draygri

Hello, VJers!

On November 13, the Embassy called my wife and asked her to return at her leisure on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week and to bring her passport. As Monday was a holiday and the Embassy was closed, she visited today, November 18. Upon her arrival, she was given an appointment set for a few hours later. Her passport was taken and the necessary papers were fixed up; her visa would be ready on November 22.

FINALLY!

Thank you all for being part of such a great and supportive site. I may not have posted much, but just reading through others' situations has really helped. And a huge THANK YOU to NikaMo for being such great help through the past few weeks. We are forever indebted to you!

I'm hoping to find enough time to write up our entire experience as it's been an interesting one...

Thanks, rrkk!!!

Hello again, VJ community!

Felt the need to update from my previous topic.

Our 2nd visit (a second interview, really) after our initial one 2 weeks prior came and went. The specified time was moved back 2.5 hours, which just added to the worry; having to wait an extra long time while watching/listening to others get denied was dreadful.

We ended up having a much more specific interview separately. As I went first, I did my best to overwhelm them with information so they didn't even have to ask many questions. The questions asked were rather generic anyways. The two men who did the interviewing were fantastic. They were incredibly friendly and we did a lot of joking around. Before I swapped places in the private room with my wife, the two commented on the preparation of every document as it was done much better than any lawyer they'd seen. (This made me happy.)

My wife, as expected, answered everything spot on. I was even called me back in for the ending of her interview just to add in extra jokes and laughter. Everything seemed to be fantastic.

The downside.

Due to this 2 week delay in a proper interview, she may not be granted the visa in time for our flight. (Assuming the visa is issued.)

So, assuming it is issued and later than hoped, it means a lack of support flying together (her first time) as well as a financial loss.

I pray things are well and in our favor. We'll find out through a phone call from the Embassy tomorrow; they will inform us of whether or not the visa will be issued as well as the date to visit again for the visa.

MORE PRAYERS ARE NEEDED!!!

Hello, VJ community!!

October 28, 2013 we attended the U.S. Embassy of Phnom Penh, Cambodia for my wife's CR-1 Visa interview.

The last step in the process!!!!!
...wait...

No.

Our interviewer was young and seemed really frazzled. The single and only issue he was concerned with was our wedding happening days after our first in-person meeting. Fact is, we'd known each other for 9 months already; we had mountains of evidence proving both this and for every moment after.

We were told to return after about 2 weeks (tomorrow now) for the result. Since then, we've prepared affidavits from my wife's mother, father and three brothers stating that they all met me at the same time I met my wife, they have all been in near-daily communication with me and all approved of our relationship from day 1. (I'd even asked her father for her hand in marriage - which is reflected in his affidavit.) All affidavits were prepared in English and scribed by each family member by hand & signed with telephone number included.

We have also contacted the Embassy to inform them of this (as well as involving my Senators) and that every family member, especially her mother, are willing/wanting to attend the interview should the interviewer wish it.

We received near-instant response from the Embassy stating this wouldn't be necessary but thanks to everyone for setting time aside for it. (It was a rather nice response, really.)

So, tomorrow our fate rests in the hands of the frazzled young man we faced 2 weeks ago.

We, and so many others, believe that the fact we have been asked to return versus being simply denied is a great sign.

But, as I always do, I like to be overly prepared for the best as well as always prepared for the worst.

So today we go again to ask for blessings from the unseen as well as from the many blessed living.

And any prayers from all of you great community members is of course appreciated!

Wish us luck!

...again!

Hi dwheels!

We've received our interview date finally!

October 28, 2013!

The wait is almost over!!!

Feeling so dejected...

NVC tells me to simply call back "next week" and to just wait. (I call twice a week.)

U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh tells me nothing can be done until NVC sets the interview date. (They're apologetic & much nicer than NVC.)

13 months since I-130 sent; 91 days since case was completed at NVC.

NVC case complete 04/22/2013 and still no interview date set.

Thanks for the help!!!

Hi there I am also at NVC stage. Now that you mention it, I'm also curious and wants to find out the truth. I think the only way to find the truth to these questions is to actually call NVC and ask a couple of NVC reps themselves, to be certain and not just hear it through the grape vine. Have you called NVC about this inquiry? Have you emailed the US embassy in Phnom Penh about not receiving documents sent from NVC. I never heard of any embassy not receiving documents that was sent from NVC, isn't that the whole purpose of sending it to NVC first? Also the police report can we not have 1 original and one certified copy? Along with the english translation. Let me know what you find out.

Hi romanticminds

I'm still waiting for my NVC case number currently. Once I have that, and provide other information over the phone, I will be making my inquiry.

Once that is done, I will be contacting the Embassy. I've emailed them several times in the past and know that they are quite helpful so I'm certain I'll be given a straight & direct response. But, again, I don't want to do so until after we have everything rolling with NVC.

As for a certified copy, that's something we will be asking a family friend within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this Monday. If creating a certified copy of the police report (Khmer) is possible, we'll definitely be doing so. This friend has been incredibly helpful with all of our documents so we're certain he'll be able to do something to help or at least point us in the right direction. (He always makes duplicates of the birth & marriage certificates as well as 4x the necessary English translated versions.)

I'll definitely keep you and everyone else informed on what we learn!

Best of luck to you on your journey, romanticminds!

Hello, VJ!!

I am the U.S. petitioner and my wife is the beneficiary in Cambodia.

We are currently awaiting our NVC case number.

We have hit a bit of a snag... I know, a snag already without even acquiring our case number yet!

Here is our issue:

We are preparing everything AOS & IV packages. We currently have everything necessary.

So where is the snag?

I've recently learned that the consulate in Cambodia will not receive these papers sent by the NVC. Whether that's actually true or not is unknown personally. But according to another who is going through the same immigration process, the consulate claims that they do not receive the papers from NVC and new/originals must be brought in during the interview.

We have duplicates of everything thanks to assistance with a friend in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Save one: the Police Report. According to the Police/Government, a second report cannot be issued until the 3-month expiration date is reached.

We do, however, have several certified English translations of the Police Report. Would it be OK to send an English translation (not native Khmer) to the NVC and have both Khmer & English on hand for the interview? Or perhaps vice versa, send the native Khmer & English translation to NVC and only have another English translation for the interview?

Any advice would be most welcome!

Thank you again, VJ!

Hello, VJ!!

February 19, 2013 we received our NOA2!!!

I don't think I would have made it through the stress without the assistance of VisaJourney. I thank you all!

Beginning this next stage with NVC, I have some questions I am hoping I could get some assistance for.

1. First off, should either of us be expecting another letter/mailed information from NVC? If so, which of us should be expecting it? And will it answer the below questions?

2. Second, when sending the AOS packet and the IV packet, should they be sent together in the same envelope?

3. Third, I have a bit of confusing concerning the documents used for the IV packet and what documents should be taken to the interview.

I am taking information from the EZGuideSpouse VjWiki page --- According to this, original (or certified copies) of the following should be mailed out with IV packet: Beneficiary's Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Police Report.

But, according to the OF-169, "Do NOT send them to this office."

So, should those documents be sent in the IV packet or not?

Thank you all so much!

I couldn't have done it without you all here at VisaJourney!!!

You have been married since March 2011?

That was a typo which I could no longer edit.

March 2012. Sorry!

You can use this tool on the IRS website to figure it out: http://www.irs.gov/uac/What-is-My-Filing-Status%3F

However, there is one clause in the definition of spouse that if your spouse is a non-resident alien and you choose not to treat them as a resident then you are considered "un-married".

"Nonresident alien spouse. You are considered unmarried for head of household purposes if your spouse was a nonresident alien at any time during the year and you do not choose to treat your nonresident spouse as a resident alien. However, your spouse is not a qualifying person for head of household purposes. You must have another qualifying person and meet the other tests to be eligible to file as a head of household." Here's the IRS publication that defines the different filing statuses in depth: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p501/ar02.html#en_US_2011_publink1000220721

Based on the quote above, might filing "Single" be the best option due to my situation? (Please read below.)

Additional Information:

I did some brief reading again on the W7 form and it would appear as though I'd need to submit original documents (or certified copies) for verification in order to receive the ITIN.

As we are so far into the USCIS, I'm wondering if this would be a good idea or not. With some luck, we will be into, or maybe even through, the NVC stage within the next couple months. This is the same timeframe given for receiving the ITIN. I'm uncertain as to whether or not sending the documents out at this point is a good idea. [Also, due to the horrid government in Cambodia, the simple act of receiving a certified copy can take a month or even longer - based on experience. And the same goes for the postal service.]

I'd love some suggestions.

As stated, we are not yet even to the NVC stage; she does not have a social security number, visa, green card, etc. As such, she obviously doesn't meet any IRS requirements at all to file.

Due to the above, the only reason she would need/want an ITIN is to file jointly. And that doesn't seem worthwhile at this point.

Hello, everyone, and Happy Holidays!

I had a small question.

Soon, I will be filing my income taxes. I was curious about the filing status.

My wife and I have been married since March of 2011. We are still in "Initial Review" with USCIS and assume that we could still be at this point over then next month or two. That means she is still residing in her native country of Cambodia.

So, when I go in to file my 2012 Income Tax, since we obviously cannot file jointly, should I choose "Married Filing Separately" for my status? If so, will any information be needed concerning my wife?

And how will this differ from all my years as filing "Single"? (Just curious about that one as I've never been married before.)

Thanks everyone!

Hello again, VJ!

While this topic won't apply in our case for some time, I thought it'd be nice to know what to expect.

If anyone has any experience with this, please leave a reply.

I was wondering how much time is needed, on average, for the Port of Entry when one's spouse first arrives in the USA.

In our case, the flight will arrive in one of the following for a layover:

Chicago, IL (ORD)

Los Angeles, CA (LAX)

New York City, NY (JFK)

Detroit, MI (DTW)

Dallas, TX (DFW)

I'm hoping to find an average for the time needed so I can book the flight accordingly (choosing longer or shorter layovers depending).

Thanks!

I apologize for "contacting NVC" mistake. I did mean USCIS.

Thanks for the replies. It always helps knowing there's others who are feeling the same as I do and willing to help support each other.

Hello again, VJ!!

This is where I currently am at:

Initial Review

On June 28, 2012, we received this I130 IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN, and mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case. Please follow any instructions on this notice. You will be notified by mail when a decision is made, or if the office needs something from you. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or contact our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.

USCIS National Goal - 5.0 Month(s)

USCIS National Average - 7.9 Month(s)

Vermont Service Center - 5.0 Month(s)

With the end of November just one month away, should I contact NVC to ask about a time frame?

Or should I wait until the Vermont Service Center's 5 months are up before calling?

Or would calling in this situation even help?

Thanks!

Hello again, everyone!

I have a question concerning the DS-230.

#14-18 are questions concerning the spouse (me, in this form).

#19 Father's Family Name ..etc..

#24 Mother's Family Name at Birth ..etc..

My question is this: Is this form asking for the immigrant's parent's information, or the U.S. citizen's? As it's worded, I'm thinking it is the parents of the immigrant who is filling out the form (otherwise it would state "SPOUSE'S", correct?)

Just hoping for this tidbit of clarification!

Thank you all again!

Hi again, everyone.

I had some more questions!

1a.

For both the AOS and IV Packet, the cover sheet will have a "bar-code". What is this? Where/when do I acquire this bar-code?

Please be specific with response to this.

1b.

On the form DS-3032 (80023), I see "Place Case Barcode Strip Here Before Mailing to the National Visa Center". Where/when do I acquire this bar-code strip?

Also, what's the difference between the bar-code strip on form DS-3032 and the "cover sheet" bar-code?

OR, instead of mailing the DS-3032 (80023), should we email it as seen in : http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/Email_DS-3032_form ?

Is there a government-designed email form or should this template be used (if emailing is the better way to go, that is)?

Please be specific with response to this.

2.

For the IV Packet, I am to send an original of the beneficiary's police certificate. When should this be acquired?

I am going to visit my wife (the beneficiary) again in October but I don't expect to have a response concerning my case status until November. (Also, I will not be able to visit again until, most likely, everything is completed.) Should I have her acquire the police certificate then in order for me to mail it with the IV Packet? Or should I wait until a response is given from USCIS then have her mail it to me? (I do not like the latter as Cambodia's mail system isn't exactly great.)

Please be specific with response to this.

3.

Third, a photocopy of the biographic data page of the beneficiary's passport is to be sent, not the actual passport itself, correct?

Please be specific with response to this.

4.

Next, when sending out the AOS Packet and IV Packet, are they going to two different addresses? If not, should these two packets be placed together into one envelope or separate?

Please be specific with response to this.

5.

Lastly, I will be visiting my wife (the beneficiary) in October as mentioned above. I plan on taking printed copies of the DS-230 for her to sign. Should I be taking anything else with me as far as paperwork for her to sign? Aside from the DS-230, I don't believe I need anything else but could be wrong.

Also, aside from the original marriage certificate and original birth certificate, should I be taking anything else from her that I may need to send in the AOS or IV Packets? (Other than the issue with Original Police Certificate as mentioned above in #2.)

Please be specific with response to this.

Thank you all so much again and again. VisaJourney and its community has been such a huge help through this process. I am looking forward to everything to be completed so I can share my own experiences with everyone here as well as finally be able to truly help others going through similar processes.

Cheers!

Thank you much, everyone!

Hello, everyone.

I was re-reading the EZGuideSpouse (http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/EZGuideSpouse) and had some questions I was hoping to have some help with.

The site states the following:

7) Express mail AOS packet and IV packet to NVC

AOS Packet

a. Bar-coded cover sheet

b. Completed and signed form I-864 by the petitioner

c. IRS tax transcripts for the last three years

(Call IRS at 800-908-9946 to order them for free)

d. Petitioner's employment letter

e. Petitioner's pay stubs for the current year

IV Packet

a. Bar-coded cover sheet

b. 2 Passport-sized photographs of the beneficiary

c. Completed and signed form DS-230 Part 1 by the beneficiary

d. Completed and 'unsigned' form DS-230 Part 2 by the beneficiary

e. Photocopy of the biographic data page of the beneficiary's passport

f. Original/Certified birth certificate of the beneficiary

g. Original/Certified marriage certificate of the beneficiary and the petitioner

h. Original police certificate(s) of the beneficiary

i. Original/Certified divorce decree of the beneficiary's prior marriage(s), if applicable

j. Original military certificate of the beneficiary, if applicable

k. 1 set Photocopy of all the above civil documents

For the AOS packet, this says to submit an employment letter. My workplace does not provide this. Instead, we use theworknumber.com which requires the person requesting proof of employment to log in with an assigned code. Will this be an issue?

Also for the AOS packet, this says to submit pay stubs for the current year. Is this right? 52 pay stubs should be submitted?

Next, for the IV packet, this says to submit Original/Certified marriage certificate of the beneficiary and the petitioner as well as other Original/Certified papers like the police report, etc.

I have heard many times that these original papers should not be sent and should be taken in by hand by the beneficiary into the interview. Could someone give me some clarification on this?

I am hoping to receive some assistance as I am going to visit my spouse next and want to make sure I can have as much taken care of as possible (as the 5 month average processing time is nearing).

I would appreciate any and all help.

Thank you all once again!

Congratulations !

For anything they will have in their hands, I'd have a translation into English accompanying it.

Play it safe: Provide translations for them.

Thank you all so much!

I'm finally able to relax and not worry about this mistake.

Now comes more waiting...

You all can expect to see more of me as time progresses as I'll undoubtedly have many more questions!

Thank you, VJ, for all the assistance, information & support!

The I-130 is just to establish a relationship which would make them eligible for the next phase of immigration. Is it messed up on the G-325? If so that could be a problem. The DS-230 is the most important and you need to make sure that all the information is exactly as it should be. I'm sure during the review process you will get a RFE at that point you will submit biometric page of passport, birth certificate, etc to show actual date of birth and that the ds-230 is corrent.

The G-325's are both correct.

I suppose I will wait and not take any actions. Hopefully this will pass without trouble as I'm a bit upset with my mistake and really don't want to be forced into waiting longer.

Thank you so much for the responses! I am at bit more at ease.