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Thank you so much!

I guess people thinking I am braging here about my wedding! And I do not! I did not have big or expencive wedding.It was 60 people and it was nice. All of us here talking about EVIDENCE to the USCIs and in this case everything you have I though is good.

It is extremely heartbreaking to me and my husband that I we have to go through everything we have as evidence of our relationships to prove something to someone so we can be together. I know many of you guys here feel the same. It is sad but it is an immigration reality.

Please I do not need more input on this since I see it creates frustration in readers!

I guess having a wedding and all family there is not evidence for USCIS!

I don't see the requirements as particularly burdensome. A bank statement showing both of your names on the checking account and a copy of the declarations page from your auto policy with both names would be more than enough to meet the standards required for your AOS application. Pictures from the wedding would be nice supporting evidence but aren't necessary or required.

USCIS received my application package on 8/14/2012. We've completed biometrics and are waiting for the interview notice at this point. I've been checking the status of the application online and the I-130 and I-765 are currently in Initial Processing while the I-485 is still in Acceptance. Is this usual? Will the I-485 only change to Initial Processing after the I-130 is approved?

I believe you can still work under the terms of your F1 while under AOS (if you currently have an RA or TA gig), but since the EAD is free if filed concurrently, there's no reason not to.

Hello!

My husband and I are going through divorce right now. I just received a paper from him requesting a trial for spousal support. He claims he didn't work for last year of our marriage (in reality he works in a hotel and lives there free and gets paid under the table). So I am wondering since he signed i-864 for me will I have to pay spousal support??? and does anyone know is it possible to obtain copy of i-864 from USCIS since i didn't save one....

I'm employed but I make less then 125% poverty guideline. Court also granted me a waiver for Court fees since I don't make much money...

If he's working under the table, you can always try reporting him and his employer to the IRS http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/How-Do-You-Report-Suspected-Tax-Fraud-Activity%3F

Did you have an interview? If the application was denied without that happening, it's likely that there was a paperwork screwup (RFE sent and not responded to) and your lawyer didn't fix it or tell you about it.

Thanks for the help. So basically, after his masters in engineering, he needs to do 5 years of engineering related work with an employer who is willing to sponsor his work visa and he will be able to apply for a green card? How does this process work, is he automatically getting the green card after 5 years of work, or is it some kind of waiting list/lottery/point-system where it might take years to process the GC application?

This is a bit off topic, but what if he completed his masters of engineering program in Canada and did work there. The family thinks its easier to get a Canada citizenship.

What would likely happen is that he'd work on an H1B for some company and if they like him enough, they'd sponsor him for an employment-based immigrant visa. With only a bachelor's he'd only be eligible for an EB-3 visa (which currently has a 6-9 year wait depending on your country), with a Master's he could be sponsored for an EB-2 (which is currently backlogged a year and a half, but in most years is open for beneficiaries who aren't from India or mainland China who have a five year wait).

I really like a lot of the designs on Gemvara.com, and I think mine will come from there (not sure about his: we haven't discussed it yet). You can customize everything, and it's really fun to play with all of the different options!

Having a bit of drama with the potential photography company: the representative just kind of mentioned as a random aside at the end of my long meeting with her that another difference between the 2 packages they offer is that with the less expensive one (the one I wanted), it takes 4-6 months to get the photos afterward, and with the more expensive one, it's 4-6 weeks. This wasn't mentioned in any of the promotional materials: website, brochures, etc. Even the contract she gave me (which I haven't signed) says 4-6 weeks: when I questioned it, she replied that the 4-6 weeks is only for the other package. Um, yes, but where does it say that? This is a contract, right? Shouldn't it accurately state what it is that I'm agreeing to? I really love the photographer we picked and in general I'm fine with this company, but this whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth. Ugh. Of course, I'm generally just funneling all of my angst about things I *can't* control into my response to this, and it's not such a big deal, but annoying.

On the plus side, the music director at the church agreed to play the historic pipe organ for the ceremony, and she's really excited about it! She's an amazing musician, and one of the nicest people in the world, so I'm thrilled to pieces. Also, we seem to have settled on an invitation design that we both like! Although, of course, he says he wants his Ugandan name listed after his surname, for some reason, which will confuse the heck out of everyone, but I guess they (and I) will deal with it.

My wife and I did our bands through Gemvara and it worked out great. For the engagement ring we did a custom ring at The Natural Sapphire Company. We never had to set foot in a store. It's amazing what 3D printing has done to the jewelry business.

My wife and I eloped at a picturesque B&B in the Texas Hill Country (it turns out that a lot of B&B's in the state offer packages for this type of thing). I'd just started a new job and didn't have much time off, so we drove up on a Friday, got married Saturday and came back Sunday. It worked out great and the pictures we got weren't bad.

If they're going to do engineering, see if they can get into a masters program that's funded. It will be much faster to get a green card through an EB-2 visa instead of an EB-3.

Having been a teacher, I don't agree if you are blaming under-performance on the teachers. I've been the white teacher in an all black ghetto school and taught the richest kids in town at another. There's a lot more to it than the teacher.

I'm not blaming the teachers and my experience has led me to believe that good students make good schools and not the other way around, but a good teacher is more likely to be able to get the job teaching APs in a rich suburb and less likely to have to teach remedial classes in the ghetto unless he chooses to. That having been said, the major point I was making is that the reasons that poor districts provide poor educations has little to do with funding.

As internet dating sites go, eHarmony is a particularly marriage oriented one (and also has a somewhat religious ethos to it, they won't match atheists or same sex couples).

US schools are funded by the area they are in I believe.

So if you live in a "poor" area the school generally isn't as good- teachers, facilities etc.

School's are not federally funded like other parts of the world so their are great disparities with the quality of the education.

I would look at 1) where you are planning to live and review the neighborhood schools, 2) review private options if you can , 3) compare what your daughter wants to get out of the school to what the school can offer IE/ if she wants to go to beauty school and just finish HS and get her HS diploma or if she wants to study medicine - those things will help you determine between what schooling options are available and appropriate.

Lastly, I just want to say, I had the same notion when I came here about the schools but was pleasantly surprised by the standard in my area, however I went to a less fortunate area of California to visit new family and saw some schools there and there was great disparity between what was offered and the caliber of students each establishment produced. So it really really does depend on the area. I would also have your daughter do some testing at the school she is looking to go into, she may test ahead. I know the UK schooling system is generally quite good so she may end up in the year above

The problems of schools in poor districts are largely unrelated to funding as few of said districts are actually "underfunded" in any meaningful sense. Washington DC public schools spend tons of money per pupil and still suck. Check http://www.state.nj.us/education/guide/2012/ for some data from my home state of New Jersey. Compare a poor district like Newark, Camden, or Irvington with a fancy suburban district like Millburn, Bernards Township, or New Providence and you'll see that per pupil costs are frequently lower in the richer districts. Poor districts tend to have worse teachers because the good teachers would rather teach well behaved and eager students in rich, suburban districts than deal with the disciplinary problems and safety hazards inherent in teaching in poor, urban ones.

JULIE ,

what is wrong with that if they regulate a fix price for the medical exam ? it should be done and they should be made to abide this so they cannot exploit the vulnerable.somebody said in my post that what if they form some union and tell the govt that they are going to charge what they wan't ? well that is exactly what the govt.'s job is to stop businessmen working as a gang especially in the health sector.that is just unethical.this is not why the United states is famous for and your notion that "what if the govt tell the lawyers to fix their charging fee". i would welcome that if that happens ever but LAW and medical practice are two different things.A lawyer with better reputation and track record will charge more which is pretty justified.you will be better paid if you are better than the bunch.whereas on the other hand. all the CS's have the same qualifications and perform the same service in which it does not matter who is better than the other.my views may differ from the lot here but a lot of them will agree. But this is exactly what the purpose of this forum. to express freely and to get united against the BAD. have a nice day and god bless

Whether or not there is a moral imperative to do so, regulating the fees that civil surgeons charge will lead to fewer doctors choosing to be civil surgeons which means you'd likely have to travel farther for an exam (there is only one practice in my town registered as civil surgeons, and the next closest ones are an hour and a half drive away) and book appointments farther in advance to get one.

Alright, we made the drive out today and got there around 12:30. They were busy then and told us we could try to check again at 2PM, so we got lunch and wandered for a bit and came back at 2. We went right in and after 15-20 minutes we were out.

We met in grad school in the US. It was lab-cest.

My wife just received her I-797C with her biometrics appointment on it. Unfortunately, it's scheduled for the day of the week that she is busiest (she's an F-1 taking a full load of classes and teaching.) Would it be better to try to reschedule the appointment for a day of the week when she has time to go or should we just try to show up when we have time during the week? Our ASC is Houston (the one on US-290, not the one in Sugarland) and getting there is an hour and a half drive each way.

I sent in the application for my wife's AOS from F1 2.5 weeks ago including my tax returns for the past three years and a letter from my employer verifying my employment. Five days ago, my employer informed everyone that they would be declaring bankruptcy and laying off the entire staff. I was officially let go yesterday (8/24). Do I need to inform USCIS about this and find a cosponsor? Do I need to wait for USCIS to contact me about this first?

That's not correct, a foreign citizen is only has an authorized stay for a specific amount of time starting when they enter. If the foreign citizen does not leave the US and does not officially extend their authorized stay, then they incur overstay by law.

Yes, but there's an exception for Canadian tourists who arrive without a visa or I-94. They don't become Out of Status until some sort of action or adjudication by DHS determines them to be so.

Read guides, don't leave the country. Your overstay is forgiven since you are married now. YAY! but read the guides than come back and ask away. I gather you'll have to do the I-130 and Adjustment of Status and a bunch of other forms. Just money but nothing close to that 4K or 5K. Thats a good thing. And we are all here to help each other.

So get to reading.

Additionally, since you came as a Canadian tourist, I believe you haven't technically overstayed as you haven't have a judge or immigration authority adjudicate you have done so.

When your wife first came to the US as a student. She should have a little yellow immunization record book shows that she had MMR in china

I had mine but I lost it when I moved. So I had to get 4 shots in total

You can also have them test your blood to see what vaccine you have. But it takes time and money.

Apparently, she didn't get a yellow book when she did her medical exam before coming over here, so it looks like it's time for shots. The civil surgeon is claiming she needs MMR and Hep B vaccine even though the CDC page says you should only need Hep B if you're under 18.

I tried to ask my dad to notarize my birth certificate in China

And the office asked for my passport, current visa, and a handwritten letter from me says I am asking my dad to do this for me

and It's gonna take more than 15 days,

So I found someone here in the US to do it

What about immunization records? Did you have to (were you able to, and if so, how?) track down a copy of that and get it translated or did you just get all the shots again? Thanks for your help.

(birth certificate, certificate of no criminal record, certificate of no marriage) -

anyone besides the lass listed in her hukuo book back home ?

if so, she can ask that person to handle all in China.

Don't forget the notarial translations

The Hukuo 'controls all' for getting these other documents. She's listed in someone else's book already - who's is she listed in ?

She's still in her parents' hukou. She called the local notarial office in her hometown last night and apparently her parents need to bring her national ID, their marriage certificate, and a handful of passport photos for them to do it.

My wife and I are starting to get our documents in order to apply for her AOS from an F-1 visa. It appears that we need to obtain several notarial documents from the Chinese (People's Republic of) government to do so (birth certificate, certificate of no criminal record, certificate of no marriage)? Is there any way to obtain these documents abroad such as through a Chinese consulate or do we need to have her parents get them in China and mail them to us?