usmsbow

Our application/petition arrived at the Jakarta embassy months after NOA2 (USCIS lost it for about 4 months before finally getting it to NVC). The original validity date had passed, but it was never a problem or issue. Since they went ahead and scheduled your interview date, I can't imagine you'll have any problems. Can't hurt to get confirmation from the embassy though; they're pretty responsive (or used to be at least).

Tourist agencies in Indonesia are useless for that kind of thing, yet so many Indonesians use them. Boggles my mind. Basically those agencies either give general advice that is helpful for other visas like Schengen and Japan (such as letter of recommendation), or shady advice like the OP's partner received. Anyway, she should just be honest. Putting you down may or may not hurt you, none of us know. Her age, occupation, etc are more relevant anyway. She should just be truthful, that way she will avoid any problems down the road. And tourist visa applications have no bearing on K-1 applications. Good luck to you both!

It's one of the requested/required documents for your interview in Jakarta. Or it was when my wife got her K-1 visa a few years ago. I can't imagine they no longer have that requirement. You can do the translation yourself, there is no requirement to have a formal translation.

Your GC start date, not your expiration date.

Yeah, don't worry about that. USCIS approved our petition and then lost it for a few months before finally finding it again (and then finally sending it to NVC). An extension was automatically given to us.

I always wonder why some are so reluctant to share that information. Just makes me think the CO was onto something...

Yes, and why a fraud investigation would be occurring instead of just rejecting the OP's visa application. The wife seems like more of a concern to the US gov't than the OP.

How easy is it to get married in Japan? That's what I'd recommend doing first, if it isn't too difficult. Then apply for a marriage visa. And does she have an appointment yet for her tourist visa interview?

I think the only time we used photos in the process was during my wife's K-1 interview. Didn't include any for AoS, ROC, or citizenship applications. Edit to add: the only other interview was for citizenship. Had there been an AOS interview or one for the ROC, we might have brought photos.

Yeah, I remember for a little while here in CA, years ago (pre-Real ID, and before CA issued DL to undocumented residents), new applicants HAD to bring their SS card with them to get a DL, even if they had other forms of ID. Lots of people misplace their SS cards, so that requirement frustrated a lot of people. Don't know when that requirement changed.

Weird. The passport is the first one listed on the California DMV website and even says it is the preferred document! The SS card isn't even on the list. I used my passport, utility bill, and bank statement as my docs. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/real-id/real-id-checklist/ edit: grammar

If you have a US passport, that can be used instead of a SS card when getting a Real ID.

Has she ever been abroad? Is she employed? Own property? Somehow my 20something year old in-laws got tourist visas even though they were unemployed students at the time. I think one reason is they had a history of traveling outside Indonesia. And I think Surabaya is a little less "strict" than Jakarta, but if your sister lives closer to Jakarta, I wouldn't recommend trying the consulate in Surabaya (it would be obvious she was "consulate shopping").

'This was true for many years, including when I went through this back in 2014-15. Alas, K-1 visa applications became the black sheep at USCIS (I blame the show 90 day fiancee ) and the processing time is now similar to a spousal visa. Since the spousal visa includes a green card and the K-1 does not, the spousal visa is the better option now.

Yes, I understand why doing it before citizenship. As I said, I see the upside to doing to while having a gc. That being said,I was not aware of SSA needing to be informed. Crazy me assumed US gov't agencies exchanged info, but I should know by now that isn't the case. Way too logical and practical! Good to know, thanks. Good point, thanks.

Just curious, why would you do it after becoming a citizen? It seems the upside to it would be when you have a (conditional) gc that is expiring. It seems like a waste of time once you're a citizen.

Yep. Today my wife found out a VP in her company got fired Tuesday. Why? Because he had a similar job at a competitor, who saw on his LinkedIn profile that he was also working for my wife's company, and said they'd sue wife's company if they didn't fire him within 2 weeks. I have no idea what he was thinking, complete fool.

Gotta admit, this is how i feel about the interview date next month.

Have you had anyone look over your resume and get their feedback? That's what my wife did. Edit: apparently you have done this too. Have you reached out to temp agencies? My wife's first two years of work experience was through those agencies. Not ideal, but easy way to get some American work experience on your resume. Also another way to get feedback on your resume. Engineering is always in high demand, and the US has a reputation for having too few of them. If you're not getting many responses, then maybe something is "amiss" on your resume. HR looks for keywords, and if they aren't there, your resume is tossed aside. This is similar to my wife's experience. Her first jobs here were data entry and the like, and now she's a manager making 4x her first temp jobs several years ago.

Pardon the snark, but why not google it? I did, and voila: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa Looks like the answer to your question is no, you don't, but that site can tell you for sure.

I would recommend having a back-up wedding/marriage plan since I think the odds of you getting a tourist visa to visit your fiance and his family are pretty low. Of course I don't know your background and other details (such as how much you've traveled outside Indonesia), so I could be completely wrong about that. It certainly can't hurt to apply and give it a shot. Good luck! Can't hurt, but I'd be shocked if the CO chose to look at any documents that the applicant brought. And if one's planning to go to the US to marry and AOS, then that agreement is irrelevant anyway.

Well feel free to disregard what your girlfriend was told, and what everyone here has told you. Roll the dice and have her come back ASAP. If she isn't allowed in, it sounds like you can just go see her in Indonesia periodically before you retire in 18 months. Or you could listen to everyone (including your gf), and hold off on her returning immediately. Go visit her sometime(s) in the next few months before she comes back here again to visit. 8 months, in the grand scheme of things, isn't that long. Also, getting married in Indonesia is a lot more paperwork than here in the USA. Good luck!

When I was going through the process in 2014, CSC was taking a month or so to process K-1s, while TSC was taking 4+ months. Eventually a bunch of us had our files transferred from TSC to CSC and got immediately approved. I think soon after that CSC became the sole K-1 processor and things dramatically slowed down.

It's worth giving it a shot imo. If $160 is a burden, then you probably shouldn't visit anyway. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are in their early 20s and unemployed. Both got B2 visas last summer (to the shock of both me and my wife). Edited to add: their interview was short, just a few minutes. Basically they were just asked why they wanted to come to the USA (to visit their sister) and when they hoped to visit.

Yes, that's why my wife was thinking of passing on citizenship. Indonesia doesn't allow dual citizenship for adults, and only citizens can only own property there. She ultimately decided the benefits from becoming a US citizen outweighed any upside to remaining an Indonesian citizen. Another reason is if one has family pressure to sponsor relatives for immigrant visas. One way to avoid that pressure is to not become a citizen. It might sound trivial, but as many threads can attest, some families are really pushy about that kind of thing!