-Dalliance-

Thanks, arken. I was hoping I wouldn't have to renew my green card before beginning the naturalization process, so if I receive the 10-year card, things should work out great   (I'm in no hurry to naturalize, so having ten years of time is super helpful!)

My Adjustment of Status application process has taken a long time: I applied in December 2016 (at that point, we had been married for nine months), and had my AoS interview in January 2018, thirteen months later. 

But because it had been over a year since I did my previous USCIS medical exam in my home country, I wasn't approved for a green card during the AoS interview. Instead, I received a Request for Evidence saying that I need to get another medical exam done (which the interviewer said was mostly a formality). I completed that exam and sent in the papers today. 

However, it's now been just over two years since I got married (our two-year anniversary was yesterday), so I was wondering if I'll be receiving the two-year conditional green card or the ten-year green card? 

And regardless of which green card I receive, is it possible to wait a year from now and naturalize right away (i.e. after being married for three years but only holding a green card for one year)? What are my options?

Thanks in advance for any information or advice

Thanks, everyone! I feel better about the situation now. 

1 hour ago, ricnally said:

When we did the original K1, before finding this site, I sent in pictures of us together on a disk. The disk was in a baggie along with the hard copy required passport photos. They immediately sent back the baggie with disk and passport photos saying that the disk was not going to work for them. Months later we got an RFE for having no passport photos! Annoying.

If they can overlook something that obvious, then that's actually pretty reassuring, haha. I know I sent in a certified copy of our marriage certificate (it was the last thing I checked before sealing the envelope), so I'm guessing USCIS overlooked it or simply misplaced it. 

Just to be safe, I'll send in both a photocopy as well as another certified copy of our marriage certificate. That should resolve the issue

On 1/13/2017 at 11:10 PM, ricnally said:

Sometimes they lose stuff.

I guess that IS certainly a possibility... 

Does anyone have experience with this? Is a photocopy acceptable?

Just looking for some confirmation that I'm doing the right thing...

I received a Request for Initial Evidence (I-485) form after sending in my Adjustment of Status paperwork. The exact wording of the request is as follows:

"Submit a copy of the marriage certificate, issued by the appropriate civil authority, between the K-1 applicant and the I-129F petitioner. Any foreign language documents must be accompanied by a complete English translation."

The thing is, I did send in a copy of my marriage certificate. After my husband and I got married, we immediately went to the state government vital records office and got three copies of our marriage certificate, and I sent one of those documents in with the AoS paperwork.

Does it make a difference that I sent in an actual document instead of a photocopy? Do they ONLY want a photocopy to be submitted? 

I've attached a photocopy of the actual document that I sent in. Note that it says "VOID" on the background, which happened automatically with the copier machine. 

Is this the right document? Can someone let me know their own experience with sending in a New Hampshire marriage certificate? Thanks!

Okay, so I pored over the Vaccination Worksheet that the panel physician gave me, and way down at the bottom it does say "DS 3025" -- just in tiny letters next to a bunch of other numbers! I feel kinda dumb for not seeing it before...

Oh, and the document does have a check mark next to the words "US vaccination requirements COMPLETE (Requesting a blanket waiver)". Thanks for that tip, Fr8dog!

So I assume I'd be fine to submit the worksheet despite it not being sealed in an envelope, as long as I can get my application processed before Dec. 15th -- because after that, it will have been longer than a year since my overseas medical exam. At the moment, I'm not quite finished preparing everything, so it may be a tight timeline, but hopefully it all works out!

I'm not 100% sure about the whole expiration date situation, so take this lightly, but I THINK that as long as the packet is received before the expiration date, any RFE's will not affect date sensitive material. My reasoning is that even if you do not receive any RFE's, it will take many months for the case to be processed by USCIS, so odds are they will process the case far beyond any expiration dates on any of the forms.

That makes a lot of sense. It would be ideal if they go by the date that the package is postmarked, but I guess we'll see how things turn out. I don't want to get a whole new medical exam done (and pay all that extra money) if I can at all avoid it. Apparently applications in my location are currently being processed very slowly -- some people had to wait 9-11 months for approval -- so I'm just going to finish everything as best I can, and cross my fingers!

Thanks for the input

Hey everyone, I have a question about the Vaccination Documentation Worksheet that's supposed to be included in the I-485 Adjustment of Status application package.

Back when I had my K-1 medical exam done, the panel physician gave me a sealed envelope with my exam documentation in it. I turned in the envelope at my POE upon moving to the U.S. to get married, and I never got it back.

I did also receive a copy of the Vaccination Documentation Worksheet that the doctor filled out at the time, but it's not sealed and doesn't look very "official" either (my passport-style photo was on top of the worksheet and it was also included in the photocopy).

So what EXACTLY is the vaccination document we're supposed to include in the I-485 package?

I found this passage when doing some research:

"Even if a new medical examination is not required, you must still show proof that you complied with the vaccination requirements. If the vaccination record (DS 3025) was not properly completed and included as part of the original overseas medical examination report, you will have to have the Part 7. Vaccination Record completed by a designated civil surgeon. In this case, you must submit Parts 1., 2., 4., and 7. of Form I-693."

The photocopy of the vaccination sheet that the panel physician gave me doesn't have any text on it that says "DS 3025". So I don't think that's what it is.

Other people have said that if you received a photocopy of the vaccination worksheet from your medical exam, you should have it transcribed onto an I-693 form -- but ONLY the vaccination section AND it needs to be done by a civil surgeon. Then you get the civil surgeon to seal the (partial) I-693 in an envelope, and you can include that in the I-485 package.

BUT, the above must be completed before the one-year anniversary of your overseas medical exam; otherwise you need to get a whole new exam done... And I have only two weeks left to spare! What should I do?

Should I find a civil surgeon ASAP and get him to fill out the relevant part of the I-693, and include that in my package, sealed in an envelope?

Or should I just attach the old photocopy of my Vaccination Documentation Worksheet from the original panel physician that did my medical exam overseas -- and explain that the POE border officer took my medical files, so they must have it somewhere?

Will I get a Request for Further Evidence (RFE) if I do the former? Or the latter?

And if I do get an RFE, does that then delay the timing of my application being processed, so that I would have to get a whole new medical exam done? Or do they only count from the date they receive your application? (So would I be safe if I sent my package in very soon, regardless of getting an RFE or not?)

Aaauughhh, I'm super confused! Would appreciate ANY help whatsoever...

P.S. If anyone can post a photo / scan of the vaccination sheet they sent in with their Adjustment of Status package (with identifying info removed), that would be very helpful -- especially if you were approved without getting an RFE! I'd love to see what an "acceptable" one looks like. Thanks!

My US citizen fiancé did NOT send me his 2014 tax return or W2's (with the Affidavit of Support I-134). We followed the I-134 instructions to the letter, as follows.

Submit in duplicate evidence of income and resources, as appropriate:

A. Statement from an officer of the bank or other financial institutions with deposits, identifying the following details regarding the account:

1. Date account opened;

2. Total amount deposited for the past year; and

3. Present balance.

B. Statement(s) from your employer on business stationery showing:

1. Date and nature of employment;

2. Salary paid; and

3. Whether the position is temporary or permanent.

C. If self-employed:

1. Copy of last income tax return filed; or

2. Report of commercial rating concern.

D. List containing serial numbers and denominations of bonds and name of record owner(s).

That is, he did not give me his last tax return because he is NOT self-employed.

Since these instructions are directly from the USCIS website, I assume the documents that I do have (letter from employer, bank statements, a couple of pay-stubs) are sufficient for presenting at my interview.

Not having his tax return(s) won't make them reject my visa, right? Has anyone experienced this before?

Preferably looking for input from people who have / had their interview in Vancouver, Canada.