American in Sweden

We sent our I-212 to the Cleveland field office and just received a receipt that they (Cleveland) cashed our check. Does that mean that they can/will handle our case instead of sending it to Nebraska? We didn't receive anything else in the envelope (the tracking number we were hoping for)- just a little paper receipt for the $545 we sent.

Is this the normal procedure? Who normally cashes the check- field office or regional office?

Thanks in advance!

Hi,

Sorry I can't answer your question...but, would you mind telling me what the DS-230 and DS-2001 are?

Thanks.

My husband and I had this problem back in 1998.

He was in the US on a student visa when we went to Sweden to get married. He was still a student when we returned but we didn't think anything of it.

Long story short. It was a big deal-- however, nothing that a form and about $100 couldn't fix. We found out at the interview that when we got married, he could no longer enter on a student visa and should have stayed in Sweden until approved. The officer was firm but realized that we didn't make the mistake on purpose- he just gave us the form and told us to come back with a cashier's check.

Okay, third email today from London- a bit snippy, but that is to be expected- it was in response to a snippy letter sent by me

However, this email gives me a little bit of hope to hold on before sending my I-130 to the US.

................................................................................

.....................................

Sweden is under our jurisdiction for specific USCIS related matters. Please

see

our website at www.uscis.gov or www.usembassy.org.uk for additional

information

about our office.

We have recommended that you await additional guidance as a new announcement

is

anticipated that may make this process simpler for you. If you are

unwilling to

wait, then you must file in the United States as previously instructed.

USCIS - London

I just received 2 emails from London- here they are.....

Please stay in contact with the Embassy in Stockholm for further updates on

>this

>situation.

>

>The London Suboffice only accepts I-130s from US citizens who reside in the

>UK.

>If you are unwilling to wait for the additional guidance on filing overseas

>then

>we suggest that you file the I-130 with a USCIS Service Center in the United

>States, please be sure to include a US address on the front of the

>application

>form and follow the instructions for payment of the fee.

>

>USCIS - London

>.............................................................................

.................................................................................

........

Recently, the Department of State has ceased accepting Petitions for Alien

Relatives

(Form I-130) at all Consular posts. Therfore, all I-130 petitions must now

be

filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). No formal

decision has yet been made concerning where petitioners who would have filed

at

a Consular post should now file their petition(s). Once a decision is

made, we

will publish further guidance via

http://london.usembassy.gov/dhs/uscis/i130filing.html.

Pending a formal decision the London Sub Office of USCIS cannot accept I-130

petitions from those affected. Therefore, if you do not wish to wait for a

decision in this matter, you may elect to file your I-130 petition with a

USCIS

Service Center in the United States (http://www.uscis.gov). If you use this

option, please ensure that the address of the petitioner (Item B.2 of the

I-130)

reflects a U.S. address.

Thank you for your understanding.

USCIS - London

Just to confirm:

The mailing address/permanent address that you used on the application, it IS your address in your foreign country, right?

As in when you receive the NOA, it will be posted to your foreign address?

I ask because one poster said the advice by the US embassy in Stockholm is to put a US address as the permanent one, to make it appear as if the applicant is living and filing from the States. I thought this was the wrong info.

I thought the whole point was that the I-130 will be processed back in the States and that if/when nothing comes up with the background check, USCIS will then mail the approved application back to the applicant's local embassy and the embassy will take it from there.

Am I misinformed?

I only want to make sure because I will be mailing my application back to the USCIS in California if nothing solid comes up by March 2nd regarding DCF.

Thanks.

That was me who posted that and I still stand by what I said. I also think it sounds crazy but that is what I was told. I posted it on an American forum here in Sweden and one person posted back that she was told to mail it to a family member and have them re-mail it with an American stamp. Stating that she was told by Stockholm they wouldn't accept it if it came from outside America. Yes, you are correct in that after the I-130 is processed, everything will "resume as normal" with the foreign consulate.

I am very weary about following these instructions- I read here on this forum that one person sent it to London who sent it to America, who sent it back to London..........I can see why America thinks London should process it-- they say to file at the district where the American citizen is a permanent resident, in my case that is London. However, I can't understand why/how London is rejecting us.

I called Rome (the office responsible for London) and she said she will email me back today. She said it would be okay to send it to America (with my Swedish address). I want to avoid that if at all possible. Hopefully she'll send me an email telling me to send it to Rome!

I would also like to hear if anyone has successfully sent an application to the US with their foreign address.

We filed and were approved in Stockholm last year and now our file is in London as well. Yesterday, I got an RFE of a bona fide relationship and marriage. Now, once again, we're collecting and copying all the stuff we originally showed the CO in Stockholm to send to the CIS in London (letters, cards, emails, phone bills, etc.). They also want affidavits from other people saying our marriage is legit. Whatever.

Angela,

Just looking at your timeline, I'm wondering if you might have to re-do the medical exam? When I asked who the doctor was in Malmo, so I could get that out of the way- I was told that I had to wait for that information and that the exam is only good for 6 months. I had heard one year but the embassy said 6 months. Have you heard anything different?

I spoke to the Stockholm office last Thursday (Feb. 15th) and she said that London has not been given the rights to accept I-130's. She said that I need to file in American with a c/o address. So, it should look like I am living in the US and he is living here. I don't want to do it this way- I can only imagine the pile our case will end up in! However, I've been waiting for more to hear something about London but nothing is happening!

We filed our Petition in Stockholm and were approved four days after the Adam Walsh Act went into effect last summer. It's now in London. We also have a pending I-601 in London as well. I received an email stating that they would adjudicate both at the same time.

This week in snail mail from London CIS, I got a Request for Evidence of a bona fide relationship. At least I know they are looking at our case... but now we are gathering all the stuff that we brought for the CO in Stockholm for the first approval (i.e. phone bills, photos, cards, letters, emails, plane tickets). I had left all that behind in Sweden with my husband, and now he's making copies to send to London. We're also to obtain three affidavits from people who know we are married, and one from us stating how we met and specifics about our relationship.

I have not gotten any word on how long it will take once they receive our evidence.

Hello,

This is my first post on this site. I have read a lot of the information provided......but still I have a few questions I hope someone can help me with.

After moving to Sweden in 2000, my husband gave up his green card (we knew we would not be able to return to the US every year as they require). We are now considering moving back and wonder if there is some way of going about reinstating his former status, or do we need to start from the beginning? Is the I-130 the same as a green card or is it a visa that you must then use to apply for the green card after you arrive?

I don't have any family left in the US to sponsor us.....we have money here, but it is in our house- which we wouldn't sell until we were ready to move. How do they look at that- will they consider that as assets? How much money do they consider "enough" and do they consider our education and ability to get jobs (he's a computer programmer)?

Okay, last question, once we apply and assuming we're approved- how long do we have to actually move back? I'd like to get the paperwork started now, but we probably wouldn't move for at least 2 years. Is there an expiration date, for example you must enter by this date?

Thanks in advance!