US Immigration from South Africa

Hello VJ family,

My husband had his interview yesterday and we just got an email of his approval notice.

Thanks you you all for the love, support and encouragement. Good luck to those still waiting. All the best to us all throughout the entire journey. Keep hope alive, ne strong and don't give up.

Hello VJ Family,

Are there any November AOS filers with interview dates or waivers? Can you please share your experience? My husband just jot an interview date for June.

Thank you.

Might be a nothingburger but I'm just curious: how does USCIS verify employment other than tax transcripts and paystubs? Do they ever contact employers? What if the income is foreign based?

Reason: my husband suspended his employment when he left for the US and after receiving his EAD touched based with his former employer to see how the transition was going since he was a project leader for them. They said they could use him again as his replacement was struggling and they put him back on the payroll to work in a remote position. We figured this would be an easier course to take since looking for work in the US might've been an uphill slog we weren't ready to shoulder, and knew this would be guaranteed income as soon as he was authorized.

Will USCIS inspect the hiatus in his employment or raise flags about his present employer being the same as it was before he left South Africa? Should we bring an employment letter similar to what I included with the I-864 to verify his hiatus or will they ever call the employer to check? We did file joint taxes and the pay he received in 2024 reflected a pause in his income for the two and a half months he was unemployed, but the transcript does not reflect a monthly breakdown, and of course we can't supply paystubs for nonexistent pay periods.

Anything we can provide as evidence here, or are we fine just explaining the hiatus at the interview? Thanks in advance.

Just opening this topic as I'm getting the gist, based on some research, that we will need to make significant financial planning happen in anticipation of the future here.

My mother in law is a Rhodesian expat in Australia, who is remarried to a lovely man, but his family are not exactly supportive of her. We are likely going to petition for her to join us in the inevitability that he passes (and my husband has naturalized). They are already in their 70s so the question of how this will logistically and financially work is stumping us.

Has anyone here taken steps to bring over an elderly parent? My understanding is that healthcare is the biggest hit, since they of course will not be eligible for Medicare with no US employment history. Are they eligible for programs from their country of origin, while here on a green card? We just want to give her the support and love she needs in her golden years. She definitely has health issues though, and of course as one ages that continues to progress. Just not sure how to prepare. Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi,

I understand that if you have spent more than 4 years outside the US you get a REP valid for 1 year. But considering that these applications take well over a year now, what happens if at the time of the application you're at 3 years aboard (and thus eligible for the 2 year REP) but by the time its approved you've been outside for 4 years?

Is the validity based on the time of the application or approval?