carmel34

It's all part of the US immigration adventure, navigating the bureaucratic processes at the federal and state levels!

The DMV nearest to our house is in Fairfield and it is really exceptional for efficiency, short lines, moving people through quickly, friendly, etc. Compared to other CA DMVs I have visited it is by far the best. That said, they struggle to understand basic DHS document policies like the new electronic visas for immigrants. They kept asking for an I-94 when those are not issued to immigrants on a CR-1/IR-1 and others. They didn't understand that the stamped CR-1 visa is an I551 for one year from date of US entry, equivalent to a green card. Their binders of plastic sheets show old documents, they are not trained on current documents issued by DOS or DHS. It's sad really, given the high number of immigrants in California. They say they are immigrant-friendly but this is not the case. Without a green card they only know how to give you a run around. Even supervisors do not know what current policies are. The whole "secondary review" process is a joke and is completely unnecessary. My husband was fortunate in that his green card showed up right when he needed it so he didn't have to go through the secondary review but really? He's not feeling too welcome here because of this. Brazil is way ahead in their processes with newer computer systems and online filing of documents, which is ironic given that we're living in the technology center of the world!

An update for anyone who is trying or will try to get a California driver's license after entry to the USA, with new information we were not aware of before, even after two years of following posts on this site and being an active contributor. My husband had proper documentation to prove his LPR status as a recent CR-1 visa arrival (visa stamped at POE, equivalent to an I-551 for one year from entry as stated on the visa), but the California DMV we went to would not give him a driving permit after he passed the written test because his legal status in the US had to be reviewed by DMV's Investigative Unit, something called "Secondary Review." Basically this means that he was subject to another bureaucratic process, with a wait of up to three months for an interview at another location somewhere in the state: "Secondary Review You’ll have another opportunity to prove your identity and California residency using a wider variety of documents, and you’ll be required to attend an extra appointment with a DMV at a different office than the field office you originally visited. Secondary Review is conducted by staff members of the DMV’s Investigations Division, who will review your identity and residency documents. Your interview make take up to one hour. The Secondary Review process can take anywhere from two weeks to three months- it all depends on volume and the region you’re applying in." When my husband called the Investigative Unit phone number in Sacramento yesterday, to initiate the secondary review, they said it was to verify his legal status in the US and they gave us a different number to call but no one answered it, so we figured we could try again next week and wait and wait some more. Then his green card arrived in the mail yesterday afternoon (thank God), so today we went back to our local DMV and after more than an hour with a customer service person and many back-and-forths to supervisors, he finally got his driving permit and can start practicing, and set an appointment for his driving road test (two months out). I wanted to post this here for others who may assume that the CR-1 or IR-1 visa, stamped at POE, is all you need for a driver's license in California. It may be, but is subject to "secondary review," which can take weeks or months and requires an interview that could be many miles away. Fortunately for my husband, his green card arrived and that makes life so much easier. I hope everyone is doing well on your immigration journeys!

Here's a link where you can search by language and California county, there are lots of court certified interpreters in your area for Croatian. https://www.courts.ca.gov/35273.htm

If you just submitted this information two months ago, I would recommend that you wait at least four more months before going down the WOM path. You may get approved after they review the new joint sponsor documents. You're in AP. AP typically takes a long time. Patience is your best bet here, not an expensive lawsuit that may not help you at all. Good luck!

The additional evidence of a bona fide marriage relationship depends a lot on the country where the visa interview will take place. You don't have a timeline so it is impossible to give you good advice. How many times have you seen each other, in person? For how many days/weeks/months total? Are there any red flags like a big age gap, different religions, cultures, a language barrier, past visa applications, etc.? These are important to consider, because any red flag or if the visa interview will be in a high-fraud country, more evidence is better with the I-130 petition to increase your eventual chances of a visa approval. Visit the country portal here on VJ to see what others have been through in your situation, and you'll find lots of good advice there. More research would be a good idea. For some countries, with no red flags at all, the required civil documents, petition, plus photos and boarding passes/passport stamps may be sufficient. In other cases, lots of evidence is needed. Good luck!

Check the Morocco regional forum for information on how long an interview takes to schedule after all your NVC documents are accepted and the case is sent to the embassy/consulate abroad: https://www.visajourney.com/portals/index.php?country=Morocco For information on NVC documents and suggestions: Your question about pregnancy has already been answered--and an expedite for pregnancy of the beneficiary is highly unlikely. Good luck!

From the I-864 instructions on using assets: "Only assets that can be converted into cash within one year and without considerable hardship or financial loss to the owner may be included. The owner of the asset must include a description of the asset, proof of ownership, and the basis for the owner’s claim of its net cash value." Sounds pretty straightforward, if you choose to include the car as a qualifying asset, submit proof of ownership and the basis for your claim of net cash value. Good luck with your visa application.

Thanks for the update, and congratulations on your approval! Very best to you and your wife!

Did you receive NOA2? Or only NOA1? You mentioned "NOAs." If you have not received NOA2, approval of the I-130 petition, I suggest that the petitioner file a case inquiry or contact a senator or congressperson's office to submit a request for an update on your case. Your case may be at Nebraska Service Center, files are taking more than a year to be adjudicated there so you may be within normal processing times. The lack of bona fide marriage relationship evidence will not affect adjudication of the petition, but it will be needed at the visa interview abroad. You can also upload the relationship evidence documents at the NVC stage, after petition approval. Good luck!

It sounds like your attorney did not file AOS (adjustment of status), since you most likely entered the US illegally so can't adjust status. If your DACA is current then you should not have any overstay days to worry about, what did the attorney say about that? The plan is most likely that when the I-130 petition is approved, that you'll upload your documents on the CEAC website at the NVC stage to apply for a spousal IR-1 visa, then leave the country for your visa interview abroad. The surprising part of your post is that you did not submit any evidence of bona fide marriage with the I-130 petition. That could be a problem when you get to your visa interview. You and your spouse should do more research on the kind of documentation that will be needed to show a bona fide marriage relationship and upload it as an additional document at the NVC stage or at a minimum, take it to the visa interview. If you've been living together for many years you should have lots of documents to show that. Hopefully you will be approved eventually, nothing is fast with US immigration. Good luck!

Your best option is to go and visit him in Ghana or other places outside the US he can travel to and see where your relationship goes after a few more visits to be together. If you eventually are ready to make it serious, then file for a K-1 or get married and file for a CR-1. The fact that he has a love interest in the US will make it very difficult for him to get a B visa, especially coming from Ghana. Unfortunately, there is no US visa for dating. He can always apply for a B visa, but he will have to show very strong ties to return home and even then it's a long shot. My Brazilian husband didn't even bother applying for a B visa during our dating phase for these reasons--I went and saw him a total of 10 times in our two-year long-distance relationship. Now we're living together in the Bay Area. Good luck to you!

You may be underestimating what is required to overcome such a large age gap. Multiple visits to be together, many visits of weeks or months each time, PLUS more evidence of co-mingling of finances is necessary here, and from your comments, you don't have enough yet. Whether you submit this additional evidence as part of your current I-130 process, or you start over again, you need more evidence of a bona fide marriage relationship. You can keep trying, but you will need more visits from your wife to Pakistan to spend time with you, not just one more visit. Has she added you as a beneficiary on all her bank accounts, life insurance, health insurance, retirement accounts, etc.? Does she have a will and living will naming you as beneficiary/agent? It may take many years in order to overcome the red flags with lots of additional documentation of the kind I have suggested. Your wife needs to understand this more completely. If your relationship is really based on love, you will find a way to live together, whether it is in the US, in Pakistan, or some other country. I wish you all the best in your journey whatever the outcome.

Check the requirements of your embassy/consulate. You have no timeline so it's impossible to give you good advice on your question. Some officers like to see all three years of tax returns or transcripts. I always use the general rule that if a US immigration form says something is "optional," that I include it. That way, if they want to see the other two years' tax transcripts, it will not delay your case. You need a qualified joint sponsor anyway, so you have no reason not to include all three recent tax transcripts or tax returns + W2s. Just my opinion. Good luck!

When in doubt, call NVC and speak to a real person about your case status.