AstridColeslaw

sorry, wrong answer (CR-1)

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Astrid - did your husband go over this with a CBP officer at the POE, or no?

Thanks everyone for the reassurance.

I called USCIS here in the US and talked to someone who was super nice, helpful, knowledgeable, and actually confirmed that the Frankfurt office had made the mistake. It was refreshing to hear since all communication with Frankfurt left me sour and they always acted like they were doing us a favor when they were really correcting something they messed up on. (One rare email correspondence from them actually said "favor"!!) Husband and I have a friendly debate going over whose incompetence is to blame - the US govt or the Germans working for them in that office.

Like some of you mentioned, she said that he could have brought it up at the POE but a) It was actually already printed in his visa that it was a CR1 and b) we were terrified that he wouldn't be let in or it would be another several months waiting to get in the US because of it.

She also, like some of you, said to wait for the greencard in the mail to see if it is also incorrect and then make an appt. with an office/submit that correction form. It would kind of be a big ordeal to go there in person as the closet office in any direction is 4-5 hours away, but as long as this gets resolved, I'll do it! Poor guy is just sitting around waiting (he's so anxious to start working and getting his driver's license) for that letter and SS number!

Thanks again and I'll keep this thread updated in case anyone has a similar problem in the future!

Hello All - this forum has been WONDERFUL in helping us navigate this visa process - Thank you all so far!!

My husband and I have had a HELL of a time getting through this visa process - everyone here said doing DCF through Germany was easy as pie but we seem to have had terrible luck. Things have been screwed up every step of the way - by the consulate/immigration offices. Ugh.

But we finally made it! Husband arrived finally in the US a little over a week ago. But now we realized he might have the wrong visa! I hope that we are just mistaken here, though I'm not putting another screw-up past immigration.

We had been married 2 years by the time of his interview. He corrected the interviewer once when he mentioned the CR1 visa (2-years) and he said "oh yeah IR1" and then again confirmed later than he would be receiving the IR1.

Well he got his visa and we immediately booked his trip (thank god for frequent flyer miles) to the US (after having to change it 3 times due to aforementioned screw-ups). I'm looking at it now and it is a CR1!!! I can't believe this!!

Who should we contact about this? We had a miserable time with the Frankfurt Consulate before because you can only call 2-4pm (German time) Tues and Thurs and they rarely answered our emails. Should we contact them again anyway or contact someone in the US? Does this mean it is going to cost us another $1000+ plus all other expenses and rigamarole?

I'm really sick over this. I don't know if I can trust anyone's word at the Frankfurt Consulate at least after all we were put through.

Thanks everyone!

Thank you so much Jojo! I really appreciate the straightforward information. I didn't know about both our working hours counting, that is great!

Is it correct for me to assume that it would be ok to collect state benefits (such as, if he would be eligible for state health plans if he couldn't get insured through a job), since the conditions only apply to federal? Health care is really the only legit worry I've got. I've been in Germany too long, happily paying my "high" taxes to this "socialist" state and receiving wonderful, high-quality care. It's scary to imagine going back to having nothing, like I did for years before I came here. It may be even more of a shock to my husband. I love the US and know he will too, but I think he has quite a few romantic notions of it.

anyone.....?

So I've combed the boards (this place is amazing! Can't believe I didn't find you all sooner!) and followed your guides and advice and had a successful filing of our I-130 with the Frankfurt office. Now onto the next step. Everything seems totally do-able except for this pesky Affidavit of Support.

Since I've been here living and working two years I don't have a job at home or enough savings to satisfy the income requirements. I am hoping to return with my husband in Feb 2012 to the US and stay with family while I wait out responses from grad schools. With grad school loans and an able-bodied, English speaking and very charming German husband we won't have a problem supporting ourselves (I will be pretty much guaranteed a job after I graduate as well) but I understand I'll still need a co-sponsor to get him his visa to get over here. My parents will probably do it, even though I really hate to ask them to.

My question is, what would they be getting into by being his sponsor? How long is this obligation? When I have a steady income can I take over as the sole sponsor or will they be signing a long-term commitment? What exactly does it mean for them? From what I read it would be ten years of working before they would be free of this contract. That seems like an awfully long time.

I know that it means that hubs will be ineligible for public assistance, and I don't forsee us ever using it, but I'm thinking emergency scenarios. Recently, I have had several friends finding themselves collecting food stamps and unemployment to get them through short periods of time. Since we are married, does that mean that I am ineligible for the next decade too? Also, I have always used low-cost clinics for my health care including a CA state program that allows me free birth control. I have the most benign of pre-existing conditions and have never been able to get insurance (not in the US at least. My German insurance is to DIE for). What if we were unable to get affordable insurance? Does this mean my parents would be responsible for the both of us? I would hate to have them owe us that, being that I'm nearly 30.

I know I'm probably over-thinking things but I like to make sure I know what I'm signing them up for.

I had read in another thread that co-sponsors are only responsible until the beneficiary gets permanent residence status (I think this was in a fiancee case). But how does it work in this case since hubs will be LPR before we get to the US?

Thanks a lot!