JewryandJessica

Hello everybody. I think that this is a little issue that I have right now. I have just become US citizen two days ago. I tell the thruth that I tried to update my Social Security Administration and PA State License records; unfortunately, it was not updated my federal record from USCIS, so it was not possible. In the SSA office, they told me that the reason it was not updated already in their federal systems that is called SAVE (federal system that matches USCIS and SSA records with other federal agencies); the lady told me you have to come in about 10 days because your Certificate of Citizenship is brand new, of course I told her it was issued the same day. Now, I went to the PA Drivers License officed to update the State record and it appears the same result, my federal records were not updated right away. This is my question: Is it normal to wait or expect at least few business days to expect to update the federal and State records? If so, How many days anybody recommend me to expect or wait? All the new US citizens need to update the big records as soon as possible, so in case of any problem or any benefit is easier for them to realize and know that I'm US citizen. ANY COMMENTS? ANY SUGGESTIONS? HOW MANY DAYS DO I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I CAN GO TO THE SSA AND PA STATE DRIVERS LICENSE OFFICE? I would like any feedback, comment, suggestion or recommendation from anybody who has done this or who has happened this same scenario that his/her immigration USCIS record is not updated already and therefore, the others mainly the federal and state records cannot be updated. Thanks and bye,

hi, I became a citizen on November 25 and on December 1st I went to the SSA to change my status ( also to change my last name in their records). Well they took a copy of my Citizenship Certificate and I guess my info wasn't upgraded yet in their system. So she just said that it would take about 4 weeks (instead of the usual 2 weeks) for me to get my card because they would have to verify my info with DHS. THats it, about 2 weeks later i got a letter from SSA saying that i would get my new card in about 2 weeks, in about 6 days from the day of the letter i got my card. So in all it just took about 3 weeks to get my new card (instead of the usual 5-6 days that it would have normally taken)

hope that info helps

jessica

Well after the $400 and $70 that you pay to the NVC. ON the day of the interview if your visa is approved then you just have to pay Domex (thats the mailing service the consulate uses to send passports back to the beneficiary) depending on the location of the beneficiary the cost is either US$12 or US$16 or the equivalent of that in Dominican pesos.

I don't know if you are aware but before the interview, You have to pay the medical exam fee for your spouse which is US$180 plus any vaccines that person might need (vaccines are extra), and you also have to go to Banco Popular and you have to pay an immigrant visa fee of US$15 (or the equivalent in D.R Pesos)

Good Luck

Jessica

Im in Dominican republic and i have a date for the visa for my future wife on the 23. But we never got the papers and she never got the exame done. Now they told us to go the 21 and go to window 26 27 to get the papers and that the interview is still on the 23. I want to make sure that i have everything right for those day so please help if you can with helping me with how much money and what papers. Thank you...

(since you wrote "future wife" i am going to assume this is a K-1 visa)From what I know about the K-1 process is that most likely you are not going to get a decision for your visa on the 23 unless you have the medical exam done. How did you find out about the interview date? Did you call them or did you get an e-mail...etc? BEcause I think your future wife might still have time to have the medical exam done and ready before the interview. Check out this website www.consultoriosdevisa.com thats where she will have to go for her medical exam. It tells you the price for the medical which is US$180 (or the equivalent in Dominican pesos). That does not include any vaccines she might need (vaccines are extra and the amount depends on what kind of vaccines she needs). BUt because she is applying for a K-1 she doesn't have to get the vaccines in DR (vaccination is optional but they do recommend you get it done in the DR because eventually when she comes here and you apply for AOS she will have to get them.

Try calling Consultorios De Visa, and see if even without the papers from the consulate if she would be able to get her medical exam done.

I did a CR1/IR1 for my husband so its a bit different but i never received the package from the consulate so what he took was the e-mail we received that stated the date of the interview to consultorios de visa to get the medical exam done.

Good luck

Jessica

Hi,

Although this question was asked before, I still am left with some confusion and now that its final, I would like your opinion whether I am well within my rights no laws are being violated. I have been granted admission at a university and I applied for State and Federal Financial Aid. Today I found out that I have been granted both state and Federal Financial Aid. Am I eligible to accept Financial aid while an LPR, whereas my wife is sponsoring me?

Yes, I believe you are. Things that you are not eligible for are things that are means-tested benefits such as welfare, medicaid, Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI)

Food Stamps

Reduced or Free School Lunches

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)...

stuff like that. However, Financial Aid for school is not one of the things that you are not allowed to accept. If you look at the bottom of I-864P, Poverty Guideline form it gives you a brief list of the things consider as means-tested (and thus things you are not eligible for) and the things that are not included.

Hope that helps

Good Luck

Jessica

I am filling out DS-230 form for my wife who is a graduate of a foreign medical school. (She hasn’t taken the USMLE Board exams that will allow her to practice in U.S. as a medical doctor.) I am confused about the following question in DS-230 form: DS-230 Part II- Sworn Statement (page 3). 40 e.

The question reads as follows:

“An alien who seeks to enter for the purpose of performing skilled or unskilled labor who has not been certified by the Secretary of Labor, who is a graduate of a foreign medical school seeking to perform medical services who has not passed the NBME exam or its equivalent; or who is a health care worker seeking to perform such work without a certificate from the CGFNA or from an equivalent approved independent credentialing organization.”

What should I check for this question; YES or NO.

Thanks.

mmmm the question is a bit tricky because of your situation, but i think you would put NO, because in the first line it says "An alien who SEEKS to enter for the PURPOSE of performing skilled or unskilled....." if she is your wife then i am guessing that she SEEKS to enter the country for the PURPOSE of being with you only. Also I am guessing that she is not planning to practice medicine without first taking and passing the appropiate exam, because that would be illegal. And all those questions in that part of the form are just basically asking you are you going to do something illegal or have you done something which they consider to be illegal or are you likely to become a burned to the U.S(? SO for the most part all those questions should be answered with a "NO" (unless they actually do apply to your wife in which case you have to be honest and disclose such info)

just talked to a live NVC operator and according to her our case just got completed today yahooo! but I can still log in to their website. why is that?

Congratulations!!!!! I think that you can still log in b/c they haven't sent it to the embassy yet. Also if your case was completed today, then maybe they haven't updated their system yet.

Once again Congratulations

I have received the Yellow letter after completing the Biometrics. it has mentioned what document i need it for interview but never mention interview date and time. do i need to call USCIS? or should i wait for interview letter?

please let me know if anyone has same issue.

yellow letter received at 11/23/09

The same thing happened to me. The yellow letter is just a generic letter sent to people, so you should always bring what it says AND whatever other evidence relevent to your case. You never know what they might want, so it is alsways a good thing to be as prepared as possible. I got my interview letter about 13 days after i received the yellow letter. However, I also called USCIS a couple of days after I got the yellow letter, and i was transfered to an officer in my local field office, who told me that they already had assigned me an interview day. So if i was you i would call, that way you can find out if you already have a interview day before you get it in the mail. How long it takes to have an interview date depends how busy your local office is.

Good Luck

Jessica

I got my NOA yesterday,i live in phoenix and sent my N400 to phoenix office.

It took long time to get this leter...

However i got a question,on my latter i dont see anywhere mentioning PHX office, all i see "Lee`s Summit,MO 64002 adress" on the bottom of page! Is this normal?

Why is there adress fom other state if im under Phoenix jurisdiction?

I don't think you have anything to worry about, the same thing happened to me. I was under Lewisville, TX jurisdiction, but my NOA and everything i got afterwards was sent from Lee Summit, MO. So i don't think you have anything to worry about, but if you want to be on the safe side you can always call USCIS and ask if it is normal for the application to be at Lee Summit.

omg this is so selfish. I can't believe it. How can someone destroy another person's life. It is not the wife's fault that he got HIV, so why should she pay for it. If he wanted sex, he could have used his hand.

Hello everyone! I have a silly question. My husband and I finally arrived in the US in February of this year, and he has been working up 'til now in roofing, but due to the snow coming he won't be able to continue. His family says he can collect unemployment like all the other workers, but I say he is inelligible. I say that part of the deal with the process was to prove we had a sponsor so he would not be a burden to the state. Does anyone know?

Nydia

I think that he can collect unemployment, because unemployment is not a means-tested program. In order to claim unemployment you must have had been working previously. The following are what are consider means-tested and are the things that technically speaking would make a person a public charge/ burden to the state:

Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Temporary Assistance for

Needy Families (TANF), and sometimes food stamps.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Good thingt you had a good IO, and your experience was a good one

mmm maybe you should attache a sheet of paper explaining that you don't fit in any of the categories, and explain why or you can call USCIS and ask an operator what you should do in your case

My wife went to her second interview today and she was approved.

She was there the whole afternoon. Her appointment was at noon, but she didn't see the interviewer until 4 pm.

Before that, she was fingerprinted. the interview itself was smooth, the interviewer was not too friendly and not too mean, but he made a couple of errors

that my wife was quick too pick them up. (if they make an error, don't be afraid to correct them nobody knows the case better than yourself!)

He only made four basic questions:

1. Where does he work?

2. What does he do there?

3. How did you meet?

4. Whom does he live with?

after that he typed a little bit on the computer, and told her that she was approved!!!!!

I'm really thankful for this website, and all people that collaborate with it.

thank you guys!!! and good luck in your journey to everybody.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Wishing you and your wife the best of luck in your new life together

Hi!

Is there a forum for October i-130 filers!!!??? Just had our check cashed yesterday, and want to see how everyone's journey is going so far~!

Hello VJ Members!!!

Wow, No check cashed yet but I recieved my NOA1 in the mail today.

wow your timeline is the same as mine

nope we didn't meet. I was so nervous i didn't even notice my surroundings Lol

Tnak you both Ant+D+A and Italian_in_NYC. Also Italian_in_NYC i wrote on your post. I don't think I saw you, I was called in around 10 something, so maybe when i came out of the interview door (mine was door # 2). I fot my oath letter around 12:06pm

Wow my interview was today also at 9:30 in Federal Plaza, my experience was a good one the officer who conducted the interview was very nice an polite through out the whole thing. He didn't ask me for anything other than my green card and passport. He looked like he was in his early to mid twenties. Very nice young man.

Sorry about the one that you had but at least you were prepared and at the end of the day you have your oath letter and everything.

Wow I didn't know that they were having ceremonies for the 13th if i knew i would have asked for that one. It would have been awesome to be in the intrepid. My oath is on the 25th in the US District Court Southern District

HI all

Today was my interview, it was schedule at 9:30am at 26 Federal Plaza. Everything went smoothly. I went in handed my interview letter sat down in the waiting room area, about 20 minutes later my name was called. The officer who interviewed me was SUPER MEGA NICE. He was very polite, and he smiled a couple of times during the interview, he was just soooo nice and professional. He was a white male about 24-27 years old. Maybe i am wrong but he did looked like he was in his early twenties just like me ( i am 22). I waled into his office and i didn't sit down until he told me so. He first told me to raise my right hand and sword me in. Then he told me to take a seat. He asked me for my passport and my Green Card. The passport was probably because i had travel a couple of times.

THen We did the reading part of the interview first, he told me to read a sentence it was : "Who lives in the White House?"

The sentence i had to write was: "The president lives in the White house."

The test questions he asked me were:

"Who wrote the Declaration of Independence

Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

What are the two major political parties in the United States?

What is the political party of the President now?

There were 13 original states. Name three

Name one state that borders Mexico

He only asked six because i got the first 6 right. Then we moved on to my application, asked me to tell him my social security number, date of birth, address, where i worked, if i had any kids, asked me about me wanting to change my name, then he asked the yes and no questions on the N-400 application.

He told me I passed and gave me a paper that said I passed and that he was going to reccomend me for approval.

He then printed a page with my (new married ) name on it and told me to look it over and make sure my info was correct, he step out at this point to go and recommend me. Then he came in and said that if i had one or two hours to spare I could get my oath letter today. I said yes, and then he told me to go to a waiting room area, and after an hour and a half i got my oath letter. The ceremony is on the 25th of this month.

Thus, the whole interview was very pleasent and very quick ( i think the interview took 10 minutes or less). The only thing that took long was waiting for the oath letter but that was my choice because i could have just waited to get it in the mail, but i just wanted to get it right away, so i waited.

Good luck to everyone who has an upcoming interview.

oh the ceremony is at

US District Court Southern Distric

500 Pearl Street

Had my interview a few days ago, test was easy, rather too easy. IO went through my application, asked me to sign a few. In the end, she said, she has two files of mine (N-400 and I-751) and she will go through. I have passed the test but she is not approving my case, unless she goes through my files. Why........... does it makes sense? How can you cal me for an interview without going through my files???

Before I left, she mentioned I will be recieving an Oath letter (not sure about time) and might be able to attened December Oath ceremony.

Anyone has any idea what really is goin on? Should I be worried or not, I really do not know.

Words from anyone will be helpful.

All the best to everyone.

I just had my interview today, and i passed and the officer told me that he was going to recommend me for approval and he left but then he came back and told me i had the option to wait for the oath letter by mail or wait a couple of hours and get it today. I chose the today option. Anyway what they did while i was waiting is that a supervisor reviewed my application before i got the oath letter. So i think that in your case they just had to have a supervisor review it. It looks like is normal procedures.

Did you ask when was the next oath ceremony???

At what time did you have your interview? Sometimes people who are interview in the morning get their file process the same day

BUt don't worry i think you should get your oath letter soon.

GOod luck

Hello Everyone...

I'm a bit confused. I"ve applied for both the I-130 and I-129F for my wife back in May. The I-130 has been sent to the NVC now and the I-129F has been sent to the US Embassy in Pakistan. My wife has already received her DS-230 packet and will be sending it in this week. However, I just received a bill for $400 from the NVC regarding her I-130 application. And I've also paid an additional $70 to the NVC to process the I-864 Affidavit of Suppport form a few weeks ago for the same I-130 application. My question is, should I go ahead and pay the $400 bill even though she might immigrate on the I-129F visa? And if I pay the bill, will the I-130 continue to process once she is in the US? Or am a wasting $400?

Please advise

Thank you,

-IT Magician

Also it looks like you already chose the I-130 route because the I-864 affidavit of support is for the CR1/R1

My Packet 3 has left the US Embassy in London Yesterday... Im hoping to receive it soon. I thought I have ran out of problems but now this comes up!

My Fiance who is a US Citizen does not make the 125% income requirement so he was going to get his father to Co-Sponsor. He is currently gathering all the documents needed but then while reading through the forum, I came across 2 different posts stating that the "Co-Sponsor" will have to submit his Birth Certificate or a photocopy of his passport? The problem here is that my fiance's father is not a US Citizen!! His father his a green card and has been living in the USA since 1990, he has been trying to do the naturalization test but he keeps failing because he cant speak english very well......

So.. Can someone please tell me if he is able to Co-Sponsor? Does the Co-Sponsor HAVE to be a US Citizen? Does he have to submit his birth certificate? Well...... Due to the Vietnamese war, alot of people do not have Birth Certificates!! People who fled the country usually do not have it and i think it might be pretty difficult to re-obtain! It was very difficult for me to get my Birth Certificate re-issued from Vietnam and I was born in 1987.

I think based on what i read that the co-sponsor can be a citizen or a legal permanent resident. And you just have to submit proove that they are. If they are a citizen then you need the birthcertificate but if they are legal resident then i THINK copies of the green card are enough

Hello Everyone...

I'm a bit confused. I"ve applied for both the I-130 and I-129F for my wife back in May. The I-130 has been sent to the NVC now and the I-129F has been sent to the US Embassy in Pakistan. My wife has already received her DS-230 packet and will be sending it in this week. However, I just received a bill for $400 from the NVC regarding her I-130 application. And I've also paid an additional $70 to the NVC to process the I-864 Affidavit of Suppport form a few weeks ago for the same I-130 application. My question is, should I go ahead and pay the $400 bill even though she might immigrate on the I-129F visa? And if I pay the bill, will the I-130 continue to process once she is in the US? Or am a wasting $400?

Please advise

Thank you,

-IT Magician

I think you first have to call NVC and see which application was approved first, because whichever was approved first is most likely the one that your wife is going to come here with. If they are asking you for the $400 it looks like the I-130 was approved first. But you say that the I-129F is already at the Embassy, so did you get an interview date already???

What do you mean " if I pay the bill, will the I-130 continue to process once she is in the US?" Normally if you pay the bill then your wife will come to the US with an immigrant visa so she will get her green card shortly after she arrives. I think based on what i read if you pay the bill that means that you want to take the I-130 road instead of the I-129F/K3 route.

Hello All,

We've just sent off our packet 3 and will be awaiting the interview date. Since I'll be traveling down to see my fiancee in a couple weeks, it is highly likely that I will there when the interview is scheduled. Does anyone know if I can go into the consulate with her on the date of the interview? Do they allow entry to the petitioners as well?

Many, maybe even most, do allow this. Check the consulate reviews section. I strongly recommend going even if you cannot go in the building, be there for your fiancee, not the interview.

In addition, if the consulate does not allow the USC to accompany your fiance to the interview, you can give her your passport to take inside to show to the consular officer. Pretty much irrefutable proof that you're waiting outside for her, and as an earlier poster mentioned, this is great bonafide relationship evidence.

Thanks everyone. That's brilliant advice. I was just thinking about it from the perspective of being there to support her through a pivotal moment and never thought about using my passport as evidence of the relationship. I guess if a picture = 1000 words then a passport = 1000 pictures.

It's always a cherry on top for the petitioner to be there. But going thru the Australian consulate is not so tough, and not considered a T-country or high fraud country. If you got the funds and time, have at it. But it wont really be necessary if you provide all the basic documentation and proof of a bonafide relationship. Look at who is telling you to be there, mostly guys from difficult consulates who really have to show face at the embassy. Maybe you would rather spend 2 weeks and $2K on your girl at homecoming during the intial week or two that she is with you in your city. Its really up to you. Most of all have fun!

No one from a difficult consulate has answered this thread. (actually Manila, yoru consulate would be the only one considered difficult and you say it is no beig deal) Kiev, Seoul and Amsterdam hardly rank as difficult, in fact all the difficulties combined wouldn't make a difficult consulate.

My advice, having gone through a very easy consulate where many get passed without a question asked, is be there. If you can't afford it...get another job and save the money. I truly believe that any scared and nervous fiancee would much prefer her future husband to be with her (or future wife, whatever) to be there at a very important time in their life, even if the worry is unwarranted.

I agree. I know that the DR consulate is going to be tough but even if it wasn't i would want to be there for my husband. Incase i have to give him any emotional support. It can be very stressful having somone asking you questions and scrutinizing your every answer, move, gesture. So if everything goes well I would definately want to be the first to know. I would want to hug him, and just celebrate, if things don't go well then we will BOTH need the support that only the other one can give the other. I know i kinda sound romantic but it means a lot for the beneficiary to see their significant other just there

Also for the OP, i don't knowhow the waiver would go alone, who knows you might get lucky and things might work out for you. When my cousin was going through the immigration process she had to have a medical. And I don't think they gave her all the shots. BUt maybe she had them from when she was young, i dunno.

Well if getting the vacines is something that is really something that you can't do because of religious reasons, then you should really push for the waiver. I guess what a lot of people are trying to say is that the possibility of sucess are not looking good.

I personally would get vaccinated for anything that is required by the laws of immigration. But you and I are different and we think differently which is normal.

I think we became too agressive in this thread. The bottom line is this, there is a waiver. It might not be granted easily (or at all) but it is still there for people who would want to use it. Thus, this means that there are exceptions to the laws of immigrations, because if there weren't any we wouldn't have waivers. LOL

Well you can try and do the waiver, however, u have to consider the risks. There is 3 scenarios that can happen.

1. longer time waiting for waiver to be process, waiver denied, visa denied, noney lost on waiver, away from your love one

2.longer time waiting for waiver to be process, waiver approved, visa approved, didn't have to compromise your relgious beliefs

3. take the vaccines, no money spent on waiver, things move faster

SO its all up to you. Whichever one you pick you have to be happy with the results regardless of the outcome because you are making your decision fully knowing the consequences (if any).

Good luck and whatever you decide keep us posted

Mr K -

I hope you don't think I reacted the way I did to your 'poison' comment because I've some 'boogie-man' complex with persons from Africa or the region itself.

Haven't all the greatest plagues in history been in Europe?

My reaction was really based on the perception that people who do not believe in vaccinations are somehow "hilarious." After all, we are only doing what we think is best based on what we know, just as those who promote vaccinations do it based on what they know.

The other stuff that has come up about the continent, in my opinion, is due to people relying on negative propaganda and "Lies, dang lies, and statistics".

Okay Mr. K, i have to say that i have never been so irritated at reading someone's post. HOWEVER, it is your opinion therefore no one can and no one is trying to judge you. We are only trying to give our honest advice based on what we know. I for example hate to get vaccinated because I don't like needles. HOWEVER, I understand that in order for me to go to school in this country AND to be HEALTHY I had to get them, and also it helps prevent the spread of contagious diseases. There is a chance that even if you are not vacinated you might not die of any disease, however, that is a very big risk to take. I rather be safe than sorry. But you can choose what you want to do for yourself and your family, it is YOUR decision. We are only telling you what we KNOW based on FACTS not OPINION. You can look at the facts and make up your own opinion. The other people like Rebeccajo are just trying to give you the info that to the best of their knowledge is true. Every time they say something they give you a post with facts that you can check up.They are giving you facts, so please stop responding to them as if they are out to get you.

Jessica

Why are you irritated about reading MY opinions about what I will do with MY life and MY family? Really, that's not your concern. You have a problem with me having an opinion that differs from yours, which you should actually value. I doubt there is anything here anyone can say to change my mind. What I am hearing is nothing I haven't heard before. Let it be.

There you go again, it seems that you don't read a post completely before replying I clearly said : "Okay Mr. K, i have to say that i have never been so irritated at reading someone's post. HOWEVER, it is your opinion therefore no one can and no one is trying to judge you." SO IF THAT IS NOT CLEAR TO YOU I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, I AM NOT TRYING TO JUDGE YOU. AND WHEN I SAID I WAS IRRITATED WITH YOUR POST I WAS REFERING TO HOW YOU REPLIED TO RJ FAMILY TRAGEDY!!!!!!! ALSO in case you didn't SEE/ READ it I also said "But you can choose what you want to do for yourself and your family, it is YOUR decision."" You can look at the facts and make up your own opinion."

So next time you reply to a post please read it carefully BEFORE you post something