Sarah08

Oh, and also, do I submit copies of every page of the tax forms, or just the W-2s?

That's actually not too bad a of price, if you can believe it. The first place I called to get my husband an appt at was going to charge $500 and they couldn't even get him in until August!! I almost fell over!! Then we called around and got him in somewhere for $245 and they took him the same day!

So yeah, your appt was pretty pricey, but it could have been worse! Good luck with everything.

In your scenario, you are reporting a different address from your parents.

You will complete and I864, and they will complete an I864 of their own.

If one of your parents earns enough income on their own to support all members of the household including the sponsored immigrant, there is no need for an I864A for the other parent.

Thanks for responding. I am still a little confused though, lol. So for the first part, they would check that they are the only joint sponsor, since they filed taxes together? And I am still the first sponsor? Then would they put that there are 3 members of their household (them & me as a dependent) and I would put on mine that there are 2 members of my household (me and Ede)?

Thanks for your patience! Like I said, I can't wait until I know enough to help other people out!

Question: Do you earn enough income to support both of you, or do you need sponsorship from your parents?

No, I don't make enough on my own. We are both still in college, so I need my parents to help.

Then your parents must agree to sponsor your fiance.

...which they do. I just need to know if they both need to fill out the I-864A, or if they can just fill out 1 since they file taxes jointly. And if I would include them in my household number, since I didn't list their house as my primary residence. They still claim me as a dependant though.

Question: Do you earn enough income to support both of you, or do you need sponsorship from your parents?

No, I don't make enough on my own. We are both still in college, so I need my parents to help.

Hi everyone,

It's getting down to the nitty gritty! I almost have everything ready to mail off, but we are working on the financial forms. Here's the deal. I still live with my parents on the weekends, and listed my address at school as my primary residence, but I am still listed as a dependent for my parents on their taxes, so they can fill out the I-864 A, correct? And I need my mom and my dad to fill out their own seperate forms, even though they file taxes jointly?

On the I-864, would I then list my household size as "4," even though I didn't list my parent's house as my primary residence? (I put it on there as my mailing address).

Thanks a lot! I can't wait until I can be the one who answers people's questions and stops asking so many of them! lol

Hi everyone,

It's getting down to the nitty gritty! I almost have everything ready to mail off, but we are working on the financial forms. Here's the deal. I still live with my parents on the weekends, and listed my address at school as my primary residence, but I am still listed as a dependent for my parents on their taxes, so they can fill out the I-864 A, correct? And I need my mom and my dad to fill out their own seperate forms, even though they file taxes jointly?

On the I-864, would I then list my household size as "4," even though I didn't list my parent's house as my primary residence? (I put it on there as my mailing address).

Thanks a lot! I can't wait until I can be the one who answers people's questions and stops asking so many of them! lol

In part 2 of the 485 form, it wants you to check a box describing your eligibility for why you are applying. My husband came here on an F-1 visa and I am filling out the I-130 for him. The first box on the 485 says something like "an immgrant visa number has been made for me upon approval of an immigrant petition " - I am filling out the petition, but it hasn't been approved yet, and none of the other boxes fit the description. Do I go with "Other" and just put that the I-130 has been filed and is pending approval?

Also, I am sending the I-130 & G-325As seperately, which means they will go to 2 different offices. Does anyone have an either good or bad experience with sending them seperately, or is it better to send everything to Chicago?

Thanks a lot for all of your help.

How / where do you get this from? Do you need to send it in with the 485? Does it take long to get if you don't a police record?

Basically, I don't know anything about it, so any info would be good. Thanks!

Thanks everyone - I'll keep all these things in mind!

Thanks

Thanks I'll check that out. How are you guys doing in your application process? We are still filling out all of these never-ending papers! lol

I would be calling them! That is really weird that that would happen. I don't have much experience with this stuff, but something is really screwy there. I'd call them and ask them what's going on, and make them pay for the postage to send it back!

Where did you get them done at? Will the post office do them if they have the camera there? Can you just use pictures you already have and resize them? Thanks. I ask a lot of questions lol

Woohoo! That's so exciting! It doesn't sound like the interview is too complicated at all! Congrats, and good luck with the baby!

True. I am worried too. We don't have much either. We will have to do and make up something quick for this. Join in some silly things, organizations maybe or something like that. And add my name to bills, like cell phone. I already have my name on car insurance together and bank account, and of course, pictures. But better to have more for sure, I know its not enough.

You would think that they would be understanding though. I mean, we are both in college, dirt poor, we don't have much to claim to, lol. Is there anything we can put our names on together before we are married? Then maybe we won't be in such a rush. I was planning on bringing pictures. We got a few cards when we got engaged, but I don't know if that will matter much to them.

You said your hubby have hard pronouncing surname and he want to change it. He can change his surname to yours, so you will both have one surname. I had a work mate who had funny surname and he took his wifes surname, in my opinion this is ok as well. You can add them together, it might sound good too.

But USCIS really don't care these things. Look how many people from how many traditions are here. I don't think USCIS can be surprised about anything and any kind of couple. They are professionals who deal with this everyday.

Well, I don't think he would want to change his last name to mine - cultural reasons. But thanks for the advice, and I feel a lot better about this now! I'm just worried as well because we don't have both of our names on bills or bank accounts yet, but we will try to do that after our wedding and before our interview!

Your surname don't change your marriage quality. They judge different things more important then choosing names. I am very proud of my surname, and its my silent connection and loyalty to my country and family overseas, whose am not able to meet for now. And come on, its 21 century!

That's a good way to think of it. Thank you!

Why would anyone ask you in interview and why would anyone there would be aware, that you have some personal reasons and ceremony plans year after.

I never changed my surname, its easier. I don't even expect anyone to ask why, its my family surname I like.

We want to make great wedding in my country after some time. After all papermess is done, I will change my surname to my hubbies. Homeland security don't care how much wedding parties you make after AOS. And they don't have to know.

I have heard, and even in USA people follow to one interesting tradition - getting remarried. Some couples love each other so much, that they get remarried every few years, making big party again. Only difference is that papers you sign only once.

I guess I just figured that if we went to the interview as a married couple and both had different last names, they would question whether or not I am really committed to him, or I don't want other people to recognize me as being married to him or something like that. I don't know what is going throught these people's heads lol I have this idea that you walk in there and right away they just assume that everyone got married just for the greencard, and it's up to you to change their mind. I could be wrong though...I hope I am wrong, actually lol Thanks for replying.

hi ya

legally you dont have to change your name to your husbands...make sure all the forms you fill out is in your maiden name...then when you get married again you have to inform USCIS about your name change...

personally i would change my name.. (like i did) only because of all the running around you will have to do to change it in a years time...

they might ask why you preferred your maiden name at the interview but its no big deal surely...

just my two bobs worth..

good luck

kath

thanks for responding. Also, the reason why I'm not going to change it now is because he is planning on changing his eventually because Americans can't seem to pronouce it, so I figured I'd just change mine when he changes his.

My fiance is applying for his AOS, and we are planning on diong a courthouse wedding so we can get our foot in the door before we have to start up again with school in the fall. Our real wedding is scheduled (tentatively) for May 31,2008. I don't want to change my last name after we get married at the courthouse because I really don't want many people to know about it (except family). I'm just afraid that it would take away from the "joy" and everything at the real wedding if everyone knew that we've been married for almost a year. What do you guys think? I'm going on Friday to talk to our minister about it. If we get called for an interview, could that potentially be a problem? Would they believe me if I told them my reason? Thanks.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!i hope mine is coming too..

Congrats! Enjoy your freedom!

So it was up early and heading to the big city....

We arrived in Atlanta at around 9am with our appointment at 10.30am so off we went to the mall just around the corner from the USCIS offices looking for coffee....

Arrived at the USCIS at around 9.45 and through security up to the third floor, handed in our interview notice and took a seat.

Officer: Mrs F...

Me: yes

Officer: any reason why you are late today?

Me: pardon?

Officer: any reason why you are late this morning?

Me: we are not. Our appointment is for 10.30am its only 10am

Officer: No it is 11am where are you coming from?

Me: Alabama

Officer: We are ahead in time here... take a seat, its now my lunchtime but I will see you after.

So off to a shaky start with the officer to start with.

After an hour of me poking the husband in the arm for not realising time difference (something I would never have thought of) we were called into her office.

Swore in and answered all the no questions.

Asked for passport EAD latest taxes and wedding pictures. That was all we were asked for.

Chatted for a bit after I kept apologising about the mixup with the times but apparently this must happen a bit for out of state people so it really wasnt to much of a drama.

She photocopied the taxes and some photos.

My FBI namecheck is complete so thats a good thing but the catch, although I included my vaccination worksheet which shows all necessary vaccinations as complete I have to send in the I-693A. She said approved pending that document so thats a good thing.

All in all, it was like she was just rubber stamping it and just needs to dot the I's and cross the T's.

I was a bit dissappointed as I had a stack of stuff and 2 photo albums and all sorts of letters from family and friends and none of it was needed.

Not saying it isnt a good idea to be prepared, Im glad I did have all of that, just in case... but I feel like I went to alot of effort for nothing.

Oh well... off to phone for a CS and see how much they are going to charge...

Sounds like quite an ordeal! I hope everything goes well for you. I'm nervous about the wedding pictures part because first we are getting married at the courthouse..our church wedding is quite a while away still (we want to get through school first and save up some more money!) Should we take pictures anyway? I hope they don't think that's too suspicious. Finding out about the time difference would have made me sick to my stomach! lol Like, you are nervous enough to begin with, and then you find out that you are late when you thought you were on time! jeez...more power to you if you can handle that I would have cried! lol It sounds like everything else went ok though, so that's good! Congrats!

hey guys, well it seems like if you're an f-1 you're pretty blessed. You don't have to go thru all that k-1 rubbish and petition and all that stuff, as long as you came over to the US to legitimately go to school and not to marry which i did, just happened to find my wife!

Yes, as long as you're f-1 filing the i-130 shouldn't be any problem, just wish it was ONLY that and not the darn i-485 as well, that one sucks!

Lets all keep posted on how we're doing, right now i'm collecting info and all the stuff we need to send these two files off. I've been trying to do this for months little by little i have very little time though as i'm full time school and have to work with my family to pay for sponsoring.

I knew there were others out there!

Thsi is nice to see all these F-1s coming forward! lol Right now we are filling out all the papers...we still have to get married, which we want to get done this summer so we can start this process before we start up with school again in the fall. Our church wedding isn't going to be until next May though. My mom and dad are now supporting the courthouse wedding thing (my mom's a pastor, so she was trying to talk us out of it at first!), but at first they didn't understand why it is important to get moving on this now. I have a really good feeling about this though! My mom keeps asking "what if he doesn't get it?" and i just say "he WILL!" lol .. There is no other option! How is everyone else doing?

Thank you, your help is most welcome. I hope this can help other people also.

Thank God I finally found someone else in the same situation! My fiance is in the US on an F-1 right now, and we are going through the steps to get all these papers filled out as much as we can before we get married. I was just wondering about the I-130 as well. I read on here that not everyone needs to file it, and if you do file it when you aren't supposed to, the whole thing will get shot down. So I'm like "ok, what do I do?!" lol

But anyway, it's nice to know that there is another F-1 going through this too! I hope we can keep in contact! Good luck with everything!

-Sarah

I am changing my status from F-1 too!

Nice! There are a few of us at least! How's it going so far?