Tamara/Junior

You can pay the fee anytime before entry or after up to 1 year. Don't fret.

I suggest he go to the SSA and apply for a card since it didn't arrive within 2 weeks. It happens more often than not.

Someone from the SSI office told me to give it between 3 to 4 weeks since his arrival. And that if you apply for another card before that time that 2 social security numbers could be issued and then it will cause a longer delay. So....I will wait for the most until the 17th of May and after that time I will go to the SSI office again.

Hello there. I was checklisted on 12/31 and my response came on March 9th. I was quoted 60 days for a response and it was exactly 60. But I heard that the turn around for NVC has shortened to 30 to 45 days. I didn't call that much because it just frustrated me more. When you least expect it you will receive the e-mail.

Hello,

Congratulations!!! I am so happy for everyone!!! It is such a crazy feeling when they can FINALLY come over here. My husband has been here for 2 weeks tomorrow and I still look at him in disbelief. I feel like I am dreaming. We can talk without whatsapp, viber, skype, calling cards and its everyday all the time!!!

What are you guys plans for POE?

Hi Yoly,

I'm sorry that you are having such a hard time. Yeah hopefully we won't have to go through that. I am not really in a super rush for the green card just because my husand cannot work due to his injuries. I still have time to be a little patient. But I am going to the Social Security office tomorrow to check the status of his card. Then we can possibly get him an ID card.

Thank you for responding. My off day is Friday. So if I don't receive the social security card by Thursday, I am going to my local office.

Hello everyone,

I feel so stupid right now. I never even thought about the Immigrant Fee! I could've paid it a long time ago even before his POE! Someone just happened to mention it in conversation and I was OMG!!! I rushed and just paid it now. I never received a paper from the consulate with information about paying it. I read on the USCIS website that if it is NOT paid before POE that there will be a delay. Does anyone know how long the delay will be? I am also still waiting for the Social Security card to arrive as well. This Friday will be 2 weeks since POE. Should I go to the Social Security office and inquire about the whereabouts of the card? Or does it usually take this amount of time to arrive in the mail? Thank you in advance for your help.

I am confused why the immigration of the husband is the "life changing event." Seems to me, it is the marriage that kicks-in the "life change" and how your husband got here is irrelevant.

I thought a spouse just immigrating would be a life changiing event but its not. Marriage is a life changing event. It would have had to happen 30 days ago. I have been married over a year now so he doesn't qualify that way. Loss of job and/or insurance of a spouse is a qualifying event. So that is the road we took.

Thank you!!!! I'm tired of waiting and happy this part is almost over

You are very welcome!!! I am glad I could help. Keep checking the travel docs site for updates. I also rceived an email when the visa was ready. I am very happy for you guys!!

Thank you guys for all the advice and responses! I am glad that I stuck with it too. But I still don't see him added on my medical plan online as of yet. I will call tomorrow if I don't see it by the end of today. And I am going to ask when does his card come in the mail or if I can print a temporary one.

Hello there,

Junior and I had our interview on Wednesday April 1st. Then on Monday April 6th thats what the US travel doc said. It meant that his passport was received from Santo Domingo and has arrived to Santiago (at the location we chose to pick it up from). Then on the Wednesday April 8th the status changed to "Passport is ready for pickup". Sooooo tell him to get packing!!!! Congratulations the passport will be ready really soon!

Hello everyone. I got some advice from co-workers and I looked at the qualifying factors and just picked one. So I called them back and told them that he did lose his job and had previous insurance. So they added him on just like that. I am still feeling unsure about it just because they give me conflicting answers. But the lady did inform me that he would be added to my plan. We picked out everythig his medical, dental and vision plans. All she told me was to update my file ASAP when he receives his social. So hopefully, we won't have any more problems out of them. I tell ya, telling the truth gets you no where with insurance. I had to lie and create a whole back story just to put him on my insurance. It was so funy because the agent was like well I see here where your appeal was denied this morning. I was like yes it was, unfortunately due to misleading information back in November from oe of your agents, but he still qualifies from this list I found on your website!

Thank you everyone for your responses. Aetna just called me back and stated that the appeal was denied. They said that my employer is who denied it. So I will get in contact with my HR as well as do research on my own. I am scared of the out of pocket costs. I know that my insurance is absolutely wonderful and they didn't discriminate on previous conditions. I asked to speak to someone higher than a supervisor and they told me that there was no one else. That they could submit the appeal again but it would most likely be denied again. So that looks like a dead end road. I was so angry talking to them. I had to walk away from my desk for a second. But I just have to move forward the best way that I can. So first step is calling HR, then I will go to the Social Security office this Friday my off day, ( I work 7am to 5pm Mon- Thu.) and in the mean time price separate minimums to see what would be the difference in cost.

Hello everyone,

I contacted my insurance Aetna which is through my employer back in November and told them that I had plans to add my husband onto my insurance once he arrived. They told me that all I needed was his social and that he would be added automatically. So the social has not arrived yet, but another member told me that she was able to add her husband to her plan without his social. (And that she later called to provice them with the social.) So I gave my insurance a call last Thursday 4/23 to ask if I can add my husband. The representative told me that immigrating does not qualify as a "life changing event" and worse case scenario is that I would have to wait until November for open enrollment. I asked her to escalate the issue due to the fact that I was told it wouldn't be a problem and that it indeed IS A LIFE CHANGING EVENT. She told me that someone would be in contact with me in the next 3 to 5 days with an answer. My husband is in SERIOUS need of medical attention. He was in a horrible motorcycle accident last November where he fractured his skull and left femur. I know that he needs the best in medical care and therapy for a complete recovery. I have already scheduled appointments with a neurosurgeon and orthopaedist a month out just wating for the social to arrive. I am really worried that he won't be able to make these appointments due to my insurance. Has anyone else received this information from their employer/insurance? Any advice would help us tremendously. Thanks is in advance!

I chose to do POE with my husband because he knows little English and is on crutches. I was glad I was there because the imigration agents at JFK were extremely rude. They were talking wreckless to the immigrants in English. They didn't treat my husband like that. (I'm guessing because I was there.) The agents seemed like they didn't want to be bothered, when its their job. Our process was like 15 minutes in total, others had to wait longer. If you can fly with her do it! If yo can't I am sure that she will be fine. Like the others stated before people do it everyday.

We jst had our interview April 1st. You can go to my timeline to see how everything went. But for clarification we were not separated. I was asked the majority of the questions and Jr was only asked like 4. We did go over questions before and while waiting to kill time.

Hey there. I know all too well what you are going through. I told my hubby that I wanted to separate back in October. We were arguing constantly. I started doubting us and thinking I don't deserve this and its too much. Then a few weeks later he was in a horribe motorcycle accident where he fractured his skull and femur. Not to forget all the road rash, scrapes and bruises. I thought that I was going to lose him forever. It was a HUGE wake up call. We haven't been at each others throats since. Everyone argues. There are contributing factors such as loneliness, lack of funds from the process, nay-sayers and the DISTANCE! Hang in there. Things will get better.

Yeah. That's the same issue I had. It was blank - and then went back to step one.

They fixed it all within a day.

Just be very detailed and don't omit anything in your email.

Well I did send an email including all of that information at 7am yesterday morning.Someone responded within the hour only to tell me that the processing time can differ and to please be patient. And then there was an update later the travel docs site said "Passport has been received from the consular section and is currently being processed for delivery" around 1:30pm. And then later at 4:30pm it said "Passport is ready for pickup". So the Hubby is going to get it today. There wasn't anytime for him to go yesterday because it closes at 5pm and the drive is 45 minutes.

What does ustraveldocs say?

The cgi secure force site says nothing as of yet. Is that what you meant?

Thank you for this information. I had my interview April 1st and was approved. The ceac website says that it was issued already. I have called Santiago (where I want to pick it up) and Santo Domingo to locate the visa but they both say that they don't have it. I think that I will get some real answers by email.

Thank you for answering this question. I was about to make a new post about this. I was so worried that we messed up. After we were approved the cosul only told us check the website or call the Santiago location to see when the visa will be ready. We were approved on 4/1. So there have been no updates as of yet. Thanks again for the info.

Hello there. I was checklisted on December 31st. I got my approval March 9th. So it was the full 60 days for me too. But don't worry it goes by very fast just don't harp on it too much. Enjoy your time with family and friends and preparing a space for them before they come over.

Does anyone know if we still have to pay the banco popular fee before the interview? My husband and I have our cita in a week.

Hello there! My husband just went to the medical and VAC appontment on Tuesday. He took his passport, 5 2x2 passport photos, the cita letter and his cedula. He got there at 6am thirty minutes before they opened and was out by 1pm . He is on crutches due to a motorcycle accident. So like Twincactus said you have to bring a letter from the doctor.He has to submit his via email because we didn't know he needed it. I only told him to take a list of the meds he was taking. Good Luck!

I heard that you need to take the DS-260 confirmation letter to the medical examination. Can my hubby just take the confirmation letter on the VAC appointment letter? It already has the DS-260 confirmation at the bottom. Has anyone else used the VAC appointment letter?

No. Both addresses will be on the Appointment confirmation when you print it out.

Thank you so much. I just scheduled my husband's VAC appointment for Tuesday. I looked at the confirmation page and saw it. Thanks again. Cita date is April 1st!!!!!