Richard&Maria
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Posts posted by Richard&Maria
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Hello,
The EAD, for us, was a waste of time and $$. We sent in both the paperwork for EAD and AOS. Our AOS interview came up quickly and we were approved. Yesterday we just received a "denied" letter from USCIS on the EAD because we were now married. The 2-year green cards are already in hand and they are sufficient for work. From our experience, I still fail to see the value for a K-1 applying for BOTH the AOS and EAD.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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Maybe others can confirm this, but doesn't the sealed envelope contain both the original overseas I-693 and the DS3025 ?
If I am correct, (I did not accompany Maria on her K-1 based vaccination supplement medical office visit where the envelope was opened and then resealed by the stateside physician), then the vaccination supplement visit for the I-693A should accomplish both medical-related requests for hahuhobrad.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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Hello,
Your sealed envelope contains the DS3025 form filled out by the overseas USCIS-approved physician after the physical exam. You could submit this, but as posted by others in the past, it is not the best way. You should take this evelope to a stateside USCIS-approved physician (lists are available at the website) and have the I-693A form completed by that person, who should give you a personal besides a sealed copy. This is the vaccination supplement that is being requested.
Sorry I cannot be of help on your birth certificate issue. Good luck
Richard of Richard&Maria
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The AOS interview was the most pleasant of all the interviews because they just make you swear in to all the info you furnished them and some personal verification of your valid relationship after marriage. Our family interview went for about 10 mins last July 9 and yesterday, we got our green card in the mail...now the process begins for he driver's license and the job hunting.It's been a pretty hectic weekend, between Elisa's love of Harry Potter and hosting family for dinner yesterday, but I wanted to say that we got the green card in the mail on Friday. We're planning to visit Germany next month for work, and now, we can go to Italy for our second wedding reception.Congratulations to everyone who have recently been blessed with successful interview results, and hopefully, those of you experiencing problems will see them resolved in an extremely timely fashion.
Thanks to all of you on the board. Whether you know it or not, your posts have been an emotional rock for not only me, but for my wife during a very trying six weeks of uncertainty following a cliffhanger interview. We've been very stressed with just not knowing when the background checks would clear, and when/if she could leave the country with me for work. To have the card in our possession is a real relief.
I'll likely continue to post in this thread as needed, simply because I'm very happy to give advice and help where it's wanted. Please send me friends requests, as I'd like to stay in touch when it's time to share stories about filing to lift the conditions during that 90 day window, and eventually, applying for citizenship (if she chooses to do so).
Congratulations Sterling M! I'm glad there is Harry Potter and the GC, finally, to keep your wifey's spirit up! Enjoy your time away from USCIS, at least for a year and 9 months (?).
I wish you guys all the best!Tomorrow at noon time my husband and I will be off in a hotel in SF, a few blocks away from Sansome to have that romantic night before THE DAY, and so we plan to make the most and remember only nothing but happy & sweet memories. Butterflies go away!
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We made the mistake of using a lawyer for our initial K-1 paperwork. Expensive and slow in our case. We went on our own after Maria and the boys arrived and things went faster. Some time ago lawyers USED to have their own phone communications into the USCIS but not any more. Lawyers have no better access into the immigration system than applicants. A lawyer or legal firm can be useful for things like using the correct forms, advice, filings, etc., but they can't track down problems or investigate delays any better or faster than you or me.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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Our recent AOS interview and approval beat out our still-to-be-received EAD. We asked the AOS interview official about this. She said delays (we didn't have any) are usually name/background checks. Maria's name/background check was very quick, so the EAD has become a mote point and the associated cost could have been avoided in hindsight. Lawyers won't help with this. Keep calling/recontacting USCIS to try and get to the bottom of the delay. I was told the FBI does the immigrant checking for the USCIS, which is another inter-agency hurdle in the paperwork. Good luck.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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As posted, you could start job hunting with the assumption a soon-to-be employer would be interested about the time you receive either your GC or the EAD. You didn't post a time line - if your AOS interview is coming up soon it may well beat the arrival of your EAD. The only slow down might be a name/background check. We found that the EAD application, in our case, was a waste of $$, since Maria's AOS interview came and went faster than any final EAD paperwork. Your AOS approval triggers the mailing of the 2-yr conditional green card and this is just as good/better than the EAD. Maria and our 16-year-old (the latter for summer/parttime work) are currently looking as we await the mailed cards.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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Our AOS July 9th interview in Bloomington, MN lasted 15 minutes. Came 1/2 hour early and were called in ~ correct time. Waiting room had few applicants, mostly for citizenship and some K-1/K-3 couples. Glad we brought extra copies of all filed paperwork for Maria (K-1), Miguel (K-2) and Marc (K-2). Marc's I-485 package got separated from the rest of the family within the USCIS and the interview official took our spare set and proceeded with everyone. Questions were mundane and read off from the forms we filled in, apparently a face-to-face confirmation of our written replies. No requests for additional proof of relationship beyond looking over our official copy wedding certificate and tasking our timeline of how we met up until we married, however at the end we shared our memento book of wedding pictures.
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There have been previous posts about the "sometime problem" of only submitting the DS-3025. While it is repetitive and an additional fee-catcher because you must use USCIS-approved physicians, the I-693A is the safe way to go.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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If your amended moves you out of federal poverty guidelines, you should send a copy of what you filed as an amended return. If the amended has little financial impact I would not be concerned.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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6-10 weeks sounds strange. If you applied at a local Social Security Administration office and were approved, the delivery of the actual card should be fairly soon.
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Thanks YuAndDAn. My remaining question is:
after a successful AOS interview this coming July Maria and our boys will be "conditional permanent residents" for two more years. Is this the same as "legal permanent residents" in the eyes of the Social Security system? Worst case is that I use a TIN supplied by the IRS for one or both boys.
We've already had "lotsofun" at four state offices getting Maria a Wisconsin state ID card (driver license later). WI has new laws in effect since April and no two state offices were giving the same story for requirements. Finally found that Wisconsin considers Maria a "legal tempory resident" as stated on her new WI card and we still are not sure if this changes after the USCIS interview in July or the final one two years hence. At least the WI card is good until 2011.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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Hello,
I have two boys with K-2 status, ages 12 and 16. Neither could/can apply for a SS number; we checked into the details some time ago. My wife's K-1 was able to. We will attempt a SS number for the older boy after conditional permanent status is achieved, since I would like him to be able to work part-time during high school to show him how to earn and save his own money. I am not positive we will be successful.
My understanding is that my youngest cannot apply at all unless there is a reason to be working, so with even part-time work years away, he will have to do with a TIN from the IRS. K-1 status has "allowance" to work, but not K-2. A 12-yr-old or a 7-yr-old can't be working anytime soon, so I think the EAD form and its cost appears worthless for those situations. The Social Security Office-issued number is justified for work, otherwise it appears that an IRS Office-issued Tax Identification Number is all we can use.
We go for interviews on AOS in early July and I plan to ask some direct questions of the USCIS then. We'll post if I learn anything different.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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Hello,
Your wife's B-2 Visa expired in Nov 2004. Your documented relationship appears to start late 2005 since you mentioned an apartment even before Jan 2006. Good. The interviewer is "fairly satisfied" since there is a gap, a big gap, for much of 2005. (Hopefully in the interviewer's eyes) your wife did not enter the USA as a B-2 with the pre-intention of marriage. Evidence of your relationship appears good. The multiple entry B-2, the last B-2 overstay of post-November 2004 and the 2006 relationship/marriage is more to the point. If there is a request for more evidence or another interview I am sure it will focus on this. I assume the 2001-to-2003 B-2 visits were uneventful and timely. Good luck.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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I left Manila for the USA last March 4 on fiancee visa with my two boys aged 12 and 16 and the Immigration officer at Manila airport asked me for DSWD Clearance. I replied that it is no longer necessary if they are accompanied by one parent and I showed her the DSWD circular. She seemed surprised, then she asked me for the birth certificate and the annulment papers showing I have custody of the childen. I showed the originals and after a few minutes, she allowed us to travel.hi everyone!just want to ask some info regarding what documents i need to bring with me at the airport when me and my kids will leave for the US, aside of course from our visas. I have three kids and i was never married to their father and the birth certificates of my kids don't list their father's name. I know I don't need any DSWD clearance to take my kids out of the country. But i have read somewhere that at the NAIA airport, the Immigration people would ask for birth certificates and CENOMAR from me to confirm i have custody of my kids and don't need father's consent? I just want to know if this is true, especially from those with K2 children, what were your experiences about this? And if they do need those documents, would they require originals or just photocopies?
I don't have yet our visas but I just want to prepare all the documents I may need as early as possible. Thanks!
It pays to handcarry original docs which you may not want to lose if your luggage gets misplaced or lost in transit. Also, remember the ear drops and some meds for nausea for the long flight.
I also brought some of the regular meds the children are used to because it takes about 1-2 months before you can get the children to their pedia, and medical consultation and hospitalization is more expensive in the USA as compared to the Philippines.
Bring something to keep them company during the plane ride, nothing with batteries though.
See you in the USA
Maria
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Instead of using the standard luggae, I suggest you use a Balikbayan box which is measured to standard size allowed my NW. Because the box is light, you can pack more items. Just use ductape to seal the top, bottom and sides and this is very sturdy and can withstand the travel to USA. I use the brand UTILITY BOX available at National Bookstores in Manila. Also, it might help to weigh the box first before finally sealing the box...a standard balikbayan box will carry approx only 32 kgs. Acutally, I have been travelling with NW for years and have brought more than 10 bozes to USA and have nevr been assessed for excess baggage weight...they allow excess of 2 kgs per box. And they also are very friendly and considerate of children or handicapped passengers.hello............... im leaving on may 31. i would just like to know if the nothwest airline are really strict when it comes to the sizes of luggages? do they really use tape measure for checking the baggage allowance up to 62 inches dimension only?Most of the luggages are within the allowed dimension regulations, so you don't have to worry about that. I arrived here May 2, me and my husband have 4 luggages (1 that is 62', and 3 smaller than that).. They did not do any measurements but You should not exceed the weight limit, because you will be paying for every excess in weight (kgs.). Per luggage, should be atleast 32 kg and below only.
Have a safe trip!
Let me say I have never flown Northwest Airlines to the Philippines, but generally my experience is they (the airlines I have used) did not meaure size of the suitcase in inches as long as it is standard luggage. What they did measure in all cases has been the weight. You are allowed 32 kgs (70 lbs) per bag with two bags max to check in economy class. If you are overweight, it is VERY expensive. If you have a way to check the weight before leaving, that would be good because they will weigh the bags and it will cost you for excess weight. I don't know what NWA charges, but PAL charged me $150 US one time for a bag going to Manila. The earlier quote was $240 for NWA so they are high too. If you know your bags are obviously over-sized, then you might want to reconsider just in case. The suitcase that looks like it will hold an entire Jeepney inside might cause some concern, but if its a standard luggage, I think you will be okay in size, just watch weight closely.
Scott (and Mirasol)
As for handcarry luggage, just use the standard small size luggage sold in department stores...tell them it is the size for overhead bins and they all conform to the standard handcarry specs. In addition you can also bring a backpack instead of a handbag...it carries more and is easier to sling over the handcarry trolley luggage...remember you need to free your hands because this is a long haul flight and you want to store the handcarry and the backpack in the overhead storage compartment. And make sure you bring all the documents and x-ray film in the small handcarry trolley luggage which you may need at port of entry. Happy trip.
Maria
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wow, that is great. I am a chinese by ancestry and speak chinese too and there are lots of chinese here in the USA.
One requirement for a fiancee visa is for you to have met in person at least once within the latest 2-year period...and in truth, this is a test of how well you will get along with each other on a day-to-day basis. I dont want to douse cold water on you but the chinese can be very conservative and there are many cultural differences which can best be tested once you have met each other and stayed together for some weeks.
But I really do wish you all the happiness together as I have found my own handsome prince charming!
Maria
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Hi gracy,Hi to all.....Im facing packing problems, were taking 4 big luggages, 2 carry ons and back packs but still we have some more things that are valuable for me and my son and we're bound to leave next week. Im wondering if somebody here know an inexpensive way of sending my stuffs in the US like Forex or like the balikbayan boxes.
Any input will be helpful
Thanks
I came to the USA with my 2 sons and so we had 6 boxes, 3 handcarries and 3 backpacks and I still had so much left in Manila so I understand the predicament you are in. And I had already bought around 6 boxes in my previous trips to the USA while waiting for the fiancee visa to be approved.
Allow me to share my experience on packing items to bring to USA. First, use balikbayan boxes instead of luggages...the boxes are lighter and carry more items...buy the UTILITY BOX brand of balikbyan box available at National bookstore in Manila and use ductape to seal the edges and the top and bottom...the boxes can load up to 1.5 times of the luggage capacity...and the customs people at port of entry dont normally open the boxes since they know it is hard to seal again..just be sure no fresh fruits and meat items in the boxes.
Choose the items to carry...more esp the items your son will miss or are attached to...most of the Filipino foods are available in the stores and supermarkets in the USA so no need to bring too much. And you will want to try new food items here anyway. Also, the clothes in the Phils are only good for summer wear in the USA so you also need to buy clothes in the USA. And make sure that the clothes you bring can stand washing and drying in the washing machine, normally no ironing of clothes in USA.
I suggest you bring the emergency medicines for your son that he may need within the first 2 months that you may not yet be covered by medical insurance. Normally, medical insurance also covers medicines so dont buy too much. Meds for cough, colds, fever are available at most supermarkets here but not the asthma and allergy meds and they come in different brand names. Grown ups can adjust faster than kids and you dont want to take chances.
If your son has not yet flown long haul flights, it will be best to see a pedia and get a presciption for ear ache drops and nausea from flights...my youngest son had ear ache and clogged nose and asthma meds with him in the flight...and he is already 12 years old, and he had an asthma attack here so we were prepared and brought his meds and nebulizer.
Oh, and remember to bring him something to amuse him over the long hours in the plane...a coloring book or a toy and some powdered milk...you can ask for hot water from the flight attendant...or you can request for bulkhead seats if you are travelling with children since you are the first priority for boarding.
Pack the rest of the items which you cant bring also in balikabayan boxes properly labelled with your USA address and surely there will be a relative or a friend who can bring it for you at a later trip. DHL and Fedex normally charge $150-$200 per box, door to door, but will the contents be worth the shipping cost?
Hope to have shared some thoughts with you.
Maria
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Hi alex and Lyn,hello my fellow vjer's.......im so much excited but queit nervous with my upcoming interview this june 6....To all my fellow vjer's GOOD LUCK and MAY GOD BLESS UN ALL..........Alex-Lyn
It is perfectly alright to ve nervous and excited about the interview and it is healthy because the excitement creates the boost of adrenalin you need to be alert and keep yout mind racing.
I was so prepared for all the documents and questions during my interview, I had prepared for all the possible questions, but then on the interview, there was a candid question that just came across with a bang....and that was the first question so it oculd make or break the interview results.
But my thoughts to you is to keep cool, be honest, and yes, be sincere in your answers to show that you have a valid relationship and will make every effort to abide by the rules of the country.
The consular officer can read your reactions and replies and you just need to be yourself.
If you want some tips, post me a message and I will mentor you through.
I am already here in the USA, happily married and adjusting to life as a fulltime housewife. But I plan to work as soon as I get the documentation for EAD or AOS. SO dont be afraid to adjust and move your cheese (read the book WHo Moved My Cheese) and you will not be as nervous but be excited about the changes. It is not the interview alone that you need to plan for...it is the married life in the USA.
Will keep you in our prayers.
Richard and Maria
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Oh my, so sorry to hear of the sad news. I sure wish I could do something to help you both...her homesickness and difficulty in the adjustment stage is something I sure understand as I am also working on the issue, esp if she is not working yet and has not yet found her own circle of friends.hi guys, thanks for the replies and sorry about posting at the wrong forum.she wants a divorce but i don't want to file for it just yet. i guess i'm still hoping she might change her mind.
appreciate the replies thanks.
That may be...but if she leaves the country without AP (advance parole) and you two reconcile at a later date, you will have to file a spousal visa petition for her, esentially starting all over. She cannot just enter the country just because she's still married to you. Just something to keep in mind.
-P
Perhaps you can patch her up with some friends or have her call some VJers who are already in the USA and have unlimited national dialling...some of us VJers call each other on the fone and talk for hours as we help each other in the adjustment stage.
You can post me a message and I will try to do my best to discuss the matter with her in the hope of clarifying some issues on adjusting to life in the USA...believe me, it is a work in progress and does not happen overnight.
You are so brave and gallant in wanting to give her happiness...truly a great man.
Maria
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Hello, that is so thoughtful and sweet of you to send her a gift.Hi. My fiancee's birthday is June 10th. I wanted to send a present of some pearl earrings. Is that possible? Where would I go to get the best information? Can exise tax be prepaid? Any ideas?Thanks in advance.
I am a Filipina and now married to a US Citizen just last March. I have lived in Manila in the greenhills shopping center area which is famous for the pearl market and traders and I should say that the pearl jewelry are so cheap in the Philippines compared to the USA.
You may want to consider the risk of the jewelry being lost in transit if shipped from USA...maybe buying on-line from a source in the Philpippines would be a better alternative. But then again a piece of jewelry is a personal choice and may be best to try it on before buying it.
My husband has on several ocassions sent me items from USA and he had paid taxes and insurance for it but I still ended up being juiced taxes and whatever miscellaneous fees in the Philppines and I had no choice but to pay it to claim the shipment.
Hope I had been of some help.
Maria
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While the last 3 years are usually requested, your current salary is most important. Be sure to have a employer letterhead "statement of employment" stating your starting date, salary and title. Your company HR department can do one for you. In your case the starting date is very important. Draft a personal cover letter explaining the difference to be expected between 2006 and the current year and reference your attachments. Enclose copies of your last 6 months of paystubs. If you had any (good) performance review, raise or promotion, enclose that information also, which helps demonstrate stable income. Identify with: your name, SS number and I-864 all in the top right corner of all attachments and your cover letter. Good luck.
Richard of Richard&Maria
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There are few Civil Surgeons in our area. One hour trip and $70 (need to recheck if it was a single fee or x3 with my insurance) for Maria and her two boys for the vaccination supplement paperwork. Filled in by the surgeon himself who insisted he had to see each in person - initially I hoped I could just bring in the papers and not pull the boys from school. Filed the expense with my insurance, but have no answer yet on if there is coverage or not. Doctor+Paperwork+Government=$$$. Considering the original vaccination list was drawn up overseas during a USA-sanctioned hospital exam I simply blame federal redtape as the cost factor.
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Regarding the passport-style photo which is to be sent with the I-129F, the instructions specify the following:
"The dimension of the full frontal facial image of you and your fiancé(e) in separate photos should be about one inch from your chin to the top of your hair in 3/4 frontal view."
What exactly do they mean by a 3/4 frontal view? The instructions specify a passport-style photo. To me, the "3/4 front view" sounds different than a normal passport-style photo.
I understand 3/4 frontal face view to be the VERY slightest side tilt to plainly show the right ear, especially if you have long hair. Perhaps someone else can elaborate or correct.
Manila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
in Philippines
Posted
As your Ate, I would like to share with you some of my experiences. I applied for a state ID using the marriage certificate, bank account, SSN and proof of biometrics completed, together with a download print-out of a DMV regulation stating that a state ID can be issued while awaiting for the finality of the AOS/greencard. We requested to talk to the supervisor who readily understood that the state ID was needed to encash checks, do money transactions like paying for credit card purchases, etc. The sate ID came in the mail within 10 days and it costs $9.
My son waited for his greencard then we presented it at the DMV and immediately he got his state ID within minutes also at $9.
You an apply for a driver's license if you can present your green card, passport, and birth certificate. They will make you take the vision test, the computerized touch screen signs and instructions theoretical test (read the driving manual first) and if you pass, they will sked you for a road driving test.
I have a local Manila driver's license and an international driver's license so I did not go through a temps (should drive with a companion with a valid license) but I still need to get a regular driver's license before the international license expires. Also consider that cost of car insurance if you do not have a driver's license.
Hope I have shed some light on your predicament. After being here for 5 months, i already learned how ti drive the US way...speed limits posted everywhere. And yes, obey traffic signs.
Maria