livindadream

pls i want to find out if a friend can pay the AOS and IV BILL online on behalf of us with his us bank account for us.pls i want to know if NVC accepts it or the bank acccount must be on my name or my wife.thanks

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3904.html#check_credit

If worse comes to worse, just send a money order. Also, sometimes those prepaid cards that were mentioned already, will have a routing and account number associated with them so you can use them as a 'bank account'. I know for a fact that NetSpend has this benefit and you can have payments withdrawn from it just like a bank account.

My husband said it's considered a job. Hope that helps.

If you're going to go..I would suggest you go early in the week. Im here in Ghana and with the President's death and the upcoming funeral/memorial services, I believe they are shutting everything down by the end of the week and will stay closed for several days.

Okay I have watch ER (advidly), Greys Anatomy and General Hospital and I think I have your diagnosis. You are suffering I am afraid of "OMG why is it taking so blasted long for me to get through NVC". It's called "fedupitis". See it starts with anxiety, sweating, and next thinkg you know you are on the internet, affixed at timelines, dates,

Signs you have this are knowing acronyms you never knew exited at the drop of a hat. If any of these acronyms you can decypher you have this dreaded afflction.

Do you know:

1. USCIS

2. NVC

3. RFE

4. NOA1

5. NOA2

6. AOS (both kinds)

7. ROC

8. OP

9. USC

10. LDR

11. LPR

12. GC

13. SO

14. POE

15. LAG (had to throw that in LOL) oh

16. LOL

There is a cure however, But doesn't happen until POE. An approved Visa syptoms start to subside, but that POE is the cure........................................................................

I WISH

Sorry I just had to lighten me up. Make them do blood work specifically for malaria and also typhoid. I am sorry. Swollen feet ainlt no joke. Also google it ask webM.D.

:rofl: :rofl: I'm not laughing at your condition...only at the General Hospital comment. That just was too funny!! I don't know about your foot condition..But as for the Liver one...I had routine bloodwork done once, and it came back with a high LFT (liver function test) result. My Dr. had me have a CT scan of liver, talk to a specialist who performed more LIver tests and even did a liver biopsy. All to come to the conclusion that it was nothing!! A year later, the same test was normal. Even little things like weight loss can give different results. Or medications you were taking at the time of the first result. I wouldnt worry about that one especially since it was normal this time. As for the "Malaria" thoughts...When I was in Nigeria and even here in Ghana, every pharmacy or clinic you walk into makes you believe you have Malaria. ME: "hello Dr, I have been having an earache for the last couple days, can you please check it"...Doctor: "My dear, you are having Malaria"...lol. They freak you out into thinking you must have Malaria..so please don't worry yourself with that one. I know this may sound weird, but stress can cause many crazy things. Im sure you are stressed out with the traveling and the whole visa process. Maybe some massage therapy could help~ Feel better soon!

I better than shut up cuz I am one of "those" misinformed met online, married on my first visit to my Nigerian King and oh yeah lets see I am by the way menopausal, pass child bearing years (I guess), clueless, and trolling the internet (or is that cougaring the internet) for young bucks to prey on.

Give me a flippin break..............Sorry had to vent. OP as I said befoe I love you. You go on with your bad self enjoy have fun and God bless you both.

Anyone else not feeling the love this OP is trying to convey. . We now return you to your VJ programing.

"cougaring the internet".....Im dying laughing

Thank you so much for saying that when they stated the comment "recipe for disaster" and "not making it past 3 years" I was like I thought we all were on the same journey trying to marry our Nigerian men and I thought this site was to support us Sistahs that are entering into the journey...Very well stated.

Amen....My thoughts with her negative words were Olorun mi (Oh my God)...what have I entered....

It's sad to say..but some people on here think that they are the only "Nigerian Queen"..that nobody else shud deserve to have a successful marriage with a Nigerian. Like..they are the only one entitled to go to Nigeria, marry a Nigerian, etc. It cracks me up. And those of you who know who you are that do this...then YES you are on blast front and center. It's a shame because comments like the ones you were given are the reason some of US are even afraid to ask questions yet this is what this site is supposed to be about. sheesh! On another note...when I went to Nigeria, I just filled out the visa app saying I'm going as a tourist and sent a print out of my hotel reservation. If you go the route of 'letter of invitation'..I think you're just making more work for yourself. Have a great trip and congrats on your upcoming marriage.

Hi all. I'm going to naigi to Wed my Nigerian fiance. I would like to know how soon could one file a petition after marriage without getting a possible red flag. Bcz I will be meeting him for the first time as well as marrying him.I was thinking to file the petition after my second visit. So Wadda you guys think about that? Or what do you think us best?

How long have you been talking with him online/on the phone before going there? How long do you plan on staying when you go to visit? Are there any other things that they would consider "red flags"? Going to meet him for the first time and marrying him during the same visit is not the only thing they will look at. It is just a small part of the big picture. There will be at least a year to wait during the petitioning process before the interview, so you could plan another visit in that time period. And then evidence of that can be presented at the time of the interview. Best of luck and have a great trip to Nigeria!

Also, an increase tax burden will NOT DEPEND on his income. He has no choice - it will increase when he file married filing separately. He must file married filing separately unless they choose to include HER income. His US income is taxable under any circumstances. It will DEPEND on her income and the income tax paid in HER country. The overall tax burden will increase if he files married filing separately. If they choose to file married filing, the overall tax burden could be higher or lower than filing separately DEPENDING ON HER FOREIGN INCOME. I would only include HER INCOME if it gives them a better result than him filing marring filing separately. They may even get a tax refund.

If he qualifies for the EIC, he is making below the poverty level. Probably not an issue if he meets the 125% poverty level to petition his wife.

right..I meant, if his income was low, or if he had other credits (education, etc)..he may not even have a tax burden..even filing single. ohhh..ur right about the EIC and meeting the poverty level...UNLESS he has a co-sponsor. lol. Sooo many variations. Aren't taxes fun? Actually I think they are....but Im geeky like that

I don't think statistics are as black and white as they make them out to be. Marriage is what you make of it, and identifying what the problem areas will be before marriage will help if you work them out before marriage.

I think your biggest obstacle will be your role as a woman in the marriage. He is coming from a masculine culture, where the US is more 'equal' gender wise. There is a chapter in "Before you say 'I do'" that talks about roles. It lists 4 basic views of the wife, Property, Compliment, Jr Partner, and Equal Partner. Women here tend to think the role of a woman in marriage should be 'Equal Partner', where Africa tends to be on the opposite scale as 'Property'. If you are on opposite ends of this, it will cause major problems and will likely fail. Another gauge is to talk about how each others parents were as you were growing up. It is likely he will see your role in the marriage to be similar to his mother's. I don't just mean what she did at home, whether she worked, but how they interacted, who made decisions, handled finances, etc.

You have plenty of time to talk about these types of things, and hash this stuff out before you get married.

This is so true. African men (most, not all) want a woman who is not going to question their judgement, their decisions, etc. African women are submissive, passive. An African man wants to provide for his family, but the woman is the real work horse in the family. A successful relationship won't be based on statistics..it is going to be the willingness of both of you to understand each others expectations and then the ability to compromise. I know I have to bite my tongue in certain situations and also not to think that I know more than my husband just cuz Im from America (even when his solution to every ailment is hot water or Andrews Liver Salts lol )..and at the same time, he knows Im never going to walk home from the market carrying the load on my head or take out the garbage..we are a match made in heaven!!

Tax laws can be complex. Most Americans can relate to how complicated it can be. Explain to the interviewer that your husband made a tax mistake because he was ignorant of tax laws. This is a simple and common mistake.

Tell the interviewer that your husband intends to amend his tax returns.

-----

Amending his tax returns.

He can amend his status to one of two choices; married filing jointly or married filing separately.

Once you get your SSN, your husband can include you as a joint filer. This might get him a tax rebate if your foreign income was low or taxes are high in your home country.

Going from "single" to "married filing separately" will increase his tax burden. He'll have to pay more in taxes.

Have him figure out your taxes under both to see which one gives you the better result. Then go with that one. It is perfectly legal for you to pick whichever one is more advantageous to you.

He doesnt have to wait..he can file now with form W-7 (if Im not mistaken)...and yes, the tax burden will be higher if filing married vs married filing separate DEPENDING on his income. If he is not claiming EIC or certain other credits, then filing separate may be almost the same as filing single anyways. But like I had stated earlier and as you said as well, this is not going to be a big deal at interview level. Plead ignorance and move on.

I think the answer to this question would highly depend on which countries you are speaking of also. There would be a big difference between a success rate between Americans and say...Germans or Italians verses Americans and other countries. I personally have seen both sides of the spectrum....being in a successful relationship with a non US citizen and an unsuccessful one. I think any relationship whether its American and American or American and non-American has a low success rate if you spend 1 week with a person and then move in with each other. It's a much different situation to sit on a computer or phone and communicate vs face to face interaction. It's great that you have been to Ghana so many times ( I have too, in fact Im still here. lol ) You really get to know someone by being with them day in and day out. It's easy to deceive someone that you spend a week or two with..but it's next to impossible to do that when you live as a couple for months under the same roof...or at least in the same country!

The loophole allows a person to file as single head of household providing that they have a qualifying dependant not just plain ole single

RIGHT

I'm a tax preparer....that being said, technically your spouse should have filed either married filing joint or married filing separate. In either case, because you don't have a SSN, your spouse should have mailed, and not electronically filed the return, and included form W-7. I don't believe this shud be too much of an issue at the interview. There is also a loophole that if you and your spouse have been apart for more than 6 months, then he/she can file as single.

My husband said probate court in Lagos is the best place to get notarized cuz they won't add any extra fees.

another thing.....there are internet cafe's on every corner in Nigeria and almost all of them will have a system that can open a word document. That is not a problem at all. I've sent documents to Nigeria thru fedex who are usually cheaper than UPS or DHL but there is a minimum of one pound, so anything under that amount is still going to be charged the one pound rate, and from Boston to Lagos, it costs about 80 dollars. U can try sending it thru regular USPS but NiPost is not very reliable.

Thanks for the info..what website did u use or how did you apply for ur visa? B/c I went to about two sites and they both stated that I would need a invite?? (But hey if I dont have to have one that would be even better)..lol

If you check the Embassy of Nigeria website, under visa's...they list the required documents for a visitor visa. It says you need a letter of invitation from someone accepting responsibility for you....but then it also lists "Confirmed Hotel reservation, if the applicant is not staying with host"....this means, if you are not relying on someone there to host/support you while you're there. So sending in a hotel reservation is sufficient to get your visa. Its really not hard to get a visa to Nigeria.

I used the Visa services thats on the Nigerian Embassy website. I didn't have to show a ticket they wanted to know travel itinerary, Letter of invitation that's it. No bio passport page from him. There are hundreds of sites and some will even say you have to show bank accounts and have money in bank (alot) avoid them. Just stick to trusted sites like what the embassy provides. Had Visa in 5 days (expedite).

Get your 2 or 3 shots (I did 3 cost %340 at Public health services) and malaria pills (and there are many different kinds). I had a 110 pills for what I had started out for a 2 month visit (stayed 6 1/2 months) but those 110 pills were just $58 and I have no insurance. Check with your insurance some may cover those shots.

It's true..most insurance companies will def cover the shots. Even the malaria pills. I had a 90 day supply of Malarone which costs over 600 dollars and all I had to pay was the co-pay. I was so surprised, but I guess the insurance company wud rather pay 600 dollars for the prevention of malaria instead of all the hospital/doctor bills they'd have to pay to TREAT malaria. lol.

Unless things have changed in the past year, I did not need a letter of invitation to get a Visa to Nigeria. If you can show a hotel reservation, I believe that will also be accepted. When I applied for the visa, I just sent my flight itinerary and hotel reservation. But if you can get the letter of invitation, you might as well go that route. A travel clinic is your best bet for getting the yellow fever immunization and they will also give you additional ones based on the area you are going (or boosters). Safe journey !!

Thank you for yor posts. I look forward to the continual dialogue.

1. Why would you chose the CR-1 over the K-1?

2. Visit atleast 3 times, honestly just curious why would you suggest that? I only ask because I know you can't put a price tag on love/companionship, but plane tickets to Ghana range from 1200 to as high as 1800+. That is nearly a great portion of the price for the K-1 visa. I just want to hear why you would recommend?

Thank you!

because Ghana is considered a 'high fraud' area. They believe that some Ghanians will marry a US Citizen for the sake of a green card. YES, phone calls, emails and all that stuff can show a continued relationship...but having "face to face" time can prove a more serious relationship. At least, that's how they look at it. Yes, plane tickets are expensive, but if you are at all able to..maybe you can go fewer times, but stay longer periods of time. People have gotten approved who have not stayed great amounts of time with their spouse/fiance, but if you have any 'red flags', then you should try to offset them with other things (like spending time there with him).

Applying for a tourist visa and being denied won't affect your K-1.

I've seen cases where it most definitely has.

My fiancee' applied for a tourist visa September 2011 and was denied due to not enough proof of country ties. We plan to pursue the K-1 visa in the fall of this year. However, he has an extended break from attending his university and teaching this summer; Is there anyway we could obtain a tourist visa for him to come visit during his break? If so, how? Also, if a tourist visa is not obtainable, what could be another option? Any suggestions or advice is helpful.

The first time he went for a tourist visa he took the below proof:

1. Letter from his job stating his employment

2. Letter from his university stating his enrollment and anticipated graduation date August 2013

3. Letter from his pastor showing his involvement in his local community

4. Bank statement

5. Letter from me inviting him to visit when we were friends at the time.

6. Some of the other necessary proof.

7. I can't remember the rest, but it was alot.

I just really would love for him to visit here instead of me making my 3rd trip there.

Thank you.

If your fiance had proof of school enrollment AND employment and he STILL got denied for a tourist visa, then chances are he would have a hard time getting approved if he applies again. Applying and continually getting denied for tourist visa and then applying for a K-1 could also potentially harm the chances of getting approved for the K-1. Aside from having a wife and kids in Ghana, I dont think there is much more that he could prove of 'having ties' than what he has already presented. If you know that you definitely want to marry him, then maybe just move forward with the K-1 and not try the tourist visa again. Wishing you the best !!

bt-store.com is a good one. And very user friendly. I use Delta to go back and forth from NYC to Accra and vice versa, and they have the same prices on their website as the 'third party sites' do. when you're dealing with international flights, round-trip tickets are usually always cheaper than trying to buy a one-way. And he does not need a green card to buy a one way ticket. Congrats on making it this far !!

Furthermore, in MY experience, any time someone begins a statement with "I'm not judging, BUT..." the 'but' has always been followed by a judgmental phrase.

I like to compare this to the popular statement often used in the United States "I'm not racist, BUT..." That's another one. It's always followed by a racist comment.

It's as if by qualifying their judgmental/racist comments, they believe it erases the the judgment or racism that's about to spew forth from their mouths.

In actuality, all it does is put the listener on alert that their next comment will be judgmental or racist.

Something to think about...

So now your pulling the race card?? wowwww...wat has this turned into? i mean really?

"I, for example, have two children to take care of here in the U.S., while my husband has our other daughter in Ghana. So yes, after being together for a few weeks in Nigeria, we returned to our separate lives and responsibilities in different countries"

Maybe you shud have clarified wat you meant cuz it sounds to me like you 'left your child" . ANYHOW.... as for any 'chip' you think I have on my shoulder, thats kinda funny. I came here and asked a question and someone passed judgement on me instead of answering my question. Then YOU come along and try to come to someone's rescue by jumpin on me too. Like what was your business with it anyways? Did I ask about your situation or how you are filing, etc? Maybe next time you wanna be captain hero, you think twice about it. If anyone has a chip on their shoulder it's you and your friend. Cant you find someone on here that needs your advice or something? Or better yet, go look for who your friend has pissed off again and you can join in that one too...I pray you leave the thread and never look back like you claim.

I don't believe that by pointing out how some of your comments can be construed as negative is throwing stones. These are the comments I was referring to:

"...unlike OTHER posters, who went to see their spouse/fiance for a week or two and then came back to start filing things ASAP."

"I didnt go to Naija for a week or two and then rush home to the states to start filing petitions."

I'm simply letting you know that these comments can be and are offensive to some people. It you have a problem with one user and what they have said, please keep your comments based on that one person, and not make broad general comments about "OTHER posters, who went to see their spouse/fiance for a week or two and then came back...". You did things the way you felt was best for you. My husband and I did things the way we needed to for our situation. Others do things differently, because it works for them. Yes, we all have the same ultimate goal of being with our SO, but our situations are NOT all the same.

We come here and ask questions, hoping someone may be able to give us information we need. I believe these questions can be asked and responded to respectfully, without making off-hand comments about other users, and the way they chose to deal with their various situations.

I wish you the best of luck with YOUR journey and pray things will go smoothly for you.

I said what I said in my own defense and not to offend other VJ members. But honestly, in my opinion, I dont see how someone can go see someone for a week or two and make the decision that they should marry and then never see the person again for a year or more. Then when they are actually living together in the states and things go wrong, they wonder why. I'm talking from personal experience and observation of others. I think anyone doing this process should spend time with their significant other before deciding to rush into things. And that should mean making sacrifices to be there with him/her. I had a job too. And I left it and risked going into business for myself so that I could spend time away...work from abroad...to still make enough to support myself and satisfy any affidavits of support. When your spouse/fiance leaves their country to come live in the states with you..he/she is leaving their family, their friends, in some cases their work, etc. Cant we make the same sacrifice for them? Or are they the only ones that should be required to do that? I'm not judging...but wow..I would never ..I mean NEVER in my life have a child and then leave that child in another country. It's hard enough to leave your man, but your child...?? Anyhow...Good luck with YOUR journey as well.

I completely understand but ensure you arrive on a difinite decision soonest as to move to the next level. We couldnt do a DCF cos my wife couldnt afford to stay more than 2 weeks out of job. Keep me posted.

Ok, I understand. Ghana may still be slow regardless of the DCF, so going back thru 9ja was probably just as well. We know which direction we're headed and going to start putting things together. Thanks for your support...we'll keep you posted.