mdfeldm

Wow Reba, that really sucked. I too work hard but have already told my boss that when my wife finally gets here, I'll be taking some time off and will be sure to be home from work by 6:00 at the latest. I need to spend time with my wife to get reacquainted. It's been too long since we've spent any meaningul time together and I could not imagine pulling the hours that your husband did. I sure hope he made it up to you in a BIG way. B)

The other thing I did was knowing that my wife is also not accustomed to the big city, I moved to an area that is more quaint, with it's own 'downtown' full of shops, restaurants, etc. So really she could literally walk 5 blocks in any direction and go shopping, get her hair done, work out at the gym, take Tae-Kwon-Do lessons, see a doctor/dentist, eat a good burger or some fresh sushi, and catch a movie.

People do many things for their loved ones, but when he/she is coming from another country, we have to go above and beyond the norm to help them acclimate. Don't you think?

Wishing you all the best in the good ole' U.S. of A.

Joel

Actually, websites like Monster, Hotjobs, Dice, etc. are pretty good if you have special skills. Otherwise, the Sunday paper of any big city is where you'll find lots of job ads. As for resumes, again, it depends what you do, how long you've been working, and what your experience is. There really is not fast rule for resume length anymore. Mine is 6 pages long and it helped me land a great job. A great cover letter always helps too. If you look at agencies, some are paid by the employer and some you pay for. Beware of the ones you pay for. They're not that good and are a waste of money. If you want more advice, I'll be glad to continue this discussioin via email. Just let me know.

Good luck,

Joel

To me the big question is whether your wife paid U.S. income tax on her UK income. If she did, you should declare it. I don't see anywhere on the form or the instructions where it says it must be U.S. generated income. Also, is your wife going to work when you all come to the States? If she already has another job lined up, a letter from her new employer will help stating that she will be starting such and such job on such and such date for x amount of salary.

I think putting 0 dollars on the income line will red-flag your AOS.

I'd like to see what others on this forum have to say about your predicament.

Sorry I can't tell you anything more definitive.

Joel

you bet ya. The IRS won't release any information for anyone they don't have a signed form for. So make a copy and have your co-sponsor fill it out and sign it and send it in along with everything else.

Good luck,

Joel

I personally believe that the more documentation you send in, the better. So even if your wife's income alone is insufficient, send it all in anyway. I'm sure they'll be looking for it. Plus, include a cover letter explaining everything, that you're including her documentation along with your co-sponsor's, etc.

Good luck and don't forget to let us know how it goes

I had the same question when I started and yes, Simple-Male is right. It takes less time for you to get the documents and express mail them to your spouse than for the NVC to do it. Plus, you get the added benefit of being able to see what they're actually sending, any additional instructions, etc. I made copies of everything in the packet before I sent them overseas to my wife.

The fun is just beginning

Joel

Congratulations Jazzy.

Things will progress at a somewhat faster pace now so be sure to be as prepared as possible with forms, documentation, etc. Try reading the shortcuts that are posted in the guides section. People do say they help.

Best wishes,

Joel

Since you're a consultant and don't get pay stubs, you should receive a 1099 for tax purposes. Copies of that form need to be included along with your latest tax return.

Did you imply that you have an I-130 pending for your wife? So you'll be a co-sponsor for your sister and at some point you'll have to be a sponsor yourself to bring your wife over? That could get complicated so be careful that you include as much documentation as possible each time making sure they fully understand how much you make or can make, and that you're over the poverty line by an appropriate amount. A cover letter doesn't hurt either. Be sure to read the I-864 guidelines listed here by Aussiewench. They really are helpful in understanding the process.

Good luck.

Joel

The best rule to follow is the more documents you can send in to support your case, the better. So yes, you'll need your latest W2, and your latest tax return to match. Since you're using a joint sponsor, you'll have to include his W2, and latest tax returns as well. A letter from your employers confirming your employment and salary is always a good idea as well. Remember, the purpose of the I-864 is to show that when your spouse gets here, you'll be able to support her without state aid (welfare). Aussiewench has included some useful tips on this subject too so check out what she has to say.

Good luck and best wishes.

Joel

Well congratulations anyway CNUSSOON,

You've been on the forums often enough to know this is the first step in the process. Now it's to the NVC and onwards and upwards from there. Read the shortcuts that are posted on the forum and stick with it. It looks like they do help shorten the process.

Good luck,

Joel

I agree with Zyggy. Being outside the US for so long while in Med School can pose a risk to your wife if she's outside the country for too long. You had better consult an attorney on that one to be sure. You don't want to mess up and end up in a bind.

Let us know what you find out. It could help others that may find themselves in similar situations.

Good luck,

Joel

Sounds like you're back on track. We've all had ups and down, but You see? Keeping the faith does go a long way.

Good luck and best wishes for a speedy interview

Joel

Hey Reddy,

As others have said, if you're above the 125% threshold for the number of people in your household (see the table that came with the form), you don't have to list assets and your wife isn't supposed to sign it. There's no room for the beneficiary to sign the form anyway.

Good luck,

Joel

Thank you AussieWench for the clarification and the link to the revised rule for the I-864. I just got mine in the mail from the NVC and it's the old one so your post really helped clear it all up for me. Thanks for sharing.

Joel

Your letter is fine but don't expect them to do much of anything for you. I too wrote my congressman and senator. I got my senators staff to write me back and they were so kind to me that they repeated exactly what I had told them. As for my congressman, even knowing his office director didn't help any. Yes, they all say they'll help with immigration issues although I'm not sure what that mean any more. But hey, it's always worth a try. Maybe your congressional representative will actually do something for you. You never know.

As for all the negative comments posted here, just ignore them. I've noticed a trend by some people to be more negative than others. They're not worth getting upset over.

I wish you luck and a speedy approval.

Joel

Hey guys....yes, USCIS sucks with customer service. I waited 1/2 hour once, to ask a question, only to have the representative hang up on me, mid sentence, within the 1st minute...becuase he's an idiot and wasn't really listening to my question....regardless....

I don't think ANY negative comments should be made to anyone on here, regardless if their justfully made...or whether the person was feeling sorry for themselves, for whatever reasons, because in all honesty, we are here to support each other...and lean on each other, because we don't have anywhere else to go....NO ONE understands what we're going through unless they're going through the same thing, or have gone through.

We all feel sorry for ourselves at some point or another, and we all miss our spouses/fiance so much, we'd sell our souls to the devil to be reunited faster...(I know I would.) But I think to help us all, to help HOPE prevail, we should ALWAYS be supportive of one another, and damn it...sometimes, we do just need a "hug" or someone to say "I feel your pain."

Now, let's all be friends, and take one day at a time....because as each day that goes by, we're one more day closer to our loved ones. (Though I know I won't always believe my own words...somedays, even a little right now, I doubt my words...and become lost in depression...but I have to just keep pretending, lying to myself..whatever to make the pain go away; to find that little bit of hope again, and start over. And each day, try to make the hope grow bigger...)

And I find hope through YOU ALL....that's why I'm here. That's why, I need to, and newhampshire needs to, and everyone else needs to hear about whatever hope, whomever has at that moment. Otherwise, why are we hear really? If we didn't feel so afraid, or alone, or frustrated, we wouldn't need a VJ forum to turn to.

Sincerely, ~Andrea

I agree wholeheartedly. We're all here for support and information and if any of us feel like venting, I think we have the right to do that. We just need to do it respectfully.

As for waiting for NOA2, I waited almost 6 months for mine from the VSC. Even after talking to both my senators, and my congressman who of course could do nothing at all.

Yes patience is the key to getting through this process with some sanity. In some respects it's easier for us in the States to cope than for our loved ones overseas who often don't understand what the delay is. I give my wife in Romania regular updates even if there's nothing new. Just so she knows I'm staying on top of it. That actually does help her morale a bit so it's worth doing.

Good luck with your journeys everyone. I hope to share my good news soon. (now how long have I been saying that? )

Also it varies depends on Visa Type. CR1's do take longer than K1's or K3's. I filed my CR1 through the VSC and it did seem like it took forever. From looking at the USCIS website itself, the processing dates at the VSC are better than those at the other centers.

Also it varies depends on Visa Type. CR1's do take longer than K1's or K3's. I filed my CR1 through the VSC and it did seem like it took forever. From looking at the USCIS website itself, the processing dates at the VSC are better than those at the other centers.

Mazel Tov/Congratulations. Hopefully we'll have good news soon too

Mazel Tov/Congratulations. Hopefully we'll have good news soon too

My wife in Romania should be receiving her DS-3032 this week. From everything I've read, it's really to be used if you're using an attorney. Since many of you have gone through this process successfully, is it best for my wife to continue receiving the mail directly or should I become her 'agent' and receive her mail here in the States? She does speak and read English fluently so language is not an issue. Is there an advantage to doing one way vs. the other?

Thank you all so much for your insights and for sharing your experiences.

Joel - Mihaela

Yes got a touch today SATURDAY the 24th...appears they are working on the weekend. I cant complain a lot of action for me in June considering I filed May 23.

This may seem like a dumb question, but how can you tell your file got 'touched'? Mine is now at the NVC and I'd love to find out if they've looked at it.

Thanks,

Joel

Gaithersburg, MD

I hate to say it my friend, but you'll probably have to wait a lot more time than that. When I filed in early January they were only processing December 3. So they've gone 2 weeks in 5 months. I stopped doing the math since it just gets me depressed. You just have to hang in there, cope the best you can, and keep the eye on the prize as they say. Just remember, you're not alone in your journey nor in your frustrations.