keithusn

No need to file for AOS. Since you are applying for a CR1, your wife will get an I-551 stamp on her passport which will be proof that she is legal to live and work in the USA and to travel overseas at any time.

If she activates the visa before your 2nd wedding anniversary, then she will get a 2yr (conditional) green card and will have to apply for removal of conditions (I-751) two years down the road.

I have 6 more questions for you... On the DS230 form that we filled out, it said on the bottom somewhere I think on Part II about getting a Social Security Card Sent to Her... Should we be antisipating receiving her SSC in the mail since we checked that block or does she need to take her passport to the Social Security Office here in the US and apply?

Second Question, does she need to apply for a work permit, or because of the stamp I-551 she will get, she will be able to work without doing any further paper work?

Third Question.... She is working on her PhD and will need to go back to Russia for a short time, just 2 weeks after she comes to the USA... I think about 4 months or so after she gets here she will need to go back for 2 weeks... Does she need to fill out the paper work to request to re-enter the USA, or since it's only for 2 weeks she doesn't need to fill any paperwork out?

Fifth Question... How long does it take for her to get her conditional green card so that she doesn't have to use the stamp that is going to be in her passport the I-551.

Sixth Question... the conditional passport is for 2 years, but the 2 years is not after being married for 2 years, but 2 years from the date it was issued correct?

Sorry, lots of questions =)

My wife has her interview in 2 weeks in Moscow, once she receives her visa and then gets the conditional green card because we haven't been married for 2 years yet, do we have to file for AOS, or because we did I-130 we don't have to file for AOS because all that stuff is done already? Help! I've read a lot of stuff and I am confused how we get the permanent green card instead of the conditional one.

Thanks

Okay, so perhaps they will just need a certified copy, which looks exactly like the original. You think that the original birth cert. is the one given at birth, then all others after are just certified copies, correct?

Best Regards,

Keith Bennett

Here are the issues with that:

Snail mail? Not a chance, original documents getting lost in the mail between Russia and the USA happens all the time, even has happened to my self and my wife, and other than it's illegal.

Flying them out, sure I could go get them, this isn't an issue, other than it's illegal.

Here is the main issue, NVC is asking us to actually break the law, to smuggle documents out of the country. We are not trying to get around the system, we could do this by flying them out. The issue is they are asking us for the documents and it is actually against the law to mail them or fly them or smuggle them out of the country. The embassy is just 10 miles from her house and she can bring the docs to the interview, and other than this one document (birth cert) the I-130 is complete and ready for the embassy to set an interview date. Thanks for your comments though,

Best Regards,

Keith Bennett

I received a letter from the NVC requesting my wife's original birth certificate accompanied by a translation.

"all documents not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation." This means I must submit (mail) her Russian Birth Certificate from Russia via mail to the NVC. They used the words "all documents not in English must be accompanied by......." So it must be the original and the translation.

Okay fine.... now the issue. Russian law prohibits the mailing of Russian Identification Documents, we checked with the Russian Post Office, Fed Ex, and DHL. They all confirm they will not send her birth certificate from Russia to the USA. To my understanding the birth certificate was supposed to be one of the documents to be presented in person at the Moscow Embassy, now the NVC is asking for this document to be submitted prior to the interview? Is this a catch 22?

I emailed both the Embassy and the NVC just today, but it will be a few days to a few weeks no doubt before they return my email

Anyone else experience this or can shed some light on this matter?

Best Regards,

Keith Bennett

Great thanks everyone!

thanks! is a pregnant wife the same as bringing a wife and a child to the states though? Or it's the same as you both said as the process just to bring a wife? Just needed this clarification..

Keith

I was just married to my beautiful russian wife, it's just been one week now we've be apart and we think she is pregnant... This is actually good news! However now the immigration process has probably changed for us. I was going to submit all the documents and our translated marriage certificate soon and was going to file the I-130. However if she is pregnant what do I need to file? Should I still file how I want and do the I-130, or is it mandatory to file the K-3 now because if she is pregnant that also "counts" as having a child? Can someone advise me on how to bring my now "probably" pregnant wife to the USA? Different/Same?

Thanks

Keith