MS&JA

12 hours ago, HDia said:

I'm also waiting for about 126 days now and recently my status also changed from 120 days to 90 days.

Thanks for your reply. We’re at 117 days and found it odd that it changed to 90 out of nowhere. We called but they didn’t let us file anything because on their end it still says the threshold is 120 days.

Hopefully they are printed soon. 

Hi all.

We entered with an immigrant visa fee stamped on our passport (I-551). The status on USCIS initially said the card should arrive in 120 days.

We just checked the status now and it says instead that the card should arrive in 90 days. Never seen that before.

Btw it’s been 112 days.
 

Any idea what this is about?

Thanks!

5 minutes ago, Babu Frik said:

what browser are you using?

 

We tried Firefox, Microsoft Edge, chrome, and safari. 
 

Any ideas? 

On 7/25/2020 at 12:44 PM, Babu Frik said:

I had that happen 2 days ago while logging in to see if anything changed, then the next day they announced their new website.

So maybe they're doing some maintenance over the weekend.

Thanks for the info! We're in the US now.

We're still trying to pay but no luck. 

Thanks for taking the time to write a response. We appreciate it. I tried the link and, upon entering the case info, it still says "Unexpected error occurred". Perhaps the DOS state number isn't in the system yet, as the visa was issued on Thursday.

Have a nice afternoon!

Thank you so much! I thought it was strange because the Embassy handed us a paper that says: "You must pay before you enter the US", which sounds contradictory to what USCIS says. 

Hi guys, we have a flight to the US tomorrow. We've been trying to pay the immigrant fee since Friday but every time we try to input the information it says "Unexpected Error Occurred". We also cannot access "My Account" or create a new one. 

Can we still travel and pay for the immigrant fee AFTER arrival?

Thanks.

21 minutes ago, AarLar said:

I guess that makes sense :). 
 

He has to leave because he doesn’t speak dutch and doesnt hold any degrees which makes finding a job here nearly impossible. He never worked here in the first place, we just live here 🙈. So yeah, currently the visa is tied to the job he lost, but we Just now come to the conclusion we can do asset based as well. 

Hey! Just my two cents. My understanding is that you both live in a European country in which  neither of you are citizens and that you are a USC (non-dual with Europe). If anything is different, my advice might differ. 

We used assets only to qualify (I moved to Europe as well to wait out the process). 
 

if you’re relying on savings (liquid cash), you’ll have to show account(s) balances for 12 months. We made an excel of the accounts balance at the end of each month in the previous year, and calculated the average monthly balance. They wont accept screen shots of the latest account balance. 
 

With respect to real estate, you’ll have to hire a licensed appraiser and deduct (and show proof of) current mortgage balance(s).
 

With that info, they finally approved ours.
 

Remember that the consular officer has discretion at the interview so if you’re relying on assets, bring everything possible. A one-time screen shot of savings, 401ks, IRA balances, or a print out from the county’s property appraiser won’t do it. After all, anyone could make a contribution to those accounts 10 days before you present the info. That’s what they’re trying to avoid. 
 

Also keep in mind that (very soon-Monday) the EU will vote to ban American travelers into the EU after July 1. You said your husband lost the visa tied to his job. Unless you hold dual citizenship, it’s likely you won’t be allowed back in. And he may not be allowed back into that country. For example, I’m Italian-American and we’re afraid that if I leave to visit home (the US), Spain will tell me to eat dirt and they will only let me fly back to Italy. Intra Schengen travel is still at risk. US-EU travel for non EU citizens will likely be impossible after July 1. 
 

Finally,  if an applicant loses residence in the country of interview (and he’s not a citizen there) you’ll have to request a change of embassy and it would delay your process significantly (or lie to the consular officer about your residency being lost- not recommended). That alone is basis for a reasonable expedite. I would try that excuse. 
 

Best of luck! 

46 minutes ago, Alexsea said:

The US embassy in Spain has not updated that text yet. Ours still says all visa services are suspended and will resume as soon as possible, but for now there's no date. 😔 So looks like not all countries are working on this yet, but it's good news for those who are!! 

 

Just curious, are Jamaica and Poland currently under a state of alarm? Maybe this bulletin will be updated as soon as the country comes out of the lockdown period? 

Hi Alexsea!

We called the medical center in Madrid (the only one authorized to do the medical exams) and they told us the Embassy has been scheduling a FEW people in the last week! The doctor said we couldn't schedule the exam without the Embassy appointment confirmation page but that they are starting to go back to normal.

Keeping our fingers crossed.

19 minutes ago, Tin4ik1990 said:

Through an Email. Sent it to the NVC and they forwarded it to the embassy, cause they decide. So each embassy decides differently

 

My appointment is on June 16th.

Thank you very much. Best of luck to you! Please let us know how it goes. 

1 hour ago, Tin4ik1990 said:

Yes, we received an email that said they are willing to expedite and that it's sent to the embassy. 

 

We also received an email from the embassy already with an interview date

Question, did you submit it through the website or in an email? We're trying to send it through the website but when we hit "submit" nothing happens. The page seems to refresh but goes back to our typed message.

Thanks.

JUST GOT DQ'D! 

Initial submission April 21

Submitted PCC May 4

I also can't open the message but the subject reads "all required documents have been accepted and approved" so I'm going to assume all is fine.

3 minutes ago, AarLar said:

i read page 7. We filed joint taxes so.. we had to submit the W-2.. so i guess now i wait. 
 

“if you provide a photocopy of your tax returns, you must include a copy of each and every W-2 and form 1099 that relates to your return. Do not include copies of these forms if you provide an irs transcript of your returns rather than a photocopy UNLESS you filed a joint tax return with your spouse”.  *sigh*

😔 I'm sorry. At least things seem to be moving along. Best of luck to you both. 

1 minute ago, AarLar said:

Wasn’t an w-2 unnecessary if you uploaded irs transcript for 2018? 

Per the instructions, it's not only unnecessary but they specifically request that you DO NOT send W2s. 

I don't know if anyone has "argued" this point with them, but it's worth a shot. Check out page 8 of the instructions.

Just now, AarLar said:

Im calling them back right now. Ill let you know!

Please do 🙏 Best of luck. 

2 minutes ago, AarLar said:

Okay so it was for W-2 for 2018. We submitted everything for 2019 and that wasnt enough. We also submitted all the tax transcripts 2016-2018 .. lets hope this wont cost us another 2 months 😔

I'm so sorry. I'm so afraid of this as well. I also did not provide W-2s because I included transcripts for the last 3 years. The instructions specifically indicate that WE SHOULD NOT SEND THEM. 

I really don't get this.

"If you provide a photocopy of your Federal individual income tax returns, you must include a copy of each and every Form W-2 and Form 1099 that relates to your returns. Do not include copies of these forms if you provide an IRS transcript of your Federal individual income tax returns rather than a photocopy unless you led a joint income tax return with your spouse and are qualifying using only your income."

23 minutes ago, PSB said:

I don't think it's by pd either cause ours is march and I've seen people after get approved.

Thanks!

I have a general question. Any input is appreciated. 

My husband has had an ESTA since before our marriage. He has recently been laid off here and it's slowly becoming impossible for us to maintain two households across two continents. As a result, I wonder:

1. Can he come to the US with his ESTA? As I understand it, the Schengen area travel restrictions DO NOT apply to spouses of US citizens? Meaning, he would not need a 14 day period to enter the US? Is that correct?

2. Is there any possibility of him coming in with an ESTA and waiting with me in the US until the embassy called him for an interview in Spain? We understand he wouldn't be able to drive, work, etc. in the US but that's okay. Our main concern is saving our home in the US from foreclosure, which may happen if we need to keep paying a second apartment in Spain.

Thanks.

12 minutes ago, knmuffin said:

PD is February 19th, 2020. Waiting on Accra embassy! 

Oops sorry I should have seen it in your profile picture 🤦‍♀️

Really, congratulations. I have absolutely no idea what NVC is doing or how they are processing these. Maybe it's by PD? I think they're all speculations at this point. In any case, hope you enjoy your day. Much to be celebrated. 

33 minutes ago, knmuffin said:

DQ's in less than 24 hours?! I am shaking, has this happened to anyone else!? 

Wow! Congratulations.

I didn't even know this was possible. What's your PD? What embassy are you waiting on?

1 minute ago, HillJor said:

Thank you, I am feeling quite stupid. Luckily I haven't officially submitted my taxes to the IRS, but my 1040 form has been sent to NVC so I will try to add an additional document with the updated marriage status. I just am afraid of them denying my husband's visa because of my mistake. 

I highly doubt that. People make mistakes on tax returns all the time and they are far worse than yours. 
 

Best of luck 👍🏼

1 hour ago, HillJor said:

Hi all, I just realized I filed my 2019 taxes as single. Did I totally screw myself over? I thought that I would be considered single in the US because I'm not legally married here. I've been living abroad for the past 3 years and got married in Colombia. My 1040 has already been submitted in the portal. Anyone had a similar experience? Thanks 

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-g-chapter-2
 

Marriage is not a US federal law issue, but a state law issue. For that reason, we do not have a federal marriage record depository. In fact, each US state has its own rules on marriage validity, marriage jurisdiction (for purposes of granting a divorce), and marriage ceremonies. 
 

But you are “legally married”. Your spouse could come to the US with a foreign marriage certificate and claim your estate, for example.
 

Generally speaking, you are married in the eyes of USCIS and the IRS if your marriage was validly performed under the laws of whatever country (or state) you were married in. 
 

You can file an amended return. We don’t throw people in jail for this. Not really a big deal. Don’t fret too much. Your spouse can get an ITIN to file online or you can otherwise submit a paper copy without an SSN. 
 

Just FYI, if your spouse is abroad 100% of the time and doesn’t meet the “substantial presence test” in the US, they probably aren’t subject to US taxes (unless of course they earned money here). You’d be filing married but separately. Don’t worry too much. 
 

Give the IRS a call tomorrow. They’ll give you instructions. 

Hope this helps.

We're still waiting for a DQ and our Embassy (Madrid) is still closed. But- out of curiosity- anyone else waiting for Madrid been scheduled or re-scheduled? 

Thanks.