OldUser

They've lived separately before. I can't think how this can be approved.

Based on OP's history, the I-751 is unlikely going to be approved... I think it's been heading to for denial a long time now. Maybe USCIS is waiting for the marriage to fall apart.

Yes in my opinion I think you have big issues already and this move (even "temporary" 1 year) will make chances of I-751 approval even lower.

Yes, I believe they have to obtain such certificate from all countries including their country of origin where they lived for over 6 months at any point of their life. I believe some countries would allow to get such certificate without going there. E.g. through consulates etc.

The best time to change the name, in my opinion, is when getting married OR during her N-400. Everything else can have small negative impacts when dealing with various agencies, airlines etc. No, changing the name won't change SSN.

It's possible. But until you get both I-130 and I-485 approved, I would not believe a single word from an online Tier 1 agent. You still may get an interview.

Oh man... I remember copy / pasting a few questions from VJ to Chat GPT. Due to many people not knowing what they're asking, Chat GPT produced horrible results. I wouldn't trust AI with such complex thing just yet.

You or your wife needs file for divorce. Then you need to write to USCIS asking to convert your case to divorce waiver. Include copy of your divorce filing or divorce decree. Better hire a lawyer to help you with this. I don't think you understand the complexity of this case.

Not a lawyer but AFAIK: 1. Yes 2. NOA-1 3. No

Fantastic!

Thank you for this valuable information. Now everything falls in its place.

Reentry permit is for temporary absense from the US. Now the problem is: how do you define "temporary"? If somebody went overseas for 20 years but then came back to the US to live another 30. Was this a temporary absense? It looks like, DHS / USCIS's definition of temporary is up to 2 years. This is why they only issue permits of up to 2 years. Beyond that is luck of the draw.

The more times you talk to CBP the more chance is your LPR may get in danger. That's all I know.

Good summary!

"As a US permanent resident, you are required to maintain your status. Leaving the US for 6 months or longer, or frequent travel out of the country, can put your status at risk. Immigration officers may check to see if you have abandoned your status. Your status can be abandoned if your trip outside of the US was not temporary. Temporary means that at the time you left the US, and throughout the entire time you were outside of the US, you had the intention to return to the US as your home or place of employment. The trip should be for a definite reason and should be expected to terminate within a relatively short period of time. A reentry permit helps to protect your status because it creates a legal presumption that your travel outside of the US was temporary as defined above. The issue with applying for multiple reentry permits is that once you've already received multiple reentry permits, it becomes increasingly difficult to prove that your travels and absence from the US are truly temporary in nature" Source: https://www.ashoorilaw.com/blog/how-many-times-can-i-apply-for-a-reentry-permit/ @melbr I may be able to find examples of cases which didn't work out. At the same time, I haven't met personally who managed to pull this off successfully or found data points suggesting it's easy. How are you going to maintain your ties to the US while overseas for 6 years? Do you have a property in the US?

I've seen some passengers being asked to show IDs or declare cash when travelling from US to Turkey. Not sure if this is similar to your experience @Timona?

Seems like the factsheet is from 2014?

What destination where you going to? I heard this only applies to some destinations.

I'm afraid you would have to make difficult decisions as to what to prioritize - Green Card or degree. There's four scenarios I'm going to describe below. Only one of them is reliable. #1 You can file re-entry permit I-131 which gives you ability to stay outside of the US for up to 2 years. Theoretically you can keep filing it. Every time you'd come to the US, file it, wait for notice biometrics, and leave to South America. In practice though, this plan may not work and your LPR status may be taken away. I do not recommend this. Only if your studies were under 2 years. #2 If your GC is still valid, say it has another 8 years, you could go study for 6 years and try coming back after graduating. Some people were lucky and never lost their status after long absense from the US. I do not recommend this, because it is a very risky thing to do, and success chance is not high. #3 If you're married to a US citizen, even if you lose your LPR status, you can be sponsored again. Not a bulletproof plan either, because marriages sometimes fall apart. I do not recommend this. #4 The only way you can guarantee you'll have access to the US after spending 6+ years overseas is to naturalize first. Get US citizenship, then you can do whatever you want. Obviously, this may not align with your life plans. I can only recommend this. Other than #4, I cannot think how you can guarantee your return to the US. Agreed, that's the only viable option.

I think you're overthinking it. You had a valid reason not to have your KZ passport. Do you have any docs confirming you renounced your KZ citizenship?

@mandichaves Unless you're 100% sure, give it a few days and withdraw the petition with a cool head. This forum occasionally sees questions about undoing the cancelled K-1 etc, or un-withdrawing petitions. It becomes impossible and if you decide to re-unite you'll have to start from scratch. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

The other people in line adjusting is what taking time. You will have to submit biometrics, USCIS will conduct a background check. Then there will be a long break. Then Immigration Officer will review your file, issue RFE or decision OR call you for an interview, then make a decision. Then USCIS will order your Green Card to be produced. Then it will be shipped to you. On the positive side, I would NOT believe anything USCIS Tier 1 officer says. He or she must have made up 2026 so you don't bother them. It'll probably take between 1 and 2 years. I'd expect 2024 or maybe 2025 the latest. But you can check with fellow members of VJ to see how quickly cases filed around the same time get approved.

No, K-1 is not the only option. CR-1 is also an option. Are you sure you're marrying for valid reasons and not for immigration benefit? Waiting is going to be a part of both K-1 and CR-1. With K-1 you may be waiting in the US without a job for many months. It's not a cheap place and it can put pressure on new marriage.

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources/study-for-the-test

I'm sorry about your loss. All you need is I-90. You can file renewal 6 months before expiry. Once you file I-90, you'll get a I-797 Notice of Action, which will extend validity of your Green Card. When you try submitting I-90 online, does it ask for death certificate there? If it does, you can scan it in a PDF file and attach the file to your application. You do not file any other forms other than I-90 and pay the fees + biometric fees. You can file I-90 any time now. You may need to attend biometrics appointment. Travel overseas with extension letter. Based on your dates, you won't need it to reenter the US as your GC would still be valid. But this is to account for changes to itenary delaying your return passed expiration date on Green Card.