YandP

Super confused and would appreciate your help about filing I-751. 

I came to the US on a k1 visa, got a 2 year green card that will expire in 4 months. To my understanding, i have to file I-751 90 days before my green card expires ( is that correct?). The waiting for the new greencard might take up to one year, so my main question is what documents can I use in the meantime when my old greencard expired but I am still waiting for the new one? Do i have a right to work in the meantime?

Unfortunately there are too many people who plan ahead, parent gets tourist visa, goes to the States and adjusts status, then petitions for children.

While I'm sure this doesn't apply to all, or even most, applicants I'm certain it's something interviewing officers are wary of.

Yes, I hear you. Seems like in this case there are two way to deal with everything: following the rules and scheming. But the fact that the embassy doesn't explain anything is not helpful. Like, what do they interpret as a red flag? How can we fix it?

For example, now I start wondering, does this mean that my parents won't EVER be able to visit us? I wasn't planing to apply for the US citizenship, I am quit satisfied with the rights I have as a permanent resident. Now, I was reading that being a citizen can help with this B2 visa.

I sympathize with your plight, although I don't believe that I have any good advice. My girlfriend applied for a B2 in Kiev recently and had her interview on 4 September. She was denied. Her two sons and her parents are in Ukraine. She has a decent job, owns her flat and some other real estate, owns a car and has done some traveling. It's not clear to me exactly what the concern was, although I suspect that it may have been her somewhat limited travel resume. I also wonder if the fact that she wrote the purpose of her visit was to see me could have been viewed as a negative by the CO. While she didn't have any exact numbers, she also observed that very few approvals were given while she was there.

I'm also interested in others' experiences and any advice in regard to applying for a B2 visa in Kiev.

In your case, I would assume that two kids is a pretty strong tie and a good reason to come back...well, unless they are over 18 years old, but that's again just a speculation.

Yes, a sheer number of denied application seems to be a new tendency even for the US embassy in Ukraine. They never were too "easy-going" but at least you had a chance if you could demonstrate strong ties. Now, it's hard to understand what they consider to be strong ties.

I was actually wondering if this might be because of the political situation in Ukraine OR all the immigration debates in the US.

Here is my post about our experience obtaining a Canadian tourist visa:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/548361-traveling-to-canada-and-back-with-combo-card-for-ukr/

Hi Everyone!!

Although this question was asked a million times, I am wondering about anyone's recent experience (within the last half a year).

I am a permanent resident and I want my mom (a Ukr. citizen) to visit us over these Christmas holidays. Sadly, her B1\B2 visa application was rejected. She said that out of 30 people in line before her only 4 were approved. This wasn't the case when I was applying for my visa years ago!!

If you could recommend something or share your experience, that would be greatly appreciated.

Here is the package Mom had with her :

- Real estate (owner)

- Car (owner)

- Bank statement ( over the course of the past couple of years)

- Job ( she runs her own business, she has people working for her)

- her husband (my dad who doesn't want to travel to the US and would rather work over the holidays)

BUT

I am the only daughter. And they specifically asked her about that.

The interview was like 3 minutes, they didn't even look at the papers that Mom brought. Seems like they are making their decision judging by the DS-160 that Mom filed prior.

So I am looking for an advice \ an opinion from outside our family about what we can do differently.

And just to throw it there, I never violated US immigration laws, never overstayed, previously held J1 and B1\B2 visas.

Would appreciate your constructive recommendations!! Thank you!!!

My wife is from Ukraine and we are expecting a baby. She wants to bring her mom over for about 4 or 5 months starting around the babies due date in March. Any advice on what her mom should say in her application and interview to get a visa? Should she mention the baby or just say she wants to visit America? Visit her daughter in America? Someone also told me that we should talk to our senator before she applies? Any info is appreciated. Thanks!

Hi

So how did it end up? I am going through the same process with my Mom. What was your MIL's experience with the interview in the embassy? any tips for somebody who is going through this now?

Appreciate your response!

Hi !

I just want to share some personal experience in case somebody is considering to travel to Canada.

We have applied for the Green Card ( interview waivered - still waiting) but the combo card is on hands. My husband and I were going to Canada for a family wedding.

1. Ukrainians do need a visa to go to Canada UNLESS you have a Green Card ( if you have a GreenCard you dont need a visa to go to Canada).

2. If you do need it - apply for a visa through the Canadian consulate in LA or NY ( it is an online application, but they will request to mail your passport a bit later. totall cost is around 150$ US)

3. Crossing the border is not a problem - you show the passport with a visa, they stamp it and you are good to do.

4. Going back. That might be fun.

a) if you are driving and entering the US through a fairly small customs office be prepared THEY PROBABLY DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR COMBORAD IS!!!! Make sure to explain them! ( I mean it !)

Dont get too upset when they start asking you about a temporary greencard OR some weird forms ( I-150 or something like this) . The combo card replaced all of those.

b) make sure you have your passport, your combo card and your marriage licence (especially if you were changing our name).

c) plan your trip keeping in mind that it might take the customs a while to (GOOGLE? ) and learn more about what your combo card is. It took us almost two hours to cross the border.

Enjoy your trip!!!!

Thank you all so much for sharing your experience!

I am printing out my resume and will set up a few appointments.

Hi fellow VJer !

I am looking for an advice about the whole job search adventure.

1. How do you start working with the temp agencies? Do you just schedule an appointment? or do you e-mail your resume and wait for them to get back to you?

( I was looking for a job for the past two months and nothing! I send my resumes to a few local temp agencies, but I never heard back from them. What am I doing wrong?

I have a graduate degree ( communications ) from the school recognized in the US, but I don't have any local work experience. I have over 5 years of work experience from home)

2. Any other job searching tips will be highly appreciated! ( I posted my resume on most of the job-serch websites like Monster, Indeed etc,. I am on linkedIn, i am applying to 5 jobs a day on average ...I am running out of the ideas about what else to do!)

Please, help!

Thank you very much!

I grew up in CT, and most likely we will live there as well after this process. She is from Australia, so they drive on the wrong side of the road there, I think she will need plenty of practice to learn to drive on the right side.

I would go to the local DMV (not many left these days), and ask to speak with an information officer regarding international driving. Let us know what you discover, because we will need to go through this process ourselves hopefully soon.

Hi

I talked to people at DMV. After a pretty long explanation about my status ( I came on K1) they told me I can use my Ukrainian international driver's licence for up to one year. Yay!

The Next step - to get a learner's permit. To do that I need to take a knowledge test ( computer-based). Because I am a holder of the international driver's license I can take my road test even the next day after obtaining my learner's permit. ( people who never held driver's license will need to wait for 90 days before taking the road test).

But before signing up for the road test you have to take an 8-hour road safety course ( it is mandatory in CT). We live in the New Haven country and there are many private centers where you can do that even over the weekends ....for around 125-150$.

I hope your wife will have a smooth transition to driving on the right side

YandP Здравствуйте я поняла что вы с украины. Хочу спросить форму Ds260 заполнять онлайн? Она еще есть. Я прочитала что ее убрали уже давно сейчас заполняют другую. Вы не в курсе?

I am sorry it took me a while to get back to VJ I hope the answer is still relevant ( and I don't have the Cyrillic keyboard layout )

To answer your question - I was goign through this like 6 months ago and I did have to file th

once you are approved everything will move super fast!

Once you are approved, your fiance can call USCIS and ask your KEV number.

Having this number, you can register for the medical. You'll get the results the same day.

Next step - file the DS form. Pay for the visa. Schedule the interview

Hi，I am currently in Florida，and I am holding the international driving licence too.

What I got from my fiance and driving instructor here，there is no requirement that you need to take 8 hours road course，unless you want to practise your driving skills before put yourself on the road (which is i am doing my 6 hours coruse now). But what you need is to pass the permit test，then you can directly go to the DMV to do the road test，easy enough! Hope this information may help you

Thank you so much!! I was hoping that is the case. Now I just hope CT in not any different from FL about this lol

we had the same thing.

They never got back to us about that expedite request. I got this impression that they either lost it or didn't want to give us any reply!

I just wanted to write an update if anyone ever is having the same question

DMV got back to me with this e-mail-reply:

you are able to drive in Ct with your IDP and out of country license for a period of 1 year

Just to clarify ( because I e-mailed them one more time ) IDP is the driver's license issued by your country with English translation.

Hi there

Did any of you know if it is MANDATORY to take the 8 hours road safety course before signing up for the road test?

I have been using my international driver's license, they are valid in CT for a year. And they show that I have over 7 years of experience driving a car. Now that I am looking at the DMV CT web-site it is not clear if the holder of the international driver's license has to take this 8 hours cours.

Your experience? Anyone from CT?

Thank you

PS. Enjoy spring, people of the East Coast

You're welcome... We're currently looking into this more. We are going on Wednesday/Thursday to the DMV. So I will keep you posted...

Hi You posted this long time ago but if you by any chance check VJ I would appreciate your help. I am looking at getting learner's permit in CT, but I have driver's license from my home country - do you by any chance know if you still have to take that road safety courses? Thank you I hope your husband obtained his driver's license pretty fast.

We were looking into sending some of my fiances belongings from Ukraine to the US and the fedex and DHL prices were over 1000 dollars for a 50 lb. box. Has anyone found a better/cheaper method to ship packages?

if she is planning to fly with Aerosvit - she can bring two suitcases this totals to 44 kg.

I would most certainly either do an info pass or contact your congressman. I was past the 75 days and I did a service request and then it was issued. I didn't get a letter nor email asking me about why they should expedite, they are out of processing times and it is they that says to contact them after 75 days. I know there is an issue with GC's ie a delay, a very long one, but I wasn't aware there was a problem with EAD too. I think that someone, whoever sent that letter has given you the wrong information! Perhaps they don't think your are out of the 75 day range, I don't know. I know I called on day 74 and they asked me to phone back on day 75.

Thank you. I will try to make another service request... heh this is so weird though, we have already received interview waiver letter.

This makes so little sense, does this mean they looked through our application, decided they will be processing AOS without the interview, BUT they still haven't decided whether they can grant me a work permit ... so frustrating!

Consider contacting the DHS Ombudsman office for possible case assistance: http://www.dhs.gov/case-assistance

Wow, thanks for letting me know, i haven't heard of this option.

I will try to get an infopass first though.

When did you file? Based on the latest processing table NBC was working on October 1, 2014 on December 31, 2014.

Mid November. Even with all the holidays, we are passed that time estimate.

Do you think it might be helpful to contact the congressman ?

Are you currently in adjustment of status?

When you called USCIS did you ever speak to a level two agent?

The first level agents are nothing but contractors that have to read scripts and have the same information as what you can get off the internet. A level two agent is an actual immigration officer that has access to the internal system of USCIS.

One thing to ask the level two officer is what category they have your I-765 as. I believe ( c )( 9 ) is for adjustment of status. Maybe there was an error and they have you in a different category.

Thank you very much for your reply! I actually was thinking that it might be the case, because when I called them the very first time (after 90 days) TIRE 1 person told me that the processing time in 4 months - although on their web-site it clearly states 90 days for c9 and 120 days for another category.

I did spoke to the TIRE 2 person, she was the one who filed the expedite request ...but as I said now they want me to send them prove that I fall under one of the categories of people they expedite. I am quite desperate at this point.

Hi, I would really appreciate your help.

My application for EAD (combo card) was pending for more than 110 days. I didn't receive any requests for additional information. I called USCIS and filed the information request after 75 days, it just said that they are processing cases based on the receive date and it has nothing to do with my particular case.

I called them again after 90 days, and they filed the expedite request. Now I got a letter that says that i need to prove my financial loss (or other basis to be expedited) ....

i had a few interviews but once I would say at the interview that I am still waiting for the work permit, they never get back to me. How can I prove my financial loss without the job offer? I haven't been able to work for the past 5 months - of course I am experiencing a financial loss.

Any other ideas as of how to speed up this process would be very much appreciated!

Thank you!

I understand what is your point, I strongly recommend to call them this week and tell the story and ask for advise. No matter what without EAD AP physically being in your hands you can not go outside the USA even if its Canada.

Hope everything goes smooth with this!

Thanks! will do

Well, I would wait till EAD AP is received and also I would call Canadian Consulate and ask the same question you asked over here... cos EAD AP allows to re-enter US, but as for Canadian visa.....I would call them...

Thank you Loving_girl, I should probably do that.

It's just that it takes them 46 days to process the visa application, and to get the visa for the wedding we want to attend I would need to apply like right now. I don't have doubts that by the time of the trip I will have the combo card, I just worry about the visa application package. You know, how in Ukraine when you are applying for a visa you need to present them a BIG pile of proves that you have ties to your country. Now, my K1 visa has expired and I don't have a combo card yet, but we do have a marriage licence and mail directed to my husband and me here in the US, and also the NOA1 that says that we've applied for the adjustment of status. So I am torn whether I should go ahead and apply for the visa with the papers I have now, or try to expedite the visa later when I finally get my combo card.

Hi everyone!

I was curious if anyone had experience applying for a Canadian visa while in the US waiting for the Adjustment of Status and EAD combo card?

We are way outside the normal processing date for the combo card and USCIS told me they will expedite us, so I should have it like soon! BUT apparently it takes Canadians 45 days to issue a visa, so I was wondering if anyone had experience allying for the Canadian visa while still waiting for the combo card?

For example, will including the NOA1 for AOS and a copy of our marriage license be strong enough evidence that I have strong ties to the US? How do you think what are the chances to get a tourist visa?

(My husband and I really want to visit a family wedding there )

Thank you!