esoll

To give you a bit of info.

If you move to EU and are a US citizen you will pay taxes on your income from the EU but, and this is important. You will start paying taxes only above a certain income and I believe this limit is high. I remember looking at it when I become an US citizen and it was around $80K 10 years ago.

Find out and this could be a none issue.

ESoll

I agree with bob, however if you do decide to give up your green card this is a proper way to go about it. You need to use your green card to leave the country and once your home in switz you simply go to the embassy and talk with an officer for one or two mins and hand it in. You can also simply destory it and not go to the embassy. But no matter what you should wait until you have left the country to get rid of it.

Is it a fact now that you can't pursue a GC outside the US? This is the way I got mine via the US Embassy in CH, way back.

ESoll

If I leave the US before my green card expires with no intention to maintain my PR status, what do I do with the green card (as in, the physical card itself) ?

Must I inform USCIS? Must I return the card, or simply destroy it maybe?

It just seems to me like a bad idea to up and leave and not tell anybody. I realize they'll know that I left anyway, but if/when I come back to reapply for permanent residence somewhere down the line, I don't want any trouble then.

For the record, I'm married to a US citizen but we're moving to my country and my 2-year green card will expire this January.

Not sure if the law has changed but many years ago I finished my green card application in Switzerland. Find out if you could file for the permanent green card from CH. This is what I did. Granted it was a long time ago but you should find out.

Good luck.

We are also thinking on going back to CH in a few years but probably after the two years.

ESoll

Yesterday - Dec. 1 - I received e-mail saying we had been approved and that card will be produced and should be received within 30 days..

Today I get e-mail saying that they mailed me a notice on Dec. 1 that might have instructions and card will be received within 60 days following registration OR after we complete ADIT processing. Whatever that is.

My wife was planning on returning to see her family at the beginning of January but now I am thinking on holding off on any tickets until after green card is in her hand.

I just remembered .. you should be able to make an infopass appointment and have them put an I-551 stamp into her passport. That acts like a temporary greencard, I believe.

Should an approved authorization to travel form be all you need to travel?

Why would you need a stamp on your passport if you have an approved but not yet received green card and an approved autorization to travel?

My wife is going in EU for a visit and might not have received her green card yet. (was approved a couple days ago) but she has a approved travel form.

ESoll

Hello

Nov 30 is the day we are set for our I485 interview. You can add it to your spreadsheet.

Thx

ESoll

Yes, we filed with last September. The date on USCI is September 16th.

Since yesterday our status changed.

I765 the blue dot is now on the "Document Production" phase with a date of October 20.

I131 the blue dot is now on the "Post Decision Activity" phase with the same date. They approved this request and mailed a notice.

I485 still pending

I have an account since we started our K1 last year but have not logged in that much.

My question are: What I am supposed to receive from USCI as fo the I765 and I131. Are they cards, letters or something else. When they say, "we approved your I131 and mailed you a notice" is there something else we need to do to get it?

On the I765 it says allow 30 days to receive it. Is it really 30 days and what should we receive?

Thanks

ESoll

I've added you to the sheet, I just need to know whether you sent off an I-693 medical form with the AOS package. Keep us updated with any more developments such as transfers, RFEs or Interviews.

Nice spreadsheet you got! Thanks,

I believe my wife's Medical that was done with her K1 was still valid so we did not send this form.

ESoll

I am reading a lot of post stating "My file got touched" were do you go to get that info?

Myself I go to egov.uscis.gov/cris/dashboard/.. and enter my MSC...... number. All I see is a blue dot saying "initial review"

The same on all my forms.

Esoll.

Thanks

Welcome to the thread Esoll First of all since you are a September filer I can add you to the spreadsheet I've created for us September filers. Just post in this topic to keep me updated on your latest status. The link to the spreadsheet can be found in my signature.

Regarding your query, a person receives a touch when the "Last Updated" date on their case changes to today's date. For example I've not had a touch since 10/01/2009 on my AOS. To see this for your case, it would be best if you register on the USCIS if you haven't already then you can put your case numbers into a portfolio. This saves a lot of time and hassle in having to put the numbers in every time.

To do this go to this link -----> USCIS Log In and click on "Want to Register" set up a username and password and once you done that you can input your case numbers and they'll be saved automatically.

Yes, we filed with last September. The date on USCI is September 16th.

Since yesterday our status changed.

I765 the blue dot is now on the "Document Production" phase with a date of October 20.

I131 the blue dot is now on the "Post Decision Activity" phase with the same date. They approved this request and mailed a notice.

I485 still pending

I have an account since we started our K1 last year but have not logged in that much.

My question are: What I am supposed to receive from USCI as fo the I765 and I131. Are they cards, letters or something else. When they say, "we approved your I131 and mailed you a notice" is there something else we need to do to get it?

On the I765 it says allow 30 days to receive it. Is it really 30 days and what should we receive?

Thanks

ESoll

I am reading a lot of post stating "My file got touched" were do you go to get that info?

Myself I go to egov.uscis.gov/cris/dashboard/.. and enter my MSC...... number. All I see is a blue dot saying "initial review"

The same on all my forms.

Esoll.

Thanks

By any chance, have you moved since sending off the RFE evidence?

USPS will not forward any postal mail from DOS/USCIS/ICE - there's always a notice on the front of the envelope 'DO NOT FORWARD'.

I suggest setting up an infopass appointment (today) for sometime in the upcoming week.

Ask them where the casefile is (at the appointment ) . You may not get an answer, though.

I sent the package for AOS months ago, then they sent me the RFE 3 or 4 months later, and now I'm working on sending the evidence they requested. I haven't sent it yet!...

Make an infopass appointment. Find out, if possible, why you have not received the EAD. I believe it specifically states that if you have NOT received your EAD within 75 days of filing to contact USCIS. I say an infopass appt because the ppl at the phone liine are just contractors who follow a script and they know nothing of the immigration process.

While I understand your frustration, my husband felt the same way, coming to the US, living in the US, working in the US is not a right of every human being. Everyone has to wait their turn in line, we waited nine months to receive an RFE that his medical was expired, which it was after the nine month wait. Were we happy we had to pay for another medical because USCIS took nine months to process his AOS? No. Could we do anything about it? NO.

I suggest the infopass appointment and submitting the response to the RFE as soon as possible, you state you have been working on it for a period of time, you might want to look at the date to see when you must respond by. Failure to respond by the given date is an automatic denial of AOS.

What is an EAD?...

If the stress is too much - and it sounds like it is. You could return home, work there, and apply for a K-3 or CR-1. Better than being homeless.

Maybe a short term loan from your mother-in-law is in order???

It is not a human right to be able to legally work in the US. And it sounds like your spouse was not prepared to support you --- which is her responsibility until you have the EAD.

I'm not homeless. I'm just worried about my life and money, contrary to the people who probably have less money than me, but have an iPhone and drive a new Lexus. I don't consider being in debt acceptable, like apparently most people in America.

Yeah, it's also "not a human right" to get basic healthcare in America either. But it should.

I'm not saying EVERYONE should be able to legally work. It should be a human right for ME, because I'm supporting an American citizen - I'm her HUSBAND.

So in this country, marriage is too "sacred" to allow gays to get married, but suddenly it's not sacred enough to stop them from screwing up an American citizen's life, just because they married someone who's not a citizen?

Don't talk to me like you're better than me, or like I'm demanding too much. All I'm asking is to be treated with the minimum respect and dignity that I deserve as a human being. Apparently, that's asking too much to the US immigration.

It's HER responsibility to support ME? I don't know what laws you've been reading and I don't care. The irony of all this is that you're probably even more broke than me... And you're making judgments about who I married with, or who should be supporting me? How dare you! You need a lot of nerve

I love this forum and most people here are amazing, but once in a while I see a douche bag who thinks just because they already went through it, they have now the right to consider themselves anti-immigration, law-abiding Americans.

Cut the ####### You're not better than me.

I am so with you on that one.

The work & travel permits are so much out of reality that is coming ridicule. Don't get me started on this one. I am still waiting for a travel permit but they are taking their sweet time without care for anyone.

Same with getting a driver license, since they passed this REAL ID Act it is becoming almost impossible to get a driver license within the time frame of a foreign license validity.

Our government is so prompt to attempt to organize the entire world, but what they should maybe do is to organize ours a bit better.

Hang in there.

Esoll

Can this couple do a Direct Consular Filing (DCF) since both of them live in Peru.

I would ask the US consulate in Peru to find out if they accept a DCF. (Not all do)

ESoll

If I was in his situation and know the marriage is ending, I would find out what she wants, since the husband has not much saying in the matter of removing her condition, I would facilitate and help her with this process but would ask for repayment of the money spend on the K1 process.

I would try to see this matter with my head and not my hart or anger. Hard to do tho!. However at the end it becomes a business transaction.

ESoll

I would not help a spouse that has treated the other like #######, cheated with random men (plural!!!) I think you have to draw the line somewhere on being civil, and being walked on.

It is a fact that he has been walked on already. However I think it will be beneficial for him to remove all the sentiments out of this process. However it is not easy to act with a cold head.

He has a couple choices.

1) To fight her to the end and the end result will be "A granted 10 years green card" Long fight that will take its toll and could be costly for him. In a few years he will look at it and be thinking he had been had with all the bitterness that comes with it.

2) To make it a business transaction and the end result will be "A granted 10 years green card" but the fight, cost and bitterness has been removed. In the future he will have a much better feeling about himself, he might even think he was the better man.

IMO

ESoll

Are you saying you would live in the house peacefully while your spouse ran around with other people? I bet living at his home is not what the cheating wife wants, as its infringing on her ability to do what she wants with whomever she wants.

He can give her a 30day notice, I think that would be fair.

The abuse card can be played, so some cautions need to be taken. Maybe he can talk to neighbors (not to air dirty laundry) but in case she does pull something like screaming murder, to have them know what she's capable of.

I would not! but there is the legal aspect of 'who can stay in the house'. Since it is a good practice to have your spouse on a lease or home ownership, the cheater wife can invoque her right to stay in the house and have her husband move out and depending on the couple's money/income condition have the husband pay for the lease or mortgage. It is not an impossible scenario.

If I was in his situation and know the marriage is ending, I would find out what she wants, since the husband has not much saying in the matter of removing her condition, I would facilitate and help her with this process but would ask for repayment of the money spend on the K1 process.

I would try to see this matter with my head and not my hart or anger. Hard to do tho!. However at the end it becomes a business transaction.

ESoll

I'm sorry about the crappy situation you are in.

Cheating once, forgiveable if wanted to be forgiven, but cheating with 3 men is just a flat out disregard for you as a husband. Not only should you not take it, I say let her have whats coming.

Since she can file by herself to remove conditions, make sure it is known that the marriage was not entered in good faith. So lets get started on your proof:

1. send a letter to USCIS with what happened, and that you are seeking to divorce, make sure to write her A# on the letter. I hear of people writing about how bad "jane doe" is, and there are many of them by that name in their system. Make sure the A# is on your letter, so it will pertain to the right person.

2. remove her from anything you have mutually, insurances, bills, cars, homes, leases, whatever it is, take her name off.

3. burn, shred or whatever, any evidence of you mutually living together (those in #2). Without evidence of mutually living together, it will be very hard for her to remove conditions

4. toss her a$$ out of your house. she already got a ride on your dime, time to face the beautiful america she wanted.

5. i'm kinda surprised polish girls do this nowadays. They can immigrate to England, Ireland, anywhere in Europe to work with much better prospects than the US, odd.

Can she really be tossed out the house!! Not sure about that, they might have both equal right to stay in their home. For that matter he might have to move out. The think I will be concern with is what the wife could do or fabricate about abuse. If his wife entered into this marriage with the sole intention of using him to stay in the US, she can run out the house screaming murder and have a neighboor call the police. At that point his problem will really start.

ESoll

Does this mean you can't drive a car if you don't have an US license? Can you just drive with your foreign one until you switch to an US?

In CO you can't be tested or having a license if you don't have a proof you applied for adjustment. My wife has been driving around the last 3 months with her foreign license.

ESOLL

How about a condom?

Haole, your comment is not helpful, if you have nothing constructive to add then please dont post.

But funny!!!

Free of our moves is not a privilege (given by somebody because we are nice) but rather a right and at this moment I have to make many concessions around my life just because this moving restriction that was imposed to us..

I wish to know one good reason why a K1 can't travel abroad after the first entry. I take it all back if I can have one good valid reason.

Actually, immigration is not a right, it's a privilege. Rules are rules.

I see the reasoning though. When you enter the United States as a K1 visa holder, it is 1 time use. You're main purpose is to go there and get married and adjust status to that of a green card holder. Between getting married and filing AOS, you are in limbo...you are technically no longer a resident of the country you came from, and you status is the US is no longer that of a visa holder until you get AP/EAD/AOS.

The K1 visa makes sense as well being 1 time use. You have 90 days to get married after you enter on a K1... if they made it multi-entry, how would they be able to control the 90 days aspect to the visa. The main purpose of attaining a K1 visa is to come to the United States to get married and settle here as an immigrant.

If traveling is something that you want to do, then perhaps you should looking to obtaining a different kind of visa that suits your needs.

yes, A k1 should have its travel ban lifted as soon as you marry. That will make more sense. To check the 90 days, look at the date of the first entry, The K1 we have has two dates, the first entry and 90 days later. Those are the dates we should base our time line with and a ban has no real place or purpose in this.

There's laws in place for a reason.

I don't take it as them treating us like prisoners or anything. They are, after all letting us live in their country.

So what if it takes a few months to get your status adjusted and get a green card? That's nothing compared to the actual waiting for the original visa to get in.

And they did give us a way to come back in if we really needed to travel, AP. I don't know about you, but that's not imprisoning us. That's helping us if we really need to leave again for any reason.

So, just file for AP if you really need to leave and come back? It's an option there for you.

And really, complaining to an interviewer about it will only make you look bad. Do you really want to get your AOS denied for such a matter they can do nothing about at their level?

I do not have an issue about managing immigration into our country or from/to any other countries. it is a protection that became clear 9 years ago. But I am seeing some arogance from this process and our government seems to forget this country has been built by past immigrants and I believe the US desperatly needs more of them now, to sustain growth for instance. We all know here for having a foreign spouse that it is a plus in our society and I am seeing this travel ban as unnecessary and counter productive. Should we accept it, no! Should we live with it , probably!

However law can be changed and I don't believe having an issue whis this travel ban and expressing it to USCI will land me into the denied basket. USCI can deny my petition based on the merit of my application and only on its merit.

I am debating a point that does not makes all of a lot sense but for those that decided to pass personal attacks is not cool. All I am saying is the immigrant are not regarded much higher than a convict that just got released from jail and have been told not to leave the country. This is my feeling about this and I believe any person regardless of its nationality should be able to travel were ever he/she pleases without this ridiculous ban that accomplishes noting. After all most K1 are making real sacrifices, leaving everything behind and this ban is not here to help.

At the interview I am going to raise this point and if the interviewer denies my petition on my beliefs and not on its merit, then what do you think it will show about this person or the USCI! I believe most persons at USCI are decent and open to discussion.

Sorry but I can't sit back and shut my mouth right now....

To the OP :

1. YOU ARE finally with the person you love-why not be happy about that long process being over and done with instead of bitching about "being stopped from traveling"

2. I suppose you knew the rules when you applied for a K1 Visa to be with your loved one,if you didnt know the rules you obviously didnt take the time to GET the information

3.Would you have gotten married in Switzerland (or even in the US ) you could have applied for a multiple entry K3 Visa,which would enable you to re enter the US

4.nobody on this site likes how long the process is and 6that family Immigration is very comlicated and nerve wrecking at times,but ALL of us knew beforehand what we are getting into,so making it sound like the US hold you hostage here is ridiculous !

And last but not least 4,if you like (liberal) Switzerland and how they run their Country and what Immigration Laws they have oh so much then PLEASE feel free to get on a plane and leave ! But do me a personal favor and dont get AP before you do!

Nat

Totally missing my point. Enough said...

Free of our moves is not a privilege (given by somebody because we are nice) but rather a right and at this moment I have to make many concessions around my life just because this moving restriction that was imposed to us..

I wish to know one good reason why a K1 can't travel abroad after the first entry. I take it all back if I can have one good valid reason.

What our frustrations come from is the fact that we need to ask if it is ok to travel abroad, nobody ever before told us when we can travel. I know we need to file an AOS to be able to travel while waiting for adjustment.

This does not show us we are free to travel and this is totally insane to us. I am about to file for adjustment and according to the time line it will pass around 50 days before we are "allowed" to travel.

The way I see it we need to ask for a permission (AP) to travel but it will be given only for emergency. We are effectively prevented from a government from traveling and it is not an acceptable behavior.

My quote about the former east block was a metaphor to show what repressive countries were.

it is what it is, if you don't like it then move to Switzerland...

It is a no so smart remark. You live with it...

I am seeing most of the postings are "take it and shove it" type of deal. I still believe someone telling me when we can or can't travel is not acceptable. Seems as we are accepting it just because it is that way. Not so! and on my interview I will let them know what I think about this..

What our frustrations come from is the fact that we need to ask if it is ok to travel abroad, nobody ever before told us when we can travel. I know we need to file an AOS to be able to travel while waiting for adjustment.

This does not show us we are free to travel and this is totally insane to us. I am about to file for adjustment and according to the time line it will pass around 50 days before we are "allowed" to travel.

The way I see it we need to ask for a permission (AP) to travel but it will be given only for emergency. We are effectively prevented from a government from traveling and it is not an acceptable behavior.

My quote about the former east block was a metaphor to show what repressive countries were.

We are finding out while adjusting we are not allowed to travel abroad!!! It is insane to both of us to be subjected to this kind of treatment. No one in our life stopped us from traveling freely and here we go, the US, the alleged most free country in the world can tell us when we can travel and when we can't. We are not anymore in the 80's East block anymore. What is the purpose of this?? We are not criminals. What do they think they are???

Further the all process of obtaining a visa for a spouse is ridiculous, heavy, un-respectful, expensive and borderline comical and stupid. I have better words for it but I should be nice! I tell you it does not show well to the rest of world, the way foreigners seeking visas are treated with this process. I am certain we will get many objections from the US if a US citizen has to be going through this type of process from another country.

Can you try looking for a professional certification? I dont have to go back to school to study. To qualify, i used my 5 years of job experience. While waiting for my green card. I reviewed for my certification. Though i have not formally look for job.. The certification helps open doors for me.

I immigrated to the US almost 20 years ago and as most immigrant looking for a decent job, no companies looked at me seriously without US degrees or US work experience. My first job then was as a courier, this from a good IT job back in CH. I decided as suggested by rheanick to get as many professional IT certifications as possible and over the years it has paid off greatly so this is the way I will do it again. I am now respected and I am making a good living.

One thing I still believe is a European education is at a higher level than a US education (all being equal) and this is a big plus to advance faster. So nothing is wasted with your foreign degrees.

Good luck.

ESOLL