robin&catrinel

Hello,

Anyone from Galati city?

Buna Sorana,

Sunt din Galati. Ma numesc Catrinel. Abia m-am mutat in SUA. Deci u esti singura din Galati.

Hi Again guys,

Thanks for the feedback. I am starting to worry a little now. Your replies make it seem as if I am GOING to get an RFE. When we sent off our application form we made sure we added as much information as possible to prevent getting an RFE.

Some of the things we included are:

Unbelievable.

You can see by our timeline that we have an approval, and at the moment the Helsinki embassy is transferring our case details to the Bucharest one.

This is what we included as "evidence":

1) Photocopy of beneficiary's passport pages containing 1 B2 Visa stamp for previous visit and personal data.

2) 1 Photograph, with date stamp on the back, of both of us with my parents in front of an Xmas tree

3) 2 *untranslated* documents in Finnish from the Magistrate, showing my address and her address, respectively, which together prove a common address for 4.5 months.

We each prepared a cover letter, each one citing each piece of evidence, and containing a single paragraph indicating our intent to marry. These were signed by us, respectively, at the bottom.

These pieces of evidence, in addition to all requested forms, and a cashier's check for 170 USD, were posted to the TSC on 7-Feb. They were received on 16-Feb, and NOA1 was dated 22-Feb. NOA2 was datestamped 22-May on the document, so our case had no RFE and exactly 3 months.

We were amazed to see that you (and a few others on this site) included so many pages of extraneous information in your petition. Perhaps "less is more" sometimes if the evidence is clear. Of course, I have read enough RFE reasons on this site to believe that, for sure, it depends on the mood of the Adjudicator!

For those affected by this IMBRA business... good luck!

Best regards.

Hi everyone.

After receiving our original documents in the mail (Birth Certificate) postmarked May 5, we had expected to hear something from CSC relatively soon thereafter. We didn't, so on May 22 I emailed CSC with a status update request.

I got a response to that email on May 31, to tell me that the petition was approved. That email was apparently hand typed and not automated by someone, because they mis-spelled the NVC phone number and directed me to call them.

The same day, my online status was updated. We have not updated our timeline because we are going to post the actual date which the NOA2 was received by post (if indeed it is).

Of course the outstanding question is: did my request for a status update prompt them to refresh our online status? Did it prompt someone to open our case file and notice that it was approved weeks ago? Who knows. I just think it a bit odd that the reply from CSC in the email coincided with the online case status update, and the approval.

Anyway, it was a day of much rejoice, because it was also the same day that I met my fiancee's parents for the first time. Score one for CSC!

Well, I've been out of US for over a year now, but for most of that time I've been employed remotely by US company. Unfortunately right now when we are about to file paperworks, job is not available :-/ I know that I'll have little problem getting a job back in US (in IT), but I guess that would be difficult to convince THEM, huh? I am also employed here, but from what I hear income generated outside of US does not count toward affidavit of support...

I work for a US multinational and I can comment on the issue of income. I JUST came from my I-134 meeting at the local US Consular office, and as a resident of Finland I was able to offer 1) current employment contract, 2) current signed statement from my bank of my current account balance, 3) record of deposits from the last calendar year. I am paid in EUR and it is considered income generated outside of the US, and it was enough for them to approve the Affadavit Of Support.

I did not provide any information about life insurance, cash value, real estate, stocks or bonds, etc., even though I could have.

I admitted to not filing my US taxes for the last few years though. He seemed a bit peeved but it wasn't a showstopper (yeah, yeah, I know I should file them - I will when I get back to the US in 2 months ).

I'm sure Consular Offices vary in their pickiness... good luck!

I think that getting married on a visitor's visa was probably not the best plan. In addition to that information that Aussie Wench posted, consider this:

If by visitor visa a form DS-156 was completed, they do ask questions regarding the intent of the visit. Length of stay, purpose of visit, do you intend to work/study... etc. The answers to those questions, as well as the interview, was meant to establish that the person was indeed a "visitor". Those who stray from that do so at their peril, especially if the applicant is not forthcoming at the interview.

Regarding visitor's visas (B2):

"Applicants for visitor visas must show that they qualify under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Applicants must demonstrate that they are properly classifiable as visitors under U.S. law. The presumption in the law is that every visitor visa applicant is an intending immigrant. Therefore, applicants for visitor visas must overcome this presumption by demonstrating that:

The purpose of their trip is to enter the U.S. for business, pleasure, or medical treatment

They plan to remain for a specific, limited time period

They have funds to cover expenses in the United States (e.g. 3 months’ bank statements, salary records, etc)

They have compelling social and economic ties to (wherever)

They have a residence outside the U.S. that they will return to at the conclusion of their visit "

If the applicant does "overcome this presumption" and then do exactly otherwise, I cannot imagine pleasant consequences.

Maybe there is someone here on VJ who has actually done this? Bueller?

Yeah, I sure dug around for that one a while. It's where someone pays $1400 or somesuch to get all of the approval paperwork done in around 14 days. If it is not done in that time, you get your money back and you still get premium processing done.

As far as I can tell, it's for business-implicated applications only. Alas, not for I-129F... Considering what loss can amount in airfares in worst case scenarios, for some folks the $1400 would have been a bargain if it was broadly available.

If the same personnel resources are processing these as well as ours, the queue for these would likely impact turnaround times for Approvals.

Ah, couldn't get to it fast enough to edit it.

Here is the USCIS fact sheet that alludes to this. I reckon this is broadly known already, but for all the new wanderers-on to this site it may be informative.

Two Service Centers designated to receive all I-129s and I-140s

This may be old, but hey it was new info for me, and might explain some future chaos.

Excerpt:

Since the inception of the INS “remote” service centers in the 1980s, each service center has been responsible for adjudicating immigration petitions and applications according to the geographical area of the country where the petitioner or the applicant was located.

Over time, certain exceptions to the geographical rule developed. Designated employers could submit all of their petitions at a particular service center. TN petitions, petitions for certain athletes and customer harvesters could only be filed with the Nebraska Service Center. E-1 and E-2 petitions had to be submitted to either the California or the Texas Service Center.

On March 24, the CIS announced that it was taking the first step in scrapping this geographical system and replacing it with a new system which the agency has dubbed “bi-specialization”.

Read More...

Considering CSC's I-129F was Feb 3 on the April 21st post, and its the same on this one, I guess I should be a bit disappointed!

C'mon NOA2!

Hi all. Well our timeline says it all below. Unlike most posters here, we live together (very happily ) and we have been so bold as to actually make plans for the future, with relevant dates. This waiting for the process to resolve wouldn't be so hard except for those plans being affected...

Thankfully CSC returned my birth certicate (posted May 3) so at least I know that my I129F didn't get misplaced between TSC and CSC, and I like to pretend that they were happy enough with what was inside not to accompany it with an RFE... but I am trying not to get my hopes up. It seems when in this process, every day you go over in your head what else you could've done!

People mention that they call and email CSC because they want some attention. It's understandable but I wonder how many of the thousands of applicants do this and its impact to the productivity of the employees. What if no one sent a nag email just to get a touch, would it matter?

On the phone with CSC once, to process an address change, I asked why we had been moved from TSC to CSC. He claimed they had more resources in CSC. (shrug) Maybe someone out there had heard something more definite? An informative link, anyone?

Looking at the Advanced View for K1 statistics, I am a bit curious how often a lawyer has had any influence on the process, with regard to reducing RFEs or shortening the timeline.

I understand the primary function of the lawyer is to probably sift through the paperwork and give advice, but I am wondering for those that paid $1500 or so for the services if there was a quantifiable benefit.

I am not using an immigration lawyer and I must claim ignorance to every single advantage they can provide. I also figure that K1 may not be the most applicable process where a lawyer could be leveraged.

In any case, does anyone think it is worthwhile for our wonderful site managers to add a simply checkbox to the timeline, and to the statistics display, that provides whether or not an immigration lawyer was used by the couple? If VJ newbies are about to engage in a particular process, and notice that many applicants used them, it might give them a clue to pick up the phone...

Hi Lizzy.

I am curious too . . .

There are more than 35 million people in the U.S. who were born in other countries, including an estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants.

Some figures on illegal immigrants, from the Pew Hispanic Center:

• Illegal immigrants make up about 5 percent of the U.S. labor force. More than nine in 10 illegal immigrant men are part of the labor force, compared with 83 percent of men born in the U.S.

• Nearly two-thirds of the children in illegal immigrants' homes were born in the United States, making them U.S. citizens.

• Three in four illegal immigrants come from Latin America, a little more than half from Mexico. About a quarter enter the United States legally and overstay their visas.

Some figures on all immigrants, from the private Center for Immigration Studies:

• Immigration, both legal and illegal, continues to boom, with the nation's foreign-born population hitting 35.2 million people in 2005.

• About 12.1 percent of the U.S. population was born in another country, the highest percentage since 1920.

• About 7.9 million people moved to the United States in the past five years, the highest such period on record.

• Mexico is the largest supplier of immigrants to the United States, followed by East Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

Hi Yodrak.

I have not filed an appeal or motion, but was generally concerned that if a mail to them did not have specific labelling or marking that it is considered "general correspodence." I fear my mailing will probably end up in that pile. Also, I had originally confused "receipt number" with "case number."

I imagine my mailing will end up in a general correspondence pile and I will just sit tight for the RFE, should it come. Evidence of cohabitation, though, was a cornerstone to my evidence of a relationship.

Thanks.

robin&catrinel,

The anecdotal evidence is that, yes indeed, the USCIS is not generally able to match material submitted subsequent to a petition or application with the case file. So it's generally a waste of time to submit anything in anticipation of an RFE that may not be issued anyway.

Why do you bring the Brief For Appeal instruction into this - what appeal or motion have you filed?

Yodrak

I am as unthrilled as most about the developments going on in the US with these illegal immigrants. However, let us step back a moment and think of a few points.

Illegal immigrants are providing services that out of work Americans can perform, but how many would? I am sure they are also providing services that some people won't provide. I have cruised the rich neighborhoods of my state's capitol city. Doctors, layers, CEOs. There are Mexicans in trucks and vans all over the place, landscaping. They are probably asking for low wages to be competitive, and it works. The people who complain about immigration, and illegals, pay them and don't miss that saved $ that goes into the gas tank of their BMW.

And let's not forget about Wal-mart. Most people I do know in my family, and friends' families, shop there. They don't think twice about the fact that the low prices they pay might be due to the employment of illegal aliens for low wages.

How many of us consider that the quality of life Americans enjoy is bought on the backs of illegals, and cheap imports from countries with questionable human rights records or unsafe working conditions? How many complain about illegals when an illegal workforce provides lower costs of construction for their new homes?

For the record, I am for every single person here who plays by the rules and pushes through the process. And I, too, think that measures should be put in place to control and monitor their numbers. But let me suffix this with a simple fact: let's be sure we are ready for the consequences....

Terri

You are not being a racist at all you are just "Telling It Real" like it susposed to be. My wife is also in the UK and keeping two households is a nightmare. And I agree with the fact that everyone has a right to work and live good but I believe even stronger that all these illegals should not be here. They should put every last one of them back across the border and let them go through this same legal INS process as we are doing. Now if someone want to look at me as racist I don't care for I too am just keeping it real

Hello all!

First off, I lament, like a few others on this site, that I found this site after posting my I-129F. It is endearing to find a few others with the same questions and stories of this kind of emotional rollercoaster.

When we completed our I-129F, we reviewed all of the instructions that were provided with the forms. I thought this sufficient (and still do), but I think in terms of any communication with USCIS this page is worth a review:

General Tips on Assembling Applications for Mailing

My fiancee and I had mailed the completed I-129F but included documents from the Magistrate that showed a common address (cohabitation). Even though the addresses were obviously the same on these documents, the documents themselves were untranslated from Finnish. Too late we realized, and in order to pre-empt an RFE we got new documents in English from the Magistrate and mailed them to the CSC.

After reviewing the above link, I see "If evidence is being submitted in support of a previously filed appeal or motion, a cover letter stating "BRIEF FOR APPEAL", etc., should be placed on top of the packet." I included verbage about I-129F, and our Receipt number, but did not add that "BRIEF FOR APPEAL".

I am a bit worried after reading under the RFE section that "Evidence submitted without the letter and/or proper return mailing envelope will be difficult to match up with the pending case and may be treated as general correspondence."

So, now you have a bit of background, I toss this question to the VJ crowd: Has anyone submitted evidence between an NOA1 but before an NOA2 or RFE, where it made a compelling difference?

Thanks... feeling fairly dumb now!

Hi everyone. First post! My fiancee is from Galati, actually. I am trying to learn Romanian at the moment and thankfully it is similar to Spanish, with which I have had a formal education. The reason is that her parents do not speak English, and I would like to speak a few things to them (and at least understand enough to discern if her sister is gossipping ).

I was lucky enough to work in Romania long ago, just for a few weeks. From Cluj, to Sibu, Brasov, and Bucharest, stopping here and there to admire the natural beauty of the country. And soon I will return to recapture that beauty, but this time with my beautiful lady in hand.

It seems the Romanians that I have spoken with, overall, give a very mixed review in their opinions of the US. Some have a very good opinion. Others think that it is a land of milk and honey on the surface but a sham underneath. Also, the history of our foreign policy becomes a point of contention, even among themselves.

So the question I throw out to the readers of this topic: when your fiance(e)'s parents discovered they were marrying an American, and moving to the US, what was there reaction?

I'll go first: her parents would have liked us to live in Romania, but the aspirations for good employment made sense for us to go to the US. They were sad about the distance, but obviously happy that their daughter had found a special person in her life. So at least in this case, the idea of America, or of an American son-in-law, proved neither positive nor negative in their reaction.

I am curious to hear your stories.