ufkenmill

You don't have to be in the US to start the K1 process. I did it from Thailand where I was living with my fiance for 2 1/2 years and had zero problems. We're waiting for her greencard now which we should have very soon...

You can read all about it here

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...=387&st=945

Thanks, but what does this mean in terms of time? I've read other posts stating that it'll speed things up? I've looked at the timelines and it looks like it should be quick hopefully. She hasn't been asked to interview though, is that required in all cases?

Usually the cases transferred to CSC are approved within a fairly short timeframe (between 2 weeks and 3 months after the date of the transfer, I'd say......but, as usual with USCIS, nothing is guaranteed, for an example of the opposite, look at my timeline )

As for the interview, almost all cases which were transfered to CSC are approved WITHOUT an interview. So that should be good news

Good luck,

CW

That would be fantastic. Thanks for the info. Like I said, I've been away from the board for some time and haven't kept upwith the latest info.

We've been adjusting well to life here in the US thankfully. I was out of the US for 2.5years and had reverse culture shock when I got back here. Luckily I can understand my wife's feelings on having to adjust to a different culture since i had to do the same thing in Thailand. She's really enjoying the US, even though she's still too afraid to drive here and the big city of DC is intimidating. It's starting to get really cold here and she's handling it well. She's really looking forward to thanksgiving and christmas in the cold weather.

That being said, we're both praying that CSC does process our case quickly since we're both tired of going through this process. She came in on a K1 in april and did biometrics twice,once for EAD and once for AOS and was interviewed for her K1 at the embassy.

Any idea why some get interviewed and some don't?

Hi!

Me and my hubby decided to move back to Norway, which we have, and we`ve been back for about a week or so now. My american husband has one form to file before he WILL get permanent residency here, quite a lot easier for him than it was for me thats for damn sure!

Anyway, my question is this, as I do have my greencard, and it still has the conditional status attached to it, (I know I will lose it now that Ive moved back) I just need to know what form I need to send in and where letting them know I am no longer living in the states, and what to do and where to send my greencard.

Id appreciate it if anyone had some kind of idea about this! Thanks guys!

Annie

Are you sure you'll lose your greencard? I thought you could keep it as long as you came back every 6 months?

You can read all about it here

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...=387&st=945

Thanks, but what does this mean in terms of time? I've read other posts stating that it'll speed things up? I've looked at the timelines and it looks like it should be quick hopefully. She hasn't been asked to interview though, is that required in all cases?

You can see our timeline below for the K1 processing and AOS. I have a question though about the CSC and I apologize if it's redundant but I haven't been on this site in a while and haven't kept up with the different SC's and what's going on with them.

We got an email Friday 11/17 that our case was transferred from the St. Louis office to the CSC for some reason. Our original AOS was sent to Chicago then transferred to St. Louis, we received a RFE and they received that back about 2 weeks ago, then they emailed us and said that they got our stuff and that our processing time will be faster than what is stated on the official website.....and then on Friday they transferred our case to CSC?

Why are the offices transferring to CSC? What's the scoop on this? I haven't paid attention lately..

Thanks

ufkenmill,

By "immigration" I expect that you mean USCIS?

- ICE, not CIS, is the enforcement branch

- it's the employer that ICE will be after, for failing to fulfill their legally imposed obligation to confirm and document the employment authorization status of its' employees

- working without EA is not an issue for adjustment of status of the spouse of a USC

- government and its' employees are not responsible or accountable for the bad things that may happen to a person if they give that person bad advice or wrong information and the person follows that advice or relies on that information.

Yodrak

.....

Immigration was almost laughing when I asked if we were doing something wrong by her working with an expired temp EAD. She said as long as we applied for the perm EAD and AOS we were fine. Seems like they have their hands full with other things to focus on...

Yodrak, you must be a lawyer I tell you. Great to hear from you again, it's been while.

1) By immigration I meant the Baltimore Immigration Office Supervising Immigration Officer

2) I never said that EA is an issue for AOS

3) I know...

I heard the same thing from two different immigration officers so there must be some sort of internal policy regarding this. Like I said in my post, I work for the fed's now in DC and we have many many internal policies which summarize a position on a reg which may be slightly different than what the reg says. Meaning, we have procedures and policies that can address a particular situation that may seem in direct conflict of a Reg (or meaning non-enforcement of some reg's depending on the magnitude of the non-compliance).

anyway....everything's fine now and we never had any problems with firm's or immigration on the issue.

Thanks for the post though! great to hear from you..

Well we finally received notification of approval for her EAD today. Now we're just waiting on her AOS interview...ahh..

By the way, my wife has been working the entire time she's been here. She received a temp EAD at JFK upon arrival, we applied for her permanent before it expired but she got a job just as it expired. After talking with immigration in baltimore in person, we were told she could work since she had applied for AOS and a perm EAD. We just used her receipt from the EAD to show the firm where she works and I explained the situation over the phone to them and they were OK with it. I work for the federal govt now and they know it so that may have had an effect on them accepting my statements, but they were indeed factual anyway. I confirmed with the baltimore immigration office and over the phone with an imm. officer.

So now we should have the actual card soon so they'll be no more explaining to do. She's already looking for another job since we won't have to explain the situation again.

Immigration was almost laughing when I asked if we were doing something wrong by her working with an expired temp EAD. She said as long as we applied for the perm EAD and AOS we were fine. Seems like they have their hands full with other things to focus on...

I was also teaching overseas while going through the process with my then fiance (now wife) and I had to use a cosponsor also. We used my brother who makes a good salary and had no problems whatsoever. As long as your cosponsor provides all the documents as instructed on the forms and makes the minimum, you should be fine. YOur best bet though is to get someone in your family who makes the most money if you can..

Can someone tell me about the vaccination records in packet 3? My fiance does not have her records, but I read that she can have a blood test to determine the immunizations she has already had, if this is done, how does the doctor fill out the record? Just attach a copy of the blood test or what? (We want to get this done because its cheaper in Thailand). Also, I just want to verify that she can go to any doctor provided the form is competed in English, correct?

Bill

We were lucky in that my then fiance (now wife) had her vaccination records but I do know that the doctor's office will know how to handle this. You have to go to the approved doctor's which the embassy will provide a list of them to you. Definitely do it all in thailand, it's much easier just to get it out of the way.

Hey guys, long time no see. My wife and I have been busy working non-stop since we came to the US. If you guys don't remember me I was living in Thailand and came back to the US with my then fiance/wife (had a thai wedding ceremony in thailand first) and have been back here since april 4th of this year. Time flies!

I just had a question that I was hoping someone here could help me with. I'm trying to buy a talking dictionary for my wife but do not want to buy it over the internet from thailand. Does anyone know where I can get this:

Talking Dict

in the US? I have friends in Thailand and can have them buy it for me and send it but I was trying to avoid the hassle of wiring money to them and having them mail it here. The thai post is pretty unreliable and slow.

Thanks!

why is it so critical to wait for the receipt to apply for the EAD?

Just to give everyone an update...we just came back from the Baltimore field office and was told that since we have applied for the AOS and EAD, and have receipts, that it is OK to keep working with the expired temp EAD that my wife received at JFK.

This is a great thing, my wife will not have to quit her job and also in the future others will know that a temp EAD is a great thing to get if you can get it since it will allow K1's to work right away after getting here, even BEFORE a permanent EAD is issued and even if the temp EAD expires before the EAD is issued. The supervisor at the Field Office confirmed that my wife and her employer are not breaking any laws or rules by continuing working with an expired temp EAD, since the AOS and EAD have been filed for already.

This is the most logical conclusion anyway since it would be absolutely ridiculous to give out temp EAD's that will almost always end up expiring before the EAD is issued and having all these LEGAL immigrants having to stop working while they wait for their EAD.

Thanks for the advice Ana.. Did you actually try to go and get the EAD at the field office or did you just wait until the 90 days was up before you went?

In San Diego, at the USCIS Field Office, an alien can walk in there and get an EAD that same day.. But this is not in the rule book as we all have read on the USCIS website. So we're going to try anyway, we'll keep you updated...

Thanks for everything...

Are you basing this on your own experience or just from what you've read on the internet? I also have read these things on the internet but it just doesn't make any sense to give out a Temp EAD and then expect the person to just quit their job while they're waiting for the EAD.

We made an appt to get an interim EAD even though it hasn't been 90 days and I believe it is up to the examining officer to make the decision. There are so many illegals in this area, I can't see them turning her down just because it hasn't been 90 days yet.

My wife and I entered the US via JFK and she received a temp EAD stamp on her I-94, we applied for the EAD shortly after but have only received the I797 NOA since then. Now my wife has found a job here but her Temp EAD will be expiring soon and we haven't received her EAD card yet. Does anyone know if she can get another Temp EAD? The first one was just a stamp at the airport but I've seen that the Temp EAD is actually a card, I'm wondering if she can get a Temp EAD Card now and extend her authorization until she gets her EAD.

What are we supposed to do if she's working and her Temp EAD expires? I don't planon telling her employer about it if you know what I mean..

I am glad to see everything is moving along everyone. Here is a question to all of you who have already entered and got married. Does your Thai wife where here wedding ring all the time? Sometimes? or rarely? Ton tells me that most Thai women only where it for a couple of days after the wedding. Is this true?

Dan

I believe this is more a bhuddist-thai issue rather than solely a thai issue. My wife wears her ring at all times except while sleeping (as do I) but she is Christian.

just my 2 cents...

You can file from the UK no problem... I did it from Thailand and now my wife and I are living in the US after entering with a K1.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement. Yeah, it's pretty cold here in maryland compared to thailand,lol. C is freezing but she's handling it pretty well. She's wearing gloves inside the house and when she sleeps,lol.

The process at the border was painless. We flew to JFK to get the temp work authorization and did end up getting it. I went through the non-USC line with her and the process consisted of her submitting her folder and passport to the first officer, who did the initial processing. He was all business and after finishing with him we then had to go through the 2nd checkpoint where they did the final processing. No problems here either, it's a checkpoint about 100meters from the other one and they appeared to be the supervisors. After about a 5minute wait we were told "good luck" and we left.

After getting our luggage we had to then go through customs which I was a little nervous about since I had about 150 DVD's in my luggage that I bought in burma. I had shipped all my software to avoid having that confiscated. My nervousness was pointless since we were checked through in about 3 seconds.

My parents met us at the airport and arranged baloons and flowers for C which was great for her. She has met them before since they had lived in Thailand and I actually met C through my dad. After a 5hour drive and a stop at cracker barrel for some american style food we reached home.

We're still adjusting to the time change though and we both keep waking up at 3am,lol.

Now it's on for the AOS and for me to find a job!

Just wanted to update everyone quickly about our status. We finally made it to the US! C and I arrived thursday night at about 2am to maryland. We're still recovering from the long flight and time-change..

Will write more later...

Thanks again everyone for all your help!

Well it is now official. Ton and I got married today

Dan

Congratulations Dan and Ton. Good to hear things are working out...

How is she doing with the transition?

C and I are leaving for the US on wednsday night. Can't wait to get there..

We brought it with us but didn't need it. Wasn't asked anything about it.

Contact the embassy and ask them. Go straight to the source. Also, if you can somehow afford it, hire an attorney for this. Your case is very unique.

Good luck to you both, everything will be fine for you..

Why are you marrying this guy if you obviously have no respect for him? I seem to remember you complaining about him in another post somewhere to if I"m not mistaken.

How about being grateful to the fact that you're getting a visa to the US because of him??

So my fiance still hasn't receive the rfe in the mail and tomorrow it will be two weeks since they 'sent it' according to the email. So I tell my fiance to call them since it said if you haven't received it in two weeks call the national centre. I had to find the number for him to call and than i sent him an email reminding him that he needs our case number from the noa1 when he calls. He emails me backing saying 'what's a noa1 and where is a case number?' (he's the one from USA)

Anyone else's fiance completely hopeless on knowing this process and you have to do almost everthing?? I'm feeling alone and hopeless and want to know if anyone else is in the same boat with their other half?

Im the USC and my baby who does not speak english much has a hard time. This was (at one time a long long time ago) new to me and I hate paperwork!! It sucks but if you want it someone has to do it. Of course he is the one that has to call since he is USC. One more thing just FYI, at this point it is called a receipt number and not a case number until you get to NOA2.

We wish you and your fiance good luck and soon you / him will both be experts at it.

I could understand if someone didn't speak english since that's not their fault. but to me it's lazyness on my fiance's part and i'm at the breaking point. Thanks for the FYI on the case/receipt number. i'll tell him i made a mistake and its called receipt number since i'm clear on that now, but he'll still give me the same response.

Alternatively, if it's a one-time transaction, you can send money to Thailand using western union. they have offices everywhere here. The only caveat is that you can't send money FROM thailand to the US, they only allow incoming transfers. I tried to send money TO the us and they don't allow it. had to do a bank transfer.

Also look into bank transfers (not for cambodia obviously), you can wire money from account to account pretty quickly (1 day) and you're positive that she'll get it since it's going right into her account.