Em&Stephanie

Thank you!

I-864, Part 6. Sponsor's income and employment.

My income is not enough to be the sole sponsor of my wife. (Has been in previous years, but this year we have moved and I have been out of work until recently)

So in addition to me filing form I-864 to sponsor my spouse, I have asked my mom to help co-sponsor.

The question I have is my mom will be signing to I-864 as the co-sponsor, right now I'm trying to sort her income off the tax returns from the previous years. The problem is on my parents tax returns they have filed jointly. So we are having a hard time finding just what my moms earned income was.

Can we list just my moms current income on Part 6 #5, then used the combined income of my parents on Part 6 #13.a/b/c?

Can we list just my moms current income on Part 6 #5, then used the combined income of my parents on Part 6 #13.a/b/c?

Oh, good to know! Thanks!

We've sent off the AOS package finally

Hopefully there won't be any issues, I am itching to get a job!

Looking into volunteering also, what are the rest of you beneficiaries in the US doing with your spare time?

I'm also ready to get my Maryland driving license sorted, I need to take a drug and alcohol program (which includes a 15 minute test I will take tomorrow), a knowledge test and then the practical test before I can get a license so they don't make it easy for us foreigners to come in and start driving on their streets here (crazy 'cos so many MD drivers are bloody awful!)

Stuart

I feel the same way. I want to find a job too, any job. I just don't like being idle for this long work-wise. I want to volunteer to and in-laws suggested volunteering for the church which is just two houses away. During my spare time I do chores, even if I don't have to. Just because I do want to do something every once in a while lol. Driving is also part of my next goals >_> I have no experience in driving, since there was no need for it back in my country. Public transportation was everywhere.

Beautiful pictures! I love your dress!

Congrats! That's okay. I think most of us here have the same plan too. If all goes right, we plan ours sometime in spring or summer. If it doesn't work out, we'll push for our anniversary date.

We're still working on the AOS. Hopefully, we'll send it off by the end of this week.

Em is going stir crazy too! He's been spending some days at home helping out my dad (he had back surgery 3 weeks ago), some days with me at my office, and some days with my mom at her office. But all he's doing is watching TV shows online. When he's at home he does chores too, just to feel like he's doing something. We're going to ask around at some architecture firms to see if he could work as an unpaid apprentice or intern. He really misses driving too, and we weren't able to get him a SS card before the government shut down, so he's just stuck for a while.

I read some of the things you all have written on here to him, and it made him feel better to know he's not alone. :-)

I have a question. When Em landed at his POE, they kept his sealed packet. Is that normal, or do they normally give it back?

Nevermind, I googled and found it. I had no idea we could do that! I'm so glad I read your post!

Congrats to all of us, we deserve it I think!! -- and my best wishes to those of you still interviewing/waiting for visa!

It's hard to believe Mikko has already been here almost a week! He arrived last Friday, and POE in San Diego was very straightforward, only took about 45-50 minutes from when the plane landed. Had a great first weekend, and immediately bought a large smart TV (since I only had a very very old standard tv from 1990!), so he could spend some time while I'm at work watching TV. His belongings are being shipped from Finland, but that will take a few weeks, so in the meantime he's got the necessities and is settling in fine.

Only downside is that, as often happens, he caught some bug on the plane, and he's been quite sick for the past couple days, fever and cough and cold. Nothing needing a doctor, and it's getting better already now, but it kind of put a damper on the excitement (and intimacy!) levels for a few days. I think it's almost passed now, so we'll have another good weekend!

We retrieved his I-94 online, no problems there. Next Friday we'll go to the Social Security office and see if we can get his SSN -- hopefully that will also go smoothly. Wedding is scheduled for October 25, but that may have to be pushed back a week or so, since we're still waiting on the lawyers to finish up our pre-nup, so that's adding a little stress just waiting for them!

We've been exploring his interests in the area (local shops and things) when we have time, and we'll probably try to get a library card for him next week. After he has SSN, we'll try for a California state ID (maybe not allowed until after AOS, but we'll give it a try!), open a joint bank account, and various other things, so we still have a full schedule of things to be thinking about .... but it is SO MUCH BETTER to be here together every day and just relaxing in each others' company!

How do you get the I-94 online?

for those who have married, have you gotten your certified copies of your marriage certificates yet ? we need it for AOS and are still waiting for ours!!

We actually went to the courthouse to pick up our copies, rather than wait for them in the mail (they were only $2 per copy, so we got a few just in case). We haven't applied for the AOS yet, waiting to hear back from our lawyer about a couple of questions. My poor hubby is going stir crazy not being allowed to work or drive

It was a very small private ceremony, so the pictures were all from smart phones. These are just a few my pastor's wife took.

Approved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The interviewer said the paperwork that was turned in was nicely done or something like that. I can't remember but it sounded like he was impressed..... She'll be here September 7th!!!

VISA APPROVED!!!

Congratulations!!

BTW...Em got here on Thursday, and we were married on Saturday!! We're so happy!!

Em got his plane tickets this morning! He'll be here a week from today, and we'll be legally married 2 days later (church wedding is planned for November 2nd)!!

Congratulations to Amber! God bless your marriage!

Congratulations to ButterflyAngelo on your approval!

This is all so exciting!

And, what discoverusa said probably makes more sense than what I said.

As far as getting a job, I have no idea...but, to take classes in the U.S. (yes, even just online courses) you have to have your transcripts sent through a company called WES for them to translate and send to the school where you'll be taking classes. Even U.S. born citizens have to show transcripts in order to be accepted into a school. You should be able to contact the University where you got your bachelor's degree to ask them for your transcripts. I don't know what marks cards are, so I can't help with that. As far as the TOEFL exam, international/immigrant students have to either pass the TOEFL exam, or take and pass an ESL (English as a Second Language) class, depending on the school you wish to attend.

No reason why you cannot. If it makes you feel better, just send in 2 copies, one with the highlight and the other without.

I highlighted on my initial petition and had no problem. Like GreenlsdanewBlack said, you could always send another copy without the highlighting in addition.

I agree with Darnell. Assuming she opts to stay in the US with her child, she is qualified to file for AOS. However, this will require the participation of her husband. Another option is to take the VAWA route. The VAWA allows certain persons (spouses, children and parents) to file immigration petitions for themselves without involving their USC spouse, parent or descendant. The USCIS website provides for a hotline number to call in VAWA cases available here http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=b85c3e4d77d73210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=b85c3e4d77d73210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

If this behavior persists she should really consider leaving her husband's home for her and her child's safety. Also, for each incident she should consider filing a police/incident report to document the abuse. These records will be helpful when she decides to take any action in court later on, or even file her own immigration petitions. She should also consider contacting any friends or relatives that could house her and her child in the meantime. Filipinos usually have a network of relatives and friends in the US that are willing to help in situations like this.

Good tips for protecting her and the child! At the very least, if she's afraid to go to the police or unable to leave the house to do so, she should keep a personal log with dates and details of each incident. This can also be used in the future. It's not as solid of proof as an incident report, but still acceptable in court.

If you give me a better idea of where she is, at least the state, I can look up some resources to give you. I have logs of state and national organizations that offer victim care.

Here's a little bio of the man in charge of the organization. He knows his stuff.

Saneta Maiko, Ph.D., is the founder and director of Crime Victim Care of Allen County (CVC), a 501 © 3 Inc., organization dedicated to bring wholeness to immigrants and refugee families who experience brokenness due to violence, crime, addictions, abuse and neglect. Dr. Maiko, originally from Kenya and a faculty member at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, is diversely trained by the National Victim Assistance Academy, the Center for Law and Research International, the National Center for Victims of Crime, The International Police Chaplaincy, the US Department of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Maryland Crime Victim Resource Center, the Medical Assistance Program International (MAP), and the Crime Victim Advocacy Council of Atlanta. He is a recipient of awards from the Fort Wayne Police Department’s Victims Assistance, the Center for Non-Violence, the Prosecutor’s office and the Indiana University Purdue University’s School of Education and Public Policy while serving in several local, state, national and international boards.

You should get in contact with an organization called Crime Victim Care. They work specifically with immigrants, primarily with victim care. They are based in Fort Wayne, IN, but they should be able to help direct you to more local assistance. When I worked there they had a case where a child had been kidnapped by the abusive father and taken out of the country (both parents were immigrants in that case), so they should be able to advise you concerning the laws. They're a non-profit organization, so it won't cost anything to talk to them. It couldn't hurt to try anyway.

(260) 484-1414

http://cvcin.org/

Congratulations pachacuti!!

Doesn't look good. He called them up again today and they said email the embassy then hung up on him. I guess we won't be getting married in 8 days after all...

That's awful! I'm so sorry!

Em took everything with him to his interview. When you get the packet, it will tell you what to do.

By the way, they mail you a letter to tell you to come pick up the packet from the embassy and give you your interview time while you're there. Em never got the letter, so I emailed the embassy to make sure they'd received our I-129f. They told me that they'd mailed the letter, but he could print the email they sent me in place of the letter. If I hadn't emailed them, Em would have missed his interview waiting on the letter. So, be diligent in keeping up with the embassy.

Also, see below about how to track your package from NVC to the Ghana Embassy. That way you'll have an idea of when it gets there, so you'll know if/when you need to contact them to make sure they've received it. That will help you to know whether or not they've mailed you the letter to pick up your packet.

Congrats Lynkali! It must have been awesome getting to be with him through all of that!

Thanks Em&Stephanie. I think it is in the packet but I don't think they will given her a copy at immigration here in the U.S. I forgot to tell her to ask for a copy at the interview. Now I don't know how she can get a copy if the doctor won't give her a copy.

Em was so nervous and excited at the interview, he just forgot to ask about it. The hospital did give him a copy of his vaccination records (just not the form DS-3025), so hopefully that will be helpful.

If they do not give you a copy, then one would be in the sealed envelope you handed over at your POE. In order to skip the civil surgeon you would have to be absolutely certain you had all the required vaccinations at the time of your medical and that they were correctly marked off on the form. You could then state in your cover letter that you had all the required vaccinations and a copy of your DS-3025 is in your file with your other medical records. If you do not know if you had all the required vaccinations, then you will need to find a civil surgeon that will not insist on a new medical and get any missing vaccinations and have the rest transcribed onto the I-693. Take any vaccinations records you have with you to the civil surgeon.

Thanks! This is very helpful info!

Looks like we may not get the passport back in time We paid with the old system but got an interview after so the old carrier cannot deliver but either can the new one. So now they don't know what to do...

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this! I'll be praying for you...

Is there any way that he could go to the embassy and get it himself without a carrier?

Ok, one more...also Haiti