shikimo

I tried hard to find an existing thread with this particular situation and failed: apologies if this is a double post.

I am currently living abroad with my wife and child, and we're preparing the I-130. We've got everything we need and there's nothing particular about our case...

...except I don't know what address to put for myself! I will be relocating to the US by myself to re-establish domicile while the I-130 is percolating with the USCIS, and I have a bank account, DL, etc., linked to my dad's address in the Twin Cities, where I will stay until I get us an apartment sometime this spring.

There are reliable ways to change my address with the USCIS within the US, and reliable ways to change my wife's address here once we sell our apartment, but I can't find a reliable way to change my address with the USCIS from a foreign to a US one.

I can't be the first person to have this problem: does somebody have the solution?

For info, we're using the fact that we both own our apartment (and have joint title on the mortgage) as evidence of our bona fide marriage, so there's no hiding the fact that I do, in fact, live here, at least for the time being.

Thanks!

Who says this father doesn't care about his child? It's better for them to be apart and not wondering how they're going to pay for their next meal, than together and doing that. The father can still talk to his child and skype when available. Living in the USA is not cheap. There is no way I could live here on my income alone, I have no idea how people at my work do it unless they're working two jobs!

You made a rather bold assumption that because this father is in school, trying to better his life and make sure he can get a job to support his family, that he doesn't care about his child which is seriously erroneous.

I think you misread the quoted post: I'm pretty sure s/he was making a hypothetical comparison, not commenting on the OP's husband's concern for his child.

Exocet has it right: these lawyers aren't stupid or incompetent, they're just being lawyers. Imagine the lawsuit if an immigration lawyer told a client that it would "probably be OK" and something terrible happened! Lawyers can't traffic in "probably" and "usually."

I have a question about the ESTA: having never done one myself (US citizen), I'd like to know if there are questions about immigration status on the online form. Specifically, do they ask if the applicant is involved in a legal immigration process? If not, do the ESTA people verify the applicant relative to any potential immigration procedure? If they (US immigration) know ahead of time that an ESTA applicant is the subject of an immigration process, refusing entry without extenuating circumstances seems highly improbable.

Bonjour Shikimo,

Je ne comprends pas, en étant marié depuis tant d'années, devoir passer par tout ce processus! A ce que je sache, vous n'avez rien à prouver. Vous êtes mariés depuis 7 ans, vous avez des enfants, il n'y a aucun risque de fraude là.

Bonjour !

Malheureusement, le processus est le même pour tout le monde…le seul avantage que l'on risque de tirer de notre statut évident de 'vraie famille' et d'avoir quelques sous dans le matelas c'est un niveau de confiance bien élevé le jour de l'entretien finale--toutes les preuves seront bien en place et facile a vérifier. Pour le reste, le moindre faux pas administratif serai bien problématique, j'en suis sûr. Il y a aussi le question de ma rétablissement de domicile aux USA, où j'ai pas vécu depuis 2006. C'est pour le timing de cette étape-là que je m'inquiète le plus.

shikimo: Pour réduire le temps de séparation, pourquoi ne pas envoyer le tout dès maintenant? Le temps de vous installer, puis de commencer à travailler, vous aurez de bons liens et preuves documentaires de votre retour aux États-Unis... et le salaire pour compléter le i-864 avant l'entrevue. Enfin, personnellement, pour réduire le temps de séparation le plus possible, c'est ce que je ferais.

Merci pour votre réponse.

En effet, je pensais attendre parce que je n'ai actuellement pas beaucoup de liens avec les USA (je suis en France depuis presque une décennie) et il me semblait prudent d'attendre jusqu'au moment où j'avais au moins une adresse locale--le premier pas pour reprendre "domicile" comme défini par l'INS--pour éviter des ennuis pendant les premières étapes du processus. Pensez-vous que cela n'est important que vers la fin du processus (au même temps que les autres preuves, c-à-d les formules pour démontrer une revenue suffisante, la vente de notre bien immobilier en France, le transfert d'argent, etc….)? Si c'est le cas vous avez raison, ça peut bien réduire le temps de ne pas être en famille, ce que je crains beaucoup...mais je ne veux surtout pas prendre aucune risque de faire les choses plus compliquées que nécessaire...

shikimo: the K3 is now obsolete. The IR1 is the visa you need. Even if your I129f is approved fast, uscis will match it with your pending I130 (with longer processing times) and it won't go any faster. Plus NVC will not process the visa as a K3 but directly as an IR1 (the k3 is no longer issued)

OK, that's good to know, thanks…in that case, there are a lot of "official" websites that need to be updated!

Thanks for your response, California.

Yeah, evidence seems pretty sketchy regarding the worth of I-129 these days, but it doesn't seem like it could hurt.

That "consular presence" in Lyon on the quai is pretty interesting, isn't it? I've been there a few times…their security measures are serious business.

So you sent your I-130 directly from here (France)? I wanted to do that, but my lack of "domicile" in the US seemed to be a pretty big potential red flag, which is why I decided to move ahead of time. Do you feel as if that's a concern?

Hello everyone!

I've posted my details in the France/US thread, but it's always nice to introduce oneself on a new forum, so here it is:

I'm an American living abroad, preparing to move my French wife and our young child back to the US. This website has been an invaluable source clarity in a sea of conflicting, outdated, and sometimes just inaccurate information.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed: when we're all done with this process, I'll try and stick around to return the favour!

Bonjour !

I'm brand to new to the forum, and I'm here because I'm planning on moving my family from our home near Lyon to the Twin Cities. I am American, my wife is French (married 7+ years), and we have one small child (about 2 YO) who already has his US passport. I've been doing my homework and I think I understand, but I would like to run an outline of what I think we need to do by those of you who have already been through the process.

I will move back to Mpls. this spring, start working, rent an apt., etc., and then:

1) File I-130 with USCIS

2) After approval notice, file 129f for K3 visa (in case the I-130 takes longer than expected)

3) Dossier will be sent by USCIS to NVC, which may or may not send me an RFE

4) Dossier will eventually be sent to the US Embassy in Paris, which will send Packet 3 to my wife in Lyon, which we prepare together and send back

5) Embassy sends packet 4 to my wife, which contains an interview date

6) I (or we, depending on where we all are at that time) hop emergency flight to Paris for interview

7) If approved, my wife waits for POE materials in France before bringing herself and our son to Mpls. (hopefully not in the dead of winter!!)

Does that sound about right? Am I missing any big steps? We've got all manner of documents to support our case (joint home ownership, dual-citizen child, bank account, clear re-establishment of domicile in US for me, decent financials, etc.), but I really want to dot every I and cross every T to ensure that we are apart for as short of a period as possible...

…any additions, recommendations, or tips from more experienced folk are welcome, en français ou en anglais, merci par avance !