Edward and Jaycel

Is there any hurry to get the name changed on your SS card? You can have it done via the AOS process. We put Jaycel’s new married name as her “Legal Name” on the I-485 and I-765, checked yes that she had been issued a SSN, and checked yes that she wants the SSA to issue her a new card on both forms. Once they approve her I-765, the new card should come in her new married name and when the new card comes after they approve her I-485 it will come with the “Valid for employment only with DHS approval” restriction notice removed

Yes it officially registers your marriage overseas with the Philippine Statistics Authority. If your wife wants to change her Philippine passport to her married name it will be required. Also if you ever want a spousal visa to the Philippines it will make that process easier. A "Report of Marriage" with the Philippine consulate is necessary if you are a Filipino citizen who got married abroad, as it officially registers your marriage with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), ensuring your marriage is recognized and recorded in the Philippines, even if the wedding took place overseas; essentially, it serves as a legal declaration that your marriage occurred and allows for proper documentation in your home country. Key points about the Report of Marriage: Legal requirement: Under Philippine law, Filipinos who marry abroad are required to report their marriage to the nearest Philippine consulate to have it officially registered. Proof of marriage: The Report of Marriage acts as a document proving your marital status in the Philippines, even if you have a marriage certificate from the country where you were married. Access to benefits: Registering your marriage through a Report of Marriage can be crucial for accessing certain benefits or services in the Philippines that require proof of marital status.

You would need one if you plan to do a Report of Marriage with the Philippine Consulate. Otherwise, I am not aware of USCIS, NVC or the Embassy requiring an apostille copy of the marriage certificate. Just an official copy should do.

There is a place on the Immigrant Visa Inquiry Form online for attaching documents. Maybe send an inquiry explaining that she forgot to send the 221g form with her passport and CENOMAR and then attach a scan of the completed form to the inquiry? I don't know if that will work but maybe worth a try?

I know it sucks man... Jaycel and I waited 265 days for our NOA2 for the K-1. It ended up being 50 weeks from application date until she arrived here in the US. All I can tell you is that it is worth it and once you guys are reunited, all of the delays getting there just fade into the background. Wish you a speedy approval and interview process!

Believe me I get it... Jaycel and I were worrying the whole time our AOS was in transit to the lockbox and we had a tracking number to follow Then we spent this whole week worrying that our package would just sit in a pile and not get processed until we saw they cashed our checks and we got our eNotification this afternoon. This whole process is full of waiting and wondering and I don't think we will ever get used to it! LOL Hopefully the journey to naturalization goes quickly for all of us

Ok then the UPS store sent it via USPS not UPS because USPS is the only carrier that handles First Class Mail

Did you send it from the UPS Store? They should have given you a receipt for your payment which would have the tracking number on it.

Co-mingling finances is the gold standard for USCIS (from everything I have read) along with proof of co-habitation as spouses. This is what we put in our I-485 that we just sent in: o Photos taken at our Wedding and Celebratory Dinner on October 25th, 2024 – 3 Pages o Copy of our Wedding Invitation o Copy of our Joint Apartment Lease (In my maiden name as we signed it before our marriage) – 24 Pages o Copy of our first Joint Bank Account Statement from XXXXXXX Bank – 6 Pages o Copy of My Husband’s Work Benefits Summary with me Included on his Health Insurance as Spouse and as the sole Beneficiary of his Life and AD&D Insurance Policies (Coverage for the Remainder of 2024) – 2 Pages o Copy of My Husband’s Work Benefits Summary with me Included on his Health Insurance and Life Insurance Plan as Spouse and as the sole Beneficiary of his Life and AD&D Insurance Policies (2025 Enrollment) – 2 Pages o Copy of my husband’s retirement plan beneficiary page listing me as Primary and Sole Beneficiary o Copy of my husband’s Last Will and Testament with me listed as Personal Representative and Sole Beneficiary – 9 Pages o Copy of my husband’s Power of Attorney for Healthcare with me listed as his “Agent” – 4 Pages o Copy of my husband’s Human Resources Portal page with me listed as his Emergency Contact

For divorce decrees/certificates, Embassies usually want a certified copy or the original so that they can feel the raised seal. Make copies of these as well, as the Consular Officer may request copies after examining the original/certified copy. For the I-134, Declaration of Support, scanned copies emailed to the beneficiary and then printed out are generally accepted. Check your embassy's website for any specific requirements.

*** Update *** Jaycel just got the text notification with the case numbers for the I-485 and the I-765! @Mahmoud Kassab @ETM8986 I just noticed you guys aren't following this thread so I tagged you here 😁

I switched jobs right before (Exactly 1 week before) I filed the I-129F for Jaycel and had no issues. We also went through the Embassy in Manila and they didn't even ask for the I-134 at her interview. They have a reputation of not requiring it. That's not to say they won't ask for it when your fiancee goes for her interview so definitely fill it out, sign it and scan it and all the supporting docs to send to her before the interview just in case. You definitely do not file it with the I-129F.

Agree 100% with the other members here that the spousal visa process seems to fit best for you guys based on the info you provided. Might I also add... with the guides and other resources available here on VJ, as well as the wealth of knowledge residing in the brains of the members who are always willing to answer questions... Please avoid any of these "Immigration Services" companies out there that try to tell you that, for a fee, they can do the paperwork and file for you. They are nothing but headaches waiting to happen. Jaycel made friends with another Filipina here that came over on a K-1 visa 3 years ago. They hired a service to "help" them do their AOS and they got the application rejected their first time and got an RFE on their second go-around. Use the resources here for the process and try to do the paperwork yourself. If it proves too overwhelming, then if you're going to spend money anyway, hire an attorney that does nothing but immigration, preferably specializing in family-based immigration. That's my 2 cents 😁 Best of luck to you

Woke up this morning and looked at our bank account and saw that USCIS had cashed both of our checks... the one for $1,440 for the I-485 and the one for $260 for the I-765! 😁 No e-Notification yet. Hopefully that will come today. At least we know it's not sitting in a pile of packages somewhere LOL

Thank you!! We are praying every night for a speedy NOA1 and a fair and kind adjudicating officer 😃

We are hoping to get the e-notification from USCIS today or tomorrow that they accepted our AoS package 🤞

Sending good thoughts your way!

I think it's a case of typical government employees... Some will give you the common timeframe and some will give you the worst case scenario just to cover their behinds. LOL

So happy for you guys!!!

Gentle correction here.... The NOA 2 from USCIS for a K-1 does not contain your new case number. That will be assigned by NVC once they enter your case into their system. The NOA 2 should contain your beneficiary's A Number from USCIS, but you will not get your DoS case number until NVC puts you in their system and then, yes, it should start with BMB and a series of numbers beginning with 2024 if they assign it by December 31.

You cannot call the NVC anymore… use this link to send an inquiry https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html

You can contact them using this link… put in the required information and you n the section where it says “Enter your inquiry below:” tell them your NOA2 date and that you are trying to get your case number. In that space also tell them that you want to make sure that they have your and your beneficiary’s correct email addresses and give them both of your email addresses. Then in the spot provided, attach a scan of your NOA2. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html

We are happy to help our fellow immigration journey travelers 😁

Yes... the guy from SSA that processed her application said that it could take up to 4 weeks

If you look at my post in the thread I opened for November AOS filers, you can see the list of contents from my cover letters for the I-485, I-864 & I-765 packets