Lee&Lee

How do you do a service request?

Call USCIS, give your information like the I-485 receipt number, date of receipt, name, when they last notified you etc. they also may ask you for your zip code to know which local office is nearest to you. If they do that then your application may not be at NBC anymore. If it has been more than 6 or 7 months, that's likely past the normal processing times so just mention to the person on the line if you can ask for a service request to speed up the process. Hopefully they'll do that and then they'll instruct you to call back after 15 business days if you haven't heard anything or received anything in the mail:) good luck!

Hi Lee&Lee

What travel document did you request for?

My husband is a Nov 2012 applicant (K1 Visa - applied for 1485 green card status change in Nov) and we're planning on having our wedding ceremony in Dec of this year but he has not received any notice of change on his application. It's still under "acceptance" status.

The travel document is the same as advanced parole. So that I could go out of the US while waiting for my adjustment of status.

Hello! =) I just got a message yesterday from USCIS that my green card is in production.

A little background on how the process was for me:

-I sent my I-485, I-765, I-131 applications last December 3, 2012

-Got and RFE and responded on December 28, 2012

-Did biometrics on December 28, 2012

-Got Travel document approved on Jan 31, 2013

-Got EAD approval Feb 6, 2013

The nearest local service center to where I live is the Dallas Center. I checked the processing time for I-485 in Dallas and found that "as of May 31, 2013 they were processing November 20, 2012 cases"

-So I called in a service request for the I-485 on July 16, 2013 for being outside of normal processing time (around 7 months delayed at this point)

-Got a response for my service request notifying me that they were unable to provide me a completion date for my I-485 on July 24, 2013 (morning; email coming from Houston, TX)

-Got an email saying my card was approved (no more interview)! The afternoon of July 24, 2013

I don't know if the service request I sent expedited the process, but if you are also a 2012 AOS filer, your application might be outside of normal processing times already, and calling USCIS for a "service request" just might do the job. Hopefully it gets your application noticed. There's nothing to lose, anyway =)

God bless you and your families!

My K1 interview was on October 18, 2012

Pick up of my passport with visa was at 2GO SM Megamall Today, 6 days after =)Yay!!! =)

Thank you everyone for the support and advice! =)

UID number from the letter you got after the interview works best so I have read.

I didn't receive any letters at the end of the interview. Should I have gotten a letter? All i got back was the first page of my appointment confirmation sheet.

uhm my visa just got approved last thursday,, and i tracked it with 2GO website using my nvc case number,, heres the link

http://supplychain.2...trace/index.asp

Hi! I also got approved last thursday (Oct 18). For the NVC number you typed, did you also put the MNL? or just the 10 numbers after that? or will using my passport number work? thanks!

Hey thanks for replying!

I was just wondering how did your interview go? Cuz i read somewhere online that the consul asked if the fiance could financially support you during your stay in the US... and assuming that your husband was a Med student, he didn't have a job then? Did they ask you that question? and if they did how did you respond?

Thanks a lot!

God Bless!

I didn't get that question during my interview. The Filipina consul just asked me what my fiance's job is (tech support) and what he finished (medical school). During medical school here in the Philippines he had 0 earnings and was dependent on his parents. I guess had she asked me if my fiance could financially support me, I would say "Yes, ONCE he becomes a resident physician." Obviously she already knows that my fiance is unable to earn 125% above the poverty limit because she would've seen my co-sponsor's I-134. Sometimes, the way you answer has to be "safe" yet honest. But it's possible not all consuls would have taken that for an answer especially if they meant "as soon as I get there". The answer to that would be "Not yet but his dad offered to co-sponsor us in the meantime while we apply as resident physicians". Very case-to-case as you've probably heard others describe their dreaded interview on co-sponsorship.

There are no hard and fast rules for picking co-sponsors but I would like to hope that a family member who earns 125% (or more) above the poverty limit for all the household members (including the one being petitioned) is enough for them to approve you. Plus you both have promising careers ahead.

But as I've said, look into the marriage visa processes because that might be more apt for you =)Good luck dear!

Hey guys!

So me and my fiance need a little encouragement with this whole K1 processing thing. We are currently gathering up all the necessary documents for our packet I-129F. Which is the first packet/ petition, I believe, to be delivered to the USCIS.

We'll start with our current situation. I am a DUAL citizen, both US and Filipino. My fiance is a filipino native. I was sent to Philippines when I was about 16 y/o (around 2008) and I ended finishing high school in the philippines. Now I am graduating with a nursing degree around April of 2013. My fiance graduated already with a Criminology degree last year. Me and my fiance met through a friend in our University and we've been together for about 2 years.

My mother has always been encouraging of our relationship, and with that said, we have been living together for about 1 and a half years. As I am finishing up my Nursing degree, he's currently working at SM and studying for his boards.

My mother encouraged me to sign up for a fiance visa so I can bring my fiance with me. We were thinking about it at first, before my mother's encouragement, however, we were hesitant upon asking her to be our co sponsor. Then, one day, my mother volunteered. And we were thrilled. Thus, here we are gathering our documents for the K1 visa.

My question is (whew, finally) do you think that the US consul here in Philippines will accept my mother as a co sponsor? I've been reading about the US embassy in Philippines, and they seem to deny K1 visas with co sponsors.

Given my situation, do you think we would be approved?

BTW, My age is 20, and my fiance is 21

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!

AND THANKS EVEN MORE FOR TAKING THE TIME TO RESPOND!

GOD BLESS!

Hi! we have some similarities actually and i just got approved today! Our story is.. my fiance is a Filipino, born and raised in the US. He finished college in the US and went to Medical school here in the philippines. that's where we met. We just graduated may 2012. We started applying for K1 status on feb 2012, studied for our boards in the meantime, while my fiance took a job as tech support. His income is not enough to reach the 125% poverty level so we opted to use a co-sponsor as well - his dad. (on a related note, i think that it's good that your mom is co-sponsoring your fiance instead of a friend or whomever.) Also, i think that your high earning potential will aid in your case. =) While approval is on a case-to-case basis, and it is still a bit harder to prove that your fiance won't be a "public charge" in the US, what's good is that it is possible. If you have had previous work experience or better yet, current employment, then I think that would be good for you guys.

What my fiance and I didn't consider before because we had zero knowledge about all of these visa processes was doing the marriage visa instead. I have not studied the pros and cons but I think it would have been easier if we just got married while we were in medicine school. and then, please correct me if I'm wrong, after 2 years (?) we could've applied for the marriage visa. I think that would've been less expensive (as stated in the post above) because your fiance does not have to "adjust his status" when he gets to the states which costs an additional $1070. Do thorough research first on whether the K1 or marriage visa is the way to go in your case. Btw, if you're doing the K1 visa, things might be more in your favor if you could be with your fiance for his visa interview.

Good luck with all these big decisions! =)

Congratulations!

The CO looked at the earning potential of your fiance since he has a degree in medical. That's why the CO didn't delved too much about your co-sponsor.

But your right some CO are really just plain snotty! Maybe they woke up at the wrong side of the bed or hate being there in the PI. Who knows!

haha you might be right =) for whatever reason it is that they didn't grill on the co-sponsorship issue, i'm just really glad =) Thanks for the greeting, y'all!

Congrats!! :dance:

Another with a co-sponsor approved!

Its not that co-sponsors are not allowed at USEM, they are just very "picky" about accepting co-sponsors, almost like rolling the dice there.

Yeah, I guess we won the jackpot! haha at least for the K1 interview.. there's still AOS.. eek! Thanks for the additional info above!

Congrats! and thanks for the tips... tomorrow is my interview I hope that everything will turn out right.

You're welcome! God bless you!!! Get some rest and leave it all up to Him =)

K1 visa interview experience

Today was my visa interview at the US Embassy. I'd just like to share my experience for a lot of you who are as anxious as I was. By the way, I passed (all thanks to God, my family, friends and fiance who were extremely supportive)!!!!

Here are some useful tips:

1.Prepare all your documents- put them in order like this: passport, DS forms (1 copt of 156k, 2 copies each of 156 and 157), NSO Birth certificate, CENOMAR, NBI clearance (keep the personal copy with you), bank receipt, Form I-134 along with ITR, W2 bank statement, employment letter etc.

2.Some other papers that I gave (they didnt really ask for these but I handed them along with the I-134) - a photocopy of my petitioner's passport and birth certificate, , co-sponsor's I-134, ITR, W2, bank statement, photocopy of passport/greencard whichever is applicable.

3.Arrange the evidence of your genuine relationship - preferably labeled and in sequence so that the consul won't have to ask you too many questions. I arranged all our conversations, receipts, airline tickets etc but the consul didn't really look at them. She only scanned my pictures, read all the labels and was happy with that. But bring everything you have just in case you get assigned a more interested consul.

4.For those using co-sponsors - just to give a background, my fiance makes a little less than the 125% poverty limit because he recently graduated from medical school and is only working part-time while studying for the boards, so we opted to ask his dad to help us out. I think that other people in VJ may have experienced strict consuls who say that co-sponsoring isn't allowed. That may be the case, but I think that it greatly depends on the consul you get. I was lucky because mine never mentioned that it wasn't allowed. They were actually very nice. My advice is first, do not stress about it like I did. Learning from what I went through, there is no point in worrying. Some things are just not in our control. Of course if your fiance can manage to show that he has enough assets to make up for the lack of finances compared to the 125% poverty limit, then try to pursue that. If he can get a job that pays better, then by all means do that. But for those whose fiances are new grads like mine, or just have trouble finding better paying jobs, DO NOT FRET. Find a co-sponsor and take your chances. From what I've read in VJ at least, there has been a good number of people who used co-sponsors and came out of the embassy successful. I would suggest also having the co-sponsor fill out an I-864 since you'll be needing one for adjustment of status anyway and the embassy has acknowledged that it is more legally binding than the I-134. So it won't hurt to bring that along. BUT importantly, make sure that your I-134 from your principal sponsor (and co-sponsor if applicable) are filled up completely. Submitting an I-864 INSTEAD of an I-134 for the K1 VISA is WRONG. It's ONLY SUPPLEMENTARY =)

4. Eat breakfast! Don't bring electronics, USBs, perfumes, liquids, food and everything that is disallowed as stated in the K1 packet. They'll make you dispose of them or come back another day if you're unable to part with them.

I think that's it! Thanks, VJ, for being so helpful! I will be looking through you again for my adjustment of status.haha

This is a great day indeed! God bless everyone! =)

You must submit the petitioner's I-134.

I would also submit an I-864 and a W-2 from one of his parents (the parent with the highest qualifying income). The W-2 will show the individual income. Also, submit a copy of the parents' 2011 federal income tax return.

A letter from the parents would be good too. They could show support for your marriage and promise to support you.

Most importantly, I would have the petitioner attend the interview.

Thank you! I just have some more questions:

1. Should the co-sponsor's (i.e. my fiance's father) I-134 state his INDIVIDUAL income or can he put there their JOINT income as his parents? Because the INcome tax return they provided is a JOINT income tax return, with only a page in the back there stating each parent's individual income. But, They have also provided W-2 for each parent's income.

2. Is it a good idea to have 2 co-sponsors -- his mom and dad? Or only the parent with the highest qualifying income?

How I wish my fiancé could be present with me during the interview but since we're trying to save right now, he has opted to stay in the US. Thank you for all your help!

Hi! My fiancé and I are preparing papers for our interview on October 18. We just both graduated so we don't have jobs yet. his parents are both doctors who are self-employed and have agreed to co-sponsor us. His dad is the only one who signed on the I-134 but the income tax return shows his parents' joint income (although there is a page there stating each parent's individual income). The I-134 also shows their joint income but only his father signed it (because it only asked for one name). Is this ok? Or does his mom need to sign a separate I-134?

Secondly, I hear that giving a form I-864 will help our case. Does my fiancé need to fill up one himself? He doesnt make any money yet. I already have completed I-864 from both his mom and dad stating individual incomes. What's the best to do in my case? Thank you!

YMMV,

That is beautiful! I'm so happy for you! =) Have a wonderful wedding and blessed ever after! =)

Thanks for the great advice everyone! I've just been a bit anxious about the whole process =) I guess most people are. haha Well, my fiance and I are moving our church wedding to June HOWEVER, we're keeping our minds open to the possibility that it may be moved further back (though we're praying it won't). At least for now, we don't need to worry so much about not making it back to the Philippines on March =)

Have a blessed day, everyone!

For those who have recently scheduled their interview at the US Embassy for the K1 visa, within how many weeks from the time the consulate receives the package from NVC can we schedule an interview? I kinda need to speed things up. I already have my birth certificate, NBI clearance, Cenomar etc in hand. I know I need to have my medical done at Saint Luke's so how quickly can I set an appointment for that as well?

Is it at all possible for me to have my US embassy interview 2 weeks from the time they receive our approved petition from NVC? Or is that too tight a schedule?

The reason I'm rushing is we're hoping to make it to our church wedding in the Philippines as soon as possible after our civil wedding in the States (given the time it takes to apply for advanced parole and AOS).

Thanks guys! =) God bless to all the hopefuls and to those who are already with their loved ones! =)

Hi! My fiance and I are on our 5th and a half month of waiting for the NOA2 of our K1 to arrive. Our file is in Vermont and I've noticed that lately it has been slower for that service center.

Anyway, back in January 2012 we already made plans to get married in the Philippines (church wedding with all our friends and family). We booked our church and reception for early March 2013. We counted the months for the K1 visa process and at that time, it all seemed to fit. We'd get married civilly in the US around Sept or Oct 2012 and apply for Advanced Parole so that we can return for our March 2013 wedding. Because things have been moving quite slowly and we don't have our NOA2 yet we were thinking of moving the wedding to maybe June 2013.

Do you think that if we hang on to our March 2013 wedding, we'd be able to make it back to the Philippines on feb 2013 to do last minute preparations? Or would it be wiser to move the wedding to a later date, say June 2013? The USCIS website says it takes a minimum of 3 months for advanced parole to get approved. I'm just worried that the NOA2 might arrive later and that the transit from Vermont to NVC to the US Embassy in the Philippines might take long and AP might take more than 3 months to approve for whatever reason.

Thanks for shedding some light on the matter! God bless everyone!