James And Oksana

On this Sunday of prayer, I ask the Lord that all of my fellow filers continue to see progress in their petitions. I hope to see many more NOA1 and NOA2 this week for all my fellow filers here on VJ and our January group. I ask that all of us be reunited with our respective significant other soon, and that those processing these petitions will have all barriers lifted that they may with great agility move these petitions forward.

I agree that we need to speak up. I think singling out any 1 service center or putting too much data statistics in an email to a congressman is not going to do much. They need to realize this problem really is systemic, meaning they need to fix it across the board. While CSC is currently faster, it is still processing I-129F's at a slow pace (and statically slower than last years rate) for really what these petitions are and as such singling out the VSC only for poor performance will likely just move the work around instead of fixing the underlying problem, manpower. And as I have been taught in communication to any high level manager person, get to the point...have the data to back up your claims but do not include it unless it is in a pretty picture graph. That is my opinion of course, for what it is worth to those out here.

My representative, Mike Pence just received this. Mine is not as strong as others, but it gets the point across and yes...I have statistical analysis background so what is said here is accurate based on data I have reviewed. While I am not sure if it will help me as I am likely to be at the CSC, I will not stay silent while others suffer what I would not want to endure myself. I hope this helps everyone!

Hello again

As I have mentioned on a previous forum post I am starting to file the I-130 Petition for Alien Relative, for my Canadian husband to immigrate to the U.S.

Yesterday I attempted to see a lawyer but I did not like what I heard. He basically said that the only help his office gives cases like mine is to do all the paperwork themselves. I am not comfortable handing such an important task to people who have no reason to really care whether I am reunited with my husband or not, beyond the money they will get from me.

Thus I am starting the process on my own and I want to make sure I'm doing the best I can to get all the details right.

Here is what I have assembled so far.

1. The I-130 form (not filled out just yet while I gather the documents)

2. Proof of citizenship: certified copy of birth certificate

3. Proof of family relationship

- Marriage certificate. My husband and I were married in Canada over 6 years ago, as the original plan was for me to immigrate to Canada (due to our ignorance and inexperience, it didn't work out). We have requested a certified copy of the certificate be sent to me.

- Passport-style photos, one of each of us. We just took these yesterday, have yet to label them but will do before I send out the I-130 packet.

- Form G-325A. We still need to fill these out, I have a separate question about it I will address in another post.

- Proof of bonafide marriage. We are going to provide a joint lease, and affidavits from both our parents and friends (do these need to be notarized? I hope they do not need to be notarized...) as well as pictures spanning the 6 years. What else should we provide? Would it help if I provided information about my attempt to obtain permanent residence in Canada and the years I spent doing so while living with my husband? Should I provide email and/or IM logs?

Because of my unique case (I was previously trying to immigrate to Canada, and during the years I lived there was never granted permanent residency, so my husband and I never had doctors together, did not have a joint bank account, did not do taxes together either) I am very concerned about the bona fides and what documents would be best to provide. So knowing what would work best according to those who have already endured this process would be invaluable.

Thank you very much for any help you can provide.

Caliris

Honestly, I think the best thing you can do is in your package, include a letter describing your relationship and why you are applying now. There is no-one more qualified to tell your story than you are, and from what I have read if you include a letter that you sign and date telling them about your marriage and difficulty migrating to Canada to be with him, along with pictures, marriage certificate, and anything else you have joint, I do not see any issues. Your story is not much different than people like me filing for a fiancée. How do you prove a real relationship?? The person best to describe that is you, and I think with a letter, you have a great grasp on this.

Honestly, I have not been coping very well. I left my fiancée on January 9th, even though I did not want to. But I had work, kids, and of course and expiring tourist visa, so there was really no choice. Day to day it is hard. I try to keep occupied with work, kids, and getting the house ready for her arrival. There are days that it just feels impossible, and how will I get through the day without her there. It is especially hard with her being 11 hours ahead, which means during the week we mostly email as there is not much time for Skype with each of us working and needing rest. The weekends is when we can mostly talk. I find myself also keeping Skype up on my phone while at work just to be able to send a few messages in the evening for her before bedtime. It has been about as much time as I spent with her since I have now returned, yet the past 12 days have seemed so very long and the time with her so so short. I just pray the reverse starts happening, that the days start clicking by quickly so I can be with her again soon.

Depends on what type of visa she is coming on if she can enter the US multiple times on the same visa. Also, do not assume, check with each port of call you will go to and verify if she will need a visa for that country. Every country has its own rules on visas. US citizens and green card holders of the US usually can go about anywhere for a short term (well russia is an exception). Russian passport holders typically unless they have a green card need visas.

Went ahead and made the changes you suggested.

Amusing part is, the more changes, the more it starts looking like the timeline page.

Then again, this is just really for our little January support group.

Link

I agree, I thought the same thing but it is nice to have for our support group here.

Can we hire you to work at the processing centers...you know how to get things done!!!

Hey guys.

I was fiddling around with some other ways of keeping track of our user list and making it more friendly for everyone to update. What I came up with is using a shared googledocument that anyone who has access to the link can edit. (I'll moderate it for now so that no one screws with our data too much).

I'd love to embed the page into a message, but that functionality doesn't seem possible and probably for very good reasons (security wise). So it would have to stay as an outside link if we decide to go to this format instead of in-message.

Take a look at it and see if you'd rather have this, or just the in-message list we're using now.

Give me some feedback!

https://spreadsheets...d=0&output=html

P.S. As an alternative, I could download this every now and again and upload it as an image for viewing in-thread if that's what people would like.

I like it! When people are added or as a reminder every once in a while a post with the link, but I think it helps keep the forum cleaner and provide a summary to everyone that they can bookmark. My only suggestion would be perhaps down the road when we all get closer to NOA2, to add country and interview date and such data points, but there is PLENTY of time for that.

We got our NOA1 email last night!! We've been forwarded to California.

WOOHOO!!! Thats good news especially with the Monday holiday!

Hello, we are January filers too. Mailed our I-129f package on January 12th. Received the confirmation email from the post office on January 14th. Was really hoping to have received the noa1 e-notification thingy by now, but no. Maybe tonight or tomorrow???

With a holiday on Monday it may be next week. Typically takes 7-10 days to get the NOA1, and only sometimes if you asked for electronic will they send it. Sometimes they do as a co-worker of mine can attest to. He sent in his I-130 and yesterday got his NOA1. It took 9 calendar days for him and no e-notification even though he sent in the form. Seems typical for anything going to CSC.

You will need to wait for an RFE, as there will be no way for them to relate anything you send in now to your case. Just be prepared with the documents that way when you get the RFE, it can go back out quickly.

Good Luck.

HELLO EVERYBODY

im new to this and i need help im u.s CITIZEN and i filed for I-129f back in august2010 and in novemebr of 2010 i went home and i got married to my fiance and i was told that i need to submit the I-130 which i did in december of 2010. now i have not heard anything about the I-129f its been more than 5 month and i just found out that my wife is pregnant is there anyway they can switch the I129 from a K1( fiance) to a K3 ( spouse) since its still pending so i dont have to wait for the I130 ? and is pregnancy consider emergency specialy my wife has family history of pregnancy complication please help thanks

Wow, I really feel bad for you. I wish I knew of a way to help out, but from what I know there is no way to convert a K1 visa application to a K3. The minute they know you are now married, the K1 case you submitted will be denied. The new filing that was did with the I-130 is the best course for you to my knowledge. And I do not believe a pregnancy is considered by the USCIS to be an emergency. Sorry for your situation. It really is hard, and I wish you the best on a quick process to reunite with your wife.

My fiance does have a case that was about 12 years ago, the charge was brought down to a smaller charge and then exponged. However I am unsure wether to include this or not in the paperwork, should I include it anways? We had trouble even gaining entry into Canada...because it came up as a felony even though that should have been removed years ago from the database ( so we were told). HELP!

thanks

I would say since it did still show up in trying to gain entry to Canada, to disclose it. Otherwise you risk signing a paper saying you are being honest and disclosing everything when you are not, which can have very bad consequences. Good luck with your paperwork.

Using a Magic Jack to call to Russia is not $20 per year. It has per minute rates ranging from $0.02 to $0.07 depending on location and whether the recipient is using a mobile phone or landline. Comparatively, the best new Skype Subscription is $0.025 per minute (up to 520) to anywhere in Russia regardless of whether they use a landline or not. And sending a MagicJack to Russia would work only if there's an [affordable] Internet Connection on the other side - which isn't always the case (it's not in my family).

Vonage won't work for us either. Nobody in our family or circle of friends has a landline, and calling mobile phones would cost $0.08 per minute -- on top of the usual Vonage plan. Besides, in my case, while I don't put restrictions on my wife's ability to call home, she still averages far less than Skype's 6.6 hours, even though she's been paying 30% more.

I would be cautious about saying anywhere in Russia. My fiancée is in Novosibirsk and a Skype subscription does nothing for us as is noted on Skype that it is for Moscow and St. Petersburg only. We for right now do computer to computer on Skype, or in my case I can run Skype on my phone and do phone to computer on her end.

Hey! All your plans sound great. I just wanted to give you a heads up... In Guatemala the police reports etc, have an expiration date of 6 months. Probably want her to see if it's the same at her Country, you never know!.

The best for you and lots of blessings!

Diana.

Thanks for the heads up. Definitely will check on this. Many things to keep track of as it only takes one little thing to delay everything. I also have to research to see if her medical exam can be done in her home town, as she lives 4 hour plane flight from Moscow and all the doctors they list on the website are there. Bad enough that is where the interview must take place, but to have to go for dr exam too, I really hope that is not the case.

Good luck to you guys in your journey.

James

As I said, mine was likely overkill. But then again my packet had not just Oksana, but her daughters and translations of birth certificates and divorce certificates. Without even the I-129F, just those documents for her and I would have exceeded 20 pages. Not to mention that other people had recommended in addition to my birth certificate, that I also include all pages of my passport. As I figured, they will rip apart the package and focus on the relevant information in the package as I have plenty of it. My focus was on preventing any RFE's coming back. If someone can tell their story and proof in 15 pages, more power to them, but there is no way my package would have been sufficient at that many pages, even without the financials.

I agree with many of the others. Start getting the package around with everything that was not included, including if you did not put passport photos and G-325a forms. This will help you when the request for evidence (RFE) comes in...and it definitely will without any evidence of meeting in the past 2 years. Be sure that the package you send in, that it is undeniable that you have met in the past two years (airline stubs, pictures with unique landmarks or holiday type decorations, pictures of you guys with family members). Think of this like telling a story, emails and chat session are good as well, just be careful not to include any communications that they may think you guys are already married. Any emails, chats or such like that do not include as people have been denied without being married for email say things like, "You already feel like my wife". While it is a great statement, such has caused denials for K1.

My packet was about 200 pages. It used paper clips to hold like documents together and then a larger binder clip to put everything together. I put photos of our time together in a plastic bag that was attached via binder clip to other evidence of our time together. Same thing for the passport photos of us. I annotated the back of each picture telling them when, where and what we were doing (for example engagement on new years my photos showed the ring which I included copies of receipts for and Christmas decorations in the background). I made sure to include pictures with backgrounds that placed us together at certain times of the year, with Christmas trees, Santas in the background, places that had obvious Russian stores by signs, and even one of them accidentally had a calendar in the background that was hung on the wall turned to January 2011.

My packet was likely overkill as I also included the I-134 with it and supporting financial documents and letter from my employer as to my job there. I did not want any reason for an RFE, so I included anything I could think of that would hold up the process. It took me the better part of 3 days to pull everything together, and I was very organized going into my trip to Russia. So anyone that has not already did this, I would advise much preparation in advance of the trip. Make sure many pictures that way really good ones that can't be denied as to when and where you were together. And of course sending in pictures of all the emails and such does not hurt either. I did this to show how much communication we have, but not show them every email and explode my package to 500 pages or more.

Sent in my paperwork yesterday, Jan 15th. It will be there on Tuesday 18th due to MLK day. Waiting game now, and there are many things to focus on for me.

Making sure my fiancée and her oldest child have English classes, having her to work on getting police reports, medical figured out in advance that way we are not scrambling at the last minute. Get education transcripts translated and evaluated for placement of her children. Prepare the home for Oksana and her 2 daughters. Keeping an eye on when the paperwork gets sent to US embassy in Moscow so I can plan a trip to be there. They will not allow me in the interview, but I plan to be there with her a few days in advance, to help her be calm and provide more evidence to the consulate of how we wish to be together. With luck, she will be able to travel back with me, at least that is the plan. But not before returning to her home town for a per-wedding celebration with family and friends...then head to US.

Within a few weeks of being here, we will travel to my home town and with family and friends united, have a wedding likely at a park that we normally have family reunions at, and just make the family larger while we are there :-)

The week of Christmas I will be spending with my kids and also packing for my trip to Russia. I am fortunate as I will be flying out for 2 weeks to spend with Oksana. So I will get to see in the new year and spend their Christmas (which is on January 7th) with her and her family. When I come back, it will be time to file the paperwork (which I have already started). So with work schedules for her and I and getting paperwork completed, these next few months are going to be very very busy. I have been using this too as motivation to prepare my home for her and her families arrival. This helps me feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that I am being productive and making my home inviting and feel like their home when they arrive next year.

The week of Christmas I will be spending with my kids and also packing for my trip to Russia. I am fortunate as I will be flying out for 2 weeks to spend with Oksana. So I will get to see in the new year and spend their Christmas (which is on January 7th) with her and her family. When I come back, it will be time to file the paperwork (which I have already started). So with work schedules for her and I and getting paperwork completed, these next few months are going to be very very busy. I have been using this too as motivation to prepare my home for her and her families arrival. This helps me feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that I am being productive and making my home inviting and feel like their home when they arrive next year.

I am relatively new at the K1 process myself, as I am getting around paperwork now for my and Oksana's filing. I do remember reading about something called advance parole. Basically it is asking for the permission for the non-US spouse to leave the country and re-enter before getting the adjustment in status. I believe this could be a case where the use of this would be practical. Perhaps someone with experience in advance parole can give you some advice.

Hi everyone,

I am really confused about how to best go about getting married! I have recently become engaged to my French boyfriend (I'm a US citizen), who currently lives in Switzerland. We want to live in the US (I'm in grad school in the US right now), and we're trying to figure out when and where to get married. The main concern we are having is that the day he quits his job he will have to continue working for 3 months. And since we don't know when the K-1 visa will come through, it will be very hard to know when he should quit his job. My question is if we get a K-1 visa, he comes here and we marry, can he then go back to Switzerland to finish his work contract, while also applying for permanent residency in the US? I'm guessing not. What other options would we have? Get married in France and then apply for a spouse visa to the US? We really want to marry in the US. Could he come under the visa waiver and we get married, and then go back to Europe to apply for the spouse visa? Or do we still need to get a K-1 even if he is planning on leaving the US?

Thanks for any advice!