blk

Hi Brian,

It's only about a 45 minute drive, it's San Bernardino CA

I will , thank you . It just really surprised me as I didn't expect that to happen so close to the original day, I only had 4 days notice of the change..lol

Well if you are still worried about the interview date change & you decide to go there for the original appointment date at least it's not a long journey to make.

I see, so if they need further proof of my name change and that my father is my father they would just ask for it? It wouldn't result in an automatic denial because the paperwork wasn't in order?

No it should not as you are not withholding anything from them as it will be on the forms you send in, but I would say that if you can get it through in time for you to send it all off together then do so as it avoids any potential delays in the process.Some people on this journey that you are now going through have had RFE'S for missing or extra documents/evidence & have not been denied, so as I said relax go through the evidence & documents you have got & look to see if you need anything else don't rush you application.

Brian

Hi Brian,

Yeah that's pretty much my story, I came here on vacation to visit my boyfriend and was planning on going back to Holland to apply for a student visa (I was thinking about going to college in the US, but have since decided against it) but he then asked me if I could stay a bit longer and we ended up getting married. I'm still paying rent on my apartment back in Holland but the idea of going back to Holland and getting all the immigration stuff in order from there, having to be apart for months is not something we want to go through.

Anyway, I was born in Scotland, I requested and received a copy of my birth certificate, but at the time of my birth my parents were not together, so my birth certificate only shows my mother's name (who is Scottish, my father is Dutch), and my last name as her maiden name. My current last name, as shown in my passport, is my father's last name which I got when I was about three years old when my parents got back together and got married in Holland. My father acknowledged me as his son and this certificate of acknowledgement is what shows that my last name was legally changed from my mother's maiden name to my father's last name, and should also be proof that my father is my father. Of course, I only found out that my father's name was missing from my birth certificate when I received it last week, so having to get this document from Holland and getting it translated is now causing me a fair amount of stress

And to clarify, I never meant to "complain" about the fact that it seems impossible to get all my paperwork sorted in time, it's just that finding out last minute that I need to get this document is kind of stressful and I'm terrified of being deported. I'm quite grateful for the fact that I'm able to adjust my status without having to be apart from my husband.

Well try to relax, what you could do if you don't have the document through in time for you to send it with the rest of your paperwork is to send in photocopy's of the documents that you have managed to get so far & as soon as you have the other paperwork through get it translated & photocopy it as well ,then wait & see if they send you a "RFE" for that document & if they do then send them the photocopy's one of the original & one of the translation.

Brian

It defiantly has me confused, I did not request a rescheduled date and my on line case status still shows Testing and interview for the original date , and I received no updates via e mail or text , just the new interview letter from the local office. I think that unless my online interview date updates maybe I should go anyway to keep down confusion?

Any idea why this may of happened ?

Hi, is your field office very far from you ?

Yes, this April 2014. Am I correct in understanding that the I-485 packet MUST contain the medical examination paperwork? I probably also need a couple of supporting documents from the Netherlands which will take some time to acquire and translate, I'm still a little confused about the fact that it seems almost impossible to get all the paperwork finished without overstaying (since getting married within 60 days of entering the US seems to raise a lot of red flags)... But in any case, thanks for the advice

Hi & welcome, the thing about "getting married within 60 days of entering the US & red flags" is not true, lots of people enter the US to get married all the time. there are some that after getting married then decide to stay & adjust there status from within the US & don't end up with any "Red Flags" against them so don't worry, as long as when you entered the US you didn't have the intention to stay & adjust your status.

May i ask you what the the supporting documents you probably need are.

Brian

P.S Also that during the AOS you must not leave the US before you get the AP ( I-131 ) or the Green Card as if you do you will have abandoned the AOS & will then have to apply for a spouses visa before you can come back.

Thanks for all of the info. Especially the time frame calculator. We were going to postmark the envelope on July 9 however after seeing the calculator we'll wait until the 11th to postmark it USPS overnight.

What we have so far:

• 2 years of IRS tax transcripts
• 15 or so pictures of us. A couple taken on a trip to Thailand with her family. Some at home some at dinner. One at a Thai temple.
• 6 months of joint checking. (Very little activity we just pay rent and car ins and AAA) We submitted this account initially.
• Joint credit card statement
• Anthem Blue Cross showing both of us on the policy through my work. (I had to take a screen shot to get it.)
• All of my employment benefits and retirement papers show my wife as beneficiary.
• Family AAA membership (continuing)
• 2 affidavits 1) landlord 2) good friend of mine for 40+ years
• Flight itinerary to Thailand. Scans of entry/exit in passports
• Seems I'm forgetting something..hahaha

We cannot find a copy of our lease. This was submitted originally and I think I'll just mention that in the cover letter. It has not changed. After 1 year the lease defaults to month to month unless another lease is signed which is not the case.

One last question. My wife received an Employment Authorization card (brown / red color) with dates on it. This card has expired by 11 months. If I remember right this was issued until the conditional green card is approved. Is that correct or did we miss something?

Thanks for all of your help. I'll post more as time goes on.

Hi, with regards to the EAD Card you are correct in that your wife only needed it until she received her G/C, the only thing it is now is a memento of her journey to getting her G/C.

Brian

Hi all

From k-1 I am planning to mail out my AOS EAD and AP forms next week. What is the exact fee right now and how much additional for that thing where they advise you that they've received the package? Thanks sooo much !!!!

Hi the fee for your AOS from a K-1 is $1070.00 the EAD & AP are free as you are sending them in with your AOS, as for the postage you will need to ask at your local post office as it goes by weight & distance. I hope this helps & good luck.

Brian

My husband and I recently got our I-130 approved. We are both living in Sweden at the moment but I am an American citizen who has been here for 2 years. For the 2 years I've been here I was trying to find a job without much success. Luckily my husband is able to support the both of us and all is fine. I did go to school to learn Swedish for a while and then we decided that it would be best to move back to the USA and we filed for the spouse visa around the end of April of this year.

Since I have been in Sweden for the past two years without a job, I don't have any income at all. As for being a sponsor for my spouse, I will not meet the requirements. Therefore, my relative said she will be willing to be our joint sponsor. As for my aunt, she is an American citizen and lived in the US for the past 15 years. I would like to ask if anyone knows what specifically we would need to send to NVC? There are 3 things that I've researched that they will need:

1. Her past 3 year's tax records

2. Her bank statements

3. Proof of her citizenship

4. Filled out I-864

I just have the following questions:

1. For her bank statement, can we just send a copy of her most recent bank statement? If so, is there a certain amount of savings she needs to have in her bank? I mean, are they looking for a minimum amount?

2. As for proof of her citizenship, can I ask her to make a photocopy of her American Passport? Or would I need her to send me a copy of her citizenship approval?

Thanks for your help

Hi, I don't know about your 1st question but with regards to the 2nd, you can send a copy or ether passport or naturalization papers. I personally sent a copy of my wife's passport & naturalization papers just on the safe side.

Good luck with your journey.

Brian

Hey so this might be the first thread of many, but I was hoping someone could look at my list and answer a few questions I may have regarding my upcoming interview, at least all the questions that have come to my mind right now.

First off, here is what I have accumulated so far:

Accordion File (Originals):

Section 1: USCIS Correspondence:

· I-485 NOA1 (Copy)

· I-130 NOA1 (Copy)

· I-765 NOA1 (Copy)

· Biometrics Appointment Letter (Copy)

· EAD Approval Letter (Copy)

· Interview Appointment Letter

· I-130 Change of Address Notification

· I-864 Sponsor’s Change of Address Notification

· (2) Print Screen Confirmation for Change of Address

· (2) Print Screen Confirmation for Change of Address (Second Attempt)

· Confirmation Numbers for Change of Address

Section 2: Identification and Immigration Status:

· Both Passports (Copy of Biometric Page)

· Both Birth Certificates (Copy)

· Both Drivers’ Licenses (Copy)

· Both SSN cards (Copy)

· Beneficiary’s EAD card (Copy)

· Beneficiary’s I-94 (Web Version) (Copy)

· I-94 Passport Stamp (Copy)

· Marriage Certificate (Copy)

· Certified Copy of Marriage Certificate (Original Copy and Copy)

Section 3: Co-Mingling Evidence/Affidavits:

· Void Check for Petitioner and Beneficiary(Copy)

· (6) Most Recent Bank Statements for RBC Canada Joint Account

· (6) Most Recent Bank Statements for RBC US Joint Account

· Legal Letter from RBC US(Copy)

· Both Debit Cards (Copy)

· Passport Stamp from Petitioner’s Visit to Canada(Copy)

· Marriage Trip Receipts (Copy)

· Previous Rental Agreement (Copy)

· Current Rental Agreement

· Joint Cable Bill

· Previous Life Insurance Documents (Copy)

· Current Life Insurance Documents

· Emergency Contact Documents (Copy)

· Wedding Ring Receipts (Copy)

· Letters from Family/Friends Addressed to Petitioner and Beneficiary (Copy)

· (4) Affidavits from Family/Friends (Copy)

Section 4: Personal Correspondence

· Screenshots from Skype

· Screenshots from Facebook

· Mutual Letter/Notes

· Canada Post Documentation from Gift Sent to Canada

Section 5: Tax Information

· Petitioner’s Tax Transcripts for: 2013 (MFS), 2012 2011, 2010

· Petitioner’s Previous Employment Letter

· Petitioner’s Last (6) Paystubs from Previous Job

· Petitioner’s Current Employment Letter

· Petitioner’s Last 5 Paystubs from Current Job

· Co-Sponsor’s Tax Transcripts for: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010

· Copy of Co-Sponsor’s Birth Certificate

Section 6: Application Forms & Misc

· New I-864 Affidavit of Support for Petitioner

· Copy of I-693 Record of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record

· Copy of Original Checks sent to USCIS

· Violation Ticket Exemption Letter

· 2 Extraneous Passport Photos

3-Ring Binder #1 (Copies):

· Includes All Documents in Accordion File

3-Ring Binder #2 (Photos):

· Pictures from Vancouver

· Pictures from Alabama

· Marriage Pictures in Maryland

*Ignore the colours and other things, that's just showing me when I have made copies of, what I still need to print off and make copies of etc*

Now, my questions are (in no particular order):

1. Does wife have to fill out new I-864 and bring it since she started a new job after sending our our initial application just to be safe? What do I put for annual income because she started her new job AFTER filing our 2013 taxes?

2. Are all the supporting documents necessary if they can’t be considered “concrete proof”? For example, I have birthday cards and letters from family/friends but they don't have any dates or official signatures or anything like that on them but I thought it wouldn't hurt to bring them. Some of them are just banter and back and forth silliness at us as a couple etc, not something professional like an affidavit. Should I bother including them?

3. Appropriate attire for the interview? Business-casual? Should I remove my facial piercings? I just didn't know because all my pictures they have I have coloured hair and my piercings showing, so I didn't want to come off as deceitful or like I'm trying to hide what I actually look like (however my hair is currently just brown)

4. A few weeks ago my mother-in-law basically went crazy and was very rude/disrespectful to my wife and myself so we're currently not on speaking terms at the moment. However she wrote an affidavit for us back in January that we sent with our application, can we still include the affidavit? Do we have to let them know any of this information? I'm not sure if they ask how close we are to each other's families in the interview (which I think shouldn't matter, not everyone in close with their parents, much like myself)

5. I still haven't heard anything regarding my Change of Address for the I-765 and the I-485, and I submitted another request last Friday. Should I just bring my Change of Address Confirmation Numbers and the emails I received if II still don't get anything in the mail by then? Could they physically update it in their system at our interview if necessary so our GC gets sent to our current address upon approval?

6. In regards to pictures, do all of the pictures have to be us together or can they be like my wife with my friends or me with my wife's friends or either one of us posing in front of something when she came to visit me in Canada etc?

Hi Erica, what you have got there looks very good, with regards to Lily's new job she could ask her new boss if they could do a letter saying the hours & pay she should get per week & what her annual pay will be, so then if it's needed you have got it to hand. With what to go in I would say dress smart casual. With the change of address take along any prof of the new address ie: a tenancy agreement.

I wish you both good luck, not that you need it

Brian

Yes, I have a Green Card but I need a visa for country where I am going to visit or you don't think I need to fill I-131?

Thanks,

about a month.

Your green card is for getting back into the US as it is your prof of residency, the I-131 has nothing to do with visas.

Hi All,

I am a permanent resident and I want to fill the form I-131 to travel abroad but my question is what I need to put for the class of admission?

the question in the form is " Class of Admission"? should I put permanent resident or the three-letter code in my green card.

Your help is very appreciated.

Thanks,

Yahaya

Hi, so you have a Green Card, then why do you think you need to fill in an I-131 ??

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies.

Just to let you all know I took your advice and took new photos along with my old ones although they didn't bring up the 6 month thing until I did. They were happy to take old ones at that point.

Anyway, most importantly I got approved!

Just some things I noticed when I was there:

- mobile phones are allowed inside even though signs suggest otherwise (I took mine in). Security will ask you to put your phone in the plastic bag before the security checks.

- handbags / backpacks are allowed. Might already be standard procedure.

- As of last week they don't take your document photocopies. They'll look at and take in your originals (birth cert. etc) and return them back after your 'interview'.

Some words of advice... it's not an interview. They ask very generic questions about your relationship...

1) How did you meet?

2) What's your fiances job?

3) When did you first meet?

4) How are you continuing the relationship? (communication)

5) When did you decide to get married?

That was pretty much it. The 'interview' only took 5mins.

I was in and out of the place in 1.5hrs.

Sep

Congrats to you

I got married last weekend and we are preparing my AOS forms. Just wondering if we have to wait for the certified copy of the marriage certificate which they say takes 3-4 weeks or can we use the one given to us after the courthouse ceremony ? Also would a photocopy suffice or does it also have to be notarized ?

Hi & congrats on getting married yes you will need the official marriage certificate & a photo copy will do, if you did want to send in an original one you can but remember you may not get it back. Also try & get more than one certificate.

Brian

My son is travelling to Brazil in a month to see a Brazilian girl he met almost 2 years ago while she was here in the US on a student visa. They have been communicating most of that 2 years and are wanting to establish whether this will become a "relationship" or not.

He has dual UK and US citizenship and we just want to make sure there won't be any problems travelling with 2 passports. (It's his first time travelling completely alone so we want to make sure he is 100% confident in doing this!)

Brazil does not require UK citizens to enter with a visa whereas the US does. So he will enter Brazil with his UK passport. We assume he can just exit Brazil with his UK passport to close out that trip with their immigration department and enter the US in Atlanta (his first stop-over) with his US passport. (also assume he would need to check-in at Brazil airport with his US passport so airline knows he is ok to enter US???)

Any issues doing this? Many thanks for your insights.

I honestly don't know if he can travel using two passports it might cause problems at some point, so it might be better just to travel on the US passport as if he needs prof later on that he has visited this girl then it will be in his US passport as that will be the one he would have to show the USCIS should this relationship go that far.

Brian

Hey,

I have my K1 visa interview at the London embassy next week and I'm double checking the required documents list. Regarding the US passport sized photos, on the travel.state.gov & london embassy website it says:

- Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance

- Photographs: Three color photographs which meet Department of State specifications. These photographs must be full-face and taken within the last six (6) months. Note: Of the three photographs, two (2) are required for the visa and one (1) for your medical examination.

I took my photo in Oct 2013 and submitted the application in Nov 2013. Can I use the same passport photo for my interview that I used when first submitting the application or do I need to take another one?

This requirement is probably referring to the initial application but I still want to make sure

Thanks,

Sep

Hi & good luck with your interview, my advice would be to get some up to date photos just in case they do need them, there may be a good chance they will ask for them, so if they do you will have them to hand.

Brian

All of the advice I keep hearing is 'prepare for 90 days, but hope for better'. I have also heard that the biometrics appointment has no correlation with when you get your EAD/AP.

Still anxiously awaiting mine.

Hi,

Your EAD/AP card has the photo & a fingerprint on it, that was taken when you attend the Biometrics Appointment. So it can effect the time it can take to get them.

The same photo & fingerprint will also be on your G/C.

Brian

No, you are talking about an international drivers permit… that isn;'t a license. A UK license is fine. I've worked in the US for many years for a few months at a time and hired countless cars, I've also been caught speeding a few times in those years and never had an issue before with my UK license as it is in English.. an international permit is just a translation of your license, so unnecessary if you have a English language license.

I know there are different rules in each state, and the rules in NY clearly state you can drive on a foreign license as long as you are not resident there for more than 30 days and have a valid license. In NJ (its one of the hardest states to get a license in) they say you can drive on a foreign license and as long as you are not visiting for more than one year, and don't have an EAD.

I'll go to the NJ DMV today and see what they say.

Hi,

How is NJ one of the hardest states to get a licence in ??? As I had no problem, I only had to do the Eye test & knowledge test & they wavered the driving test as I had a full UK licence.

Our situation: My wife, a Korean citizen, has a 10-year green card. For reasons mostly my own (career burnout), we've talked about quitting my job and traveling in Asia for a while, something we planned to do since we dated but never got around to do. And then I plan to go back to school when we got back to the U.S. Since we're still relatively young and don't have a ton of money we thought about getting temporary/contract jobs teaching English in Korea while we're over there (we both were doing this when we first met). I read the USCIS page on traveling abroad up to a year but it doesn't say whether working abroad will be a problem.

My questions are:

1. Is getting a temporary job in Korea going to be a problem for her green card?

2. Will quitting my job and going back to school be a problem for her green card? (she earns some money but not enough on her own for the 125% income standard on the K-1 visa. Not sure if that applies to green cards as well)

Thanks!

Hi, has your wife held a Green Card for 3 years or more?, if she has why not see about getting her US Citizenship. In that way you both can stay out of the US for as long as you want to.

I am not intending on leaving the United States so should I fill in form i131 or not?

Hi, If you are defiantly not intending on traveling before you get your Green Card, then don't bother with the I-131, I didn't apply for mine, & as it all turned out it would have been a waste of time for me as I only had my EAD for a very short time before my AOS interview. But if you think that it might be a long time before you get your G/C then it could be of use having the A/P with the EAD just in case & it's free.

Brian

So based on what you said she will have a conditional GC for the first 2 years and with that we can take a cruise on Carnival or Royal Caribbean cruise as long as the ports we are visiting doesn't require a visa for a Philippine citizen?

If you are married for less than 2 years when the Green Card is issued it will be a conditional one valid for two years. Then 90 days before the 2 year anniversary you have to apply for ROC & if approved then a 10 year Green Card is issued.

The Green Card with her passport are used to get back into the USA, it's proof of her right of residency & right to work in the USA. You don't need to show it to get out of the USA, or to enter another country. Her passport is for that, plus any Visa's that are needed to enter any of the country's that the ship visits.

Hi fellow VJ members!

So, I received a NOA yesterday confirming my interview for June 19th (which is my birthday - I hope it's an omen!). I am so excited and nervous all at the same time! I've been waiting for this day since meeting my husband four years ago - well not literally waiting for the whole four years, we sent package two months ago, but you know what I mean!

if anyone has any advice or encouragement for our interview at the Mt.Laurel office or any other office for that matter, I would really appreciate it!

Hayley

Hi Ha_Jane, Congrats on you up coming interview I had my interview at the Mt Laurel office, the IO that we had was very nice & chatty. Don't worry to much just make sure you have a duplicates of the paperwork you sent in & extra copy's in case they ask for them, anything new you may have got since sending you application. But most of all be your self.

There is ample onsite parking as well.

Regards Brian

Thanks VJ ers for all the help and support! I have learned so much from this site and it feels so good to extend help to those who are undergoing the process I went through. This phase is over. There are more to come but I can relax for the next 21 months.

Hay congrats to you at last ☺☺

We will be filing soon to remove conditions on residency for my wife. I see it's $590 to file the I-751. Do you complete the biometrics before? Or do you fill out the I-751 with appropriate documentation? I'm been getting confused on what iv been reading. Thanks all.

Hi, you have to file the I-751 first, before they will send you the biometrics appointment, as you will need the letter they send to attend the appointment they set up for you.

Thanks, blk! I checked the portfolio and couldn't find the tracking number. I also read some other forum posts and it seems like I will get another update with the tracking number. I should be more patient I guess.

Yep it's all about the waiting lol, the tracking number will show later as soon as USPS picks it up from the USCIS which will be later on today.

Just got a notification that my EAD got mailed. Yay! There is no tracking information though. Does it come separately?

Congrats, if you login to your profile account on the USCIS website it will be shown in you portfolio.