GulfwarVeteran

12 hours ago, sd3fan said:

We married in August of 2018 so about a year and a half now.  What exactly is an IR2 petition and how long does it take?

I will refer to your stepdaughter as your daughter because effectively you will be her daddy.

As the others said, an IR2 is for the son or daughter of a US citizen. An IR2 requires a form 130.  It is used when you have been married over two years and you want to bring your spouse’s child to the USA.  A CR2 also requires a form 130. It is used typically in a case where your wife is being petitioned on a CR1.

I assume you are needing a CR2 in your case, but then again, by the time you get your forms done, you will have been married two years, so it only makes sense that you will be getting your daughter a IR2. Even if you request the wrong visa category, I think the USCIS will correct it for you.

It can take up to about 18 months, so I am told.  My son’s visa was approved and in the hands of the US embassy in Burma (Myanmar) in only about five months.  Why mine went so fast is mystery. There is a rumor that if they know you are a Veteran you get priority, but I have nothing to back up that rumor.

After the interview it took about three months for them to verify everything. The length of time is often determined by local policy. Documents are often faked in Burma and cannot be trusted, so that may be why they take extra care verifying everything. I do not know the case in Thailand.

Before you even start, you need to get her original brith certificate, and an official English translation. You will need a copy of your marrage certificate, and proof of your citizenship (passport, brith certificate).  I also advise you to fly to Thailand to get some photos of you, with your wife and daugher together.  We took photos at the emerald Buddha in Bangkok, and at Dreamworld.  If you need some ideas on great places to go in Bangkok, I can help.

There are many guides on the internet that can help you with the process.  Here is an example: https://visaguide.world/us-visa/immigrant/ir2/

Just read all the guides, then follow the instructions on the USCIS web site.

The embassy may ask her some questions.  They will ask her when she first met you and if the answer is "I have not met him yet" it might not look good for you. If that is the case, I suggest you fly to Bankok and take her to Dreamworld, or some other memberable place ASAP.

9 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Check the actual conditions of the Myanmar law - there are some countries who don’t allow dual citizenship for those who actively acquire it but allow it for minors who get it automatically. 

I wouldn’t try hiding things from authorities anywhere tbh, and you never know how future alliances might change. There’s no practical reason she needs to become a USC as long as she plans on spending >6 months a year in the US and doesn’t mind not voting. Especially as there seem to be harsh consequences for loss of citizenship there.

by the way my kid actually acquired citizenship automatically when I did a couple of months back - so I’ve just personally been through all of this! 

Thank you for the info.  I really want him to get citizenship because it opens many scholarship and job opportunities.  Also he has family in Canada, and a USA passport means no more need for a travel authorization when he goes to visit.

Ok, let me give you some dad to dad advice….

I brought my wife on a K1, and we did not bring her son.  We wanted him to complete grade eight before he came to live in the USA.  However we had picked a bad time to buy a condo in Asia, so we had to go back until it was paid off.

Two years later, the condo was paid in full, so I re-patriated. As soon as I found a job, I petitioned for an IR1 for my wife. It went though very quickly, and she arrived.  I then petitioned for an IR2 visa for her son.  He arrived, and now we are all together. I have now petitioned the state for an adoption.

Your stepdaughter is, for the most part, YOUR daughter as far as the USCIS is concerned.  Just do an IR2 petition (assuming you have been married two years).  She will qualify under “son or daughter of a US citizen”.

After she arrives, adopt her so she can eventually get a scholarship.

1 hour ago, SusieQQQ said:

is your wife not naturalized yet?

No, I only repatriated in 2018. My wife has only been here just short of two years.  I am not sure it that is a good idea.  Let me explain....

Myanmar does not recognize dual citizenship.  As far as they are concerned when my son gets his US citizenship, he is no longer a Myanmar citizen.  If my wife naturalized then, she loses Myanmar citizenship, and then we will lose our condo, as well as any chance of retiring in Myanmar.

I am thinking…..  There is no USA law that says my son and my wife cannot keep Myanmar citizenship.  Myanmar Is not a NATO country, and does not share passport information with the USA like Canada, the UK, etc.  That being the case Myanmar cannot know if my son, or my wife get US citizenship.  That being the case, they should be able to keep their Myanmar citizenship, right?

Thank you for your answer. I interpreted the material on the USCIS web site the same way.

How are you liking SF?  My wife loves the place, but I think it is too expensive.

I petitioned my wife on an IR1. I petitioned her son on an IR2.  They are both here now.  They have green cards.  I have been married to my wife for five years.  Her son will be 16 next September.  I will complete his adoption next month.

Will he get automatic citizenship?  How does that work? What must be done?

On 1/27/2020 at 1:10 PM, SKQQR said:

What document or letter that you provided to embassy about grandparents' permission? 

I submitted no document to that effect.  Evidently they wanted to speak to the gransparents on the phone.  He is here now.  Things are looking good now.

The layer sounds very tempting. I would consider the lawyer, but I have reservations. My friend hired one to handle an IR1 for his wife. The lawyer pretty much took his money, and his application was rejected.  The lawyer asked for more money to try again.

I did my own IR1,  for my wife, then later an IR2 for my stepson.  I was successful, and I used only online forum resources (like here).  I did his 130, 864, and so on, for him, and the application was accepted. They are now awaiting an interview at the consulate. He spent more on the lawyer's fees than I spent on the entire process, and he got nothing for it. I have talked to others who got scammed.

There is no way to know if you are going to get what you paid for.  That is why I rather do it myself. 

My stepson has arrived on his IR2.  We are waiting on his green card. 

I plan to peruse an adoption. His biological father died ten years ago.  Any suggestions where I should start?

Thanx all.  My wife would feel better if I can send her an email map.  She is a bit scared.

My wife has been in Burma (Myanmar) for three months now.  She has a green card because she immigrated with me last year.  We waited in her (now our) son to get done with the school year before allowing him to join us.  He just got his IR2 visa issued, and they will pick up his passport tomorrow.  The next day they will fly into LAX.  I have never arrived internationally via LAX, although I have done so many times in SFO.

I am trying to create a map and email it to my wife.

They will arrive to terminal 8.  Where must they go for his immigration process?  It is not shown on the official web site map.

When my wife was issued her IR1 visa last year, we waited two months because the Embassy had misplaced her passport. I called  my senators' office, and about two days later they located it, and called her to come get it.  The date of issue on the Visa was June, but they returned her passport in August.

Once my wife settled in the USA we petitioned our (her) son.  Things went amazingly fast though USCIS, and the NVC ( I think it helped to include my DD-214 so they knew I am a Veteran).  The embassy has stalled us three months now,  First was about getting the biological father's permission.  We had included his death certificate. I would have thought that was good enough.  Well, for some reason they needed to check with his paternal grandparents.  They of course had no problem with their grand child immigrating from their war torn country to the USA.

The visa status has changed to "issued". Where have we seen that before?  The embassy called my wife, and asked for his passport.  They have the passport.  The situation has repeated itself.  I am a bit worried because they also have my California birth certificate, our marriage certificate, his birth certificate, and a lot of other documents that might also be misplaced.

The interview was last February.  My wife flew back to attend it with him.  She has been there almost three months.  I have already contacted the senator's office again.  What else can I do?

Wow!

Thank you for the followup.

And to everyone else, a big thank you.

We will be retiring in her country, and we own property there, so it is not in our best interest for her to naturalize.  We only want him to maximize his education opportunities.  I realize the USA is OK with dual citizenship, but her country does not allow it.  I suppose if he gets a USA passport we do not have to tell Myanmar.

No he was not.

I double checked the status at the NVC site. It says IR2.

This is the quote from the web site:  

Do I Become a U.S Citizen Once I Get the IR2 Visa?

ttps://visaguide.world/us-visa/immigrant/ir2/

"Children who enter the U.S with an IR2 visa have the opportunity to become U.S citizens immediately. If the child who has an IR2 visa is under 18 years old, then they will get U.S citizenship immediately when they enter the U.S and state that they will live in the U.S with their parents."

I resided in Singapore seven years.  I only returned to the USA last year.

I petitioned my wife. She received an IR1, and arrived last year.  We made sure we are comfortable and stable before we petitioned her son. I wanted to wait for him to complete the 8th grade, but she wanted him to come sooner. 

The CEAC says his visa has been issued, but they have yet to call her to pick up his passport and it has been over a week. The embassy has not been very helpful at all.  They seem to resist answering any questions. 

I assume that means he is getting an IR2, but I really have no idea.  Now that is what confuses me.  I am the USC.  She is not.  Yet, he is considered the "unmarried child of a US Citizen".  Ok, so far so good.  I found this:  https://visaguide.world/us-visa/immigrant/ir2/

His father was killed in combat in 2008,  I am the only father he has.  I married his mother back in 2014. He never actually lived with us until now because the cost of placing a child in school in Singapore. We only went on holidays together.

I am his only parent that is a USC.  I am not his biological parent (I am sterile).  I have no formal adoption. Is he eligible for citizenship? This is very nebulous.