Asui

7 hours ago, KMG said:

I filed online from abroad with no problems. As you fill out the application, you will be prompted to upload supporting documents, including the I-130A. Bonus convenience is you can continue to add more evidence while you wait for your application to be approved.

Thank you so much for the clarification. I'm definitely feeling more solid on the online choice after this thread.

12 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

I just checked the new (to me) NVC iV processing tool.  It appears NVC is scheduling interviews for Taipei cases which were document qualified last month......that is very fast compared to some...like Lagos. 

 

I like AIT.  I had to get a certificate of single status affidavit from them when my wife and I married there in 2015. They were very easy to deal with.

Definitely! I've needed to get an "affidavit of marriage status" authenticated to prove I wasn't already married as well as my US driver's license authenticated for reciprocal license here in Taiwan. Never takes long to do anything and everyone is usually really nice.

Just now, Reynal2m said:

The I-130A doesn’t need to be signed if the beneficiary lives overseas. If I were in their position, I’d just submit it online—thousands of people do it that way without any issues. There's no need to risk delays or problems with the mail when you can save time and handle everything online.

 

In our particular case, we both live overseas in the same country, so we figured it was worth just signing it since it could be done. Easy enough to scan and attach as PDF.

Based on the comments I've received here, and my general understanding, online does seem the best way. Most resources I've found either have both people living in the US or one living in the US and the other in another country. I feel like sometimes I'm misunderstanding what is/isn't needed (like online vs. paper filing) just because we're both overseas.

14 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

I think AIT is authorized to accept I-130s for exceptional circumstances.    Hopefully NVC will schedule your case for the interview quickly at that time.  In our case, in 2017, took only 5 days after we were document qualified at NVC  to schedule the interview.  Historically, Taiwan is pretty quick.  Good luck on your journey.

That's good to hear, at least that they are generally quick with the interview. I looked it up and they are allowed to do DCF, but that runs me into the problem of reasoning.

I'm not in any particularly exceptional circumstances, which are: 

• U.S. military deployment (impending or current)

• Medical emergencies for the petitioner or beneficiary

• Threats to personal safety

• Imminent expiration of legal stay in a foreign country

• Adoption or child aging out

• Urgent humanitarian needs

• Urgent job re-location in a short timeframe 

Nothing there applies to me, so looks like I'm just doing the regular USCIS filing.

You've still given me hope for a (relatively) speedy process, so that's something!

2 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

Do you qualify for DCF?   Exceptional circumstances such as a job re-location?  Do not submit an I-130 to USCIS until you rule out Direct Consular Filing.

Unfortunately, no. I don't meet any of the 'exceptional circumstances' required for DCF, including job re-location at short notice. 

We also don't have an International Immigration Office, so no going around that issue.

Thanks for the thought, though!

8 hours ago, S2N said:

Your choice. The I-130 is glitchy on online, but it’s cheaper and you have less room for human data entry/scan errors.

 

USCIS doesn’t process paper I-130s on paper anymore based on online comments from ISOs. It’s all scanned or typed in once you mail it.

Thanks for your reply. Definitely does seem like the online one, glitches aside, may be the way to go since it's all digitized anyway. 

1 minute ago, PGA said:

I did mine online in 2020 from Peru without any issues. As for the I-130A, I remember it was signed, scanned and uploaded somewhere in the evidence section, and yes as a pdf.

Sounds good to me! I was a little worried about address formatting, but I read somewhere you can send an explanation in your cover letter if something doesn't exactly fit. Appreciate your response!
 

Hello all,

I've searched and searched for a definitive answer and I'm coming up with conflicting answers. Hopefully, someone who has done this process can clarify for me.

We are beginning our I-130 application and filing from abroad; both of us live in Taiwan and will submit it from here.

I created a USCIS account and began the application, but I've read conflicting information to not use the online form if you are filing from abroad. 

So:

1) Should I use the online application, print the PDFs and then somehow upload them, or just do the paper version?

2) Do I upload the I-130A as a PDF in the evidence portion at the end of my I-130? Or is there some other way it should be done?

Apologies if this is the topic of discussion somewhere, but I just wasn't finding my exact answer anywhere online.

Thank you.
 

...although sometimes people who are engaged to USC's are denied visitor visas, unless they have very good proof that they have to return back to their home country. Otherwise the US government often thinks that the fiance(e) actually plans to stay in the US and won't allow another visa.

We wouldn't have started the K1 process, yet. She will be in Costa Rica for two months before I begin the process, giving her enough time to go back to Taiwan for the interview portion.

So, what you are saying is, the K1 could interfere with her getting a B1, but if she already has a B1, there should be no issue with the K1 process?

For clarity:

I am American and live in the United States.

She is Taiwanese, and plans on being in Costa Rica for a few months.

It seems that you can go to Costa Rica, from Taiwan, using a U.S. B1 Visa.

She plans, then, to go back to Taiwan to complete the K1 process and fly to the U.S., where we will marry.

My fiancée is planning on going to Costa Rica.

We are, in a few months, going to be starting the K1 process to, finally, bring her to the U.S.

The Costa Rican embassy, through e-mail since there isn't an embassy in Taiwan, told her she could use a U.S. B1 visa to enter Costa Rica.

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this sort of thing. Would the B1 visa interfere in any way with the K1 process?