christine55

Can anyone tell me what exactly USCIS will need when it comes to the beneficiary's medical information? Will they want medical records? What if they don't have any medical records from the U.S., only their country of origin?

Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

Just a quick question. My husband and I just started the green card process. He will remain in Norway and I will go back to the U.S. while we wait for his application to get processed. My question is, will I have to come back to Stockholm to go to the interview with him when and if the time comes? Or will they interview us separately?

Thanks in advance!

Okay, so I've actually found several documents that show proof of living together. One is our electricity bill, the others are documents that were sent to us when our daughter was born, a certification documenting when we moved into our apartment etc. Do I need to get everything that is in Norwegian translated? I think everything, including the electric bill is in Norwegian.

16 minutes ago, JFH said:

If you are living together you must have a ton of evidence. Joint bank account, joint utility bills, car insurance, mail sent to both of you at the same address, the hospital records from the birth of your child, invitations sent to you as a couple, Christmas or other holiday cards sent to both of you as a couple, it really shouldn't be difficult. I wouldn't get too focused on photos - they are secondary evidence and are good for couples who live apart but you should have much more solid evidence than photos. Sure, include some photos but don't rely on them as the backbone of your evidence. Your child's birth certificate is not considered evidence of a bona fide marriage. To be blunt, it proves nothing more than your reproductive organs work. Just the same as a couple whose reproductive organs don't work (or have stopped working due to age) are not assumed to be in a non-bona fide relationship. And couples who have consciously chosen not to have children. 

Okay, I can go through my documents at home and see what I have. If the bills in our names are in Norwegian, do I need to have them translated?

I also have pictures taken of every one of our anniversaries and of course the cover letter.

Okay, wow, thanks all! I'm glad I asked, I had no idea.

So what I have now is the I-130, I-130a and G-1145 forms. 2 passport pictures of me, 2 of him. My U.S. birth certificate. Our marriage license. A copy of our bank information. A copy of our daughters burth certificate. Pictures of us together in the U.S., our wedding, pictures of us in Oslo (where we live now), pictures of us while I was pregnant including one of him and my mother, picture of us right after having the baby and family portraits that were taken of us 5 months later. Pictures of us together in Cardiff, pictures of us in Canda together including one of us with my mom who also went with is to Canada. A copy of the booking confirmation we had when we went to Spain together (we don't have any pictures together from that trip), and an email exchange that we had during the last trip I took to the U.S. with my daughter just because it was recent. What do you guys think? 

11 minutes ago, ASMS said:

 

 It doesn't matter the color ^^  I used the same one, many people don't put anything, is your choice.

 

I don't think the birth certificate of your daughter is considered evidence of bona fide marriage, you must include it yes, but I don't think is evidence (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

But even if it is, you should include other type of evidence, for example, if you are currently living together or already did, include proof of that, like a lease contract showing both names.

Chat logs, call logs, and any kind of proof of communication is good too, pictures of boyh together, pictures of the wedding...All those are good and important to include.

Okay, that's no problem. I'm not on the lease, only my husband, but we have a lot of pictures together I can send. Some professional, some that we took ourselves. Should I date each picture and write where it was taken?

6 minutes ago, ASMS said:

You should send more evidence of bona fide marriage besides the joint bank account.

 

I can't see the country where you are, but remember a translation of your marriage certificate if is needed.

 

I put post sticks on every group of document, in that way they would show what was that group and I won't cause any damage on the paperwork when they removing it.

I'm also sending a copy of our daughter's birth certificate, it has both our names on it. Is that enough?

We were married in the U.S. so it's all in English, luckily.

Should they be different color post sticks? Or does it matter?

Hi all,

I am finalizing all the paperwork for the petition to get my spouse a green card in the U.S. I was just hoping someone could help me figure out the best way to organize all my paperwork.

I have the I-130, I-130a, G-1145, a copy of my U.S. birth certificate, a copy of our marriage license, 2 passport photos of me and 2 of my husband, something that shows proof of our joint bank account, a copy of our daughter's U.S. birth certificate and a cover later stating our intention and the contents of the packet. 

I know not to use staples and only paperclips to keep the papers together, but should I use a post it at the bottom of each new section and say what the section Is? Should I put everything into a folder? I just want to make sure it's all done correctly.

We will be sending the packet off to my mom back in the states and she will get the money order for us and send it to Phoenix. Are we missing anything else?

Thanks so much!

4 minutes ago, ASMS said:

It is enough, but you need both main sponsor (you, even if you were living abroad) and joint sponsor to fill their taxes for the last years.

I think there's some kind of form (I don't remember), that allows you to fix when you haven't paid them, some other VJ member will advice you better about.

Okay. If there is a form my mom could use that would be great. I have filed my taxes for the past years I've lived over Here, luckily so I do have those. Thank you!

6 minutes ago, ASMS said:

I'm not sure about the time, but I guess you should start the petition after moving to the U.S. depending how hard it will be or how long you think it will take you to get a job.

 

The financial aspect start in the NVC stage (approximately 4/6 after you file the first package), so by that moment you will need all the sponsorship ready.

It means that you have to meet the minimum requirements to be his sponsor, taking in count a household of 3.

A strong recommendation is that you really try to find a joint sponsor. I've seen cases of the main sponsor (petitioner: you) meeting the minimum requirements and NVC, or even the embassy, hold the process till you find a joint sponsor.

 

All the process takes around 9/12 months. Just an estimation, could be less, could be more.

 

Good luck.

Okay, thank you for this info. I already have a job waiting for me. A place to live, driver's license, will be on my mom's insurance because I'll be driving her car, my daughter will be in daycare and is also an American citizen. Do you think this will suffice? My mom hasn't filed her taxes for the past several years which is why she can't be a joint sponsor.

My husband and I are applying to get him a spouse visa/green card, but we live abroad right now. We have no one we can ask to be a joint sponsor for him, so I am moving back to the U.S. first so I can work for a bit and be his financial sponsor. Does anyone have any idea how long I will have to work before my employment will be sufficient enough for him to get approved? We have a child together so he is wondering how long he will have to be separated from her. Thanks!

Just wondering if it's okay to write in some answers on the I-130/I-130a forms if I've mostly typed everything else in? Some of boxes won't allow me to type in them on the computer, so I figured I would just print them out and fill out those by hand. But don't want to cause problems by doing so.

Also, what do I write in the boxes under interpreter/preparater if I'm not using any? Thanks in advance!

On 4/29/2017 at 11:05 AM, VeVe said:

Questions 45-47 ask about previous visits/stays in the US on the new I130 form.

Yes but it says only if they are currently living in the U.S., right?

5 minutes ago, Auds said:

Why was i under the impression that even one day is penalized either way its long ago so

You are right in one sense, it's still not good and makes it impossible to get a visa waiver again, but luckily no ban. Still something we can't sweep under the rug though.

7 minutes ago, Auds said:

Please make sure - as you wont know till you check.  No immigration when one leaves

He left at 95 days. A 180 day overstay constitutes a 3 year ban and a 360 day overstay is 10.

1 hour ago, VeVe said:

The new I-130a specifically ask the question? The form is effective tomorrow.

Oh, there is a new form? I checked the I-130a I have and didn't see anywhere for him to talk about previous visits but I didn't know there was a new form

1 minute ago, Transborderwife said:

Yes disclose.  It shouldn't affect his petition 

Okay but where should I disclose this? In the cover letter? Or is there somewhere on the I-130 I can write it?

14 minutes ago, EandH0904 said:

Was he given a ban when he left? Has that time been up? 

No ban. 

My husband is not currently in the U.S., but the first and only time he was there in 2013 he overstayed by 94 days. I am now filling out a I-130 form to petition to get him a visa and eventual green card and am wondering when I should disclose his overstay? 

29 minutes ago, heyusa said:

I agree, read this for example: CR1/IR1 guide http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

 

And when you've sent your I-130 and the required documents to the USCIS, it will be a while until you can send the rest of the documents (NVC phase) in, but after you get the NOA 1(Notice of Action from the Service Center you will be assigned to), you may start preparing by reading the guide for the NVC and gathering the necessary documents. NVC wiki: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

Okay, thank you. I've found the guidelines and they are quite helpful. One last question though, for number 45 when it asks if my spouse has ever been in the US I say yes because he has. But then it asks me to write down the I-94 information is he is still in the US but he is not. So should I just write n/a? It asks his date of arrival and all that, but I don't know if that just pertains to if he is still over there. 

3 minutes ago, heyusa said:

Hmm, I am actually not sure as we had to call the USCIS later as we changed his mailing address to the US one since they couldn't deliver the mail to Estonia... But is there not an option to put down a mailing address (USA) and a separate physical address (Norway)? I really can't recall what the I130 forms exactly asked for...

Do you know anything about the copies of the documents to be sent in?

1 minute ago, heyusa said:

Hmm, I am actually not sure as we had to call the USCIS later as we changed his mailing address to the US one since they couldn't deliver the mail to Estonia... But is there not an option to put down a mailing address (USA) and a separate physical address (Norway)? I really can't recall what the I130 forms exactly asked for...

Yes there Is! Duh! Thank you haha

48 minutes ago, heyusa said:

using the address abroad didn't work for us, so we used my husband's parents' address, where he is also registered (but he lived in Estonia with me) .  that's the only way we got the mail, since they often do not send hard copies abroad. If you don't want them, then Norway address is more than fine

Thank you! But then what do I say when asked how long I've been living there? And my employer is still in Norway unless I say I have already quit working?

Just wondering if I need to send certified copies of our marriage certificate or just a black and white copy will suffice? What about our child's birth certificate? And my birth certificate? Also, our child was born in Norway but is an American citizen. I have a copy of her certificate of birth abroad. Is that okay to send or should I send in her Norwegian certificate as Well?