nicole/philip

Hello we have been trying to get everything ready for my wifes AOS (we had the K1). We're still waiting on her birth certificate but is there any amount of time we have to have this in by? We were married sept 12th and have been busy up until now but I was just curious because her "90 days" as to when we had to be married by just passed like a day ago I believe? We should have it all prepared by next week I'd say.

hi,

once you get married within 90 days from the day she entered the US, it doesn't matter when you file for AOS. ggodluck.

Received our Interview Appointment NOA (I-485) from Jax the other day. On it there is what amounts to a checklist. What a CLUSTER! Among the things required for the interview are the following 3 items:

All documentation establishing your eligibility for Lawful Permanent Resident status.

Any immigration-related documentation ever issued to you, including any Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and any Authorization for Advance Parole (Form 1-512).

All travel documents used to enter the United States, including Passports, Advance Parole documents (1-512) and 1-94s (Arrival/Departure Document).

Now for the stupid question part, does "all documentation establishing" include the statutory regulations, for it is these very documents that do indeed establish Tanya's eligibility for Lawful Permanent Resisdent Status? I am assuming that they do not need a copy of their own regulations and I am probably reading too much into this. I have copied every NOA, e-mail, screen shot and other document they have sent or made available to us including their I-766. I am assuming that this should meet their requirements. Am I correct in my assumption?

Thanks in advance fellow VJ'ers

hi,

1. marriage certificate

2. if you have EAD, bring it because they will get it back at time of interview. AP if you have as well. i'm assuming you don't have them otherwise, you wouldn't be asking about this. if you didn't apply for them, it's ok.

3. you wife's passport containing US visa and I-95.

goodluck.

hello vj's i would just like to clarify what kind of clothes i can wear during interview..does is realy need to be very formal..do they have any specific type of clothes to wear..like u can't get in if u wear jeans,sandals, sleeveless...i am very confuse now :unsure: of what to wear :crying: hehehehehe.

thank you any advice are very welcome..thank you again

a sunday dress will do. when i had my inerview, most of the women i saw at the embassy were wearing skirts and closed-end shoes. try to avoid wearing jeans and flip-slops or sandals. good luck.

thanks everybody for the congratulations. and congratulations also to everybody who got approved. we got a letter today from USCIS welcoming me to the US, even though i've been here since march '08. anyways, here's what happened to our interview:

we went to the mount laurel office here in new jersey (i assumed because it's the office closest to where we live) and got there on time. we didn't wait too long i guess because they try to get everybody in on their appointed time. the man who interviewed us didn't look too friendly at first. but during the interview he became nice and very pleasant. we brought with us photos of our wedding, some bills showing our home address although we didn't have anything that showed both our names in it. we also brought some of our pay stubs, check book showing both our names since we didn't receive our bank statement yet, medical insurance card for both of us, and all the things listed in the appointment letter that was sent to us (passport, license, birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.). he made photocopies of some of the documents we brought and kept some of the wedding pics. he asked my wife who were in the wedding pics so he identified everybody. he asked us how and when we met. how long we've dated before we got engaged. then he asked me some questions listed on part 3 of form I-485. after that, he said he's approving our application based on what we have shown and submitted and that he feels our marriage is true and legitimate. at that point my wife and i were very happy and thanked him. he took my I-95 and EAD card, then stamped my passport with I-551. he said to wait for the card to arrive within the next 30 days. after that, we're done. for us, the interview was easy and quick. it only took about 15 minutes. i hope the same goes for everybody who are getting interviewed. thank you everyone for your support. we got through this step without any glitch. hopefuly it goes smoothly until the end of the journey. thanks again.

nicole/philip

we just went for our interview earlier today and we got approved. thanks everybody for the help and support. you guys are awesome. still a bit of a hurdle on our journey but we're getting there. thanks again everybody.

nicole/philip

hello everybody. i hope everybody is doing well. i just went to see a civil surgeon for my medical today (to fill up my i-693 form). i called a couple of civil surgeon's office close to where i live (ocean county, NJ) and was told that i have to go through the entire medical procedure again. WHAT?!?! i explained to them that i'm a K1 visa holder who is applying for AOS and that based on the USCIS website that if i apply within a year from my initial medical exam (when i was still in the process of getting the K1 visa) i don't need to go through another one, therefore, the doctor only needs to transfer my vaccination record to the form i-693. i was told that that's not how it works. my thought was it was either they don't know what the current procedure is (the person i was talking to was probably clueless) or they just want me to go through the whole medical process again so they can charge me more which costs about $350-$370 (TD vaccine included). there's no way in hell i'm paying them that much money for something that i've already gone through. so, after calling a few more clinics, i came across this civil surgeon who knows exactly what the requirements are for AOS. to make my story short, i would recommend this doctor who is located in the Edison/Piscataway area in NJ. if there's anybody who lives close to that area and needs their i-693 form filled out, this is the one to go to. her name is dr. Liu. finally i have all my documents needed for my AOS and will send it out this monday. goodluck t all of us.

philip

thanks for the quick replies everybody. much appreciated.

philip

hi everybody,

just a quick question about this part. We are still trying to put together our AOS papers to send to USCIS. my K1 90-day has expired. what should i put on this question: Current USCIS Status. BTW, we got married before it expired. thanks

philip

hi guys,

i hope everybody is well. i haven't posted lately because of my busy schedule and beside the fact that me and my fiancee got married a month ago. i have a question about the SS card. i got my card years ago when i was here in the US under work visa. it says on the front "valid for work only with INS authorization". is this what everybody gets once they (fiance/e after marriage) apply for SSN? thanks for the response.

philip

Mine says "valid for work only with DHS Authorization"

Since you got married you have to change your name on your SSN card but you will keep the same number.

hi spidergirl,

i would if i could. except that i'm actually the "guy" who got married to the US citizen so i can't change my name. thanks for the reminder though. i have to get my wife to do it eventually.

hi guys,

how do you think i should answer this? i worked here in the US under H1-B work visa. any input will be greatly appreciated.

philip

hi guys,

i hope everybody is well. i haven't posted lately because of my busy schedule and beside the fact that me and my fiancee got married a month ago. i have a question about the SS card. i got my card years ago when i was here in the US under work visa. it says on the front "valid for work only with INS authorization". is this what everybody gets once they (fiance/e after marriage) apply for SSN? thanks for the response.

philip

Hello again...

I just found some new information regarding the EAD. According to the new I-9 form that people fill out when starting a job:

Employers must complete Section 2 by examining evidence of identity and employment eligibility within three (3) business days of the date employment begins. If employees are authorized to work, but are unable to present the required document(s) within three business days, they must present a receipt for the application of the document(s) within three business days and the actual document(s) within ninety (90) days.

(info found at: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf

So if I'm correct, it seems like if my fiance can produce the Notice of Receipt from USCIS showing he has applied for the EAD, he will be able to begin work and produce the actual EAD when it arrives within the following 90 days. Does that sound right??

hi, it sure sounds right to me. i myself am looking for information regarding EAD. a lot of people here have been asking also if they can work after expiration of temporary EAD. here's a link that might help you if you want answers regarding this. goodluck.

http://www.cyrusmehta.com/News.aspx?SubIdx...47&Year=All

philip

thanks everyone for the congrats! goodluck to all of us.

hi everybody,

i hope everyone is doing well. i'm finally back in the US and enjoying every moment with my fiancee. i got here friday evening last week. we are very happy that our K1 journey is OVER! i hope we never have to go through any of that ever again! i will post my POE experience later. today, i got my driver's license renewed so that's one down in our to-do list. now we have to prepare for THE BIG DAY. thank you again everybody for your support and shared experiences. i guess it's time for us to read through the AOS forum now. but we'll be definitely checking back in to the K1 forum to hopefully give useful and relevant advice to new members going through the process. goodluck all!

philip

thanks for the congrats everyone. i just bought and confirmed my ticket for jfk earlier through expedia. i'll be leaving this coming friday. we're both excited. 2 more days to go!!!

Finally!!! i got my visa today. it only took 4 business days since my interview on feb. 27. thanks everybody for your help and support. i'll see you guys at AOS. i'm sooooo happy!! goodluck all!

philip

Congratulations! Now don't forget to attend that "boring" CFO guidance and counseling and get your CFO sticker.

--Mae

hi mae,

thanks. i did the cfo already. it wasn't bad at all. we were done in about 1 1/2 hours. when it was my time for the counselling i just told the lady that i was in the US for 6 years and that i just got back 4 months ago. she just made a note of my papers then i was done. i'm going to get the sticker tommorow for the passport. i'm also looking online right now for a plane ticket for JFK. i see that there are a couple of cheap flights this coming friday morning so i'll get one of those. hopefully i'll be seeing my fiancee on friday p.m. (her time). happy days are here again!!!

philip

Finally!!! i got my visa today. it only took 4 business days since my interview on feb. 27. thanks everybody for your help and support. i'll see you guys at AOS. i'm sooooo happy!! goodluck all!

philip

I felt so frustrated when I witnessed why Philippines is such a shitty country that no matter how hard we try to do something to at least uplift the situation of this country, and fight for the infinite corruption, there will never have any way...

Me and My Tita went to the BUREAU OF CUSTOMS, PASAY CITY to pick up the package that My fiancé sent me. A $390 worth of stuffs,.(taxable items are Jewelry and just a plain USB drive, hmpfp!!!) we arrived there before 2pm and goodness I was called at exactly 4:45 PM.. ****! I feel like vomiting upon witnessing this shitty employees who were trying to find a package for people less than 35... and it will take like 2 and a half hours to find it take note: individually... here comes the worst thing they pretend that they will calculate the tax but the real thing is they dont know that exact corresponding amount to tax a certain item.

While I was waiting for my good name to be called, I observed that there we're some koreans who'll be picking up some boxes too,I saw them arguing with the examiner, probably they didn't like the BIG amount of tax that was asked from them,I saw she imported a Louie Vitton bag and some other clothing.. when the one beside me got called and went out from the customs examining area, I asked her how much did she payed for the books that was shipped to her, she told me 3,500, huuuwaat??? for a box of like 8x10 and 6 in tall??? The next one was a lady who was about to pick up a big box, with loptop, ipod, other electronic devices and food items got asked by a shinning PhP 15,000.. Luckily, she have her aunts and mom and was able to pay the amount. Goddamn that was a big amount.

So going back, while I was waiting for me to be called, my heart was already pounding soo soo intensely because I didn't know how much would I might pay... When my name got called, the examiner open my box and he found some stuffs from my fiance' and my soon to be mother in law, he called the supervisor and she said,"I WILL JUST BASED THE TAXES FROM YOUR JEWELRY IN THIS ELECTRONIC DEVICE'... she went to her office together with the copy of the declaration, I followed her.. I was also with an old lady who was also got her package inspected, we went there all together.

When I was already in the office, I was so shocked after she computed the stuffs of the old woman, she got asked to pay PhP 4,357.62 for whatever it is. I dont know why it was that big.

MY worst experience was here now...

I sat to the chair holding my pouch with only 3,500 in it. Then.. she had her calculator and started calculating...

There was a lot of listed abbreviations with corresponding amounts already which I didn't know what the hell was all that, she didn't recite it while computing, but before she finished calculating, there was woman who was from customs too, went inside and asked the supervisor if how much is the cost of a IP.Phone... (that was from the koreans too) the supervisor said, "sige, bigyan mo na lang ng 50"(alright, just give it $50) then the woman went out again., after several seconds, the supervisor pushed the paper towards me.. and GOOD GOD!!! I WAS tAXED PhP 7,452.67. I'M SICK NOW! I was trying to tell the supervisor that maam, I am just a student(though not), and I dont have that big amount of money to pay this, and I dont have my parents anymore to assist me with this amount (though I am still with my parents)...

Since they already play shitty game, I think it's time for me to play with them.

After that, my tita came over and asked me, 'hey, why are you crying? and I immediately tell my aunt that, we can't get the box.I can't stop my tears anymore since I've been waiting for this to come since the box contain with our engagement ring and some more very valuables for me... My aunt and I went out of the office and I called my fiance.. and he was so mad.I was sobbing so much when I was telling him how much I have to pay. But he didn't let me down.

After I called him, we went in and talk ed to a woman, an examiner too. She asked me why am I crying, I told her that I dont have enough money to pay the taxes.. what she said was.. "bakit,magkano ba dala mo? (why? how much did you bring?) hmmm, I smell something fishy here... so I said, while crying, PhP 1,500 lang po. ( Php 1,500 only) so she said, "akin na, gawan natin ng paraan, (give it to me, let's find a way.) she get my declaration receipt and asked me to stay for a little. after a while, she called me and she said, "ok, pirma ka na lang dito tapos ipit mo na lang Php 1,500 mo dito tapos labas mo na pakete mo. (ok,just signed here and insert your Php 1,500 here and then bring out your package out)... So I did what she wants me to do..then my aunt told them that, she also have a relative inside of the bureau..

OmG!! it does happen in real life... a that most of the people in that office consider it as if it's just a usual thing and a norm. Oh well, why I'd still have to wonder and got astonished by this. I know this happens, coz if this does not, why we most of the people would like to impeach our beloved (geee!) President Arroyo right now?...

I feel so frustated telling my american fiance' what I experience in the customs when I arrived home...

For those who'll be picking up a parcel in the BOC in the future, they might asked you almost half of the declared amount in the package.

-electronic gadgets are taxable

-jewelry

-**** almost everything has!

i'm so sorry you had to go through this ordeal. it's not surprising for BOC to be like this and for some of the other govenrment offices as well. don't you know BOC is only second to DPWH when it comes to corruption and bribery?? keep that in mind.

I just received a phone call from a very happy Natalia, exiting the Moscow Consulate, saying that the visa was approved for her and her 17-year-old son Artem. The interview took approximately 5 minutes and consisted of 3 questions. For those that are interested, here are the questions:

Q1. How did you meet? [Answer: Natalia explained how we met.]

Q2. You have a very high position here in Russia. (Natalia is the head of the legal department for a large company). It is unlikely that your work in the USA will be at such a high level. How do you feel about that and what do you plan to do for work after you arrive in America? [Answer: Natalia honestly replied that are already people wishing to interview her in the USA after she arrives given her expertise in Russian trade and tax law. Finding decent work in the USA should not present a problem for her once she is legally authorized to work here.]

Q3. Did your fiancee visit you in Russia? [Answer: I visited her in August which satisfied them.]

That was it......... 5 minutes and out. There were no questions directed to her 17-year-old son. They merely took his fingerprints.

All-in-all it was a little anti-climactic after all the waiting and worry.......... but it sure is good to have that behind us now. I am sure that the euphoria will sink in after a day or 2.

A special "thank you" to all those that have been supporting us these many many months. It was certainly a roller-coaster ride sometimes as we were probably in the bottom 10% in terms of waiting time. Hahahaha.......... Kazan Tiger (Jeffrey & Alla) intentionally postponed their interview a couple of months and they still almost beat us. Oh well..... what's a few extra months of waiting in the big scheme of things when you are talking about a life-time commitment? We are just happy that it is drawing to a close.

We wish you all the best.

Buck & Natalia

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Hello and Good Day to Everyone!

I filed the K1 petition this December 2008 at California Center for my fiance who lives in the Philippines. I got the NOA1 and still waiting for the NOA2 to arrive. I noticed by searching through VJ timelines that the processing in Vermont is alot faster than in Cali. I guess this is how it is for all those who filed under Cali, we need more patience and all.

Below are my questions:

1) What are the other requirements that we need to prepare and have before the interview. Please give us a complete idea or outline of all the documents we need to prepare prior to that. I know it is too soon to work on it, but we would really appreciate if you could give us details on what we need to expect prior to receipt of NOA2 and prior to my fiance's interview.

2) Please let us know too which of these documents (the answer you indicated in #1) -- need to be notarized and which among them need to be provided by petitioner or beneficiary, or both.

This is it for now. Sincerely hoping and looking for replies (help).

Goodluck and God bless to all of us wishing to be with our love ones.

Ryan & Dianne

hi guys,

you can check this link for answers. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...amp;page=k1flow

and http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;#entry920543

the only thing you need notarized is the affidavit of support. goodluck.

The skin test returns false positives all the time....

i agree. when i worked in the US as an x-ray tech, i did a lot of chest x-rays on people who had postive skin test that usually turns out negative in chest films. goodluck.

philip

Hi Guys,

Just had my Medical Day 1 today and had the scare of my life when i had to repeat my X-ray 3 times. Had to pay additional 300 Php for that too. Anyways, the good news is that i think (?) they did not find any problems with my X-ray after the third time and asked me to continue the rest of my Medical Day 1. I'll be back tomorrow for Medical Day 2 and hopefully get positive results.

Anyone had the same experience? Was there any additional testing or problems on your 2nd day?

Thanks!

hi,

i'm an x-ray technologist by profession so maybe i can help. was your second and third x-ray done in different positions (side and/or leaning back)? if it was done in these positions, it is possible that they saw something in your first chest x-ray. the second and third x-rays are done to verify the initial finding. if it was done the same way as the first one (facing towards the wall), it may be because you didn't take a deep breath or you were moving a bit when the x-ray was taken. btw, medically you don't want "positive" results. this will mean there is something wrong with you. goodluck.

philip

Hi there Philip!

Thanks for the quick reply! Yeah, i was asked to lean back the 2nd and 3rd time around. They also verified that they found out something on the 1st x-ray. Anyways, im thinking that if they did find something even on the 2nd and 3rd, they would have told me immediately right? But they told me nothing and asked me to continue where i left off.

Well i just do hope that the results are negative tomorrow (hope i got this one right!). I'm quite confident of the negative results because i do not smoke and we do not have any history of TB. Wish me luck!

if they give you your x-ray films tommorow then it means it is "negative". i know one of the female x-ray techs working there and she told me that's how it usually goes. goodluck tommorow.

philip

Hi Guys,

Just had my Medical Day 1 today and had the scare of my life when i had to repeat my X-ray 3 times. Had to pay additional 300 Php for that too. Anyways, the good news is that i think (?) they did not find any problems with my X-ray after the third time and asked me to continue the rest of my Medical Day 1. I'll be back tomorrow for Medical Day 2 and hopefully get positive results.

Anyone had the same experience? Was there any additional testing or problems on your 2nd day?

Thanks!

hi,

i'm an x-ray technologist by profession so maybe i can help. was your second and third x-ray done in different positions (side and/or leaning back)? if it was done in these positions, it is possible that they saw something in your first chest x-ray. the second and third x-rays are done to verify the initial finding. if it was done the same way as the first one (facing towards the wall), it may be because you didn't take a deep breath or you were moving a bit when the x-ray was taken. btw, medically you don't want "positive" results. this will mean there is something wrong with you. goodluck.

philip

hi everybody,

i'm just waiting for my passport and visa to be delivered. i already posted here earlier that we got approved (the CO told me w/o my asking). now, i just realized something about doc. verification . when the CO told me the visa was approved, does this mean:

- there's no need for doc. verification? i did pay for the verification fee just 3 (yes, it is 3!) days before my interview. is it possible the usem got the doc. verification results that quick??

OR

- the doc. verification is a random thing for the embassy? if so, then i just wasted P650 for nothing! i could have used that money for a nice t-shirt!

if document verification is really a requirement for ALL applications, then the CO's should instead say: "your visa is approved pending doc. verification". just my 2 cents.

philip

congratulations!!