txladykat

Congrats! We all know that feeling! As a side note, if you haven't received your SSN in 3 weeks, take your passport and welcome letter and go to your local SSA office. They forgot to issue one to my husband, even though we requested one, so we went down and got one issued the very same day. The GC arrived exactly one month after his arrival (he just got it Monday

Some embassies take walkins to file, some require appointmnents, and some take them only by mail. You need to contact your embassy and find out what their procedures are for filing the I-130

THe person sponsoring the immigrant can only file DCF if they have resided in that country legally for 6 months continuously, so filing after a 3 month stay is not an option. However, DCF does tend to be much faster.

You are required to get a police certificate from any place that you you resided for 6 months or longer, no exceptions.

The G325 the pages 2-4 of the G325 are merely copies of the first page. Whether filing here or there, you can do it yourself if you are confident in your ability to comprehend the papers and follow the instructions in English. It really is a very straight forwared process, just very paper intensive.

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, I would say yes, do it yourself and save the 2,000 USD. The fees for filing total about 1000 USD.

domicile isn't as much an issue when the country you are immigrating from is not high on the fraud list

typically voter registration, current driver license, bank accounts, credit accounts, etc. from the US are all that is needed to establish domicile when applying from a country that is not high on the fraud list. If the country is high on the fraud list, they are now asking the USC to go to the states and actually establish a residence rather than just "domicile".

We expected a long delay as he was traveling on July 3rd so we allowed 5 hours for my husband's processing. Well, he was first in line and there wasn't even a line when he got there, so his processing took all of about 5 minutes! The POE was Newark. Luckily, he was able to get bumped up to an earlier flight, so he only had to wait 3 hours

navyswife, I answered those questions for you in another thread yesterday.

The fee for filing the I-130 is $355 US dollars. You need to check with your embassy on their requirements for filing the I-130. Every embassy is different on their procedures. After you have filed the I-130, if it is approved you will receive packet 3 in the mail, which outlines the next steps, basically telling you what documents you need to gather and giving you the immigrant petition form. When you have completed everything outlined in packet 3, you return that packet to the embassy, and they will then send you information on getting the medical and setting the interview date.

Go look at my posts. I posted the verbage a couple weeks back

As a side note, after 3 weeks we went down to the SSA office to find out my husband's SSN as he needed it for a job. Immigration had not even requested one yet, even though we checked that option, so they issued on there on the spot.

If you haven't received the SSN after 3 weeks, take her passport and welcome letter to your local SSA office and they will assign her a SSN immediately.

He medical comes first. You pay the 400 at the time of interview. The 400 isn't a visa fee, it's actually a visa application fee so you pay it even if the visa is denied

navyswife. I answered all your questions and outlined the process for you in another thread that you posted in. DCF is not a term for I-130. DCF stands for Direct Consular Filing. I-130 is the petition you file for family members, it can be filed in the US or in the country where the US citizen is residing (in your case phillipines).

The cost is $355 US to file the I-130, $400 for the immigrant visa, plus the cost of the medical exam, which usually runs about $300 USD. You are looking at about $1,000 US dollars total. The $355 is paid when you file the I-130. The $400 is paid at the time of the interview.

DCF stands for Direct Consular Filing. It simply means you have the right to file the I-130 overseas at a US embassy. They are saying after your husband's I-130 is approved, he must then return to the states in order to establish a domicile there. Different consulars are now requiring this (though not all of them are, mine didnt). I think it just depends on the embassy and whether it is a country with a lot of family immigration to the US.

So, your husband would file the I-130 at the embassy. Once you receive packet 3 from the embassy, it means it was approved. He then needs to return to the US and show he is living there, paying bills there, etc., then you will file your paperwork to receive the actual visa (this paperwork will be included in packet 3).

After you get packet 3, you send back the required forms, then they send you packet 4 which tells about the medical exam and sets your interview date. After this, you receive a CR-1 visa, which is the visa that allows you to enter the country. When you enter the country with this visa, they place a stamp in your passport. This visa and stamp combined act as your temporary green card until you get the actual green card in the mail (usually within a month after arriving in the US). Typically, your should receive your social security card in that same time, but not always. After three weeks, my husband hadn't received his so we went down to the social security administration. They advised that a number had not even been requested on his behalf, so they requested and issued one right then and there.

Note the address you list on your I864 will depend on if you have returned to the states or not when you file it. For example, when I filed my I-130 DCF, I was obviously still overseas. But, by the time I was required to file my I-864, I had already returned to the US to start a job, so I of course listed my US address.

Yes, once the I-130 has been filed, the USC can return to the states. I recommend waiting until you know the I-130 has been approved before he leaves though, just in case there are any problems or they have questions.

It isnt the stamp that says I-551, its the visa. The stamp doesn't always overlap (my husband's didnt) but it was stamped on the page directly above his CR-1 visa. If you have a stamp overlapping or on the page directly above the visa, then you have permanent resident status.

I agree, I would wait the 4.5 months and file DCF since you plan on staying there anywhere. The process is faster and MUCH easier.

AP is Administrative Processing. There is no timeline, as each case is different, it could be a month to a year or more.

American Domicile: establish bank accounts, register for voting, obtain (or renew) driver license, register children in a school, sign a lease on an apartment/house, obtain a job. You basically have to show you have ties to the US still.

Hy All,

My interview held at US Embassy Islamabad on 29th July. They asked me about my wife's American Domicile that we didn't had. Actually she is American Citizen but she lives in Pak since last 4 year and she dont have American Domicile.

They gave us a blue letter and ask us to do some solid steps to get the American Domicile, and the put the case on AP as well.

Can anyone tell me that what is AP and how long it will take and what is the process to get American domicile.

We'll be realy thanfull if you come up with some helpfull response / suggession.

Regards,

M.M-Omar

Lahore, Pakistan.

Start gathering documents:

1. Police certificates from any location the immigrant has lived for a period of 6 months or longer;

2. Birth certificates for any children of the immigrant (whether they are immigrating or not)

3. Divorce decrees for the immigrant;

4. proof of military service for immigrant (if applicable)

6. I-864 completed by sponsor (and joint sponsors if you need them)

7. last three years tax returns for sponsor (or tax transcripts)

8. proof of bona fide marriage.

9. proof of domicile in the US (bank statements, credit card statements, driver license, voter registration, lease or home ownership (if applicable)

10. if you feel confident in your application, you can begin the medical process. the medical is good for one year. the medical must be done by an approved panel physician. Go to www.uscis.gov and there is a search feature to find approved panel physicians in your country.

I might have left some things out, but this is what pops in mind at the moment.

Their was a time when we heard in some forum that “DCF is not possible now in India”

My wife (US citizen) personally went to USCIS, Delhi to ask the same question, but they had denied saying “US citizen must apply from USA ONLY “

Finally we have decided to write a mail to cis.ndi@dhs.gov for the appointment.

In reply we got below mail --------------

--------------------------------------------

Please be advised that only the U.S. Citizens whose principle abode is in India are eligible to file the I-130 application for their immediate relative. You need to provide the evidential documentation to prove your abode in India .

For more detailed instructions please click here for filing I-130 application.

Effective May 1, 2009; the exchange rate will be $1.00 = Rs.50.00. And you need to submit the filing fee of Rs.17,750/- in the form of demand draft favoring American Embassy, New Delhi .

Sincerely,

USCIS, New Delhi

India

----------------------------------------------

My wife already had applied for OCI card (Overseas citizen of India) to FRRO, she has received OCI in the mean time. This gives a boost and confidence to us to go for directly to go for Submission Of I-130 at delhi. We have submitted our i-130 and recived a Xerox of DD and FILLED I-130 stamped from consulate .

So if you need any help regarding first step for DCF , please write i will reply as per best of my knowledge.

USCIS told us to wait for another 1 month for further process from Mumbai.

Now my query is what should I do now ???

Any documentation which I can start preparing now ???

wht will be the next step ???

I-864

What affidavid of support should i used if will file a DCF and im residng here in the philippines with my american husband. Is it I-134 or I-1864?

You and your Uncle each file a separate I-864. The I-864a is only used if a second person in the household will include their income (for example, your uncle's wife). If she were to include her income in his I-864, she would need to fill out the i-864a

Yes, agreed with above posts. DCF is usually easier on approvals (even in the harder countries) because of the fact that spouses have lived together in the foreign country for a minimum of 6 months, which pretty much proves the bona fide marriage on its own.

1,000 is an accurate guess

Application Fee: 355

Medical: 300

Visa Fee: 400

Total: 1055 per person

And DONT buy a one way ticket! The cost sooo much more. Just buy round trip and cancel your return end If you fly through Continental they will actually let you use the canceled portion of your ticket toward a future flight

Actually, that ten year rule is not completely accurate. That "10" year rule comes from the qualifying work quarters (see below). You also can end your obligation if the immigrant becomes a US Citizen.

How Long Does My Obligationas a Sponsor Continue?

Your obligation to support the immigrant(s) you are sponsoring in this affidavit of support will continue until the sponsored immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen, or can becredited with 40 qualifying quarters of work in the United States.

Although 40 qualifying quarters of work (credits) generally equate to ten years of work, in certain cases the work of a spouse or parent adds qualifying quarters. The Social Security Administration can provide information on how to count qualifying quarters (credits) of work.

The obligation also ends if you or the sponsored immigrant dies or if the sponsored immigrant ceases to be a lawful permanent resident and departs the United States. Divorce does not end the sponsorship obligation.

Yes, send her a copy of what you already filed.

Did you receive your Notice of Action for Approval already?

The USCIS does not need your tax return.... the NVC does.

If you have not reached the NVC stage yet, then you don't need to send it in yet.

Hello, yes I did send them to the NVC now we're just waiting on a notice for the interview date. I'm just wondering if I do need to send another copy to her, I asked the guy who's doing the paperwork and he told me it's not necessary. Is it better to send her the copy?

No, you do count someone twice. So, under spouse, leave it blank. That field is there in case you are sponsoring someone other than a spouse.

Put his income that it he as the time you sign the Affidavit. It asks for annual, bonuses are considered part of salary, so put his 2009 deployment income and bonus if you are filing the Affidavit in 2009.

Another question.

Um, going over the I-1864, we ended up getting a household size of 3. unsure.gif

21. Persons you are sponsoring in this affidavit:

a. Enter the number you entered on line 10.

So thats a 1.

Persons NOT sponsored in this affidavit:

b. Yourself. 1

c. If you are currently married, enter "1" for your spouse.

Do we count this one too? So confused. x_x

I wasn't suggesting that your son should sign in front of the consular, I was saying that you shouldn't sign the document NOW, that you should sign it when you go for the interview.

In Denmark we were told not to sign it because he had to sign it in the presence of the consular. Why are you petitioning for your son? He should be a USC and not need a visa.

well he's not even two years old, so I don't think he's going to be signing in front of anyone, unless they want some kind scribble on there. I'm petitioning for him because I haven't actually lived in the US long enough for him to qualify for citizenship through me.