pixie77

To Forum Admins,

There is a new USCIS office in Long Island, NY where interviews are conducted. It's in Holtsville and we'll be having our interview there. I hope to be able to write a review on our interview experience at the appropriate local USCIS office and perhaps others too. If you can please add this on your list.

Here's the link to the announcement:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=22a20d1fd9bab210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Thank you!

Congrats Kitty! Ours will be on Feb 8, feeling a bit nervous. Hopefully everything will go smoothly for us too.

They'll view your MIL as intending immigrant because she has a daughter in the US. I also agree with HARSH_77.

Why was she denied the first time?

Nice house tallcoolone!!

We have ice and freezing rain here, plus the 20 + inches of snow as a result of the weekly snow storms we have. We have mountains of snow and nowhere to place them.

She has 4 kids and has about 200k peso bank account. I hope she doesnt have any trouble.

Perhaps the 4 kids but the bank account is not very solid. I know of someone who has more than that in the bank plus properties and a business but was denied 2 times, the reason was not enough ties. I am not discouraging you, but the fact is, it is very difficult to obtain a B visa especially when you're from the Philippines.

Like the replies before mine, it will be more difficult knowing that you are her fiance and you'll be spending for her.

But you can always try, you'll never know.

Good Luck!

It didn't work for me. I waited for the NOAs to know the MSC numbers...

As much as i want to but i cant. One, we went to the bank to open a joint account but theyre asking for two forms of id and i only have one. Two, i dont have an ssn to apply for a state id.

I hope this helps. I didn't have an SSN but we were able to open an account with CHASE. My husband showed his passport & driver's license and my passport. We told them that we were going through immigration and as soon as I have my SSN we'll supply them with the number and they opened the account for us.

Also, get at least 3 people that can issue an affidavit. Letter & cards you both gave each other [ Christmas & birthdays], if you have airline tickets for vacations you took submit that too [ we did], Emails that you sent each other & gifts that you exchanged. I was advised to arrange our photos scrapbook style with captions from the oldest to the newest, but I wasn't really into scrapbooking and so I arranged all our photos using MS Word and had captions under each photo. I placed around 4 photos per letter size page, printed them and that's what we submitted with the I-130.

Like Juliava said, no point stressing on something you dont have. Just evidences you already have that will show them you have a legitimate relationship.

Good luck!!

Thanks Harpa...

Hi Harpa,

Our interview is on the 8th of February, this post rattled me a bit. My husband doesn't have an employment letter instead his company forwarded to us their version of a pay stub which they call a PAY & CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT which basically tells his rate, how much he earns monthly and all his monthly contributions and deductions.We Submitted 12/09 - 06/10 with the original I-864 and now we requested from 07/10 - 11/10 which we will bring to the interview to add to the pay statements we previously submitted. Will this suffice in lieu of an employment letter?

Thanks a bunch!

My biometrics letter came in 5 months after I received my NOA. Check out my timeline. This varies some come sooner others like mine later. If your ASC is back-logged like the reason given to me then it would really take awhile. I am in New York so a lot of applicants in my area. I know it's easy to say this, but all you can do is be patient & be positive. It will come.

Good Luck!!!

Hi VJ friends,

My AOS application has been received on Jan 6, 2011 and we received the actual NOA on Jan 12. However, we haven't received biometrics letter yet, is the waiting time normal? How long do you guys usually have to wait for the biometrics?

Thanks.

Jo

Hi Jo,

It varies, depending mostly if your ASC office is back logged or not. Some get theirs sooner others later like mine. I waited 5 months for my biometrics to arrive from the day I received NOA1. Check my timeline. Be patient and positive it may take awhile but it will come...

Good Luck!!

Hi Messybrownhair,

When I came here I didn't know how to cook except for the usual frying & boiling of egg. Just like you I thought it would be difficult to live by just eating fast food as I was used to having home cooked meals back home. Since everything is on the web these days, I would browse recipes of food I'm craving for on any given day and if I found it confusing I would always search it on youtube.com for the complete demo.If I needed an ingredient substituted, I'd google it. Some of the websites I found useful on a regular basis were allrecipes.com, epicurious.com, foodnetwork.com and most recently for healthy food I check out wholefoods.com, traderjoes.com & wholeliving.com.

My husband likes afritada [he calls it chicken casserole], pancit, lumpia & the Filipino version of baked macaroni [ in my case i do penne] & baked spaghetti. I still haven't gotten around making the lumpia. Anyway, here are few blogs of Filipinos overseas who loves to cook http://trissalicious.com , http://kusinanimanang.blogspot.com , panlasangpinoy.com. I hope you find these helpful.

By the way, your website was lovely.

Congratulations on your coming wedding & best of luck on your new life in the US.

Hi Ivory,

Did you go to their website and register and fill out the employment questionnaire? They also have an assessment test in the end which you have to complete.If you pass they will keep your file for 2 years [i think] and there's really no telling when they will call you.If you fail their assessment test you cannot apply for the same position for a period of 6 months. After the 6 month lapses you can fill out the application and answer the assessment test again for the same position you applied last.

I applied a few months ago and still waiting. I'm not holding my breath though. As for background checks, there's really not much to check if your new and if most of your employment history is overseas. They won't waste their time unless you are really applying for an important senior level position and your resume speak volumes then they will check your references. But like I said there's no telling really.

Check out this forum where people share their experiences about applying in banks.

http://www.indeed.com/forum/cmp/Bank-of-America/long-is-teller-hiring-process-will-take/t35742

Good Luck!!!

SOme friends found Red Horse awhile back around 69th St. in Woodside, Queens. There are plenty of Filipino restaurants and stores around that area.

That's great, Silvana!!! Everything will move fast now..at least that's what happened to me after biometrics.......

Pit Senyor!!!

hey com'on an golf with us this summer. :-) regarding the houses here,i dont have any idea how much it cost..cost of living is fair enough..there's a lot of good schools and universities here in New England..we have Darthmouth in New Hamsphire and Harvard in Mass..

My husband would love that, he is addicted to golf like no other...lol...I have stopped playing for a few years but will probably try to practice my swing in the spring perhaps...I'm researching more about Portsmouth, NH and well still convincing my husband to move up there...be well and hope we can meet in one of our trips to New England...

Congrats, SDchargers!!! We'll be having our interview on Feb 8. Can't wait!!!

Both, as well as the child's birth certificate.

Thank you, Pushbrk!!..

Hi Everyone,

I will be sending my daughter's DS-230 today, my USC husband is petitioning her. Here is my question.

Should I be sending the divorce decree of her father & myself? or just the marriage certificate of myself & USC

husband?

Thanks a million!!

I(Filipino citizen) Initiated the divorce not to remarry in the Philippines just to solely dissolve my marriage to "John" (USC) and remarry here in the US.

1. You are NOT an American citizen YET so your divorce will not be recognized in the Philippines as you being the green card holder is still governed by Philippines Laws.

[b]2.Let you husband start/initiate the divorce proceedings so once it's done you can just file a request in the Philippine court to recognize your divorce which is good as an annulment.[/b]

3. If you filed for divorce in the US, your divorce will be recognized in the US and you can re-marry with no problems.

-

Can I use my single name again or I still have to keep my married last name?

As divorce is not recognized under Philippine law except under circumstances where a foreign spouse is the plaintiff, the applicant must continue to use the surname of her previous spouse in the passport. However, a Certification may be issued explaining the difference in names ( Request for Certification – Subsequent Marriage).

am not yet a US Citizen, but I am currently possesing a 10 yr GC.

So If I initited the divorce I am no longer eligible for the 3 yrs (based in marriage) citizenship rather becomes 5 yrs

I am a bit confused here, you said you have now a 10 year GC, so it means you have removed your visa conditions. If it's been 3 years that you have lived with your husband you should have applied for the US citizenship before you filed for divorce.

The main requirements in filing for US citizenship based on marriage are you should still be married to the spouse who petitioned you for the visa and a clean crimminal record.

But since you are divorcing now,you will have to wait for 5 years before you can apply for US citizenship.

so the picture changes here... Aftr that 5 yrs span, I remarry, then became citizen, what will happen to the previous divorce decree? Can I have it recognize now by the Philippine law?

For as long as you filed the divorce decree as a Green Card Holder and a Filipino citizen it will NEVER be recognized by the Philippines.

Let you USC husband start/initiate the proceedings if you want it recognized in the Philippines.

ANother interesting issue right now in the Philippines is filing for divorce when you have become a naturalized US Citizen. That's why I posted a link for you to read because it is quite lengthy. But in effect this is what they [lawyers] are saying:

It can be suggested that if a Filipino spouse abroad obtains a divorce there, such a divorce should be recognized once that Filipino spouse abroad becomes naturalized.

http://jaydejaresco.blogspot.com/2010/12/divorce-recognition-expanded-in-ph.html

This is an additional reading that might help you if you file your divorce when you become a US Citizen.

http://jaydejaresco.blogspot.com/2010/12/divorce-recognition-expanded-in-ph.html

Hi Wanted: Happiness

1.) If we got married in the Philippines, and we get a divorce here in the US of which I am the petitioner, should I still report this divorce in the Philippines?

2.) If I am divorced here in the US, can I re-marry without getting in trouble with Philippine and US law?

Will the divorce be recognized under Philippine law?

Answer: NO, the divorce decree obtained by Maria will not be recognized under Philippine law. Maria and Pedro were married in the Philippines, hence the laws of the Philippines, i.e. the Family Code of the Philippines, should determine how the marriage will be severed. Moreover, Maria is still a Filipino citizen. Even though she is permanently residing outside of the Philippines, as a Filipino citizen she is still subject to the laws of the Philippines relating to family rights and duties or status, condition and legal capacity (Art. 15 of the Family Code). Therefore, under the purview of Philippine law, the marriage of Maria and Pedro was not dissolved by the divorce decree issued by the U.S. court. Pedro is still the legal husband of Maria.

What if Maria obtained a divorce decree from a U.S. court not for the purpose of marrying John but solely to dissolve her marriage with Pedro?

Answer: Regardless of Maria’s intention in obtaining a divorce, a decision of a foreign court dissolving a marriage between Filipino citizens does not have any legal effect under Philippine law. Such a divorce would still be void and invalid.

Are there foreign divorces that are recognized under Philippine law?Answer: As a rule, divorce is not recognized in the Philippines as a mode of dissolving marriage. In cases however where a Filipino citizen contracts a marriage with a foreigner, a divorce validly obtained thereafter in a foreign court by the foreigner spouse, i.e. the foreigner spouse initiated the divorce proceedings, such a divorce will be recognized under Philippine law (Article 26, paragraph (2), of the Family Code). The foreign divorce will have the effect of capacitating either the foreigner spouse or the Filipino spouse to remarry under Philippine law.

What if Maria initiates the court proceedings to obtain a divorce?

Answer: The Family Code provides that the foreigner spouse should be the one who will initiate the divorce proceedings. If Maria herself initiated the action to dissolve the marriage, a divorce obtained thereafter will not have any legal effect on her marriage with Pedro. Any subsequent marriage contracted by Maria will be considered null and void under Philippine law.

Can Maria use the surname of John in the event that she applies for a Philippine passport?

Answer: Since the marriage of Maria and John are not recognized under Philippine law, Maria cannot use John’s surname as her married surname in her Philippine passport. She will still use the surname of Pedro as her married surname or she may revert to the use of her maiden surname in her passport. In the latter case, she has to execute a sworn declaration to revert to the use of her maiden surname.

If the divorce is not recognized in the Philippines, then the Filipino would be considered a bigamist in the Philippines if they remarried. They could be subject to arrest for bigamy if they return to the Philippines

When a Filipino who is already married in the Philippines, contracts another marriage abroad, the crime committed is bigamy. But the Filipino can not be prosecuted when he comes back to the Philippines, because the bigamy was committed in a foreign country and the crime is not covered by paragraph 5 of Article 2. However, if the Filipino, after the second marriage, returns to the Philippines and cohabits here with his second wife, he commits the crime of concubinage for which he can be prosecuted.

The Revised Penal Code shall not apply to any other crime committed in a foreign country which does not come under any of the exceptions and which is not a crime against national security.

I am not a legal authority just quoting excerpts out of a research I made...hope this helps...

Best of luck!!!

I have fallen in love with the New England area, we have just been to Boston & Maine for Christmas and trying to convince my husband to move to Portsmouth, NH. We are in long Island NY right now and would love to now how it's like living in NH, how much is a 4 bedroom or 3 bedroom house, school districts and the cost of living.

Thanks in advance for the info.

That's great...and such sweet words to hear..