neodragon0l

I actually decided to front load after consulting with the forum. While I felt better about front loading and it is more expensive with the copying, I weighed on the fact that Manila is the consulate. Philippines has tons of red tape which makes my application vulnerable to other people's mistakes. As many have pointed out on this forum, you are at the mercy of the IO. I wouldn't want to leave it chance to delay my love one from coming here.
While I front loaded, I had to still weed out a lot of unnecessary evidence: quality over quantity. That means it is hard to put a ball park on the photos. Just use reasonable judgment to prove that you met in person within two years of the filing. As for me, I am confident that I will be approved by the USCIS, but I worry about the consulates. Their decisions are subjective. Any mistakes on their part is a delay on my part.

In order to qualify for asylum your sister must demonstrate that she cannot stay in her home country because of fear of persecution based on race, religion, gender, political opinion or nationality.
Domestic violence, whilst horrific, does not qualify for asylum.
Here are are the requirements for USCIS:
https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum/asylum

MERIC061609's info updated!
California Service Center (24 applicants, 0 approved - 0%)

VJName..............Date of I-751...NOA1 Date....Biometrics.....Approved
NLR...................04/27/15......04/30/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
KIRAN&SALMAN..........04/27/15......05/01/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
BLUE BIANCHI..........04/28/15......04/29/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
DSANCHEZ16............04/29/15......05/01/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
AWKWARDSOUL...........04/30/15......05/01/15......06/03/15......--/--/--
JNJ13.................05/02/15......05/04/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
ANDIIBEE..............05/02/15......05/04/15......06/01/15......--/--/--
FON91.................05/02/15......05/04/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
LOST_AT_SEA...........05/06/15......05/08/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
NATE&GLADYS...........05/06/15......05/07/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
NEODRAGON0l...........05/07/15......05/08/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
CAR0593...............05/07/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
HIKERGIRL.............05/09/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
L AND T...............05/11/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
JKB11.................05/11/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
MASHIKHE..............05/11/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
BENOI027..............05/11/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
ALA_TIKA..............05/14/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
COSTENA...............05/16/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
CORI AND ROB..........05/16/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
TIGERFLOWER...........05/18/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
TEAMMCGREGOR..........05/19/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
JDBA .................05/20/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
NYAGEM................05/21/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--


Vermont Service Center (12 applicants, 0 approved - 0%)

VJName..............Date of I-751...NOA1 Date....Biometrics.....Approved
ANNIESDREAM...........04/29/15......05/01/15......06/01/15......--/--/--
LUCIDSOFIA ...........04/29/15......05/04/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
FANTONLEDZEPP.........04/30/15......05/04/15......06/03/15......--/--/--
MERICO61609...........05/01/15......05/12/15......06/02/15......--/--/--
ZZ TOP................05/04/15......05/07/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
ZIGINSHO1.............05/06/15......05/07/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
MINDTHEGAP............05/06/15......05/07/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
AYMANDIDI.............05/08/15......05/11/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
JSLEKCUN..............05/09/15......05/12/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
A & C.................05/16/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
MR&MRSHARRIS..........05/18/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--
X FACTOR..............05/20/15......--/--/15......--/--/15......--/--/--



IMPORTANT!

* Make sure that your VJ Text Editor setting is set to Rich Text Editor.
* Go to the MOST RECENTLY POSTED VERSION of this list (go to the last post and scroll UP) and "Reply" to it, deleting the "quote" tags in your reply.
* Please DO NOT change the font, font size, add colors, stuff like that.
* Please PREVIEW before posting to make sure it is properly formatted.
* Please check that you have not deleted anyone's NAME & DATA.

Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your application.
NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter.
Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment.
Approved = The Date your case was approved.

* Please Capitalize your VJ Name when adding it to the list.
* When you're on this list, please come back to update your information accordingly.
* If you cannot add your information yourself, please ask another VJ member to help you do so.
You need to use the 2nd case number that comes with your biometrics appointment notice! You should receive one soon.

That's what I thought when they cashed mine too. PHEW I wrote it all out right.

90 days from the expiration date.
http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/dateCalculator.html

I would say most people on VJ are filing on their own without the need for a lawyer.
Getting an RFE really has nothing to do with whether you use a lawyer or not. It is based on the amount of solid evidence you provide to USCIS. A lawyer cannot help you with evidence, they can only make suggestions of evidence to send (suggestions you can already find here on VJ). This is merely my opinion.
With the ROC process (if filing jointly), the interviews aren't just random. You get an RFE if your evidence is not satisfactory. An interview is set only after an RFE is sent and you still did not satisfy them with enough good further evidence (if filing jointly). Hope this helps!

Yes you need to file before June 10th.
Filing usually means putting the application in the mail and not getting accepted by their system (similar to filing taxes I believe).
If you are late in filing make sure you keep evidence of mailing the application before June 10th.
Good Luck

great job! Follow the advice of the attorney! time is important, so get right on it.

With all due respect, cases of misrepresentation of material fact require at least a consult and will have a much better success rate with guidance from an attorney.
I would rather pay for expert advice than wing it and have a lifelong ban, what a gamble.
I don't think you understand the severity of misrepresentation and it's consequences.
OP can not interpret the consulate findings and does not know how to sort through and apply the research he has already done.
One can research until the cows come home, there comes a time when a lawyer is needed.

Get over it.
Edit: There's a reason Philippines petitions process quickly, & it's not because it's Filipinos & Filipinas processing the apps.

I have this issue with my wife's DS-3025 which I did not notice until now. My wife and I have an interview for her AOS application on May 29th. I found a lot of mistakes
1) The panel physician in the Philippines missed one line on the form: Rotavirus which is typically common for children under the age of 5.
2) The date of the examination was on 10/12/2012 which is during flu season. The form checked not a flu season column.
3) The mark is incomplete and blanket waiver is required.
Should I ask a civil surgeon to get it corrected by completing the I-693? If yes, should the CS complete page 1 only or the entire form? I have been told that Syphilis has been added as a Class A medical condition. Does she have to do the entire medical exam again because there were some changes to the medical requirements?

Here is a transcript of that conversation:
CO#1: Hey Cindy, watcha doin?
CO#2: Takin' a break.
CO#1: Got plans for tonight?
CO#2: Yeah, going to that new Italian restaurant on Alonzo St.
CO#1: Nice, you ever heard of a J-1 Visa?
CO#2: K-1?
CO#1: No, she said J-1.
CO#2: What time is it?
CO#1: About 11:15
CO#2: What are you doing for lunch?
CO#1: I've got this egg salad sandwich but if you're buying....
CO#2: I could use a beer or 12
CO#1: I'm in, let me finish this interview real quick

Where they marry will have no influence at all on the CR1 process. His question is not where he should marry her but if they should file for AOS directly or file for CR1.
An attorney's opinion would actually be good in this case. Because the I-129F petition shows that she had an intention to immigrate, even though when she entered the country she didn't plan to marry and stay. This is a tricky situation.
OP, if you file for AOS, we will most certainly get an interview, and that could be tricky on this particular point. An attorney could help you be prepared.

my advice is get an immigration lawyer to find out if u marry her now and adjust status or do CR1

We've used this plan for over a year when Mike was still in the Philippines. $25 for unlimited calls, could only make calls to Globe numbers though
http://duointernational.globe.com.ph/

It falls under Immigrant
Register online and it's pretty straight forward. If asked for Priority Date, use the Received Date on NOA1
http://photos.state.gov/libraries/manila/19452/public/Revised%20K1%20Instruction_rtf2_rtf2_001.pdf

Yes...that is normal in America. Lawyers will charge you lots of money.....Hey, law school is expensive

Abusers never stop, they only get worse. Get out now before he ups the ante, which he will inevitably do. You have to ask yourself if this man is worth dying for because one day somewhere down the line he may kill you. Your residency in the US is not nearly as important as you being safe and away from your husband. If you can prove physical and emotional abuse, you may try to file a VAWA petition but this is not ever a guarantee. First and foremost - GET OUT, GET A LAWYER, and FILE FOR DIVORCE.
Edit: It's against the law in most US states to force medical treatment on anyone unless they are being institutionalized, so the police absolutely will not compel your husband to take medication or stop drinking. All they can offer you is a temporary order of protection which I strongly encourage you to obtain. This can be extended by the court. But you need to understand that you cannot help him. You can only help yourself. If he refuses to be treated for his disorder then there is probably nothing anyone can do.

AoS from a K visa can take up to a year or so, depending on whether your application is transferred to a local office for an interview or remains at the service centre for a straight approval.
Did you file for employment authorisation at the same time as AP? If so, the EAD should carry a notation at the bottom that it "Serves as I-512 Advance Parole". This is her combined AP / EAD.

Do I need a medical exam?
What if I am a K nonimmigrant visa holder and already had a medical exam overseas?


If you were admitted as a:
A. K-1 fiancé(e) or a K-2 child of a K-1 fiancé(e); or as a
B. K-3 spouse of a U.S. citizen or a K-4 child of a K-3 spouse of a U.S. citizen; and
C. You received a medical examination prior to admission, then:
1. You are not required to have another medical examination as long as your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, is filed within one year of your overseas medical examination, and the medical examination did not reveal a Class A medical condition, or if you did have a Class A medical condition, you received a waiver of inadmissibility and have complied with the terms and conditions on the waiver.
From the I-693 instructions page 4, Section III. 2, c, 2


Even if a new medical examination is not required, you must still show proof that you complied with the vaccination requirements. If the vaccination record (DS 3025) was not properly completed and included as part of the original overseas medical examination report, you will have to have the vaccination report completed by a designated civil surgeon. In this case, you are required to submit the vaccination record and page 1 of Form I-693.
Do you need an I-693 immunization sheet? Is my DS-3025 filled out properly?
Look at your DS-3025. If it has the ALL of the following items, you don't need an I-693 (Adults 19-49 yrs old). 
1. Shots marked with a date (at least one of a series) 
•MMR 
•Td or Tdap or DT or DTP or DtaP (One no longer than 10 years ago, ie.have a booster)
•Varicella or VH written by it if you had chickenpox
•Influenza (during flu season)** see note below because you are most likely okay without it.
2. Everything else marked not age appropriate,  insufficient time interval, not flu season...things that allow a waiver.
3. RESULTS section filled in with "incomplete" and "may be eligible for blanket waiver" ticked or "complete" (but complete is rare).
4. Signed and dated by the doctor
If it's not completed EXACTLY like that then see a civil surgeon for the I-693. If it is complete, send a photocopy of your DS-3025. Almost isn't good enough. It needs to be filled out properly.
The USCIS is supposed to have your K1 medical files, but sometimes lose them or fail to match them up with your AOS. Do not get another exam unless you get an RFE that says they do not have results of your medical. It means they lost them, but you are probably stuck with paying for a new exam. Those kinds of RFE's are not about the immunizations or the form I-693; they are because USCIS failed to match up your other medical exam results with your AOS application.
**Note on flu shot: Flu shots are required for adults of all ages (changed Nov 2010) if your visa exam was between (Oct 1 and March 31). But if the AOS adjudicator picks up your case when it is not flu season, you will be excused. And the reverse is true. The adjudicator picks up your case during flu season, but sees it was NOT flu season when you had your medical exam, you are also excused because the date they go by is the date of your exam to determine if you were current on that date. Keep in mind that if you go to a civil surgeon for an I-693, then you are resetting the medical exam date for immunizations and you may have to get second doses of shots or a flu shot to become current on your new immunization date of record.
What if I only had one dose of MMR and it's marked "insufficient time interval"? Do I need to another dose and must I see a civil surgeon before AOS?
NO you do not need to see a civil surgeon unless USCIS loses the whole medical file you turned in at POE. If you were up to date the day that DS-3025 was signed, then you're okay without getting 2nd or 3rd doses. You can get them for your health, or you can not get them ever. It was not medically appropriate for you to get dose 2 on top of dose 1. There's a time interval for doses. So you get a waiver for "insufficient time interval" if that is marked on your DS-3025.  
If you are one of the unlucky ones with a lost medical, then you will have to get a full medical again. By then, enough time would have passed for dose 2 so expect the CS to say you need  it. Hopefully it won't come to that. 
If you just chose not to get a second dose that was due (because it was more than 4 weeks since dose 1) then you wouldn't have that "insufficient time interval" waiver marked on your DS-3025.  It was medically fine to have the second dose and you didn't. You aren't complete and have no waiver excuse.
What if I don't have a DS-3025?
If you are positive that you got the needed shots, then actually mailing in a DS-3025 photocopy is not necessary. The original form is with your other medical results and was turned over to USCIS at POE. That's actually the one that counts because it remained in the "chain of custody" so you didn't have an opportunity to alter it. The photocopy isn't really an official copy and is more for a reminder that you got complete at your visa exam. Of course without having a copy, you don't have the opportunity to see if the rest of the form was completed correctly.

It took us nearly 3 weeks to get the text and email.

1. This is the simplest method yes. It's SUPPOSED to be possible to do it after marriage but some offices screw it up
2. Yes. You tick the option "eligible to work" on the SS-5 as the K1 is eligible for a work permit.
3. Yes. Though a SSN isn't required for AOS, nor does it have to be in her married name for her to file in her married name.
4. You don't need an employer statement. The only thing the I-864 REQUIRES are tax returns and for you "proof of self-employment". Return transcripts are better, especially as you're self-employed, because there are additional forms that you would have to attach to your regular return. The transcript lists them all. Those alone would prove you're self-employed. Bank statements aren't a requirement, nor are pay stubs, though they do show that you are CURRENTLY employed so if you have anything that might help.

You will need also need your birth certificate we just did it not too long ago and then got name changed after married. Basically I-94 Birth certificate and ID your passport will work

One of the reasons people are saying to know their culture is that people think they change when they get here when what's really happened is the guy never understood her in the first place.
Most here seem to have met online and the drawback to that is not seeing them in their home environment with family, friends, neighbors, boyfriend (oops!), etc. You can try your best to learn, but there's no substitute for being there and if she is a scammer it will be impossible to hide. We have no information on how you met, what kind of experience you have with her, or what your spefific concerns are.
I had been all over the Philippines, long trips over many years before meeting mine and knew more about the history of Mindanao than she did. It wasn't a matter of meeting her and needing to learn about her culture afterwards. I learned about her culture and decided that it was the ideal place to choose a wife from. So the first day we met, I told her that I understood what was important to her and what she wanted out of life. Talk about kryptonite.
The other important thing is working hard to ensure they understand what the environment is going to be like for them here. Who knows what their expectations are but some are working with the premise that money grows on trees and their family is set for life if they marry a foreigner. We've had posters who acted like the big time sugar daddy in the beginning, establishing unrealistic expectations and if you do that then ultimately you have to deal with trouble when reality sets in.