Bee Haitch

Hello! 
Just wanted to give a quick happy update: I got approved!

Thank you so much for your wonderful help, @Family!
 
And Happy New Year for all of us! 🥳

Hello everyone! 
I've got the approval as well 
 
Funny thing is that this time I didn't get the uscis email notification they send when an action is taken on my case. I just happen to be checking my uscis account (as I've been doing daily for the past month... ). Oh well, but who cares.. the thing finally happened!! 🤩
 
I wish good luck to everyone that is still waiting and happy new year!  
 
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Filed I-130 online: 8/31/21
I-130 online email notification: 8/31/21
Filed I-485, I-765 and I-131 via Fedex: 8/31/21
Delivered: 9/03/21
Credit Card charged: 9/22/21
SMS notification for I-485, I-765 and I-131: 9/22/21
Biometrics appointment scheduled: 10/09/21
Courtesy letter regarding I-693: 10/22/21
Biometrics appointment: 11/05/21
RFE regarding I-693: 11/16/22
I-130 approval notice: 11/30/22
Confimation notice of receiving my RFE response: 12/16/22
I-485 approval notice: 01/20/23

Hello everyone! 
I've got the approval as well 
 
Funny thing is that this time I didn't get the uscis email notification they send when an action is taken on my case. I just happen to be checking my uscis account (as I've been doing daily for the past month... ). Oh well, but who cares.. the thing finally happened!! 🤩
 
I wish good luck to everyone that is still waiting and happy new year!  
 
---
Filed I-130 online: 8/31/21
I-130 online email notification: 8/31/21
Filed I-485, I-765 and I-131 via Fedex: 8/31/21
Delivered: 9/03/21
Credit Card charged: 9/22/21
SMS notification for I-485, I-765 and I-131: 9/22/21
Biometrics appointment scheduled: 10/09/21
Courtesy letter regarding I-693: 10/22/21
Biometrics appointment: 11/05/21
RFE regarding I-693: 11/16/22
I-130 approval notice: 11/30/22
Confimation notice of receiving my RFE response: 12/16/22
I-485 approval notice: 01/20/23

Hello! 
Just wanted to give a quick happy update: I got approved!

Thank you so much for your wonderful help, @Family!
 
And Happy New Year for all of us! 🥳

1. I  prefer mail in response w copies and tracking . 
2. The 5% odds are too low to risk …even a rookie bookie would laugh . Don’t gamble too much at stake.
3. You can send in results anytime they are ready ( w copy of RFE) . 
4. If you DIY your AOS, then you saved yourself a hefty legal fee..cause filing fees are minimal compared to attorney fees…so pat yourself on the back and treat yourself to a getaway..95 % you will have fun. 
 

Hi! Thank you for your nice response. 
 
Yes, you are right: at this point I'm beyond drained. And with the language they use (which I understand the point, but still consider harsh, polite but harsh), it seems like they are trying to pass a very negative message. And I get it, but still it's hard to not be affected by it, especially when you are dealing with this stress for such a long time. 
The message I got is "After all this time, all this money and everything else invested in this process, you are about to lose it all and there is nothing that can be done about it. Too bad, so sad. Next." and I know this is illogical, but that's the message I get in all their communication channels (RFE, website, live chat).. so you start to question your own rational thinking. Anyway, thank you very much for reaffirming how easy this is and that I'm not getting insane (yet).
About 'there is nothing “guaranteed“ in this process for ANYONE', yes, of course I understand and have conscience about that.I just didn't express myself well. Sorry. What I was trying to say is that the message I got from the live chat agent was "Whatever. Next." 
Regarding what you mentioned "there are protocols in place that you can follow '', I couldn't find these protocols/instructions (for non-standard circumstances) anywhere in their material, not even when I directly asked. Luckily we have this wonderful forum with wise members that are willing to help.
Also thank you for pointing out that this might be a positive situation indicating an interview waive. It helps me to regain my optimism.
 
So, after all this whining (thank you for your 'ears'), I have another 2 questions  
There is a 5% chance I can send the signed form on time, but because of the high risk of not being able to do it, would you consider be wiser to send the request for extension (with evidence of ongoing treatment and etc) as soon as possible; or wait to send it closer to the deadline (when my inability to send the signed form is confirmed)? Because this request for extension and the related evidences are not actual documents (so they don't need to be the originals, as I suppose) do you believe this is something I could consider send thru the website(as there is an option for it) or it's better to play safer and send it via mail? (I'm asking this because the text in this option is quite fearful - IMHO - which makes me wonder if 'Am I getting paranoid..?' or is this just 'boilerplate' communication)?  (the related image is attached bellow)  
Once again, thank you so much for all the attention and suggestions you kindly shared so far and many more thanks in advance.
I'm sorry for the long text..... hopefully, it will be the last.
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving to you and your family!  
 
 
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Your original post question is still the same …only thing different is your heightened level of stress. ..so step back , you can manage this. 
 
My response is still the same, send proof your treatment and civil surgeon final evaluation  requires additional time and request extension. 
 
This as simple as requesting doctor to give you a statement of timeframe for completion or if they refuse you show schedules of treatment and follow up exam appointment.
 
RFE language is standard and what is commonly referred to as boilerplate, thus it’s not targeting you and your circumstances.
 
There is nothing “ guaranteed “ in this process for ANYONE…but there are protocols in place that you can follow…so get to it.
 
The good bit is that getting an RFE for medical BEFORE an interview is scheduled indicates they want to waive interview and approve .

Wonderful. Thank you!

Wait for the interview to be scheduled. If treatment not completed, send in evidence of ongoing treatment and ask for extension appropriate to anticipated timeline .It will be granted and you will be rescheduled.
Good Luck 

Hi Ju! After TBoneTX`s excellent suggestions, I could give you an "insider's" perspective from some who went through this process. The cultural differences, how we managed to arrange the wedding in such short time, how to build credit, the health system... guess what: after almost 40 years of a pretty healthy life, I got sick here and it wasn’t fun. How to not get insane not being able to work and having to be dependent (financially and all other aspects) of someone else. Not to mention the fact that I came from a big city and now I leave in a small rural town - it`s an interesting challenge to maintain your sanity. Anyway, if you want to chat about this in more details, I would be more than happy to talk to you. Just let me know. Good luck! Btw, I'm also Brazilian, so we might have other things in common 😊

Well we signed up for the "Hiring our Heroes: Career Forward" program for veterans and military spouses, and so far it seems good. They provide a free subscription to Coursera to complete a Google Career Certificate within 6 months, and after you complete it, they push out your profile and resume to partnered companies that are looking for these candidates, some of them big companies like Google, Amazon, etc. The companies partnered with Hiring our Heroes also reach out frequently asking if there are any candidates that recently completed the certificates in ordered to potentially hire them. As you are completing the certificates on your own time, they offer workshops to help you build up your resume, brush up your LinkedIn profile and prepare you for interviews as well. We decided for her to do the "IT Automation with Python Certification" as it would teach her the basics of programming and open up a lot of career paths. 
 
Something worth mentioning, since most people here speak foreign languages, you could try looking into the "Data Analytics" Google Career Certificate as there are many positions everywhere (Especially remote ones), and knowing another language could potentially get you a job. For example, if we type in "Portuguese Data" as keywords in a job searching website like Indeed or LinkedIn Jobs, we get a lot of positions for "Brazilian Portuguese Data Linguist", "Data Entry Specialist(Portuguese)", and "Portuguese Data Analyst", all which require a native level speaker of that language and some sort of data analytics experience, which the google career certificate could help you out with. (Most of these jobs pay very well, the average I saw was about $70k-$80K)
 
Even if you can't get into this Hiring our Heroes program, you would only have to pay about $40 per month for a subscription to Coursera and you could potentially finish one of these certificates in about 2 months if you put the time in(About 30 hours a week). For $80 to get upskilled with a certificate in a high paying field along with being a native level speaker in your language, that's a great deal!
I will update as we go along in the process.

Hi Ju! After TBoneTX`s excellent suggestions, I could give you an "insider's" perspective from some who went through this process. The cultural differences, how we managed to arrange the wedding in such short time, how to build credit, the health system... guess what: after almost 40 years of a pretty healthy life, I got sick here and it wasn’t fun. How to not get insane not being able to work and having to be dependent (financially and all other aspects) of someone else. Not to mention the fact that I came from a big city and now I leave in a small rural town - it`s an interesting challenge to maintain your sanity. Anyway, if you want to chat about this in more details, I would be more than happy to talk to you. Just let me know. Good luck! Btw, I'm also Brazilian, so we might have other things in common 😊

Good thinking.  If it sounds like a problem, consider venues within range of L.A. that can accommodate your need for rapid production of the certificates.
Dios mio... and I still need to learn Spanish beyond my ultra-basic abilities to say a few phrases.
This thread explains how I handled Mrs. T-B.'s situation:
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/562879-cbp-at-tsa-airport-checkpoints-why-theyre-there-how-best-to-handle/#entry7784682
Join the crowd of countless native-born gringos.
This will be explained in the rental-lease contracts.  In general, the landlord is typically responsible for prompt repairs to broken or malfunctioning systems, and for general upkeep.  (Where I live, "good" landlords will make periodic visits to ensure that tenants are maintaining the property acceptably.)  Nueva York Nova Iorque tenants may have different rights and responsibilities.
One often-recommended method here is to apply for a "secured" credit card.  Run a search on that here or on the general Web.
If this is a hypothetical issue, be glad that he has decent credit.  If this is a real issue, he should start now to raise his credit rating in every way possible.  Talk to a financial advisor if necessary.
It was the same with Mrs. T-B.  It helped her to feel more at home; those who attend church tend to be decent people; and even though none of her direct contacts endured as long-term friends, her association with them led to expanding her social circle.
Excellent attitude.  Another idea to increase your social exposure is to get to the many colleges and universities and to spend a day at the Student Center (or International Student Center).
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One more idea is to become a dedicated, voracious student of the entire immigration process, through naturalization.  Doing so will aid your medium- and long-term planning.  This thread of mine, from some time back, gives a little perspective:
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/410945-k-1-journey-completed/
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Perhaps transmit this haiku (original -- I'm proud that my Spanish skills enabled it) to your fiancé, regarding what to expect after you become a citizen:
    Ciudadana --
    Puede esposo joder...
    Americana!

Ufff... I understand from reading here that it can take "forever" to receive marriage certificates.  Maybe ask his local family there to check into it.
A driver's license is indispensable, for identification if nothing else.  If Nueva York (is that what it is in Portuguese, too, like Spanish) State issues driver's licenses to illegal aliens, then you with your legal status should have no trouble, even without a Social Security Number.
I meant that your Brazilian passport should be as fresh as possible; sorry.  As for the K-1 itself, it's "dead on arrival" at port of entry, and then you're in a "period of authorized stay" as long as you marry within the 90 days thereafter.  Be sure to file for AOS as soon as you receive at least one marriage certificate.
Oh, this is a wonderful background.  Just remember that "living" someplace new is different from visiting, even if it was for extended periods.
Medical costs are never transparent; they're always hidden, or masked by what insurance covers and what it doesn't, and "co-pays," etc.  It gives lifelong Americanos a headache!  Many people with simple taxes can calculate them themselves, and those who can't or don't want to will hire a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).  Bank fees are usually posted or mailed to people.  As for home maintenance, I was fortunate that Mrs. T-B. worked the Spanish-speaking avenue to find us Mexicanos, Salvadoreños, and even Ecuatorianos to do our projects well and very cheaply in comparison to gringos.  In fact, one of our Ecuatoriano handymen is now a very good friend.
There's always something more to learn, even for native-born gringos.  
Outstanding!  In addition, get on his credit-card accounts as an "authorized user" to help build U.S. credit in your name.  There are many threads on this in this forum and possibly in the Tax & Finances forum.
This would be optimal.
It's confusing for many gringos, too!  It depends on his health plan.  Read his policy, or have him summarize the main points.  For example, one plan might have you "co-pay" $40 for a general doctor visit and $80 for a specialist visit; x-rays and blood tests would be included, but injections and medical procedures would not.  Confusing, but in general you'd end up ahead in comparison with paying everything yourself.  Prescriptions might be $3 each, or $10 each, or $50 each for the fancy medicines.
If you find a Brazilian church in Nueva York, go, even if you're not religious, to make contacts.  I dropped Mrs. T-B. at a Spanish-speaking church for 3 Sundays in a row, and she met several nice people that started her social network.
Well, perhaps a church or social agency has ideas.  Your English is very good, but it wouldn't hurt to take a class... where you'd probably also make friends.  As far as the gym:  "If I'm healthy enough to exercise, I'm healthy enough NOT to."  
A dead one.    Check around for estate/probate attorneys (probably not the ones who advertise a lot).  What you want is a full set of estate documents for both of you, valid for Nueva York State.  I don't know of prices in Nueva York,  but any lawyer in the state could draft the documents for you.  Maybe call around to lawyers in smaller towns in central (upstate) Nueva York State?  They might be less expensive.
Yes -- a first-generation child is probably far enough removed from machismo that you're safe.  I'm not worried about you.
 
Ask more about anything, and I'll think up some good "lawyer" jokes, because you are one.  

This is a larger answer that should encompass your questions.
 
You should both begin planning for you to hit the ground running, in every way possible, the instant you hit the Port of Entry.  Have a short-term list, a medium-term list, and a long-term list.
 
The short-term list would include getting married within 90 days (ideally, within days of your arrival) and filing for AOS immediately.  See if your officiant will permit you to carry the signed marriage license to the county courthouse yourselves.  Sometimes, the courthouse clerks can produce marriage certificates while you wait, or same-day.  Order 5 originals; you'll need them.
 
Qualify for a U.S. driver's license as soon as possible when you arrive.  Before you emigrate, renew your Brazilian license for the longest term possible.  If your passport is remotely within expiration time, renew it before your consular interview, so that the visa can be put into a fresh passport.
 
Interpersonally, if finances haven't been discussed, do it in exhaustive detail starting now.  I can't emphasize strongly enough how important this is; one reason is that financial issues are a chief reason for divorce.  Your fiancé can provide you a copy of his budget (income and expenses, in categories), which will also give you an idea of the high costs in the U.S.  When Mrs.-T-B.-to-be arrived from Ecuador, I showed her 4 months of expenses, and she murmured, "I've never seen numbers like that."  Regardless of how cosmopolitan you are or how many times you may have visited the U.S., things are eye-opening.
 
Plan to spend some time every day "acculturating" yourself.  Visit a supermarket together and spend time in one aisle of products at a time.  Look at what's available and at what price.  Ask questions that come to your mind.  Beyond this, take walks together, even around the block.  Notice differences or things that you don't immediately understand, and talk about these -- ALL of them.  No observation or question is too trivial.  NOTE:  Do a little of this every day; avoid overloading your brain all at one time.
 
Investigate which local banks will be willing to place you jointly on your new husband's account before you have a Social Security Number.  My bank was willing to add Mrs. T-B. upon my promise to supply her SSN when we got it.
 
Such things as dental/medical visits differ vastly between the U.S. and South America.  Mrs.-T-B.-to-be was stunned and disappointed to learn that, unlike in Ecu, you can't simply walk into a dentist's office here, tell them what you want done, be seen right then or that day, and leave with your procedure completed.  I had mentioned this reality to her, but I didn't think to ensure that she comprehended its impact.
 
Your fiancé (or you) should look (even starting now) for Brazilian or Portuguese-speaking communities or groups near you.  Relying on countrymen who have "been here, done that" can help you adjust to your new country and serve as a network of initial friends.  If some are local to where you'll be living in the U.S., wonderful.
 
The reason for the above acculturation recommendations is that homesickness and culture-shock will strike you.  This will happen when you least expect it, and even though you fully expect it.  There will be a point when you think that you have things pretty much figured out, and then one or more things will happen that will knock you for a loop.  If I had one #1 nonofficial immigration recommendation, it would be to absolutely immerse yourself as an informal and permanent student of every tiny detail of U.S. life and culture, starting the instant your feet touch U.S. soil.  Living here is far different from visiting.
 
Here are two helpful, even crucial, resources to look at in regard to U.S. law:
BUSTED:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqMjMPlXzdA

ACLU:
http://www.aclu.org/files/kyr/kyr_english.pdf
 
Another short-term goal (which you can begin now) is to prepare yourself mentally for the idea that maybe your current funds (which you'll transfer to the U.S.) will enable you to share in the costs of schools, classes, hobbies, etc., but maybe they won't... and that's OK!  This is part of what every new K-1 couple goes through.  Look for free or cheap classes and activities, pretending that you're Sherlock Holmes while you're doing so.  
 
Immediately after you're married, find a reasonably inexpensive attorney who will draft Wills, Powers of Attorney, and other estate documents for each of you.  These are valuable to have when you remove conditions on your green card, and they're even more crucial to have in "life."  (I have heard horror stories about what happens when someone has a Will created off the Internet and then dies; these documents are not something to economize on.)  Your English skills seem to be very good, but regardless, have that attorney or another one explain the meaning and impact of every statement in those documents.
 
Medium-term and long-term goals have to be flexible on the basis of events.  For example, you can't predict precisely when your work/travel authorizations or first green card will arrive, so prepare for your goals with "if.. then" flexibility:  "If my work authorization comes by ___ [month], then we can..."  This influences schooling/training beforehand, family budgeting, and your traveling back to Brazil.
 
There's much more that you can ask about, whether details on the above or additional issues.  I and others will be happy to help.  I hope that the above suggests a plan of action, and I can venture that undertaking these items as a mutual project will help you to become even closer as a couple.  

To add to what I said B4, these ppl can be intimidating to some ppl, dont says he's not a good person if he has bad credit,
its seems a lot of holy ones are here,...now she came here for answers...give her the honest truth but lighten up on being so
brutal, she just may be telling the whole truth as she knows it. I read B4 another case like this & wife said I believe my husband
he has no bad past it must be a mistake, so many told her the husband was lying blah blah. This week she got approval, the man had done nothing wrong at the interxiew, consulate called them back...... Lighten up..OP go over questions with your husband
ask him if anything in the past he forget to tell you,dont let this begin to put a riff in your marriage, if you have a church home speak to your pastor...good luck

Hello everyone!
The sms notification took over 3 weeks 😵.. anyway, we finally got it  
 
Filed I-130 online: 8/31
I-130 online email notification: 8/31
Filed I-485, I-765 and I-131 via Fedex: 8/31
Delivered: 9/03
Credit Card charged: 9/22
SMS notification for I-485, I-765 and I-131: 9/22
Waiting for email and mail notification now
 
Good luck to all!