NoMansLand2020

17 hours ago, EatBulaga said:

Check out the latest alert on I-693

https://www.uscis.gov/i-693

I interpret this alert as USCIS saying I-693 should be completed sooner or later?

Yes, for non K1 and some other s. It's not required for K1/K2 as long as you file for AOS within a year of your medical abroad. It even states this on the I-693 form. 

2 hours ago, EatBulaga said:

I would call 800-375-5283 and say "Infopass" to ask to speak with a tier 2 agent.

Ignoring a courtesy email is one thing, but ignoring an RFE can get your case abandoned, and you may have to pay to re-file again?

 

We have three months to respond and getting an appointment here is a piece of cake. So I'm good waiting a month and see what happens. If the RFE gets cancelled, I've saved myself nearly $2500

I've seen a lot of people get this same email, including my wife and 2 k2 children who are adjusting from K1/K2.  We got an RFE about a month later. I've seen people who received this same RFE and a week later or so, the RFE is cancelled even when they didn't submit a response. 

I'm currently going to ignore the RFE for a few weeks and see what happens. One visit to the Civil Surgeon is expensive enough. I don't want to pay 3x, especially when the I-693 is not required in our case. 

Who has successfully adopted their Filipino step children? What was the process that you followed and how complicated was it? 

My spouse has two children whom she had with an ex boyfriend in the Philippines. They were never married. The biological father has not been in the picture for 4+ years. He pretty much abandoned the kids. 

One child's birth certificate lists him as the father. My spouse has no idea where he would be nor how to contact him. 

I spoke to an attorney today and he said the father would have to give up his rights and that we would most likely have to go to the Philippines to serve him. But since he is not familiar with the laws of the Philippines he cannot offer much help. He further said it would be an international adoption and that I am  looking at upwards of 25k to adopt each one. 

None of this makes sense to me. Why would my step children who have lived in the US with me and their mother for over a year be considered as an international adoption?  I further thought that single Filipino mothers have sole custody of their illegitimate children. And furthermore understood that parents who have abandoned their children have relinquished their parental rights. 

33 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

They will not be corroborating it through you. They will not contact you and you will not get to tell them any details. This is will be adjudicated complete without you. That’s how it works. This is not a criminal court case. I’m not saying all VAWA are honest but this is done to protect victims of violence so they do not become a victims again once the abuser hears about the VAWA case.

 

 

That's hogwash. She could lie 100%. And blame me for everything. She has no proof of anything. 

42 minutes ago, ROK2USA said:

How will the adjudicators know about these incidents of violence? 

if your wife files VAWA, they won’t be knocking on your door to hear your side of the story. 
You won’t even know if she files VAWA or not… 

 

But, she will be able to tell her side of the story. 
 

And how will they be able to corroborate her story? Otherwise anyone could claim VAWA. 

10 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

Also, in prior thread, other members pointed out that his wife had enough to file for VAWA for herself and the kids.  OP might be out of the equation 😕

Not when she says she's only married me out of pity and that she would divorce me as soon as she gets her GC. 

Not to mention that she's got a temper and has thrown things around the house, especially when I was holding a 2 month old baby. I may have punched her in the shoulder a year ago, but she also stuck her hand in my face while I was driving and nearly caused me to hit some pedestrians. 

Just now, Boiler said:

So what is the plan?

I've set up some appointments with a few attorneys to see what my options are. 

21 minutes ago, ROK2USA said:

What’s your logic behind this idea? 

I don't want to have to fork over any assets or monies. Especially if she married me out of pity. We don't have any joint assets. She's not on any titles. I'd be more than happy to pay for her to get home and maybe a few thousand to help out until she's able to get going. Because she's going back to nothing. No house, no job. 

Since I'm not a legal parent to the older two kids, ages 7 and 9, I don't feel responsible for child support. We've only been married 1 year this month. I sure hope she wouldn't be allowed to take our 3 month old. Those kids would go back to absolutely nothing... No stability, no friends, poor education and poor health care. 

Can I withdraw the petitions, but forego filing for divorce? Am I legally required to divorce her? 

If I withdraw her petition and now the kids' what happens in that situation? I haven't adopted them and she said she wouldn't let me until she received her GC. 

I love the kids, and I don't want to lose them. But I don't know if I can continue with the marriage. I don't want to be vindictive either. She's told me many times that she married me out of pity. 

How does divorce work if she goes back to the Philippines if the petition is withdrawn?  Will the courts still require me to send her alimony and assets like retirement and property? 

If I withdraw her affidavit of support, will she be deported? And if she goes back to the Philippines would I have to get divorced? Not sure of the legalities involved. 

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

Where was the baby born?

Baby was born in the US. But from what I have read, because her mother was still technically a Filipino citizen, the baby would have dual citizenship. 

15 minutes ago, jan22 said:

Just a thought for the future, as you decide how to proceed:

 

If the baby does not yet have a US passport, but you think there is a chance she will try to get the baby one and leave the country, you should enroll the baby in the State Department's passport issuance alert program.  Once you do so, a US passport cannot be issued without you being notified and confirm you agreement to its issuance.  For details on how the program works, take a look at:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/prevention/passport-issuance-alert-program.html

 

Has the baby's birth been registered with the Phillipine Embassy or Consulate?  If so, i don't know if there is a similar program for issuance of a Phillipine passport.

The baby's birth has not been registered neither does the baby have a passport 

19 minutes ago, Mike E said:

She’s doing a poor job of playing the long game, and VAWA costs money.

It's all Facebook and Tiktok stuff. 

2 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

Has there been any other violence incidents since your prior thread?

 

Nothing like this, no. But she has thrown things around when we were arguing. I was holding the baby a month and she got upset and threw a TV table tray in my direction. 

12 minutes ago, ROK2USA said:

Are her children “follow to join” k2 applicants? I would double check but I believe if you pull your support for your wife the children WILL be impacted. It seems very odd you would want to separate a mother from her children… 

and would the children agree to staying with you in the US while their mother returns to the Philippines? 

They are K2. But the AOS process is individual. They have separate AOS packet. The kids do not want to go back to the Philippines. Not that I want to separate anyone, but they won't have much of a life going back to the province. 

I am my ends rope here. I married my Filipina barely on year ago and the constant fighting and arguing has reached its limit with me. 

I know that I have my issues, but I can't deal with the constant berating, and sense of entitlement that I get from my spouse. I never met someone so childish. I know that she does help out a bit with the kids, but she's constantly in her pajamas and laying around all day long on her phone. 

I've sought counseling, but when I offer invitation for my wife to accompany me, she refuses and believes our issues are all mine. 

We have one child together and the other two are hers. Her and her children are currently in the AOS phase and haven't received their green cards yet. She keeps stating that she wants to go back to the Philippines and I clearly believe her. 

I have not yet adopted her kids because we had to wait one year after they got here before I could file. I was anticipating doing that this year. But of course I would need her approval. 

If we do end up getting divorced, what are my legal responsibilities? If she takes off and goes back home, can she legally take all three children? I've read that court systems take into account the "best interests" when it comes to deciding where to place the children. 

I'm currently employed and make well over 100k per year. I have my own home and the older kids are enrolled in school and have amazing friends and my family here who have accepted them as their nephew, niece, and grandchildren. 

My wife on the other hand, if she were to go back to the Philippines has nothing. No money, no place to live, no means of support and poor education opportunities for the kids. 

Since they have not yet received green cards, I understand that I can rescind my Affadavit of Support for my wife without it affecting the children. 

I love her kids as my own and want very much to be their father. But I can't do that with my wife around. 

Greetings, 

We are currently in the market for an additional car for our family. Looking for a used vehicle that will be mostly used by my wife. Currently we have two young children, one who is still in a carseat and a baby due in December. 

My wife has no driving experience and will soon be starting an adult driving class so she can earn a permit. Being a Filipino, she's short in stature, 4'10 and around 90lbs.  As we are soon to be a family of 5, we mostly likely need either a minivan, or smaller seater... Something that would seat at least 7. 

I am looking for suggestions as to what others might have done. 

My wife wants to start shipping thrift clothes to the Philippines for ukay ukay purposes. Is this legal? She thinks she can fit 400 pieces in a 24x24x18 box.... Is this possible? 

We applied for AP along with EAD and AOS in early April. I am wanting to take my wife and kids on a cruise this year, but know we need AP first.  What is the current timeline? 

Interestingly, my 6 year old daughter already received her EAD card. 

5 hours ago, MarJhi said:

She has a passport, so if it is a joint account with her name on it then a passport will be identification enough to access the bank account. 

She had no identification on her person. And since she never carries the house keys with her, had no access to the house to retrieve anything. 

20 minutes ago, Family said:

Relax about blocking the card ..but know that if : 

The account is joint and she CAN/ COULD simply walk into the bank and take out whatever funds she needs. …much like she CAN/ COULD have called the bank for information on card status/replacement…AND can order a new card…she can even request a new card be sent to the branch for her to pick up, ( I was a banker at some point in my life ). 

 

 

 

She has no identification on her for one. So they wouldn't have helped her. The bank only has a couple of branches in the area and I doubt she would remember what bank it was especially with it being a local credit union. 

5 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Is the card in her name?  Is it a joint account?  If so, you blocked her from HER funds........  It could be seem vindictive or worse.

This is a joint account. I only blocked the card because she took off and we had no idea where she was for over 36 hours. She pretty much abandoned the kids without telling them where she was at. We waited in the park for 10 hours for her to come back and finally had to leave when the park closed. She could have been with anyone who migh have been trying to use or take advantage of her. Also because she was upset and distraught and not emotionally in a good place, she could easily have drained our account. 

She's so wishy washy and back and forth about everything.  One minute it's she wants to get separated, the next it's she wants to go back to the Philippines... The next it's she wants a divorce and then she's saying she will give me a second chance.