Bjorn&lyne

By the way, when you go for biometrics, make sure you bring the birth certificate, marriage certificate, bot originals, and passport. The USCIS did not accept copies of the marriage certificate when we went there. Luckily, we came very early and had time to go back home and get an original.

I told her to call the USCIS and check on her Green Card to verify if it is a mistake or not so it does not cause problems for a future Naturalization application.

From the time my friend got married until the Green Card Interview, it was about one year. She claims that she was told specifically during the USCIS Green Card interview that she would get a 10-year card instead of a conditional 2-year card. The couple had been together for a few years prior to getting married as they dated, got engaged and even lived together in Dubai before moving to America. She received her K1 while still in Dubai. Maybe that played a part as well, meaning her previous circumstances in Dubai proved to the USCIS that the relationship was genuine well before the AoS interview, in other words like you are stating, it depends on the cirsumstances.

I have read online that being on K1 status means getting a conditional 2-year Green Card. As conflicting information, I have also read that some K1 visa holders instead get a 10-year Green Card. To me, it makes sense if all K1 approvals lead to a conditional 2-year Green Card. However, a close friend of mine arriving on a K1 and thus married significantly less than 2 years when she applied for AoS recently received a 10-year Green Card instead of a conditional Green Card. Is there any consistency within the USCIS who receives a conditional 2-year Green Card or a 10-year Green Card for individuals on K1 status? We were just today notified electronically that our I-485 is approved so we still awaiting the actual physical card in the mail at the time of this writing. Thus, I am curious how the USCIS decides who receives a 2-year conditional vs a 10-year Green card when on K1 and married less than 2 years at the time of filing for AoS.

I have no idea about the laws, but unless I am 100% certain about the legal issues, I would always go with the conservative decision and NOT do something that might get you into trouble. In other words, since there seems to be uncertainty, do not get a gun, unless new information appears that completely clarifies the entire issue.

We definitely used her new last name, NOT her maiden name, following the wedding. Her new name did not match the passport nor the marriage certificate, which we submitted. It still worked great. Did not even interview but case was still approved. For the address, definitely use the address where she currently resides, meaning your address, NOT the address in the passport.

Nope, it applies to both men and women. There is nothing I have read that says it only applies to USA men. Therefore, it applies to both men and women equally. Do not go by what feminists say. They are upset because some USA men choose to look for foreign women.

I met my filippina wife on the Cebuana website, very similar to filipino cupid. In my initial letter to the USCIS I sent them the requirement for IMBRA and specifically stated how cebana is excluded from IMBRA. I specifically used the one requirement is below to make my case successfully, quoted from the USCIS.

Wait to receive visa, then purchase airline ticket to the US and enter the US. Then marry, then file AoS, and EAD and AP if needed too. Start collecting and preparing the AoS filing ASAP as you arrive. Lots of docs and evidence to submit.

Hi everyone,

So I just took a look at the plane tickets to Brazil around the date when everything should be done, based off of current CSC times and the estimates I've been given. I paid $1200 for plane tickets last year and I'm finding valid round trip tickets for $550. I was thinking I could buy them dated after the expected processing date, so I could be safe.

I need plane tickets before July, as we I am applying for my permanent Brazilian visa (so we can go back to visit) and they need to see your itinerary at the consulate. It's easy to get, but there's so many visa applications, consulate visits, and terminology being thrown around that my head is a total mess.

Considering my whole family already thinks I'm crazy, I'd rather get a feel of what you guys here think. Is it worth taking a shot in the dark to save over $1000?

It's a big gamble to purchase a ticket based on projected processing dates. While you might save money and luck out, you might also lose the money if the case is not processed as projected. Ultimately, it's up to you. The USCIS recommends only to purchase tickets when the visa physically is in your hands.

Hello,

The Philippine consulate states that we need to report the marriage within 30 days. Link below. Is this required or optional? Are other Filipinos reporting marriage to the Phil consulate in America, or not?

http://www.newyorkpcg.org/the-consulate/our-services/civil-registry/report-of-marriage

Hello,

My K-1 fiancee and I just got married. On the marriage certificate, her maiden last name is listed, not my last name, which she wants to adopt as her official last name. We will change her last name in court officially soon. However, we need to file her AoS documents within a couple of weeks. Should we file the AoS documents in her maiden last name as on the marriage certificate or my last name, which will be her new last name once we file the name change in court? I suspect we file the identical name as on the marriage certificate, but want to be sure.

From the date we applied until the date it was in our mailbox, it took 5 days.

We went to SSA to get fiancee's SSN today. We showed them her passport and the I-94. The SSA person typed info in his computer and asked us a few question. He asked her father's name, mother's maiden name and her place of birth. He didn't know where to find the Admission Record Number, so we showed him that from the I-94. He said we should receive the SSN in the mail in about 10 days.

Interesting, because when we went, the computer would literally not let the officer advance to the next screen without the admission number. She tried to bypass it but it did not work. I wonder what was different.

No handphone usage, right? you got on a pc with printer, yes? no ?

I live nearby and drove home to access and print it.

I didn't see birth certificate as a required document on the SSA website. Has any fiancee who has recently been issued a SSN been asked for birth certificate?

Yes, my fiancee was asked for the birth certificate! The SS officer scrutinized that in fact.

Thank you all for the replies. I was able to retrieve it online through your help!

Thanks for the advice to go online! I was able to retrieve it online, which I did not know I could do. The drive is only 15 minutes so not bad at all. We will go back again now to the SS office since we now have the Admission number.

I-94 is electronic now. Access it here: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/request.html

Thanks for the link! It worked beautifully! I now have it!

My filipina fiance has arrived in the US on her K-1 visa. We went to the Social Security office to apply for the social security number. We brought all required documents. However, she was denied to apply because her passport did not contain an I-94 arrival/departure record with an admission number. It only contains the K-1 visa and I-94 stamp with the expiration date, but NO admission number. My fiancee said she never received an Admission number when the arrived at the NYC JFK PoE, despite being interviewed and meeting two separate immigration officers. As a result, she was denied to apply for the social security number since she could not provide the required Admission number. Does anyone has similar experience? The staff at the SS office said that her admission number might be elsewhere and not in her passport. I did find a number on the approved NOA2 notice, starting with the letter A. Is that what they might be looking for in the SS office?

it took 43 days for me to receive case number from nvc

Are you talking about calling after 43 days and get the case number on the phone or getting the letter after 43 days? I called and got our case number after 2 weeks but it took 6-7 weeks to get the letter with the case number.

There's no problem because we get married within 90 days. The advantage when you file early is that you can work right away and not out of status. My sister filed her aos after a year. And there's no problem at all.

Thanks! I worry less about the work and mostly about the out-of/status and how it might affect the AoS application, but it seems its OK as many end up in the same boat as we are in.

Hi.. You can file the AOS anytime. It doesn't have to be within 90 days. The 90 days period is to get married. I filed my AOS after 90 days.

Thanks. And the USCIS had no problem with that?

Filing jointly will in most cases get you the lowest taxes and highest return so from a tax perspective it usually makes sense to file jointly. From an immigration perspective, filing jointly clearly shows a stronger bond and commitment between the spouses than filing separately. I do not know how the USCIS looks at that but I can imagine that filing jointly would be a much better way to go to prove that the marriage is legitimate, which is your ultimate goal obviously.

It means someone at the embassy went through the case and sorted out that you are a K-1 fiancee applicant and not a spousal applicant, which is a good sign. You can probably expected another update pretty soon.

Not true. I have read again and again that 2 weeks is pretty standard, which also was the case for me.

My fiancee and I will marry 3 weeks prior to the expiration of her I-94 and within the 90 day windows for her K-1 visa. We might or might not be able obtain the official marriage certificate before the expiration of her I-94, however. My question is,

Is it better to file the AoS application before the I-94 expires but without the marriage certificate and then submit the marriage certificate as a separate document to ensure the AoS application is filed prior to the I-94 expiration and she never ends up out of status?

OR

Is it better to submit the marriage certificate together with the AoS application even if it means filing the AoS after the I-94 expires, meaning fiancee might be out of status a few days?