ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCertified Translation.

I would use a word document and lay out the translations a close to the layout of the original as possible. Don't use software to translate. Somebody is going to sign certifying they are fluent in both languages and that the translation is correct as done by them personally. A computer can't sign.


Thanks Pushbrk. I think maybe you misunderstood as I wouldn't be using any software to actually translate anything, but rather the software would be used just to create a digital copy of the original document and then I would proceed to erase / write over the original text digitally while preserving the same overall look as the original document. But this is probably overkill and in any case, you did answer my question. There's really no way everybody is trying the scan-and-overwrite method because aside from that being crazy complicated it admittedly would also be a challenge to get good results doing that.

If anybody does have a copy of one or more of their translated documents that they wouldn't mind sharing, I think it would be very helpful to see an example.

Edited by DerZinker, 03 October 2011 - 12:26 PM.

DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-03 12:26:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCertified Translation.

Just copy and paste what A16!!24A posted, as that's exactly what was provided in the VJ guide. That's also what I used with no problems.


And the wording is directly from the USCIS website


Thanks you guys for your response. Magical, nice to hear from you again :)

I guess what I'm looking for is an example of a finished product (as compared to the original) and / or just wondering how to approach this. Like, would one scan in the original Marriage Certificate and then use imaging software to translate and change the wording but otherwise preserve the overall look? Or is that way over the top / working too hard? Would one just translate line by line to a blank piece of paper?
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-03 09:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCertified Translation.

You don't need to use a service to translate your documents. I used someone I know who speaks Spanish and had them sign the sample provided on VJ in the guides that states that they know and understand both English and Spanish. I had no issues with the USCIS or NVC when it came to them accepting my translations.


Glad I came across this thread; I think I'll go ahead and do the translation of our marriage certificate myself since I'm more than capable :D Anyone have a link to the aforementioned VJ Sample?
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-03 01:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAffidavit of Support

Can anyone tell me about how long it takes the NVC to process the affidavit of support papers (no co-signer needed)? And then, after they are approved, about how long does it take for them to call for the interview? We will be interviewing in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
THANKS!


Not 100% sure on this, but I think that with the I-864 Affidavit of Support, that is just one of the items you take along with you to the actual interview, but not something you mail in advance... Although it differs from country to country, when we applied several years ago I'm pretty sure that's the way it worked. Did they request that you send a completed I-864 with your packet 3? In any case, it shouldn't be long for the interview at this point because you're on the last leg :)
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-04 16:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-864 Questions
Hi again, I also just noticed that at the bottom of the I-864 (pages 6 & 7) there is information as far as the legal responsibilites and obligations, etc...
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-04 22:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-864 Questions

What are the obligations for the person who signs the I-864? Links would be helpful as they will want to see the official site.

Also... On the form it asks how many dependents right? My husband is the intending immigrant but do I need to count myself as well as our 2 children or just him? I dont have a job, Im a housewife, so I dont know if they will be like "well how are you going to support her?" I dont think my sponsor can cover my hubby AND us 3 others as well, or is the intending immigrant the only one counted?

Im getting an inheritance (not a fortune, but it should help before I get a job which I intend on getting ASAP) so we would live off of that for a few months.


I've seen both of these questions asked a lot.. but particularly the first one :)

I saw someone else provide a great answer yesterday to the same question actually and with links, but can't find his post now. But I found pretty much the same thing; here's what I found:

Responsibilities as a Sponsor

When you sign the affidavit of support, you accept legal responsibility for financially supporting the sponsored immigrant(s) generally until they become U.S. citizens or can be credited with 40 quarters of work. Your obligation also ends if you or the individual sponsored dies or if the individual sponsored ceases to be a permanent resident and departs the United States.

Note: Divorce does NOT end the sponsorship obligation.

If the individual you sponsored receives any "means-tested public benefits," you are responsible for repaying the cost of those benefits to the agency that provided them. If you do not repay the debt, the agency can sue you in court to get the money owed. Any joint sponsors or household members whose income is used to meet the minimum income requirements are also legally responsible for financially supporting the sponsored immigrant.

Here's the link: http://www.uscis.gov...000082ca60aRCRD

As far as the I-864, it depends on what section you are asking about. I have questions about this form too and I've seen a lot of other people become confused, but from what I gather if you are asking about Part 3, question 9, then only your husband (the beneficiary) should be listed since you have only filed an immigrant petition for him. However in part 5, question 21 then yes, you have to list him (only once!) and your two children. So the number at the bottom should add up to 4 in that section.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-04 22:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHELP!!! need to change my I-130
Yeah that's tricky. On this site no one will ever encourage you to do anything illegal (including myself), but at this point you have few options. If you had said / or decide to say that he had been in the US and they determined that it was an illegal entry, than technically the 'expert' is correct more or less b/c you would be automatically denied (though in that case you would be able to file a waiver - which I don't really know what all that entails). If you lie and they find out somehow that he has been in the US illegaly, then that opens up a real can of worms and it makes the situation that much worse and you may not be able to file a waiver and just might as well get ready to get comfortable in Mexico. I guess it's just a roll of the dice if you decide to keep things as they are.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-07 23:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSponsors will not be in the Us on the dates of the interview is that a problem?
Negative. It should not be a problem, Nicci. It's not like they try to contact your co-sponser or anything like that. They just want to know how much they make.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-08 01:43:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVaccinations
Right and it's kind of a better deal for the CR-1 / IR-1 visas IMO b/c you get it done all in one shot (no pun intended) as opposed to having to do more stuff after you get the visa. Of course it's still a pain (again no pun intended :P ) but it's nice to know that once you have the IR-1 visa then you're pretty much done with the system. At least for a while.

As far as the vacunas I understand that sometimes they don't trust the medical records that are issued in Mexico and that's why they make the benificiary get shots again... kind of like how they don't trust the Mexican police certificates. It's really just a roll of the dice and depends on who you get and what kind of day they're having I think. My wife has had everything standard that they give here in Mexico but no records, so she'll surely have to get some shots, but it's not as bad as I originally thought and apparently the most expensive scenario that you could face is around $200 USD. One VJ member gave me a good idea to try and get some of the shots beforehand for free via IMSS or the Secretaria de Salud, so we might try that.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-10 13:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIf My mom is on my Dad (the sponsors) Tax Forms
LoL yeah I had seen that Pushbrk and the overwhelming number of posts here on VJ due to that one quirky thing alone is amusing. I have actually already posted my own questions about the household members on the I-864 here:

http://www.visajourn...i-864-question/

Feel free to chime in on that one if you like!
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-10 15:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIf My mom is on my Dad (the sponsors) Tax Forms
Thanks Pushbrk. I suppose it makes some sense since we'll be living with mom and dad upon arrival. And true that as far as strange things popping up in the process.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-10 13:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIf My mom is on my Dad (the sponsors) Tax Forms
Really? I'm sure my dad files joint taxes and my dad is self-employed and he will be my sponsor. Why would mom file an I-864A if she has no income? I could have her do one just to be sure, but I just think that's strange since mom is a career housewife.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-10 11:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAnother Fun I-864 Question!
Thank you all so much for your responses, everyone. I really appreciate your input and it is very re-assuring that everyone agrees with my assumptions. I will take a look at my dads tax returns just to be extra sure, but I think I'm pretty much set with the I-864. I haven't even filed yet, but I want to be as ready to go as possible for when the time comes and of course help out other VJers with questions in the meantime :)

Why did you choose just i-864 and not i-864a? My dad is also the co-sponsor and we live under the same roof - I have just sent out the file so I am PARANOID I did the wrong thing...lol. :wacko: :wacko: :wacko: :wacko: :wacko:


Allegra+Hadrien don't worry :blush: I'm sure the I-864A is also a fine choice and would work well in my case too. To be completely honest, I'm not 100% sure why one would choose one form over the other, but after doing a lot of homework here on VJ, I determined that since a large portion of my income is foreign income going back several years, that it would make a stronger case to have my co-sponser file an I-864. If you are already currently living with your parents then you probably made the right choice :)
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-05 11:25:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAnother Fun I-864 Question!
Ok, I've been able to sort most of this out myself and by going through the other bizillon I-864 questions that get posted everyday, but am hung up on something here. Basic situation is that we will be living with my folks when we arrive in the US. I make enough to sponser, but half of my income is currently foreign, which they'd probably have questions about, so I plan to have my dad co-sponser another I-864 (NOT the I-864A, even though we'd be under the same roof. I think another I-864 is a safer bet just to be sure we're covered). So far so good, right?

Where I'm second guessing myself (like many before me) is on good 'ol page 3 of the I-864. My wife and I have 2 children, so the total household size would be 4 (even though we'd be living with my parents), yes? But then on my dads I-864, would the total household size just be 3 (For my father, my mother and my wife - the intending immigrant) ? Even though there would be 6 people total living under the same roof ?

Edited by DerZinker, 04 October 2011 - 11:27 PM.

DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-04 23:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMexico Police Certificate needed for IV packet??

hi okay so im in the middle of trying to prepare for the i864 packet and iv packet and the police record/certificate was brought to my attention. For juarez,mexico iv packet do we have to submit this information? im not sure how long the validity of the police certificate because my husband is preparing all the document to send to me right now and im trying to see if theat should also be sent to me.. thanks in advance


Don't worry, for Mexico you don't need the police certificate. It says right there in the paperwork that police certificates are not available (or basically not trustworthy) for Mexico and thus you don't need one.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-10 20:44:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview tomorrow, final thoughts and prayers
Best of luck to you, sir. You have a lot of support here. :thumbs:
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-11 22:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresEVIDENCE OF BONAFIDE MARRIAGE

Well there are people who front load - meaning add more evidence with I-130 even though it is not required. And some do it at the DS-230 level. This is done because many guys that went through interview felt that a decision seems to have been made before the interview began in most cases.

I think there is nothing wrong in front loading, as the CO gets to look at the I-130 petition/ DS-230 documents before the interview and many times the evidence taken at interview has not been asked for let alone looked at. I also think the ones that faces more questioning are the ones that either from different religions, with previous marraiges, age differences... and others get their visas much easily.

I personally loaded a little bit at I-130 stage with a few affidavits from relatives that attended the marraige along with the regular - copies of marraige certificate, 10 photos, and a letter explaining the development of the relationship. Then at DS-230 level, I front loaded some financial mixing stuff - like joint lease agreemnt, money transfers to foreign spouse, log of telephone calls (till then), nomination of spouse in my 401K & Insurance, travel itineraries..... Now for interview I am taking the lates telephone logs, marraige/ reception/honey moon photos, nomination of spouse in my Benefits, parents 401k as secondary beneficiary, latest itinerary.

Hope this helps.


Hey Navy, thank you sir this is indeed very helpful. I think I will probably 'frontload' as you called it initiailly with the I-130 and then bring along either some duplicate stuff (such as additional pictures and whatnot) and / or additional docs that surface in the meantime, because we all know that I'll think of something else to include while waiting :)

Edited by DerZinker, 12 October 2011 - 12:12 PM.

DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-12 12:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresEVIDENCE OF BONAFIDE MARRIAGE
Actually I have a question in relation to the Subject... not so much the Post. So I don't mean to hijack this post, but am just wondering about the initial evidence to be sent along with the I-130 as opposed to what you take with you to the interview. If I remember correctly, and I probably don't, the big bulk of evidence you take with you to the interview (i.e. emails and correspondence between petitioner and beneficiary, support letters, pictures, wedding invitations and all the small stuff that helps build your case) but you only send the real concrete evidence with the I-130 packet (i.e. Marriage Certificate and childrens birth certificates, etc...).

Is this accurate or should you send everything with the I-130 from the get-go ?
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-11 13:09:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresEVIDENCE OF BONAFIDE MARRIAGE
Sure, no problem :) Best of luck to you.

As far as the support letters go, really you are just trying to convince the USCIS that you and your (to be) spouse have a true and concrete relationship, so that's you will want to focus on in the letters. Not a big deal at what point in the process those letters are written, in my opinion.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-08 13:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresEVIDENCE OF BONAFIDE MARRIAGE
First of all, PLEASE DO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPS :blink: It's horribly obnoxious and hard to read. So stop it. Please.

Don't worry though, I forgive you. For I am kind.

If you are asking about support letters from friends and family, and I assume you are, I really don't think that it matters too much when they are written, so long as they are relatively recent. So you should be fine to go ahead and start collecting support letters now.

Edited by DerZinker, 08 October 2011 - 01:08 AM.

DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-08 01:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFiling After Previous Immigrant Visa Approval
Bump.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-13 16:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFiling After Previous Immigrant Visa Approval
Hi fellow Vjers. As some on these forums know and as you can see in my sig, I petitioned for an I-129F back in 2005 for my wife (then fiancée) which was subsequently approved. Long story short, we went through the whole process and everything went relatively smoothly, but we discovered she was pregnant from the actual medical exam in Juarez, which shook things up a bit to say the least, and then following her interview they told us their computers were down and that it could take some time to receive the visa (which apparently isn't at all uncommon in Juarez even to date and I'm starting to think this is code in Juarez for 'we're thinking about it').

In any case, to my dismay she wasn't really interested in staying in Juarez due to the unexpected pregnancy and we had return tickets to go home and thus we pretty much abandonded the process. I called the consulate upon returning home and was told she was approved. D'oh.

So anyway, we married in Mexico in 2006, still live here and now I am preparing to file the I-130. I think that having filed for the same beneficiary in the past and having been approved for the K1 visa to boot will work to our considerable advantage this time around. But I have some questions about it..

First of all I never contacted the NVC or anything to indicate that we wouldn't be pursuing that K1 visa anymore. For all I know her passport and visa are still at the Juarez Consulate. Although I don't know how relevant it would be to contact someone anyway since the visa only lasts 6 months and has long since expired. Should I contact someone to let them know what happened prior to filing? Would anyone care?

On the I-130, Page 2 Question D 2 it asks if you have filed before and to explain youself. I plan on attaching an addendum here to explain what happened with the K1 on a seperate page. Any suggetions on how to approach that? Luckily I have some of the email correspondence I sent and received from the USCIS and the Consulate in Juarez in which I reference the receipt number, case number and the beneficiary's full name and I'm thinking of attaching copies of those emails as well with the I-130. What are your thoughts on the best ways to take advantage of the previous visa approval?
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-12 23:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCan you pay for IR1 visa appt at Banamex
I haven't recently been issued a visa so I can't answer accurately all of your questions, but I do totally understand where you're coming from as far as the payment. Way back when we applied in 2005 you actually were supposed to pay at the bank before the interview, but I think that has changed and you now pay inside the consulate. And yes, technically that means that he would have to stand in line with money. But yeah I don't know for sure..

However, there are also ways to pay online with a credit card before he goes. I'm just not sure of all the details, but there should be information in your packet 3 or 4 about it. Even then though, he will have to pay for the Medical with cash as far as I know so that puts you back at square 1 because at some point he'll be standing in line with money. What I recommend, and what we plan to do if worse comes to worse and if we don't end up paying everything online, is that he stash the bulk of his money somewhere on his person and then carry a smaller amount in his wallet in case he get robbed. I hate to make it sound all scary b/c many people go and are fine and I don't think I've read any posts here at VJ where someone was robbed in Juarez, but yeah you just never really know.

You probably already have this info, but in the packets 3 and 4 it does talk about payments and how to stay safe and all that. You can download those here:

http://ciudadjuarez....visa-forms.html

Also, if you haven't already I highly recommend that you comb through the DCF Mexico thread as there is a wealth of information there:

http://www.visajourn...117-dcf-mexico/

...and last but not least check the Juarez reviews. This might be the single most helpful resource in regards to what to expect in Juarez and just about everything else useful that you can imagine:

http://www.visajourn...php?cnty=Mexico

Stay safe and good luck!
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-10 12:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion about ciudad Juarez
Previous poster is right, but you should be on you guard in Juarez. Just as you would be in any strange, large city. Don't overworry yourself about it, but do be careful, avoid strangers and offers of 'help' from anyone you don't know and don't take any unnecesary risks like going out at night and you'll be just fine.

As far as the taxis, if it works anything like the airports in Mexico then they may just have assigned taxis that are specific to the central bus station. I haven't taken a bus in Mexico in years, but I do remember that when I took one from Guadalajara to Mazatlan, there were taxis that worked out of the bus station and it's unlikely you'd have problems with a cab driver who worked out of the bus station. If you really want to be sure, you could also try to google 'Sitios de Taxi Cd Juarez' and call some of results to find out what the deal is at the bus station, but that is overkill IMO and if you don't speak Spanish you really won't get anywhere doing that. To be on the extra safe side, avoid hailing a random cab and just arrange or have someone else arrange a cab for you from one of the nearby 'Sitios' (or from right there in the bus station like I said). I doubt you will have any issues with this.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-12 19:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresU.S. citizen wanting to get married in the states and live abroad
Sorry, just one more thing.. I got married here in Mexico (both the civil wedding and the religious wedding). The civil wedding is the only one you have to worry about emotionally (the other financially) because that's all that matters legally. It's a little bit of a pain, but if you Live in Mexico then it's not so bad. You will have to file a petition in Mexico where you file for your FM1 / FM2 / FM3/ that costs something like $200+ USD and attend some classes and also get checked out by a doctor to make sure you don't have nay STD's.

After you do that you're clear to get married in Mexico.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-18 00:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresU.S. citizen wanting to get married in the states and live abroad

Thank you for the information! If we can get a tourist visa for him, is it revoked once we're legally married, or can he still come and go freely?


Regarding this question, his tourist visa will not be revoked once you are married. I have travelled a half-dozen times to the US with my wife the past several years without any problems whatsoever and we have been married the whole time. In very rare cases, they might get grumpy and again request evidence that proves that he will return to Mexico at the end of your trip, but I have never had this problem when travelling with my Mexican wife and have really never met anyone here who has had a problem getting in once they held the tourist visa. Just a couple of horro stories here and there, but I would say don't worry about it...
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-18 00:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresU.S. citizen wanting to get married in the states and live abroad
Listen to me, for I have been in the same situation. I married a Mexican woman who had been previously denied a tourist visa for not having done her homeowork. In fact after having been approved for an immigrant visa petitioned by me, she was denied a tourist visa again because she was married to a US citizen. Because we were really in a bind, I contacted my congressman and made a bunch of noise and told them that I lived and worked in Mexico and blah blah blah and they in-turn contacted the consualte and she was then approved a tourist visa like magic very quickly thereafter.

The trick is to have you husband be very adamant in that he is only going to the US to visit. Although they say to bring proof of propety ownership and income, they rarely ever look at that stuff. I'm not encouraging anyone to lie, seriously, but the surest way to obatin a tourist visa, at least in Mexico anyway, is to be very clear that you are only going to visit and leave any possible ties to the US out of the conversation (i.e. his marriage to you). So when the question comes up, 'what is your purpose of visiting the United States' = I want to visit my wifes family = denied (because he then becomes a possible intending immigrant) vs. 'I want to go to Las Vegas and party with my many Mexican friends who already have a tourist visa' = approved (because this is good fo rthe US economy and chances are ver good that he'll be going back to Mexico at the end of his trip.

Again, I don't encourage any lying, but I've been there a dozen times and can tell you what works.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-18 00:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresG-325A questions!

I have a question, on this website I only see the G-235A http://www.uscis.gov...0004718190aRCRD
and we will be doing the IR1 so I can't fill out this one? It doesn't say anything on the paper itself.


I may be misunderstanding the question, but for the IR-1 or CR-1 Visa (Which ris petitioned via form I-130), a G-325A must be completed for both the spouse (beneficiary) and the petitioner (US Citizen).
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-18 03:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresBank letters
I think it's an option, but certainly not something you have to have. In my opinion, a letter from the petitioners employer would be much more useful. Here's an example (ignore all the spam): http://www.visajourn...ployment_Letter
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-21 17:06:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWTF? I just got this paper about my hubbies vaccines
Thanks Nicci. My wife has everything but no vaccination evidence so she'll probably have to get whatever standard shots they give to most IR-1ers so that's why I ask. Thanks for the info, if you find out more from you husband once he gets approved and gets home please let me know. I'd like to be as prepared as possible. How did he end up doing the payment there at the medical? Could he do it with a debit card ?
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-22 14:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWTF? I just got this paper about my hubbies vaccines

They gave him 4 vaccines today so ####### is up with this? I dont need any hold ups at this point.


Nicci - since we'll be going soon.. what vaccines did they give him and what was the total cost? Did he have any proof of having other previous vaccines? Thanks.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-21 23:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresDS260 says "Incomplete"

Okay so we filled out the ds260, we have the bar code paper but it says incomplete and has said this for a month or so. Ive even been able to go back and fix things on it and save the changes, so Im not sure whats going on. Is this normal?

Anyway thats my question but Im going to rant here!

Yesterday was his physical, he got 4 shots, I feel bad for him! His fingerprints are today and Tuesday is his appointment! We miss him here at home, wish I could have gone to Ciudad Juarez with him but we have 2 kids so its dangerous! Im so afraid to be crushed again and be told no for this visa. We have applied for tourist visas so many times.... and always been told no. We dont even want to live in the US, but after 6 years of trying to get a tourist visa this was the only way we could go. We have spent so much time, engergy, money and emocions on these visas and our dream never came true. And now we are debting ourselfs for this visa, a visa that we dont even want. Any way we could downgrade the visa to a tourist one later? We have our whole life in Mexico now, even my family moved down, I have made many friends here, and I just cant walk off from it, you know!

OOO Heres a good question, how can I register his appt on VJ so it comes up on the left as appoitnments and approved visa (if it is approved)


Thanks VJ; Honestly, Honestly, I couldnt have done all this without you! Thanks to everyone who has answered my question. Now wish us luck!!!


Nicci I definitely feel what you have been through with the tourist visa. Although the more homework I do on our immigration system the more I understand why they have the regulations that they do, but I have met countless Mexicans who have been either denied or approved the tourist visa and more often than not it just seems that it depends on luck more than anything. It's not something I've really discussed here on VJ, but years ago when my wife was denied a tourist visa for like the fourth time and I was in a real bind because I wanted to travel with her to the US for my brothers wedding and to meet my family, I got my congressman involved and made a lot of noise at the consulate and then like magic she had a tourist visa within 24 hours. So the powers that be really have a lot of influence, but I'd say that's something to be used only if absolutely necessary.

Anyway I am curious as to why you are going through all of this if you're not all that interested in moving to the US. You definitely cannot change or 'downgrade' your visa down the road and if you don't go to the US within 6 months and / or continue to live in Mexico in the long term, eventually his visa will be cancelled and what you have gone through will be all for naught. I speak from experience here b/c my wife wasn't ready to move to the US when we applied for a K1 visa (when we were just engaged) and for all I know her approved but now long expired visa is still in Juarez and that was very frustrating for me after putting in a lot of hard work. It worked out for the best because we have done well in Mexico, but if your family lives here in Mexico and you're not in a big hurry to leave, why the heck are you trying to get him up there?

Like you, we have made our life here in Mexico and I am nervous to leave it. We have it quite good here and the lifestyle is just super comfy and laid back. There are a lot of pros and cons that come with living in each country, but really it comes down to my kids. I think they would be much better off in the US and that their childhood would be that much more vibrant there. If it were just me and my wife, I'd be content to stay in Mexico forever despite all of its shortcomings and overall chaos.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-22 23:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhat to take to Ir1 appt
Yes, I think tax returns (past 3 years) are huge if you have them available. Both yours and from your co-sponser if you got one. Aside from that I think you're set. Good Luck!
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-22 14:04:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAlien Registration Number

Or you just write: UNKNOWN.


That's a thought :)

I'll see if I can make the infopass thing happen. If not, I'll probably go with this. Thanks!
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-25 00:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAlien Registration Number
Well bummer. After going back and fourth between USCIS and Dept of State, USCIS told me that the only way to obatin the A# would be to schedule an infopass appt with USCIS since they couldn't give the number over the phone. So I will probably go ahead and do that while in the states next month. But again, I haven't really gotten any feedback (even from USCIS) about how consequential this is and if it could even be a big deal. Do you think it's really that important to obtain the previous / current A#? I'm just wondering if maybe she would just get a new A# with my filing the I-130 and that this is overthinking / overworking something simple and inconsequential.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-24 13:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAlien Registration Number
I'll give that a shot and will post any updates. Thanks.
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-24 01:18:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAlien Registration Number

Depending how far the K-1 went then she would have an A#. You could probably find out by calling or making an infopass appointment. N/A does not really suit the question because if she was issued a visa or the K-1 petition was approved (A# is on the petition approval notice) then she does have an A# and the question would be applicable since she has a number.


Thanks Inky. But who should I call? Ciudad Juarez? USCIS?
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-24 00:40:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAlien Registration Number
Hi Folks, I have a question about the A#. My wife currently holds a tourist visa and I'm pretty sure there's no A# in there and thus so far in our I-130 I have an 'N/A' listed for line item C-10 (Alien Registration Number). However, my wife was issued a K1 visa in October of 2005 and I'd bet that because of that previous visa approval she was assigned an A# at that time. So the issue is, we never saw or even touched that visa since we left Juarez before we even knew the end result of the petition and I have no idea what her A# would be (assuming she has one).

Is this going to be a problem? I do have an appendix page included with my petition explaining that I previously filed an I-129F petition for her and what happened with that situation. So there's that. Should I just leave that line as 'N/A' like I have now, or is there some other way to find out what her A# is? Maybe she'll just get a new A# for the IR-1?
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-24 00:25:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI need some encouragement VJ!

I need to interject on this statement; nobody is entitled to anything, period. A foreign spouse of a US Citizen is allowed to apply for a spousal visa but it's the government who makes the decision.

I do agree with everything else you wrote in your post.


Yeah, I thought that might raise an eyebrow or two :P You're right, entitled isn't the right word.. Eligible is more like it :)
DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-24 00:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI need some encouragement VJ!
Yeah, I think Magical is absolutely right on this. I was a little nervous when you described your job situation here, but since you have a qualified co-sponser and a place to go in the US I think you'll be fine. I know you probably feel traumatized after having been denied the tourist visa(s) (oh, Been There!) but this visa is a whole different ball game and your husband is to some degree entitled to it since he is married to a US Citizen. Not at all the case with a B1 / B2 Visa.

You'll be just fine. Keep us posted since my situation is quite similar to yours (down to the two kids and going to live with mom and pop and everything!). I thought you had said that your folks live in Mexico though? In any case, best of luck! I'm confident that your husband will be fine.

Edited by DerZinker, 23 October 2011 - 11:34 PM.

DerZinkerMaleMexico2011-10-23 23:32:00