patrickboy

Thanks guys! Still a long way to go but we're moving forward!!!

Just received my EAD Card yesterday. It took us 76 days from mailing up to the approval date. For those guys in Visajourney who gave us tips / advice along the way, thank you very much. Next step: results of my AOS filing. Thanks again!!!

Thanks you very much!!!

Is anybody there who knows what are the options for people who married in the US under a tourist visa? I have a friend who came from the Philippines under a tourist visa who married a US citizen and is now in the process of filing an AOS (Adjustment of Status).

Thanks for the info!!!

Is there anybody here who has an idea about visitors (non-US Residents) driving in the US, particularly here in California? I have a valid driver's license (in the Philippines, non-professional) until August 2009 and I've read in the DMV site that as long as you have a valid license from your country, you can drive here in CA. I just arrived here in the US under a K3 Visa last November 22, 2008.

Can I drive here immediately without any trouble from the DMV rules here in CA (I'm planning though to enroll in a driving school here just to familiarize myself with the traffic rules and environment)? Need your help with this.

Thanks,

Patrick

Thanks a lot guys that was really helpful.

Regards,

Patrick

Thank you so much! Just another thing, I think the attachments haven't changed that much. In your experience do you think we need to update all the supporting documents for the I-864? The tax returns are just recent anyways plus the certification from their employers.

I'm just a bit confused. We're about to file our AOS within this week. In our K3 petition, we used the form I-134 for my affidavit of support. I'm planning to send the photocopy of it (I-134) for AOS when I realized that there's another form an (I-864) required. Should we use the I-864 or just photocopy the submitted I-134 for the AOS?

I just came here in the US last November 22, 2008 under the K3 Visa. I've read in the forums that you need to get an EAD first before getting an Social Security number. Knowing EAD takes time (45-90 days), my question is: Is there any way that I can get my Social Security number without the EAD? I would want to learn driving here in California and later on get a driver's license. Thanks for any insights you might provide.

Regards,

Patrick

Thank you very much!!!

I would just wanna be sure with this, how much do we have to indicate in our money order for the AOS/EAD application? I just came here in the US last November 22, 2008 under the K3 Visa and we are planning to apply for AOS/EAD as soon as possible. We don't want to waste time and I want to apply for work whenever I can. Thanks in advance!

This refers to the requirement for K1/K3 Visas in the Philippines. Here, they need some document verification for the visa application. Delbros is the courier company that handles the verification process.They're the ones coordinating with the national statistics office (NSO) as to whether the documents you've submitted to the embassy (birth and marriage certificate) is authentic or not.

Here, when you're petition has been approved and you're already eligible for interview, you need to pay a fee payable to Delbros for document verification.

Thats true, with what Haoey said. CR1/IR1 filers have been as fast as K3s lately. They're definitely better Visas. Its something you need to consider. But I still think its something you need to think about and discuss as a couple. I've been seeing cases here in Visajourney whose cases has been pending, taking them more than a year waiting for their cases.

In our case, we know you have to spend more money with K3. We just dont want to take the risk of waiting too long. Depends on your case I think. I suggest you see the timelines of those Visas first and the cases here in this site. Im just sharing my experience to those who wants or just started in that route (K3).

Again, read the guides. Plus the timelines.

Very well, whatever route you may choose, goodluck!!!

Thanks!!!

Yeah, I went through CSC.

I'm kinda new in posting things like this but I just wanna share some tips for newbies. We filed for K3 Visa on our own, without help from any lawyers and started mailing our paperworks in mid March 2008. My K3 Visa got delivered in my home last September 25, 2008. Not bad.

These tips just complements the guides they have here in Visajourney. I suggest you read them first. As a disclaimer, let me tell you that these tips just came from our own experience and I'm no lawyer. So there, I hope my tips helps:

1. Start Collecting Evidence of Your Relationship As Early as Possible - As soon as the both of you decided to settle in the US, you should start gathering paperworks, photos, etc. as proof of your relationship. In our case we gathered the following:

>Photos of our time together when we were just dating

>Letters - We wrote to each other love letters, though we chat almost everyday over the net.

>Receipts - This includes receipts from FEDEX and other couriers that indicates we sent each other gifts over the course of our relationship

2. Medical Check-Up / Tests - When you have decided that you'll go for the K3 Visa, I do suggest that the beneficiary get tested (personally) as soon as possible in a reputable clinic. I'm from the Philippines so we get tested here for TB, STDs, HEPA B and other communicable diseases for the Visa application. I personally went to a clinic and had myself tested a year before I actually had a test in St. Lukes for those diseases. Its good I dont have any of those diseases, but well if ever you have them, it'll be treated as soon as possible and it'll save you a lot of time. Remember, TB takes a lot of time to treat (about 6 months to 1 year I think). I've heard horror stories in the hospital (St. Lukes) of healthy-looking individuals that had TB and had their paperworks delayed because of that.Go research on whats needed in your country and have the beneficiary tested.

3. Evidence of A Bona Fide Marriage - This is for the I-130 package. What we did is that after our honeymoon, we gathered our cash wedding gifts and put it into a joint account here in the Philippines. We asked the bank for a certificate of deposit and had our passbook photocopied. Added to that, we made affidavits (and have it notarized) coming from my wife's mom attesting that that our marriage is genuine. Those, together with our wedding pics and honeymoon pics constitutes our evidence of bonafide marriage.

4. NOA - This is embarrasing but I'll say it anyways. NOA means Notice of Action. NOA1 is the Notice of action indicating that the petition has been received. After we've sent the I-130 package, my wife is getting cranky because we were getting impatient with the reply from USCIS. WE never thought that the NOtice of Action that we received one -two weeks after we've sent the I-130 package (yeah, they're that fast) IS the NOA1 they are referring in Visajourney (Both of us are expecting a document which has a heading like "NOA1"....yeah, I know...). It took a month for us to figure it out and sent the I-129 application immediately as soon as we found out.

5. Pay Delbros ASAP - After the interview, another bummer we had was the waiting game for the Visa Delivery. Document verification varies and takes time. One way to hasten the paperworks is to pay Delbros as soon as you're eligible for interview. I paid mine a bit late (2 weeks after I've received the notice that I'm eligible for Visa interview).

6. Visajourney - I relied a lot on Visajourney, the USCIS site, and the USEM site for information. Specifically on Visajourney, you'll meet a lot of people who's in the same situation as yours and willing to help. The guides have been very helpful and I've met people who helped and informed me along the way. Go read forums. It'll give you a lot of information and save you time. Remember, its important that you know what you're doing and what to expect in your filing. Go read the forms over and over if yo dont understant it. Go read the guides thoroughly.

7. Filling Up Forms - Don't leave any unfilled portion in your application forms. Put "N/A" (Not applicable) if some questions are not applicable in your case. I've read in the forums here that some petitions got delayed just because of that.

8. Keep on Following Up - From my own experience I think it pays to let them know you're very eager to have our Visa as soon as possible. Follow up on the USCIS site for you case, follow up in the NSO, Delbros, and Embassy. Be nice and courteous even you want to scream in impatience because of the long delays. Remember, the one you're following up to are people too. I think being nice will get more results than being confrontational / angry about it. Ask for the status of your case. I was just following up on the status of my case (I haven't received the letter from the Embassy yet) when I surprisingly discovered that I'm already eligible for an interview. So there, be wise though when calling the call center cause it will cost you.

Thats all I can think of as of this moment. I hope this helps. This journey is a test of your patience and love for each other. It'll make your relationship stronger because it takes the two of you to make things happen. We did it on our own and so can you as long as you'll have the patience to really dwell into the details of the VIsa process. For me, even if you hired lawyers and such, YOU CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO READ AND STUDY THE VISA PROCESS. So there, if you've made the decision, go to the Us embassy near you and ask for information (the better if your petitioner is with you). Go the USCIS site, VISAJOURNEY, and the US Embassy site. The more interested and hardworking you are with these paperworks, the more its shows that you trully love your spouse / fiance.

Thanks again to Visajourney for all the information and help.

For the couples like us who are deeply in love and want to be together as soon as possible, goodluck and Godbless to all of you!!!

Regards,

Patrick and Cre

In our case we submitted a certification from our bank (Joint bank account, proceeds from our cash wedding gifts), wedding and honeymoon pictures, and a notarized affidavit from my wife's mother stating that we have a bona fide marriage.

So, I think in your situation, you can use you wedding cash gifts and start a joint account. You can also ask your relative / s or friends to make an affidavit for you to give assurance that you have bona fide marital union. Goodluck!!

I think all that you can do right now is gather and prepare documents that proves your relationship. In our case this was the time we wrote each other letters (though we talk everyday online), give each other gifts (which we keep the receipts) and call long distance once in a while (for telephone billing).

It will also be advisable (at least in our case, here in the Philippines) that the spouse should undergo some medical tests similar to the tests they undergo in the medical examination (I personally had myself tested 6 months before the actual medical examination). I don't know if this is applicable in your country though but if ever there will be some findings, this could be remedied / treated as soon as possible and save you a lot of time. I know this advice may sound a bit weird but I've heard a lot of cases where the only problem they had was the medical examination. Go research whats required in your country first.

Hope my advice helps. Goodluck!!!

Regards,

Patrick

I'm from Manila, Philippines.

Thanks VisaJourney!!! The site has been very informative for us. The guides are really helpful. We didn't get lawyers or anything, we just relied on good 'ol commonsense, persistence, patience, and of course, Visajourney!!! To those whose posts have been helpful to us, thanks!!! God bless you all!!!

Regards,

Patrick

P.S.

Special thanks to Diana whose affidavit format I used.