heard back after 120 days

Today: I called them and they say they still see no record of receiving the RFE response packet I sent, even though I know it was delivered. Rep told me to send it again because otherwise they might close my case . While she is on the phone with me, she all of a sudden asks for my phone number and email, and during the call I receive an email asking me to complete the survey on how satisfied I am about USCIS Customer Service (WTH???).

I get it, mistakes happen and sometimes files get lost etc. but the thing that just makes me SO mad is the fact that they make it so hard to get in touch with them, they give crazy timelines (and don t you dare call us at day 58 if we told you to wait 60 days), and no helpful info at all! I could have resent the RFE response 4 months ago if they would have just told me that they don t have it.

So frustrated right now

Hi everyone,

This is my first post. My visa process was so smooth and quick so there wasn't much to tell or ask. I do want to tell people reading that are still IN the process not to worry as much as I did! If you are well prepared and you have nothing to lie about, you will be fine! I was standing at the interview with a massive pile of all kinds of evidence and all my forms and copies and nearly all I had to say was 'and this is the permit of my fianc from when he lived here for 10 years with me...'. After that she wanted to know what the marriage plans were and what type of work we were going to do and didn't look at any other evidence. I watched a lot of videos in preparation for this that said 'short answers' but I do not think that is always the smartest. I am a talker and when she asked me how we met I told her the whole timeline right after that and she seemed to be pleased instantly. I do realize having lived together for 10 years is a big help but I do think they like to see you talk about your relationship other than giving short answers as if you have something to hide. I saw people there missing all kinds of important documents (like divorce papers, evidence and support and stuff like that) and they were even approved pending those documents. They will have a delay so not something you want, but the whole ordeal was a lot more relaxed than I thought. I only had a week delay because my medical exam was sent in late by the clinic and apparently that takes a week to arrive at the consulate because it goes through the embassy first.

Anyway , today my K1 visa status changed from refused and then approved to ISSUED so I should get my passport + visa soon as the consulate here is very quick. I do have some questions though about the next steps as I am of course already stressing out and trying to be overly prepared for the next steps. I am moving on a K1 visa from The Netherlands to the USA (POE Detroit).

1. Apparently you get a brown sealed envelope you need to bring with you. I did not receive it at the consulate, will that be shipped with my passport or is that sent electronically from the Amsterdam Consulate?

2. I am bringing our cat with me on the plane (my fianc has lived here with me for 10 years, hence 'our' cat). I have contacted the state and the CDC and both said there are no rules or regulations for importing a cat into Michigan. I did read she will get a check at customs. Does anyone have any experience with this? Will I be there when she is checked (or else good luck to the officer!)?

3. I want to bring quite some boxes of personal belongings, around 20-30 boxes. I plan on shipping them with Fedex and I saw I need to fill out customs form 3299 but it's a bit confusing. They make a distinction between household effects and personal effects and for personal effects it says 'for residents only'. Am I a (temporary at least) resident when I enter on a K1 or do I have to wait for my green card? If anyone has more information as to how to correctly fill in this form I would be forever grateful. I have had a box stuck at UPS once and that was an expensive ordeal.

4. Can I ship my stuff ahead of me moving or do I need to wait until I actually go? I have a flight on April 8th but I would rather ship my stuff as soon as possible.

5. We plan to marry as soon as possible and I will send in the forms for my AOS right after. As my father is having health issues I will also fill out form I-131, does anyone know how long it takes for that to be approved? I would assume not as long as the green card because otherwise what's the use of I-131?

6. When sending in I-485, the forms I-131 and I-765 are free of charge right? I would only have to pay an additional fee for my I-601 if I got that right? And I see that they have upped the fees per April 1st, just my luck ).

7. I got a CD with my x-ray from the doctor which I have to bring with me on the plane, but I noticed it's not sealed. They sealed it at the hospital, then I brought it back to the clinic and they opened it and gave it back to me open. Is that an issue? Should I go back and ask them to seal it or does that cd not have to be sealed?

8. When I get into the US, how do I go about getting an SS#, a bank account and change my driver's license to a MI driver's license? And what did you guys do with your bank accounts in your former country? I would assume I will be able to keep that for a bit?

Sorry for the long list, I like to be prepared! Any info would be much appreciated. There is not much information about K1 visas from Dutchies online, this forum is a blessing!