JGK2004

Hello Tine68,

Thanks for the reply.  So just yesterday we got our email for making the appointment and my wife will go next Tuesday.  So I did have three more questions for you!  So with paying the 325 at the consulate.  Do you pay cash? Or do you need a credit card?

Also I have read things where you can't bring anything really into the consulate and you need to use some storage center down the road.  In Munich, before you go into the embassy, there is a room where they take your cell phone and anything they don't want inside.  Do they do that as well in Frankfurt or do you have to come with nothing really? Just paperwork and IDs? I have read that some people miss there appointment because they bring stuff and are not allowed into the consulate.

I have also read you can't bring more then one child with you.. Have you heard of this?  While you were there did you see any other visa applicants which had two children with them?

Thanks for all the help,

JGK

Hello Tine68,

Sorry to hear your relocation got delayed.  Hopefully the hiring freeze will end and you can head on over.  So I did have one more question.  You stated above that your approval email to make the appointment came in about 10 days.  We are still waiting for ours and we will be at 10 days tomorrow.  Just wondering,  I sent in all the documents and went onto the website to setup the address for mailing the documents and visa when they will be sent back after the interview, but did I miss any type of payments?  I have read my wife will have to make the remaining payments at the interview, but things seem very outdated online.  I read somewhere else that you are suppose to pay when you submit the supporting documents after the DS260.  When did you make your payments?  I know stated before you had to pay for all the medical stuff, we did that already since the medicals are good for 6 months.  As soon as your have the DS260 FRN number you can make the appointment. So we did that.  Am I missing any payments?

Thanks again for all the discussions,

JGK

Hello Tine68,

I hope your relocation to the USA is going smoothly.  I just wanted to thank you for all the chatting on this form.  So we are now at the last step of getting the interview which I hope to have setup within next week.  Our I-130 took 55 days to complete which wasn't bad at all!  Then it took 7 days to get the NVC letter to tell us to fill out the DS-260.  That form did take a lot of time, like three hours!, but was easy like you stated.  Now we are just waiting for the confirmation that all our paper work is OK and then we can make our appointment!  Hopefully we can get an appointment this week or next week!  Then I hope to bring the family over to sunny California ASAP!

Thanks again for all the help and I wish you all the best!

JGK

Hello Tine68,

Thanks so much for this last information!  I hope my process is as fast as your!  I will keep you posted if your interested and for others which might be reading this!  Thanks again for sharing and I wish you all the best in your relocation to the USA!

JGK

Hi Tine68,

Happy the interview went very good.  If you don't mind me asking, how long was it? So you go the visa packet 2 in just two days! wow that is fast. Just wondering, what is in there? and what is the last fee you are talking about?  Also when do you get the Green card? Was that in packet 2?  Also, can you provide more information on this apply within 2 years for the removal of conditions?  What conditions?

Thanks so much for sharing your adventure! I am hoping my my I130 comes back very soon!

JGK

Hi Tine68,

So how was your interview?  Just wondering what the next steps are!  

JGK

Hi Tine68,

Thanks again for this information and good luck on your interview next week!  Looking forward to hearing the next steps and maybe you can give examples of questions you were asked.  Also just wondering, does your husband have to be at the interview as well?

JGK

Hello Tine68,

Wow now it is moving along fast.  Good to know my wife needs to get her medical two weeks before interview.  Does it need to be within two weeks or can to be before two weeks, like a month earlier?  Also wow its crazy how much all these tests are costing..  I mean its worth it but I wish they would just provide a total list of costs.  I haven't heard of the 130euro lab results cost yet.. thats a new one for me. So when you made the appointment where there lots of opening, or was it fully booked till February 1?  If you wanted, could you have made an earlier appointment?

Thanks again for all the feedback and good lunch next week for the interview.  

JGK

Hello Tine68,

Thanks again for the post. Wow I didn't know there was a walk in place in Frankfurt for the medical.  Are you just going to do the walk in right before your appointment or a few days before?  Let me know when you get your appointment and how fast the Visa comes next.  This would be great information for our planning! 

Thanks again for all the feedback, 

JGK

Hello Tine68 and Lenchick,

So yes I filed the I130 two weeks ago and got the NOA1 last week.  I keep on asking stuff because of the website you posted is not matching what  USCIS directly has said to me. I have called USCIS in America 4 to 5 times and also get different answers from them. Only USCIS in America will pick up the phone, the Frankfurt office is just a recording and I have never talked to anyone from Frankfurt.  Instead I get just short emails which make me even more confused..  What I can conclude is a lot of stuff is not up to date. For example, the NOA1 has the wrong website on it, it doesn't even work, and it says the next form will be the DS-230 which was replaced by the DS-260 last year, thus not up to date at all.  I am just super worried that I forgot stuff. Thats why I am asking so many questions and it is nice to talk to people which are going through the same thing or have gone through it. So I did just look over my 1040 and my tax guy is great. It shows all my foreign incoming since 2008, addresses where I live and my first son's SSN which is good.  I will copy that thing and sent it in to add to my I130.  I just want to make sure they have everything they need for this thing so it doesn't get held up.

So Lenchick,

Just wondering, so you stated your I130 took 60 days.  How were your next steps.  Can you provide more details? Can you provide more information on what this package  requested so I can make sure I have everything ready to send is ASAP like Tine68 did? What I have so far is:

1. My wife needs to fill out the DS-260 online

2. I need my German address where they will send the Visa and package information

3. Passport copies. I will provide the whole family.  It seems to only state just my wife.  

4. Birth certificate for every family member. My wife and son's are in German, Do they need to be translated??? 

5. Marriage certificate. This is fine since we got married in USA and its in English.

6. Police reports. Applying today and it takes 2 to 3 weeks

7. pass port photo, the same one we used for I130

8. Affidavit: I will fill this out now ahead

9. Now from tine68, they will ask for 1040's That is not listed anywhere.... I will include this now as well and get ready.

and then my wife will get this medical examination date after she sets up the appointment.

So am i missing anything?

Thanks again for all your help here!

JGK

Hi Tine68

Thanks again for the feedback. Yeah I think you have to be prepared for these documents thats why I have been calling everywhere, talking to immigration lawyer and well this form has been the best source.  The Lawyer doesn't tell you anything because they want you to sign a contract first and the worst thing, I don't think they know about DCF at all... They kept on telling me it would take 9 months and I would need this PO box in the USA then I would need the NVC which is super slow as well.  What I found is doing a DCF is only possible when you live in the country which has a  visa office.  Did you have to show proof of living here in Germany?  I read somewhere they need your resident permits...

So just a few more questions   

So what is a DEERS?  Did you get married here in Germany or back in the USA on vacation.  I got married in the USA on vacation at my parents in 2011 so hopefully this helps out since its in the data base in my home town..

As for the most recent tax return,  I don't have a 1040 or W2 since I have been working in Germany for the last 8 years.  Do you mean they will want my Lohnsteurbeschinegu (spelling... sorry) or my Lohnsteurcard?  I do file my American taxes with a Tax guy I have in Hamburg, but he said to make things simple there was no need to put my wife on it since she doesn't have a SSN or was an american citizen.  My Son was put on it since he had an SSN.. So what did you send in? Your German stuff or did you husband have a W2?

Thanks for the last statement: " Some of the Questions where a little hard to understand, but there are helpful hints on the side of each question as to explain what they mean" . Know I am for sure not going to pay a immigration lawyer since this stuff is online and even gives you hints!  That would be the problem with the old DS-230 which was not online.  If you don't know what to put down then you create the problems which cause delays. 

Thanks so much for all this help,

JGK

Hello Tine68,

Thanks for the fast reply and feedback.  So the NOA2 took 64 days even when you had the RFE.  That isn't bad at all when they say 90 days...  So one more question for the I130. They asked for documents on , showing co-mingling of banking, buying a property, having kids, or taxes.  Since my wife and I have been married for 5 years and have two boys which are both US citizens, i just included the boys US passports and German passports with parent information and birthday data.  Did you provide all the other things, or just one thing?  I am wondering if this week I should just send in the banking and tax records since I requested them two weeks ago and they take time to come in English..  What did you do?

So as for the next step, I got the check list in front of me for this DS260 and the stuff which needs to be mailed in and I was just wondering, Some of this stuff takes time to get like the police report, we go tomorrow morning since it takes 3 weeks to get back.  Was there anything else which takes time which I might be overlooking? Also did you get your German police report translated into English? Also did you have to do this Affidavit of support thing?  What is this exactly, this I-864?

Also, thanks for stating the website was really easy to follow... I was thinking of hiring an immigration lawyer so I would not mess something up which could cost weeks.  Now it seems the fastest way is to do it yourself. So did you have to fill out anything at all in forms? Or just collect these required documents?

Thanks again for chatting about this.

JGK

Hello Tine68,

Congrats on getting the NOA2. Just wondering, do you know how many days it took from NOA1 to NOA2?  Was it the 90 days they said in the NOA1 or was it faster?  I am hoping its faster since online it said at the NCSIC website 1.7months on average... SO lets see, I am getting nervous too since it looks like I might have to leave my family behind and fly back monthly to see them till this stuff is finished..

So just wondering, when  you say "as i recieved notice by email today, to go ahead and submit a Apointment Scheduling Request and to complete my Medical" This means you didn't just get the NOA2 but you submitted the next step which I am struggling to find out.   After the NOA2, you got this package thing and submitted the DS-260? or how exactly did it go step by step if you don't mind sharing? Also just wondering, when you look for the appointments, can you tell me if there are lots of openings or are you going to have to wait a few weeks?

Thanks again for all your discussions and sharing on this.  It is super confusing....

JGK

Hello Tine68 and Sunflower18,

So you both haven't talked since new years but I was wondering if I could join in on the discussion.  I am an american living in Munich and I am in the process of getting a visa for my wife who is German as well and I was wondering how your process has continued these last 20 days. I myself have just filed the I-130 just last week and got the first letter just like you with no case number, just the charge receipt and a paper saying to wait 90 days. I was just wondering, how long has it been for you and also have you gotten the I130 approved yet?. Also since I can't find any steps online I was wondering if you could help me out with the step by step process since I can't really find it anywhere. 

Also, just wondering but what was your RFE on maybe I forgot something as well

JGK