beloved_dingo

42 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

By time of interview ,  2023 returns will be needed

Not necessarily true, considering an interview could easily occur before April 2024. 

6 minutes ago, Mistyyy said:

How can I register to vote while overseas?

Check this link: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/while-abroad/voting.html 

The third section will help with registration.

It is absolutely ridiculous that every damn thing these days has to be 1) connected to the internet 2) use an app 3) requires a subscription and 4) is all touchscreen.

This isn't just about cars of course but it creates so many points of failure, creates more things that can be "hacked", creates massive issues with privacy, and...I could keep going ad nauseum. Also the touchscreen thing is just a personal pet peeve - there are just certain things I like to be able to do in the car by FEEL, without taking your eyes off the road. Give me my knobs and buttons!

The improvements in safety features that have occurred in the last decade are great but everything else is for the birds.

21 minutes ago, Gdhusa18 said:

Hi,

 

I got my PR in June 2019, and my husband has been a US citizen since Dec 2020. I am planning on applying for marriage based naturalization in Dec this year. In the last 5 years I have 338 days outside the US, and in the last 3 years I have 294 days outside the US. During the pandemic we took a trip to help our aging parents from Oct 3rd to March 20th 2021 (167 days), and another trip from March 26 2021 to July 9th 2021 (104 days). One month prior to the first trip, we moved to our brother's house and continued to use that house until July 28th when we decided to move from the east coast to the west coast. My husband continued to work for his US based company during this time (we didn't intend to leave the US and was going to move when pandemic situation was ok and our parents were safe), and was on payroll with my brother's address. I was unemployed looking after our kids. 

 

Physical location:

2018-Aug 31 2021: East Coast

Aug 31 2021 - Sept 30 2021: Brother's place in east coast

Oct 1 2021 - March 20 2022: Parents place (outside of US)

March 20 2022 - March 26 2022: Brother's place

March 26 2022 - July 9th 2022: Parents place (outside of US)

July 9th 2022 - July 28th 2022: Brother's place

July 28th 2022 - present: West Coast

 

Should I put my east coast address for this whole duration, or should I put my parents address outside the US for those two trips? I have listed the options I have below:

 

"Information About Your Residence" Option 1:

2018-Aug 31 2021: East Coast

Aug 31 2021 - July 28th 2022: Brother's place

July 28th 2022 - present: West Coast

 

"Information About Your Residence" Option 2:

2018-Aug 31 2021: East Coast

Aug 31 2021 - Sept 30 2021: Brother's place in east coast

Oct 1 2021 - March 20 2022: Parents place (outside of US)

March 20 2022 - March 26 2022: Brother's place

March 26 2022 - July 9th 2022: Parents place (outside of US)

July 9th 2022 - July 28th 2022: Brother's place

July 28th 2022 - present: West Coast

 

"Information About Your Residence" Option 3:

2018-Aug 31 2021: East Coast

Aug 31 2021 - Sept 30 2021: Brother's place in east coast

Oct 1 2021 - July 9th 2022: Parents place (outside of US) --- This will be more than 6 months

July 9th 2022 - July 28th 2022: Brother's place

July 28th 2022 - present: West Coast

 

Thanks

 

Trips overseas to visit family don't change your place of residence, so I do not think the parent's address should be listed in the Residence section. So the first option would accurately reflect your physical U.S. addresses within the last 5 years.

The latter section on trips out of the U.S. will cover the bases as far as giving USCIS the full picture. 

You are far enough along in the process that I would wait and see what happens. Best case scenario is that the CO doesn't question it and you get an approval with no problem. Worst case scenario is the CO thinks you are married already and not eligible for K1. If that happens, you'd have to marry and start over with the CR-1. 

Were there photos of rings being exchanged? And did any photos depict clothing that is typical at a wedding?

15 minutes ago, Tomell said:

 

There is a divorce certificate from marriage 1 of course, the court clerk just cant find it (called about a half dozen times, and 2 or 3 different court clerks so far)

Are you 100% sure you are calling the correct court from where the divorce took place? If your memory is fuzzy on the year, it might be worth trying to double-check that you are remembering the correct county/location of divorce. 

If the location isn't in question, I still recommend going to the clerk's office in person. With no specific date (or even the exact year) to go on, any miscommunication/misunderstanding will add to the difficulty for the clerk to locate the correct case/file. 

Using the death certificate could work, but I think OP needs to continue a good faith effort to obtain the divorce decree before trying that angle. So far, it looks like he has made one phone call.

Did you use an attorney for your first divorce? If so, contact the attorney to see if they have retained a copy and/or if they can log into the court system to retrieve it. Even though it was roughly 20 years ago, many attorneys keep important documents like this on hand, just in case a client may need it later. And, many courts have digitized old cases so that they are available to access.

If that isn't viable, I would go to the court in person and speak to a clerk. Considering the age of the divorce, it's very possible that whoever you spoke to could not just look it up, but these files are retained and it exists in the court records somewhere (assuming you have the county and state correct). 

On 9/6/2023 at 10:47 AM, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

 

The Cat Distribution System at work. 😍

12 minutes ago, Madao said:

Thanks, I went the phone route, which was a pain because it wouldn't let you talk to somebody unless you knew what to say.  The computer disconnects you if you ask too many times to talk to an agent. The guy on the phone said USCIS will resend the card out, but I'll keep checking up on it, but hopefully today or tomorrow the case up will be updated with card being resent.

 

Do they require signature or will it be left in the mailbox.  The guy said it requires a signature and the mailman was suppose to leave a note to pick it up at the post office if there isn't anybody to sign and returned if not picked up in 10 days.  The last time no note was left for pickup, USPS showed delivered in mailbox (which it wasn't), then showed undeliverable and returned about a week later.  If they send a tracking number again, I will definitely be looking for it on the day of delivery and visiting the post office the day after if I didn't receive it.

Just so you know - we did not have to sign for my husband's green card. I think that is the usual experience, regardless of what USCIS says. 

52 minutes ago, Madao said:

Uhh, so I tried calling 1-800-375-5283, but all the automated voice assistant does it send me links to the website.  It'll disconnect me if I tell it I want to speak to a person too many times.  I didn't hear a menu option, it just asks what you need help with.

 

I asked to check case status and return green card, but neither helped.  I didn't see an online chat option anymore.  Is there a category to reach an actual person.  What's the best way to reach USCIS these days.  Is it even possible, lol; all it does is send you back to the website and disconnect you if you asks to speak to an agent.

So I just checked the USCIS website, and the chat option is still there. 

It was in the top right corner. You may have to scroll down a little (past the header) to see the option.

6 hours ago, peaceandblessing said:

So the last time I came on here I was trying to get a divorce but I'm still waiting on texas to grant me one. But I'm reaching out because my soon to be ex husband is determined to turn my life upside down. He's broken into my house several times stoles my clothes, shoes, and other items. He cost me over 8,000 in repairs and the cops tell me there's nothing they can do but take a report. I just recently learned he has my social security number and driver's license information and had used it to open phone accounts and etc. They have him on camera committed theses acts and employee has come forward and the cops are telling me there's nothing they can do because we're still married. 

If any one has any suggestions it would be great. I'm receiving no help from him w my child and he's determined to ruin me. He's caused me severe depression not to mention, anxiety and ptsd. It's like the cops want folks to take matters in there own hands at this point.

Freeze your credit with all three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, & TransUnion). This is good practice for anyone because it helps prevent identity theft in general, but it's especially important in your situation.

Women like this and the so-called "pick up artist" type men should just date each other and see how it turns out. 

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

Zoom tells staff to come into the office at least two days a week

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/aug/07/zoom-tells-staff-to-come-into-the-office-at-least-two-days-a-week

 

I had to laugh, but it does say something?

This is actually a tactic to get people to quit so they can avoid severance/unemployment claims, etc. Common in the tech layoffs that have been going on.

1 hour ago, Dashinka said:

I think we are getting close to a parity point again where either parent staying at home to watch the kids might be cheaper than paying for daycare.  Of course there are other cultural factors involved, but cost is a big factor.

This is already happening, at least to some extent. I follow a personal finance forum, and I'd say at least a couple of times a week this topic comes up (or is mentioned as part of the OP's overall financial situation). The "happy medium" seems to be when the stay at home parent can either work remotely at least part time to bring in some income, or have a side gig earning income while the other parent is home.

In my office (over 200 people) there are maybe ~30 who have some kind of remote or hybrid flexibility built in to their schedule, but most of us are in-office 5 days a week. My manager would love to allow for more remote or hybrid work, but there is resistance from a couple C-Suite level folks, and some of the partnered attorneys. Most of the resistance is from people who think that being remote equates to being less productive, even though that is often not the case. There is also the issue that some things simply cannot be done remotely - we have to have a decent portion of people physically present in the office (legal field). My manager believes that eventually, we will be able to have some kind of hybrid rotating schedule.

Personally, I do not want to be 100% remote, but I would love to have a hybrid schedule with 2 remote days per week. 

6 minutes ago, Redro said:

I received my SSN 2 weeks after I entered the U.S. I wouldn’t worry about missing the deadline of 10 days because you can’t get the DL with SSN. A good reason. I’m confused about your dates though… you applied for the SSN 20 days before you arrived on CR1? Did you apply for the number while on ESTA? 
 

I assume the date is wrong because July 7th was not a Monday. However, even if it was July 17th (which was a Monday)...That is before July 28th. So I am also confused. 

If you are waiting until 85 days because of some "90 day rule" that you heard, it is a myth. 

Marry and file the package ASAP. Even if you have a wedding planned on day 85, there is nothing stopping you from going to a courthouse ASAP and getting legally married so you can file for AOS as quickly as possible, and still have the wedding celebration on the planned date. 

Is the divorce actually final or not? By final, I mean has a judge entered a divorce decree/final judgment of divorce? In my state, a "divorce certificate" is a different document than the Divorce Decree/FJD. If you have a final judgment/decree entered by a judge, you do not have to wait for the divorce certificate. 

What evidence of bona fide marriage did you send with the first petition?

Did you not provide any kind of explanation of the current situation with the first petition?

I can imagine USCIS would have been confused if you checked the box for "My marriage was entered in good faith, but the marriage was terminated through divorce or annulment" but you provided little marriage evidence, no divorce decree, and no explanation. 

2 hours ago, Mike E said:

You over shared and did not have to.

 

That you are renewing a GC is your business.

 

Do you have state ID or state DL and do you have an unrestricted GC?

2 hours ago, Celebi said:

Yeah, I think so too. Learned my lesson not to overshare next time.

I do have a state ID and the 2-yr conditional gc. 

I think Mike's post above had a typo and he meant unrestricted Social Security card. Does your SS card have language on it that says "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION"?

If you have a State ID and unrestricted SS card, you don't need to provide your green card at all for work purposes. 

1 minute ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

The I-797 letter you received after filing for adjustment is your proof.

 

If police stops you, you don't have to disclose your immigration status. Just an immigration officer can inquire about it.

 

The landlord or property manager have no legal authority to inquire.

 

You are correct that specifically asking about immigration status/requiring proof of immigration status can be illegal. But I'm not sure if this agent is violating the FHA or not. Landlords can ask for documents that assist with processing credit checks/background checks. But they cannot treat immigrants differently, apply different requirements to immigrants, or make assumptions based on race, ability to speak English, etc. From what I am reading, if a landlord asks every applicant for some kind of proof of legal residency, then it is not illegal, but if an individual is singled out, then it is. 

A few tidbits from doing some research:

"It is illegal for a landlord or real estate agent to ask you questions about your immigration status because of how you look, talk or dress. Some landlords, owners, real estate agents, etc., might ask if you are in the country legally or ask to see your green card or visa. If you think that you are being asked about your immigration status because of where you are from, call your local fair housing organization." (From https://nationalfairhousing.org/) 

"Can landlords ask for immigration documents?

Landlords are allowed to request documentation and conduct inquiries to determine whether a potential renter meets the criteria for rental, so long as this same procedure is applied to all potential renters. Landlords can ask for identity documents and institute credit checks to ensure ability to pay rent. However, a person’s ability to pay rent or fitness as a tenant is not necessarily connected to his or her immigration status. Procedures to screen potential and existing tenants for citizenship and immigration status may violate the Fair Housing Act’s prohibitions on national origin housing discrimination. HUD will investigate complaints alleging that a landlord inquired into a person’s immigration status or citizenship to see whether national origin discrimination may have occurred." (From https://www.equalhousing.org/) 

OP, you may want to casually ask the agent if all applicants are required to show proof of immigration status/legal residency in the U.S. and/or ask why your husband doesn't have to show proof he is in the U.S. legally. And if that answer violates any of the above, they are 100% in violation of the FHA.

Just now, GracielaGuerra said:

Well, me and my husband are applying for a new apartment and the agent is asking me for proof that I can stay legal in the United States while my case is in process, also, if I want to go somewhere what can I show, in that case let the police stop me

Until you receive either a work permit or the actual green card, the receipt notice for the I-485 is the only document you have that demonstrates you are in a period of authorized stay. You can take a photo or scan a copy so that you have it on your phone, and can also make a hard copy to keep on hand if you are worried about police encounters.

The apartment may or may not accept the I-485 receipt notice as "proof" that you are legally in the United States. Authorized stay means you are legally allowed to be here, but it is still immigration limbo. All you can do is try to use the receipt and see what happens. 

1 hour ago, mdantas90 said:

Hello!

 

My husband and I are organizing some evidence of bonafide marriage and I'm a bit insecure of not having enough material to provide. We were applying for a k1 visa(noa2 emitted in june) and decided to give up, get married and apply for the cr1. Apparently, mentioning the k1 visa could hurt our application, so I also shouldn't use any of the pictures used in that application? I thought about using some of it to show that our relationship pre-marriage is real.

 

• We have pictures of our wedding
• passports stamps of my recent trip to the us, and his trip to brazil last year (the time between the his visit and mine is almost 1 year apart, is that a problem?)
• chat and video screenshots with time stamps along the year and after our marriage (i came back to brazil)
• tickets of our traveling together in brazil and in the US
• his temporary residency card from the time we lived together in brazil

 

I thought about uploading a contract of renting the house that we lived together in 2018, but it doesn't have his name in it, only mine. 

I can add him to my life and health insurance at my current work as my dependent using our marriage certificate, but we're not currently together and he's not living in Brazil at the moment. Is it worth it to seek these documents? My worry is that we don't have enough post wedding material to provide, since we're in different countries.

 

 

Sorry if this is a similar question to some of my previous posts, questions just keep popping up every step of the way!

Mentioning the K1 does not hurt the application. In fact, you have to disclose it, because of this question:

Part 5. Other Information

Have you EVER previously filed a petition for this beneficiary or any other alien? 

It's not a big deal that you decided to switch from K1 to CR1. Pretty common. 

35 minutes ago, GracielaGuerra said:

hello
I read that you can stay in the United States until the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processes your application
but how else can I validate this? That is, if I can keep what identification I present myself with and if they ask me about it, what do I present? my personal uscis account? my case in progress?
thank you

If you are in the U.S. and have filed for Adjustment of Status (I-485) you have to stay in the U.S. while it processes, unless you applied for and receive Advance Parole (you would have had to file I-131). 

If you leave the U.S. while AOS is processing, without AP, your AOS is considered abandoned. 

While AOS is pending, you are in a period of authorized stay. The receipt notice for the I-485 is your documentation/proof of this. But who are you referring to when you say "if they ask me about it"? Immigration?

3 minutes ago, Celebi said:

I got accepted for remote (office admin) volunteer work because I told them that I just applied for my green card renewal. I am currently job hunting and I wanted to know if anyone got discriminated against as well for an actual job while having their ROC (I-751)  processed. 

It's a new consultant company consisting of 2 people as of the moment with no actual clients yet but they needed volunteers to help with admin tasks. Since I have been having a hard time finding a hybrid/ remote job in NYC, I thought of applying. Didn't think I would be rejected like this, lol. 

Did you mean you got rejected for remote volunteer work? 

They may have misunderstood what you were referring to. Did they know that you have a current, valid, unexpired green card? Just wondering if it's possible they thought you were applying for your first green card. 

But to answer your question, we regularly get people here who deal with ignorant HR people that do not understand various nuances of immigration and the terminology and documents that go along with it.