KozmicBlues

28 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Um, I'm an immigrant too, careful where you jump to when you jump to conclusions. All I did was point out something you posted that supports a common argument people give - you totally said in your own words that you would need to hire someone if the grandparents aren't here to babysit. Clearly, it hit a major nerve to spur such a rant.  Best of luck with the parents' visitor visas, I'm sure you now know how to tell them exactly what to say in the interview. 

Yea sorry - the statement felt like it was specifically expressing that viewpoint, since it didn't say anything like that's how the government would see it, etc. And the second part was by no means directed at you specifically - just this site in general. I've been reading a lot of comments on posts lately that feel very anti-immigrant and it's disappointing. One would think this is a safe space where you can find like-minded individuals supportive of all immigrants, but that is my naivety.

This whole process is just beyond frustrating when we are trying to start our family and just want the OPTION of my husband's family to come spend time with us. The fact that my child's grandparents and family members who are such a huge part of my husband's life may not be able to be part of our child's life if we are living in the US is just a really heartbreaking concept to grasp. 

Also... pregnancy hormones. 😣

Just now, Boiler said:

Also an immigrant and having looked after grandchildren I can absolutely confirm it is work, hard work and I am sure I am not alone in finding your attitude to those who do it demeaning. 

I am by no means implying that it is not hard work. In fact there's probably no way my mother in-law could watch the child full-time anyway because of how hard it would be - I was just saying it wouldn't make sense to not leave our child with them sometimes while we work if they are here visiting. I'm just frustrated that foreign grandparents would be accused of stealing jobs from Americans (not by anyone here specifically - but by how the Government determines intent) while grandparents who live in the US would never face such accusations of stealing jobs from others or working illegally, instead they would be getting praise for doing such a difficult and amazing thing of caring for their grandchildren. 

I personally couldn't even be a stay at home parent because of how hard it is! I'm not cut out for it and have immense respect for parents/grandchildren/care takers who care for children on a full-time basis. 

I did 99% of the preparing for my husband and he reviewed/signed everything - we never filled out any forms (K1, AOS, AP, EAD) with me as the preparer and never had any problems. I understood it as a professional service like RapidVisa or if a legal rep was preparing on his behalf or something. 

On 7/25/2019 at 5:54 PM, SusieQQQ said:

Which proves the point that bringing in grandparents for this takes jobs away from Americans. 

Okay now this is just ridiculous. It takes jobs away from Americas? Really? Would you say the same thing if I was talking about my American mother watching my child instead of me putting my child into day care where a random stranger will take care of them? So just because my in-laws happen to be from a different country they are now stealing precious American jobs just because I would want my child to spend time with their grandparents - to experience the same culture and love that his father was raised with? Are American grandparents who watch children during the day while parents work stealing jobs? Are they working illegally?

I'm so sick of the discriminating comments towards foreigners and immigrants that I continue to read on this site. It's absolutely pathetic considering everyone on this site is either an immigrant themselves or family/spouse of one. Just goes to show how many entitled people live in this country thinking they are somehow holier than thou just because they happen to be born in this country. 🙄

1 minute ago, SusieQQQ said:

Curious, who watches the baby when you are working and the grandparents aren't around?

 

I actually got a US visa in the same situation as this brother (after graduation, before job, i took a gap year to travel), just a one year visa but they granted it. To this day I cannot tell you why they granted it (i do come from a country with a very low overstay/refusal rate though, and even more so back then) and I think the chances of most visas being granted in this situation are slim.  His ties (or lack of them) to India are the same whether or not the parents are on vacation, and we have seen cases before of young single family members being denied while the older settled ones they applied with are granted visas, so I don''t think a family application (or lack of) will make any difference to the outcome.

I'm still pregnant so no need for anyone to watch the baby  I get 6 months maternity leave then we are fully prepared and plan to arrange proper child care arrangements - likely a combination of us alternating schedules, enrolling in a child care facility, or hiring an at-home care taker.

That's helpful to know your situation, but you're right that most chances are slim. I need to fully prepare my husband for the highly likely possibility that his brother's visa could be denied which is a heartbreaking reality for us to accept, but is reality nonetheless. 

1 hour ago, arken said:

All I am saying is if your parents mention “while we are there we can also watch the baby so our son/DIL can go to work” they will likely be denied. While it’s a tradition in countries like Nepal and  India, it’s considered work over here. Let’s say it’s equivalent to getting denied on a F1 visa by answering “while i am studying i may plan to marry a USC as well”. Lots of people do that as well.

Ok thanks, I understand where the concern is coming from. I am the one who has been thinking that if his parents were here visiting then we would obviously prefer to leave the baby with them instead of putting them in day care, so it's purely from my side and his parents haven't even mentioned any intentions of coming here specifically to be our sole child care providers. They just want to meet their grandchild. I actually didn't even think about the fact that this would be considered work so I need to take a step back and be careful what ideas I give to his parents so they don't misunderstand anything either. I will make sure they know to be 100% clear and honest of their sole purpose and intentions for traveling which is to simply VISIT us and that's it. 

43 minutes ago, arken said:

Ignoring other aspects, just the above bold reason will likely result in the visa denial.

 

Other than that, it’s hard to tell. Parents may have a better chance of getting visa than the brother for sure. One can only know after applying.

Guess I'm not understanding why that alone would result in a denial. If they are allowed multiple entries up to 6 months then what is the harm in planning to say for 3-5 months at a time to spend time with their grandchild and son? Them watching the baby is not the sole purpose, but if they are here visiting then of course they would want to watch the baby while we are working. We live in an Indian community and know tons of people who have their parents come stay, many for close to 6 months every year. 

Either way - you're right. There's no way to know whether or not they would get the visa. I was just hoping to get some advice on if my brother in law applying with their parents would be the best option, in which case we'll tell him to wait until they are ready to apply at the same time. Thanks for your reply!

Hello - I know there's really not much that can be done in terms of us sponsoring family for tourist visas, but wanted to ask if anyone has suggestions or helpful opinions. My husband (K1 > AOS > Green Card Holder) has a younger brother (25 years old) and his parents back in India. We are having our first baby in November so obviously we are eager to have his family come visit. We especially want his brother to come visit soon as they are super close and has been difficult for them to be so far apart. Then his parents later on once my maternity leave is close to being over. 

My question is more so around my brother-in-law... he just finished school and is in-between jobs. Being unemployed probably doesn't look good and he doesn't really have much in terms of ties back to his country other than the truth that he would need to stay there to care for his parents. But actually him just finishing school/not having a job yet is why it's the best time for him to visit - once he starts a permanent job it will be almost impossible to get enough time off. Anyway, I'm really nervous about him getting approval so I'm wondering if it would be better chances if he applies at the same time as their parents? So mom, dad, brother all together requesting a visa to come visit us and meet the baby. Or would that look more questionable if they are all coming together?

They 100% intend to return - we couldn't afford to support them here illegally even if we were crazy enough to consider it! And his parents would not do well here for more than a few months at a time anyway, but we want them to come see the baby and be able to watch the baby for a good part of the year while we work. Doesn't cost much to apply for a tourist visa so they could at any time, but I'm cautious as I know a denial makes an approval even more difficult to get in the future. Obviously honesty is the best policy and I just have to trust that as long as they are truthful about their intentions then it will work out, but of course I'm over-analyzing all of the possible scenarios!

Any advice or tips?

Yes the DS-3025 (vaccination report) is in place of the I-693 for K1 visa filers. As long as the medical was done within one year of when you FILED for AOS then you should be fine. Like above said - read the I693 instructions with exceptions for K visas, that's what I did and it put my mind at ease.

We just had my husband's AOS interview a couple of weeks ago. We brought a copy of the DS-3025 that the medical office had given to him during his K1 process. The immigration officer actually asked him for a copy of the vaccination sheet, but then said nevermind as he was able to find it in the file. So they SHOULD have everything from the K1 medical already in the file but make sure you bring copies of the DS-3025 just in case.

We had our interview 1 week ago (7/10), officer advised us at the interview that he was approving us and said he was updating it right then in the system. By the time we got back to our car my husband had a notification of status change and I think it said new card is being produced. The officer told us they are sending the GC's out pretty quick, within a few days. He said.. I'm supposed to tell you it will take a few weeks but it's been within 5 days lately that they are sending them. Sure enough my husband got an email with a tracking number the next day and according to mail it will be arriving today. 

All in all was a pleasant experience. The officer asked us some basic questions, but said he has already reviewed our file before and said it was pretty straightforward. He asked if we had any additional evidence that we wanted to add to the file - I handed him over all of the supporting docs I brought for bonafide relationship. He looked through the pics and paperwork then handed back the pics. He kept every piece of the paperwork I brought and hole-punched it to put in the file. So I was really glad that I put so much evidence together ahead of time. He also asked if we had the vaccination sheet (which we did) but then he ultimately found it in the file so said nevermind. Lastly, he asked for our 2018 tax returns which we provided copies of along with updated financial docs for my affidavit of support - my salary increased so I brought an updated form but he said he didn't need the updated form just the financial docs. 

He also told us to prepare similar evidence once it's time for ROC and to especially include birth certificate for our child (I'm currently pregnant). The officer was really nice... after the formal stuff was over he was making small talk and asking us if we have any exciting plans and asked us what we would do after we left to celebrate the approval. 

We are so happy and relieved to be done with AOS!! Now we get a short break until it's time for ROC 😀

I'm really sorry that happened to you. Sounds like you are better off without him though and it's good your family was there for you. Just focus on yourself and healing from the heartbreak. You can't undo the K1 since you used it, but just be open and honest if you ever go through immigration again in the future and I'm sure it will be fine. 

15 hours ago, JloveN said:

You will be fine!. I had interview last week. I was worried if I didn't bring enough evidence that might be asked. But things went smooth and easy. It was just about talking about relationships etc. Good luck for tomorrow. 

Thank you!! Interview went well and the office approved him on the spot  

We spent so long waiting for the interview to be scheduled (about 14 months after filing) and yet somehow the day completely snuck up on us! We're also moving to a new apartment this weekend and the timing of getting everything prepared has been crazy so I'm triple checking everything. Please feel free to comment with any last minute tips or words of encouragement to ease our nerves for tomorrow! For reference - I am the petitioner (USC) and my husband is the beneficiary. 

Here's a summary of what I've prepared for us to bring along:

• All required docs as per interview letter (marriage certificate, birth certificates, all travel/immigration docs ever issued, etc.)
• Originals and copies of everything we have that is related to immigration + important docs like Social security cards, birth certificates, passports, state IDs, etc. 
• Updated Affidavit of Support with 2018 IRS tax transcript, employment verification letter, 2018 W2, last 2 months pay stubs (I got a promotion since we filed AOS so my salary is higher - assumed this would require an updated I-864 even if my income met requirements before)
• Medical - all we have is a copy of the DS immunization form which they gave to him after completing the K1 medical, my understanding is that he doesn't need to do another medical since we filed for AOS within 1 year of the exam
• Any and all support I could think of to show evidence of our ongoing relationship, including:
  • Medical & dental coverage with my husband listed as a dependent on the plan
  • Husband listed as beneficiary on my life insurance
  • joint checking account statement
  • joint credit card statements (1 card in my name with him as an additional cardholder; 1 card in his name with me as an additional cardholder)
  • Tmobile phone bill with both of our phone numbers listed on the plan
  • joint signed lease at our new apartment (we are moving in on Saturday; don't have a current lease as we live in a friend's house with roommates and never signed a lease)
  • receipt from airline tickets purchased for our travel back to India together in March 2019
  • Internet utility bill in his name at our current address
  • joint electric utility bill in our names at new address
  • Monthly visit summaries from my OB doctor since I became pregnant in March + copy of ultrasound picture that was taken while we were visiting in India and saw a doctor there to check my pregnancy 
  • 20-30 photos since the time my husband arrived in the US - added a few of our wedding which I had also sent with the AOS. Additional photos include ones from the marriage reception we had this year when we went back to India to visit and other photos of us together along with friends and family. 

One question - since we are moving and our address will be changing just 3 days after our interview, should I ask them to change the address at the interview or should I wait until we move and update in online? I'm worried to make any address changes because I've heard negative experiences where people didn't get notices after moving, but I know it's a requirement to change it. Luckily our friends will still be living at our current house so if anything goes there by mistake we would still get it. 

I feel like I've thought of every possible thing to show as evidence but please let me know if you think of something obvious that I have missed. Ultimately we're both confident because there's no reason not to be when our relationship is genuine, but this is my first time dealing with an actual USCIS interview so of course I'm a little nervous!! 

You have a few options -

evisa - easy/cheap to apply but limited duration

10 year tourist visa - only allows stays up to 6 months 

OR if you are married to an Indian then I believe you can apply for an ‘entry visa’ if you are spouse of person of Indian origin but I am not 100% clear on the duration

Like others mentioned, you aren’t eligible for OCI card until after being married 2 years. 

check visa details here and make sure you apply for Indian visa only through that official site. You can also contact cox & king for more info and to understand details of which visa would be best. 

https://www.in.ckgs.us/visa/entry-visa 

Like others said, you don't have to wait to immigrate until after the pregnancy. however... I HIGHLY recommend researching how much it would cost to have the baby in the US vs. Canada unless money is no object for you and your spouse. I'm of course assuming healthcare costs are more favorable in Canada than US (because most places are 🙄). Will you have insurance coverage in the US? or cash pay? You may want to have your spouse start calling some OB doctors and hospitals to get an idea of costs if you would be cash pay. TBH it feels like having insurance in the US actually ends up costing you more though since they can bill your insurance at insane rates. 

Speaking from experience... it's insanely expensive to have a baby here in the US. I'm currently pregnant and have already shelled out around $4k (with insurance) and I'm not even in my third trimester. I have a $10,000 max out of pocket with my insurance plan and at this rate I will definitely get to the $10K max. I just got a bill in the mail yesterday where the office billed my insurance SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS for an ultrasound... just to put it in perspective. So if you're near the end of your pregnancy anyway and money is at all a concern then you may want to consider waiting if it's significantly cheaper in Canada. Either way, all the best on the pregnancy and immigration journey!  

17 hours ago, Cristel said:

Lied for what,....?  She is my cousin but I am not used to called her cousin I called her sister and at the interview when they asked me a question I said my sister.  

This is common in other cultures... my husband calls his cousins brothers and sisters. But he would know not to call them brother or sister at something formal like an immigration interview. It probably just caused them minor doubt if you didn't give the correct facts and even the slightest doubt can cause long delays. Sounds like you just have to be patient and wait for AP to run its course. 

My husband (then fiance) went with business casual style... nice pants/jeans with a button-up shirt. Not required to be formal/overly dressed, but you should look presentable as if you were going to office or a nice outing. I can't imagine wearing ethnic wear would be a problem, I'm sure lots of people do at the embassy. 

I don't have a whole lot of advice here, but I do want to say that I sympathize with your situation and like others mentioned - your feelings are 100% valid. My husband is homesick often, and how could anyone not be? He gets through by staying busy with work, enjoying our life together, and meeting handful of new friends, but it will never be easy. As long as we live in the US, he will always be away from his family and from his home which is a really difficult thing to grasp.

I admire the strength in all of you who moved here to the US. A lot of people outside of this process judge and assume people WANT to come here because, "duh..it's the USA!" But those of us going through this process for the genuine purpose of being with the one we love recognize how difficult of a sacrifice you are making to be here. Just continue to remind yourself why you are here and that if you were back in the UK without your spouse, you would be longing to be back here with them. I know it's hard, but at the end of the day it should always be worth it. Once you get your AP/GC you will be able to visit and I'm sure that will help ease the intensity of it all. 

Also, from the petitioner/USC spouse perspective, it brings on a level of guilt that I never thought possible to feel. I feel so guilty that he had to leave all of that behind to be with me, but at the end of the day we chose a life together and made the decision together that US was best at first based on our situation. However, if the day comes where he tells me that it's too hard to be away from home and he wants us to live in his home country instead, I will drop everything and make the same sacrifice without hesitation. I think that's the important piece in these relationships - that each individual in the relationship be willing to make the same sacrifice.

Anyway - I truly hope that it gets at least a little bit easier for you as time goes on! 

It's free to apply so you might as well - can't be sure no delays will happen with the i-485. My husband got his EAD and AP in September 2018 and just barely got his interview scheduled for next month...July 2019. 

Finally got our interview scheduled letter!! (Phoenix office, July 10th appointment) I was just about to file for EAD and AP renewal, which I am still going to submit just in case. 

Can anyone confirm on AP and EAD renewal - we have to submit them separately, right? When I was reading instructions it looks like we send to different addresses, but hope I am correct that there are no fees since AOS is pending.

Anyone from Arizona in here and still waiting for the AOS interview? It's been almost a year for us! We're going to have to file for EAD renewal next month... 😢

Hi everyone,

I've searched existing posts but all seems to be for situations where the foreign spouse has no SSN and/or has foreign income.

Background: My husband came to the U.S. on K1 in Feb 2018. He did not work at all in his home country in January so therefore he has no foreign income during 2018. He does have a SSN which he got before the K1 expired. He received his EAD in September 2018 and began working immediately at a part-time job. His income for 2018 came out to roughly about $6K since it was part-time and only a few months of the year. His AOS is still pending awaiting interview so at this time he does not have a green card.

I started my taxes on TurboTax as Married filing jointly. I entered all of our details and it never asked anything about his citizenship/residency status. I searched for help on TurboTax and the only thing I can find is steps for filing when the foreign spouse DOESN'T have a SSN. I guess since he does have a SSN it didn't trigger any further questions. Now I'm at the point where I can submit and e-file, but I'm just not sure that it would be this easy? Is there something else I have to do since he is not technically a Resident yet? I keep reading something about attaching some affidavit to say that he should be treated as a resident, but I'm super confused - do we have to do that and can we still e-file?

Our tax situation is super simple otherwise so I'd like to avoid paying a CPA to do our taxes if at all possible. But I also don't want to screw anything up and have to answer to it later!

Appreciate any advice or guidance.

On 12/20/2018 at 1:02 PM, Sarah&Facundo said:

We just asked for a reschedule a few days ago. We are also visiting my husband's country and the interview got schedule they day of our flight home  We called the USCIS office and put in a service inquiry. Hopefully this is enough to take care of it......

Hey! Just logged back onto VJ. Did they ever respond to your service inquiry?

Hey April group!! Hope everyone is well and getting ready for the Christmas holiday!  Just have a question about interview scheduling... does anyone know if it's possible for us to re-schedule when USCIS schedules the GC interview? and what that process is like?

We just booked airline tickets to go back to India for a visit in March for about 5 weeks. I'm a bit nervous that as luck will have it, his interview might be scheduled around that time since it will be 1 year from when we filed. He has had the EAD/AP for a few months now, so we actually completely spaced the pending interview when we decided on dates for our trip. I'm just trying to prepare ahead of time so I can be ready in case that happens and know what I need to do if it happens!

Hopefully the interview happens before, but it's not likely. Our local office is Phoenix, AZ which is notoriously slow so maybe it will happen after our trip anyway which is totally fine with me! 

On 11/20/2018 at 5:13 PM, britishandusa said:

Who here still hasn't gotten their AOS interview? 

 

I feel like we won't get our interview until next year  

We also have not gotten our AOS interview, but I'm not surprised. From what I've read the Phoenix office takes a long time. So I'm not expecting an interview to be scheduled until it's been at least a year since filing.