NArocks

It's much easier and much faster for you to file an I-130 and file for him as your stepson. 
 
Adopting would take time and puts you in a tougher process that would take much longer than filing for him as your stepson.
 
Expect this to take 12-18 months.  There is no way to make it quicker.  

This should be pinned here also as it affects both LPR's and USC

Just to clarify for the OP....you became a step-dad the moment you married the child's mother.  Of course, that doesn't automatically mean the biological father no longer than any rights to the child (or that you have more rights than him due to marrying the mother).
 
 

This should be pinned here also as it affects both LPR's and USC

SO wait you made Babies and do not want to support them and on top of that you LIED? Not a good situation on both causes.

CAN WE GET THIS PINNED IN THE BRINGING FAMILY MEMBERS FORUM? PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I don't know what country the OP is from but in Colombia the DAS (The Administrative Department of Security) will not let a minor leave the country without the missing parent's permission. This document has to be recent, signed and notarized or they won't even let the child into the gate at the airport. It doesn't matter if the parent never took responsibility of the child or if he has never seen him or visited him.
Diana

This is a great and very complex topic.
Part of the answer might simply be "picking an incompatible partner."
Another part might be homesickness.
There's also culture shock, general acculturation, language barriers, and more.
General "readiness for marriage" and capability for commitment are also factors.
In answer to your specific question, Mrs. T-B. has said that both aspects most certainly got better with time. One realization came during her first visit back to Ecu. She wanted to stay for 7 weeks. About halfway through, she called to ask if she could come back early. Apparently, she perceived that her friends were still her friends but had gone on with their own lives, and the lifestyle/convenience/efficiency comparisons between Ecu and the U.S. were revealed as stark. She described this as "When the Motel 6 is all you know, it's fine, but you see the difference after you've stayed at a fine hotel." On her last trip (in 2014), of not quite 5 weeks, she just about couldn't stand it. She's not a spoiled or entitled "princess," either.
Along the above lines, it's worth noting that every country south of the U.S. is a third-world country, with major differences to get used to in every arena of life here. Some Latinas adapt, and some don't.
---
Acculturation/homesickness: On Mrs. T-B.'s second or third weekend here, I began dropping her off at the Spanish-language Sunday services at a nearby Catholic church. I waited to pick her up after the first one. She emerged late, bubbling with excitement, and she eagerly introduced me to a nice older couple whom she'd met. She/we socialized with them and others, met either directly or through secondary contact, for several months.
(Exposing Mrs. T-B. to the Spanish services was a very good idea -- suggested by my own mother -- and not just for pure socializing, but for the quality. Churchgoers are not likely to be lowlifes or a bad crowd.)
Of note, none of those relationships have survived, but it gave her courage first to join other international-type groups (English classes), and later to join groups in which she was the only Latina (new-mommy groups, et al.).
The point of the above is that exposure to other "Spanish people" (as Mrs. T-B. called them), even if not many were Ecuadorian, made her feel welcome and part of something here, and it took the edge off her very real initial homesickness and general uncertainty about life here. I believe that these experiences helped to make her happier in our marriage, because she was happier, more comfortable, and more confident in general.
Russ, you'll have to comment on whether the above are pertinent or valuable observations. Perhaps start by assuring Caro that her friends are not "her" -- she is an individual whose awareness and maturity are unique to her. She and only she is responsible for her own attitude, and it's wrong to permit others to take or spoil it.
She, like Mrs. T-B., apparently married exceptionally late in terms of when Latinas typically marry. Did she by chance hold out for a non-macho -- as did Mrs. T-B., who grew up observing and rejecting the terrible machista behaviors so prevalent in Ecu (and Colombia, and Peru)? The answer might shed light on why some of her amigas' marriages have failed, if the amigas were less careful in selecting their mates.

So in all this time you've never created an account to help others and contribute. But create one today to whine about this thread?

No Solo cuando hace citizenship

You, Damara, Belinda63 old timers are the only ones with helpful comments in that thread.
Sad thing is many knowledgeable, sharp thinking VJ members have left this site.

Maryland – So, you are coming to live in the United States of America. Welcome to the New World. It is going to be a transformative experience in many ways. Opportunities and challenges are waiting for you, but the four points addressed below are one way or another key to making your transition from Morocco to USA less stressful! However, if you are coming as a student, some of these tips may be irrelevant!
1- Money talks!
Secure some money before you leave Morocco. How much are we talking about here? In major American cities, you will probably need between $2,000 and $3,000 to survive for one month without any support. A one bedroom (in a shared apartment) costs between $400 and $700 in most U.S. cities. If you are lucky, you might find something cheaper, but it might come at a “high cost”– a shared basement in a crowded building, unsafe area, unclean apartment or irresponsible roommates, or all of the above.
2- Learn some English!
Your high school English isn’t enough. Take English classes in Morocco. Don’t delude yourself that you will do it in USA. Start studying English at least one year before you move to the U.S. You will not have enough time to study when you get here. You will be very busy and ESL classes here cost an arm and a leg. Remember: your English fluency will most likely determine the type of job that you will get.
The positive part is, however, most Americans tolerate poor English. You will rarely, if ever, be corrected by an American. Americans are different from many European countries. Most Americans are used to hearing all types of accents and deal, on daily basis, with all levels of fluency. So, relax, speak your mind and make mistakes…tons of mistakes…Americans will not grade you! Ironically, you might have a hard time with your fellow Moroccans instead. Some Moroccans love to grade and correct.
3- Do you have a Roof?
In most cases, immigrants secure a room or apartment through their friends or relatives who are already well-settled in USA. That’s good enough! But if you don’t know what to do about accommodation, go online. Craigslist.com is by far the best tool to find a place in your new city. It is free and packed with helpful ads. We rented all of our apartments in the past through CL.
4-Work?
Again, your friends and relatives might have recommendations for you. But if you aren’t lucky enough to find a job through a friend or a relative, you should do research in Morocco and start contacting job providers (craigslist.com might be helpful!). After you land in the USA, you could also enroll with an employment agency for a fee. I remember I got my first job at a New York city restaurant through an agency. You submit an application and pay around $100 and the agency connects you with potential employers based on your application/ resume. In fact, most employment agencies accept applications from people from all professional backgrounds!
As a new immigrant, it is important to have the support of your friends and family, but complete dependence on others for information and material help can be annoying, or even damaging to relationships. Developing your research and opportunity seeking skills will tremendously enhance your immigration experience!
Good luck!

Get off your high horses.
The law allows for the adjustment. If you don't like it, then petition Congress for immigration reform.
Where is your proof this is "fraud" or not doing the right thing? All you have is anger at being separated and taking it out in someone who you think is cheating. There is no cheating if the law allows them to do it.

I have never heard my husband, or myself for that matter, use the term gringo/gringa in an offensive/derogatory manner. I am sure people do use it that way sometimes, but I don't think the majority do. It is a term for an English-speaking foreigner. Gringo is not based on the color of someone's skin, unless you are insinuating that a gringo is only a term for an American because all Americans are white. It is not a racial slur.

Gringo is definitely not a slur, is a term, mainly used in Spanish-speaking countries to refer to an English-speaking foreigner, especially an American person or, in Brazil, to refer to any foreigner. The term is, in and of itself, not derogatory. When people use the word gringo they do not use it in a negative way.
The N-word is a hateful racial slur, and gringo means, well, white person, or American, or foreigner, depending where you are at, but it’s NOT a pejorative term, is about as pejorative as “Yankee” or “Americano” or any other non pejorative label.

There are also a lot of failed K1 cases that marry and go back through the CR1 loop. Any second case is harder to deny than a first case. Many never say how their interview went good or bad. Once the interview is done they stop posting. Nigeria deserves it's tough status. People pull all sorts of games to get into the US. We were denied on our first interview by a CO that promised my now husband a visa if he would provide details of my work ( he correctly answered where I work and what type of work I do ) To this day he doesn't know the answer. The second interview ( also a K1 ) was very smooth other than the idiot CO asking if his father died ( between the 2 interviews) because he found out his son was marrying a white woman.
I know of a woman that after 2 failed interviews still believes in her relationship with a young man that is staying in the UK with his young "cousin" and still sends too much money. I know a couple that divorced each other in Nigeria, married separate USC's got visas, divorced those stepping stones after 2 years and remarried each other. Regional "conventions" that are held ( some never really exist ) for the sole purpose of inviting guest speakers from home. ( who rarely return ) The number of application denied because the Nigerian is still married to someone in Nigeria would surprise most people. Nigeria ranks high on the number of marriages that don't last past the 10 year green card mark. My husband has been offered money to divorce me and "help" relatives of his friend immigrate. I am sure Lagos would love to have a more exact way of finding the truth to a relationship but they confined to methods from 100 years ago and we suffer for that.

People are not denied based on personal opinions or whims of consulars or any such nonsense. Not understanding the process, or having very little actual knowledge of the process seems to often fuel that absurd conclusion, but that doesn't make it true. People's real red flags are often embarrassing though, and personal, and it's a whole lot easier to pin blame on consulars than aspects of one's own personal life, or the lives of friends and family. If anything, throughout MENA, even though a couple consulates are some of the most difficult in the world, overall they seem to err on the side of giving a visa in the most absurd of circumstances, rather than denying them. They're far more generous, forgiving, and understanding than they're given credit for here.

Chiming in , First hope you get a sponsor as I read your other posts hun
As far as a criminal record I ( USC ) have an extensive one and it was never brought up at all either in Interview or any part of the process. Meaning I am one strike away from going away for a long time if I get in trouble.
That said I wish you the best in this process for you and your SO

Not meant to be bashing but a light shining on her poor choices. She came on a tourist visa. Nothing wrong with that. She married while on a tourist visa. Nothing wrong with that. she choose to file to adjust status after the marriage while leaving her young child in another country. Her personal choice. Now she wants help getting her child here "ASAP" because the people she left the child with aren't reliable. Bad choice on her part. Prior to filing for AOS she should have researched to find out when she would be able to leave the US (after receiving AP) and how long the visa process would be for her child (about one year). Whether this was pre-planned or spur of the moment, a lack of planning on her part has now put her child in a less than ideal situation.
She is the one who wants to fly back there and get her daughter and bring her to the US so it seems she doesn't realize this is not an option. Perhaps she knew it prior to her coming to the US, marrying, and filing to adjust status. Perhaps she did not. But for her and anyone else who considers marrying and filing to adjust status on a tourist visa, if they read this, they will be aware that their children will be spending months in the care of others while the parent waits for their AP. And the children will have to wait about one year to immigrate to the US (current processing times). So now the newlywed has to decide between leaving the child in the care of relatives who don't seem to want the job or leaving her new spouse for quite a while waiting for her daughter's visa.

Thanks for your comments. I can answer a few of your questions but the Site Administrator, Captain Ewok, handles all of the technical stuff and is best to answer those questions for you.
2. The Site Administrator is Captain Ewok. He will probably respond in this thread shortly.
3. Any member in good standing who has demonstrated an ability to post calmly and accurately in the forums, who has been on the site long enough to become familiar with its many aspects as well as the many different types and processes of visa 'journeys', and who has the time to volunteer their services can be a moderator. The Site Administrator appoints moderators, and the current moderation team maintains a list of possible candidates (which is regularly updated as names are added and removed from the list). When there is a need for new moderators, this list is consulted and the various candidates posting histories researched and discussed by the moderation team and administration, coming back with a preferred candidate who is then 'invited' to become a moderator. Not everyone accepts the invitation as it can be a lot of work.
4. Group is basically an assigned category of membership. It is generally handled by the site software and shows what category of membership you have, determined by your participation. You are a Validating member until you respond to the membership email verifying you are a real person; you then become a new member until you have a certain number of posts. You are a general member then unless you are appointed as an Organizer (move threads when they are posted in the wrong place) or one of the Moderators, or your membership is 'closed' if you are no longer a member.
It would be lovely if we could keep all relevant information in one location, however, the field of immigration is so large and multi-faceted that there really isn't an easy way to do that. Certainly how we are organized now can probably be tweaked and I know Captain Ewok is receptive to any suggestions members have (and help that they offer) on how to improve the site, but no matter what we do, people are always going to have to do some leg work on their own, because that is the nature of the immigration process itself. It doesn't fit into nicely defined little categories but has a lot of overlap so that one aspect can apply to several different processes. The site is organized in general related areas with more specific themes, and there are step by step instructions with forms and such that can be accessed through the menu bar at the top.
No matter how organized a site becomes, however, people are always going to ask questions - and there is really no way that every answer can be posted in a concise format, because every case is individual. Even if everyone is pursuing the same visa, there are still country specific or Consulate specific differences that are best addressed through members asking questions and other members sharing their own personal experiences.
One of the biggest problems we do have and are trying to address is to keep the information about the different processes and forms and such current. These change pretty regularly and we need to keep updating both the general information and the country or consulate specific information, and really rely upon our membership to help with that.
As I said, I am sure Captain Ewok will be along to answer more of your questions, and I know we are always interested in members who are willing to help us keep this site effective, productive and relevant.

Hi,
Let's try to clear up some confusion.
First, it doesn't matter if you weren't listed on the original petition. Contact the agency that currently has the case (probably the NVC) and provide them with a copy of your birth certificate and an English translation to add you to the case.
Second, SCOTUS said the government's interpretation of automatic conversion and retention of PD only applying to F2a derivative beneficiaries is reasonable and therefore valid. This changes nothing since SCOTUS said how the government interpret this one part of CSPA.
Third, there are many parts of CSPA. What was not litigated in the case was the allowance to subtract the time it took USCIS to approve the I-130.
Fourth, CSPA applies to anyone with a case that was open when CSPA became law. It applies to this case.
-------
Here is what you need to do.
First, determine how long it took USCIS (formerly INS) to approve the I-130.
Second, subtract the time it took USCIS to approve the petition from your current age. The number you get is your current CSPA age.
Third, in 4 years (when you anticipate the PD will be current), what will your CSPA age be? If its under 21, you are good to immigrate. If its over 21, then your mother once she is an LPR can file a new I-130 for you where you will get a new PD.

Both boys had their interview this morning and passed. Next step in the oath can't wait to be done!
Oldest boy drove me nuts, can never tell if he is taking things seriously. He doesn't have the easiest time with studying but he is done this hard part. Second boy I didn't worry about as history and such is an interest to him so a lot of the test was already familiar to him.
After their oath we will have a family of 7 dual citizens that is pretty cool.

My mole inside tells me that William33 showed up long enough to remind everyone that he's still a mod, shut the room up for no apparent reason and then left, not to reappear for another 6 months.

I agree about the attacks on culture, race, etc. I was referring to the out and out rudeness that is apparent in many posts in the upper forums. Someone asks a legitimate question and is giving rude answer after rude answer. And the same few users are usually guilty of the rudeness. It seems that some here take utter delight in putting people down for no reason at all. People shouldn't need to have thick skin in the upper forums, it's entirely different than Current Events and Off Topic. The regular users get sick of hearing the same questions over and over, so why not refrain from replying and let someone else have a crack at it? Then if you see bad information given, step in and correct it. I'm sorry, but I think several here have a holier than thou attitude in the upper forums. I've shaken my head in disbelief at some of the replies in the waiver and tourist visa forums and the posts aren't removed, yet in current events forum some users appear to be under a magnifying glass.
In all my years here, I have agreed that the nonsense should be kept out of the upper forums, but P&R or Current Events as it is now called is more open as is Off Topic. I don't feel it's fair to the regulars in Current Events to be censored and suspended because someone who never even participates there is trying to police the forum and reporting anything they don't like. I can also understand the concept of family friendly, but this is a site for adults, not children. Adults have sex, talk about sex. Adults argue, get mad, insult each other etc. Pornography has no place here, but I imagine that most people here have some type of sex life with there significant other regardless of genders involved. Somebody is always offended no matter what the rules. Why not make people tow the line in the important forums and cut some slack to the lower forums without turning them into race bashing free for alls?

Todo depende de la situación de la hija mayor ya que como le digo usted no podría pedirla como padrastro debido a que ella es mayor de 18 años. Si deciden que ella se quede a seguir la carrera en Medellín entonces usted fácilmente puede aplicar por su novia y la hija mejor con el formulario I-130, de nuevo, uno para cada una y que luego la mamá puede pedir a la hija mayor una vez ella se haga residente. Recuerde que el tiempo de espera depende de la edad de la hija, si la pide como residente y ella tiene menos de 21 años , el caso se demora entre 7-12 meses. Pero si la pide cuando ella tenga más de 21 años, el caso se demora como mínimo 7 años. Aquí le dejo las fechas que tiene el Departamento de Estado http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/law-and-policy/bulletin/2014/visa-bulletin-for-may-2014.html
Si deciden viajar todas juntas a los EE.UU. la única opción que tendrían es que usted vuelva a aplicar por las visas K1 y K2 (no hay otra opción) e incluir una carta con el formulario explicando la razón por la cual se tuvieron que regresar a Colombia. También tendrían que explicarle todo al cónsul durante la entrevista. Como dice usted, este es un caso muy singular, pero no veo motivos que pueda tener el cónsul para negarles las visas K1 y K2 sobre todo si pueden explicar bien por qué se tuvieron que devolver a Colombia antes de tramitar el ajuste de su estado migratorio.
Diana