chaine1

Therein lies a bit of the confusion, b/c you did make money, but that money is not taxable so according to the IRS you made nothing. But does immigration also agree that you made nothing? Or should you put how much you made?

I put zero on mine. It felt weird and I questioned it too. But they will see from the tax transcripts and pay stubs (if you have them) that yes, you did earn income.

As income earned abroad, I don't even think the consular officers really consider any of your financial information, apart from proving you've filed taxes. It's far more important that you have a co-sponsor.

Having lugged a total of 7 animals (mix of our own and for pet shelters) across the world and into the US , I'll second Penguin's advice, and add the following.

There are 2 parts to this process: 1. Exporting animal out of the country of residence, and 2. Importing the animal into the new country.

You will have to look into Australia's procedures for export. For the country I was in, I had to have an export permit, which involved several vet visits and paperwork.

Importing a cat or dog into the US is easy. I think the only thing that is required is proof of rabies vaccination (but double check that). As of 6 months ago, you do not need an import permit to bring a dog or cat into the USA.

I'd start by contacting a vet's office, or even just doing a google search on something like 'australia export dog/cat.'

Good Luck!

- I'd like to go in March; is that a nice time of year or would October be better? I don't feel like I can comment too much here, as I haven't been in October. Depending on where you are, March will be hit or miss with weather. Sometimes coldish and rainy, sometimes warmish and sunny. In my opinion, New Zealand weather is very alpine - it can be sunny and warm one minute, and then gray and cold the next. Also - very wet!

- Is 10 days enough to cover both the South Island and North Island? In my opinion, no. For my first trip, my husband and I rented a RV and spent 3 weeks driving around just the south island - and I still feel like I missed things!! The answer to this question really depends on how in depth you want to see NZ. If you are only allowing 10 days (is this total time on the ground, or are you including flying time?), and want to see both islands, you will be severely limited.

- If limited by time and money, which island should we focus on? With just 10 days, I'd say the North Island. You would spend less time traveling (assuming you'd fly into Auckland), and more time on the ground. North Island has plenty to see.

- Any stops we should be sure not to miss? This depends on what interests you two While I might say a night hunt to spot Kiwi in a remote, wet forest is a must do, I don't think most people would agree with me.

- Any specific suggestions? We like hiking, I'd love to go kayaking somewhere, and hang out by a beach or a lake for a couple days. I haven't traveled the North Island extensively so I'll let someone else comment, but on the South Island, there are plenty of places to do this. Lake Tekapo is stunning, Abel Tasman for beaches and kayaking (and really, nearly the whole of the South Island has beautiful beaches), Mount Cook region for hiking. There definitely plenty of other places to do each of these, I'm just mentioning a few.

When my husband and I are planning a trip to a new country, we start by researching exactly what experiences we want to have, and then organizing the logistics to get to these experiences. Maybe start there? Start by figure what you think would be the most amazing things to do and then narrow down your options.

New Zealand is absolutely stunning, so if you go with an open mind and a sense of adventure, you won't be disappointed.

Good luck and have fun!

I'm curious why you went to Iran? I had friends who had to do visa runs, but they went to places like Bahrain or Qatar. Why on earth were you sent to Iran?? In my experience living in the region, going to Iran for a visa run would be completely out of the norm. Is there some specific reason for Iran?

It's just not fair to other couples.

I don't think the immigration process was designed with fairness in mind. If it were, AP would not exist. Nor would there be difficult embassies, like Nigeria or Morocco.

If it were fair, everyone who applied for a visa would have the same chance and expectation of getting a visa in the same time frame as anyone else across the world.

It's just simply not designed that way. The bigger question is - should it be??

Alaska's landmass is 571,951 square miles.

I think if the USA relied on Alaska for solar energy in the winter, we'd all be in the dark!

Colombia no longer offers DCF. Sorry, but not an option for you.

While I don't know your full situation, I would think proving domicile would not be too hard for you, since you say you are only going to be there for six months. To prove domicile (or intent to re-establish domicile), you need things like a USA bank account, credit cards, moving quotes, etc.

The expedite for US citizens abroad does not seem to be quite what it once was (took only two weeks for me), but it still seems somewhat faster.

I used my work address abroad, and not my home address abroad (basically because Kuwait has no real post). I hoped any letter would have a better chance of making it to my work. My NOA2 did eventually get to me, but never saw the NOA1.

I also wouldn't depend on the embassy to be able to help you with this question. USCIS and your embassy are completely separate. I had a contact at the Kuwait embassy who tried to help me, when I was asking this very same question (what address should I use?). She did her best to find out, but she said it really came down to procedure at USCIS, and basically told me to use whatever address I wanted.

Do you know if you are going to have a Colombian residency visa?

Good luck!

I'll be filing as "Married filing separately." As my wife does not have a SSN or ITIN, I'll be writing "NRA" (non-resident alien) in the spot where it asks for her SSN or ITIN. This is perfectly legal and is even listed in the 1040 instructions.

I don't have experience filing with children, so I can't comment there, but this is what I did for three years. No problems whatsoever. And I also filed a couple of years late. No issues. I was unable to efile though, so I had to mail them in, which is a bit of a pain and an added expense when you have to use Fedex or something similar.

Good luck... Hope everything is working out for you!

I like America the way it is today however I lived in the middle east for 3 years and those kids at your school or the school in Dhahran or the school in Bahrain were, as you say, highly, highly protected.

With guns.

What's wrong with that again? Nobody could mess with our kids there.

I respect your opinion, and I see your side of the argument. I get it. Yes, adding armed guards to our schools could be effective. However, two points:

1. The fact that we even feel the need to do this in the USA is what disturbs me. The reason it’s done in the Middle East is because there is a real, sustained threat of attack on American establishments. I find it sad that we feel so threatened by our own countrymen that we are ready to treat our schools like they are under the constant threat of terrorism.

2. In these schools that are closely guarded, the message the children get is - ‘the people around you are hostile towards you.’ Is that really the message we want to send our children here in the USA? About their fellow countrymen?

so if that is the case then how do you solve the issue of these massacres? what is your solution? tell us.

I noticed NRA lovers never offer any solution to gun violence. they only argue about their right to bear arms. No one is taking that away from you but please speak on the issue of gun violence and what needs to be done to reduce it.

huh? How does me posting this article lead you to believe that I am an NRA lover?! If the tables were turned, I think I'd conclude the opposite!

I'm not offering solutions, because I have none. This problem, in my opinion, is way bigger than can be addressed in an online forum. So, so, many variables. I do think it has something to do with the lack of a sense of community in the USA, a lack of feeling like you belong to something, or somewhere. That you have important responsibilities to someone or something.

I dunno.

Been lurking around this thread...just found this article and thought I'd add it to the discussion.

Mythbusting: Israel and Switzerland are not gun-toting utopias

I wish it was more developed, but it does cast doubt on the popular thought that gun ownership in Switzerland is just as easy as the USA.

One state, equal rights for all.

I lived in the Middle East for 5 years, and if anyone REALLY thinks this, they are living in a la-la land with rainbows and unicorns.

From my perspective and observations - the Palestinians have built their entire society and present mentality around the injustice that exists because Israel exists (I am not commenting on the right or wrongness of the existence of Israel, just commenting on the Palestinian reaction). Many of them vehemently feel that Israel should not even exist, and will never accept the reality of a Jewish state in the area. This mentality has spread to other Arab states, and this ‘support’ has only reinforced the Palestinian struggle against Israel. To some, this injustice warrants violence in order to ensure that Israel ceases to exist.

Anyone seriously suggesting Israel and the Palestinians could live together as one state under the current vitriol and bitterness is delusional. I think even two separate states is very optimistic at this point.

So, as Belgium supposedly depends on Frankfurt, my guess is it'd be transferred there, so should I send it there directly?

I think you are over-complicating the matter. Follow the instructions on your embassy website.

From what I understand, those who used their address abroad sent their petitions to the Chicago Lockbox. They were then routed to the NBC. Why would your petition be any different (genuine question, forgive me if it sounds rude)?

Belgium depends on the Frankfurt USCIS field office. Do you think we should send our I-130 to Frankfurt directly? Or send it to the Chicago lockbox anyway, and wait for them to transfer it to NBC, and then to the appropriate field office?

Unless you meet any of the exceptions (which are very difficult to do - check your embassy), you cannot send your I-130 to Frankfurt. Your petition will have to be sent to the Chicago Lockbox. I too, investigated this route, when I called the USCIS helpline to inquire how I would file. The customer service rep told me (very wrongly) to file my petition with the Athens embassy (I was living in Kuwait). Once I started digging further, BOTH embassies told me the only way to file was to send the petition to the Chicago Lockbox.

Getting a home loan these days is not an east task. Any good bank or mortgage broker must adhere to some very stringent standards. It's not just about credit scores. If you are a first time home buyer, there are some options open to you. A reduced interest rate and smaller down payment, such as only as little as 3% compared to 30% percent in many cases. However, that means a much larger monthly payment. So, in short, you need to have some cash to put down, prove you can meet monthly payments ( including taxes and insurance) and most likely show that these payments will be at or lower than 30% of your gross monthly income.A good credit score only means that you paid prior bills on time. But if they were small credit card payments, as an example, that does not show you can handle a much larger mortgage. You can go to creditkarma.com and review your credit score for free any time you want, but again, that is only a small part of the overall home loan underwriting. Proving a strong, steady income, at the same company, for several years, is the strongest position you can bring to the table.

Yes, true. I did not mean to suggest that a good credit score was the only thing needed in the home buying process. I was merely reporting that we had been successful in increasing my husband's score in a way I did not know was possible.

Question:

Were you added as an authorized user or joint-account holder? If you were added as only an authorized user, did the credit card company ask for SSN? I've added my husband as an authorized user, not as joint-account holder. They didn't ask for any of his credentials so I'm not sure what effect, if any, it will have on his credit.

I honestly don't remember if they asked for his SSN. He was added as only an authorized user. I did not add him as a joint account holder. The account is with Chase Bank, if that helps at all.

It's actually very hard to get a loan if you have less than 20% down payment

We are putting down 10% with no issues. It is better to put 20% down, because then you won't have the mortgage insurance, but it certainly hasn't been an issue for us that we are not putting down 20%. Not to mention, FHA loans only require 3.5% down.

Have you checked his credit report yet and make sure that there are no outstanding loans aside from the tax lien?

Ditto. You/He need to order a copy of his credit score and have a closer look at it.

Hmm. What bank is likely to give secured credit to him with his bad credit?

My husband's secured card is with Capital One.

A conversation with a tax attorney might be useful. Or it might just take time until he is eligible for a credit card. How long ago was the lien released?

I have really good credit in Canada. My fiance has no credit in the United States.

I don't know anything about tax liens, so I can't help you in that regard. However, one loan officer we did speak with told us there are ways to do an 'alternative credit check' for my husband. She said it would involve things like rental histories, etc. We didn't pursue it further, because housing has been provided for us for the last 5 years (so no rental history). I don't know, but as a Canadian, there might be some options for you.

If this is really something you want to pursue, I'd suggest start talking to loan officers. You'll need to find someone more knowledge than the average loan officer though. We spoke to three before finding one who gave us some answers that made sense.

Good Luck!

we were refused her visa because I had failed to provide proof of my U.S. domicile.

What, if anything, did you provide to try to satisfy this requirement? Most people have trouble getting through the NVC when they haven't provided proof of US domicile. I'm curious how you got through the NVC meeting this requirement, but then refused at the embassy?

Anyway, I was living abroad and filing for my husband. I was in the same situation as you (enrolling in school). At the interview, I brought my letter of acceptance and fellowship offer, but I was never even asked to show it. That and proof of US driver's license, US credit card and bank account was really all I had. But again, none of it was ever asked for.

So you're saying, that if my income and my husband's income doesn't continue from the same source then I write down nothing?

No, you still should report that income (but only yours, not including your husband's). It wouldn't matter that you don't meet the poverty level, because income earned abroad will not be counted (unless it will continue from same source). So - you report your income, but don't worry that it does not meet the poverty level. Do not add your husband's income.

But aren't IRS papers for americans who have worked in the US? As I said, I left when I was 9 yrs old, and have never worked there at all.

Unfortunately, no. I lived abroad for five years, and still had to file my taxes, and show proof of that when bringing my husband to the USA with me. If I were you, I might try to find someone experienced with US expat taxes. You can probably find someone in Senegal. It doesn't mean you'll have to PAY any taxes (but if you made over around $92,000, you may), but the US government still expects its citizens to file taxes regardless of where in the world they are.

I have no IRS papers, since I left the US when I was 9 and have never worked there.

AS a US citizen, you will have to submit proof that you have filed taxes. You need to start figuring that out, and to be honest, I would take care of the tax filings before filing the I-130.

But, to meet the Fed. Poverty %, I need to add his paycheck to mine.

If you have a joint sponsor, you don't need to worry about meeting the federal poverty level. As a returning citizen, your income won't count anyway, unless it will continue from the same source once in the USA.

Does your father live in the USA?

Hi all,

I just wanted to report something that may be of interest/help to new immigrants trying to establish credit.

My husband and I (the USC) arrived back in the USA in late July of this year (we both were living abroad in a third country). I am back in school as a PhD student, and my husband has thankfully found reasonable employment (not as good as hoped, but still very happy he found something very quickly).

Pretty soon after arriving, we started trying to establish credit for my husband - we got him a secured credit card, and I added him as an authorized user on one of my credit cards.

We are interested in buying a house, but assumed we were pretty much out of luck, with me earning pittance as a grad student, and my husband with no credit. However, we decided to meet with a loan officer just to get an idea of our options, and what we should do to insure we could be in a house within a few years.

The loan officer decided to run credit score checks on both of us, and to everyone's surprise, my husband's score came back as a 690 (about average). In looking at the report, the loan officer said the only reason he scored as high as he did is because I added him as an authorized user on my account.

I had no idea that doing so would influence his score so much. In fact, I was under the assumption that this would have a very small to no effect. But low and behold, after only being in the USA for 2 and a half months, he is scoring high enough to qualify for a home loan.

I know this may not work for everyone, but I wanted to share our experience, in case it is able to help others out. We were both quite surprised by this development.

Good luck to everyone!

What I am contemplating now is for us to get married over Christmas in the states and go through the CR-1 process

If everything goes perfect (with marrying in December), you could hit that target date of May (I filed in mid-February, visa was in hand in early June). That's really pushing it though, and likely to add stress to your life!

I'll second Krikit and say look into a destination wedding. You can have a nonlegal wedding or ceremony for family and friends at a later point. That's what we did. We got married in country, and then later had a ceremony with the white dress and suits for friends and family.

If I remember correctly, Greece is an easy place to have a destination wedding.

Also, immigration won't care how soon after your wedding you file your paperwork. It's a non-issue (as long as you have proof of a bone fide relationship).

So in sum- I'd look into doing a destination wedding ASAP, and then filing ASAP!

Good Luck!