anan

Hi,

On the letter where they scheduled our appointment and list all documents to bring, they also mentioned birth certificate for beneficiary (wife) and petitioner (me - husband). I am US Citizen and never had to provide it anywhere even when I got my US Citizenship. I don't have it and wonder what will happen if I don't bring it with me. My wife's birth cert. is fine and ready.

Did any of you there have this problem? Is is so important to have birth cert for petitioner? I have passport and citizenship certificate too, is it enough to validate my birth?

Thank you...

Please tell me, how many photos do I provide if I filling i-485 together with i-765. Is 2 for i-485 and 2 for i-765, or just 2 for both forms. Thank a lot.

Hi... My wife is finally here!!! We are looking for a best option to file for AOS. I understand that we need to provide proofs of our marriage such as bank accounts, credit cards, or auto insurances that are in my and my wife's names. So, I guess, now marriage certificate and photos are not enough for them; they are looking for something for solid. So, since I can not get these more solid proofs for them until I have a SSN or ITIN (which I have to wait until tax return time to get it), what are my options? Can I apply for EAD separably form i-485? Probably not... Then what can be done? Please share your experience... I need to get SSN for my wife as soon as possible. And to do so, I need to get EAD... And to get EAD, I need to file i-485.... And to file i-485; I need to get solid proofs, which can be obtained only with a SSN, which requires a EAD, which has to be applied for concurrently with i-485.... Hhhhhrrrr!!!! A dead circle! Please help... Thanks.

Does any one know if in Georgia they can issue SSN for my wife without EAD? Or there is no way around this idiotic rule (to get EAD prior getting SSN for K3 visa holders, in contrast to K1 visa holder)? Thanks.

Thank you...

Below is the list of all financial and proof of relationship documents that we had at the interview. Maybe we were over prepared, but better more and less.

Financial:

-------------------------------------------------------------

1. Last 12 bank statements for my bank accounts

2. Current balances on my bank accounts

3. I-134 Affidavit of Support

(this is for K3 visa, for CR-1, for example, you will need I-864. We forgot to submit our 134 form when we turned all our documents in, so we asked the official if they still need it (after he issued a visa), and he said that they don't need it. I guess, they only need this form as a summary, the most important is real proofs of you financial state.)

4. Letter from work stating your current earnings per year, that you work there full time, and your position. Signed and dated by your supervisor or director. Remember that your earnings should be 125% of the official minimum earnings allowed (see uscis). My were well over that. So, no co-sponsers were needed.

5. All pay checks for last 12 months

6. I also submitted my pay raise information and attached it to the letter from work.

7. I also submitted two titles for my two cars as proof of my assets and documents that I have life insurance.

8. Taxes for last 3 years and W-2s for last 3 years

This is it for my financial proofs.

Proof of our relationship:

-------------------------------------------------------------

1. Photos (standard photos about 30. wedding, just we, she with my relatives that visited her, she at my brother's wedding there, she and I with her mother and with her relatives, and others).

2. Emails (I printed out about 80 emials that we wrote to each other in the span of a year)

3. Phone bills (my cell phone bills that were quite high and Skype calls history and payments - all this for more than a year time period)

Note: A lot of you use Skype, make sure you save your history each 6 month. I think this is the time period Skype keeps records of you calls. I saved Skype history when I filed petitions and then when I was getting ready my documents for the interview, I was glad that I save that earlier history because Skype no longer had it. However, I think Skype keeps all history for all your payments, and you can print that out at any time. One more thing: I formated the Skype out put by make it fit to a lesser number of pages. Just copied and pasted into Word and minimized text size.

4. Receipts for all my money transaction to my wife (I had about 25 of them for period of year. I used MoneyGram, which is much cheaper to send money. They charge $10 up to $500, while WesternUnion may charge $40. I know a lot of people use WesternUnion, but keep in mind there are much cheaper alternatives.)

5. I bought an Apple laptop for my wife, so I provided a proof of that too.

6. Plane tickets (I had been there for last year 4 times, so I provided all of them).

7. And, I guess, most important proof was I. She and I were together at the interview.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

My wife gathered all required documents that described in an information packet and passed medical exam.

As a result we passed interview without any problems and right now waiting for a passport. Hopefully, there won't be any delays delivering her passport.

I hope that this list will help someone who is getting ready for an interview.

Thank you.

Hi all...

I just want to share our experience at the interview (Kiyv, Ukraine). I was there with my wife which played, I think, an important role. When we came to the embassy, as always there are huge lines of people, I when to the receptionist and said that we have an interview scheduled in 30 minutes. He asked me if I was a citizen, I said yes. Then he let my wife and myself in and explained what to do next. So, we did not wait a minute at the front lines. After security check we went in the embassy office and turned in our documents. Then waited for about 30 minutes and paid $100 fee; after that my wife was called to give her finger prints. They said that we may take a seat and wait for an interview. We waited for about 30-45 minutes until we were called for the interview. I went with my wife to the window, and to our surprise an official there said that he did not have any questions to my wife. He just issued her a visa and explained where to pay $8 for delivery of her passport and other documents. So, for us an actual interview took less than a minute, THIS IS GREAT... I guess our documents were in prefect order. Then we paid required fee and left the embassy. For us the interview process took less then one hour and a half. I think that is a great result, and I am very glad that at last our first step is done. Soon my wife and I will be leaving from Ukraine to the USA.

My question now is: While we are waiting for a passport, is there way to track it? (in Ukraine they gave us air waybill number).

Thank you and good luck for all of you out there...

P.S.

If anyone would like to know the list of documents I had prepared, let me know and I will post it here. Thanks.

Well, I would not worry about it too much. My wife has not seen me for 9 month, and only now I will go to visit her (at time of the visit we will go to the interview together). Hopefully, they will issue her a visa, and we will come back together. If you talk with each other, then it says something. Do not push him... Just mention once in a while that you would like to see him here, that you are sad... And one more thing... remember you not his wife yet, so you have to understand that and act accordingly... Good Luck...

Sorry, just to clarify, this RFE is not for me; it is for my friend (who did K1 visa and now is in AOS mode). They filed i-485 and i-765 together. By the way, when you do that, what should you enter in question 16 on i-765 form? Is is a(6) or c(9)? Thanks.

Request for Initial evidence(I-485)

This office is unable to complete the processing of your Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status,(Form I-485) without initial information. Submit ALL the information requested below at one time. Failure to do so will result in a denial. You must submit the information within 87 days to the following adress:***. Include this letter with your response.

You are ineligible for interim employment authorization pursuant to Title 8,Code of Federal Regulations,Section 103.2(B)(10)(ii) until 90 days after the missing initial evidence is received.

All copies must be clean and legible. If you submit a documents in any language other than English, it must be submitted with a full English translation. The translator must certify that the translation is complete and accurate, and that he or she is competent to translate. you must submit both the foreign language document and the English translation.

G. {X} (19) In order to process your application further, the petitioner/sponsor on Form I-864, Affidavit of Support must submit all Federal income tax documentation submitted to the Internal Revenue Service(IRS) for the most recent tax year.

For more specific information, see Form I-864 instructions,page 8,"Federal Income Tax Information " For the most current version of Form I-864 including the instructions, go to "Immigrations Forms"

Well, in my case (Ukraine) it took 18 days. It is longer than usual, but they finally got there. What I think is that DHL delivers docs pretty fast (3 - 6 days), but in an embassy they take there time to sort delivered mail... So, just wait... (write them an email after one week, see what they'll say)...

The embassy in Ukraine has finally received our document. GOOOOOD! Just wanted to let you all know. We have an interview date... Check my signature for my timeline. Hopefully, everything will go smooth at the embassy and they will issue a visa to my wife.

One question: Can we pickup the visa at the embassy (lets say next day after the interview) or should we wait for it to arrive by mail?

Thanks.

if uscis says it will take 16-18 months, then that means it will most likely take more than two years

i feel sorry for people who will file from now on...

I am not putting Gogo down.

I am asking him if he thinks it might be in his own best interest (even state of mind) to relax a bit.

Well, it is easy to say, but to not to do... When you wait for more then 200 days, and you don't know what is going on (will they approve it, when will they do it, a day, a week, a month, a year? ... total darkness...), then depression start to enter your soul... If you have you approval, or everything is in order with your case and on time, then that is a great news; but some people weren't that lucky... Understand them and accept them as they are with there disappointing posts. I think that is the right thing to do, especially since we are all more or less in the same boat.

GOGO, I am with you... Everything is good... You don't listen to those who says that... They don't understand you... Your case is special, your were out of luck with USCIS... And those who make your problem bigger by putting you down are someone missing the point. Please be kind to GOGO and to all of us... I you have metal nerves dealing with USCIS, that it is good, but not every one is so strong as you are... So, be kind and understandable to all... USCIS is a mess and people who work there are not to helpful (in fact not helpful at all). So, we are here on our own... LETS BE TOGETHER and not to put down each other...

Thanks... I understand that NVC sends them in a bundle with other docs. But I wonder why they can't they give me a tracking number for that bundle shipment (this should be very simple). Anyways, I went to a dhl.com and used someone's advice on tracking packages that were sent out from NVC. Basically I used a reference number (format: EXP 19 NOV 2007A) to see what packages were sent out... I found that there were already 6 shipments done to Ukraine from NVC (all delivered), but when I ask embassy they say they did not get it. What is going on there? Do they process the shipment the day they received it, or it is just stays in there receiving department until they have time to process them. From dhl.com I know that they received packages on Nov 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, 29... but still no sign that our docs are there. I am VERY VERY WORRIED!!!

Of course, I can not know exactly in which bundle of packages were my docs, but based on the dhl.com there were already several shipments done to Ukraine from NVC and no result for us .

Thanks...

My docs were sent out from NVC on Nov 15 to US Embassy in Ukraine. As of now the US Embassy has not gotten them. I am really worried about that because I see that for other filers it took from 2 to 8 days, and for me it is already over 14 days. I called NVC, but they said they can't do anything. I asked them if I can get a tracking number for a package that they sent out, but again they said that they don't have it. I called DHL, but, no luck, they can't do anything without a tracking number. I am lost. What if DHL lost our docs? What if US Embassy will never get a hard copy (they said that they received an electronic version and are waiting for hard copy of my docs)? What can be done? I don't really want to reapply (I already have the approval notices)...

What disappoints me is that NVC can't give me a tracking number (this is a simples thing to do: to get a tracking number for the package and give it to me so I can track the package). But, it is seems like, for NVC this very simple task is out of ordinary and impossible to complete. I wonder do they even required tracking number from DHL when they send packages out? Why it is so hard to deal with those people, why? No one is responsible out there... If our docs will disappear whom I am to blame, who will be responsible for that? What will they do?

Please share your experience. (I might be worried to much, but again I waited a long time for NVC to sent our docs to an embassy, and don't want the docs to be lost in a wilderness).

Thanks.

My docs were sent out from NVC on Nov 15 to US Embassy in Ukraine. As of now the US Embassy has not gotten them. I am really worried about that because I see that for other filers it took from 2 to 8 days, and for me it is already over 14 days. I called NVC, but they said they can't do anything. I asked them if I can get a tracking number for a package that they sent out, but again they said that they don't have it. I called DHL, but, no luck, they can't do anything without a tracking number. I am lost. What if DHL lost our docs? What if US Embassy will never get a hard copy (they said that they received an electronic version and are waiting for hard copy of my docs)? What can be done? I don't really want to reapply (I already have the approval notices)...

What disappoints me is that NVC can't give me a tracking number (this is a simples thing to do: to get a tracking number for the package and give it to me so I can track the package). But, it is seems like, for NVC this very simple task is out of ordinary and impossible to complete. I wonder do they even required tracking number from DHL when they send packages out? Why it is so hard to deal with those people, why? No one is responsible out there... If our docs will disappear whom I am to blame, who will be responsible for that? What will they do?

Please share your experience. (I might be worried to much, but again I waited a long time for NVC to sent our docs to an embassy, and don't want the docs to be lost in a wilderness).

Thanks.

Guys, I filed docs in April (130, April 20), then in May (129F, May 25)... Then they touched our docs when they transfered our case to CSC (June 26) and that is it. After that no touches at all until the approval date. The weired thing is that: I had a touch on the approval day (Oct 30) and no more. On Nov 5th I check my mailbox and found two approval noticed for 130 and 129F, but my online status was never updated. It is still shows pending status even though my docs already were sent out to the embassy by NVC office. So, if you don't have any touches, that doesn't mean anything. Hopefully you will get approvals soon. The problem is that people who filed after June might wait a longer time because of USCIS's idiotic actions (fee increase problem).

Good luck.

I am worried about my package. NVC said they sent it out to US Embassy in Ukraine on November 15. Today they is already 27th and still not delivered. 12 days has passed and nothing. The embassy said that they got an electronic version, but not hard copy (without which they cannot send packet 3 out).

Anyone out there had similar problems (long delivery time)? I hope DHL did not loose our documents. Is it possible, and if they did what can be done?

Thanks...

Since you have been living in Russian for 6 month, I think you can file DCF, which is much better and much quicker. And you can file all required form by printing them out in some Internet cafe, fill them, and then go to the embassy and turn them in. I know that you will have to drive/fly to the US Embassy in Moscow to do so, but believe me, it is much better than filing for K3 visa from the US. I am not sure if in Russia the US Embassy allows to file DCF, but in Ukraine one can do that after being six months in that country. You can read their web site for more info or call them. But if I had lived there for 6 months, I would for sure go with DCF and file for CR-1 visa.

Otherwise, if you still have to file for K3 here in US, then do it yourself. You will save tons of money and will do it right. It is very simple process, just follow instructions carefully. Plus, VJ forum is always ready to help you with any question that you might have. DO NOT HIRE LAWYER!!! They are useless because what they do, you can do it easily by yourself (unless you are willing to pay them 2,000 - 4,000 dollars). They want make your case move quicker. DO IT YOURSELF.

If you have questions, ask them here.

Reading your posts I am thankful to God that my case went through USCIS with no complication. But I feel your pain guys.

A whole immigration system is broken, in my opinion. Remember that immigration bill not so long ago that has raised immigration issue in the country? The bill is a 100% junk. One of the requirements in that bill was that every illegal immigrant should be process by immigration services within 24 hours and issued a, so called, Z visa. Our government sometimes so stupid, at least when it comes to immigration.

It is sad to see, and you don't have to look far, that people (e.g. Mexicans) cross US border illegally and our government welcomes them with open hands (instead of deporting them). On the other hand, people who try to do everything by the law, try to bring their closest person in a whole world to live together, need to wait a year (assuming no complications). A valid question to ask is: how in the world it happened that process one application requires 6 or more months? This is absurd. While US business world processes all their application (loans, buy/sell, investments, bank, jobs, etc.) from 30 SECONDS to 7 (at most) days, US government processing times from 30 DAY to YEARS, DECADES... While our businesses are in 2007, our government is still in 1950.

Last time I dealt with my bank via paper was... I don't even remember. Everything via Internet nowadays, even signatures. They say they have computer glitch... Have you ever heard a bank computer system had a computer glitch that would cause a delay (and if it had then only for few minutes, and customers would not noticed it anyway)?

But the most outraging thing in this process is when you call USCIS and ask question. NO HELP. Sometimes, you get people who are literary (i don't want to say it, but have to) idiots when it comes to document procedures. Rudeness is another thing. And this famous answer: wait another 30 days before calling back. It seems like everything that they do with a case (every step) requires 30 days.

to receive - 30 days,

to enter in a system - 30 days,

to put it on the shelf - 30 day,

to assign officer to the case - 30 day,

to bring documents to that officer - 30 days,

to process them - 30 days,

even to change address - 30 days

Unbelievable !!!

Another thing is that whatever USCIS does they are not hold responsible for their action. A clerk can throw away petitions and nobody will know about it, and you cannot sue them. Another indication of that system is broken is that every case is decided by one person and depends on his/her feelings that day the case maybe approved or RFE or even denied. That is what bothers me the most. I wonder if they even do any follow up checks.

And tell me why a worker should be issued a visa in max 90 day, while a wife/husband should wait a year or more? I think people who made that decision are cold blooded people, who only care about money and nothing else. It is clearly the case that family is a priority, nothing else. Apparently, our government thinks differently.

After a long wait and still waiting, I decided to post my frustrations with USCIS here.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU, GUYS!

So, my docs has been received by NVC on 11/14 (Wed). I see that based on current NVC processing speed my docs should be out to Ukraine on Friday.

In order to get information on whether they've sent our docs or not, do I still have to call them? Is there any easier way (it just hard to get hold of someone there)?

After they send our docs to Ukraine, how long does it takes for them to arrive to USA Embassy (on average)?

And, do I call them (embassy) too, to ask if docs were received or they have another process in place?

Also, do you know (when they received our docs) after how many days they will send out a packet to my wife?

And last one, because we already know our case number can my wife get her medical exam done with it, or she should wait for her packet from the embassy?

Thanks for your input.

Me too, me too!

They told me that docs are received today (11/14). I wonder when they going to send them to an embassy?

Bad news, for you...

If you look at the processing time, lets say for California Service Center, then you should be able quickly conclude that it will take you about 5 - 7 years (assuming no complications during a process).

I-130 Petition for Alien Relative U.S. citizen filing for a spouse, parent, or child under 21 6 Months

I-130 Petition for Alien Relative U.S. citizen filing for an unmarried son or daughter over 21 January 17, 2003

I-130 Petition for Alien Relative U.S. citizen filing for a married son or daughter over 21 April 30, 2001

I-130 Petition for Alien Relative U.S. citizen filing for a brother or sister April 30, 2001

I-130 Petition for Alien Relative Permanent resident filling for a spouse or child under 21 January 01, 2005

I-130 Petition for Alien Relative Permanent resident filling for an unmarried son or daughter over 21 February 07, 2005

So, as you can see people how applied in January of 2005 are now processed... Bu in reality, they still process people from 2004. I have a friend who were not a US Citizen and applied for 130 for his wife abroad. He waited more then 5 years and nothing moved forward. At that time, he already could be apply for citizenship, so he did it. And after he bacame citizen, he applied again for his wife. So, after 8 or so months his wife were here.

Think about it. Other wise you will get yourself on a long long long long long path...

Urge To Race,

Thanks for a quick and easy explanation. Hopefully, when I will call today, they will say to me that my docs were received. It would be nice if they would send my docs to Ukraine this or next week before holidays.