StephAnn2012

Well thanks to everyone at VJ, my wife and I and her son are together and living almost happily in Kentucky. On the 87th day of her K1 VISA, we went to Social Security office and requested a SSN for her and were denied because her I-94 was going to expire soon.

We made an appointment to go to the field office near us with USCIS and they told us that because the I-94 was expiring soon, that SSN could not be obtained without doing something.

I don't remember what that was supposed to be.

Has anyone else gone past the 90 days before applying for a SSN? Do we file AOS then apply for SSN or take a completely different approach.

Help???

'Vanessa&Tony' Yes I know what the form says. Like i said, they can TRY, but usually it's thrown out because the immigrant is not a party to the contract. You wrote it yourself: "What If I Do Not Fulfill My Obligations?<br />If you do not provide sufficient support to the person who becomes a permanent resident based on the Form I-864 that you signed, that person may sue you for this support." MAY sue. Doesn't say anything about approval. There is a thread about this somewhere where someone looked into it. I see more people denied this as a means of support than I do approved, but if the OP wants to spend the money to try, that's on them.

I agree with V&T on this - "May Sue" is legalize for don't take this lightly.

I think the bigger problem is that you are being told by your husband that he will no longer support you. This is obviously a troubled marriage and I am sorry to hear that.

If you would like to save the marriage, consider getting your husband to go with you to marriage counseling. Isn't a marriage worth fighting to save? Also as others have said, it is impossible not to get a job in the US if you are willing to accept something that may be beneath you for a season, even if it is just to show you are willing to do whatever it takes to help with the bills -

Go get a simple job and tell him that if he gives you permission, you will use part of your pay to pay for counseling and the rest goes to help pay the bills. Showing him that you are in for the long haul and that a job is a job is a job -

We are all doing things other than what we dreamed in order to reach certain goals.

Please stop talking about going home and giving up your green card - Put the hope back into your dreams here - One of you needs to start fighting for this marriage, not fighting the marriage.

Good Luck and God Bless you!

<br />NSO birth certificate printed on security paper (NOT the certified copy from Local Civil Registry) - no expiry<br /><br />CENOMAR - valid within 6 months only.  Get a new one.<br /><br />NBI clearance - valid within 1 year.  Get a new one too.<br />

Thanks to both of you --- We are sooo pumped now!

My fiance is now getting ready for her interview in Manila - Our question is this: Some of her documents, certified copy of birth certificate and certificate of no marriage - were issued in May and July of 2012 - They have no expiration date on them, but since it has been 8 months since we filed and almost a year since these documents were issued, will they require us to get new documents?

Again, there is no expiration date on these two documents, we just want to be 100% for her interview.

<br /><img src='http://static-forums.visajourney.com/public/style_emoticons/default/devil.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> why wont you share the pdf's  <img src='http://static-forums.visajourney.com/public/style_emoticons/default/headbonk.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br />

I have been sharing them - as the author shared them on VJ before me - send me a pm with your email and I'll get them out to you - IF ANYONE CAN TELL ME HOW TO UPLOAD THE PDF HERE - I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO SO!

<br />Hi there, would you mind sharing the PDF with us as well?<br />I will message you my email address.<br /><br />Also, do you or anyone else on here have tips for things to include in our letter to the senator?<br />We filed in September, 2012 and we cautiously set a wedding date that we were hoping to be able to meet, so any bit of advice helps.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing,<br />Markie and Mark<br />

I have seen a lot of people set wedding dates before knowing and I think that is a very stressful way to approach this. - My advice is to wait until you get your NOA2 then plan 4 months out from there for your big wedding - When she gets here - go to City Hall and get legally married by a Justice of the Peace - then have your big wedding anytime you want -

<br />I agree. But no one knew if or when they would be approving at any decent rate. They could have easily kept the same slow pace they had been for all we knew.<br />

Bay - Give it a rest --- I'm glad I handled it the way I did - especially given the fact that nobody using CSC - was making any progress just one week ago - 8 months was too long --- and maybe, just maybe - MY diligence got everyone else approved - So in my world, the one I live in inside my head, I'm kind of a hero!

You should be thanking me!

<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bay - Give it a rest --- I'm glad I handled it the way I did - especially given the fact that nobody using CSC - was making any progress just one week ago - 8 months was too long --- and maybe, just maybe - MY diligence got everyone else approved - So in my world, the one I live in inside my head, I'm kind of a hero!<br /><br />You should be thanking me!<br />

Oh Wait -- that was MP&P - You were defending me -- Bay - You are my new hero -- right after me.

<br /><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="3"><font color="#4b0082"><b>Good for you.</b></font></font></font> <img src="http://static-forums.visajourney.com/public/style_emoticons/default/good.gif" /><br /><br /><br /><br />

If I hadn't done what I did, I would still be waiting because they put our case into storage... Congratulations to you !!

<br />Congratulations! And thank you for all of this helpful information!<br /><br />Please share the PDF! <img src='http://static-forums.visajourney.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br />

Give me your email address and I'll send the pdf to you

<br />3. I went to USCIS website and filled out an INFOPASS for an appointment with the local USCIS office.  I highly recommend this step as it was the first time I received any real help from them.  The case officer I met, found out that my fiance's application had been somehow connected to another application from another country for someone else seeking employment and that case had been closed and put in storage.  She was able to get it out of storage by making a phone call and filling out some online form. If I hadn't gone in to see her through INFOPASS, we would be waiting still, because our case was dead in the water and never to be seen again.  She told me to come back to her in 2 weeks to see what progress had been made and the result of her inquiry was a letter from USCIS telling me that they are working on our case and not to contact them again for 4 more months. <br /><br />I went to infopass to begin this process do I select Information and Other services then just make a non-specific appointment? Or do I need service on a case already filed? <img src='http://static-forums.visajourney.com/public/style_emoticons/default/headbonk.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />  Could you help?  <img src='http://static-forums.visajourney.com/public/style_emoticons/default/star_smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br />

I think I put non specific - as I had no case already filed number -

If you want the pdf - I can send it to you - just contact me privately to share email addresses.

I just gave the steps we took because it worked.

<br />Congratulations on your approval. <br /><br />I would have requested an expedite based on USCIS error when the infopass worker admitted the filing error.<br />

Bay - we were within the allotted timelines so they said they could do nothing - Of course I asked for a rush on things since it had been improperly handled.

We received our NOA2 at 2:15am today! I waited until we received the confirmation to share with all of you how we did it. I didn't want to offer up anything until I knew for sure. We filed on August 20, 2012 and waited patiently for 5 months and then began to get involved. Here is what we did and my opinion about each, now that I can look back on each step I took.

1. Calls to USCIS: At 5 months, like many others, I called USCIS customer support and was amazed at the low quality of their call center personnel. I learned later that the people at the call center are required to read from a script. The script they read from is what you will find at the USCIS website when you enter your WAC number. Verbatim, they read from the screen, the last correspondence they sent to you. Interrupt them at your own peril. Having any discussion with Tier 1 (frontline) people is a waste of time.

2. Call to USCIS (Tier 2): I read on VJ that it is best to insist on speaking with a Tier 2 support person and so I did that. The first time I did this, they told me that they agreed that the Tier 1 people can't do much for me as they are required to read from a script. Then they proceeded to tell me that they were within their stated timelines and couldn't do much for me and it was too early to ask for an expedite, so all I could do is wait for our case to go past the stated timeline. When I told them they had left their timeline at July 18th since December, they told me that they had no control over that at the Tier 2 level and that they could not deal with my specific case as it was within the stated timeline. In other words, more articulate, yet just as useless.

3. I went to USCIS website and filled out an INFOPASS for an appointment with the local USCIS office. I highly recommend this step as it was the first time I received any real help from them. The case officer I met, found out that my fiance's application had been somehow connected to another application from another country for someone else seeking employment and that case had been closed and put in storage. She was able to get it out of storage by making a phone call and filling out some online form. If I hadn't gone in to see her through INFOPASS, we would be waiting still, because our case was dead in the water and never to be seen again. She told me to come back to her in 2 weeks to see what progress had been made and the result of her inquiry was a letter from USCIS telling me that they are working on our case and not to contact them again for 4 more months.

4. I contacted a Senator from my home state by email and received a letter telling me who to call at his office to get help with a government agency. I called and spoke with a nice lady and she told me that I needed to fill out a form which she provided to me via email, giving them written permission to act on my behalf with USCIS to make an official inquiry.

5. After filling out the form, I made it a point to be pleasant, friendly, accommodating yet persistent until I got an answer I liked. I became the nicest person in the world but would call every other day if I hadn't gotten in touch with my contact at the Senator's office.

(The Senator assigns someone in his/her office to handle USCIS inquiries. This person is not a highly paid specialist, in my case, she makes $18,000 a year working for the Senator. I realized that she works for him because she believes in him, she is very sharp and ambitious, yet I needed to remember that she is working for very little money and that I needed to treat her with more respect and kindness, because I needed desperately for her to help me. What I found from USCIS is that the only way to get an application looked at is to have the request come from a Senator or a Congressman. USCIS assigns a Liaison from their office to the Senator/Congressman's office and the two become quite familiar with each other.)

In spite of the fact that I now had a "new friend" helping, I learned here at VJ that it is better to provide the Senator's office with ammunition to overcome the excuses that are so readily made by USCIS when inquiries are made.

The ACE up my sleeve came from the research done by another VJ member who put some amazing charts and graphs together. I copied them, put them together as a PDF file and sent them to my contact.

She had been working on our case for about 3 weeks up to that point and was probably sick of hearing from me, but I was so darn nice, she couldn't get mad at me.

When I sent the pdf file to her, she forwarded it to her contact and amazingly, she was told that our case was now being reviewed by a case officer and we would have our decision within 30 days.

My advice is to wait patiently for 5 months from the date of your application, then make an INFOPASS appointment to make sure your files are where they are supposed to be and then contact either your Senator or your Congressman to get their help.

Thanks to everyone at VJ for all the input you have provided which helps the rest of us on this journey.

Thank you God for helping us to get through the past 8 months of agony and anticipation.

There is a difference in what I suggested and what you did. I don't condone snooping into his privacy. You know if he intended to cheat, deceive or lie, you would have seen nothing by design. If you say he does not use the internet, has no email or profiles on any singles sites, he is a very rare man indeed.

I am suggesting that if you two are going to be one (married) you should give him your passwords to your email accounts and get his email password to see. If he is not hiding anything, he will share it without hesitation. If he is, then he will stall. The same is true for you. If you have things you wouldn't want him to see on your accounts, then you two really shouldn't move forward toward marriage. You are clearly not ready for that level of commitment if that is the case.

Don't snoop, discuss and observe. This is not a game, it is a life changing event. Good luck to you.

Long distance relationships are HARD - Period! The way it is supposed to work is this. You meet someone, you feel that spark between you and I don't mean just physical attraction. You take your time and get to know them. You find out what they are really like over a long period of time and if you decide you should be together, you ignore what else is going on out there, let the world's opinions be damned. If there is a concern on either side, you agree immediately to share passwords and go exploring. If either party is hiding anything, this would be a good time to admit it. If neither party is hiding anything, then the passwords should be traded and get the doubts out of each other's system.

My fiance and I use the same passwords for all our accounts and it is very refreshing knowing that there are no secret rooms in our lives. If you don't trust him after this, even if you find nothing, then the problem isn't him.

If you are unwilling to give him your passwords, then don't worry about what he is up to. If he is unwilling to give you his passwords on the spot, then don't move forward with the relationship.

I agree with those who would portend to get involved in affecting changes that may help others. There will always be a contingent among us who tell us to sit down and stop rocking the boat. Please name for me, one status quo which has changed without making waves. The more we know about the people, the process and the outcomes accomplished so far, the better our argument for change. I am not a union organizer, nor do I care much for unions, but I am a firm believer in organized, sprited dissension in the face of injustice.

If everyone of us who has been pushed to the back of the bus stood up and made our voices heard with one accord, don't you think the bus driver might take notice?

Sorry for writing like this, I just watched a marathon of Deadwood and find myself in turn of the century phraseology. Please forgivest thou me.

Carry on!

'Alex&Amy' "I really wonder how they can have one service center operating at 5 months and one at a year, surely that isn't legal for a federal agency to discriminate between one side of the country and the other. Also did you get the time frame in writing or is it just something someone said to you?"

I made an appointment with INFOPASS on the USCIS website and met with two representatives - This was my second meeting at the local office and I highly recommend that if you want real answers, you do the same. They told me that all service centers are

gearing up to handle more VISA applications since the DACA act was passed - They said that they were told to begin telling people to expect a 1 year timeline for processing applications. One of the two case officers said he was in a training class with a lot of new hires who have been recently added to the mix.

My opinion is that the one year date is to buy them time to get caught up. I imagine that the DACA act has been so successful that those who have already received their Golden Tickets have told their friends and that applicants are increasing by the day.

'Shilaci' - Everyone has an opinion - My response to your question is simple - If I were in your shoes I would make sure the appropriate officials know that I was scammed - Giving the details and hope they do the right thing. As far as how you feel and why you feel that way? I'll let you own that, you've earned the right to feel however you choose to feel. Anyone with an opinion about that should just move on to another topic - none of us has a right to correct anything about what you are going through - you didn't give us that permission -

From USCIS - CSC - March 20, 2013 - "Thank you for your inquiry. We are experiencing a longer processing period than what is currently reflected on our national website. Your I-129F, Petition for Alien fiance, is pending review. We recognize your interest in a final determination on your pending petition. The California Service Center is committed to processing this workload, and will be making every effort to finish reviewing your case as soon as available under our resource constraints. If your Form I-129F remains pending 120 days or more from the date of this response, you may call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 to inquire further about the status of your pending petition."

I also went to the USCIS local office and they told me that the new expected timelines they are allowed to give are 1 year from date of application.

I believe this is just padding to get so many of us to stop calling expecting them to do what they say they are going to do in the timeframe in which they said they would do it. Of course they have a right to be upset with us. We are such unreasonable people.

'duraaraa' - If I'm not mistaken, the 'law breakers' didn't come to the U.S. by choice -- they were brought by their parents.  While I don't like the fact that my application (I'm a December filer) is being slowed down any more than anyone else, I also think it's good that people who are not at fault but simply find themselves in this country (just as those of us who were born here did) will have a chance to stay here.

Back to the topic, though... I really hope they can be considerably more productive.  I know they sent many of the DACA cases to Texas, so hopefully they can work on our petitions sooner.  The wait causes a lot of suffering for all of us.

Duraaraa? The question is not whether the children of illegals should have the opportunity to become part of the legitimate, but their place in line! You filed in December - how would you feel if 5 months go by and you find out that 100,000 applicants filed a few days ago and already have their paper work in process? That is happening! All of us who filed last year in late July, August and after have been stood to the side because of the DACA act that began in earnest in September -

I was told today by USCIS that they are pushing their expected timeline back to 1 year from date of application. And this happened because of one thing -- the immigration reform act that put the illegal's at the front of the lines -

I read conflicting information on USCIS website about changing address. But I found nowhere whether our case will be moved if my new address falls under a different Service Center. I moved from IL - (CSC) to KY (VSC) - We filed in August and were told that our case would remain with CSC since it was filed and most likely soon to be processed. Then when I completed the address change with Brenda at USCIS, she told me that our case would retain it's place in line but be moved to VSC. She said CSC is currently processing July 18 and VSC is processing July 2 applications. Any intelligent input is appreciated.

My second question is based on the Igor's List - Vermont is kicking California's butt as far as processing K-1's currently. I'm no statistician, but 50% of August filers and 80% of July filers are reported on Igor's list - Versus - 20% of August filers and 75% of July filers at CSC.

Am I missing the point?

Overall, will our case benefit by the move to VSC being that we filed in August and VSC seems to be wrapping up August currently?

'calibob' "She lived with my wife for 10 years, been living with an Uncle near her school in a city far from her birth parents.  We call/skype often to keep up with her."

I wish you and your wife well.  Personally, I would take the advice of lawyers in the US and Philippines over a free forum of immigration processors every time.

Since there are obviously facts that were not evident in your postings here, any advice given is suspect.  I know everyone's hearts are in the right place and I really hope this works out for you and your adopted daughter.  She is lucky to have you guys to love and watch out for her. Depending on her education, you might be able to find a sponsor company who wishes to hire her.  Nursing would be the best avenue as the doors are wide open to filipina trained nurses in the US.

My fiancee has a brother who knows how to make babies - 6 so far - He and his ex just don't know how to take care of them so we are doing what we can to make sure they all get a good education.

'Ryan&

Like I say, the guides have all the answers!

I liked your response to her question - we should all truly try to help others here, not put them down for asking a question in a forum designed to answer same. Good job!

<br />Can anyone contact me with private email to help translate some what I believe is Tagalog or Visyan ? I tried online and I am getting no where with it . I am not sure what words are together and I am getting so many different meanings .<br />

What is it that you are trying to translate?

Dimitri? Please pay attention to what everyone is trying to tell you. You came into a great place to get help with VISA related issues and I think you are getting defensive without understanding what everyone is saying.

You said you've been to a lawyer when you came to the US. Fine, why come on a forum to ask about it if you already have expert advice?

I'm guessing it is because you have your doubts about what the lawyer told you.

Having said that, go and research what everyone is saying - Ask your "lawyer" about any problems you will face for having come into the US the way you did and getting married 8 days after arrival. See what his or her advice is and stop wasting your time getting irrelevant advice from people who clearly don't understand your unique situation.

But be advised, the advice they are trying to give you could help you stay in the US if you'll pay attention.

"It is not illegal i went to a lawyer when i came here. Cause i came Legal in the states i am ok. Plus Obama changed the Law and now i can adjust status from here. I just wanted to know what to pu in this blank. Everything more that that i think its irrelevant."

allsmiles1971 - I just brought my fiance and his son here from out of the country on a I129F visa and K2 visa and I would like to know if any of you have applied for Florida Kid Care and is it ok to do so.

Did you look on the website for it? - http://www.floridakidcare.org/eligibility.html

That is where you should start, not here.

Thanks Magical -- We are glad to be here and come online every day to see if we are still on the same bus as yesterday.