CheeseMonstah

1 hour ago, Misstiq said:

Hi everyone

 

Just wanted to share my news as I just discovered my fiancee lied to me with the k1 and did not disclose he had 3 drug charges against him. We applied back in the summer and I explained the steps required. After sending the application in he tells me he has not filed his taxes in 3 years! I said that is tax evading and he better file taxes asap and straighten out that mess. 

Now the drug charges, his lie is it happened 20 years ago and was a charge of selling a joint to an undercover cop. I was able to do some investigating and found out it was 3 charges of manufacturing to distribute and was just 7 years ago, which is a very serious offence . I have not confronted him with the drug charges information i recently recieved. In the meantime I have left his sorry ###. I know there was no way the k1 would have been approved. How did this moron think he was going to hide that from me. He led me on the whole time and would say let's deal with that when time comes lol. I am just grateful I found out now what a pos he is and saved myself from a huge mistake.

Should I confront him with proof of his charges and give him an opportunity to explain?  He tells everyone this lie including his so called friends. Also report him to IRS for taxes?

 

My advice: move on with your life. Sorry all of this happened, but you'll be happier if you just let it go and focus on you.

International connections in Chicago means you'll have to change terminals. After that, you need to re-clear security, which can get long. Chicago, New York (JFK) are not the fastest airports for connections. Allow at the very least 2 hours (3 ideal).

Hi everyone!

So as of yesterday, I also added my name to the list of US Citizens! I figured I'd add my experience, since I couldn't find many cases like mine.

I filed originally in NJ, and had my biometrics done at the Paris of NJ, Elizabeth. I received my interview letter sometime around June, and between getting the letter and the actual date of the interview, I moved to MA. Not wanting to mess up anything, I just bit the bullet and went back to NJ for the interview. Though everything went well (I described the interview in another post), as I was no longer a NJ resident, they approved my petition but couldn't administer the same-day oath as it's standard there, and instead transferred my case to MA.

I received my oath letter last week, only some 10 days before the oath date (and I received 2 identical copies no less).

Oath was scheduled at the Lowell Auditorium. This being a large public venue, naïve CheeseMonstah thought there'd be ample parking. WRONG. The whole area was an insane mess, people parking in prohibited spots as time drew near, traffic accidents, everyone stressed... I found a metered spot 0.5 miles from the venue, and ran, getting there 15 minutes after the scheduled time.

Turned out I didn't have to run. The line at that time was some 300 people long outside the auditorium. They were checking the documents and handing out US flags and voter registration cards. Everyone was super nice. A word of advice: in the oath letter, they say you should fill out only on the day of the oath. In the spot where it asks where it was signed, I put the city I live in. Apparently that's wrong, and they asked everyone in line to scratch that and add Lowell instead. So put the name of the city where the oath is!

Once inside, took my seat, crushed some candy and waited for the ceremony to begin. All the mezzanine was filled with family and friends!

A lady from the league of woman voters came to talk about the importance of voting and explaining the voter registration form.

Then shortly after they announce the court was in session, judge came in, administered the oath and gave a very nice story about her family immigrating from Ireland, and coming from poverty and making it here. Touching story. An 8 year old who's parents were being administered the oath proceeded to give the pledge of allegiance, the star spangled banner was played, and a tape with president Trumps words congratulating the new citizens was played and that was it. They came around handing out the naturalization certificates and name change certificates, and now we're free to pay US taxes for the rest of our lives!

I think they mentioned 681 people were being administered the oath, and there were 141 countries represented!

Good luck to everyone. As the previous times I have updated the table I managed to royally mess it up, can someone please update it for me? Oath given on 09/19 and now I'm also red US citizen!!!

2 minutes ago, Jass said:

Thank you! We all have the same last name, (i didn’t have the change it thank goodness lol) so that wouldn’t be the issue. But i was just trying to figure out the best option. The kids are sometimes left alone and they are only 6 and 8. I don’t like that one bit 

You could move there and be involved in their day-to-day lives, and make sure they're taken care of!

Others provided good immigration advice, let me provide you a life advice:

Marriage is a long, long, long term commitment (in most cases). Marrying someone is one of the most important decisions in your life, and you need to be sure that's what (both of) you want. Ending a marriage is not easy or cheap. Immigration itself is not a reason to get married.

If you say moving back to Belgium would mean the end of the relationship, it sounds to me you don't have a solid enough foundation. I was engaged to my (now) wife while I was working in Romania. It sucked, but it was the best thing for both of us. Many here stay engaged or even married for > 1 year while living apart waiting for the visa to clear. It's not fun or easy, but we/they do because they have a solid foundation to their relationship, and can endure the wait and the separation. If you know staying apart would mean the end of your relationship.... I think it's time to go home, move on.

Best of luck!

Could it be your wife doesn't consider herself married to you, and is now breaking up by "disappearing"? 

I'd also withdrawal the application. If things get back to normal, you can always reapply. But at this moment, if you haven't spoken to her in months, you don't have a bona fide marriage.

8 minutes ago, Roel said:

You cannot get a marriage visa (or any visa) from within US.  K3 visa is non-existing also.

 

You can't change status to IR1 visa also.

I don't know if L1 visa is dual intent, but if not then you cannot get there and adjust status also.  It dual intent is allowed, then the non-US spouse can apply for adjustment of status. Please read the guides.

It is. I adjusted from L1 to Marriage based green card.

So I had my interview on 7/19, and to this day it still says I'm in line for the scheduling of Oath. Is it normal for >1 month wait between the interview and having it scheduled? Should I submit a case inquiry?

I've always wondered how people can stay >180 days out of the country if they truly are residents. I struggle to take a 2 week break to travel, to me the concept of claiming to be a resident and staying 300 days out of the country is quite foreign...

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3 minutes ago, Richard Moss said:

Maybe you should "date" long distance until you are 100% sure you don't want to call it off again because your fiancee wants ketchup instead of mustard on hot dogs..... 

If my wife were to put KETCHUP on her hot dog, that would be our end too!

I'm not an expert, but it sounds to me, as you're planning on staying about 7 1/2 months out of the country, that you'd be abandoning your LPR.

I had my N400 interview last week, and after I mentioned I had a couple international trips before my oath, they immediately asked whether those trips would put me over the 6 months mark (they won't).

4 minutes ago, dandk said:

Depending on which State you reside, the State can charge you with Voter Fraud. As others already mentioned, it's deport-able offense.

 

Here is sample of the recent case,

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/peru-native-who-voted-illegally-two-u-s-elections-now-n746721

 

 

It's sounding like deportation might be the path forward. It's a federal offense.

23 hours ago, Charly2 said:

Congrats on your approval!!!! When she asked you about your trips ...those were refereed to all the time you're being in the US as a permanent resident or just in the past months, since your N400 application was submitted?

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I guess she asked in general from the time I became a LPR. I then mentioned that since I submitted all my international trips with my N400, I had a couple other trips.

Ok guys here's an update and experience on my Newark Interview:

As others described, you proceed to the 15th floor, but then I got sent down to the 14th floor. Checked with an agent and waited to be called. I had a 10:45 interview, showed up at 10, and seemed like I was pretty much the last person to arrive in a packed room.

About 30 minutes later I was called. The officer proceeded to check my green card and passports (including my expired one), and asking the usual questions. When she asked if I still lived in the same address in NJ, I told her I recently moved and she looked concerned. She said she could still do the interview, but the moment she updated my address in the system, the system would flag a change of jurisdiction and that they would be physically unable to print my certificate and do the oath there. Tried to explain that my living in another state was for the moment temporary, but to no avail. She said as I was no longer a NJ resident, they couldn't do it there, and the system wouldn't let them. Can't blame them for that one, it was just bad timing with my work relocation.

Bummer, but interview proceeded. She asked me how many times I've been out of the country, and I apologized and said without checking my records I didn't recall, as there were several (short) trips abroad for work. She looked into her files and asked "18?", to which I said it sounded right. I also said since submitting my application, I've been abroad twice. She looked into her system and said "oh yeah, you went to xxxxx and yyyyy", so they have this information. My advice (on this topic but any topic really) is: don't lie. Better to be honest and face whatever consequence then lie, run the high risk of being caught and then things can go really bad.

She also asked if I had any other citizenships, to which I said yeah (pretty sure they have this info as well). She then asked if I wanted to keep Brazil as my country of origin, to which I said yes. She proceeded to ask if I was married, the name of my wife and kids and whether they live with me. She then said she'd proceed to the civics test. The questions were:

- who wrote the declaration of independence

- who is the commander in chief of the armed forces

- what are the two major political parties in the US

- what is the political party of the president

- name a state that borders Mexico

- name 3 of the original 13 colonies

She then handed me a piece of paper and asked me to read "who elects congress?", and then gave me a blank piece of paper and asked me to write "the people elects congress". After that, she said congratulations I'm recommending you for approval, but since we cant do the oath there today, you'll get the oath letter in the mail". It was all done very professionally and simple, and I think by 11:30 I was out of there. Unfortunately, not a citizen yet but a step in the right direction. Not 10 minutes after I got two texts from uscis, one saying my application was recommended for approval, and then a minute later another one saying I'm in line for the oath.

Some advice: you CAN have your phone with you, but they asked that you either silence it or keep it on vibrate. If you have to make/take a call, you need to go back to the elevator hall to do it. I saw a lot of people playing on their phones in the waiting room, didn't seem to be an issue.

If someone can update my timeline (last time I messed up the whole thing) please, with my interview on 07/19!

Thanks and good luck to all.

8 minutes ago, Floflo said:

I don't think it was sudden

Life happens

Love find us when many of us were not looking

Example i lived in UK, do visit US and go back on one of those visit i met the love of my life and the rest became history.

Love makes it happens.

We can find it anywhere

So you left your home, most of your clothes and all possessions behind?

That's brave. I'd be worried about unpaid rent/mortgage back home, if I only came for a short trip I'd worry about my clothes, abandoning my job, my family... If I had a chance I'd go back home, settle things and come back on a K1 visa or something like that.

Unless of course one never had any intention of coming back....

8 minutes ago, missileman said:

I have a question.  How difficult was it to just suddenly decide to leave everything behind in your country when you only planned to remain in the US for a temporary visit?  This question has always puzzled me.

Was it really suddenly though? 

25 minutes ago, semsem said:

Since you have 10 days to update your address, and your interview is within those 10 days, so you are okay to keep using the old address until the day 10th of of your address change.

if I'm you, and the they asked me if I still reside in the same place? my answer easily will be (I just moved to a new address 6 days ago and had no chance to send you the updated address).

Well, TECHNICALLY it would've been 15 days when I get to the interview...

Still think I will follow your advice.

4 minutes ago, florida racer 73 said:

 

i am a business owner and quite honestly, this topic would lead me away from hiring someone with an ead. Talk of filing complaints, eeoc complaints, why would I open myself up to that!

 

Ha, I was just thinking that myself. As a hiring manager, if I interviewed someone and became aware the person pulled stuff like that in the past, I'd respectfully "go in another direction, but keep their resumes in our database"

50 minutes ago, semsem said:

If you send them a request to update your address, they will diffidently reschedule your interview, and it might take several months.

My recommendation is to update your address in the interview, and you're good to go.

Ugh now I'm even more unsure lol

Wouldn't it be a problem if I show up, first question is, do I still reside in the same place, and the follow up: then why didn't you update your address online within 10 days as it's required?

13 minutes ago, Orangesapples said:

All of those things (hiring decision on the next day, hiring manager emailing instead of calling, only involving HR later) have happened to me with major corporations. So they sound perfectly normal. 

That's why he/she said "typically". Depending on the job those things don't happen (if you apply at a small business, it's typically only the owner that interviews you, and processes are less formal).

In major corporations such as the one subject of this thread, there are multiple approval layers, to the point where it's frustrating. And such corporations have strict policies on how to communicate with candidates. They have dozens of people whole sole job is to create policies and procedures to prevent liabilities such as lawsuits. That's how they can hire/fire dozens of people every day around the country and not go bankrupt with litigations. They know the law very well (probably better than you and I), even if lower level employees might not sometimes.

And you're the one taking OPs description of events as 100% true. What some of us are saying is, let's not jump to conclusions, maybe things didn't go quite like OP described.

Maybe they did act in a manner not in agreement with the law. You don't know that, and I don't know that, we only know what OP told us. If they did act in such a way, I'd hope things would get fixed in the future, the law is there to fulfil a purpose, and it would mean that purpose is not fulfilled. But in practical matters, OPs goal is to land a job. Threatening a lawsuit or forcing his/her way in, especially for someone so early in their career, is not a good career move and won't help achieve their goals.