Buck

Homesick American,

I know exactly how you feel about your MIL, my Taiwanese MIL is such a selfish vindictive person. She's the reason my wife and I eloped and ultimately decided to live in my home country (the US) rather than hers. I envy all those who have sweet MIL's. Why can't life be more simple?

Same here, never used a binder or hole punch, just made sure all the info they wanted was in there. I think it's more important to just submit the required info as quickly as possible. This wait is excruciatingly long, the sooner you send it the better.

I'm guessing you're talking about picture size? My wife's application was also mailed with the non-US sized passport pictures, the little rectangular ones. We did not get an RFE, but I have read on here that they sometimes happen, but it seems most people don't get an RFE due to picture size. We were also obsessing about this but then realized that besides the shape all the required measurements were within specs (distance from chin to forehead, etc.)

Chances are you're ok. Try not to worry.

But I would say definitely send the correct sized ones for the rest of the process. Better safe than sorry.

Just make sure the i-134 is done if you haven't already, I think the rest is up to him, police records, etc.

I'm so sorry for your long wait. But I know how you feel, it will come. My wife and I were very desperate as well, I am lucky enough that I am able to wait with my wife in her country. We originally had planned to file direct with the consulate only to be told that the day before we arrived the Adam Walsh act came into effect and they were no longer authorized to accept petitions. Imagine our surprise, we've now been sitting unemployed for 5 months waiting endlessly, living off of savings, thank god I have no house, or mortgage back in the states and the standard of living in Taiwan is very cheap.

But I can tell you it's the unknown that's the killer. It's difficult but try not to think about it, I was worried too if I forgot to sign something, the picture sizes were wrong, etc. Chances are nothing is wrong and once you get that approval everything behind it goes faster. You had both your petitions touched, that's a good sign. We had that happen also but then a week and a half of nothing then noa2. Hang in there, try to think about the future and you two being together.

Yes, we were specifically told in a letter that was in our packet 3 to send the ds-156 back with no signature and date but the rest filled in. It said we will be asked to swear its contents to the consular officer and then sign it in front of them.

My wife will be going to school as well, I want her to go as I figure it'll be easier for her to make friends and enter American culture easier, she'll be leaving a lot behind in Taiwan and it's the least I can do for her.

From what I know, yes you can, but it's better to wait until after AOS. On a K3 you will be charged as an international student, which isn't cheap. In Georgia, my wife will qualify as an in-state student after she goes through AOS. I'm sure it's similar in other states.

It may work differently in Taiwan than the Philippines. But we had to pay for the medical at the medical exam, we had a choice of several designated hospitals around the country, we then just hand carry the results to the interview. We also had to pay the visa fee prior to scheduling the interview, but in Taiwan we can pay at any post office. We received a paper DS-156 to fill out but did it online to make it clearer. My wife's name was misspelled on our i-130 NOA1 which we later had corrected, I think my handwriting must have been bad? I'm sure refused entry means at either immigration or actual visa issuing.

Don't know about you, but I long for the days that my wife and I can go home together, I'm here waiting with her, and keep imagining a small house in the country and a time where we can look back on this and laugh at what we went through. It's been such a long wait, we're just waiting for our interview also. Good luck.

K3's are not entered into the automated system so you have to speak to a live person to ask. Have your receipt number ready and call 603-334-0700, press 1 for english then press 5 for the operator. You may find out after you call that it's already passed through and on its way to your embassy. That's what we were told anyways, petitions seem to pass straight through the nvc like a mail-forwarder.

My i-130 was sent before I found the nice step-by-step checklist on this site so everything was in random order, no cover sheet, and all just thrown loosely into the envelope. On the i-129, I had everything in order with a cover letter, but still all just loosely placed into a plastic bag (that was when the snow storms hit the northeast), then the envelope. I wouldn't worry much about this issue, I think it's more important you just send it in with the requested info ASAP so you can get "into line", it's a long wait.

Same here, still no NOA2 hard copy, good news is I don't think we actually need it. We've already sent our packet three back to our embassy and nothing they've sent us ever mentions needing any of the NOA's.

There really is no way of telling whether or not your consulate will ask for the tax returns, the letter is a great idea to have.

The Taiwanese consulate did not ask for them and pretty much left it optional if the previous years tax records were attached or not. It was more of a list that included tax returns, pay stubs, affidavits, etc. Then said pick two for the interview. But I attached mine and my mom's just in case.

I'd say early april. I think approvals go by the i129 and april 4th is when your file officially went into the system.

Sounds complete to me. I don't think you will need the pictures, emails, etc. We never sent them, after all, having a marriage certificate is darn good evidence of having met in person, especially with your baby's birth certificate, I don't see how that could happen if you've never met.

I believe you can file in Hong Kong, they have a USCIS center there. You should double check though.

Just had a thought. I could have been if your lawyer is completing the forms for you and only contacting you for payment, maybe you should ask him?

Doesn't sound like it. The affidavit of support is free, the notarization costs money. Our packet three was just a medical exam packet for my wife to take to the doctor, a ds-230 part I, ds-156, and ds-156k form, as well as a request to wire the money for the visa to the embassy and a checklist to mail back for requesting an interview date.

Hello To All

I am new to this Forum and wanted to see if anyone has the same patience waiting for the "special" NOA1 for the I-130. I don't understand why takes so long, I guess just to make us more nervous....

We filed on VSC but was transfer to CSV.

Thanks and good luck to all !!!

Hello,

Can you get your case number off the back of the check? If so, some people that filed back when we filed that never got their noa1's apparently attached a letter with the case number and successfully filed their i129f's. You can do a search and try to find their threads.

Nothing here either, also a may 3rd approval. Looks like every approval batch has it's own peculiarities. strange that I've already gone through the nvc, wife's done medical, and we've sent the packet 3 back but still no noa2 hardcopy. oh well, I don't really think the interview requires it. nothing we've received asks that any notice of actions be brought.

For all those who've filled out the i-134, did you provide all 12 months bank statements in duplicate? At 4 pages average per statement and 2 accounts it's coming out to a lot of paper and ink used.

Hi all,

I just noticed that our packet three doesn't mention that my wife's birth certificate, or anything else for that matter needs to be translated into English for her interview. Is this true? Will foreign language documents be sufficient for her interview?

Thanks

I always thought, better safe than sorry so I completely filled ours out and we had no problems with it.

On our I-130 I left the left side blank since my wife is not in the US. And wrote our choice of embassy in Taiwan on the right. I think you have to fill this one out, it's where they will mail your approved petitions so she can be interviewed. Hope this helps.

Theoretically I can't see why there would be a problem with the date, but I can't be for sure.

The g325a should not change, just make sure she signs all 4 pages from each so 8 pages for you total. If you already have all the other documents in English (marriage certificate, etc.) then you should be set. If it were me though, I'd rather send more information then less, I'd send the picture of the child to. Better not to risk an RFE and waist more time, the wait is long enough and excrutiating enough as it is already. I'd just write I included the pic in the cover letter.

I'm not sure if it helped or not, but I emailed them last week with our NVC case number to see if it had arrived. You could try that.