ACGeiger

Just checked my case status online and saw this!!!!! :D :D

Card/ Document Production

On October 18, 2010, we ordered production of your new card. Please allow 30 days for your card to be mailed to you. If we need something from you we will contact you. If you move before you receive the card, call customer service at 1-800-375-5283.

This step applies to applications that result in an applicant receiving a card (such as a "green card") or other document (such as a naturalization certificate, employment authorization document, travel document, or advance parole). Applications will be in this step from the time the order to produce the card/document is given until the card/document is produced and mailed to the applicant. You can expect to receive your card/document within 30 days of the approval of your application.

This is the first "card production" notice I have received. I assume it is the EAD which will be great! Any chance it's the green card though?

Hey all,

I thought things were going smooth with our AOS until today. We got an RFE stating the following:

"A review of the records indicates that the applicant entered the US with a valid K-1 nonimmigrant visa. A review of all the applicant's USCIS records fails to reveal Form DS-2053, DS-3024, or DS-3026 and DS-3025. The applicant submitted a Form I-693 that contains only the completed section for vaccinations.

NEW FORM I-693: As such, the applicant is required to submit a new Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that is properly completed and signed. The newest version of Form I-693 includes the medical information as well as the vaccination record."

The funny thing is, we did submit all the information to the best of my knowledge correctly. We were working with a K1 and my wife went to a civil surgeon while in Sweden to complete all of her Packet 3 information. Her chest X-Rays were taken, vaccinations were done etc... After we were married in the US, we went to a civil surgeon (This guy to be exact: Dr. David A Williams, Williams Wellness Center) and he completed all the necessary paperwork there as well. He stated that since we still had the sealed records from Sweden done from the civil surgeon there, all he needed was a few more forms for us to sign and he compiled it for us. We took what was given and submitted it together with the forms from Sweden, as we were told.

SO, does it look like we have done anything wrong here? Our application was moved from its original location to Chicago. There, an RFE was issued based on money. We got a joint sponsor and sent in the paper work. No mention of the medical form was made in the first RFE. After we sent the first RFE in, our application was moved to California and, one month later, we get this form.

My specific questions are:

Could the transfer between 3 different field offices caused them to loose the I-693 info?

Is it worth trying to get a hold of someone and tell them they screwed up? Or, better yet, is it even possible to contact someone and tell them they screwed up?

Should we contact the civil surgeons and ask them what all they compiled for us or will they have already tossed our records?

Would the easier thing be to just go and do the medical information again and submit it?

Thanks for the help. Please let me know if anyone has ever experienced something of this nature before and what your recommendations are for us to move forward.

Tack så mycket!

Casey och Linnea

The same thing has happened to me even though this time I put in a I-864, I listed more income and assets. I showed property I own with a values of around 60K but they stated it would not work because "It is Restricted." It is not restricted as I can cash out anytime I want.

I am going to re-file everything listing everything in greater detail than I had. I am also going to get 2 joint sponsors to be safe as I do not want to take any chances on this.

My only question if anyone can help with this is, one of the RFE's stated that they wanted my more recent tax form, and a officer wrote with pen "NEED 2009 FORM." My most recent tax form is 2008 since we filed an extension for 2009. I included the extension paper in my original AOS application but yet they come back asking for a form I don't have. How should I fix this?

First I wanted to share that Linnea and I have just gotten back from our wedding in Savannah, GA this past weekend. It went great! (We had a legal ceremony the week after she got into the US.) Thanks to everyone who gave us advice for the K1 visa that allowed us to get to this point!

Linnea has received a Social Security number a month ago and she then received her drivers license a few days later. When she got the license, they issued a temporary one that was only valid until mid August. Their reasoning was that in her passport it was stamped for only 3 months allowed in the US for the K1 visa. They said that in order to get a permeant license, we would need to get the passport stamped and bring that back to them showing she was legally allowed to be here past 3 months.

We have filed for AOS and have had our biometrics appointment already and are just waiting for a letter for the interview. Since her license is about to expire in a few weeks and she needs to drive, is there a way to get a stamp for the USCIS to get the license renewed?

Thanks for all the help from everyone,

Casey och Linnea

Hi All,

I am in the process of obtaining a I-129F and when my fiancee went for her interview at the embassy in Stockholm she was informed that we needed to get a 212(e) "NO OBJECTION" waiver. We then received the necessary documentation and applied for the waiver. After about a month after the application, our online case status changed to "FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION" sent on March 4, 2010. This sent document was a recommendation back to the USCIS Vermont Service Center.

First, I assume Favorable Recommendation is a good thing, so does anyone know how much longer we will wait till full approval? From my understanding, there has to be a secondary approval at the USCIS and then my fiancee will be contacted directly, yet I have been unable to find out how long that secondary approval will take. Does anyone on here know? Our wedding is planned for July 17th so I am hoping everything will work out.

Tack så jättemycket för hjälpen,

Casey och Linnéa

Hi all,

I am in the process of obtaining a I-129F and when my fiancee went for her interview at the embassy in Stockholm she was informed that we needed to get a 212(e) "NO OBJECTION" waiver. We then received the necessary documentation and applied for the waiver. After about a month after the application, our online case status changed to "FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION" sent on March 4, 2010.

First, I assume Favorable Recommendation is a good thing, so does anyone know where the recommendation was sent to and how much longer we will wait till full approval? From my understanding, there has to be a secondary approval and then my fiancee will be contacted directly, yet I have been unable to find out how long that secondary approval will take or where it is taking place. Does anyone on here know?

Tack så jättemycket för hjälpen,

Casey och Linnéa

I met my fiance while he was on a j1 as well in the US. And, we were fully aware of teh 2yr HRR, you sign it at the embassy when you pick-up your j1 visa. I am surprised your fiance didn't know about it. However, when we fell inlove and wanted to take the k1 route and contacted the USCIS they told us we had to obtain a waiver before they would even consider looking at our k1 visa.

There are several ways you can get your j1 HRR waived. The easier way and straight through way is a No Objection (that is what we did and it took 6 months). However, my fiance HRR was to Pakistan not Kenya even though he got his his visa through the Kenya embassy (I think thats why it took so long b/c his was through Pakistan).

Anyway, to obtain a no objection: You need to obtain a "no objection" letter from the program that sponosred your fiances j1, complete the no objection process through the state department (I was gonna put the link for you here, but I wasn't able to pull it up, slow net ), follow process for your embassy to get a no objection and both you and your embassy would have to send it to the state department. The state dept, will approve or deny--then fwd the case to the USCIS. USCIS will have final say so.

If the program the sponsored your fiance and your home country both provide a "no objection" state dept. in 99% cases will grant the waiver.

If you have any questions, let me know and I'll be more than happy to help you out. GOOD LUCK!!!

Thanks so much, I keep in touch. Glad to know that it worked out so well for you. Its interesting that both state department and embassy have to file to the USCIS. Maybe ill have some luck and it will process fast

Some people (including myself) get a bit touchy when the blame is placed on the government, when clearly the onus is on the individual to ensure they met the requirements for a paticular visa/service.

Now - to answer some of your questions

My questions is, has anyone ever gone through a process such as this?

Yes, there are posts here of people doing this exact thing, most, if I remember right, needed the waiver. I have a friend that had to do this (In Va)

If so, what should I expect?

Another wait, more money spent, hopefully her government will not object.

How long should I expect to wait (5 months??)

From most of the timelines I saw online - pretty close to that wait time- State department has it at 3-4 months.

Is there any unforeseen challenges I should be aware of?

Her government saying "no" - but that really isn't unforseen....

Is there a way to speed this up?

A few states will help "speed" up the waiver, if the training is needed in that state (and they are in that state) (I know Virginia does that for Medical students (friend above) - but then - only puts the request in front of others from that state) (so probably no help for you)

And why does the government have to be so crazy???????

grrrrr - they are only following the rules, which she agreed to with the J-1

Thanks! I understand its my responsibility to meet all the requirements. I truly was unaware of the 2 year requirement.

Hopefully there won't be a rejection for the waiver

Thanks for the help!

I do feel for you, but the onus is on the visa holder to understand the terms of the visa that they hold.

USCIS approved the petition because she was technically eligible to procure a K1 visa - she fulfilled their minimum requirements (you've met her in person in the last 2 years, you were both free to marry, no criminal issues, etc). They may have checked her previous entries to make sure they were legal, but that is as far as they likely go.

The approved petition was then sent to the consulate - the State Department - which has the sole discretion to issue visas. It would be at that time that the previous visa(s) would be cross checked. If they allowed her to do this, they'd have to allow everyone - and unfortunately, that is not how our government works.

Immigration is a complex process and if I've learned anything on my years around this board, it is that arming yourself with knowledge at every step is crucial. That sometimes involves verifying terms of previous visas held.

If you want to take that as criticism, then I can't control that, but it certainly isn't my intention.

No, I apologize if I seemed harsh, I appreciate your response and I welcome any objective criticism. What I had a problem with was the particular language used in Gary's response "I find it hard to beleiev you are trying to lay something on the government when your fiancee clearly etc..." It felt more like he was attacking my character than anything else. But, as another poster put, its water under the bridge now.

Thanks for the response, it was very useful and it helped me understand why this situation came about.

Again, I am not trying to anger anyone, I am just here for help

I find it hard to beleiev you are trying to lay something on the government when your fiancee clearly had a two year residency requirement and you are acting surprised there is a "problem". Yes she needs this and then you can apply for a waiver. Her government paid for her J-1 visa (or some portion of it) and the two year residency is to assure they get their money's worth. If she receives this from her government, the state department has been pretty good about issuing a waiver in the past. I am surprised you got a petition approval as you should have had the waiver before filing the petition. Other governments do not always issue these. We have some friends who were married here when the woman was here on a J-1 visa and spent their first two years marrried in Poland and than came here with a DCF.

I blame this on the government because we were never informed of this or had any knowledge. Had we received some a waiver before filing the petition or been informed of it, we wouldn't have been caught off guard. So yes, I am acting surprised there is a problem!

Please don't reply if your are only going to criticize me. Not once have I ever criticized you!

Hey all,

Its been a while since I have been on here so I am not sure exactly what sub-topic this post should be assigned to. Please move it to the desired location if this is incorrect.

So, this morning, my fiancee finally went into the US Embassy for an interview to get the visa. We were both really excited last night as we were ready for this process to be over. However, at the interview, we were informed that Linnéa is ineligible for a visa at this time because she had a J-1 student visa recently, and when a person signs for a J-1 student visa, they also sign an agreement to return to their country (in this case Sweden) and bestow their knowledge learned for a minimum of 2 years! Thus, Linnea would be ineligible for a visa at this time since it has only been one year since her J-1 visa ended.

So, Linnea was told that, although she passed her interview, she can't receive the visa until she gets a "NO OBJECTION STATEMENT" from her government. (This is the link to the no objection statement the embassy gave her: http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/2059 ; )

This is a message from the US embassy:

The waiver is required since you have not been outside the U.S. for two years since you departed (which was in December 2008). The non-immigrant visa unit deals with non-immigrant visas such as J-1 visas and will probably be in a better position to answer your questions regarding the waiver process.

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit

TYPICAL SIDESTEP OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OF THIS GREAT BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS

So, from my understanding, Linnea needs to get a "No Objection Statement" from her government and then file with the state department here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/info/info_1296.html in order to get the 2 year requirement removed and pay another fee of $275 and wait up to 5 months (as informed to her this morning by officials at the embassy) until she can get her visa.

My questions is, has anyone ever gone through a process such as this? If so, what should I expect? How long should I expect to wait (5 months??) Is there any unforeseen challenges I should be aware of? Is there a way to speed this up? And why does the government have to be so crazy???????

Thanks in advance for any help I receive from the board, you guys have been great!

Casey och Linnea

HI!

I am from Sweden and my boy is from America, Live in Macon GA and I am going back to sweden next week to finish the the last things for the interview and the medical examination! wohooo!

Congrats!!!

Your petition is now probably on its way to NVC and then it will be sent to the Embassy in Sweden. My experience with the Embassy in Sweden was excellent and they are really fast so I'd expect your packet 3 to arrive soon. I got an interview just over a month after my NOA2 so if you want to speed things up, probably your fiance should go back to Sweden sooner than Nov. Also, if you haven't done so yet start collecting police certificate and birth certificate.

Good luck!

Woops my bad I ment K1 not K3 ...

Does anyone know if Linnéa could get the medical "checkup" done in the states or does it have to be done in Sweden?

So I received the NOA2 today! :dance:

This was much much faster than I had ever though would happen. Total time was 3 months!

However Linnéa is in the US right now as she was here on a tourist visa and her plane ticket back is not till Nov 2nd...

Should we change the ticket and have her return immediately so we can start the next process?

Is it possible for someone other than Linnéa, say her mother, to pick up the information from the Embassy?

The NOA2 says it is valid between 9-21-2009 and 1-21-2010, is this the period that is valid for her to go to the embassy and get issued a K3 visa then receive another 90 days to get married on the K3 or is this (1-21-2010) the deadline for us to get married?

Thanks for all the help!!!

We are glad right now!

Best of luck to everyone, I hope you all have a speedy process like we had so far!

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone... Linnea made it through the Atlanta POE with no problems

Tack så jättemycket!

Casey och Linnea

With the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) just remember that the rules changed sometime last year and you now have to register online BEFORE leaving. here's the website:

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

Good luck

I had no idea about this! How long does this application take!?

Oh I also wanted to say, Linnea has been into the US twice before but with a student visa. Should this help? She should come up on there database when they have her do the thumb prints and all at the POE and, since it will say she has been in the states before, Im hoping they will just say "welcome back."

Hi Casey,

My girlfriend had come to US before (I didn't know her then) and she filed for a time extension for pleasure and being a tourist, the extension it was denied so to make a long story short she had to leave right away because her original I-94 was past the due date.

Fast forward to to the time we met and she told me horror stories about how the INS inspectors at the airports can make a tourist visit a nightmare and that she was worried when we decided for her to come to the US. I didn't believer her but sure enough she flew into Atanta on June 22, 2009 and ended up detained for basically no reason at all. The agent told her something about that they needed to inspect her luggage and didn't give her any other information. Her connecting flight time to L.A. was only about an hour. Well she missed it, they finally let her leave and the only reason I think that they didn't turn her away is because she got cute with a male agent, she pretty. It was a female agent that detained her and I don't think it was for any reason that they needed to do so. The only thing I can think of is that the denied extension request is stuck in her passport information. A friend later told me is that she should just get a new passport with a new number that is not connected to the old number with a new visa.

I just filed the I-129 and was hoping that the time she is her coicides with the time her visa comes through but I think it will take more than the 180 days that she is allowed to stay on the tourist visa so we will be waiting until she get her visa before we can see each other again.

Good luck,

Bernie

Hi all,

Thankfully after 2 1/2 months of separation, my fiancée will be here on Friday! She is flying into Atlanta from Sweden with a connecting flight in London. She will be staying till November 2nd, so it will be approximately two and 1/2 months in the States.

We have a round trip ticket purchased and she is going to have that in hand when she goes through customs so they will know she is leaving before the 3 month period.

My question is, should she have any other documenting evidence for her to show when she arrives at the POE? I have heard some horror stories of people being denied entry and I would really hate for this to happen to us.

As always, I appreciate all the information I receive from this forum and best of luck to everyone in this process.

Casey och Linnéa

Ill tell Linnéa to put on her charm with the male agents haha.

I must admit, these "horror" stories scare me to death. In Sweden, she allowed the I-94 just by having a passport right? Everything we looked up from the state department said this was the case but I just wanted to verify. I guess it may be a little to late if I was wrong as she is leaving in a few hours.

Atlanta is her final destination and as long as she can just get through and come up the stairs where I will be waiting I will be the happiest person in the world! We have a letter from her employer, we have a round trip ticket and, after reading one of the earlier post, she is probably just packing summer clothes to avoid suspicion if they were to go through her baggage.

If she was to be denied however, is there anything I could do from the top to convince someone to let her in? Also, would she have to pay for the ticket back? That would just be shitty...

I will keep everyone posted on what happens tomorrow. Wish us Luck!

Casey och Linnéa

Avoid answers like "to visit my boyfriend or fiance" etc. unless specifically asked. Never lie but don't voluteer unnecessary information either.

Yea this is what I was wondering about also... At the point of entry will they be able to pull up and see she has a K1 filed and processing? If so, shouldn't she go ahead and say she is here to visit me? That way it doesn't look like she is trying to withhold information.

I guess the best response is to just be short and sweet with all the answers...

Hi all,

Thankfully after 2 1/2 months of separation, my fiancée will be here on Friday! She is flying into Atlanta from Sweden with a connecting flight in London. She will be staying till November 2nd, so it will be approximately two and 1/2 months in the States.

We have a round trip ticket purchased and she is going to have that in hand when she goes through customs so they will know she is leaving before the 3 month period.

My question is, should she have any other documenting evidence for her to show when she arrives at the POE? I have heard some horror stories of people being denied entry and I would really hate for this to happen to us.

As always, I appreciate all the information I receive from this forum and best of luck to everyone in this process.

Casey och Linnéa

For the sake of extra viewers, I have reposted here. It was originally posted to the work forum but this is a K1 issue as well. Original Post:

So, let me preface this by saying I am very appreciative of any help I may find for my questions and wish the best of luck to all people who are going through this long and tedious process.

To help you understand our situation, I'll give a bit of background information. Linnéa and I are both recent graduates with myself entering Law School and she actively looking for jobs. Currently, Linnéa is working at Svenska Handelsbanken in Stockholm but her employment will end at the end of August as it was a "trainee-summer position." Like most couples, we are actively searching for positions where we can start our careers, (my career starter job will come in a few years... hopefully).

A few days ago, Linnéa got into contact with the HR department at the same undergrad University we met at 2 years ago. Linnéa studied abroad for a year there and developed some really good relationships with some staff and faculty, including that of the VP and Provost. She was informed of a position that has recently opened up at that University for a new International Study Abroad / Exchange Student Coordinator. What better person to occupy such a position than an individual who has studied abroad herself to China, and has experienced what international students face when they arrive to the University. Moreover, a majority of the international students who come to this University are either from China, or Sweden. Since she knows both cultures and speaks both languages, it would be a perfect fit.

Naturally, we applied.

However, here is where our situation becomes intriguing and where I could use the advice from this forum.

Currently, we are in the processing time for our K1 visa, about 1 month since we received our first NOA. We have booked a ticket for Linnéa to come visit form the 28th of August to the 2nd of November. The University states that the position will remain open until filled but, with the hard economics times, I don't think it would remain open until around January when Linnéa should arrive with the K1 and work authorization.

We have contemplated the idea of having her work during her time she is here to visit as a trainee and not pay her, should the University go for that. If they do, how does that affect her K1 status? From my understanding, should immigration find that she has worked in the US before receiving the K1, it could be detrimental to our petition. Is this correct?

Is there any way that the University could hire her before the K1 and, if so, does this provide a situation that would allow the K1 to be expedited? (not that I am trying to jump ahead of you fine people, just looking at options).

Another option we are considering is, should she receive the position and the University will pay for the work visa (does anyone know the approximate cost of work visa's by the way?), would it be possible, and possibly the most logical decision, to abandon the petition for a K1 and, after our marriage, apply for a K3? The most difficult part of this whole process is the waiting and if she was here by other means, the petitioning for green cards and AOS could wait, especially if she has employment.

So, as I said in the subject line, it was exciting news we received. The person making the hire Linnéa knows well and stopped just short of saying she was the leading candidate but praised her fully. It also helps that we have support from the VP and Provost. However, there concerns were the same as mine and they are the ones voiced above. How does this affect our petition?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and replying with any advice you may have. I hope it is understandable and if you would like more info I will do my best to answer.

Casey och Linnéa

So, let me preface this by saying I am very appreciative of any help I may find for my questions and wish the best of luck to all people who are going through this long and tedious process.

To help you understand our situation, I'll give a bit of background information. Linnéa and I are both recent graduates with myself entering Law School and she actively looking for jobs. Currently, Linnéa is working at Svenska Handelsbanken in Stockholm but her employment will end at the end of August as it was a "trainee-summer position." Like most couples, we are actively searching for positions where we can start our careers, (my career starter job will come in a few years... hopefully).

A few days ago, Linnéa got into contact with the HR department at the same undergrad University we met at 2 years ago. Linnéa studied abroad for a year there and developed some really good relationships with some staff and faculty, including that of the VP and Provost. She was informed of a position that has recently opened up at that University for a new International Study Abroad / Exchange Student Coordinator. What better person to occupy such a position than an individual who has studied abroad herself to China, and has experienced what international students face when they arrive to the University. Moreover, a majority of the international students who come to this University are either from China, or Sweden. Since she knows both cultures and speaks both languages, it would be a perfect fit.

Naturally, we applied.

However, here is where our situation becomes intriguing and where I could use the advice from this forum.

Currently, we are in the processing time for our K1 visa, about 1 month since we received our first NOA. We have booked a ticket for Linnéa to come visit form the 28th of August to the 2nd of November. The University states that the position will remain open until filled but, with the hard economics times, I don't think it would remain open until around January when Linnéa should arrive with the K1 and work authorization.

We have contemplated the idea of having her work during her time she is here to visit as a trainee and not pay her, should the University go for that. If they do, how does that affect her K1 status? From my understanding, should immigration find that she has worked in the US before receiving the K1, it could be detrimental to our petition. Is this correct?

Is there any way that the University could hire her before the K1 and, if so, does this provide a situation that would allow the K1 to be expedited? (not that I am trying to jump ahead of you fine people, just looking at options).

Another option we are considering is, should she receive the position and the University will pay for the work visa (does anyone know the approximate cost of work visa's by the way?), would it be possible, and possibly the most logical decision, to abandon the petition for a K1 and, after our marriage, apply for a K3? The most difficult part of this whole process is the waiting and if she was here by other means, the petitioning for green cards and AOS could wait, especially if she has employment.

So, as I said in the subject line, it was exciting news we received. The person making the hire Linnéa knows well and stopped just short of saying she was the leading candidate but praised her fully. It also helps that we have support from the VP and Provost. However, there concerns were the same as mine and they are the ones voiced above. How does this affect our petition?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and replying with any advice you may have. I hope it is understandable and if you would like more info I will do my best to answer.

Casey och Linnéa

yes just click on the embassy info on the top link

good luck

abby n sheryl

Sorry let me clarify... the embassy info link contains no Swedish Embassy page (although it contains all other Scandinavian countries lol).

This is were I was getting confused. Why leave Sweden out haha?

Thanks for the quick reply though

Hi all,

Does anyone (moderator or not) know where the Swedish embassy information page is, or if there has ever been one? How does one go about creating a embassy info page for Sweden?

Thanks

Hey guys!

So, my fiancee is coming to visit in a few weeks and will be in the states for a few months while we wait on the approval of our NOA2. Does anyone know if it is possible to get a driver license while she is in the US as a tourist? Has anyone tried?

Thanks and good luck to all,

Casey