soniabruin

Thanks Just Bob! I was understanding the residence aspect literally but that does make sense. We have begun completing the N-400 form for naturalization.

Thanks again for the feedback! I am confused though...I looked up the conditions to apply for naturalization. From what I understand, my husband would not meet this criteria when he leaves for Vancouver in two weeks although he does meet all the other ones:

Reside continuously within the United States from the date of application for naturalization until the time of naturalization

Any suggestions??

Thanks for the response! It is reassuring to know that he can leave while he waits for an appointment for the biometrics letter. We are going to file anyways just to not risk anything going wrong and peace of mind...I am staying in the U.S. so we will be maintaining everything as is (apartment, bank accounts, car loan, etc.) but it was hard enough getting his permanent residency so just in case. Also, I did not realize that for spouses of U.S. citizens the wait time to apply for citizenship could be three years instead of five. I started looking into that and stumbled across the N-470 Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes. We are also going to complete that application so that when he comes back from his project in May we can begin the naturalization process.

Thanks for the feedback!

Hi everyone,

We haven't posted in a long time since my husband obtained his resident visa and has been living and working in the U.S. for 3.5 years. He works in the animation industry and worked abroad for three months last year in Australia for a short project. Now, his current employer is sending workers to Canada but it will be for a longer period (approximately eight months). He entered Canada to provide application for work visa and received his work visa. However, upon entering the U.S., the customs officer told us that he recommended my husband obtain a reentry permit since it would be up to the customs official upon returning to the U.S. whether he would be considered to not have maintained residence in the U.S. His project begins in mid October so we are strapped for time to make a decision on whether he should go before obtaining a reentry permit or delay his contract.

If we apply for a reentry permit, how long does it take get an appointment for biometrics?

Thanks for the help,

Sonia

Hi Poiteen,

I had the same question about a month ago. I guess it's rare enough that people don't have sample letters to show.

Anyways, this is what I am planning on sending along to my Spanish husband for his interview.

Hope this helps!

To Whom It May Concern:

I am __________’s wife and petitioning sponsor. I did not file an income tax return for the year 2006 because I did not work. My then boyfriend, ____________, supported me during that time period. According to the filing requirements for my age group and single status, I needed to file a tax return only if I had earned at least $8, 450. Since I made no income for the year 2006, I was not required to file an income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service.

Sincerely,

_____________

Sorry, yes it´s the G-325A. I wanted to ask the lady if I needed to fill out all four pages or just the one page per person because I remember someone saying that in Spain they only took one page. She told me not to bother because the form is used only in the U.S. I´m guessing because each one stays with a certain department.

I am wondering if maybe I should fill it out just in case...

Thanks Qwain,

I guess I´ll just deal with the taxes when I arrive back in the U.S. in October. I think my father has a friend who knows about immigration issues and filing taxes. I´m just not sure what to write in the letter.

As for the joint sponsor, I will definitely put my father and maybe my uncle just in case.

I called the embassy on another issue, and they seem helpful so I´ll just ask them what to do when we change our address and put our current address right now.

By the way, they told me I didn´t need the form G-325 (at least in Spain).

Thanks guys!

Hello again,

I am a little concerned about how to answer the questions on the I-130 and G-325A. My husband and I have been living together for a year now in Valencia, Spain. We just got married while my now husband was on vacation in L.A. (Thanks to you guys I realized it was easier than waiting for the bureaucracy in Spain

Anyways, as of Aug. 28th he has been working in London and his contract is for a month so far. So, should I put our current address in Spain for him even though both of us will be leaving our flat soon after we have our initial interview. I will be returning to the U.S., and he´ll probably go to his hometown until he gets something more permanent.

I´m worried they might send something important to our current address in Spain where neither of us will be.

Thanks again,

Sonia

Hi everyone,

I´m finally going to start the application process for my husband (Spanish). I was wondering if anyone had any sample letters explaining why they were not required to file. I´ve only filed taxes once working as a student, and my father took care of that.

Although I did work in 2006, I did not have a working visa in Spain. Additionally, I only worked two hours a day as an English teacher for half of the year. My fiancee´, now husband, was working full-time and was able to provide for both of us. I know that I would have to pay the late fees if I filed and the self employment taxes which I think is ridiculous considering the little I made.

I was wondering if anyone had an opinion as to what is best for me to do. How long would filing take to process? We are going to the embassy in late September. We are hoping he´ll have the visa by January if everything goes well.

Thanks in advance,

Sonia

Thanks everyone!

I am so relieved that we can get married in the U.S. Don't know why it didn't occur to me until I read someone else's story. Oh, and yes I've been here in Spain for two and a half years now. I don't have a visa, but the embassy told me with certificate of residence and contract of apartment it was fine. I will call just to make sure about going to the U.S. for a month, but last time I called they said it was okay to go for vacation.

I know it's only a few months I'm saving, but we've been waiting so long now to get a date (six month wait because I'm a U.S. citizen). Now, I can go back earlier and prepare without rush for graduate school and my future husband's arrival

Thanks again (this forum is awesome!),

Sonia

Hi everyone,

I have a big question for you guys. I was planning to DCF in Spain, and my fiancee' (Spanish national) and I have the date with the judge October 30th, from then hopefully two weeks to get married. It was a big disappointment because we started gathering the documents in January and finally turned in all the paperwork in April. Spanish bureaucracy is horrible!

Anyways, my fiancee' is going to visit the U.S. for the first time in August and I am staying a month as well to get everything I need in order to begin graduate school in January. I was wondering if during his stay on the visa waiver program we would be able to get married. Would that be legal if his intention is to return to Spain? Additionally, would we be able to DCF if I return and file in September? (I called the embassy a few months ago and was told it would be okay to visit the U.S. if it's for vacation.) Or would I have to file for the K3 visa?

Any advice would be great! I am desperate to return to the U.S. to live and find a job to be able to help pay for school.

Thanks in advance,

Sonia

Thanks for the responses! I am waiting for next week when our papers are confirmed to see when they give us a date with the judge to verify we are not a marriage of convenience. I truly hope it takes shorter than six months (three months would be great We are definitely going to do the joint bank account thing. Thanks girlafraid7 for the advice.

If it really is a long wait time, the Denwark wedding is an option. So wish me luck guys!

In response to mdc, the six-month residence in Spain before filing DCF is what counts. I had a student visa for a year, lived here another 2.5 years without a visa and leaving for 3 months before applying for DCF is an issue. Proof of residency could be certificate of empadronamiento, work visa, apartment contract, light bill, etc.

Hi everyone,

Here´s the issue:

I am a U.S. citizen and my fiancee´is Spanish. After months of gathering the documents to get married in Spain, we are told that we have to wait six months to get married in Valencia because they have to verify the documents with the U.S., we have to meet with the judge, etc. Although I called various times asking questions including how long the wait time was, they never told me there was a longer wait time for U.S. citizens. Additionally, when we went to turn in our documents, they told us that if we wanted to marry in the U.S. it would be a wait time of a year or longer!!

The problem is that I assumed that we would definitely be married in time for when I leave in late July. I planned on returning to the U.S. for good in order to apply to graduate school and get everything ready. Now, I have to come back to Spain in October to get married. This creates an issue because I would be gone for about three months. The embassy told me to call back when we are married but that since I only have a certificate of empadronamiento and not a visa we probably don´t qualify for the six month residence required.

Now I´m not sure what to do because the paperwork to get married in Valencia is already in process. Should I look back into getting the fiancee´visa instead?

Thanks in advance!

Sonia

Hi,

I just wanted to thank you for putting down your experience. I am going to file in Madrid as well after we get married, hopefully in May. I´ve been looking into all the documents we need so there are no unnecessary delays, especially after the whole Adam Walsh thing. I´m so relieved to hear that the process is still about two months because I will leave in July and my boyfriend planned on leaving in October.

My problem is that I don´t have a visa here, but the embassy told me that just proving 6 months residency such as apartment contract and certificate of empadronamiento will do. Right now, I´m looking into the tax forms because I haven´t filed since maybe three years ago. I´ve lived here a little more than two years, and last year I didn´t make more than $8000 like it stipulates on the 1080 instructions. However, since I´ve been working "under the table" as a telemarketer and English teacher I´m not sure if that would mean I´m self-employed and would still have to file regardless. Obviously, my joint sponsor will be my parents, in particular my father. Does anyone have any words of wisdom as to how I should go about this?

I look forward to hearing how everything goes for you. Good luck!

Sonia

Thanks a bunch, meauxna!

I looked at the Direct Consular Filing, and you´re right, of course. It looks like the easiest way. Thanks for putting in the effort of explaining that whole process. I truthfully would be at a loss without having found this website.

I still have to discuss the details with my fiancee´, but it sounds like it´s the option we´re going to take. Even better, we have more time to plan the wedding ceremony in L.A.

Take care,

Sonia

Thanks everyone for the advice! We dread being separated for so long if I had to go back to the U.S., I don´t understand how some of you have done it. I have been teaching English and worked as a telemarketer for about a year where I could´ve asked to be sponsored for a visa, but as I said I didn´t expect to be here so long. If not I would´ve done things differently... Obviously, I will get my parents to co-sponsor me because I have only filed maybe one tax return in five years and not even full-time.

I can´t even get the Madrid Embassy to pick up the phone so I could ask about all the questions I have. Luckily, there´s the internet and this site without a doubt has the best information I have found.

Since our purpose is to live in the U.S. so I can go to graduate school and him work in animation, isn´t it an easier process to apply for the fiancee´ visa as opposed to the spouse visa? At least that´s what I´ve read in other sites. Regardless, I would prefer to get married in L.A. with my family and friends

Thanks to everyone and I´m glad to know I´m not the only crazy fool in love!!!

Hi everyone,

I am about to begin the process of applying for the K1 visa for my fiancee´. I am a U.S. citizen and met my Spanish fiancee´ in Spain while on vacation two years ago. I have been living in Spain ever since and have gone back to the U.S. to visit twice. However, I never acquired a visa because I never expected to be here so long. I am worried that my illegal status in Spain may affect my fiancee´ chances of getting the K1 visa.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom?

Thanks in advance,

Sonia