Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Real Love, but Real Problems?	How is going on a cruise like going to work? I don't know what you do for a living, but I thought cruises were for eating, drinking, relaxing, getting laid and all sorts of fun things like that. The only people who did things on a cruise that seem like work, work on the boat.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-07-28 20:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Real Love, but Real Problems?	I don't think anyone's taxes were used to pay for her cruises, as they won't accept food stamps on a cruise ship. Completely ignore the response from Boiler, she has plenty of ties to the US, maybe not a lot of income, but I don't think it would be a lot simpler for her to move into crew's quarters on a cruise ship.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-07-28 04:51:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Real Love, but Real Problems?	Let's not forget that if using a cosponsor is allowed and he is admitted on a CR1, he WILL be able to work when he gets here. No one is going to force them to live on her disability benefits.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-07-28 04:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Real Love, but Real Problems?	USC should get the divorce taken care of first, and as much as possible try not to lie. Maybe documentation of the financial difficulties of living separate households can help with the one year apart rule. Though living in the same home, they were separated and not living normal married life. But I don't think anything else would prevent them from marrying while he is legally in the US. If he is able to stay for six months, that is quality time to build evidence of a bonafide marriage, an opportunity I think a lot of CR1 filers wish they could have. Of course he would have to be home in Romania for an interview, and I'm not sure how long petition approvals are taking right now, but it should be enough time to find a reliable cosponsor for the affidavit of support. And it would also give them a chance to make sure the marriage will work, kind of a safety net for the USC to make sure she isn't being used for a greencard, because he has to go back to Romania to finish the process, with her support to be successful, and that any violations of his current visa as far as overstay could jeopardize his career if he needs a valid visa to be employed on a ship that docks in the US.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-07-27 19:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Denied at the interview? How is this possible?	One thing I have wondered about, and have never really seen the question asked, but here it is. Is it possible for someone who has needed a cosponsor for the Affidavit of Support, to submit a new Affidavit of Support, if income has increased and is consistent, further down the road, say at removal of conditions?	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-08-04 18:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Denied at the interview? How is this possible?	I know what applies to one consulate does not apply to all consulates, but this is what happened to my wife and I earlier this year. My wife's CR interview was in Bogota on Jan 5, so the latest tax return transcript I had was for 2009, and from the trips I made to Colombia and two jobs being delayed for a few months, I pretty much only worked nine months. I'm self employed, and from the deductions I took on my tax return, and using the wrong line from my 1040 for the I-864, I came up about $600 short for 2009. CO told me I needed a cosponsor. I said no I don't, and that my wife would be back with a new I-864 and my 2010 tax return transcript. He said your income is not enough, so just get a cosponsor and you'll be all set. Before I left Colombia, I had my 1099 numbers emailed to me, filled out my return for 2010, and a new I-864 with the numbers for 2010. I mailed my return as soon as I got home, and when I was able to get the transcript, I emailed my wife a copy. She made a new appointment, and they accepted it, but she was still denied as we had expected, but for another reason.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-08-04 18:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Help With Starting	Not supposed to is doesn't mean they won't, if an RFE is generated for a signature on a G-325A, then a signed G-325A would have to be provided. Then with the unsigned G-325A you attach a copy of the memo from their boss telling them they're not supposed to send an RFE, as a reminder.http://www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/I1...325A_110105.pdf	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-08-14 16:04:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Help With Starting	Your wife's G-325a can be signed at her interview. Print out a copy of hers without her signature. USCIS is not supposed to send an RFE for an unsigned G-325A from a beneficiary residing in a foreign country. And I agree that getting the paperwork ready to get married in Colombia is great practice for this process, and no apostilles necessary.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-08-14 12:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	G-325a Signature Question	I'm about to start the IR-1 process, and I'm wondering if my husband (a Bulgarian citizen) needs to sign his G-325a form. I read somewhere on this forum that the foreign spouse doesn't have to sign it... Since we're apart, it would take awhile for his signed form to reach me via mail, so I was thinking he could fax it to me. Would this be acceptable or does it have to be the signed original copy? Any help is much appreciated! Print a copy of your husbands G-325 with no signature. Attach a copy of the memo below: http://www.uscis.gov...325A_110105.pdf he will be able to sign it at his interview at the consulate	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-08-28 14:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	redundant question of married name vs maiden name	I think the fee for a new green card is around $500. OP is the petitioner, she should be able to change her name whenever she pleases.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-09-08 19:36:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Airline madness!	[ This absolutely DOES NOT APPLY !!!! There is no AP requirement for a CR-1 visa just as there is no AOS. AP could also mean Administrative Processing , for which there is no timeline. Just like AOS could be Adjustment of Status or Affidavit of Support. Not sure if naturalization is an adjustment of status, but the issue of not canceling the return portion of the tickets could cause problems with residency requirements being met if it seems the LPR left the US after original entry and hasn't returned yet.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-10-07 17:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CR-1 and petitioner background checks	I am the petitioner and have at least two alcohol related offenses, and was not required to submit any court records, and we are seeking an IR-1 visa. I made sure my wife was well aware of my record, because like Pushbrk said, it may come up during the interview. My wife interviewed in Bogota, and it did not come up in the interview, but I was not going to take a chance. We got Stoked a little, and fortunately made it through, but it had nothing to do with my record. Getting married in Colombia has a few hoops for you to jump through, so I advise you to find out how to get an "apostille" in your state, for any documents you will need. They usually require the documents to be fresh, no older than 90 days. Have your fiancee check with a Notario to find out what documents they require.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2011-12-27 19:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	NOTARIZED DOCUMENTS	Unless the documents are in a language other than english or spanish, they don't need to be translated. Notarization only ensures that the person signing the document is who they say they are, it will do nothing to validate the translation.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-01-01 03:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Has ANYONE filed single on 2011 tax returns and gone to the interview?	Calling the IRS for tax advice is like calling USCIS for immigration advice	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-03-29 19:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	My CR-1 visa interview is next week I NEED HELP!!!	I'm surprised no one has wondered what his wife's cosponsor thinks of the plan of divorce right away. I'm just assuming she needs a cosponsor being that he has to send her money.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-04-07 18:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	US citizen filed for IR-1/CR-1 VISA for spouse - Tax return question	India has been part of the Hague Service Convention since 2006. Have your wife get another notarized copy of her passport bio page, and get an apostille for it, which will verify or authenticate the notary seal. The IRS can verify a US notary, but not one from India. The apostille will verify this for them, and the ITIN will be issued. I don't know why people make it sound like getting an ITIN is such a difficult task, especially with all we are going through with the immigration process. It should be a piece of cake	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-04-30 19:04:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	US citizen filed for IR-1/CR-1 VISA for spouse - Tax return question	the notarized copy needs an apostille attached, which must be obtained in India. check out the instructions, the whole Hague Convention stuff, and it says you need apostille Edited by Julie y Pat, 29 April 2012 - 11:11 PM.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-04-29 23:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	US citizen filed for IR-1/CR-1 VISA for spouse - Tax return question	For the passport copy, you should have it notarized in India, and then have an apostille attached to it.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-04-29 22:53:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Should I hire an immigration lawyer?	I wouldn't call it a complication, I think it's on page two of the I-130, the question asks the US consulate where the interview will take place. You'd want to indicate the correct consulate in Canada, if that's where you want the interview to take place. If I were you, I'd compare NOA2 to interview times in both Canada and Philippines, because I always remember reading about how many months it took for interviews in Canada, it may save a few months if your wife went to Manila for her interview.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-05-16 18:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	stepchild question	Birth certificate will be for NVC stage, but not sure it has to be updated in any way. If an updated one becomes available it can be shown at the interview. I know in Colombia they like fresh documents, so I'm sure you'll have access to copies if you're dealing with the courts there. The passport will be necessary for the interview, so you can get your petition filed and have time to obtain those other documents.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-05-22 18:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Attorney advice k3-IR1	Yeah, you really can't take the "consular processing" out of the visa process, whatever type of visa it is. Pushbrk made a great point about there being no Adjustment of Status, which at his rates would probably be around $2500 that he now wants for the "consular processing". They're married almost four years, so it would be an IR1, with no Removal of Conditions, so he will miss out on a nice fee there, too. Depending on what documents are required with the waiver, he may also be missing out some good translation fees, because "consular processing" won't require documents in spanish to be translated. Waiver aside, the petition and "consular processing" can easily be done yourself with the help you can find on this great site. Depending on why you need the waiver, it's possible to do that yourself also, with the resources that can be found on I2US. Go there and read everything you can by GlobeHopperMama's lawyer Laurel Scott. You've already paid the lawyer for the waiver, but has he already prepared it? If it's not already prepared, I might not have full confidence in the waiver that is prepared if his firm is not retained for the "consular processing". That's not as bad as it sounds, because your case has many factors which I think make it a more easily approved waiver. Check out what Laurel Scott says about mitigating and aggravating circumstances, and the role they play in determining how extreme the hardships have to be. Have your wife send the form to name you as agent, and do the "consular processing" yourself and save the $2500, I don't think it's worth it. Tell the lawyer you convinced NVC to reopen the approved I-129, so there will be no consular processing after all. Get the best waiver you can from him, since you already paid for it. By then you will have learned so much about waivers from I2US that you'll know whether your lawyer prepared a good waiver or not.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-07-09 21:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Need your opinion CR1 visa	I should have paid more attention in my response. I did mean Direct Consular Filing, or consular processing of the petition.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-06-17 17:26:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Need your opinion CR1 visa	Consular processing is no longer available in Colombia, but petitions from those living abroad have been approved in as little as a few weeks, as compared to five months or more for petitioners living in the US.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-06-17 11:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Need your opinion CR1 visa	Like others have said, when the petitioner is living abroad, the I130 will likely be self expedited. It's also very difficult for the spouse of a US citizen to get a tourist visa, that your MIL has one must mean she had shown extremely strong ties to Colombia, and that your father may have shown the same. It would be visa fraud to use the tourist visa to enter and adjust status in the US. It also costs a lot more, and there are also restrictions on traveling abroad while the AOS is being adjudicated. I think with the petition being self expedited, there is good chance they will have the process finished in Colombia by the end of the year. Having the tourist visa already will possibly allow them to visit while the petition is making its way from USCIS to NVC and then to the embassy. I say possibly because it would be the CBP officers call to make at POE. An I-130 in the works shows immigrant intent. There's no way to know how easy or difficult it will be to convince the officer that immigrant intent is not for another few months. Being aware of the process of AOS from the tourist visa, the extra costs and inconveniences involved, and making it clear they are not willing to subject themselves to that may help.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-06-17 11:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	G 325 A Signature requirement and Marriage Cert ??	I know the memorandum is for the I-129, but I was in the same situation a few years ago when I sent the petition. My wife sent me signed G-325's, but there were dates blocked out with little plus signs, and a few other mistakes. I filled out a new G-325, and attached a note referencing this memorandum, and my wife signed it at her interview. There will be responses telling you it must be signed, but is not necessary. For time unemployed while a student, just tell it like it is. Unemployed/student...	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-08-15 21:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	G 325 A Signature requirement and Marriage Cert ??	Not sure about the different types of marriage documents, but for the petition, photocopies are what they ask for. For the G-325...  i129f_g325a_110105.pdf   60.2KB   3 downloads	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-08-15 21:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	original documents?	What's the difference between originals and certified copies?	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-08-23 16:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Conspiracy theory...	The conspiracy is that we are led to believe that there are no numerical caps on the number of spousal visas that may be issued, unlike other family preference categories. The rate at which these visas are issued is carefully controlled, starting with how many months it takes for petitions to be approved at USCIS, and then scheduling for interviews at NVC. NVC is part of the Department of State, who answer to the Secretary of State, who answers to the President.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-08-24 03:36:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	K3 vs CR-1/IR-1	Lawyers will still recommend the K3 because in the rare case where one might get one, they will be able to charge another fee for AOS	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-09-14 05:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Case Transferred...Help!!!	This is not generally considered a GOOD thing. If everybody had to do it, the fees would go up and the timelines would lengthen. While I agree , whenever I notice a thread about this topic, I wonder why the petitioner is not interviewed. Now that I think more about it, there is an interview with the petitioner for K1 at AOS, and ROC for CR1, or there can be. But this is already after an immigration benefit has been granted	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-04-25 17:46:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	document translation	Your wife's birth certificate won't be needed until you case gets to NVC, documents in Spanish are ok. Notarization only verifies a signature, not the contents of the document. Marriage certificate is needed for the petition (USCIS) and does need to be translated to english.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2012-08-31 19:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	My wife was not denied but told maybe have to file i601	If the consulate thinks there is a ban in effect, a way to get them to see otherwise is to actually file the I-601. If there is a ban to be waived, USCIS will adjudicate, if there is no ban to be waived, USCIS will inform the consulate.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2013-03-10 03:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	question about the G-325A for a cr-1 visa	The G-325 DOES NOT have to be signed by the beneficiary if they live abroad.  Attach a note saying it will be signed at the interview.  The petitioner can fill it out and leave the signature line blank	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2013-05-29 21:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-130 Overstayed Waiver Visa - Consular proccessing	My wife and I had similar circumstances in our journey.  We knew each other years ago while she was in the US, I found her again years later and she was home in Colombia.  Overstay needed an I-601 waiver.  I included an evolution of relationship letter with the petition.  Can't say for certain whether it helped or hurt.  We got kinda Stoked at my wife's interview in Bogota, but we made it through ok.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2013-06-04 02:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!	Congragulations! I also got an email this morning with our NOA2, but ours took two days longer, NOA1 of Nov 3	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2010-02-11 21:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Paper size for forms	I just recently received our NOA2, and my wife's G325 was not signed at all. My wife sent me four signed copies of the G325 from Colombia, but I noticed a few typos. My first plan was to send corrected copies to her to be signed, and then sent back to me. After considering the time that would take, my next plan was to neatly correct the mistakes with correcting tape, because these copies were signed already. And then after reading here on VJ, I became aware of an USCIS memo stating the beneficiaries G325, if unsigned, may be signed at the interview. So I rolled the dice and printed out the corrected G325, and included an explanation of why they were unsigned and a reference to the memo that they may be signed at the interview. And I also included one of the signed forms with the typos. Like I said, we just got NOA2, so the gamble paid off. You should be fine with blue ink and slightly different paper size.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2010-02-20 04:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I864	Enter N/A in item 9. Thanks for your quick response, Trailmix. I'm not sure where to put N/A, though. There's a box to check if I am sponsoring any family members, and then there are boxes to list the family members.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2010-05-19 13:36:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I864	I'm a little stuck on part3, item 9. I'm the USC petitioning for my wife. Her son/my stepson will be coming with her as he lives with her now, but he is a USC, so I don't think he will be immigrating. I know he must be included in our household size, but do I leave #9 blank?	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2010-05-19 13:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	july interview in Colombia	Apostilles are fun, aren't they?	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2010-06-15 19:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	What do you guys think.....?	I can't believe some of the ####### I'm reading in this thread. The OP loses all credibility to discuss others' comments written in "terribly" English, with their own disregard for correct grammar and proper use of punctuation. A person's age goes up by one each year, no more no less. Has anyone ever been able to sponsor their entire village with an approved I-864 before they get a green card? And isn't this a family based immigration community? As far as English being a requirement for immigration, how can we ask that of potential immigrants when we don't hold our own citizens to that standard. Sachinky, not every immigrant comes from a country where English is spoken, or have had the opportunity to go to college in the US. This is a nation of immigrants, even the American Indians were immigrants at one time. So unless you are from the Greater Rift Valley in Africa where it is believed the human species originated, your ancestors immigrated from somewhere else.	Julie y Pat	Male	Colombia	2010-07-29 17:07:00