greg1984

updated online and on the phone 3 times....someone keyed the address in wrong....and now our life is upended....good luck with philly office!

I will preface this with the fact that I have an appointment with an immigration attorney on Thursday but boy could I use some advice.

My wife came here on a K1 from South Africa, we got married in March of 2018 and she received her work permit/combo card thing in August of 2018.  We have since built a life around both of us working and just waiting for this green card interview.  Today I was mailed a denial telling us that on March 17th they sent us an interview date that we never showed up to.  Well.....we never got that notice....we have been here patiently waiting and even calling the customer service line asking when it is and they said just to wait etc.....and today we were denied and she is ordered deported in 33 days along with her work permit cancelled...so now we have to move from our home if this isn't resolved....it was all a mistake...we were waiting for the damn interview and they never informed us.  We also updated our address with them to ensure it was correct because we moved mid process.  I'm surprised this letter actually got to us and the address had typo's in it and fortunately our mail man got it to us or the next thing would have been an ICE agent at the door....ffs......does anyone know what happens next?  I know there is this form we can fill out saying that something is wrong with the decision but any personal experience with this? 

Hello everyone,

Thanks to the group here...they have been here for me through this multi year process.  Started as a K1 application which got approved, got married a year ago, spouse received her work permit so she is now working and things are great!  Just still waiting on the Green Card Interview and the process is pretty much done. 

Problem

I may be about to receive a pretty big promotion with my job which requires me to go to south Texas.  My wife has no real work prospects there but the promotion for my career may be worth going for it and trying to transfer out in a year or so.  Long story short.  We haven't decided what we may do if the offer comes through but would us being separated for work purposes be a problem in completing the Green Card Process?  We are happily married and neither likes the idea of time apart...and we may decide against it...but we just wanted to know if we did go that route if it would be a legal problem...?

Thanks everyone!

Sorry for the dumb question but I don't feel like reading immigration law this early.....

It looks like they are doing GC's faster than EAD/AP cards.  Doesn't the GC supersede the need for the EAD/AP card?  In other words can't  you work and travel once you get the green card and if so then what is the point of the EAD/AP card?  I mean to say what is the point if you get the GC first?  I understand in theory the idea is you get the EAD/AP first so you can actually do stuff and visit home etc. 

Hello everyone

We are a K1 couple who are in the AOS phase and still waiting on my wife's EAD.  Obviously it doesn't take a legal scholar to know that she cannot be employed here until she has the EAD.  Is anyone aware of any reason why she could not work for a company in her home country remotely here?  She would be paid in her home country in her bank there and pay taxes on it in her home country.  Physically she would still be here in the USA. 

So we submitted the adjustment of status, employment authorization document, and advanced parole application as a combined packet and have a NOA of April 6th.  Just wondering if anyone knows what the typical turnaround is for the EAD document?  We aren't too concerned with the green card wait but my wife is anxious to go back to work.  Any May filers or anyone else for that matter have any ideas? 

Hello. Does anyone know where I can find how long a police clearance from South Africa is valid for. My fiancée got hers 6 months ago and now we are freaking out that it may be too old for the Dec interview. 

Does anyone know if the consulate actually receives our completed I129F?  I was thinking of couriering over additional copies of proof of relationship, i.e., the pictures, plane tickets, etc. that I already sent with the I129F but I assume they already have that?

I'm just curious what the point of the USCIS involvement in this is then...because they have already deemed our relationship to be legitimate.  The list you sent was regarding USCIS and we have already cleared that hurdle.  I have lived with her for over 6 months in SA...she has a B1/B2 Visa already and has visited here etc.  Jesus this is scary now.

Hello all,

So my fiancée has her interview at Johannesburg SA embassy on December 19th.  The paperwork from the embassy clearly states "do not quit your job or sell your things etc..." but given our particular circumstance she is having to do much of this prior to the interview.  Our paperwork has been meticulous.  I have sent over what I believe everything we need for the interview.  Work information, bank statements, the support form, etc.  We did use RapidVisa and I followed all of their checklists.  I am divorced and included original official divorce docs.  She has never been married.  Neither of us have "hidden spouses" lol and everything is on the up and up.  She wanted me to ask you guys because she is freaking out...at this point what could get us denied?  I told her if anything there is no way we could be denied...they may ask for something additional perhaps (can't think of what it would be) but I do not believe if you cleared USCIS and you are legitimate that you really could be denied for much...any thoughts to put her worried mind at ease?

Thanks!

Hello all,

So my fiancée has her interview at Johannesburg SA embassy on December 19th.  The paperwork from the embassy clearly states "do not quit your job or sell your things etc..." but given our particular circumstance she is having to do much of this prior to the interview.  Our paperwork has been meticulous.  I have sent over what I believe everything we need for the interview.  Work information, bank statements, the support form, etc.  We did use RapidVisa and I followed all of their checklists.  I am divorced and included original official divorce docs.  She has never been married.  Neither of us have "hidden spouses" lol and everything is on the up and up.  She wanted me to ask you guys because she is freaking out...at this point what could get us denied?  I told her if anything there is no way we could be denied...they may ask for something additional perhaps (can't think of what it would be) but I do not believe if you cleared USCIS and you are legitimate that you really could be denied for much...any thoughts to put her worried mind at ease?

Thanks!

Okay great that is what I thought.  It's weird because they didn't provide much in the way of instructions...I just sort of found out on my own about the affidavit of support and put that together.  I'm not sure if more instructions are coming to me.  But I think I just need to send of the affidavit and support documents directly HER and then it's sort of out of my hands.  I'm still concerned about getting them the correct address but I guess I should contact the consulate rather than NVC at this point...

So I thought I had this all figured out until my fiancé sent me a link to the department of state website she is getting information from.  We are at the phase where over the weekend I received a standard form letter from DOS stating that the NVC received our petition from USCIS and to give them a few weeks to send it over to the Consulate in Johannesburg South Africa.  However I don't know if this info is dated on the DOS website she found our what but it states I need to send my affidavit of support and all my evidence (bank info, work info, etc.) to the NVC.  I thought after receiving this notice the next step was for me to courier these documents directly to my fiancé so she has them for her interview? 

Separate topic...the address on the application is NOT a good mailing address for her it is only a physical address.  Should we contact the embassy in Johannesburg directly to give them good contact info for her?  I have no idea how they contact the claimant for her medical and interview dates etc.

Thanks!

Good morning fellow visa journey people!

So on October 10th USCIS advised me that the application was approved...awesome!  It still has not yet arrived at the NVC.  My fiancée does not receive mail at the address listed in our USCIS application.  Once it hits the NVC is it them that I should notify of a good address for her?  I assume eventually they will be mailing her stuff.

Next question...I am preparing my affidavit of support.  I have more than enough income from my job to meet the requirements but I still wanted to send my bank account info as per the form instructions.  My bank...TD Bank which is very corporate and controlled will not create a freestyle letter about my accounts.  They basically screenshot the dates my accounts opened and how much is in them and then applied a stamp to the print outs.  Is that okay?  I don't know if it is even relevant given  my income is well above the requirements for support.

Thanks!

I am May 5th NOA1 and still haven't heard...just FYI so we can all gauge things...

Hopefully they operate like they do where I work at the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Different departments processing different claims so like an influx of compensation claims wouldn't effect the pension claims and vice versa...hope we all didn't get swamped with dreamers.

So either I am a total moron or I just spoke to one after I finally navigated the intentionally ridiculous phone menu of USCIS.

I filed my I129F with a receipt date of May 5th 2017.  The USCIS website says that the California Service Center is processing cases as of July 31st dated March 1st.  If I read that table correctly that means that on September 31st (2 months later) they should be processing from May 1st (meaning any day now for us).  However, the person who I really think didn't know or care about any of this says that because in the bottom right of the webpage where it says they updated the information of service dates on September 22nd that they are STILL only processing cases from March 1st?!  I think she doesn't know what she's talking about because it clearly states July 31st they were working cases from March 1st...so...who is correct here?  Should I be expecting a decision soon or sit back and plan on waiting at least 2 more months?

Thanks!!

No we are just starting the process.  We have everything assembled and ready to turn in.  My fiancée is currently in South Africa and I am in the States.  I just am hesitant to submit until I am "legally able to marry" which will be 30 days after my divorce.  I THOUGHT my divorce was when the judge decided the case on 16 Feb. but apparently the court sat on it for ages and only signed it on 17 April.  Because of the 30 day rule in Texas until I figure out what's up I'm hesitant to submit.

http://txdivorce.org/texas-divorce-process/

May have answered my own question although I don't know how reputable this information is...what a heartbreak that a lazy judge has now really screwed things up particularly as my fiancee is having some issues at work with possible down sizing etc. and we really need to get her over here...unbelievable...hopefully someone has some better news for us...

Hello all,

So I'm a bit frustrated because I'm afraid a lazy court may have delayed this process even further but maybe I am wrong.  I was divorced (or so I thought...will explain) on February 16th 2017.  This is the date that the court heard the divorce and ruled.  In Texas you cannot remarry for a period of 30 days after the divorce...so we diligently waited the 30 days before revisiting the K1 paperwork as we didn't want to submit within this time frame.  Knowing we had to wait I contacted the attorney who said the final decree should be available in a couple of weeks...so by the end of February-ish.  Again, with the waiting I put off contacting the county.  Now that the 30 days have more than past we got back onto the K1 work and finished EVERYTHING except me getting my decree.  I assumed it was done LONG ago.  However, last week I called and found the judge had not gotten around to signing it yet.  I was SHOCKED!  Well, anyhow on April 17th 2017 he signed it and uploaded into the "system" so I was able to call yesterday and order my final decree, the official version that it sounds like I need.  They did email me a PDF of the decree in the meantime.  I read it over and all over the place at the bottom it has that date, April 17th signed by so and so dated April 17th etc. etc. 

So...long story even longer...Do we need to wait ANOTHER month now?  Or was I divorced on the 16th of February in which case we are good or am I only NOW just divorced as of 2 days ago...shocking...

Thanks!

G

Wanted to run this one by everyone.  My fiancée REALLY doesn't want to leave South Africa so we go back and forth daily about how we are going to be together as long story short she has some issues at work that make it a bit uneasy for me to go to her at least until her employment situation settles out a bit.  She brought up the idea of why don't we get married and both simultaneously apply for each others spousal visa.  I don't think this can work because you must prove to the US Government that you intend to actually use the visa and not just put it in your back pocket while I get my SA visa and look for jobs there etc.?  I don't know but it seems that they wouldn't look kindly on just "shopping" around for a country?  Thoughts?

Also is there any value to obtaining signed written statements from friends and family?

A couple more questions...

We don't have any pictures with time stamps (who even does these days?) they are all on our iPhones, Facebook, etc.  What format does the government want?  Print out actual photos and write info on the back?  Screenshots of our Facebook accounts?

Regarding airline proof.  I don't think either of us has any actual ticket stubs but we certainly have email ticket confirmations etc.  Is that acceptable to print out and use?

Thanks!