Minnesota12345

Hi there,

The original certified translation of our birth certificate's notary stamp expired on 1/2019. Can we use that when they've asked us to bring it to the interview or do I need to have a new copy made? Translation is easily proving to be one of the largest and most painful experiences through this whole process. Any recs on providers that can overnight translated documents to you?

3 minutes ago, PollyC said:

 

If you want I can message you my cover letter to you for you to compare with yours.

Please do!

20 minutes ago, T_P said:

Dont get me wrong, but there are tons of posts with the same request, use the search box and compare your list and read the comments on it. 

Most of the ones I found have 0 replies. 

20 minutes ago, Sugarlegetiti said:

You not missing anything, no need to be terrified. It doesn't matter whose handwriting it is as long as it is readable. Good luck 

Thank you so much. Our whole life together depends on this and it's hard not to be though!

Here's our full package:

Also, we handwrote our replies (very neatly) - does it matter whose handwriting is where on these forms?

The following documents accompany and support this application:

1.      Form G-1450 Authorizing Credit Card Payment of $1760 to US Department of Homeland Security for filing the below forms

2. Form G-1145
3. Beneficiary’s Form I-485
   1. Form I-485 Pages 1-18
   2. Two passport-style photos of beneficiary
   3. Copy of beneficiary’s passport information page
   4. Copy of beneficiary’s visa page
   5. Copy of beneficiary’s electronic I-94 issued at entry
   6. Copy of birth certificate of beneficiary, original
   7. Copy of birth certificate of beneficiary, translated into English, notarized
   8. Copy of marriage certificate
4. Petitioner’s Form I-130
   1. Form I-130 Pages 1-12
   2. Two passport-style photos of beneficiary
   3. Two passport-style photos of petitioner
   4. Copy of birth certificate of beneficiary, original
   5. Copy of birth certificate of beneficiary, translated into English, notarized
   6. Copy of birth certificate of petitioner
   7. Copy of passport biographical page of petitioner
   8. Copy of passport biographical page of beneficiary
   9. Copy of visa page of beneficiary
   10. Copy of beneficiary’s electronic I-94 issued at entry
   11. Copy of marriage certificate
   12. Evidence of Bona-Fide Marriage

                                                              i.      Selection of 10 photos from varying stages of relationship and marriage

                                                            ii.      Bank documents including beneficiary as party on account or beneficiary

                                                          iii.      Proof beneficiary is additional user on credit card accounts

                                                          iv.      Proof beneficiary is beneficiary on life insurance from employer

                                                            v.      Affadavit from FAMILY FRIEND

                                                          vi.      Affadavit from FAMILY FRIEND

                                                        vii.      Utility company including verification of shared address (leasing company refused to add beneficiary to the apartment lease due to lack of citizenship/residency)

[ALSO OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO BOLSTER AND IMPROVE THIS]

5. Beneficiary’s Form I-130A
   1. Form I-130A Pages 1-6
6. Petitioner’s I-864 petition
   1. Form I-864 Pages 1-10
   2. Most recent-W2 for tax year 2017
   3. Three years of tax transcripts (2015, 2016, and 2017)
   4. Copy of petitioner’s birth certificate
   5. 6 months of petitioner’s pay stubs
7. Beneficiary’s Form I-765
   1. Form I765 Pages 1-2
   2. 2 passport-style photos of beneficiary
   3. Copy of beneficiary’s passport biographical page
   4. Copy of beneficiary’s electronic I-94 issued at entry
8. Beneficiary’s Form I-131
   1. Form I-131 Pages 1-5
   2. 2 passport-style photos of beneficiary
   3. Copy of beneficiary’s passport biographical page
   4. Copy of beneficiary’s electronic I-94 issued at entry
   5. Supplementary letter explaining Advance Parole qualification

Thanks to any and all who look, I'd love to know if I am missing anything here. We're terrified.

Awesome! One more question! For questions like the interpreter's certification, do we just ignore that if nothing was interpreted? My spouse is fluent in English.

Hi there,

We're packaging our applications together (all forms) - a few questions:

Do we fasten all of these together? Eg., does I130 and I485 go on the same fastener?

What's the best way to attach the passport sized photos, payment, etc? We can't hole punch those. Do they just wind up in the envelope too?

19 hours ago, CatP said:

I think pics of her with your family would be good, besides the affidavits. Shows she participates in family gatherings. 

My family are out of the picture as most are in Germany or are loony neoconfederates. I have some with hers though!

1 minute ago, Nelly17 said:

 

Interesting, I assume this was received well?

5 minutes ago, Smelserjl said:

re: insurance--I wouldn't wait to file since you have the other items. I think they just like paperwork showing you make each other beneficiary or something like insurance/will/etc.

 

I included my timeline with my application--better to have up front than during the interview only (we brought it as well)!

 

You might also want to be prepared to explain why you're eloping. We had planned to get married in the US, but we eloped. We explained that our families and culture preferred that we marry instead of moving in together while engaged. 

Awesome, thank you so much for your input! 

We'll draft a timeline as well, I'd be interested in knowing if others do this too.

We do plan on having a ceremony, though at a later date, as well as a civil ceremony by September on the west coast. Should I include that?

1 minute ago, Smelserjl said:

I think all of those things would be useful, but I recommend some additional items:

 

- Can she get added to your lease and not just your insurance policy?

- How about car insurance? Health insurance?

- I put together a timeline in a word doc of our relationship--it included photos/screen shots of things we did together/trips, conversations among each other's families, meeting friends, etc.--its like a story of how your relationship evolved and remained. 

- Flight or hotel itinerary copies with both names?

- Tax bills with both names?

1. No, my city has a rental crisis and all 1BRs and studios here are single occupancy only unless you want to pay out the wazoo for "luxury" housing and tbh, as I'm already covering for two, it's hard to afford that

2. Car insurance, no, she doesn't drive. Health insurance, I've paid travel insurance for her until she can be added to mine. Would you advise waiting until I add her to mine to file?

3. Should that be included with the application? Or just the interview evidence?

4. Good thinking. Printing those tonight.

5. People have recommended this, but she doesn't work in the US as she isn't a resident yet, so IDK how she could have that.

Hi all, we're filing I130 after we decided to marry here due to increased tensions/problems at home for my future spouse. We will be eloping in exactly 1 month.

Hi all,

Do you think the following would qualify as evidence of a bona-fide marriage?

1. Phone bill with both of our names on it

2. Bank account (though JUST opened jointly)

3. Affadavits of support from 3-4 people

4. Mail to my address with her name on it (though she isn't on my lease as I deal with the world's worst property management company that restricts my 1br to "single occupancy")

5. Authorized usership on my Amex/Chase cards

6. Renters Insurance Policy with our name on it

Also, my state (MN) seems to have many hurdles to jump through to get a government ID so that seems to be a chicken/egg question. Any tips on getting a MN ID without an SSN?

1 hour ago, geowrian said:

Read the guide and all instructions for each form in full.

Guide: http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide2

 

Change of Address (COA), in case you move after filing: https://egov.uscis.gov/coa/displayCOAInitForm.do

After being acknowledged and an interview is ready to be scheduled, the case will be sent to a local USCIS office for your new address.

Thank you! Very helpful!

Hi all, we are filing for AOS roughly 3 months into my future spouse's stay in the USA. She came to visit for a few weeks, I convinced her to stay with a ring and always remembering to set up the coffee for the next morning. We're about the happiest damn couple you'd ever see.

I'm under the assumption that we need to file the following:

I130

I130A

I131

I485

I765

We file all of these at the same time, correct? Do we need to include any other forms? This is scary stuff!

Additionally, I may be relocating to Chicago while we wait, any recommendations on how we would handle that change of address and ensure we still have a good case? We can always travel back to the St. Paul region for the interview if needed.

Thank you all for your help, I look forward to being able to advise others once we navigate this process.

13 minutes ago, NateAndJessica said:

I doubt theres little on this site that couldn't be construed as legal advice... And the best legal advice i would like to now give to all VJ participants, Dont get a lawyer unless you have serious hurdles to clear.

Either way, let's stay on topic. From OP perspective, I'm taking everything said with a grain of salt, as one should with content online

My main question is: What do we need to know about petitioning/getting the CR1 internally if we decide to just stay?

Is this even legal? Is it risky? 

Also, how about document self-translation?

3 hours ago, pushbrk said:

Not sure where you got that impression, but from Ecuador, it's unlikely she entered without inspection.

There are quite a number of folks who cross over through a third country like Mexico from other parts of Latin America, at least locally. But it's important for my case that she entered with inspection.

9 minutes ago, EM_Vandaveer said:

Wait a second, she's EWI (Entered Without Inspection)? She definitely cannot do AOS...

No, she entered WITH. Sorry! I thought EWI meant that haha!

2 minutes ago, Roel said:

There is no 90 day rule, just so you know. 

We definitely want to avoid presumption of misrepresentation: https://www.nafsa.org/Professional_Resources/Browse_by_Interest/International_Students_and_Scholars/DOS_Expands_Presumption_of_Misrepresentation_Rule_to_90_Days/

Our intentions were good and honest but as this is already a scary process to jump right into, we'd like to take the coming weeks to just read while we let this arbitrary time period pass.

1 minute ago, Roel said:

If she doesn't have anything going in her country, then just adjust now.. IF you send paperwork now the wait for the work permit is just about 3 to 5 months. 

Our lawyer said we have to wait 90 days from her entry at minimum, so we're thinking of allowing 4 months to allot just to be safe. That said, that would be a good thing for us, for sure.

5 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

You do not NEED a lawyer for this process.  The help you get here will be as or possibly more accurate and they don't charge by the hour here.  You can still get one but in my experience, they tend to make things tougher rather than easier.

 

You can translate the documents and since you can speak to the CO, you should not have a problem.

 

Not knowing parents doesn't matter.  As proof of relationship it is good to have some family photos.

 

Are you already married or getting married?  If you are married the CR-1 is the right choice.  If you aren't married yet, the K-1 is an option.  

The K1 is an option, but then she has to adjust status and that's a longer time until she is able to work. We WILL be filing marriage paperwork in the USA before her departure/decision to stay, however, it sucks because she doesn't have that much with her. Time for a trip to Forever 21?

2 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

Your local office may not be assigned your case.  At one point ALL K-1 petitions went through California no matter where you live. I am just starting the CR-1 process after making it unsuccessfully through the entire K-1 process so I have some experience on the other side of things.

Oh man, best of luck to you. This is nerve wrecking for me already. I love my fiance and just want our family to be united.

2 minutes ago, Roel said:

IF she's already in the US just file AOS for her. It takes about 12 to 14 months and she'll get a green card. She cannot leave US during the process though (only small trips when she receive her travel permit) and her final interview will be in the US. 

 

You don't need a lawyer. 

The current USCIS wait time for our local office is the worst in the nation, hence why we're thinking that. Any thoughts on my other remarks?