RhondaM

Just a quick note to say that we are leaving for our interview in Des Moines, IA. I can't believe it is finally here after so much waiting. Any pearls of wisdom before we go? I checked and doubled checked all the information required. I hope we will have good news to report!

Thanks again for the help and support this website provides.

Rhonda & Nicolas

Bonjour,

I just received an appointment letter and there are three doctors in Paris listed for the medical appointment: Meyers, Leparc and Slattery. Who would you recommend for a painless (in more than one sense) medical exam?

Grand merci!

My husband's appointment was with Meyers....everything went well.

Thanks!

I have an interesting subject for us to talk about... I didn't think it'd be one that we'd run up against. Predjudice against French. SC and I have had to deal with nasty remarks about French a few times lately. Like at a garage sale we ran at mom's house, one guy rambled on for about a good 20 minutes about how the French didn't help Americans in the war however many years ago and all these other reasons that he hates French people... AFTER SC told him that he's from France! And today while driving the car in front of us had a bumper sticker that said "Boycott France" with a French flag with a line through it. I thought the days of the "freedom fries" instead of "french fries" were over but I guess not. Has anyone else run into this?

I just saw your post. I think I saw the same bumper sticker on the same van of the same narrow-minded, monolingual American couple coming from a garage sale in my area! Wouldn't that be something if it were the same people! Truly there is a lot of that narrow-minded attitude especially in the mi-West where we are located. (I don't think you see that in larger cities.) I have to tell you that I waited to see who the owner of the vehicle was and I spoke to them in French just to see their reaction. I don't think they were bright enough to figure it out. I have taught French for more than 25 years and I spend a lot of time explaining things that my students have learned or perceived incorrectly about the French something from their own parents and grandparents. For the most part, Nicolas--my husband has not experienced that directly since his arrival. Everyone we know and have met thinks that it is great that he is here and that it is interesting that he is from another country. Anyway...hope things are going well for you both.

Rhonda

Hi there,

I would take your AOS reciept notice.

Do alot of thread search on the issue.

I assume you do not have any overstay or other issues.

Kath

Thanks for the response. We plan on taking all documentation I think because my husband was once denied entry. This has been resolved--they stated that it was an overstay and we went through months clearing that up. I don't have anything official that explains that other than an e-mail from the embassy in Rome to my senator---so we are hestitant about traveling but need to go in October. He does has advance parole documents and I assume that everything is okay, it is just a bit scary the first time we try to reentry using AP.

Have a great day......

We just have a quick question about traveling with AP. My husband is still waiting for his AOS but in the meantime we have received two copies of AP for travel. We will be going back to France in a month and want to make sure that his re-entry goes smoothly. Do we have to alert anyone as we are leaving the country? Or is it simply a question of handing the AP paper to the official at the border when we return?

Also will there be any problem if he uses a round trip ticket generated in the US. Normally, for a foreign traveler the airline officials insist that you have a "return" ticket to the home country. This time he shouldn't need to have that as he is in the process of adjusting status in the US right?

In addition to the two copies of AP and passport, of course, is it necessary to take copies of other paperwork with us--like marriage certificate, NOA for AOS, etc? I know, this sound paranoid but I don't want any problems when we come back.

Thanks for your help as always!

i have added you .... when did t hey receive your package ... any idea?

thanks for adding us to the July filers. They received the package July 1, 2007 and NOA was July 16 as you have already included.

thanks

rhonda

P.S. Can you or someone else explain how to put your picture, flag and timeline on your replies.

Finally we received our NOA today. We filed 6/29/07 and our NOA is dated 7/16/07.....can someone who knows what they are doing add us to the list of filers for July.

Thanks

Rhonda and Nicolas

P.S.....good luck to us all............

WE SENT OUR PACKAGE ABOUT THE SAME TIME YOU DID WE SENT OURS ON JUNE 25 I BELIEVE AND RECIEVED OUR NOA1 ON THE 11TH OF JULY OUR CHECKS JUST WENT IN TODAY I CHECKED WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK GIVE IT A FEW MORE DAYS I AM SURE YOU WILL HEAR SOMETHIG SOON

KAREN TLEMCANI

Okay, thank you both so much. I know I'm probably stressing for nothing, but it is frustrating. I will wait a bit longer before I panic!

Has anyone experienced the same thing? We mailed our AOS package on June 29 to the correct address in Chicago. We know through the USPS tracking that the package was received on Monday, July 2 but as of today we have nothing! We don't have a NOA for receipt, and our checks haven't been cashed. Now I am starting to get nervous! I stopped at the post office and their records show just as the tracking on-line that the package has been sent. They asked that I wait another week, but then I'm nervous about whether I should resent the entire package and write new checks, etc.

Are there any others in the same situation?

When I look at other June/July filers, it looks like most have already received their NOA's. Is there something I can do? Is there a number to call? Should I resend the package.

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks in advance,

RHONDA

USERNAME---------DATE FILED--RECEIVED----NOA1----BIOMETRICS---TRANSFER----INTERVIEW---APPROVED/STAMP

cunnind-----------05/18/07---05/21/07--06/01/07---06/19/07----

celikkanat--------05/24/07---05/26/07--06/04/07---06/30/07----

Steve-n-Ana-------05/26/07---05/28/07--06/01/07---06/26/07----

wexford65---------05/30/07---06/01/07--06/06/07---

Pugnacious--------05/30/07---06/18/07--06/30/07---

2 Hearts----------05/30/07---05/31/07--06/04/07---

MariaDane---------05/31/07---06/03/07--06/06/07---06/18/07----

Daniellej006------06/01/07---06/18/07--

Mr and Mrs Bird---06/01/07---06/04/07--06/08/07---07/10/07----

Alhamdulillah-----06/02/07---xx/xx/xx--06/04/07---07/10/07----

Heather & Justice-xx/xx/xx---xx/xx/xx--06/04/07---

LisalovestheUSA---xx/xx/xx---06/07/07--06/12/07---06/29/07----

LisaandSpence-----06/06/07---06/08/07--

Leney(hubby-EAD)--06/06/07---06/10/07--06/13/07---07/13/07----06/25/07----xx/xx/xx---- transferred to VSC

TucsonBill--------06/07/07---06/08/07--06-13-07---

NatyLaloPeru------06/07/07---06/10/07--06/15/07---07/14/07----

Roy and Yazi------06/08/07---06/11/07--06/22/07---

Kayz--------------06/08/07---06/11/07--06/15/07---07/13/07----

TnJLetourneau-----06/08/07---06/11/07--06/18/07---07/10/07----

cdngrl------------06/09/07---xx/xx/07--06/19/07---

Neva--------------06/11/07---

latoslatos--------06/13/07---06/14/07--06/21/07---07/13/07----

Leney(hubby-AOS)--06/15/07---06/18/07--06/22/07---

Leney(step son)---06/15/07---06/18/07--06/22/07---

deedot------------06/xx/07---

Chuck & Zhangbei--06/15/07---06/18/07--

Lady N------------06/16/07---06/18/07--

esperandole-------06/17/07---06/22/07--

carruthers06------06/19/07---06/21/07--

Angila------------06/20/07---06/21/07--

lina--------------06/21/07---06/22/07--

ELW---------------06/21/07---06/22/07--

bostonparis-------06/25/07---06/26/07--

gogal2020---------xx/xx/07---

Update...

Biometrics sched of NatyLaloPeru and received date of bostonparis...

Goodluck to us all...

Hey, add us to the list of June filers. Rhonda and Nicolas mailed off their AOS/EAD & AP documents yesterday, June 28, 2007! I told the postal worker that I felt I was sending our "baby" off. What a lot of papers that we mailed off again.

Good Luck to all of us!

Yep, look at my signature.

Shows the new fees as of the end of July.

Thanks to you both for the speedy responses.........

rhonda

We are ready to start the AOS after a k-1 visa. I've read copious information and I'm still having problem figuring out exactly how much I must send in fees for each of the forms. We are following the step by step instructions from this forum and doing the G325a ($0), I-864 ($0), I-485 ($325), I-765 ($180), I-131 ($170). Do I have this right? I send in $675 or did I read somewhere that the AP and the EAD are no charge when submitted at the same time as the I 485? Also is there a fingerprint fee of $70? What if my husband had a biometric finger printing done in Paris and already paid once?

Is there someone who has just recently sent this in and can tell me exactly how much I need to pay? Two separate checks?

We want to beat the deadline before the fees change.

Thanks so much

Rhonda

FYI folks -

My wife was "temporarily denied" her visa at the interview in Paris, because when submitting the I-864 I had included a stack of paystubs and 2004 and 2005 tax returns. They wanted a letter from the employer, despite it not being a required document. I submited ORIGINAL paystubs - much harder to fake than a letter from an employer... And to top it all off, my father (who quite frankly is wealthy) had made a I-134 for her as well as a back-up, which they wouldn't even consider!

This "merde" ticks me off. They aren't specific, they say submit "supporting evidence", so I do. I make WELL over the 125%, and we do have not children, have been married almost three years, were married in France, lived there almost 2 years....

They did allow me to overnight them the documents and then approve the visa, but still, if they want something specific, they should say.

All this just pisses me off even more that our war-mongering president also thinks it is a good idea to make all the people here illegally legal in one fell swoop after all the BS those of us who are law-abiding go through to get this stuff done.

Anyhow... hopefully she'll have her passport soon.

Just because I'm curious, did you wife go through the embassy in Paris? Did she happen to have Gonzales as the person that she dealt with? We had a very interesting experience there...

She will have her passport soon. It took only 2-3 days by chronopost to reach my "fiance". He is here now in the US for two weeks and we were just married on Saturday.

Good luck to you on your continued journey.....

Rhonda

Nope, he doesn't need a SSN to apply for AOS, so no need to wait until he receives it before you file. Just put 'none' in the relevant places on the forms.

Thanks for the speedy response. By the looks of your timeline, you certainly must have sent your own AOS in without the SS number and you already have your biometrics appt. in a few days. Good luck to you on your continued journey.

Rhonda

I have a quick question that I'm sure had already been answered, but I can't seem to find a reference to it. Must your spouse have the social security number before all the paperwork for the AOS is sent? I think we will have everything we need except this number by the end of June. I know that the fees are going up at the end of July. Must we have the number before we mail everything in, or can we mail in the paperwork without the number to avoid the fee change and just fill in the SS line with a phrase like "number applied for"? We do have a paper that states that the number has been applied for. The woman at the social security office said that his number may take from 1-2 months to arrive. If that is the case we wouldn't have it probably in time to beat the fee change.

Thanks for your help.

Rhonda

Yes it was.

That's the same question I wanted to ask. Once you get Advanced Parole completed, is it for multiple re-entries. My fiance's mother is also aging and he may need to travel back to France to take care of her, etc. Also, I want to accompany a group of students on an exchange trip in March of 2008 and I would like him to be able to travel with us. So when you apply, you do not have to state specific dates for traveling, just a letter stating the possible reason for needing the document? Once received is is a paper document, something attached to visa? How does it work, what does it look like?

Thanks

OK, I go back and forth between thinking this can be done and then falling into despair that Nothing is going to change.

husband (EWI) just spoke with a lawyer who told him that our case was basically impossible (i.e. would not be pardoned with the 601). She (the lawyer) asked the following questions:

How long have we been married? (dec 2004)

Have I always worked?

Has my husband worked?

My husband explained what we believe fall under Hardship categories:

I am responsible for elderly parent with memory loss, who would be seriously affected if I were to leave the country

My back surgery in 2006, and still in recovery

Diagnosis of depression

Close family relationship with my daughter from previous marriage

Basically, she said that these are not strong enough to qualify for Extreme Hardship, and she suggested that we should WAIT for the REFORM!! I AM TIRED OF WAITING.

We were told to wait in 2005; I have just recently requested the NVC to reopen our case since I did not submit the Affidavit of Support within the year; and NOW THIS? (NOTE: We received approval on the I130 in late Oct/Nov 2005)

IF I apply for the Visa, am I sending my husband away for 10 YEARS?!!?

People wonder WHY I AM SO DEPRESSED!!

The best thing that I have read/used regarding the subject is the following link. I think you have said that you have read it, but here it is again.

http://www.visacentral.net/I601Memo.pdf

This memo really spells things out for you in simple terms to let you know whether or not your "hardships" are convincing enough to help. I prepared the document myself and was extremely careful to get letters notarized and original documents that I felt showed each hardship. I chose not to use a lawyer as I had spent thousands already trying to do the k-1 filing. In our case, it was determined that we never needed the 601, nevertheless--this link is so very well written that I think you should read it. Do not despair.......there is always hope.

Also if you need help, I hear people recommend Laurel Scott. I do not have first hand knowledge of her, but some people posting have used her or have consulted with her by phone.

These of course are only suggestions.

I wish you luck.

Truthfully I don't know which is easier for you. Even though the process is more complicated to marry in France as I described in my earlier post...it isn't too difficult to meet the requirements. (in the US in my state it is so simple....3 day waiting period and photo ID is all we need) And for you a young couple if you haven't been married before like we were, you don't have to worry about all the translations of divorce decree, etc. The decision has to be yours and you should look at that link that I gave you because it does spell out pros and cons of k-1 fiance visa vs k-3 spouse visa. For example in looking at the site, if you were to marry in France and come back here to begin the process to bring him here as your spouse, one immediate plus is that he would have his work visa. (at least that's what I think I understand from the link) Whereas waiting to bring him in as your fiance, marry him here, then you have to file an adjustment of status to change him from fiance to spouse. It is at that time you apply for the work visa. I see another plus to a k-3 visa is that it isn't necessary to apply for Advanced Parole for you spouse to leave the country for visiting, etc. In our case we will have to apply for advanced parole for my fiance to be able to go back to France--his aging mother is there and his 2 sons from his first marriage. OF course we want him to be able to visit them as he chooses and when it is necessary. (also I want to be able to go back to France with him--I am a French teacher after all and love the country)

You spoke about having a big wedding....you know one option is to have the legal ceremony in one country and begin the filing of paperwork and once that is done, have a large gathering (religious one or merely a big reception) to celebrate the approval of which ever visa you obtain.

Anyway, ask questions--try to get the opinions of others. There are so many people on this site that have wonderful information to share. I just found the site two weeks ago--I wish I knew about it as we were beginning this journey. Also use all the links to research information yourself. There is a wealth of knowledge here. I wrongly got involved with an immigration lawyer thinking that was the best thing to do--and I wasted thousands of dollars. If I had known about this site, I would have done it all myself.

Again best of luck...

rhonda

Welcome and congratulations! I wish you the best. This site is wonderful and there will be many people to help you along the way. You're smart to start looking at your options first. I would first look at the link on this site that explains the differences between a K-1 and a K-3 visa. Maybe after looking at your options, you could marry before you return to the US and start the K-3 spouse visa for your SO. There are pros and cons listed. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=compare

My French fiance has just received his k-1 visa and is arriving in the US on Monday after our separation of 15 months. I know that isn't typical given the timelines for others, but it is hell to be apart! We did put in paperwork to marry in France this summer, but that will no longer be needed because we'll do that here when he arrives. If you do decided to marry, this is what I had to do for that:

First of all to be married in France you need to go to "city hall" the mairie of the town where at least on of you resides. There you must set your date so the marriage 'bands' can be posted.

Once that is determined they will give you a little marriage booklet. In the booklet it spells out exactly what you need to marry their. The paperwork must be at the city hall ONE MONTH before the determined date.

The paper work we needed:

My birthcertificate with translation to French

His birth certificate (current and valid within 3 months--he is French and BC is only valid for 3 month period)

Copy of our divorce decrees (we were both divorced before)

My decree had to be translated to French

Copy of something to prove current permanent address for both

Copy for both--of prenuptial medical visit that was done in France (cost 20 euros)

Certificate that I was not married (my divorce decree was not enough to prove that I had not been married in the meantime)

for this document I talked to my state clerk of courts who did a search for marriages since the date of my divorce. This of course showed that I did not have any marriage and the form was sent to me within one week and for a cost of $25. This document was then translated to French.

For all documents that were translated to French, we had our translator notarize everything. We provided a statement that said she was competent to translate (she is a teacher of French like me)

We attached her teaching license and every single page was stamped by the notary. The French love their STAMPS!!

I hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.

Rhonda

I know the waiting seems forever. My fiance was ripped from my arms in March of 2006 when an immigration official at the airport determined he was a risk to immigrant illegally. He was sent back on the same plane that we had just flown on, on our our return trip from France. We were treated like criminals when in fact that wasn't the case.

Each day we watched the website for updates on our k-1 and each day was like a limbo of waiting. Our approval came in November of 2006 and his interview was for February. I was starting to make plans for his homecoming when the rug was pulled from us again. This time someone wrongly accused him of being "unlawfully present" in the US and we started the waiver process. During that time I felt half alive...waking, eating, working, sleeping. I lived for our time by phone or with the web cam. The time zone differences were so frustrating. I could talk to him before he went to sleep, but it was heart wrenching because I knew again that we would each be going to bed alone. I miss him so much. All of the little simple daily things that one can do together...morning coffee, walking hand in hand. I'm almost 50 years old and I have never felt so young in all my life as I do when I am with this wonderful man. Now we are 15 months later and I'm still waiting for him!

But the good news he is coming on Monday. His visa is approved--his ticket purchased. All this came very quickly in the last 2 weeks. I have to tell you once this occurs even if your SO isn't here yet, you'll have a totally different point of view. I can't stop smiling. It is like these terrible 15 months are almost forgotten. I know we still have lots of steps to do, more hoops to jump through, to get him to be here permanently....but it is all worth it. The only thing that this separation has done, is that it has strengthened our bond. And if there were ever any doubts about the depths of one's feelings for the other, this time erases those doubts.

Keep the chin up....it will come and it will be worth the effort.

When I had to provide certified copies from English to French or French to English, my fiance and I used the services of my colleague, a French teacher like myself and an American speaker of English. She then accompanied me to a notary. I had prepared a letter much like kitkat has given you in an earlier post. The notary witnessed the signature of my colleague. As for the French government, they love stamps....so I asked the notary to stamp each of the pages of the translations. My colleague then gave me a copy of her current teaching license that shows she is competent to translate.

The police certificate as long as there are no arrests is an extremely easy paper to translate.....I wouldn't pay a big price to a translator for that! Do you have a school near you? Contact a high school....ask the language teacher---

there's my suggestion for what it is worth

GREAT NEWS>>>>>my honey is coming Monday! You're right not even oceans and time zone can keep us apart.

I'd go to your congressperson first. Lawyers are expensive and don't always help.

I have to say that I had really good luck contacting the senators in my state. Their assistants were extremely helpful in contacting the Rome office on my behalf. They were vigilant....and contacted several times. I simply explained my situation and they first looked into our file. Once they were certain that what I was representing to them was accurate, they were great. I was told my the consul in Paris, it was one of the best ways to help "push" a waiver through the normal channels. We had good results and in fact found out that our waivers were never necessary in the first place, but I still think that it was with their help that we had such a speedy reply.

Good luck to you..........

Great News

Wow! How lucky are you! You're timeline shows that things moved very quickly for you! CONGRATULATIONS! Coincidentally, my fiance has his flight on the 4th as well.....we've been separated since March of 2006! I want to wish you the best of luck.

Rhonda

My fiance just came in through JFK on May 2, and he had no problems at all. They didn't ask him one question, just a look through the envelope, and a "Welcome to America, good luck"

That's it - easy as pie.

Good luck, and congratuations on this next step of your journey!

Thanks for the encouraging words.......