Nancy2015

This is the fee that needs to be paid prior to filing DS-261. So, lo and behold - the payment link was inactive for about three weeks since I paid the AOS fee. I emailed NVC twice yesterday and they went ahead and activated it! I was able to pay. It's all good now.

Thank you all!

I was able to pay the AOS fee for my father's visa applicatoin online just fine. But for the immigrant visa fee, there is no option to check the box to pay it. I don't know if it's a technical issue or something else. I emailed tech support and haven't heard back. Tried to call NVC many times and I get the "we are too busy assisting other customers" thing every time. I tried to pay the fee using IE, Firefox and Chrome - to no avail. I have attached a screen shot of what it looks like to me.

Has anyone dealt with an issue like that? I know there is a way to pay the fee by mail, but I can't find the information on how

If Russia doesn't recognize dual citizenship then I suggest you put the renewal fee to other use. This is something you should have considered before applying for citizenship too.

It's common practice for many Russian citizens to get US citizenship and not give up citizenship in Russia. Many people hold two passports. It's not specifically disallowed, but it's not regarded as "dual citizenship" from the legal standpoint. It's just, you have two at the same time, but neither country recognizes the other one. For example, I can't enter Russia with my US passport because I have Russian citizenship and they do not recognize me as a US citizen if I'm there. Same here, in the US - I am a US citizen for the US goverment and they won't recognize my other citizenship status. In short, no one gives a ####### for the most part. It may very well be that no one gives a ####### at all, since presumably there are many people who have had two passports for a really long time.

Thank you, I have considered many things prior to my N-400 application - enough to avoid being lectured on the legalities.

Hello, dear Russia forum participants!

I don't know if anyone can shed any light on this issue, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

I immigrated to the U.S. from Russia and I am now a US citizen. My Russian passport is expiring in April. I've previously renewed my Russian passport through the consulate in San Francisco, but I was an LPR back then. Now that I'm a USC, when I fill out the application at the consulate, I'd have to state what my temporary status in the US is (becasue they will always treat you as if you were in the US temporarily, unless you renounce the Russian citizenship). If I write that I'm a USC as the basis for my temporary visit to the US, it doesn't make any sense. Russia and the US do not have a dual citizenship agreement so I feel like I'd be doing something bad :/

Has anyone ever been in this situation? What did you do? I'm actually thinking about givng up my Russian citizenship as well - it looks like a more straightforward process than renewing a passport.

Thank you!

Hello, everyone!

I used to be on these forums before they looked modern and re-designed Years ago, that is. I used to be a beneficiary, and now I am a petitioner - I just filed an I-130 for my father. It's kinda outrageous, because I didn't file for my mom, and they are not divorced or anything. My mom is a caretaker for my grandma and doesn't want to move anywhere as long as my grandma is around, of course. My dad, however, is about to retire and wants to get an RV and travel all over the U.S. "while he can still walk around wihtout a walker", in his own words. I have a fun family

I don't know if any laws have changed or anything, and I haven't researched the parent visa process past the I-130 approval, but I'm going to read up and catch up on stuff.

I also have a lot of experience immigrating to the U.S. by direct AOS and getting an I-751 approved under the abuse waiver. Perhaps there are memebers here I could help with some tips and best practices, should they be in similar situations.

Anyhow, good luck with your journeys, everyone! I'm going to check out the forums and hopefully make a few meaningful posts

Question:

Can anyone tell me their experiences filing for a battered spouse waiver on their I-751? Should I expect an interview? How long did the whole process take? I have been able to find a lot of information on cases where a basic good will divorce waiver was requested, but information or stories on battered spouse waivers are hard to find. My guess is that it might take longer because it isn't a straightforward "yes we're still married" case. Has anyone got any idea on a timeline after a RFE? Should I expect months more or weeks?

Any similar stories are appreciated!

I certainly can. I visit this forum about once a year, but I'm always happy to contribute to topics I actually know something about

I filed an I-751 abuse waiver, and it was approved in about 4 months without an interview. I don't know whether it's typical or not - it may have had something to do with the fact that I literally sent them every piece of paper related to that marriage and abuse that I had. I had to mail it in a box, because it didn't fit in an envelope. I was also still married when I filed, but my divorce was finalized before I got the I-751 approval. This wasn't an issue, but it did come up at my naturalization interview - they asked for my divorce decree, and that's about it. I gave them a copy, which they put in my file.

Every time I dealt with USCIS, I found that the best strategy was to bury them in paperwork. They seem to think that the more papers you send them, the more solid you case is. It may be that you will get an interview - I was expecting one myself but didn't get.

IMHO you have nothing to worry. A refusal would have been given to you right there and then, most likely.

Mazel Tov!

Not necessarily, but they don't just deny people cause they think giving someone U.S. citizenship isn't a good idea. They gotta have some good reason for denial.

In a lot of cases it's the matter of getting an approval from the IO's supervisor, cause the IO doesn't have that kind of authority. Princess, you will be fine.

From what I have heard you need to wait 5 years after a conviction to apply for a citizenship. If you are trying to petition your case NOW it will not make a difference if you do it with or without a lawyer.

okay..i need help..i applied for naturalization..after several months of the process..i just got mail today saying that my application for naturalization has been denied because i have a drug/marijuana on my criminal record..yes i do have a record of possession of marijuana less than 1 oz..that was my first crime and the only crime i have on my record..now they telling me that i can petition it..like where would i get the money to hire an immigration lawyer..i thought having such simple crime won't be a big issue..i need some idea..i can't afford an immigration lawyer because i am a student and don't make enough money to hire one..i am worried about student loan not some lawyer.

Did you have an interview, or did they deny you by mail?

Cherr, thank you for the reply.

I did not show up to the interview because I did not receive any letter in my mail. My lawyer receives all the letters regarding my case, but did not inform me about any interview. I also didn't expect an interview letter because my lawyer said she will withdraw my pending I751 - which she did because I was filing for divorce. My interview was Feb 2, 2009, I received a scanned copy of the denial by email from my lawyer on the 5th. I'm separated, not divorced yet as I have to wait until mid April to satisfy the 6-months requirement.

As for my status, according to the denial letter, I'm illegal?

Here's a scanned copy of the I751 denial letter:

Any suggestions will help...

bibi

Oops, disregard my previous post. You're in removal proceedings. You do need to talk to someone who has knowledge on the subject, I don't.

Nancy,

Congrats on the approval! You have no idea how much better I feel after reading your post. I'm going through a very rough time. I'm seperated and want to file for the I751 waiver based on abuse. My divroce lawyer is also and immigration lawyer and is asking for $$$$ that I cannot afoord at this time. My status or conditional GC has expired because I didn't show up for the 'removal of conditions interview'. This makes me illegal until I apply for the I751 waiver and get an extension. I have to wait many months before I can pay my lawyer to file the 751 waiver. In the meantime, I won't be able to renew my D/L and will have issues with work etc. All this is putting me under so much pressure. My question to you is, can I file for the I-751 without a lawyer? Is that what you did?

Please advise,

Bibi

Sorry you're going through this. I know this is very hard...

My personal opinion is that lawyers just waste your time and money and don't help. A few immigration lawyers I talked to were plain incompetent and had no clue what they were doing. I-751 is a simple form, it's the evidence you need to put together that makes it hard. A lawyer won't create or gather evidence for you - you'll still have to do the work. The lawyer will put the package together and mail it out, and then, if you get an interview, the lawyer would be sitting next to you, making sure the USCIS officer is doing his or her job. That might be helpful. My personal issue is that I'd rather take the risk but save my money. You can try to get legal help from a local charity (battered women shelters often have an immigration program), but since they refer you to pro bono lawyers, it takes months before your case can be filed with USCIS.

You can file your waiver now without a lawyer.

Hi!

Congratulations for your result. Someone pasted your answer to a topic I posted tonight. Basically, I am going through a hard time myself. I, sometimes, do not know if to keep going hoping that I will adjust by staying married (my husband is very unpredictable from one day to the next and I almost feel like we could keep going like this for a while. At the same time, however, I understand that what he is doing is part of the abuse/control - that is being nice one day, and a monster the next). So, he pretty much wrapped up my mind to the point where it's hard to think for myself.

Reading your post, I feel like I should start writing everything that is happening. But since I did not write things from when they started to go downhill, will it be too late to start now? I got my conditional GC in september 2007, so my paperwork is due in June for renewal.

Well, it's not like I was sitting down writing about everyhting that was going on from day one. Naturally, I forgot a lot of things by the time I got around to writing my declaration. Police report narratives that I had and restrainig order declarations were very helpful as far as dates and events, but the rest I had to try to remember. It's not too late for you to start writing about it.

Abusive and controlling people suck. Let's make sure they don't get their way. Good luck!

I filed an I-751 waiver without any affidavits and got approved with no interview. You don't have to include them, unless you really want to, for whatever reason.

[but the case number on the NOA will match the number on the biometrics notice.

Not true, As I wrote I was reading a LOT of posts in the Removing Condition forums and you can see that for everybody the case number in the NOA1 was different from the Biometrics notice (and the number in the NOA1 didn't work online to check the status just the number in the biometrics)

Check this post to see for yourself. Kathryn41 explained this better than me.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...=171978&hl=

Yes, you're right. If you check your original NOA, it clearly states that you will only be able to track your case once you have the bio notice.

I think the IRS is the only government agency that cashes checks faster than USCIS...

Hi there i was reading your experiance with immigration congratulations , i filed last December of 2008 based on waiver, and i got my extention and then i did my biometric , its been 3 weeks now and i didnt heard anything yet, how long it take normaly to get touch ? i sent a lot of evidance like Mortgage together, we bought car together, 2006 and 2007 tax jointly, bills, traveling, pics, email, another lease for appartment ect..... so i hope i will hear something pretty soon thanks, i appreciate that.

I wouldn't expect to get any "touches" - they seem to be meaningless anyways. Just wait for things to show up in the mail. My case was approved 2 months after I did the biometrics, but I still think it was exceptionally fast, and I was prepared to wait at least a year for a decision.

Thank you all for these kind words!

Hi, fellow vj-ers!

I haven't posted in a while, but now that my immigration saga is over I felt like sharing a thing or two with you - I'm sure there are people here who can benefit from what I have learned.

Long story short - my marriage is over. It almost cost me my life, so the fact that it's over is a good thing.

For those of you who don't know me, here's the background:

Came to the US in 2005 as a student (F-1 status). Met the ex the same year. Married Jan 06, filed AOS in Sep 06, interviewed Jan 07, conditional GC approved 1/4/07. Separated March 08, divorced Nov 08. Divorce took forever - I had to do it myself without a lawyer and I had a hard time getting the paperwork right. I filed my I-751 waiver in October 08, when I wasn't yet divorced, and I checked box "e" - battered and subject to extreme cruelty. This kind of waiver you can file if you are still married and living together, separated or divorced - it doesn't matter. Here's my timeline:

10/14/08 - mailed I-751 abuse waiver to CSC

10/16/08 - package received at CSC

10/17/08 - check cashed

10/23/08 - extension letter in the mail (NOA date - 10/16/08)

11/22/08 - biometrics (I got a bio notice about a week before, can't recall the date)

11/24/08 - touched

11/25/08 - touched

1/29/09 - approved. Card production ordered.

That was it. No interview. If someone's interested in my evidence list, I can post it if I find it on my computer. I had about 700 pages - bona fide marriage and abuse, all over a 2.5 year period. I had things like restraining orders, police reports, shelter records, ex's numerous emails with threats and name calling, letters from 3 therapists that I saw during this nightmare of a marriage etc.

Feel free to ask me any questions you want, and if you don't want to ask on the forum - message me, I'll get back to you.

One thing you should remember - do not stay in an abusive relationship. Your life will be a lot better once you get out and start anew.

Hi all,

I don't really post here any more, and what I'm gonna post now is not new to a lot of people here, but I just want to remind you - once you get your GC, go to your SSA office, remove the "DHL authorization" thing from your SS card, and always show your Driver's Licence/State ID + SSA card when you're filling out the I-9 form.

I was unlawfully terminated at one of my jobs because my green card expired a few days ago. They were trying to re-verify my employment, which is illegal for them to do. They insisted I produce another green card. The INA specifically states that an employer can't demand to see a particular document and that they are supposed to accept whatever documents you have that satisfy the I-9 requirement.

Sure enough, I sent the HR all the links to all the sources that confirm that I'm in the right here. I thought it was a blessing in disguise, cause it was actually my second job - I have a full time job aside from that, I'm in school for my master's and I am also doing volunteer work, so I wasn't that unhappy about losing the part time job. However, if that happened to my main job, I would have been really screwed.

If stuff hits the fan, you can always go to your local USCIS office and get an I-551 stamp in your passport if you have an I-751 or an I-90 pending.

Here's the full text of the INA that pertains to I-9: http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/m-274.pdf

Documents that satisfy the I-9 requirement: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-9.pdf (scroll down to page 4)

UPDATE: I just got an email from HR with apologies - they admitted they were wrong and reinstated me...

Good luck!

Congrats! :dance:

And these "thousands of women" are looking outside for other reasons, not because the Russian men are so bad. I certainly wish you all the best and hope you won't one day find out what these reasons are.

Please share these reasons.

They just want to use you for a green card. Very simple.

and maybe you should thank god you live in the USA cause so many foreign women on this site want to come here so badly.

Hmm... logic? Many women may want it, I don't care. I never wanted this for myself. I never even thought of it. I wanted to live in Europe at one point, but never in America. And it's not really nice to tell people waht they should think.

I mean, I liked living in Moscow much better than in the crime-ridden area of San Jose where you can't leave your car on the street cause it gets broken into and people sell drugs in the middle of the day right in front of you. Sure Moscow has it all too, but here it's so in your face, I can't seem to be able to get away from it.

And... Why are Americans not allowed to critisize other countries but people of other nationalities are so quick to critisize and judge America and Americans?

Everyone is allowed everything. But I have actually lived in the USA a few years, so I have experienced it first-hand. If I had merely visited a country a few times, I think I'd still be entitled to an opinion, but it would probably have no merit. That's what I think of the OP's opinion - he is entitled to it, but it's not really based on much, imho.

Let's just all get real - enough of that "America is paradise" bull. It's good to try to find the middle ground - seems to always work best

AO Medicina, btw, is a very good clinic, I would recommend it. I don't know about the other one.

Congrats! :dance:

However, what you have listed doesn't look like "little" evidence to me. Looks more like a lot

Yea and pay eight bucks for the privilage

I wish it were eight bucks, Jasman!