koreanjourney

I am a Korean American on a F-4 Visa in Korea and she is a Korean citizen. We are planning to move back June-July of 2016 and from how fast you were approved when would you suggest first applying for the I-130 and starting the process? I don't want to send it in too early and then have to enter the US before our desired time. Also we just had a boy not too long ago and we are going to register him as a US citizen this week at the US Embassy will I need to file any separate petitions for him?

Yes, I'd probably send in the I-130 just to make sure that doesn't have any issues now because once approved you don't have to schedule your interview until you want to. I'd call them after a month if you haven't heard back from USCIS by then. Then I'd make sure to gather all documents for the "packet 3" (they send you a checklist) and schedule the interview for 4-5 months before you want to leave. Schedule your wife's health check at one of the approved hospitals around 2 weeks before the interview (results take a week to come back) and then remember to electronically submit your "packet 4" before going to the interview. The info. is all at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/kr/kr-iv-documentpreparation.aspunder the headline "Cases not processed through NVC"

We have our interview next week so that's our next step, so I don't know any more from this point as of now.

My husband and I haven't have any children yet, but when immigrating I'm quite sure you'd put him on the forms as a dependent. There are spots you fill in for people you're planning on immigrating with.

My husband and I found that the Seoul office has a very specific way of doing things, which is why it can be much quicker to do it in person through them. So we relied on calling them directly and using the Seoul Embassy website since a lot of the info. given online had been too general (like suggesting we use the Chicago Lockbox, 1+ years of waiting, etc) which is all true if you file from the U.S or don't go directly through the Seoul U.S Embassy.

Just a note specific to Korea. Don't send your I-130 petition to the Chicago lock-box if you're going to do the VISA in Korea. This takes a lot longer to process than directly submitting your documents at the Seoul embassy IN PERSON (which you can do if you're in Korea on a VISA yourself).

We submitted my husbands I-130 peition in October of 2014 and received approval after just 7 days, however there was an issue where my e-mail wasn't accepting the US embassys e-mail and so I didn't know I'd been approved until I called the embassy myself in December. So if you don't receive an email within a few weeks I'd call them).

The embassy then sends you a list of documents you need for your "packet 3" which you bring to the interview (you can usually set up the interview date for a month after approval) and they'll review the documents right there. If you send it to the Chicago lock-box you'll have to send your documents along first and have them approved (I've heard this could take months) and THEN the embassy will give you an interview date for a few months after they review your documents. Which means another step.

My husband and I could have set up our interview back in the fall had we gotten the embassy e-mail, but we didn't want to be in the U.S until this coming summer anyway so we couldn't have set up our interview that early. (You must leave Korea within 6 months of your medical checkup which is required before the interview).

If you're married in Korea then you're considered legally married everywhere, including the U.S so she couldn't get a K-1 VISA.

I'm currently going through VISA processes for my husband here in Korea (we married here) and from all I've read and experienced it's MUCH faster to do it while you're both residing in Korea.

Are you currently in Korea or the U.S? If you're in Korea on any long-term VISA (Work/Student/Marriage) it's probably best to apply from Korea (and stay together) than you having to live in the U.S separately from your wife while you wait for a VISA.

http://seoul.usembassy.gov/visas_spouse_of_american.html

This all applies if your wife is a Korean citizen, if she's not I'm not sure if the same info. applies.

Thanks for your reply

I am a U.S citizen born and raised. (I'm sponsoring my husband who is a Korean citizen). I've been in Korea with my husband for the past 2 1/2 years and work as an English teacher which mean they consider me a resident here (since I'm on a long-term Korean VISA myself). My parents are both born and raised U.S citizens as well.

Should I have my father maybe e-mail me something that says he's able to provide me with a job?

The main thing I'm confused about is putting my domicile as the U.S or Korea. I'm guessing since my citizenship is U.S I'd put the U.S but want to make sure.

Thank you again!

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are preparing documents for his CR-1 VISA interview, but are stuck on question 5 of the "Other Information" section on form I-864 "Affidavit of Support" which asks the domicile of the sponsor.

We're filing from South Korea, which has a different VISA process for those lawfully holding residence in Korea. This means we didn't have to submit documents to NVC and bring all packet 3 documents directly to the interview instead (So Cool).

Because it's the condition of the process that I'm a resident of Korea, I am putting my Korean address on everything that asks for it/mailing address/etc. but then, what should I put for my domicile? Should it be the U.S? I've read that I cannot be a sponsor unless I put U.S as the domicile, is this correct? My father has filled out an additional form in order to be a joint sponsor (I make enough money to be over the poverty line with my current job, but I had him fill it out just in case).

Evidence that establishes I still have connections to the U.S are

1. My own bank Account in U.S with over 5,000 dollars in it.

2. Non-expired Drivers Licence

3. Letter signed by both my parents indicating we're allowed to stay in their home in the U.S until we're financially stable.

Also, my father is able to set me up with a job in the U.S due to connections he has, but I have to wait until I'm back in the U.S for any interviews. Will they just have to take my word for it that this is true? Will the above info. be enough to prove domicile?

Interview is in a week so there's not much time left, so thanks for your responses in advance!