Sm1smom

For this post my wife with be Miss Doe and i will be Mr Smith.
 
In 2013, i got married to my US wife in Arlington, VA. I then returned home to the UK and started the CR-1 Visa process.
We filed the I-130 and everything else needed to get the CR1 Visa, early on in the process we decided between the two of us that i would be taking my wife's surname, i would no longer be Mr Smith but become Mr Doe and we filed accordingly, putting my name down as Mr Doe on the DS230. I sent our marriage certificate to the UK passport office, the UK DMV and the UK tax office and received my new passport and drivers license back under the name Mr Doe.
In Feb 2014 i moved to the USA, My visa was under the name Mr Doe in my passport that was in the name of Mr Doe, I've been in the US 7 years, my name is Mr Doe, my state driving license, my passport, my mortgage, my bank accounts, insurance and everything else is as Mr Doe, i AM and have been for the past 7 years Mr Doe after legally changing my name through marriage.
My interview at the DC field office (Fairfax, VA) was yesterday at 12:15pm, at 12:45pm a lady (Who we will call Karen 1) came out to the waiting room and called my name. She was polite, asked how i was and led me to an interview rooms. We sat down, she explained she would be conducting the interview and doing my civics test, she said the process shouldn't be more than 30 minutes. She started with the civics test which i passed by answering the first 6 questions correctly. She then asked me to read a sentence on the iPad screen and then to write a short sentence on the screen, which i did correctly. She then opened what looked like my immigration file, a thick brown folder full of paper documents. She started to go through my N400 application, asking several questions like was my address correct, how long i had lived at that address, confirming my wife's name etc etc She then asked when i got married and i said Jan 2013. She looked at the papers and then looked at me and said " So you returned to England for 12 months after you got married ?" I said " yes, i did the CR-1 visa process, that's the correct process to go through after being married in the US, the petition was then filed from the UK" to which she replied, "mmmm that's unusual, most people come over and get married then apply for their Visa here"  i told her i didn't do a K1 but a CR-1. It was at this time that i realized i maybe knew more than she did about the process! She said she had never heard of the CR1 process!!!
She kept looking through my file and reading out aloud, " ok, your I-130 is here, you marriage certificate, your divorce certificate (from previous marriage in the UK) and as she was doing this I'm thinking, what has this to do with things? all this has been checked out and was part of the Visa application process not my N400.
She then stopped at my birth certificate and flipped backwards and forwards between that and my marriage certificate. She then said to me " why is your name now different to your birth certificate?"  I said because after we married i took my wife's surname.  She immediately said back to me, "oh, you cant just do that, that's not allowed,  where is the official paperwork that you changed your name?"  She then said "you should have filled in a DS30" to which i replied, " i did fill in a DS230 and you should have a copy of that in your file"  after looking through the file for several minutes she said there was no DS230 in my file. I said "well the process is the same for the Husband taking the wife's name as it is vice versa, the marriage certificate is proof enough of my name change".  she then started rambling on how DC, Maryland and VA and all the other states have different rules about surnames!! She said " its fine though, she could fill a few forms in on her computer and all i would have to do was get an appointment at the Arlington courthouse, get the papers signed and stamped and then return them in the mail to USCIS and we'll give you another interview!! i KNEW this wasn't correct and i said " I'm sorry but this is not needed, my name has already been changed legally already" She then said she would go speak to her supervisor.
She returned 15 minutes later and said  "yes, its as i thought you will have to do a name change through the courts" by this time my palms were sweating and  i was becoming frustrated trying to explain that she had it wrong, i was polite but firm. I then asked to speak to her supervisor (whom we'll call Karen 2), she said "certainly, I'll go get her". Karen 1 disappeared for 5 minutes and came back saying Karen 2 would be in in 10 minutes. We both sat there in silence until Karen 2 arrived about 15 minutes later.
 
Karen 2 said she had spoke to one of her colleagues and that no one knew exactly what the situation was and should be, i said " there is one person that knows, me!!" between Karen 1 and 2 they agreed that i had to do a name change. I then started to show Karen 2 a copy of my DS230 from 7 years ago on my cell phone, she would not look at it and snapped back at me " I'm not interested in your DS230, that's a Department of State form, nothing to do with this and they have been known to make mistakes"  I was like #######!!! i told her that Karen 1 had mentioned that there was no DS230 in my file and she had been looking for it but Karen 2 was not having anything to do with it!  I then asked what if my wife had taken my name would she have had to go through the courts? She said "no that's normal when 2 people get married, what you have done is not normal and is not really allowed" At this point i was still very calm but inside i was fuming and i thought F**k it, I'm gonna fight my corner and if i piss them off then so be it. She then said, "you will have to change your name through the court",  i said " so what name am i changing it from? Mr Smith does not exist anymore, he hasn't done for 7 years, my passport, green card, bank accounts, mortgage state ID are all in the name Mr Doe and it was changed to that legally in the UK and on the DS230, so how can i change my name and what do i change it to?" she just stood there looking confused and didn't know how or what to say. I then asked her how my Visa and all the correspondence from USCIS was issued and addressed to Mr Doe, where had they got that name from ? again, she couldn't answer and didn't know how to respond.
My questions to Karen 2 went on for over 15 minutes but what seemed like an hour! she was very arrogant and ignorant and didn't want to talk to me, just to Karen 1. 
Then Karen 1 turned to Karen 2 and said ( and this is verbatim i kid you not) "I've just googled it and it says its OK"  Karen 2 said, "what website does it say that on ? is it the courthouse website?" Karen 1 said " no it just says it on google that a man can take the wife's name"  Karen 2 then said to Karen 1, ' OK put it through" and walked off!!!!
 
I was in there just over 2 hours, LOTS of questions and conversations between me and both Karens that I've forgotten and I cant even remember the amount of times i asked things and they didn't know what to say. I left the office happy but totally frustrated and shaking!
if i had just left it and taken their word for it or not stood up for myself i would have not been approved!!
 
So my Oath is next Tuesday and I'm looking forward to it but the whole things left a real bad taste in my mouth:( My wife says i should write a letter of complaint, im just gonna move on but i wanted to vent through this forum that has been a great wealth of information over the past 7 or 8 years,
 
Thanks
K & S DOE!!!
 

How pathetic when the level of political discourse is reduced to schoolyard epithets and populist scare mongering rather than a reasoned debate of actual positions taken by people.  This is why we should be keeping politics out of these forums.
 
 

From what I understand they were, in chronological order:
1. In US then
2. Went to Canada and sought asylum 
3. Withdrew Canadian asylum within a week or so, but all while still in Canada 
4. Flew back to home country from Canada.
5. Now is asking if they can come back to the US and seek US asylum..
 
 
I'm interested to know which country is this we're talking about 

Hi all,
 
      My wife had her citizenship interview this morning at 10AM at the Greer, SC field office.  She passed her interview and civics and reading/writing tests with no problem.  When we started to leave they told us to hang out for a few more minutes. Another lady was just finishing up her interview.  About 10 minutes later they called my wife and this other lady back and the lady at the reception desk called me over and had me look back through the glass.  My wife and this other lady were taking their Oath.  While it certainly wasn't the big ceremonies you see on TV, I was just as proud.  Our long journey is finally over.
 
I sincerely have to Thank the mods and admins here on VisaJourney.  Honestly I don't know if I could have gotten us through this whole process from K-1 to Citizen without you folks.  God bless you all and may you keep doing what you do for a very long time.
 

True, but I would expect people to help me if they know my life is in danger. The fact that OP mentioned about they haven't seen or even her fam haven't heard anything from her that is worrying. 
I understand you don't want to involved in people dramas but once it's involved violent or maybe someone's matter of death or life, I hope your motto of "keep my nose out " doesn't apply

Some are upset for legitimate reasons that makes online study difficult to sustain in their home countries:
1. Lack of reliable or even none internet connection 
2. Electricity - Power supply is a big mess in some of those countries - power supply could be available for a couple of hours a day, or even none available for several days back to back. 
3. For those who are able to afford generations to provide them with the equivalent power supply, the noise from those generators make studying quite hard. 
4. Many of these students could possibly be sharing a room with several siblings back at home, so no dedicated place for studying. 
5. There’s the different time zones factor to contend with. 
 
I’m sure there are several other reasons outside of what I’ve listed above that people are upset about.  Overall, there’s the feeling of being held accountable and penalized for a decision taken by their school administrators. 
 

Some are upset for legitimate reasons that makes online study difficult to sustain in their home countries:
1. Lack of reliable or even none internet connection 
2. Electricity - Power supply is a big mess in some of those countries - power supply could be available for a couple of hours a day, or even none available for several days back to back. 
3. For those who are able to afford generations to provide them with the equivalent power supply, the noise from those generators make studying quite hard. 
4. Many of these students could possibly be sharing a room with several siblings back at home, so no dedicated place for studying. 
5. There’s the different time zones factor to contend with. 
 
I’m sure there are several other reasons outside of what I’ve listed above that people are upset about.  Overall, there’s the feeling of being held accountable and penalized for a decision taken by their school administrators. 
 

Some are upset for legitimate reasons that makes online study difficult to sustain in their home countries:
1. Lack of reliable or even none internet connection 
2. Electricity - Power supply is a big mess in some of those countries - power supply could be available for a couple of hours a day, or even none available for several days back to back. 
3. For those who are able to afford generations to provide them with the equivalent power supply, the noise from those generators make studying quite hard. 
4. Many of these students could possibly be sharing a room with several siblings back at home, so no dedicated place for studying. 
5. There’s the different time zones factor to contend with. 
 
I’m sure there are several other reasons outside of what I’ve listed above that people are upset about.  Overall, there’s the feeling of being held accountable and penalized for a decision taken by their school administrators. 
 

You are still lying. 

A visitor’s visa is not for temporarily living in the US while working and getting paid remotely. 
 
“A “visitor” visa is a nonimmigrant visa and generally is used to enter the United States temporarily for business (B-1), for pleasure or medical treatment (B-2), or a combination of these purposes (B-1/B-2).”
Visitor’s Visa as defined by US DOS

This information was all substantively provided to the poster earlier in a different forum FYI, I guess she wanted it corroborated. 

It is extremely unlikely that you would be approved for an SB-1 visa.  While I'm sure you feel having to take care of your father was "beyond your control" for four years, I can almost guarantee that the US immigraton system will not agree with that.  Extending your stay to stabilize his situation is one thing -- but four years is a very long time to take to do this.  Other family members (whether you trusted them or not) or paid care-givers will be viewed as options instead of you staying for four years.  What would have happened if you had not stayed?
 
Adding to the reasons for refusal is the fact that you sought and obtained local employment during this time.  Moving to another country for four years, then finding and working a job there while not filing US tax returns, are all indications of abandoning your residency in the eyes of immigration.  That view is supported by you not having any other visible physical/financial ties to the US  (no bank accounts, credit cards, recurring payments such as utility bills, etc).  It seems the only tie is your son, whom you may not have visited in four years.  Who has been caring for him?  Have you provided any financial support for him?  I dont want to seem rude and unfeeling, but pose these issues here, as these are the types of questions and concerns that you will face with the consular and immigration officers.

What have you done to maintain US residency?  They will also consider those factors.....
 
Note:  A notarized document does not certify the accuracy of its contents...it only certifies the signature of the person who signed it.

The fiancé has a tie and eventual immigrant intent to the US. He does not have the same tie and immigrant intent to Canada.

How dear u say such a thing of the media hyping thing up that’s not true.. u sit at home comfy and make such a statement.. I work 16 hour days without lunch break As an ICU nurse.. ppl r sooo sick without hospital beds.. PPE are running low..u r part of the problem.. things u don’t know about you should not speak off.. stop spreading misinformation 😡😡

As an RN on the front lines, and also at ground zero, I disagree.  Not interested in debating Trump's job performance with you.  Thanks.

It is a violation of the terms of service of this web site to tell others not to post.  Everyone is free to post here....and everyone is free to ignore posts....🙂

i am not a DS-160 expert as I haven't designed the UI for the page and what happens if we select one option or the other. It was just an assumption as when I filled my status as single, it required my parent's info. 
 
Your assumptions is that OP did it on purpose and must have filled the spouse info and I am not assuming any part about the DS-160. I am still unsure that the OP truly remembers what they put.
The legal document is just a way to prove that a person was never married.

An interesting development I have to say considering you previously posted about marking yourself as married on the F1 visa application form and wanted to know if it could be termed a misrepresentation.  I have to say it is highly unusual for someone to think they might have made such a “careless mistake”. Wondering what triggered this line of thinking?

An interesting development I have to say considering you previously posted about marking yourself as married on the F1 visa application form and wanted to know if it could be termed a misrepresentation.  I have to say it is highly unusual for someone to think they might have made such a “careless mistake”. Wondering what triggered this line of thinking?

An interesting development I have to say considering you previously posted about marking yourself as married on the F1 visa application form and wanted to know if it could be termed a misrepresentation.  I have to say it is highly unusual for someone to think they might have made such a “careless mistake”. Wondering what triggered this line of thinking?

An interesting development I have to say considering you previously posted about marking yourself as married on the F1 visa application form and wanted to know if it could be termed a misrepresentation.  I have to say it is highly unusual for someone to think they might have made such a “careless mistake”. Wondering what triggered this line of thinking?

An interesting development I have to say considering you previously posted about marking yourself as married on the F1 visa application form and wanted to know if it could be termed a misrepresentation.  I have to say it is highly unusual for someone to think they might have made such a “careless mistake”. Wondering what triggered this line of thinking?

An interesting development I have to say considering you previously posted about marking yourself as married on the F1 visa application form and wanted to know if it could be termed a misrepresentation.  I have to say it is highly unusual for someone to think they might have made such a “careless mistake”. Wondering what triggered this line of thinking?

An interesting development I have to say considering you previously posted about marking yourself as married on the F1 visa application form and wanted to know if it could be termed a misrepresentation.  I have to say it is highly unusual for someone to think they might have made such a “careless mistake”. Wondering what triggered this line of thinking?