Mike&Imelda

On 4/11/2019 at 8:44 AM, holidaywkhcx said:

It will be most likely a combo interview.. In order to get I-751 part done, your spouse will need to be with you. N400 is for applicant only, so that'll be done by yourself..  Since N400 will not be approved till I-751 is approved, you may get interview rescheduled if you go alone..

IMPORTANT POINT ABOVE - Spouse should go just in case. I went for the N400 interview today. My spouse was with me. The I751 was previously transferred to NBC, but apparently it had not been transferred to local office. Agent said good thing spouse was there, and she did I751 interview even though it hadn't been transferred. Agent said it needed to be done first. (If spouse wasn't there to do the I751, she would have rescheduled the N400 interview). Spouse left room, and she conducted N400 interview. Passed. 

Filed I751 on 9/25/17

Filed N400 on 10/9/2018

Moved to NBC in 2/19 Combined applications

Got notice that interview letter was sent 3/11/19 (Chicago I believe - interview date hasn't posted yet). 

3 hours ago, pkgc said:

I am travelling out of the country with I751 ROC pending as well as N400 pending. On the way back I have both the letter. what should I show the customs agent the N400 receipt or I751 18 month extension letter ? Anybody in the same boat and traveled internationally already ?

My wife went overseas the day after she had biometrics for N400. She only took the green card and the 18 month extension letter. No issues EXCEPT when coming home through Chicago (Ohare) she was pulled out of immigration line and asked to wait for a secondary review because she was on extension letter. Another officer came out of an office 5 minutes or so later and said no problem she is good to go. I have heard similar thing happens to others. No issues but it may trigger a secondary review. 

Actually, I was more worried about Phillipines immigration, but she had no issues there. 

Case was transferred on Dec 21, 2018. (Filed N-400 in October 2018). Got hard copy today, it was transferred to NBC in Missouri. Case No WAC1736XXXX. 

Thanks for the heads up everyone. I think we will be fine but we will bring copies of the I-94, marriage certificate, ID and the kitchen sink as backup just in case too. It seems like it should be fine and we are booking the trip tonight after I transfer some funds around. We are planning on Oahu as well, any little known points of interest worth seeing

I stayed in Waikiki because I lived there when I went to school there years ago. Lots of high end shopping there now and some nice restaurants. I had my wife and daughters so in addition to seeing some old haunts I did some tourist stuff. Here are some thoughts:

1. Chief's Luau (at Sea Life Park). Excellent show. Very funny, great fire dancers. I popped for the Royal Seats and wasn't disappointed.

2. Kualoa Ranch (North East Side). Raw beauty - lots of movies filmed there. We did the 2 hour ATV ride. Zipline was closed because of the wind. You can ride horses too.

3. Waikiki Beach - got to check it out. Early morning swim - go inside breakers on South part of beach.

4. North Shore - waves are big now. I haven't surfed for years, but I showed my kids and wife. Go at least 1 day.

5. Waimea Park (North Shore) - nice botanical garden. Wimpy water fall compared to Philippines' falls.

6. Pearl Harbor - okay, we didn't get to go out to memorial because of winds.

7. Tops Restaurant - pass on rotating restaurant (okay) - but you can hit the bar up there or on porch below.

8. St Augustine Catholic Mass - right off Waikiki beach. Nice service if wife is catholic.

Didn't do:

1. Helicopter ride - too expensive for 4.

2. Hunama Bay - snorkeling - was closed when I drove out that way on Tuesday.

3. Dole Plantation - didn't have time when we drove by on way to and from North SHore.

4. Polynesian Village and Ra Show (North SHore). No time. Heard show was good.

5. Turtle Bay - again no time.

Hawaii isn't cheap

Stupid question I know, but she doesn't have a permanent resident card and it worries me. We just got married and are preparing our AoS packet. It will be finished and sent out a few weeks before the trip in February. She has a US ID card and we are planning to travel to Hawaii and back from the continental US. We will not be going out of country, only from WA to Hawaii and back with no international stopovers. Will she require any additional paperwork?

I don't think passports are necessary since its US state to US state, but just her status is what worries me. Don't want any problems in the airport.

We just went to and from Hawaii (Oahu) with her ID (coming back on 12/24). No immigration documents were needed. The TSA doesn't even blink an eye. No problems. In fact, my wife has flown with me 3 times now domestically, and we have never had 1 second of a problem.

Also, I am TSA-pre screened. Because I bought her ticket with mine, she also gets the TSA-pre clearance and goes with me through the TSA pre-screen line.

(First 2 times she was on a K-1/I94; last time she had an AOS on file but no green card yet. But again, they never checked this.)

I wasn't checking regularly because my wife didn't apply for EAD/AP. We were very pleasantly surprised by the quick approval. (Must have missed being produced).

Hello!

My fiancée is scheduled for her CFO this Friday. On the appointment confirmation it says to line up for registration at 8am. But her appointment is 2-5pm with instructions to be there 1.5 hours early, 12:30pm. Shouts she go to the 8am? Will she be there from 8am to 5pm? That doesn't seem right to me. Is this some kind of instruction left from a previous time when everyone took the morning classes or should she just follow the instructions at the very bottom of the confirmations saying that all people registering should line up at 8am sharp? I'm confused I wish for once the instructions would make sense. I know from reading others reviews the CFO isn't 10 hours long.

There is another thread here that raised the same issue a month or so ago. You should be there by 8am (be there before that by 1/2 hour to 1 hour, but nothing crazy). She will pay the fee and go through other registration procedures and interviews. She will be free to go get lunch when she is done with the morning procedures and told to come back at a certain time for the seminar. The 2-5pm time is for the country specific seminar/sessions (in your case US/Canada).

Here is a CFO CEBU walk thru: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/446027-cfo-cebu-step-by-step-process/page-1

"saw a bunch of lazy people who do nothing all day but maybe a little fishing, washing clothes, cooking rice and socializing".

That just about sums up my plans when I get to the Philippines.

Seriously?! You were asked to provide joint bank accoubts, wills, insurances?? Those are for AOS. That is redicolous for a K1 considering you don't even have a visa yet. They even advised not to finalize any plans such as buying tickets and would ask for those? If they will ask me for that I will definitely answer back, why are they asking me those. This is the first time I've read this and based in your timeline you were interviewed recently. Woww!

Here is exactly what was asked for on a K-1 visa 221(g)

I believe some consulars treat a k-1 in same manner as AOS.

We have been in a relationship one year this month. I have been to the Philippines twice to be with her. We have over 25,000 messages on facebook chat plus lots more on Skype. And Skype calls. And regular phone calls. I am sending her weekly support money and paying for her sister to go to Arellano University (BA Business in Marketing, first year). I did not use my debit card while visiting her, and don't have any receipts for purchases, but I have boarding passes and my passport with Philippine stamps. I also only have 3 or 4 pictures of the two of us, one picture of us with an expatriate American and his Philippine-born dual-citizen wife when we visited Angeles City to visit them.

From all I have read, I fear I may not have enough pictures and I lack receipts. I do not want to wait to start the process, but I also don't want denied due to lack of evidence. So, should I make a third trip to visit her before I start the process? Or do I have enough evidence now?

My two cents....

What you have is sufficient to get your I-129F approved. In most cases, what you have may be sufficient for the interview. Many people on here have gotten through with the same and maybe less. That might make you feel very confident - I know I was.

My recommendation - file your I-129F and get the process rolling. You should have enough to get approved. If you are planning on coming to the Philippines again, I recommend you come and attend the interview with your fiancee. (I was overconfident and didn't). You can delay scheduling the interview just make sure your petition doesn't expire. Take some pictures with her family when you are here too as I think those are very important. Bring ALL your evidence to the interview. Follow the two extremely helpful websites linked by the pros on this board and bring the documents they recommend. My fiancee brought more than most but it still wasn't all that she could have brought - she brought lots of samples.

As for remittances, my fiancee received a 221(g) (for a K-1) asking for evidence that "we have begun to build a life together" examples of evidence included copies of wills designating the other as beneficiary, proof of establishing joint bank accounts, designating fiancee as a beneficiary of life insurance etc. I found this very odd for a fiancee as opposed to a wife. Regardless, I had done some of these and some others. They also asked for emails, chat logs, etc. I was not overconfident this time. We sent LOTS of evidence - evidence of establishing life together, hundreds of pictures and close to 1000 pages of logs. We were approved as soon as the consular looked at this package. I wish I had not been so confident and that I had attended the interview with my fiancee. I could have easily afforded it. I didn't think it was necessary.

Remember you may know that your relationship is real, but if you get a tough consular, your fiance must prove it. Don't regret not being there if you can be.

I noticed this thread was started on 2013. My fiancé has Visa in hand and scheduled her CFO online for this Thursday in Cebu. Has the times changed from 2013 and people lining up at 6am. Her appointment confirmation says 2pm to 5pm and to arrive 1 1/2 hours early. Is this completely accurate or does she need to arrive much much earlier as people are talking about in this thread. Can anyone who has been through this in the last few months share when they arrived. Thank you

Look at the bottom of you CFO online appointment confirmation (and the top of the email). On ours it says "Note: you must be at the CFO Cebu Office at exactly 8:00am for the registration procedure."

My fiancee was there a bit earlier than 8am (but I don't think 6am). She did the registration stuff, and I recall she was released at around 10:30am and told to be back around 1pm. She went and ate lunch. After lunch was the US seminar portion (this is the 2:00 - 5:00pm session) and possibly some other stuff.

Her appointment was late June 2015.

Hey! thank you all for replying, i greatly appreciate it! We was confused, Wifey was sent there to Cebu for attending seminar, she later on mentioned to me they needed a copy of my passport or naturalization (u.s.) and an confirmed print out appointment. We will be trying out this again in September. I was wondering if I (the Husband) can schedule the appointment on a specific date, seeing we will have a short stay in cebu on the date I arrive. My Wife mentioned that when she arrived at the DFA sub_office location in Tacloban, they told her she couldn't get her passport until she attended seminar and get her certificate, has anyone heard such thing, needing to get passport and they turn a citizen down for a passport because they don't have the seminar certificate?

Some thoughts I am unclear on:

1.Can i (the Husband) schedule a date on a month advance? ( we want to schedule the date for right after i fly in)

2. What questions the cfo officer will ask my Wife?

3. What docs we need to prepare and copy?

4. About the print out confirmation of appointment, can I (the husband) print out this here in the states and bring it for on the date of seminar?

Thank you all for helping me

1. You can schedule on the open appointment dates when you log on - not sure if they go a month ahead but they may. I seem to recall them being within the next 2 weeks.

2. All kinds. If you are divorced, they will ask about that - why, when etc. Ask for copy of divorce decree.

3. (see below from appointment print out)

4. I made it. PDFed it and emailed it to her. (You will need a digital photo of her to upload with the app)

Copied from Appointment Confirmation:

Hi, I have been receiving advice to go ahead pay the K1 visa fee, sched the interview and medical even if i don't have the letter of eligibility from the US Embassy, Manila. I worry that this letter is needed in medical at st. lukes and in the interview. Please enlighten me more.

Btw, we just knew about our case # when my fiance called NVC last month, but he did not received a letter or mail containing the case # MNL2015,

I just called US Embassy Manila and the guy told me that it's our discretion to go ahead and sched the interview because generally, US Embassy sends this letter to the applicant. He just don't know the timeline for it.

Thanks,

Redg

You don't need the letter from Manila. In fact, it may never come. You don't need the email from NVC (which they send in response to your email request). It took 2 full months for them to give me an email with my MNL # which I got over the phone. My fiancee did her medical 1 and 1/2 months and her interview 1 month before we got the email or the letter from Manila.

Follow the country specific guides created and linked by posters here. They will tell you what documents to bring instead of the Manila Letter or the email from the NVC.

Hi Everyone,

My fiancee would like to go to her medical next week. However, it looks you now need both the NVC letter with the MNL# and the Interview Appointment Confirmation page per the St. Luke's site for K applicants:

http://www.slec.ph/us-visa-applicants.shtml#kvisa

1. Letter of Case Number

   If Letter of Case Number was received via email, print 3 copies for the principal applicant and 2 copies for each derivative

   • Principal Applicant - original & 2 photocopies
   • Derivative - 2 photocopies

​

1. Visa Interview Appointment Confirmation from the U.S. Embassy , if availableIf Visa Interview Appointment Confirmation was received via email, print 3 copies for the principal applicant and 2 copies for each derivative.
   • Principal Applicant - original & 2 photocopies
   • Derivative - 2 photocopies

We got our MNL# on 7/22 by calling the NVC, but we haven't received their letter yet, hard-copy or email. I emailed the NVC asking for our case number as well, but no reply yet.

Should my fiancee go to her medical without the NVC letter? Should she postpone going until she has the NVC letter? Has anyone gone to their medical recently and can comment on if they are really requiring the NVC letter?

Thanks in advance!

Yes, proceed with Medical. My fiancee did not have a letter or the email. Don't wait for the e-mail response either. I emailed on May 31 and got a response from NVC 2 MONTHS later on July 31st (more than 1 1/2 months after her medical). Print out your Interview Confirmation page. Print out the CEAC Status with MNL #. Basically, have what Hank and others recommend above. I'm not sure what worked for my fiancee, but it wasn't a problem.

During the seminar the counselor mentioned that it is very important to know your partner especially his history. If your partner had a divorce from the previous partner, you should have known what made their marriage not to work. Or if the previous wife died, whats the reason of death. Also, for divorced Fiancees make sure to bring divorce certificates.

My fiancee had my divorce certificate and the entire divorce settlement agreement. CFO (Cebu) said they wanted both. I'm not entirely sure if it would have been a problem if she didn't have the settlement agreement, but my fiancee told me that it was important that she had the settlement agreement to give to them.

Was generally looking at Manila Embassy website and noticed that they are conducting system maintenance August 7-10. Bummer no visa work is beign done.

But WOW, I wanted to give a heads up to anyone who has an interview scheduled on August 7 ot August 10 - they have unilaterally moved your appointments to the end of the month.

http://manila.usembassy.gov/immigrant-visa-announcements.html

Okay everything was smooth sailing except for one thing, and my fiancee got a 221(G) and needs a new NBI for an aka name.

You see when she was born her parents didn't name her yet. So her birth certificate says "Baby" [surname]. A week later they named her and the birth certificate has a supplement on the side with her given name.

So, she got a 221(g) and needs to get a new NBI with aka - "Baby [surname]". Just a heads up so others don't make the same silly mistake. I hope they don't find out she stole a pacifier from the crib next to hers in the maternity ward.

Seriously, I assume if she gets the NBI with her given name and the aka "baby" name and sends it back using 2GO, that is all they need to issue the visa? They kept her passport.

They hope to fix the problem sometime next week.

http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/news/technological-systems-issue.html

Hi,

I have discussed with some friends but haven't got a clear answer to the following:

Over the years I have collected through my investments about US$20 Million and now I am planning to immigrate to the US from Dubai. So after I reach US I want to open an account in the US and transfer the $20 Million (approx) to my new account.

My question is whether I will be taxed on the money that I bring into US? And if so, at what rate?

Thanks

Do proper pre-immigration planning. If you bring in $20 million it may not be subject to "income" tax, but once you become a US person (resident or USC) it will be subject to US Estate, Gift and Generation Skipping Transfer taxes at a rate of 40% (on assets over your exempt amount a bit more than $5 million). So, say you die a US person, you will owe about $6 million in estate taxes right off the bat (plus 40% on any appreciation).

Instead, set up an "inbound" trust before you enter the US and get your green card. You can receive distributions from the trust. Once you get your green card, you are arguably already a US person, and it is likely too late to set up. Once you immigrate, you will be taxed on the income of the trust (which you can distribute to yourself), but you will protect the assets from US estate and gift tax as long as assets are in the trust. You will have some US filing requirements (such as Form 3520-A) but it is well worth it.