bestofboston

You did not fill in the form correctly if you did not show the date he was 16 to present. Go to the example form for DS230 in Visa Journey. Line 20 you should have a date when he was 16 and in the right column state " To Present"

I think you also need to request for expedite at NVC.

Is there any fees or surcharges to be paid at the time of the interview for a CR1? We paid the AOS fee and DS230 fee at the NVC.

I remember reading in the past that a fee for the delivery of the Visa was paid to the delivery company after the inteview was complete. I have not read anything lately. Anyone know what is up with that? Has the fee been rolled into the price of the Visa?

My wife and I are really confused about what is needed for the CR1 interview. The information provided by the Manila Embassy states that that the following is required.

I-134, I864, Birth Certificate, Wedding Certificate, Police Clearance Certificate, Visa photos and supporting documentation for proof of relationship and a few other things that do not apply to my wife.

We provided the NVC the Birth Certificate, Wedding Certificate, Police Clearance Certificate, and Visa photos of both the Petitioner and Benenficary along with the Affadavit of Support (I-864) and supporting documentation.

Do we need to again provide all the information for the interview at the embassy that has already been provided to the NVC along with a I-134 support documentation?

What does my wife actually need to bring to the interview at the Manila Embassy?

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Go to your embassy website and read what it states.

Most of the information for a CR1 visa is sent to the embassy from the NVC.

You need to bring passport photos

You need to have physical already done at the location/s approved by the embassy

You need to bring photos, telephone logs, whatever proof you have other than the documents you already provided.

A CR1 Visa is easier to obtain than a K1 Visa. Once the USCIS approves your petition, the only way the embassy can deny it is to discover something during interview that was not available to the USCIS. They should not deny Visa based on information already provided to the USCIS. This is a huge advantage that a CR1 beneficary has over a K1 beneficary.

You should read about your embassy first.

Welcome to the Club! We filed August 30th with no response from Vermont.. Better sit back and relax. These people have no theory to how they process obviously!

David

You need to go to your senators or congressmans website and ask for help. It is easy to do and you will get a response because you are outside its normal processing time.

I contacted my senator and our case as approved by the USCIS two days later.

Good luck!!!

What a bragger!!!!!

You filed directly at the Embassy. You must also be retired and living in the Philippines to qualify on the income requirement.

Apparently it is much faster to file a DCF.

For us slugs that are still working and living in the USA, we have to play by the rules and have a residence established here in the USA.

When filing in the USA, it takes much longer. 5 months minimum at the USCIS and around 9 to 10 months from NOA1 to interview.

Good try in BS ing everyone else.

You need to find out if Vietnam Embassy will approve K1 with co-sponsor. The Philippines will not approve a K1 filer that needs a co-sponsor. I have read too many K-1 filers in Philippines getting rejected because of the need for a co-sponsor.

If you file a CR-1, prepare to wait approximately 10 months from NOA1 to interview. The good news it once the USCIS approves the petition and everything is truthfully disclosed, you should have no problems during interview for the CR1 visa.

You should seriously consider the CR1 route.

For me, the income was never an issue during the CR1 process. I have a few years on you.

Good Luck!

The CR1 process takes 5 plus months at the USCIS. Then the case is forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC) where it takes 2 to 3 months. Then it is forwarded to the Embassy in your country for an interview. See Visa Journey timeline, CR1 satistics for Belgium. 212 days between time USCIS approves it and interview date.

You are looking at a total of 1 year from the time you submitt your I-130 for the CR1 Visa to the interview date. This is a realistic time frame.

My wife is from the Philippines and we started the process in the middle of May, 2010. She will have her interview on March 25th, 2011. If you look at Visa journey timeline, CR1 satistics, you will see that her interview time is inline with the stats for us. We had everything prestaged prior to each stage of the process. That way we would not lose time waiting on spouse to obtain paperwork such as certified copy of birth certificate, certified copy of police record, certified copy of marriage certificate are required to be submitted to the NVC. Copies are okay for USCIS stage. Your US spouse needs to prepare I864 for support requirements.

It is all easy but you will need to go to your country to obtain some of the paperwork needed for the NVC stage.

Just be prepared to wait for 1 year before being re-united.

I would recommend you stay legally in the USA after marriage as long as you can after submitting the I-130 paperwork. That would reduce the time you are apart. Make sure you are legal the whole time though.

Good luck

P.S. I have been told that the K1 process is a few months faster.

The NOA2 took us 5 months and 2 weeks

The time between NOA2 and interview is almost 5 months for the CR1 process.

K1 is faster. I recommend that you look at the Visa Journey timeline like someone previous had stated. Those timelines are based on previous people going through the same process and are close.

When I saw 163 days between NOA2 and interview, I thought it may have been due to not being ready for documents that the NVC needs but we had everything prestaged and that did not help.

Again, look at VJ timeline, advanced view. It is close

You don't want to get caught bringing in more than what is allowed and you need to declare it. Last time I came back from seeing my wife, they had detained a woman that failed to declare something. I actually think she was a flight attendant. She looked like she was in big trouble and she was crying.

I also made a mistake. They decided to search everything I had. It was in Detroit on the day that Michigan played Ohio State. I had a sweat shirt that had Ohio state across the front of it. Woops!! I had to wear something on the plane because it can get cold and I was coming back from the Philippines. Never gave it a thought until they sent me through the search and destroy line. I was so concerned that they were going to get me for not declaring a bag of duty free nuts.

It just is not worth the B.S. you will have to deal with.

You need to think about what the consequences are and decide if that little bit of money is worth it.

Good luck

It may have something to do with your fiancee applying for visas that was not disclosed to the USCIS.

I looked it up. 6 months min on passport

ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS: U.S. citizens may enter the Philippines without a visa for tourism purposes upon presentation of their U.S. passport, valid for at least six months after the date of entry into the Philippines, and a return ticket to the United States or an onward ticket to another country. Upon arrival, immigration authorities will annotate the traveler’s passport with an entry visa valid for 21 days. If the traveler plans to stay longer than 21 days, he/she must apply for an extension at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and Deportation's main office at Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines, or at any of its provincial offices. If you are coming to the Philippines for other purposes, please check the Embassy of the Philippines website for visa requirements and/or the Philippine Bureau of Immigration. You may be denied entry or be given a fine if your purpose for entry is other than tourism and you do not possess the correct visa.

You need to go to US Manila Embassy website. There is a requirement to have so much time left on your passport before they will allow you to enter the Philippines. I just don't remember how much time. You should verify but it sounds like you don't have enough time left so you should expedite your passport renewal.

Good luck

Congradulations now you have another 163 days (5 months) before the interview. That is a realistic number. So plan on it so you won't be disappointed.

163 days is taken from the IR1/CR1 trend data on Visa Journey for Egypt.

When I began the process, I thought that sounds way to long and if I got the paperwork into the NVC promptly, surely I could reduce that time by serveral months. Wrong, I am still wating for my wifes interview and we received our NOA2 on 11/02/10.

Plan on staying a minimum of 10 months in your country while processing the Visa.

It takes 5 plus months for the first phase at the USCIS.

It takes another 5 months between the NVC and the Embassy in your country to get the interview.

Good luck but don't plan on any less than 10 months from the time you submit your I-130 to the USCIS. The sooner you get it rolling the better off you are.

Our CR1 case was sent to the US Embassy Manila without first obtaining an interview date. The NVC stated to direct any further questions to the Embassy in Manila.

This is what you need to do!!!!

Go to the US Embassy Manila website and read the information for obtaining an interview.

You will need the (Filipino) beneficary passport number, issue date and expiration date of the passport, address including zip code, home phone number, cell number and the NVC case number.

You can either call or do online scheduling for the interview. A friend of ours did the online method. We did the telephone method. It is easier to do the online method but it was nice to know it was actually happening when talking to a person. It was fast by phone when calling from the USA at no cost. See the phone number at the Embassy website that you need to call. It is actually a phone number in Texas. Listen to the directory and it will tell you what number to press to connect to the Embassy in Manila. It was less than 5 minutes before I was talking to someone in Manila Embassy and she was very polite.

The Operator will provide you with a identification number that you need to write down. The operator will also send the beneficary an email that will provide a password.

The operator will send the beneficary a second email that will provide access to the website where you enter the passport number, identification number and password. This will allow you to open a PDF file. Print out 2 copies, one as a back up copy. You can also save the PDF file to your computer. The PDF file is the confirmation letter that you need to take with you for your interview and physical.

Good Luck

In the Philippines your Girl Friend / future wife musts obtain a CENOMAR (Prove in the Philippines that she is single and eligible for marriage) from the Philippine NTS and provide the certificied CENOMAR copy to the NVC or the Embassy. She can not obtain a Cenomar from the NTS if she is married.

If you get married, a copy of the marriage certificate will be forwarded to the NTS and she will no longer be able to obtain a CENOMAR, just a NTS copy of the marriage certificate which you need if you are married for the CR1 process.

The Manila Embassy may also have means that we are not aware of to verify her status. Do not comitt fraud if you want her here.

You can get her here faster using the K1 process. The CR1 process takes on average 10 months before she obtains her visa to come here. 5 months plus at the USCIS and 163 days on average between time the USCIS approves it and she gets an interview, assuming you are quick at getting the papper work in. My wife and I were married last April and we are still waiting on her interview. It has not been scheduled yet.

K1 visa process cost more in the long run but she will have her visa in hand in 8 months on average.

Don't screw it up because you think you are smarter than they are.

I can tell you are a really good person. I really like how honest you are about being married. A happy marriage is when both are constantly giving to each other. Both are patient with each other, both share the common goals and most importantly, they are honest with each other and don't hide things from each other.

I will answer ur questions honestly based on my own experience. I met my husband online in 2003 and we chatted everyday for 3 long years before he finally came to the Philippines to met me in person. We are now happilly married for almost 4 years with a 2 yr. old baby plus my 2 kids.

To answer ur questions:

1. Will it work? Yes but it will all depends to both of u if uare willing to do whatever it takes to make ur relationship works.

2. Yes..just make urself busy so u won't get homesick. Do volunteering, Join organizations etc. etc.

3.Yes the same thing if u were to ask will u love him for the rest of his life? Are u willing to commit urself into him and to ur marriage. Marriage is not all a bed of roses..there are all the time UPS and DOWNS...it's a matter of choice if u are willing to live with him in good and in bad, for better or for worst. We all need to work in our marriage.

I admit we had so many trials during the first year of marriage(adjustment period) but I am thankful to God my husband is just being soooo patient and understanding (despite of me having 2 kids of my own).

4.Not exactly 100 %. U will never know the true color of a person till u live with him. Like I said ask urself the same question. Will ur husband feels the same way u do? Will u not change and show ur real self when ur together by then? When i came here 4 yrs. ago i have no relatives just myself and had to leave my family and my 2 kids to be with my husband.

No matter what,,we always put or best foot forward when we are in the dating or getting to know each other stage.But real color comes out when u live with each other. But i learned a lot. When u commit ur self to ur marriage and willing to compromise and put ur best effort on it..then there is nothing impossible. A happy marriage is not all about money.

Marriage is not all about happiness,,it's also about sacrifice, patience, believing and FAITH in him is the most important.

I tell u my hubby was unemployed for more than 16 months and was in the middle of petitioning my 2 kids when he lost his job.. I was not working then. But LOVE conquers all.. God made a way. I got a good job now(working at the hsptal-) and my 2 kids are finally here with us.

Believe in HIM and He will find a way.

Back on the 13th of December, I sent to the NVC the DS230 packet. Based on the United States Postal Service, the NVC received it on the 15th because they had to sign for it.

The NVC never recorded having it and sent me an email on the 23rd of December stating that they are waiting on the DS230 packet to complete processing of the Visa.

The NVC received my second DS230 packet on the 11th of Jan and they began processing the case. I sent them an email requesting that they expedite my case because they has misplaced the first DS230 packet and that cost us an additional month in getting our visa. The NVC and the Manila embassy agreed to expedite it and the NVC forwarded my case to the Embassy on the 1st of Feb. and also sent me a letter in the mail stating that the case is now being expedited by the US Embassy in Manila and to direct all further questions to the US Embassy and for the interview date. I called the NVC operator and the operator did confirm that the case had been forwarded to the embassy in Manila.

Can anyone tell me how the embassy will inform my wife of the interview date? Mail, email, phone call, or does she need to contact the embassy by phone

Does my wife need to contact the Embassy by phone to schedule the interview date?

Can my wife go in advance of notification to get her physical done?

Will the process be the same as for a non-expedited case where they will mail her packet 3?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have had a little experience with divorce (more than one)

Like someone early had stated, each state may be different but an un-contested divorce is easy to get without the need for lawyers.

Seek some legal advise from someone in your state and get it done there.

It is extremely difficult to get divorced in the Philippines and it cost a lot more there to get it done.

You should be able to get a divorce for less than %500.00 in your state.

Go online and draw up your settlement papers. Get it notorized for both parties. Make sure you have at least four notorized copies. One for you, one for her and at least one for the courts.

Take the settlement to the courthouse and apply for divorce hearing.

Go to hearing. Divorce is done. This is an un-contested divorce.

Some states such as Massachusetts has a period of time after the hearing before the divorce is considered final.

Some are affective the date of the hearing.

Sorry to hear it did not work out for both of you.

I have simple taxes and normally file a 1040EZ. My wife had 0 income from her home country and 0 from the US. My understanding from previous threads is that I may file as Maried, filing Jointly and take the larger joint standard deduction.

Soooo... what form do I need to file? I mean, can I just do a 1040EZ again, with Married filing Jointly, and call it a day? Or do I need to use a different form and/or supplemental forms? Is she automatically considered a full year resident alien, or do I need to claim or prove that with additional forms?

Also, I never got her a new SS card with our married name - my understanding is that to avoid confusion, I should just file the tax using the name on her SS card, is that correct?

If someone knows the answer (not guesses!), I appreciate the help!

Thanks!

Use the EZ form or do it online (preferred method by IRS)

As long as you are married to your wife on the last day of the year, you can include her on the entire year.

It is okay that you were not married for the entire year.

As far as the name goes, you should begin to use her married name on the tax return with her maiden name in brackets adjacent to her married name.

Call the IRS and find out how to get her last name changed in the IRS records so it won't become an issue later when it is time to get social security. I am sure it is easy to get it changed. They may want to see the marriage certificate. I don't remember how my x-wife handled that. Too many years ago and it never came up.

My apologies - I know there are a ton of threads already asking for tax help, I am not able to find a specifc and direct answer to my question.

My wife came to the US on a K-1 fiance visa in March 2010. She immediately got her SS card. We got married in May 2010.

I have simple taxes and normally file a 1040EZ. My wife had 0 income from her home country and 0 from the US. My understanding from previous threads is that I may file as Maried, filing Jointly and take the larger joint standard deduction.

Soooo... what form do I need to file? I mean, can I just do a 1040EZ again, with Married filing Jointly, and call it a day? Or do I need to use a different form and/or supplemental forms? Is she automatically considered a full year resident alien, or do I need to claim or prove that with additional forms?

Also, I never got her a new SS card with our married name - my understanding is that to avoid confusion, I should just file the tax using the name on her SS card, is that correct?

If someone knows the answer (not guesses!), I appreciate the help!

Thanks!

Just to clarify the use of the magic jack. You purchase it and set it up here in the USA before sending it to her. This is when the phone number is assigned to the phone. You can have an area code used in your state if you like.

She connects the magic jack to her USB port on her computer or any internet cafe computer and then she connects a phone to the magic jack. She can call any land line of cell phone in the USA for Zero cost to you. The magic jack includes one year of service when you purchase it. It cost less than $20 per year to use. It is cheaper to pay for the 5 year plan after the first year.

I like it because she can call my cell phone and talk to me while on the way to/from work. She can call my work number, etc. She also uses it to call her sister that lives in the USA. Her whole family loves having magic jack. It is really great.

Also, if she has the magic jack plugged in and the computer on, you can then call her from any phone here in the USA.

Lastly, you can go to the magic jack logon ID on the iternet and enter the email and password used for the setup of the magic jack and print out the telephone log and contact list periodically for record purposes that can be later used for her interview.

I hope this helps.