mchina34

Copies of the foreign citizen passport is not needed with the I-129F or I-130 petitions, the passport number will be needed on form DS-156 (K-3) This form will be in packet 4 from the Guangzhou consulate and will be needed at the visa interview. So you do have some time to get the lost passport replaced or returned, but don't take too long. Time from NVC sent to packet 3 from Guangzhou tends to be 3 months.

Try calling this number for the IRS (800) 829-1040 last time I called it I got a friendly operator when ordering transcripts for our I-134 for our interview at the Guangzhou consulate, they may be able to help you.

Finally I highly recommend A Candle For Love, to prepare for the interview at the Guangzhou consulate, that site specializes in all things China immigrations.

http://candleforlove.com

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...st&p=233487 (FAQ section with a large list of possible interview questions)

Ok, so worst case is we order another passport. I called the IRS and 'they're not trained' on this. lol AMAZING! I found in the W7 this:

"Original documents you submit will be returned to you. You do not

need to provide a return envelope. If your original documents are not

returned within 60 days, you can call the IRS (see Telephone help on

page 2). Copies of documents will not be returned."

Of course I didn't see the big TIP just below that says don't send in the originals, which is not what they say in the normal filing instructions.

At least I got my transcripts coming finally.

note to all: NEVER send original passport, even if you get it back.

Ok, I know it was stupid to hav sent in the original passport, so don't waste your breath. The W7, however, does ask for original or copy.

anyways, I got my tax return from the federal gov., but they did not send back my wife's passport. of course i'm not surprised, but i want to know if anyone else did this (i know someone on here recommended to send the original) and if they got the passport back?

i actually got a return and was anticipating getting her passport back at the same time, but this did not happen.

no matter which options i choose on the IRS hotline, it always gives me either and end call, or my tax status then an end call (ie thanks for calling the IRS blah blah blah).

Also, I looked through my i130/129f, and I can't see anywhere where I might ahv used her passport ID, or that either document even asks for a copy of her passport. Anyone know if the passport of yoru spouse was ever used in the i130/129f petitions?

I am really sorry. I am lost again. I never heard about W7!!!! Do we need file it in USCIS together to I-134?? I dont get understand this. Until now I received nothing from Rio consulate and I am getting lost on the papers, it is problably I am late, because I have nothing in my hands and all the time people speak about things that I never heard it. Help me someone!!!

Hey, don't sweat it. It's for filing taxes with married status, which you should be doing just so you know.

Google W7 and get the forum from the IRS search result. Fill it out along with your federal (maybe state too, depends on state) taxes, and submit them to the address found on the W7 form, not the normal tax return address.

If you claim your wife's earning, you will need proof of her incomes, and you will also need a NOTARIZED COPY OF HER PASSPORT. Don't be an idiot like me and use the real passport.

Why do you need this? To show that your finances are irreversibly intertwined into the far distant galaxies. This will just be 'extra', if there's such a thing, evidence to prove the authenticity of your marriage.

Where To Apply

By mail. Mail Form W-7, your tax return (or other documents

required by an exception), and the documentation listed in item (3)

under How To Apply on page 2 to:

Internal Revenue Service

ITIN Operation

P.O. Box 149342

Austin, TX 78714-9342

Do not use the mailing address in the instructions for

your tax return.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf

You sent her original passport !?!?!

I've read here -- and I think it is excellent advice -- never send the government an original anything unless they specifically ask for it. And then, I'd be very careful about sending anything as irreplaceable as passport!

Here's what the W7 says:

"3. The original documents, or certified or notarized copies of

documents, that substantiate the information provided on the Form

W-7. The supporting documentation must be consistent with the

applicant’s information provided on Form W-7. For example, the

name, date of birth, and country(ies) of citizenship must be the same

as on Form W-7, lines 1a, 4, and 6a

If you submit an original valid passport (or a notarized or

certified copy of a valid passport), you do not need to submit

any other documents. Otherwise, you must submit at least two or

more of the documents listed below. The documents must be

current, verify your identity (that is, contain your name), and support

your claim of foreign status. At least one document must contain

your photograph, but a photograph is not required if documents are

submitted for a dependent under age 14 (under age 18 if a student).

Do not attach expired documents.

"

So, it asks for original, and in parenthesis a notarized copy, which translates in my brain to "prefer original". Additionally, when I was going to do this there were several people posting on this subject on VJ and at least one was convincing enough to get me to send the original. As I've state elsewhere: "DO NOT SEND THE ORIGINAL"!!! ;-) i wish I knew then what I know now kinda thing...

I'm totally pissed off at myself I did this, but it is approved at any rate and we might be getting it back along with my federal taxes here shortly. fwaguy, I had thought I was going to get it back after the W7 teams was done with this part of me taxes, but I guess they still need it. My wife's interview isn't until at least late May and more probably mid-July, so I think I'm safe no matter what happens with her passport.

AGAIN, DON'T SEND ORIGINAL PASSPORT, UNLESS YOUR SPOUSE IS ALREADY IN THE COUNTRY.

wow, that was quick!!!

look at my timeline and you'll see how long it was taking most people recently.

well my petition got approved.. and on Feb 13th it was supposed to be getting transfered to the Embassy.. but it has NOT gotten there !!! it has been a MONTH!!! Today is MARCH 12th !!! I called the NVC and they didnt really have a answer as to WHY it has been a month and the Embassy has NOT gotten it IS THIS NORMAL???!!!!

How can it just be Floating around??? Not at the NVC but not at the embassy??!! GRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !

and I want my husband to go get his medical.. but I want to at least know that it has been received by the Embassy before I tell him to go get his physical.

Most likely, and I don't know if this is accurate, but these embassies take their sweet time entering your and processing you petition. So, the NVC sends it to them, and when the consulate gets 'em they just throw them on top of the stack and no processing at all is done until yours is ready to be processed for completion. you basically don't get any kind of notice from them indicating they've gotten the damn thing, at least that's true at most or all consulates.

Ok, I paper (don't think there's another way) file my taxes and mailed them using USPS on February 7th 2007.

Today, March 12, 2007, I got my wife's ITIN number on a US Dept. of Treasury document.

I also sent in the original passport with the W7 and federal tax return, but did not get it back. I imagine I'll get her passport back after my federal taxes are done (probably 3-4 more weeks).

Also, I believe I checked the box "Spouse of US citizen". I know that part of the W7 can be confusing.

They might have gotten it, but it might be sitting in the mail room so it just hasn't been processed.

To be honest, I'd be freaking out too...but it won't help any that's for sure. Good luck!!

??

I've seen some timelines and people are reporting the consulate received their petition. Do they send an e-mail for this, postal mail, or do you have to actually inquire about it?

I spoke to the CSC regarding this issue. They said they would correct the error, but that it could be up to 45 days. I then called the NVC; they told me not to worry as they do not use the I797 notice information (NOA2), but that they get the original application from CSC and use the info from that. So everything should be OK! Feeling alot better after worrying all weekend that their error would cause a delay.

That's good to know, so I should be ok since mine's at the NVC already. I'll still have to call the USCIS to get a new NOA2 though.

Apparently the inmates are running the asylum that is CSC! Just realized I won't be able to sort this out Monday as it is a government holiday. And since I fly to Spain tomorrow, it will be an expensive call to try and fix their mistake!!!! Even more GRRRRRRR!

lame...i think the typos are nothing more than just that though and won't matter in the final outcome (digital records).

my app still ended up at the NVC regardless and it's under processing they said via phone. who knows though, the 'tards might send me (USC) a visa to enter the good ole USofA... if the INS don't pick me up and ship me away first.

Received both NOA2s in the snail mail today. The one for the I130 has everything listed correctly, but the NOA2 for the 129F has Rin's name wrong. Her name is Phatcharin (as it appears on the I130), but the CSC has her as "Patchann" on the NOA2 for the 129F. When checking the NOA1's, I could not have known this as theNOA1 for the I130 has her listed as the beneficiary with the correct name, but the NOA1 for the I129F doesn't show her name anywhere!

I guess I will spend my monday trying to sort this out! GRRRRRRR!

what the frick! i just looked at my NOA2 and it has my name for beneficiary. God almighty, I can't even believe this. Thanks for posting otherwise i wouldn't have ever looked.

Anyone??? What do you have for NOA1/2? Mine was correct for my NOA1 I believe....

Im ready to file my taxes and I have a copy of my husbands drivers license, birth certificate, and passport. Now my question is......since my hubby is applying for an ITIN so that we can file jointly is there a specific notary that is allowed to notarize these documents for me, and if so who do I take them to? I dont know if this matters for the sake of this question but all the documents are British issued documents.

Any public notary. This isn't the USCIS you're dealing with.

Some people on this forum have said it's best to send the original passport. I did this and totally regret doing so. If my wife's interview is up before I get the tax return back she'll have to get a new passport. Just a tip: get a notarized copy.

Oh, just another tip, you have to have your spouse sign the federal (and maybe state depnding on state i think) 1040 if filing jointly. If you file married separately they don't have to sign it and you don't have to submit evidence of the money they earned in the UK. They might, however, have to file a seperate tax return on their own. That's how I know it. You can call the IRS and ask for the filing dept. and they will tell you if your spouse is required to file a tax of their own, if you do choose MFS.

There is no specific time that you must file I 485.....asap is always best but you can wait a while if you like

She cannot apply for EAD until she is in the country....she needs her 1-94 in order to apply for EAD.

Thanks for the responses everyone....

What a huge relief....I should've asked weeks ago instead of thinking in circles.

GOOD NEWS TODAY.. MY WIFE YADIRA WAS APPROVED FOR K-3 VISA TODAY!!!

ALOT PEOPLE WERE DENIED. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR PAPERS IN ORDER AND ALSO SHOW PROOF OF A REAL MARRIAGE. IF ANYBODY IS IN COLOMBIA AND HAS AN INTERVIEW TOMORROW YOU ALL CAN CALL ME ON MY CELL PHONE NUMBER IN COLOMBIA WHICH IS

310-353-9250.. FOR SOME TIPS...

WE ARE SO HAPPY!!!!

THE RIGHT NUMBER IS 310-353-9250

Congrats....

See, now it'd be good to know what type of petition those people that were denied had (referring to an old post of mine ;-), and even better if we knew why. doah!!

Im ready to file my taxes and I have a copy of my husbands drivers license, birth certificate, and passport. Now my question is......since my hubby is applying for an ITIN so that we can file jointly is there a specific notary that is allowed to notarize these documents for me, and if so who do I take them to? I dont know if this matters for the sake of this question but all the documents are British issued documents.

Any public notary. This isn't the USCIS you're dealing with.

Some people on this forum have said it's best to send the original passport. I did this and totally regret doing so. If my wife's interview is up before I get the tax return back she'll have to get a new passport. Just a tip: get a notarized copy.

After entry using K3 visa and I130 already approved, how long do I have before I file the AOJ?

Here's my deal: I'm planning on moving to another state right after my wife gets in the US. We have an approved I130/I129f and she will be entering on the K3.

Will this cause problems for the I864? My thinking is that if I can wait to file the AOJ/864 after I move and get a job it won't be a problem, but if the law stipulates I must file the AOJ right after or soon after she arrives, then this will cause problems with getting an i864 'if' I move to another state first and don't yet have a job.

Any insight is greatly appreciated...

Also, can I file for an EAD now that I have an approved I130 even so she's not in the country? Is there anything more I can file now that I have an approved I130?

xie xie

You can estimate the length of your waiting by looking at others who filed for their petitions through the same service center as you. Then add in a little time between the service center, the NVC, and the foreign consulate/embassy. Then look at others who had their K-3 interviews at the same foreign consulate as you.

I found the 'Immigration Timelines' link very helpful

You can filter your search down to your specific service center and foreign embassy. Almost forgot to mention... ...that will help you and others estimate their timelines.

That link is what I was going to suggest.

It seem the avg to get an NOA2 from the CSC is 2.5-3 months, whereas the NOA2 from VSC takes 3-6 weeks on avg. it seems.

What's important in the timelines is the consulate.

Getting the actual visa from after the NOA2 in China is about 5-6 more months of waiting, but I think the Canadian consulate only takes 3-4 months. Those are the general ideas I've gotten from reading the VJ processing time lines and real time lines people have filled in their signature.

Hello, I have a very important questions. My spouse has an interview set for end of March for K-3 Interview. The US consulate overseas is asking me to fill out I-134 and send it to my spouse. It asks about Bank account. I make 70K+ a year, so my question is, DO I NEED TO PROVIDE BANK ACCOUNT SAVINGS INFORMATION?, or can I just leave that in blank. I would hate to send my bank account information and statements. I have a employment letter that says the amount I make monthly from the company I work for.

Also, for #11, it asks about "Intent/do not intent, to make to make specific contributions to the support of the persons named in item #3." What do I put in here?

Do I need to specify what my intentions are? Give room, place to live, medical needs, food, financial support, etc.. Do I need to provide $$$ amount in here?

There are information such as my spouse home address which it does not fit in the I-134 form. Can I attach a CONTINUATION SHEET with it? Do I need to also have the Notary public notarize the continuation sheet?

One more question, in question #2. That I am ______ years of age and have resided in the United States since (date)_______?????_________

For the DATE field. When I entered the US I entered illegally, but then I got my green card like 2 years after and now I'm a US citizen. What date do I put in there? The ilegal date or the date for the green card? I don't remember the date on my green card since it was taken away from me when I got my US citizenship.

Your responses will be greatly appreciated.

Sergio

Hand write your spouses address in instead of typing it. Just write real small and attach a sheet a paper with the address. I did that for my 130 and didn't have any problem, as the addresses in China are about 2 miles long.

In the link below is a sample pdf of the I134, which is what I was refered to when I had questions. I found it helpful and it'll answer all or most of your questions. Look for the link to the pdf on the first page.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...ic=305&st=0

Hope that helps. I'm not sure about your illegal entry question, but I suspect they only want to know your current status (LPR or USC).

It is possible that there are cultural or other reasons that make having a 'real life' relationship difficult for the OP. While most people would consider that meeting in person with all that that entails is a pre requisite before considering marriage, it's not the only way a relationship can be conducted. Of course, it does appear that there are a lot of wanna be councilors around who seem to know better than the people within the relationship...

But isn't that fraud, using a K1 to date?

It is not fraudulant to use the K1 to ensure that the relationship is going to be viable. I am not sure how many people do change their minds at the K1 stage, but it is possible and entirely legitimate.

Regardless of cultural customs, etc, I thought in the K1 app. it specifically says that the intending immigrant is to marry within 90 days of POE, meaning the visa is for getting married, not to make it easier for the applicant to date.

hey.. don't be mean.. but I am sure their advice is right.. you should try to meet at least 2 times before the 3rd time you plan to marry her.. that way it will seem like it is a real marriage.. instead of the government thinking that she just wants to get green card from you..

They are right. You need to have met with her WITHIN the last 2 yearsnot having known thm for more than 2 years.

There's no clear law that says you have to see her 3 times or what ever. It just has to be enough to show that you are truly in love and not in it just toget a green card.

Honestly I think it would be smarter to go see her at her house and then if you are happy apply for a K1 (which has the same restriction on meeting as the K3) so you can at least "test out your relationship for a while. . .

Contrary to popular belief she may not actually like it in America . .. .Keep in mind she will be away from her family the culture may be completely different to what she is used to. She may not like having to drive everywhere . . . I think you need o think everything through before you go an further.

But isn't that fraud, using a K1 to date?

mchina34,

You've got that backwards. I-130 was processed at the regional SCs and I-129f for spouse was processed at the NBC.

Yodrak

Supposedly, part of the new process the USCIS implemented in Oct. '06 was to streamline the I130/I129f and have them both sent to the same service center for processing. Prior to that the I130 was processed at the MSC and the I129f was sent to the regional center (CSC, VSC, TSC, etc), .....

Oh, yeah, what the heck was I thinking. Apparently I wasn't.

if you choose to opt for married filing seperately, but your spouse has no u.s. taxable income, or is unemployed, how does that work?

that's what i did. i called the IRS to see if she still had to file since she's a non resident alien and answered all their questions and they said my spouse would not have to file a 2006 tax return. we did MFS so she didn't have to sign the 1040 or get employment verification, which is needed for filing jointly.

Which one is supposed to be quicker to get one's spouse in the US?

Which one will be automatically processed? If not the 129f, how do I make it the one they choose to process?