Ryan1

Thanks for the advice so far. A few folks replying, while I appreciate greatly your time and thoughts, I don't know some folks get a bit anxious, if not agresssive, in tone. Maybe, my title was misleading..visits can be broadly interpreted.. i should have said, living in 2 countries usa and home country.

You are correct in your assessment that they can take about GC, and one must be very careful to heed the requirements, but you are missing the big 'grey' area, as many of the requirmeents are up to interpretation.

There is nothing in the law that says you can't live in 2 countries. This is 21st century and global society.

The big critera is "LPR's close family members', which is in the US in these cases. Also , GC holding parents who live in 2 countreis can easily get bank accounts, address here USA, etc, which is not too hard.

The biggest in terms of re-entry is that GC aren't outside US for more than 1 year. But even then, you can get a waiver, but must be done in their home country before trying to 're-enter' usa.

Again, I would love to bring them here on tourist visas, but US embasey always says no. So what else to do??, I as US citizen have a right to have my parents be here for their grandchild's birth, etc.

keep the comments coming , as I think a lot of people are in a similar 'boat' , and this topic is under-discussed in VJ.

thanks

Hi,

I wanted to see if anybody else out there has experience bringing parents to USA as LPR (green card), but the parents only want to live in US 1 month per year, and the rest of the time back in home country.

You may ask: why petition them for Green card, instead of tourist card?

Answer: b/c US keeps denying people who live in 3rd world tourist visas (even with US citizen kids in USA). So they can't come here to visit grandchildren, etc, unless they get the green card. In other words, they want to live in two countries (they are retired), USA part year and home country part year.

I've heard of many naturalized us citizens petionining to get their parents US LPR, in large part so they can visit them here 1 per year, since US routinely denies tourist visas to folks living in the 3rd world, regardless of whether they have US citizen children.

So basically, just wondering if anybody else out have experience with having foreign retired parents who want to live in two countries (month or two per year in USA and the rest of the time in home country).

I realize that to keep US LPR , one has to be in country 1 week per year, to keep status (and have address, etc).

thanks for any thoughts..

My wife passed the N400 interview today! yea! very easy, they only asked to see her state ID and asked a few questions on the n400. Questions for civics test seemed randomly generated by computer. Guess less bias if the IO doesn't even select which questions to ask.

We wife changed her name as part of the naturalization process, so now we have to wait for oath letter. (we could have had oath same day, - hopkins plaza -baltimore- but not b/c of name change).

Just curious about time between citizenship interview and oath ceremony for anybody out there who also changed his/her name as part of the N-400?

I heard if you change your name it goes to judicial oath and/or court? We live in Montgomery co., guess it might go to rockville? The IO said it should only be about 1 month total waiting time until oath cermony. We hope no longer... since we are traveling this summer.

best, R.

Any recent experiences between waiting time between cit. test in B-more, MD and oath ceremony.

Hoping not too long.

thanks!

Hi,

just got letter that i have to do my fingerprints again, b/c "FBI are unable to read your finger print card"

This sucks.

good question. Actually, just by coincidence, she is in process of renewing her Russian passport. She hasn't gotten the valid one back yet, and probably she won't for another 2 months since its a bureaucratic wait.

So technically , as of the day we sign the n-400 and send it in (this week), she is with expired Russian passport and valid Cuban passport. All ties are in Cuba, which is her country of birth and the country of citizenship we've been using, since that's where she originally got her K-1.

I may call the 800 number tomorrow, but I doubt there will clarify much. I don't think its a huge deal either way, but I just don't want to put Cuba and Russia on the n-400, and then we have red flags go up, since we had only put Cuba on the forms up until this point (mainly b/c the other forms were unclear about country of citizenship(S))). IE , she got her green card just lising Cuba as country as birth/citizenship.

Hi,

Question about n-400 natualization based on marriage to US citizen.

Our confusion is about question on n-400 - Part 3 E - country of nationality. My wife is dual citizen (cuba/russia), soon to be tri-citizen I guess

Anyway, on all of the other forms previously submitted to USCIS (751, k-1, etc), we put my wife's country of birth - Cuba as country of citizenship.

This is where her 'ties' are as well.

However, my wife is also citizen of Russia (and has valid passport). She hasn't been back in over 15 years, has no ties to Russia, but anyway, remains a citizen there too.

So, on the Part 3 E. for n-400 , I am tempted to put just Cuba as country of nationality (so as not to start confusion , since we didn't list russia anytime before) ,

OR should we put Cuba and Russia? We don't really care what US certificate says, we just want to be consistent and correct and not cofuse anything at this point.

Furthermore, the actual wording of the intructions for Part 3 E. on the N-400 is confusing in itsefl. In the instructions for 'country of nationality' , USCIS says list country (countries) of nationality, but then in a note (2) that follows it: IT READS: "if you are citizen or national of more than one country, write the name of the country that issued last passport". So, i should just write Cuba then?

I am tempted just to write cuba, and then tell the officer during the interview that also citizen of Russia, if that matters?

thanks for any advise!

Hi,

I am sure this question has been asked before, but I couldnt' seem to find a thread.

My wife will shortly be applying for citizenship based on 3 yrs. (b/c she married us citizen). Since she will be applying as permanent resident for 3 yrs, married to US citizen, do all of the questions on the n-400 form that say 5 years, just mean 3 for her?

For example,

6.a.

where have you lived during past five years?

[do we take this to mean just 3 years?]

Another example is,

6b. where have you worked past 5 years.

and

7c. Trips outside US past 5 years.

[3 years for us?]

I was going to just put answers for just 3 years , but then got confused and anxious since all of the questions are posed as "FIVE" years.

thanks for your help

Hi all,

One point and then question.

(1) we were approved! For those that are curious we sent in our 751 to VSC nov. 11, 2008. So for those of you around this time, be on the look out.

(2) question: on the approval letter (I-797C) ...They have my wife's first name just initial followed by her last name correctly spelled out (on the address box).

is this okay? I hope they have her first name fully spelled out on teh GC.

This is first time, we've seen her first name truncated with just first initial then last name spelled out, but then again she has long first name, so maybe it didn't fit on address box.

So it would be like J. Smith (then address under that), instead of John Smith. ON our original 797 NOA it has her full name spelled out correctly as petitioner , but again truncated first name in address box.

I hope its okay, i.e. GC has first name! but they say to call customer serice if 'any information shown above is incorrect"

thanks!

yea, my wife feels the same way. We don't have any concerns about getting back in US with the extension letter, but we do have worry about the 'extension letter' being recoginized by her home country (cuba). we are afraid they will say that GC is 'expired' so can't let you go on plane.... the letter will appear weird to non - US eyes. They will probably laugh at such a flimsy document.

Some just worried they'd lose the extension letter or it wouldn't be recoginized as much as a stamp in the PP.

She has received her extension letter already, but as you mentioned, her concern is that when she is departing Vietnam, the letter wouldn't be recognized as much as the stamp in her passport. She isn't as much concerned about entering the US with just the extension letter, as she is about going through customs in Vietnam when leaving.

getting ready to send I-751 to the Vermont service center, but noticed that in the 751 instructions it says send to:

USCIS Vermont Service Center

75 Lower Welden Street

St. Albans, VT 05479-0001

But on the USCIS website it includes PO box line with address:

USCIS Vermont Service Center

75 Lower Welden Street

P.O. Box 200

St. Albans, VT 05479-0001

Does it matter which one I use?

thanks!

so in other words, my mother in law comes , she would come in as US Perman. resident, and there is no way to get her health insurance? we are not rich.... (I could spare 500 per month)

she will be like 70... so you kniow... what does one do? Of course she will need Health care eventually? do they leave her on the street?

My wife (once she becomes US citizen) eventually will want to bring her mother to US. We were wondering about health insurance?

I imagine she will not qualify for medicare b/c not enought work time in US? Maybe she could get Medicare but have to pay all premium, which is i think like 700 per month?

Anybody have experience with getting health insurance for aging parent who you recently brought to the US?

On another note, she may qualify for SSI from SSA, even though recent entered US?

The health insurance question is most important. she has great health insurance in her own country, but if we have to eventually bring her here to US (b/c she'll be alone), we fear about her quality of health care here?

cheers,

The interview would happen in Cuba or Russia. She is living in Cuba now, but she is actually a citizen of Russia, so maybe should could go back there to do the interview.

ITs a 2 year wait just for interview for tourist visa in Habana; I'm sure Russia is less wait time.

Is there a forum on this site focused on tips/process of getting a US tourist visa , which would be for

wife's mother (who is not US citizen and has never been to US, but wants to visit us here in US)

I am the US citizen, my wife is permanent resident. the one we want to come visit us is my wife's mother in law, but she needs tourist visa first!

thank! Ryan

Is there a forum on this site focused on tips/process of getting a US tourist visa , which would be for

wife's mother (who is not US citizen and has never been to US, but wants to visit us here in US)

thank! Ryan

We just got transferred to California service center.

I know this topic has been discussed before, and I apologize if I am duplicating efforts... Even after skimming the prior emails, I am still a bit confused about why our AOS was transferred to CSC (california service center) -- we applied from the DC area.

Some seem to suggest that being transferred is good?? no interview? Some seem to argue that its b/c our local office is swamped, thus they transferred it (maybe too we've been waiting for about 7 months now for even an interview data and no word from USCIS - besides two days ago, via email, telling us the case had been tranferred)

If it is indeed a good thing to be transferred to CSC, is there any general average about how long it takes from the transfer date to getting the conditional green card?

very best, R.

Biometrics was done in Wheaton MD, near silver spring

We submitted the AOS in the beginning of Aug., 2006. We promptly did the biometrics and received the EAD. (we also did receive a NOA1) .

HOWEVEr since then we have received not a word from immigration. We have been expecting to get an interview date for some time, but still nothing. Should we begin to worry (do INFO pass) or just hang tight for a few more months. Its been about 8 months since we submitted AOS and no word on even an interview date. is this normal. Our local office will probably be in the Maryland (DC metro area)

thanks for your response!

best, R.

anybody have issues/experience with permanent residency and gaining in-state tuition.

My spouse is currently 'pending permanent resident'... we applied for instate tuition in maryland, but have been getting the run around in their office. They don't quite know how to handle a K-1 visa holder.

the big questions:

most universities require in time to gain in-state. MD requires 1 year.

(1) does the clock start ticking once she arrived in MD (as K-1) or once she offically gets GC. I think its the former (once she arrived with K-1 and starting living with me

(2) does she need GC in hand to gain in-state. we are applying for Fall, so we have time, just hope that GC comes before may so we have better chance to get in-state tuition -- which by the way we deserve since I pay lots of income taxes to MD year after year.

Right now we are just waiting. My wife has here EAD and we hope to hear from AOS interview soon; we applied like 6 months ago and still nothing on the AOS interview side of the equation.

thanks!

Okay, I know I should know this by now, but I can't figure it out...

How do you know that you have "been touched" during the AOS process. I suppose you know by signing up for electronic notification through USCIS, but I can't remember how to do this.

anybody have a link for this?

what information do I need to put in to get access to our case (e.g. my wife's A# or ...).

best,

R.

silly to even think they would ask you this in an interview..

Garfield,

but what about applying for FSA knowing that by the time the funds would be distributed to her (at least 6 months later) my wife will be permanent resident. . . (the sooner you apply for FSA the better()

an important clause in FSA publication:

"A student who has an approved application for permanent

residence on file with the USCIS and who is waiting for a permanent

resident card may not have proof of her permanent resident status.

She should contact her local USCIS office for the passport stamp or I-

94 stamp described at the end of this chapter, as these are available to

a student before the normal permanent resident documentation is

issued. Note that an application for permanent resident status is not

sufficient for determining eligibility for FSA funds. "

.also, as you mention we could get Bank loans, but we would prefer to avoid them and stick with FSA,

AFAIK, only US Citizens and GC holders are eligible for FAFSA, a pending GC holder is not included. Your wife can apply for student loans from banks or other sources though.

thanks.

it is easy for relatively fluent non-native english speakers.. but could be kind of hard if his/her english is sketchy. . just take a practice test to see (available in those TOEFL study guides they sell)