Lena & Sasha

Thanks guys! Doesn't sound too bad at all.

Interview on Monday ahh!!

My hubby and I have our AOS interview on January 25th. He's from Ukraine.

Assuming he gets his green card, this summer we are hoping to take a trip to France to visit my grandparents who live in Paris. As an American, I can travel to France for 90 days without a visa. As a Ukrainian, he needs a visa to visit France. After he gets his green card, is he traveling as a Ukrainian or as an American permanent resident? Does he need a visa?

thank you in advance... these forums are lifesavers.

Elena

Hey- My husband came here on a K-1 visa and is currently working on his I-94 which expires in two weeks. We are sending off our adjustment of status package this week.

Am I correct in thinking he must STOP working for 90 days or so while we wait for his EAD? Is there a way to expedite the process or get something temporary for now? Thanks so much... Elena

Thank you everyone! I think I've got things under control... for now. :-)

Elena

My husband and I just got married two weeks ago on a K-1. We're working on sending in our AOS package and have a million and a half questions for anyone who can help.

1) Is there anything we were supposed to get back after he arrived here? I've read a lot about it but I'm still confused about how we prove he got his medical examination for the K-1 interview (overseas). I think he still needs vaccinations but I'm not sure since we have absolutely no documentation of what happened at the visa medical...

2) What is "the fiance petition of approval notice" mentioned as an attachment on 1-485 application to register for perm residency? We have 5,000 pieces of paper and I'm not sure which one this is...... we never got a formal letter saying he was approved... just a pink piece of paper saying he got his visa right after his interview (which isn't in English) and then his big packet of papers that they kept at the airport. The only formal paper I have is the approved I-129.

3) Can my husband (who is fluent in English and Russian) translate his own birth certificate as long as he certifies that it is correct? He had a real notarized translation but that was already handed to the embassy.

4) Is the only thing we have to do to keep my husband here get married and then SUBMIT our AOS within 90 days of his arrival? What is his status once we've submitted our AOS but haven't heard anything back? (Assuming we don't hear back until after his visa is expired.)

Thanks so much... I'm a mess trying to figure all this out and terrified something will go wrong!

Elena

1. His medical exam results were in the secret envelope he turned in at POE, they will have them at USCIS to put together with your I-485

2. This is the "NOA2" letter you received when your petition was approved...do not lose it and do not send the original, send a copy

3. Yes, he can.

4. Yes. His status is "pending" Actually, getting married is enough to "keep him here" until adjustment of status is complete. His VISA was cancelled when he arrived and replaced by the I-94. There is no "rule" that you MUST file for AOS before the I-94 expires, but it is highly recommended. If he goes more than 180 days "out of status" he is subject to being denied re-entry if he leaves and subject to "bans" before he can reenter, besides which he cannot work, cannot get a driver's lisence in some states, etc. Get it done as soon as possible BUT they will not come and drag him away after his I-94 expires and he is not "illegal". It is just really best to avoid future hassles to file it by the time the I-94 expires. After you get your receipt (I-797C) that the AOS has been filed, keep a copy of that in his passport until he gets his green card.

Regarding vaccinations...he should have taken his vaccination records with him to the medical exam. If he did, he received a DS2035 (I think that's the form number) vccination supplement. That is all you should need for the AOS (it was for us) The Soviets were really good about giving childhood vaccines and unless his mother kept him in a cave, he should have all the vaccines he needs. If he did not take his vaccination records to the medical exam and did not get this form, he will have to repeat the needed vaccinations here. The medical exam results sent to USCIS do not have any vaccination information as it is not required for the visa, it is required for the AOS.

My husband and I just got married two weeks ago on a K-1. We're working on sending in our AOS package and have a million and a half questions for anyone who can help.

1) Is there anything we were supposed to get back after he arrived here? I've read a lot about it but I'm still confused about how we prove he got his medical examination for the K-1 interview (overseas). I think he still needs vaccinations but I'm not sure since we have absolutely no documentation of what happened at the visa medical...

2) What is "the fiance petition of approval notice" mentioned as an attachment on 1-485 application to register for perm residency? We have 5,000 pieces of paper and I'm not sure which one this is...... we never got a formal letter saying he was approved... just a pink piece of paper saying he got his visa right after his interview (which isn't in English) and then his big packet of papers that they kept at the airport. The only formal paper I have is the approved I-129.

3) Can my husband (who is fluent in English and Russian) translate his own birth certificate as long as he certifies that it is correct? He had a real notarized translation but that was already handed to the embassy.

4) Is the only thing we have to do to keep my husband here get married and then SUBMIT our AOS within 90 days of his arrival? What is his status once we've submitted our AOS but haven't heard anything back? (Assuming we don't hear back until after his visa is expired.)

Thanks so much... I'm a mess trying to figure all this out and terrified something will go wrong!

Elena

Thank you! Does that mean my husband (who is fluent in Russian, Ukrainian & English) could translate it?

Elena

Few questions. My HUSBAND (we got married on Sunday!!) came here on a K-1 a few weeks ago. We got married two days ago and now need to start taking the next steps...

First question; what do we need to get him a SS number?

Second; I know we need a translation of his birth certificate for several reasons (perhaps to get his ss? to get his driver's license, for his AOS package...). We (stupidly, probably) didn't get an extra translation in his home country and would love to avoid the pain of finding a Russian translator here. Do we ever get back the packet he gave to the embassy in his home country (where we have his birth certificate translated)?

Thanks, Elena

SSN = I-94, Passport w/ visa and the SS-5 application form

We have never needed an original of any document...(other than showing to the embassy). regular photocopy w/ translation has served us each and every time

Anything in the "immigration" file is now PERMANENT, and you will not be getting anything back

Anybody who is competant in both English and Russian/Ukrainian can translate it... does not need to be a "certified" translator... My wife could do it.

Few questions. My HUSBAND (we got married on Sunday!!) came here on a K-1 a few weeks ago. We got married two days ago and now need to start taking the next steps...

First question; what do we need to get him a SS number?

Second; I know we need a translation of his birth certificate for several reasons (perhaps to get his ss? to get his driver's license, for his AOS package...). We (stupidly, probably) didn't get an extra translation in his home country and would love to avoid the pain of finding a Russian translator here. Do we ever get back the packet he gave to the embassy in his home country (where we have his birth certificate translated)?

Thanks, Elena

Maybe this is a silly question... buy why is a K1 visa NOT considered to be an immigrant visa? Or is it and I'm just really confused? I was looking over the KEV 1 checklist and there are different requirements for immigrant visas and K visas, correct? I just need to clear this up because my lawyer told me that my fiance needs to fill out DS-230 but I think only those getting immigrant visas need to fill that out.

Thank you!

I've seen this topic discussed elsewhere but I have a specific question: I am currently in Ukraine with my fiance and have a ticket home on March 4th. This is before we're going to be able to get our interview. (Although we have received out NOA2.) Unfortunately, changing my plane ticket will cost a whole lot of money (I just called the airline...). I'm trying to decide if I should book another trip back here... as in, go home, stay a few weeks, and come back again, so I can be here for Alex's interview. Is it worth the $800 ticket? (We are not exactly rolling in money.) He's tough and speaks very good English so I'm not that worried about moral support- but if my presence is going to make a big difference than I want to be there. As far as proving we really know each other/love each other... we lived together for 15 months in Greece and I've been here in Ukraine for 3 months with him. We've been together almost two years and have suitcases full of evidence... so if the reason I should go to the interview is to prove that, then it may not be necessary.

Anyway, maybe this is an old topic and no one has any new information, but I thought I might as well put it out there in case someone has some advice. At this point, I'm totally lost on what to do.

Thank you! I'm really so pleased about this site and how helpful everyone has been. I really wish I found it sooner!

-Elena

Thank you all! I think I'm going to stay and get things done as fast as I (we) can! (That was what I wanted to do, since it would be cheaper and less stressful...) I am jumping off the walls excited!

I have two other questions...

First, Alex and I both lived in Greece before coming here to get our visa. Am I correct in thinking we need to get a police report there and then a translation of that report? Does anyone know who is certified to translate? I have a friend who is a professional translator who has offered to do the translation for us, but she said the "stamp" she has is only accepted by SOME embassies.

Second, because I am still young and poor, and make almost no money, (In Greece I worked in publishing making pennies and then returned to America for 4 months to run a State Senate campaign... which was decent money but wasn't quite a steady job and now I'm working freelance and making, again, pennies), I'm having my mom "sponsor" Alex financially. I'm wondering what financial information I should have her provide. The guidelines seem vague to me.

Thanks again!!

Hi everyone! My name is Elena (a U.S. citizen) and my fiance is Alexander (a Ukrainian citizen). Just yesterday we got our I-129 approved! (Yay!) It actually happened much faster than we thought it would so we've been a bit caught off guard. Currently, I'm in Ukraine visiting him. I've been here since December and was planning to leave (I have a ticket home) on March 4th. Now, however, I'm not sure what to do because I really want to be with him for his interview but only have 3 months (and a little more) left on my tourist visa after March 4th. (I'm writing freelance so I have the freedom to stay as long as I want otherwise).

Either I can change the date of my ticket home until the end of May and hope that everything is set by then, or go back to America in March and then come back here in April (is that too soon to have an interview set up?)... but if I do that then when do I set my return ticket for? I sort of want to avoid buying one-way tickets because, well, it's very expensive. BUT, I'm worried that I will miss the interview somehow... What should I do? Should I just stay and hope everything is wrapped up by the end of May? (That gives us almost 4 months since the I-129 was approved on Feb. 10th) Or should I come back in April and spend three months... giving us 5 or 6 months for the interview to happen.

Also, where do we find out where he can get his medical exam? From what I read here it has to be pretty specific. Would anyone recommend going to the American embassy and bothering them by asking questions like this?

Thank you guys so much, I am so happy I found this site!!!

Elena