kyrachos

1 minute ago, price411 said:

Wow. 

I'm in the same predicament right now. I have my expired green card + my extension letter. Have been pre approved already, am in contract .. I will be meeting with a loan office on Wednesday.  She asked me to bring all the required docs including my green card. Hopefully everything goes well.. going the FHA program in NJ 

We were pre-approved, too, but when we got to the mortgage application, we had problems. The mortgage banker never dealt with a permanent resident buying a house before, let alone one undergoing ROC, so he had no idea the "expired conditional" status would cause a problem with the underwriters. Good luck! Please update this thread when you find out more/close on the house!

28 minutes ago, price411 said:

Any updates on this case.? 

We got our house, but nothing we did or supplied was good enough for HUD. My husband wasn't able to get anything from his infopass appointment. Ultimately, my husband was taken off the mortgage application and they used my income alone (which fortunately was enough). It was a big headache, but worked out in the end. HUD told us that "there's a possibility his ROC won't be approved," but not before accusing him of being an illegal alien (eye-roll). The mortgage banker thought there was a possibility that my husband would be approved if we went through a private mortgage, but we didn't have enough money for a 20% down-payment to do that.

Hi! My husband and I are in this predicament right now...truth be told, I never thought it was going to be an issue (We are doing immigration the "right" way, aren't we? It should be smooth sailing! HA HA) until our mortgage banker (local bank) started asking about my husband's status. We applied to remove conditions on my husband's residency in December 2017 and his green card expired in February 2018. The extension letter says plain as day that his residency and right to work are extended for 12 months. The mortgage banker doesn't have any experience with this and says that the issue isn't with the underwriter, but with HUD (as we are getting an FHA mortgage). HUD will not approve the mortgage as it apparently thinks my husband isn't a "legal permanent resident" because his residency is conditional and his green card is expired. They have requested an EAD card, which my husband, of course, does not have because he is a legal permanent resident! The banker asked us to schedule an InfoPass appointment to see if we can get any sort of documentation attesting my husband's legal permanent resident status (because his extension letter isn't good enough, apparently?) OR an EAD card. We scheduled the appointment, but of course, we are not optimistic that we will leave with anything useful.

Has anybody obtained an FHA mortgage (using both spouses as co-borrowers) while undergoing the process to remove conditions? If so, how did you appease HUD? 🤯

Hi, my husband and I brought both our cat and dog from Egypt when we moved to the US.  Dog was in cargo and Kitty was in cabin with us. Our journey was 2+ hours outside of Cairo, a 4 hour layover in Frankfurt, and a 6 hour drive home from POE. Both fared well (cat was ~3yo at the time, dog was 1yo). The cat's plane ticket was $100 and dog's was $200 (depends on weight for cargo...baladi dogs don't weigh that much. ). The cat would have also been $200 if she flew in cargo. We flew with Lufthansa. Doing the paperwork is easy. Your fiance just needs to get a health certificate from his vet and proof of rabies vaccination (rabies vaccine must be >30 days from departure). Technically cats don't need rabies vaccines to travel to the US (according to the CDC), but it's better safe than sorry. Your fiance can get a government health certificate from the vet at the airport on the day of departure (arrive a few hours early) or he can hire a broker who will do the running around for him. The government paper costs 5LE, rabies vax is maybe 150LE, and the private health certificate might be another 50LE-200LE. We didn't use a broker, but DM me if you want the contact info for some (I don't know their prices, though). When we arrived in Atlanta, the customs agent didn't want to see the private health certificates - just the government vet from the airport's papers + the dog's proof of rabies vaccination. There is no quarantine as long as the animal is in good health and has an UTD rabies vaccination. Overall, the process was incredibly smooth and easy.

Worst case scenario in the US: put cat in boarding at a vet clinic for a couple of days. Not sure what the prices are where you are, but our cat cost $9/day to board in a clinic (make sure she has ALL of her vaccinations up to date, not just rabies, if you board her).

The trickiest part for you will be living in a no-pets-allowed apartment, but you can probably get away with it as long as the cat is well-behaved (consider spaying her if she hasn't been spayed already...250-500LE depending on the vet - I can also recommend some in Cairo if you want. no heat = quiet kitty..it's also much cheaper to do in Egypt than the US).

My husband was very grateful that his "daughter" (as my husband calls the cat) was able to come with us. She and the dog were the only sense of normalcy he had in the US at first, so he found their presence comforting until he got over the culture shock and homesickness. The journey was stressful for everyone, but both animals bounced back to normal within a few days of arriving..and like you, we moved after about 2 months of living with my not-so-pet-friendly parents (both animals were relegated to the guest room during that time ). Now we've been settled for 1 week shy of 2 years and our pets are totally happy and comfortable. DM me if you have any questions I didn't cover.

Hi, I lived with my husband in Egypt throughout the entire process of applying for his visa, receiving it, and moving to the US. I was living outside of the US for about 2.5 years total (it took about a year and 3 months for the visa). What everyone above said is correct, so I won't repeat it, but your wife doesn't need to prove domicile or her intent to reestablish domicile until you get to the NVC stage (which is months from filing the I-130 at USCIS). It's something you need to be aware of and start coming up with documents to prove her domicile/intent to reestablish domicile, but you don't actually have to provide them at the beginning of the process.

When we applied, I sent documents to a relative in the US via Aramex and she wrote a check drafted from her US bank account to pay the filing fee. I had US bank accounts at the time, but no checkbooks, so I couldn't write the check myself. We also used this relative's address as the address where I intended to reestablish domicile and where I was having mail sent to (not just for the visa, but in general), so it might be worthwhile for your wife to do something similar.

We didn't have any financial ties like bank accounts, apartment leases, etc. in Egypt, so I wrote a letter explaining why (I work for a US company, so no need for an Egyptian bank account, husband owns our apartment in Egypt, etc. etc.) and another explanation of the evolution of our relationship, from meeting, visits (including passport stamps), marriage, and everything in between. We also included signed affidavits from both of our mothers. No requests for evidence were sent to us.

In the end, my proof of intent to reestablish domicile was my bank accounts, a letter from the relative stating we would be temporarily living with her, a letter from my employer stating the company would be increasing my pay due to the cost of living difference in the US vs Egypt (I work remotely), a non-refundable plane ticket set for about a month after my husband's interview at the embassy, including a fare for our dog to be sent in cargo with me, and the dog's vaccination and health records (to show she was prepared to travel with me). My husband was approved at the interview without AP and received his visa shortly after. He and our cat were able to fly with the dog and me. Next month will be our second anniversary in the US.

That's a pretty blind and unemphatic reply. In some situations it rather behooves the petitioner for their fiance to go to America. Me personally, I don't think I could move to the Philippines considering my medical condition, and the state of the Philippines health establishments. Likewise, some petitioners may have well-established careers that would greatly benefit a newly formed family, rather than quitting a job and taking chances on a new job which may pay far less in a 3rd world country.

That said, what normal person would choose to live and/or raise children in a 3rd world country? People by nature always wants what is best for them and their families; and when you think about it that way, it only makes sense to want to come to America.

so you would dissolve your relationship if a visa didn't work out (as selmaben implied..."What is the solution if denial is not the end of marriage ?") or am I misunderstanding her quote due to the language barrier (if that is the case, I apologize for misinterpreting it)? I didn't claim it wouldn't behoove the couple to set up a life together in America. She asked what to do if they get denied other than end their marriage. The answer is fight the decision if possible (depends on the visa/reasons for denial) or have the American relocate (or live apart and just see each other for visits). If the choice is stay together outside of the US or break up because the beneficiary is denied, who is going to choose the latter without trying to make something work? A relationship that hinges on a visa is quite a fragile one, no? I'm not saying that the hardships and stress that come from living apart can't suck the life/love out of a relationship, but this couple hasn't even applied yet and the OP is implying (again, from my understanding) that she doesn't want to be with her fiance if he can't bring her to the US.

Yes i am tunusian student in france (legal resident)

What is the solution if denial is not the end of marriage ?

You would leave your fiance if you didn't get the visa? priorities. the solution is that if you get denied, you fight it in whatever way is possible or you make a different plan--both of you live in Tunisia or France (if your legal status allows) or another country...very few legitimate couples would break up over a denial. if you want to be together, NOTHING will stop you. If you simply want to go to America, the system will hopefully work against you...

The advice others gave you is correct. Your current income is what matters, not what you earned in the past 3 years (though you have to submit your tax transcripts). You can work as a freelancer while living in Morocco as long as your employer permits it. This is exactly what I did. Although I was earning below the poverty threshold throughout the majority of our case, exactly one month before our interview, I got a raise (to several thousand dollars above the threshold) and my husband's visa was approved without needing a co-sponsor. Don't forget about filing taxes while you are out of the US, though. If you're teetering on the threshold line and are thinking about having children ASAP, remember that having kids increases the requirement, so if that will be an issue (should the visa be delayed), plan your family accordingly. Maintain your domicile in the US like you already listed (car, continuing job, bank account, anything else that will help) and you'll be good to go at the time of the interview.

I can't answer the perpetual tourist thing because I don't know Moroccan immigration laws, but my guess is that you can get permanent residency through your husband after you marry. If it's a possibility, go for it. You'll save money by not having to travel and your legal status won't be scrutinized (in Egypt, for example, a lot of perpetual tourists recently had their extensions denied and were told they need to leave the country within 24-48 hours from when they applied for the extensions).

Our situations are slightly different as I had to fill out an I-864 (for a CR1 visa for my husband) and our embassies are different (in the end, it will be up to the CO), but here is what happened to my case:

When I first submitted the I-864, I was earning well below the poverty line. My I-864 reflected that salary even though I knew I would be getting a raise before the interview (you can only include your current earnings, not hypothetical/potential salary). I included a co-sponsor.

I received a raise (putting me several thousand dollars over the poverty requirement) exactly one month before my husband's interview. I was/am still at the same company, but they doubled my salary because I was moving back to the US and would continue working for them there. At the interview, I submitted a new affidavit of support (I-864) and asked to cancel the joint sponsor. I included a letter of employment, my one pay stub that included the new rate (I included older pay stubs, but only the most recent showed the change), and 6 months of bank statements showing regular deposits. The CO accepted it and approved my husband's visa. The embassy sent back the canceled co-sponsor's form/supporting evidence with my husband's passport/visa.

Essentially, to answer your questions, you can only include what your current yearly salary is at your current job. If there is an update to it by the time of the interview, you can have your fiancee submit a new form on your behalf. If you currently don't earn above the poverty line, you will have to include a co-sponsor (if only as a stand in until the interview; but the potential co-sponsor should know that it's up to the CO's/embassy's discretion...they might cancel the joint sponsor, they might not if they don't trust your work stability or whatever).

If you have sufficient proof that you are earning above the poverty line right now (employment letter, several pay stubs), then I think you technically don't need a co-sponsor, but if you just started your job, then it won't hurt to include one in the initial submission (to prevent possible delays) and have your fiancee ask to cancel the co-sponsor at the interview if possible.

Neither does Egypt, but family law is based in Sharia for Muslims..personal status laws are different for minority religions (I believe it's the same for both countries?). A quick google search led me to this:

"There can be no inheritance between spouses if one spouse is a Muslim and the other is a non-Muslim (or whomsoever the Shariah prohibits relationships with.)"

http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Middle-East/Morocco/Inheritance

"Laws that forbid a non-Muslim Moroccan wife from inheriting from her Muslim husband remain in place."
http://www.unicef.org/gender/files/Morroco-Gender-Eqaulity-Profile-2011.pdf

Maybe there's a secular law that circumvents this that I didn't catch in my search...but if I was in OP's shoes and was planning to convert to a different religion for legal purposes, my choice would be what would give me the greatest legal status even if it was annoying or inconvenient (I am glad I'm not in that situation, though). Not sure what her reasons are for choosing Islam over Christianity if it's not sincere conviction, but it's definitely something to consider...never know what will happen in 10-50 years or where life will take ya (maybe they will retire in Morocco? who knows) or how the in-laws will behave over any inheritance later in life. Best to take the most secured route if you have to make the conversion anyway, right? Anyway, I'll leave it at that since it has little to do with obtaining a visa.

Perhaps related to inheritance laws (or other requirements she's already researched)? Muslims can't inherit from non-Muslims and vice versa. I'm not familiar with Moroccan laws, but I know several women married to Muslim Egyptian men who converted (with a shahada/ceremony, Islamic classes, what-have-you) on paper so that they and their husbands can inherit from each other. If the wife was Christian-on-paper, they'd have to specify certain segments of their assets/property to each other and it would have to adhere to certain requirements (like the husband's Muslim family must inherit a specific, larger portion). It doesn't matter in the US, but in Egypt, it certainly does, and I imagine other Muslim-majority countries have similar laws. I'm not familiar with all of the Sharia rules as my husband and I aren't Muslim, but it's certainly something to think about and go through the hoops for their future financial security.

What matters is what the IO at the embassy thinks...not any of us or the couple. It doesn't matter how devout they may or may not be. It's the embassy they have to convince .... Not us.

Of course. I'm referring to the comments rebuking her for not wanting to convert because of a true religious conviction. Most of us are jumping through one ridiculous bureaucratic hoop or another in order to be with our loved ones. Note that I mentioned that it could cause issues at the interview, but beyond that, it's nobody's business but AJ17's and her fiance's. If they're comfortable with it and can convince the CO, that's all that matters. Her "horrible reason" to convert is tied to horrible bureaucracy...that's all I'm saying.

For all we know, her fiance is Muslim in name only (I know plenty of them...same as any religion) and doesn't care one way or another what his fiancee's religious convictions are. Unless I missed it, nowhere did she state that he is a devout Muslim, so give her a break. The point is that to get their marriage recognized in his country, they have to jump through some hoops and it seems like they're willing to do that. Should people genuinely believe the religion they are converting to? Yes, I 100% agree, but given that Morocco won't recognize their marriage unless it's Muslim man + Muslim/Christian/Jewish woman, they don't exactly have a choice in the bureaucracy. Blame the government, not two people who apparently aren't devout enough to care about religious restrictions (that's between them and any deity/lack of that they believe in).

Not denying that they could be grilled about it at the interview or that it doesn't raise red flags; just pointing out that not every "Muslim" from a Muslim-majority country cares about following the religion to a T.

Good luck, AJ17!

Don't worry too much. The fact that you live with your husband is a HUGE plus. The couples who receive the most scrutiny are those with considerable age differences, different religions, and those that don't have much in-person time together. The fact that you met online would only hold you back if you haven't spent much time together in person (which you've obviously overcome since you live together ). Your biggest hurdle might be proving your intent to reestablish domicile at your interview. Don't take it lightly--Cairo will easily put you in AP until you (the American) are physically in the US if you don't submit sufficient proof that you intend to move back...at the CO's discretion. It's happened to multiple couples over the past few months. You will also have to send some proof of domicile (or intent to reestablish it) to NVC, too, so make sure you prepare accordingly (NVC will accept less evidence than the embassy, but you still have to submit something). I lived with my husband throughout our entire 15.5 month journey from I-130 submission to visa-in-hand (finally going home next month! ), so it can be done, but you have to submit every scrap of evidence you can think of to show that you are moving back to the US at the interview (you are still a long way from that point, but it's never too early to think about it). I left a review of the embassy that includes my domicile evidence (on my timeline) because I know this can be a huge problem for couples who stay together in Egypt during the process. Best wishes for a speedy journey!

I assume if you had a big party, you also had the ring exchange/blessing from the priest (maybe pictures of this is what convinced the CO that you were married?). Do you have an engagement contract signed by the priest(s)? If you have the contract and you showed it to the CO, then I'm at a loss (other than the officer doing his own investigation to learn about the engagement customs in the Church)...but the contract shows the date of the formal engagement, so if you didn't present it at the interview, it might be useful in case they ask you for more evidence. It could also help for you to gather information about the custom (I assume you are Coptic) in case they request it from you: http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/thecopticchurch/sacraments/6_matrimony.html This page describes the whole ceremony (including ring exchange for both the engagement and the wedding ceremonies). Perhaps you could also get a signed declaration that you are both single from St. Mark's Church (in Cairo). There is a marriage office there and before my husband and I married, we had to go there to get some kind of paper saying we were single before my husband could get permission to marry me (this was to satisfy the church/diocese where we married). An affidavit from your priest(s) might help, too, but I know it's considered "weak" evidence. This is all assuming you are Coptic; I'm not sure how it would work in other denominations in Egypt. The embassy might not ask for any additional evidence, but it's good to be prepared. So sorry you have to go through this.

I don't recommend marrying in Egypt and applying for a CR1 visa unless you're totally sure that the K1 is denied. It took us an entire month to gather all of the required paperwork to marry at the ministry of justice (mostly because of church bureaucracy--we kept getting told we needed xyz forms signed and stamped by random offices from Cairo to Ismailia so that my husband could have permission from his local church to marry me and the MOJ wouldn't accept anything other than the church form permitting him to marry) and then another two weeks to have the church ceremony (add working around fasting periods on top of those troubles) and almost 16 months from I-130 submission to CR1 visa in hand. Don't give up on your K1 until you are absolutely positive they have denied it.

Hi everyone...didn't want to jinx us by posting too early, but we were approved at our interview a week ago and we have the visa in hand now! I left a long review, which you can see in our timeline. The CO was great and could tell we love our fur-babies very much (he commented about them). No problems with my domicile documents nor my updated AOS (was under the poverty guidelines when I originally applied, but got a very big raise recently due to our pending relocation, so I canceled our joint sponsor; the embassy sent back her I-864+docs with the passport), though he asked for pay stubs for confirmation. After the interview, we both broke down crying (hubby's tears flowed first) right in front of everybody in the embassy. They must have thought we were denied. Oops.

Hubby already booked his ticket so he and kitty can join puppy and me on the flight I booked for next month and he's off showing the car to a prospective buyer right now. Ahhhh, is this real life?! Much love and gratitude to dwheels (what would any immigrant visa seekers on this site do without you?? ) and everyone patiently waiting in this thread.

The embassy in Cairo was closed yesterday, but is open today.

I was very excited because everything was going well, the interviewer asked me how me and my wife met and a couple of questions about me, and just as she was about to finish off the interview, which seemed to be going on a very positive note, she tells me that everything looks like it's in order and I have all the paperwork I need, but that she needs proof of domicile from my wife. So I got a 221(g) and they put me on AP.

So sorry to hear that, LJSant. This has been worrying me for my husband's upcoming interview (Thursday).

To everybody, does this sound sufficient to avoid AP for domicile (I know it's impossible to know for sure, but if this sounds ok, it would help to calm my nerves)? I've been living in Egypt with my husband throughout our entire visa journey (haven't left the country at all) and will be attending the interview.

* I work from home, but my employer (a US company) gave me a raise specifically because I am relocating to the US (higher cost of living). I have a letter of employment from my manager stating this. They would not have given me the raise (more than double what I previously was paid) if I was not intending to return to the US in the near future.

* I used a single US address (my mother's) for all written correspondence from USCIS and NVC and I included a letter indicating that we will be living with her when we arrive with my original domicile documents that i sent to NVC.

* My paychecks have always been mailed to this address.

* I have an active US bank account using the same address.

* My student loan payment account uses this address.

* I bought a one-way plane ticket to return to the US next month.

* The plane ticket receipt indicates that I will have a pet traveling in cargo.

* My dog has been re-vaccinated against rabies and I've had her health certificate from the vet created (though it must be validated within 30 days of departure to satisfy the US/Egypt's requirements for importing/exporting her).

* She is microchipped and registered for the US address.

(We are doing the same for our cat, although we plan for my husband to bring her with him.)

I will bring all the appropriate documentation for the above. I also have a US driver's license and voter registration, but these use my father's address (where I lived most of my life), so I'm not sure they would be useful for the interview. I also applied for a graduate school program in my home state (to start in Fall 2016), but I was rejected from it--is it worth submitting the application confirmation email (and rejection letter?) to show that I intend to reestablish my domicile? I do not have a car or my own house/apartment (we plan to buy a car/rent a flat after my husband arrives and starts his job search). I'm not sure of anything else I could include short of physically being in the US.

I called them and they said no interview .... my case was complete in the first week of August.....Does that mean I will wait for another month ???

Good luck guys with the interview.... God bless u

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that. I guess they filled the January schedule...but try calling back in a week or two. they might open more slots. don't give up hope!

How do u know ?? is there any cases received the interview letter ? and do u mean Yemen or Cairo cases ?

Call NVC as soon as you can! Our interview was scheduled yesterday (and we confirmed today)! January 14th (178 days from case complete)

Can you please fill in your timeline to help other visajourney members? http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=223687

To answer your questions, there is something wrong with the Cairo embassy. It is ridiculously slow with no transparency. but this is "normal" for Egypt because the embassy is short-staffed and has many cases from Egypt, Syria, and Yemen to deal with. Cases that were completed in early July still haven't had interviews scheduled for CR1/IR1 visas, so you are still within the normal time-frame. Our case was completed on July 20 and we are still waiting. As for the cases after yours, it's possible that they were granted expedites and that's why they jumped ahead of all of the rest of us who are waiting. Do you have any more information about those cases?

No updates

I know IR1/CR1s with CCs in July (ours is 7/20 and I know someone from 7/16) still haven't been scheduled. I imagine it's similar for K1s. I know for a fact that some K1s who finished their paperwork at the beginning of August are still waiting. You can reasonably expect a 5+ month wait from CC to interview.

called again...still no interview. now 115 days since case complete.

Embassy has told our Immigration Liaison that they are scheduling beneficiaries that have completed their paperwork in April this year. But I have heard from 2 others here in VJ that they only waited 3-4 months for an interview...

they have been saying that (April completion dates are being scheduled "now") since at least JULY. I can't speak for K1 applicants, but for CR1/IR1, visajourney data shows interviews for people with CCs through the end of June. I believe K1s that finished their paperwork through May (possibly even June) have gotten interviews, too, but I can't remember where I read that. The Cairo embassy will say "We're processing April 2015 CCs" through 2020.