awaywego

Would greg_bowers be able to send in his I-864 without tax transcripts (when he was not exempt from filing in those years)? I do not think this part of the plan works, unfortunately, but perhaps I am wrong.

I'm in a smiler boat with using assets because we both live overseas. I've been told on this site that the reviewing officers prefer that liquid assets be located inside the US. If those savings are not there, you might want to look into starting to move them.

The posters above have other ideas of what you might use for evidence. This thread includes many more ideas and discussions about evidence. On the wiki is a sample of the affidavits that can be written by family and friends with good knowledge of the two of you and your relationship.

Sorry, to add to the translation bit, as that info is incomplete: The above holds for the items to accompany the I-130. For the IV packet items, it looks like Frankfurt requires that documents that are not in English or German be certified by a "competent and registered translator." That information, including a list of translators, is linked from this page. (Someone who knows more about this could perhaps say more if anyone needs that info.)

Baby's Girl, your husband was dropping off the I-130 and accompanying items, yes? Those should all be translated into English, as they are for USCIS. (The #5 instruction that quilmolum quoted above is from the I-130 packet submission instructions.) The IV packet items can be in either English or the consulate's local language, German. (The #9 instruction that Baby's Girl quoted above is from the IV packet submission instructions.) It's confusing to have these different rules, since we DCFers send all of our paperwork to the same place, but it makes sense if we think that others send them to different places. It might help to think about the packets as separate. (It also might not.)

To the translation question, you (general you) can do the translations yourselves if at least one of you is proficient in both English and the document's language. For reference, here is the VJ page on translations, and here is the FAQ on USCIS's site that includes translation information.

I thought that DCF is no longer available in Japan?

Thanks for the replies. We got married in a registers office with two witnesses. Like i said, we have the photo of us signing the document and with our two witnesses but we didn't have a 'wedding' wedding with the dress or cake or any of that. Is it OK to just have the one photo and then supply loads of evidence from us living together while dating?

The photo you describe sounds like a wedding photo.

Marriage is more than just the wedding day, and a relationship rarely starts on that day. You have evidence to show that you've been a couple for some time.

I doubt it is unusual to apply soon after the wedding.

Here is the site the previous poster references: http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

Here's the consulate's page with a link to the checklist: http://germany.usembassy.gov/visa/uscis/i130/

Welcome!

Each county in the US has different laws and requirements for how to marry there. For Phoenix, check this page: Maricopa County marriage license info. It answers your questions on paperwork and identification. I do not see a list of groups of people (e.g., clergy, court officers) who can legally perform the ceremony, but that information will also be important to find.

Have you and your fiance decided which visa path you will take? If not, check out the Guides section, especially the K-1/CR-1 comparison info. Each path has positives and minuses, and one might better fit your situation. If you do the K-1, you will enter the US after the visa is approved, then marry. If you do the CR-1, you will marry before starting the visa process, then live outside the US until it is approved. With both paths, you will likely be able to visit within the confines of the VWP while waiting (see the threads at the top of each visa's forum for info).

You or your wife can translate your documents if fluent/conversant in both languages. Information on translation, including a text block to put onto the document, is here.

Do you have evidence of giving her money for support? Arrangements for joint housing in China? For Japan, I've heard mention of a family register to whom one reports marriages that took place abroad.

Common evidence I've seen includes communication, e.g., IM, Skype, emails, and photos over time and places, with various people, etc. This thread contains a lot of ideas.

Edit: Unfortunately no one can tell you what will or won't be enough. That call is up to the officer who reviews your file.

It sounds like both have you have been living in the Philippines for a while. If so, you are probably eligible to file DCF for the CR-1. (I can't give you details about how exactly this works in PI, since every consulate is different, but there are plenty of posters on the DCF board who could help you out.) This would be a faster processing time, and you would not need to worry about the AOS period once you enter the US.

Just noticed. Is the IV Checklist the document you're waiting on? If so, you could download it from this page and get started collecting the paperwork (including police certificate) while you're waiting for it to arrive via post: http://germany.usembassy.gov/visa/iv/step5/#frankfurt

Regulations for importing pets to the US (CBP site repeats this info):

USDA-APHIS: link

CDC on pet cats: link and dogs: link

The airline might require paperwork, like a health certificate or pet passport, and they might require a recent vet visit. Ask about this when you check with possible airlines about transport fees. (Another good thing to research is reputation for pet handling if the dog will have to go in the hold.) If you travel on the plane with the pet, it costs significantly less than if you ship on another flight, even if the dog is too big for the cabin.

You would make the pet reservations once you book flights. When we brought our cat to the EU, we called right before we booked to be sure there were still pet spaces available, then called back again after we booked to secure her spot.

Bringing our American cat to the EU cost about $300-350 total including airline fee and the various vet visits and paperwork required to meet the EU's list of import requirements. The cat was under the seat in front of me in the plane in a carrier padded and lined with puppy pads in case she needed to go. We also provided water and dry food in case she was thirsty or hungry. She ignored these things and mostly slept during the flight. It was $100 for an in-cabin pet on Lufthansa. The airline did not require a separate health certificate or paperwork from what we were required to bring to import her to the EU.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for providing the link.

Judging from her previous posts, it seems that she is filing from Albania though. Snugglebug, correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks for the info. I have not seen this person's other posts.

Sorry for helping derail your thread. I can't actually answer your question, since we haven't gone through the process yet, but I recall quick turnarounds on timelines of others that I've seen around.

hey im a newbie as well living in europe with my husband~ could you help me figure out what to include with i-130 im so confused. how did you get a response so quick? it seems most peoples take 2-4 months

Here's Frankfurt's page for filing I-130 petitions directly with them: link The "I-130 Petition Checklist" PDF has the requirements (and initial instructions).

Thanks for everyone's help. A few responses:

1) The foreign earned income exclusion means that income from foreign salaries up to 96,700 US$ (or about that much anyway) are not taxed. Since I am substantially below that level, and because I did not make any money in the US, I did not have any taxable income in 2013 and therefore did not have to file. I know this because I attempted to file through one of the official e-filing systems, and it informed me that I did not have to file (and in fact would not let me file). In 2012 I made money in the US, but below the amount necessary to file. If I want my return, I need to file, but I think I might just wait till this process is over to do it so that things don't change in the middle of the process. You might want to double-check that your Chilean income, even though it is subject to the foreign income tax exclusion, does not count toward the threshold at which you are required to file. I am not an accountant, so I don't know.

4) Would a tuition waiver count as income? I think technically they pay me the money for being a TA, and then I pay the tuition with that money, in which case I would be above 20K, but I am not sure. Anyway, I of course have not made more than 20K in the states for the past two years, since I haven't been there. Is there no exception to this rule for people that have been living abroad? Can I report my foreign income in Chile even though I didn't/couldn't file taxes on this income? How does this work for USC living abroad and planning on returning home? If there is no continuing income, sponsorship happens through joint sponsor(s), assets, or a combination. (This can make it a bit more work for those of us abroad with our spouses, but it's not insurmountable.)

In Reply to awaywego:

When do I have to file the Joint sponsor paperwork? From the very beginning? You won't file this at the beginning. The I-864 Affidavit of Support (and other things) will be sent after you receive the NOA2 (notice that I-130 petition was approved), which will probably take months. There's no nice flowchart for the CR-1, but you can get an idea of how the process will go from the I-130 guide.

I hope the auto-expedite process works, but we are not going to depend on it. Good plan. I didn't mean to suggest that you would be put into that queue, just to note that I've heard rumblings.

USCIS only requires one ceremony to consider you married (though it needs to be legal to file). If you've had one ceremony, it doesn't matter to them that you haven't had the second. That means you don't need to wait until July and can file the I-130 petition toward a CR-1 visa as soon as you have your documents in order.

Unfortunately, your wife will not be able to join you in the US in July, as the CR-1 is taking about a year right now*. She can visit on the VWP (see the post at the top of the IR-1/CR-1 thread about visiting), but she won't be able to stay longer than allowed under that program or to move until the CR-1 comes through.

You will not need your birth certificate if you have your passport.

Look into whether you were required to file taxes for the year(s) you did not. If you were required to file, work on that while your I-130 is being evaluated. If you were not required to file, you will send a letter explaining this with the I-864.

Your questions:

What are my options and what do I need to do to pursue them? For your situation, you'd take the CR-1 path. See the Guides section for what you will need, and check out the Wiki for info and tips on the NVC portion. Is there some trade-off I must think about like if we apply for the CR-1 Visa then she won't be able to travel to the US at the beginning? She could visit the US under the VWP, you could visit Chile, or you could meet somewhere else. Is my being a student (as opposed to having a job) going to slow the process? For the I-864 affidavit of support, you will need to show that you can support your household at 125% of the poverty level. You can do this using income or also including assets (valued at 1/3). I doubt you can use student loans as income, though I do not know. Look at information on "joint sponsors." A joint sponsor would show the same, including the immigrant in his/her household size. Are there any important things I am ignoring? Start collecting evidence that speaks to the "bona fides" of your marriage. There are a number of threads on this topic. What other information can I give you to help me with this? What questions should I be asking or thinking about that I am not? Read through the guides to get an idea of the process, and see if you have other questions.

*There is some report of apparent auto-expedite on I-130 processing for couples who both live abroad, but I don't know much about this. They will approve when they approve.

I thought the i-864a is if the sponsor is in the same house hold as me

I-864A is for a household member of someone filing an I-864 whose income/assets will also be used to sponsor. In your case, it would be the household member of the joint sponsor.

Based on your post, here are your forms:

You: I-864 as sponsor

Dad: I-864 as joint sponsor

Teacher A: I-864 as joint sponsor

Teacher B: I-864A as joint sponsor's household member whose income/assets will also be used to sponsor

Oh, is ITR tax return? The bit about tax returns in my previous post is a bit off, then.

If your husband was not required to file US taxes, e.g., he was under the income threshold, then he would attach a letter explaining why he was exempt from filing instead of attaching the return(s)/transcript(s), as stated above.

You do not need domicile or income/assets for sponsorship until the I-864. By the time you reach that form on any CR-1 path, you will very likely be living in the States and at your new job.

If you are legally married in the UK, the US will recognize your marriage.

As the person above said, it sounds like you probably qualify to file DCF London. I think you need UK residency for six months and that you (the petitioner) don't need to stay in the UK for the entire process, but double-check the requirements. If I recall correctly, there is an extensive page on DCF London in the Wiki section of this site.

Also as that person said, your wife can't legally enter the US as a visitor with the intent to immigrate (stay and apply for CR-1 from the US). She can, however, visit the US within the limits of the VWP during the CR-1 process. Check out the sticky on visiting at the top of the IR-1/CR-1 forum.

thanks.

need more who can answer my question.. anyone?

I'm not completely clear what information you are after, sorry. Perhaps this will help:

If your husband has no income (or no income that will continue when he moves to the US), then he would answer that he has no income. The income on his past tax returns, in this case, is what he made in the past, not what he is making now.

Your joint sponsor would fill out the I-864. What he needs is listed in the instructions that Tahoma posted.

There are threads about visiting pinned at the top of the IR-1/CR-1 and K-1 forums. Posters have many suggestions on what to bring to show ties to your home country and that you plan to return within the time allotted by your visa. My spouse and I always carry documents when we visit the US in case there are any questions.

As others have said, this will depend. The general timeframe goes like this:

1. Apply for the license. There might be a waiting period.

2. Get married (!) and return the license to the clerk's office. They process it, which might take some time. (Ours told us that they send all of the licenses to a central office in the state capital for processing, if I recall correctly.)

3. Pick up the certified copy of the license. There might be a processing period between requesting the copy and picking it up, but that might not apply if you pick it up in person. (Our office takes weeks for mailed requests and minutes for walk-ins.)

If you want to be in and out as quickly as possible, perhaps you could start with a state that has no waiting period. Once that is out of the way, the question is which places would give you a certified copy of the license on the same day you marry.

The certified copy looks official. USCIS will recognize it. Don't worry.

The USC's petition that the spouse be allowed to apply for an immigrant visa has been approved. Now comes the IV application.

I would think that the best evidence is that which one is likely to see only coming from genuinely married couples. For example, PPs discuss "face time," or time spent together. Couples spend time together, and couples are presumably more likely to go through the hassle and expense of traveling to visit one another when they live apart than are random people. (Evidence: time spent together, communication, joint travel.) Couples in a bona fide marriage are also presumably more likely to trust the other person with things like liability and finances than are random people. (Evidence: joint lease, joint property, joint accounts, joint insurance, naming the other as beneficiary, wills.)

This thread includes a number of suggestions of items that might be used as evidence of a bona fide relationship: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/284203-evidences-of-bona-fide-marriage-relationship/