loesch

Thank you both! 

I will have a closer look at that link soon but from skimming it, it does look very relevant. The 5 years stated there is only 3 for spouses of US citizens and we've done 4 before filing the N-400, but I see both your points, very helpful.

That link also mentions Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes (Form N-470), but it says that's only for employment purposes. Hmm. I have asked the Q to USCIS so let's see if they'll reply.

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My German husband has an unconditional green card. We are traveling to Germany to see his family including his elderly mother. We may be there 1-2 years so we submitted the I-131 for reentry permit. At the same time we submitted the N-400 for naturalization since he's already been living here with me for 4 years (only 3 needed if married to a US citizen). That's estimated to take 21 months to process anyways but 

Does anyone know whether it's advisable to maintain his/our US health insurance while we're gone? We could cancel it to save some monthly premiums, but if it'd be helpful to "maintain presence" here then maybe we should just continue with it. We'll still be filing US taxes while we're away, and we own property and have bank accounts & family ties. Because we were already here for 4 years together, he should have enough "continuous presence" for the N-400, we're just confused about what to do here.

Thanks for any thoughts!

I am also trying to figure out our options. Glad to see your post pgh! We just moved here via DCF from Germany so neither of us are insured. We are freelance so we won't get health insurance through employers. I just want to get us emergency coverage ASAP while we sort out longer-term options, but I am so confused about all the regulations and what is possible or not. Thank you for any tips!!

Thank you both so much!! We just paid the fee.  We found the paper explaining about the fee, in the bag with the sealed packet to give on entry. Either they gave it to him at the interview, or they sent it in the mail with the sealed packet, but either way we didn't notice it before now. Glad we won't have that surprise upon entrance!

Hubby has his IR1 visa and we are going to the US in a few weeks!

I'm seeing some threads about a $165 Green Card fee, saying that the green card won't automatically come in the mail after US arrival, unless this fee is paid first. But I am not sure if this applies to DCF and/or IR1 visas or what. I thought we'd already paid all relevant fees, and I thought the green card would be sent automatically in the mail at some point after he enters the US? Or is there really some fee that we still have to take care of?

Thank you for any help! 

Yes that's what we often do since round-trip is so much cheaper: we buy the round-trip and try to estimate a future date where we might actually want to use it. Then even if we have to pay $ to change the date, that often is worth it in the end. 

I often check ticket prices with Skyscanner because they manage to check a lot of different sites all at once. Also Google Flights is a neat tool that helps to see which dates might be cheaper than others for a given route.

Good luck!

Hallo, we are doing DCF in Frankfurt.

How long does it usually take after the interview to get the visa in the mail?

Vielen Dank!

Glad you made it! We finally got the official invitation to schedule an interview so all is well on that front. Cheers!

So I'm reading that the flu vaccine is required (for IR1) if the medical exam is done during the flu season (until March 31).

What if my husband is getting his medical in March, but we are not immigrating until early April?

Is there any way to get out of the flu vaccine requirement if you can reasonably show that you won't go to the US before April 1? Because realistically, we must do the medical at least a week before the interview, then it takes around a week to get the visa after the interview. So is any leniency allowed here? Or would we have to get some specific waiver about it that would then add more time to the process?

He'll have to get other vaccines at the medical already, and the less the better — especially because it's so common to get sick after getting the flu vaccine, and because he won't immigrate during flu season anyway....

Thank you!

We submitted all our stuff and based on a status check with our case number, they went through it and we are ready to schedule an interview!! But, we didn't get any notification yet to schedule an interview yet, so I emailed them to inquire about it.

No big rush because we aren't planning to go to the US until next Spring, but still I'd love to have all our ducks in a row soon.

When do you go to the US?

CONGRATULTIONS!!! I'm so happy for you.

We don't have an interview date yet. We are submitting all our visa application stuff in a few days, then we'll schedule it. Won't be till this winter though cuz we're going out of town for a bit.

Jennifer any updates? We will finish our D-260 tomorrow and mail in the supporting documents early next week!

We're filling out my German hubby's DS-260. We live overseas together.

On the section Petitioner Information, it asks for my phone number(s). But, it only allows for the US-style format: (xxx) xxx-xxxx. No other format is allowed.

I could just use my permanent US Skype phone number. But I'm not sure the voicemail feature always works, and I only hear the call when I'm online with Skype open. Do they ever actually call the petitioner for anything, or is it mostly mail and email communication or calling the applicant? Wondering if it's worth bothering the consulate about or just leaving my US number and calling it a day.

Thank you!

Thanks. ***removed*** also was helpful, said "given names" included middle name.

So I put my current last name as my surname, and my first name and current middle name, as my given names.

Cheers!

We are filling out the DS-260 (have not submitted it yet).

When we got married, I replaced my birth-given middle name with my original last name. And I replaced my original last name with my husband's last name.

• So when it asks for Petitioner Surnames, I put my new married surname.
• And when it asks for Petitioner Given Names, I put my first name... and I put my old middle name because that was "given" at birth, and my old-last-name-which-is-now-my-middle-name wasn't "given"...

But if I fill it out this way, my old-last-name-which-is-now-my-middle-name doesn't appear anywhere, which seems odd. Also, is "given name" just first name and not middle name at all?

Sorry if this is a bit confusing. Any thoughts appreciated. Thank you!

Great, sounds like you are in the final stages! Things are going well, we are getting close to actually filling out our DS-260 and mailing in all the supporting info.

Also in addition to saying you were unemployed and not receiving income, you might mention that you were in training/vocational training/internship/whatever it was. I'm sure with 2 years of decent salary they should believe it's a totally legit reason.

I think that was the most difficult thing for us. I've been here most of the year and haven't been working even know I was self employed I don't have a work visa here. I had problems getting my tax transcripts and was only able to get last years even know I've filed my taxes with the same source of income since 2010 and have been doing it since I was 16. Plus by the time we get to the states I would be on maternity leave anyways lol but thankful his friend has agreed to be a co sponsor

First of all, I just reread this and wow, congratulations, maternity leave!!!

Second, how did it go?

I definitely will post q update after our interview.

Have you started the visa application yet??

I am working on the I-864 now and we are collecting all needed docs! Probably will submit it in a month or so.

Yea me to but the closer we get the more nervous I'm getting

BTW I'm glad it was only rain!! And, sending good wishes and good luck!! Post an update after!

Try emailing the support for us travel docs in Germany to see if they got your application yet. I have the email for the on here so that won't work for you lol.

Wednesday is the big interview and tue we go to the visa center to do his finger prints it was supposed to be last week but hurricane Matthew forced them to close the facility for that day.

Seriously it only rained ????

d'oh!! hope there are no more unexpected delays!

Kreugs & Jennifer, thanks for so much support... guess what came in the mail today? Yes it's Packet 3 with our Case Number!!! (Turns out that it was mailed already on September 23 but got held up due to our own problems with a mail scanning service...)

Danke dir!

Danke Kuegs! Or, thanks Kuegs (from the American wife)!! I just realized, the I-130 was actually approved September 16, but we received it September 23... so I guess we've actually been waiting 3 weeks! I wonder when I should write them to ask about it... maybe soon.

Thank you for being there (in multiple threads)!!