hopeful1

Hi everyone, i arrived in the Us 2weeks ago and its so nice to be in the Arms of the man i LOVE.

will be getting married next week!

my question is on the vaccinations, during my K1 visa medicals i was given two vaccintions

-A drop of some vaccin in my month(i think for polio), then was given a shot on my upper arm.

the problem is i cant remember the name of the vaccination given to me on the arm, the doctor

did not ask me to provide any other vaccination records but said it was necessary to do the

vaccinations that he give me.

my question is during the AOs how will i know which vaccinations i did since the medical report was

in t he sealed envelop which remained at the port of entry. from what i have read here am suppose

to submit a vaccination form with the AOS, does anyone know the name of the shot given on the arm?

thanks in advance.

The name and type of vaccinations will be in the envelope with your other medical information. I am curious, didn't you have a personal vaccination record that you maintained over the years? Here in the USA we keep vaccination records in a little book that shows the date and type of vaccination we received. If all your vaccinations are up-to-date, all should be ok during your AOS interview. Good luck

Hi folks.

How do I file taxes without my wife having a SSN? They won't give her one until the AOS Petition has been approved and I need my taxes complete for the support document. Has anyone else run into this problem? Also which name do I use on the AOS paperwork? Her maiden or marriage name? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Donny

Donny, someone is giving you very bad information. My wife (then fiancee) got her social security number the day after she arrived. K-1, K-3 visa holders can get the SSN right away. If you have any trouble at the SS office, ask for a supervisor. She will need to have an SSN or you cannot claim her on your taxes. She is definitely entitled to an SSN and she does not have to wait until AOS to be completed. She doesn't even have to wait until she is married, we were not.

Here is a tip at the SS office. Apply for her card in her maiden name, exactly as it is in her passport. DO NOT do a name change with SS now, it will take weeks and weeks to get the card. Use her name exactly as the passport and then change it later. If you file taxes electronically it will take TWO WEEKS for the IRS computers to catch up with the SS computers and your return will be rejected until they get your wife in the system. If you file a paper return, no problem.

We had this problem with Alla's son, who could NOT receive an SSN until AOS was complete. (k-1 and K-3 visa holders can get one right away, K-2 and K-4 cannot) We got his SSN and I filed taxes the same day. Rejected. It took two weeks until the return was accepted.

For the AOS you can file with your 2007 return right now if you want. I attached my 2007 return to our AOS filed in November (of course) and did not have the 2008 return prepared before the interview in January, no questions asked. If you have not changed her name with the SSN (I suggest you do not right now) you can file taxes with her maiden name, just be sure everything "matches", change the name later. There is NO NEED to change her name for the AOS, my wife did not (and does not plan to) change her name. You should also need an SSN to add her to your bank account, but this may be a bank policy, not law. Not sure, but we needed the SSN to add my wife at the bank. The AOS will look to a joint bank account as primary evidence you are married, however they never looked at any of our evidence in the interview, but I had it just in case.

She should get an SSN now, really, get with a supervisor and sort this out, it is not correct. Once you apply for the SSN, you can return to the office the next day and they can give you the number, but you will wait a week or so for the card to arrive. Your wife will have to return for the number, they will NOT give it to you. You can prepare your taxes as soon as you have that number and file a paper return; electronic, as I said, will have to wait two weeks.

My wife was given an SSN# 1 week after we married, go to your local office on Mon. I have read conflicting reports of when an ssn# is given, the only way to know is to just go to your local office and apply for one. I was under the assumption that my wife wouldn't qualify for one, but I went to the local ss admin office, applied with my wife, the whole process took 15 minutes, the ssn was received 1 week later in the mail with a stamp "not valid for work until authorized by DHS"

"just do it"

I forgot to mention, by changing your filing status to Married filing jointly, you will qualify for additional money from last years econmic stimulus, which is now referred to as the rebate recovery, which was why I was so motivated to get that ssn for my wife! In my case 1200 extra on my return

Are you saying the you can file an amended return and get this money?! I filed a joint return, but at the time my wife had a TIN number and I was told by the IRS that I why I didn't rewceive the $1200.

Hello Everybody,

I have a Adjustment of Status Interview for my wife coming up the 16th of March 2009.

We have been married a little over 2 years, my wife entered the country in December of 2008 and our son was born January of 2009, we live in Dayton, Ohio.

I wanted some help going thru the check list of things to bring to the interview.

1. 1. USCIS Interview Letter and Photo ID.

1. 2. I-693; we have already submitted this and only have a copy of the vaccination report.

1. 3. I-864; Again I have already submitted this and have a copy with me and all documentation.

1. 4. All documentation establishing your lawful permanent residency status.

1. 5. EAD we did not apply for I-512 Advance Parole.

1. 6. Passport and I-94.

1. 7. Wife Birth Certificate.

1. 8. My Birth Certificate, Naturalization Certificate.

1. 9. Our Son’s Birth Certificate.

1. 10. Eligibility based on marriage

1. a. Certified Copy of Marriage Certificate

1. b. My Naturalization Certificate and US Passport

1. c. My sons Birth Certificate

1. 11. Supporting Evidence of our Relationship

1. a. Tax Return 2009.

1. b. Bank Statement – 3 Months.

1. c. Health Care Cards – Beneficiary on Life Policy

1. d. Wife Medical Bills and Dental Bills.

1. e. Wedding Photo Album.

1. f.Application to amend Department of Defense Top Secret Clearance as I am Married to a Foreign National.

1. 12. Original and Photo Copy of each supporting document I have submitted with our application.

As I am assembling my application if have the following problems.

• Items 2 and 3 on the list, do I need to take a copy even though I submitted already?

• what does item 4 mean?

• Do I have enough evidence in item11, I am worried as all the utilities are in my name and I do not have a lease as I own the house and the cars, I had all this in place before she got here and saw no practical reason to change any of this as we are married and what is mine is hers.

Any suggestions from you guys would be much appreciated as I just want this to go smooth and finish up.

I just had our AOS interview, and I brought a copy of the I-864 with me, and plenty of photos, a copy of our joint bank acct, copies of her library card, college ID, SS card, and anything that shows she is going through efforts to fit in to our culture in the USA. I too have the phone, utilities, etc in my name only. They just want to see that you both are serious abt your relationship, and making an effort as a bonified couple.

Of all the documents I brought, the immigration officer took only one photo of us as a couple for his file! Good luck

today i received my letter from uscis to inform me my interview is on march 5th

it asks to bring my birth certificate. I dont have it. i sent it to uscis as requested and i asked for it to be sent back to me as its the only copy i have and they havent returned it. i have a photocopy of it

also the only thing me and my husband have in joint names is a bank account. we live with his parents as the economy is bad and we cannot yet afford a place of our own as i dont have a work permit therefore cannot work. I cant be added to his medical insurance as i dont have a ssn.

also i dont drive therefore dont have a drivers licence

im hella freaking out right now.. i know it will prolly be alright but hahah i freak out all the time =]

please can someone let me know what documents i need to bring in addition to what it says on the letter and what questions they ask...

my husband needs motivating... so if i can give him a list of what to expect then we can prepare....

I too brought the full set of copies from my I-129 and I-130, and AOS submittals. I brought many photos of places we have been since my wife arrived here, A copy of out joint banl account, copies of her library card, social security card, college ID, rental agreement, and anything that I thought would show that she was adjusting to living in the USA by getting involved. Of all the documents I brought, all they took was (1) photo of us together! And even if I had brought a "copy" of my birth certificate, I pointed out that I had submitted one. He looked at my wife's file, which was pretty large at this point, and we compared his copy with mine to show that I was an American. All-in-all, the interview was a breeze. I'm sure all will be fine, and good luck

guys there is a new ds 130 form now....but i lareday have my old form you think i would chage it to the new form now..... its already on the envelop and ready to send but im confuse which one should i send now...? what do you think guys?

If your form is "out of date", I would not chance sending it anyway. This could prolong your wait and that would not be a good thing, so fill out the more recent form

i got an email from CRIS saying I-485 card production ordered. My AOS was transferred to CSC and i was waiting for RFE because i did not submit my I-693 and the form i got from my country. Now i am confused. Does that mean I-693 is no longer needed?

I too was afraid the night before our AOS interview. I saw the I-693 form and could not remember filling one out flor my wife. She had an examination in her country and also the necessary vacinations to bring her up-to-date. I had a sick feeling going into the interview thinking that at any minutes they would reject her for not having filled out the I-693. What I was told is that the medical she took in her country, along with the vacinations, was adequate. To say that we were revieved is an understatement. Good luck with this

i got married and so i placed that i would place marriage last name.

but honestly i don't want to. i LOVEEEE my last name.

would it bring problems in the AOS if i carry my last name and and his, his??

NO..... this is a time when you can choose which name you want to use on your Green Card. My wife kept her maiden name, and during the AOS interview this month, she was asked which name she wanted to use and she chose to take my last name. Hope this helps...

Well not really sure about what happen to all my post but I am too happy to worry about them. Yesterday my wife and i had our I485 appointment to adjust status and we Got IT ! So No worries for Two more Years. Thanks for to you all for keeping us encouraged and strong ! God Bless Chuck and Teresa

A BIG congratulations to you both! We too know this feeling as we just received our 10 year Green Card and the feeling was beyond spectacular. Good luck and much success in these next two years

HI,can I ask u something? Coz I'm also same as what uve done but this is my last step the interview! How was the interview?how long did it take? Are u interviewed individually?

Thank u!hope u can say something!CONGRATS

Thank you for yor question. The interview was very pleasant, and we were interviewed together. It took maybe 15-25 minutes, and was very informal. The Immigration had only a few questions, but for sure he wanted us to show that we were a couple. We had many photos of places we went after my wife arrived, documents with both names, he asked whether my wife had applied for any government aid since she was here (NO is the right answer), and that was about it. We were able to laugh and joke while doing all this as well. Once you arrive at this place in the immigration process, this is reallly a formality at this point to make sure that the couple is really a couple and acting the part.

I hope this answered your question.

Today both of my petitions (I-130 and I-129F) approved by USCIS. What great e-mails. My head is spinning and shaking…..happiness.

I hope there will be tons of other approval for my fellow petitioners.

Congratulations and have faith that all will have a happy ending

So the long and winding road finally leads us to a successful and happy ending......or beginning! After a long journey together, or apart when we began, my love was approved today at the USCIS office in Phoenix, AZ. All I can say is WOW! It took so long and we were apart for such a long time, but with hope, prayer, and determination, we were triumphant. The immigration officer was nice and made the moment light, as he knew that Pat was nervous. After a few questions from him and some questions of our own, we were congratulated and sent on our way.

Hang in there all of you who continue to wait, hope, and have courage for the one you love.....THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, AND IT IS NOT THE TRAIN

Hello All,

We've completed the first part of the "Visa Journey" and my lovely Svetlana is here in the USA with me. Now it seems comes the hard part. She has been here since 1 July and we've gotten married, had a beautiful wedding in Lake Tahoe and are settling in together.

The hard part has come as my bride is feeling down about not having work and worried about her "level" going down as a result. She is 35 and worked very successfully in Moscow as a type of business consultant for taxes and labor laws etc. She has a very nice degree from Moscow University and now feel like it was "wasted" since it may not translate directly over here. Unfortunately as luck would have it, the first two ladies she has encountered (1 from Odessa and 1 from St Petersburg) have relayed mostly negative stories about how they were successful in Russia/Ukraine, but that now they are like "guest workers" in the USA with little prospects for success. Of course this has only brought Svetlana's mood down only more. (Needless to say these very nice ladies have other issues in their relationships which are the true source of their unhappiness).

I'm working now to get some of the basics taken care of like immigration paperwork for AOS, driving lessons, English courses, although she speaks pretty well, etc. I work as an officer in the USMC and we have plenty of money. We live in a nice apartment with palm trees and a swimming pool in Oceanside, CA yet she still feels like she's gone backwards in life because of this job issue.

So the bottom line is that I'm looking for anyone out there who has had POSITIVE experiences getting adjusted and beginning their careers in the USA after coming from Russia. I know that if she can see some positive examples of ladies who have transistioned successfully that will really help her outlook and hopefully she can get some constructive advice on what steps she can take to attain the success here in this country that she seeks.

Please feel free to email me at phewall@mac.com and let me hear from you. I can certainly give you more information than I can in this short space.

Thank you all and God Bless you!

James

My wife has been here from France for 3-1/2 months, and is experiencing the same feelings. The trick is for them to stay busy, and also keep in touch with family back home. My wife speaks with and sees her son in France once a week on the pc using SKYPE. Of all the things that help her to feel well, this works wonders. We have also found that there are many French people in Phoenix, so I suggest that you try to find a support group of Russians in yor area for her to interact with.

So I live in Las Vegas, and my fiance lives in Calgary. We have only been dating for about a year now, but I proposed to her almost two months ago.

Our plan was to get married in Calgary, and then have her move back to Vegas with me afterwards. We were both naive when thinking that was the entire process. After much prodding by my father, we finally called the US Consulate in Calgary and after paying a ridiculous per-minute charge of almost 2 dollars, we gleaned the information that if we get married in Canada, she won't be able to go to the USA for 6-12 months (obviously the time to apply and all that), and if she comes here to get married, she would be sent home to wait for the application times.

Now, that sounded a little sketchy, so I googled some information and found myself here. I was excited that I found an ACTIVE board online with up to date posts and regular visitors. I read a little bit more, about the K-1 Visa, but the whole thing is still confusing me.

We are getting married in 2 weeks (September 12th) and have basically planned everything already. Everything is paid for, everything is in order, except what happens afterward.

So I'm really thinking that we screwed up. For one, a shotgun wedding wasn't ideal, planning everything in 2 months, but we have been long distance for the entire time we've been together and we wanted to finally just be together.

I feel like I'm faced with three options.

1. Get married, apply, and wait patiently.

2. Move back to Canada (where I'm from), leaving a great job and a great place to live, and starting over (for the fourth time in the last 3 years)

3. Cancel the wedding.

Obviously, 3 isn't an option, but I included in anyway.

What should I do? Are those my only options? My fiance keeps calling me crying, and doesn't know what to do, thinks it's the end of the world. I don't know what to tell her anymore. How can this end well?

I visited my then fiancée in Montreal for two years and then she had to move back to France. We married in the USA in 2006, and I didn't get her here until June 2008! The waiting after filing was 13 months for K-3 visa and I don't know of any quick way to make these things happen. There's no substitute for doing it the right way, so file, visit each other, and BE PATIENT

Need sample questions for K3 visa interview. Plese help!

In Paris, the questions they asked my wife were very basic. For example, "How long have you known your husband", and" How many times have you seen your husband"?, and the best one was "What is your husband's name"? Then there were questions to break the ice and to make her feel at her ease while being interviewed. The interview lasted only some minutes and the stress my wife felt was worse that any of the questions. My advice is to be yourself, and try to relax Mostly, they will ask questions that they have the answers to from information that was sent to them on applications like the G-325 form. Good luck

The time it takes to get approved for EAD is the same if you file for it on its own or if you file for it as a separate application- about 3 months. If you are planning on filing the AOS now rather than waiting until closer to your 2nd wedding anniversary then you would be best to file for AOS and EAD together and save some money as you will have to pay to remove the conditions on the greencard 18 months after it has been approved. If you want to wait to file for AOS so that you get a 10 year Greencard and dont have to file to remove the conditions then you would have to file for the EAD now and pay the fee.

Jon

Thank you for the info. Now another question: My two year marriage anniversary will be on 21 Dec. 2008. In this case, would my wife be elligible for the 10 year Greencard as our (2) years of marriage is nearly here? If this is true, I would file the I-765 and the I-485 together.

If the marriage is 2+ yrs. old at time of approval/ issuance of the greencard, then it will be the 10 yr one

It's true that we will be marriied for (2) years when I send in the forms for adjustment of status, but the thing is that my wife will not have been in the USA for (2) years. Is change to Permanent Resident contingent on being "in country" for two years? That being the case, will she then receive only a (2) year Permanent Resident Card(if that is possible)?

Thanks for the info on this. What I see is that this site is really helpful from the beginning of filing for a fiancée, all the way to adjustment of status and beyond

We hired a laywer for the k3, how many others out there did?

Also, when I see other peoples timeline it says NO1 Touched. How do you know it's been touched?

On the UCIS website I just know I'm in there and it tells me when its last been updated. But no updates for 2 months now.

I did it all myself, and with the help and advice from Visa Journey, and had no problems. The thing here is to read, then read again, and when you are done, read everything over again for mistakes and correctness. You do not want to omit anything or make misteakes. DO NOT GET IN A HURRY!!!

Hi all, does my wife send BOTH DS156 forms back to the embassy or just one of them? I'm afraid the "instructions" for this packet 3 are not all that clear.

thanks

The same was true for my wife in Paris. She brought them with her to the interview and finished them there.Send them only what they ask for and hand carry the rest to the interview.

The time it takes to get approved for EAD is the same if you file for it on its own or if you file for it as a separate application- about 3 months. If you are planning on filing the AOS now rather than waiting until closer to your 2nd wedding anniversary then you would be best to file for AOS and EAD together and save some money as you will have to pay to remove the conditions on the greencard 18 months after it has been approved. If you want to wait to file for AOS so that you get a 10 year Greencard and dont have to file to remove the conditions then you would have to file for the EAD now and pay the fee.

Jon

Thank you for the info. Now another question: My two year marriage anniversary will be on 21 Dec. 2008. In this case, would my wife be elligible for the 10 year Greencard as our (2) years of marriage is nearly here? If this is true, I would file the I-765 and the I-485 together.

If the marriage is 2+ yrs. old at time of approval/ issuance of the greencard, then it will be the 10 yr one

It's true that we will be marriied for (2) years when I send in the forms for adjustment of status, but the thing is that my wife will not have been in the USA for (2) years. Is change to Permanent Resident contingent on being "in country" for two years? That being the case, will she then receive only a (2) year Permanent Resident Card(if that is possible)?

The time it takes to get approved for EAD is the same if you file for it on its own or if you file for it as a separate application- about 3 months. If you are planning on filing the AOS now rather than waiting until closer to your 2nd wedding anniversary then you would be best to file for AOS and EAD together and save some money as you will have to pay to remove the conditions on the greencard 18 months after it has been approved. If you want to wait to file for AOS so that you get a 10 year Greencard and dont have to file to remove the conditions then you would have to file for the EAD now and pay the fee.

Jon

Thank you for the info. Now another question: My two year marriage anniversary will be on 21 Dec. 2008. In this case, would my wife be elligible for the 10 year Greencard as our (2) years of marriage is nearly here? If this is true, I would file the I-765 and the I-485 together.

As it is only a few months until your anniversary I would wait and file for AOS and EAD together closer to your anniversary date, idealy you want it so that if you get an interview for the AOS it will be after your 2nd anniversary.

Jon

Thanks a million for your advice Jon. Waiting a little longer to insure that the time coinsides with the (2) anniversary makes sense.

The time it takes to get approved for EAD is the same if you file for it on its own or if you file for it as a separate application- about 3 months. If you are planning on filing the AOS now rather than waiting until closer to your 2nd wedding anniversary then you would be best to file for AOS and EAD together and save some money as you will have to pay to remove the conditions on the greencard 18 months after it has been approved. If you want to wait to file for AOS so that you get a 10 year Greencard and dont have to file to remove the conditions then you would have to file for the EAD now and pay the fee.

Jon

Thank you for the info. Now another question: My two year marriage anniversary will be on 21 Dec. 2008. In this case, would my wife be elligible for the 10 year Greencard as our (2) years of marriage is nearly here? If this is true, I would file the I-765 and the I-485 together.

My wife arrived in the USA at the end of June, and I am preparing to file for Permanent Resident status. I understand that I can file for the AED free if I send it in with the change of status application, but can anyone tell me if my wife would receive her temporary right to work faster if I sent in the AED application separate? I understand that I would have to pay $340 doing it this way, but am wondering if it would be faster. I welcome any and all ideas on this.

After 5-1/2 years, we are finally together in the USA, arriving on 30 June and coming through Minneapolis. I went to France to accompany my wife to the USA, and immigration was great. She presented her packet and I-94 and was "Welcomed home" as we passed through. Now comes the filing of the I-485, and I will file the I-765 at the same time at no cost (true?). I understand that this is a temporary work permit until the greencard comes, but correct me if this is not the case. We are both still on cloud nine and I wish all of you who are still waiting success. What I can tell you is that "patience" is the key here, and it is definitely a test in that!

My wife will come to the USA soon on a K-3 visa. I understand that she needs to file for for a change of status for permanent resident once she gets here, but does she have the right to work before then and how soon can she have her green card? Thank you for your help and information

She can apply for an EAD right away. But it will take about 90 days to get.

If she applies before she applies for AOS, the EAD will carry a seperate fee, otherwise its included in the AOS fee.

Thank you for this helpful information. I plan to file the I-485 as soon as my wife arrives, and imagine that the time varies from case-to-case.

Your timeline shows I-130 approval! Why don't you go with the CR-1. She will have her Green card and SSN in the mail within a month of arrival.

No need to pay the $1010 or go thru the paperwork and stress of adjusting status.

That might be a little difficult, as she has had her medical, interview, and already has her K-3 visa in-hand. I wish I had known this earlier

My wife will come to the USA soon on a K-3 visa. I understand that she needs to file for for a change of status for permanent resident once she gets here, but does she have the right to work before then and how soon can she have her green card? Thank you for your help and information

She can apply for an EAD right away. But it will take about 90 days to get.

If she applies before she applies for AOS, the EAD will carry a seperate fee, otherwise its included in the AOS fee.

Thank you for this helpful information. I plan to file the I-485 as soon as my wife arrives, and imagine that the time varies from case-to-case.

My wife will come to the USA soon on a K-3 visa. I understand that she needs to file for for a change of status for permanent resident once she gets here, but does she have the right to work before then and how soon can she have her green card? Thank you for your help and information