Sparkle✨

1 hour ago, Braveheart123 said:

What is your field office where your interview took place 

Seattle field office.

On 10/19/2023 at 2:04 PM, Braveheart123 said:

Dear freinds 

this forum has helped so many of us by sharing their views.

 

I have a request that is their any member who has recently had a citizenship interview under VAWA can you share your experience Ie what questions they asked you this will help the other members as well 

It’s been almost year since I became a US citizen. The interview for me consisted of basic questions from the N-400 form I filled and the civic test. No one questioned me about vawa. It was a simple and quick process. 

On 7/4/2023 at 12:44 AM, Family said:

My personal experience is work related . You are not going to be treated differently than any other applicant ( review the form info and  study civics questions , read through the link)

The timelines are faster nowadays. Everyone is getting an interview within 3-6 months of applying.

On 3/4/2023 at 7:13 AM, uzokwe007 said:

Hello. I am pretty new here. Please I have a question: how do I apply for VAWA without having the SSN, Birth certificate or Passport of my abusive spouse? All I have is our wedding license/certificate and photos. It is possible this has been asked before so please forgive me for asking again, as I could not find it in any of the previous threads. Thanks for your helpful responses.

You can write an affidavit stating you don’t have any of these and request USCIS to check their databases for him. That’s if he’s ever applied for an immigration benefit. Be sure to write his full name and DOB. Good luck in this journey. Its a tough one but with enough support you’ll get through. Read these VAWA threads all the way from part 10 and you’ll be equipped to handle your case yourself. Also, always ask anything regarding the petition here. We are a group of folks who help each other. 

On 2/28/2023 at 11:59 AM, Ballerina said:

Ran into my ex over the weekend at a social event for the first time in 2-3 years. I know he has no idea how I have been because my family and friends have been a protective vault with regards to me and my wellbeing. Judging from his reaction, I gather he expected me to die of misery following our awful marriage and even worse separation/ongoing divorce. But I didn't - in that time I have lost all the weight i gained in my suffering, graduated, and now work as a physician at a fantastic hospital, moved into a cute little condo, and just overall living my best life. Finally. He said hello, I responded cordially and i think we both realized at the same time that I am now blissfully indifferent. I always thought I would hate him or be resentful but turns out I just really don't care anymore. Guess who now wants to go to therapy and do everything to work this out? Hahaha. Never again.

 

This process is long, draining, and still ongoing for me but i am grateful it has helped me find myself again even though that felt impossible at some point just a year or two ago. We just all need to hang on a bit longer, this story will have a happy ending for us.

I’m so happy that you’re in a good place in your life. Please do not entertain the past ones. They’re called “past” for a reason. 

Just wondering; do officers interviewing in Seattle wear masks?

Also, if it’s virtual, which software do they use? Teams/Zoom or any other?

To everyone here: you matter, you’re worthy, you’re a survivor and you will win!

Don’t fall for their lies and tricks again. Once a liar/ cheater- always a liar. Narcissists rarely change. 
Standup for yourself. The best revenge is success!

21 hours ago, Hopeful diva said:

Hello everyone! Some of you May remember me, old time user. Had my vawa approved in 2017 four months after I filed it and got my GC in 2019. I’m back here because it’s time for me to file for my naturalization under the 3 year rule. I just wanted to confirm if the 2 year 9 month rule still applies and if it’s okay to file using that rule? @sandranj pls help me verify if I’m right. Thank you 

Yes sista! Its still 2 years 9 months. I am in the same boat as you. Hopefully we file for citizenship soon and complete this journey successfully:)

2 hours ago, Matu said:

Yes today 

im waiting for the letter 

@Matu sorry to hear about it but I’m sure USCIS explains in NOID letter why they intend to deny. Many times it’s something that can be corrected with more evidence such as shared residence for residence proof etc. One of the most common reasons for denial was that people who filed it were ineligible for VAWA benefit because of previous unterminated marriages or applying 2 years post-divorce.

In your case, I hope it’s something simple that can be explained and have USCIS reverse their decision.

10 hours ago, J2020 said:

Hi fam 

 

I just received my approval notice from the attorney and I noticed these paper punctures on it. Is this going to be a problem when I go for the interview? Or for adjusting status application?  I don’t know why the attorney did this 

No, don’t overthink. This will have no impact at all. Besides, its your copy. USCIS have copies of each and every letter and document which they send to you and vice versa. The punching is a way to secure papers together. I recall sending in my VAWA application with paper pins but at my interview my file had all documents punched and secured like that. 

@Stillwinning!!!😊 I’m filing soon for N-400 as well. I too need all the help I can. A Vawa VJ member @gramercy recently completed her citizenship process. Her timeline has all the needed info for submission online till the interview. I’d use this as a guide as well. 

@Blunt your VAWA journey is concluding soon. The interview is just a formality. Congrats in advance upon your grand green card approval. 🎈🎉🎊

10 hours ago, Blunt said:

🤣🤣🤣🤣 always crazy as ever my dear  sister🤣🤣🤣 I can’t come and kill myself ,I have to keep up the positive vibe always  ,I know Gods wills will be done so I dnt worry myself too much ..no panic ,I just put everything in Gods hand with clean heart since the beginning of this journey and I know God will definitely take  control,I know is taking forever but patience is everything in life ..I will work on disconnecting myself from the lawyer and getting all my notices from uscis forwarded to my place .. ..I hope you doing good @Stillwinning!!!😊 ? May God bless everybody and emancipate us from the hand of uscis ..I can’t just wait to stop thinking and talking about paper stuff cauze at the end nobody is taking this whole green card to heaven when we pass away 🤣🤣 sometimes i just sit down and think about the mental and physical stress people goes through to get their green card and become citizen !! The  stress looks like we gonna take those green cards and blue passport to heaven when we grow old and pass away 🤣🤣🤣🤣 that’s why I just always relax myself and be like what will be will definitely be 🤣🤣no panic ..I will keep updating everybody on here as the case is going ..thanks so much 

@Blunt Please take a deep breath. Your case will be approved in God’s name! 
This is a journey, everyone of us has crazy experiences along the way. In my case I had a so called “pro-bono” atty from catholic charities who didn’t know her job and I hopped from psychologist to psychologist trying to get myself an immigration evaluation.

On top of that, my original i-130 atty was fired by me and he never withdrew his representation anyway and was giving updates to my ex! So Idk how effective those letters are. 

12 hours ago, gramercy said:

Hello Everyone,

I attended the oath ceremony yesterday and now I am officially a US citizen.

 

The whole process took an hour and a half.

 

*The interviewer had edited my name on the application and used my name before marriage (I had just shortened it) despite of my marriage certificate and SSN and IDs!!

I told her if that was the case then I request a name change (to the name which I had been using 14 years already!) she still edited my name wrong put my put one of my last names as middle name and one as the first name!!! which was ridiculous and became an unnecessary reason for delay and stress!

 

After arriving for the oath ceremony they had us wait in the room and requested that we wear our masks then an employee checked that we had filled the form that is on our notice letter and that we brought our green cards.

At the window; the immigration officer took my green card and handed me my naturalization certificate and name change document (I did mention the name issue he told me it shouldn't be a problem)

  

Then the judge virtually joined us and we were greeted then took the pledge of allegiance we were dismissed.  

 

Congratulations my dear! 
I remember when I stumbled upon VisaJourney, (during one of the darkest episodes of my life),you were in the VAWA process then and very active in the forum as well. You answered everyone’s questions to the best of your ability and helped many folks in the process. It’s heartwarming to see that your immigration journey is officially complete! May you be an asset to this country and continue to shine! ✨ 

On 2/25/2022 at 9:59 AM, gramercy said:

Hello Everyone,

 

I wanted to share my news with you. I had a very lousy citizenship interview on 2/15/2022  despite passing the test and answering all questions correctly the officer was VERY rude and unpleasant. She questioned my eligibility and insisted on changing my name back to before marriage  I explained that my SSN and all papers in USA have my name after marriage (just a short version of my name, i never took my husband's) and my marriage certificate was signed by a judge and even then she did it incorrectly and refused to even let me answer the question regarding my eligibility.

She gave me a letter stating that I passed and a decision cannot be made yet.

 

I left the interview very upset and frustrated by the whole situation, just to put it politely she was a despicable person (I hope she was just having a bad day and won't subject other immigrants to this again).

 

After a week of praying for the best outcome I received the notice of approval, followed by the oath ceremony instructions for next month. Thank God 

Now I have to deal with the problem of correcting my name which I hope someone will assist me with during the oath ceremony.

 

I am thankful for this forum where I found a lot of helpful tips and support during this journey,  I added my timeline as my signature and hope it will be a useful reference to you.

Best of luck to all.

Congratulations 🎉🎊🎈 

The immigration journey is officially complete for you! We pray that each and everyone here goes through a smooth process immigration ride too.

Stay blessed!

23 hours ago, BlueTiger92 said:

friends, I'm feeling so low today... this process is sooooo long, almost unbelievable that they make survivors of abuse to wait this long. if anything, this should be the fastest one... I'm grateful for my work (thanks to EAD) and people I love... staying patient... but just wanted to share my feelings...

The 4 P’s will help. 
Prayer, Patience, Perseverance and Positivity.

If you ever want to vent or talk, feel free to inbox me. 

41 minutes ago, FirstTimer said:

Hello Family

How soon we can sub to renew C-09P work authorization card. Also, my I360 was filled on December 1st 2020 and total 413 days past. When should i expect any response from USCIS.

 

 

You are way out of processing time! You should inquire ASAP via your congressman 

Any members who have successfully naturalized recently after VAWA? Please share your experiences. 

Happy New Year VJ family! 
May we see many more approvals this year!

 On another note, I have taken a deep interest in working with VAWA immigration and I’m looking for some formal education in this field so that I can actually volunteer or work part time in a law office.

Can experienced members please advise on best certifications to take for this purpose?

7 minutes ago, balo101 said:

Hi Mahi,

Please take is easy. We all are on same boat. we all are/were suffered abuse. 

 

I have seen here on this forum people went to interview (without even VAWA application sent) and told the officer to hold the i-485. they were given 30 days. You can try that, however, it is all depend on the officer. 

 

If yo let this deny then you can not legally work until you get the new EAD. 

+1 for this info!

So you still go for the interview and request your i485 to be held in abeyance. This will save your current EAD and you will be able to work.

worst case, they say NO and you have to wait for your vawa EAD which you need takes a while. 
So with both scenarios factored out. Make a decision which seems best to you. Personally I went ahead for the interview and asked for my i485 to be held in interim. And it was. Vawa was already filed but I had no reciept yet. 
 

Talking of abuse and humiliation, know that this VAWA thread is all full of people with similar/ more or less experiences like you. We are a community of survivors and if we git through it, so can you!

1 hour ago, Mahi Bansi said:

Hello fam!

 

First post here. Please help me. Any information is appreciated.

My wife hid the interview appointment from me. I got to know from USCIS that it is in next 2 weeks (on Jan 06, 2022). Now she is refusing to go and even slapped me. The past 6 months have gone horribly - I was slapped, spat on, humiliated, beaten (have injury photos), and some sexual exploiation also (which I am very ashamed to disclose). One day, she denied me entry to home and I had to sleep on street. I beared all this because she said sorry after everytime. I thought things will get better after green card but now hope is gone. I read about VAWA, and after crying for 3 continuous days, now I am planning to file VAWA. I have a marriage based C9 EAD which will expire in April/2022. I have filed for renewal and I got the 180 days extension.

I cannot file VAWA right now because I do not have resources, and I am sure my I-485 will get denied, and my EAD will not be renewed.

 

Senior members, please advise. @Demise  @sandranj @TBoneTX @Engineering-rocks @Shiva

If I file for I-360 by end of January/2022, with new I-485, I-765 (EAD), and I-131 (AP) together, can I still keep my EAD category as C9 (as I still will be married). Will I get my EAD in C9 category or will I have to file for C31 category.

Also, when should I expect me to get the EAD?

 

What I am terrified is to be financially dependent on someone as I do not have any family here.

It’s sad that you’re going through all this!but

you can do the following:

1- Gather all your necessary documents e.g marriage cert, pics together, joint bills. 

2- email yourself a copy of all e-media such as bruise pics, threatening messages, etc. change your email password or alternatively make a new one which your spouse does not know. 
3- Pack all necessary belongings in a single suitcase

4- Call police and say you are being abused(at the time it happens). Make sure they make a report.

5- Leave for a shelter.

you will get access to pro-bono immigration attorneys there. Begin filing your VAWA asap. 
6- Send an overnight carrier letter marked “urgent” with all your UScIS case numbers to your field office asking to hold the i485 because you’re going to file VAWA. Better if you still go to the interview and explain to them why you don’t have the letter and show them your online status saying your interview is scheduled( not sure if they will let you attend it, esp of your spouse is there too). 
7- once VAWA is filed, start divorce proceedings 

8- Attend therapy

9- you deserve a life of dignity and honor. Respect yourself enough to walk away

10- @sandranj is a lawyer, she is may take up your case if you request her. Other members like @Demise are very knowledgeable here and are your go-to resources. 
11- You can file for fee waiver for the applications

12- This too shall pass and along with you, we shall all be celebrating your victory whenever it happens. 
13- Good luck and best wishes. Keep on praying and working hard!

6 hours ago, Nomadboy said:

I live in NJ and I have a firearm purchase permit issued by my local pd. ( I’m a hunter )

when I went to purchase a rifle the state police denied because of immigration status. 
the gun shop said that maybe because my EAD was expired even if I have the extension letter which he couldn’t understand that was making me legal.

I lost 20% to return policy..

now I’m getting my new valid ead, should I be ok? Or it’s because I’m not a permanent resident ? 

@Nomadboy let’s discuss simple DMV and EAD’s here, not firearms 😭

8 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

Avoid dismissing the power of prayer, friends here, and Official/Semiofficial VAWA-Thread Jokes.

 

In addition, consider:

 -- violent physical exercise

 -- learning something new (intellectually, or a skill) in addition to your schooling

 -- finding and helping someone in even worse shape than you think you're in (there's always someone)

Violent physical exercise: does lifting come under this? Or maybe kick boxing