USC1961

8 hours ago, Estibaliz said:

Yes, I'm the Spanish fiancee and future immigrant to your country. And a big yes to all that. Sure Celtiberian culture was a thing, and part of our History. We study that in school 

 

I'm from beautiful lovely Asturias that certainly I'm going to miss

 

https://www.intltravelnews.com/2008/02/northern-spain’s-celtic-roots

SLC isn't bad...mind you it's not Barca or Spain but it's not bad.  This has been a really interesting thread for sure. 

2 hours ago, Estibaliz said:

I hope you can figure it out somehow. I guess you don't think white is an option, since he's not really black or any of the other options? 

 

Honestly, I don't even know why they think it's necessary to make that question. I myself am from Spain, so I guess I should say I'm Hispanic, but that's not how we understand the term, since we use Latino and Hispanic for South American people. Pretty confusing, just because of that need of labelling people.

The government asks these questions for a few reasons.  First off for pure statistical purposes.  Second in some cases it helps identify the applicant.  Lastly it's to ensure that they aren't discriminating against one group or another.  Those are perhaps the main reasons.  But indeed, the question is difficult for many to answer 100%.  So you just choose the best option.    

Case in point I'm in almost the same exact boat you are.  Since I have great grandparents from Spain, I could tick the box for Hispanic.  The thing is I'm white from European descent so no one would believe me.  The stereotype in America is If you aren't browned skin and wear a sombrero,  you couldn't possibly be from Spanish descent.  So it's easier just to mark white.  Even though it doesn't fully answer questions about my ethnicity (Catalan, English and Irish), it does correctly identify me.

In the end I don't believe this question is used as a lie detector as some of the other questions are.  Nor do I think an adjudicator or a CO is going to spend more than a second or 2 on this question.  To the OP:  If I were in your shoes just mark Latino.  It may not be the perfect answer from your perspective, but that is the word that would be used to describe anyone from El Salvador in the USA.      

I'll bet you will spend more time taxiing on the plane waiting for a gate, then you will at immigration.  LAX has one of its runways shut down and over last couple of weeks it has been quite an experience flying in and out of there.  In any case once you get to the gate it's smooth sailing.  Good luck!

3 minutes ago, Willallen25 said:

My fiancee has been having problems completing the application. Everyone she advances the site keeps stating that she left certain areas blank when she completed them and saved them previously. This is delaying our overall process. How does she get passed this? Thanks. Specifically, it keeps showing the screen marked "Previous Work/Education/Training Information" blank even when she has filled in and completed the area 10+ times already. 

It sounds like a computer issue.  I would suggest using a different pc.  Have you tried filling it out for her?  I'm betting that fixes the issue.  Good luck!!

34 minutes ago, JBMG said:

Yeah, but that's just it. They're not government departments. Both USCIS and the NVC are government contractors. Private companies making money off of us.

It seems that this is only partly true.  There are some offices and employees that are contracted, but not the whole lot.

https://www.uscis.gov/aboutus

But IMO for all intents and purposes, a government contractor vs. the government itself is just as efficient (or inefficient).

First and foremost you need to take care of yourself.  If that means getting a job, do it.  And if your husband doesn't want to be on your insurance plan, so be it.   Don't wait around as it seems your husband is doing some very unusual things.  I hope you can get through this, as it will be a difficult time period. 

1 hour ago, etteniMTtocs said:

Thank you for your reply.I posted my inquiry in K1 forum. 😊

My pleasure.  The Philippines forum is an awesome source of detailed information as well.  So make sure you take a peek in there as well.  Sagot, Hank and Greenbaum are experts on the Visa Journey through the Manila embassy.  

On that note Happy May Day! We have made it to the end of April.   Time moves on and we all are one step closer to the goal.  Let's hope it is a relatively smooth journey for us all.       

10 hours ago, etteniMTtocs said:

Hi,

Good day!

 

I have a question for you, I am an annulled individual, my fiance ticked the "Divorced"  for my status in our I129F form. I have read some inputs here, that it .should be "Single" , but single means "never married" . We have attached all the supporting documents which will prove that I am legally able to marry, Court Decision, Decree of Absolute Nullity of Marriage and Entry of Judgment (Certificate of Finality. 

 

Do you think there will be an issue about my status? In filling out my DS160, shall I choose "single" or "divorce" (just like the one in I129F?)

 

Please help my confusions be enlighten 

 

Thank you

Divorced is correct since you have been married in the past.  This is another question however that would be better asked in the main k-1 forum or even the Philippines forum since you can draw from the community as a whole.   

4 hours ago, Redheadguy03 said:

I will be mailing documents to my fiance in the Philippines soon. I have read lots of information as to what carrier to use. The problem is she lives in Occidental Mindoro (a small province) does anyone know if fedex delivers there? Or could I use USPS Global Express delivery? I definitely don't want to use the regular USPS.

 

thanks everyone!

Contact FedEx and ask them,  they will be able to tell you.  Make sure you have the postal code and address handy.  UPS and DHL are other options to consider.  Again contact them and you can get an idea of transit time and cost.  Good luck!!

7 hours ago, pnwgal said:

Actually, what about Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands? Would my k-1 beneficiary be permitted to go there?

 

I am asking this because my mom is trying to plan a family reunion for next summer and really wants to go either on a cruise or somewhere tropical. If my sweetie isn't allowed to go to PR or the USVI, I guess I can suggest Hawaii.

Yes she would be, however........I wouldn't take a Caribbean cruise as you will be touching islands that are not part of the USA.   British virgin Islands to name one.  Which means your wife wouldn't be allowed back in, that is if they even let her on the cruise.  Hawaii is a much safer choice.  Tell Mom now so she knows what to plan for next summer.    Good luck!

4 hours ago, Dutchster said:

I wouldn't necessarily advise asking your boss to be a joint sponsor lol. 

Yes huge conflict of interest here, not wise in the least.

52 minutes ago, dawning said:

I have to add that I am a little puzzled by all the hostility to the idea that the OP might want to stay.  I understand that s/he may not have a legal right to residency.  But to say that s/he must be desperate to stay and should just go home if the marriage isn't working seems a little harsh.  Immigration is a huge leap of faith, and many leave everything behind when they come and feel that they may have any easier time reestablishing here than going back to their home country.  It doesn't seem unreasonable to want to stay, nor does it indicate lack of good faith in the beginning, at least in my mind.

I don't see any hostility here, just sincere opinions.   We all realize how difficult and life changing this process is and 10 times that when something goes wrong.  Which is why people are pointing out the fact that the chances at this point don't look very good.   If the OP can stay legally, welcome and more power to the OP.  However you aren't going to find much sympathy on here if the OP plans to overstay. 

9 hours ago, nexiou said:

Hi everybody,

 

So our package for the fiancé visa was almost ready to be sent, we just needed to translate my proof of residency. Today my fiancé had an appointment with a lawyer who is also a translator. He explained her our case and the fact that we'll have to move multiple times during the process.

 

My fiancé is in the military and we are now living in Germany together. He is separating in July and so our plan was for for me to move back to Belgium while I was waiting for the visa. For him, he has to live in one state for three months for his new job before to move definitely to Oregon, where we will live together. Long story short, she said that everytime we will move, the process would start over. I read so many posts about people moving while the visa was processing and I know it would delay the process but not make us start over everytime we move? What do you think?

 You probably want to post this in the main K-1 forum.  T:here are only a couple of us that actually see these posts.  You will get more experienced and more answers there!  Good luck!

   The way I went about submitting photographs was this.   I went through our pictures together and picked out the 8 best photos.  They were printed out at FedEx office using the Sony Picture Station.  Easy to use because it automatically resizes your pictures to 4 x 6 without any hassle.  You can preview each photo before it prints out for peace of mind.  It's also instant gratification, just step up to the machine and it prints out.     But let's continue....  

Instead of writing on the back of each picture, I put together a template in Word.  It has a placeholder for each picture and a typed description next to each photo.  You can fit two, 4 x 6 pictures on a page.  I attached the photos to the pages using 2 sided scotch tape.  The pages went into the plastic page holders I used for the packet binder.  As far as the descriptions go I put the date, place and depending the event.  I didn't bother typing out everyones names, as the adjudicators wouldn't know who they are (or I doubt care) in most cases.          

Picture Template.doc

3 hours ago, Jens79 said:

I might try it out one day and see how far I can come. Of course with my passport on me (I'm not an idiot). But it will have to wait until I actually have my green card, since I'm still in the visa process. And even if I somehow found rules that supported it, I'm pretty sure it will be a lot more hassle, since it's not a common thing, IF it's even possible. One downside is that you can't use automated passport control in the EU-countries when entering on an ID-card. You then have to go through manual processing. Which usually is super quick, but this is not a way to make it easier for yourself Quite the opposite actually. It's just fun to find out if it's possible at all.  

Although an interesting topic of discussion, this is not a game.  Testing the patience of border patrol agents is not the smartest course of action.  You can get into some scary and serious situations, even when re-entering the USA.  In fact USA border patrol have the reputation to be some of the least pleasant to deal with.  Believe you me, you don't want to get sent to the dreaded "secondary inspection" as they call it.  But since you asked, let's step away from hearsay and look at what the rules are.  

To Reenter the USA:

From the CBP website https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/whti-program-background/docs-air-travel

Quote

Requirements for lawful permanent residents of the United States are not changed by the implementation of WHTI. Lawful permanent residents must continue to present a valid Permanent Resident Card. A passport is not required.

So according to CBP only a GC is required to reenter the USA.  Easy enough right?  Not quite, CBP has the right to ask for your passport at any time if they have a question.  In addition when flying, emigration officials from other countries and the airlines themselves will still ask for a passport.  You could be detained for not having proper documentation.  In all cases, being stuck without a passport would be a difficult situation.

Entering and traveling within the EU:

This becomes more complicated as there are many countries with different regulations.  Usually the valid document when entering the EU from outside is a passport.  Once inside the safe zone traveling from country to county depends on that countries laws.  Even as a EU citizen some may still ask for a passport.  Here are a couple of links with info:

http://ec.europa.eu/immigration/what-should-i-avoid/how-to-enter-the-eu/crossing-the-eu-borders_en#anchor1

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/europeans-need-passport-travel-between-countries-europe-105883.html

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-citizen/index_en.htm

Bottom line:  you need a passport when traveling internationally.  There are no ifs ands or buts about it.        

52 minutes ago, KimchiLumpia said:

At your fiance's interview, have your 2016 W2s and your IRS letter stating your tax filing extension.  The consular officer may accept your case without our 2016 transcript, but most likely, your case will get turned over to Administrative Processing.  Basically, your file will be in limbo, until you provide the tax transcript documents requested by the consular officer:  http://www.***removed***/visas/221grefusal/

 

The best way to avoid all this is to have a co-sponsor.

 

Really depends on the embassy. I'm not sure about Russia at all.   But if you can prove current income with a letter from employer and paystubs, that may be enough.  Read the K1 guide and have as much ammunition as possible.  The interview letter from the russian embassy will let you know if tax transcripts are really necessary.

On another note, are your taxes really that complicated that you have to get an attorney to file them for you?  The 2016 transcript at this moment would be priorty.  So if that gets done first you would be in a better position for sure. 

10 hours ago, geowrian said:

True. But they prove you were in the same country at least, which is already more than the photos would do. No single piece of evidence is usually sufficient...it's a combination of everything.

This is what we did that hopefully puts the USCIS mind at ease. 

1. Copy of passport stamps -  along with boarding passes when I visited.

2. Hotel Itinerary copy - also a receipt for the credit card charge transaction from the hotel itself.

3. Pictures of us together all labeled date and location - along with a receipt from one of the museums we visited.  Should help prove we weren't using a green screen.  Also there are pictures of a birthday party she threw for me.  The passport stamps, hotel receipt etc. corroborate that fact that indeed I was there on my B-day.  

Basically we made a conscious effort to help make the dots connect.  Hope no RFE comes our way for that part of the packet.        

11 hours ago, Mojordan said:

Hey, I know im a little late with my reply but here is a copy of my cover letter for my I-129F. Hopefully it helps, and let me know if you want to see anything else that might help your prep process.

 

Just a few tips:

1. I read somewhere that if you do decide to fill out a supplement page for Q.34, pt. A, then both the petitioner and beneficiary need to sign this page. You might not need to but we did just to be safe.

2. I also read that you need to print name, sign and write the date of when photo taken on the back of your passport style photos. Again, not entirely sure this is required but we did, to be safe.

 

1. No its not necessary for both to sign.  Only the petitioner needs to sign and date it.  

2. For the passport photos you only need to write the name on the back as the instructions indicate.

Thanks for the cover letter.  If you google I-129f cover letter you will also find many more examples.   

4 hours ago, JosephRose said:

Hello there. Thanks for sharing this.. Your tip no.1 regarding Supplemental page for Q.34. A is now making me worried because we did it.. but I did not sign it. Only my fiance(the petitioner) signed it because that was just what our preparer told us to do.. I'm starting to freak out now, what if because of that we will be denied? huhu..

As stated above you are fine.  The person who helped you followed the instructions correctly.  In any case, if it was missing you would get an RFE and a chance to correct it.  Good luck! 

3 hours ago, LeoCost said:

@Cruise77

I noticed that on the updated I-129f form but I will be attempting to send the one before that one, they are accepting the older form until 6-2017. But I would have to say yes to that question. 

Up to you but I'm with f f on this one.  Better to disclose because you will most likely be questioned on this, especially since it's asked on the new form. 

That is from the I-129F form.  If you can honestly answer No to that question, then you don't need to disclose. 

On 4/17/2017 at 7:54 AM, Lenchique said:

Who will be footing that bill? Remember that while you are married she is your financials liability.  The day you file is the day all liabilities get divided.

This is not a shared responsibility,  She went to jail it's 100% on her and the OP has no obligation to pay it.  Plus the OP didn't agree to bond her out.  Better for the OP if it doesn't get paid, that means she goes back to jail.  

In any case, the OP hasn't posted in a week now.  But if he is still lurking, the obvious thing to do is just buy a plane ticket and send her home.  Even if you have to borrow from someone to do it, you will be saving so much grief in the long run.

2 hours ago, Eric-Pris said:

They are required to let people re-apply but they don't tell you to improve your circumstances before doing so.  I know because when my girlfriend at the time applied they told her no but "she is free to reapply".  They forgot to mention that if she applies with nothing being different, the result will be the same.

 

As for the money maker part, look at the numbers.  In Costa Rica, they get 300-400 applicants every day.  Lets use 350.  At $150 a pop, that's $52,000 per day, or $11,000,000 per year, probably closer to 12.  I believe that the state department budget pays for the operation of the embassies, labor and overhead.  So the 11mil goes back to the state dept as a nice profit.  Other embassies I'm sure do even better. 

Ok for the sake of argument let's suppose you are working at an Embassy.  You earn a fixed salary and make no commission.  It's your job to accept or deny tourist visas.  You enjoy the job for the most part, but there is this one guy who you have denied a couple of times already, who keeps applying.  He's a nice gentleman but no matter how you explain something to him (denial reason), it doesn't stick and he replies back with 100 questions.  In other words he's a very bad listener.  Yes THAT GUY! (we all know one.)   You really wish you could just tell him to stuff it and go where the sun don't shine, because he is simply a pain to deal with.  To make matters worse, since you are on a fixed salary, you don't get paid extra to deal with him.  But because you want to keep your job and the rules state so, you always end with the spiel that he can reapply. 

In other words the front line employees aren't in on this conspiracy theory.  But lets talk about the $150 fee that is paid to the State department for every application.  That money is not pure profit as there are many many expenses to run an operation this big.  I won't waste your time breaking it down, but in short the government isn't trying to fleece people here.  There are many cogs and wheels to make it work, and it isn't cheap.

55 minutes ago, Suss&Camm said:

Just a thought - it would make perfect sense for US tax payers to pay for at least part of the process of visitor Visas (even that it's not the case). People come and visit and spend money in the country. That benefits businesses and thus tax payers.... just saying..

We already have that its called VWP or ESTA.  If you come from a country not part of that program, it's because it would cost us more than any benefit gained.  So no, let's not make it easier for these non VWP countries to apply for tourist visas.  In fact it should be even tougher.   

20 hours ago, Kkpdl said:

All my plans have been disrupted...sad and mad for them.

for one or two mouths i can wait, but if need I wait for long time or a year, it‘s horrilbe...

Although I understand your frustration, it was premature to buy a plane ticket.  The embassy is not at fault here.       

8 minutes ago, CAPRICEJAH said:

I really just want him off my bills, and wondering why would he not want to take it off. As far as his citizenship. That's is not up to me. I am sure there will be many days he will wish he stayed in Ghana. These street are not praved in gold, and we have to work hard.  Only the strong survive. 

Note my answer above.  The easiest way to do this is pay them off then open your own accounts.  The old ones will just fall to the wayside.  As it sounds like he just wants to move on with his life. 

I'm afraid your post is missing some very important details so others can help you.  Details like are you a USC?  On what type of visa did your husband enter the US and when did he enter?  Was the interview for Adjustment of Status? (AOS)  Why was he told to wait 120 days at the interview?  Were you asked to provide more information?