phewall

Sister is 27 y.o. and unmarried. Thanks for the help.

"Trying to bring adult unmarried sister to US as well. (From Russia) Trying to find the quickest way to get her a green card."

Wife is recently naturalized US citizen. (Thanks Visa Journey for all your help since 2006 to help with that process.)

Trying to bring adult unmarried sister to US as well. (From Russia) Trying to find the quickest way to get her a green card.

Background:

1. Sister has visited us on a tourist visa multiple times. Last time for six months. Always on time, no overstay, no issues.

2. Father's green card petition recently approved. Waiting for interview and visa issuance in Moscow embassy on 23 Aug.

Questions.

1. Is it faster to submit i-130 for sister from U.S. citizen (Option 1) or as adult unmarried daughter from Permanent Resident (Option 2)?

2. Is it possible for sister to be here on tourist visit and then be able to stay in U.S. while adjusting status? Option 1? Option 2? (I think this is called concurrent filing)

3. If sister is out of US when petition is filed, can she come to visit on tourist visa during the waiting period (which could be years)?

Thanks for your help. I tried to find these answers... hope I'm not asking dumb question(s)

Hello,

Background: My wife is now U.S. citizen and is applying for her father to get a green card. Need to send "Civil Documents" to NVC.

Sorry if these have been asked and answered... Questions:

1. If I understand correctly. We must send ORIGINAL documents plus photocopies to NVC. Correct?

2. As long as documents are either in English or Russian there is no requirement for translation. Correct?

3. Father is retired from Russian/Soviet military many years now. He is 72 yrs old. Are his military records still required?

4. NVC will take originals, evaluate package, then forward to US Embassy Moscow and return originals to father during interview. Correct?

5. Saw on US Embassy Moscow website (in Russian language) that military records and police records required English translation... Kind of contradicts #2 above... Help??

Thank you for your help.

James and Svetlana

My wife is from Russia and we were married in 2008. She is now a U.S. citizen. She has filed an I-130 for her father which we expect will be approved in about 2 months. He currently holds a tourist visa which will expire end of January 2013.

The question is: Is it faster for her father to come to visit us for 6 months and adjust his status while he is here in the U.S. or can he do this equally fast/easy while remaining in Russia?

Thank you for your help!!!

James

Thank you All for your great posts and kind and positive comments. I really love my wife and I'm working incredibly hard to try and make her as comfortable and productive as possible. We began corresponding when I was in Iraq in 2005 and we have been through the death of both our Moms, the visa process, war and everything else to be together. I'm fighting as hard as I can to make our marriage a happy, success story.

Thanks again, and keep the ideas and positive ideas coming. I really appreciate it.

James

So the bottom line is that I'm looking for anyone out there who has had POSITIVE experiences getting adjusted and beginning their careers in the USA after coming from Russia. I know that if she can see some positive examples of ladies who have transistioned successfully that will really help her outlook and hopefully she can get some constructive advice on what steps she can take to attain the success here in this country that she seeks.

My wife was very successful in Russia. She had her own travel agency, worked when and how she wanted, traveled all the time, and had just bought a newly constructed high rise apartment. She too was worried about what she would do once she got here.

She arrived in the middle of July. Fortunately, I was on top of the paperwork and process issues, and the day after she arrived (which was a Sunday), we went to the social security office and applied for her SSN and to the DMV to get a state ID card. Within 2 weeks she had the SSN, and had started working as a volunteer at the local library. This allowed her to get some local business environment and language comfort, and also kept her from getting bored (she volunteered there for about 20 hours per week). It also gave her a local reference to use for her job hunt when the EAD came along. Within a month after arriving, she had her driver's license. Two weeks after that, we got married.

EAD showed up about 4 months after she arrived. By that time, she had already received a couple of job offers (travel agencies and post office). Within a week of having the EAD in hand, she accepted an offer at the local university as an admin assistant. Job was nothing special, pay was nothing special (mid 30s), but benefits were pretty good. It was also a very welcoming, supportive environment - an excellent choice for her overall. She worked there for about two and a half years. During that time, she used the 50% off tuition benefit to earn a master's degree. I also used this benefit to earn a master's degree and used a 100% off tuition benefit to take two semesters of Russian. Within two months of graduating, she has secured a professional job at a major local company, with a substantial salary and even better benefits than she had at the university.

Recap: After 3 years of being in the U.S., she acquired 2.5 years of work experience, earned a master's degree, and acquired professional employment with substantial compensation. However, she was also very motivated and worked very hard. Although she was constantly worried about being able to complete the master's program and find a real job, it really wasn't any trouble for her at all. If your lady is also substantially motivated, I really don't think she should have any problems.

Hope this helps!

akd

AKD,

Thanks for that great post, I appreciate it. I'm curious though. How did your wife get the Master's Degree? Did her degree from Russia transfer directly over so she could jump right into a Masters program? My wife holds degrees from Moscow University in both Business Management and Medical Science. I've always had the impression that her degrees from Russia were not transferable. Your post makes me think I'm mistaken, which would be a good thing! Any info you have would be great. Thanks again.

James

Hello All,

We've completed the first part of the "Visa Journey" and my lovely Svetlana is here in the USA with me. Now it seems comes the hard part. She has been here since 1 July and we've gotten married, had a beautiful wedding in Lake Tahoe and are settling in together.

The hard part has come as my bride is feeling down about not having work and worried about her "level" going down as a result. She is 35 and worked very successfully in Moscow as a type of business consultant for taxes and labor laws etc. She has a very nice degree from Moscow University and now feel like it was "wasted" since it may not translate directly over here. Unfortunately as luck would have it, the first two ladies she has encountered (1 from Odessa and 1 from St Petersburg) have relayed mostly negative stories about how they were successful in Russia/Ukraine, but that now they are like "guest workers" in the USA with little prospects for success. Of course this has only brought Svetlana's mood down only more. (Needless to say these very nice ladies have other issues in their relationships which are the true source of their unhappiness).

I'm working now to get some of the basics taken care of like immigration paperwork for AOS, driving lessons, English courses, although she speaks pretty well, etc. I work as an officer in the USMC and we have plenty of money. We live in a nice apartment with palm trees and a swimming pool in Oceanside, CA yet she still feels like she's gone backwards in life because of this job issue.

So the bottom line is that I'm looking for anyone out there who has had POSITIVE experiences getting adjusted and beginning their careers in the USA after coming from Russia. I know that if she can see some positive examples of ladies who have transistioned successfully that will really help her outlook and hopefully she can get some constructive advice on what steps she can take to attain the success here in this country that she seeks.

Please feel free to email me at phewall@mac.com and let me hear from you. I can certainly give you more information than I can in this short space.

Thank you all and God Bless you!

James

Hello,

I never got my NOA2 copy in the mail. All went fine, my fiancee is here, we are married and now working on the AOS. It states that I need a copy of the NOA2 letter. Where can I get a copy of it? Who do I talk to? Where can I order this? I won't go into the whole discussion of the fact that if she got her visa and is in the country she OBVIOUSLY got NOA2 approved... so why do you need a copy of NOA2 Approval?????? and I won't mention the $930 for the application fee.... (I HATE USCIS)....

Anyway, thanks for the help. I hope this is not some ridiculous process. But I'm not holding my breath.

James

It is $930 plus $80 biometrics fee... You will really hate the USCIS as a copy of the NOA2 would be another$340... Some people have been successful using the online message from the CRIS system...

You have GOT to be kidding me.... I never got the letter to begin with. Do they send it registered mail? There is no way in hell I will pay them one penny for a copy of that letter let alone, $340! I'll try to use the online approval notification I guess. Is there a number where I can at least speak to some sub-human from USCIS about this?

Big Thanks,

James

Hello,

I never got my NOA2 copy in the mail. All went fine, my fiancee is here, we are married and now working on the AOS. It states that I need a copy of the NOA2 letter. Where can I get a copy of it? Who do I talk to? Where can I order this? I won't go into the whole discussion of the fact that if she got her visa and is in the country she OBVIOUSLY got NOA2 approved... so why do you need a copy of NOA2 Approval?????? and I won't mention the $930 for the application fee.... (I HATE USCIS)....

Anyway, thanks for the help. I hope this is not some ridiculous process. But I'm not holding my breath.

James

Call NVC at 603-334-0700. Give them your USCIS case number, and they'll be able to tell you if and when they received it. Make sure you get your NVC receipt number from them if they have it, which they almost certainly do. Very early in the morning or late at night are the best times to call.

More info at http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3177.html .

Thanks very much. Will do. Like I said, hopefully the approval notice taking 24 days is really not that big of a deal. It just irks me how the USCIS thinks that sending out a simple approval letter within 30 days is "on time."

James

First the Good News. NOA2 Approval on 5 Feb 08 for an application received by USCIS on 16 Aug 07.

Now the Bad News. Have not received any approval notice in the mail. What gives? I called the USCIS information line and was told that unless I had not received my approval notice after 30 DAYS to continue to wait. Currently its been 24 days... It takes a MONTH to send out an approval letter? I think people living in Darfur get better service from their immigration agency.... USCIS is truly a disgrace.

Anyway, I have to hope that my application is already at the NVC and getting ready to be sent to Moscow. Or am I being delusional? Hopefully the approval notice, is just a "lagging indicator" and all is well. Anybody got any words of comfort for me?

Thanks,

James

I never said your ideas were like science fiction, just unrealistic given that it IS USCIS that we are talking about! Don't get me wrong, I'd like things to be different/better, particularly since I did just file my I-129f and better systems would benefit me! In aswer to your points:

1. I have no idea, but I expect that its because they accept paper applications, not electronic ones and don't want the hassle of wrong credit card #s and rejected credit cards payments. Using merchant services costs big bucks, and frankly as a self-funded arm of the government, they likely can't afford it!

2. Yes, I have. So you're suggesting a ticket be printed and enclosed in the packet? Interesting, but again the merchant services processing fees, I suspect, are the biggestdeterrent for this option.

3. Another saying from my Dad, "There's the way we want things to be, and then there's the way that it is." Evolution in USCIS is extremely slow and we won't see it in out K1 processing, or even AOS. Maybe for the 10 yr greencard....but I can guarantee you I'm not holding my breath. I accept it as I have no other choice but to do so.

I checked a source online and Visa/Mastercard processing fees range from 1-5% of each transaction. I would think the US government could negotiate a "preferred" rate of 1-2% and simply roll that into the most recent astronomical fee increase. FedEx, UPS and even the US Postal Service barcode and scan millions and millions of transactions every day... c'mon.... It's just not that hard if they were truly interested in serving the customers. At FourHundredandFiftyFive dollars per application, I cannot believe they can't factor in electronic payment and a bar code system to track people's application packets. Those two items should be at a MINIMUM.

I mean, who knows, maybe somewhere they have some master plan to join the 21st Century.... I'm not holding my breath either... and I will have to "acccept" my $285 kick in the nads for my failure to enclose the check, but with these fee increases, they have NO excuse to fail to modernize their broken, crappy system.

James

Jaseball,

Right on my brother! Power to the people. And you are right, to imagine what the "California DisService Center" looks like is too much to bear....

I'm not asking for individualized, personalized service from USCIS. God forbid. I'm only asking for these folks to put together a system that reflects today's technology and can handle the small minority of cases like mine which have an easily fixable "problem" with some degree of common sense and responsiveness and not make me start from scratch when its not necessary.

James

Something my Dad always said to me as a child comes to mind! "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, oh what a Christmas we'd have!"

And what you are proposing are some pretty big ifs!

Yes, of course based on what we now know as the USCIS, my ideas are like Santa Claus. But nothing I mentioned is science fiction.

1. Why on God's green Earth, can't USCIS accpet electronic payment?

2. Have you ever bought concert tickets or movie tickets online? Bar code prints out like a charm and you go right to the show, the ticket taker scans it and away you go.

3. We are so accustomed to crappy, slow and de-humanizing bureaucratic treatment, but it needn't be so.

James

USCIS is not known for it's understanding and tolerance but in this case they do have every right to send the application back. As much as we hate it, they are providing a service and in most places you don't get things done without being paid.

For example, say they process your file and then request the fee; how can they then guarantee you WILL pay them? Even the initial processing would have been a waste of manpower; they could have been processing someone who DID enclose the cheque instead. They could also do the initial processing and then stop if they didn't receive a payment but, again, they will have still wasted manpower up until that point.

Yes, it's a pain that you've forgotten the cheque and even more of a pain that you'll more than likely have to pay the higher fee; but at the end of the day it is up to US to make sure we have submitted everything properly; they are not at fault here, whichever way you look at it.

Just to clarify. I am not asking them to process the fee without payment. They are going to "waste" manpower in rejecting and sending this application back anyway. What I am saying is that if they were customer oriented they should be able to handle a case like this without sending the application back. It's not that hard people....

If USCIS had any imagination, innovation or flexibility, they would have a bar code that you could print from the internet that you would put on your application with all the basic information available. The person who opens your application would scan the bar code and have all your contact data etc. In this case, upon seeing that the check is missing, this person could, with the click of a mouse, notify you by email that your application cannot be further processed until payment is made and to send payment to XXX address with said reference # YYY (Or better still make an onlie Visa Payment) so when payment arrived the envelope could be routed to the proper person and the application would be back on track. This is not Buck Rodgers!! This is not Star Wars!!! This is the 21st Century.

Just because they say on the form that "Your application will be sent back if you don't do EXACTLY what we say and how we say to do it." Does not mean that their systems or their processes don't SUCK.

None of this is going to change the fate of my application, and you are correct, it is not their "fault" that I forgot the check, but it IS their fault that their managment, systems and processes are antiquated, user-unfriendly, and grossly inefficient.

I love a good discussion! Cheers to you all!

James

Thanks,

After reading the posts, I think I may go with option #2 and just deal with it.... The $285 penalty sucks, but I am more worried about the time involved.

If I thought the USCIS was a well run and competent institution, I would not even mind the fee increase. But I HIGHLY doubt that the almost 300% increase in fees will result in a 300% decrease in the wait time or the hassles. The US Immigration system from top to bottom is a national DISGRACE.

And some people actually want to turn over the health care for themselves and their families to the same people who are brining us the USCIS? Madness.

James

PS Yeah I sound like I'm all mad, but I'm actually quite calm. I've been corresponding with my fiancee for almost 2 years now and this "dumb" mistake won't stop me... but my backside does hurt from kicking myself so much!

James

With all respect...you just started the process, why call them "bastards" already?

aaand...

is it too much to ask for you to add the check to your application in the first place? I think the mistake is clearly on your side, why should they take action in your behalf?

I know they make it difficult at times, but if you forget to add your check, sorry, It think there is no reason to get mad at them for not calling you for a reminder.

I hope though that somehow you will get around to pay the higher fees, but I honestly doubt it. From what I have read so far when people have forgotten the check, the application got rejected and they had to resend it. I don't think they have much sympathy for that, not normally and not regarding the fee increase you might face.

Good luck on your journey!!

Thanks for the post. Yes I did use the term "bastards." My intent was using it in the "generic" sense as in "Don't let the bastards get you down." Yes, the mistake is "clearly on my side." That is not the issue. The issue is how this type of simple mistake is handled by the USCIS.

Begin Rant.

1. If the USCIS had even the slightest shred of customer service orientation, this scenario would be handled as follows... The person opening my package would see that I forgot to add the check. They would send me a form email to the address I displayed prominently on the cover of my application, notifying me of the discrepancy and asking for payment by a date certain perhaps 7 days, which if not received, the package would be rejected and returned to me.(total time for this arduous task approx, 15 seconds).

2. If they were conducting themselves in a customer oriented manner as suggested above and I failed to respond promptly, by all means I would have no room to be angry with them or their process.

3. So the fact that I am going to suffer a $285 penalty for a simple mistake that could be EASILY rectified does make me angry. I don't think I'm asking for the moon to have a process to send a payment for an already received application.

4. I am certainly kicking myself after taking so much time and effort to put this application together and making a dumb mistake such as I have described. But there is NO good reason why they could not afford me an opportunity to send the missing payment in good faith. NONE whatsoever. That makes them "bastards."

End Rant.

So with all that said, I am most likey going to have to "take my medicine" and pay the higher fee, but I don't have to like it.

Good Luck on Your Journey As Well,

James

Thanks again for the advice,

I did call the Customer Service # and spoke to a very nice lady actually. She gave me the following options.

1. Send in my check to CSC, with a note explaining what happened and the tracking # from the certified mail receipt and the date it was delivered, 25 July 2007 (The applications are initially stored in bins according to the date received, so this would make it possible for someone to find it and marry it up with the fee that I send in.) and "hope for the best."

2. Wait for the CSC to reject the package and they would send the back the application and I would then re-send with the new fee.

3. Send in a "new" application (one of my TWO back-ups I made) and the new fee, AND send a letter WITHDRAWING my previous application. The possible advantage of this strategy was that rather than wait for possible 45 days to get rejected and sent the old application, this might accelerate the process.

Any advice or comments on which option is the best? At this point, time is more valuable to me than the money involved, although I would rather lose neither if possible.

Thanks,

James

Thanks for the quick responses... Does someone have the phone number I can call???

I hope these bastards don't reject the doggone application. Is it too much to ask for someone to send and email or even call me and say, hey you forgot the check, send to address etc etc...???

There has got to be a a better way...

James

Hello All,

I sent out my I-129F application to the CA Service Center on Monday 23 July, 2007. I realized on Saturday that I forgot to enclose the damn check for the application fee of $170.00. Anybody know how I can take care of this? Do I just send another seperate envelope with my name and information etc to the CA Service Center etc? Or is there a number I need to call before sending to get a reference number or something? Laguna Niguel is very close to me. I could drive there in like 30 minutes. Can I just drop by this place and give them the check? Help!

Also, I am hoping that someone will tell me that I don't have the nightmare scenario that I will have to pay the new Fees eventhough I sent my application well before the deadline. Thanks for all your help!

James Whitlatch

Hey Guys,

Was having some dinner... I can handle the truth... Take it easy on me.... Not to worry..

I have not sent in the application yet so no Fraud has been committed. Thanks for the replies...

1. I concur on the Mom's death issue... My Fiancee is somehow convinced that the Embassy is going to check this and cause a problem... Seems like either way the possibility of them checking is very small, but I agree the truth is always the better option.

2. On the signature issue... It seems like a signed scanned copy should be sufficient... But there I go using common sense. I was hoping it might be an easy shortcut and save some time, money and effort.

Thanks for the info.

James & Svetlana

Hello,

Just completed my initial application, but am having a problem with a possible Catch-22.

Question 1. My fiancee's Mom died in January of 2006, but in the interim her father has not filed the necessary papers to register the death with the government. So although she has been dead for 18 months, a check of Russian records might do not show it. (She verified this with a friend of hers from the Moscow Police) So the question is what do I put on the G325a? The truth is that my Fiancee's mom is dead. However, if I put deceased and they check the official record it will look wrong. Her Dad is living far away in southern Russia and probably wont even get to these papers until late October. A. Do they check this information? B. If they do and found a discrepancy, what are the conequences? C. Can she just explain this at the interview? Any help with this? I'm gonna try and call the Embassy to see if they can help with this question.

Question 2. I signed the G325a for my fiancee out of convenience. Did my best to replicate her signature. Is this a major deal? From reading posts here I know the mantra of always being truthful, but am I courting serious heartache if I do it this way? Also, is it possible for me to send her the completed form, have her print it and sign and scan it and send it back to me via email? Or does the G325a have to have her ACTUAL signature?

I'll tell you after reading posts on this board, I think I am so paranoid that some pinhead is going to derail my life and our happiness because of some bureaucratic BS. And why do people in CA have to put up with wait times over twice as long as Vermont??? Sheesh!

Thank you all for your help!

James & Svetlana