Travelpro

I also want to say thanks. This post made my filing via TT so easy. I also purchased CA state through TT and it completed everything using the Fed info.

We have no evidence of my wife's pay from the Philippines as she was paid in cash. We have asked her employers to send some kind of email without any response. Since we are out of time I just wrote a statement explaining work history and pay then had her sign it. The amount is very insignificant so we have no worries.

Thanks again to the OP and others who provided info here.

I have this habit of always choosing the cheaper option even if it's not necessarily the best option. My husband HATES it so I guess that's partly the reason why he wants to check what I'm buying first before agreeing to pay for it to make sure I'm not just buying it because it's cheap. We've had so many arguments while grocery shopping because of this. Imagine us walking down a grocery aisle with me in tears because he won't let me get the cheap stuff.

+1

Leasing a car is 100% decided by credit score and you need above 700.

Considering your situation, you will most likely not be able to finance a car since you are not a a permanent resident. You will need to pay cash for a car.

My fiance went through SFO. She wasn't asked very much and said it was very easy.

So I kept putting off going to Western Union to pay the additional $89 to have the birth cert sent by "special courier". In my mail box yesterday was what I thought was a letter from the NSO stating they are still waiting for payment but inside was the 2 cert copies I ordered. My procrastination just saved me $89. Now I will use that money to take the wife out for a nice dinner.

Ouch! Have you tried asking a family member to go to NSO to acquire one and mail it?

Thank Hank. I'll call tonight to see if we can have it picked up by her cousin.

This is true though but we declined it.

Requesting BC through the NSO website and have it delivered (regular delivery 6-8 weeks) to a US address is $20 each but having it expedited, you'll need to pay additional $89 via western union to a forwarding company called Sead Parcel Services, no matter how many documents you ordered.

If you paid it already, you should have a batch request number or batch reference number.

Shoot them an email and ask for your update.

This is their email address:

ecensus1@census.gov.ph

What we did was to have it re routed to local delivery, delivered it to our relatives in the Philippines, Just scan a signed authorization for somebody to receive your BC and a scanned copy of your ID(Philippine passport) preferably. I then asked my relative to mail it to me here in US via DHL which cost us less than $30.

Good Luck!

Yes, I paid $40 already. That was for 2 copies at $20 each. They have already emailed us giving us Western Union Instructions for the $89. I'll try to pick it up and send by FedEx.

On a side note, we asked them by phone if they can send by FedEx and they said no because FedEx is not in US :-) I didn't even bother to respond to that.

Hi VJ,

Anyone ever try to get their certified BC from US through Cencus (NSO)? I paid the fee online and that is for sending within Philippines. After calling them, we are told for "special courier" to US, I have to send them $89 via Western Union.

I have some feeling I will never see the BC or $89 again...

Thanks,

Jeff

I was married in 2013 and filing 2013 taxes....My specific question is what proof of income does my wife use when she worked part of 2013 in Philippines for tax purposes for California state tax filing? A letter/email from her employer stating income earned is enough?

For my wife I had her HR department e-mail her stating what her income was in the local currency. I then went to the GOA website to get what they use as the average conversion rate to convert that into USD. I then put that on the 1040 as her income.

Dave

Thank you Dave. A letter from HR is what I thought. Cheers!

Filing jointly for 2013 and California does not allow for use of the federal form 2555 so I have to claim my fiances income in 2013. My specific question is what proof of income do I use for tax purposes? A letter from her employer stating income earned is enough?

For CA, you need at least 60 days left on your I-94. If less than 60 days until expiration, you need EAD or GC.

In California, DMV requires you apply for ID 60 days prior to K1 expiring. So if you can get married and get a SS card in new name within first 30 days it would be OK. It was too tight for us. My wife cannot get a DMV ID/license until she has her EAD (or GC). I was shown their written policy.

As far as I remember, only proof that the vaccinations are complete is required for the AOS. Why is it that another sputum test is required? This was all a part of the medical exam package needed for the visa interview.

Has to be done again. They told us during the K1 process we would have to do it after arrival in US. 2 weeks after arrival we got the notice in the mail and we have to complete another blood test for TB, chest xrays, and Sputum test. We went to the clinic as instructed and they said "sorry but you have to repeat it all over again".

Hi VJ,

We need to due the Sputum tests again. Needed it for the K1. We need to wait the 8-10 weeks for the results to file for the AOS?

Thanks,

Jeff

Went back the next day to get the SS# but they told me it takes a week to process in their system.

The SS Card arrived Saturday; 5 days after applying.

Hi VJ,

After reading many posts, we decided to get a SS# yesterday (before getting married) as we felt getting the # ASAP was most important. Even though our wedding is Dec 26th, I need her to get a # ASAP for a few reasons which I won't bore with the details.

My fiance arrived Nov 26th.

We arrived at our local office at 8:40 and office opened at 9am. There were about 10-15 people already in line. About 5 had a 9am appointment but most did not; including ourselves. Those people with appointments were allowed to enter first. However, we ere called to the window by 9:15am. Handed them the application, passport, and I-94. The clerk confirmed she was in the system and we were out by 9:20am.

We will go back to the office today and try and get the #.

Will let you know if we actually get the card...

Cheers!

My fiance moves here Dec. 24, so the way I see it, she was a permanent resident in the Philippines until then, then a permanent residence in the U.S. post-Dec. 24. She qualifies for the 2555 because she was therefore a resident in the Philippines for more than the required 330 days out of 365.

Thank you for that. This is very good info. My fiance arrived Nov 26th so I guess we missed the 330 days by 1 day?

...For this purpose, your period of physical presence is the 330 full days during which you were present in a foreign country,...

Thanks for advice everyone. Much appreciated.

Hi VJ,

Could not find it in the Guides section. For K1, what is the process of getting a SS#? I assume I visit the SS office after getting married and apply.

Cheers!

Jeff

Just as a follow-up. My fiance had no issue at SFO POE. She was asked my name and then was told congrats and good luck. It helped the immigration officer was Filipino.

Its OK to open the plastic bag to get the passport

She picked up her Visa yesterday and she is at this moment transiting in HKG on her way to SFO.

Thanks to all the VJ'rs (well mostly Hank) for all the advice.

Though we were delayed due to the Sputum test, we sailed through the interview and got her Visa 5 days later. No issues reported getting out of Manila. She paid the 1,620 php travel tax and 550 php departure tax.

Last report she was enjoying the Cathay Pacific lounge.

Hi VJ,

Is there any special immigration form needed for K1 Visa entrance into US? My fiance said she had seen one at the CFO and said she will fill it out when she gets the CFO sticker/stamp and bring it with her.

I just assumed its the typical non resident forms they pass out on the planes.

Thanks,

Jeff

We get a text from 2GO 5 days after the interview to pick it up.

international travel to the USA always collects luggage first then go through immigrations. If your lucky it will be the same as a passport check with a couple of questions.

That is absolutely not true not matter what airport in the US you fly into. ALWAYS the first thing is immigration -> collect baggage -> customs -> exit. If you are connecting you always go through the same process but add recheck baggage instead of exit. You always have to collect your baggage at the first entry point in the US. There are NO exceptions to this rule.

No matter what country you fly to, you will go through immigration first, collect baggage, then customs. I have never heard of going through immigration with baggage. Can you imagine the immigration line if everyone had their giant suitcase?

Cheers!