Nynn

I just got THE CALL from mom, she passed the interview, and she is APPROVED!!! I am so happy, it is 5 am here, and I can`t sleep from excitement! The final hurdle has been overcome! AMAZING!!!

I wanted to add, for whoever may wonder. Mom had no vaccination records whatsoever (lost and never to be unearthed by the wonderful Bulgarian bureaucracy), and so I worried they would give her all the vaccines applicable, which would have probably destroyed her poor immune system, all at once in the bloodstream. So I had mom go to a clinical laboratory before the medical to do tests for anti-bodies to varicella, measles, mumps and rubella. She got all her results and they were all positive, which means she has had those vaccinations before or she simply got the diseases and built immunity to them. The doctor accepted these results and wrote them down in the form and attached them as evidence. The laboratory where she went were very surprised to have a person test for all four diseases at the same time lol. So obviously no one else got the idea, they just go like sheep to the good doctor because he knows and would do the best for them... Anyway, the funniest thing was that the doctor at the US-approved clinic was also surprised to see mom brought anti-bodies tests and asked her who told her to do this. Who do you think - the overprotective US daughter, haha!

So this would be good information for other people who may have no shot records or may be opposed to the insane massive vaccination practices of immigration and are trying to find a reasonable way around them.

I am extremely happy to announce that mom has successfully passed the medical exam without receiving NOT ONE vaccination! It was contraindicated for her medical condition and so the doctor did not require her to get any shots! I was so worried about this part, vaccines are horrible!!! Thank God my worry was in vain and He took care of it for us! So happy she is one step closer to her interview on the 21st!!! I can`t wait!!!

I love you.

Thank you for your time. This is what I figured would happen, but just needed someone to confirm. You are a blessing!

Nich-Nick, thank you for being so knowledgeable and patient with me.

I was inquiring at my local bank and they said they can open an account for mom right now with a form called W8BEN. Then they said after she gets the SSN they will "upgrade" it to a regular American resident account. Would this be a viable way to approach the problem, what do you think? My apprehension with this is the fact that there is a 30% tax that a foreigner owes the IRS from any US-based income, taxed straight by the bank. Mom`s house is not US-based though, so it shouldn`t be taxed?!

I am really not very comfortable leaving money still in a Bulgarian bank and waiting for 1-2-3 weeks until mom can open her American account. That is the only reason I search for other options. Please let me know your opinion!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!!!

Everything is copies except the I-864 form (submitted later) which needs to be a signed original. The originals of all civil documents are taken to the interview by the parents.

Nothing you send to the USCIS or NVC needs to be notarized. Matter of fact, pretty much all the supporting documentation is just copies. This AOS document is named I-864 and is the only one that must be submitted in original, with a wet signature.

No need for payment receipt, they have it.

I added a copy of the applicant`s passport, I think you should too.

The first address, suite 200 is fine. I think you shouldn`t worry about the exact address, the package will be directed in NVC as needed.

Godspeed!

This means we`d leave all that money in Bulgaria while we travel back home to the USA? I`m afraid I don`t like this option...

Mom does not have a US bank account, only a Bulgarian one. I cannot open an account for her here. So basically the money must be transferred to my account... Then once she has her SSN I`ll open an account for her and move the money there. Question is, won`t that 40 grand somehow raise a red flag for the IRS?!? When I do my taxes next year, do I report that transaction or it has no bearing on my tax documentation? Is it safe to land all the money in my humble account temporarily???

Wow, thank you Nich-Nick for the Transferwise recommendation, I will certainly look it up. Do they send information to the IRS like US banks would? Or does the receiving US bank do that job for us?

Thank you Ontarkie for moving my post to the appropriate section. I had no idea there is a whole TAX section on Visajourney, I`m going to have to start reading it to get more information! This forum is absolutely PRICELESS!

jazz88 send both packages together. Print out the document list you received from NVC and arrange the documents according to it. No need to make two packages and mail together, one package with first AOS and then IV documentation is what they need now. Make sure you put the case number on the top right corner of every single document. Good luck!

Any ideas please?

Here you go, dear. This is the official website that has all the information about petitioning a relative:

https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/immigrant-process/petition.html

As of now, you really cannot prepare much. Like JFH said, get those three documents ready along with the fee. The day you become a citizen you can file the I-130 petition. Then the long wait begins - about 4-6 months just for USCIS to approve it. After that you start preparing the additional documentation that is listed in the link above.

Godspeed!

You do not need to have the original documents, only copies of them. Applicant brings the originals to the interview. The police certificate has a six month expiration date on it. I think it is fine to have all civil documents made right now.

Look at my timeline, it is about a month after receiving the approval (NOA2) that you get to start paying fees and then send documents to NVC. So yes, do them asap but do not have those people bring the originals to you, have them bring copies. You will need translations of everything too. Another way of doing it is have your in laws scan the originals and make PDFs of them and email them to you so you can print them out and prepare the package.

DO NOT wait till you have paid the IV fee to send the AOS and IV package. It will only make you wait more. I sent my package right after the AOS fee showed PAID in the portal. After NVC received my docs they unlocked the IV fee and a little later the DS-260. I got a case complete exactly 29 days after my package was received by NVC!!!

It took more than two weeks from USCIS approval for NVC to receive our case and about two more weeks for NVC to assign a case number, so don`t be in a huge hurry yet haha! Until you have the number there is nothing you can do to speed it up. Just prepare the documents for your package and wait. I believe you will have a case number some time in the middle or end of August.

Advice if you insist to know exactly when the case gets mailed to NC, go to

https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do

and sign up for an account. Give them your phone number so that they can text you when the case was mailed (provided it was not already mailed). This is not really necessary, since this is the only reason this USCIS account is really needed. I find it was much better once you could fill out the DS261 about choice of agent, since you get emails from NVC when important things happen.

Godspeed!

Hi guys!

I`ve read a lot of answers here on that topic but am still left wondering...

Mom will sell her apartment the day she receives her immigrant visa in hand (not a day before, just to be 100% sure) and we want to do a wire transfer for most of the sum, around $40,000. Now, it is a primary residence so I read she won`t have to pay any tax on the profit, but she technically is still not a LPR, so would that sale be necessary to be filed with the IRS by April 15, 2017?

Also, how do we do the wiring? The banks here will not open an account to someone who has no SSN. Me and my husband have one account, but dropping 40 grand in it all of a sudden - wouldn`t that trigger a flag? And then will we be obliged to somehow report to the IRS that this money is just being transferred and is mom`s and not ours, and she`ll get it back asap??? How do we do this transfer?

Such craziness, on top of everything else petitioners and applicants get to go through!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your responses in advance!!!

Congrats LnO!!! Such an amazing time when your parent is approved and issued the visa! Ever since I learned that we have a date, I can`t stop planning about the future! I even went out today and started buying gifts for all the people in the family lol! I told my boss and she`s okay with me being gone for a couple of weeks, it`s going to be epic!

Oh I am so so happy, guys! Today when I called NVC, the lady on the phone told me case was completed on the 3rd, yesterday, and said they just scheduled the interview date - September 21st!!!

OMG FINALLY!!! :joy:

There were no checklists, obviously the papers I sent were all good!!! So happy! Now the last two hurdles remain! The medical exam (praying to God mom has no complications from the darn vaccines) and the Interview itself!

Godspeed to all of you! Keep us posted!

Yeah, it is a bit confusing, I agree. But if you have in mind that the MIL (immigrant) is the one meant to fill it out, then the answers are clear - the wife (beneficiary) is the helper, give her information. The passport number is from MIL`s passport. Godspeed!

Yes, unfortunately, sounds pretty bad for the guy. Just the fact that he came here as a tourist and suddenly decided to get married but soon after got divorced and kicked out speaks volumes to the officers. They know a desperate immigrant when they see one... However, he did try to stay truthful in the situations he went through. I believe the wife should consult a good lawyer who could be a great help in assembling a viable case. I believe he desperately needs to provide evidence that his first marriage was not a sham marriage, and more so now for his second marriage. If he has no good evidence for the first one, and it really was to evade the immigration laws, then he is lucky he is not in jail... Consult an experienced immigration attorney!

Of course you must answer yes and explain!!!

Lying to the government is the ONE thing that will absolutely get you in trouble! And answering No just because you think it would somehow "complicate" things will surely backfire in your face. Can you imagine the embarrassment and disbelief and horror mom would feel at the Consulate interview when they tell her - "You said no in this question, but what about that tourist visa that we have in our system here from four years ago... Sorry, you were untruthful, trying to hide a fact that we actually already have information about. Visa denied. Next!"

Seriously, people!!!!!!

OK, rant over... Phew!

For real, I believe it won`t go so far as what I wrote up there... I believe what might happen possibly is that the NVC will send you a checklist, asking you to fill out that question correctly on the online form. BUT I don`t know from experience though, so best to be careful.

There is no reason to not disclose the denied visa. It is not shameful, and is NOT grounds for application denial. It is simply a denied tourist visa, like so many thousands of people have had. Just write a few words underneath about the date of denial and on what grounds and that`s it. Thankfully, they will have no reason to deny the IR-5 visa, if you stick to the truth and are able to prove you can financially provide for mom. GOOD LUCK!

Hi guys! I am also petitioning for mom to come live with me from Bulgaria, and we are at the stage where we are waiting for a case complete from NVC. Yes, choose the daughter to be the agent. From then on NVC will e-mail their instructions online to both the daughter and the mom! No regular mail from NVC after that, just emails.

The only documentation that the mom needs to have (NOT send) are her original civil documents and she does not mail anything to NVC, everything is done by the daughter from the USA until you have a case complete at NVC. After that the interview is scheduled at the consulate and the mom will receive instructions from the Consulate (I think by regular mail) about the medical etc. Then she does the medical and gathers up all her original paperwork that the daughter has already sent copies of to NVC and goes to the interview with those originals. The mom has to be able to scan the original paperwork (her civil documents with translations) and send it to the daughter by email. Or mail copies, if you prefer, but it will be slower. Now at this stage, what you need to do is get mom to get her civil documents asap, things progress quite quick from now on, and you don`t want to slow it down by not being ready. Check out my signature to see how fast things go on average!

Godspeed to you!

No. No need to give your alien number anymore. You`re a free citizen!

(I was also wondering about that question but decided it is just a general all-inclusive application so they will have all kinds of non-relevant information being asked for in there! I did not fill that question out and my I-130 passed with flying colors! Good luck!

Yay!!! I got the IV fee unlocked and paid it! NVC just now sent me an email saying that the DS-261 has been reviewed and here is your IV invoice! Things are progressing!

I was thinking of calling them and asking them to review the form over the phone but they did it before me lol! And here I thought it was going to be a couple of weeks if not more before they moved the case forward! So obviously the guides here are not quite correct as far as times are concerned, or maybe I hit an NVC freeway fast lane somehow lol.

Now I wait to see how long it will take them to process the documents I already sent them, and to see when the DS-260 will become available. Happy!!!

:joy:

Write us, guys, anyone who has any news already? Am I the only one on here whose case is moving? There are at least 8-10 other people in our timeline that got created for the January 2016 filers!

Here is an excerpt from another person`s timeline. They sent their docs right after AOS fee:

NVC case number: 2015-02-04
Received DS-261 / AOS Bill : 2015-02-04
Pay AOS Bill : 2015-02-05
Submit DS-261 : 2015-02-05
Sent AOS Package : 2015-02-09
Sent IV Package : 2015-02-09
Scan date : 2015-02-10
Receive IV Bill : 2015-03-03
Pay IV Bill : 2015-03-06
Submit DS-260: 2015-3-12
Case Completed at NVC : 2015-03-20

Notice it took three weeks for the IV bill to be invoiced after the documents were received at NVC. After the DS-260 was submitted it took only EIGHT days for case complete!!!

Here is another quote from that conversation on here, visajourney:

Posted 18 April 2015 - 03:26 PM

j&ana, on 17 Apr 2015 - 01:51 AM, said:

actually paying of fees and reviewing of documents are two seperate process. The nvc start the review of documents once they receive them they do not wait untill the iv fee is paid and the ds-260 is fill out
If you think they are going to review your documents right away because you waited untill all the fees have been paid they will not. The amount of time for them to review the document will be the same. Which actually will make your case take longer at the nvc ,then if you would of sent them in before the Iv fees were paid and the ds-260 is fill out.

You are so very correct. Please do not wait to pay the IV bill before sending in your package. I was told by the NVC to go ahead and send the AOS package right away. That's when the clock starts ticking. My friend waited and lost so much time only to be told she shouldn't have waited for the iv bill. Good luck everyone

So yes, I believe this to be true! I am praying for a speedy NVC process! I cannot WAIT to see my sweet mom, it`s been over seven years that we have not been together on the same continent