mme.kante

My step-daughter (who is in Senegal) and husband have been asked for a DNA test in order to proceed with her visa application. Neither of her parents will be able to accompany her to the embassy to sign the required consent form so we need to get a relative in Senegal to accompany her.

The form from the embassy says that "a notarized original power of attorney with the guardian's full name, government issued ID number, his/her date of birth, and your child's name indicating that you appoint him/her as your child's guardian"

Can anyone direct me towards a template for this or can I simply type up a form that says something like:

"Power of Attorney

I, father's name, appoint guardian's name, as guardian of my daughter, her name.

father's details

guardian's details"

Do I need to express the purpose of this guardianship (ie to give consent for DNA testing)?

Notarizing it here in the US is what we are expected to do, right?

Update:

Finally got a response from the US Embassy in Dakar. Here is what they said in case anyone else is looking for that info:

They said that as the petitioner, I can attend the interview with my minor (15yo) step-daughter (but I guess this is Embassy specific so don't hold it as a universal truth).

They also said that we should bring both the newest tax-returns and newly completed I-864s from the sponsor and co-sponsor.

Since I just bought my ticket, I will probably bring my birth certificate and marriage certificate to cover our bases.

Omg.... the website literally says "As a result, we are unable to print visas...."

This is literally the worst news I could imagine getting right now.... we scheduled our interview THIS MORNING. We are soooooo close to the end and now this? It's going to be interesting to see how this affects people... I hope they are overestimating the problems

My sentiments exactly. I am so upset by this!

Thank you for your response, that was very helpful! I have video chat logs and phone logs but no picture of us together unfortunately. But I hope it will be enough. I still haven't heard from the embassy....

Do you think these documents should go the interview with her too:

• I-864 updated for sponsor and joint sponsor (it wasn't clear if they only wanted the newest tax return)????
• copy of actual I-130 application????
• other documents sent in with application to establish beneficiary-petitioner relationship (her father and my marriage certificate, my US birth certificate) ????

I have emailed the Embassy several days ago and called during their open consular hours hoping to get clarifications from them but to no avail.

In the interview letter it says petitioner is not required to attend interview and that space may limit who may accompany the applicant to the interview. On the website it said that children 14 and under must be accompanied but since she's still 15 and a minor do you think they will let me in for the interview. That's the big question I wanted to ask the Embassy cause if I'm going to purchase a ticket I want to do it soon.

We're finally having the interview at the embassy for my stepdaughter (now 15 years old). I am a USC married to her LPR father. I have a few questions about what we are bringing to the interview; because of her age no police certificate is required. Please let me know if you think there is anything else we will need or if there is somewhere else I should post this. Thanks!

• 2 passport photos
• her passport
• interview letter
• packet from medical exam
• birth certificate (original and photocopy)
• letter from her birth mother giving permission to immigrate (+ photocopy)
• 2014 tax return for sponsor and joint sponsor

• I-864 updated for sponsor and joint sponsor (it wasn't clear if they only wanted the newest tax return)????
• copy of I-130 application????
• other documents sent in with application to establish beneficiary-petitioner relationship (her father and my marriage certificate, my US birth certificate) ????

Evidence:

• photos
• calling card call log from last year
• her gmail chat/hangout log
• receipt of tablet purchased for her
• western union transaction history

unfortunately we weren't great at record keeping so we have little proof of money, calls, and photos, but I plan to submit everything I was able to get my hands on.

Warning this is mainly a rant!

Just feeling frustrated. How can it take so long to process documents at the NVC. The AOS checklist ws received by NVC in Dec and the IV packet was recevied by the NVC in Jan. I called again to check on hte status of the case, but the rep said the packets hadn't been processed yet and he will send it to his supervisor to see why. He then proceeded to tell me that it may take 42 days for his supervisor to process the unprocessed documents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT????????????

That makes no sense. I'm just feeling more and more frustrated by the process. This is my stepdaughter I (a USC) am petitioning for.

Thanks for listening and any advice on how I may be able to speed up the process would help.

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

We were thinking this too. The co-sponsor is my brother, so that would technically make the petitioning immigrant his 14 year old niece. I don't think it would cause him any problems- as long as, like you say above, the co-sponsor self-reports his sponsorship.

Thank you. That was exactly the information I was looking for!

I'm a USC now at the NVC level of processing for petitioning my stepdaughter.

We need a co-sponsor for the affidavit of support.

My potential co-sponsor has security clearance (he no longer works in the military but uses the clearance for his current job). He thinks that the AOS may affect his clearance. I cannot find any information online, that specifically states yes or no, just a lot of conjuring.

Does anyone know (personal experience greatly appreciated) if sponsoring an immigrant through an affidavit of support will affect their security clearance?

Thanks is advance!!!

Thanks that helped so much!!! :-)

I am a USC. My husband is a LPR. We were married in Senegal and now live in the US. His daughter (who is 13 years old) still lives in Senegal and we would like to petition for her to immigrate to the US, using the I-130. A few questions:

1) Is it faster for me, as a USC, to petition for my step-daughter?

2) As a minor, will she need a passport to come to the US?- I'm guessing yes, but would like to know from experience

3) Will she have an interview at the embassy in Senegal before receiving a visa? If so, who, if anyone, needs to be present with her? Me (the petitioner), her father, or her mother??? (I'm not implying she go alone-she lives with her aunt in the capitol and it would be much easier for her to take my stepdaughter to the interview and then send her to the US- I guess I'm trying to see if I or my husband needs to go to Senegal to bring her here)

I appreciate any advice!

gather round everyone-it's storytime!

My husband, Ousmane is from Senegal and is a LPR in the US and I am a USC. We were married in 2009 in his homeotwn in Senegal.

In 2000, Ousmane at the tender age of 19, had a child with his then girlfriend. They were never married and weren't together much long after the birth of their daughter M. M lived with her mother for the first ~4 years of her life, visiting Ousmane often. For the past ~8 years she has been living with her maternal aunt in Dakar the capitol.

Ousmane and I are now at a point where we are able to bring her over to the US to live with us. We have full support from ALL parties involved.

I guess I'm wondering if, I, as a USC, should petition on her behalf or should Ousmane? It seems like visas will be processed quicker if the petitioner is a USC. And since she is my step-daughter this would work for us, right? I'm just anticipating that since Ousmane and M.'s mom were never married, it might cause a hiccup later on.

We have M.'s birth certificate and OUR marriage certificate and her name was on Ousmane's original I-130 application.

I'm just thinking that since M is still in Senegal (and Ousmane and I are here), will she have to go to the embassy there for an interview with me???

Thanks for listening, there was a lot of rambling and confusion. I appreciate any words of advice.

Thanks for you rreply!

Normally we wouldn't care, but he's finally got an interview for a job next week (one he really wants). And with his green card extension expiring next week and the fact that we haven't received the new one yet...urgh....I just don't want anything to mess up his chance at getting this job.

After a very long removal of conditions process, my husband and I had an interview at the Seattle field office Jan 10, 2013. The interview went well (she didn't even want to see any of the paperwork I amassed-just chatted with us and looked at our photos we brought in), and it seemed like we were approved. I saw her stamp the paperwork "approved." The interviewer said they would contact us if they had any questions if not, the green card would be sent by mail.

Now my question is, how long does it usually take for the green card to actually come in the mail??? I know there is no science to this but I would love to get a general idea. Case status has not yet been updated online....

Thanks in advance!

-Michele

ok so we called today to make an appointment for the visa interview and we asked the lady about the police certificates and she said we would only need one.

Interview is scheduled for Thursday!

Hey everyone, we just received packet 3 from the embassy in Dakar, only two weeks after submitting the I 130! Anyway, I had one Senegal specificquestion and one general question.

Regarding the police certificate: we have obtained a police certificate from Tamba (the region where he is from), but because in 2007, my husband lived in Dakar for 9 months does he need to get another police certificate issued from Dakar as well? I, for some reason thought that police certificates issuesd in Senegal are valid for all of your time living there... can anyone help me with that?

Also for the DS230, my husband has a daughter, who is declared in question 19. We would like the option that she could come to the US to be with us at some later date, but have no plans for her coming in the forseeable future, so should we mark her in 21b?

So now we're doing med stuff and waiting for our joint sponsor to send her I864, hopefully today (we're trying to find where to send to here; DHL is soo expensive. any suggestions???).

Thanks for your help in advance.

Hello Everyone!

I got word today that my fiances interview will be the 6th of October. This is a tuesday. He'll obviously have to get to Dakar a few days before so he can get his medical out of the way.

I want to know if anyone has had experience with the medical offices and if they were open on weekends?

Any other dakar tips? medical or otherwise?

This is so exciting!

(Ignore my signature, I haven't updated it yet. Will do soon...)

Hey

I know you!!! I was so excited today because I called the embassy to make an appt to drop off our petition and they gave me a rendez-vous for... Oct 6!!! So you going to come to your love's interview??? do i hear party in Dakar?!?!?

Ousmane's coming up next week and I am stuck with finding an appt for us while simutaneously COSing and celebrating selidini alone next week!!!

much love,

Michele