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JonSeattle

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  1. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to Suze1 in Chances for Approval? (NEED Opinions)   
    Yes, Buddy, now you are talking.
    Don't want you to get caught getting rejected because USCIS says - "You can study that in your own country, why do you need to come here for that!"
    So, first thing is, do NOT oversell what you are doing.
     
    Secondly,
     
    https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/mba-rankings
    2021 Best Business Schools
    Ranked in 2020
    A career in business starts with finding the MBA program that fits your needs. With the U.S. News rankings of the top business schools, narrow your search by location, tuition, school size and test scores. Read the methodology »
    ....
     
    As said above, our best business schools are MBA-focused. I went to , and taught at, Harvard. I could NOT go to Harvard Business School as an undergraduate. Likewise with Stanford Business School.
    Wharton is different...you can do there at the undergraduate level. I mean within the TOP schools, they are all about graduate school not undergraduate. As a Harvard undergraduate, I took THE ONLY COURSE Harvard Business School would let us take (at the time, anyway). ONE course. One! In Accounting! Arghh
     
    But the key is that if great business education and profile is what you want/seek/need...then you could go to a school in your own country for probably less money and do very well and THEN go to ONE of the BEST business schools here or there for only TWO YEARS for your MBA - which is worth A LOT more than trying to do some questionable "top" undergraduate business school.
     
    As you might be aware, we generally do four years of undergraduate (not three after A-Levels as was/is typical in the UK, again, I did Cambridge School Cert), AND THEN TWO YEARS for graduate business school. THAT can set you up nicely, if business is where you want to make your mark and distinguish yourself.
     
    So, again, do your financial analysis well..
     
    If you want to chat privately, no worries.
     
    Cheers.
  2. Like
    JonSeattle got a reaction from haliman in Chances for Approval? (NEED Opinions)   
    My son is a USC, so he was in-state. The case I was referring to was someone from my alma-mater who had to withdraw for academic reasons, and  later he re-applied and was re-accepted. In-spite of that, and it being a top ranked university, he was not able to get a student visa to resume his studies because he was considered to not have sufficient ties. I don't know if someone from the UK would face that.
  3. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to withlovefromCairo in IR1 Arrived in the US... Now What??   
    Hello All!
     
    I have a few questions! My husband has arrived here in the US on an IR1 visa. 
     
    1. When is he able to work? 
    1a. If he is able to work now, how is that possible when most places of employment require a social security card?
     
    2. How long does it normally take to get his social security card?
     
    3. What is normal delivery time for his green card? I know the paperwork says 120 days.
     
    4. Can he get a driver's license now?
    4a. If so, how do we do that?
     
    I have so many questions! I appreciate your advice! If someone has already asked these things, can you please post a link to the answers and I am happy to read on my own!

    Thanks so much!
     
    Lindsay 
  4. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to JVG in Approved   
    Greetings to all
    We just wanted to thank everyone for all the support we have received throughout our journey. We had our interview today and was approved for a 10 year GC. We are beyond excited.😄
    JVG
  5. Like
    JonSeattle got a reaction from seekingthetruth in Sign Petition to stop Calling Foreigners as Aliens in USA   
    And if that doesn't work, call 911 and ask to speak to the manager.
  6. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to Bjh in Likelihood of Stokes Interview for 1st AOS interview?   
    Just an update for everyone...we were just approved for my wife's green card after our short and easy interview today! We had no separation and no Stokes interview. We actually didn't even need an interpreter. And thankfully, my wife didn't go into labor throughout our entire trip!
  7. Haha
    JonSeattle got a reaction from Nitas_man in Sign Petition to stop Calling Foreigners as Aliens in USA   
    And if that doesn't work, call 911 and ask to speak to the manager.
  8. Haha
    JonSeattle got a reaction from Diane and Chris in Sign Petition to stop Calling Foreigners as Aliens in USA   
    Alien means foreigner. It didn't start meaning creature from another planet until the SciFi movies of the 50s. Why not petition hollywood to stop using the word?
     
  9. Like
    JonSeattle got a reaction from Mike E in Sign Petition to stop Calling Foreigners as Aliens in USA   
    Alien means foreigner. It didn't start meaning creature from another planet until the SciFi movies of the 50s. Why not petition hollywood to stop using the word?
     
  10. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to Nitas_man in Sign Petition to stop Calling Foreigners as Aliens in USA   
    I love the idea that the USCIS staff is focused like lasers processing cases that applicants paid for, not re-writing and changing words in countless volumes of regulations, manuals, and documents.  
     
    They’re self-funded by fees.  I’m not paying a dime for a single moment of activity that doesn’t involve case processing.  
     
    You want this?  Pony up the funds for it yourself.
  11. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to peanutismint in I got a letter specifically about completing form I-693. Is this USCIS's way of telling me I'll need it?   
    Just wanted to update - had my green card interview yesterday, medical/vaccinations wasn't even MENTIONED - got approved 👍
     
    Another warning to anyone in my situation - don't bother paying for another medical/civil surgeon unless you're 100% sure you need to complete the I-693, because i didn't have to. 
  12. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to AD19 in AGE GAP!   
    My wife USC is 19 years older than me. (both female) 
    She is Asian , I am white. 
    I am Muslim, she is not. 
    She is beyond child-bearing age, I am from a culture where having children is seen as a priority in life and where being gay is not right.
    We met online, dated for 6 months then she came to visit, been together for 2 weeks only, got engaged then and applied for k1. Only met once. 

    So that's an answer. 
    Age gap is NOT an issue as long as you have enough proof of genuine relationship. 
  13. Like
    JonSeattle got a reaction from Carpe Vinum in Will I eventually need chat log copies?   
    Last year my fiance got a 221(g) for a couple items (from the Manila embassy), and one was for evidence of an ongoing relationship. We sent a sample page of facebook chat messages for each month since the submission of the I-129F. I got them by using the facebook feature of saving a conversation history to a file and I printed some pages from that.
  14. Like
    JonSeattle got a reaction from Kathryn41 in My Wife (Brazilian immigrant) died from Covid during AOS -- how do I withdraw the application?   
    Sorry to hear of your terrible loss. The lawyers over at avvo.com say just write a letter to withdraw the application and possibly include a copy of the I-797C.
     
    https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/how-to-withdraw-i-485-and-i-130-2325927.html
     
  15. Like
    JonSeattle got a reaction from Chicago Ernest in Prenup before K1 Visa marriage?   
    "Hey <nickname>, I would feel less stressed out if we signed a pre-nup. Is that OK with you?"
     
  16. Like
    JonSeattle got a reaction from laylalex in Prenup before K1 Visa marriage?   
    "Hey <nickname>, I would feel less stressed out if we signed a pre-nup. Is that OK with you?"
     
  17. Haha
    JonSeattle reacted to BigBuford in AOS for spouse living in US - How far out is scheduled interview?   
    Thanks so much.  This really helps.  My wife is starting to get nervous now about the whole interview process even though we've been married for 5 years and have 2 kids lol
  18. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to BeautyfromAshes in K1 after previous marriage and CR1 that ended in Divorce   
    That interviewers remark was definitely absurd. The wait time for him to be able to work is a bit long. I just dont want to marry overseas again. I want to have it here and that's why we are going the k1 route. The issues with my family wouldn't happen again because I have my own place now..my family I was living with have moved out of state since, in recent years 
  19. Like
    JonSeattle got a reaction from BeautyfromAshes in K1 after previous marriage and CR1 that ended in Divorce   
    I filed a I-129F just a few months after my divorce was final. According to my then fiance, the interviewer at the embassy made some remark warning her I might leave her too, which seemed absurd to me given the totally of the circumstances. Overall no real problem. One thing you might consider is doing a CR-1 instead of a K-1 because of the delay in your new spouse being able to work after he arrives. Even if it is not a problem financially for you, that might seem like too much deja vu because of what happened in your first marriage. You didn't say what happened between your first husband and your family, so that leaves me to wonder if another problem could develop between them and your new husband.
  20. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to Villanelle in Consequences of working under the table   
    Im not directing the following comment at either one of you guys- Im just shocked that people have this attitude. I understand where it comes from. Theres a general concept in law that illegal contracts are not enforced by courts (example I pay my drug dealer for 10lbs of cocaine and he only gives me 7. I can not sue him for the 3lbs he owes me. I cant call the cops and file a report about it.) Its that general concept that causes many immigrants to fail to report crimes. They mistakenly believe that since they are illegal/undocumented that means they are committing a crime so they are precluded from using courts or reporting things to the police or appropriate agencies.  Thats not accurate and is why many unscrupulous individuals take advantage of immigrants or target them in crimes...
     
    Employment laws apply to everyone equally. You cant run a sweatshop and have it be OK because the workers are undocumented. You cant exploit people simply because they are undocumented. An undocumented worker has the same rights to safe working conditions and fair pay as a documented worker. Various federal and state laws outline such in more details and while the specifics may vary in different jurisdictions NO WHERE is it allowed to exploit workers for any reason- especially because they are undocumented. So yes, while it is true that someone who works w/o auth and the person who hires them are violating the laws but the concept that "I guess since we are both violating the law no one will help and the employer can treat me in any manner" does not apply
     
    I am not an employment attny nor an immigration attny. If I was I suppose I could quote you more specific terminology then the quoted links from above. A quick (and often free) consult with an attny or even an anon call to the labor board will confirm such and they can probably quote you the applicable statutes that apply where you live. 
     
    All this talk about the immigrant not being able to sue or report this or the logical thing to do is to just let it go is IMO wrong. First the employer can not deport her. If any law suit is filed (and it should be filed by the immigrant) the court will most likely rule the immigrant is entitled to pay regardless of her work authorization status. Penalties can be imposed on the employer who hires someone w/o auth. The penalties for one working w/o auth are mainly related to immigration and taxes and as mentioned as the spouse of a USC working w/o auth is not a bar to adjusting status. It can trickle into other issues- like have you paid taxes on the income you earned? IRS does not care if you earned the money illegally, you still need to pay taxes on it. I believe there is actually a line on the 1040 directing you to list any illicit income. Im not sure if the 1500 owed to the immigrant is the total amount earned or if amounts were paid and that is simply the balance due. The OP may also want to speak to a CPA about such and how to make sure its all reported correctly on their tax returns because again as said USCIS is not going to have issue with the unauth work as a spouse of a USC but will want to see taxes were paid.  Here is another link (also from CA) about how the same legal rights apply to undocumented workers - https://legalaidatwork.org/factsheet/undocumented-workers-employment-rights/
     
    This particular situation is a bit more complicated then someone who takes a job w/o auth cleaning off tables at a diner or packing boxes in a large factory because its a nanny/babysitting job for an individual and as the OP already seems to have researched there are various issues with how that type of employee is to be classified and the tax obligations (for reporting/paying/withholdings) required by the employer in such situations.Here is a general link about nanny taxes - https://www.care.com/homepay/nanny-tax-guide  and also https://www.care.com/homepay/1099-vs-employee-why-the-difference-matters-when-you-hire-a-caregiver-1212110431
     
    . Im not exactly sure what happened when the wife was hired (if work auth was ever asked for) but it seems presently the employer has spoken to their tax preparer and discovered the best thing for them (to avoid issues with improperly hiring someone and failing to follow the proper tax withholding requirements ) is to now attempt to correct it by getting the proper documents in an effort to 'backdate' it and conceal what actually occurred- which is the woman hired a worker and either failed to verify her work auth and/or collect the required documentation of her work auth. That is the employers problem.
     
    Here are some additional links- https://immigrantsrising.org/wp-content/uploads/Immigrants-Rising_Working-for-Yourself-Guide.pdf
     
     
    https://www.legacytaxresolutionservices.com/blog/i-have-an-independent-contractor-who-refuses-to-provide-a-form-w-9-what-do-i-do/164031
     
    https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/complying-with-i9-and-everify-requirements-in-the-united-states.aspx
     
    https://s27147.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/tax-reporting-options.pdf
     
    From the second link 
    What Should You Do If an Independent Contractor is Refusing To Provide Their Social Security Numbers/EIN or Complete the Form W-9?
    We always recommended clients get a W-9 completed and signed prior to any payments.  
    If the payment has been made and the Independent Contractor is refusing to complete the Form W-9, take the following steps:
    Attempt to contact the Independent Contractor by phone and inform them  they are required to provide the ID number or be subject to a $50 penalty for failure to furnish a TIN.  Inform the Independent  Contractor  it is your policy to file the Form 1099 with “refused” listed in the field for the EIN and SSN.
    If no response, mail the partially completed Form W-9 with a return receipt requested.
    If still no response, mail the Independent Contractor the Form 1099-MISC with "refused" for the EIN or SSN tax ID number.
    If still no response, file Forms 1099-MISC with IRS .with "refused" for the EIN or SSN tax ID number.
     
    Providing the job was actually something that should have been classified as an independent contractor there is a 50$ penalty and the employer needs to file the 1099 with refused listed as the EIN/SSN. Obviously the employer does not want to do this as doing so shows they hired someone w/o checking their work auth status or collecting the proper info at the start of employment. But again thats not the OPs problem. 
     
    Personally I would not 'let this go'. The woman is looking for a way to avoid penalties due to mistakes she made in the hiring process and/or paying what is owed. I would encourage the OP to speak to an employment lawyer and/or a CPA about the matter and the best way to resolve it. An immigration attny can also be consulted but I dont believe they would have much to contribute besides confirming whats already been posted that working w/o auth is not a bar to adjustment as the spouse of a USC and the importance of the immigrant filing tax returns for any and all income received regardless of work auth. 
     
  21. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to Mollie09 in Divorce after getting 10 year GC and before naturalization   
    The interviewer asked if I was still married to my petitioner, I said no, he moved on. I had my marriage/divorce/marriage certificate (I've since remarried) and that was the end of that.
  22. Like
    JonSeattle reacted to Juaco in Interpreter for AOS interview   
    I would like to inform everyone here that we had our interview and my wife was approved for a green card. Phone interpreter was my brother (family).  Woohoo
     
  23. Like
    JonSeattle got a reaction from jess.y in question about name change   
    On your timeline it says that you have not filed for AOS yet. If that is correct, then I think the warning about the delay with the green card is not applicable to you. That is because if you get a court ordered name middle change after marriage, but before sending in the AOS paperwork, then your new middle and last names will already be on there.
     
    A court-ordered name change for an adult in King County can be completed in one day. Ours took longer because the judge had questions about the name change for my step-daughter, and we had to reschedule so there would be a court-provided interpreter for my wife.
  24. Thanks
    JonSeattle got a reaction from jess.y in question about name change   
    It's not hard to get a court order to change your middle name, and then you don't have to worry about.
     
    https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/records-licensing/recorders-office/marriage-licensing/faq.aspx
  25. Thanks
    JonSeattle got a reaction from U2k in Adjustment of Status   
    You can't submit the AOS until you have the marriage certificate. But you can start using your married name now, at least anywhere where no proof is needed. You can fill out the AOS using your married name, and send it in with the marriage cert once you get it.
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