ElPerdido

My apologies if this is not the right thread for this, if so please point me in the right direction. Does anyone know of an attorney who will review an I-751 for a reasonable cost? My attorney wanted $2500 to prepare mine and I just don't have that kind of money. Is there anyone on these boards who will look at something I've filled in, I see there's a reviews megathread but it's locked preventing further replies. 

Thanks aaron - didn't see that! Appreciate the assist. 

Hi everyone. I've just written to a lawyer to get some official advice on this, but I thought I'd check the wisdom of the forums as well.

I am a US Citizen. My wife is German. We live in Costa Rica. We recently went through the process of obtaining a CR-1 visa for her. The visa was granted on 12/03/16, and expires on May 3, 2017.

We have not yet traveled to the United States, and are in fact unsure of whether that's where we'd like to be. We want to make a trip to Puerto Rico to see if we might like it there.

My hope was that by making point of entry in Puerto Rico, if we decided we liked it we could start the Green Card production process. It might take us some time to actually get all of our things there, though.

What I'd like to know is the following: 1) Whether it will work to make PoE in Puerto Rico and return to Costa Rica, and if we desire, start the Green Card production process. If we decide to do this, we would end up making a few trips back and forth before we are fully moved in. 2) What are the consequences if we never make point of entry prior to May 3? I assume that means abandonment of the Visa, but would that render my wife unable to apply again in the future if we decide again to go to the United States? 3) Same question, but assuming we make PoE and get a green card. If it gets abandoned and we never actually move to the states under this visa, will that limit her ability to get a visa again in the future? 4) Is there a way to extend the CR1 visa so we can have more time to figure out what we're doing and save up the money for a move? 

Thanks for any help anyone can offer. 

Dee,

How do you enter and leave the US while waiting for the Greencard to get created?

 

My wife got a CR-1 visa issued on Nov 29, 2016. It expires on May 3, 2017. We are not yet sure when we will get a chance to enter the United States, but it might be after April 15. Although that's technically within the time span of the visa, is there any reason that should prove problematic?

My understanding is that we enter on the CR-1, then they send us a Green Card a few weeks after entry. Is that correct? 

congratulations.

Heads up, My wife and kids all had to have a Varicella Vaccination when they attended the medicals. They all had it previously, but required it again at physical portion of medicals. 30 mil each. Just wondering if she could have got it at a pharmacy or clinic cheaper.

That is absolutely ridiculous! But, it's just how it goes I guess. Not much you can do about it :/

I have a question about the vaccines for the medical exam. I tried searching and I wasn't able to find an answer as most of the posts on this on visajourney were a few years old.

The medical letter shows a whole bunch of vaccines that are needed. But it also says the doctor will determine which are necessary based on age and medical condition. More research shows that they will only require the ones that are appropriate on the CDCs age schedule. So, here's the schedule I was able to find from the CDC. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/adult/adult-schedule-easy-read.pdf

The way I read all this is that my wife, who is 39, would not be required to get anything that's highlighted in blue unless she has other risk factors. Am I reading this correctly or does she need the whole list?

Thanks,

Got my interview for November 29. I'm sure this has been asked a million times, but how long is it usually between interview and actually having the visa in our hands? Our lease runs out at end of December so we need to be out of here by then. Thanks for any help!

Congratulations!! Us too!!

Awesome!

What are you going to miss about CR when you get back eventually?

Just got case complete at NVC... glad to be joining this thread.

CASE COMPLETE!!!!!

I just got off the phone with NVC again. Told me they had an extreme volume of mail come in back in July. I'm pretty sure that people who had scan dates after us have already had their docs reviewed. Just sucks! I just imagine my files on the floor under somebodies desk collecting dust. half expecting to get another checklist for the same stuff.

Yeah that's what they told me too. And I scanned through this thread and that's exactly correct - some folks with scan dates after us got through already. I aint mad at those folks or anything, congratulations to 'em, but yeah, frustrated as all get out.

A big problem is my current living arrangement is good through December. If I can't leave by then, I don't know what I'm going to do. And I have like 3 cats and a dog, not sure what to do with them if I have to leave. There's a BnB near me that does allow pets but I don't know if that many.

I'm still in the same situation as you, waiting for supervisor review. I sent request for assistance to Senator Corker's office here in memphis. Don't know if it will help us any.

Dang. I feel like I'm never going home.

Hi, my case was sent to a supervisor the first time after 6 weeks and they made the review in 1 and a half more weeks. After that, I had a checklist and I'm on my four week for one document. I'm pretty sure you're almost done Elperdido. I know is very frustrating but just think we're closer. Good luck!

Thanks Karla. I can't wait. I want to go home. I'm living abroad with my wife until she can come back with me. I've been abroad four years. I started the application in December of last year! I didn't know it would take so long. But, I guess you're right. We're both almost there.

It's been six weeks since NVC received the stuff they asked for (ONE DOCUMENT) on the checklist. They said it's automatically moved to the supervisor after the six weeks, and might take up to another six weeks. Has anyone else had this? Did it take the entire six weeks after it moved to the supervisor?

We've got pretty similar timelines overall. Maybe I'll see you at the embassy when we go in for our interviews!

Six weeks? You've got to be kidding me.

tomorrow is 6 weeks since our scan date for the checklist items. I feel the same way!

Getting pretty frustrated. We got a checklist several weeks ago, with one item - our marriage certificate. I know I sent it to my lawyer. Whether he failed to send it to NVC or NVC lost it, I don't know and don't care anymore. But we sent it in response to the checklist. They got it on July 29. Their letter said "please allow 30 days" and that was more than 30 days ago. And here we are, still no 3rd N/A. Why does it have to take more than 30 days to look at ONE document?

I'm just so tired of this :/

Yes it will take 30 days even if it's one item. I know the wait is tough.

Oh. Wow.

Is swearing allowed on this forum? Cause there's something I wanna say about this but I don't wanna get a ban.

So, I had a checklist. They said they were missing our marriage certificate. We re-sent it on July 27. They said that was missing, and they also said that they needed my co-sponsors W-2 and birth certificate, but we would bring those to the interview.

How long does it usually take from responding to a checklist to getting the case complete? Is it going to be ANOTHER 30 days or do they clear it up faster when it's only one item?

Are you working outside of the United States? It gets tricky when your income is not from a U.S. source. From what I remember, you might need proof that the income will continue when you move to the states.

Got a checklist on July 21. Due to some misunderstanding, I thought I'd be able to bring the missing documents to the interview, but they won't schedule the interview until after they receive and process the other information. It was sent last week.

I'm really tired of living abroad. I wanna go back home but I'm not going without my wife if I can help it! Really struggling with all this, though. My whole timeline is messed up by this checklist. I used an attorney but I think he's actually caused more delays than anything. If I'd handled the case myself, I'd be home today I think.

Hi,

I got a checklist which indirectly means case complete too June 8 and interview letter June 10 which was the formal case complete. I advise you wait for about a week.

Meanwhile they requested for my hubby signed AOS form again on the checklist.I took it along to the interview but they didn't even request for it.

Just take everything requested for. But note they might not ask you for them apart from original birth certificate, marriage cerificate and police report.

I ended up calling them, and they said that they would not schedule the interview without the marriage certificate being mailed to them. I'm pretty upset about it, because my lawyer misread the letter and said we didn't need to do anything. So, when I called I was surprised to hear that they weren't going to be scheduling an interview until documents were sent.

Then my lawyer told me not to call NVC on my own anymore! Which, I mean, if I hadn't... I'd be waiting for who knows how long for an interview letter (he said to wait a month!).

Well I'm sure glad I called!

The person at the NVC said that they would not schedule the interview until they receive a copy of the marriage certificate. The checklist I received was ambiguous, and my lawyer had said we didn't need to send anything else in, that we could take it to the interview. He also said I didn't need to call, all I needed to do was relax and wait, I'd get an interview letter in about a month.

When I had first called the NVC last week, before I'd gotten the checklist, the guy I spoke to said "you need to send the marriage certificate in, the rest you can bring to the interview." I disregarded him because my lawyer said he was wrong, and because the letter says "we will schedule your case for an interview."

But now with a second NVC employee stating that the marriage certificate needed to be mailed, I forwarded it to my lawyer and explained this and told him to please send right away.

Honestly I'd just send it myself, but because I'm overseas it takes about 3 extra weeks to mail anything.

Gotta admit, I'm a little steamed. Now one extra week has been added to the amount of time I have to live in this country. And, if I'd followed my lawyer's advice, it would have been an extra month at least!

So, to follow up, my lawyer sent the documents. Then he said "please don't call NVC again on your own."

I'm kind of mad at that. If I hadn't called, I'd be sitting in this country for an extra month. So, I'm pretty glad that I called. I honestly wouldn't even mind if it were paired with some kind of an acknowledgment that it was good that I called today, or apology for the mistake.

And, I told him so but I can never tell if I'm out of line when I assert myself. I hope I wasn't but... I mean I wanna get out of here. And his missing this means it's more time until I can get out of here. And that might mean missing out on certain job opportunities, etc.

That's a big for your lawyer... Thank goodness for the people here at VJ. I wouldn't have gotten through this process so smoothly (thus far) without everyone here.

Yup! While I'm steamed, I understand. I'm a lawyer too. Actually I know this guy from law school. I make mistakes too. It didn't cost me anything other than a week. So, OK, breathe. breathe. breathe.

I want to go home to the United States ASAP. This process is slow, with or without a lawyer.

I guess I'm back to the NVC filers thread, though!

Well I'm sure glad I called!

The person at the NVC said that they would not schedule the interview until they receive a copy of the marriage certificate. The checklist I received was ambiguous, and my lawyer had said we didn't need to send anything else in, that we could take it to the interview. He also said I didn't need to call, all I needed to do was relax and wait, I'd get an interview letter in about a month.

When I had first called the NVC last week, before I'd gotten the checklist, the guy I spoke to said "you need to send the marriage certificate in, the rest you can bring to the interview." I disregarded him because my lawyer said he was wrong, and because the letter says "we will schedule your case for an interview."

But now with a second NVC employee stating that the marriage certificate needed to be mailed, I forwarded it to my lawyer and explained this and told him to please send right away.

Honestly I'd just send it myself, but because I'm overseas it takes about 3 extra weeks to mail anything.

Gotta admit, I'm a little steamed. Now one extra week has been added to the amount of time I have to live in this country. And, if I'd followed my lawyer's advice, it would have been an extra month at least!