stuck_in_manila

i think we've been conned. again.

do you know any american who talks this way, "submit to my husband".... "hurts me below" and other similar phrases? i feel like i'm reading a historical romance book, as the heroine explains the travails she went thru while married to an abusive husband.

if there's anything i've learned in my stay here in the US is that americans are so brutally frank and have no qualms calling a spade a spade.... or in this case, a rape a rape.

perhaps i'm just a cynic or perhaps i just can't imagine anyone allowing another person to treat them the way the OP was supposedly treated. besides, the police is just a phone call away. aside from that, the OP is the citizen, not the other way around.

but then again, i'm just from the village and therefore, i know nothing.

I read stuck_in_manila's post again and have a little more to add:

I tried TaxCut online and got the same numbers, but it was tedious and annoying. TurboTax was better.

Here's where your numbers could be off doing it by hand. If you have other income like Social Security or Earned Income Credit, the foreign income sometimes factors in. If you have a Schedule D for dividends and capital gains, your taxes don't come straight off the tax tables. There is a worksheet to figure and the foreign income gets taken off differently. It's too complicated to explain, but if you have those kinds of things it could bump you up to higher tax total before it goes and subtracts the taxes that would have been paid on the foreign income. It's just a little different tax calculating process than if you only had wages. It does all that in the background without showing you.

And you are amazing understanding the tax things so well!

Most Americans don't have the understanding that you have gained.

thankie. i will try your suggestions.

well, i used to work with numbers ( stock market and later on broadcast - business news) so i'm used to trying to understand compex numbers.

i think i just miss my former work that's why i insisted on doing my hubby's tax return! he he he

Congrats!

thank you:)

Congratulations!

thanks po:)

after a long long wait, exactly 6 months after the mailing of aos papers, we were finally interviewed!

we were scheduled at 10:45 in the morning. according to google, travel time would be about 30 minutes so we left our place an hour before the appointment. my husband was confident that we'll be at the uscis office with much to spare. he said, " at the very least, we'd be there 15 minutes before the interview." In my head, I was comparing the 15 minute window he appropriated to the 3 hours i allotted for the embassy interview. Guys!

we reached the sacramento area a little past ten, so i wasn't worried coz we still had a little over 30 minutes to spare. unfortunately, we made a series of mistakes:

a. we made a wrong turn, so we had to go around (twice) and finally found the way towards capitol mall road

b. we were unfamiliar with the area so we wasted time looking for the best place to park

c. we decided to park at macy's; it was just about 50 meters away from the building, but if you're wearing heels and you're in a hurry, the 50 meter walk can be excruciating

d. finally, we reached the building with 5 minutes to spare. alas, the security was a bit tight so we wasted a few minutes in the lobby (take off the belt, take off the shoes, etc etc)

e. at 10:44, we finally arrived at the 2nd floor of the building. but, we couldn't find the dang room.

i was just about ready to pull my hair and scream out of frustration when we stumbled on the blasted room.

the good news was, there was no custodian of appointment papers. so, even if we were 2 minutes late, we weren't penalized or scolded or turned away (see, my mind was creating all sorts of scenarios while i was literally running along the corridor like a headline chicken!). we just casually dropped our appointment letter and waited to be called.

so, we waited and waited. and waited some more.

the truth was, the waiting lasted for no more than 20 minutes, it just seemed long. we didn't bring stuff to read, and with nothing to do but wait, my husband was getting a bit impatient. he started questioning why people who arrived after us were interviewed ahead of us. i had to placate him, and ended up bribing him with a good massage when we finally get home in exchange for the day's tribulations. it did the trick, thank god! i wanted a few minutes for myself before the interview. i knew that we'd be called anytime soon, and i was worried that i was not worried at all. did that make sense?

anyways, a petite officer finally called my name and so, the hubby and i followed her to her room. (did i mention that we brought one big expandable envelope with tons of docs - all the docs we're submitted along with the 485 application, originals and copies; other docs showing both our names; and 3 big photo albums. in hindsight, i think that added to my husband's growing irritation. the docs and pictures were quite heavy and i couldn't help carry the stuff coz it was heavy and yes, because i didn't want to crumple my blouse. ha ha ha. he asked why i brought so much pics when his sis in law only brought 5 pics and was approved. i simply answered, "it's better to be safe than sorry.")

now i'm digressing.

back to my story: when we entered the room, we waited to be sworn-in before taking our seats.

the interview per se lasted for no more than 10 minutes.

first, the officer rattled off the questions on form 485... questions about terrorism and other stuff... to which i answered no

second, she asked about my personal infos... name, address, birth date and yes, ss number (which she had to write down on my 485 application coz i only got it after the ead was approved)

third, she asked my husband what happened to his first marriage. he frankly said, " we couldnt agree on where to live and that was that"

fourth, she asked if we had a wedding reception

fifth, she asked if we have pieces of evidence to show that we're living together.

i presented the bank statement, then the lease agreement (copies of which she kept). i wanted to show her other stuff, like the tons of utility bills, cards from relations, etc etc. she said no.

then i said, "we brought pictures, if you'd care to look at them." i really thought she'd say no, or at most, just make a cursory glance. to my surprised, she looked at all the pics ( i think she spent more time on my albums than on my docs! )

she made me sign the 485 form i sent, for the amendments (the ssn number and my husband's cel number)

finally she said, "you're approved. you'll be receiving your greencard within 30 days."

my husband said, "we may transfer to another place by the end of feb, can you tell us approximately when it will arrived?" she answered, "you'll probably get it in 2 weeks"

she gave me a piece of paper, which i only glanced at. she then asked "do you have any questions?"

i smiled and said no.

my husband and i thanked her then, we left the office.

my first thought after leaving the uscis office, "finally i can eat! ha ha ha."

to date, i've received a welcome letter. i suppose the card will arrive next week.

thanks everyone for the help. while i don't post a lot, i do read. i got tons of very insightful information from this site and i'm very grateful.

a year and a half from today, i'd probably start badgering you guys for infos on removing conditions.

tres bien merci!

What kind of paper did the officer give you? Did the officer stamp anything on your paperwork and to the piece of paper she gave you?

the paper i got was a "hand delivered" approval notice.

it starts with, " you have been granted lawful permanent resident status as of..."

the officer wrote something on my visa, i really can't decipher the entire thing, but one part says, sacramento and the interview's date.

after a long long wait, exactly 6 months after the mailing of aos papers, we were finally interviewed!

we were scheduled at 10:45 in the morning. according to google, travel time would be about 30 minutes so we left our place an hour before the appointment. my husband was confident that we'll be at the uscis office with much to spare. he said, " at the very least, we'd be there 15 minutes before the interview." In my head, I was comparing the 15 minute window he appropriated to the 3 hours i allotted for the embassy interview. Guys!

we reached the sacramento area a little past ten, so i wasn't worried coz we still had a little over 30 minutes to spare. unfortunately, we made a series of mistakes:

a. we made a wrong turn, so we had to go around (twice) and finally found the way towards capitol mall road

b. we were unfamiliar with the area so we wasted time looking for the best place to park

c. we decided to park at macy's; it was just about 50 meters away from the building, but if you're wearing heels and you're in a hurry, the 50 meter walk can be excruciating

d. finally, we reached the building with 5 minutes to spare. alas, the security was a bit tight so we wasted a few minutes in the lobby (take off the belt, take off the shoes, etc etc)

e. at 10:44, we finally arrived at the 2nd floor of the building. but, we couldn't find the dang room.

i was just about ready to pull my hair and scream out of frustration when we stumbled on the blasted room.

the good news was, there was no custodian of appointment papers. so, even if we were 2 minutes late, we weren't penalized or scolded or turned away (see, my mind was creating all sorts of scenarios while i was literally running along the corridor like a headline chicken!). we just casually dropped our appointment letter and waited to be called.

so, we waited and waited. and waited some more.

the truth was, the waiting lasted for no more than 20 minutes, it just seemed long. we didn't bring stuff to read, and with nothing to do but wait, my husband was getting a bit impatient. he started questioning why people who arrived after us were interviewed ahead of us. i had to placate him, and ended up bribing him with a good massage when we finally get home in exchange for the day's tribulations. it did the trick, thank god! i wanted a few minutes for myself before the interview. i knew that we'd be called anytime soon, and i was worried that i was not worried at all. did that make sense?

anyways, a petite officer finally called my name and so, the hubby and i followed her to her room. (did i mention that we brought one big expandable envelope with tons of docs - all the docs we're submitted along with the 485 application, originals and copies; other docs showing both our names; and 3 big photo albums. in hindsight, i think that added to my husband's growing irritation. the docs and pictures were quite heavy and i couldn't help carry the stuff coz it was heavy and yes, because i didn't want to crumple my blouse. ha ha ha. he asked why i brought so much pics when his sis in law only brought 5 pics and was approved. i simply answered, "it's better to be safe than sorry.")

now i'm digressing.

back to my story: when we entered the room, we waited to be sworn-in before taking our seats.

the interview per se lasted for no more than 10 minutes.

first, the officer rattled off the questions on form 485... questions about terrorism and other stuff... to which i answered no

second, she asked about my personal infos... name, address, birth date and yes, ss number (which she had to write down on my 485 application coz i only got it after the ead was approved)

third, she asked my husband what happened to his first marriage. he frankly said, " we couldnt agree on where to live and that was that"

fourth, she asked if we had a wedding reception

fifth, she asked if we have pieces of evidence to show that we're living together.

i presented the bank statement, then the lease agreement (copies of which she kept). i wanted to show her other stuff, like the tons of utility bills, cards from relations, etc etc. she said no.

then i said, "we brought pictures, if you'd care to look at them." i really thought she'd say no, or at most, just make a cursory glance. to my surprised, she looked at all the pics ( i think she spent more time on my albums than on my docs! )

she made me sign the 485 form i sent, for the amendments (the ssn number and my husband's cel number)

finally she said, "you're approved. you'll be receiving your greencard within 30 days."

my husband said, "we may transfer to another place by the end of feb, can you tell us approximately when it will arrived?" she answered, "you'll probably get it in 2 weeks"

she gave me a piece of paper, which i only glanced at. she then asked "do you have any questions?"

i smiled and said no.

my husband and i thanked her then, we left the office.

my first thought after leaving the uscis office, "finally i can eat! ha ha ha."

to date, i've received a welcome letter. i suppose the card will arrive next week.

thanks everyone for the help. while i don't post a lot, i do read. i got tons of very insightful information from this site and i'm very grateful.

a year and a half from today, i'd probably start badgering you guys for infos on removing conditions.

tres bien merci!

hi there congrats! i'll have my interview in Sacramento also though I don't have a sched yet but since I filed in Nov. I'll probably have the interview in May or the latest in June. I really appreciate that you shared your experience. My husband had a hard time also finding the location of the USCIS office when he had his naturalization interview. He was so mad that he called me telling me that he could not make it to the interview because he couldn't find the place and that he had no other way to get me here blah blah blah but after 20 mins he called me up and he did pass the interview.....anway congrats again and God bless!

apparently, there's a public parking area right across the uscis building!

Congratulations!!! . Hope you'll get your GC on the mail soon.

thankie:)

yup, i'm hoping to get it soon so i can remove a copy of my visa in my wallet! he he he!

Congratulations

thanks a bunch!

ooops...

"headless chicken" not headline! ha ha ha

after a long long wait, exactly 6 months after the mailing of aos papers, we were finally interviewed!

we were scheduled at 10:45 in the morning. according to google, travel time would be about 30 minutes so we left our place an hour before the appointment. my husband was confident that we'll be at the uscis office with much to spare. he said, " at the very least, we'd be there 15 minutes before the interview." In my head, I was comparing the 15 minute window he appropriated to the 3 hours i allotted for the embassy interview. Guys!

we reached the sacramento area a little past ten, so i wasn't worried coz we still had a little over 30 minutes to spare. unfortunately, we made a series of mistakes:

a. we made a wrong turn, so we had to go around (twice) and finally found the way towards capitol mall road

b. we were unfamiliar with the area so we wasted time looking for the best place to park

c. we decided to park at macy's; it was just about 50 meters away from the building, but if you're wearing heels and you're in a hurry, the 50 meter walk can be excruciating

d. finally, we reached the building with 5 minutes to spare. alas, the security was a bit tight so we wasted a few minutes in the lobby (take off the belt, take off the shoes, etc etc)

e. at 10:44, we finally arrived at the 2nd floor of the building. but, we couldn't find the dang room.

i was just about ready to pull my hair and scream out of frustration when we stumbled on the blasted room.

the good news was, there was no custodian of appointment papers. so, even if we were 2 minutes late, we weren't penalized or scolded or turned away (see, my mind was creating all sorts of scenarios while i was literally running along the corridor like a headline chicken!). we just casually dropped our appointment letter and waited to be called.

so, we waited and waited. and waited some more.

the truth was, the waiting lasted for no more than 20 minutes, it just seemed long. we didn't bring stuff to read, and with nothing to do but wait, my husband was getting a bit impatient. he started questioning why people who arrived after us were interviewed ahead of us. i had to placate him, and ended up bribing him with a good massage when we finally get home in exchange for the day's tribulations. it did the trick, thank god! i wanted a few minutes for myself before the interview. i knew that we'd be called anytime soon, and i was worried that i was not worried at all. did that make sense?

anyways, a petite officer finally called my name and so, the hubby and i followed her to her room. (did i mention that we brought one big expandable envelope with tons of docs - all the docs we're submitted along with the 485 application, originals and copies; other docs showing both our names; and 3 big photo albums. in hindsight, i think that added to my husband's growing irritation. the docs and pictures were quite heavy and i couldn't help carry the stuff coz it was heavy and yes, because i didn't want to crumple my blouse. ha ha ha. he asked why i brought so much pics when his sis in law only brought 5 pics and was approved. i simply answered, "it's better to be safe than sorry.")

now i'm digressing.

back to my story: when we entered the room, we waited to be sworn-in before taking our seats.

the interview per se lasted for no more than 10 minutes.

first, the officer rattled off the questions on form 485... questions about terrorism and other stuff... to which i answered no

second, she asked about my personal infos... name, address, birth date and yes, ss number (which she had to write down on my 485 application coz i only got it after the ead was approved)

third, she asked my husband what happened to his first marriage. he frankly said, " we couldnt agree on where to live and that was that"

fourth, she asked if we had a wedding reception

fifth, she asked if we have pieces of evidence to show that we're living together.

i presented the bank statement, then the lease agreement (copies of which she kept). i wanted to show her other stuff, like the tons of utility bills, cards from relations, etc etc. she said no.

then i said, "we brought pictures, if you'd care to look at them." i really thought she'd say no, or at most, just make a cursory glance. to my surprised, she looked at all the pics ( i think she spent more time on my albums than on my docs! )

she made me sign the 485 form i sent, for the amendments (the ssn number and my husband's cel number)

finally she said, "you're approved. you'll be receiving your greencard within 30 days."

my husband said, "we may transfer to another place by the end of feb, can you tell us approximately when it will arrived?" she answered, "you'll probably get it in 2 weeks"

she gave me a piece of paper, which i only glanced at. she then asked "do you have any questions?"

i smiled and said no.

my husband and i thanked her then, we left the office.

my first thought after leaving the uscis office, "finally i can eat! ha ha ha."

to date, i've received a welcome letter. i suppose the card will arrive next week.

thanks everyone for the help. while i don't post a lot, i do read. i got tons of very insightful information from this site and i'm very grateful.

a year and a half from today, i'd probably start badgering you guys for infos on removing conditions.

tres bien merci!

When using turbo tax did you include the foreign wages when entering w-2 page ? From w hat I remember turbo tax asks if you earned any income outside of the US as question and you should answe yes and it will take you through the steps. Once you review your return it will prob fill out the ez form with the information.

hmnnn, i dont think i did.

i placed it under other income (since it's a foreign income and i essentialliy mimicked how form 1040 "treated" that sort of income.)

aside from that, i dont have w2.

my former employer used to file all our taxes. we normally get our copies after the filing deadline, which is also on the 15th of april. i tried to plead/beg/coerce the staff to send me a copy of my w2, but i've yet to hear from them. (they're just so efficient i swear, but that's another story)

How you did it was the right way. Also look at Pub 519 for some options about being treated as a resident for the full year.

thankie.

but yes, i think i'm under the full-year resident category since i've spent more than half of the year (2008) here.

hi all!

it's tax season once again, and yes, i'm amongst those who are lost (and confused) over the taxation system!

anyways, here goes our situation:

the wife, that's me, a resident alien (having met the 184 plus days requirement as indicated on publication 54) ; hubby, usc

the couple are planning on file under married filling jointly

the wife earned some money (3 months work) from back home (the philippines) and intended to include it in the joint filling; no income since arriving in the us

the irs staff (thru phone) advised us to use 1040 and to attach form 2555ez (to exclude foreign income)

i filled out the 1040 and 2555ez forms on my own ( i was crazy enough to argue with the hubby that there's no need to hire somebody else when i'm available 24/7 and that the us taxation system can't be too complicated!) - this statement will definitely haunt me for years to come

after filling out the form, i visited various tax-filling company (online - turbo tax, h&r etc) to compare what i did.

alas! not only did we have different numbers, but the companies gave differing numbers (insofar as tax refund and a few other numbers are concerned)

so my question is, how should the foreign income be treated to begin with?

here's how i did it: on form 1040 line 7 (wages, etc), i added my foreign earnings on my husband's earnings. the irs staff assured me that the mentioned increase will be neutralized by subtracting the same amount (by placing it on line 21 of form 1040 - the figure is extracted from line 18 of form 2555ez)

the problem is, i tried it on turbo tax.

they deducted my foreign income from my husband's wages, etc. resulting to lower gross taxable income. i believe that my foreign income should not affect our gross taxable income (since under 2555ez i've already asked for an exemption and therefore the foreign earnings shouldn't affect anything at all and is just included on the form for declaration purposes, and yes, to follow the letters of the law). am i mistaken?

gosh, i'm not an accountant nor am i a tax professional but shouldnt tax regulations be understadable by everyone?

any inputs will be greatly appreciated!

hugz all!

Congratulations for the approvals and patience for the ones still waiting

We received a request for further information last week, they say my medical records are not in their files

and that I need to re-submit them.

We live in a rural area and the nearest approvel civil surgeon is 6-7 hours drive. I am traying to set up an appointment with him but at the same time I send an e-mail to the American Embassy in my home country to see if they can send a copy (I got this tip on visajourney). We hope to get this done in the next few weeks.

Sylvia

oh no! such a hassle. i do hope you'll get a copy from the embassy!

goodluck!

omgomgomg!!!! FINALLY!!! hehe soo happy

Application Type: I765, APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION

Current Status: Card production ordered.

On November 20, 2008, we ordered production of your new card. Please allow 30 days for your card to be mailed to you. If we need something from you we will contact you. If you move before you receive the card, call customer service. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we process your case. Just follow the link below to register.

So how long did it take until you guys received yours?

congrats!

next, you'll receive a message that says, approval notice sent. roughly 10 days from the date of that notice, you should receive your ead card.

goodluck on your interview!

congrats!

mine's scheduled this friday, and although i've been driving for years in manila, takot pa rin ako! he he he... di kasi uso ang rules sa atin! he he he

hopefully, but friday i've unlearned the bad driving tactics i knew from driving back home.

congrats:)

hi.

you need your old nbi clearance (if any) and an identification card and application fee (cant remember how much exactly, but i think something like 120)

waiting time varies, anywhere between one and three weeks (depending on whether you're hit, meaning, you're unfortunate enough to have the same name with someone who has a record).

how much time you will spend filing your application will also depend on a host of factors, including: the day and time you will go to their office, human traffic and their lunch/merienda break. unfortunately, the queue seems to be almost always long. bring a fan, water and a hankie! he he he

good luck on your journey!

that's the affidavit of support which your fiance needs to send you (remind him to have it notarized).

you need to present this, together with other required documents, to the consul during your interview.

good luck on your journey!

Hi july filers. Hope eeveryone is doing good. Ill have my behind the wheel test tomorrow at dmv (wish me luck)..Im busy attending trainings and courses . Good luck to us all. BLessings :-)

hi richo!

how did your behind the wheel test go? i'm having mine next friday and i'm a bit scared!

thanks:)

the most common questions are:

how long have you known each other?

how did you meet?

when did you get married? where? reception, if any?

was your husband married before? does he have kids? do you know them/their names/bdays?

were you married before? kids if any? do the kids like your husband (vice versa)

what's your main form of communication/how do you stay in touch? do you have proofs (pictures, receipts, etc)?

what does your husband do for a living? do you have his employment letters, tax returns, etc?

will you work when you're already in the us?

are you working right now? where? what do you do?

have you applied for a us visa before? when? what for?

questions will be solely about you guys/your relationship. tell your wife to smile even if it pains her to do so.

goodluck!

I just checked my case online. Finally we are approved!

Application Type: I485, APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUSCurrent Status: Card production ordered.On November 10, 2008, we ordered production of your new card. Please allow 30 days for your card to be mailed to you. If we need something from you we will contact you. If you move before you receive the card, call customer service. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we process your case. Just follow the link below to register.

Good luck for upcoming interviews!!!!

congrats!

we're still waiting for the interview letter... or the green card itself? he he he. hopefully something will come up soon, or i will go crazy:)

congrats:)

just got home from my dmv written test:) nest stop, behind the wheel.

still waiting for the interview letter though. sigh.

congrats....

kaaliw naman ng story nyo:)

that should teach me to leave the house early! he he he

congrats:)