DAAG

I originally sponsored my now wife of 6 years for k1 visa. Now that we've been married for 6 years and she's had her ten year green card for about 5 of those years, we suffered loses of food, and  damage to our home, while under mandatory evacuation, from our home in Florida, during  Hurricane Irma, this month. we had to drive across three states with it following us,  and stay in 4 hotels, spending our rent,  food, and utilities money on travel, hotels, gasoline for both our car and on a generator on our return, where we found we'd lost our freezer and refrigerator full of food, on our return home, then went 8 days without power. since we have an electric well pump, that also meant no water for showers, washing dishes, or flushing toilet, and of course no air-conditioning in over 90 degree humid weather. This necessitated buying replacement food, and power cords to power our refrigerator, water pump,  and a few lights, until power was finally restored 8 days after it had been lost. my question is two fold:

1. is there any problem for my wife as a green car holding lawful permanent resident, if I apply for Disaster relief from FEMA, and possibly red cross, listing my wife among my family members, during the time we suffered this loss? 

2. secondarily, we have continued to use our only valid mailing address, my sons home near us, as our address, on the advice of, the office USCIS advised us to call for questions, during the processing of my wife paperwork, to ensure we receive their correspondence, because, when we moved to our current residence, we discovered  the address of the house, had previously been changed from an address on the main road to a new address on the dirt road leading from the main road to the house, when the dirt road was given a street name. Unfortunately no one in our area recognizes the actual new address, on the line between two postal zip code areas, which the official post office in a different town 10 miles away assigned to our house. this results in us having to use my sons address for everything including utilities and USCIS, and explaining this debacle to utility companies, if we need service, and often when we pay our bills. Unfortunately,  I must use an address FEMA can recognize for this house to get Disaster Relief. FEMA's automated online application site, refused to accept the new actual formal address on the dirt road, forcing me to use the old now incorrect address on the main road. During the application, FEMA stated after first  saying they wouldn't keep track of or share information on other listed family members, that, after I'd completed the application, they will be sharing information with Dept of Homeland Security.    

  So, Now, I finally arrive at my second question:  is this address nightmare likely to cause problems for my wife or I with USCIS, considering that, had I updated to the new address, we would never have reliably  received any of USCIS' communication, after doing so?           

Thank you so much Michael and Milahjean, and Harpa. I felt fairly certain USCIS wanted my wife to list My children as if they we actually hers, but My wife felt I was over complicating things, and I have to agree, sometimes perhaps I do. Its just that after working for our government in the US Navy for over 20 years, I felt they want answers that are technically correct, as opposed to normally accepted as correct, even though listing my children as hers seemed to serve no purpose, as listing children actually hers who'd also immigrated, or would, may serve some purpose, as my wife pointed out. So its especially good to see people in very similar situations, who have already had their N400 approved, with the children of the U.S. citizen spouse, listed as if they were actually offspring of the foreign, permanent resident spouse, where they appear nowhere else in her previous paperwork, even though in our case it will make it look like two of them live with us, due to the addition of a new street near our home, causing our home to have a new address that has very unreliable mail delivery, so we use the address of one of my sons, and another disabled son also uses it. But alas such are the complications of our, at this point, seemingly never ending paperwork. the upside is this should be the last one we need to do, and my new wife will finally be a citizen, making our lives together much less complicated for travel and such. Thanks again.

I am a US citizen who petitioned my Filipina fiancé to come to USA, after my ex-wife had left, we'd been divorced for 30 years, and I'd raised all 6 of my children on my own. My filipina wife and I have now been married for over 4 years and she's a permanent resident, with ten year green card. My question concerns the N400 question asking her to list her children.

Now I have 6 adult children from a previous marriage, who were adults and on their own, most with their own kids, before I even met my current wife.

when asked about her children on all previous applications, we said none, because they were clearly asking only about her actual children, and she has none.

I know its always a good idea to make everything match, but on the new N400 form when they ask about her children, they say include past and present step children, from her past marriages, current marriage, and so on. She knows my adult children, but in reality, they are older than she is. My question is should she list my 6 adult children as her children on the N400, since they technically qualify as her step children, when applying for citizenship? or would that complicate things, and not be what they're looking for with that question?

thanks for any information anyone can offer.

-Daag

DAAG,

No, South Korea doesn't require a visa to transit through Incheon...stay inside the terminal and you're fine.

Exactly as you stated. The Green Card and Philippines passport will both suffice when departing the US (or Canada) and while transiting through Incheon. Zero problems every time the wife and I have flown.

Now however, we fly PAL from Vancouver, BC (direct 14 hour flight) to Manila and avoid any layovers. They also fly out of San Franciso and Los Angeles on the west coast.

Have fun,

T

Thanks again Torete. I think I've heard of those PAL flights before. just don't remember much of what I heard about them. but they sound good. Maybe I'll look into them, next time when my wife and I both go to the Philippines. I just sent her alone to visit her sick mom this time, for longer than I can be gone for. and the poor girl having never traveled much on her own worries about every little thing, especially when I'm not along, and I love her so that when she worries it makes me worry, plus being from a country where most other countries require visas for her to enter, she does have more to be concerned with than I do. in all my travels, I've never encountered a situation where I needed a visa, except for extending my stay once in the Philippines. to three months, when I went to meet her for the first time.

1. There aren't any restrictions on a person holding a 10 year Green card.
2. I've flown through Seoul a number of times however not recently. I personally wouldn't cancel the ticket. I don't know where you live, but my family has flown from Vancouver, BC to Manila, PI on a direct 14 hour flight.

Hey, Torete, you seem to know the ropes pretty well on travel to and from the Philippines via Seoul. and I noticed the Philippine flag on your user info. Do you know if a ten year USA green card holder, traveling on Philippine Passport needs any kind to visa just to fly through Incheon Airport en route from Philippines back home to the USA? Theres a lot of information on flying there and staying short term, but nothing on just flying through. If you or anyone else has any information on this I really appreciate it.

Thank you so much, Torete, Boston~Montreal, and Shauneg, for your very good, fast and informative answers. that and the fact that the two Koreas seemed to have kissed and made up Tuesday makes it where I can sleep again. I guess Korean War related items seem to really stand out for me, cause I had two much old brothers, old enough to be my father, who served under MacArthur, one in The Philippines who suggested I be named after Douglas MacArthur, and the other in Korea, before I and another brother would serve in Viet Nam many years later. I grew up with stories about terrible things they saw in both places, and the frustration of Truman stopping General MacAthur from blowing the bridge now still under dispute over 60 years later in a perpetual never ending standoff just 20 mi north of Incheon, when Truman fired MacAthur and declared what was about to become a decisive victory, a draw, creating a never ending war. I got used to the Grandfather, and Father of the current North Korean Dictator blustering an chestbeating, but the current one is so different and even much worse, that even scholars of Korean History don't know how to predict his actions. There are mothers who went to work across that bridge in 1952, leaving small children at home, and were never allowed to see their children again, even after 63 years, because the war never ended. I just leaned in the past few days the current Northern Dictator shot his own elderly uncle with an antiaircraft gun for dozing off at a meeting, and is amassing all his extensive war machinery along the border so if he goes on the warpath for real, it would be a bad place to be. And Shauneg, I see how the mention of Japan seemed confusing. I was just weighing the drawbacks vs positive things about traveling though each of the common places flight go though, when I chose the flight through Korea, over Japan, before hearing what's happening in Korea. Thanks again guys for your insights into these issues. Also I had no idea there were nonstop flights all the way to Canada, as I just got used to passing over flights to Canada when I saw they weren't allowed when my wife was a k1 visa holder. I was also thinking it might be cold in Vancouver and In don't even think my wife owns a coat anymore, since we moved south.

When my K1 fiancée first flew to the USA from the Philippines, I read that she couldn't pass through Canada, en route, or she wouldn't be admitted to the USA. My question is, now that she's my wife, and has her ten year green card, are such silly restrictions lifted? It seems reasonable, and possibly even intuitively obvious that they would be, but, since it never seemed reasonable that they existed in the first place, I thought it wise to ask, rather than just assume.

I also have a second question: has anyone encountered any problems traveling through the new Incheon Airport near Seoul South Korea, considering that the leader of the country to their north wants to start a war over speakers on the border saying things he doesn't like, just 25 miles away, from the airport. I ask because I already bought my wife a ticket though Incheon, when all I knew about it was it was voted the best and safest airport in the world 5 years running, I was also thinking of the possibility of residual fallout from the nuclear problems in Japan a few years ago, an strained relations between china and the Philippines, and flights through Canada or Incheon are the shortest and cheapest being 25 hours each, with only 2 stops and costing around $980, vice 40 hours 4 stops, and $1200-$4000 though other countries. And now that I hear it could become a war zone again, I may need to just cancel a nonrefundable ticket, and throw away $1000 to keep my wife safe. then going through Canada sounds like a great alternative if allowed. Thank you in advance for anything helpful anyone can offer, on either or both of these subjects. I spent more than I could afford buying that ticket but my wife's safety is more important than any amount of money. money can be replaced. she cant.

Another question related to my first post, on travel, for my wife just occurred to me. When a Philippine citizen, with Philippine passport and 10 year US green card based on marriage to US Citizen, travels to Philippines for a visit, are they ok traveling through Hong Kong, and most other countries with noting additional, just like US Citizens? I guess I'm just tying to think of any possible problems and solutions for same that my wife might encounter, because with her Metro PCS phone, once she departed the US coast its kind of like when a space ship goes on the far side of the Moon, no communication till she reaches her home town in the Philippines and can use her moms phone which I set up for unlimited calling back and forth to us here in the USA.

I was trying to set my wife up with a means of calling me and possibly her mom and friends in the Philippines while en route, before she left, but she said no its ok. I know from experience it'd be a lot easier for her if I had. But she just wanted to spend more time together before heading to her moms place on the other side of the world and has little tolerance for interruptions in he plans, no matter how important those interruptions may be. while I applaud her reasons for that decision, I also know from experience, "resistance is futile." I still wish Id spent at least enough time getting her phone ready to work en route. I did buy her an unlocked phone she can pick up a sim card for once she reaches the Philippines. but being a Flipina she used the battery operated emergency charger I sent along to charge her camera for selfies, leaving nothing for her phones.

I assume, also, that getting my wife's name changed on her Philippine passport will be a simple, 'tho, perhaps costly, process, once she's back here at home, with me, in the USA, just incase she should need to go again before her naturalization process is completed.

Thank you so much for your quick response, milimelo. If you're certain passport name is correct, and you seem so, then I can relax a bit.

It scared me, cause we were in a time crunch to get a ticket, and prior to that time, I had never considered that using her maiden name to buy a ticket would be correct, or even come up, since previously we had planned to finish her naturalization process before her departure, which would have made everything more clear cut.

So, then, I assume all should be well using her maiden name on ticket returning home to USA as well, after her/our trip to the Philippines. I guess I'd better press on with paying extra baggage fees online and making sure everything else is set to go well on her trip over. I fear two large checked bags and a carry on, on a small plane to a tar strip in the jungle, on her parents home island, may not be easy, as I've always traveled light on last leg of such trips, but had to downsize my luggage at that point, in addition to paying excess baggage fees as well, even though I was carrying much less than my wife does, to begin with. Thank you again.

My wife came over from the Philippines on k1 visa as my fiancé, married me, in 2011, and has advanced all the way to 10 year green card holder, without ever departing the USA. we were intending to get her citizenship before she departs, to avoid all hassles, but her mother's health has made it necessary for her to return to mom's side for a visit, possibly 4 or 5 months in length. all her ID's are in her married name, state, retired military dependent, social security card, USAA, And other memberships she has as a result of our marriage, her job everything. When she went to renew her Philippine passport, they wouldn't let me in the building to make sure all went well and to look after her interests. in that closed session with me kept outside, the building, the consulate officer said they couldn't change her name on the passport and must renew it in her maiden name, because the Philippines doesn't recognize the name change in the USA due to marriage. This created an unnecessary dilemma for us when it came time to travel.

My first question is, since she must travel immediately, which name should I buy her ticket in? her maiden name to match the passport and birth certificate, or her married name to match reality and all her ID's? She does have her marriage certificate as well, to bridge the gap between maiden and married name.

I had to buy her a one way ticket because she's not certain just exactly how long she needs to stay with her mom, just yet, before I fly over and bring her back. The CEO of her company has told her she still has a job to return to when she gets back here, and we don't plan for her to be there beyond say 5 1/2 months. So the only problem as I see it, is the name game, even though, admittedly I was a little concerned about buying only a one way ticket, only because I'd heard USCIS uses that as one of the criteria to determine I she intends to come back. I believe we have an overwhelming preponderance of evidence to prove to anyone that my wife intends to come back home, from her lack of departures in 4 years, to having two joint bank accounts, her keeping her job in spite how long her mom needs her to visit, being my military dependent, USAA and AARP memberships with me, joint tax returns for 4 years and so on.

I just need to know #1. Which name I should have used on the ticket, that is to say is it okay that I bought it in her maiden name, as the window to buy it was closing, considering I was following the consulate officers instructions to my wife, #2. If simply buying a one way ticket, for reasonable reason, can cause any sort of problems, and finally, #3. Will there be any problem with her having her maiden name on her ticket at any point, departing the USA, entering the Philippines, exiting the Philippines, or reentering the USA on her return home? Thank you so much in advance to anyone who knows the correct answer to this dilemma brought about by someone simply not being willing to accept that its normal for a woman to take her husband's last name at marriage in the USA just as it is in the Philippines.

thanks Merkin and Regine. I just want to make sure my wife can travel to visit her mom and return and not create any problems with her papers. If renewing her passport in her maiden name is legal and ok, sounds good to me. I can renew mine any time, but hers could be a bit more difficult, and is more important at the moment.

my wife and I have a similar situation. she has a 2 year green card with 1 year extension waiting for 10 year green card. she wants to visit her mom in the Philippines soon, but just realized her Philippine passport is going to expire in a few months. we also found out there is a consulate outreach thing at a Filipino festival In Tampa, Florida next week, and I managed to get her an appointment there in one day, after finding out about it. but they said they can only renew her passport in her maiden name, unless we can report our marriage and her name change to a completely different Philippine Consulate 1500 miles away in Chicago, simply because we lived in Kansas when we were married, three years ago. they acknowledge that we cannot possibly complete that in time. I went to the other consulate site and they want 4 copies of nearly everything we've done over the past 5 years including 4 copies of my passport which has already expired, and 2 originals (all we have) of our marriage certificate which doesn't show her new name anyway, and 2 copies of it as well. when we were moving down here I misplaced my expired passport, though I have copies of it, I don't know where I packed it, and suspect presenting copies of my expired passport will not help renew hers. even if we could satisfy the consulate in Chicago then they'd have to relay the info to the consulate in Washington and then to the outreach guys in Tampa in a couple of days. So it looks like all we can do is renew it in her maiden name. Is that legal, and is it a good idea when were trying to keep everything the same for USCIS. I've been told she can travel to the Philippines and back with only her green card. I don't know if that's true, or where to find out, but my wife doesn't want to lose her ability to own land in the Philippines, and would like to make sure she doesn't mess up unintentionally along the way to becoming a US citizen.

my wife came to USA from Philippines married me got 2 year green card and now have 1 year extension while were waiting for her ten year green card. her moms in bad health she wants to go to visit her mom soon, and just realized her Philippine passport will expire in a few months. there's a consulate outreach thing at a Philippine festival in Tampa a short drive away, next week. managed to get an appointment to renew her passport, but they tell us we have to report our marriage to a different Consulate office 1500 miles away because we lived in Kansas when we got married, and reams of paperwork are needed to just get them to acknowledge we're married, including 4 plus coppies of my passport which already expired, two originals, which is all we have, and 2 copies of our marriage certificate which doesn't state she changed her name anyway, and thy say we had to do that within two years of our marriage which was 3 years ago, and give good reason why were late reporting something we had no idea we had to report to people we had no idea were concerned with our marriage and who are now 5 stats away, and give them all the original copies of our marriage certificate and have none left for our selves, and then the place 50 miles away which will actually renew the passport will have to be informed by the other office 1500 miles away that we are married instead of us giving them proof right here at home when we go to get it renewed, in a few days, and without doing all that which they admit is impossible to accomplish in time, they say they can only renew it in her maiden name. I hate to generate new documents in her previous name to please the Philippine consulate when were trying to keep everything matching for USCIS in her current name. Plus I'm not even sure making documents in her previous name is legal, now that she's married causing her last name to change to mine. many people say all she needs is her green card to travel. maybe that's true, I don't know but she doesn't want to burn any bridges behind her that may restrict her ability to own land in the Philippines, by making an wrong step now while working toward American citizenship, while still retaining her Philippine citizenship, as we already have land in the Philippines, so we want to make sure things are ok with the Philippines too. Does anyone have any idea if there's a streamlined solution to this dilemma stretching across half the United States, and doing paperwork both near and far to accomplish only one document which it seems logical that only one jurisdiction could handle, if only they talked to each other, and wanted to streamline things. It seems so weird, considering they both probably have all the same facilities available to them, and proof of marriage should look the same in either place, one would think.

we got our package off 2 days after the 3 month point, before my wife's 2 year green card would expire received our extension in a week and did our bio apt a couple of weeks ago, just waiting to hear more. Now my wife just realized her Philippine passport will expire soon and the Philippine consulate wants reams of paperwork to accept that she's married and changed her name or get it renewed in her previous name. hate to get papers done In her maiden name when its so important right now to make everything match, but she wants to travel to Philippines to see her mom soon. guess I need to find another forum to ask about that. thanks to everyone who gave us input on submitting our package.

Navyk, We havnt submitted our removal of conditions yet, but when we submitted change of status for 2 year green card, we got notification of our Biometrics appt less than 2 weeks after submitting, but the actual appointment was like a month or more later. even if they notify you right away that its scheduled, I asume it won't happen two weeks after you file, but I, like you, worry about traveling when paperwork and notices may be coming, so we always try not to, just to be safe. we have had some things take rediculously long and some things happen lightning fast, so I try not to assume I can predict the time frame we need to be home to recieve notifications. my wife has been almost frantic at timees wanting to go visit her family especially after severe devastation in her home country from recient typhoons, but I fear going just before submitting her removal of conditions, or just after would be setting ourselves up for possible problems unnecessarily.I just hope everything goes smoothly for you and for us, once we submit, for us so my wife can visit her family relaxed once she has her 10 year green card, rather than being in a panic wondering if all is well. We've had things happen in the number of weeks others had happen in months, but one step that should have been 1 month took 7 months because of a change in proceduers that we didnt know about, so I advise caution when trying to guess when Different USCIS offices will take certain actions. Also, It is possible when one has surgeries to have unavoidable and unforseen delays, in getting back. We wish you good luck which ever way you decide.

Thank you Victorian, for your encouraging words. and we have coppies of the original joint tax returns we submitted online for 2011 and 2012, but not the transcripts, that I understand are available from IRS. When I submitted our taxs, I simply printed them twice so wed have coppies. They do not bear signature, because you dont sign them when submitted on line, but they are the completed tax forms actually submitted, simply printed out in duplicate one for our files, and one for USCIS purposes. AS for my wifes nickname used on the rental agreement, I hadnt really thought of it as an alias, It was simply her user name on Filipina Heart, where I met her. she had to pick a user name and called herself Jane, as her real name sounds a little like a male name to some in USA although it sounds feminine in the Philippines. and many people want to seperate her double first name and call her just half of her real name. when I asked her what she preferred to be called, she asked what I like to call her and I said, any name she want ed me to call her, and i told her I was use to Jane, because I'd cslled her that since we'd started writting to eachother, so she said she liked Jane also, and thats what I've always called her and my family calls her too, and without thinking, thats the same name I'd told the realtor who wrote the rental contract, and didn't notice til we met the owner of the house to sign the contract, looking back at the contract i see the realtor did hand write in her real name, but her real name, bears no resemblance to her nick name, however the owner of the house is really casual and laid basck and said he wasn't too concered about contracts, and said just write what we need to and tell him where to sign, so we were so relaxed I didn't really question much, so when I saw the nickname, and told the realtor, she just hand wrote Janes real name in and had Jane initail it. I guess maybe we should include it on the form, but I guess the realtor writting her real name in probably covers that. I like your idea about having kids and grandkids write affidavits, and have already asked 2 of the kids who seem best at such things to write us affidavits. I hadnt even thought of the grandkids doing it but some are plenty old enough and good enough wordsmiths, and they all really love thier lola. the oldest greatgrandkids are just toddlers, but if they could write and would be legal doing it they'd love to. Also Do uou or does anyone know if theres any amount of life insurance uscis looks for, as some people going through the process have told me USCIS really looks for life insurance, and for some reason many seemed to have $250,000 worth of Life insurance, but at my age that much insurance takes a pretty good chunk of my retirements. I was thinking more $100,000, so it'd be enough to protect my wife if anything should happen to me. Thats whats most important to me and IM not usually one to fear rules, because following ones that make sense us usually second nature to me, but I want to make sure there are no glitches that could take my wife and the kids lola away, so Im really overthinking this one, perhaps, but the instructions seem very general and perhaps even vague. Whereas i am certain what they want to see is less vague and general, so trying not to fall short of unstated thresholds is always a fear when perameters are too general. From years in the Navy, I find myself wanting to write a solid firm list of things needed and fill each need, and check them off, as I go to ensure success.I know I could do this and guarantee success every time, but there is no such list to my knowledge. I dont know what the tiers are mentioned in your timeline. Is that just a way of keeping track of RFE'S? We've never recieved one, so far. I guess im not really familar with the meaning of the term "sticky thread" either, and, even after Ive done this whole process myself, without a lawyer, And am at the tail end of the process, I still have difficulty locating particular threads, or subjects on Visa Journey. But When I do eventually locate them they're always helpful.

I guess we're the first Jan 2014 filers, just getting our package together. read all the posts of the earlier filers. one from 2009 who had dinner with an agent who does ROC interviews, seemed timeless and helpful. We have a Joint bank account joint utilitiy bills, from our previous address In Kansas Moved to Fla a year ago, and have joint utility bills here have our adress on my drivers license, and her state Id card, and did have a lease together, but the realtor used my wifes nickname on the lease papers, on a lease wiich expired in sept, but we're planning to buy a new house jointly soon creating the messy buisness of needing change of address too, and losing what seems like really solid evidence of both having everything we do linked to the old addresses, and virtually nothing linked to the new address, but it will show a joint home purchase, and joint utility bills again if we get the papers signed in time. we just got our new car insurance in fla, and its from USAA so the act kind of like were part of thier family and list my wife in the papers eventhough she doesnt drive yet, which is a help, I think. I already had kids grandkids and even 2 greatgrandkids so my new wife married into being an instant grandma, and great grandma, tho we cant have new kids now, all my grandkids accepted her immediately as thier Lola (grandma in the Philippines Janes native country) and she is inseperable from them, always wanting to include them and take them along, where ever we go. I dont know if anyone else had experienced what i have on life insurance. Aparantly mortal fear of life insurance is taught in the Philippines, and my wife was extremely opposed to me getting it as if having it would make me die, but Ive ben working on her for 2 1/2 years and finally shes ready to accept me getting it. and Ive just decided to get it along with our car ins, for her protection, just incase something happens to me, and im told that may help with our papers too, but it will be starting just before we send our papers and because of my age the agent said it will only last for 10 years. hope those two coincidences dont appear as a problem. Also my wife worked up north and had an opportunity to get medical insurancee for both of us, but it would conflict with my and her tricare from my Naval career, which i included her in and got her a militry dependant ID also, along with getting joint medical and dental coverage from tricare and delta dental. We bought a coconut farm and a Carabao (waterbuffalo) to work it, both jointly in the Philippines, and have papers to show both. some of our joint ventures may seem unorthodox, but I hope they all meet with USCIS's aproval on what theyre looking for. we've grown rather accustomed to eachother having been married for the past 2 1/2 years, and would be lost without eachother. I'd be interested in seeing what evidence already successful applicants submitted, but I rarely see such posts. I havn't seen any for removal of conditions on residency, in any case, so it looks like we're all in the same boat speculating on what USCIS will be looking for. I hope its all straight forward, just wanting to see that we are indeed a real couple, because we simply dont have exactly the same evidence as others, and I think thats reasonable. we do have one condition or circumstance, if you will, that is simply a fact of life, that may raise eyebrows in some quarters. That is that my wife is 25 to my 65. some friends ask how we do things together with that difference, and I say with proper rest excercize, and vitamins... ...she can sometimes keep up with me. The fact is i can outrun her easily as well as most of my grandkids and can outswim them all too. I just neglected to age as rapidly as most, not sure why, and I wouldnt have been happy married to a lady my age who wanted to play dominos and bingo and sit around with a blanket on her legs, I swim fish run exercize, travel around the world, and am always trying to get my wife to join me doing more, I just cant stand to sit around, but she says I wear her out sometimes. and why not, I figure theres plenty of time to rest when I get old. by that time maybe we'll both be ready to sit with blankets on our legs and play dominos. I hope they dont take exception to that. my wife doesnt, and neither do I. Both of our families love us both. Her mom says my wife is 65 and im 25, and we always kid eachother about that. My grandkids always laugh and try to compete when we race accross the parking lot from the car to a store, they can outrun my wife, but some are still shocked to lose to grandpa. But how can papers that we submit show that? I think they have to just look at us and see we belong together. Maybe its partly body languge but we're just happy together.

I first posted this under a related blog, then realized no one was likely to see it there as the other blog was old. We are in very similar circumstances, to another couple posting here, but didnt notice at first thier post was 3 years ago, (we're 9 mo away form 90 day window for filing to remove conditions of permanent residency), and due to resarch today, I know The conditional permanent resident can file her AR-11, change of address, either online where he or she can also let the USCIS office handling any pending, or reciently aproved petition, know of the address change, or via mailed in ar-11 form, and a call to USCIS Customer service, to cover the second part, and that I, as the US Citizen spouse must submit an I-865, to let USCIS know where the Sponsor is for the I-864, affidavit of support I filed for my wife along with the change of status, but, since there is little to no guidance on such matters, on the USCIS website, and I know from 22 years in the Navy, how easily a misplaced answer on a form can create serious problems, I do have a couple of questions about the logistics of filing the change of address:

1. If we moved to a place where our mail box is nearly 1/4 mile away from the house on a completely different street in a cluster of 5 mail boxes, on the other side of the street from the place where our road exits the street, plus the post office has reciently renamed our adress to list it on the road we live on, vice the old address on the major street it exits from, and so far no mail has ever arrived in that box, even for the previous owners/tennants, since the change, and we're now in Florida, having just moved from Kansas, Would it comply with USCIS intent, for us to use my sons address, which was established 15 years ago, about 10 miles away from our new home, where we visit every couple of days? Doing so would ensure we actually recieve mail sent by USCIS, where we may not if we give them the actual physical address we moved into. plus we already recieve all other mail at my sons house, where we put in a change of address to when we left Kansas, having no other address to change our address to, at the time we left our old home.

2. on the first line of the AR-11 where it Says, "I am in the US as a:", should conditional permanent residents mark permanent resident and write conditional beside it, or mark other and write in conditional permanent resident, which actually will not fit in the blank? I'm wondering what is normally done in this block for those about to seek a ten year green card, so that USCIS will see what they're expecting to see and know my wife is a conditional permanent resident, with less room for misinterpretation.

3. Eventhough, we arent actually waiting for aproval of a case, all of our paperwork was last being handled at a different USCIS office for Kansas than we now must use for florida, and they had all our papers at the Wichita, Ks office when we went for the Change Of Status Interview, Would it be prudent, and or allowed for us to also let those two offices know of our change of address, eventhough we got the approval for the change of status and recieved her 2 year green card a year ago, since it seems to me were in essence continuing the same process, when we apply for the removal of conditions, and all the papework we submitted for previous applications will still be needed, and they may not be able to find it without letting those other offices know of the new address?

We are in very similar circumstances, (9 mo away form 90 day window for filing to remove conditions of permanent residency), and due to resarch today, I know The conditional permanent resident can file her AR-11, change of address, either online where he or she can also let the USCIS office handling any pending, or reciently aproved petition, know of the address change, or via mailed in ar-11 form, and a call to USCIS Customer service, to cover the second part, and that I, as the US Citizen spouse must submit an I-865, to let USCIS know where the Sponsor is for the I-864, affidavit of support I filed for my wife along with the change of status, but, since there is little to no guidance on such matters, on the USCIS website, and I know from 22 years in the Navy, how easily a misplaced answer on a form can create serious problems, I do have a couple of questions about the logistics of filing the change of address:

1. If we moved to a place where our mail box is nearly 1/4 mile away from the house on a completely different street in a cluster of 5 mail boxes, on the other side of the street from the place where our road exits the street, plus the post office has reciently renamed our adress to list it on the road we live on, vice the old address on the major street it exits from, and so far no mail has ever arrived in that box, even for the previous owners/tennants, since the change, and we're now in Florida, having just moved from Kansas, Would it comply with USCIS intent, for us to use my sons address, which was established 15 years ago, about 10 miles away from our new home, where we visit every couple of days? Doing so would ensure we actually recieve mail sent by USCIS, where we may not if we give them the actual physical address we moved into. plus we already recieve all other mail at my sons house, where we put in a chasnge of address to when we left Kansas, having no other address to change our address to, at the time we left our old home.

2. on the first line of the AR-11 where it Says, "I am in the US as a:", should conditional permanent residents mark permanent resident and write conditional beside it, or mark other and write in conditional permanent resident, which actually will not fit in the blank? Im wondering what is normally done in this block for those about to seek a ten year green card, so that USCIS will see what they're expecting to see and know my wife is a conditional permanent resident, with less room for misinterpretastion.

3. Eventhough, we arent actually waiting for aproval of a case, all of our paperwork was last being handled at a different USCIS office for Kansas than we now must use for florida, and they had all our papers at the Wichita, Ks office when we went for the Change Of Status Interview, Would it be prudent, and or allowed for us to also let those two offices know of our change of address, eventhough we got the approval for the change of status and recieved her 2 year green card a year ago, since it seems to me were in essence continuing the same process, when we apply for the removal of conditions, and all the papework we submitted for previous applications will still be needed, and they may not be able to find it without letting those other offices know of the new address?

on the I-864 affidavit of support I've seen questions but few definitive answers, because its a trick question.

question 8 which is in part 2, Info on principle immigrant, in the instructions, but in part 3, info on immigrants you are sponsoring, on the actual form; is what i consider to be the most difficult questions in the entire process, not because we don't know whether we have or are joint sponsors, or who we are sponsoring, but because it is asked in a way that defies any certainty of proper interpretation of exactly what it is they are asking, in each part of the question, and who should answer, and who shouldn't, in each part.

To understand the confusion, one has to see the question exactly as it is asked on the form. the first part of question 8. has a block to check that seems to say, if checked, I am sponsoring the principle immigrant, then without any second question, there are yes and no blocks. then, after the no block it says in parenthesis (Applies only in cases of two joint sponsors) which could apply to both yes and no or just to no. the instructions make it seem that the entire question may apply only to cases with two joint sponsors. But somehow it doesn't seem proper for the only sponsor who is also the petitioner not to at least check the first box on question 8. then question 9. clearly covers only family members of the principle immigrant listed in 9 (a-e), which clearly is in part 3 on both the instructions and on the form.

I am the petitioner and the only sponsor. i marked both the box next to the question number and the yes box, but that was just my best guess, and i have no real valid reason to trust that guess, because there is no way, that i know of, to be certain what USCIS wants there, and am about to send our AOS package to the Chicago lockbox. Does anyone know for certain how to properly answer question 8 on the I-864 affidavit of support?

On the form it looks like this:

-------------------------------------------------------

Part 2. Information on immigrant(s) you are sponsoring.

--------------------------------------------------------

8. []I am sponsoring the principle immigrant in part 2 above.

[]Yes []No(Applicable only in cases of two joint sponsors)

9. []I am sponsoring the following family members immigrating at the same time or within six months...

My new wife and I are about to submit our AOS package. in the instructions where it says submit to the Chicago Lock box at this address: USCIS, P.O. Box 805887, Chicago, Ill 60680-4120. I realize that seems clear enough at first glance, but I've been working day and night for 2 years on papers just to be allowed to be happy with my Filipina fiance and now new wife. I don't want anything to go wrong due to minor errors. I know how easily someone giving an address can say, write to me at the following address, and then write only the address, leaving out their own name. So what I'm wondering, "Is Chicago Lock Box" any part of the address? or is "USCIS", actually the first thing to appear in the address? Secondly, I cannot help but wonder if I've overlooked anything in the package. Is there any need for my Divorce certificate from 30 years ago, from a prior marriage, any longer needed, since we submitted it with the k-1 petition and k-1 application, and were already married? or would you submit it anyway, just to make sure? The instructions ask for it for a different category of AOS but not for one based on k-1. also would Cenomars over a year old be good or bad to send for my wife? I have included every document the instructions on USCIS website call for, but many other sites call for documents USCIS doesn't mention.

I saw on USCIS site, that if you apply for AOS within 1 year after original medial exam, you don't need a new complete exam, but just to get a Civil Surgeon to verify the shot record is properly completed and any needed shots were given, because completion of shots isn't mandatory for K-1 visa, but is required for immigrant visa or for AOS for anyone, as adjustment of status changes a non immigrant into an immigrant, then requiring all the same shots an immigrant needs. prior to entering the USA, I am unsure if there are any differences in expiry date due to length of time that visa is valid, even though the medical exam is valid for 1 year. Also even though the k-1 petitions are normally supposed to be valid for 6 months and visa is normally good for 6 months, they only made my fiancee, now wife's petition valid for 4 months, and visa good for 5 months from interview date rather than 6 months from date of issue, so that when she finally received it, it was only valid for 4 1/2 months, so there seems to be a great deal of variation in how long they choose to make things valid, and i think a good rule of thumb is we have to please these people, so if they ask for something we can reasonably get, its easier to get it than to try to circumvent what they ask for and try to make them like it. They're overworked and and often disgruntled by their workload, and therefore may not be amicable to being told their own rules by an applicant. All this leads me to believe you can be 100% correct and still lose. as i learned in the Navy, you never piss off the cooks who feed you or disbursing clerks who pay you. how much more important is it to not piss off the USCIS officer who can make your fiancee or wife go away.

Nigeria is correct, there is no loophole or get out clause. If you sign the affidavit, it stays in effect until one of the conditions is met (if she abandons her greencard to go back home, for example, or the things mentioned above). However, the I-864 does not obligate you to pay her 125% of the poverty level (a few divorce lawyers have tried to interpret it as such, with mixed and mostly negative results) or pay for her lifestyle- that would be up to the divorce settlement, which will go by the laws of your state, but usually the spouse gets little to nothing if the marriage was short. The I-864 only applies if she gets government benefits, which a lot of them she would not be entitled to in the first 5 years she is here anyway.

PS: if you reply or start other topics, please use paragraphs and do not write all in caps, it is difficult to read and considered "shouting", ie rude.

Thank you penguin_ie, for your advice. Sorry about the caps. I mean nothing by it. I was doing papers that they said use all caps on and nevewr thought to change it, also i developed the habit long before the internet days of writting in caps by hand because it was easier for people to read it than my normal writting. Also as i get older i forget sometimes what to capitalize and what not to, sometimes capitalizing a word here and there for emphasis. Also my keyboards loves to switch to capitals whenever it wants to, and i have to keep turning them back off and backing up to retype everything, and it wears me down.

Sometimes when im feeling sad or worried, I Just write to ask for help, not realizing my literary skills, or lack of same will become more important than my question. cant you just doc me a few points for incorrect capitalization and my always run on sentences, and consider the meat of my questions? IM in love, distraught, and worried, and working day an night on papers, while all the time I'm doing them hoping im not messing up my life.

Thank you very much for your helpful information. i will try to do better at grammar spelling aND typping in the future.

MY K-1 FIANCEE ARRIVED THE END OF APRIL, WE WERE ECSTATICALLY HAPPY BETWEEN BOUTS OF HOMESICKENSS, AND IN SPITE OF NEED FOR NO FANS AND BLANKETS AT 90 DEGREES F, AND WE GOT MARRIED THE END OF JUNE, HER I-94 EXPIRED YESTERDAY, AT THE END OF JULY. ALL PAPERWORK ETC HAS GONE THROUGH FLAWLESSLY THUS FAR, BUT AS EACH DAY PASSES HER HOME SICKNESS, CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, CLIMATE, AND WORRIES ABOUT HER FAMILY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD HAVE SEEM TO DRIVE HER EVER CLOSER TO THROWING IN THE TOWEL. SHE'S ACTUALLY PACKED AND LEFT 5 TIMES, SO FAR NEVER ACTUALLY LEAVING TOWN, ONLY TO RETURN AND WONDER WHY THE PAPERS FOR AOS WEREN'T DONE, IN HER ABSENCE. I LOVE HER WITH ALL MY HEART AND WAS WORKING LIKE A MADMAN ON THE PAPERS TIL SHE STARTED LEAVING. SINCE THAT TIME, THE THOUGHT OF AN AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT THAT LASTS VIRTUALLY FOREVER, EVEN IF SHE LEAVES, AND EVEN AFTER DIVORCE, IF THAT IS DONE BEFORE, OR CAN BE DONE AFTER SHES GONE; I FIND VERY SCARY. EACH TIME SHE LEAVES, THINGS GET BETTER AFTER HER RETURN. BUT EACH DAY OUR MARRIAGE HANGS IN THE BALANCE, WITH ME SEEMING TO HAVE NO CAPACITY FOR EFFECTING HER DECISION ABOUT WHETHER TO LEAVE TODAY, OR WHETHER TO STAY. RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING'S FINE AND I'M BACK AT OUR PAPERS, BUT THAT NAGGING FEAR,THAT HAD JUST GONE AWAY, WHEN SHE AND I MET FOLLOWING MY FIRST K-1 FIANCEE DISAPPEARING WITHOUT A TRACE IS NOW, AGAIN, ALWAYS AT THE BACK OF MY MIND, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE. THE "WHAT IF'S": WHAT IF SHE LEAVES AND I DON'T KNOW TO WHERE, LIKE THE FIRST FIANCEE I BROUGHT OVER, WHO LEFT BEFORE MARRIAGE, WILL I BE STUCK SUPPORTING SOMEONE I'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN, FORCED TO DO SO BY THE GOVERNMENT, AND WILL THEY LAVISH HER WITH MEANS TESTED BENEFITS, AT MY EXPENSE, AND WILL EVERY CENT I CAN POSSIBLY MAKE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE BE FORFEIT, MAKING ME LIVE OUT THE REST OF MY LIFE IN POVERTY, AS WELL AS BEING ALONE, WHERE BEFORE I WAS SIMPLY ALONE? IF I SIGN THIS AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT, WHILE EVERYTHING'S GREAT, WILL THERE EVER BE ANY WAY TO GET OUT FROM UNDER THE AFFIDAVIT, IF MY WIFE, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, DECIDES TO DEPART AND NOT COME BACK, AND I'M LEFT WITHOUT HER BUT FORCED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO KEEP PAYING FOR HER LIFESTYLE AT 125% OF THE POVERTY LEVEL WHILE I REVERT TO LIVING AT 75% OF THE POVERTY LEVEL, WHERE I USED TO LIVE BY MYSELF AT 400% OF THE POVERTY LEVEL, BEFORE BEING LAID OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS K-1 PROCESS. I NEEED TO KNOW ALOT MORE ABOUT THIS AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT, AND IF THERE ARE ANY FORGIVING FEATURES, OR LOOPHOLES IN IT THAT WILL ALLOW ME TO HAVE ANY SEMBLANCE OF A NORMAL LIFE WITH ENOUGH TO EAT, AND POSSIBLY A CHEAP CAR, TO REPLACE THE TRANSAM I USED TO DRIVE, IF THE WORST HAPPENS. GOD KNOWS I LOVE AND WANT TO KEEP MY NEW WIFE, BUT THIS AFFIDAVIT ALONE MAKES IT A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME WITH DIFFERENT RULES, IF SHE WOULD HAPPEN TO DECIDE TO LEAVE AND ACTUALLY CARRY OUT THE PLAN. ANY INFO ON HOW TO RENDER AN i-864 NULL AND VOID, IF YOU NO LONGER HAVE THE WIFE, YOU SIGN IT FOR, WOULD BE APPRECIATED, BEFORE COMMITTING TO SIGNING IT, WITH NO PARACHUTE IN SIGHT. THANKS, DAAG