bobjennyhitched

10 hours ago, powerpuff said:

This is exactly why we advocate for applying for spousal instead - virtually same processing time, much more superior visa.

Yes ours took 26 months from start to finish for the spouse visa, upside I qualified for the IR1 rather than CR1 due to being married over two years at the point of approval. I was approved March 2020.

For those not familiar with the spouse process, IR1 is a 10 year visa and CR1 is 2 years.

15 hours ago, Sangeeta Rana said:

Hi me and my husband has a age difference of 19 years and we did court marriage because my n his family was against of this marriage because of age issues. Right now our case is in nvc soon i will get the interview date more over because of corona he didn’t get a chance to come india. So do i need to worry about my interview, can they reject our case.

 

i have few pictures of ours

bank statements of our joint account 

the gifts he sent me from Us receipt and pictures 

xoom statement 

i used his bank card in india that accounts statement

call records 

chats 

 

 

My husband is 17 years older than me, I had no questions at my interview on the age gap. We managed to get a joint bank account, I'm not sure if using his card in India is evidence. Try and get a lot of evidence to be prepared like I did. Better to have it and not need it or need it and not have it.

Best of luck!

On 2/1/2021 at 3:26 PM, SusieQQQ said:

Your friend’s situation is very different to OP. Firstly, a history with drugs is extremely prejudicial to chances of getting a US visa, especially if there have been any related convictions. Secondly, being a substance abuser is a medical inadmissibility (potential to harm self or others).  Very different situation to OP.

I didn't say it was similar. All I did was provide an example of someone who was denied but never mentioned it was similar at all not once.

I also provided a link with some information for OP in the hope it may help as it provided information for crimes that may prevent a US visa.

11 hours ago, movetousa2021 said:

Hello all. 
 

I have a quick question. My wife and I looking at moving to America on an I-130 visa. We have a minor (at least I hope it’s minor) stumbling block in that I have a “criminal” record - 1 caution from 2001 when I was 15 and a 12 month conditional discharge from back in 2008 when I was 22 - this is now spent/stepped down. Both convictions are for minor offences. The first was from damage to property and the second was for disorderly behaviour/using threatening and/or abusive language. 
 

I'm worried that despite these two convictions only being minor, they may cause a couple of issues in the visa process, but going forward ahead of that, I’m worried that it might impact my chances of employment when the time comes around once we have moved. What are the chances that this could happen?

 

Thanks in advance. 

First off, I don't know as I did not have convictions, but I thought I'd google and found this link. Hopefully it may help. Sorry I can't help further.

https://www.ezbordercrossing.com/the-inspection-experience/prior-criminal-offenses/crimes-that-will-make-you-inadmissible-to-the-u-s/
 

I did have a friend who is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict and he was denied his US visa. That's the only experience I know off through discussing with him. He wanted to move to marry his fiancé. He's still working on this and I hope he doesn't relapse.

Also, good luck!

32 minutes ago, Hadeer said:

Yes i am petitioning my spouse so its important to change the address in which i am in now. 

Ah ok, sorry I can't help further. Maybe @Lucky Cat as you are a long standing member do you know why the USCIS wouldn't have US citizen or what @Hadeer needs to do?

5 hours ago, Hadeer said:

I have a US passport. 

Ok, I'm not sure, are you sponsoring someone? Is that why you needed to change address?

My only thought is now your a US Citizen do you still need to update the address if you are not sponsoring someone?

Maye someone else can answer.

1 hour ago, Hadeer said:

Hi everyone, 

 

I have changed my address so i went in to my uscis online account and tried to change my address but in the drop menu list where i should choose country of citizenship i couldn't find US. 

 

I found "Other" so i choosed it and wrote US citizen, so is that correct? 

 

Thanks alot. 

Are you a Green card holder or hold a US Passport? I hold a Green card so I'm a LPR and a British Citizen, I won't be a US Citizen until I get my US Citizenship (Passport). Hope this helps clear this up.

2 hours ago, Sukie said:

Most of us here on Visa Journey are younger, just starting relationships, etc.  However, there is one critical reason for both partners to be US citizens in your later years, and that has to do with estate tax when one partner dies.  If you are both US citizens, and you own a house, there is a hefty exemption for the surviving citizen.  If the surviving partner is a non-US citizen, there is no such exemption.

 

Do your homework.  I fully understand not wanting to lose dual citizenship, especially with travel.  But as you age, check with your tax advisor about what would happen to the non-US citizen in the event of the US citizen's death.

 

Sukie in NY

Thanks for this, it's eye opening and gives me more reason to get my US Citizenship when the time comes.

13 hours ago, Noname93 said:

It seems like almost everyone I see either here or in Facebook groups plans on becoming a citizen as soon as their timeline allows. I wonder how many people there are here who are planning on just staying greencard holders. For me, it's because I'd lose my original citizenship. Also that way, when I have children, they will become dual citizens giving them the chance to move to the EU if they ever want to.

I wasn't going to until it essentially stops me progressing in my job. To qualify as a customs broker, you have to be US citizen, so I did change my mind (not been here long enough yet). However, on research I can have dual citizenship for the UK and US (I have a friend who is from the UK and kept her citizenship when she became US citizen).  I too, want to keep my British citizenship for our future kids.

I think personal circumstances play massively into this and also some people just don't want to, which is fine. I'm not hot on Austrian laws on dual citizenship but I understand Japan has the same where you can't be both. 

23 hours ago, Boiler said:

UK does not have a registry, you just state you are free to marry. They do not keep track elsewhere.

My husband had to provide his US divorce papers before we got married in the UK, that was in 2017. So we had to prove he was free to marry.

On 12/10/2020 at 5:26 AM, Myramatters said:

Hello when you take screenshots of call/messages should phone number of spouse be visible? The only way the number is visible on whatsapp is if I take off my husband's name. If there is a phone number and no name, will embassy be ok with that? Please advise. What have others showed in their screenshots: name or number? Thanks 

Hi! Personally, we never submitted our messages etc.... but there is a function in Whatsapp to export the chat to another file, it's probably quicker than screen shot. If you go on the chat, and click the name at the top its in that menu. (Not sure if anyone else mentioned it). You can email it to yourself as a text document with or without the media, and it shows the names of the people in the chat. Hope this helps.

Good Luck!

Mine took 10 weeks, I entered on 26 April. I think mine was delayed due to COVID though.

I'd call your SSA Office, they may refer you to the National one. I had to get my company to write a letter in the end to get me an appointment to apply for it as they needed me back at work. I did put it on the DS-260 as well. I just wanted to let you know my experience on this. I think I got my Green Card about a week after my SSN.

20 hours ago, DonCorleane83 said:

After my wife visa has been granted does she need a Covid test before entering the USA.

19 hours ago, DonCorleane83 said:

Thanks.

Much appreciated.

As said by another, it may depend on state. I had to have a COVID test before entering Connecticut but not to enter Colorado (I moved in April at the start of the pandemic). I hope this little bit helps. Also, I hear United is offering rapid COVID tests on certain routes, might be worth watching for.

Also, I quarantined for two weeks on arrival, might not be mandatory but you also don't want be a poster child for COVID etc.....:)

22 hours ago, MAT2020 said:

I am a US citizen. My husband (UK) citizen has had his US immigrant visa approved.

he has it stamped in his passport and has the envelope to give to border patrol. 
 

Can he travel to the US without me ? 
can he go and go through immigration at the port of entry with his new immigrant visa and I travel later?  Or must we travel together ? 

Sorry, I misunderstood. See comments above. Ha you learn something new. Good luck!

23 hours ago, iwannabeskinny said:

As the title says, my (US citizen)Fiance (french citizen) and I filed for the k-1 back in January, we got our approval in June and it was supposed to be sent off to France,  but as everyone knows they aren't sending these out until embassies start processing again... 

 

 

Would it be smarter/faster - to get married now ( I am currently in France, as of 2 weeks ago [partner exemption] for 2 months) and file for the CR-1 ... Are they currently processing those in France? 

 

Also if we got married -> what would I need to show to customs next time I come back to France to Visit, because I know that the french are excluding spouses in the exemption.. 

 

 

Any ideas/advice would be much appreciated 

Hi, I can't confirm the current situation but we had to withdraw our K1 (due to my father's heart attack and he couldn't fly) and we got married in the UK. It took us another two years to get the visa approved. My husband had to refile taxes to prove his income and that caused our delay.

My friend in Boston, it took them 13 months for a CR1.

I don't know how long the back log is in France but wanted to give you an idea of the lead time of spousal visas.

On 10/30/2020 at 1:49 PM, James120383 said:

what kind of broker service needs US citizenship that green card holders cannot get ?

Customs Broker, it's my speciality from where I'm from. As I'm not a US citizens yet, we aren't allowed to apply for this or take the examination.

As noted in Title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations part 111.13(b) (19 CFR 111.13(b)), in order to be eligible to take the broker examination, an individual must (on the date of the examination) be a U.S. citizen, must be 18 years of age, and must not be an officer or employee of the U.S. Government.

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/customs-brokers/license-examination-notice-examination#:~:text=As noted in Title 19,employee of the U.S. Government.

I don't believe you can expedite it under normal circumstances. I'd loved to as being a Green Card holder (temporarily) holds back my career as a Broker but I have to wait the 3 years on the GC as I'm married to a US Citizen.

Why do you need to accelerate it? 

Thanks all! This is what I was thinking (you gave extra details too). My husband and I were discussing it and both think its unlikely she will be able to come.

Not for me but for my husband's adult son. He wants his girlfriend to visit from the UK. Planning to fly direct into the USA from Manchester, GB.

I thought the ban was still in effect, but can anyone clarify? She is a British Citizen, they aren't married etc....

I just want to clarify so I can advise him it may be good for him to see her rather than have a major disappointment come December.

4 hours ago, Greenbaum said:

Can I share somethings with you that I learned long ago about this process?

    • "the man with the gold makes the rules"
    • it will take as long as it will take 
    • no one with any certainty can tell you when some process will be completed
    • Your sense of urgency will never be equaled to what USCIS, NVC or your embassy demonstrates
    • Your journey is not going to mirror someone else's experience - yours and theirs are not the same
    • They only promised you a YES or NO answer. Never an exact time that their decision would be completed
    • Lowering your expectations will make you a much more relaxed individual

Good luck on your journey 
 

Good advice. I filed for a Spouse Visa and it took two years from start to finish, but a friend from my home town only took 13 months for the same type of visa. Why? No idea. However, I ended up with an IR1 10 year green card and he is now struggling to renew his as he got a CR1 instead.

I know this isn't the same as the K1 visa, but we are all on this journey and it's difficult regardless if you are married or not. Also, I moved in April 2020, reason, took the first flight out during the pandemic and we'd already waited two years.

Good Luck, video call with your partner and try to relax. Easier said than done I know

22 hours ago, Ann Blair said:

Hello everybody i'm wondering once my visa is approved and i fly into the U.S. would i have to quarantine where i landed in the states or could i take a connecting flight to my destination and then quarantine there as i would be living there?

obviously this is very complicated and things can change very quickly with the current covid situation but anyone's advice would be greatly appreciated 

this is beth's husband asking this 

Hi, I flew 26th April. I quarantined for two weeks in Denver, Colorado after flying via Newark. I was on an IR1 visa. Even if it's not a legal requirement I think (in my opinion) it's responsible to quarantine for 14 days just in case, my husband didn't want me to be a poster child for COVID either lol. My husband and also his adult son who stays with us quarantined also.

Oh where I am, masks (or face coverings) are enforced (Denver County) so look up the local rules of where you are.

On 10/16/2020 at 10:02 AM, AK234 said:

I guess it’d be required for I 944 declaration of self sufficiency?

Ah got you. Ok I'm not sure as my husband is my sponsor, but I'll follow this in case I need it for my citizenship.

We need more background. Why do you need your credit score? I was an IR1 and never gave them the credit score.

14 hours ago, Empressdivine said:

Not sure how your consulate is but I don't think you should worry about that. Your w2 and tax documents should show adequate income. Our paystubs were not even collected. If your consulate asks just be honest. Your situation is not uncommon during this time 

My husbands paystubs were not asked for at the interview. Just his tax docs like above.

17 hours ago, MaleAlpha said:

Illegal as hell and I know this very well because it almost happened to me 6 years (started working with a work permit while my GC was pending). Fortunately, the director of HR did her due diligence and crosschecked with the company employment attorney who confirmed that would be illegal. All they had to do was just check with e-Verify. They should be doing same in your case instead of asking you to present a renewed GC. 

 

They can terminate you with zero reasons and it would be legal if you are in an at-will state. Once they give you a reason, they are taking on liability and it better be a good reason. Easy case for an attorney if they choose to go down that route.

Curious @Justkeepswimming on something and jumping on this comment - did they request to re-verify you in writing? Keep it just in case they terminate you still, looking above, I'd take it further. I have a friend whose Green Card has expired and he has this with his extension letter, he's been hired on his expired GC and Letter together recently.