silverjetplane

I have a question about Form I-864 and sorry if this is dumb but I just want to make sure.......On part 5 question 2 the online form does not let me enter "1" to include myself. Is it ok if after I print the form I put "1" with a pen? or how did you guys enter "1" to count yourself?

I remember reading something about a code that gets printed out at the bottom of every page so NVC scans that and it automatically inputs all the info on the form into their system somehow. I just wanna make sure because I don't want us to get checklisted for something as simple as this.

Thanks!!

More than just using Chrome, I would download the PDF to your computer and use Adobe Reader to fill it out. I had problems with every web-browser I tried in both OSX and Windows.

As you type, the big barcode at the bottom of each page should be making small changes. I didn't notice that happening until I used Adobe Reader (not a web browser). Also, with Adobe Reader there were some other changes I noticed that I didn't see in modifying the PDF on the computer. For example, when choosing the country, some fields in the address section are automatically blanked out so you can't fill them in.

I think the PDF was made for the Adobe format more than other PDF readers. In the end, I just used that even though it was a bit slower than other programs.

Good luck! As a side note, I don't think you'd get a checklist for not having the code, I just imagine that it would be much easier for them to input your information using the code. I think they can still manually type your information in anyway.

This is technically my 3rd month at the NVC, but I've really only done things for the last 2 months. I'm hoping to hear something this month, although my 60 days from AOS received and IV received are in October. But I'm hopeful to hear something!

Good luck to all of us in September!

As a side note, I called NVC last week and although I think I was incredibly nice, the agent was awful. I wanted to ask her for a general status update - review the receive/scan date, give me the "60 days" talk, etc. After she confirmed my biographic information she didn't say anything at all; she just sat on the phone and waited for me to say something. I started to ask a question and she snorted and said, "Um, you need to just wait. I don't have any information for you - we will contact you. You don't need to call." Instead of arguing (I'm afraid they will "lose" an important document if I cause a scene), I just said, "Thanks!" and hung up. Sigh...

My wife is a US Citizen, we got married here in Brazil in 2010 and she spent all this time here in brazil.

We're not sure what to do about the I-864, since she's been here in Brazil all this time without any income in the US.

Her parents are being extremely difficult so they won't be helping us, we're trying to have a few friends from the US to help us out.

My questions are, does she still have to file a I-864 even if she has no income at all? Will she have to show something about it?

Her status with the IRS is fine, but she didn't have to to file any tax returns so she doesn't have anything to show regarding that.

Also, what will the people sponsoring have to show financial wise other than the I-864? I was studying it but it's still not very clear.

Thanks a lot in advance!

The other advice given here is right: your wife MUST fill out the I-864 along with a co-sponsor (in your case). That co-sponsor must use the I-864.

But make sure you are doing this all correctly. Was your wife working during her time abroad? Did she make any income? USCs are required to FILE taxes each year with income abroad but they don't have to PAY taxes (unless it's over around $90,000 per year). If this is your case, your wife will need to back-file her taxes. It's actually a really easy process and there is no penalty. I used an accountant who submitted everything and the IRS accepted it all within a week. Then, I was able to print out my tax transcripts from the website and send in my form. I used my dad as a co-sponsor and we also sent in his tax transcripts with the I-864. But perhaps your wife's situation doesn't meet this criteria and then a letter explaining why she didn't have to file taxes will suffice. Just note that "I lived abroad" doesn't justify not filing taxes.

As an additional note, read as much as possible about the I-864. It's a tricky little document and there are some questions that are commonly missed (#12, I think, about military service) and those are required questions. You can get a checklist (like an RFE) if you do not complete the form correctly.

The co-sponsors will have to show that they make enough income to support their household size plus 1 (the intending immigrant). It's all detailed on the I-864P (which shows the various income levels). They'll also have to provide the recent tax transcripts/returns for the last 3 years and proof of assets if those are going to be counted in the total amount.

You can find that and many other resources on Saylin's NVC Wiki here: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

Honestly, you will not find a better resource than that wiki and these forums. If you have any questions, continue to post and you'll get some good answers.

As always - be meticulous! Check, double-check, re-check, and check it again before sending it. Getting a checklist will delay you at least 2 months so try to avoid those as best as possible. Good luck!

i received the 60 days letter a week before that nvc accepted my IV and DS 260 but unfortunately we got aos checklist only for a tiny thing :/ ...so still waiting for my cc

What was the checklist for?

SUBMIT!! DO NOT WAIT!!! Co sponsor doesn't matter but it HAS to be checked on your form. If you have anything else in queue then all your forms should be reviewed at the same time so you wont have to wait the 60 days IF you already have something waiting to be reviewed.

Hi Sarah&Marc - thank you so much for your response. Instead of feeling all sad and frustrated, your message helped me think practically: just send the stupid thing and be done with it.

Well, it looks like I don't have a problem after all. When I looked at the PDF form on the computer it showed that question blank, but when I check my backup hard copies, it is marked as NO, as it should be. So, it was a bunch of worrying for nothing! Here's hoping I don't get a checklist and that the process is equally smooth for you! Take care!

I wish it worked that way, i got a checklist because I forgot to check the box that am not in the military on my i-864. I submitted the corrected form 6 weeks ago...still waiting for review...

Nooooooooooo! I thought, "I don't remember that question..." and looked at my I-864 (and my co-sponsors) and my heart sank into my stomach.

Do you have any advice about sending off a corrected form now with a cover letter and cover sheet explaining the situation? Or should I just wait to hear from NVC? If I missed that, there is a chance that I made other mistakes and I don't want to inundate them with more I-864s to cause more confusion.

Thanks in advance!

I believe jsumner already answered this, but the answer would still be "no".

From jsumner: "It will still be no. Your spouse is a US citizen, they don't "immigrate" or get a special visa to live there.. They simply just move back. Plus the other answer would be no as well.. Because in the DS260 or the I-130, one of those.. the requirements is your spouse has to be back in the states before or the same day the immigrant arrives to the US. "

Wow! Congrats to you guys!

Thanks for the shoutout! Now it's just time to wait with everyone else...

I wanted to weigh in on this question in the DS-260. I am living with my spouse in Chile and I've been abundantly clear on all the forms, supporting documents, and cover letters that I'm living here with the intention to do so until my spouse is approved for his permanent residency. Yes, the whole AOS process is searching for domicile (I think it's the I-864, not the DS-260 or the I-130 that requires the sponsor to be domiciled in the US) and therefore wouldn't necessitate an immigration for a USC "back" to their country of domicile, but I still answered that question yes. I asked the embassy here and they informed me that I should write yes - it's not normally a cause for a checklist, but they might clarify it at the interview. I've read it both ways on the forums, but I haven't seen anyone receive a checklist for answering that question incorrectly - but maybe I haven't looked hard enough.

That's just my two cents and what I was told from the embassy. I didn't bother calling NVC because I knew I would probably receive confused silence followed by whatever the operator was feeling like saying that day. Anyway, I guess i'd suggest checking with the NVC and embassy!

Paid IV Wednesday, completed DS-260 on Thursday and sent the IV Package today!

Good luck to everyone!

Hi - when you say he was able to review it over the phone, does that mean that he was able to approve it over the phone and generate the IV invoice? How did you get connected to someone who you assume was a manager or supervisor? Did you ask for one?

Thanks.

If you wish to use a language other than English, please do so in the regional forums only or provide a translation.

YA PASE MI EXAMEN MEDICO!!!!!! TIENES QUE ESPERAR A QUE TE ENVIEN LA CARTA CON LA FECHA DE LA ENTREVISTA Y RECIEN DESDE ESE MOMENTO PUEDES CONTACTARTE CON LOS AGENTES DE LOS MEDICOS, ES PORQUE EN LA CARTA TE ENVIAN UN CODIGO DE BARRAS ESPECIAL QUE LOS DOCTORES LO ESCANEAN, ASI QUE PACIENCIA SOLO TE QUEDA ESPERAR

"I passed my medical exam! You have to wait until they send you a letter with the date of the interview and then you can contact the medical agents. It's because on the letter they send, there is a special barcode that the doctor needs to scan, so be patient."

I am filling I-130 on my comupter and date sections allows only numbers. Can I write down "present" with a black ink pen or is it better that everything is with the black ink pen?

In the same place I used black ink to write PRESENT on the I-130 without any problems.

Good luck.

Greetings all,

I'm filing for my spouse an i-130 for an immigrant Visa and along with that i have to file two g-325a forms one for me and one for her...

My question is, does the petitioner have to answer everything in his g-325a ?

Thank You in advance

Yes, you should answer every question to avoid receiving an Request for Evidence (RFE). You need to be more specific - what wouldn't the petitioner want to complete on that form? It's just biographic information...

I think the confusion might be from a random load of people filing from abroad around April 2014 who had I-130s approved in around 2 weeks (I'm included in that). It looks like it was just a random selection, but most of us shared in common the following: filing from abroad around March/April 2014 and routed to CSC.

We were exceptionally lucky and, besides having sent in what I think to be a beautifully put together packet, did nothing else special (asking for expedited request, etc.). The normal waiting time is around 6 months and even that seems to be short and if there are no RFEs.

Good luck and keep up the positive spirit!

hi im a filipina i married an american citizen we passed our petition last week of june 2014 then we got the notice of receipt (NOA1) JULY 7 and Aug 1 we received the (NOA2) our petition was approved ... we were happy because it took like a month like the other cases who waits 6 mos? what should we do after we received the noa2? all i know was to wait for the notice that they have transfer it to NVC .... can someone help me/ answer me .... i really need some information ... thanks in advance Godbless us all ...

Starting searching everywhere on this website... absolutely start here and read this about 20 times. Make that 200 times:

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

Additionally, start getting all your paperwork in order ASAP! I thought that the I-130 was the hard part, but it's definitely one of the easier parts. Start the AOS process and the IV process soon. Basically, you'll need to call or wait for notification from NVC to get your case number and Invoice ID number so you can pay your fee and send off your AOS and IV paperwork. They are delayed right now (big surprise) so it's take 2 months from step to step.

Like I said before: read, read, read!

Thanks for the updates and congratulations!

You can get the forms here, at www.uscis.gov/forms

So you would need to file an I-864 for yourself based on your current situation by the time you submit it.

Therefore if you are not working or don't have any other income to include when you file the AOS, you state in the form that you are unemployed. If you are working by the time you submit the form, then you can put on the form what you will make by the end of the year. As well as proof of that employment.

You would also need a letter stating why you didn't file taxes the previous years, and it's simple, you were unemployed.

For your joint sponsor, he needs to fill out an I-864 and if someone in his household is combining their income with him, like his spouse, they would need an I-864A.

He would need his tax transcripts, letters of employment/paystubs, as well as proof of citizenship or LPR status. Also if he is using any assets to meet the income requirement, he would need proof of those as well.

Refer to the instructions of the I-864 for more details. After you go over the instructions for the I-864 and you still don't understand something just ask.

This is a good place to start, but you really need to start reading the NVC wiki found here: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

You should be able to see what applies to you. As a side note, are you a USC? If you are and you've been making money and not filing taxes in the US, you might run into some problems. You have to also submit with your I-864 your previous tax returns (or transcripts) from at least the past year and up to three years. So, you need to have filed taxes for 2011, 2012, and 2013. Even if you want to go with the "unemployed" route, you still need to do your taxes every year - regardless of if you made money and regardless of where you made money. You generally don't need to pay anything, but you need to do them. EDIT: I might be wrong about this. In any case, I've read conflicting information and I'm not comfortable enough giving advice about this. Anyway, read the wiki and good luck!

I can't stress enough - read the wiki. I thought the I-130 process was very difficult and now that I've completed just the AOS part of the NVC process, I can tell you that it's much more complicated and requires a lot more than proving you're married.

I would start now also reading about how you can re-establish your "domicile" in the US. This is an important factor for you. These things and more can all be found in the wiki.

The situation described by the OP was simply that someone entered the US on a tourist visa, met and married a USC, and now the couple has made the decision to live in the US together. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Also, intent is a non-issue. A denial can not be based on suspicion of intent.

OK. Thanks for clarifying. I've been following a few people that were in the same situation and one couple is now in a bit of trouble for not being 100% honest about how they met, etc. I think if it is handled clearly and carefully, then there isn't a problem. But not fully understanding either the language or the explanation required could cause some problems.

No.

For Part 3: question 2. you'd not check off the box. So then the rest is automatically N/A. No need to write anything in the boxes, but if you want write N/A in the first box and leave the rest.

In Part 4: Questions 2 and 3 - completely fill out BOTH the mailing and the physical address (all of question 2 and all of question 3) even if they are the same. Because THIS is where I see people checking checklists. They are separate questions and need to be answered as such.

Thanks for helping with the clarification. Like you said - I guess the more N/A the better! I had the address information set because mine is different (and I did understand it anyway as two separate questions).

As you can imagine, I think there are many people concerned that one little mistake could cause quite a delay. It's better for people to be here checking things out five times as that's how we catch mistakes.

I sometimes get frustrated at the lack of detail in a lot of the posts - it's hard to give someone advice with some simple questions. But thanks for giving detailed advice. VJ has certainly helped a lot of us on this journey, due to its members like you. Thanks.

So, for every part that doesn't apply (which is a lot for me), we are to write N/A or none? For example all of Part 3 about the intending immigrant's family (of which there is none)?

I don't see how that makes much sense.

Have them use the guide that Hypnos linked. They should file as soon as they are married and have the required documents and money together, and the foreign spouse absolutely should not leave the US until they have their AP (permission to travel) or green card. It is a simple process, and typically takes 3-5 months.

From that link: "If your fiance/fiancee came to the US on a tourist visa with the intent of immigration and marriage, and you are not yet married, then he/she should return to his/her home abroad, and the K-1 visa should be filed (using an I-129f) instead of the I-130 to avoid a denial, deportation, or even being banned from re-entry to the US."

I would be very careful regarding the situation described by the OP. I think it would be very easy to see that USCIS might see an attempt at visa fraud, i.e. entering on tourist visa with intent to marry and then apply for change of status.

For Part 6, Question 13, I checked the box (even though I am submitted tax transcripts for the last 3 years) because I noticed that Question 14 is the optional question (for the second and third years), which I also checked.

(As an aside, have you thought about using tax transcripts instead of returns? They are very easy to get on the IRS website and they are free. You can print them off right there or they can be faxed to you. You can also do it at the IRS office, but like me, you are filing from abroad. I've read that NVC and most embassies/consulates prefer IRS tax transcripts.)

For Part 7, I put the total of our checking account here in Chile, but I didn't provide any proof. In my case, that amount wouldn't have helped since technically I don't make any money in the US (living abroad and all). That was why I needed to use a joint sponsor, which you also mentioned you will be using. I don't think you adding it or not on YOUR I-864 has any bearing on whether or not you are using a co-sponsor. You might want to clarify your question and let others weigh in on it.

Thanks NLR and mamibebek.

As a follow-up, I've read that during the interview, sometimes the original certificates are passed back to the applicant. Is this true? I'm obviously concerned about sending in the original document when getting a certified copy is quite difficult from outside the US.

Thanks again.

EDIT: I've found my own answer here:

http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/immigrant-process/interview/prepare/appointment.html

"Original documents submitted to the NVC with photocopies will be returned to the applicant when the interview has been successfully completed."

Again, thanks. I appreciate all the help.

(I've searched the VJ site and the State Department site for an answer, but I can't find an exact answer.)

Background: I (petitioner) married my spouse (beneficiary) in January 2014 in New York, USA. We are currently living in Chile and filing from abroad. We are preparing his IV package to be sent once we can make the payment on the CEAC website.

Question: Do we need to submit the original/certified copy of our marriage certificate issued in New York, USA with his IV package?

From the State Department website: "Marriage Certificate. If you are married, you must obtain an original marriage certificate, or a certified copy, bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority. Note: Marriage certificates from certain countries are unavailable. More specific information is from the NVC, the nearest U.S. Immigrant visa processing post, or online at Reciprocity by Country."

Is there any difference because we were married in the US? Should we still submit the original document or a certified copy with the IV package? We can always bring the original to the interview, but as far as I've read, NVC requires originals/certified copies as part of this package.

Thanks in advance.

whoopsie, forgot to link the thread the first time lol. It's there above now

Thank you so much for all the information! I was just about to start researching the next steps when I saw your response which included answers to all my questions!

I have been profoundly impacted by all the support and information I have received from VJ. Once this process is over for the both of us, I will be sure to stick around VJ to help others out.

I think the prevailing theory about why so many April 2014 filers have been approved from abroad is that USCIS is trying to play catch-up. When most DCF ended, many USC living and filing abroad had auto-expedited petitions into 2012. Apparently that stopped during until very recently, leaving many petitioners and beneficiaries lost in the backlog of what appears to be the nightmare of 2013. USCIS set a 5-month goal for I-130 processing times during their restructuring at the end of 2013. That goal was to be met starting in May 2014 and suddenly we have auto-expedited applications. As has been noted here, those filing from abroad to Chicago were routed to CSC while those filing domestically have been routed to Nebraska and have not been expedited.

I really hope that with all of the applications from abroad processed so quickly, USCIS will have more time to dedicate to all other applicants. I know that this is a positive thing for everyone here!

Good luck to everyone!