ChinaQuest52

Thanks for the replies. I don't think there is really any need for affidavits so we're going to send in the package without them. I think we have good answers prepared for any questions they might have. Since we are prepared and ready to answer questions there most likely won't be any.

Thanks again,

Tom & Jialian

I'm working on my wife's I-751 and was wondering if having affidavits stating our marriage is genuine are all that important?

I have a checklist of about 14 things that I plan to include showing that we have joint accounts and bills, insurance coverage, we jointly own a home with no mortgage etc.. In addition I am planning on including a number of family photos which include my wife and every member of the family. It would seem that if we have a history of family interaction and joint ownership of a home and bank accounts etc. that should be evidence as to the validity of our marriage.

Thanks,

Tom & Jialian

My husband has his interview on the 20th of May and I'm just worried about the supporting documents he needs to take with him...we have everything from the checklist (DS-2001):

our Birth Certificates

Passports

Marriage Certificates

Affidavit of Support

Medical exam

Police Certificates for the United Kingdom

Photographs

I feel like this is not enough?

I read somewhere that we should take things to show our marriage is legit... like to take bank statements, bills and things with both our names on it, pictures...

Should we take extra documents??? I've read somewhere to take bank statements, rental agreements (for our home), docs that support our marriage is bonafide...I'm sure it will be better to over prepare, right? Did anyone else take more documents than what was ticked off the checklist?

Also because I (the usc) have been living in the UK for almost 5 years I'm worried about my 'domicile' I have been applying for jobs (in the us) and i have emails i can print off that confirm my application....shall he take these?

I also have a couple of emails replying to enquiries about apartments we're interested in...we'll these be any good? I have copies of my 1040's and 2555EZ'...I have papers to show that I have applied for a Texas teaching certificate and been approved (still waiting for actual certificate to be mailed) will this be enough to show that i want to 're establish US domicile'?

....looks like this may be an issue and i'm worried now...

we rent so we cant show anything there... my UK residendcy visa is not in my new US passport....do u think that'll count for anything?

What about employment? They know I'm going to leave...shall I ask for some kind of letter?

we cant put the cars up for sell yet...

I've got 2 shipment qoutes (to move our things)!?

*sigh*

what do you think?

OH! and one more thing

i read somewhere that the spouse (me) doesnt have to go (to the interview) BUT can if they want to BUT then i read somewhere else that only my husband can go.... surely as i am the petitioner I need to be there????

thanks to anyone who takes their time to reply! x

WOW! I can't comment on the domicile question but the ideas of bringing extra things to the interview is a good idea. My wife had her interview in mid April and while she was not asked to produce additional documentation as to the validity of our marriage many others were. I think it is better to have supporting evidence that you don't need than to go and not have anything to add weight to you case.

HeatDeath had excellent advice. Also you could make an infopass appointment to see what needs to be done if the CBP doesn't answer your quesitons.

Good luck

Ok, I'm sure they are not open until Monday so I'll call first thing Monday morning.

My just arrived and the immigration officer did not look at her package from the Consulate. She tried to tell them she had the package in her computer bag but the officer said she was done and called the next person in line. She came in through LA and flew to Orlando where I met her. I'm not exactly sure where to start with this problem. Any ideas or phone numbers would be appreciated.

We submitted our I-130 package in July and things seemed to move at the pace we expected. In January the NVC sent the package to Guangzhou. We were expecting a wait of about 6 months or more before the interview. When Jialian came home from taking care of things for Qingming Festival she was greeted by the package from GUZ and an interview date one week later (April 14). This seems to be much faster than all the processing time lines and other personal accounts indicate. I am curious if everybody is seeing the process move at a faster pace. Shoot, she could be here in less than 10 months at this rate. I hope everyone receives this kind of nice little surprise.

Tom & Jialian

Other. And then specify: I-130 petition. This is according to the sample form on the website.

We made the silly mistake of checking Status as PR as it seems to be the most logical choice, so we called up USCIS and ensured that they understood we were pursuing a CR1.

Hi all..

Ok Sachinky, so let me tell u what I understand from this topic (correct me please if I'm wrong )

When the petitioner (the US citizen) submit the G-325A Form for himself he has to check: Other, and then Specify: I130 Petition - I wrote it exactly how it fits in the space available in the petition if it's filled out on the computer.

When the beneficiary (the spouse of US citizen) submit the G-325A Form for himself he has to check: Status as Permanent Resident

Thanks all in this matter!

so now there are 2 different takes on how to fill it out...hahaha. is there anyone that's completed the process that can confirm?

Well I'm not sure that this is the best way but I checked both PR and other and wrote in CR1 /i-130 and it was accepted. My thought was that it covered all the bases and left nothing to chance. I need to update my time line, but we have moved along with no RFE's so far and our paperwork has moved to NVC so I don't think the way we did it was unacceptable.

Good luck and keep the faith, it is a long and trying process.

Add your new spouse to your US Bank Accounts, yes it can be done without them having a SSN!

Also, be sure to add them as beneficiary to your 401(k) as this in now required by law.

Finally add them as beneficiary to your Life Insurance. You can even get the spouse a small ( > $50,000) Life Insurance Policy with you listed as primary beneficiary.

You can include copies of the bank statements in both names, the forms used to add beneficiary to 401(k) and Life Insurance as weel as getting something from the 401(k) Plan Manager and Life Insurance Company stating the spouse is primary beneficiary.

All of these demonstrate co-mingling of financial affairs.

How did you get your spouse added to your bank account? I tried 4 different banks and all denied my request. I have added my wife as the beneficiary to my IRA and added her to credit cards etc. However the rest has been a dead-end thus far...

Thanks,

Tom&Jialian

I just looked at the NOA2 and our petition has indeed been forwarded to the NVC in NH. I will ask about the electronic processing, just like everyone else here I'd love to "shave off" 60 to 180 days.

Hi to everyone,

I just received the email alerting that our 130 was approved... YEAH!!!!

It sounds like we will have to go to Guangzhou for the interview and final part of the process. It seems like Guangzhou has a slightly different process and can be a little difficult at times. Now to the stupid question, can we request our VISA be processed at a different Embassy in China?

Thanks,

Tom &vJialian

Well add us to the list, we filed on July 9th and got the email yesterday saying our 130 was approved. I guess that's NOA2? It was very good news and we're very happy that we can share this with the others who received the same email.

CONGRATS TO ALL!!!!

Hello guys, I think I am ready to file my I-130 for my wife in Pakistan, Please check my list below and let me know if I am missing anything. I've made a cover letter and everything mentioned below is in the same sequence. Also, does it make a difference if my beneficiary was my relative even before the marriage, should I mention that anywhere in the coversheet.

1. Completed and signed form I-130
2. Check for I-130 filing fee
3. Completed and signed form G-325A and photograph (Petitioner)
4. Completed and signed form G-325A and photograph (Beneficiary)
5. Copy of Petitioner U.S Passport to prove U.S citizenship OR Copy of my naturalization certificate to prove U.S citizenship
6. Copy of Petitioner birth certificate
7. Copy of Petitioner Social Security & Resident Alien
8. Copy of our marriage certificate (Translated in English)
9. Copy of our marriage certificate (Original in Urdu)
10. Copy of beneficiary’s birth certificate
11. Copy of beneficiary ID from Pakistan Stating Husband’s name (Evidence of a Bonifide Marriage)
12. Wedding pictures

I do understand that there might few couple of things in my list not needed at this point but I am sending everything I have just in case. Any suggestions/comments are welcome.

It is best to "Front Load" your application, by that I mean put a little everything in the package to give them all they need to see the relationship is Bonified not just legal. I sent a sample of emails from the beginning and at various points in our relationship up to the point of the I-130,.I also added a statement listing the total number of emails available for review at the interview or whenever requested. I sent pictures of us along with family and friends in addition to the wedding pictures. I added notes to the pictures stating who was in the picture, where and when it was take. I just printed the pictures with the captions in Word along with a statement that the pictures and about 700 more would be available at the interview. I also included a couple of logs, one for phone calls and another for chats. I also included correspondence regarding a denial for adding my wife to my benefits and bank accounts until she has as SSN.

The idea is to paint a picture of the relationship and show that it is genuine. If they have a good snapshot of the relationship upfront it is easier to process and hopefully will not cause any unnecessary questions.

I see you're from sunny Fla. as well, I'm up in Daytona Beach, small world isn't it.

Hope this helps,

Tom

Good evening all,

I know this is not a tax forum but I was curious if any of my fellow Journeyers has tried to buy a home while they wait for the VISA process to plod along. My wife is still in China and we've thought about buying a home, which has got to help with the Proof of our marriage etc. I was looking into the $8,000 "First time home buyers tax credit". We qualify and can afford the home etc. But since I don't know how we can file a Joint Return until she has a SSN. If you have bought a home and or filed a Joint Tax Return I'd like to hear how you went about it.

Thanks,

Tom

Yes, I checked on the timeline and I am very happy that our I-130 went to california.

Hi all,

I am just starting on this journey and I'm sure it will be a ride we'll never forget. I got my NOA1 in the mail and went to the USCIS web site to check on our progress and I noticed that it had been sent to the California Service Center which made me wonder why. I live in Florida and it would seem there would be many centers closer that would make more sense. Does anybody have any idea on how and why they select the service center your case is assigned to? Also is this a good thing or is can I expect it to take longer than if it went to Vermont?

Thanks.

Tom & Jialian

We filed July 15, got NOA1 dated July 20. We still have a long way to go but it is nice to have company on this journey.

Thanks for all the great replies. I am not sending in originals at this time. Everything other than the I-130 and G-325A are copies. After further review I think I will take out the extra comments on the Red Flag issues, I think you guys are right it might cause them to ask more questions. I have also cut down the number of emails and created a chat log in Excel with the date time and duration of most of our chats. I will send all the transcripts, all the emails, and all our photos with my wife for the interview.

As far as the assembly of the package I plan to put things into sections with a TOC at the beginning and a TAB at the bottom of the page for each section. I agree I want to make it as easy as possible for the fine folks at USCIS and NVC to locate what they want.

Thanks and wish us luck.

Hello to all the great folks here.

I am about to send our I-130 package and have a couple of questions. I am second guessing myself on adding a sheet where I address some of the "red flag" questions that may come up. In my research I have read that the Consular Officer can only reject an approved Petition based on "is substantial evidence relevant to petition validity not previously considered by DHS". Specifically I attached a sheet trying to defuse three issues mentioned as "red flags". I addressed our short courtship which was 7 months, the short time between my arrival in China and our wedding, and lastly the communications and language issues (she speaks fair English and my Chinese is pitiful but we understand each other).

My question on this is AM I LIKELY TO CAUSE MYSELF MORE PROBLEMS by adding this to the package?

The other question is regarding the package, I just want confirmation that I am not missing anything.

1. Petitioner addresses potential questions.

2. Completed and signed form I-130.

3. Continuation sheet for I-130.

4. Check for I-130 filing fee.

5. Completed and signed form G-325A and photograph (petitioner).

6. Continuation sheet for petitioners G-325A.

7. Completed and signed form G-325A and photograph (beneficiary).

8. Continuation sheet for beneficiary G-325A.

9. Copy of my U.S Passport to prove U.S citizenship.

10. Copy of my birth certificate front and back.

11. Copy of our marriage certificate, translated and notarized.

12. Copy of divorce decree of petitioner.

13. Copy of divorce decree of beneficiary, translated and notarized.

14. Copy of beneficiary’s birth certificate translated and notarized.

15. Copy of passport pages of beneficiary as evidence of citizenship in P.R.C.

16. Evidence of relationship:

a. Evidence of travel to and in China. (boarding passes and baggage claim stubs receipts etc.)

b. Photos of us together along with family and friends. (Sending about 40 with 200 backup she will take to interview)

b. Evidence of efforts to combine finances. Unsuccessful but I have emails stating I can not, but she has two new credit cards!

c. Copies of affidavits sworn to and affirmed by third parties having personal knowledge of our bonafide marriage.

d. Evidence of gifts sent (Receipts and pictures).

e. Evidence of continuing communication in the form of email, phone calls, chat, and video chats.

about 40 emails with several hundred she will take to the interview, phone log showing about 100 phone calls and about 50 pages of

chat transcripts.[/size]

Sorry about the long post but I'm nervous about this and don't want to miss anything. I thought about having an attorney look over our package but he wanted $1,000 to look at it. I think that is just too much for a couple hours of work.

Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions.