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kenneme

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Posts posted by kenneme

    i-130 London Embassy Processing Times

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    Hi ZMalik, 

     

    Had our interview yesterday and it went very smooth and easy - his visa was approved and they said we should get the passport back in 1 to 2 weeks. Yeah! I will write up a full review shortly but it was exactly as others described, and they only asked about why we had a K1 previously, and whether or not our son is US Citizen (I think so they could determine if my income was sufficient or we needed the joint sponsor). They asked about our plans for relocating, I explained son and I had relocated in May, I started work and was just back for the interview. He was happy with all that. 

     

    For relationship proof, our son and I were both present. I took one joint bill and our son's birth certificate (which shows both our names) as proof of relationship but they didn't want any of it... I offered the birth certificate twice they said they don't need it. We have been married 7 years though and got married on an approved K1 fiance visa in the US, so we weren't expecting that to be an issue. You might as well take some bills if you have them - doesn't hurt!  Hope that helps, and good luck! 

    i-130 London Embassy Processing Times

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    Sooooo frustrated! I finally got a reply to the online email form for London Consulate and they sent me his LND case number by email! They said they sent us a letter on 9 May :( so we just lost 10 weeks for NO REASON! We received the letter approving our DCF I-130 pertition in the mail dated 5 May, and then never got the second letter! So annoying!! argh :( Finally got interview for next week 26 July, but we could have gotten it in May if they hadn't lost (didn't send?!) the letter!

    i-130 London Embassy Processing Times

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    Thanks for sharing the info! 

    Our London DCF spousal visa case seems to be taking much longer than others? Maybe it is because my husband is not British? 

    We filed in February, got NOA2 informing us that our petition (i-130) was approved on 9 May 2017 (after one request for evidence because I had left a box blank instead of writing NOT APPLICABLE). We still have not received the LND number / packet 3 :( I emailed the embassy last week (end of the 8th week)... 

     

    Don't know what else to do but wait!

     

    Megan 

     

    Filed DCF but no case # yet

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    Hello! It sounds like we are having the same problem! We recieved NOA2 informing us that our petition (i-130) was approved dated 9 May 2017, and that we would receive further instructions (Packet 3 arrived with LND number) in 6-8 weeks. We have heard NOTHING and the 8th week just ended. Feeling discouraged and worried, since our son and I have already  moved and my poor husband is now camped out in an empty apartment which he will have to leave for a cheap hotel at the end of the month! Any suggestions very welcome! 

    Thanks, 

    Megan (We are DCF spousal visa London Embassy, US citizen  and Algerian Citizen, both on Tier 2 visas in UK).

    How to have possessions shipped to US?

    in United Kingdom

    Posted

    We are moving our whole house (both living in Europe last 12 years and have 3 year old child), minus some furniture and all electronics, to California. I filled in a short form on a comparison website and got about 8 quotes via email (many also called) from different companies (I think it was this one?https://www.deliveryquotecompare.com/removals/international-removals/). They estimate your volume of goods to give you a quote. We live in a 65 m2 two bedroom flat, and they estimated 150-200 cubic ft move. It is by sea, and can take up to 9 weeks - we don't mind and will take essentials with us by air.  We are paying ourselves so trying to negotiate down but most estimates were in the range of £1000. Part-load shipping is the cheapest: they put your stuff into a shipping container along with other shipments so it is much cheaper. 

    We used Sterling Removals before and were pretty happy with the service throughout. 

    Hope that helps!

    Megan 

    K1 but not applying for AOS

    in Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from K1 and K3 Family Based Visas

    Posted · Edited by kenneme

    Hi, 

     

    We did the same thing in 2009 and never had any trouble. My husband applied for and got the fiance visa, husband came to the USA and we married but then a change in circumstances meant we did not apply for adjustment of status (and we both moved overseas together). He just left the US within the 90 day visa window and there was no problem. He then applied for (and got) tourist visas to enter the US while we were living over seas for the next couple of years - they crossed out his K1, but it was still in his passport. A SMALL WARNING: when he entered the US again (on valid tourist visa) he did sometimes have some trouble, and had to explain and be sure to show them the toursit visa first - otherwise they would flip right to the K1 and then be confused about why he didn't do AOS! He was never refused entry or anything, just more questioning than I think they would have done normally - and someone at the consulate told us that was why. Also, if you are in the US and she is living overseas they might be concerned that she is an 'immigration risk' and question her when she applies for a tourist visa or when entering the US, so she should be prepared to show her intent to leave again after visiting you. 

     

    Hope that helps!

    Megan 

    Travel after Curtailment of UK Tier 2 Visa and Timing of Interview in London DCF?

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    Dear all, thank you for any advice for our case, especially any other nationals / UK visa holders (not UK citizens) that have done DCF in London!

     

    We are currently awaiting NOA2 for spouse via DCF in London. I have just accepted a job back home in California (yeah!), and have given notice to my current employer. I now need to negotiate my last day of employment in the UK. We are hoping I can start the new job in the USA by mid-May. However, once I stop work in the UK I understand my (and my husband and son's) visas will be 'curtailed' by the UK government, giving us approximately 60 days to "settle our affairs' and leave the country". As my husband is an Algerian national he cannot stay/enter the UK without that, so he would need to do his interview at the US Embassy before his 60 days run out. So two questions on timing and his UK visa status:

    1. Whether it is possible for him to travel to the US and then re-enter the UK between the time I stop work and the visa interview (Tier 2 curtailed) before the visa expires/ends? Or would it be better for him to just stay in the UK and wait? Ideally we would travel to the US on his US tourist visa as soon as I stop working in mid-May and then he would go back to the UK for the interview and re-enter the US on the spousal visa.  

    2. Is it realistic to expect an interview date within the time-frame allowed by the UK authorities for curtailing our Tier 2 visas in the UK (which would be 60 days or so from when my UK employer notifies them of our departure from the country, approximately 20 May). Obviously the problem is that the longer I stay working in the UK the better for giving my husband enough time to get the interview at the US embassy in London, but then I would put at jeopardy my new job in the US! 

    Worst case scenario, could he apply for a tourist visa to the UK to return for his visa interview at the US embassy? Or transfer his case? What would you advise? 

    Thank you very much for any advise or experiences. 

    -kenneme

     

    Me: US citizen, residing in UK on Tier 2 (employment based) visa

    Husband (of 7 years): Algeria citizen, also residing in UK on Tier 2 spousal visa (based on my employment).

    Status: Applying for spousal visa through DCF at London consulate. Submitted I-130. February 9, 2017 (NOA1)

    Can I go to Virgin Islands for honeymoon???

    in Working & Traveling During US Immigration

    Posted

    Just to clarify, I was not basing my advice only on my personal experience. We contacted the US Customs and Border control directly and they responded exactly as I described in my post above: there is no problem going to the USVI because it is US territory and does not constitute a departure and re-entry. That was the question in the original post. Our experience at the airport confirmed all of the research we did about it - no problem at all.

    Yes, it is good to avoid risks, but there is also no need to scare people! In the end it is a personal decision.

    That's smart, because some people were giving you truly reckless advice. If we take one wrong risk during any stage of the legal-immigration process, it could cost us years and thousands of dollars. The most dangerous advice to rely upon when reading VJ messages is "I had no problems doing _____, so you won't have any problems, either."

    Can I go to Virgin Islands for honeymoon???

    in Working & Traveling During US Immigration

    Posted

    Yes, you can. We did it in 2009 and had a wonderful honeymoon and no problems re-entering. We took our mariage certificate, and they did take my husband aside for extra questioning to find out what he was doing there (which happens pretty often anyways with an Algerian passport :yes: ). When he explained it was a honeymoon, there was no problem. They seemed more concerned about smuggling palm products and other plants. Traveling to the USVI does not constitute a departure from the US (fly directly there). The VI is amazing and we really had a wonderful time - be sure to go to the natural parks and camping/huts on Saint John!

    We went on our honeymoon after the foreign fiance had entered the US on a K1 visa (POE Dulles) and was married in California. We went to the USVI one week after the wedding and back to the mainland, without advance parole or filing for anything (which would have been necessary had we left the US).

    Conclusion: K1 visa holders who have entered the US on their K1 visa can travel to the US Virgin Islands without advanced parole as long as they fly directly to the USVI and do not visit any non-US territory while there (i.e. you cannot take a boat into international waters or visit the British Virgin Islands). I got this answer directly from the Customs and Border Protection and we confirmed it through experience in 2009.

    The reason: The US Virgin Islands are part of the US: going there does not constitute "departing" the US and returning to the mainland does not count as "entering" the US.

    Source of confusion: Given the location of the USVI, travelers to the mainland US from the USVI do go through customs and will have their status in the US checked to verify that they are legally in US territory (the K1 visa holder shows their passport, their 194 and their visa). But upon arriving back to the mainland they are not "entering the US", they are simply going between two US territories. Think of it like a flight from New York to South Dakota, just with tighter customs and ID checks. It is still true that if, after entering on a K1, you depart the US you need to apply for advanced parole first or you abandon the immigration process by default upon exit and will not be allowed to reenter. The point of clarificaiton is that going to the USVI is not departing the US, and therefore coming back to the mainland does not violate the "single entry" K1 visa.

    (L) I personally think it's not fair for us international couples to have to settle for something less than what we want for the wedding and honeymoon just because of our status!

    You can check out the thread here:

    http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/209901-k1-honeymoon-in-us-virgin-islands-has-anyone-done-it/page__p__3158441#entry3158441

    We (fiancees) all were told not to leave US after get here. Soon we'll get married and we are planning our honey moon. Are Virgin Islands OK? Is it still US and I won't be deported once we get there and will have NO problem with coming back to Chicago? Well we know that it's part of US but what if they do a new port of entry for me on the way back...bcuz I visited islands!!!

    Thank you in advance dear VJ's members )))

    October 2008 Filers With The CSC

    in K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

    Posted · Edited by kenneme

    Salaam everyone! I am so happy to share with you that we had a wonderful wedding on August 15 - our dreams came true and we couldn't be happier! The service was held outdoors in the redwood forest and it was just fantastic. We had so much fun and it was definitely worth all the stress and waiting. We were so happy and proud to have all of our parents present, thanks be to God, along with numerous friends and family to share the big moment!

    Thanks everyone for your input and support throughout...

    Wish you all the best in your lives together.

    post-49363-1251759332_thumb.jpg

    post-49363-1251759568_thumb.jpg

    K1 Honeymoon in US Virgin Islands - has anyone done it?

    in Working & Traveling During US Immigration

    Posted · Edited by kenneme

    In conclusion:

    K1 visa holders who have entered the US on their K1 visa can travel to the US Virgin Islands without advanced parole as long as they fly directly to the USVI and do not visit any non-US territory while there (i.e. you cannot take a boat into international waters or visit the British Virgin Islands).

    The reason: The US Virgin Islands are part of the US: going there does not constitute "departing" the US and returning to the mainland does not count as "entering" the US.

    Source of confusion: Given the location of the USVI, travelers to the mainland US from the USVI do go through customs and will have their status in the US checked to verify that they are legally in US territory (the K1 visa holder shows their passport, their 194 and their visa). But upon arriving back to the mainland they are not "entering the US", they are simply going between two US territories. Think of it like a flight from New York to South Dakota, just with tighter customs and ID checks. It is still true that if, after entering on a K1, you depart the US you need to apply for advanced parole first or you abandon the immigration process by default upon exit and will not be allowed to reenter. The point of clarificaiton is that going to the USVI is not departing the US, and therefore coming back to the mainland does not violate the "single entry" K1 visa.

    I'd still love to hear from anyone who had done it though, if anyone has?

    K1 Honeymoon in US Virgin Islands - has anyone done it?

    in Working & Traveling During US Immigration

    Posted

    TBone - took your advice and contacted CBP. Here is their exact response (to my question):

    Customer07/29/2009 08:21 AM

    For non-citizens/non-LPRs traveling to US posessions: Can a K1 visa holder travel to the US Virgin Islands and return to the US mainland without advanced parole? The K1 is a single entry visa, so the real question is: does travel to the US Virgin Islands count as a "departure" from the US and then a "reentry" upon return or not?

    Response (Nicole)07/29/2009 11:25 AM Not for immigration purposes. The K1 visa holder would still go through Customs clearance but that is just for goods entering the mainland U.S. The K1 visa holder needs to fly directly to the US Virgin Islands and can not go anywhere else. No day trips to the British Virgin Islands, do not go on a boat that takes you outside the territorial waters of the United States. If you want to these things you will need to obtain the Advance Parole.

    Thank you for contacting Customs and Border Protection's Customer Service Center.

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