usmcwife

Visa in hand!!! You really never know when you will get it. We had set a date and started planning for a few months after my interview. However, there was a delay of over 4 months and we had to move the date back twice. Luckily we didn't make too many plans and didn't lose any deposits but if we had of done more planning it would have been disastrous. We finally decided to just wing it and got married a week after I got the visa. It was a small ceremony with very few bells and whistles but it was perfect anyway.

Keep in mind that you do have several months to activate the visa by entering the country and then 90 days before you have to get married. Waiting isn't fun but I guess you get to choose between a well planned elaborate ceremony or less planning but having it sooner.

either way the child will be able to be a dual citizen you should have no issue

I do understand that, I was just wondering how long the process would take before I would be able to bring her home. My husband returns from his 6 month long deployment in February and I am just trying to figure out if I went into early labour and had her in Canada would I make it home in time to see him when he gets back.

You will not have any problem bringing your child back to the US.

Your child will be a US citizen. You may need to file a CRBA and US passport for your child. Alternatively, an LPR who gives birth while temporarily outside the US may bring the child back to the US without a visa.

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http://canada.usembassy.gov/consular_services/birth-abroad.html

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http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/legal_permanent_residents.html

I am a legal permanent resident of the U.S. While I was outside the U.S., I gave birth to a child. Now I wish to return to the U.S. May I take my child with me?

As outlined in 9 FAM 42.1 N1.1, a child under two years of age who was born of a Permanent Resident Alien mother during a temporary visit abroad does not require an immigrant visa in order to travel to the United States if the alien parent is in possession of a valid Form I-551 (i.e. green card), a valid reentry permit, or an SB-1 visa. The child must be admitted to the U.S. within two years of birth and the accompanying parent must be applying for readmission upon first return after the birth of the child. We suggest that the accompanying parent carry documentary evidence of his or her relationship to the child, including the child's passport and birth certificate.

I wonder if it is the same for Conditional Permanent Residents as well. Great idea on filing for a CRBA though... I wonder how long that process takes. I'll have to do some more research.

are you wanting to have the baby here in Canada?...Not too sure what the immigration implications would be if you have Baby in Canada... I would be doing a lot of research first though... Good luck.. looks like I will still be here in Canada for Christmas... Hoping my Honey might come up here for a visit.

good luck and keep us posted on your situation...

Terri

Thanks! I wasn't planning on having her in Canada but I am curious to know what the process would be if she just decided she wanted to be born there anyway. LOL. If that process seems like it might take some time then I might not go. I don't want to miss my husbands return from Afghanistan because my daughter decided to show up early!

Hi everyone... It's been so long since I've posted here but I haven't had any new immigration related issues recently. This Christmas I was thinking about travelling home to Canada to visit family, however, I will be about 32 weeks pregnant at that time. I was wondering what types of immigration issues we might have if I went into early labour and tried to bring our baby back into the USA. Does anyone know the process or how long it takes? Oh yeah, for a bit of background, I'm a Canadian citizen and a conditional permanent resident of the US and my husband is a US citizen and Marine who is currently deployed in Afghanistan (he'll be back about 10 days before the due date so he wont' be here for christmas).

Greetings from Germany,

My first post!

Some quick background. I am a US Soldier stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany. On 19 Oct 11 I married a Ukrainian citizen (via dual proxy marriage). I fly to the Ukraine on 5 Nov 11 for a small wedding ceremony and to consummate the marriage in accordance with USCIS requirements. We have been dating each other since mid- June 11 and have done lot's of "consummating" so this is not a huge deal.

Now..some questions:

It appears that I am eligible to file via DCF in Frankfurt because i am a legal resident in Germany because of military orders?

This guide: http://germany.usembassy.gov/visa/files/i130_instructions.pdf has a good check list...but it doesn't say anything about attaching

"Evidence of a Bonifide Marriage" ...i.e,

1. Documentation showing joint ownership or property; or

2. A lease showing joint tenancy of a common residence; or

3. Documentation showing co-mingling of financialresources; or

4. Birth certificate(s) of child(ren) born to you, thepetitioner, and your spouse together; or

5. Affidavits sworn to or affirmed by third parties havingpersonal knowledge of the bona fides of the maritalrelationship (Each affidavit must contain the full nameand address, date and place of birth of the person makingthe affidavit, his or her relationship to the petitioner ofbeneficiary, if any, and complete information and detailsexplaining how the person acquired his or herknowledge of your marriage); or

6. Any other relevant documentation to establish that thereis an ongoing marital union.

I have some of this so attaching it is not a problem...but it's not on the embassy's checklist so I am a little confused.

BTW...The current instructions on a I-130 say to submit supporting documentation of a bona fide marriage...so at this point that is what I intend to do.

Last question...does anyone think that immigration lawyers are useful/needed for this process? It's possible that i might be headed to Afghanistan in June 2012 so I want to get this done for my new wife as quickly as possible. Money is not an issue...i just want to get it done right the first time

Thanks much for any replies,

Randy

I'm really not sure about you being a legal resident in germany because of orders. When my husband was in Japan on orders, he wasn't considered a resident. I was there on a working visa and was considered a conditional resident. I think you would have to contact the us consulate in Germany and ask them what to do. You might need to file through USCIS in the States. I could be wrong but when you are on orders to live outside of the USA you are still considered to be residing in the states.

I'm hoping that my parents might come down to the Air Show in Jacksonville, NC because the Snowbirds will be showcased. I will hopefully be going back to Canada in the summer... maybe August. My husband will be deploying in late July and I think I'd like to visit friends and family during that time. Plus, It's freaking hot down here in the summer.

I arrived at the same time and didn't work until feb 2011. My husband claimed me as a dependent because I basically was dependent on him. I did not have any income in the USA therefore didn't pay any income tax which means i don't have to file a tax return. As long as you are claimed on your spouses income you should be in the clear. Plus it should give you a pretty good return!

if you are from ontario, you can leave the province for 6 months and still return to full health coverage. If you contact OHIP, like I did before I went to Japan, you can leave for up to 2 years(i think) in a 5 year period and still return to full coverage without the 90 day waiting period. Other provinces are probably different, but it's worth checking into.

Is it possible you can apply for advance parole, to leave the US before you get your greencard and return with no penalty against your current application. It is possible for K1's but i'm not sure if it's possible for AOS from visiting. Might be soemthing to look into. I would thoroughly investigate the possibilities of staying here and getting adequate care or Advance parole before moving back to Canada. Applying for a greencard from Canada takes a long time and if you live far from montreal, it can be pretty expensive.

It's awesome to hear that a few people that applied for AOS at roundabout the same time I did are getting their GC's. Hope mine comes soon.

Anyways, my husband and I are thinking about going and getting me a driver's license just so I have a piece of state ID, but he's worried that I'll have to do the whole deal - written exam and a driving exam.

For those that have theirs already, what process did you have to go through? *I know this will vary from state to state, I'm just curious.

In north carolina they said that until i get the green card they can only issue me a drivers license good for 6 months. Also, he said that they do have to have a written test but it's a case by case basis for the driving test and he usually doesn't require it.

where do I get a CERTIFIED copy of my marriage certificate? I went to the county office where we received the marriage license and I got a marriage certificate. obviously not the original because the original remains in the public records, so I suppose that this is a copy, but there is no certification whatsoever. On the other hand, it's not a simple photocopy which is what I made at FedEx Kinkos and sent along with the AOS package.

Our certified copy of our marriage license just has a slight embossing on it. We ordered two when we brought in the original. When we colour copied it, it looked exactly the same as the original except that you can tell where the seal has been stamped on the original. Check your copy for anything like that.

Had bio appt today finally. Only took 3 months exactly since I originally mailed it in. When we got home I checked online and my EAD card has been ordered! Yay! Just in time for a bit of extra money for Christmas.

I don't know why that posted twice... anyway here's what we had on friday. Yum!

I bought a pork loin which is too big for the two of us so i cut it into more reasonable sizes and it'll be used for 3 meals i think. This time I marinated it in white wine, olive oil, garlic and rosemary. Closer to dinner time, I chopped up a couple of potatoes, a sweet potato, a couple of carrots, a shallot and some more garlic. I tossed that with some olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. I put that in a casserole dish, put a couple pats of butter on it, and covered it in tin foil. It went into a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until teh veggies were about half done. Then I took it out of the oven and put the marinated pork on top as well as about half of the marinade. That was baked for another 20-30 minutes until the meat was cooked.

It was so delicious... and easily adaptable to smaller or larger amounts.

In addition to what I made this time, our friend also served pieces of eel lightly sauteed in a sauce made with soy sauce, sugar and vinegar, and thinly sliced roast duck that we could use to put on our sushi rolls. I just stuck to the egg this time so I could be sure it all worked, but I did pick up some octopus to use for the next ones (something else she suggested we try).

I love octopus. Although sometimes i find it a bit rubbery. When I was in japan the best sashimi was the octopus. The little suction cups are fun to chew on. They also had these cute little squid that were so small you just dipped tehm in soy sauce and ate tehm whole! Yum!

In addition to what I made this time, our friend also served pieces of eel lightly sauteed in a sauce made with soy sauce, sugar and vinegar, and thinly sliced roast duck that we could use to put on our sushi rolls. I just stuck to the egg this time so I could be sure it all worked, but I did pick up some octopus to use for the next ones (something else she suggested we try).

I love octopus. Although sometimes i find it a bit rubbery. When I was in japan the best sashimi was the octopus. The little suction cups are fun to chew on. They also had these cute little squid that were so small you just dipped tehm in soy sauce and ate tehm whole! Yum!

I finally got my biometrics appt letter. Nov 9th, Yay. It will be 3 months to the day from when we sent in the AOS.

I made home made mac and cheese and i sautéed some onions, mushrooms and zucchini and mixed that in with the sauce and macaroni before baking it. Oh yeah, I put in a tonne of garlic. It was really, really good.

My husband asked if we could go vegetarian for a couple of weeks. To see what the cost difference and health difference would be. Fine by me, since i was vegetarian for 10 years before i met him. Also, the marine corps ball is in November and maybe it'll help me to fit in the dress I hope to wear.

I don't think you need to bring anything to your family doctor. All you need from them is the records of your vaccinations. I had a little yellow card that I've had since i was born that all shots I've gotten have been recorded on. The doctor should be able to give you the records of any shots they have given you. If you do not have records of the shots required you might need to get them again or get a test done saying you have had them in the past.

Your family doctor will not be the doctor that does the medical paperwork that teh consulate requires. You have to go to a specific doctor and there is only one in toronto and two in montreal that you can go to. I would wait until you get the interview appointment at montreal before getting that done because it is valid for one year. Waiting means you probably won't have to get another full medical done when you adjust status, so it saves money.

I am just glad that I contacted our congressman. I did eventually get a Bio appt letter in the mail and the appt was for some time in Oct, and if I never had followed up with the congressmans office about my EAD, it would still be sitting there waiting for my biometrics that were never sent to the Missouri office!!!

I suggest for those who have been waiting 2 months + for their bio appointments that you contact your congressman. Election day is less than a month away, and it is amazing what candidates will do to get votes!!!!

usmcwife, I am pretty sure that our congressmans office had a specific contact for military immigration issues, I would look into yours. I know that when my husband naturalized while in the military it happened VERY fast. I know it is a bit different for family members, but they generally try to help out military families when they can.

That's a good idea. I think it's time to contact our congressman. His office was really helpful when we were waiting for Montreal. Hopefully they can be helpful again.

I still haven't gotten a biometrics appt. I was told though that raleigh isn't backlogged like some other local offices. I guess my file was dropped in a crack. The uscis agent i spoke with did put an inquiry in though. Whether or not that actually does anything is another story.

I can finally check the status of my EAD online. It's still being processed and I still haven't gotten an biometrics appt. But at least it feels like something is being done.

I believe that uscis discontinued the K3 option. Even if you went that way it would take longer. I believe you might be able to file for I485 adjustment of status after getting married since you didn't enter the states with the intent to marry. Only question would be if you can leave the country at all between now an getting married. Also you might not be able to work after filing AOS without work authorization. Well, either option you would have had to file for aos, I'm just wondering if you might be able to skip the middle step.

I`m not sure why but the immigration timelines do not include Raleigh N.C. I love tracking where we are compared to other people and their journeys. Is there anyway to add The Raleigh local office.

Are there other people with Raleigh as their local office that would like to share their timelines. We still haven`t gotten our biometrics appt after about 45 days. Is anyone else in the same boat.

I really do not know if you need them from the specific counties in Qatar. check the visa reciprocity tables here - http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_4881.html?cid=3654 . If they aren`t specific enough I would suggest attempting to contact the US embassy where you will interview or having your SO contact uscis.

Most countries only require one police document. Not one for every state, province or county you lived in. There are some exceptions but that link should let you know if you are one.

You can go to the embassy of the country from whom the police certificate is needed. they will generally give translated copies but you might still need to get them translated.

check The state.gov `reciprocity by country` page. It will tell you how to get it, generally how long it takes and what you need to do. There are some countries where the police certificates are unavailable. Its possible Indonesia is one of them.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_4881.html?cid=3584

Just in looking at some other timelines are people able to walk in to the local service centers to get their biometrics done.... I thought we had to wait for appointments... hmmm... Can someone explain....