alliejourney

That kind of evidence is hard to collect when you're adjusting from K1, since oftentimes you don't have required documents to open bank accounts, get a driver's license, etc! After all, us USCs agree to financially sponsor our beneficiaries while you navigate immigration and get on your feet. All we submitted was our marriage certificate as per the instructions, but as he received his work authorization and has the ability to become more independent, we've been gathering up evidence of shared address and shared finances, in case we get an RFE for more evidence of a bona fide marriage. I do think others' advice to include photos from the wedding and things like that is wise, I wish I had done that!

Just out of curiosity, by "last August" do you mean August 2023 or August 2024? My husband filed for AOS August 2024 and also had biometrics in October, so just interested if they're starting to touch the August 2024 batches! But no, as others have said, if you've been approved then there will be no interview for you. Congrats!

Agreed! Just sharing my experience.

My husband went through the London embassy and they didn't even collect any of our evidence for the I-134, just the form itself. I did not provide any bank statements, just a letter from my employer certifying my employment and my salary, as well as 3 months of pay stubs and the previous year's W2, all to prove my salary. To my understanding, London is a fairly relaxed embassy as it is considered very low fraud.

This is probably not advice I would give to everyone. I think in general people should probably just follow the proper protocols because they're in place for a reason. But if you're comfortable taking the gamble then you do you.

I'm sure it's different for different field offices, but for us it was fast! The application went from approved to being produced within a day, and then we received it in the mail about ten days after it said it was being produced. The status on myUSCIS didn't even change to "the EAD has been mailed" until after we had actually received it, lol.

No idea why this became a thing, but FWIW I actually really enjoyed the pre-clearance in Dublin. When I reached Cleveland, it was nice to be able to just grab my bags and go home, not have to go through customs when I was ready for my own bed after a long flight!

Any airport that receives international flights can be a POE and should be equipped with appropriate immigration facilities. One thing to bear in mind, though, is that a lot of Cleveland's international flights come from cities that have US pre-clearance. For example, in Dublin, you go through US customs and border control at the Dublin airport, so technically Dublin is an American POE. The same is true of Toronto. So when you're scheduling your flights, that's something to keep in mind - do your research on any connecting flights you may need to take, as you'll want to have ample layover time if that's the case for you! Edit: I just did a quick look at Google flights and there are no direct flights that I can see from Manila to Cleveland. Likely, you'll connect in a different US city that will serve as your port of entry. Again, if that's the case, make sure you have ample layover time!

It does technically meet the "meeting in person in the last 2 years" requirement of the I-129F, but as others have noted, you will face scrutiny about the validity of your relationship if you have only been together in person for 4-5 days before deciding to get married. Much stronger evidence would include longer visits or multiple visits. I know this is an immigration help forum and not a life advice forum, but I would also recommend much more time in person before you, personally, make the decision that this is someone you want to marry. Being in a long distance relationship is very different than living with someone in person.

No updates from me! I filed August 2nd. Looking at the monthly AOS threads, I've seen January 2024 filers start to get some approvals, but also I think someone from June. So I'm checking myUSCIS every day but realistically, as long as all goes well and no RFE, I'm not expecting any updates until summer 2025. Hoping for sooner, of course! 😁

Thank you, that's what I'm hoping! I've heard they do waive the interviews more often than not these days, so I'll be interested to see how things play out from here. I guess I'm curious how they determine whether or not an interview is needed, and whether they'll ask for additional evidence from us AFTER determining that an interview wasn't needed!

Is anyone familiar with what the steps on the myProgress tab might indicate? We filed August 2nd, they received it August 5th, and husband attended biometrics on October 3rd. Then, mid-October the myProgress tab finally showed up and put us in Step 3 (attend interview if needed) with a timeline estimate of 2 months. This morning I logged in and Step 3 has now been marked complete, and we're on Step 4, Case Decision, with a timeline of 12 months. I know the time estimates are famously inaccurate, but I'm curious about what this might mean in terms of whether we may receive an RFE during this case decision time? If they've decided he doesn't need an interview, have they only scanned it enough to determine there's no red flags that may trigger an interview, but we could still get an RFE? Or have they reviewed everything thoroughly enough that we're essentially just in the queue for an approval or denial? I know nobody can know the workings of USCIS, just looking to speculate and hear from others who may have some knowledge of what could happen next based on this tab!

Not every embassy sends back the approved I-129F, just as an FYI! Also, in our case, the A-Number was printed on the NOA2 (the I-797 acceptance notice for the I-129F). In the box that says "Beneficiary", it lists both an A-Number and his name. I would imagine that would be the same case for everyone? So for us we did have his A-Number before his visa was even issued, technically.

OP, I just went through the K1 process, filed in November 2022 and finally had my now-husband moved here and married this summer, 2024. If I could go back knowing then what I know now, I would choose CR-1. While K1 did have some benefits - specifically for us, we didn't like the idea of being separated after marriage - I can imagine how much easier life would be if he had arrived here with his green card and the ability to work. Doing simple things like obtaining a driver's license and opening a US bank account has been a pain for us. We're lucky that we're in a financial situation where we can afford for him not to be working, but that would definitely be a major issue for some people. Plus, the entire adjustment phase that we're going through now is an extra layer of anxiety that we wouldn't have had to worry about had we done CR-1. I wouldn't say I necessarily regret the K1 path because ultimately things have worked out the way they were meant to, but I do think it would have been cheaper and less stressful to go through CR-1.

Since everything is digital now, you may be able to head to your local SSA office the very next (business day) after arriving and apply for the SSN. Just go online and check your I-94, and if the most recent entry on the K1 is on there, you will be ready to apply! Also driver's license is very state dependent so make sure to check out your state's DMV website. In Ohio, we weren't able to get his license until he had received his EAD but, again, it varies state by state. Good luck!

When my husband did his medical in May, VM advised him to wait the 10 days because it could take up to 5 days for them to process/send the results to the embassy, and another 5 days for the embassy to receive/process that information. Again, that was May, so things could have changed in those months if they're advising you differently! Either way though, as said above, it's not the end of the world if your medical hasn't been processed yet by the time of the interview!

No, you have paid taxes on it, there's nothing illegal about that income. It sounds to me like it would be easier to simply include the 1099. It's one extra copy to make and I think it would ease your anxiety about a potential RFE.

As someone already said, you can only disclose your W2 earnings. You don't need to include the freelancing, since it is not required to bring your salary above poverty guidelines. It's fine that it's on your tax transcript. However, if this is stressing you out, I'd say just go ahead and add the freelance earnings, too.

Update, myUSCIS was updated today to show EAD card is being produced! 😁 So quick timeline for those interested: August 2: I-485 Packet mailed (including I-765 application) August 5: I-485 Packet received in lockbox September 11: NOA received September 13: Biometrics appointment scheduled October 3: Biometrics appointment attended, myUSCIS immediately updated to show biometrics have been taken and I-485 case status changed to "Case Is Actively Being Reviewed By USCIS" October 9: myUSCIS updated to show EAD card being produced (I didn't notice until October 10 because I didn't get a notification through email that case status had changed)

I'm not interested in arguing with you, which seems to be your goal since you've replied to me twice because I didn't take the bait the first time. You can believe whatever your ego wants to believe. I will not be responding to you again.

Agreed with what @appleblossom said. It's not only the I-485, but also all of the accompanying forms that make up the entire packet. Again, as a person who personally handled both the paperwork for the I-129F and also the AOS packet for my now-husband very recently, my opinion is the AOS was much more labor intensive and complicated. You're arguing about something you said yourself you didn't do, lol. To speak to the OP, I would not recommend a service. Utilize this forum for resources and you'll be just fine - the whole process is doable without spending money on help!

Maybe it was different when your wife did it, but the AOS packet was much more complicated imo than the I-129F. Still completely doable DIY, but definitely not a simple one page application.

I, like you, was extremely, extremely concerned that any tiny minor mistake would result in a denial. That is just not the case! Agencies like Boundless like to fear monger a little bit to convince you that you need their service. My now husband and I also almost went with Boundless for that reason, until we found this forum and realized how doable it all is. As others have mentioned, though, the only requirements for a K1 visa are proving that you have met in the last 2 years, and that you are both legally free to marry. Any other doubts they may have can and will usually be settled by an RFE. As long as you prove those two things, don't stress about getting rejected - it most likely is not going to happen to you! Now, even though others in this thread have said photos and evidence of relationship isn't necessary (which is true) I did elect to include some in my packet, as well as a letter detailing the circumstances of our meeting online and giving a timeline of all the visits we'd had to one another. (The letter was also meant to introduce/supplement the many boarding passes, passport stamps, and I94 we included.) We had been together for 9 years, so I actually felt an opposite pressure to you - explaining what took us so long! 😄 Again, none of that was necessary, but I was anxious and it made me feel better, and ultimately it didn't hurt. To your point about the consulate finding your 18 month relationship odd - if you peruse this forum, you'll see many K1s that were approved with much shorter relationships. It might not necessarily be socially typical in your circles, but consulates look at things a bit differently, and in this day and age they are very used to seeing online/long distance relationships. I don't see that raising any red flags at all, as long as you can prove you've physically met within the last 2 years of filing. I totally understand why you're anxious, but truly, it sounds like you don't have a lot to worry about! You're at a low fraud consulate. Just follow the rules and the worst thing that will happen is an RFE!

No dampened spirits here! 😁 I know the full process will still take some time. We're mostly just antsy for the EAD, which hopefully should be much quicker than the green card.

Yes, the same thing happened to me. I just hand wrote whatever answers did not print in black ink and my neatest writing. As a side note, make sure to double check all of your checkboxes, as well. One of my checkboxes that I did click in the PDF printed out without a mark in the box, which resulted in an RFE.