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Are you sure what she has is not a birth certificate? The cartorio will issue what is called a "certificado de segunda via". It is a birth certificate with annotation saying she is now married. We were married in the US, but when my husband went back to Brasil for a visit, we obtained this second copy, and it definitely was different than his original birth certificate. He didn't believe that it was possible nor did his family, but I had done research and took our info to the cartorio where they agreed that is the process. My point is that your wife may not realize exactly how the process works. Check and see if she has only a marriage certificate or a birth certificate. If she needs to get a new bc, you can try contacting the consulate. Depending on where you live, you would need to to to either LA or San Francisco. Since we obtained his in Brasil, I'm not sure about how to obtain it in the US, but the consulate should know. Yes, you can translate the document provided you attach a statement saying you are fluent in both languages. Good luck!

We sent IRS transcripts only and were approved without any problem.

You can send in the boarding passes and copy of the stamp in his passport. That shows that he was in Brasil. Provide the one picture you have. Pictures are secondary evidence anyway. You met in November of last year, so that is within the designated timeline of the past 2 years. You should be fine. When we applied, we sent in the same kind of things...we were approved with no RFEs. From now to the interview, gather plenty of evidence of you two maintaining your relationship like emails and Skype logs since he won't be able to visit you again. Good luck!

Yep! Mine said the same thing. Good luck with the rest of your process!

Agreed--you only need 1-2 sentence explaining where you met. When I did the paperwork, I also included a relationship timeline with bullet points like JUne 2015 spent 1 month together in Brasil, etc. I don't think you need to included all of the specific details just a general idea of how your relationship developed over time. They mainly want proof that you met and have continued your relationship. Good luck!

When my husband came here, he spoke no English. I wrote him a list of phrases and words with Portuguese translation that he might need. I also wrote down step by step what the customs process would look like (ie: pick up your bags here, get in this line...) I had just come through customs on my way back from visiting, so I knew all the steps. I also provided him with my cell phone number so that the officer could call me if he had any questions. I did receive a phone call and was able to answer everything to their satisfaction. It was a fairly smooth process. The translation app is a great idea too. If she's coming on a direct flight, maybe one of the other passengers can assist as suggested above.

Okay, it looks like some of those posts might be oudated. Try not pushing anything when prompted and just stay on the line to be connected to an operator. Hope it works for you!

Yes. SInce it has been awhile since we were in that situation, I don't remember for sure, but it seems like it was the same phone number as the automated system. You just had to push 0 for an operator or something like that. I will try to search for it and get back to you.

Edit: I found this post from awhile ago. Maybe it still works...Here is the magic trick to your question: Call the USCIS tele.# And choose the 1 for english or 2 for spanish. Then in this sequence push these options. 2-2-6-2-4 Use these options everytime you are prompted.

I also found a post that said to choose the option for request for evidence as it will connect you to a live person.

That was our experience too when we called the automated system. Have you spoken with a real person that told you your number does not exist? If that is the case, ask to speak to a supervisor so you can get it straightened out.

The same thing happened with us when we applied a few years ago. We were not able to see our case online until we actually got approved. I've heard of it happening a lot. I just called USCIS throughout the process to make sure our case was still being processed. It was--someone just forgot to update the website. You can give them a call to make sure everything is fine. It also might take a couple of days for it to show up in their system. Good luck!

We submitted a ton of evidence and still got called for an interview. I brought copies and originals of everything we submitted the first time along with new affidavits from friends and updated copies of joint accouts, bills, etc. I also brought mail with both of our names, copies of joint gym membership, copies of credit cards with the same account number, etc. Showing you are on your wife's insurance plan or are the ememergancy contact for her work are also good proofs.

Na epoca que passamos pelo processo, o passaporte foi entregado pelo Sedex. Agora esta sendo pelo correio? Eu tambem nao confio no correio do Brasil. A unica cosa que posso recommendar e perguntar se nao tem algum tracking number. Com uma coisa tao importante, certamente o consulado teria mandado com algum tipo de documentacao que da para acompanhar o processo. Na minha experiencia, o consulado responde entre dias quando mandar um email. Eles ja certificaram que o passaporte foi enviado para voce? Eu lembro de ter visto outras pessoas aqui no VJ accompanhando o processo com Sedex pelo site deles. Se for pelo correio mesmo, vai pessoalmente no correio perto da sua casa e explica a situacao. Minha sogra sempre faz isto com successo. Tambem, o consulado deve ter te dado algum numeracao que pode entrar no site dos correios para verificar que foi enviado para voce. Espero que seja resolvido logo para voce!

The beneficiary can apply for citizenship after 3 years if it is based on marriage.

That happened to me when my husband and I came back from Brasil. They told us just go in the same line, so we did, but we approached the window one at a time. He recognized that we were married and asked why we weren't showing our documents together. I called my husband over, and one of the officers escorted him to where I was standing. The officer in the window thanked the other officer, and said to him, "They forgot that they are married." And rolled his eyes. So rude! Definitely agree that they are often in a bad mood!

I did my own translation and attached a letter certifying that the translation is correct and I am fluent in both languages. Nothing was notraized, and the copy I sent in was just a word document printed on my home computer. Many people on VJ have done this without a problem.

I was not present at the interview, and everything was fine. No questions asked. I've seen a few more recent cases where the approval was put on hold pending the petitioner's presence at a second interview. In my experience here on VJ, the great majority have attended the interview alone. I do believe (based on others' experiences) that you would be allowed to enter with your fiance. If you choose not to attend, make sure there is strong evidence of an ongoing relationship. Again, none of that was needed at my husband's interview, but they do seem to be scrutinizing a little more closely in the recent past. Good luck with the interview.

Usually they would just delay issuing the visa until they have the medical in hand. Your fiancee would still attend the interview as planned. Alternatively, you can email the consulate and ask to change the interview date, but that might delay things even more. You can also email them and explain your situation and ask what they recommend. iN my experience, they respond pretty quickly.

OP: sorry I was thinking as if you are already in the US. If you are not, I recommend going to your consulate in Brasil and applying for a new passport with your married name. I am not completely sure how this would work as I have not done it in Brasil, but I would contact them before you make the trip there and ask what needs to be done. Your visa will be issued in whatever name you put on the paperwork (married or single) so I believe they will want your passport to match. Good luck!

File your I-130 paperwork with the name you want to appear on your green card. If you plan on using your married name from now on, put that on your application. My husband and I took our marriage certificate to the consulate to register our marriage. We were given a marriage certificate in Portuguese that we then took on our next trip to Brasil and showed to the Cartorio. Our marriage is now registered in Brasil as well. It is not required, but it is nice in case we ever decide to move back there. He was the beneficiary so he didn't need to change his name, so I'm not sure what more you would need to do for that. You can sometimes get answers by emailing the consulate. I would imagine that if you take your green card or marriage certificate to the consulate, you could apply for a passport in your new name. If you need to travel before applying for the new passport, I have seen some people use their maiden name Brasil passport to enter Brasil and the green card with the married name (and the marriage certificate) to return to the US. Hope that helps!

Thank you for your reply. I told them that the guard at the door probably did not know what he was talking about. The interview was already held almost a month ago, so they have been returning to the consulate to check on the status of the medical information. Each time they have been able to speak with the original interviewing officer until yesterday when they were denied entrance. I'm guessing without an interview letter in hand, the guard told them that their type of case of is not being processed. Perhaps he did not understand the situation exactly. Thanks for answering, and good luck with your interview!

I'm asking for a friend of mine. The K1 visa has been on hold at the Lima embassay pending medical information from the doctor. Today when he inquired about the visa status, he was told that Lima no longer processes K1 visas and that this changed as of last week. Is that information accurate, and if so where are K1 visas now being processed for Peru? Thank you!

Do you have someone who can pick up your mail while you are gone and tell you what the RFE says? If it is something that requires her signature, you could get it while you are there visiting. Also, there is a time limit on how long you have to respond to the RFE, so if it is for anything that takes time to get, you will want to get started right away. Once you reply with what they are asking for, you should have your NOA2 pretty quickly. Good luck!

We were unable to see our case status online until we got our NOA2 approximately 5 months later. That was in 2009. Obviously little has changed. It is incredibly frustrating, I know! I called occasionally to see if they had any updates to give me over the phone. They never did. I hope you get your answer soon--this process is so stressful. Good luck to you!

At the embassy stage, documents can be in English or Portuguese. When you do the adjustment of status, you will need to have everything in English.

1. Is the information/documentation sent by the embassy to my fiance in English or in the home country language?

The embassy will send the information in Portuguese.

2. Does anyone have any experience with how to handle a situation where their fiance is learning English and speaks/understands at a low-intermediate level?

Yes, my now husband spoke no English when he arrived in the US. I enrolled him in English classes right away. That was very helpful. Keep in mind that it is a very difficult transition when you don't speak most English. Having school was really helpful while he was waiting for EAD and green card. It also helped him feel more comfortable here being around others that were learning English. If you are concerened about the interview, they will do it in Portuguese.

3. Does anyone have any experience with living apart from their fiance and the fiance has gone through most of the process alone? What about language issues involving the information from the Embassy, etc.?

We spent the majority of our process apart. I only visited once after filing the papers. We communicated on Skype constantly. I researched every part of the process and kept him updated on what he needed to do and what forms to fill out.

4. I read somewhere that all documents/information sent back to the Embassy must be translated to English? Is this complicated? How do people go about handling this?

That is not true. As long as they are in Portuguese or English, there is no problem. The only translations needed are at the Adjustment of Status stage. If you are fluent in both languages, you can do the translation or ask someone else who is fluent in both. They aren't exactly certified. The translator just needs to sign a statement saying they are fluent in both languages and the translation is accurate. There is an example here on VJ.

5. I also read somewhere about police certificates for all areas my fiance has lived since he was 16. This sounds very complicated. How do people go about handling this?

Check out the embassy website for more info on police certificates. I believe many can still be obtained online. If he has only resided in Brasil, it will be much easier.

6. How are particular are the consulates/embassies with the beneficiary home country documentation?

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Are you referring to evidence of relationship?

Please see my answers above in red. The official Brasil consulate website has much more information both in English and in Portuguese. Also, there have been some recent cases at the interview when the beneficiary was required to come back at a later date with the fiance. You might want to read up on some people's experiences who have recently interviewed. It didn't used to be the case but seems to be more common now. Good luck with your process!