Marie&Curt

It might be ok. Just remember that it is up to CBP at POE how long he gets to stay. They might choose to stamp his passport for less than 6 months, especially if they fear he intends on staying.

Yes, that's why I'm concerned and I'm holding off rebooking his return ticket until I do more research about it. It would be really nice to have him stay here for just a lil more than 5 months, but if they cut it short, I'd still be grateful.

Life happens, things change.. bro just needs to be honest at POE about your pregnancy if asked about plans.

Btw, what does brother do that allows him 6 months away from Phil?

Yes, that's what I told him to do: Be honest at POE and just tell them about my pregnancy and the reason why we want him to stay here longer.

He just got back from a 2-year religious mission 2 weeks ago. During that time he wasn't employed or going to school; he was serving our church full-time as a missionary. As they are already booked to fly here next week, he didn't apply for any jobs yet.

Hi! I can't seem to find the answer to this question anywhere, so I hope somebody can help me here. My whole family is coming to visit me here in the US (mom, dad, 2 brothers and 1 sister). When my mom and siblings applied for their B1/B2 visas, they put 3 months as their length of stay on their DS-160 forms, as this is what we originally intended that time. However, we just found out recently that I'm pregnant with my first child, and my husband just joined the Coast Guard and will be leaving sometime in July for his training. Because of this, we are entertaining the thought of having one of my brothers stay here for almost 6 months instead of just 3, so I'd have someone with me while hubby is away for his 2-month training. I am due to give birth on the first or second week of October, and there's a huge possibility that hubby won't be with me, so having my brother there instead would be really nice so someone can drive me to the hospital if need be.

My question is, is my brother gonna run into a problem at the port of entry with the Customs, since his flight itinerary would show he's staying for almost 6 months instead of 3 months as he originally put in his DS-160 form? My gut says no, but I just wanna double check. Thanks in advance for any replies!

California Service Center (14 applicants, 0 approved - 0%)

VJName............Date of I-751....NOA1 Date.......Biometrics....Approved
M AND C.............04/01/16.......04/05/16........04/27/16......--/--/--

SHIHOON.............04/02/16.......04/04/16........04/28/16......--/--/--

GF1804..............04/04/16.......04/07/16........05/05/16......--/--/--

SNIDE707............04/04/16.......04/14/16........05/06/16......--/--/--

HOLLYDAY............04/06/16.......04/11/16........05/06/16......--/--/--

AYUMI_HAMASAKI......04/06/16.......04/08/16........05/04/16......--/--/--

SAMISEN.............04/08/16.......04/11/16........05/03/16......--/--/--

CLIFFLIZ............04/13/16.......--/--/16........--/--/16......--/--/--

DUST BUNNIES........04/15/16.......--/--/16........--/--/16......--/--/--

MISUZU..............04/16/16.......04/--/16........--/--/16......--/--/--

ILLIRIA.............04/22/16.......--/--/16........--/--/16......--/--/--

JACINTO72...........04/11/16.......04/19/16........--/--/16......--/--/--

SHEINA3.............04/21/16.......--/--/--........--/--/--......--/--/--

THEBEAT4C...........04/14/16.......--/--/--........--/--/--......--/--/--

Vermont Service Center (10 applicants, 0 approved - 0%)

VJName............Date of I-751....NOA1 Date........Biometrics....Approved
MARIE&CURT..........04/01/16.......04/05/16.........05/03/16......--/--/--
FANIA&NELSON........04/04/16.......04/06/16.........05/06/16......--/--/--
PSV57...............04/06/16.......04/--/16.........--/--/16......--/--/--
BOS_LHR.............04/06/16.......04/07/16.........--/--/16......--/--/--

SCOFF...............04/08/16.......04/--/16.........--/--/16......--/--/--

VTJOSEPH............04/08/16.......04/--/16.........--/--/16......--/--/--

MYRNA87.............04/12/16.......04/--/16.........--/--/16......--/--/--
MIKE ESP............04/14/16.......04/--/16.........--/--/16......--/--/--

MYHEARTWILLGOON93...04/18/16.......04/--/16.........--/--/16......--/--/--

SUKIE...............04/22/16.......04/--/16.........--/--/16......--/--/--

IMPORTANT!

* Make sure that your VJ Text Editor setting is set to Rich Text Editor.
* Go to the MOST RECENTLY POSTED VERSION of this list (go to the last post and scroll UP) and "Reply" to it, deleting the "quote" tags in your reply.
* Please DO NOT change the font, font size, add colors, stuff like that.
* Please PREVIEW before posting to make sure it is properly formatted.
* Please check that you have not deleted anyone's NAME & DATA.

Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your application.
NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter.
Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment.
Approved = The Date your case was approved.

* Please Capitalize your VJ Name when adding it to the list.
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I helped my grandparents and uncle to apply for tourist visas so they can come visit my mom and I. When I scheduled for their interview appointment online (cgifederal.secure.force.com), I was going to do my grandma's first, then my grandpa's, then my uncle's. so I created an account for my grandma, with her as the applicant, but there was a section where it asked about her travel companions, so I entered my grandpa and uncle's info (name, dob, passport number, MRV fee receipt number, DS-160 confirmation number). Then at the end, there's a page (appointment confirmation) with the applicant details (my grandma's), appointment details, document delivery info, MRV fee payments (all three of their names and receipt numbers), and instructions. they are all scheduled for an interview on the same date and time. but my question is, the appointment confirmation page at the end, is that the appointment letter for all three of them? Or am I supposed to create different accounts for my grandpa and uncle so they'll have their own appointment confirmation page? Thank you for your help.

I did the same thing for my Mom and three siblings. I created an account on cgifederal.secure.force.com just for my mom, and just added my three siblings' names in her appointment. When she printed it out, it showed all of their names on it. Did their appointment letter show all of theirs too? If yes, then they should be good. My mom and siblings already had their interview and at the Manila embassy they were only asked for one appointment letter.

California Service Center (4 applicants, 0 approved - 0%)

VJName..............Date of I-751....NOA1 Date.......Biometrics......Approved
M AND C.......... 04/01/16.......04/--/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

GF1804........... 04/04/16.......04/--/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

HOLLYDAY......... 04/06/16.......04/--/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

AYUMI_HAMASAKI... 04/06/16.......04/--/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

SHIHOON.......... 04/02/16.......04/08/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

Vermont Service Center (4 applicants, 0 approved - 0%)

VJName..............Date of I-751....NOA1 Date.......Biometrics......Approved
MARIE&CURT........04/01/16.......04/05/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

FANIA&NELSON......04/04/16.......04/--/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

PSV57............ 04/06/16.......04/--/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

BOS_LHR.......... 04/06/16.......04/--/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

IMPORTANT!

* Make sure that your VJ Text Editor setting is set to Rich Text Editor.
* Go to the MOST RECENTLY POSTED VERSION of this list (go to the last post and scroll UP) and "Reply" to it, deleting the "quote" tags in your reply.
* Please DO NOT change the font, font size, add colors, stuff like that.
* Please PREVIEW before posting to make sure it is properly formatted.
* Please check that you have not deleted anyone's NAME & DATA.

Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your application.
NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter.
Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment.
Approved = The Date your case was approved.

* Please Capitalize your VJ Name when adding it to the list.
* When you're on this list, please come back to update your information accordingly.
* If you cannot add your information yourself, please ask another VJ member to help you do so.

California Service Center (2 applicants, 0 approved - 0%)

VJName..............Date of I-751...NOA1 Date....Biometrics.....Approved
GF1804.............. 04/04/16...... 02/--/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

M AND C.............04/01/2016.....

Vermont Service Center (1 applicant, 0 approved - 0%)

VJName..............Date of I-751...NOA1 Date....Biometrics.....Approved
MARIE&CURT........04/01/16......04/--/16......--/--/16......--/--/--

IMPORTANT!

* Make sure that your VJ Text Editor setting is set to Rich Text Editor.
* Go to the MOST RECENTLY POSTED VERSION of this list (go to the last post and scroll UP) and "Reply" to it, deleting the "quote" tags in your reply.
* Please DO NOT change the font, font size, add colors, stuff like that.
* Please PREVIEW before posting to make sure it is properly formatted.
* Please check that you have not deleted anyone's NAME & DATA.

Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your application.
NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter.
Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment.
Approved = The Date your case was approved.

* Please Capitalize your VJ Name when adding it to the list.
* When you're on this list, please come back to update your information accordingly.
* If you cannot add your information yourself, please ask another VJ member to help you do so.

UPDATE:

My whole family got approved! My Dad went for his visa interview at the US Embassy in Pohnpei, Micronesia (since that's where he currently lives and works) last March 16, and got his B1/B2 visa immediately the following day. The rest of my family (Mom, two brothers and one sister) went for their interview yesterday at the US Embassy in Manila, Philippines. They got in at 7:15am and by 10:30am they called me to tell me they were all approved!!! Till now we're all in a state of shock.. Lol. I finally get to see them again after two years! Just 6 more weeks to go and they'll be here with us.. Thanks to everyone who gave tips and advice! To God be the glory!

Thank you so much for your detailed response! I had no idea that you were a CO.. Lol. Knowing that now though, I trust your insights and advice. We finally submitted his DS-160 with just his most recent employment history. I appreciate everyone's responses! Fingers crossed that my dad and the rest of my family get approved for the tourist visa!

the most recent is sufficient.

Thank you for your response! I still have concerns though; won't they check your background to see if you've worked at other companies in the past? And wouldn't they find it weird that my dad will only be claiming to have worked in one other company for the past 5 years, given that he's already 52 years old?

I am helping my father fill out his DS-160 form, but we're stuck on the page that asks for his work history. He has worked for a lot of companies over the past 20 years. My question is, how far back should we go? Do we have to put ALL of the companies he's worked for, dating back to 1990s, or can we just put his work history for the last 5 years? He's applying for a B1/B2 visa, by the way. Thanks for any helpful replies!

My family (father, mother, 2 brothers and 1 sister) will be applying for their US tourist visas soon. I wonder how many VJers here have the same situation, or know of someone with a similar situation? And if so, can you share with me your experience/knowledge? Were they all approved? What are the chances? What were their interview questions? Thanks for any response!

So I'm helping my family fill out their DS-160 forms for their tourist visa application, and we just have some questions about some of the questions:

- Do you have any immediate relatives, not including parents, in the United States?

They already put me down as their relative (daughter to my parents, sibling to my brothers and sister), and my mom listed her half-siblings in her form. Do they also list my husband as OTHER relative? My husband is a US citizen; I'm currently on a Conditional Resident visa.

- Are there other persons traveling with you?

My mom is going to apply for the tourist visa together with my two brothers and sister at the US embassy in Manila, Philippines. So they listed each other on the form as traveling companions. My dad is in Micronesia right now as he is working there, and he plans to apply for the tourist visa at the US embassy there in Kolonia, FSM. They all plan to leave together sometime in May; they're going to be in the same flight and everything. The question is, do they still list his name down as one of their traveling companions, even though he is applying in a different embassy? Currently, they have him listed in their forms, but i wonder if they should do otherwise.

Many thanks for any helpful response!

Same here. Ok, here is my situation; We moved from Utah to Oregon because of work. We made a change of address but we wrote the address of my in-laws since that's the only permanent place we know of. We spent a month in a corporate housing and got our place after that. We didn't change our address even we moved to an apartment because after 6 months my husband had work related training out of the country and we had to go with him. We are back in the USA, and we are filling our ROC this month. The address that the USCIS has my in-laws, and also our current address.

Since we don't have utilities under our name, we asked my inlaws to make an affidavit explaining the situation. Don't forget to have that notarized.

If you have some bills like a credit card or insurance that has your inlaws address but has both your names, I think that will be ok.

Wow, thanks for the advice! We will definitely do that. Do you already have a copy of your inlaws affidavit? If so, would you be willing to share the wording with me? I don't know how to word it.. Lol.

We are getting ready to file for my ROC, but we haven't filed for our 2015 taxes yet. Husband worked for two different companies, and one of the W-2s already showed up, but the other one has yet to arrive still. When it does arrive, we're mailing our W-2s to my husband's grandmother, who works for an H&R Block branch (she's been doing the family's taxes for years now). Being new to this country, I don't really know much about doing taxes, and my husband has never done them himself either, and with all the new insurance and student forms that we need to include this year, we just feel more confident if they were done by a professional. As this takes time, what can we submit for the ROC for our 2015 taxes that shows we're filing jointly? We would really appreciate some helpful advice and suggestions. Thank you in advance for any replies!

My husband and I are getting ready to file for my removal of conditions, and so far, everything is good except for one question that I can't answer myself. Let me explain first.

When I moved to the US last April 2014, we stayed at my husband's father's house for a couple of months, before finally moving out to our own apartment. Since we're not sure how long we're gonna be staying at this apartment, we just let some of our mail get delivered to his father's house, and his mother's house (his parents are divorced, but are living in the same general area). It proved to work out well, since we have since moved to another apartment, and with my husband graduating this May and us possibly moving to another state later this year, it wouldn't make sense to us to change the mailing address to all these bills/statements until we find a more permanent place of our own. Now, with filing for the ROC, we'll need to include some documents that will show the addresses of my in-laws. Can we just attach a letter explaining why these addresses are different and not listed on the addresses that we've lived in? I did list my father-in-law's address, since we lived there for a couple of months, but I didn't list my mother-in-law's address coz we never officially lived there. Has anyone have had a similar situation, or knows of one? We'd appreciate any advice or suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Marie

Mom and Dad, a virtual shoe-in...sis (14 yr old) likely as well....the 21 year old, very weak case...'having' to take over a business is another common meaningless statement...

same for the 18 year old....no school, no job. The missionary deal is a red herring.

So, based on what I've read, if I were seeing this case, with little else to convince me of much, mom, dad and sis get visas; the two brothers apply in the future when they might demonstrate much stronger reasons for returning than are currently visible and credible. Just one person's opinion (but I've seen thousands of similar cases with similar outcomes for similar reasons).

Thanks for the honest assessment! To be honest, I already know that my brothers have the weaker shots at getting approved, but of course, just like anyone, I'm holding onto hope that the consul would still decide otherwise. We will try to gather as much evidence of ties for them as we can, and pray hard for a positive outcome.

I'm a CR1 holder here in the US. Got in here April last year. My whole family wants to come visit my husband and I next year, around May till July, to spend some time together and go to Universal Studios before they move to Micronesia in August 2016. What are their chances of getting approved?

Dad -- Currently working in Micronesia for a branch of the UN. Earning about $4,000 per month. Has never traveled outside of the country before landing this job. Will finance the whole family's expenses: visa fees, plane tickets, etc. Will apply separately in the US embassy in Micronesia due to work schedule not permitting him to be in the Phil around the time my mom and siblings will have their own visa interview.

Mom -- Part-time college teacher and owner of her own tutorial business for students. Got offered a job to be the Head Teacher of a startup school in Micronesia, which will begin classes in Sept. Will have the job contract on hand for visa interview, as well as the deed to her late mom's house and land property (not under her name yet, in the process of transferring). We've only been renting an apartment for the past 7 yrs, so no ownership of house, but we have a family car registered under Dad's name (can she bring that for added proof of ties or does it matter since its in her husband's name?)

Brother 1 -- 21 yrs old, single. Currently serving a 2-yr mission for the LDS church. Will finish mission in April 2016. Plans to take over managing my mom's tutorial business since she's moving to Micronesia for her new job. Since he's been on this mission from 2014, he's been technically unemployed and has temporarily stopped studying in UP for the last 1 and a half year (2yrs by the time they interview for the b2 visa). Also plans to continue college studies after mission, so my mom's been paying for his Leave of Absence at school so he has the option to come back and study there again.

Brother 2 -- 18 yrs old, single. Currently on his 2nd year in college. Planning to apply and hopefully get accepted to serve the same type of mission Brother 1 is currently on. So because of that, he wont be enrolling to school next year. Will hopefully have his mission call papers onhand by their visa interview.

Sister -- 14 yrs old. Currently enrolled in a university as a 7th grader. Will be moving to Micronesia with our parents and will be transferring schools there. Will be taking entrance exams next February, and will hopefully have acceptance letter or enrollment papers onhand by their visa interview.

I understand that there's no document that i can give them to help them with the tourist visa application, so im helping them figure out what they can do and what docs to bring to prove sufficient ties to the Philippines. My mom, 2 brothers and sister are all planning to apply together in one appointment; is it an advantage or a disadvantage? There is a possibility that Brother 1 will have a separate appointment because he cant go for an interview before April 20 since he's still a missionary; if that's the case, what are his chances of getting approved on his own? My family and i haven't seen each other since I moved here last year, and with some of them moving to Micronesia possibly permanently, and some staying in the Phil, our planned vacation next year might be our only shot at spending time together for a while. Will it help if my mom mentions that during the interview when she's asked about the purpose of travel? What tips can you offer us? Thanks in advance for any replies!

KendrickPaula Hi! We submitted an NSO copy right away, so we'd be safe. I think for the USCIS stage its ok to submit an LCR copy, but for NVC you'll need the NSO Copy.

MaxineStachowski Hi! No, we didnt do DCF.. I got expedited because im a resident of one of the towns that got directly hit by Typhoon Yolanda.

can I ask how long did you wait for your visa to arrive at your address after interview?

Thank you! I chose to have it for pickup, coz its usually faster. Im still waiting for the courier to text me when it's ready for pickup.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, everyone! I really appreciate it. I'm glad that my post helped some of you get a better idea of what to expect. For those who are just about to go through their interview, goodluck and just think positive! God bless you all!

Thanks for sharing your story. Congratulations!

You're welcome, and thanks!

Looked like everything went smooth. Congratulations!

Wonderful story! Congratulations!

Thank you so much! God bless

Im understanding it better now. Thank you so much, NLR! God bless you.

Hi, NLR! I wanted to do a direct reply to ur comments, but i cant do it on my phone apparently, so i'll just hope that you read this. We included my hubby's and my in-laws' 2013 W-2s because we thought we needed to include it to correspond with the info they put on the forms (current individual annual income). We didnt know that we're gonna get a Checklist because of that. My hubby only started working just last year, so the only w2 that he has is for 2013. He hasnt filed yet coz he just went back to the US this week; he was here with me in the Philippines for almost 2 months.