Giovanne

Another question: I need glasses but I don't currently own any, my fiancee said that she will put me on her health insurance, meaning those glasses would be free, hence me not buying them yet. When should I be expect to be under her health insurance? Can I do it as soon as I get my SSN/Marriage certificate?

16 minutes ago, JFH said:

I would first check with the DMV that you are permitted to drive on a foreign license. Tourists can use foreign licenses here. But people who live here are required to have state driver licenses. The question is, when does your state consider you a resident? Some states require a green card or EAD to consider you a resident. Some will allow K-1 people to apply for a license immediately but it is only valid for the duration of their I-94. To my knowledge, no state will allow a resident of that state to drive on an overseas license beyond the initial transition phase when they first arrive (typically you are granted between 10 and 30 days after moving to a state to obtain a license from that state). 

 

Also check that if you are driving on a foreign license that your insurance company is aware of this. 

I'll look that up for the state of Michigan

53 minutes ago, RJ_MA said:

Hello.

I am from Portugal and I took my interview in France. My passport got in the mail 4 days after the interview so that was pretty quick. After that I bought my flight and I was ready to go.

To your questions as I've been through many of them recently:

 

2. When I get to the USA I'll be marrying as soon as possible, I want to take my fiancee last name, so should I apply for SSN first, get married, and change the SSN later? Or should I just wait, get married and then apply for the SSN? (I'll also be changing my middle name, I never liked it, so I'll add something "nicer") I needed my marriage certificate to apply for a SSN, so I'd say get married first. Going to the Social Security office and applying for a SSN can be a patience game. I went there the day I got married. They asked me for the marriage certificate, I-94 and my passport. I've also changed my name but I have a huuuuuuge name so that was the first problem. It wouldn't fit their filling spaces. The person there suggested I'd give them a name I'd like to use here so I went with my first, maiden and my husband's last. I waited for 4 weeks as they said it could around that and nothing came in the mail. I went back there and they said that it didn't get through because of my name change so I had to apply all again. I was a little bit mad but the manager happened to be passing by and heard me. He was super nice and helpful (the fact that he was portuguese migth have helped hehe) and they ended up tracking my application and giving me my SSN right away. After two days I got my card in the mail.

 

 3. How long does it usually take for me to be able to get a job and start working? After you get married apply rigth away for the AOS (adjustment of Status). Also apply for the EAD (Work permit) and the AP (Advance Parole) combo card. That will allow you to work and travel while your green card doesn't arrive - GC takes a while. The average waiting now for the EAD/AP combo card now is from 4-7 months depending on the office your send the documents to - mine is Illionois. You can't work without your work permit.

 

 

4. Does anyone know if I'll be able to drive with my current Portuguese drivers license? I am currently driving with mine. I advise you to get the IDP (International Drivers Permit) as our drivers license doesn't have English translation on it and we need it to drive around the states. You have to get yours in Portugal - If that's where you are now. All the other questions you should go to the RMV of your state  either their office or website and dig into that. 

 

 

 

 

 

Obrigado, how long does it take to get a IDP in PT?

1 hour ago, Pitaya said:

Yep, and sometimes the clerks at the SSA offices are not the sharpest tools in the shed. The big thing that SSA has to verify is the person's entry into the CBP's SAVE program. The SAVE system is based upon the Form I-94. It is now automated, but until a few years ago, the data from the paper forms had to be hand-inputted into the SAVE system. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, it still has glitches. You have to have a valid I-94 to get a SSN. Many people can and do apply for SSN after marriage. That is what we had to do, since it took the sloths at CBP inputting the I-94 data over six weeks to get my wife's info entered into the SAVE system (but I-94 was still valid. Additionally, in some locales (i.e., Los Angeles County) it can take several weeks (months) in order to get a copy of your certified marriage license. By that time, your I-94 has expired and your window of opportunity to get a SSN is closed, then you have to go through another set of hoops (AOS receipts). You will see that getting all of these disparate pieces of evidence is not always that easy and straight-forward. Sorry, for the roundabout explanation, get your SSN as soon as you can, you can always change the last name later.

 

HTH>

Only the last name? Can I change two names?

1 minute ago, DaveAndAnastasia said:

That's not really the case anymore. If you're going to be able to be processed without manual verification, they'll almost certainly be able to do it within a few days of POE (they certainly were for Anastasia). And if you are going to need manual verification, you might as well get them started ASAP.

we're talking about SSN right? this is all new to me

So my visa got issued today, I'm waiting on my passport to arrive. It is coming from France and all I got is it's tracking number, it's not on the system yet. So here are a few questions:

1.Does anyone know how Chronopost Europe works? On the packaging I delivered to the embassy it stated "1 day shipping". But online it says 2-5 business days for countries in Europe/

2. When I get to the USA I'll be marrying as soon as possible, I want to take my fiancee last name, so should I apply for SSN first, get married, and change the SSN later? Or should I just wait, get married and then apply for the SSN? (I'll also be changing my middle name, I never liked it, so I'll add something "nicer")

3. How long does it usually take for me to be able to get a job and start working?

4. Does anyone know if I'll be able to drive with my current Portuguese drivers license?

5. Will I be able to exchange my current drivers license to a Michigan drivers license?

6. How long does it usually take to be able to get a drivers license? (I read online that I'll be able to work much sooner than I will be able to drive, but Idk the veracity of these statements, and if so, that would greatly limit my options)

Thank you!

1 hour ago, ilovelondon said:

 

Application Received

Application ID or Case Number:AA

Case Created:25-Aug-2019

updated  26-AUG-2019

Case Last Updated:29-Aug-2019

still not AP yet.anxious

Hang in there! It shouldn't take too long!

Issued as of today! Does anybody know how long it takes for Chronopost Europe to get to Portugal?

As some of you know, I filled my petition for K1 visa on November 2018, at the  time my fiancee was pregnant and I was going to finish my bachelors early May, so It seemed like a good time to start filling everything. In the summer of 2018 I overstayed my ESTA for 4 hours (1 day), at the time, I didn't realize this was the case, and I returned to the USA two times after that with no problems, until this summer, where they warned me I had overstayed and I returned  to Portugal in the next flight. I was going to spend time with my son, 3 months at the time, unfortunately that was not possible. On June 10th my case was created, I managed to get my interview expedited to July 24. Paris, where I was told I was approved, it all went with flying colors. At the interview I didn't have my medical exams yet, so I sent it to them and it got there on Aug 12th. By this time, my case had last been updated on Aug 6th and put on Administrative Processing. Finally, on Aug 23 it changed to Application Received, the next two days were weekends, so on Aug 26 They've updated my status to Administrative processing again. AS of today, Aug 28, no new updates (now it shoes AP on both IV and NIV). It doesn't look like a long time, but it sure feels like it. My fiancee is a teacher, which means she has 3 months vacation in the summer, no such luck. Wedding venue postponed from Aug 2nd 2019 to July 31 2020, no big deal, we all know how this goes. The worst is the uncertainty and the wait, She is back to work now, and daycare is expensive. My gorgeous son (picture below) is 5 months old now! Only got to see him 1 week in April, when he was a month old. He just started crawling as well. I am missing all of this unfortunately. I'll keep you updated on the progress. From everything I've read it shouldn't take much longer, but you can't truly know.

P.s- A lot has happened in between filing for k1 and now, such as we discovering my fiancee is carrier of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and me having to get tested as well, as it was a pain to get tested here in Portugal, to my whole family and friends travelling to the USA without me for the wedding venue (the airlines wouldn't budget so they ended up going anyways). To Portugal not doing visa interviews and having to travel to Paris just for that, ultimately delaying the whole process at least 2-3 months from expected (the original interview date was to be on November 6th!), the first expedite was denied, but we insisted on emailing the senator and he managed to pull some strings.

My take on this: Why gamble? The information they have about you is limited already, plus the fact that they do this things everyday and it must be very boring... You want to show them that you REALLY want to be there, make it easy for them to accept you, not harder. If there are optional steps you could take, take them. Sometimes that makes a difference. 

I have overstayed for 4 hours.... That counted as a day and I got my VWP revoked... Before I knew about it, I traveled twice back to the US... Until I decided to stay for the summer with my wife (while we waited for the interview). They pulled me to the side and said I had overstayed. I told her I've never done that, the officer then asked me whether or not these dates were correct, and told me the dates of over a year ago. I said they were correct, and three months is not the same as 90 days... Some months have 31 days... And it was dumb to stay so close to the limit, lesson learnt, so I indeed overstay. It doesn't matter if for 4 hours or 179 days. They were very understanding of my situation, and they knew of my plans to marry next time in the USA. I didn't lie about anything and I took the next flight back home. Didn't even get the chance to see my 3 month old who was waiting just outside that room. He's six now, I haven't seen him yet. But fortunately the senator was able to expedite my interview, and recently it went to Application received, hopefully it is issued next week, since my savings are running low for daycare while my wife works. what helped in my case was a Sworn statement I made with the officer at the time, I don't think that is a option for you, considering your situation... Anyways, I really wish you the best of luck, 3 years is a long time, but consider this: the USA and Canada are relatively close... So even if you can't travel south, they can travel north... 

3 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

Are you not French by birth?

I'm not

8 hours ago, Maya34 said:

My interview with my husband was the same date in Paris. They told me approved but on the 29th I received an email telling me to fill ds 5535. I’m pregnant and have a 24months old son. No update till now. Hopefully we hear something soon 

I didn't get any email, on the 23th it changed to Application received. And tells me to wait 2 business day for my status to update again, so hopefully by next week I'll have some progress.

37 minutes ago, usmsbow said:

Well you cannot take his last name until after you're legally married, so if you apply for the SSN before that, then you'll have to use your maiden name (which obviously matches the name on your visa too). 

her* Haha

Hi, I'll take my fiancée last name, do I do that when applying for the SSN or after the wedding? If I apply before won't it conflict with the name on my k1 visa?

What are those new public charge requirements?

Does this mean they haven't looked at it yet? since there was no update?

Update: There has been no chances on the CEAC website... Last time updated august 6.

Yes, the big celebration, sorry for the confusion! 

Almost same situation here, I sent my medical and it got there on august 12, Now I'm waiting for them to do something about it.

Hello! I had my k1 interview in Paris on July 24th but at the time I hand't yet received my medical exams. At the end of the interview they told me I was approved. on August 6th my case was updated to AP on the CEAC website and on August 12 my medical exams were delivered to the embassy.  Given my case, how long should I be expected to wait? The AP is only because of the medical exams right? I'm afraid that they haven't even checked their mail yet... I tried calling them to know how the process is going, they weren't very useful unfortunately. 

I haven't booked any flights, and my wedding will be next summer just to be sure... But my fiancée is going back to work on the 26 (teacher) and we have a 4 month old boy that needs me to take care of him while mum is working... I don't know if this helps, but I'm a Portuguese citizen.