ditwar

18 hours ago, ThaOne said:

Disclaimer: My response is going to be long because these are some important matters and I want to be as clear as I can and give the most details and observations I know, so sorry for the length.

 

Sorry, but I don't think that if you apply after the 5 year mark that you can use the 3 year rules based on all the documentation on websites and on USCIS.gov. Did you collect unemployment benefits from the US when you were not employed? How were you guys supported financially in 2016 and 2017? (I am not asking you these personal questions, but this is what they would ask you). Try looking online and asking around the question to know if one can apply for citizenship if that person was unemployed at anytime during the 5 previous years before filing. That's the question you need answered first before you file if you file after the 5 year term. If you file after February 2021 (submit your application after February 2021) then make sure to have a definite answer on whether it's possible to not have been employed for the whole 5 years and what proof of financial support you can bring if they allow it to prove that you were financially viable and were not just working "in the shadows undeclared" and not paying taxes.

If you were working in the US in 2016 and 2017 and had W2s but just didn't file any taxes (which means you owe) then I would NOT file at all in any circumstances until you sort that out.

But again, since your initial concern was to beat the October 2 deadline for prices to go up, then the only option if you file before that date will be because you qualify for the 3 year rule which comes automatically with the 3 year requirements (i.e prove that it is still a bona fide marriage, 3 last years taxes...)

 

As for the German permit I don't know anything about that and have not read anything about that, but when do you think he can get that? If he can get that within the next 6 months at least I am sure that would be fine. You need to understand that the normal time to file the N400 and get to the oath ceremony under normal circumstances is at least 6 months if you are lucky, but depending on where people file it can go up to 1 year or more. That's depending on where you live/which office you are filing from. That's normal times. But with COVID they just reopened all offices in July I believe so everything is taking longer. So if the German permit takes just 2 or 3 months then do that. Anyway, the German permit I guess he has to do regardless to keep his German citizenship so I would do that right now regardless immediately. He will not take an oath to become a US citizen FOR SURE anytime before 6 or 7 months even if he applied for n 400 tonight. That is impossible. Just read around the forum here and look at people's timelines and people who are currently waiting. So I would recommend doing the German permit to retain his citizenship anyway now.

 

Finally, you know that even if they schedule your interview for the N 400 or even for the oath, that you can ask to have it postponed to a later date?

 

Bottom line is for the N400 if you file anytime before February 2021 you will be under the 3 year requirements. If you file anytime before February 2021 but after October 1st 2020 you will be under the 3 year rule but will pay the higher fees. If you file anytime before February 2021 (before or after October 1st 2020) you will only have to provide the 3 tax filings and that's it. No other financial justifications and you will have them because you can file your 2020 taxes as soon as possible in January, so you could bring them (2018, 2019 and 2020 taxes) to the interview which will take place in 2021 for sure. To be honest I don't think you would get an interview even if you filed the N400 today, before mid or late 2021. Again just look around at peoples' timelines. 

 

Me for instance I filed before COVID in January. I did my biometrics 3 weeks after I filed which is the normal wait under normal times a few weeks before COVID lockdown. In comparison around the country people who filed even in March before the lockdown but didn't get their biometrics done, a lot of them still do not have their appointment for biometrics. My estimated wait time to get scheduled for an interview was supposed to be in August, but because of all the delays USCIS sent the message that they are running behind (the message goes: "We are taking longer than expected to process your case. You do not need to do anything at this time."). The majority of people got that same message because they were closed from March to July. My normal completion time (which means the planned oath month was October). So as you can see I had a relatively short expected wait/completion time of 9 months which is really good, but now it will be delayed a bit. Some other places under normal conditions it is a total wait of 11 months to 18 months from application submitted to Oath in normal conditions (No COVID).

 

So finally, finally what I can really say is if I were you I would do everything I have to do, but taking in account that whatever you do your husband will NOT get the oath ceremony let alone the interview date before at least March or April of 2021 even if he files the N400 tonight. The only difference is what I mentioned above about the 3 year versus the 5 year rule and the difference in price if filed after October 1st, 2020. 

 

I really hope this helps. 

Hello thank you so much for your response. I have read that the German permit could take 1 year to be approved, so unfortunately will have to wait and apply by the 5 year rule and pay the high fee. And the other thing it sucks, is  in case the German permit is approved, we get only 2 years to apply and get the US citizenship, if the 2 years are over and my husband haven't had the Oath Ceremony, we will have to apply again for the permit because otherwise he would loose his German citizenship. The good news is that when we are able to file the N400, hopefully the covid-19 issue is over and we will have the 5 years tax returns. But in that time, I think we will have to take into consideration where to file, where he can get his citizenship before the 2 years mark. How do I find out which office process the N400 faster? Because in this case it would be worth event the move.

1 hour ago, ThaOne said:

NO! If you file now then it would be under the 3 year rule. If he got his GC February 2016 then 5 years would mean if you file after February 2021. But now you are still in your 4th year. So you would need to bring at the interview 3 years of tax returns at your interview even if your interview is after February 2021 which it certainly will. The 3 year rule is established at the time of filing and not at the time of interview.

Also to be clear the difference between the 3 year rule and the 5 year rule is that after 3 years he can apply but must still be married. After 5 years an applicant doesn't need to be still married and can file alone. That's all that means. In your case you guys are married so if you want to do it now it will be under the 3 year rule and both of you need to give your information. So if you apply attach documents such as bank information, lease with both your names... any other documents with both your names. You will NOT (I guarantee) get an interview before January, 1st 2021 so as soon as we get to 2021 file your 2020 taxes as you should get your W2s on the first week of January already (right?). So if your interview comes you will have your last 3 tax returns (2018, 2019 and 2020). Even if your interview is after February 2021 it doesn't matter because you filed before the 5 year time under the 3 year rule in 2020. But filing now doesn't give your husband the choice of the 5 year rule because 5 years would be in February 2021.

I really hope not to confuse you. 

And also note that I am not an lawyer. I am just giving you my understanding of what USCIS wrote.

Thank you so much for your response. I wanted to know if we decide to apply later, in the 5 year rule, if we can provide only 3 years tax returns because we is married with me or he will have to provide the 5 years. We do not have problems proving that we are a bona fide marriage, hour problem is with the tax returns. And if they ask for 5 years tax returns, we we file for example after February 21, we will not be able to provide the 5 years tax returns if the interview is at the end of 21.

The other problem that we have is that my husband is a German citizen and got recently the information that he will need to apply to an German permit in order to be able to retain his German citizenship, before he obtains a new citizenship. Otherwise, he loose his German citizenship. If we apply for this permit, let say tomorrow, due to the covid-19, we doubt that we will get this permit before the end of this month. I have read elsewhere that this German permit lasts only two years. So, I do not know if would be a good idea to apply to both at the same time and hope that the German government approves the permit and my husband receives in his hand the document, before the USC oath ceremony. Or we should wait that he got his permit first and after apply for the US Citizenship paying the heavy fee. What do you think?

On 9/8/2020 at 10:51 AM, ThaOne said:

Hi, 

this is in no way any professional advice here so I suggest you read and double check the instructions again. That being said, you are not asked for the tax returns when you are filing (online at least), nor at the biometrics appointment. You should have them at the interview which is months after the biometrics. If you file online September 28th, let's say, you would beat the deadline for the fee increase. 

Normally the biometrics were scheduled 3 weeks after filing, so that would have been mid October. But with COVID if you look at the forum, some people who filed in March 2020 still don't have their biometrics appointment. Luckily I had filed at the end of January and got my biometrics appointment the normal 3 weeks later in February before COVID shut down all offices.

Anyway, so even if you file at the end of September and you are EXTREMELY lucky and they issue an appointment for biometrics for October, there is NO chance that you will receive an interview less than 2 months later (December 31st, 2020). I can guarantee you that. No one even prior to COVID has completed this whole process in 3 months. This means that at the earliest, early January you can file your taxes and you will have the 3 that you seek. 

Again, double check your requirements for naturalization after 3 years only, because I have been a LPR for more than a decade and the 5 year taxes documentation will only be looked at during the interview and not during the biometrics, which I repeat, you probably would not even get an appointment to until 2021 based on the situation as they are very backlogged right now just for the biometrics.

Hope this helps.

Thank you a lot for your answer. I checked their quick instructions and they wrote: "Your tax returns are very important proof
that you are eligible for naturalization. On
the day of your interview, bring certified tax
returns for the last 5 years (3 years if you
are married to a U.S. citizen). Certified tax
transcripts may be ordered by using Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) Form 4506-T available at www.irs.gov
or calling 1-800-829-1040."

So if I understand correctly, we will need just 3 tax returns because he is married with me (I am US citizen), even if we decide to apply after 5 years?

G-1151.pdf

Hello

My husband and I are thinking to file for the naturalization soon before October,  because the fees will be exaggeratedly increased in October 2020. 

My husband got his GC on February 2016, send application for removed of condition in December 2017 and last year 2019, they removed his conditional and got his 10 GC.

We would like to file under the 3 year condition but our problem is that we do not have 3 years tax returns. We have 2018 and 2019, we will file for this year but I guess for the N400 it will not count.  In 2016 and 2017 we were both unemployed and did not file.

Do you know if this is a strict requirement for approval of N400 under the 3 year rule?

41 minutes ago, AstroCanada said:

Did you file the N-400?  If so, that form also triggers a separate biometrics appointment.  If not, USCIS is just being ridiculous.  You should call and speak to a Tier 2 officer.  You're also out of standard processing time depending on your service center.

 

You might also consider involving your elected representative as well.

Thank you for your answer. We did not file any N-400. I searched the internet to find another telephone number for the Jacksonville Office and I do not find any other only the standard hotline where is almost impossible to speak with someone. The biometric is this Thursday and we will be there but because the expiration date in his second extension will expire soon, we would like to know if we can request and get an stamp in my husband passport the same day or we will be forced to make an additional appointment. I am very concern about this.

Speaking with my representative will be also a option that we will be considering, but regarding this appointment on Thursday, I think we are short in time for that.

Oh, I forget to ask, how I can speak with a Tier 2 officer taking into consideration how difficult is to speak with someone in their hotline? (1-800-375-5283)

I forget to include that the biometric appointment is this Thursday.

Hello

We got a second appointment for biometrics. We send our application for the I-751 in December 2017, for our surprise we got an appointment the same month after sent our I-751.   So we went to Jacksonville and I my husband made his biometrics in December 2017. After two extensions we got a RFE in May 2019. Me sent the required evidence (we sent a lot of documents....you can check my post about it: here)

And now, expecting that he would receive in the mail his permanent green card, they send another appointment for biometrics. We can not understand what is happening, specially when his last extension will expire August 4th, 2019. Now we are trying to reach someone in the Jacksonville Office to know if he can get an stamp in his password as proof that he is a legal residence and it is impossible to get an human on the telephone.

I red in their website that they are not accepting walk-in. We would like to know if we have to make an separate appointment for the stamp or would be possible to get it in the same appointment day of the biometrics. If someone know or had the same experience, please share it with us. If someone have their direct Telephone number, please share it with us. Thank you.!

2 minutes ago, Ash. said:

I'm sorry this happened to you.


As mean and as bad as this may sound, the truth is USCIS doesn't really care about anyone's situations. Your house could burn down and you live in the woods and don't use the internet and USCIS would have told you to buy a firebox for your documents.

Yes, you are right. 😧

9 minutes ago, Ash. said:

Well I think if you would have sent what you are sending now, you never would have received an RFE.

What you sent originally was not enough without question, statements and letters attesting to things is the lowest end of proof and should only be used as additions, not the bulk of your proof. USCIS wants to see comingled funds, leases, contracts, legal documents, etc.

For the tax return, you can just write a statement that you were both unemployed at the time and were not required to file taxes for the year.

You are totally right. Now we know that and we are the only one to be blame but I also should say that the time when we had to file I-751, was not a easy one for us. It was in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. We lost many documents and almost all PR was without electricity, internet and telephone. We wrote that in our cover letter.

When we filed the ROC, I though that we sent them enough information, but unfortunately that was not the case. Now we know that. Strange thing is also that they do not listed  all the information in the RFE, that we sent them so I do not know if they lost our documents or they did not read/check them. They wrote that we send: "SSN letter in your name, copy of airline tickets, affidavits and photos."

We sent:

• Copies of the passports and green cards (front and back) 

• Letter from our friend attesting to our relationship and marriage.

• Letter from my husband co-Sponsor attesting our relationship and marriage.

• Copies of letters attesting common address

A: Social Security Administration

B: Health insurance

c. Water bill

e. English translation of water bill.

F: Translation certification.

• Copy of boarding card from our flights.

• Sworn statement about property purchase.

• Copy of confirmation of new change of address

• 2 photos of us together.

After 18 months waiting and my husband getting 2 extensions, we got a RFE iending april and since that moment, we are collecting information. We are almost done. But I am a little afraid that we don't satisfy their requirement.

Because 1. We do not have 2 years of joint tax return. We have only 2018. We were unemployed on 2017 and we did not file. 2. We do not have 2 years of joint bank statements, we only have 1.5 years. 3. We purchased a piece of land and I include a document with information about the purchase, that our Notary Attorney stamped and signed together with all parties signatures and information about all parties in the transaction, also information about the purchased Real Estate and percent of ownership. But that is not the deed. The property was purchased in Puerto Rico (PR) and the deed is in Spanish and is very very very long. So I am only including this document. I also include a document notarized by a notary in PR where we sworn that we both purchased the Property. So now I am afraid that they make problems because is not the official deed and because the tax return and the 1.5 bank statements. 

Here is the table of content of the package as our reply to this RFE. I still waiting for the verification code from the IRS, so I can print out online the tax transcripts for 2018.

Joint ownership of assets - Purchase of land and car

• Translation of Data sheet to fill in the Real-Estate Transaction Declaration Form about segregation, grouping or transfer of assets - 3 pages

• Certification by translator of Data sheet to fill in the Real-Estate Transaction Declaration Form about segregation, grouping or transfer of assets - 1 page

• Copy of Data sheet to fill in the Real-Estate Transaction Declaration Form about segregation, grouping or transfer of assets- 3 pages

• Note to Data sheet to fill in the Real-Estate Transaction Declaration Form about segregation, grouping or transfer of assets - 1 page

• Sworn Statement signed before notary lawyer Mr. Santiago about the property purchase,

  common address and other informations.

• State of Florida Application for Vehicle/Vessel Certificate of Title - 1 page

• Florida Vehicle Registration - 1 page

Evidence of shared residence

Germany

• Translation of our Rental Lease Agreement - 2 pages

• Certification by Translator of the Rental Lease Agreement - 1 page

• Copy the original Rental Lease Agreement - 2 pages

• Translation of Certificate of Registration in our address in DE for Hubby - 1 page

• Copy or the original Certificate of Registration in our address in DE for Hubby - 1 page

• Translation of Certificate of Registration in our address in DE for Me - 1 page

• Copy or the original Certificate of Registration in our address in DE for Me - 1 page

• Note to Rental Lease Agreement and residency in DE - 1 page

   

  PR

• Translation of our Rental Lease Agreement - 2 pages

• Certification by Translator of the Rental Lease Agreement - 1 page

• Copy the original Rental Lease Agreement - 3 pages

• Translation of the extension of our Rental Lease Agreement - 1 page

• Certification by Translator of the extension of our Rental Lease Agreement - 1 page

• Copy the original extension of our Rental Lease Agreement - 1 page

• Translation of PR Landlord letter of October 24, 2017 - 1 page

• Certification by translator of PR Landlord letter of October 24, 2017 - 1 page

• Copy of the original PR Landlord letter of October 24, 2017 - 1 page

• Translation of PR Landlord letter of May 7, 2019 ­- 1 page

• Certification by translator of PR Landlord letter of May 7, 2019 ­- 1 page

• Copy of the original PR Landlord letter of May 7, 2019 ­- 1 page

• Note to our residency in PR

• Copy of Hubby driving license - (front and back) - 2 pages

• Copy of Me driving license - (front) 1 page

• Translation of the back side of Me driving license from PR - 1 page

• Certification by translator of back side of Me driving license from PR - 1 page

• Copy of Me driving license from PR (back) - 1 page

   

  Florida

   

• Certification of Address for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor vehicles

• Letter from the USPS to Hubby - Change of Address Confirmation where you can see the old and the new mailing address. - 1 page

• Letter from the USPS to Me - Change of Address Confirmation where you can see the old and the new mailing address. - 1 page

• Letter from my aunt attesting that we lived together in her house from November 21, 2017 until July 2018.

• Copy of the Residential Lease in Florida (our current residential address) - 2 pages

• Proof of deposit and rent payments - 2 pages

• Copy of our driving licenses (front and back) - 2 pages

Evidences of shared responsibility for liabilities and financial co-mingling

Germany

• Translation of Notification of Waste Fee 2015 - 1 page

• Certification by translator of Notification of Waste Fee 2015 - 1 page

• Copy of original Notification of Waste Fee 2015, - 1 page

• Translation of the cancellation letter from Electricity Company on 02/03/2016 - 2 pages.

• Certification by translator of Electricity Company - 1 page

• Copy of original Electricity Company Cancellation - 2 pages

• Translation of Deutsche Post Cancellation (PO Box cancellation) letters to Hubby and Me - 2 pages

• Certification by translator of Deutsche Post Cancellation (PO Box cancellation) letter to Hubby - 1 page

• Certification by translator of Deutsche Post Cancellation (PO Box cancellation) letter to Me - 1 page

• Copy of the original Deutsche Post Cancellation (PO Box cancellation) letters "Deutsche Post Kundenservice" to Hubby and Me- 2 pages

PR

• Translation Internet service provider contract - 3 pages

• Certification by translator of Internet service provider contract- 1 page

• Copy of Internet Service provider contract - 3 pages

• Note to internet service provider Contract

• Translation of our property Water bill

• Certification by translator for Water bill translation

• Copy of original of our property Water bill entitled

   

  Florida

• 2018 Tax Return with W2 - 5 pages

• Note to 2018 Tax Return with W2 - 1 page

• Telephone Bill

• Electricity Bill

• Auto Insurance (Progressive) - 2 pages

• Auto Insurance (Southern-Owners) - 2 pages

• Health Insurance (Form 1095A - Health Insurance Marketplace Statement) - 1 page

• Joint checking account statements with transactions pages from 01/2018 - 06/2019

• 5 American Express Statements

Evidence that we designated each other as contact party in hospital and medical issues:

• Patient Registration Form Hospital in PR for Hubby 1 page

• Patient Registration From Hospital in PR for Me 1 page

Evidence of Vacation and travel

• Translation of Condor flights reservations 4 pages

• Certification by translation of Condor flights reservations 1 page

• Copy of the original Condor flights reservations  - 4 pages

• Translation of HRS Reservation - 1 page

• Certification by translation of HRS Reservation - 1 page

• Copy of the original HRS Reservation  - 1 page

• Copy of boarding card from our flight from Germany to PR. - 1 page

• Copy of boarding card from our flight from PR to Florida.- 1 page

• Copy of boarding card from Florida to PR and PR to Florida - 4 pages

Affidavits

• New letter from our friend attesting to our relationship and marriage. - 1 page

What do you think about this package? The other issue that worry me a lot is that his last extension is until August. What could happens if they do not approve us before August? Which are our options?

Thank you and I hope your comments help me lower my stress and anxiety.

Does she have a job lined up or how will she sponsor you?

She has a small income, but not enough. That is why we have a joint sponsor.

I still need to know which address to put in the DC 260 Form and the affidavit for the sponsor. The German one or better the US address of her parents?

And if a Bank statment is enough to proof domicile of the sponsor in the US?

Hello at everyone and thanks for your answer in advanced.

My wife is the petitioner for my CR1 visa application at the embassy in Frankfurt (Germany). She has been living in Germany for several years, but was sure to go back one day and kept her parents address. ( she kept her bank account, with that address) For the IRS of course she is living abroad and for this Visa type she has to live here in Germany, too. At the same time she has to proof to have a base in the US.

My questions are: What address do we use for the DC 260 and her affidavit of support? The German or the US?

To proof a base in the US is bank / investment account and drivers licence sufficient?

We want to move to the US as soon as I got my visa, so we would like to keep the process as smooth as possible. We don't want to live at her parents place, but use their address for the final package.

Hope someone can give us an advise. Some times the guidelines are very confusing.

Thanks

Hi at all,

I have a question concerning the translation of certificates. My wife works as translator and she is American. For the petition she made the translation of some documents and wrote that she was able to do so. Kind of self certification. She got the information this is an accepted practice and it has been accepted by the USCIS in Frankfurt.

Now, the Frankfurt VISA Unit checklist informs the translation has to be certified by a registered translator, which she is not. I do not need to translate german documents, but there is one doc in Spanish, witch has to be translated.

I don't know if we can do it as in the petition or do we have to employ a registered translator?

If so, I got the information that there is no such registration (or sworn translator) in the US. So, where do I get such a registered and competent translator for official documents (Spanish to English)?

Thanks.

Hi Anh map

Thanks for the link. She has been filling the US income tax and didn't have to pay. Her earnings are to low. That is way we have a joint sponsor. But as a petitioner she still needs to fill in a affidavit. But the address is the question.

Hello at everyone and thanks for your answer in advanced.

My wife is the petitioner for my CR1 visa application at the embassy in Frankfurt (Germany). She has been living in Germany for several years, but was sure to go back one day and kept her parents address. ( she kept her bank account, with that address) For the IRS of course she is living abroad and for this Visa type she has to live here in Germany, too. At the same time she has to proof to have a base in the US.

My questions are: What address do we use for the DC 260 and her affidavit of support? The German or the US?

To proof a base in the US is bank / investment account and drivers licence sufficient?

We want to move to the US as soon as I got my visa, so we would like to keep the process as smooth as possible. We don't want to live at her parents place, but use their address for the final package.

Hope someone can give us an advise. Some times the guidelines are very confusing.

Thanks

How long is an approved i-130 valid?

Oh no. We've been in your situation so I know how stressed and worried you are right now. Before we even filed our I-130, we had checked with my husband's aunt who promised she would be our joint sponsor. Once at NVC, we sent her all the papers for her to complete, which she said she'd do. Six week's later, she said she couldn't do it because she wasn't comfortable with it. We felt like that was it and we were never gonna find another joint sponsor, as it's a big responsibility. Eventually, my husband guilt tripped his sister into doing it. You will find a way around this too.

I know at NVC, you have one year between each contact with them. Not sure about DCF but I would think it would be at least a year.

I take it you work in Germany and will resign that job when moving back to the US or will you transfer with your current employer? If you can't find another joint sponsor, maybe you can look into flying over to the US and getting a job offer with the salary that meets the federal poverty guidelines? It might be that you now have to move to the US before your husband, to ensure you meet the financial requirements.

I do not work, since 2008 I'm retired because of illness. If I can not find anyone, that would be the only thing I can do. I have to work at any job, no matter how I feel. That why it is so important for me to know how much time do I have to apply for the CR-1. I really do not want to lose my approved i-130 petition.

My case is the following. Me and my husband are doing the process of applying for a green card by the consulate in Frankfurt. We got the I-130 approved and I received the notice from the consulate (package 3) that we can apply for CR-1 visa. My problem is that I have not enough income to sponsor my husband. I already had a joint sponsor since June, who told me that he would help us in this matter. I sent him early July all documents plus instructions on how to fill it. But when I wrote him (after 1 month) that I received the package 3 and I asked him when he could send me the filled documents, he told me he could not (or want) to fill the documents.

I live in Germany and for me it is not easy to get someone in so little time .. .My questions are: In this stage, how many time do I have to gather all the papers and get a joint sponsor? What will happen to my approved I-130 if I do not get a joint sponsor? What other options do we have? In the packet 3 they ask me for intended a travel date, but with this problem now, I do not know what travel date should I give.

The other problem is that we can not be so flexible because we must give up our apartment minimum three months before leaving.

A territory is not a state. Where is this person living? He may be exempt from paying tax, but it sounds odd that there is no filing.

My suggestion is to find another sponsor rather than deal with whatever "complications" this person presents? Remember that the goal here is to obtain the visa, not educate consular officers about obscure tax rulings.

If I look for another sponsor, this person may be a resident of PR or must live in any of the 50 states?

If he can provide evidence of that law, he should send that in, and a SHORT cover letter explaining why there are no tax returns.

That was exactly what I first thought when he wrote me about the tax return.

A territory is not a state. Where is this person living? He may be exempt from paying tax, but it sounds odd that there is no filing.

My suggestion is to find another sponsor rather than deal with whatever "complications" this person presents? Remember that the goal here is to obtain the visa, not educate consular officers about obscure tax rulings.

He is living in Puerto Rico. Residents of Puerto Rico are US citizen but are not required to make the federal tax return, only the local tax return. And there seems to be a law where he is exempt from making a tax return in PR.

I am an US citizen married to a German. I want to apply for a green card for my husband and we are making all this process thru DCF in Frankfurt. Unfortunately I have not enough income to fill alone the I-184 so I need a joint sponsor. I have a friend in the United States who is willing to be our sponsor. The situation is that he can not provide copy of a tax return or a IRS transcript because he works for an organization of the church and in the state where he lives (specifically a US Territory), he is exempt from making tax returns. He says this is because a law, I do not know if this law is only in this state or in every state of the nation.

My question is, what can we do in this situation? He can provide the documents but not the tax return. He says he had several times to provide evidence of this exemption to the local IRS. (I guess in the state where he lives)

It would be possible to use this same documentation in the form I-864 to explain why he can not provide a tax return? What else can be done so that he can be our joint sponsor?

I red in the USCIS website the General tips in Assembling application for mailing: http://www.uscis.gov/forms/forms-and-fees/general-tips-assembling-applications-mailing

They wrote in one part that we have to note the appropriate consulate on the petition. We will go thru the DCF route in Frankfurt. Now I wonder if I should write in the top side of the I-130 and the G-325A forms the name of the consulate "Frankfurt Consulate" or "Frankfurt Consulate, Germany"

Thank you for your answer.

Thank you very much for all your answers , especially awaywego, you helped me a lot!

I wouldn't worry. You are allowed to bring documents to the german consualt in either German or english. They are also pretty quick in answering questions via email. Took me not more than 24hrs for a reply. So if you are worried write them an email http://german.germany.usembassy.gov/kontakt/

Unfortunately they did not answer my question, after 3 days they responded only briefly: "We can only evaluate the validity of documentation and evidence upon receipt."

I am a US citizen living in Germany since few years. I want to fill the i-130 petition for my husband, we married in

Germany and I want to fill at the consulate in Frankfurt.

We got from the civil registry office a international extract from the marriage registration in different languages,

including English. They made a mistake, in the part where the wife's information appears, where it says birthplace,

instead of writing "USA", they wrote in German the name of the United States: "Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika"

We talked to them but they will not correct the error. They say they can not fix this because their system is so

programmed and they can do nothing.

My question is: can I use this copy as it is in my i-130 petition? or should I pay a sworn translator to translate

the German US name into English?

Thank you very much for your answers.

Thank you KayDeeCee for your answers.