masterpiece

"When You Have Your Immigrant Visa - What Should You Know?

If you are issued an immigrant visa, the consular officer will give you your passport containing the immigrant visa and a sealed packet containing the documents which you provided. It is important that you do not open the sealed packet. Only the DHS immigration official should open this packet when you enter the U.S. You are required to enter the U.S. before the expiration date printed on your visa. When traveling, the primary (or principal) applicant must enter the U.S. before or at the same time as family members holding visas"

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Above taken from state dept website.

So the principal applicant is unable to enter the U.S before the expiration date of the visa. What are his options now to complete this process especially since wife and kids have made it to U.S?

Any thoughts?

Scenario:

Mr X is an adult sibling of Mr Y(USC) who filed for Mr X

Mr X`s family have made it to U.S....sorted out their immigration papers

Mr X is unable to meet the deadline for entry into U.S

What alternatives does Mr X have to chew on fo a travel date that goes beyond USCIS deadline?

Appreciate your input

Well it sure gladdens my heart that you ended that thread with my words....sigh.....i should change my name to CRYSTAL BALL..

So you got your passport Sep 13....before Friday Sep 17, you will get your certificate....and if perchance you dont get it....relax you are still a USC....it will all work out...

@Franklocks:

So now you are getting a finger wagging....Tsk! tsk!! tsk!!!

Did Masterpiece not teach you well the finer art of relaxing....taking a deep breath....etc etc?

I am off VJ for a while and you relapse?....more tsk! tsk!! tsk!!!

You will get your passport, then your certificate in two separate mails.

Don`t sweat it!

And oh by the way congrats on being a USC. "Where the party at"....?

This is not the first time that "idontcare" has treaded the path of "putting asunder". I have long concluded that "Idontcare", based solely on her unfortunate experiences, has made it a point of duty to lump all marriages that involve Nigerians into one miserable box. I suggest that the OP takes time to consider her options. I know not your entire situation but this much i know: swallowing hook, line, sinker any thoughts, suggestions, ideas and what have you from "IDONTCARE" will be a blunder of amazing proportions..........

Is it not ironical that after several months of being away from VJ (and SS-Africa) i stop by briefly and the one thread i peruse has IDONTCARE going off the deep end as usual? Hmmm maybe i was meant to neutralize some of her comments...if i take this upon myself i think IDONTCARE may need a long vacation....but then we are talking indicators of probability here, arnt we...... IF!!!

By the way i think there are one or two who may have tried to contact me over the past few months. Hey if you have, please feel free to drop a new note. I apologize for not being in touch. I will check back later today and will certainly be happy to share any experiences...

Thanks folks

A journey that began in June 2006 ended quietly on July 16, 2010 when i received my U.S passport.

Along the way, here on VJ website, i learnt quite a lot and wish to thank all those that have graciously given of their talents, knowledge and time in posting relevant materials and experiences that continue to make this site what it is- a huge resource!

Here`s wishing you the very best in all your endeavours.

Later....

@ SayWhat....

Yes i will stay aggressive....i do that when folks over-generalize such as you did in the statement i highlighted.

There is no amount of "round-the-blocking" you can do, or profess to doing, that would equal the experiences folks have had.....not read or heard about....so please give me a break!

I reiterate: There are millions of folks in 20th world countries who would rather be home than become American Citizens. I am not one of them just like "i am no mugu" statement does not give you "street cred".

Clearly you are not wise enough to know when you made a mistake that you can easily retract without losing face and moving on...

I shall leave you to bask in your ignorance and perceived statesmanship. Hallucinations are certainly not confined to the auditory or visual with you....

@ Say What...

For every one African that considers becoming a USC "salvation", there are ten others who would prefer to stay home. Period!

Please do not embark on a war of words, or facts, with me. You will lose..........MISERABLY!!!!!!!!

You have not been around the block long enough to make a generalization of that magnitude. You should have said some...keyword some...3rd world or 10th world (you probably prefer the latter) country folks equate Salvation with the acquisition of USC.

"......So in my book it's ok to point out some aspects of the U.S. and say they are superb (and I do), but fauning over America as some kind of heaven on earth is a bit yucky and not realistic unless one comes from a 3rd world country where becoming an American (or a citizen of anywhere in the West), really is salvation......."

@ Say What..... Sayyyy what???? Salvation???? Please be careful how you make such general statements that stray very far from the truth...

Axiom 1: By 3rd world country you are referring to most countries in Sub-sahara Africa and perhaps some South American countries

Axiom 2: By citizen of anywhere in the West... as in Western Hemisphere....you would include countries like Haiti (even before the earthquake)

Say what???

I won`t even dwell too much on this one because it shows a great level of ignorance, on your part,to make such generalization and over-arching assumption.You clearly have not been to the places you call 3rd world countries (last time i checked the politically correct terms were developing and under-developed nation....but hey who`s checking....perspectives come a dime a dozen..) and may have not interacted long enough with those who continue to proudly declare their motherland and place of birth as the number 1 place they`d rather be.

Truth be told most folks i know that have left Africa are here, in the main, just like other immigrants......for economic reasons!Here`s a simple example- true story! I hustled to get green cards for my parents. Both parents made their inital entry to U.S, validated the 1-485 filed for them and promptly returned to Nigeria. No thanks! Salvation? I think not!

Yes there are generation X kids--- the MTV-influenced teenagers who dream about nothing else (okay call it salvation) but travelling to U.S but the fact is simple- you will find a subset of this population in practically every nation (outside the states) simply because U.S portrays a certain amount of freedom. [Keyword: Portrays

I bet an analysis of these teens would reveal that ten years after entry into U.S, they begin to yearn, all too fervently, for their homeland because they have appreciated that the so-called U.S freedom is a little bit more of a mirage, an illusion if you will...

Say What???

Dont let me expound anymore...simply curtail your statements to very little generalizations. It certainly is a more prudent approach to take when your discourse is in a public forum such as visajourney.com

Say What???

Did you ever hear about the 1986 Nobel Prize winner for Literature? A certain gentleman who picked up his prize in Norway (think West!!) and despite all the doors that opened up decided to make his home country his place of abode.

Say What??

If i begin to delve into examples here, we will not leave this thread. So enough said!

A retraction of a generalization should be your logical move. Say what? Yeah you heard me.

Department of State(Passport Agency) will return the Green Card and other documents you submitted (your Cert. of Naturalization)

When you are ready to apply for N600, the green card will be submitted to USCIS and will not be returned. In exchange the Certificate of Citizenship will be issued...

So here`s a true story to twist the debate a little bit...

A friend in a similar situation laminated C.O.N in 2004 immediately after receiving same

This year the lamininated C.O.N was submitted, through the passport application agency, as proof of U.S citizenship for minor child

Following the usual 4-6weeks post-application, minor was approved and U.S passport issued.

Note the C.O.N was the only document sent in as proof.

So does that not indirectly suggest that a laminated document is still a viable document?

Anyway even though story is authentic, i guess i will not be laminating...

So for all you USCs, did you laminate your certifcate of Naturalization?

Any experiences out there where lamination of the certificate posed a problem?

I ask this because i was going to laminate my certificate when a friend suggested i wait until i am done with the state dept.

It is done. Masterpiece is a U.S citizen.

At the Richmond Court, it was a process that lasted slightly over 2hours. Started at 9.30am and by 11.35am we were done.

Note for others going through Richmond Court: No cell phones or electronic devices are permitted in the court- cannot bring them into the building so your best bet is to leave said items at home or in your car.

Well goodluck to all others awaiting the completion of this process- at least the USCIS component.

Onward to Passport and Social Security Card......but not yet...not yet!! (quote from Gladiator)

I will continue to doff my hat to the folks who conceived this forum. I know they look at their baby with so much satisfaction. Kudos to them and those who continue to keep the flag flying.

I rest my case!

@ Helen..........Congratulations on passing your interview. Now wait a minute. You know the rules, No red until after the oath. You know i got my sprinter`s shoes on and you are a full 24hours behind me...

@ JomW10.........Thanks for correcting the dates...Like to have a date on 6/16 9oh i dunno say about 4pm) with a red font highlighter in tow?

@Ned1US..........If you get no response from a&o soon we can safely assume they are drinking some palmwine under the shades in a village somewhere outside Accra

@ Helen..........Congratulations on passing your interview. Now wait a minute. You know the rules, No red until after the oath. You know i got my sprinter`s shoes on and you are a full 24hours behind me...

@ JomW10.........Thanks for correcting the dates...Like to have a date on 6/16 9oh i dunno say about 4pm) with a red font highlighter in tow?

@Ned1US..........If you get no response from a&o soon we can safely assume they are drinking some palmwine under the shades in a village somewhere outside Accra

Okay! Okay!! so i love my Baby-back Ribs (yes..Prime!) and refused to break my nibbling motions to be out here to shout......

..........C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!!!!!!

We go wash am ohhhh!!!!!! Oops i forgot..you are in the west coast...Argh! Anyway i could still send a cousin or two to represent me.

So the belated congratulatory message comes after my posting about your migraines? Life...one moment you are celebrating passing interview, the next its headache time. Say when do we pause to smell the roses, huh?

Ziia, its okay now. You are free to rejoin the thread. I know you had to take some analgesics after all that "hammering" you received. Phew!

Here is an antidote::::

So you made a mistake on your posting and got corrected......It`s all good!

I would focus more on getting the congressfolks involved rather than driving 4hours to meet up an Infopass appointment- only to, perhaps, run into a bleary-eyed cust. service rep with no relevant info.

JasmineLily.......Relax!

It happened to me. So i kinda screwed up on the mailing address. Yes i did....using USPS express mail and sending to Lewisville instead of Dallas or whatever. Point is...my tracking had same message.....forwarded!

Well guess what? They eventually get it...see these mail delivery folks do this all the time...Dallas/Lewisville and i bet they do it rolling their eyes too, like "oh Lord here comes another one". I did not even stop there.No Sireee... When i finally got my package resent back to me for the big crime of not signing the N400 form itself....what do you think i did?

I ended up forwarding the letter to the Dallas address (thinking...ahhh redemption time!!).Meanwhile the letter that accompanied my returned package stated (i hesitate to use the word clearly) somewhere at the bottom:::: send to blah! blah! blah!!!...Lewisville address

Did i make any attempts to contact them and have them resend it from Dallas to Lewisville? NO!!!!!!!!!!! Let them sort it out.

Throughout this period i was whistling...Prince`s This is what it sounds like when the doves cry........

Perhaps i knew one little secret: I sure as heck am not travelling outside the U.S this year and i will be voting in the next mid-term elections......so in the final analysis...what gives?

The question to ask, Franklocks, is this...

Do i plan travelling with a U.S passport before 2010 ends?

If the answer is yes, then you do your utmost best to reschedule your thesis defence

If the answer is Heck, No.....then you make an infopass appointment with information about the defence of your thesis on that date with a passionate letter requesting that you be re-scheduled for the next available date. A copy of information about thesis defence should be with you for submission.

Now why would this cause you headaches? The only migraine Masterpiece would allow you have, at this time, is the one directly connected to the defence of your thesis....remember?...that singular act that could shore up your livelihood....

Answer the questions above and the headaches should go...puff!

Great thread...NigeriaorBust...Come to think of it...Great user name too.

May you never bust at the seams! Go on give me a chorus to that.......

Very often folks forget this marriage issue (and the problems that often arise therein) are not exclusive to those that marry outside their race or tribe. Here is a simple fact: If you have lived in the states for awhile and you marry someone who has spent most of their adult life in sub-saharan Africa, chances are both of you will be going through some major, major, changes and battles during the early stages of your marriage.

These dynamics are also at play when you do not take the acclimatizing bit into the equation.

Understanding therefore that marriage by itself is a work in progress as so many have already alluded to in earlier posts is critical. Then recalling that the work in progress is often compounded by layers of swirling emotions induced, and catalyzed, by the whole USCIS process may well be something to remind yourself each day since the process can be prolonged.

I have found that the key to simplifying this work-in-progress is to amplify the positives and downplay the negatives. Oh and by the way, like most marriages it helps to eschew discussing what transpires between man and wife to outsiders (friends and family inclusive)and simply working it out.

Are there any quick fixes to this word- marriage? Heck no. If in doubt , ask Al and Tipper who, after 40years, suddenly realise they have grown apart.I tell you, this work-in-progress can become an uphill battle never to be surmounted without help from God.

Here`s wishing y`all a wonderful journey....not just the USCIS trip but in the more important journey called life..

Thanks ChiChai....looks like i placed the wrong date ...June 16, 2010 is the correct date...not 6/1/2010 or 6/10/2010

Appreciate your help.

Could anyone please add 6/1/6/2010 as Oath date for me?

Thanks

Just let me know your POE..(ooops! I guess the aftermath of USCIS will live on years after 2010....some warped form of PTSD, i wonder?)...

I mean let me know what airport y`all are flying into JAX, MIA and i will be there, kegs and kernels in tow...