BA2WA

19 hours ago, aaron2020 said:

Not trying to be mean.  Just being real.  You are working under a few rookie misconceptions.  1) USCIS approving the I-130 means a person can immigrate.  They can't.  It's only the first step and they must wait for a current PD to be eligible to apply for an immigrant visa.  2) There's a way to live and work in the US while waiting to go through the immigration process.  There isn't.  It's not possible for adult sons and daughters to do that.  

 

There is no faster way than what we have told you.  If there was a faster way, we would have told you.  No reason for us to hide a faster way.  
 

Aaron, your honesty and knowledge are tremendously appreciated. It is my rookie assumptions I'm trying replace with accurate information, my reason for asking questions. I felt no meanness, only honesty. Thanks-you!

I have looked at other avenues, such as student visas etc., especially since a high school diploma doesn't go far anymore. Education will need be pursued but after getting here, not as a way to immigrate.

As it now stands, we will most likely aid one son to eventually come live with us. For the other son, Canada is a much better prospect (he's nearing completion of B.S. in accounting, has years experience in the field, and his company has offices there with a job transfer possible). Our daughter will most likely stay in Argentina with her husband and son, and as long as their problems are only financial, we will help them survive.

Again, many thanks to all who took the time to offer ideas, information, and suggestions.

Aaron (or anyone who knows), could you clarify something for me? The processing time stated on the USCIS website (California processing center) is "52 Months to 67.5 Months". Still a long time, but significantly less than 7 years (84 months). I realize times vary with many factors so...

1)Are there other considerations I need to take into account when estimating the time for the total process (I-130 application submitted to son entering U.S.)?

2) Also, I read that once the I-130 is submitted, an I-129F can be submitted for a K-4 visa. This allows the applicant "child" to be in  the U.S. while the I-130 is in process. The time stated for that is 5.5 - 7.5 months. Is this reasonable and/or correct?

Thanks and best wishes to all...

Thank-you Timona.

Many thanks for your clear and concise information aaron2020. We will have them apply for the DV lottery, while we will keep trying the Washington State Lottery (crossing fingers for both)

Thank-you all for the quick responses & information.

-Our Argentine children are 28-34 years old.

-All have high school diplomas, so it seems they would be qualify for the Visa Lottery. I don't know what else would eventually be required for successful completion though, should they actually be chosen..

-I looked at the  I-864p. Based on that, we would be unable to provide support for all 6 of them, unless the income figures are based on gross income (all our income is from Social Security and a pension, not taxable and therefore net).

Their need to leave Argentina is becoming more urgent by the day. Two of the three have lost their jobs, as have millions of others so work is nearly impossible to find. We support them but that does little good when even poor-quality food is becoming difficult to obtain. If our other son loses his job, we will be in a real bind.

Is 7 years a realistic figure for the I-130/F1 process? If so, does anyone here have any knowledge about emigrating to Uruguay, Chile, or Spain (no relatives in any of these)? They are all fluent in English, so other countries might be possible too. ANY suggestions are welcome.

Again, many many thanks for the help...

Hello. I've read what I could find about this and hope for any info and/or suggestions.

I'm U.S. born, wife is Argentina-born, we moved to U.S. with K-1 visa and married here 5 years ago. She is now a naturalized U.S. citizen.

She has 3 adult children still in Argentina (my step-children). All have spouses but none legally married, one has 3 year-old child. 

1) What is the best way for us to get our children to the U.S.? Would my wife have to file I-130 for each, or are there other (better) ways?

2) Would we have to prove our ability to provide support for all ($21k +/- times 3?). All three speak English but none have a college degree (though one is getting close and works for a multinational corporation)

3) Is there a best guess as to how long it would take for our children to actually be able to come to the U.S.?

4) Is there anything that can be done for our son-in-law and daughters-in law, and how long might that process take?

Any information, idea, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks...

I took photos of all our document and submitted them online along with the N-400. It should not be an issue. My wife's application was approved at the interview on Dec. 26th.

We're currently reluctant to leave the country even for a short time as we've read of people being denied re-entry, even though they had every legal right to return (Green Card, financially sound, long-term residence etc.). The decision for re-entry is up to the individual Immigration official at the border and they can choose to deny. Though probably not common, it can happen. It could be challenged, but it would take months and make life extremely difficult until resolved.

We did return briefly to Argentina in 2016, when my wife's father was dying. Upon returning to the U.S., she was interrogated for 30 minutes in Houston before allowed in. She was enormously shaken by  it. And that was BEFORE the current "situation". I guess we're just too old to risk it.

Thanks, and sorry about my confusing the issue. We last submitted an I-751 for Removal Of Conditions filed 3 April 2018

Yes, I believe I've confused things. We applied for removal of conditions on her GC, which I though was AOS. She's had residence since 20JUNE16, so 3 years minus 90 days is when we can initiate naturalization, I hope.

No, she's not quite eligible to start the naturalization process, but we'd like to do that as soon as reasonably possible. There is a first grandchild we've not seen and have been afraid to leave the country to visit.

Her Green Card states "Resident since 20 JUNE 2016. Is that when the 3-year clock started ticking???

She has a Green Card, though conditional. Doesn't that establish permanent residence? The two responses are very different.

Perhaps not the correct forum, but any idea how long the naturalization process currently takes. We have 6 month old grandson in Argentina and won't feel comfortable leaving the country without BOTH of us having U.S. passports.

Wow, that was fast! Thanks so much for the information. So, even while her AOS is pending, we can proceed with the citizenship process correct?

Hello. My wife applied for AOS (filing date 3 APR 18) for her Green Card, which has an original issue date of 20 June 16. We were married and have been living in the U.S. since DEC 2015. When will she be eligible to apply for citizenship? I realize she need 2 years permanent residence plus 1 additional year (totaling 3 years for spouse of U.S. citizen). Do we start counting that additional 1 year once she --- eventually --- receives an unconditional Green Card, or can she apply after 20 June 19 (3 calendar years after first receiving a conditional Green Card)? Current AOS processing times for the California Service Center seem to be 16-21 months, and we hope the long delay won't postpone her applying for citizenship.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Thank-you all for the information. I'm finishing up the AOS paperwork now and will submit it tomorrow.

And Maria&Seve, we're so very sorry for your loss. I was out-of-country when both my own parents passed away several years ago...

Thanks, no offense taken. It is the facts that are unpleasant though we appreciate knowing them. I do admit to having difficulty finding the information I'm seeking here sometimes and did not look at the guide. We've no Advanced Parole in place and with so little time there seems to be nothing we can do.

I also seem to recall hearing about people with AP still being denied re-entry, though my memory might be wrong.

Hi...

We returned to the U.S. from Argentina with a K-1 visa and were married 9 days after arrival. Now 5 weeks later we have already bought, paid for, and moved into a house where we intend spend the rest of our lives. All financial accounts are in both names, as is all property. However...

Her Dad was diagnosed with cancer shortly after we returned to the U.S. and the prognosis is grim. He's scheduled for surgery soon with only a 5% chance for surviving even that. I'm about to finish the paperwork for my wife's AOS. Is there any way she can return to be with her father for a short while, perhaps 2-3 weeks?

It took us over a year to be able to move to the U.S. and we don't want to jeopardize what we've already accomplished. Our home is here... together.... forever. But she really wants to be with her father before it is too late.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

That's that I thought and read. Thanks for the confirmation and have a wonderful day!

My fiancee's birth certificate needs to be translated from Spanish into English for her I-485 packet. Everything I read here and online says the translator simply needs to state both fluency and accuracy in the translation. However here (Argentina) everyone we ask about translating the document absolutely insists that an apostile is necessary for the U..S. and everywhere else. Not 1or 2 people, nearly dozen, some lawyers too.

Okay, perhaps an unnecessary extra step, but we tried to have the document apostiled this morning and they refused to do it because of its age --- it cannot be older then 3 month, even though the document was certified as original in January of this year.

Getting a new certificate would be very difficult, as she was born in another part of the country and would have to travel there to get it. In addition, it might take longer than the time we have remaining here.

Is there any reason to get an apostiled translation, if not for the AOS for something unforeseen down the road? Getting a "Translator College-certified" (very official but not apostiled) translation is a simple matter and hopefully sufficient.

Many thanks...

We expect to get our K-1 visa next month, and are taking this time to prepare for what needs to be done once in the U.S.

1) We've read that a Social Security number should be obtained before marriage, waiting 2 weeks after arrival for information to get into the system... THEN get married. But we would like to get married 4-5 days after arrival. Does it really make a difference if we get married first? There would only be one trip to Social Security (no need to return for name change), and my fiancee will not need to work if that makes a difference.

2) In reviewing the I-485, it asks about adult children. Is it necessary to list my fiancee's adult children? They will NOT be moving to the U.S. and don't want to imply that they might be, but still wish to answer all truthfully.

3) An FYI:

My fiancee's birth certificate was not one of the documents requiring translation to obtain the K-1 visa. HOWEVER it seems that it IS NECESSARY for the AOS. Mention of this within the earlier K-1 process might save someone an extra step down the road.

Thanks!

Our K-1 visa was denied because my fiancee overstayed in the U.S and received a 10-year ban.. She left on 12 Oct 05 by her own choice (Immigration was never involved then). The embassy said we can ask for her case to be re-instated AFTER Oct 31st or file a waiver.

We live together in her country, Argentina. The only possible grounds we have for a waiver is that we have had death threats and need to be in hiding until her visa is issued. The embassy is aware of our situation and sympathetic, but says they can do nothing... either wait till the ban expires of file a waiver.

I'm not sure but I think a waiver might not be much quicker than waiting for the ban expiration. And I have no idea how to prove the legitimate threats we've received,or that the person making them has since gotten a gun.

Does anyone have any idea how long a waiver would take, and how we could prove that our lives are potentially in danger? When we filed the initial I-129, we stated that we would need to go into hiding by March 1st, and that is exactly what has happened, so we're not pulling this out of left field suddenly.

Thanks.Unfortunately we were denied today.

All is not lost however... In October they will re-process and approve. There was a 10-year ban for an overstay 9-1/2 years ago that we were not aware of. They even gave her a B1/B2 visa in 2013 without a problem, today cancelled.

<sigh...>

Although I GREATLY appreciate this site, I find searching for specific information sometimes difficult.

For the past year or so, timelines from Buenos Aires that I can find give DHL delivery times from 5-14 calendar days after interview.

I hope others can relate their experience with this, as we don't want to book a flight and then not receive her passport/visa until days later.

Does anyone have an idea how long it is currently taking to get the passport with visa from DHL after interview approval at the Buenos Aires Consulate? The packet 4 paperwork says 7-10 business days, which puts it uncomfortably close to when we want to leave.

Thanks...