biggish data

You are petitioning for a male Palestinian?

AP is a given.

Well aren't you just a little ray of sunshine?

Do you have any stats on how male Palestinians fare with AP compared to other males, even other MENA males ? Because you might be somewhat surprised.

Roosha you are almost done

Thanks WOM, I really hope you're right. If we go two weeks with no call I'm going to start knocking on doors trying to see what's up, esp since they didn't say anything about AP!!

Roosha

Female

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2013-04-29 11:04:00

It appears that they have not even started AP yet.

Who's "they"? If you're referring to our case, we had our interview yesterday and there is no indication that we are in AP, which is why I'm asking b/c the consular officer wasn't very clear and I wasn't about to ask straight out if they were going to put us in Admin Processing. She said there would be no more processing from their side and only mentioned paperwork to be completed at the POE. But she also wouldn't put a timeline on how long we should expect to wait for the phone call from them, saying "a couple weeks". So I'm not sure what to think, but am hoping/praying for the best!

Roosha

Female

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2013-04-29 06:28:00

Le Sigh. I swear I won't be able to stop worrying until I see that visa stamped in the passport. This is ridiculous.

Roosha

Female

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2013-04-28 13:32:00

As a general rule if they keep the passport that means no AP, correct?

Roosha

Female

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2013-04-28 13:19:00

Sultan's Kitchen

Hi again all,

So the toum will have to wait for another weekend. But tried the fattoush with pomegranate molasses (but when making the molasses, I couldn't get it down to molasses, so it's more like syrup), and it is sooo close to what I want.

My only problem is the sumac. My sumac turned out gritty and not very flavorful. I did soak it in water for about 20 minutes. Maybe it's the brand? Or do I need to grind it more? Anyone have advice for how to get the most out of sumac?

Thanks again, you guys are awesome.

Woohoo glad you're getting closer! Sorry I have no ideas about sumac or the molasses as I just take this stuff from my mom and/or MIL when needed. If I kept it at home it would just spoil. :blush:

Are you sure you can't buy it at an international market/store? I've never heard of anyone actually making pomegranate molasses...

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2013-03-04 14:14:00

Sultan's Kitchen

Toum does literally mean garlic, but when used when ordering a chicken shawarma sandwich it's understood as the paste

Even easier would be to just grind up some garlic (use a mortar and pestle and make it really mushy) and mix with mayonnaise. You could add some lemon and salt depending on your taste.

With the fattoush, make sure you add pomegranate molasses (debs al rumman) to any dressing you use. I don't have a full recipe but I LOVE it when restaurants do that, makes it nice and tangy

Roosha

Female

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2013-02-24 17:04:00

I don't think I can officially expedite, and if I can I'd appreciate a nudge in the right direction on how to find out! But it seems like overseas USC applicants are still being expedited, just not as fast as before...

Roosha

Female

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2012-11-20 09:44:00

GlobeHopper thanks for that information, verrryyy useful! Although it looks like the trend changed as of the change of rules on August 15, 2012 but it looks like overseas applicants are still getting faster results (ie 2 months instead of about 6) but it's not as fast as before, which was about one month! Makes me want to go back in time...just 3 months! lol

I wasn't thinking of using my US address, I was going to add a note/letter/memo stating that I would prefer all paperwork to be sent to the US address instead of my address here so that paperwork is not lost. But my address here is what would be stated on all forms. That way I don't officially change which address to use and maybe get the best of both worlds?

Roosha

Female

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2012-11-20 09:26:00

Thanks for the info hami, yes I'm just going to go ahead and file the K3 once I have NOA from I-130, won't hurt and won't cost me anything extra and if for some reason I-130 is delayed I won't regret it!

Thank you for your kind thoughts (F)

but I'm not actually there, my husband holds refugee status from there but we actually live in Qatar, which is why when it asked the non-us citizen relative's country I put Palestine

Roosha

Female

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2012-11-20 01:51:00

bsd you are amazing, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! Really helped me get my thoughts in order :blush:

Roosha

Female

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2012-11-19 17:40:00

Yes but if I'm going to apply for a K3 then I need the NOA from the I-130 :blink:

I'd really rather they sent it to my parents in the states and they can send it to me by fed ex. Maybe if I enclose a letter they'll be awake enough to notice it! lol

Roosha

Female

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2012-11-19 17:28:00

yea bsd I saw that, but then I also read this: http://travel.state....es_2993.html#10 and it states that the fee for the I-129f has to be paid

. so there's my confusion!

Roosha

Female

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2012-11-19 17:20:00

One last thing, and this may seem like a stupid question, but mail here is really unreliable unless you're using a PO Box. Mail delivered to home addresses is almost unheard of. I'm going to send the paperwork to my parents first so they can add the fee and then they'll forward it onto the Chicago Lockbox. My question is, what address are USCIS going to use to send the NOA? There isn't anywhere to put a PO Box number on the i-130 and I really don't want to deal with address confusion as I'm sure that'll take forever to clear up! How can I specify where they should send paperwork?

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-19 17:17:00

bsd thanks so much, i think that's what we'll do. As long as it won't cost a whole lot more that's what we'll do!

Joanna: No unfortunately we don't have a field office here in Qatar. And yes I agree, I need to get moving on the I-130! I definitely will not have the assets and all that jazz, but my father is willing to co-sponsor so that shouldn't be an issue. Also, I'll probably beat him back to the states to establish domicile (register kid in school and stuff) once they start asking for the Affidavit of Support.

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-19 17:13:00

Sorry birdysboy not exactly sure what you're talking about since we've been married for the past 7 years? I'm talking about the K3 visa that will allow my husband to enter the US while his immigrate visa is still pending.

bigdog: I've been searching sites and reading information for the past 6 hours, could you please point me in the right direction as I haven't seen any information stating that the K3 visa has been discontinued?

Roosha

Female

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2012-11-19 17:07:00

Since we'll be moving to Virginia I'm pretty sure the processing center will be Vermont. And looking at the processing times for Vermont on this website, it won't let me post a link since I'm a new member, but looking at those graphs it's taking a VERY long time to process the i-130! It looks like it's taking about 100 days less for the K3 visa, but I'm not sure I'm reading the graphs right? Could someone help with that? visajourney.com/ content/ ir1cr1historical

Not to mention we're in the MENA area of the world, and we all know that our application will probably take the longest to be processed -__-

Edited by Roosha, 19 November 2012 - 04:59 PM.

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-19 16:58:00

Hi All,

I'm a US citizen currently living overseas with my husband but we want to move to the states as soon as possible so I'm about to file I-130. However, looking at the processing times it looks like it's taking anywhere from 6 months to a year, sometimes more! So I'm wondering if filing an I-129f for a K3 visa would be worth it? When I look at the USCIS website for Vermont Processing Times it says that the K3 visa actually takes LONGER than the I-130! And it also costs around $1000 to file (from start to finish)?!

I will need to move back to the US by August for our son's school at the latest and would love for him to be able to come with us at that time! Am I looking at these processing times right? I went on the USCIS site and looked at the times for vermont, but how long does it take for USCIS to send to NVC? And then how long will it take for them to send to embassy? I have a feeling that the 5 months stated for the Vermont center is just half the time it's going to take, please tell me I'm wrong!

Thanks for your help!

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-19 16:44:00

Evidence of a Bonifide Marriage - Suggestions please?

First let me just say I'm so happy to have found this site and forum, all the guides are a wealth of information and the step by step information is really helping me figure out what needs to be done as well as the people on this forum, you all are so helpful and I hope that I can pay it back once I get into my own process!

I'm a USC and I left the states 7 years ago to marry my husband here in Qatar and we've been living here ever since. We don't have joint accounts as we never needed one, our house (and elec and water) is provided by his employer so our names are not on any paperwork there and we don't own any property. We have a son, born here, and his Report of Birth Abroad lists us both as his parents, so I will send a copy of that definitely.

My question is what else can I send as evidence of our marriage? I have a plethora of pictures I can send spanning our whole time here, but I read that they won't accept pictures at this stage. I really don't want to go the affidavit route as they'll need to be certified by more agencies than I can count, I'm sure. I also don't think they'll help since there's no real concrete evidence, except for the child of course. Oh, and I'm also pregnant now with our second, so I can get a note from the doctor and ultrasound pictures and stuff if that will help. Basically the only evidence of our marriage is our child, will this be enough?

Last but not least, our marriage certificate is in Arabic, I have translated and read the statement that needs to be attached but does the certificate need to be authenticated by the embassy here or anything like that? Or will a statement from the translator himself be enough?

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-20 02:49:00

#16 on I-130 form

Thanks Ryan! Also, on the G-325A at the bottom it says "this form is submitted in connection with an application for:" and then three options, status as perm resident, naturalization, or other. Which do I choose? I'm thinking status as perm resident, but it's an immigrant visa and that makes it sound like an adjustment of status...

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-22 15:15:00

#16 on I-130 form

I applied for a fiance visa for my now husband in 2003, and it was approved and he even went for his first interview (they asked for more evidence) but then got a really good job here in Qatar so we decided not to immigrate at the time and never replied to the embassy. So on number 16 on the I-130 it asks if my relative has ever been under immigration proceedings but the only options for the outcome of the proceedings are Removal, Exclusion/Deportation, Rescission and Judicial Proceedings. So that leads me to believe that by immigration proceedings they mean something in court? Not a normal application for an immigrant visa?

What should I answer? If I answer yes to the question, which option should I choose. I am including our NOAs from that visa in the application package and also mentioning the reason he didn't immigrate at the time in the explanation of our relationship that I'm composing, I'd rather be totally honest than it coming up later and delaying the process.

Thanks for any advice!

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-22 14:50:00

Interview Centers & where to file outside USA

1. Chicago. All I-130s need to be sent to the Chicago lock box unless you can apply at the Embassy b/c it has a USCIS office, which UAE embassy does not. Closest one is actually in Jordan I think and you have to be a resident in Jordan to be able to apply at the embassy there.

2. Will the non-US citizen spouse continue living in the UAE after you leave? If so, then he/she will interview at the embassy in the UAE. You, the US Citizen will not have to interview.

I've been married for 7 years in Qatar and am now starting the process from here, keep in mind that it will take at least 7-8 months start to finish, if you're lucky. Also, there is a domicile requirement once you reach the affidavit of support stage. Feel free to send me a message if you want.

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-23 08:21:00

Cover Letter - What do you think?

Ryan thanks so much for replying! It seems I'm bothering you a lot today

I'll just submit copy of certificate of naturalization then. The reason I want to submit my husband's birth certificate is that I've seen a lot of RFEs for them lately and don't want to take the chance, figured I'd send it anyways. I thought the NOA letters would make it easier for them to look up the information, therefore taking less time with reviewing the application!

Do you think the Evidence of bona fide marriage is enough? I could also add pics of ultrasound and a statement from my OBgyn stating I'm pregnant and he's the baby daddy. :lol:

Edited by Roosha, 23 November 2012 - 10:50 AM.

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-23 10:48:00

Cover Letter - What do you think?

Hi everyone, I just finished writing up the cover letter and wanted to get your opinion on whether or not I have enough evidence for our marriage and if there is anything I should add/remove. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read through

I've changed our names to initials but when I send to USCIS our names will obviously be spelled out

I, RS, a US Citizen who resides abroad in Doha, Qatar, am submitting the documents contained in this package for the I-130 for my spouse, RA, a Palestinian holding refugee documents from Lebanon, who also resides in Doha, Qatar. I wish to return permanently to the United States by August 2013 for our sons’ education, and would like my husband to come with me.

My husband and I have been married for seven years and have been living in Doha, Qatar the entire time. In 2003 when we were still engaged we thought that it would be better for him to immigrate to the states and so I applied for a K-1 visa and it was approved. At the time he received a very good job offer and we decided that it would be better for us to live in Qatar. Now, seven years later, we have seen that there really is no future here for us and our child and we are looking forward to a brighter future in the United States.

Last but not least I would like to please request that you send any correspondence to
[PARENTS ADDRESS IN THE USA]
since the post here in Qatar is very unreliable and I would rather not deal with any delays that were a result of lost paperwork.

Enclosed you will find the documents listed below:

1. Check for $420
2. Form G-1145 (E-Notification of Application)
3. Form I-130
4. Copy of Certificate of Naturalization for RS
5. Copy of U.S. Passport Biological Information Page for RS
6. Copy of the Qatari marriage certificate and its English translation. Date of marriage is August 2, 2005.
7. Form G-325A completed by RS, including photograph.
8. Form G-325A completed by RA (non-US Citizen Spouse), including photograph.
9. Copy of Birth Certificate of RA (non-US Citizen Spouse) and its English translation
10. Evidence of a bona fide marriage:
a. Bank Statement detailing our joint savings account in Qatar International Bank
b. Letter from RA’s employer stating that since he is married he is entitled to round trip airline tickets for his wife (RS) and son (KA)
c. Copy of our son’s Consular Report of Birth Abroad stating RS as his mother and RA as his father.
d. 19 pictures from our wedding reception that took place one day after our marriage vows on August 3, 2005 and 26 pictures from various trips and outings during our marriage of seven years. You will find captions on the back of each picture detailing places, dates and the names of family and friends.
e. Copies of hotel receipts from our first two nights as a married couple in Doha and our honeymoon trip to Dubai.
f. Copies of visas from our passports showing the three trips taken together during our marriage.
i. Honeymoon in Dubai, Entry stamp August 7, 2005, Exit stamp 14 August 2005
ii. Short weekend in Dubai, Entry stamp June 25, 2008, Exit stamp June 28, 2008
iii. Vacation in Lebanon, Entry stamp July 8, 2011, Exit stamp for RA 15 July 2011, Exit stamp for RS July 21, 2011 as well as copies of air ticket confirmations for all three family members.
11. For your reference, I have also included copies of both Notice of Action letters that I received from the Vermont Service Center regarding our previous application for a K-1 visa in 2003.

Copies of documents submitted are exact photocopies of unaltered documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date.

The main reason I'm asking for opinions is that I can't afford to get an RFE since I don't think that they will pay attention to my request above to send correspondence to my parents' address and I'm sure that if they tried to send any letters to my flat here in Qatar it will get lost; that's how bad the post is here! And as far as I understand if an RFE gets lost in the mail no one will tell you what it includes on the phone or by email, that paper is needed, not to mention all the time you'll lose! So again, any help is appreciated

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-23 07:59:00

SHIFTING IV CASE FROM SAUDIA TO QATAR

Yea good luck with that, the embassy here in Doha is so lazy it's so frustrating. If you need help getting their contact information or anything shoot me a message, I'd be happy to help! Although I can't promise I can get you an answer :wacko:

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-22 15:10:00

my husband is from a MENA country as well and I sent about 15 pics. Like previous people said, quantity does not equal quality. It doesn't really matter what you print them on as long as they just span the length of your relationship, I didn't even label, date or caption my pictures. I did like the guide said and merely labeled the back with our names and sent them in a clear plastic baggie and attached them to the petition with a paper clip. We didn't have any problems, and at the interview we were not asked for one single piece of additional evidence(I was at the interview with my husband)

Yes mimo but as I can see from your timeline you were married a month before you sent in the I-130, correct? We've been married seven years, together for eleven...

I can also see from your timeline that you were processed at the Vermont center in three months, that's amazing! Any secrets you could share? :yes:

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-26 11:26:00

You know, pluis, that's actually a really good idea! I was sitting here dreading that I'd have to go through all my pics to pick out the ones that I had printed and import into word and then retype all the captions that I already have labelled on the back! That will be easier, just paste onto paper and scan.

Thanks Everyone!

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-26 06:27:00

Thank you guys for replying, but with all due respect, my husband is from a MENA country which is considered "high fraud". I'm sure 10-20 pics would suffice for those that aren't from these areas, but I think 40 pictures spanning a 7 year marriage is the least I can do! I tried to cut it down, really I did.

Anyway my question was how to send the pics, I have them printed right now normally with labels on the back, should I instead import them into a word document so I can put the caption under each picture and then print on normal paper?

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-25 16:31:00

I've got about 40 pics that I'm sending in, and I've already printed them out and labeled the back with places, dates and names. Should I redo and put the pics on normal paper (in a word doc or something) and put the captions under each pic? I'm trying to anticipate anything that might slow down processing...

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-25 14:06:00

CERTIFIED TRUE COPY

Try posting here: http://www.visajourn...d-north-africa/ you might get more answers from people who have been through the process in Egypt.

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-26 16:39:00

Getting married in the Philippines and getting pregnant

Hello, I am currently in the Philippines and will be getting married in 2 weeks. I will be using the spouse visa to bring my wife over to the US. We both want to start a family right away and are trying right now. I have a couple of questions.

What would the citizenship status of my child be if he/she were born in the phils? American? Filipino or dual? Like apple said, the child can get US citizenship from you, and if born in the Philippines would carry that citizenship also. So yes, dual.

If my wife were to become pregnant right away can I still file the spouse visa or would I have to wait until after she gives birth? No reason to wait, file it now, she probably won't get it until she's about to give birth, so she'll give birth in the Philippines, the child will have dual citizenship, and then you go and do CRBA and bring them both over.

Would she be allowed to emigrate to the US if she were pregnant? Has nothing to do with immigration, it all depends on her health and the health of the baby.

Thanks!

Ed

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-27 04:38:00

US citizen marrying Indian Citizen in jan 2013- any forms to fill out now to expedite

Look at the guides and gather all your documents and fill out the forms so that once your married and have your marriage certificate you'll be able to immediately file the petition w/out wasting time on the documents.

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2012-11-27 12:18:00

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

Unfortunately, there's no case number assigned date. Even though I suggested months and months ago in a thread in the Suggestions forum about re-updating the timeline. No one ever replied

Uh yea they should really do that, esp since the time from NVC received to actually getting the case number can take weeks!

(and can you update me in your spreadsheet too?

)

Roosha

Female

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2013-02-06 12:24:00

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

Sorry to interrupt but...

Case has arrived at NVC! She didn't tell me exact date but said "the week of Feb 5" which I'm going to assume means yesterday? ugh whatever! :dance:

So on our timelines where it says NVC received should we put this date or should we put the date that we get the case number?

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2013-02-06 12:08:00

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

Well, I was def expecting to be on hold longer, that was quick and painless for my first time! :blush:

No case number yet, case isn't even showing up in the system. Ah well, will try again tomorrow! :thumbs:

Edited by Roosha, 05 February 2013 - 09:57 AM.

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2013-02-05 09:57:00

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

On hold at NVC, my first time calling, I'm popping my NVC cherry guys! :dance:

(Lets see if I get my case number on the first try?)

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2013-02-05 09:52:00

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

On the form to request a police clearance there's a question asking where you're going to submit the clearance. They also ask for what purpose but we chose immigration, but should I put NVC or the Embassy as the agency who's going to receive the PCC? I was thinking Embassy since they're the ones actually going through the papers, NVC just gathers it and makes sure everything is there, right?

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2013-02-02 15:13:00

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

Emily you can't know that and you really shouldn't do that to yourself! Just keep remembering how fast your got your approval for the I130 and try to hold on to that feeling. Now that your case is finally at NVC it means that YOU control the pace. Your journey is almost over, you're not going to have to wait on others to speed up your case. Plus, the Cr-1 is really the better choice for visa to get the green card immediately on arrival. Cheer up!

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2013-02-02 01:33:00

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

That's #######, I'm sorry Emily

Have you paid any fees to NVC regarding the K3? Will they refund that or at least put them towards your CR-1? I also find it interesting that the consulate knows you have a case at NVC so early, before you've even begun that process!

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2013-02-02 01:27:00

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

Yay Emily! Glad you've got your case number. Maybe there's some way you can finish NVC so quick that any interview you get for the K3 you can use for the CR-1!! I bet if you talked/complained/cried to the embassy, it might work!

Roosha

Female

Qatar

2013-02-01 22:19:00