TallCowboy0614

DocGee and YouStopIt...

I would not recommend it, although it can be done. My wife's conditional green card expired on May 4th. Her father in Bolivia had an embolism and she had to travel to Bolivia a week or so before her conditional card expired. Long answer short...I had to contact the embassy there and make an appointment to get what they call a "boarding letter" that is a visa stamp in her bolivian passport that says "this is not a visa, it is permission to board a plane to the united states" (or something to that effect).

She got back in, but not without some severe anxiety on my part...and an extra ticket to Bolivia (although I DID get to drink copious amounts of Paceña beer with her 8 brothers and a dozen or two cousins while I was there).

SHe would NOT have been able to come back if:

a) she had left the USA AFTER the conditional green card expired

b) we had not already APPLIED for the removal of conditions before the conditional card expired.

In other words, if you are playing by the rules, and you have to leave before you get your 10-year green card, then you PROBABLY can get back in...but if you are NOT playing by the rules (leaving after the conditional card expires, NOT filing the ROC petition in the 90-day window, etc) then you are likely screwed.

Note also that the "boarding letter" ("visa") they give you is also not PERMISSION to enter the USA, it is just permission to FLY here. You still are at the mercy of the immigration folks at the port of entry after that. Fortunately we were able to show them that the ROC was already in process and she had a pending Biometrics appointment...so they let her in, warning her that she could only use the boarding letter ONCE, so she can't go anywhere outside the USA until she gets the 10-year card.

I found it interesting that there was virtually no information on this process when we found ourselves in this position. I actually had to go from ground-up by contacting the embassy in Bolivia and asking them what could be done. I called USCIS before I got to the embassy, but they called the thing to get a "returning resident visa" which it is NOT actually called. Took me quite a few emails back and forth to the embassy in La Paz, but finally got it sorted out, and only had ONE wasted trip across Bolivia to the embassy appointment due to bad information from the embassy personnel to get it done. Second trip went off without a hitch.

Another thing perhaps worth mentioning is that at least in Bolivia, the embassy only schedules appointments for this type of visa one day a week (Mondays) so we ended up having to stay an extra week (and having to drink a LOT more beer) because of bad information I got in an email on the process to follow from the embassy before I left the USA.

All's well that ends well, though.

Something to keep in mind...

We always go in early...have never been turned away. If we DID get turned away, my feelings would not be hurt, and in reality, if they are not too busy to do a walk-in, think about it, it is not affecting the appointment "line" at all. They got done early with apointments up to the time of the walk-in, and have time before the next appointment, or they would not be doing the walk-ins!!!

I am only a half-decade late on this thread, but it bugged me enough to contribute late anyway.

Go early. If it works, it works. More power to you. If not, then get back in line.

'nuff said.

Hi all,

I am STILL searching through the website, but have not yet come across a similar situation (although I find it hard to believe we are alone in this), so I thought I would toss out the situation to y'all.

My wife got her conditional green card two years ago in May. We are now waiting on her 10-year card and going through the ROC process.

The interesting part of the situation is that our two kids (actually my step-kids, her bilogical kids) did not come over from Bolivia until December two years ago. They have Conditional Green Cards that expire in December of this year (2012). They require a separate form I-751 that we will need to file (one for each of them) next month. This is plainly stated in the instructions for Form I-751:

If a conditional resident child received that status more than 90 days after his or her parent, that child must separately file an I-751.

That's fine with us, although we will only grudgingly pay the extra 1200 bucks *sigh*.

However, my question is about supporting documentation. Obviously this will not be the same as we sent for their mother, for whom we had to prove our marriage was valid. I cannot for the life of me figure out for sure what "supporting documentation" and/or bona-fide documentation they need for the kids.

I assume a cover letter describing the situation (Mom was already here and got her green card through a marriage and a change-of-status, the kids came over later through USCIS and the embassy in Bolivia's processes) and photos of the family, along with green card copies for all (mom and the kids as well), and probably birth certificates. Maybe school records too showing they live with us? I am really not sure how in-depth I need to go with it.

Anyone have similar experiences and advice to share?

I suppose too much documentation is better than none, but obviously I don't have to show intermingled finances and the like.

I guess instead of showing "proof" the marriage is "real" like did with Mom, we just need to show they are really related to her (which really SHOULD have already been proved by the documention we supplied USCIS and immigration when we originally petitioned to get the kids over here with the conditional cards.

Any advice? I will keep looking in the forums and online, but so far I really have not found anything specifically like this situation, although as I said, I cannot believe it has not been done a million times before.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!

...But I don't think you need to worry - they won't accidentally start RoC on someone whose window hasn't hit yet.

I was more worried they would delay my wife's ROC because they think I need to pay or provide info on the kids. Thanks for making me feel more at ease anyway...I will proceed as planned.

Too bad minor kids still need a separate ROC form from Mom's...oh well, that is how they earn their money I suppose

Hi all,

I am in the process of filling out and submitting a ROC packet for my wife, and have a question about the children's names section of the form.

The overall situation is that my wife's green card (conditional) expires in May, but my two stepkids came later than she did and so thiers don't expire until December.

On my wife's form I-751, I assume I need to include the kids' names, since they ARE here with us and DO have green cards, but I don't want USCIS to think I am also asking to remove the kids' conditional status yet. I know I have to file separately for each of them later. I am just trying to avoid confusing the issue on my wife's ROC process.

I plan to list the kids and where it asks for thier status, just but they are conditional and their conditional status expires on such-and-such a date (December). Then in my cover letter I plan to add a paragraph explaining that I know I have to do the kids' ROC's later, and this one is only for my wife.

I can find no discussions nor example forms that directly address this situation. Do any of you have similar experiences you can use to help me out? I guess most people come at the same time as the kids, so that is why there is a lack of specific guidance for my situation.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Year 2000????? Something is wrong here. Did you mean 2010?

yes...sorry...stuck in a time warp

Thanks...printed the form and instructions but should have read before I posted the question. I think I remembered that from the last time I did the research a year or so ago.

Alas, I am on the hook I guess, for yet another $1200 later this year, but at least we are nearing the end of this phase of the process...next stop, citizenship!!!!

Hi all,

I think I already know the answer, but just wanted to check anyway.

My wife got her conditional Green Card in May of 2000, so we are due this month to file for the permanent green card. However my kids came in later, and did not get their conditional cards until December of 2000. Do we really need to process the paperwork for them separately from my wife since they have a green card/entry date later than hers? I suspect we have to wait and pay separately for them, but thought I would ask anyway. Seems a shame to have to pay the $590 fee for all three when there is a spot on the form for my wife to process the kids too. I suspect we will have to bit the bullet and pay separately, but again, thought I would ask the question in case there is a way around that requirement.

The kids are 12 and 16, if that matters.

Thanks!!!

Paul

You were detained officially.

I disagree. Betcha his next paycheck that there is no record anywhere of this "detention".

Just say no on the form.

I would talk to a different lawyer. What he is saying COULD be true, I suppose, but " this petition is improperly filed and must be filed according to its instructions." sounds to me like all you need to do is refile.

Ask a different lawyer.

Yay!!! Case completed on Oct 28, yesterday (Nov 3) got the appointment email. Appointment set for December 2.

Now, if we can just scare up the money for plane tickets before then, we may get the kids here with us for her Quinceañera AND Christmas!!! Yay!

Howdy all....

Just to clarify...the AVR today says my cases were completed yesterday, but when I enter the tracking info as shown in this thread, DHL says nothing found.

Do I need to wait until the "your case was completed on" AVR message changes to something like "your case was forwarded to the embassy..." before I can find it on DHL???

I am just not sure if the AVR messages will be separate or if "complete" means "complete and forwarded".

Sorry if I am being a pain in the butt and being too impatient...just trying to stay on top of things.

THANKS!!!

...but IV fee don't show up in the payment portal.

Loto

WHAT??? I paid mine through the payment portal just fine!

Hi Asad, I don't think that's abnormal, I am pretty sure both of my payments were accepted the next day also. At most it might have been two days, but I am positive the first one was cleared the next day, and am pretty sure the second was also.

@PVK...

Not sure what to make of that...are you SURE you typed the info in correctly when you logged in? Have you sent them anything yet or got any email from them? Other than that, I don't know enough to be of any real help. Sorry. Others may chime in with experience. I would try to get in on the phone again and ASK the agent what is up with the case... Seems they always know more info than the automated systems facing the public do.

Yes, you wait for SIF&CC and I wish you NO RFEs!

Me too! I thought for sure that we would have an RFE...I am amazed we didn't get one. On the DS-230 I sent in had the kid's signatures, but it was in black felt pen, so I thought they would bounce it back for a new (original) signature. AND we forgot to have my wife also sign for the minor kids on that same line. AND there were a few various boxes I forgot to fill in (though they were only a couple of the dates that I could not enter "not applicable" in on the online form, so I was going to go back later and write it by hand).

All small details that have apparently been overlooked by our NVC processor, thankfully, but all were issues reported by others in the past that resulted in an RFE.

Hey, I was just trying to help! I'm pretty much done and stuck on waiting for the last things to go by! So I have PLENTY of time..

And it's not a bother at all - isn't that what VJ is for - helping each other out??

Good luck!

Sorry! Didn't mean to sound crabby... I would never turn down help, just didn't want you to go out of your way to do it! I enjoy poking around these websites anyway...even if I end up reading something that has nothing to do with my situation, it's still interesting to see inside another's journey. How the heck did people do this stuff before the interwebz?

Well, I would suggest asking somebody in a similar situation - send them a PM or a comment! It might not be the same situation like urs but it will be SOME info! That is - if you haven't done it already!

ps: I'll see what I can find too..

Have not PM'd anyone because I have yet to run across someone in the same situation. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

NO NEED to invest your time in my searches, Mrs, D!! I DO appreciate the effort, but I can do the searching...that's just legwork and I got no forms to fill out at the moment anyway I wasn't asking for someone to do my legwork (again, thanks for the offer of assistance anyway) I was just whining out loud, I guess.

Speaking of practice-filling, do I round up the age if the age if x years and 10 months.

Let's say you are 20 years and 10 months old. Do you say you are 20-years old or 21-years old?

I would think you should use the age you are on the date you fill in the form.

How very nice! Well, unfortunately I can't give u any info on how the interview for the kids goes, but maybe browse tru the forums and the Guides ? Just a suggestion..

Been doing that lots, actually...I have been lurking here since February reading and bouncing around. Have found a few threads about kids, and read the guide(s) that applies to us, but like I said, I haven't seen too many threads that relate to our situation. Her and I here, the kids over there waiting to be reunited with us. So have not seen many (ie ANY) threads like that. I will, of course, keep looking. The kids are both minors (11 and 14).

TallCowboy, Can you please post your timeline ?

Yes, I have been meaning to do that, but I usually read/post from work, and all the dates are at home, so I will have to wait until I can get on from home for the details.

In a nutshell, we applied for a change of status for my wife in February (she had overstayed a visitor visa from long before we met). Had our interview for her in April, she got her green card shortly after that. Then we had to get paperwork lined up to bring over the two kids in Bolivia with her mother. That is what these two visas that just failed the login this morning relate to. So hopefully next month or early December we will be on our way to La Paz for the interview there, and bringing the kids home a few days after that.

Yeeeeee-Haw!!!!!

I have been trying to find a thread on-site here about kids visas...seems like most people here are working mostly on spouses. Not sure what to expect of an embassy interview for kids...I mean, it's not like they can question whether they are her kids or not (and my step-kids). Oh well...we get another trip to Bolivia out of it anyway.

Thanks Mr&Mrs D....we are ALSO Mr. and Mrs. D

Yee-HAWWWW!!! Sign-in failed this morning!!!

Howdy all...been a lurking reader for some time, and actually filed at NVC in late July...but am waiting now on our Log In Failed (8 days so far).

Just thought I would check in.

Now, to go read from page one.