Odds_On

Yes you are correct- she will file the I-864 and you a I-864A.

She can file for naturalisation 90 days before her 3 year greencard anniversary (the "resident since..." date on her greencard)

aah ok that is the way it sounded in the pamphlet, thanks for clarifying. I think I may try to bring her over for a visit on the tourist visa route in the mean time.

hi, no you cannot file for in laws, your wife must become a USC and file for her own parents.

So it sounds like she would need to proceed with becoming naturalized and then she could file the I-130 with me as the co-sponsor?

I think I read in the guide that she would need to be living here three years in order to file, does that three years start from the date she received her visa and entered under the I-130 I filed for her or from the date her green card was issued after removing conditions?

Regards,

David

Hello Everyone,

I am a natural born US citizen.

I married a filipina in 2008, filed a visa for her (using this great website for guidance) to immigrate her and she has been in the states with me since 2009 and has her green card all in good standing. I am the primary $ earner and she is a stay home mom raising our two baby girls.

I tell all of this simply as the back story for my question...

I (we) would like to bring her mother over from the Philippines to live with us. Can I sponsor my mother-in-laws visa or does my wife have to file for her?

Many thanks for your help.

Regards,

David

On the form in Part 3 - Section A there is a question that I would like some input on:

"Where you inspected by a US immigration officer?"

Does this mean were you interviewed at the kiosk or by inspected do they mean did they flag you and pull you aside to interrogate you and inspect your baggage?

Thanks for your answers...

Thanks to everyone for their replies. In reading the posts in the above link it looks like its a pretty quick turn around. I think she will have plenty of time to get through and make the connecting flight.

It takes the same time to go through customs whether you are a USC or Alien.

Thanks for the reply. So is there any difference in going through with the K3 visa in terms of an a special line, any interview, questions etc?

Or once she as the visa its just like a normal entry?

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone knew the time it takes to go through customs with the K3 visa at the POE. My wife is flying into San Francisco and has a connecting flight about 2hrs 45mins after her flight from Hong Kong lands. Is this enough time for her to go through the POE? What is the process going through the POE?

I am a citizen and I know how long it takes for me to go through customs but I am not sure if it takes longer for a new visa entry or what the exact process is when she gets to customs in SFO.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

David

I wanted to update everyone on how we dealt with the 2008 tax return question.

When my wife went for her K3 interview yesterday she had my W2's for 2008 and the ITR for 2007 and 2006. When the interviewer asked about the 2008 return she told them that I had not filed them yet and that my CPA had put in for an extension so that we would be able to acquire her a SSN once she got stateside and file as married filing jointly on the 2008 ITR since we got married in spring of that year. She passed the interview and got her visa approved (pink slip) so for us this was not an issue.

A couple of details on this, my income level is way above the poverty line and has been for that time period so that may have something to do with it. Also I have worked for the same company for the last 3 years, and in the same industry for 10 years, with a consistent income level each year.

Now I would think the date of the interview will make a difference relative to the April 15 filing date and each case would be a bit different due to your own circumstances. But this is how we handled it so use this to your discretion.

Thanks everyone.

She passed the interview and got approved for the visa.

Here is the link to my thread...

K3 interview passed

Hi Everyone,

Well my wife had her K3 interview at the Manila embassy yesterday and got approved for the visa. The funny thing was we planned for weeks in advance practicing the questions over and over so she would have confidence during the interview. We put together the typical list of supporting documentation and forms. She told me that the both the interview pre-screening and the CO interview were very quick and they only asked a few questions. Needless to say we are very happy...

A couple of details with our situation:

1. we had been courting for a few years before we got married in Manila last year and I think this went a long way as proof of a true relationship. And I had been to visit her once or twice a year during this time period.

2. we were very thorough in completing the forms and acquiring the necessary supporting documents

3. we had initially filed a K1 in 2007 which we decided to cancel due to her father passing away at the same time we received the NOA2 and her mother also getting sick. It was a tough choice for us but she really wanted to be there for her mom and family and the timing was just lousy

So in short keep up your diligence and be sure to spend the extra time up front filing out the forms and gathering the supporting evidence. This will go a long way to ensuring that your interview will go without a hitch. I think the biggest thing is to make sure you do not have anything on your information that would raise a red flag at the embassy.

Good luck to all of you who are still waiting. Don't lose hope, your time will come and the resiliance and persistance you show during the process will only make your marriage that much stronger.

Praise be to God and thanks again for all your help and prayers.

Regards,

David

I just did!

thanks a lot!

I hope the interview goes well. It is great you put your fiancee/asawa up for the night next to the Embassy. Even this requires getting up early to be in line before 6 AM.

Thanks, yes she was a bit nervous in securing a cab at such an early hour. Hopefully she can subside her nerves and get a some sleep before my wake up call to her at 4am (3pm CST)

Ok just asking for prayers from everyone that she has a good interview and God will watch over her during the the process. She is very nervous, as I think is normal, and I must admit I am a bit nervous too. We seem to have all the certified documents required by the embassy website and and the affidavit of support with my ITR and W2 (except for 2008 since I have not filed yet). So I think it is in Gods caring hands now and can just pray that everything goes smoothly. Its going to be a long day waiting until late this evening to hear from her on how everything went.

I put her up in the Manila Hotel so she would be right next to the embassy and remove one less burden from her tomorrow in trying to rush to the embassy so early. Its a little extra cost but its worth it if it gives her extra piece of mind and a little less stress...hehe

Thanks to everyone on this site for all your feedback to my questions and for posting your experiences. This site is a true blessing and has helped me find everything I needed to work confidently through the whole visa process.

God Bless!

David

My fiancee lives near Cagayan de Oro and the delivery fee for her was 275 I believe, no more than that. Still waiting on the visa.......

Thanks for the reply. I am sure you will receive the package any day now. Congrats!

I paid 205php for delivery within manila.. it will not be more than 500php if you're outside manila..

not bad if she would bring atleast 2000php..

Thanks for the reply. I figured it would not be to much.

Hello,

I was trying to use the search function on this but it appears to be down today. Can anyone share with me the post interview fees for Air 21 and anything else required at that point?

My wife's interview is on April 2nd and I just want to make sure she has enough cash on hand or if I need to western union her some extra.

Thanks,

Daivd

My wife's interview is on April 2 but my CPA is still working on my taxes and told me we need to file an extension since we are married since spring of last year and my wife does not have a SSN yet since she is not in the states. I sent the W2's along with two years of past ITR all from same company. I will be so pissed if they screw with us on the 2008 ITR.

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone filing for a K3 could chime in regard the wait time to get your packet from the embassy? We received our approval email / notice NOA2 date February 19 and just received the AOS (affidavit of support)paperwork from the NVC. We are going to go through with the I-129f since its already in process instead of trying to change it to the CR1.

So my question is after you received the AOS envelope, how long was it before you got the I-129f packet from the embassy with the medical and interview dates?

Somehow its harder waiting now that we have received the NOA2 know we are so close...LOL

Thanks,

David

Hello All,

I have a question regarding the K3 visa (I-130) filed with a I-129f. I know the CR1 is supposed to be faster and cost a few hundred less etc. My wife and I just received the USCIS petition approval on Feb 18 (yeah!) and today I just received the packet in the mail from the NVC with the Affidavit of Support requiring a $70 fee.

My question is if we are going to go through with the I-129f visa to get her over hear quicker do I have to pay the Affidavit of Support fee or is this only for the CR! filers. I am thinking I can just wait and pay the Adjustment of Status fee once she gets the visa from the USEM in Manila.

I guess since we are on the topic I will throw this out there also; does it make sense to change it to the CR1 at this point? I understand from reading the forums that it can prolong the arrival of my wife and that it costs a few hundred dollars less to process. I would rather get my wife here quicker and just pay the extra processing fee but figured I would get some feedback for you guys first.

As always thanks for your help.

David

Thanks for the replies. In regard to the evidence of marriage. Obviously we do not live together and have no joint property yet until she moves here. If I do not have any of the items showing proof will this be a problem?

I am submitting the I-130 this week for processing. I was not suggesting telling anything but the truth for the question. I am just looking for feedback from others if they had gone through anything similar. Thanks for your responses.

I have a few questions regarding cancelling a K1 and filing a K3 in its place. Here is a little background on the situation.

We originally filed a K1 and got all the way to the date being set for the interview. At the very same time we got the date set for the interview my fiance' (at the time) had her father pass away (over Christmas 2007). As a result of this she wanted to spend some time with family and then decided she wanted to get married in Philippines so her mother could be present at the wedding. So we canceled the interview and got married on May 6, 2008 in Manila. We are ready to file the K3 now and here are my quetions:

1. What is the best way to make sure the K1 is completely canceled? I spoke with the embassy in Manila and they still had it on file and said that it would automatically be canceled once the marriage took place. Do I need to send them a copy of the marriage certificate?

2. On the form for the K3; Section D #2; "Have you ever before filed a petition for this or any other alien?" How do I address this? I am presuming that I need to state the previous K1 and indicate that I canceled it due to the reason above. Is this correct? Any idea how this will effect my filing?

Thanks so much for your feedback. This site is a great resource and you all have helped me answer many of my questions through the forum and guides.

David O

Thanks to everyone for the quick responses. I have not yet submitted the K3 application since we were waiting on the NSO certified version. I will go ahead and file with certified mayor's office copy since it sounds like that was enough to get the NOA1.

Hello Everyone,

I have read this site for a while now but this is my first post. It was a great resource in learning of the steps for filing a visa application.

I have a couple of questions that are all sort of tied together. I am a US citizen with a Filipina wife and here is a little background. We originally filed for a K1 visa but during the processing her father suddenly passed away less then a week after we got the NOA2 and approval notice. A few weeks after his death we got the interview packet from the embassy. As a result of her fathers passing my fiance (at the time) wanted to spend time with and care for her mother. After mourning this tragic loss my fiance decided she would like to marry in the Philippines so her mother could be at the ceremony. Understanding there would be a delay in her coming here we canceled the interview and got married in Manila. As luck would have it more then memories got made on our honeymoon and we just found out that my wife is pregnant with our first child. We are ready to file a K3 application followed by a I-129f to bring her over a bit sooner.

Now here are my questions:

1. Do I need a certified marriage certificate from the NSO or can I use the marriage certificate issued from the city hall to file the I-130 for a K3?

2. How does her being pregnant affect the process? What happens if she gives birth before the K3 I-129 visa approval? Do I need to file the paperwork for the unborn child?

Any direction or advise on this would be appreciated.