sexymackeral

We also got the letter the case was transferred to Texas Service Center. We haven't yet applied for N400. Not sure what is going on...

hello to all;

you are so quiet.

just to let you know that I got approved.I had my interview on August 25 and I went pick.up my visa on september3.I had many proofs:more than 600 pages of viber;more than 200 pages of whatsapp,more than 200 pages of emails,money

gram receipts.89 pictures and other things.the C O a lady was very nice

Congratulations!!

By all means - do keep your head up. One of the my pet peeves is that in many places they won't even give you the courtesy of a call to let you know you weren't chosen or didn't make the cut. If you ask about hiring dates, they are very vague, leave you guessing and never bother to call. That is disrespectful and inconsiderate.

One way to network is to create a profile in sites such as Linked In and Monster, where your resume will be more in evidence.

Whatever you do, don't relent. Keep at it. All you need is that one call back.

Ugh I hate that too. Companies do it all.the.time! It's so rude...if I made the effort to come in for an in-person interview (and this has happened with even 2nd in person interviews), I'd appreciate letting me know I didn't make the cut. A simple non-confrontational email will do the trick. Most employers can't even be bothered with this basic courtesy nowadays.

As an American, I struggle with the frustrations of the hiring process here too... you're not alone!

As far as networking- reach out to actuarial professional organizations to see if they have local chapters or local events where you are. Definitely have a linkedin profile.

Good morning guys

Nearly i will emigrate to New york city , now i`m in accounting college in egypt and i want to transfer to any college in new york state and studing accounting . I have an american friend he said to me that i can`t take financial aid for college exept i live in america for 12 months , after this period i will have right to get financial aid . Is this true ? , this is the first question . The second question i know that every college ask about requriment diffrent from the other one , but i want about the general requirment that the college must ask about it like " Average TOEFL score , my last certificates , courses and classes .. etc " . thank you very much in advance

To get FEDERAL financial aid (student loan, grants etc) you need to be a legal permanent resident with your green card in hand. The individual school may have state or school specific financial aid that you may be eligible for- you would need to contact the specific school you are interested in to find out. Many public schools have cheaper tuition rates for "in-state residents" and that often takes 12 months to establish residency in the state- but that is different than financial aid- it's like discounted tuition costs.

School requirements are specific to the school- but they commonly ask for TOEFL scores, your transcript that's been translated into english and courses verified and maybe even your secondary school transcript. Again you'd need to verify the requirements with the school you want to apply to.

Good luck!

Op there's so many alarming things about her behavior in your post. I would be very careful with her going forward. I don't have cultural knowledge of Uganda but have lived in another part of East Africa (Kenya) for a few years. I would be really weary of her true interest in you. I don't know her, so I really can't say for sure but it seems to me that she's only interested in money. And getting as much of it as she can! Thousands of US dollars goes really far...and paying her bishop $100-200 USD is crazy to me!

-I would question her opting for you to go back to the US when you outlined you could easily live well in Uganda.

-I would question her lack of contact or only reaching out when she needs money now.

-I would question their objection to having an elder you know attend this upcoming family meeting- in Kenya this would be the opposite- they'd want to have someone from your family or close friend to also speak with to make sure you're a good man for their daughter.

-I would question her not protecting you from the onslaught of money requests from everyone (someone who really cares about you doesn't want you to be taken advantage of. Yes dowry is a part of the culture but paying so much to so many people right away and making you feel pressured to do so???).

Be careful with your heart and your wallet! Wish you all the best and hope that everything works out for you.

Does anyone know if he would be eligible for scholarships or financial aide? since they are not allowed any other government programs on K1? What about his minor son. will he be able to attend a public school although he is disabled? he is 8 with cerebral palsy but has cognitive functioning.

You have to look at the specific college requirements and rules. For us, my husband was able to start classes immediately paying in-state tuition since I had been a resident for the requisite year in my state. My husband was able to qualify under my residency for in-state tuition. As far as financial aid, unfortunately we were not able to qualify for any federal government aid (pell grant, even federal loans etc) until he has his Green card in hand and is a full permanent resident. They would not accept proof of AOS paperwork to give him financial aid of any kind. As a result he's taking classes at the local community college and we're paying out of pocket for each class. Community college is cheaper ($161 per credit hour) but it still adds up quickly!

Private scholarships he would have to apply- reach out to the college's aid office and see what his options would be. Don't count on federal aid- you have to be a permanent resident for that. Maybe school specific scholarships?

All the aforementioned proofs of bona fide relationships are great. Normally when dealing with consular officers the more the better. I normally tell people to empty the kitchen sink because the burden of proof is on the intending immigrant and it's even greater when immigrating from 3rd world nations as they're considered high fraud countries. In a case involving chats like Facebook, it can be very cumbersome to have all entire chats in your lifespan with you. What you wanna show is progression in the relationship so you wanna print out periodic logs showing how relationship progressed from dating, trips abroad, important events you guys talked about or celebrated all the way leading to marriage.

Agree- don't print every single FB message, just print a range from the beginning to the most recent and try to show the progression of relationship. If you discuss important things via FB messages then include those (like talking about future plans together, dreams, fears etc). For example, we included a few messages where I was upset about something at work and my fiance was talking to me, giving advice and comforting me a lot; one where he got into an argument with his brother and we're talking about that etc. Messages of more substance and that really show you have a relationship are good to include...not just "hi, have a nice day" "love you."

We had about 30 pages of FB messages that spanned the length of our relationship, about 50 pictures, visa stamps from visits and skype call logs showing daily calls to each other.

What really helped to organize all of this material was a simple cover page that described the evolution of our relationship by date (month/year) and cited the evidence included (example- talked daily via skype May 2011-Present- see skype logs, I met his mother in December 2012- see pictures).

Hello, you're right, it's a hard journey but at the end , we'll certainly smile after receiving the visa. As for the DCF it is direct consular filling and that can be done at certain embassies around the world which have the USCIS office attached to it. It's processing time is shorter as compared using the USCIS offices in the US. However when we called the embassy, the lady kinda told my wife that , the spouse have to be there ,a month after we filled directly through the US , my wife went at the embassy in person so as to ask an immigration officer directly, but the immigration officer said ,we can still file through them and it will probably take 2 months maximum.

Notwithstanding since as your case is already completed ,i guess you're close to the end of journey keep the faith up and pray , I really wish to know if the US embassy in Yaounde isn't that complicated, because from what i know from VJ members from Ghana and Nigeria, they really say horrible stories about theirs.

Best of luck "God will make a way"

Hi- Yde embassy is not too bad. We had a good experience in getting a K1 fiance visa, very nice CO lady. Some bad ones with fake relationship or fake documents ruin it for others! Bring all the proof you can. The packet 3 came in email and the appointment we were able to schedule for 2 weeks after that. Medical appointment was easy. Good luck, pray and fast.

Hello

I am married to US person. Application for my immigration will be applied in near future. However, I am also considering doing some education in US. Of course once I go to US, I can do that. But to speed things up, I am wondering if it is possible to apply for one before I land in US? Any idea about this? Is this possible or not? Should it be avoided? I mean, if you get admission in education in US, they give you non-immigrant student visa. So how would this work in this case? Will they refuse student visa because my immigration application is in process? Or can my application for immigration be refused because I am holding student visa? Actually, I am confused? Can someone please throw light on this or refer to me some material of USCIS where they have comment on this? Thanks.

I would ask the school directly these questions. As far as speeding up the process with school- are you planning for a bachelor's or higher degree? The admissions requirements vary for the type of degree and for each school. Many schools have programs that begin several months after the application process ends, so it may be feasible to apply and have everything ready like admissions tests, application and financial aid finished- but again you need to check with the school and program you're interested in. Good luck!

I called UCIS about 3 weeks ago and open a service request to inquire on my application for K-1 visa for my fiancee and I received a response that they are still doing my background check. I filled in November 2015. Does anyone know how long the FBI background check takes. Can it take longer than 7 months. Below is the actual response...

"We have placed your case on a processing hold because the required security checks remain pending. Until we receive the results of these security checks, we cannot move forward on your case. We require the results of security checks before we make a decision on any pending case.

We cannot predict when we will receive the results of these security checks. Please be assured that we will make every effort to make a decision in your case as soon as the security checks are complete"

We got caught up in those FBI background checks...common names. It took like a month after getting the service request response to when we finally got the NOA2. But yes, it can take a while for the background checks to be completed. From NOA1 to NOA2 it took us 215 days! Some unfortunately have to wait even longer than that....

Take it from a pregnant woman...

I travelled from Toronto to Tampa, about 4 hours total flying time with hours of layovers in between at 31 weeks pregnant. I was definately NOT comfortable even for that little amount of time. I'm actually shocked that I didn't get a second look from both the CBP officer and airline staff as I look closer to 40 weeks or so. On top of that they gave me 6 months! But I'm Canadian.

What could possibly be so important that she needs to be here?

I agree! I'm currently 29 weeks and I flew from Washington DC to Kinshasa for work at 24 weeks pregnant and even with a layover in Paris to break up the 16 hour flight I was so so very uncomfortable. I wore compression stockings, walked frequently and drank lots of fluids and my legs still swelled and I was so uncomfortable. I can't imagine doing it now that I'm even bigger than I was a few weeks ago or on an even farther journey like Australia!!

My fiance's son will not be coming to the states with his father, although the child is listed on the I-129f form. The child lives with his mother full time in another province and the two parents have never had any formal court orders regarding custody. My fiance has paid child support each month on schedule without any problems. They have pretty much just worked out the details between themselves and never needed to get the courts involved.

Does anyone know if any documentation regarding child support or custody will be needed at the interview?

If the child is NOT going to the US then no you don't need anything. If the child were going with you, then you'd need documentation from the birth mother allowing the child to leave Canada.

Im on a k1 visa.

Do I still need the eAd? I used to have a social security number when I used to live here (California)

Yes. Absolutely.

I was able to go in and wait with my husband for a while...then the waiting room filled up and they asked everyone who wasn't there for an appt to leave. NO CELL PHONES were allowed! Also, when they say your appointment is at X time...really it's a time slot, not an appt in a traditional sense, as there are LOTS of other people there and they seem to come in waves on the hour and my husband still had to take a number when he arrived. It took about 3 hours from start to finish for us in the DC area.

Thanks so much everyone. Just really frustrated now with the Health Insurance Marketplace. I called when he first arrived and they told me he wasn't eligible for health insurance until he received his Green Card. Now they are saying I need to apply for an exemption through the IRS, even though when I called earlier this week, they said they would work on it for me and call me back. Maybe they will still call me back though? One guy said he'd never heard of a K-1 visa. Then they told me I shouldn't even claim him on my taxes if he doesn't have a GC. Gah! So darn confused. All this just to prove he was exempt from having insurance for the three months he was here before the year ended. I sure hope we can figure this out.

I would go by the IRS regulations for claiming a spouse rather than what the people at the Health Insurance Marketplace say....

Others have posted about the two options of married filing jointly or married filing separately and provided the IRS site.

Is it ok to assume we wont get a RFE if we received the biometric appointment?

No, everyone who adjusts status from K-1 gets a biometric appointment. You can get an RFE at anytime before you are notified that your EAD/AP/Greencard is approved. Good luck!

No he was not like this in the dominican. He has a job as a cook at a mexican restaurant. However he works with a bunch of people from mexico. They depend alot on him. He is the only cook. His boss is the owner but he dont help cook or anything and he knows how to cook. He started being friends with another visa journey member from the dominican that moved to midland, texas. But thats 10 hours from here and they never met in person. He stopped chatting with him by phone. He said there are no dominicans here where we live. Ive tried looking for dominican culture groups in my area but there are none.

It seems the behavior is more intense. He keeps saying that he wants a vacation and a different job. Then he talks about visiting home and then he says that all his family wants is money. They think he is rich, and they dont realize what all he has to do and put up with to earn that money. I think its adjustment issues, but i think its his background too. I dont know how to handle this. We have discussed this over and over. About moving im not ready to give up everything but i would be willing to visit another state with him but i know he wont like it up north because he hates the "cold"

That is the way he puts it. I know the politically correct term but when he is angry im not going to correct him.

Perhaps he can try to making friends with people who are not Dominican? Are either of you active in church? Could that be a way to make friends for him? Social support aside from a spouse is important. Maybe try to make some changes and see if things get better... changing jobs for one, him making friends etc. I'd be pretty upset by the "D" word threats and name calling, that's incredibly damaging to a marriage. If both of you want to make it work, then I'd take that off the table and agree to not say things like that. He needs to put effort into resolving the issues in order to build a good marriage- it takes two.

If he won't go to a marriage counselor, what about a trusted friend or family member that both you and he feel comfortable with (either in US or DR)? In my husbands culture this is a common way to resolve marital difficulties and if you need outside support it may be more accepted by your husband than going to a US therapist. Frame it to him that it needs to be done and resolving it between yourselves hasn't helped.

My husband gets a lot of pressure from his family back home too. He shields me from a majority of this, but I know it weighs heavily on him. It's just something that he has to learn to deal with. My husbands family thinks as soon as he walked off the plane he's now a rich American! Changing families perceptions of life in america & money is not easily done, so he has to manage their expectations and find a way to deal with money requests. It is not easy by any means.

My husband has only been in the u.s. A year. He is dominican and racist against haitians. He hates mexicans too. He hates texas because he says its a poor state and is full of mexicans. When i met him i knew the mexican spanish. So now i know more dominican spanish, but everytime i misspeak a word and use the mexican word he gets angry. He said that haitians and mexicans are alike because they both try to cross illegally.

Sometimes he says he wants to live in ny, or nj where the dominicans are. I have a teen in school so i cant just pack up and move. I also own my house and have a really good job. Sometimes he says he wants a divorce because he feels like he is in a prison. And because i mess up and speak mexican spanish he calls me a mexican, or a mexican lover. Then the next day he tells me he loves me and that we will never be divorced because he promised God that it was forever...

He plans on visiting the DR soon, and says he is not coming back.

Im not sure what to do. Im sure he wont go to counseling. He says why tell your problems to someone else? They cant fix them, only you and your spouse can. I just wish he was less racist and less hateful.

Sorry to hear this, it must be really hard. Was your husband like this in DR (all the racist stuff and hateful)? I ask because if this is new behavior, or a more intensified version of how he was before perhaps it's an adjustment issue. Initially my husband had a hard time in the US- the snow, improving his english, people who aren't social and just look at their phones etc. He was really dependent on me for a while even on the basics like communicating with doctors. For men from latin/african cultures this kind of complete dependency on a wife can be a very uncomfortable role for them. Sometimes he would argue with me or pick small fights over stupid ####### and it was really just acting out his adjustment issues. Also, life in the US is not the butterflies and rainbows that people imagine. Problems exist everywhere just in different forms. My husband is doing better now- he developed a hobby (kung fu classes) that he does 4x per week. It gives him a social outlet and is something he likes. And after a few heart to hearts about the picking fights and taking things out on me-things are really good and we are building a very strong marriage. Communication and compromise are key and solving problems together.

Does he have any friends in Texas? How is he coping otherwise? Are you having other marital issues? Is he working and does he like his job? Have you had a heart to heart about his calling you names? I know it's not easy to just pick up and move right away. But perhaps if moving is something you are open to in the future- perhaps you can make a plan and then work towards that goal together? Like we will save up X amount of money and move in X months. Or visiting those areas to see if moving is really something that would make him happy and is something you'd be happy with as well before just uprooting your family.

We filed I 751 in August/2014 and got a mail last week that the evidence we submitted does not sufficiently establish that we entered a marriage in good faith.

They ask not to resubmit previously submitted docs and require:

1. children , as a result of marriage, - We don't have any children yet

2. evidence that we reside together and share responsibility for a common residence

A. leases in both names , showing joint occupancy OR - we don't have a joint lease

B. deeds and mortgages in both names showing joint ownership)- we don't have mortgage

3. evidence of combined financial resources

A. joint account- we have it and we submitted it

B. joint insurance- we have it and we submitted it

C. Joint Tax return- we have it and we submitted it

D. Joint utility bill- we have it and we submitted it

E. Joint loan- we don't have

4. Evidence that we made estate, health, financial planning

A.Will-we don't have

B. Trust-we don't have

C. power of attorney -we don't have

5. Affidavit from third parties - we submitted from last time and we can ask more friends

In our judgment, it is because of not having lease, loans, or mortgage. We are living at our friends house and we pay the monthly rent to him, that's why we cannot show lease, mortgage. We own 2 old cars. And we don't have children yet.

We can submitted this years Tax papers, affidavits, and more photos. Any other suggestions? it says if we are able to submit enough evidence interview may be waived .Anyone in same situation?

1- can your friend write up any kind of documentation that lists the both of you as occupants. search online for templates for this.

2- will can easily be done via online template. you can find them for free online, just search and have a notary notarize it and a copy to mail in for the RFE.

3- make sure your driver's licenses or state id's have the same address listed and send photocopies of those as proof that you live in the same location

I received a letter from USCIS today about how my case is a potential interview waiver case (yay)

But at the same time, due to "workload factors not related to your case" USCIS anticipates a delay in completing your case approximately 6 months from the date of this letter.

6 months??

Does this mean I won't get my green card AND my combo EAD/AP cards in the near future??

I mean I don't mind about not having a green card now, but I certainly need my combo card NOW. I need to apply for a job ASAP.

Anyone in here received the same delay?? Is now the time of the year where they received a bunch of workload or something (like the lottery or something)??

If you still haven't gotten your EAD you can file a service request after 75 days. You should file one as you've been waiting way longer than that.

http://www.uscis.gov...ng-more-75-days

We originally mailed our AOS package to National Benefits Center. Does the package stay with them or get transferred & adjudicated at our local USCIS office or Texas Service Center (We live in VA)? I'm asking because I just checked processing times for NBC and it now says a processing date of 10/1/2014 (!!!!!) for EAD cards instead of the former processing time of 3 months. I checked TSC, where our K1 visa was processed and they said 3 months. I'm confused as to where or who processes AOS and EAD? Not to mention getting a bit worried about possibly having to wait 6-7 months just to get EAD so my husband can start working... anyone have any insight on this?

Correction- we initially mailed our AOS package to the Chicago Lockbox.

We originally mailed our AOS package to National Benefits Center. Does the package stay with them or get transferred & adjudicated at our local USCIS office or Texas Service Center (We live in VA)? I'm asking because I just checked processing times for NBC and it now says a processing date of 10/1/2014 (!!!!!) for EAD cards instead of the former processing time of 3 months. I checked TSC, where our K1 visa was processed and they said 3 months. I'm confused as to where or who processes AOS and EAD? Not to mention getting a bit worried about possibly having to wait 6-7 months just to get EAD so my husband can start working... anyone have any insight on this?

Thanks to everyone for the responses. I re-read my original post and realized that I made it sound like we found a lawyer in a van down by the river. We didn't. This guy is THE top immigration lawyer in DFW. He came highly recommended by several friends of ours, including my husband's sister, who all used him and he successfully (if not slowly) adjudicated their cases.

So I guess I just wondered if the time line was out of whack, wrong, or maybe he's super busy and his internal office processing times are that long? I'm not sure. I guess I need to call him tomorrow and see what the deal is.

Also, I plan to do my own immigration legal work from this point on (unless the background check comes back unfavorable, in which case we may need the help)...just want to get the background check that I paid for.

The information he gave you was false. There is no background check that is done BEFORE you apply for AOS. That is something that USCIS does and is covered by your filing fee. I would question whether that lawyer is really THE top immigration lawyer in DFW.

You can and should report him to the Texas Bar Association.

Thank you. Yes, as he said, I cannot get a joint sponsor. I knew about this, just failed to mention it more clearly in my question.

I am not being rude guys. Just confirming the facts. Here is more information:

My wife works as a webcam model and a stripper, has been for over a year now. That does not generate any income for her.

She is in a job interview at a supermarket as I type this. She already attended and interview for another job on Friday. Waiting for those results.

She has a broken ligament in her ankle and a broken pinkie finger in her left hand. So she cannot waitress or carry anything.

We did not get married for a green card. We got married for love and not thinking anything else. I had no intentions of getting a green card when I got married, because I was and thought I would be in school and get my master's in computers. So now, I am forced to get a green card or something.

So now, I have a doubt. As so many have suggested that my wife needs a job, if she does get the two jobs she is trying for now, when can I apply for a green card using these 2 incomes? Because, I hear that you need the tax returns as proof. Which is not until next year same time. Is that right? Or can we get like 2 months of paychecks and apply? Do you guys think a letter of intent from the employer is needed/can help?

Thank you everyone. You have been really helpful.

So she is a web can model and stripper and does it for free? She should charge.

This. I'm not sure why one would do that for a whole year without an income...or if you just mean that she doesn't have reported income for her work....

If you cannot get a cosponsor, then your wife needs to get two jobs in order to meet the income requirements. She can combine the income from two jobs to meet the income requirements for you to AOS. It will be a sacrifice and hard for hopefully a short while, but we do what we have to in life to make things work.

Good luck with your visa.

Our interview is on february 12th. If all documents are correct, relationship is real, there is no reason for denying him, right? We haven't had any rfe, problems, or anything. Does that give us any hope that he will be approved? His medical however was scheduled only three days before the interview. Please guys I am really scared at this point. We have been together for more than 3 years, this process is taking almost a year of papers and documents. What are the rates of approval for K-1 visa interviews?

I don't think there are hard statistics on k-1 interview approvals. It is natural to be a bit nervous before the interview, but try to relax and take the pressure off. If you're a real couple, really know each other and the details of your lives, have good evidence then you will be fine. My then-fiance was very nervous before the interview but everything went fine, the consular officer was really nice and he was approved. He was asked some very detailed questions that if we weren't a real couple he wouldn't know that answer to, but he answered correctly and was approved. Good luck with everything