Mila

Hello everyone! It's been a while since the last time I posted something... but then again, sometimes life gets so busy we might even forget to breathe!

Anyways, I have been really worried about something and I need some advice from people that's on the same or similar situation. My husband and I got married in Brazil, got me a visa and here I am. December 31st was one year since I moved to the US. Last November, on a 30 day trip to Brazil to see my family, I found out I am pregnant, which is great, we really wanted a baby - even though not yet, but oh well, we're still really happy about it!!!

The thing is... I am really considering going to Brazil to have the baby and spend some time with my family. Thing's haven't been the best here since I moved. At first things were ok and we are both working and paying bills... but here in California it's pretty much all we can do: work and pay bills. Cost of living here is absurd comparing to other states, and with the economic crisis it's been extremely hard to find people that are hiring, specially if you're pregnant. I still have my job, but once the baby is born, bye-bye working life for me - no way we could afford a 1200 dollars babysitter!!!!! My husband is also working and love his job. He has a good paycheck and he's not thinking about quitting at all.

To make it short: My removal of conditions window starts September 30th/2009. But since I'm thinking about going to Brazil around May/2009 I would still be there by September. If I fail to file for the removal of conditions, what happens? I mean, can I go to Brazil with a re-entry permit and when I decide to come back to the US (probably June 2010) I file for the removal?? I read something like if I am not here at the time I have 60 days to file after I'm back......... Really really confused right now!!

I want to be with my husband and my family right now, and really want to go to Brazil. His family's been great so far, but I don't think I can handle them anymore! Going to Brazil will give me the opportunity to go back to work after my baby is born because my mom and dad are both retired and can stay with the baby a few hours a day for me. While here that won't happen! If we stay I won't be able to work and contribute, leaving all the expenses to my husband, making it more complicated and stressful for all of us. My husband lived in Brazil for one year with me and learned Portuguese. He is afraid of not being able to work there, but my parents already told us that we can stay with them till he is ready to go look for a job! Here we don't have the same support from his family and I feel that whatever we need from them they find ways of making it hard to do!!!!! For instance: when my husband went to Brazil, he needed a document stating that his parents would be financially responsible for him in the case of him needing to come back here but had no means (which wouldn't happen!!!!!). His parents, even though it was just a paper that didn't mean anything, refused to do the document, saying that he was an adult now and could handle things by himself!!!!! MY parents had to make the document for him so the Consulate would approve his financial conditions to go!!!!

Ohhhh well, I said too much already. I'm sorry it was a long post. I just felt I needed to talk to someone that's not him right now. i really appreciate any advice regarding the re-entry permit thing...

Lots of love!

We got our visa!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:lol:

Olá meninas!

Desculpem colocar essa pergunta aqui, mas hj estou tãããão lerda - e meu computador está me acompanhando - e procurei no site todo e não encontrei nenhuma review sobre o Hotel Ambassador, no Rio. Alguma de vcs ficou lá pra entrevista? Estou considerando, até agora é o mais perto que encontrei Tem o Hotel OK tbm, que parece que fica ao lado... ambos bem próximos ao Consulado... enfim, queria saber se tem alguma bad review sobre ele, just in case!

Thank you all!!!!!

Mila

Hello guys!

Good good news! I got Packet 4 today, and guess what??? My interview is next Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! November 21st!

I'm real excited and real nervous at the same time! It's gonna be a long journey, Rio de Janeiro is kinda far from here!

I have to leave on Monday night, get there late in the morning, go to a hotel and wait till the next day for the interview! Too bad the bus doesn't get there earlier

But the good thing is that now I have one less thing to worry about: getting a date! Big relief! Today I'm double double double checking all my docs and tomorrow morning I'm getting my ticket to Rio!!! Anyone happen to have the same date?

Kisses to everyone!!!!!

Mila

Hello everyone!

I have been thinking about this one issue and I'm starting to worry about.

My husband has filled the I-864 along with a joint sponsor. Since he was here in Brazil for the past year, and returned to the States in September, he was unemployed when he filled the form... as soon as he sent me the forms I sent my DS2001 back to the Consulate in Rio de Janeiro - that was October 16th. And today, November 8th, my husband is employed! In 2 jobs, not to say much... hehehehe! He got this 2 jobs (UPS and Mervyns) around the 25th of October, which was after I sent the doc stating that I am ready for the interview... the real question here is: since I'm still waiting for my interview to be scheduled, (hopefully for December), should I ask my husband to send me a new I-864 and a letter from his employer or maybe a letter from him stating he's found a job or anything like that? I'm confused, I'm afraid of asking him the letter and it won't get here in time!

Has anyone been through this kind of situation? Any opinions? They're all very welcome!!

Please, share!!! In the meantime, good luck for us all!

M.

Anyone?

Hey there everyone!

So, for those filling in Brazil, how long did it take you to receive Packet 4? I sent my DS-2001 last week, but I'm already getting nervous and excited at the same time... just waiting for them to give me an interview date... anyone has good news for me? Heheheheheh... I mean, does it take long?? Ohhhh gosh, it's really happening!! Yay!! I can't forget to mention that this website is EVERYTHING!!!! I've found pretty much all the info I needed here!

Come on, you guys, bring me good news!!!!

I dunno if it's the same in all consulates but they offer you to pick it up or you pay a fee to get it sent to your house through post. I got mine in the mail.

Thank you!

Hard to talk to them and ask, whenever I can call, I'm at work and there's usually a 30 minute wait on the phone!

Anyway, thanks!

Anyone?.........................

Hey guys,

Regarding the visa approval... do we need to pick it up in person if issued? Or can we go back home to wait for it via post office?

Just wondering... I'm not from Rio.

Thanks!

Mila

Hey everyone!

I have a huge doubt here!

I went today to the Secretaria de Segurança Pública to ask for my state police record. The lady said that if I want it with my married name I gotta change my ID first... I already have my passport with my married name, but didn't really bother about changing my ID card. The question is: do I need to have the police record on my married name or can it be with my maiden name (old ID)???? Because if I need to get the record with my married name, then I'm screwed because here in Brazil, the ID card takes AT LEAST 60 days to be done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please please pleeeeease say the police documents do not have to have my married name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Same for the Federal Police record

Mila

Thank you guys!!

I'll make sure to check which form I was reading when I read that, so I'll post here for you to check later... might have been the old one, maybe, like you said... anyway, thanks for the help, it's, AGAIN, a relief to know is not that hard! Hehehehe!

Hey everyone!

Silly doubt about the I-864... my husband and I are wondering if any of the signatures on it has to be certified!

We were going through the instructions last night and checking what it is that his mom needs to gather - she will be our joint-sponsor... and all of a sudden we found a paragraph there stating something about "the Affidavit of Support certified signatures"... now we have this doubt!

Anyone remember having to certify their signatures before sending the form to their spouses so she/he could take it to the embassy in Rio de Janeiro?

Also, does any of the document copies that goes along with Form I-864 have to be cetified? It all seems to be simple copies, but just in case, it won't kill me to ask, right? Hehehehe!

I appreciate, you guys' been real good for us!!

Mila

Congrats!!!!! Really happy for you!

Hey everyone, I have another doubt regarding the DCF process...

Will I have a I-864 fee bill? I see everybody talking about it but I have no idea how to proceed!

I see lots of info about the K-1 and keep thinking if I'm missing anything on my process, you know?

I mean, everything is happening so quickly I keep thinking that's too good to be true!!

As always, any info is very welcome!!!

Mila, neither an EAD or AP is required when you do DCF, as it results in a Green Card after entry. Permanent Residents are allowed to leave the country without advance parole, and work authorisation is automatic with the Green Card so no need for an EAD. Even with the Conditional Green Card, you may still enter/depart the US as if you had the 10-year GC (although there are restrictions on the amount of time ANY GC-holder may remain outside of the US without being deemed to have abandoned the GC).

Gotta love DCF!

Hey elmcitymaven!

Thank youuuuuuuu!!!

Loved to read that!!!

Hey guys!

You probably read this previously somewhere - though I couldn't find it yet - I wanted to know WHEN to file for an Advance Parole!

I know there's a lot to go through, I just received Pack 3, but still, I'm sure it would feel a lot less worried if I had the permission to travel back and forth, since the Condicional on my Permanet Residency is suppose to last for 2 years...

Anyway, do you guys know what to do regarding that? When should I file for an AP and even for the EAD? I saw on the timelines that the average days for the EAD is 78 days... but I have no clue when to file!

Any coment is welcome!!

Thanks!

Hey guys!

My husband has a big doubt about the affidavit, I was wondering if you have inputs....

According to his last taxes he's made $32,000

BUT

He hasn't worked this year because he's here in Brazil. He plans on getting a job in the states in September, when he's going back.

So, under the question of Annual Income what do we put?

We're planning on getting his mom as joint-sponsor, just in case... but still, what should we put there?

I appreciate any comments!

Thank you!!!!

Hello everyone!

I found this topic and decided to use it since it's about what I'm in doubt...

Anyway, the thing is: we file for the I-130 in the Consulate in São Paulo, Brazil, on the 16th of july and are still waiting for our NOA1. We were really wanting to have our interview (mine) up to january, but, who knows what can happen, right?

So I was thinking, in case the interview is not schedulled yet by then, to go and ask for a tourist visa, so my husband and I are able to spend our first Xmas as husband and wife together...

I'm still in doubt, but really want to give it a try. I saw all those post telling to wait and that the chance of denial is big... does anyone been through it successfully?

Best, everyone!

Mila

Hey Mila!

How did the initial petition interview go? details!

best, Sara

Hey Sara!

I'm real happy right now! Everything went just fine!

We left my hometown Sunday night and were suppose to get to Sao Paulo around 7am... it was 8:50am when we finally got out of the bus!

So we ran to the restrooms to change - the bus's one was a real pool - GROSS! - besides that the bus was great, we slept most of the way! Anyway, we changed real quick and run to the taxi cabs. It was raining and, for those who don't have this info, SP is a piece of HELL when it rains!

Rain + SP = Traffic = Getting super late!

SO we got at the Consulate just 10 minutes before our schedulled interview. Luckly we had to go to a different section and were able to skip that whole line - lots of umbrellas in line! We went through security, everything went ok. They told us were to go and we went straight to the American Citizens area - a covered-walled-air.conditionated-water.fountain.equiped-soft.sittable.chairs room! Completly the opposite of the area where we have to go to get a non-immigrant interview. But that's not the point now...

We got a number there and waited to be called - there was just another lady there, with her husband and two kids... soon a brazilian - not very polite - lady came to see us and asked all the docs - not even half of what I had with me... let me see, she asked:

- Form I-130

- Form G325A of each one of us (funny that she returned me the other 3 pages of that form )

- Marriage certificate

- My birth certificate

- His divorce decree

- Simple copy of his passport

- His original passport and mine

- His passport style pic and mine

- Protocol of his RNE (it's taking almost one year to be ready, so we only had the protocol and it was fine)

- Proof of his residence in Brazil (we took his contract with the school he attends and copy of his passport with the entry card - no leaving-the-country stamps yet!)

I think that was it... then she checked all and gave us a paper to go to the cashier and pay. US$ 190,00 later, and we went back to that nice room, so the lady told us a Consul would see us in a bit... After 5 minutes waiting, a mid-aged lady called us by our names and we went to her window. There she received us with a big smile and a good morning. She spoke in English the whole time and made some questions to Tom. She asked how long he's been here and why he decided to study portuguese... also how was his portuguese and our plans to when we move to the US. All went pretty nice and finally she told us she would send that through and we will recieve news about it soon and also some paperwork to fill - of course!

After leaving the Consulate very relieved, we took a cab to Morumbi Shpopping - it's real close but we decided not to walk, it was raining still! We got to the mall and had an american lunch - we ate at Applebees!! Tom was craving the BleuCheese steak for a long time, and poor baby, they didn't serve that anymore Anyway, we walked around for the afternoon and had Starbucks - my turn to crave! Boy, was that good or what?! Hahahaha... I also had to do the thing I do whenever I go to a mall: get me a book! This time was a Las Vegas Travel Guide and brand new edition of a USA Travel Guide. Both from DK - I love those, have you guys seen those? Nice ones!

After a relaxing afternoon - which I thought it would be more tiring - we took another cab to the bus station and after one hour we were boarding back home. Took a nice nap and went back to work in the morning!

I think it was nice... now is just wait and try to get some things done in advance, like forms and things like that... just in case, you know?

Well, I think that's it! Now I'm gonna go to bed, I'm very tired and can't wait to stretch my legs, hehehehe!

Nighty-night!

Mila

hey there

Thanks for the reply! One of the big confusions that I have come across -- and have not been able to get a clear answer from the Consulate -- is whether permanent resident actually means permanent resident or whether I need to have just been in the country for six months. I am here on a tourist visa, but I came with the intent to live with and marry my husband and stay until he gets a visa. The Consulate obviously said that being here on a student visa is permissible proof of residency?

Is your husband from the US? If so, I have another set of questions for you Also, are you guys using a lawyer, and if so, where? I have been talking to a million lawyers, getting different answers, and I am trying to sort it all out. Anyway, let me know what your thoughts are, your experience -- I think it would be extremely helpful to hear from someone who is actually doing it. And good luck on the filing appointment next week! Let me know what happens.

Best

Sara

Hey Sara!

So, the thing is I was also having some problems when talking with the Consulate - I mean the big problem was to be able to talk to them, they seem so unaccessible sometimes! Anyway, I believe if you have a valid visa for at least one year it'll probably mean you intend to stay a while, so when I called and asked about the DCF the lady asked me what kind of visa he had and also if he was in Brazil on the previous 6 months. And so I read on the Consulate web-site - which has been updated lately - and that's when I found the info regarding the residence time: http://www.embaixada-americana.org.br/inde...itemmenu=58#pet ---- "The petitioner must be a resident of Brazil (for at least the preceding six months) and physically present at the Immigrant Visa Unit at the U.S. Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro to file the petition by appointment only." And that was reeeeeaaalllly nice to read, I must say! But then again, there is a condition, as I read: "4) If the beneficiary/United States immigrant visa applicant is not a Brazilian citizen, he/she will have to provide proof of residency in Brazil (note that tourist visa is not acceptable)." So I would consider call them as ask about it just in case...

You also said you're on a tourist visa, which can make it complicated - they could say you came with false pretenses, maybe? Go figure, the brazilian embassy was a handful for Tom to get the visa! Have you thought about changing it in the meantime? Maybe ask for a change of status would help? When we first decided Tom was gonna come here - yes, he is american! - we thought the student visa would be the best choice for some reasons: he would feel obligated (by me! ) to go to school - he's doing great with portuguese! - and also that would allow him to stay longer (one year at least) and perhaps even extend the visa later on, if we wanted to!

Anyway, he asked me to marry him in february and soon we started to plan where we would settle. We thought that for now would be best to go back to the US, even because he still have some stuff to take care of there - and also his sis and brother in law just had a baby and he wants to meet the cutie!!! SO, I read a lot about the immigration process and was real confuse. When I heard Brazil wasn't doing DCF anymore I got real bummed out, but fortunatelly not for long, because they updated the embassy web-site with good news to all of us in this situation!!

We gathered the papers, went to the civil registration office and got ready to marry... it was simple, just signature and stuff, even though he wanted the whole shebang - which I don't think it's our main concern right now - let's let the party for when we have our minds worry-free - hopefully sooooon!!!!

Now we are again gathering some more papers to take there on monday - I'm calling them again to check if I have all the docs - they have a machine answering, they say a whole list of the docs, kind of an after hours answering machine - that might help. We are not using legal help - in my town I don't even know if there's attorneys that deal with immigration issues... I just read a loooooot and try to keep all the good info.

I would right some more about it right now, but Tom is asking me to shut the computer so we can talk a bit before going to bed! Hahaha! Every day I'm the one asking that, and now that he saw I actually have something to write he gets all jealous! Hahaha, that's my baby... rsrsrs.

Oh well, I guess I'll come back tomorrow and we can talk some more! In the meantime, feel free to ask me what you want to know, ok? I'll be happy to help with whatever I can!

Good night!

Mila

Has anyone tried to do DCF in Brazil that would be willing to converse a bit with me? Any sense of reasonable time frames to acquire a visa? I would really like to hear about someone´s experience with this process.

Thank you!!

Hey there!

I have an interview at São Paulo Consulate next monday (july 16th), to file for the I-130. I've called them and we schedulle for that day, since my husband's been living here since last september - which classifies him as a resident, more than 6 months... even because, he only has a student visa for Brazil.

Anyway, I think it will be nice to chat, not many people go for DCF in Brazil... at least not that I'm aware of!

Now I'm gathering all the docs I gotta take on monday, so keep writing and we can discuss it!

Mila

1) Etapa:

Levar todos os documentos para o consulado brasileiro que atende aonde ele reside nos EUA

2) Etapa:

Ao receber os documentos no Brasil vc deve procurar um tradutor juramentado e traduzir os documentos

3) Etapa:

Registrar todos os documentos no cartório de títulos e documentos

4) Etapa:

Marcar a data do casamento

Boa Sorte

Hey, thanks again!! I was aware of the Levar no consulado brasileiro nos EUA part, I just didn't know about registrar todos os documentos no cartório de títulos e tal... His mom is just waiting for us to solve this declaration thing so she can send it to the legalization office.

Thanks for the comments everyone! Keep talking!

If a USC is going to get married in a forgien country, they ussualy have to jump through a few extra hoops before a marriage can be legalized. http://brasilia.usembassy.gov/index.php?in...8&submenu=7 for more information

It is common practice when married in a foreign country to ask for an Affidavit of Single status before marriage. This is simply your government protecting you from marrying someone who is already married.

It will be wise for your future husband to write a statement and have it notorized. Something similar to: I_______________, have been divorced since (date), and have not been married since that time. (sign and notorized) Send it along with the other required paperwork to the Embassy and in a week or so he will get the authorization from your government to be married in your country. Then present this packet when you are married to the authorities. It sounds harder than it really is. Basically it is a few of the papers he will have to file anyway when he petitions you to come to the USA.

Hey, thank you so much! It was helpful, I must say! But then again, the lady from the office told me we gotta ask someone that knows him to write it... even because, in order to notarize the thing he would have to be there, in the US, isn't it? Or do you think we could maybe register a signature here? Oh well, gotta call the office...

Anyway, that was a good idea of a sentence to write, thanks! Very simple and exactly what it means!

Hello there...

Guys, I'm real bummed out here and I need your help!

I'm to be married here in Brazil to my american, and I went to the civil registration office here in my town, and the lady there told me we need:

- From him:

* Passport (or birth certificate, it doesn't matter which)

* Divorce Decree (he is divorced), original, legalized by the Br embassy in the USA and translated

* Declaration saying that he is free to marry - also legalized and translated...

The thing is that wherever I read info about it, tells me something different about this declaration!! And now he is freaking because he is afraid of sending it to be legalized and later on find out that wasn't what they were asking...

Anyone has gone through the same requests?