Helen Louise Pile
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Posts posted by Helen Louise Pile
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I'll admit I can only speak to what I know, which is Trinidad. But the country is not dependent on tourism much at all, and even then they want tourists not residents. I didn't get any special treatment, but once they are satisfied you have a legit claim and a legit relationship they are not going to be so indifferent as to let a paper mistake derail everything.
Just as example and yes it was my fault for using the US style date system when filling out my forms my file was misfiled. Eventually an officer said no way did you get this far without a file after a junior officer just said it must be lost, he actually went and found it in their records. I felt so stupid afterward for mindlessly writing the date in US style, but was grateful he actually cared enough to help. From what I have read here I'd bet the US would have just said sorry and make the whole process start over.
One bad thing is inefficiency, you will spend years waiting for the gears to turn. The US seems much faster overall, but also very indifferent to people.
I'm not saying I want fraud and baseless claims let through, but if someone has a legit claim and has proven themselves legit in interviews its horrible to let a small mistake derail everything for them.
I'm disappointed my country treats people that way.
Do you have an immigration story you'd like to share with us?
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entire world, especially 3rd world wants to immigrate to US.
Uuuh...not quite
People have told me I am crazy to move to the US.(...just pointing out, while it may bean attractive option for many, for others it is not and certainly not the entire world!)
Having said that, of course a lot of people do want to move here, which is why the immigration procedure is the way it is.
I found the UK system to be far worse when my husband was there. You used to have to apply for permission from the government to marry, even if you did not want to stay in the UK. This used to cost 300GBP ($500),then it was free but you had to submit your passport at the time of filing and the processing time was 3months...now they've decided it's unlawful to make people do that. And when my husband applied for a 2 year extension on his visa he could not ask about the status of his application (even if they had received it) for 14 weeks. When we went for his biometrics there, the people were unfriendly and we met a family there from Iraq in tears because they had just been given a 52 page application form with no help or instructions.
I make the UK sound awful...but the UK is extremely bureaucratic. (also, a lot of people want to move there too I guess)
The US isn't so bad. Just some bureaucracy and money money money.
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As the above member stated, having a long distant relationship is very different from those who see their significant other daily.
Remember, some people here never had a long distance relationship. My husband and I never had one. But we still would get questions wrong in an interview
Perhaps the sign of a real relationship is that you would disagree on some questions, rather than get everything right. Richard: We would probably disagree on colour and actors too. Who discusses favourite colour or favourite actor with only one definitive answer??? I have many.
I wonder how my husband and I would do in an interview now...I guess I will find out when it comes time to file ROC. Fun.
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Not too long ago a person asked what were the questions that would be asked to him during their interview.
This person has already gone through an interview and apparently denied.
While I know many here want to help I think sometimes the help goes too far. While you may have helped one, you possibly hurt many others in the process.
I read this person's story like everone else. I felt for them.
My opinion changed somewhat after the "Questions" topic started.
This person was denied by the CO for a reason.
While they can write what ever they wish on this forum, no one knows why the CO denied. but the CO felt they had good reason to do so.
My wife will have her interview shortly. The only preperations we have made for the interview is to make sure she had all paperwork.
No where did we ever make plans to go over answers for "Questions".
We know each other. We are married. Neither of us is worried about any questions.
I felt this person came here more or less asking for a cheat sheet. They needed the questions so that they could study for the answers.
My wife does not have to study.
I am not going to say for fact this is what the person is going to do. However if they knew their spouse they would not need to know such information in advance.
My simple point in all this is.
Fraud cases is one of the reasons why this process is hard and long. If we removed the fraud cases the process would be faster and easier for the real couples.
If the person mentioned above has a real relationship then the questions should be no problem. However do the rest of us truly want to leave a road map for the fraud cases??
Giving this type of information as I said above will only hurt many others in the long run.
Real couples do not need this information in advance nor need to study ahead of time. Lets not help those who made this process difficult and long for the rest of us.
I can see your point...
I think people post their experiences in order to help others know what to expect,rather than help someone rehearse their deception.
My husband and I have a real relationship and lived together in my country before marrying. We know each other well. We've never been interviewed (apart from my K1) but if we had to prepare, I'd like to know what to expect. I would not consider this "Studying"
I just looked through the example interview questions provided http://www.visajourney.com/content/exampleq#aos and they are clearly questions designed to see that a couple actually share a life together. However, I can see my husband getting a few wrong
(ie. Spouses favourite food...mine changes quite often!). Questions like "How does your spouse take their coffee? Did they drink coffee this morning? "Did they shower this morning?", "Who went to bed first last night?", "What TV shows did you watch last night?".... questions about the mundane details of your married life together I can see your point...remember no-one here advocates visa fraud. But you cannot 'remove' fraud cases and it is certainly not VJ's job to restrict information from those of us who are interested, just in case it is used by a person trying to commit visa fraud.
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This website sells both British and Irish food.
Thanks!
They sell Irn Bru, Scott's porridge oats and Ambrosia custard! (and PG Tips!)
I shall point my husband in the direction of this website and remind him it's my birthday soon
Thanks!
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Good picture of the whole porcess http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1flow
Guides http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide
Tips http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1tips
Some graphs showing averages of processing http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1historical
You can get held up at any step of the way. Theses are averages of VJ people.
UK forum http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/99-united-kingdom/
You can click on timelines of people still not there yet (with the visa) and get a sense of how long they've been at it.
Sample forms filled out http://www.visajourney.com/content/examples
Read, read, read and don't make any plans for a wedding until you have a visa. The (one)tax return is taken to the interview which could be 8 months from now.
Read the example forms and step-by-step provided here on VJ. I cannot stress how helpful that is. Also print off and read the USCIS instructions for filling out each form...all the information is there.
Follow these and if you cannot find an answer for a question, post it here and people will be able to help.
The I-134 (your fiance will bring this to his interview) does not require tax information unless you are self employed (or your co-sponsor is). However, I had read conflicting reports about people being asked for it at the London interviews. I took my husbands (then fiance) latest tax return but it was not required as I has brought the evidence asked for in the instructions.
Good luck with everything and congratulations on becoming engaged!
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Also, although she had to fill out a 1099, she can legally volunteer for medical drug trials.
Hope this helps.
Really?! Wow...that is kind of sick.
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There is no reason to send all those pages. Just choose a select few conversations that covers the time frame of your relationship.
The most important evidence for the I-129F petition is proof of meeting in person within the last 2 years, and chat logs do not prove this. Most important is passport stamps and boarding passes showing your travels to visit each other.
Include a few that span the course of your relationship. Send some pictures of you both that also span the whole relationship and perhaps some with some family in them. (we also wrote a brief description of the picture)
If you have to edit, you can use a marker to "censor" the statements you want kept private...but it if were me, I'd probably avoid including these to keep things simple.
Copies of passport stamps/itineraries or anything with both your names on it. (We had a council tax bill) Do you have a receipt for an engagement ring or anything you could include?
As the previous poster said...you only need to provide proof of meeting within the last 2 years.
I don't think length of relationship matters a great deal. The UK is not a high fraud country. How long have you known each other?
Goodluck!
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I cannot wait to settle in Texas... although I might have to buy a Truck as a 'wedding gift' to me and her....
My husband lived in Scotland for 3 years and used buses...he is from Alaska...one of the first things he did when we got to Alaska (after sending the K1 packet off) is buy a truck!
Even I am comfortable driving it now. (although the price of gas does not make owning a truck easy) Congratulations again! And, use this time to read read read so that you can make a good choice about what visa to apply for and when. I found it a wee bit stressful until we actually decided to do the K1 route...after that it was a breeze. (and VJ is a great reseource!)
Helenx
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"Not technically married"?? You are not married. So you do not have a spouse.
You will see from the above link: Q37 there is option to select that you are her fiance.
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*takes a sip of Yorkshire Gold*
Nice!
As for the bread...it's amazing...it lasts for weeks in our fridge! It just doesn't taste all that great.
My husband lived in Scotland for 3 years...he knows better then to buy lipton
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It seems like this man has taken advantage of you and your caring and trusting nature in order to secure himself legal status in the US.
This does not seem to be a pleasant, healthy or particularly safe place for you to allow your child to be.
I hope someone can give you advice on what to do to report him for this.
Best wishes.
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This thread made me smile.
To fill the tea void, I have developed a coffee creamer habit.
My husbands boss is from Iran...he always makes me a great cup of tea when I visit the office.
I have only been here 8months, so I don't miss a nice cup of tea yet. Not really. My family (Mum) chain drinks tea so I look forward to my next visit home and filling my tea quota
When I attended the "Alaskan Scottish Highland Games" last year, my husbands friends surprised us with Tea and biscuits. The tea was weak, sugary lipton tea...but the biscuits were Chocolate digestives! What a nice thought
I fancy a cup of tea now..
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Until we can issue our own passports, put United Kingdom
I am sure there's no penalty, but since the consulate in Scotland does not process these types of visa, put UK. When I had my biometrics for AOS they listed Scotland as my "country of citizenship" as apparently the FBI recognizes the country you have lived in predominantly as determining your "Citizenship". (your husband might like that, I did.) But everything else was UK.
Helen
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Congratulations! I got mine in about 40 days also! Which was a nice surprise!
No more USCIS for 21months!
Helen
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"Working in the US
The United States welcomes thousands of foreign workers in multiple occupations or employment categories every year. These include artists, researchers, cultural exchange participants, information technology specialists, religious workers, investors, scientists, athletes, nurses, agricultural workers and others. All foreign workers must obtain permission to work legally in the United States. Each employment category for admission has different requirements, conditions and authorized periods of stay. It is important that you adhere to the terms of your application or petition for admission and visa. Any violation can result in removal or denial of re-entry into the United States.
Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Worker
A temporary worker is an individual seeking to enter the United States temporarily for a specific purpose. Nonimmigrants enter the United States for a temporary period of time, and once in the United States, are restricted to the activity or reason for which their nonimmigrant visa was issued. "
If you accept payment for work in the US before obtaining permission then you violate the terms of your visa. Even if it's cash for babysitting. Is that worth the risk?
Can your fiance can do freelance work/work remotely for a company back home if that is an option. (I know of people doing this, however, I have not checked the legality of this)
Good luck.
K1 is not a good option if you need to work immediately. Volunteering is a good option to fill time, gain experience and make connections for when GC or EAD does arrive.
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Hi Everyone
I wonder if anyone can help me. I have my interview at the US Embassy in London on 25th July. My husband is due home from his deployment anytime from the beginning to middle of August. I dont want to miss out on his homecoming so I was going to book my flight for the 4th August, thats 10 days after the interview.
Provided I was approved for the visa, is that enough of a time gap in order to get my passport and package back so I can fly on the 4th? I am worrying I wont make it there in time for homecoming :-(
I would ideally like to get my flight sorted etc as I am sending my dog out on the same day and am not able to book a flight for her with 2 days notice...
Thanks ever so much :-)
I had my flight booked for 9 days after the interview. It was all fine, I got my passport and package back in 3 days
...but they really can't guarantee anything (they tell you it will take 10 working days)....so you have to decide whether you take the risk or not.
If you do, pay for the fastest DHL delivery time and buy a ticket that you can change without too much hassle or cost.
Best of luck!
(ps,as the previous poster said...no-one here will tell you that it wil be fine because each persons experience varies so much)
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Well, after what seems like forever, I've decided to register and say hello as my and my Fiancé embark on the K1 journey, and I think the main thing to say is
We are both utterly terrified of everything. I'm a 25 year old IT worker type thing from Wales in the UK, and she's a 21 year old Texan. We met online a little over a year ago, and we've met in person a few times now. In fact, as I write this, she's on an Air Canada flight going back to Dallas and yesterday I dropped onto one knee and proposed
Neither of us have the slightest idea of what we need short of 'a visa' and like I said above, we're both terrified! Our main concerns are the fact that our evidence is all electronic, skype conversations, even e-ticket receipts, and of course, we're both terrified of the interview or being accused of a sham marriage...
... it's daunting to say the least, and it's not made easier by the fact that she is currently struggling to find a job due to some hardship. Whilst I'm in a financially better situation it's sounding like we're going to have to delay until she can get a job and save. In fact, it's all rather pathetic, I lost my job three years ago, and had to move back in with the parents, having only about a year and a half ago, managed to get a job that pays enough for me to start saving money and she left university and a job, and couldn't find anything!
Suffice to say, we know we're going to have to wait a bit, but neither of us are unemployable!
We know we want this, and we are determined for it to happen since I fell in love with her, and Texas. At least I can use some of my financial situation to visit a few more times and get the 'evidence' needed.
Any words of advice, any help, is all appreciated and seeing the stories, timelines and guides everyone has put together is heartwarming to say the least,
Congratulations on becoming engaged!!
That's great!The K1 process is a lot to learn, but it is relatively simple. (Visajourney is great!).
Are you going to start the process now? Or wait until she finds a job? Have you thought about having someone else co-sponsor? You don't need to show proof of income until the interview stage in London, which is a few months after applying.
Using your funds to have another visit sounds like a great idea if you can do it! As for evidence...you should have passport stamps you can photocopy. Someone else should be able to give advice on evidence for your situation.
Best wishes and have fun starting your journey!
Helen
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TrinityLupe Repy: Thank you for the reply. All replies I find helpful. The mingling of finances I did read about as part of the I130 application. After we marry he will add my name to his finances. When we come to the US we want to relocate to Vermont (I am now in Texas,) preferably near Brattleboro. I am concerned about finding work there. I currently work as substitute for the school district, but I am willing to take a simple job at Wal-mart in Vermont simply to get there and pay for a place for us until he finds work. Do you recommend any sites helpful in this, as I have googled many times finding work in Vermont but am not satisfied with results.
I shall PM you about Vermont
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I think most of met online. I am from US and him from Morocco. We met on dating site. But they did ask for proof of how we met and how I paid for the site in my RFE. So, keep proof of that for later. I suggest to keep all emails, chats, phone calls, cards (we send 123 greetings and they let you print them ou tnow). Just be able to prove a real relationship.
I am not sure if most met online.
If you met online, and since you only "met" 6months ago. You will have to be more creative in finding proof of bona fide relationship if you haven't lived together or even met each other yet. Make sure you provide as much evidence as you can and check out what constitutes primary evidence. If I were in that situation, I might organise papers to have joint accounts/insurance etc for when you go over there so that you can show proof of mingling of finances as part of your application.
Read page3, "What documents do youneed to prove family relationship"
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-130instr.pdf
Best of luck and congratulations on deciding to get married!
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I had it in 3 days also.
Which was good because as soon as we got my inteview date my husband booked my plane ticket for 9 days after my interview. He was calm and confident that we would receive it in time.....
He was right...but I wouldn't advise it!
I hope you'll have it soon
As I can remember, you can check when DHL has it and it's delivered very very soon after (especially if you paid for fastest delivery)
Helen
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If they marry in the US and apply for adjustment of status BEFORE leaving for Mexico, they can safely travel there and back without their AOS application being considered abandoned. One possible option could be to have a court marriage in the US and immediately apply for AOS, then go wherever they want for a honeymoon, as long as they carry proof (NOA1) of having already applied for AOS.
Incorrect.
VJ guides for AOS:
http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1k2visa-aos.html
"6.7)...Can my spouse leave the United States, and then re-enter, before receiving the Green Card (conditional permanent residency)?
A...The spouse cannot re-enter the US unless they have "advance parole" authorization (application form I-131). Advance parole allows you to re-enter the US before approval of Adjustment of Status. Without advance parole approval, leaving the United States is considered an abandonment of your application for Adjustment of Status. Without advance parole approval, the USCIS (INS) will consider you an intending immigrant without a valid visa, and you will be denied entry. If you do not apply for advance parole when you file for Adjustment of Status, contact your local USCIS (INS) office to find out how long it takes them to issue Advance Parole. Although advance parole is supposed to be issued to anyone who wants it for any reason at all, some local USCIS (INS) offices may take weeks or months, and may require proof of a serious emergency. "
Also:
USCISinstructions for applying for Advanced Parole (section 3, E)
:http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-131instr.pdf
E: If you travel before the advanced parole document is issued, your application will be abandoned if,
1.You depart the United States.
2.The person seeking advanced parole attempts to re-enter the US before a decision is made on that application.
Traveling with your NOA1 for AOS will not allow you to re-enter the US as an intending immigrant. It'd be nice if it did though.
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Yes, official period to wait after MMR is one month. (it is dangerous to get pregnant within a month) http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-mmr.pdf'>http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-mmr.pdf
But when I had mine, the doctor said she would advise waiting at least 3months asthe risk of the immunization on a new pregnancy is so dangerous.
Since you say she had to have several immunizations, you should ask a doctor. Her body might need time to recover.
Check CDC website for information: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/
And perhaps let her get here, get married and get settled first!
Congrats on approval and your upcoming marriage!!
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My boyfriend is here in the U.S. on a work visa...which doesnt expire until December of this year. We want to get married, and were thinking about going to a Sandals resort or somewhere in Cancun. Would he be able to leave and come back into the U.S. while he is here on a work visa?? Thanks.
If his work visa is multi-entry...sure!
However,
If you get married in Mexico, CBP may refuse him entry back into the US because they think he will stay and adjust his status.
If you plan to get married and adjust status and he is already in the US, you should stay in the US to protect that status. You are able to get married and adjust his status from here.
If you want to get married somewhere exotic, how about Hawaii?
Helen
3 or 10 year ban.
in Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from K1 and K3 Family Based Visas
Posted
A lot of people here seem to marry quickly, perhaps because of the circumstances of their meeting (online, live far apart etc)
Perhaps you need to take a step back and start from scratch? Perhaps you need to get to know each other without having to deal with marriage and immigration! (It seems a lot of people have to do that on VJ...I think that must be very difficult!) I do hope everything works out for you, whatever that may be. I think if it were me, I'd take some space and wouldn't leave until you get your GC, because avoiding the ban leaves the door open in case either of you changes your minds.
Best wishes,
Helen