amyandjorge

I never changed my name, but I was told by our lawyer that if I wanted to that I should go ahead and do it before hand but absolutely not DURING the process. So I guess before or after, doesn't matter, but not during because paper work gets too messy. We used a lawyer, it was expensive, we still had to collect lots of documents and I did the translations myself, but everything was submitted in a timely and orderly fashion. I think if you already have this site, then it's not necessary at all. Our case took exactly 12 months from initial submission to receiving green card (2011-12)

Well, to give you my perspective, it sounds like a pretty average reaction.

`My husband also wants to move to another city, he's come to terms that it is in our best interest as a pair to be where we are now despite the lack of excitement

`My husband complains about his job, he works harder and gets paid less than the others, he's working to get a new job and I am supporting him 110%

`He misses his family and wants to go home, frequently, so I've compromised with what we can afford and manage, one trip a year to Honduras and we are financially contributing to his parents tourist visas.

At first, trying to talk through his negativity was like a brick wall. Finally (*finally*) something clicked, and he has refocused himself. The most helpful thing I did was listen to his complaints and try to understand. I couldn't understand why he wasn't ever so grateful for all the immigration work I did for him! And he couldn't understand how much he had to start from zero at 28! So I just focused on being a better emotional support and he has come around. Long story short, it takes patience.

good for you for thinking ahead. I just went ahead and got married and didn't look back!

Things to keep in mind:

To marry in Honduras, you must prove that you are free to marry, I went to the US embassy in Teg where they told me I looked single and I paid around $25 for an official paper (there is no such document available in the state where I live). They request your original birth certificate (no way! I took a copy and said it was an original). You also need to show results of a recent HIV test (they did not accept mine from a US health dept, I had to get it redone in a Honduran hospital, but the results were ready the same day!) about $10. You are supposed to ask for permission to marry one week in advance (depending on where you marry there may be a longer wait). And finally, bring two witnesses (non blood relations, we brought god parents) and prepare to pay the gringo/a surcharges! Sounds like a lot, but I was able to get it all done within a 7 day trip.

Now, why I am so glad we did CR1. My husband still had to wait a month or two for all of his documents (SSN, GC, then DL and bank accounts), but he was able to look for a job pretty quickly. He had a little bit of time to adjust to the move, spend time with me and my family, and we moved into an apt. Not going to lie, the first couple months of him being here were very stressful for both of us, and I don't think I would've had the self control to set aside an extra $1000 for AOS after his plane ticket, winter clothes for him (lol something you can't find in Honduras), FOOD (we went out to eat a lot, it was like dating again!), health insurance, car insurance, deposit on the apt, taking a little extra time off work, etc.

We still haven't had that white wedding that so many people fantasize about, we might plan one later one, but we do have a beautiful marriage and my family has gotten to know and love him as well!

What I suggest is that you really look at your situation honestly, financial, family, living, work, and do what is most convenient. The last thing you want is to be stressed and at your wits end when your man gets here and you should be celebrating and enjoying! Also, do not try to compare you situation to anyone else's, apples and oranges.

supposedly they sometimes mail it to your address as soon as you POE. We went twice to the SS office to request my husband's card. He ended up receiving it after his GC, it took over a month (maybe even 2). When I did my taxes last year, we had to submit a couple times with copies of his SSN card because he wasn't 'in the system' yet.

as long as you don't mind holding it all day long, we had to stand for awhile b/c there weren't enough chairs, so keep that mind and keep everything in folders (no bags/packs allowed inside the embassy).

I don't know what you're relationship is like, but all they asked for from us were pictures (removed from the album), dating, marriage, and current. I had pages of cell phone records, Western Union receipts, hotel/bus receipts, etc and they did not look at any of that.

Just stay calm! Good luck!

originals, fedex or ups. best to send them all at once to save a little money

yes, definitely stay on top of them! Their main priority is not getting your visa to you...

my husband never received any mail (not DCF though), I emailed the embassy for the interview/invitation letter required for entry to the embassy. other than that, make sure you have everything they might possibly ask for the day of the interview (the interview letter should detail what you have or are missing).

If you have your 2011 W-2s by then you can take them with you to the interview, but they didn't ask us for anything more recent than what we had already sent them (we sent info mid 2011 and had interview Jan 30 2012)

It turned out better for me to wait and file taxes after my husband arrived. Even though he had no income to add we still filed married joint and got a little more back. Since his interview was in Jan we had plenty of time to get his SSN, etc before the deadline.

I think it is definitely do-able for a first timer. We might have just gotten super lucky but the girl that my husband handed his envelope to at customs was very understanding. He was so nervous and sweating that he couldn't properly get one fingerprint one the page. In ATL, they were calling interpreters up to the turnstiles all over the place, so I don't think he should worry about that as long as he can request interpreter. And you go through security in the first airport (Honduras) so if by chance he has to go through again he knows what to expect. I find it is always more rigorous leaving Honduras than leaving US.

Also, depends on how much luggage he is bringing. Less is more in this situation, the more he can check would be best so he isn't nervous AND tired from carrying bags. Any airport receiving flights from CA has all/most signs and announcements in Spanish. Airlines have personnel waiting for arriving passengers to direct them to the next gate, and they are very accomodating. On flights from CA at least one crew member speaks Spanish.

I would suggest making sure he has dollar bills for food or drinks, a way of contacting you once he arrives (internet or phone if possible), a large wallet for passport and boarding passes, your contact information, and of course the POE envelope! And remind him about having to remove jacket/belt/shoes so he can dress accordingly.

I believe the documents should be presented at the interview, along with the invitation letter that will be his ticket into the embassy (we just printed the email). Also, be sure none of his documents will be expired by the interview date and don't forget about the exact change payment if you haven't paid already. Check the Tegucigalpa embassy website, there you can look for your TGG # in the list of appointments for next month, that's how I found my husband's interview date. If it's there, make sure he shows up on the corresponding date, if not, keep waiting or email the embassy. We got a surprisingly sparse amount of information from the embassy regarding the interview, it is after all in Honduras.

I just wanted to know if most of the foreign spouses were excited to come to the US and be with their husband/wife, or if it felt like they were more content to procrastinate as long as possible to come here.

I'll answer your question. This is my personal experience.

My husband had to make several 8 hour bus rides back and forth to the capital which took days, to get paperwork over and over again. I sent him money once for his birthday and once at the end of the school year. When he moved in with his parents I didn't send him any cash but I did send him what we will call 'money-making opportunities'. My husband then used the money he earned to buy me plane tickets and paid for everything while I visited. (I did pay for all of the immigration expenses though)

I went with him to the interview in the embassy, I told him I was fully prepared to purchase his one way ticket the day of the interview so he could fly home with me. He said, much to my dismay, that because his mother was ill he might not be able to leave that same week. I told him it was up to him when he wanted to leave Honduras, but I wanted him to come with me. After we walked out of the interview with an approval he looked at me and said, can we buy my ticket now!?!

Family first, but I am his family now!

Good luck with everything, you know your options and it sounds like you know your outcomes.

You should be able to get a print out of the results from all of the tests that they did. If not go back, or go to the local health dept, they might do it for free.

You also should have an appointment with you OBGYN doctor without your husband present at least to discuss everything that is going on. It sounds like you have a few issues here and your OBGYN doctor should be able to help you work through them. If your husband's main concern is being accused of non-consensual sex then he doesn't need to be involved in your health discussions.

Also, demand that your husband have full testing done as well. Not only does this affect the two of you but any possible future children you might have. Even if only one parent has an infection/disease.

In the end, we are all responsible for own health and the consequences. So sorry you are having to deal with this. Please take care.

well we included it in our packet to NVC (for CR1), but by the time we got to the interview 6 months had passed and it was expired. So he had to go get a recent one. Since we did the IR1/CR1 we didn't actually have to take any documents to the interview, except a copy of the antecedentes with a more recent date.

Thanks so much for the info! I really appreciate you getting back to me on that. As for the police report (hopefully you'll understand me here) is that the antecedentes penales? (Or at least I THINK that's what they're called back in Honduras...).

yes it is. from the DNIC (or somethng like that) in Teguc

We sent the petition in Feb 2011, he had his interview Jan 30, 2012, arrived in the US Feb 5, 2012. We got a little behind because of sending in the wrong form of his birth certificate, also had to bring a current police report to the interview because they are no longer valid after 6 months. We did have a cosponsor, a friend of his cousin that is a US permanent resident.

we got married in Honduras then filed CR-1 (me living in US, him in Honduras). If you do decide to get married in Honduras, make sure to check the requirements and get all the necessary documents/testing done first. The nice thing about CR-1, besides him being able to work sooner, was getting all the visa fees paid before he got here. Once he got here, we had a ton of expenses, apt deposit, car, winter clothes, etc.

I was living in my mother's house while waiting on my husband's visa. The CO did ask specifically, 'is your husband's address in the US really your mother's house?!' Yeah, whatever, we moved out a month later but I didn't want to move into an apartment without having his input on location, etc. Also, asked if my mother had met my husband, (yes).

1) She probably doesn't want the other man's child to get in the way of her being with OP (in the US). In my experience, latino men don't rush to play house with other men's offspring (thus the grandparents are frequently found raising pre-marital children).

2) She waited past the acceptable time frame to broach the subject (assumption), leaning towards keeping it.

3) Doubt the father wants to be a dad, he probably just wanted to piss in someone else's garden (macho man).

OP has two options, tell his fiancee he supports her no matter what or not. Tough call, I understand why he is looking at all of the options here.

I agree with Harpa, and guys do not forget that petitioner as well as beneficiary undergoes sophisticated underground check at USCIS, NVC and the American embassies each ground check is different, FBI data base and other enforcement agencies are used for that purpose (search Google for visa ground check and you will be surprised). The killing statement is he exchanged money for services!! it is different from what L & T purpose was, helping fiancée or fiancée family are not exchanging money for service

Good point, if she comes in contact with Americans frequently then she might be down on the record somewhere or even have been a K-1 beneficiary previously

Don't send her any money (or at least a minimal amount) and see how long this lasts.

Hate to say this, but would they be better off if there wasn't a gringo hanging around?? Americans are generally seen as ATMs, by friends, family and strangers/criminals in Honduras. I'm sure there are churches and orphanages that would love an extra volunteer til the end of the year if you have to stay in Honduras. I wouldn't necessarily expect the calls to stop once you and your fiancee arrive either, funds are far too easy to transfer and threats seem more ominous to loved ones that are far away.

I suggest collecting recent news articles from your town (with translation would be good) to submit with expedite request. It seems like people are starting to get more expedites in Honduras because of the violence.

things don't get easier once spouse is living under the same roof. some things get harder! but it's becomes a much more rewarding situation

pretty sure we are still in the *honeymoon* phase though

Sorry I'm late but I will add too, my husband and I didn't have any legal or financial document 'comingling' anything of ours. Also didn't have any proof of ever living together, we went to the interview as two people living our lives completely in two different countries (not to say that's actually how we were, but that is how we were presented at the interview). Just lots of photos (they made us pick out 20).

The first few months were the hardest for my husband and consequently for me.

He wanted to work and provide so badly that it was hurting our relationship, he even blamed me for his unhappiness ! One of the things I love the most about him, he's a hardworker was the biggest obstacle for awhile! On top of that, he was acting like the time I spent at work was like my free time so I could go home ready for whatever he wanted.

And this is not the first time we have lived together! But it all ended happily, he eventually thanked me and realized how much of an A$$ he was and was extra appreciative

Not to be blunt, but the NVC is not ruining your relationship. The NVC is not calling people nasty names, not blaming their husbands for not knowing something that you could teach him, and not being impatient and lashing out at strangers.

Granted immigration is a horrible process to go through, it is difficult for anyone (US or foreign), but please don't expect your husband to arrive and everything will be perfect or even easy. You might as well take this time to solidify your relationship because you will need a strong foundation to jump from when he gets here. There will be a million things he can't do for himself when he gets here that any American partner would be expected to take care of. If not because of limited English proficiency it will be because he is completely unfamiliar of the processes and requirements of living here.

My husband and I have been together 5 years now, married 2, and I can honestly say, I was thankful for the time we had away because our relationship is so solid now. Regardless, I was wholly unprepared for how difficult the adjustment was (for both of us!) when he moved here with me.

We just printed out the letter that was emailed to me after I requested it via email, it came with a checklist (we did CR1 and didn't actually need to take anything other than photos). They will ask to see the letter as soon as you arrive to the embassy, then they take it inside.