SophWeb

Hi yall.

On the G-325A form, right down the bottom it says-

“Applicant: Print your name and Alien Registration Number in the box outlines by heavy border below”

I don’t understand how I’m supposed to fill this out. I haven’t got an Alien Registration Number? Do I just leave it blank? Or fill out my name but leave the ‘Alien Registration’ space blank?

Any help is much appreciated.

Whenever you run into a question where you do not have what they ask for...enter "None". Many of these forms are used for multiple visas for multiple purposes...not all the questions apply from every form. The only form used ONLY for K-1s is the DS-156K. All others are multiple use forms. You will see the G-325a again for the AOS and then you WILL have an A number.

Ahhh that makes a lot of sense. I was wondering why some of the forms asked for information that there is no way I could have had. Thanks for the info!

Hi yall.

On the G-325A form, right down the bottom it says-

“Applicant: Print your name and Alien Registration Number in the box outlines by heavy border below”

I don’t understand how I’m supposed to fill this out. I haven’t got an Alien Registration Number? Do I just leave it blank? Or fill out my name but leave the ‘Alien Registration’ space blank?

Any help is much appreciated.

the better the information is labeled the less guessing the adjudicator will have to do

Why are you submitting cell phone bills?

That's exactly what I was thinking - if the information is clear and concise, then hopefully the adjudicator will spend less time on my packet.

I'm submitting cell phone bills to prove that we have been in contact and had an ongoing relationship. My bills list all the calls and texts I've made to my fiance.

Wow. This is fantastic. This will be extremely useful to so many of us. Thank you.

The fact that you need no evidence of an on-going relationship is what astounds me the most. And also relieves me! It seems that 'lack of evidence' is one of the main concerns when compiling the packet.

I would assume then that it is at the consulate stage when that 'relationship' evidence is really analyzed. As we've seen though, many consulates do not accept new evidence when you go for your interview. So would you agree it's still best to overload your original packet with evidence, which they are forced to look at?

Hello all!

I was wondering how yall presented the photos and evidence for your packet? I don't want to just have the photos flying loose around in the packet. I know it's acceptable to write the information on the back of the photo, but I was thinking of sticking them to a piece of paper, and typing the description (time, date, place etc) underneath (maybe sticking on two per A4 page?). Would that be okay? It just seems more neat to me. How did yall display your photos?

Also, with the photocopies of documents like boarding passes, cell phone records etc, should I highlight the relevant information? Like the date, my name, or anything? Should I write on it at all, like put a title "Boarding Passes from visit to the U.S. on Nov. 4th etc"?. I'll include that in the cover letter, when I list everything contained in the packet, but should I write it on the photocopy too?

In regards to the cell phone records, the bills I have are several pages long, so I was thinking of only providing the the first page that has the summary of my charges and then only the relevant pages - the ones with the U.S. calls/texts on them. Is that okay? Or do I need to photocopy and provide the entire bill?

The way my bill is presented, it shows each call and text I made to my fiance in the U.S. as his cell phone number, as opposed to a name. Do I need to declare somewhere that that is his cell phone number? Do I need proof that that is indeed his number?

Sorry that was a lot of questions! And sorry if these questions sound nit-picky or paranoid, just want the whole process to run smoothly Thanks for any help.

ADDITIONAL QUESTION-

I was just speaking to Martin about yall's replies, and he brought up financial aid for school. I completed half my degree in Texas when I used to live there, and when I return, I would like to finish it. Martin wondered whether or not I could receive financial aid. When he was in College, he was able to get financial aid in the form of reduced debt, low/no interest etc. These were calculated based on his father's income.

A friend of ours got married halfway through completing their degree and after marriage, he was able to apply for a ton more financial aid. This was because they he was no longer legally dependent on their parents, and the couple's income (on their own) was obviously significantly less than their parents. My first instinct would be that even though I would be married, they would still factor in my father-in-law's income, due to the contract he signed and the stipulations on my visa. However, I do wonder if financial aid for school counts as being a 'public charge', in the eyes of the government? It's not technically welfare. Plus, Martin was able to receive aid based on his father's income, so does that mean I too could receive it, so long as his father's income was factored in?

To answer your question, co-sponsorship stops when you become a citizen, can be credited with 40 quarters of work (10 years working in the US, the counting system is complicated), abandon permanent residency, or die. Make sure you don't under-represent this obligation to him. It really is a serious thing. For example, it doesn't end if your marriage ends.

I understand the situation where you don't think it will ever come up. My advice is that you try to convince him of the reliability of the many safeguards that are in place to prevent his support from being necessary, since you don't really want to downplay the seriousness of the contract.

I agree - I certainly don't want him to sign this document without a complete understanding of the obligations. I don't to swindle him into any form responsibility. And I do understand that is a serious thing to become a co-sponsor.

I suppose I'm just concerned that the form would 'scare him off' becoming a co-sponsor. He is getting a lawyer friend of his to look the form over before he signs it, but since this lawyer is not well-versed in immigration, I'm worried that my future father-in-law won't fully understand how the visa process works. Thus, I've tried to give him as much information as I've been able to gather. I think these forums here possess a wealth of knowledge - much more than an in-experienced lawyer

Thank you for answering my question. I do intend to become a citizenship asap, so hopefully that will ease his concerns. I believe you only have to wait three years to apply for citizenship if you are a permanent resident and married to a USC? If I can give him that time frame, I think he will be more comfortable with supporting us.

Take a quick read through this thread...

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=216156

(It got a bit heated but there is some very good explanations in there - pushbrk's comments are worth the read)

Thank you! I'm reading through it right now

Good evening, all. I have a problem in regards to co-sponsorship.

My fiance and I have asked his father to become our co-sponsor and he is a little concerned about what that entails. I have explained to him the visa process and why we need a co-sponsor (Martin currently makes just below the poverty line because he only recently graduated from college - we expect him to make well over the line within the next two years), however he is still concerned about his obligations.

From my understanding, if Martin and I were to ever need government financial aid, then his father's income would be taken into account. If we were to ever claim to need welfare etc (hypothetically speaking), then we would be committing fraud because his father makes above the poverty line.

I have explained to him that I will be bringing plenty of money with me when I come over, and my own parents have pledged their financial support. I've told him that he will never have to actually give us any money, and the co-sponsor is more of a paperwork issue in our situation, because my own finances cannot be counted for the visa. I think he is concerned that if, several years down the track, we were to run into financial issues, then he would be liable. I have reassured him that this would not happy, and my parents in Australia would happily help support Martin and I if this were to ever happen, god forbid. I would like to ease his worries by giving him a date in which he ceases to be 'officially' financially responsible for us.

So, does anyone know at what point the co-sponsorship stops? When does his income cease to be applied to us? Is it when I receive my greencard and/or citizenship?

Thank you for any responses!

I would recommend beginning your K-1 process immediately. K-1 usually takes about 8 months (no one can say for sure how long, but that's a general average). I would think that you could apply for that the visa while he is still living in Canada, so long as he had a mailing address in Australia (parent, friend etc). That way, while the visa is processing, you two can still be relatively close to each other. It's not recommended to get married on a visa waiver because if you enter the US on that waiver with the intent to get married that is classified as fraud and can be difficult to prove otherwise. K-1 is your safest option. He may not be in the US with you, but obviously the gap between Canada and America is much short than Australia and America . Chances are you'll be approved for the visa before his Canadian visa runs out. He will have to return to Australia to go to his interview in Sydney though, so much sure he can afford to do that, cause chances are he'll only have a couple of weeks notice to attend the interview.

Even if you two were to get married in Canada, you would still need to go through the CR-1 or K-3 visa process. Either way, you're looking at paperwork. I would recommend the K-1 cause if you were to get married in Canada, that may interfere with his visa there. I'm not sure the Canadian laws on foreigners getting married though, so I don't know your options there, sorry.

When you apply for a marriage license, they often ask you on the form what name you would like to go by, and then they give you limited options on taking your husband's name - would you like it hyphenated, would you like to take his last name as your middle or last name, and that's about it. So creating a completely new middle name isn't an option with marriage. If I were you I would still look into your state's (the state in which you intend to marry) own rules on marriage and name changes. Marriage in the US is predominately regulated by the State, not Federal, Government, so all the forms will differ slightly.

That being said, I have read (but don't quote me on this), that when/if you naturalize, the US Government gives you a 'free' name change that can apply to your entire name. They apparently do this so that you can choose a more 'americanized' name and integrate a little smoother into the country. I don't know this for sure though so if anyone can correct me, by all means, go ahead

I think they would be much more interested in the content rather than the cover letter

I have some debt back in the UK. Not a lot, measured in terms of low-hundreds (of pounds) but it's there none the less. It wasn't my intention to leave a debt behind and it was my intention to get it cleared off ASAP but that's just the way things work some times. Unexpected expenses in my last few weeks in England and not the easiest financial times Stateside means it's still there. In so far as I can tell, though, it's not affecting my credit in the USA in any way.

I believe (but don't quote me on it) that there are laws which prohibit the export of personal data from EU countries to countries outside of the EU. That would presumably include financial/credit data so to the OP, while what he did can't really be condoned, I think it's highly unlikely to bite him on the backside here. That said, he'll possibly have CCJs entered against him which would make gaining credit in Britain almost impossible should he ever return.

In the fine print of many loans or credit cards there is a clause that basically says the bank has the right to transfer your debt over to another company, including personal information. Meaning that they will sell your debt to another credit company who is then responsible for recovering it. Once you sign the initial papers, you're agreeing to allow them to pass on this information. Who knows how the second company will try to get that money back? This second company may have a sister company in the US that will attempt to track you down. They may even be a dodgy company who sends big scary men to intimidate you into repaying your debt. You never know...

OP, you said that your fiance intends to repay the money, which is good, however, who's to know when he will be able to repay it back? If you default on any repayments, then I can assure you they will do everything in their power to find your fiance.

You say you want a real analysis on the possible consequences, without the moral critique - the truth is none of us can know for sure what will happen. I can guarantee that if he (or both of you) were to ever return to the UK, this will come back to haunt you. Unpaid debt never just 'goes away'. I would not recommend burning that bridge in the UK. You never know what the future will bring, as I said in a previous post, so why limit your future options?

In terms of your US life though, no one can say for sure what the consequences will be. I don't believe any of us are skilled enough in international law or the ins and outs of credit companies to make that call. But there is a huge risk, because there is a chance they will hunt him down. If these creditors were able to find him, then it could possible affect his future status in the US. I personally think your chances of that happening are low, but they are definitely still there. It all comes down to choice. If you want to take that financial risk, then fine, you have to lay in the bed you've made.

You've spent so long being apart, and dealing with the US Goverment red tape, why risk messing that all up over silly material things. Your relationship is what is most important. I would not risk being apart in the future over this debt.

Best of luck to the both of you.

OK OK OK....

I'm not going to get on my high horse like others have. Alot of people dont see screwing over the credit card companies and banks as stealing because those companies have been stealing from their own customers for years.

I thought about doing the same. Using my overdraft to generate some additional savings on top. BUT......

My mum always told me not to burn bridges. God forbid that anything go wrong here and I have to go back to England. It would be a MESS. So I decided against it.

Dont do it. I kind of thought of burning my bridges as tempting fate.....

My mother told me exactly the same thing! Haha. Mothers do know best. I know we would all love to just charge money up and not have to worry about it but the truth is you never know what the future may bring.

OP, if, GOD FORBID, your relationship doesn't work out and he has to return to the UK, that debt will most definitely still be on file. They don't just forget these things unfortunately

Or say he gets an excellent job offer in the UK in 5 years time and you two want to relocate there. Due to this bad credit, you two would have a terribly difficult time creating a life there. As I said before, it's not worth the risk. I know you're already against him doing this (which is good! you should be against it!), but maybe you should show him this thread so he can see for himself what could be the consequences of his actions

Hello VJ Aussies!

Just wanted to quickly introduce myself. I'm just gonna do a quick copy and paste from my intro in the other Introduction Forum, so forgive me if you've already read this, hehe

My name is Sophie and I am the AUSC and I am currently living on the Gold Coast. My fiance is Martin. We met last year in College Station, Texas. I was living there with my family on a H4 Visa, and he was finishing up his degree at Texas A&M. My family decided to move back to Australia, but Martin and I continued dating long distance. After a couple of visits and over a year of dating, we got engaged in July!

We haven't filed our application yet because Martin is currently traveling around the states with a graphic designer project and can't organize/sign forms while he does that -- we hope to file at the end of October when he arrives back home. In the meantime, I'm just trying to educate myself on the whole process, making sure I'm fully prepared for the journey we're about to take!

I'm always up for making new friends, or having a chat, so feel free to send me a message!

Hope you all have a great day!

If you two were to ever return to the UK (even perhaps for a brief holiday), I would not at all be surprised if this issue came back to haunt you. Credit companies can become quite vicious when it comes to their money. My fiance had a very nasty man come to his door recently demanding he pay a measly $120 dollars owed to a cable tv company. This, by the way, was not even his fault. He has asked for the service to be disconnected and the company failed to do so.

Do not underestimate these businesses. Especially if your fiance intends to rack up a large sum of money - the more money he spends, the higher chance that the company will attempt to track him down. I would strongly advise him against this. It's not worth the risk.

Thank you!

I hope it all goes smoothly, too

Best of luck to the both of you. Lots of great information can be found in the Guides

Hello! Just wanted to introduce myself!

My name is Sophie (AUSC) and my fiance is Martin (USC).

We met last year in College Station, Texas. I was living there with my family on a H4 Visa, and he was finishing up his degree at Texas A&M. My family decided to move back to Australia, but Martin and I continued dating long distance. After a couple of visits and over a year of dating, we got engaged in July!

We haven't filed our application yet because Martin is currently traveling around the states with a graphic designer project and can't organize forms while he does that -- we hope to file at the end of October when he arrives back home. In the meantime, I'm just trying to educate myself on the whole process, making sure I'm fully prepared for the journey we're about to take! I'm so grateful for VJ and all you helpful members! I'd love to make new friends, so feel free to drop me a line sometime! Especially any fellow Aussies!

I'm so excited about getting married and moving back to the Texas!

A K1 visa is possible. What I meant was that waiting all of that time to see her again isn't something I want to do. When I first went there I was asked a lot of questions by the immigration woman at Philadelphia airport, but I wasn't denied. Do they not always ask so many questions?

If you apply for a K1 visa, you are still able to visit her while that visa is processing.

Keep in mind though that no one can say for sure that you'll be allowed in, as it's at the discretion of the officer that interviews you at your POE. That being said, if you can prove that you still have strong ties back to the UK and aren't going to commit visa fraud and remain in the U.S. for an extended period, than chances are you shouldn't have a problem. It's also possible for you to stay the full 3 months - I've seen many on VJ do this.

The more important thing to worry about though is if you two want to marry

If you are considering K1 as a possible option in the future then remember to keep all your receipts and travel documents (boarding passes etc) as evidence of your visits. Also, take plenty of photos together. It'll make your life much easier later on

Hey all,

I see a lot of questions around about what the best way is to get personal effects over to the US. I work in the freight logistics industry and I have a pretty solid knowledge in the area of shipping via international couriers so I thought I'd write up a guide for VJer's in case anybody is interested in that path.

What I'd like to know before I begin writing it is what questions are you most likely to want answered? Transit time? Customs? Cost? What to expect?

I will be including links to all the major paperwork you need when sending items via courier to the US - namely, the customs declaration and the US Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles.

Cheers!

What a great idea!

I think the question I would most want answered is price. How do certain companies charge - $ per kg/lb etc.

You have met your fiancee within the last 2 years, right? As to the total cost, interestly enough, I did a cost analysis of my cost up to date last week. So far I'm in at under $13,000. That's factoring everything from start to date. I think by the time this is all over adding in the forms that I still have to file when she gets here and the wedding, probably a little over $20,000. Of course keep in mind that everybody will pay different amount.

Just curious, what sort of things did you factor into that $13,000? Was that including airfares and travel for visits?

Hi there, the info you are seeking is on this page:

http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1k2visa-outline.html

Basically, the K1 expires 6 months after issuance.

Ah! Thank you so much!

Hello there! My fiancee and I are just beginning the Visa process, and I wanted to fully educate myself before we send the package in... and so I just had a quick question.

I may be attending University around the time we're hoping that the visa gets approved (obviously there is no way of knowing when/if it will be approved, but we're looking at best case scenario). I don't want to leave right in the middle of the school semester and not finish the classes out, because I'm hoping some of my classes here will transfer over to a University in the US. This may mean that I cannot travel until several months after the visa will (hopefully!) be approved.

My question is then - am I required to enter the US within a certain period of time? I'm aware of the 3 month rule in regards to marrying once I enter the US, but I have not found any restrictions on the time between being granted the visa and entering the US.

Any help would be much appreciated. I've been scouring this site for months, ever since my fiancee and I began to discuss marriage and my move back to the US, and I have to say I'm very impressed and grateful for the help and assistance you all share. Thank you!