ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)
This whole situation really sucks..............the wife was supposed to head to BKK last week before our son got sick to have his US birth certificate translated and then authenticated at the Embassy so she could register him at the Amphur. What a mess...........

BTW, son was released from the hospital in Surin day before yesterday, for a 4 day stay and all the medical attention he received, it only cost 9,000 baht. Amazing, why does it have to cost so much here in the US??

Anyone here at VJ in BKK, be careful!!
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-05-15 10:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)
Not Visa related, just need to vent!!

Got laid off last Thursday, wonderful.....second time I have been laid off since Oct 2008.

The wife and our son went back to Thailand to see her mom and dad in March, they are both ill and getting old. She needed to go back so they could see our son who turns 1 in 2 weeks. We did not do her Status Adjustment for various reason, mostly $$ so we are going to do her CR-1 while she is there. Should be a breeze now that I am out of work again!!

This weekend our son had a fever and was not eating, Monday AM the wife took him to the hospital in Surin. He has pneumonia................

Last Friday my oldest son from previous marriage deployed to Afghanistan. I'm a retired Marine so I understand but I'm still a father and worry!!

I have not told my wife about being laid off yet, don't need to worry her about that for now.

I am now contemplating going back to California now, at least I have my family there and I may be able to go back to work for a previous employer.

What else can go wrong??

The only good thing the past two years has been getting married and having our son, other than that, it's been pretty shitty..........

Thanks for letting me vent. I am just REALLY frustrated and angry...............

Edited by SqdnGuns, 11 May 2010 - 09:08 PM.

SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-05-11 21:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

It should.


Well, a K-1 Visa is considered non-immigrant until the marriage occurs..........
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-05-06 10:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

I guess I can forgive the Lakers things. :lol:.................

Well, I am from So Cal and spent most of my life there and was and still am an LA Kings fan. So I automatically root for the Lakers even though I
hardly ever watch a game!! Give me hockey anytime!!! Teaw already knows I will watch games on TV and it will be fun to see how she reacts when I
take her to a Carolina Hurricanes game.


My wife fell in love with American Football. She picked up the concept of the game and the rules in less than 1 season. She likes college ball the most, took her to a few SC Games and we tailgated on campus. She had a blast!!

I'm from HB, where in SoCal you from?
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-05-06 08:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

Good afternoon, Rob. Thank you very much. I appreciate your help.

Husby is very attached to the idea that as a husband he should be providing for our family no matter what. Generally, I agree. Except that he's moving across the ocean to a country he's never been to before while I've grown up here and have a good job. His way of compensation is to leave half of his money in his account to take care of his mother until he's settled here and can send money back. The other half he wants to bring here to help me.

We were talking last night and I so very badly wanted to tell him, "Thank you, but we're going to be fine. We won't need the 'help.' Focus on finding proof of your good credit history." But that would have been pretty devastating to his ego. So that's why I ask about the accounts.

Neither one of us are very knowledgeable about the workings of the credit system in Thailand. I assume it's similar to here, but he's not so sure. He uses his card, then pays the balance over a period of 2 months before using it again. The house and land he and his mother live in are his. Eh... I doubt it transfers, but I'd rather he have a good, even reduced, basis than having to start over again.

Oh, well. That's part of the deal. We both knew it when we committed to this path.



Did you ask Audy about being swapped at birth by a pee?

Husby got pretty sick when he was 6 weeks old, so his parents decided to change his name. He got better, and to this day tells they're all certain that ghosts and other spirits exist.

Oh! If you have children together, don't be surprised if she walks through the house once with a knife before the baby can be brought inside. Scaring away away any pee that might be lurking around waiting for the little one. I got to see that when my husband's neice was brought home. Very cool, indeed. Or Audy may not believe in ghosts.


Must be from Isaan.............my wife has STRONG beliefs. Weekly I have to get fresh red juice so we can leave it out for Sam Baht (sp?)
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-04-28 14:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

Wow, cool... When will they be back? We will be in Bangkok May-August.


They got there last week and won't be back till later this year.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-04-02 09:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

You need to learn to take one handed pix of yourselves. We travel a lot and that's one reason we have so many pix.


I see you're in Bradenton, I'm in Sarasota. Wife and son are currently back home visiting.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-04-02 09:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDo you edit your chat logs?

gosh editing the chat logs is a pain in the a** My fiance is skimming thru our chat logs and we share the burden lol
Do you edit your chat logs? and to what extent?


When we went through the K-1 process a few years back, we edited some content from the chat logs, it wasn't an issue at the interview.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-02-06 02:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresOnly touched once in 10 weeks
Touches are pointless......I've been through this process for my wife's K-1 and now IR-1/CR-1. Some don't get any Touches and get approved, others will have many Touches and continue to wait.

USCIS is broken............

Good luck!

Edited by SqdnGuns, 21 February 2011 - 02:54 AM.

SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-02-21 02:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK1 Interview relocation
Just do it the correct way and don't try to "jack the system." If you try to do it the way you are saying, you will probably get screwed by your own doing.

Stay with the K-1 if you have already filed, don't get married in Jordan in April, get married when she gets to the states on the approved K-1. you'll save yourself a lot of heartache doing it correctly even is the system is screwed up, I for one know how screwed up it is.

Good luck!!
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-03-07 01:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK1 Interview relocation

is it possible to get a cr1 cleared in 6 months?


Possible, yes, likely, no...............................
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-03-07 00:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK1 Interview relocation

We have a k1 That is in processing. We will be getting married in jordan in april and she will come back to the states with me then. If the k1 interview comes through while she is here can we schedule the interview in the states so she would not have to fly back to jordan?


You've confused me............

K-1 is a Fiancee Visa, if you marry in April, before your Interview, then you have to start from scratch and file for IR-1/CR-1.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-03-06 23:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureswhy was my petition sent away????

I have the same question. We sent our document to Texas and was then sent it to California Service Center. I do not understand it either.

.


TSC is a total mess right now............read my signature.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-03-17 23:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresquestion for anyone MILITARY

in japan i lived on my ship. so i will use the FPO address, but im asking should i put that the address is in japan or just sill put US?


Use the FPO, they'll figure it out. Your active duty military, they should be able to put 1 + 1 together............
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-03-30 00:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresquestion for anyone MILITARY

looking for military personnel to help me with my question:

when filling out the G-325A, it asks the "Applicants last address outside the US of more than one year" i realize FPO, APO addresses are still considered US mail address but would we still consider it outside the US? for example, if someone was stationed in japan? bahrain? germany? etc. much help need, thank you!


Did you live on base or off-base? If on base, just use the APO/FPO addresses. If off-base, use the regular address.

Good luck...........
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-03-28 23:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresCan I use Texas Center instead of California?

Texas Service Center does NOT process the I-129F petitions...


Correct............they are only setup up to process Citizenship BUT they were slammed by a higher power to take on 35,000 I-130's from CSC. See signature for the fiasco that ensued.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-02-08 00:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresProcessing Dates California Service Center

some answers you may or may not like:

1) the director at CSC was replaced in August.
2) they made budget cuts at the end of the government fiscal year (or right at the start of the 4th quarter fiscal year (August).
3) CSC DOES work 2 shifts.
4) CSC has 700 employees plus 400 contractors.
5) k-1 is only 1% of ALL applications received in a month for ALL Service centers. 5,000 per month out of 500,000.
6) CSC focus is to process i-129 (h-1,H-2) visas in 2 months.
7) CSC recently added more workers to the family line backlog during and after the annual Febraury meeting with the Director over the service centers.
8) Based on november projections, without adding more staff, they would have been behind by a year in approvals.
9) CSC attempted to transfer 35,000 i-130 applications to TSC for work. This transfer failed miserably. These applications are now being processed back at CSC.
10) there are 3 units at the CSC. I-129F goes to the family unit. (with I-130)

This is all research from the internet. Most of the facts are from the Jan 26, 2011 meeting at CSC in which I-129 lawyers were taken on a tour of CSC.
http://www.nafsa.org...%2001262011.pdf

Additional general information from the CSC tour: CSC is the only USCIS service center housed completely within one facility ("under one roof"). Approximately 700 federal employees and 400 contractor ("Stanley SCOSS") employees comprise the CSC workforce, and the center operates two shifts. CSC receives approximately $32 million in fees each month and processes about 60,000 to 80,000 applications and petitions per month. All denials are reviewed by a supervisor.


Amazing that they can approve an H-1B in two months and typically this includes a spouse/family. But for a USC to file to get their spouse here, it can take over a year?? Why does a USC get crapped on??

I forwarded the PDF to the reporter of my story this week (link below). She has taken a keen interest at how screwed up the immigration process is.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-03-30 00:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresProcessing Dates California Service Center
WOW, just love how this system works <sarcasm>

Good luck
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-03-29 00:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSawasdee 4 (Thai K-1s in 2010)
Wanted to share our USCIS Horror story with you guys......

http://uscisfiasco.blogspot.com
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2011-02-06 02:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSawasdee 4 (Thai K-1s in 2010)

My wife reads it. I suspect she is a closet Thaksin lover being from Isaan and all. Whenever I start talking bad about him I get dirty looks. :)


My wife is from Surin, she WAS a Thaksin supporter. While she was here in the states, she was able to get unfiltered news about him and realized what a ####### he was/is.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-20 02:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSawasdee 4 (Thai K-1s in 2010)
Sorry to hear this............I have to agree with rsn and toma1. The deision can be excruciating but you have to think long term. Good luck............

On a side note, I leave for BKK and then on to Surin tonight from LAX. Taking Thai Air so it is a direct flight but I get in after the train leaves for Surin so the wife and son will meet at the airport and spend the night in BKK. I have not seen them since March 17th, I cannot wait!!
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-10-18 16:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSawasdee 4 (Thai K-1s in 2010)
Anyone happen to be going to Thailand via LAX on October 18th? I'm flying out on Thai Airlines to spend a few weeks with the wife and son, hopefully they will follow me back shortly thereafter.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-10-06 21:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSawasdee 4 (Thai K-1s in 2010)

My wife was the same, she didn't want Thai TV, she wanted to watch TV to get better at english. The Closed caption drove me crazy at first, but I am used to it now, and it helps her a lot. After about 3 months she would watch you tube now and then, and finally in December she wanted the Thai TV, she spent a few months watching it, and now rarely watches it. The most important thing was FOOD!!!

I just got her enrolled in English classes at the college and she is doing those 2 days a week.


When I lived in Sweden that is how I learned Swedish. Most of the programming over there was in English so I would have the Swedish text on the screen. I was surprised at how quickley I picked up on Swedish.........
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-08-10 23:56:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSawasdee 4 (Thai K-1s in 2010)

If I was that guy I'd be scarcer than scarce could be!!! But I am sure they will find him and I don't think it will be pretty when they do. Maybe a few years in the Central Prison will cure him of wanting to run off at his
mouth during political riots!!


Jeff Savage, the "Ting Tong Farang" has already been arrested in Pattaya..........
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-05-23 19:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSawasdee 4 (Thai K-1s in 2010)

I wish I live closer to DC to work in Thai embassy - oh well, my sis (who's a deplomatic officer, now back in Thailand for a few years) said not to do it though... I'm too westernize and they might not like my strong opinion there Posted Image

Thanks for the VDO, will have to find time to check that out!


LOL............When my wife starts to become to Westernized, we'll be back in Thailand in a HEARTBEAT!!
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-05-21 10:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

Yes, ours is too - 24th July 2010.

We've also been approved for expedite for 30 days, and nothing has happened. Annoying therefore to find August filers being approved, although good luck to them. There's something not right with the system......Posted Image


Same on the expedite, I have gone round and round with USCIS on the phone only to hear that if I do not hear anything after 60 days of expedite approval, then it will get escalated. What's the point of a f00king expedite if you have to wait 60 goddamn days!!

Edited by SqdnGuns, 24 December 2010 - 11:47 AM.

SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-12-24 11:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

YOu're exactly right! I think I'll be emailing the USCIS ombudsman soon. :crying:


I'm ready to go POSTAL!! Approved for an expedite almost a month ago and nothing, #######!!
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-12-10 12:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

We received an i-797C that says "This is to advise you that we have received the above application or petition back from the Department of State, along with their request that it be reviewed. We will notify you of any action we take on this case." It looks like USCIS forwarded the petition to the Department of State, as they should when the I-130 petition is approved, but they did it prior to properly approving it, forcing Dept. of State to return it to USCIS for adequate processing. Very likely an internal mistake from USCIS, but this notice indicates that it is back on the right track.


If I recall correctly, there are quite a few people that received an e-mail quite similar to the above. Is your petition still at CSC or transferred to TSC?
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-12-02 18:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers
#######?

*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL ***

The last processing action taken on your case

Receipt Number: WACXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Application Type: I130 , IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN

Your Case Status: Initial Review

The I130 IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN was transferred and is now being processed at a USCIS office. You will be notified by mail when a decision is made, or if the office needs something from you. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.

Calling them because I was approved for an expedite on the 12th and still nothing. Ridiculous....................
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-30 10:40:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

USCIS and NVC are working tomorrow - http://www.opm.gov/O...fedhol/2010.asp

Loto


As a retired federal worker, if anyone is working, it will be a skeleton crew.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-25 14:06:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

Happy Thanksgiving back at ya!

Do we know whether USCIS are working tomorrow? :blink:


Doubt it, federal employees have Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving Holiday.

Edited by SqdnGuns, 25 November 2010 - 01:26 PM.

SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-25 13:25:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers
Val and Gary: Remove your Receipt Number..............
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-24 18:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

Is that actually an approval though? It looks as if they have accepted your reasons for expedite, but are still adjudicating. Did they tell you on the phone you were approved?


As stated all along, request for expedite has been approved, meaning it went directly to an adjudicator to be processed ahead of other I-130's. That is all a request for expedite does, moves you to the head of the line.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-24 16:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers
Portion of approval letter:

Attached File  expedite_approval.png   148.71KB   18 downloads

The filing date says August but it was actually in July, received an RFE due to not having my wife's name not written in her native language. (Thai)

Edited by SqdnGuns, 24 November 2010 - 04:42 PM.

SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-24 16:40:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

Hey, when did you submit the expedite evidence? We called on the 9th November, and our expedite request is still pending. Did you get documentation in the mail, or were you approved on word alone? Curious, cos we have heard nothing other than the fact we're neither approved or denied. When we called, the officer asked for a tracking number (not the service number). We have no idea what he meant....


Approved on word alone which was surprising. When I called to request the expedite, I told them I had just got back from Thailand seeing my sons Dr. and getting the paperwork translated. When I called to follow up the other day, the agent said that it was approved, HUH? I told her that I was expecting to hear from USCIS on where to send the documentation but she said there was no need as it was already approved and on the adjudicator's desk. For all I know, everything is on the way to NVC.......wishful thinking.

EDIT.....I called in the expedite request on Nov 8th and was told I would hear something in 5 business days. On the 6th business day I called and got the info above.

Edited by SqdnGuns, 24 November 2010 - 04:29 PM.

SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-24 16:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

I'm calling the NVC right now - LOL, just in case we have been approved...(unlikely), but how the HELL do you get through. It's either engaged, or just rings out then goes dead. Is there a trick to this? :bonk:


Just fire off an e-mail as well...............

NVCINQUIRY@state.gov
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-24 14:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

This has been told many times :star:

USCIS site is not reliable to everybody. If you don't see a touch, it doesn't mean your case is not being processed. It is the technical glitch in their web site.

Some people are lucky to see the touches throughout their process.

I have seen many who got approval even without a single touch.

When my case was approved, it still showed "Initial Review". And almost a month after, the status moved from "Initial Review" to "Post Decision Activity".

So, stay tuned and I feel approvals will start flooding any time soon :thumbs:

Loto



For my wife's K-1, they still have this as the status:

Request for Evidence Response Review

On January 14, 2008, we received your response to our request for evidence. This case is being processed at our CALIFORNIA SERVICE CENTER location. Blah blah blah......................

LOL......I keep it in my current USCIS Portfolio to use as proof for poor implementation and upkeep by a Gov Agency.

Edited by SqdnGuns, 24 November 2010 - 02:51 PM.

SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-24 14:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

More evidence they are working, but NOT reporting touches. We are in roughly the same boat, but our expedite request is "pending". Fingers crossed...


Whenever someone from USCIS works on an application/package, a barcode is scanned on the documents which in turn is supposed to create the alert for a "touch"......................it appears that there are many things currently broken at USCIS.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-24 14:06:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

Just called USCIS 800# to check on the expedite request from November 8th. The expedite request was approved and my wife's I-130 is on an adjudicator's desk right now. The agent I spoke with stated that a notice was sent to me on Monday advising me of the approval of expedite.

Now if I can get my wife and son home by Christmas.......................


Received the letter from TSC yesterday stating the above. When I spoke to USCIS on the 18th, they said they mailed it on the 15th, we'll it is postmarked on the 19th.......Doh! The USCIS status page is useless, I have not had a touch since the I-130 was transferred to TSC from CSC. You would think that there would be some touches due to the expedite request and the fact that the I-130 is on an adjudicator's desk right now.
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-24 14:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJuly 2010 CR-1 filers

Everybody PLEASE read the Threat WHY ISNT USCIS not approving I-130 right now

Thank You

Ron


Where?? Might help..............
SqdnGunsMaleThailand2010-11-20 17:13:00