MarryMe987654

Thank you for all your response. All very useful information

Hello,

So I come across a post on Facebook about a tourist visa holder who is adjusting after marring an LPR. Is that possible? I thought you can only adjust through marriage to a USC?

I tried looking for reference on the USCIs website but I can't find a solid reference.

What do you guys think?

Hey @Bernese! I am sorry that you are uncomfortable with the situation with your stepmom right now. Unfortunately, we don't know their side of the story so we can't really tell for sure what's happening. It might be a cultural thing, it might be an ulterior motive, it might be something else, we can't tell.

If I were in your situation, I will talk to them directly to ask if there's anything that I did to make them feel uncomfortable in the house. Hear what they have to say and try to resolve it. Cultural difference is a real thing and can prove to be an issue. 

I wouldn't leave my dad with them because dad is adjusting as well and my support is important under these circumstances. He is in denial now but he'll come to his senses. It's important to always have his back.

Goodluck

I had this same thoughts when I applied for N400. 

After applying for N400 in December 10, 2022, I planned on traveling to the Philippines for 6 weeks because the processing time says 11 months.

I started following other people's N400 timelines and I have been seeing N400 movement as fast as 3 months so I thought, if there's no update by March 2023, I will book my ticket. My assumption was from getting interview notice to actual interview would happen around June-July.

Then Feb 27, 2023, I received a notification that interview has been scheduled--that's only 2+ months since I filed for N400.

My interview schedule is on April 5th--that's less than 2 months from getting the interview notification.

I'm glad I did not book anything in May because there's no way that I could do the oath taking and passport right after the interview. I assume that post-interview process will be done by July. So it looks like I can't plan any trip until then.

So personally, I think you are risking it by going overseas while with pending N400. But if you just filed yesterday and you plan to travel for a month tomorrow, you might be fine. Other than that, I would be very careful about setting travel plans because the estimated time published is only 80% of the cases... you might fall on the top 20%.

Goodluck!

On 3/17/2023 at 6:25 PM, Kyuutie said:

Can I apply for N400 while waiting for my physical green card? I just have an extension as of now but I’m past the 3 year marriage window

I've been an LPR since 3/3/2020 and I've already applied for N400 on the basis of being married to the same USC for 3 years; I've been out of the country once for only 3 months since I immigrated in 2019.

Your LPR date is older so you should qualify now. Of course, make sure that you meet the requirements for applying for N400 (no excessive stay overseas, and married to the same USC). Goodluck!

I received my 48-month greencard extension mail today.

I saw the mail in my USPS Informed Delivery email and we were so nervous about it because we don't know what could they be sending me a month after my N400 was scheduled. I thought it was an RFE so I went in my USCIS account to see if there was any sent correspondence--nothing!

USCIS mail could make you sad, mad, and/or glad all at the same time,. LOL.

Is the mom a senior citizen? If so, I think they allow walk-ins.

If you still can, I suggest trying to get the PSA copy updated to the more legible version of the birth certificate because she will end up needing it even after the K1 process. Just get it all fixed once and for all. Birth certificates are one of the most basic and important documents for an individual.

Unfortunately, PSA copies are notorious for having really bad print because they are usually a copy of the handwritten document which is the original birth certificate from the hospital, then submitted to the city hall. If you notice, the original birth certificate is copied and resized to fit the PSA security paper.

Since she already got a better version of her birth certificate from her LCR, ask them (the LCR) to submit it to PSA to update her record. It should be available for ordering via PSA after a month or so.

1 minute ago, stephbd said:

Congrats! What’s your field office?

Thank you  Montgomery, Alabama.

I just got an update on my N400 saying that my interview was scheduled for April 5th today. My ROC still says fingerprint was reused. N400 filed on December 10, 2022; ROC filed on December 22, 2021. I might have to add a letter to my application to request for a combo interview. 

Gotta start studying now... 😬

I just got an update on my N400 saying that my interview was scheduled today and that they will mail out the details. My ROC still says fingerprint was reused. I might have to add a letter to my application to request for a combo interview.

Gotta start studying now... 😬

Edit: logged in to my USCIS account and the interview date is on April 5th . N400 filed on December 10, 2022; ROC filed on December 22, 2021.

Given your travel situation, I would say just got for K1. You already have the necessary evidence to file right now.

I understand that people are saying that spousal is better than K1 and while that is true because of skipping some immigration steps which saves money and time, these benefits might not be good for you because 1) you have to fly back in to the Philippines to get married, which you are not keen on doing; 2) I doubt if not being able to work right away matters to you guys because you are already supporting her now, there's no rush to get a job after entering the U.S.; 3) The time of not being able to do anything on K1 because of lack of AP and EAD can be used to adjust to the U.S. and gather all the other docs as well. I know that they say that sometimes, there are problems with getting any done when one entered in K1 but some people was able to do things without any issues (like me).

Forget about the tourist visa. She has very slim chance of getting approved. It's going to be a waste of money and time waiting.

So yeah, just start the K1 now

On 1/24/2023 at 3:20 PM, Carpe Vinum said:

I never claimed my wife's ambivalence was rational 😉

 

My wife feels the same. The only reason she would get citizenship is so she could travel freely back and forth with me and not keep track of days out of country. She came here to be with me and not to get citizenship. Sometimes it is easy to minimize what our loved ones sacrificed to be with us. Especially someone with a strong cultural connection with their country. The good thing is that there see to be Filipinos everywhere and they attract each other like magnets...

It's true. I don't think much about "the sacrifice" that I made to be with my husband because he always felt guilty about that part and I told him not to because it was a choice that I made and my family respects that choice. I like how my husband loves my family and how he's very understanding about our ways.

Four years in the U.S. and I still don't have Filipino friends... I seem to be getting more American friends because of school and work. I miss my old Filipino friends back home

10 hours ago, Armenia said:

You didn’t have to change your last name. It’s not required in either the US or the Philippines. 

I know. It's a personal choice. I like what it means and how it feels to have my husband's last name

7 hours ago, Rearviewmirror said:

I had thought N400 was comparatively a lot simpler/shorter than I-751 in terms of evidence required?

That's what I thought too! But nope... @OldUser is right--it's like I-751 all over again. I have to collect financial statements, old addresses, old school records, old employment, insurance. 

On 11/25/2022 at 7:03 PM, MarryMe987654 said:

Anyone getting ready to file for N-400 this December?

My window opened on December 3rd but ended up submitting on December 10th because they require so much evidence (I filed online). 

I had to collect all the co-mingling evidence, my spouse's divorce decree, etc. (since I am naturalizing based off of my 3-year marriage to a USC).

My printer/scanner breaking did not help either. I had to buy a cheap one from Walmart for $50.

The good thing about it though is they sent me the Receipt Notice and Biometrics Reused communication online (just few minutes after I submitted my N400). I now have my case number and says that the process will take approx. 11 months.

Congratulations!

I am preparing to file for N400 too since I become eligible on December 3rd (I will wait until December 5th to file).

It might be the end of the journey for me but it is just a start of the journey for my mom and siblings... It's going to be a long and expensive journey and I have been saving up

Can you give an idea on how long it took? I am hoping to travel to the Philippines in May/June for a month and wouldn't want any interview notice to come in while I am overseas. Thanks!

Anyone getting ready to file for N-400 this December?

13 hours ago, RedPepper said:

Hello everyone! I am a conflicted with a decision I have to make, asap. Would appreciate your advice on this case. 

 

I am a US Citizen looking to petition my 63 yo mom and two 30+ yo brothers over.  I know which is the faster petition route, but unsure if I should take it due to my mother's age and declining health. My 2 brothers are still single and over 30 yo. My mother is 63 years old with health fast declining due to diabetes and depression. I am a single-parent of four, sending 1 child to college, and another following suit in a year.

 

Short Route: Petition my 63 yo mother first, and wait for her to petition my two 30+ yo brothers later. If this is the route we take, it will take my mom 1-3 years to complete immigration process and become a permanent resident, and it will take an additional 5-10 years (or even more) for my brothers to get their visas. My apprehension? I am unsure if my mom will live long enough to complete the process. If she lives long enough, that's great! Otherwise, we'll be back to square one--which I cannot afford. Should I take my chances?

 

Long Route: Petition my mom and 30+ yo brothers at the same time. I have no worries about my mom's petition. I can have her here in a year or two. However, it will take my brothers at least 15 years (and in most cases 26 years on average) to wait for their visas. That's a long wait. By the time they get here, they'd be 60+ years old and starting over with their careers, with not enough retirement savings. 

 

My goal is to empower my mom and brothers, so  they can stand on their own two feet.

 

If you were me, which route will you take and why? Thank you in advance!

 

I am on the same boat--next year, I will be a citizen and has been thinking about an immigration route for my mother and siblings. I concluded that it's best to petition my mother and my siblings as soon as I become a citizen, then have my mother petition my siblings too when she becomes eligible. Note that I have 2 married siblings and 4 unmarried ones so the immigration journey for us is going to be very long.

I understand the concern about the uncertainties about passing, and change on marital status in the future and it's just something that I just have to risk because I cannot buy that time needed for these petitions to run. As soon as I start the petition, I will tell my siblings the condition of the petition (not marrying, age, etc.) so they know what things mean. If they choose not to wait that long, that's fine too... at least, I told them what's up.

Regarding mother's insurance, my mom is 62 years old but she is still strong and energetic. She is excited about the idea of being able to work once she gets here. I will help her get a work that will enable her to get health insurance for her age. If this is not possible, then me and my husband are prepared to pay for the health insurance for her.

I traveled to the Philippines in March 2022 and returned to the US in June 2022.

I have an expired GC and brought my extension letter.

I also brought my CDC vaccine card, my marriage certificate, and my old passport (with CFO) in it, and of course, I also brought a copy of all my original documents, just in case. For good measure, I have also saved a copy of all my important documents at home and in the cloud.

At my first departure airport, I was asked for the OneHealthPass reference number at the counter. It took them a good 20 minutes to go over all the rules for traveling to the Philippines and make sure that I met them all. No document-related issues on my way in. Everything was smooth.

On my way back, I presented my GC and extension letter to the check-in counter, and then I was asked to get a travel exit pass (no payment needed). No issues at all.

I did not take a COVID test prior to going to the airport. It was not required on any of my flights.

There is no issue with Philippine immigration. He just looked at my GC and extension letter quickly.

Once I landed on US soil, I just readily provided my GC and extension letter. No questions asked. I was let in without any issues.

I did not try to change any of my bank information while I was there. I already had my ROM done 3 years ago but did not bother getting a PSA record of it while I was in the Philippines. I was able to sign up for a national ID with my married name, though.

I hope this helps!

I agree with the price of used car vs new. We were going to buy a used car because we thought it's going to be more economical. We ended up looking at new ones because the price difference is not much, plus the mileage on the used ones are too high. We settled with a 2021 Honda CRV with pretty sweet deal--1.9% interest and no down payment. Monthly is about $700 but it's ok because I opted to only get 48 months. We don't have any other monthly payment (no mortgage, no loans, no cc debt) so we know we can afford it. The value of the car remains even after a year of buying it.

I am 4'11 and not usually concern about a car being too high. I can always put a booster seat and also, most of the car in the US now has a really good driver adjustment features (you can go forward, up... and adjust the steering wheel to match) so it's ok. I drove a Toyota Camry, a Saturn Ion, and the new CRV without having to use a booster seat and I can see fine.

Hope this helps

17 minutes ago, cararyn said:

He got his EAD a few weeks ago. It's frustrating they decoupled the EAD from the AP. I think our AP could come any day now based on timelines I've seen but he is so fed up he wants to leave and abandon it all

Can you check again?

I got a combo card (EAD and AP) in 2020. I didn't think they are giving them separately now.

My card says Employment Authorization on top and then says, "Serves as I-512 Advance Parole" at the bottom.