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IF SOMEONE DID GIVE ME LAWYERS NUMBER I EXPECT THE LAWYER TO BE ABLE TO HELP ME AND NOT SAY BCOS HE DIDNT START THE PROCESS WITH US SO HE WONT GET INVOLVED AS AT NOW I NEED ANY LAWYER WHO CAN HELP US. THE WAIT IS KILLING US AND IS SO BAD

Without answers to the other questions, I don't know what else you've already tried, so I can't be of much help. The only advice I can give is to try the other routes available to you if you have not already done so. Others in your position have had attorneys and they weren't able to speed things up. The only option I can see that a lawyer could exercise is to sue the USCIS. If that is what you want, then call around until you find a lawyer willing to do this. Try more than one.

Good luck.

Sorry if that was overly aggressive. It's 88 degrees outside and I've been spoiled by a mild summer.

Self defense.

That's why I have cats. When they try to kill me, I just have to push them off my face.

How do we know there isn't a bunch of gnomes in an underground office somewhere printing all of these forms, manually creating punch cards, then feeding the cards into a reader? Can we at least say it's possible?

Maybe THAT'S Step 2! They're taking our underwear and burning 'em to run their printers and card readers!

(South Park reference, for those confused right now.)

Thanks @EricaandHeath! Using IE worked. I dont recall them saying something like "for best results use Internet Explorer"!!! Who still uses Internet Explorer in 2013???

I had the exact same thing happen when I was having issues paying my cell phone and cable TV bills online. Not just the USCIS. You'd think they'd learn.

Using IRS tax transcripts includes the W-2 info, so you should be good to go.

Yes, that's why I got them, but I didn't know when I ordered them that all of my information and my ex-husband's information would be lumped together. It's not itemized, so I wouldn't think it would be much help as you can't tell how much I made from it. The W-2 by itself would.

The IRS transcript, letter from employer and recent pay stub(s) is plenty. No need for bank statements if you are above the 125% and not using assets.

Woot! And I see in the instructions that copies are a-okay, so I should be good with my non-paystub-y paystubs, too. Thanks for your help!

Hmmmm. Okay, this is what I have access to:

- The tax transcripts mentioned above, showing both my income and my ex-husbands lumped into a single number

- Printouts of paystubs (my company does not issue physical paystubs)

- The tax return (sans W-2) for 2012 (basically the 1040A form) - unsigned (the tax accountant sent the signed copy to the IRS)

- I think I can get the letter from my employer

Do you think this will work?

Do I need to provide bank statements if I make well over 125% of the poverty level? I'm more of a "cash under the mattress" kinda gal...

Just take a minute... breath, relax. This is just a delay and you will find a way through it. Calm down, and think.

What else besides talking to the Congressman have you tried? And what did your Congressman tell you?

Have you checked to see when your file was last touched? Does the website show that you have an RFE?

Did you call into USCIS, and if so, what did they tell you?

Have you tried contacting your local office?

If someone did give you a number, what would you ask or expect the lawyer to do? What do you believe is within their power?

I understand completely where you're coming from. I had a lot of legal stuff I had to take care of before my fiance and I could even apply, and I had no idea how long it would take to get through that. It is hard, it's scary, but it's worth it. You won't be left in limbo forever, and you're closer to the end than a lot of people. Just keep in mind that the end is near, you just need to find that way that helps you get there. We are here to help you with that!

~~~~One post removed as requested by the poster and 2 other posts removed for quoting ~~~~

Thank you very much!

Hello everyone, I'm hoping you can help me with something.

We're getting ready for our NOA2 and I'm gathering documentation for evidence of support.

I got divorced in January 2013 after a long separation. My ex-husband and I filed our 2012 taxes jointly to save each other money. Unfortunately, he took all of the documents with him home to scan before giving them back to me and somehow managed to lose my W-2 in the process.

I read in another thread that you could simply apply to the IRS for tax transcripts and this would work, so that's what I did. I received my tax transcripts today, however, and realized that they reflect wages for both myself and my ex-husband, all lumped into one number, so it doesn't show just my wages broken out.

Is this going to be okay? If not, any tips for what document I should replace it with?

Also, is it going to be a problem that my most recent tax documents say "married filing jointly"?

It's nice that they've given businesses more time to react to the new laws, but it doesn't make sense that, while businesses are not required to provide insurance until 2015 now, individuals are still required to have insurance come 2014.

Goodness gracious, I can't edit it, so I had to report my own post

Why?

He is one of the people against SSM I mentioned.

I don't see why a same-sex applicant would need an attorney UNLESS they are wrongfully denied. I would say go for it by yourself (because there are so many horror stories on here of people who used attorneys) and if you get denied and feel it was because you are a same-sex couple, THEN hire an attorney. There is nothing different about the application process for same-sex couple as there is for opposite-sex couples; USCIS is already approving their applications.

(Please be warned, there are people on here who are morally opposed to same-sex marriage and may give you biased advice for that reason.)

I don't understand what you mean by two years worth of documents. I just got married and will be adding her to these benefits, but by the time she gets her interview it will probably be only 9 or 10 months since we've been married

Oh, my mistake!!! I came here from the front page, not the forums, and I saw "K-1 visa" in the tags and thought this was what we were talking about. Sorry! (EDIT: Odd thing is, the second I posted this comment, three of the tags disappeared, and now it only says "Spouse visa" ).

You are right there. I never thought of it in that way. And it happens quite a bit. For example, I find my taste for beer has increased cuz my husband drinks it and also his taste for a fantastic bone-dry crisp glass of white wine!

And its ma'am!

While I have, by sheer coincidence I assure you , taken more of a liking to good white wine, I will never pick up his like of beer or the brand of white wine he drinks *lol* It's more the food (pasties, pies, gammon, Yorkshire pudding, etc.) of his that's rubbed off on me, aside from the aforementioned sport (no Formula 1, though! Or tennis! I refuse! ). Oh, and his love of British comedy panel shows.

A friend of mine, in a USC/USC relationship, did recently take up a sudden obsession with craft beers and bicycling due to her boyfriend, though. So it's not just us weird bi-national couples

well if you are British or American you are automatically part of the club...

Ah, more proof that I need to work on my humor...

I am so confused.

Also someone dressed as the Eiffel Tower sounds relatively tame for Chicago.

Wait, can I be a CABA? *innocent eyes* Sounds like a fun little club. I think.

I've mentioned this in other threads, but... this is my second marriage. In my first, we had a traditional ceremony and reception, nothing huge, maybe 75 people. Despite the small size and relatively low expense, it was still a major pain. People seem to have certain expectations of what a wedding MUST be, and after dealing with the people involved with wedding planning, I have somewhat more sympathy for bridezillas. The coordinator coped an attitude just because I said it was the bridesmaids' choice over who walked down the aisle first. My then-future in-laws fought to have an open bar, even though we couldn't afford it. The groom's sister nearly went into shock because I let the flower girl pick out which dress she wanted to wear. Definitely one of the strangest experiences of my life.

The uncertainty over when we'll actually have the visa almost is like a blessing in this case. I can't imagine putting up with all the stresses (EDIT: and expenses!) of normal wedding planning and dealing with the visa process at the same time! We have a friend who is an officiant, I have a beautiful peach vintage dress, he has his grandfather's handsome tailored suit. When the time comes, no matter where we end up having the wedding, when it ends up being, or how many people are there, we will have each other and we will be surrounded by friends, and that's all that matters

I'm not surprised that you did! Watching a soccer game in any European country is an experience on to itself!

Good thing is about our respective divorce situations is that they are over!!!!

Yes, ma'am/sir! Very happy for all that to be over!

Isn't it interesting how we seem to pick up our SO's habits, likes, and dislikes, no matter if you're in a "normal" relationship or a LDR?

You would have to go ruin what could possibly be an awesome thread about guns and war, by bringing the gheys into it.

Never fear! Gay people shoot guns and fight wars, too! Awesome thread saved!

Wish I could say the same thing about some peoples' senses of humor (not you) but we can't all get what we want...

I added my fiance as a beneficiary for my life insurance and my bank account before we were even officially engaged, but to answer your question: YES. Add your fiance/e to as much as you can as soon as possible and then save every single statement or bill you get with both of your names on it. You will eventually have to show two years' worth of cohabitation; I've read threads from people who showed less than this and got an RFE when trying to remove conditions.