BLC

If you do that, you will likely be waiting another 1.5-2 years for your spouse to enter the US. As others have stated, you would be withdrawing your k1 and filing a completely new petition for cr1. Definitely a terrible idea if your only concern is speed.

No problem! Some of this software really doesn’t make it obvious, though, as I have experienced trying to use one that just would not allow you to move forward without spouse ITIN/SSN. So if someone only tried with one of those programs, they would just assume e-file was impossible. TaxSlayer was one that gave me issues - their customer support actually thought you couldn’t file at all (even on paper) having a spouse without a SSN/ITIN. Scary to know the knowledge base of some of the staff at these places lol.

OLT and TaxAct (I am sure there are others, too, but that’s what I generally use). TaxSlayer, does seem to give some trouble; but, 2021 was my last time using that software, so they may have fixed that issue since. edit: TaxAct is the program I used this year to file my own taxes personally (MFS, no ITIN). Last year I used OLT (same filing status). Both returns accepted and processed.

Yes you can, I file electronically all the time.

You only need an ITIN if you want to use Married filing jointly. If you do married filing separately, though, you do not need an ITIN.

Why would you need to file single for 2022 since your spouse already has ITIN? This is just what I would do — I would file 2022 asap via e-file, and if it processes quickly enough, I’d use those and also provide all documentation that you filed 2021 and paperwork from the IRS showing that it’s in process still, and then I would also provide 2020 and 2019, that way they would have 3 completed tax years, plus can see you did file 2021. Again, this is just the most rational thing I can think of to do in this situation, but others may have a better idea.

No live trace/no trace means there’s a criminal record (i.e. conviction or caution) of something showing on your background. I don’t believe ESTA does background checks themselves, but you do still need to answer the arrest/conviction question truthfully. It is sort of left up to interpretation though, because they word the question as something like “were you ever arrested/convicted of a serious crime?” — SA is definitely a serious one, so I would answer as ‘yes’. If you did answer no to that question though, and down the line want to apply for an actual visa (immigrant or visitor) to the US, you would likely be screwed for misrepresenting yourself on the ESTA.

I promise, USCIS does not want to know about if and when you ‘did it’, if that’s what you mean. They just want to know you’ve physically been in each other’s presence after marriage.

Unsolicited, but it just seems silly to start changing things up when you’re already nearing the end of this long process.

Is this a generic response they will always provide? I’m still at USCIS stage, so don’t have any experience here; but, I feel like I’ve read several posts on here about people getting this response after submitting financials, even though they’re well above poverty cutoffs for their household size.

He said he was coming to visit his wife. Hopefully we (and everyone else in this situation) continue to have good experiences when visiting during this process.

Yes, to each his own, though; and it’s not superior for everyone..

2) I suppose an alternate at that point is that you could even do K1, since you won’t be married to your current “spouse”.

Forgive me, but it’s been a long time since I saw the ESTA questions…but I don’t remember Cuba being on that list of countries (with Iran, Somalia, Iraq, etc.). Is that the part you’re talking about with ESTA? Or is this just some rule that once you have ESTA, you cannot travel to Cuba if you want to use it to go to the US afterwards?

Wow this is such a terrible video. Please stop watching this channel.

Is it five different files, or five pages total that you can submit? Because you can submit one file that is 7 pages, but it will still be one file.

Thanks for this info. I have actually been wondering about the validity of those estimated times they provide within your case

Just wanted to give a travel update - my husband and I submitted our I-130 petition and have been pending since July 2022. He traveled today via pre-clearance in Dublin and got through fine. CBP didn’t take him to the back or ask about the I-130, just asked him reason for visit and how long he was staying, then sent him through. This was his first visit since we submitted. He has traveled on his ESTA to the US 4 times before this trip since we have been married and stays for one month at a time.

The answer is in the the name of the visa…It’s a visitor visa and what you’re suggesting is circumventing the immigration process and essentially wanting to “immigrate” on a visitor visa. If people could visit for 6 months on a b2, leave the country for an a few days, and then come back and stay again, they would essentially be living in the country, not visiting.

I was in almost an identical situation when we married - we knew each other for 4 years and talked and sent each other stuff, but never met up until then. Then we spent about two weeks together, next trip 3 weeks and married. Our decision was to wait to submit so we could have more time spent together and he could make some trips here as my husband—we wanted to try to make it so he had a better chance of visiting once the petition was in, and also wanted to have a better chance of approval with more time spent together. We did this for 1.5 years before submitting our petition. Not that I’m saying that is necessary at all, it was probably overkill on our part!

Once you sign your name to it, it’s recorded. So I think you just need to come to terms with the fact you are going to have inconsistencies. If it will make you feel better and more secure, why don’t you upload a letter into your pending file and explain the situation.

I would be surprised to hear an expedite getting approved for that. I’ve heard them denied for more pressing, immediate concerns. Can’t hurt to try, though, it’s free.

From what you wrote, It sounds like you were refused a visa 2 or 3 times in early 2000s..recently filled out and approved for ESTA…but you must’ve lied on there because it asks if you were denied a visa in the past..to me, it sounds like they denied you because of this, not due to the caution. The way the ESTA app words the criminal section, it asks if you committed a crime where you caused serious damage or harm to someone, and if you only received a caution, I’m guessing it wasn’t a crime like that. If they find out you’ve lied on ESTA, they will revoke and you’re only way in moving forward would be an actual visa. And with this, you will probably have a lot of explaining to do during the B2 visa interview. Why were you refused before?

That’s what I was thinking, too. Especially with having a joint sponsor that puts the family more than double over poverty line, it just sounds like there must be some other reason.

I wonder for this part if they are talking about receiving public cash assistance in US or if they mean having received public assistance within any country outside US