AJG & ESD

We received our notice on 6 Dec late in the mail. Our date was for 23 Dec...we have plans, so went in yesterday on 9 Dec, and were given no grief, but were told that it was up to the biometrics processor. Our office in Wichita, KS is never too terribly busy as I have been there on several occasions regarding questions about some of the forms, and as she had an empty office, she had no problem letting us do our biometrics yesterday. We turned in a comment card thanking them for the flexibility of allowing us to get it done early.

If you are currently Active Duty Military, you can use your Personal Statement of Military Compensation (PSMC) for evidence. This calculates all your pay, bonuses, taxed and untaxed money received. THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD BE USED TO DERIVE YOUR ANNUAL INCOME!!! Submit a copy of this along with any other documentation your are submitting for your affidavit of support. If you receive BAH, it is not taxed, but is a huge portion of your income, do not sell yourself short in terms of your actual income. For Army, as of 23 May 2013, your POC at DFAS to receive a PSMC is:

Chuck Harrison, CDFM

Military Pay Office - Indianapolis

Systems Liaison & Procedures Div.

DSN 699.6006 Comm 317.212.6006

CHARLES.HARRISON@DFAS.MIL

Please feel free to bug this man, it is his job, help keep him employed!!! They cannot retrieve past statements due to the size of the database, but a current year one will work. Good luck!!!

Sorry to hear about your problems, we used O for everything, did not put Elena for other names used. Her birth certificate will be the only thing with E. This is the only document with that name that will be shown at the embassy in Kiev. It will not need to be explained at the embassy as it is a common change of the name, and understood in this country. Her Visa will and should be issued exactly like her foreign passport, hence why we used everything with O on all documents. Also to add, her parents names will be on the birth certificate. Good luck!

Y'all sound like drug smugglers...hahahaha

I think it's disgusting that a company would portray rap artists who portray themselves as gangsters, thugs, dope dealers, and treat woman with like property as

well gangsters, thugs ,dope dealers, and abusive to woman.

Now see...there's an issue...women being mistreated like property or disrespected...that's a bigger issue than racism. But...that's just my personal opinion too....

I must be out of touch, I can't call myself the N word and laugh about it.

I wouldn't say you're out of touch...it's just your personal feelings. Personally, I choose not to empower those who are prejudice and condesending by not letting it effect me.

Sure I have, I'm a beaner. Hahahaha

Gotta love freedom of speech, and how everyone is so "sensitive" today. For those who are offended...DON'T WATCH...plain and simple. Boycott their products, but don't try to tell other people what is right. I have my own opinions, thoughts, and ideas, it's what makes me an individual. I am the eternal optimist, and try to find the good or humor in most things, and for other things, well I just don't pay them attention, but I don't try to establish a standard of morality based on my own personal views.

Another good example is a billboard someone put up with a photo of 3 indians, and it read "Turn in your arms, the government will take care of you." Some people find it offensive and want to know who put it up, but to me the message is clear of what happened to a people when they trusted the government long ago, plain and simple. Anywho...it's just my 2 cents.

From security offices. He should know what he is doing before he does it. Make sure he gets the O.K before you get married. He has to file forms about you and your family etc.

What military regulation did you get this information from? No "Permission" is "Required." Depending on his/her clearence, it may or may not effect his/her clearence. It all depends on what country the fiance(e) is from, and what his/her current job is in the military. As military personnel, you are never Required to have permission. It is always the soldier/airman/seaman/etc.'s choice. The military cannot Prevent someone from getting married. With this said...now depending on the military person's job and clearence, it may or may not effect his/her job, and his/her ability to do their job, and/or have a clearence. The ONE DEFINITE is that they MUST report it to their security manager otherwise it can have an effect on their clearence if it is NOT reported, and found out about later.

Always double and triple check stuff!!! I called into the USCIS NSC, and spoke with a tier 2 rep about an RFE. She gave me an email address to follow up to, but either I wrote it down wrong, or she gave it to me wrong(I'm guessing the first of the two). Anywho, I checked the USCIS website for the CSC email address to send inquires to, and it was wrong by one letter!!! So I simply resent the email today. But if I didn't recheck for that email address, and get a receipt notice from USCIS the 2nd time, I would have never known that it didn't go through!!!

My wife has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and wants to work in nursing when she gets here. I've called the Colorado state board of nursing and they said she doesn't have to take the full CGFNS exam she just needs to do the Credit Evaluation and take the English proficiency exam.

My question is when should she do the Credit Evaluation and take the English exam? Is it best to wait until she is here in the U.S. or should we get this done while she is still in the Philippines??

Thanks for your help!

I would recommend she take the TOEFL for her English proficiency. That she can take at any time. Please do not let her think it is a smiple exam. At least look at testing material for it. Good luck!

I have read that people at USCIS want everything paper based and people sending in dvd or usb will get thrown out and not even consider it. A lot of offices don;t have such exquiment and some will have a regular desk and just pass it on the the next person for data entry. DVD's at this point are useless.

What you have read, and what is true are 2 different things. I didn't say what I did was the perfect way to do it, only what I did. I also didn't say it was the ONLY evidence I submitted, I said it was in addition to. What they choose to do with it after I send it is their business, but knowing it has forms with Personal Identifiable Information, AS THE GOVERNMENT, they have a responsibility not to just throw it away.

I put a lot of stuff in for evidence support of the I-129F, but only a few pages of things, and a photo print sheet of all the photos (80 total), and then a letter explaining that I have also submitted a cd with the full blown images, and chat logs for their further examination if necessary, along with putting THE ENTIRE I-129F PACKET into .pdf format and putting that on a dvd as well, sooooooo....in the event of a flood (I did this before I even heard about the incident at CSC, which is where my file is now at), the dvd can still obtain the ENTIRE packet information wet or not, and a dvd is kind of harder to ruin vs cd. I will also do the same to submit the proof of continued relationship (kinda helps that I've been through this before).

Oh, and I stapled the dvd sleeve to a piece of paper labled with the form, our names, and that it is evidence, so that the dvd could not just fall out of the file, and if it did with the attached paper, it had name, form, what it is, etc. Being military has made me very ####### about paperwork. I labled the dvd with permanent marker too with the same info.

The first time I went through the process, I had help, and was told to paperclip it right to the top of the 1st page so they can see it clearly. That the first thing they want to see is the money. Hahaha

1st - Please do not use all caps. 2nd - try vayama.com... are shameless plugs allowed on here? I've gotten some pretty good deals going to Ukraine, and now Italy. Of course do your homework, call the airline, etc. 3rd - try flying through major cities for your destination, you're bound to get better deals. Good luck!

While reading the following link:

US Military Personnel on the forum board about military personnel, it reminded me of my last marriage to a Russian Foreign National, and how my clearance was almost pulled because I knew nothing about having to report it.

As I do not know the regulations for the other services, I am writing this for ALL ARMY personnel, but I can imagine that the regulations would relatively be the same. If you have a clearance OF ANY KIND, you are first required to report your foreign travel, and secondly, it would be wise to report intent to marry a foreign national to your unit Security Manager as per Army Regulation 380-67. As per para 9-9, it's your unit's security manager's responsiblity to record all pertinent information of your trip, and provide a Foreign Travel Brief. It depends on the unit's Standing Operating Procedure and your clearance level as to how they handle your particular situation. If you read the reg, it says if you don't report it, your clearance can get pulled. Having a SCI (You know who you are, if you don't, it probably doesn't apply to you), having a foreign wife may give you problems with your clearance. I don't mean to discourage anyone as there are always waivers granted, etc., just putting the information out there because when it happened to me, no one ever told me before hand, and my security manager was not so keen on the regulation to explain to me the possible consequences of my actions.

Here's a forum link by more people that have gone through the experience on a Federal Forum Board Federal Forum Board Link

It also probably would not hurt to get a letter of Command sponsorship from your chain of command to throw in your I-129F packet, or your proof of continued relationship. Good luck!

Why only ladies can have a biological clock ticking??? I'll be 40 in June, and unfortunately life has been such that I don't have children yet. I don't want to be 60 years old with a 3 year old!!! Hello...men can have biological clocks too!!!

The saddest part is that life is much too short, and every day that USCIS lets go by, it's a day in the life of your loved one that you can never have back, all because we've managed to meet someone in a country different from ours, and our GOVERNMENTS have rules and regulations. I guess we should be happy USCIS didn't exist when our families came off the boat to begin with...well most of us anyways.

Are there any K1 couples who married in either the Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange Counties preferred) or Las Vegas area and received their marriage certificate either the same day or within a couple days by personally picking it up that can let us know which courthouse you went to and how you were able to get your marriage certificate so quickly? I've read a few posts on VJ of posters saying they were able to get their marriage certificate the same day as they got married in Southern California/Las Vegas but no mention of which county they were in or courthouse they wed in. My fiancée has tried ringing the Old Courthouse in Santa Ana (Orange County) but when she reached the recorder's office they were rude and basically said the only way is to receive it is through mail and there is no faster way (my fiancée also mentioned we needed it faster for immigration purposes), however there have been posts in threads by now inactive VJ members that say they received theirs same day/within a day or two (sometimes by explaining the immigration situation). Please give us details on how you got yours sooner.

I got married in Vegas once...the process took me a couple of days, but I turned it into a vacation/honeymoon. Here's all the info you need:

LV marriage license info

Be sure you have copies of any previous marriages available. Good luck

My x-wife is from Russia. I only went once, but I'm also military, and had help with the first packet. It's a big decision to marry someone that you don't actually get to live with first. They uproot their entire life for you. I wish I had known 10 years ago what better questions to ask in getting to know my wife for the year that I knew her before she was able to come over and marry me. But I'm older and wiser(or so I think), and I can ask my fiancee better questions, and know better what it is I am looking for in a mate. This time, I've found the woman I wish I knew of 10 years ago...oh wait...that would make her younger too...ewww... Hahaha Anyways...they say everything happens for a reason. Don't go with the intention that you will marry this woman. Just enjoy the trip, and enjoy the country. I also HIGHLY suggest knowing Russian before you go because if something bad happens(I'm really an optimist), at least you know you won't be totally lost trying to do simple things like asking for a menu in English, or asking where the toilet is. I got lucky...when I met my x-wife to be, she took GREAT care of me, and I had an awesome trip seeing Moscow. And I got even luckier in finding my Elena, she is simply THE BEST!!! Good luck to you...

It sounds to me like they just got a lot of applications to process on July 18th

And all your data...this is what happens when we have too much time on our hands Don't pee off analysts!!!

So, I'm going to be doing the unusual (but not uncommon) step of taking my wifes name now that we are married and have discussed it, no reason other than she likes her family name (i like it too!) and its a brand new start and kinda like a new life for me when i get to the US, she and her family are delighted.I have little family here so its of no issue to them.

Ive spoke to the UK passport office and all they require is a copy of the marriage certificate to issue me a new passport with my new surname. I intend on doing this after the NVC stage.

From what I've read on here, the green card is issued in the name of your passport when you had it into the Embassy at your interview, is this correct ?

Will it matter that all our forms for our petition and application are in my old surname ?

Will this cause any problems at the POE if the forms in the sealed envelope are in my old surname or will it all just make sense after looking at them and an explanation from me ?

Are there any negatives on doing this once im in the USA ? ie: credit checks, background checks etc

Many thanks for any info/clarification.

I did it for my 2nd marriage. I did not intend on ever getting divorced...but I am a much wiser man now than I was then. I would never do it again personally because it is a royal pain in the #######. I did it a little different, I got the legal name change first, and sent my documentation into USCIS to make them aware of everything through the remainder of the process. I had no problems, but I was bringing her here, not going there, and she was the applicant. So a little different boat, but my basic advise is to make them aware. Or that's my 2 cents anyways. Good luck!

Have you (can you) request a military expedite? I would if I were you.

Knowing you will be apart for X amount of time is one thing. Being forced into this Schrodinger's separation is excruciating.

For the last 22 years, my whole life has been all about hurry up and wait. I've actually been through this process once before, but it was 10 years ago, and I don't remember how it went by so quickly last time. I've written a request for expedite, but have no REAL grounds for it, as I know I'm not deploying soon, and will not have to move for another 4 more years if I'm lucky. I'm planning on going over for my birthday, and we are going to Europe for hers, and then I'm not sure if I will go for the interview, or to go and pick her up, but I will go for one of those. Yes, it's a lot of money in airfare, but I'm also racking up all those air miles too!

As always wishing everyone luck in all their processes, so long as my packet goes first. hahaha

I'm sorry, man. You're right. If I can't be patient and be separated from my family for a year or more, we were just not meant to be together. I'll pipe down now.

I guess 6-12 months isn't too bad. Being military I'm sure I'll be deployed a few times being gone anywhere from 90 days to a year can be a common thing. Guess I REALLY need to learn to live with it, as it will be something new for me, but really nice to have loving arms to come home to.

I push the check case status button about a hundred times every time I'm at my desk.

Only 100?

Vanessa&Tony - Ok AnastasiaDate arranges tours to other countries but only to meet women who could become a potential wife. I opted not to go this route as they look "weird in every way". But you pay to chat or email, etc. I chatted with her for a full 20 minutes before agreeing to meet for dinner and got all the Skype, phone numbers etc after that.

As for her being a scammer. Hardly...this one anyways. The original girl I went to go meet was definitely one. Always complained of no money, always going out and buying things with "no money"...all that. When I went to go spend 5 days with her..different flats, I paid for everything. She had many places she wanted to see and go out to eat at. None expensive. But after 2 days all she kept talking about was how I wasn't like a Ukraine man and told me this was not going to work out...fair enough...still had a great time. I met my current girl the last day I was there. She never ask for money. I've met her whole family, shes met mine. Says she will sign a prenup, I always stay in the same flat with her. Shes quit the agency. Told me all the ins and out of how the agency worked. I've met a lot of Ukraine women now and 95% are in it for money. My girl seems to not care at all other than being in love and wanting a family. I want the same. We keep in constant contact all day everyday. She knows my schedule I know hers. We have over 2000 pages of Skype conversations and I have no clue on how many calls...too many to count. When I was in Ukraine she didn't go anywhere or do anything but take care of me, cook, clean, and more cleaning and cooking. Age difference isn't great...only 9 years I'm 36 shes 27. I don't see any red flags. The sweetest girl you can ever meet. The first girl I could tell within a month something wasn't right. I suspicion was correct. Trust me...I've done all the testing I possibly can with my current girl and I have tried to find red flags and theres none. Shes truly the perfect woman in my eyes.

Congrats on finding a good one. I had to learn the hard way myself, but I too did learn EVERYTHING!!! I finally found a site that you only pay a one time fee, and everything else is free, chats, emails, and the women give you information if and when they wish with no further cost. It's where I met my Elena. She's a real gem too, the same, never asked for anything, and made sure we were taken care of when I did go to visit. I was a little hesitant about going for a 2nd time, so I actually flew into Odessa where I have friends (some Ukrainian and some American thanks to a really good person), and then took the train out to Kharkov, and she decided to take the train back with me just to see me off at the airport. I'm old enough (40 in June) to know when a woman is a keeper. As long as she's perfect for you, don't worry about anything else. Wish you the best of luck!