Pw3t

Hello

Je vous lis attentivement depuis longtemps mais c'est vrai que je ne participes pas beaucoup. Comme vous parlez des visas français, je voulais rebondir sur mon expérience car mon mari est arrivé il y a deux ans tout pile en France pour vivre avec moi. Avoir son titre de séjour français en tant que conjoint de français et le renouveller, c'est du gateau comparé au visa de conjoint américain !!!

En fait on s'était mariés en France et il est reparti aux USA pour faire son visa d'époux français. Top chrono, ça a pris même pas un mois. J'étais plus qu'étonnée du "non-contrôle" par rapport à mes moyens financiers ou de la véracité de notre mariage. On a du fournir certificats de mariage et de naissance, pièces d'identité et quelques autres trucs super faciles à obtenir et paf, il avait son visa... Aucun contrôle sur mes salaires, aucun contrôle sur mon logement, aucun contrôle sur la relation. Je n'ai rien du fournir, j'aurais pu être au RSA et habiter sous un pont ou même avoir fait un mariage blanc que son visa aurait été accepté, j'avais complètement halluciné !!!!

Ce n'est qu'arrivé sur le territoire français, qu'ils font des contrôles au niveau de l'OFII mais c'est pas aussi poussé que pour le visa IR1. Il y a presque aucune paperasse à fournir. En plus, il a eu la chance d'avoir une formation de français payée par l'OFII (c'est prévu dans le visa) car pour pouvoir continuer à rester, il faut obtenir le DILF. Mon mari a direct passé sur le DELF A1 à la place après seulement 2 mois de formation, il avait largement dépassé le niveau du DILF qui était lui, très très bas. Il a aussi eu une formation sur la vie en France et un bilan de compétences à fournir au pôle emploi. C'est bien goupillé pour l'intégration franchement.

Le seul moment "horrible" a été pour renouveller le titre au bout d'un an. C'est vraiment le seul moment où on a galéré vu que tout le reste était aussi simple que bonjour. Il a fallu faire la queue 1h avant l'ouverture de la préfecture pour être sûr d'avoir un ticket sinon, c'est pas la peine... Arrivé au guichet, on vous dit de rentrer chez vous car tous les tickets ont déjà été donnés. Les immigrants font donc la queue à partir de 6-7h du matin pour être sûrs d'obtenir un ticket !!! A noter que derrière moi dans la file, une nana marocaine était en train de me raconter qu'après un mariage blanc, elle s'était fait expulser de France (ils avaient chopé la fraude) mais que c'était pas grave, elle avait retrouvé un nouveau mari français donc été de retour par chez nous... ^^
Bref, tout ça, juste pour prendre un rendez-vous pour faire le renouvelllement du titre car à l'époque, ils ne prenaient pas les rendez-vous par internet. On était tous parqués dans une mini salle pas ventilée avec même pas assez de place pour tout le monde pour s'assoir... Les enfants qui pleurent et tout le tralala, les gens qui s'endorment presque enfin bref... Pas humain.

Pour le renouvellement de cette année, ça a été beaucoup plus simple car ils ont mis en place un système de rendez-vous par le net. Hop on prend son rendez-vous online, on vient à l'heure, une guichetière nous reçoit. On lui donne le peu de papiers à fournir (feuilles d'impôts, preuve de logement et d'identité...) ! Facile et voilà Monsieur, votre titre de séjour est renouvelé !!

Mon mari et moi, on s'accorde à dire que l'immigration française, "it's a piece of cake" comparé à l'immigration américaine quand on est mariés. On est en plein dans la procédure de visa IR1 et on en peut plus de la paperasse et de la complexité !!! Ca n'a absolument rien à voir avec la France !!!

You can change it during the interview, just let them know when you get there. It's not a big issue. I had the same problem.

I forgot to answer you, sorry. Thank you for the info

OP, you can submit a modified DS-230 at your interview.

Oh really, that would be perfect if I can do that

O,h I think that is wonderful! I like countries that do something like that, where the woman keeps her name. Great

Yes, I didn't even know it was different in other countries until I arrived on Visajourney. That's all why it really bothers me to lose this name in the US. Maybe I should directly call the NVC to know what they have to say about this...

I don't think there will be a problem turning my maiden name as my US middle name for the french laws. I even think that it would help since the names will match. In France, you can never lose your maiden name, you keep it during all your life ; the spouse name is just a name that is added after the maiden name.

Thank you for your answers.

I also forgot to mention that the other french people on the forum advice in general to keep the french maiden name as the US middle name... Unfortunately, I saw that after sending all my papers. I really want to add my maiden name as my middle name no matter what the reason is.

Yes my interview has to do with the immigration, I filled for an IR-1 visa. So do you think they will allow me to change my middle name so it appears on my green card ?

Hello,

I filled for a IR-1 visa last february. In France, my name is written like this on my french ID and passport :

Firstname : my firstname - Last name : my maiden name - Spouse name - my spouse name

When we filled my I-130 and DS-230, my husband told me that the middle name was like a second firstname is the US so I put "none" everywhere since I had no second firstname. This is how I filled :

Firstname : my firstname - Middle name : none - Last name : my spouse name

Other names used : my firstname + my maiden name

Now I realize that my maiden name is going to appear absolutely nowhere on my US papers... And that it might be complicated when I'll have to show my diplomas or other papers (like my french driver's licence) that only have my maiden name on them (from when I wasn't married). The names on my US papers and french papers won't match and I don't want to carry my french passport everywhere as a proof.

Do you think I can ask the officer to change my name and replace "none" for the middle name by my maiden name, during the interview at the embassy ?

Thank you in advance for your answers, have a nice day

awesome! Thanks for letting us know. So you didnt have to call to give them your email address, they just automatically sent it to the one you had given to USCIS?

Yes they just automatically sent it to the address we gave to the USCIS ; that's why we were so surprised when we received the emails. I thought that we had to call them to give the address.

For your information, my husband just received 2 emails from the NVC so we pay the affidavit of support fee and make the choice of agent. It goes quicker than expected

I got our noa2 today for wife and son, seems like NBC is kicking booty on Feb filers!!

We're approved !! Wow ... finally some good news ... Good Luck to everyone still waiting !

Congrats to you

Merci super pour cette info j'attends mon retour de passport de l'ambassade donc je pense faire la meme chose pq les franchises bagages sont extremement cheres.

Tu vas habiter à NY?

De rien Je vais habiter à Long Island (genre 45 min de voiture à l'est de Manhattan) et toi ?

Now we get to wait some more for the case to be received and to get the case number.. woohoo.. I cant believe it takes around a month

I just called the NVC, they received my packet on the 1st of April. The woman told me to allow 20 days from the date of reception before they assign a case number.

Thank you!! I was using you as a refencre the whole time, so I figured (hoped) I would get my approval this week, and I did! Yeah, I would say it is pretty a pretty standard time frame (40 -60 days) for people abroad. Hopefully the other february filers will get it soon too (clemjam, I feel yours coming!).

By the way, has NVC received your file yet and have you gotten your case number?

No we didn't get our case number, we didn't try to call yet and this week, everytime my husband is availaible to call, the NVC is closed. Seems it's opened from 7 to 12 eastern time so when he comes back at home around 6 in the evening, it's already too late. I hope we'll beable to call soon.

Thank you Senator Orrin Hatch!!

We got approved yesterday, I m pretty sure the fact that our Senator contacted them made a huuuuge impact: in 2 days our cases were axailable online then approved

Needless to say we're elated!

Let the fun start with NVC.

YAY good news ! So happy for you

Just got an email from USCIS that my I-130 Got Approved

Congrats !

I got approved!!!!!!!!!

Filed from abroad

SO happy!!

Oh congrats In fact you got your NOA1 2 weeks after me and your NOA2 2 weeks after me too It seems that the timelines for people living abroad are basically always the same.

Si ça peut vous aider. J'ai eu un devis de la société CTIA Transport. Je vais passer par eux pour envoyer le peu d'affaires que j'ai à envoyer. J'avais aussi réfléchi à payer des franchises supplémentaires pour plusieurs valises avec Air France mais tout compte fait, ça revient plus cher que le devis que je viens d'avoir !

Donc depuis enlèvement à mon domicile en Normandie jusqu'à réception à l'aéroport JFK de New York, ca revient tous frais compris à environ 500€ pour des cartons devant peser en totalité entre 50 et 100 kg, et ne pas dépasser les 0,6m3. Donc à peu près 10 cartons de taille standard de déménagement (55X35X30). En plus, le fait que ça parte en avion est bien pratique car super rapide.

A lot of people call to speed up the process. There are a couple of shortcut guides that demonstrate how to do this.

You'll not want to include his French visa that expires in 2014, unless that is the date you plan to leave.

If you don't have any bank accounts, driver's licenses, voting records, or anything else - I'd suggest you get a lease from the parents. Our final accepted by the embassy list had my soon to be house in America (will, probate documents, and title), bank account and credit cards with US addresses, driver's license, recently renewed library card, SS card, unexpired AAA card for the area I intend to live in, proof of being on my mother's car insurance for the past 6 years, etc.

I know some embassies are stricter than others, so I would try and generate a little bit more evidence.

We plan to live at the beginning of November So it's not a good idea at all to provide his french visa ? I thought it could be a good proof that he's going to come back to USA before it expires. Let's say I have my interview in June and I have 6 months to enter USA, there's only 4 months between the last date we can move and the date of expiration of the french visa.

My husband voted from abroad for the last presidential election but we don't know what to give to prove it. We never got any paper back stating that the vote has been considered.

My husband and his father don't see the point of making a lease since he's just going back to the place he always lived in. They just wanted to write a statement but if you say that it's not going to be enough, I guess we're going to consider making a "fake" lease. Everything has to be complicated in this process, that's just crazy.

Thank you for trying to help us Nola

I got an email today saying it had been sent to NVC! When will you start calling them to see if they've received it? In like a week or so-ish?

I don't know. Do we really have to call in fact ? Can we just not wait for the papers to arrive by mail ? I read everywhere that everybody calls but I don't really understand why ?

There are banks in the States that allow you to open an account online. I think that there are a few threads dealing with it. Enter your search terms in the search box and there should be some information that pops up. Also, does he have a drivers' license? And unexpired license can be included in your package. Good luck!

Thanx for the advice. The thing is that my husband's driver's licence has expired after he arrived in France. It's impossible to renew it from abroad and to be able to open a bank account online, they ask for a unexpired valid state ID or driver's licence. It's a circle with no end

Well, you are not apart and that what matters after all. You can hug and kiss while waiting

Good luck !!!!

Yes you're right ! Thank you It actually makes me sad and uncomfortable when I see all of you waiting for so long and far away from the persons you love

I thought it was better for the petitioner to live in USA, to prove he has a job and a domicile there, than living abroad....

My husband and I lived together but we decided for him to move back to USA, so we wont't have problems with the visa....So strange

For now, it's better because it goes fast but when we'll have to prove that my husband intends to re-establish domicile in USA... I think it's going to be harder... We only have a letter from his parents stating that we can stay at their place + his french visa expiring in march 2014... He has absolutely nothing on his name there, not even a bank account. We might get an RFE... We'll see

I was approved on the 18th and I just received an email from the USCIS, my case was transferred to the NVC on the 25th

Approved!!

Just randomly checked the USCIS website yesterday and we have been approved.

So thankful right now! I trust that this positive movement also happens for the rest of the February Filers in short order!

Congrats

If they are small animals chances are your parents could bring them inside the cabin of the aircraft. If they are too big to fit under the seat, your parents might consider an animal-friendly airline such as Air France or KLM. I have traveled with my dogs several times to Europe and have always had a good experience with them.

I have cat and I am going to travel with Air France too. I called them recently to know a little bit more about this. To take a cat in the cabin, the cat and the bag together must be less than 6 kg (13.2 lb)... There are only 2 animals authorized in cabin by flight. It seems that there are no restrictions about the dates also

I highly doubt they're sending petitions Internationally.

I doubt it too. If it was the case, it would mean that my petition sent from France to the Chicago Lockbox, was then sent back to Europe and then again sent to the NVC. Even if the process can be quite complicated, I really doubt that they make the packet cross the ocean so many times like this.

Merci pour le lien.

Je pensais que quand la demande était exucuté de France il n'y avait pas besoin de faire un ajustement de statut, si je suis les étape du lien nous devons le faire quand même?

Pour prendre de l'avance il faut donc faire traduire mon acte de naissance et mon casier judiciaire?

Merci encore!

Toute la procédure se passe exactement de la même façon que si les deux conjoints vivaient séparément aux USA et dans un autre pays.

Aussi, il n'y a pas besoin de faire traduire les papiers arrivé au stade du NCV seulement si les documents sont en anglais ou dans la langue natale où l'interview aura lieu. Ceci est écrit dans le lien que je t'ai donné en fait --> LingChe NVC ShortCut.

merci beaucoup!

tu sais quelles sont sont les prochaine étape? As tu déjà une date d'entretien?

Non je n'ai pas encore encore de date d'entretien, il faut passer d'autres étapes avant d'en avoir un. Je pense avoir mon entretien d'ici mai voire juin.

La prochaine étape après le NOA2, c'est le NVC (National Visa Center), tu peux trouver toutes les explications de la procédure ici --> LingChe NVC ShortCut et là ---> James's Shortcuts