Matiola

Hi everyone,

I would appreciate your advice.

I am the US citizen filing I-130 for my mom who is currently in the US. My dad is also in the US  but I am not filing for him right now.

I have a question about the I-864 form (Affidavit of support), part 5 “sponsor’s household size”.

Here is the situation:

Me (U.S. citizen) – the petitioner

My spouse - joint tax filer

My mother I-130 beneficiary

My father  - not being sponsored at this time

My parents live in my house but have separate living quarters and buy food separately. I am not sure if it matters but they are divorced and retired.

My husband and I listed my parents as dependents on our last tax return, but we're unsure if this was correct. Apparently, they cannot be claimed as dependents as their information wasn’t used for tax calculations. However, their names are stated on the tax returns we submitted.

The question is: In form i-864, part 5 “sponsor’s household size” do I need to count them as part of my household? Do I need to include both – my mom and dad if I file only for my mom?

thank you!

thank you. Yeah, that's why I wrote over 10 years.

Dear VisaJourney Community, your advice and help are needed! I can use some power of the collective mind!

I want to file an I-130 for my sister who is in the US under the U4U program (I am the sponsor), and I know this is an EXTREMELY long process that probably will take over 10 years to be approved.

My sister falls into the Fourth preference (F4) category = brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens and she is NOT an immediate relative (according to USCIS).

I’ve started filling out file I-130 and I have a few questions:

1)      Is concurrent filing (I file I-130, my sister files I-485) allowed for 4^th reference relatives inside the U.S?

My guess is that the answer is NO but I am not sure as USCIS information on different pages has been very confusing.

2)     Considering the fact that I-130 processing can take over 10 years and U4U currently gives a person the right to stay in the US for only 2 years  – which option out of the two provided in i-130 should I choose?:

·       At which USCIS office will the beneficiary apply for adjustment of status to the lawful permanent resident? You should only answer this question if the beneficiary is in the United States and will apply for adjustment of status at a USCIS office in the United States.

·       At which U.S. Embassy or Consulate location will the beneficiary apply for an immigrant visa? You should only answer this question if the beneficiary will apply for an immigrant visa outside of the United States at a U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate.

I would much appreciate any suggestions and thoughts on this! Maybe someone had a similar experience.

Thank you!

Hi,

I have a question about I-134 form:

There are 2 questions in the "Income information for the individual agreeing to financially support the beneficiary" section (please, see screenshot attached):

What is the total number of dependents? My answer is 0

What is the total income? - this one is confusing!  Do they mean MY INCOME or MY DEPENDENTS' INCOME?

Thank you for help!

21 minutes ago, Stephleslie said:

Sorry, this has been asked before, but I couldn’t find a specific answer. My beneficiary wants to fly into a different city than the one I’m located in. She has friends there and wants to settle in that area as opposed to coming to my city.
 

Is that possible? Or, as her sponsor, does she have to come to where I am?

 

her friends are ready and willing to pick her up at the airport and have housing set up for her already, which is why she wants to stay in that area.

Hi,

I am not an expert by any means but I heard a lot about such situations and as far as I know it is OK, nothing wrong with it. Your beneficiary can live at different address and in different city.

Hi,

I have a question and I wonder if someone has a similar situation.

Shortly, I am going to file I-134 form for my sister in Ukraine under U4U. Also, as the US citizen, I would like to file a Petition for Alien Relative (I-130) for her.

The question is: can I file these 2 forms simultaneously (or a week/month apart)? I-130 might take USCIS many years to process so I would like to start now and to wait patiently for the approval. Meanwhile, I would like my sister to come and stay with me for a while (form 6 months up to 2 years).

I think I should start with  the I-134 and then later file the I-130. But I am also concerned that one petition can somehow affect the other.

I would much appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

2 minutes ago, Mike E said:

This is a problem.  
 

When you move physically you must notify USCIS via AR-11 within 10 days of moving.  
 

(your financial sponsor must notify USCIS via I-865 within 30 days)

 

1. if your motor home trip takes less than 10 days then you can defer AR-11 until you arrive at your next home. otherwise on the 10th day and each 10th day thereafter you will need to file AR-11 for your current physical location. Presumably the RV park you happen to be in at the time.  It can be done online.  
 

2. Notifying USCIS of your change of address is likely to derail your N-400 interview, if you change states.   Your interview will be rescheduled for at least 3 months after you have established your new residence.  
 

3. If your interview is not derailed you must disclose this change of physical address to the IO.  The IO will likely end the interview at that point.  

Thank you. I asked multiple questions about address change in other posts. I was told that I can change the address at the interview. Even if I file AR-11 now,  unlikely it will be processed before my interview, since USCIS website says it takes 2-3 weeks. I called USCIS to ask questions and understand how to do it right but was unable to get through to the real person. I plan to describe my situation to the IO at the interview and see what the IO says. If my case will be delayed, then it will be delayed. I will wait till the moment they reschedule it. 

4 minutes ago, Mike E said:

My point is it can be a red flag for the IO.  

 Your interview letter says bring his birth certificate and you won’t do it. Will you tell the IO that the USCIS’s demand is not right?
 

 This suggests your interview is not in the state where you live.  Did you move?

Perhaps you  were expecting a definitive answer.  I cannot give you that because every IO and every case is different. And each field office can operate under different rules.  Rules that will change with each new director. 
 

There is one more possibility:  You can apply on the basis of being married for 5 years to your husband assuming you were married for 5 years at the time you filed N-400.  If so, it should be  possible to change the basis for N-400 at the interview. 

I understand you can not know how the interview will go and how USCIS officer will act. I would not wait for any definite answer. You expressed your thoughts and I do appreciate it. 

Of course, I will not say anything to IO as it is useless and pointless to fight with the system. I must obey.

Yes, I am moving right now and I will be on the go for a while, traveling throughout the country with my husband in the motor home. I don’t have a new physical address just mailing address. 

Thank you for mentioning the possibility of changing the basis for N-400, I did not know that. I will calculate and consider this option. 
thank you again!

1 hour ago, Misscloud said:

1. yes bring the original. they wont take the original, they just want to see/check the original ( if it even ask). 

2. i will bring the hard copy just in case, never know with USCIS. also u need to bring the updated one that you havent submitted yet

3. pictures = bring in in person, u dont need to submit the pictures. 

 

side note : i rather bring everything, why take a chance ? what if you need it and you dont have it with you that cause delay? 

Thank you! 
yes, I always think the same: better to print and don’t need the document than they ask and I don’t have it.

It is just so tiresome and such a waste of paper! But I agree with you. Better to be safe than sorry. 

I much appreciate your response and help! 

46 minutes ago, Mike E said:

This is a red flag. It can cause the IO to question how bonafide the marital union is.  
 

When my wife has her N-400, I will absolutely hand my original naturalization certificate to her.  
 

And that is a document that is 2-3  orders of magnitude  harder to replace than a U.S. birth certificate.  
 

Why doesn’t he trust you to carry his birth certificate into the field office and back out?
 

Order another birth certificate.  If he is unwilling to do that  … oh my.  Ask his parents, children, or signings. Depending on the state of birth they might be authorized to get his birth certificate.  
 

(I will of course be waiting outside the field office for my wife after her interview, and after I ask her how it went, my second question will be: “so where is the naturalization certificate” ? 😂) 

 

You might luck out and get by.  Or an RFE.  Worst case I see a denial.  

Thank you. It is not a red flag, we have been together for almost 9 years and went through a lot of paperwork and quite a few very sad and difficult situations, he trusts me. I just don’t think it is right thing to give anyone (even the closest relative) your IDs or important documents. I don’t want to give my documents to anyone. My sister once lost a very important paper that caused me a lot of troubles. Things happen especially when traveling. If he absolutely have to, he will give it to me. I am not thrilled by this idea though. He won’t be waiting for me near the field office. I’ll be flying to my interview for almost 6 hours and he is not coming with me.

Anyway, thank you for your opinion. You basically listed ALL possible scenarios: it will work, they will require more docs, it will not work.  

Hi everyone,

I am getting ready for my Citezenship interview based on marriage. The NOA says:

If applying for NATURALIZATION AS THE SPOUSE of a United States Citizen;

• Your marriage certificate.

• Proof of death or divorce for each prior marriage of yourself or spouse.

• Your spouse's birth or naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship. 

If copies of a document were submitted as evidence with your N400 application, the originals of those documents should be brought to the interview.

Question 1: what is certificate of citizenship? I've submitted the scan copy of my husband's passport together with N-400 online form. I asked him about his US birth certificate, he has it but he is a bit reluctant to give me an original. If I were him, I would be reluctant as well. Is there any way I can provide SCAN COPIES of both his Birth certificate, and passport at the interview?? I will bring along all originals of my documents and marriage certificate of course.

Question 2: do I need to print hundreds of pages of our tax returns, lease agreement etc.? Of course, I submitted all these documents together with my N-400 online application. Do I need to bring hard copies to the interview? Do officers ask for these papers? NOA does not mention these docs.

Question 3: should I upload any "unsolicited evidence" that I accumulated after submitting N-400? Mostly pictures with my husband and his family taken throughout 3 months after I had submitted the form. Has anyone submitted any evidence after submitting N-400? 

Thank you!!

40 minutes ago, Family said:

Officer: physical address ?

You: my last physical address xyz, CA  but am currently driving across the country in my motor home and have done AR-11 to update mailing address to my family. ….nice chat about nomad adventure of a lifetime..(?) 

Thank you for your advice! It sounds very reasonable. I don’t know what reaction I should expect from the officer (good if it is a nice chat!) but I also would prefer to be honest. Thank you again!

3 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Officer:  "Do you reside at XXXXXX-XXXX, California"?

You: "uhhhhh".

  I don't think anyone here will advise you to lie.

However, the applicable regulation says "In general, an applicant for naturalization must file his or her application for naturalization with the state or service district that has jurisdiction over his or her place of residence. The applicant must have resided in that location for at least three months prior to filing. "

3 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Thank you! It is very good to know! Yes, I filed N-400 at the end of May 2022 and I resided at that address since June 2021. Before that it was another address but same zip code so I resided in Ca for 5 years.

1 hour ago, OldUser said:

@Matiola did mail forwarding work? 

Also see Warning section on this page:

https://www.***removed***/reporting-change-of-address-to-uscis/

Yes, it works perfectly, I get emails from the USPS daily and can see the preview of all the mail addressed to me going to the address I provided.
Thank you for the link, I read the information but  couldn’t find an answer to my question. I don’t know what address I can give USCIS. I just don’t have one. 

On 8/29/2022 at 12:10 AM, Matiola said:

Did you manage to get your oath ceremony on the same day as interview? I am in the same situation as you and am wondering what to do with tickets…

Ok, I don’t know how to post an update on my last comment so, I am adding another comment here. Yesterday (August 31st), my coworker had his citizenship  interview and oath on the same day in San Francisco.

On 7/30/2022 at 10:54 AM, Flafla said:

Hello fellow US citizenship seekers.

 

I have a question:  has anyone recently had their interview at the San Francisco office?  If so, are they still doing interviews AND oath ceremonies on the same day?

 

Just curious as I don’t live in SF, so going there is a bit of a big deal for me.  I would still do ite, I can’t wait to get citizenship.

 

Thank you all.

Did you manage to get your oath ceremony on the same day as interview? I am in the same situation as you and am wondering what to do with tickets…

On 8/24/2022 at 2:28 PM, STO Overland said:

When is your interview? I agree with others don't reschedule...

On 23rd. I wonder if I can have an oath ceremony the same day as my interview… it would be awesome!

13 hours ago, mniceguy16 said:

You don’t need to wait for USCIS to send the letter before knowing your exact interview date, if you have a USCIS online account, login and check under “my documents” there you will be seeing a copy of your interview notice that will be arriving in the mail. If you don’t have an account, you can create one and register the receipt number for your N400, everything is in soft copy in your USCIS account.

 

NB, it is better to login on a laptop or pc when trying to see your documents saved by USCIS, never had any luck opening it on a mobile device.

I can not even express HOW much I am grateful to you, mniceguy16!! What would I do without you!???? I did not know about that "Documents" section and you literally have just saved me sooooooooooo many of my nerve cells! BTW, I was able to open and download the PDF file with the date and time of my upcoming interview. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you a thousand times!!! Diakuyu vid vsyogo sertsia! How can I add you +1000 to reputation?

Thank you so much, Mash! Fingers crossed I will get my paper by the end of the week. I seriously did not expect USCIS to be so agile while processing my case...

Hi guys,

I filed N-400 on May 23, then checked processing times in San Francisco and rested assured that I had at least a year to wait. On August 19th, I suddenly got an urge to check my status. I opened it and saw that yesterday (August 18th) my case status changed to “Interview scheduled”. Now I am freaking out! 😧The point is that on August 27th I am moving out of California, and for 2-3 weeks I will be travelling across the country, then I will be living in my camper which means I will not have an address for several months. I am waiting for the paper NOA but if I don’t get it by EOD August 26th, I’ll have to redirect my mail to a friend.

My first question: how long does it take USCIS to send the NOA after the case status changed? In the notification they say: we will mail you the NOA but I don’t know if they have already done it or not.

Second question: will it cause significant delays and troubles if I move my interview date to another day and change the state? I have a feeling that it is better to fly to San Francisco from the East Coast and NOT try to reschedule the interview. Not sure what to do…

I will appreciate your answers and suggestions on the situation. Thank you!!!!!

4 hours ago, Ecaen87 said:

Why would they return the money? The biometrics fee covers not only the action to capture the information, it also covers the cost to run background checks. If they wave the biometrics appointment and re use your existing biometrics information, they still need to run a background checks on that. It cost money to do that, and the fee covers that.

Thank you. Once USCIS returned my check sent with another form by mistake. I did not need to pay for that form but I did not know that and sent the check. Money is NOT my concern in this situation. 

16 minutes ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

Even if they're waived, the money is not returned. 

If you check posts around the forum, the great majority gets the biometrics waived. 

That’s good! I hope it will happen exactly as you are saying (fingers crossed!). Will I get any notification that biometrics have been waived?

8 minutes ago, elmers said:

Lol it's the government my friend, your (and ours) money isn't coming back 🤣 As for waiving, yes, that seems to be the trend so far so pretty safe to say that it will be waived for us too.

Well, once I sent check to USCIS by mistake (I thought I needed to pay for the form but I did not need) and they sent the check back to me saying I made a mistake 😎

2 minutes ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

1) Biometrics will very likely be waived if they were taken during the previous stage -AOS-.

2) A little before the extension letter expires, you should schedule an info pass appointment at your USCIS local office to get an I-551 on your passport. 

Thank you. Biometrics were taken during previous stage but I paid for it together with I751 fee because USCIS calculator showed that I had to pay it...do you think they will waive it in this situation and return money? It is not a matter of money I paid for biometrics, it is a matter of temporary leaving the US and being sure I will not need to rush back

As to second question - thank you! That is crazy!

Just now, elmers said:

Depends on your service center. Go to the April filers spreadsheet by clicking this link and on the second sheet you will see links to spreadsheets from previous months. You might find some info on CSC and other centers on when biometric letter was sent.

Very helpful! Thank you so much!!!