dakotan

We talked to a USCIS officer in fFrankfurt a while back and she said that there is an option to extend the validity of an approved I-130, although I do not know exactly how it is done. You might have to ask them directly.

As far as I know it is not possible to extend the visa without major difficulties. But in your case you won't apply for the visa yet anyway, right? Even if you did and they set an interview date, you may be able to prostpone that appointment as well. After all, you wont get the visa without a sponsor.

I don't think I would openly tell anybody at USCIS or the department of state about your sponsorhip problems. Just use your wife's medical condition as a reason - they are way more likely to symapthise with you then and will probably help wherever they can.

Hello again,

I think you are right. I went to the travel.state.gove again, because my embassy in El Salvador also said $400, and upon looking a little closer I saw this:

Immigrant visa security surcharge, for all IV and DV applicants: $45.00

If you add that $45 to the $355 it is $400. As if life wasn't confusing enough already! They should just put out fee charts or something. And I also grow a little weary of all the acronyms. I assume IV means Immigrant Visa and not the roman numeral 4. =) and I don't even know what DV is...

IIRC a DV is a Diversity Visa (the kind that they have the lottery for)

My husband and I have the crazy idea of going to the US the old fashioned way once he gets his IR-1. We'd like to take a cargo ship from Hamburg or Rotterdam to New York. (Compared to a oneway plane ticket these trips aren't even that expensive, often actually cheaper). Plus it would be a lot of fun to get a taste of the way (e)migrating must have been for my great-great-grandparents. Funny, they actually left Hamburg for New York back then and now I'd just love to do it again, some 100 years later.

Oh, and of course there is the luggage issue. The ships we looked at allow 275lbs of luggage per person and there is no weight limit on the individual bag or the number of bags you can carry. As long as you can carry it yourself and store it in your own cabin, you're OK.

Anyway, so much about the dream. But can we actually do that? Will my husband have difficulties entering through the port of New York rather than an airport? Does anybody have any experience on this field?

In Frankfurt the DS230 now costs $400.On the web it may still say $335 or even $380, but in Frankfurt it is $400. I am not sure whether that fee change is also in force in London, though.

You're absolutely not alone. We jsut filed a few days ago and I already find myself desparately searching for other people's timelines in order to predict the amount of time the process will take and by what date we might be able to travel to the US (we are DCF-ers). Sadly, there don't seem to be any very recent timelines for our consulate....

You're right, it doesn't change anything and it is entirely irrational, but so is love. And the latter is the reason for which most of us are going through the entire procedure in the first place, right? So don't worry, you're kust doing what everybody else is doing - whether they admit it or not......

As far as I know, the I864 does not have a fee associated with it.

The DS 230 is expensive though. They charge US$ 400 for each form. This is on top of the $355 for the I-130. However, if I understand it correctly, the $400 are charged at a later time, not immediately when you file the DS 230.

Hello Everybody,

after several months (ok, actually over a year) of procrastinating, we are now finally going to file the I-130 at the consulate in Frankfurt. We are going to file in person since we live in Frankfurt anyway, so mailing it would just cause unnecessary delays, right?

I must admit that after assembling all these documents, I am somewhat (ok, VERY) paranoid about forgetting something or making any terible mistakes. Could you please look at the list below and let me know if I am missing anything?

Also, I have a question regarding the G325s. At the bottom it reads "... print your name...". I have filled out all the forms on the computer and printed them. It only later occurred to me that maybe they want the name to be in handwriting. What do you think?

We have obtained several originals for the marriage and birth certificates for my husband, so we can afford to file originals with all forms. We have also made copies of our entire passports, not just the biographic pages, just to be sure.

I am obviously the wife filing for my husband aka the beneficiary.

Thanks so much for your help!

OK, here's the list for the I-130:

I130

One Photo Husband (Passport style as defined by the State Department)

One Photo Wife (Passport style as defined by the State Department)

Birth Certificate Husband (Original)

Copy of Birth Registration Card Wife

Copy Of Passport Husband

Copy Of Passport Wife

Marriage Certificate (Original)

G325A Husband (all 4 pages)

G325A Wife (all 4 pages)

Evidence:

Meldebescheinigung

Joint checking and money market account receipts

Several letters from friends and relatives addressed to both of us together

For the Visa Application we'll bring these documents

DS-230

Attached sheet with previous stays (way too many for the space on the form)

Birth Certificate Husband (Original)

Marriage Certificate (Original)

Copy Of Passport Husband

Police Certificate Husband

We are also going to bring the Affidavit Of Support, alsthough it probably won't be required just yet, or will it?

I-864

Copy of last tax return

Copy of recent bank statements

Hello Everybody,

after several months (ok, actually over a year) of procrastinating, we are now finally going to file the I-130 at the consulate in Frankfurt. We are going to file in person since we live in Frankfurt anyway, so mailing it would just cause unnecessary delays, right?

I must admit that after assembling all these documents, I am somewhat (ok, VERY) paranoid about forgetting something or making any terible mistakes. Could you please look at the list below and let me know if I am missing anything?

Also, I have a question regarding the G325s. At the bottom it reads "... print your name...". I have filled out all the forms on the computer and printed them. It only later ocurred to me that maybe they want the name to be in handwriting. What do you think?

We have obtained several originals of the marriage and birth certificates for my husband, so we can afford to file originals with all forms. We have also made copies of our entire passports, not just the biographic pages, just to be sure.

I am obviously the wife filing for my husband aka the beneficiary. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much for your help!

dakotan (North Dakotan, that is)

OK, here's the list for the I-130:

I130

One Photo Husband (Passport style as defined by the State Department)

One Photo Wife (Passport style as defined by the State Department)

Birth Certificate Husband (Original)

Copy of Birth Registration Card Wife

Copy Of Passport Husband

Copy Of Passport Wife

Marriage Certificate (Original)

G325A Husband (all 4 pages)

G325A Wife (all 4 pages)

Evidence:

Meldebescheinigung

Joint checking and money market account statements

Several letters from friends and relatives addressed to both of us together

For the Visa Application we'll bring these documents

DS-230

Attached sheet with previous stays (way too many for the space on the form)

Birth Certificate Husband (Original)

Marriage Certificate (Original)

Copy Of Passport Husband

Police Certificate Husband

We are also going to bring the Affidavit of Support, alsthough it probably won't be required just yet, or will it?

I-864

Copy of last tax return

Copy of recent bank statements