barbaral83

21 hours ago, Mr. Bama said:

Congrats. I sure my i-130 gets approved fast. My date is Jan 2019.

Thank you. It has been a long journey  especially when the estimated  times went back at least three times. Exercise faith in prayer and know that when it happens it will be all worth it.  I will keep in both in my prayers.

8 hours ago, Bayman said:

congrats!!!and wish you all the best in the next stage.

Thank you.  Good luck as well. 

I recently got my I-130 approved over the weekend. My priority date was May 9th 2018. I had to file an inquiry on Feb 21st when they passed my priority date with no response. I was initially told that I would have to wait until March 15th for a response. Luckily, I received a response on the 6th of March and was advised that the officer is reviewing my file and will have a response within the next 60 days from the date of the letter. My heart literally hit the floor since I was getting close to the 1 yr mark if I had to wait 60 days. Glory to god, my case was approved on the 13th. My case has finally been transferred to the NVC. I pray that its quick from this point. Hang in there. You time is coming. 

11 hours ago, KaouNee said:

I understand what your saying about taking off from work,It is difficult and not cheap. Some people on here can give advice but the way the are coming off is so nasty. Just do your research and go in believing everything will be approved. Copy everything from conversations with him and his family, take pictures of each visit. You will be fine!!

Thank you. We have. When I pull all of the chats and phone calls its over thousands of pages. Emails and letters. I speak with my in-laws twice a week and we have pictures of places we have been on my visit. Planning is so important because it is a long ways to go for just a short trip when you have work to deal with. Thank you for your kind words and suggestions.

12 hours ago, Lovie Lovie said:

There’s nothing to be scared of actually, my wife is alots older than me, our marriage was genuine and we’ve been married since 2011 and we are still going. I got my visa in Lagos too, everybody’s case is not always the same. The CO can tell if your lying by looking straight into

your eyes, he should be fine as long as he knows everything about you and the relationship is for real as you claimed. 

Thank you very much. I am very prayerful it will. Hearing from others who have been through of going through West African countries helps a bit more.

14 hours ago, barbaral83 said:

I appreciate your response but it's not needed.  I feel that you are trying to be cruel and it's not needed. My journey may not be yours however it doesn't mean that my feeling are any less valid. So thank you for your time and good day

Thank you. I agree, everyone is on a journey of some sort and I'm sure was or is still in the same boat as myself. With the way immigration is going no one is safe. It's one thing to ask for the truth and another to be rude. People like this I look over. Thank you for your kind words. 

13 minutes ago, Abies said:

Ok good..

 

With more face time,it will end in praise by God's grace.

 

 

Praying so and thanks again. 

18 minutes ago, Teepee said:

hi guys, you all av spoken very well.  the CO doesn't care about the love u have for each other,  they work based on concrete evidence, for instance my wife and i were dating before she traveled to the states in 2013, we didn't see for close to 4years until 2017 when she came home. we got married and she has been to Nigeria like twice.

we had to support our application will our dating pictures and as well wedding evidence.  her last visit she spent 6weeks. 

i have had to spend a lot on supporting her with her flight tickets , exotic vacation sites when shes around.  im sorry sorry about all u went through.

   USICS has been slow in the past one  year, they keep going back and front especially application for green card filers for their spouse overseas. 

try to plan yourself, financially to visit. remember family over everything.

we will be happy someday

Agreed. I have been saving letters and everything for the past almost 3 yrs. The visits kinda kicked me in the tail. I just want to have all of my ducks in a row.

12 minutes ago, Abies said:

Turkish Airline and Luftansa has lesser layovers.

Turkish had me there for 8hrs in March.I  know the entire airport at this point. I found something on British with only two hrs layover. Coming for JFK to DFW, there are no nonstops. At JFK, Delta, just added a 10hr nonstop flight. I'll keep my eye out though. Thanks for the suggestions.

12 minutes ago, Abies said:

If USCIS approves your i130 petition before your next visit to Nigeria to see your husband,I will advise you delay the NVC processing so that you can have for evidence as other supporting documents.

 

Goodluck 

Thanks Abies, that was the reason for the post. I wasn't sure what to do and although we have pics from the visit outside of the wedding, it was my intent to go back and spend more time without having to worry about whether or not I had enough PTO or if it was a blackout period. My whole goal is to "beat the clock"so to speak and then go to Ghana while there. 

 Thanks again Abies. I have been trying to find decent flights for Sept or Dec that won't have me sitting on 8 hr layovers. Lagos definitely is not next door.

12 minutes ago, Amadia said:

I get that. However, being financially stable and proving sponsorship are two totally different things. You need to make sure that you are 125% above the poverty line. You can't tell the interviewing officer that you make good money so you know you are financially capable.

That can land you a 221(g) for joint sponsor real quick.

 

Now, I'm not saying that you don't make sufficient money, just ensure that you are 125% above the poverty line to sponsor your spouse.

Thank you but based on the standards I make sufficient money on my salary and have since the last almost three yrs. There was only 10months where my finances changed. I have never been concerned with that. I have read that guideline a million times over. I was just concerned with immigration contacting me before I was able to visit again this year and what the worse case scenario would be if I wasn't able to do so. Again, income has not been my concern.

35 minutes ago, Abies said:

Try to go visit your husband again at least one more time for 2- 4weeks before his visa interview in Lagos so as to avoid your case been sent back to the U.S. for possible revocation.

Thanks Abies, that's the plan.

3 minutes ago, Boiler said:

I could probably print out 300 pages of posts on here, not sure it would get anybody an Immigrant Visa

I appreciate your response but it's not needed.  I feel that you are trying to be cruel and it's not needed. My journey may not be yours however it doesn't mean that my feeling are any less valid. So thank you for your time and good day

6 minutes ago, missileman said:

300 pages?  The key is quality evidence rather than quantity.........

I undestand what you and everyone else are saying however no one can tell me what I have is not real or valid. Life happens and circumstances arise. Work is a have to. I didn't have the luxury to say I'm going to take off because I want to go to Africa. Everything takes planning but everything doesn't always work out in your favor when you need major surgery or your spouses father is sick or you lose an important member of your family. Was it planned to get married in the first visit.....no but with immigration In The US  becoming more difficult we realized that we didn't want to be apart. So getting a proposal turned into a full blown marriage. You know when you know. I'm not asking to be ridiculed but asking because I know that the process is not easy. If his visa got denied today or tomorrow I would leave Europe because I love my spouse and not immigration or harsh comments or criticisms will change that. 

11 minutes ago, Amadia said:

Hi OP,

 

Nigeria is one of the high fraud countries and is scrutinized for issues in the case file. If you have been married after knowing each other for 2yrs and 4mths, how long have you actually been married? 

 

Also, we understand that work restraints caused you both to not be able to see each other but what convincing evidence do you have to prove to the officer that you are in a bona fide relationship? 

 

Another thing, so many times you have relocated and started over with working. How would you prove that you can sponsor your spouse?

 

Like @missileman said....you are in for an uphill climb with no harness on a very windy day.

I moved after I lost my job the first yr. To relocate for better pay and then back for better position has been the reason. As long as I have been working I have always been financially stable even after loosing my job. I've been married 4 mos. I'm not concerned about being financially capable.

15 minutes ago, missileman said:

One visit.....11 days.........marriage..................................Spousal visas require a great deal of planning, patience, and money.....especially for high fraud countries.......prepare yourself for an uphill journey......good luck....

 

 

This I understand. As I said before, there were obstacles so I visit when I was able too which wasn't until after two years. 

20 minutes ago, missileman said:

I'm sure you are aware that Nigeria is a high fraud country.  As such, you need as much legal documentation connecting you two together, as many visits, and as much face to face time as possible before his interview.  Lagos is sometimes is very difficult for visa......

Don't believe anyone who says "You'll be fine as long as your relationship is genuine"......YOU NEED CONVINCING EVIDENCE! 

I sent 300 pages of conversation and phone bills 

15 minutes ago, Boiler said:

In the 2 1/2 years how many times did you visit, and for how long?

Once, I had lost my job, then relocated for work. There were many obstacles that prevented things. 

5 minutes ago, Ben&Zian said:

Age differences?

We are 6 yrs apart 

Hi VisaJourney peeps, I recently got married to my wonderful husband after 2 yrs and 4mos of knowing each other in Lagos Nigeria.  We are currently in the process of waiting for out I-130 form to be approved. Two weeks after getting married I relocated for the second time in our relationship from NJ back to TX. I relocated to NJ for work but as you  know with new jobs getting time off is quite hard especially if you haven't been there a year. With working at a college we had a lot of blackout dates. To make a long story short every time we planned to meet something would happen. Either with family or my health and a family death. We decided with everything going on that we loved each other enough to get married. After 2 1/2 yrs who wants to be apart when they have found their soulmate. Before moving from NJ, in March we got married while I was on vacation for 11 days or so. I moved back to TX, a month after getting settled, I filed paperwork. I feel like i am in the same boat again with being on a new job and having to accumulate more time before taking a vacation. I hate having to cut my vacations short because of work. According to Nebraska the time went from 9.5-11.5 mos to 8-10.5 mos now 7-9mos. I'm happy that we are moving along but would it be a bad thing if I don't make it back to visit before 7 mos (December). I get winter break where my campus is closed and a week off to spend uninterrupted with my hubs in addition to the vacation that I have been accruing. I just worry that not having the vacay time will hurt our app. I sent phone calls, chats and conversations from November 2015. I don't want Immigration to think this is unreal. We truly love each other but I just don't have the free time with work and relocating. Any thoughts on this matter and thanks in advance.

Thanks Teepee, it's just a nerve racking process and I don't want to appear suspect marrying on the initial visit. With all of the new immigration regulations we just don't need any problems. We started to go to Barbados but it was just too much to coordinate with my work schedule.  Either the ticket was cheap for me and high for him or vice versa. With me relocating for work, then my grandmother's death and his father's stroke we have truly weathered the storm together. 

I thank you for your feedback. I'm just excited for my upcoming trip and I will try best to stay positive. We love each other dearly and I would relocate in the event the visa was denied.

Hi All,

I am going to visit my boyfriend in March. We have been together and talking for over two years. I have been reading the K1 reviews and it worries me with everything I'm seeing and how immigration is getting harder and harder. We know that we really want to be together and have discussed marriage. It will be our first time meeting after what seems like forever getting to know each other. There have been so many obstacles with the recent passing of my grandmother in November and his father's stroke prior we are torn on whether to get married on my visit and do Cr1 or wait and file K1 after the first visit. In anyone's experience will there be an issue if we chose to get married during our initial visit? I have over 503 pgs of whatspp chats, call logs, skype calls and cellphone calls, or, would it be best to file for K1 instead? In filing for K1 would it matter that it was only after a visit in which the paperwork stated that the meeting had to be within 2 yrs of filing. We just don't want to keep pushing things to the side as the health of our family members closest to us is not good. I appreciate any feedback you can provide. 

Thank you