ciaociao

> You can use a family member's address as your US domicile.

> It's common and NOT "fake".

No family except an ex-wife, unfortunately.

But, thanks for the suggestion.

> It MIGHT work but there's no guarantee it will. You'll want to read all the

> other information at that same page regarding maintaining permanent resident status.

> The CBP can decide on the spot that you are not "residing" in the USA anymore and

> deny you entry. If you were to have her come here long enough to establish a bank

> account and obtain a State identification card, it would help.

Yep, I read all that stuff. Thanks.

She lived in the US for a couple of years, so she has a US bank account,

California Drivers License, SS card, etc. The big thing we're missing,

I guess, is a US residence -- we don't have a home in the US. I suppose

there are ways to fake this, but that's always risky. Or, I suppose I

could buy a cheapo condo somewhere, but that seems like a pretty extreme

measure just to keep a Green Card.

The simple approach is to just start all over again in 5 years. But we have

expended *enormous* amounts of effort gathering all the required documents

and fighting with government departments in three countries.

Much more than usual, even, because my wife's background is complex.

So, we're dreading the thought of having to do all that stuff over again.

If I have to buy a condo to avoiding repeating this agony, then maybe I will.

But, with help from the kind folks here, maybe I can conclude that those sorts

of extreme measures are not necessary. Thanks again.

> One option not discussed is to simply let the petitions be approved and sent

> to the National Visa Center. Then, go ahead and respond to the choice of agent

> request and let NVC sit on the cases for up to a year from that point.

Yes, we thought about that -- I guess we are one of the few people for whom

the slowness of the process might actually turn out to be an advantage :-).

So, we might be able to drag things out for a year or so, but not much more, right ?

In my own research, I found this stuff on the USCIS web site ...

If you plan on being absent from the United States for longer than a year, it is advisable to first apply for a reentry permit on Form I-131. Obtaining a reentry permit prior to leaving the United States allows a permanent or conditional permanent resident to apply for admission into the United States during the permit’s validity without the need to obtain a returning resident visa from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. Please note that it does not guarantee entry into the United States upon your return as you must first be determined to be admissible; however, it will assist you in establishing your intention to permanently reside in the United States. For more information, see the “Travel Documents” link to the left under “Green Card Processes & Procedures.” If you remain outside of the United States for more than 2 years, any reentry permit granted before your departure from the United States will have expired. In this case, it is advisable to consider applying for a returning resident visa (SB-1) at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

If I'm reading that correctly, it says that being outside the US for up to a year

at a time would be OK. If that's true, then we could go ahead and get Green Cards

and just go back for a visit once a year. If the I-131 procees is not too long

or difficult, that might work, right ?

Thanks very much.

> The only exception might be if you were in a situation where your

> daughter was in fact a step-daughter who was getting close to turning 21,

Our daughter is, in fact, my step-daughter.

She is 12 years old, now, so she might be 17 by the time

we go back to the US. I vaguely recall that her being over

16 makes some difference in some visa application process.

I don't suppose she'll be getting married anytime in

the next 5 years. I hope not, anyway.

This might not be the right place to ask, but ...

We're halfway through the process of obtaining K3 visas

for my wife and daughter -- we were planning on returning

to the US to live this summer.

But, now, my company has decided they want me to remain

in China for another 5 years or so. So, now we're wondering if

we should continue with the visa application process, or not ?

Some specific questions are ...

(1) If we quit, then next time we apply (maybe 5 years from now),

we'll have to start all over again from scratch, right ?

(2) Are there any US residence requirements for Green Card holders ?

Are they required to reside in the US for a certain number of

days per year, or are they required to visit the US periodically,

for example ?

(3) Are there any disadvantages to holding a green card ? US taxation,

for example ?

thanks

Thanks, folks (or arigato, as the case may be).

I have no doubt that a koseki would be acceptable at the embassy in Tokyo.

I was wondering about elsewhere. I've been thinking about DCF in China

(since that's currently where we live), but they're pretty strict and

inflexible here.

What if I submitted the I-130 via the lock-box in the US ?

I suppose the case would still get forwarded to the Embassy in China.

But who decides whether the documents are adequate ? The folks in the

US, or the ones in China ? If it's the former, I'd feel a lot better.

Anyone have any experience submitting Japanese documents (as part of an I-130 petition) and how the immigration authorities react to them ?

In Japan, official information about personal events is held in a thing called a "koseki" (family register). So, instead of having separate certificates for birth, marriage, divorce, death, you just have entries in your koseki. The Japanese government can give you an official copy of your koseki anytime you need it, and this is what you use for various legal purposes.

But, I'm wondering how immigration authorities in the US and elsewhere would react to this document. I can imagine them saying "we've never seen one of these before, it's no good, we need a real birth certicate".

I suppose it varies from place to place. Presumably immigration authorities in the US have seen a koseki before (lots of people have immigrated from Japan). But I'm doing DCF in China, and I'm less confident about their reaction.

Anyone have any experience, in the US or elsewhere ??

thanks