Gregory&Dyn

So, here's a question. We forgot to include the G-1145 form for E-notification with our I-751. How screwed are we? Seriously, what if my wife's 2 year CGC expires before we receive an NOA? It makes sense though that we should get a receipt number in the mail, right?

My USPS Informed Delivery app shows a letter / package originating in Las Vegas scheduled for delivery at our address tomorrow. Could this be from USCIS? Our I-751 was filed at the AZ Lockbox, but I vaguely remember receiving other correspondence from Las Vegas in the past? If you don't mind sharing, where was your I-751 receipt / extension letter mailed from?

14 hours ago, AJ89 said:

Has anyone who has filed in May received their receipt notice by mail yet ? 

We have not and we are starting to get a bit concerned. We only know that USCIS received the packet on 13 May because of USPS tracking. Since then, we haven't heard a peep. My wife's Conditional Green card expires soon. I don't know what we'll do if she doesn't have  receipt or extension letter by then.

28 minutes ago, peachouille said:

Did they cash your check or charge your credit card?
You should call them and ask, they can even give you the case number if they have it.

Hard to say. We sent a money order and my wife sent the receipt as well. I'm trying to find a way to track it just to gather any logistics that are available. Thanks for the response.

Calling is not a bad option although I will likely have to set aside an afternoon just for that 🙂

Our I-751 was received by USCIS on 13 May 2020 (as per USPS tracking). From there it has been nothing but radio silence. As of 03 June there have been no SMS or emails. Nothing in the mailbox. Given the current world circumstances I expected a delay, but should my wife and I be worried that USCIS hasn't acknowledged receipt of our packet more than two weeks later? Have any others experienced similar delays when filing this year?  It's also possible that USPS is behind the delay. Even living in a large city, we have only received one piece of mail in the last nine days.

Hi folks

My wife and I are getting around to piecing together her ROC I-751 packet. For much of 2018, I was very ill and hospitalized for an extended period of time. In all, I missed eight months of work before returning to the office. As a result, my income for 2019 was remarkably low compared to the years previous. Will this dramatic drop in my most recent tax year affect the outcome of Dyn's ROC I-751? Additionally, I am looking for clarity on how many tax years I should include transcripts with the I-751.

Thank you to all who respond and share with us

Greg and Dyn

Hi everyone. I am a U.S. Citizen and my wife is a permanent resident Green Card holder. She arrived in the U.S. via K1 Visa in November 2016.

We are starting the process of bringing her fourteen year old daughter to the U.S. from the Philippines. To me, it seems clear that the petitioner on the I-130 should be my wife, but she insists that I, the U.S. Citizen is the petitioner. She remembers reading somewhere that if she petitions, the wait for approval could be as long as five years. On the other hand, if I petition, the wait is just one year. I promised her a lobster dinner if she is correct, and she owes me three pounds of Jelly Bellies if I'm correct. Would somebody clarify and help us put this to rest? It would mean a lot. Thank you.

7 hours ago, JE57 said:

Based on your timeline I would assume your wife is traveling on a Philippine passport which means she should get to the airport super early.  The restriction on travel is in the Philippines and she is traveling to S. Korea with a connection onward to the USA.  This was not specifically mentioned as an exception for Philippine Citizens being allowed to travel to S. Korea.  I believe it should be OK but she may need to sign a declaration.  Again this is yet another example of the Philippines not letting their citizens leave their own country 'for their own good'.  Your wife should check out the facebook group #StrandedPH for more information and could ask the question about her transit in S. Korea there.  When they did this to Hong Kong, Macau and China I believe they also tried to prevent Philippine Citizens traveling on a PH passport from transiting in HK or China.  Seems like PH may have 'learned their lesson' regarding how horrible their treatment of their own OFWs and foreign residents was RE: HK, China, Macau, and Taiwan.   So I hope and suspect that your wife will be fine but based on the article she's in a gray area. 

 

Thanks for the great response. I appreciate your details and teh effort you made to add clarity to a foggy situation. 

14 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

That's what I was thinking, but my concern is whether they will even let her depart Manila as SK is her first stop along the way. Do you believe there will be any concerns once she enters the U.S.?

My wife is currently in the Philippines visiting family and is scheduled to return to the U.S on 07 March. She has a five hour layover along the way and it just happens to be in Inchon, S. Korea. 

Can anybody confirm whether or not travel bans apply to transient flyers as well? In the articles I've read, the ban covers tourists with some exceptions for students studying in SK, but nothing that clarifies those just passing through.

Many thanks in advance for your answers.

Hello everybody 

I arrived in the US in late 2016 on a K1 Visa. I am now a permanent resident Green Card holder, and I would like to attend classes to get a certification. I don't qualify for the Federal Pell Grant because of my husband's income, but I am qualified for student loans. Ugh!

Are there any grants or scholarships exclusive to Green Card holders or Citizens of the Philippines currently residing in the U.S.?

Here's an interesting scenario. My wife's cousin (a Filipino national) arrived in the U.S. via K1 last week. She arrived with two valid visas (K1 and a work visa from her employer in the Philippines). She is scheduled to begin working next week for the same employer (U.S. location). I can only assume she used her K1 visa at her POE. If so, can she also use her work visa legally before filing AOS?

Thank you in advance for your guidance and support.

I've mentioned some of the following information before, but never for this particular question. I will do my best to keep it precise.

• My fiance / wife arrived to the U.S. in November 2016.
• I lost my job with the federal government two days before her arrival (11/2016)
• We were married within a week.
• I was unemployed for one year through November 2017
• I am working full time now with an annual salary in the high 80's (well above requirements)
• Because I was unemployed, we neglected to file for my wife's AOS until now

Now that I am working, we are in the process of building the AOS packet. Because I won't have to file taxes for 2017 until April, am I safe in providing tax records for 2016, 2015 and 2014 respectively?

My 2017 taxes will show just two months of salary. I would like to avoid the most current tax year if I can. Considering W2s are just now going out, can I send only the previous three years as long as we send the AOS package before April?

Thank you. I figured as much, but that was the confirmation I was looking for.

Very long story made short.

My fiance / wife arrived in the U.S. by way of a K1 Visa in November 2016. Two days prior to her arrival I lost my contract with the Federal Government. I went thirteen months without income. Because financial priorities shifted during my unemployment status,. we married right away, but put off her AOS until we were more financially stable.

One year later I am back to work and doing well. I had no income for 2017, but my new current annual salary is in the low 90k's. When providing tax transcripts for the previous three years (as requested on form I-864), I will show $0 and no taxes filed for 2017.  I  do have a letter from my current employer stating my salary with projected long-term employment.

QUESTION: Will no income for all of 2017 negatively affect our situation when filing for AOS? Did I screw up by not filing sooner and / or not working the year prior to filing?

Thank you all. I will pass this information along to our friends. I believe we received the answer we were looking for.

Our American citizen friend recently married his Filipino fiance. She entered the U.S in October 2017 and they were married in December 2017. They were recently turned away at the SSA when filing for a SSN. The SSA employee told them that they must complete their AOS process and have a green card in hand before applying (Indiana). I have read conflicting reports that some states will only process a new SSN for a non-immigrant (i.e. K1) if their I-94 is within fourteen days or more of expiring. Can anybody confirm without doubt that this is true?

I agree with John & Rose. Good point. Having a rice cooker is a life saver. I opted against the Filipino Channel only because it was $25 / month. I set up a subscription online instead and she can stream all of the Vice Ganda she wants (and she does).

As a follow up, even when things seemed to be moving relatively quickly and USCIS was on their game, NVC threw a wrench in the works and lost all of our paperwork. What should have taken about two weeks (that stage of the process) took an extra three months. Not saying that will happen to you, but use our situation as evidence that projected timelines are utterly worthless. They may serve as a general guideline, but there are far too many variables involved to predict a suitable outcome.

Best advice, stop thinking about it. Focus on something else. Plan and prepare for her / his arrival. I used that time to download movies in my fiances native language. I built a huge library of music for her. I used pictures from my visits to the islands to frame and hang strategically in the house so when she arrived, she had a little flavor of home in each room. For me, it served as a great time killer and kept my mind busy.

I have no logical help to offer, but I will say this: Hang in there. Sure, its tough being apart, but it is not impossible. My foreign wife and I thought our situation was ideal and it took just under five years to get her here. F I V E   Y E A R S. Do you want to talk about suffering? I could share a few stories that would make your situation feel like a walk in the park. Even so, be strong and keep your eyes on the prize. Its coming soon. I promise.

Rest assured, its coming. Ours was delayed and took almost one year from start to finish. USCIS lost our petition and it was never sent to the NVC. I eventually got my state senator involved. It didn't take long after that. USCIS found our file(s) in a box tucked away in a storage area. 

You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it first. What has convinced you its okay to marry a man from another country without meeting him? This goes far beyond accepting the cultural differences. No matter how many emails and text messages have been exchanged, you CAN'T possibly know somebody well enough to marry them without spending time with them. Its not fair to you, your family or to him. You owe it to your future and your marriage  to spend quality time together. Its irresponsible otherwise.

In an effort to confirm what others have already mentioned, and to shed new light on a few concerns, let me share.

1. It is an ABSOLUTE requirement that you meet physically at least once within two years of filing for the K1.

2. Ghana is a country rich in fraud. All other hurdles aside, you have a severely intense ride ahead of you even in ideal conditions. Perfect K1's have been denied many, many times simply because of the beneficiary's country-of-origin. 

3. Waivers are extremely rare. While I would never discourage somebody from trying, be prepared. That means do your homework. If you are asking if it is a requirement to visit physically, then you are in the baby stages of researching. You're not prepared...yet. Read. Read some more and then read again. Ask questions. Visit forums relevant to his country and your situation. Talk to folks who have already gone through the process. Learn from them. 

4. Your medical condition will likely not warrant a waiver of any sort. I'm not trying to discourage you, but simply to guide you to find a successful alternative.

5. If all else fails, wait. If you are both in love then waiting another year won't matter. It will be challenging, but not impossible. I waited five years for my fiancé. It is a tough sacrifice, but well worth it.

6. Ask him to apply for a visitor visa to the U.S. or meet him in Mexico or Canada. Doing so keeps you close to home and still allows you meet K1 requirements. If you do meet, document it. Evidence is paramount to a successful K1. Visit the forums here for guidance and direction on applying.

Good luck to you both.