mark101

A mother and daughter who lived in Los Angeles, CA returned back to Israel because the girl who is 14 years old needed to go thru medical treatment in Israel. Once they arrived in Israel the doctors there after treating her for one year were unable to resolve her medical issues. Her medical situation got worse over time. The girl returned back to Los Angeles (she was actually born here in LA) without the mother and is now under medical supervision at Cedar Sinai Medical Center. The problem is the mother can't come back. The mother was illegally in the USA when she returned with the daughter to Israel for medical treatment. The mother lived in Los Angeles for over 5 years illegally before returning to Israel with her daughter. Now daughter and mother living apart from one another and the daughter really needs her mom with her. The daughter pyschologial and emotional health is getting worse because her mom is not here with her to go thru the treatments and be with her

The mother is afraid to approach the American Embassy in Israel because if they ask to many questions they will figure the mother lived in Los Angeles for many years illegally and deny the visa...

Also even if the Embassy were to grant the visa, once she arrives at LAX (the airport here in Los Angeles) will they turn her back because she was here illegally in the past???

Is there anything a parent can do under these circumanstances??? The girl is desperate for her mother and mother doesn't know what to do to get back into the country...

Anyone have experience with this type of situation

Hello All,

My wife has already completed her fingerprints for citizenship back on July 03, 2012 and the USCIS website is indicating that on July 06, 2012 she was placed in line for interview scheduling. Its been close to now 40 days since and so far she has not received her interview notice and the USCIS website still indicates that interview scheduling is still pending. Is anyone familiar with the Chatsworth, CA Facility??? Does anyone know when we should expect to receive the interview notice after the website indicates that you are line for interview scheduling, in our case, that happened on July 06, 2012????

Also does anyone have experience with the interview process based on the 3-year rule or marriage to a USC??? How are the officers in Chatsworth Facility??? What should we expect???

Please let us know!!!

Thanks!!!

I'm on the same boat, same location except with one difference: My ROC is still PENDING while I'm a week away from the interview.

Remember that when it comes to N-400 applications, they presume that you have your ROC done. Thus the previous check is completed and you don't need to do the ROC all over again.

So to answer your question, no you won't need to do it all over again. Just make sure you bring the documents, ORIGINAL IF POSSIBLE to the interview, as listed in your interview letter.

He Steve

How long did you wait after you did the biometrics in Chatsworth until you got the interview letter....And you say we need originals but most of our bills and documents are generated online since we have asked

the Gas Co, Electric Co, Phone Co, Cable Co, and even our bank statements are not mailed anymore but provided by email since we signed for online statements with almost every one we do business with...now I can print the statements in color but is that really necessary and some provide the statements online (black and white) so we have no choice there....what do you think????

In order to be able to file for citizenship an applicant must show that he or she met the residency requirements - meaning physical presence in the USA!!!

Physically Reside in the US

You have to physically reside in the US before you file your application for naturalization. The time period is based upon your five- or three-year period, based upon your marital status. If you're:

• Married to a US citizen, you have to be physically within the US for a total of 18 months out of the three-year period before you filed your application for naturalization
• Aren't married to a US citizen, You have to be physically present in the US for a total of 30 months out of the five-year period before the date of your application

Hi I wanted to know if anyone has some experience with the marriage based naturalization interview in Los Angeles, CA??? First, during the interview:

1. Will the IO ask the same questions we were asked at the green card interview to adjust status (I485) ....about our relationship...such as how did you meet??? Where did you meet? What side of the bed does your spouse sleep on....you know those lame questions they asked during the green card interview...will my wife who is going for the interview be asked those same questions again???

2. Do we need to bring our wedding album again to this interview even though we already shown the album to the first IO during the green card interview???

3. Do we need to gather all our bills and evidence that we are living together and since we already provided them two years of evidence when we filed the I-751, do we need to bring the same evidence again or only all the evidence from the date the I-751 was approved until the date of the naturalization interview (only the last year) since the first two were submitted with I-751???

4. My wife was already fingerprinted (biometrics completed) in Chatsworth, Ca on July 03, 2012??? How long will it take for the Los Angeles office to call us for the naturalization interview??? When can we expect to receive that notice in the mail

5. Can I also "sit in" with my wife during the interview??? Would it be helpful if I would accompany my wife to the interview. I am the US Citizen spouse and she is the green card holder???

Does anyone have any experience with the Los Angeles office in regards to the questions asked above??? I heard that interviews are now being conducted at the Chatsworth (San Fernando Valley) office...Is that true???

THERE IS NO LAW THAT SAYS YOU MUST FILE FOR CITIZENSHIP!!! BECOMING A CITIZEN IS A CHOICE NOT A REQUIREMENT....THE ONLY REQUIREMENT IS THAT YOU HAVE A GREEN CARD FOR AT LEAST 5 YEARS BEFORE FILING FOR CITIZENSHIP OR 3 YEARS IF YOU ARE FILING BASED ON MARRIAGE TO A U.S. CITIZEN....BUT AGAIN YOU DON'T HAVE TO FILE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO ...OR YOU CAN FILE ANYTIME ONCE YOU REACHED THE NUMBER OF YEARS YOUR ARE SUPPOSE TO HAVE A GREEN CARD BEFORE YOU CAN FILE...

SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT - FILE WHEN YOU ARE READY!!!!

US LAW REQUIRES THAT ALL US CITIZENS DEPART AND ENTER THE UNITED STATES ON A U.S. PASSPORT!!! THIS IS A MUST!!!

NOW IF YOU DO HAVE A TICKET AND NEED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY RIGHT AWAY YOU CAN GO TO YOUR LOCAL U.S. PASSPORT OFFICE AND SHOW THEM YOUR TICKET ALONG WITH

THE APPLICATION, PICTURES, AND FEES...CHECK THE WEBSITE....GOOGLE U.S. PASSPORT AGENCY IN YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE FOR MORE INFORMATION...

I WOULD NOT LEAVE THE COUNTRY WITHOUT A US PASSPORT ....AND EVEN IF YOU DID....HOW WOULD YOU COME BACK TO THE USA??? ALL AIRLINE EMPLOYEES ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO MAKE

SURE PASSENGERS HAVE THE NECESSARY VISA, GREEN CARD, SOMETHING TO BOARD A FLIGHT BACK TO THE USA...SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR GREEN CARD ANYMORE....I'M ASSUMING THEY TOOK IT WHEN YOU WERE NATURALIZED ....WHAT WILL YOU SHOW THEM AT THE AIRPORT TO PROVE YOU CAN RETURN TO THE USA??? THEY WON'T LET YOU BOARD THE FLIGHT BACK....

GET A U.S. PASSPORT!!!!

Hi I wanted to know if anyone has some experience with the marriage based naturalization interview in Los Angeles, CA??? First, during the interview:

1. Will the IO ask the same questions we were asked at the green card interview to adjust status (I485) ....about our relationship...such as how did you meet??? Where did you meet? What side of the bed does your spouse sleep on....you know those lame questions they asked during the green card interview...will my wife who is going for the interview be asked those same questions again???

2. Do we need to bring our wedding album again to this interview even though we already shown the album to the first IO during the green card interview???

3. Do we need to gather all our bills and evidence that we are living together and since we already provided them two years of evidence when we filed the I-751, do we need to bring the same evidence again or only all the evidence from the date the I-751 was approved until the date of the naturalization interview (only the last year) since the first two were submitted with I-751???

4. My wife was already fingerprinted (biometrics completed) in Chatsworth, Ca on July 03, 2012??? How long will it take for the Los Angeles office to call us for the naturalization interview??? When can we expect to receive that notice in the mail

5. Can I also "sit in" with my wife during the interview??? Would it be helpful if I would accompany my wife to the interview. I am the US Citizen spouse and she is the green card holder???

Does anyone have any experience with the Los Angeles office in regards to the questions asked above??? I heard that interviews are now being conducted at the Chatsworth (San Fernando Valley) office...Is that true???

You should have answered "Yes" to both questions and that is because even a work visa is considered an immigration benefit. When you apply for any kind of status to USCIS you are really asking them to grant you a benefit.

So you should have answered yes. Now when you go to the interview you can tell the officer you made a mistake when completing the form and that you would like to make a correction. That is perfectly fine - part of the interview is to go thru the application you submitted and make corrections if corrections are needed - so no problem with that. If I were you and I had to answer "Yes" to both questions I would have an Immigration attorney come with me to the interview just in case

but that is up to you

My wife completed her Naturalization Biometrics at the Chatsworth, California facility on July 03, 2012. The question is how long will it take for the Los Angeles office to send her a notice for the interview??? When can we expect that notice???

I think that is a really minor issue. Just send in the new tax transcripts, and if they even notice, you just tell them that your taxes were refiled and changed in 2010 to reflect the corrections. this is not a big deal at all. I wouldn't worry about it.

But it wasn't refiled, the IRS never got the first copy and when we prepared another copy for them that is when my accountant and I realized the mistake - so its like I am filing for the first time however the copy that IRS never received is what was sent to the USCIS with the I-751 form. My accountant is willing to prepare a letter indicating that an error was made with the numbers.

Hello Everyone: I have an issue and wanted some input about this.

I am ready to file for my wife Citizenship based on marriage. When we filed for the I-751 to remove her conditions last year around April 2011 - we mailed it with COPIES of the 2009 and 2010 tax returns Since this was in April 2011 it was the same time we filed our taxes for 2010 - so we put the original 2010 tax return in the mail to the IRS and a copy of that 2010 tax return was also mailed to the USCIS with the I-751 (as I explained). When I filed my 2011 taxes returns with the IRS, the IRS informed us that they never received our 2010 tax returns only the 2009 tax returns. So they asked me to get another copy filed with the and to file both 2010 and 2011. Now keep in mind that USCIS has the copy of the 2010 I mailed them when I also mailed the original to the IRS thinking that they got it but they didn't. So I called my accountant and told her to prepare another 2010 and when I reviewed it something didn't look right so I asked her about it and she figured out that she (my accountant) made a mistake and I told her to correct it before I subit it to IRS. She corrected the mistake and it was a small mistake however it does change the numbers on the form. The gross yearly income stays the same but the inside - the numbers are different because instead of writing my income as 1099 she put it as W-2 which is a mistake. So now she changed it and corrected it and I filed it the IRS. Now that we are filing for Citizenship with the USCIS, we are required to give them tax returns for 2009, 2010 and 2011 - now 2009 and 2011 are okay but the 2010 copy will send them will not match the copy they got when we filed the I-751 a year ago. So my question is: Do you think this is a problem. It was a mistake made by my accountant and now I'm not sure how USCIS will look at that - any suggestions???? What should I do????

Hello Everyone

Just wanted to ask: When my wife goes to the interview and its based on marriage to a USC - Is she required to bring with her all the evidence that we have been living together for the entire 3 year period or only from the period that we mailed in the I-751 form - because when we did mail the I-751 form we provided everything for the first two years and now since we are filing I'm assuming all we need to provide is from the date we mailed the I-751 until we actually file the N-400 - in that case it would only be ONE year worth of documents. Does anyone know???

Hello Everyone: I have an issue and wanted some input about this.

I am ready to file for my wife Citizenship based on marriage. When we filed for the I-751 to remove her conditions last year around April 2011 - we mailed it with COPIES of the 2009 and 2010 tax returns Since this was in April 2011 it was the same time we filed our taxes for 2010 - so we put the original 2010 tax return in the mail to the IRS and a copy of that 2010 tax return was also mailed to the USCIS with the I-751 (as I explained). When I filed my 2011 taxes returns with the IRS, the IRS informed us that they never received our 2010 tax returns only the 2009 tax returns. So they asked me to get another copy filed with the and to file both 2010 and 2011. Now keep in mind that USCIS has the copy of the 2010 I mailed them when I also mailed the original to the IRS thinking that they got it but they didn't. So I called my accountant and told her to prepare another 2010 and when I reviewed it something didn't look right so I asked her about it and she figured out that she (my accountant) made a mistake and I told her to correct it before I subit it to IRS. She corrected the mistake and it was a small mistake however it does change the numbers on the form. The gross yearly income stays the same but the inside - the numbers are different because instead of writing my income as 1099 she put it as W-2 which is a mistake. So now she changed it and corrected it and I filed it the IRS. Now that we are filing for Citizenship with the USCIS, we are required to give them tax returns for 2009, 2010 and 2011 - now 2009 and 2011 are okay but the 2010 copy will send them will not match the copy they got when we filed the I-751 a year ago. So my question is: Do you think this is a problem. It was a mistake made by my accountant and now I'm not sure how USCIS will look at that - any suggestions???? What should I do????

Hello Everyone: I have an issue and wanted some input about this.

I am ready to file for my wife Citizenship based on marriage. When we filed for the I-751 to remove her conditions last year around April 2011 - we mailed it with COPIES of the 2009 and 2010 tax returns Since this was in April 2011 it was the same time we filed our taxes for 2010 - so we put the original 2010 tax return in the mail to the IRS and a copy of that 2010 tax return was also mailed to the USCIS with the I-751 (as I explained). When I filed my 2011 taxes returns with the IRS, the IRS informed us that they never received our 2010 tax returns only the 2009 tax returns. So they asked me to get another copy filed with the and to file both 2010 and 2011. Now keep in mind that USCIS has the copy of the 2010 I mailed them when I also mailed the original to the IRS thinking that they got it but they didn't. So I called my accountant and told her to prepare another 2010 and when I reviewed it something didn't look right so I asked her about it and she figured out that she (my accountant) made a mistake and I told her to correct it before I subit it to IRS. She corrected the mistake and it was a small mistake however it does change the numbers on the form. The gross yearly income stays the same but the inside - the numbers are different because instead of writing my income as 1099 she put it as W-2 which is a mistake. So now she changed it and corrected it and I filed it the IRS. Now that we are filing for Citizenship with the USCIS, we are required to give them tax returns for 2009, 2010 and 2011 - now 2009 and 2011 are okay but the 2010 copy will send them will not match the copy they got when we filed the I-751 a year ago. So my question is: Do you think this is a problem. It was a mistake made by my accountant and now I'm not sure how USCIS will look at that - any suggestions???? What should I do????

On October 06, 2011 We got a message from USCIS website that reads as follows:

YOUR CURRENT CASE STATUS FOR FORM CRI89, PETITION TO REMOVE CONDITIONS OF PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS RECEIVED

On October 6, 2011, we ordered production of your new card. Please allow 30 days for your card to be mailed to you. If we need something from you we will contact you. If you move before you receive the card, call customer service at 1-800-375-5283.

Does mean that we were approved??? I'm not sure because it never said we were approved like other people have posted - it just said what I've indicated above

Can anyone tell me what this means

You shouldn't travel unless you have a valid passport for at least six months and a valid green card - go online to the USCIS website and request an INFOPASS appointment for - take you passport with you so they can stamp it and give you temporary permission to travel and work in the USA until you get a valid green card

Actually, I'm suprised you didn't ask her to stamp your passport right there at the interview - usually they stamp the passport and provide you with a stamp that authorizes you to work and travel for one year - the green card will come 30 days from the date of the interview - making an info pass appointment might be useless because by the time you go to that appointment you are probably going to have the new green card in your pocket. Check the status online in couple of days to see if they changed it to "Card Prodcution Ordered" this will take about a week - once you see that change it will take approximately 30 day to get the new green card - on the mean time show your driver license and ssn to your employer and tell them the green card is on the way if they ask - sometimes they don't even care

IF YOU DON'T HAVE JOINT TAX RETURNS AND UTILITES - YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE CALLED FOR A SECOND INTERVIEW IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE DOCUMENTS -

THOSE DOCUMENTS (TAX RETURNS, A LEASE AND/OR RENTAL AGREEMENT, OR IF YOU OWN PROPERTY COPY OF THE DEED SHOWING YOU BOTH OWN THE PROPERTY, AND UTLITY BILLS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS THAT USCIS LOOKS FOR IN THE I-751 PACKAGE AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEM - BE READY FOR A SECOND INTERVIEW - HIGHLY PROBABLE

YOU SHOULD ALSO ADD YOUR TAX RETURNS - AS MANY DOCUMENTS YOU RECEIVED FROM THE IRS IN BOTH YOUR NAME AND YOUR WIFE NAME WOULD HELP -

THE USCIS IS MOST INTERESTED IN JOINT TAX RETURNS SHOWING YOU FILED AS HUSBAND AND WIFE

JUST ADD THAT TO YOUR LIST AND YOU ARE GOOD TO GO!!!!

Actually your wife will not accompany you to the interview. This interview will be done only by you. The rule is that you may file for US citizenship 3 years from the date you received your temporary green card - the day you were adusted to conditional resident however if you file after three years the law requires that you remain married to your wife - becuase you are asking for "early" citizenship and that is only given if the alien is still married to the US citizen - you will need to remain married with her until you actually are naturalized - once you are naturalized I would still wait 3 months and than file for divorce - now if you can wait 5 years - you can divorce her anytime - and thats 5 years from the date you received your temporary residency card

I hope this helps

buddy sorry to say but you two should have done your homework before going to request a visa....like you said she could have entered on the vwp and stayed here for 3 months with no problem. The only other way is for you to visit her in the country of her residence and see if the relationship goes to a higher level.. If you two fall in love you can petition to bring her as your finace - which would give her an immediate immigrant visa. But again its only if you two fall in love and marry because of that reason and not for the purpose of evading the USA immigration laws. Remember that the Embassy / Consulate has the final say as to who is eligable for a visa and who is not - that is the law!!!

It can take anywhere between 6 months to 1 year to get a response on your application from USCIS - that is why they provide you with an extension of your residency for a 1 year period. They do is because they know it can take that long for them to get to your application and make a final decision. Usually the California Service Center does a good job and most get a response between 4 to 6 months but some have reported that they have waited 6 months to a year to get a response. As long as you have the extension you are good to go - and also even if they don't give you a reponse you can still file for citizenship when your time comes to file - this will force them to give a final decision on both your I-751 petition and your N-400 Petition

Good luck!!!

Hello,

All she needs is a valid passport for six months, her expired green card, and the notice from USCIS saying that her green card has been exptended for a period of one year. My wife traveled with these documents and when she came back from Israel the officer at the USCIS didn't say anything about the documents - she was stamped into the country with no problem

I hope this helps and I hope your wife has a great trip to Cairo

hi shani

actually I think you will do well with the paperwork and evidence you described. you are suppose to cover as much as the two years you've been together but I have heard that many people who filed the I 751 provided only the last 6 months of documents until they filed the I-751 and still got APPROVED. This should also answer your question on whether or not the USCIS will suspect any of your documents. I don't think anyone can answer that question because nobody knows who the officer at the USCIS will be assigned to your case. It's really up to the officer who is assigned to the case. How he sees the file and if he or she is convinced that the documents you submitted show clearly that you married for the purpose of love and not just to get a green card. You know its like many of my friends who come from Israel always ask me what are the chances of the officer not letting me into the USA and my answer is always it really depends who the officer is - you can get an officer who doesn't really care to go thru your passport and ask 1000 questions about your visit and you can also get an officer who loves to go thru every page in your passport and ask 1000 questions and find every reason to say "No" at the airport.

So the bottom line is you need a little luck with everything in life. Based on what you presented I think you are good to go. And about having other people on your documents like your mother in law...that should not be a problem as long as you and your husband are also on the documents