Lucre

I-130 filers Immigration Visa Group.

Potomac processing time is now 8.5 to 11 months 😔

Also a friendly reminder, update all your timelines so we all can get more accurate estimates on VJ and be able to relax a little bit haha. Thank you all ❤️

Hey guys! This is just a general plea I am putting out to all Potomac filers. Please please please, if you haven't already, set up your timeline and try to keep it updated on here. Centers like Texas and Nebraska have a lot of members, so if one or two people skip it, it is not a big deal and it doesn't impact the algorithm too much, but Potomac has a much smaller representation on here, so every case helps us all. Thank you to the two Potomac filers in September who have already received approval keeping their timelines updated. I appreciate you! Thanks!

I want to visit but:
a) terrified of immigration officers. Each time I have queued up in the line, I have almost passed out from fear, even though I breeze through!
b) leaving at the end is very painful. I only get a couple of weeks at a time with him and I become depressed for months after leaving.
c) I'm helping him pay for his car, so we can't afford a visit anyway
But yes, 99.9% of the time, I'd say VWP members get through without too much hassle. Maybe just a teensy bit.

Hi! We traveled from Argentina while waiting for our NOA2 approval. We even got a B2 visa for one of the kid beneficiaries with the I-130 already sent. We did not have any trouble at port of entry (Miami).  No extra questions just the usual ... how long were we staying and how much money we carried. 

Correct, but evidence of actually being there is just as good.  If you want residency status in Argentina, go for it.  If you would be doing it only to help your spouse visa process, I would say, don't bother.

Certainly anything you can provide which shows financial co-mingling, time together, and a life together is beneficial.  Many, if not most, international couples don't have much evidence other than proof of time together, a marriage certificate, and evidence of continued communication......Proof of residence in Argentina would serve as one piece of evidence if it connects you both.

Not really. Doesn't do much in sense of the I-130 process. Actually means they have to do extra background checks from Argentina and your other country of origin.

I did this same thing with my wife in Mexico. As it turns out, it is more expensive and more difficult than you may think.
 
An apostile has to be done in the same state the document originates. These can cost as little as $10 and as much as $30-40 USD.  Typically all English documents will need to be translated into host the countries primary language and have an apostile as well (added cost). He may also need documents of any previous marriages. Those will need to be translated also.  He may also need a document from his current state of residence that says he is unmarried and eligible to get married. Again translated. If these need to be translated professionally they will run between $30 and $80 USD. per page depending on if certified translations are required or not. My document packet alone to get married in Mexico after all fees and postage costs (since I don't live in my birth state) totaled around $700 USD. All those translations are pretty much garbage after the marriage since none of his documents need translations for the visa process. To get married in the US, many states only requirement to get a marriage license is valid government I.D.'s (assuming you're of legal age). If any of your documents need to be translated for marriage, you should already have copies from the visa process.
 
In my opinion and experience, you are better served filing for the K1 visa. You can be together sooner since you can file before getting married. In Mexico the processing times are close to the same for both the K1 and CR1. Being able to file sooner is the biggest time advantage.
 
Hope this helps some. Good luck!

Just make sure you bring certified translations to the interview (we made this mistake and it cost us almost 2 weeks). But we used self-done translations for everything else and it was just fine. Just make sure, as another poster said, to make the documents saying you hereby decree that you speak both languages fluently.

No problem! Each one teach one!!! Hope it all works out for you and your Fiancé!

I googled “USC  Marrying I’m Argentina “. It’s from the US Stste dept website 

After you get an apostilled birth certificate in the US state of issuance (also an apostilled divorce decree if applicable), you can send it to your fiance in Argentina to be translated there according to their policy for a marriage.  In Brazil, where we were married, the translations have to be done by a government-authorized translation service in Brazil (very expensive), then the document and translation need to be properly registered with the Notary in the city where the marriage will take place (for another fee).  So your fiance needs to visit the local Notary or Civil Registry office or equivalent where you intend to get married and get the list of documents required and the process to make sure translated documents from the US will be officially recognized.  Sometimes they require a signed marriage application to be filed 30 days before the wedding can happen, we did this through a notorized and properly translated Power of Attorney document authorizing a good friend of my husband to sign on my behalf so I didn't have to fly to Brazil 30 days before the wedding just to get the application signed.  Every location is slightly different.  Good luck!

When I needed documents for something in Brazil, I had them apostilled first, then translated. The translation will include the document and the apostille.
 
Good luck!

Apostille/Authentication
 
How to obtain an Apostille or Authentication
Make sure the document is a current, certified copy or notarized by an Indiana notary. Birth/Death Certificates require state certification. Identification of this version is done by locating a multi-colored signature stamp on the bottom of the certificate.  If the certificate does not consist of the said stamp, contact Indiana Vital Records to obtain this version before submitting to us. Marriage/Divorce Documents are required to be signed by the current clerk of courts in the county of which the event took place. To confirm the current clerk of each county visit https://www.in.gov/judiciary/files/court-directory.pdf . Once the correct version is obtained, an apostille or authentication can be granted. School/College Documents need to be notarized by an Indiana Notary. Mentioning these documents need to be notarized for apostille or authentication at the time of request from the school may be beneficial as some schools have a process in place that eliminates some mailing time. All Other Documents are required to be correctly notarized by a current Indiana notary. Do not know where to find a notary? Start by asking a local bank to notarize the document(s). Prepare a request form/cover letter. This may be obtained from our website, typed, or handwritten. When creating a request form/cover letter, please include: Submitter name Phone number The phone number included will need for the person we can contact in case of any questions we may have. Return mailing address Please make sure to include the city, state and zip code along with the mailing address. The destination country The destination country is the country of which is requesting the document(s). If turning them to an embassy, do not list the location of the embassy but the actual country. Stamp and address a return envelope. If mailing out of the country, please be sure to include all the correct and required postage. If applicable, prepare payment of $2 per document. The following documents are exempt from charges: Birth/Death Certificates Marriage/Divorce Documents School/College Documents Adoption Documents Package up the request form/cover letter, document(s) needing authenticated or apostilled and the return envelope and send to: Indiana Secretary of State
Attn: Authentication Dept.
302 West Washington Street Room E-018
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Don't use that website though because the rates are too expensive.  research you own state and then they will let you know how much it cost.  That website says starting at $75 and it was not that expensive doing it yourself. 

Yes.  I googled where to send my birth certificate to get the Apostilled.  They had me send in a stamped envelope with my return address so that they could just but the document on it and mail it back.  My husband had someone there translate it in Spanish and we were good to go.  i

Birth Certificates issued by a State must be authenticated from the same State.  For example, if you were born in the State of California, your California Birth Certificate will need to be Apostilled from the California Secretary of State.  There is no exception to this rule.  So if you were born in the USA the state that you were born has to do the apostille. (I found that online)

May want to check these two sites out
https://ar.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/notaries-public/
 
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/legalizar-o-apostillar-un-documento

Does this help ?? 
https://photos.state.gov/libraries/argentina/857374/a-z/Marriage_in_Argentina.pdf

No problem haha

Are you saying you spoke to the courthouse where you live in  the US .. or in Argentina ? 
If you get married in Argentina then you need to comply with Argentinian laws regarding the marraige process .. US has no involvement. As long as the marraige is legal in the country where it is conducted , the marraige is recognised  in the US.  For the CR1 process you will need the marraige certificate at least translated. The I 130 form and instructions will give you clear instructions. 

When I got married in Dominican Republic, I sent my birth certificate to get apostilled in the state that I was born.  When I got there (DR) I got it translated in their language. 

I had all official documents translated.  
 
Chats don’t need to be as the content doesn’t matter, just the dates.  They want to see regular communication but not read the actual conversations.