TucsonBill

Thanks so much Redro!

The Forum here seems to have changed - not seeing how to reply to individuals - but she does have one son... Her husband passed away and now she and her son are having a hard time financially and that's why we want her to come to the US. Why her having a son make the I-130 process faster? Regarding the time line, I have read over and over and over again that it takes many years - I am TRYING to learn the steps in the process.

ie x-date: 130 - filed

x-date: - Notice that UCIS is reviewing the case

x-date: - interview

x-date: - biometreics

x-date: - blah blah blah

I realize my wife's timeline has nothing to do with her sister, I am just trying to fined a timeline "LIKE" my wifes for someone who has ever brought a sibling (and son) to the US before

Sorry if I am not being clear...

I go to Immigration Timelines above, and I don't even SEE the I-130 listed. We submitted the I-130 for my wife's sister (my wife is a naturalized citizen) June of 2021 and USCIS website says the processing time for 80% of applications is 49 months at the California Service Center, but as I read it can take 10-15 years to actually bring her sister here. What I am trying to figure out, is what is the step-by-step process after that and how long for each step can I expect? I posted my wife's timeline here listing every single step of the way but I cannot find a sample timeline for an I-130 for her to bring her sister. Can anyone point me to some sample timelines?

1 hour ago, top_secret said:

Personally, I would place the highest of all priorities on having mobile data.  Both for Grab and if you just need to look stuff up since it's an unfamiliar place or if you need to message anyone.  I would not rely on WiFi.  Most of the western oriented restaurants and hotels do have WiFi for their customers but you would generally have to ask for the password.

 

You can pick up tourist SIM cards at kiosks in the arrival hall in both Bangkok and Siem Reap airports for $6-$10 that provide data for a week, or longer for more if you need it. They will even set it up your phone for you.  It's cheap and super easy.  I'm not sure if they have any that roam in both countries but in the past I have used DTac in Thailand and Smart in Cambodia.

 

The Grab app is really like the greatest thing ever for South East Asia.  Like Uber or Lyft it removes all guesswork and uncertainty about getting around and is also cashless so no possibility of dispute or negotiation on pricing.  As long as you can find your destination in a search or pick it off the map you will get there even if the driver can not speak or understand a word of English.

Thanks

I need to be able to make and receive calls to my regular phone so maybe another solution would be a cheap burner phone, or maybe some phone rental option, I could use while I am there. I'll do some more research.

Thanks again.

20 hours ago, top_secret said:

...Most of the tuk-tuks are ok but now they have the phone app "Grab" which is like Uber or Lyft for tuk-tuks. 

I have a question about "Grab" - I did download the app. My problem would be that if I am not near "Wi-Fi" I will have to use "data roaming" on my phone and Verizon will charge me $10 each day I use data, (I have international "voice" for just $10 a month). In the tourist areas like Pub Street, how prevelant is Wi-Fi at businesses? Would I be able to access Wi-Fi without having to use my data roaming? Do the places that have it normally require a password?

Thanks for your help!

21 hours ago, Verrou said:

 like many places, just stay vigilant, pay attention and dont look like clueless tourist. 

Thanks for your help!

Since there is not a section on Cambodia here on VJ - I thought I'd try asking here. If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated. I have a lot of questions, so maybe I can give someone with extra time on their hands something to do 😃

Visiting the anciet temple in Angor Wat has been something I've wanted to do for years. My wife has never been to Cambodia and has some reservations about safety when going there. I've been doing some research and I am convinced one can visit, have a pleasant time with proper planning. We're going to thialand next month and will be spending a little over two weeks. I've bookd flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap and I've found a hotel and arranged transportation from the airport to the hotel once we arrive. We are on a budget, but there seems to be many fun things to do there that don't cost much. 

To visit the temple(s), Angkor Wat and maybe Ta Prohm... (could use some advice there), I understand all the hotels there have tour companies and can hook us up with a guided tour, I'm just wondering if there are any to avoid or particular ones I might try to book with. Of course it would be nice to have an English speaking guide...

I am also wondering about transportation in general - I have read that there are plenty of Tuk-Tuk divers arould the city that continuously ask of you need a ride and that virtually anywhere you go, any time of day or night, we can just ask any driver to take is back to our hotel - how true is this? I have also heard that the price is about $2 per ride, is that still true and is that $2 per person? What if one of us is traveling alone, for a single what is the normal fare within the city? What about tipping, what is normal?

Regarding currency, I have read that they take US dollars everywhere and to take fresh, crisp US $1 bills. I have also been told that I don't need to take a lot of cash becauese ATM's are plentiful and dispense both Cambodian and US currency. I'd just like to verify this.

Regarding communication - do many people understand English there? Will I need to uses an ap or something like Google Translate often? (We will have i-phones with international roaming but it will cost me $10 a day if I use data).

I have read it is best to use bottled water, what about water in a restaurant - and ice in restaurants? Is it safe?

I also want to address my wife's concerns about safety there - are there any particular risks we should be aware of, such as scams or pickpockets? How are the police there? Are there many police and are they friendly?

I want to attend one of the Aspara dance shows that include dinner or a buffet, is there a recomendation?

These are the other attractions we are considering, if anyone has any comments on these:

Siem Reap Food Tours - day and evening
Old Market - souveneers cloths
Noon Night Market, Angkor Night Market

Siem Reap Art Centre 
Kulen Mountain - swimming waterfalls?
Kampong Phluk floating village  (thinking of using Asean Angkor Guide)
Cambodian Landmine Museum ???
Made in Cambodia Market – King’s Road
Cooking Classes
Phare, the Cambodian Circus

Thanks for any help!

Bill & Pao

2 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

Even after the petition is approved, it will be many more years before a visa number is available.  

I realize it tales a long time, but I thought that after a year there would be "some action" 😕We filed the petition in June of 2021 - is it normal for it to go this long without any action at all? What is the normal amount of time to get some sort of reply?

My wife filed an i130 June of 2021 to bring her sister here form Thailand and all it says is "

Case Is Being Actively Reviewed By USCIS

Is this normal? What happens next and when? 

Hey folks - thanks for the info.

I am working on getting the I-130 completed. My wife is going to try to bring her sister here from Thailand. Her sisters husband recently died and her sister wants her 8 year old son to accompany her. I have a few questions if anyone can help:

Her sister has visited here before, approximately 2011 so we answered that question "yes" - she came for about 2 weeks on a tourist type visa and just stayed her two weeks and left - do we need to have those exact dates (I would think USCIS has them on file...) and is asks about an I-94 and I am not sure if she ever had one or not...

Also the form did not ask for her sons birth certificate or photo of his passport but I have one to attach anyway - should I attach these? 

What about vaccinations and background checks - seems like there should be more needed - what is the normal process including all the steps? I did not see that so once I file this I-130 what happens next?

Thanks in advance for anyone willing to help

TucsonBill

Thank's ya'll. I need to get this process started soon.

Its been a long time. Been happily married now for almost 14 years! Long time ago, there was a thread here called Sawasdee but i see it has been inactive for some time now. My wife's sister is wanting to come here how with her son, (her husband in Thailand recently died). I don't know where to start... maybe someone could give me a pointer?

TucsonBill

My wife came here from Thailand on a fiance visa, we married, and she's now a citizen. Her sister in Thailand would like her daughter, (my wife's neice), to come to the US and attend a semester of school here in the US with us. I've looked into foreign exchange programs and also trying to get a visa through the local school district and have had no luck.

I've heard there was a way that we could get a "guardianship" of the neice and with that it would be legal for her to come here and attend school in the local district. Has anyone ever done this before? What would be the process - does it need to be initiated by us here in the US or by my wifes sister in Thailand?

Any advice would be appreciated.

TucsonBill

Been a while since I visted here, 2012 I think when my wife got her citizenship but when I got to my profile I dont see a link to my gallery - the photos I uploaded

In fact, I still get:

"[#404] Sorry, we could not locate the page you are requesting to view. Please click here to return back to the forum's home"

when I click on the "filed for" link - I beleive that *should* be taking me to the profile page.

Bill

Thanks you guys - I got it fixed with the link provided. I just didn't remember having to change that myself - it would be nice if it took me to that profile page when I clicked on the status - I think its supposed to but the link was broken. It would also be nice if that status would automatically update when I completed my timeline.

Bill

This isn't a bug. this is something YOU have to change yourself. Follow the links posted above by Crusty Old Perv. Scroll down and you will see a drop-down box to change it

Actually there is a bug, because when I clicked on it - it should have taken me to that profile page so that I could change it myself - I got a "broken link" error when I tried to click on it.

Although our timeline is completed, under our photo to the left it says:

Filed for: Removing Conditions (pending)

This is not the case, we are not "pending" and the link is broken if you click it.

Bill & Pao

We've kept our timeline up-to-date here, and the "lifting of conditions" has been completed and the date entered into our timeline. But, as you can see, under our photo, it still says the lifting of conditions is "pending" - (Filed for: Removing Conditions (pending)) ... and when I click on that pending link I get an error.

Can someone fix this?

Thanks for all you do to keep this site up and running!

Bill & Pao

Hey folks! We're BAAAAAK!

The links to the N400 USCIS Instructions is broken... Can someone fix the link or have the new one?

Things have have been going great for us, but its time to quit procrastinating and get on with things. Can anyone tell me if the "step by step" guide above is current and accurate?

You can pretty much see what our situation is from our timeline. Can anyone in a similar situation add anything else to the proceedures or provide any up-to-date information that would help us to avoid any potential pitfalls or problems in this process?

Also what is the cost now and how long are applications taking?

Thanks to all the wonderful folks who keep this site up and running, and all those who take their time to help others, like us!

Bill & Pao

There are pages and pages of posts on B2 Visa's.

Nothing much to do with you, they apply and get them or not.

Ya - but there are tricks to getting them - hoping I would get some ideas here.

Hi all,

I am trying to find a proceedure guide for getting tourist visas for certain of my wife's family members. Her mother is 75 years old and is owner of a large farm in Thailand, (the family farm), and has quite a bit of assets. She has two brothers who are school teachers and their wives are flight attenants for Thai Airlines so the wives already have visas but they would like to bring thier husbands and children too. Lastly, she has one sister that has a good job and owns a home in Thailand but other than that does not have a lot of assets. All together, I want to try to get seven tourist visas:

Mother

2 Brothers

1 Sister

3 Children

I don't see a section of the forum here specific to tourist visas, can someone perhaps direct me to a good thread or another forum with some step-by-step guides and examples of the letters I can write and so forth?

Thanks!

TucsonBill

I took some criticism for not including tax returns when I posted (in the July Filers thread) a list of the items I sent with my appliation to remove conditions for my wife and step daugher. As it turns out, I was approved without them. Could have just been a fluke, but the way I read the instructions, the tax returns are merely "examples" of types of evidence that you may want to include. Here, again, is my list:

• Copies of the social security cards and green cards of daughter and wife

• Two original sworn affidavits by U.S. citizen friends, attesting to our relationship and marriage.

• Copy of beneficiary statement for my retirement plan

• Copy of my life insurance beneficiary

• Copy of auto insurance declarations page listing both of us

• Copy of my wifes on-line dependants for life and health insurance listing me and her daughter

• Copy of a statement of an auto loan showing our joint liability

• Copy of my step-daughters most recent report card from the local elementary school

• Copy of the check to DHS from our joint checking account

Tax returns were not sent, and the approval went smoothly.

VJName..............I-751...........NOA1 Date.......Biometrics..........Approved.........Center

DAVIDOODAVID.......06/27/09.........06/30/09 ........08/14/09............10/08/09.........VSC

JPYAA..............06/29/09.........07/01/09.........08/14/09............10/30/09.........VSC

PAISALL............06/29/09.........07/02/09.........08/06/09............__/__/__.........VSC

NAROCKS ...........06/30/09.........07/02/09.........08/06/09............__/__/__.........VSC Early BIO 7/23

LAILAA.............07/01/09.........07/06/09.........08/01/09............__/__/__.........VSC

MAMASUE............07/02/09.........07/08/09.........08/14/09............__/__/__.........VSC

HAPPYWIFEYMOM......07/02/09.........__/__/__.........08/14/09............__/__/__.........VSC

KARIMA.............07/02/09.........07/07/09.........08/15/09............__/__/__.........VSC

LINGLEE............07/03/09.........07/07/09.........08/05/09............__/__/__.........VSC early Bio 7/22

MERLION@...........07/04/09.........07/08/09.........08/14/09............__/__/__........ VSC

WEXFORD65..........07/06/09.........07/07/09.........08/13/09............__/__/__.........VSC

SIMOFATI...........07/06/09.........07/13/09.........08/11/09............__/__/__.........VCS

TWOMOLES...........07/08/09.........07/10/09.........08/06/09............__/__/__.........VSC

KAYZ...............07/08/09.........07/13/09.........08/08/09............__/__/__.........VSC

KRIKIT.............07/10/09.........07/14/09.........08/21/09............__/__/__.........VSC

THETREBLE..........07/10/09.........07/13/09.........07/31/09............__/__/__.........VSC

JOEYJOEY...........07/11/09.........__/__/__..........__/__/__...........__/__/__.........VSC

FORCHIKA...........07/13/09.........07/17/09.........08/18/09............__/__/__.........VSC

BILLANDHAYLEY......07/13/09.........07/15/09.........08/10/09............__/__/__.........VSC

HUCKLEBERRY........07/13/09.........07/16/09.........08/21/09............__/__/__.........VSC

JON_TV.............07/20/09.........07/23/09.........08/28/09............__/__/__.........VSC

ANHMAP.............07/20/09.........07/23/09.........08/27/09............__/__/__.........VSC

ESSJAY.............07/24/09.........07/27/09.........08/27/09............__/__/__.........VSC

MANUIDF78..........07/25/09.........07/28/09.........09/03/09............__/__/__.........VSC

OTOBER2............07/26/09.........07/29/09.........08/27/09............__/__/__.........VSC orig sent 7/13

DEE2701............07/27/09.........07/29/09.........09/04/09............__/__/__.........VSC

VJName..............I-751...........NOA1 Date.......Biometrics..........Approved.........Center

MONONOKE28.........07/06/09.........07/08/09.........08/15/09............__/__/__.........CSC

LEN................07/10/09.........07/13/09.........08/13/09............09/02/09.........CSC

MILWAUKEEGIRL......07/10/09.........07/13/09.........08/07/09............08/20/09.........CSC

LUCY1..............07/11/09.........07/16/09.........08/21/09............__/__/__.........CSC

BHARAT.............07/12/09.........07/20/09.........08/11/09............08/27/09.........CSC

JASHLEY820.........07/13/09.........07/14/09.........08/12/09............09/02/09.........CSC

FUTUREAMERICAN.....07/14/09.........07/16/09.........08/21/09............09/14/09.........CSC

BLUERAIN77.. ......07/15/09.........07/21/09.........08/20/09............09/12/09.........CSC

SACHINKC...........07/15/09.........07/21/09.........08/04/09............09/10/09.........CSC

RIKA60607..........07/15/09........07/17/09.........08/11/09.............__/__/__.........CSC Divorce Waiver

LUCKY_STAR.........07/16/09.........07/20/09.........08/21/09............08/29/09.........CSC Early BIO 08/18

S*J................07/17/09.........07/27/09.........08/20/09............__/__/__.........CSC

REESES16...........07/20/09.........07/21/09.........08/28/09............09/18/09.........CSC

MICHAELGHABOUR.....07/20/09.........07/22/09.........08/17/09............__/__/__.........CSC Divorce Waiver

NANCYNRAUL.........07/20/09.........__/__/__.........__/__/__............__/__/__.........CSC

LV si LC GOE.......07/20/09.........07/22/09.........08/27/09............09/25/09.........CSC

NANCYNRAUL.........07/20/09.........__/__/__.........__/__/__............__/__/__.........CSC

DOLESUN............07/23/09.........07/27/09.........08/27/09............__/__/__.........CSC

TUSCONBILL.........07/24/09.........07/27/09.........08/27/09............11/04/09.........CSC

HTSLOGISTICS-JOHN..07/27/09.........07/28/09.........09/04/09............__/__/__.........CSC

DARUMA07...........07/27/09.........07/31/09.........08/26/09............__/__/__.........CSC

NATALIELALOPERU....07/29/09.........07/31/09.........08/29/09............09/24/09.........CSC

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