americankiwi

In some states, you cannot get a state ID or driver's license without a SSN, so just keep that in mind. I just mentioned it because I saw one of the previous posters mention it.

Ditto - always check your state's regulations. WA did allow me to get the state ID right away, but we're all commies here

As per the bureaucratic speech.... believe me, he'll get it over and over and over from A, B, C and other government agencies.

Wait, so he's going to need a NY state ID in order to get a ssn?? I thought he just needed his passport, birth certificate and proof that he's got his CR-1 visa to get a ssn??

Thanks L. So did you get your number issued AT the office or do you wait for a card to come in the mail? If you do wait for it to come in the mail, how long did it take to come in the mail after you went to the office?

I think I waited all of 10 days and just showed up at the office with my passport and my Washington State ID. I then went back 48 hours later and they printed the number for me. The actual card came in like 2 weeks after that.

So you dont suggest going to the office until at least a week after he arrives into the country?? We fly in on a Friday and I was thinking of going on Monday!!

God no. Wait a couple of days sister - though no one says you cannot just go to the office; but you do risk they giving you the bureaucratic speech of the week as in "YOU JUST GOT HERE YADA YADA YADA" cr@p.

They better not give my husband any bureaucratic bull ****, especially after going through the whole waiver process (what a freakin nightmare!) to get where we are today - i'm done with all of that!! Anyway thanks for your advice

Thanks L. So did you get your number issued AT the office or do you wait for a card to come in the mail? If you do wait for it to come in the mail, how long did it take to come in the mail after you went to the office?

I think I waited all of 10 days and just showed up at the office with my passport and my Washington State ID. I then went back 48 hours later and they printed the number for me. The actual card came in like 2 weeks after that.

So you dont suggest going to the office until at least a week after he arrives into the country?? We fly in on a Friday and I was thinking of going on Monday!!

Thanks L. So did you get your number issued AT the office or do you wait for a card to come in the mail? If you do wait for it to come in the mail, how long did it take to come in the mail after you went to the office?

Technically no, but most employers would probably hesitate to hire without a valid SSN. Don't wait for the number even if you checked the box. Just go down to the SS office after he arrives.

Thats what I was thinking too about hesitation to hire.

I did read though that you risk getting 2 social security numbers allocated to you if you tick the box AND go to the SS office?? I'm kind of kicking myself for having him tick that box!!

Hi there, my husband (a new zealander) and myself (USC) went the DCF route here in Auckland New Zealand. I have been living here for the past 5 years so I too was concerned about the whole sponsorship thing. We had my step dad sponsor my husband and as the sponsor his household DOES NOT include me. His household only included him and my mom (his wife) and my husband so he had to put 3 on the form.

Dont forget that his sponsor can also put any assets they have down, if they own a house and stuff (if they have a mortgage than they need to put the difference between the mortage and the value of the house). Also put any assets you guys have. The stupid lady at the consulate told me to put $0 as our assets on my form since we dont live in the U.S. then i brought the form in and the other lady asked if we had anything that we'll be selling when we move to the states and we do, our car, tv's my husbands musical equipment etc so she said to put it down, because remember you still need to fill out a sponsorship form even though you dont make any U.S. income....but even if you dont have any assets it doesnt matter as long as the joint sponsor can prove that they make $17,112 (thats the amount for a 2 person household - the co-sponsor and your husband to be). Does your sponsor have any kids or anyone living with them?

Anyway I would definitely suggest DCF its much faster! Good luck!! I'm moving back to the US on Feb 29th with my husband after living in NZ for 5 years!! Yay!!

Hi everyone! I'm a USC, my husband was issued his CR1 visa via the US Consulate in Auckland, New Zealand (went through waiver process which was approved in less than 3 months!). We're flying into LAX on February 29th. We did answer yes to the questions on the DS230 part 2 form to get a ssn issued. My question is does my husband have to wait until he gets his ssn in the mail in order to start working? Can he start working right away and tell the employer that he's waiting for it to come in the mail?? I'm starting to get nervous that he's not going to be able to work until it comes and I've read that it could take at least a month to come! We didnt do a great job saving lots of money before we moved back to the states so we're wanting to look for work ASAP!

Hey guys....I'm asking this question on behalf of my sister's husband who is illegal and has been for about 7 years now and I think may be dellusional! He is under the impression that after he is in the states illegally for 10 years he can become a permanent resident, and he didnt even enter legally!! This sounds pretty ridiculous and frustrating to me, especially after me and my husband just finished going through the waiver process out of the country so he can become a resident!! Can someone please confirm for me that his "10 year" idea is completely wrong!!! He can't get legal through my sister because they are actually seperating.....

Congrats!!

Congratulations!

THANKS!!!

Hey everyone, we got a phone call at 630am this morning telling us our waiver has been approved!!! YAY! I can't beleive this is happening but I'm lovin it! I hope everyone who is waiting for Bangkok gets their approval soon! Keep praying!!

Cheers

Rebecca

ok guys and girls help me out please

has anybody had any approvals of waivers through bangkok lately?

Im going out of my mind waiting to read or hear something,anything

Hey, we're going on 2 months since we submitted ours via New Zealand which went to Bangkok and haven't heard a thing! Very frustrated! When did you submit yours?

Our waiver is being sent to Bangkok today so everyone please cross their fingers for an approval! Will keep you posted....I'm so nervous

i hope this all turns around and you get over the hump and get approved, good luck, your in my prayers.

Thank you Aussielad all I can do is pray every day for an approval....

That's it and then what? Did she say "denied and eligible to file a waiver"? Normally a waiver packet is submitted after the denial, once the applicant is told they are eligible to file a waiver. .It's submitted along with the 601 waiver application, for which there is a $265 fee, as well as necessary fingerprints and a fingerprint fee. So what did they tell him? Did you talk to Laurel yet?

Thats it, really thats all he said! We told them when we submitted the I-130 few months before that he had overstayed so they knew he'd be filing a waiver. Before the interview with the officer today we were at another window handing in the forms (birth certs, I-864, marriage certs etc.) talked a bit about the overstay and how she couldnt beleive in her wildest dreams that they admitted him twice after the overstay! Then I handed her the I-601 waiver packet that Laurel put together, the lady handed back a form for my husband to fill out to go with the waiver, pretty much has to explain why he overstayed and told us to send it back. Then we paid the $265 waiver fee and the $380 visa application fee. Then he had the interview in which the guy said "thats it" after asking a few questions...maybe he said that because he knew we already submitted the waiver??

I'm hoping someone can tell me something while I wait for the consulate to call me back...Quick background on my husbands case, overstayed 3 years on visa waiver program, admitted twice after that for short visists. Laurel Scott prepared our I-601 waiver. We went to his interview today, at the first window we handed in all the necessary documents and then gave her the waiver packet. Then my husband was called to the window for his interview (with a very stern officer)...he asked my husband if he worked while in the states, he answered yes, asked if he knew it was illegal, he answered "yes", he asked him why did he go back in 2003 after he violated previously, he answered "to visit my wife's family". Honestly my husband didnt know that he wasn't allowed back to visit at that point or even about a 10 year ban for that matter....Anyway so that was about the whole interview and he handed back my husbands passport and said "thats it" and it was over. Shouldn't he of told my husband under what part of the law he was denied (we knew he'd be denied), and explain about the ban, when it started, when it ended...Just some kind of detail?? Or should we just assume he was denied under the part of the law that our lawyer stated in our waiver application and the waiver will go to Bangkok and thats that? Please if anyone can shed any light that would be so great because I'm just sitting here feeling very very worried.

Cheers

Rebecca

Hi guys.....My step father is willing to sponsor my husband as I do not work in the United States. He has owned his own business for over 24 years as a mason worker and makes over $100,000 a year. The trouble is that since when you own your own business you're allowed to write off expenses, and as a result of this his 1040 only shows that he made $15,000 in 2006. Is the figure on the 1040 soley what they will be looking at in order for him to meet the income requirements, or is it by whats on his Schedule C? Surely the fact that he does actually make over 100 grand a year has to count for something, no?

When filing an I-601 waiver for an overstay would it be safe to say that it MAY be easier to get approved than if you had a criminal conviction or is it the other way around?

Hi everyone,

So Dean and I haven't started our I-130 yet but after talking with a CO at the embassy in Belize we know that we will probably have to file a waiver. Here's the problem:

I have already lived in his country for over a year and own a business there. I have been back in the states (with the exception of a few visits) for the last 9 months. I am in a Master's program over here for teaching and am planning on going back to Belize to teach. Either way we plan on getting Dean his visa so we have the option of living here in Texas after the next couple of years. But if I've been living in his country already and then I go back to live and work...what is that going to look like as far as proving hardship? I'm wondering if anyone has experienced anything like this before. I don't have any medical issues (knock on wood) that would pull me to the US. The only thing I can see changing with us in the next couple of years would be us having a baby. And that's not for sure.

Please, I accept any and all advice in regards to this matter. Thank you so much and if you need addtional info. on my story, let me know. Just for all those that already know it on VJ...I don't want to keep making them re-read it over and over

Thank you!

Erin

Hey Erin, I'm in a similar situation. I'm the USC but I've resided in New Zealand for the last 4 years but now want to move home with my husband, he overstayed so we will need to file a waiver. We've hired Laurel Scott to help us with our waiver because I'm afraid I dont have too many strong arguments either. But, I did raise the question with her regarding whether or not me living in New Zealand will hurt my case and she said it doesnt matter because the objective is to prove that the current situation can not continue, which is me remaining in New Zealand. So we're trying to dig up all the hardships I will face if I have to stay here. Fingers crossed we get that approval! I hope you do too.

Cheers

Ok so I guess by what you're saying is that even though he visited while the 10 year ban was in effect, the ban activated when he departed after being unlawfully present? I just haven't found any clarification regarding visits within the 10 year ban period....

Hi guys, I've already posted about this but I'm just trying to get some clarification regarding the 10 year ban. My husband was in the states unlawfully for 3 years and left without knowledge of the 10 year ban (he wanted to do the right thing by leaving so he can come back and be there legally, boy did that bite us in the a**) he also wasn't aware of the fact that he was unable to use the visa waiver program since he overstayed on it. Since he didnt know we went back to the US to visit my family on 2 seperate occasions both 3 weeks at a time and he was admitted under the vwp with no problems. Does the ban start from when he left from his last visit or from when he left after he accrued the unlawful presence?

sorry, where am I looking?

Hi everyone, I got a call from the consulate here in Auckland, NZ to advise that they are now authorised to accept I-130 petitions from a USC that has resided in NZ for 6 months or more, which I have. So I'm thinking about cancelling my I-130 & I-129F petitions that are pending in Vermont and refiling in Auckland. My husband has an overstay which we are preparing to file a waiver for, is the waiver process exactly the same when going the IR-1/CR-1 route, submit it when formally denied at the interview for the visa (greencard)? Also do we just follow procedure and get all the necessary documents required for the interview (medical, I-864 etc) even though we know he's going to be denied? If the waiver gets approved (fingers crossed) what happens then, do we have to re-do the medical and affadvits and stuff? Has anyone filed a waiver via Bangkok before? Sorry if I've asked too many questions, if anyone can answer any of them that would be great.

Cheers

Hi everyone, has anyone here used Laurel Scott before to help file a waiver or no of anyone who has? I'm looking at hiring her but I just thought I could get some feedback from people before making my decision.

Thanks!

I am not very familiar with the VWP but from what you have posted the time spent in the US on both occasions was only 3 weeks. This is under 180 days which is the point at which illegal presence normally begins to accrue but the rules *may*be different with VWP - I don't know. It appears that there will be no issue with multiple entries and you are waiver-eligible. While they will tell you at the interview if you are eligible, you will want to be well prepared, in advance. So I would consult with a qualified attorney like Laurel Scott - www.visacentral.net. She has a free chat on Wednesdays at 11:00 am central time and if you are lucky, you can post a question and she will provide the answer. You can also do a phone or email consult which I would highly recommmend to be sure you are clear on what you are facing and what the options are. Good luck.

yes it was for 3 weeks each time, but since the vwp rules were violated when he overstayed the first time did he technically enter legally under the vwp those other 2 visits? I just paid for a phone consultation with Laurel Scott so hopefully I will have alot of my questions answered soon! Thanks for the luck, we'll need it!