nica_chica3

We were approved yesterday!!!! we will pick up the visa on Jan 4th and back to the US on Jan 6th!!! God is so good!!!!

I've used for my wife accordion-like folder: it was a plastic clear case with bunch of sections, and I manually signed on single stripes of paper what belongs to which section and attached with clear tape. Looked really great and my wife appreciated that.

Good luck at interview ! Don't think too much about it (like me and my wife did).

Thank you so much for the advice! That was my exact thought last night, using the accordion-like folder! So I think that's how I will organize it! Congratulations on the approval!!!!

Utopia2004 - December 1st, 2011 (London)

MrsP2010 - December 2nd, 2011 (London)

Nickky - December 8th, 2011 (Montreal)

Jon&Cess - December 9th, 2011 (Manila)

Cipollina - December 12th, 2011 (Armenia)

JP&BP - December 13th, 2011 (Stockholm)

Allegra&Hadrien - December 21st, 2011 (Paris)

nica_chica - December 28th, 2011 (Nicaragua)

WELCOME CHICA! Are you ready or what?!?!?

Cipollina, if you're reading this, how did the interview go? Give us news!!!!

I'm starting to get all the documents ready and in folders today! It's so nerve-racking!!! I don't know whether to keep everything separated into USCIS and NVC or to split them up into smaller folders (there will be a glass that it has to pass through) for bonafide evidence, AOS supporting evidence, etc. Any suggestions?

Utopia2004 - December 1st, 2011 (London)

MrsP2010 - December 2nd, 2011 (London)

Nickky - December 8th, 2011 (Montreal)

Jon&Cess - December 9th, 2011 (Manila)

Cipollina - December 12th, 2011 (Armenia)

JP&BP - December 13th, 2011 (Stockholm)

Allegra&Hadrien - December 21st, 2011 (Paris)

So far so good. If anyone else having their December interview is reading this forum, let me know and will add you to the list. (Cipollina I added you!).

Thanks girl, I know that the minute I see him, I will forget about the interview. HA.

Interview Date is December 28 in Nicaragua for my husband and I!

Should documents like Tax Returns and Any Boarding Passes I have be the originals or are copies fine?

Also, I'm trying to decide what type of folders to purchase. I know they need to be bendable, but I can't decide whether it would be better to just pass the whole folder to the Officer or if it would be easier to take out whatever documents they want to see and pass that through the glass??? I feel like I'm making it more difficult than it should be, but I just want it to be smooth and easy during the interview because I know I'll be nervous! Any help or ideas are VERY appreciated!!!

16 days til the interview!!!! 10 days til I leave for Nicaragua!!! ahhh!!!!

hi there, pardon the caps as i just copied these data from my word processor... i just finished my bulk an hour ago, and this is pertaining to USEmbassy in manila, I was advised to use plastic folders since the interview room is separating the consul and interviewee thru a think glass, and folders wud need to fit.. not sure with your embassy though,, maybe there are reviews available.. as to how i organised mine, here goes hope this helps

Thanks so much for the list! That will help alot!!

good luck at your interview!!!!

Thank you!!!

Yep, it's the same way at the Embassy in Managua.

OP, you might want to follow iwuvcheshert's suggestion. I brought a large binder, where I had everything organized in plastic sheet protectors. I had to take the sheets out and pass them under the large glass window to the interviewer.

Good luck!!

So there's a glass between you and the interviewer the whole time?? Anything else you can think to tell me about the embassy in Nicaragua? Does it depend on what time you arrive as to how long you wait before you get interviewed? In other words, if we arrive first will we be the first ones interviewed or is the 8am interview time they gave us our actual interview time?

What is the best way to organize everything from the I-130, I-864 & IV packets so that it is easily accessible on the day of the interview when nerves are high and they are possibly asking for any and all evidence??

What was your personal way of organizing everything for the interview??

Omg! You are doing this in record time...tell me the secret! I mean I am at almost 3 months wait just for NOA2 so nowhere near your record! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks! Honestly, God has blessed us from the beginning. I was blessed to be able to apply for an expedite & was approved...that makes the biggest difference! I hope you get good news soon!!!

You are welcome - hope your case gets completed soon and will get an interview date. All the best.

I just called NVC and the automated system said my case was completed on November 8th!!!! ...Sorry for all the questions, but can you kinda tell me what happens now!? Next they'll send an email with the interview date and I'll receive the packet for everything we have to do for the interview? Is that right?? Thanks so much for your help!!!!

You will have to rely on the NVC Operator only. Give 5 days from the time NVC received the packets and start calling to find out about the status of the packets. After one of the packets is processed and found alright, you will get a false RFE for the second packet (as it was not yet processed by then), so don't be alarmed. Then after a few more days the second packet gets processed. However if the RFE is real one, the Operator will let you know and also you will get an email (2 - 3 days delay) letting you know the details they want.

Hope for the case to be completed and then waiting starts for the interview date to be scheduled. All the best - patience is the virtue.

I just received an email checklist yesterday for the immigrant visa application. I would have been worried if you hadn't told me that was coming! But I called today & the operator said they are reviewing them separately but everything looks fine. So I just wanted to thank you for the info!!!!

USPS Confirmed Delivery of I-864 & DS-230 this morning at 11:25! I'm so excited to get the ball rolling again! But, now what!? Is there anywhere on the internet to check the status of the packets or do I just wait to hear for approval? Do I need to call in a week or so to check the status?? Praying for a super speedy approval so we can get the interview date asap & hopefully be interviewed & home before Christmas!! I KNOW I'm optimistic, but you gotta be, right!?

Send complete original marriage certificate, not a copy. No need for translation as long as it is in the local language where the Consulate is located.

Do NOT translate the marriage certificate for NVC. English only in the upper forums please. It's in the terms of service.

Thanks so much! I did not know that!! Does the same go for the beneficiary's birth certificate?

Sorry about asking for the translation. Obviously I need to become a little more informed on the terms of service. Thank you!!

So, for the USCIS I just sent in a copy of the short form marriage certificate because all they wanted was a copy. But, now with the NVC wanting the original, the original has a long form (?) part that is stapled to the actual certificate...Does this need to be translated and sent in as well since it's stapled to it?

And if so, can someone with some spanish skills help me in my effort to translate it myself? Here are the parts I'm having trouble with translating:

"y presenta para su inscripcion el oficio dictado o autorizado por:"

"que en sus partes conducentes dice que:"

"presenciaron el acto como testigos los senores:"

"en dicho matrimonio reconocieron al (los) siguiente(s) hijo(s):"

"matrimonio en el extranjero:" (marriage abroad)??

"Leida que fue la presente acta se encuentra conforme, se aprueba, y ratifica y firman:" (read that this record was form in order, approved, and ratified and signed)???

MUCHAS GRACIAS in advance!!

On Form I-864, Part 5, #21 "g", I am combining my dad's income to mine (I still live with my parents ) and so I put a "1" to account for him...therefore, on "h", that would add up to 3 for the Household Size (My husband the immigrant, myself, and my dad)...BUT the household size should actually total 4 since my dad's household includes my mom as well?? My mom is currently unemployed so I don't want to use her unemployment income because I don't think that would look so great, but how do I account for her in the household size??

So, I'm hopefully sending in the packages to NVC this week. I've been adding up my own "estimated time schedule" in my head and if they get the packets by next week and everything goes perfectly, I should expect to get approved with 2-3 weeks, right? And then, pretty common for Nicaragua, the interview will be about a month after that approval date. If all goes well, I'm assuming that interview date will be inching very close to Christmas, possibly the week before. The problem is I know Nicaragua likes to start celebrating Christmas and often have all kinds of things that they shut down for around holidays. So, my fear is that they will either schedule the interview after the holidays or if they do schedule it for the week before, it could be hard to get the medical and everything else needed from the Central Registry b/c of their holiday schedules. So, would it be wise to request an expedite for the interview? Would that be a reason or does it have to be financial/etc.? And if I can expedite, should I request it now at NVC level or do I wait until they schedule the interview and then request an expedite??

Sorry for the million questions, but any advice is greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

Er, don't wait for NVC to send you instructions. Just send the AOS and IV packages immediately. Unfortunately, you've just wasted a week. You could have had a case complete by now!

Well, I haven't actually wasted the week...I'm still waiting on getting the signed DS-230 from my husband which should be here by the end of the week and he also renewed his passport which will not be ready til the 20th and I have to wait to get the copy of his biographic page and expiration date. But, I thought I had read somewhere on here that even though I've already printed and filled out the forms, I should wait til I received the packets before I send it in. So, you are saying I don't have to wait? As soon as I have everything, I can go ahead and send it in?

How long does it take to receive the I-864 & DS-3032 packages from NVC? The AOS Payment was marked as PAID last Wednesday or Thursday and the IV Bill was marked as PAID last Thursday or Friday. So it's been a week so far...starting to get antsy...

Thanks everyone! My husband only has 2 years of high school and no college? Is that bad?

On the DS-230 Part 1, No. 33 where it asks for all educational institutions attended, does that include elementary schools? Or is it just high school and universities?

Also, on DS-230 Part 2, No. 43a. where it asks if you want the Social Security Administration to assign you a SSN and issue a card, is this just preference? Why would you not want them to go ahead and issue it for you?

Send the page with the stamp. The same is true for my wife's Costa Rica passport.

Ok, thank you!!

For NVC, I know you send in the beneficiary's biographic page of the passport. But, this page does not necessarily show that the passport is still valid. Unless I misunderstood, my husband said they stamp a page in his passport when he renews with the new expiration date. Do I need to send that page in as well for NVC? Or, does he just need to have plenty of time in his passport to show for at the interview?

Wow, I would of not caught that! Thanks for the tip!! It puts me a little more at ease knowing that some have gotten away without signing the continuation sheet. Although it still feels like I'm rolling the dice.

Yeah, my logic for not signing it is, if you have written on the form to see continuation sheet and signed the form, why the need to sign that continuation sheet as well. But, I'd say it all depends on the Officer you get. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Hello VJers,

I am kicking myself for not filling out all my forms when my wife was here last week. As soon as she left I realized that she needed to sign the G325-A. I had her FedEx me a blank copy of the form 1) signing and dating it and 2) printing out her name in the box at the bottom of the form. I had planned to fill out the rest for her but there are a few issues.

1) I will have to use a continuation sheet for which I do not have a signature.

2) When she printed the pdf it printed '0000' in all the year fields. so basically I cannot write over it.

3) She printed it on a different size paper (India does not use 8.5x11) so a continuation sheet will look different.

So...

Will any/all of this cause of an RFE?

Should I have her resend or is there an easier way to remedy this?

I've gone through the search history, but has anyone gotten away with not signing the continuation sheets for a G-325A? Any assurance would save my sanity.

Your help is GREATLY appreciated!

We had continuation sheets and didn't sign them. I was a little worried, but went with it and we had no problems!

Also, just another note I messed up on on the G325A for myself (USC)...At the bottom of the form where it says "This Form is Submitted in Connection with an application for", I actually checked "Status As Permanent Resident" and then saw on here I should have checked "Other" and wrote-in "Form I-130". Fortunately, we didn't get an RFE or anything, but just thought I'd pass that along as well.

Is the poverty line based on your gross pay or your net (take home) pay?

Actually, after looking over the poverty guidelines, I see that if I am the sole sponsor, I make about $8500 more than the "125% of Poverty Line". So, I should be fine with not using my parents as a joint sponsor or combine my parent's income, right???

The only fear I have is that I expedited at USCIS on the basis of financial hardship. Will that affect my case at NVC??? (Note: Part of the financial hardship was because I'm pregnant & have prenatal bills as well as 3 months without pay after the baby gets here in February.) Now I'm confused on what I should do????