ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCopy of birth certificate
I think that if the instructions say to send the original, you need to do that or risk a delay when the correct document is requested. I will defer to any one who has tried it though.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-02-12 19:36:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNew to Visa Journey
Welcome aboard! Wishing you a swift and hassle free journey. :D
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-05-04 14:09:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresDo translated documents NEED to be notarized?
Notarization is not required
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-06-18 21:04:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHas anyone ever had any success filing an expidited I-130 case?
military deployment is considered a reason for a case to be expedited. How the process works I do not know other than I would recommend he contact by phone/email whatever area the petition is currently located, ie, uscis, NVC, consulate and be prepared to fax, overnight a copy of his deployment orders.
How much faster it will make the process I also cannot answer, they will still do the security checks although you would go to the front of the line.

Good luck and have him be careful. My ex-husband is in Iraq for his third tour.
belinda63FemaleIran2008-04-17 08:05:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHow long prior to the interview can we get the Medical done?
The medical exam is good for one year. Keep in mind that she may be placed in AP for a period of time.


belinda63FemaleIran2009-11-11 23:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCanceling K1 and going CR1 Question..
17 months of AP here and we survived. Good luck and learn you can't rush the government.
belinda63FemaleIran2009-12-15 12:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMy wife had another kid, what now?
Just to throw my 2 cents in, my now husband, prior to obtaining his visa and us getting married had a one night stand. I was unhappy when he told me but I was also understanding of the time it took to obtain his visa and the doubts that it would be approved.
You should look more at the specifics, was it a relationship or a "I'm lonely and need someone". The relationship can continue based upon the circumstances and your feelings.

Trying to convince the US government of this will be a different matter.

Good luck whatever you decide.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-01-28 11:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshelp
It would help if we knew what the message said.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-02-01 11:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresRefusal Worksheet
Welcome to the post 9-11 USA where fear rules. Yes, it is most likely because you are Iranian. Hopefully your AP will be short and sweet.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-03-19 16:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedurestraveling back to the Phils while aos is pending
Leaving without advance parole or the green card could be construed as abandoning your AOS.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-04-05 03:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFrom Canada to the USA
You need to file for a CR-1 visa. Please read the guides at the top.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-04-05 03:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresOn government assistance
I don't think he will be eligible for food stamps as a newly arrived immigrant. Also remember whoever signs the affidavit of support will be responsible to the US government for reimbursement of any "means-tested aid" he receives.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-05-01 17:36:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresinterview
The I-129f is now a dead issue. You need to make a written request to withdraw the K-1. Why?
1. He is no longer eligible for this visa, it is a fiance visa and he is now your spouse thus he is no longer qualified for this visa.
2. You cannot have two petitions filed for the same person by the same person. Part of the problem may be confusion due to both a fiance and a spousal visa being in the system

Look on the back of your cashed check or call your attorney and request the case number so you can track your case online.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-05-03 19:33:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresinterview
Ok your case number should be on the back of the check follow-up with it online. Also contact your attorney and ask what is going on with your case, this is what you paid him/her for.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-05-03 18:09:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI130 ; Writ of Mandamus Filed
Oh yes, after the judge makes a ruling on the writ of mandamus he usually gives them 60 days to make a ruling. The problem is that just filing the court papers is not a hearing, those things take time. Welcome to the US judicial system. The Court has to give the defendant time to find the case and review it, then to make inquiries about why there is a delay. So although you did the right thing by filing don't expect an immediate answer.

I am with you on this and the delay is inexcusable. By this time I would be wanting answers also. But now you need to be patient and let your attorney do his job. Most of our legal system is the wheeling and dealing that goes on in the back rooms before the case ever makes it to court, that is why most cases are resolved prior to ever having a hearing.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-04-30 03:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-693?
She must have a medical exam by a Civil Surgeon who will fill the form and either send it to the embassy or give it to you sealed for you to take.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-05-05 10:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFile I-130 while in US?
Well since he EWI he must at some point prior to the medical and interview return home. There is no way around this. So you can by filing the I-130 while he is here risk him being located and deported (with a ban depending how long he has been here which requires a waiver) or you can suck it up and have him leave now, hopefully without getting caught, and file the I-130 after he is gone.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-05-20 17:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresadministrative processing -- chennai
This is pretty standard. I would suggest you join the AP thread in the waivers topic. Good luck and hoping for a quick AP.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-06-02 10:33:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresadministrative processing
It is not just one database it may be 10 or 20 different databases, FBI, CIA, Interpol, International finance records, any country you have ever traveled to. If there is a hit on any of the searches they have to manually check the file to see if the person is you or not. They run your name with every variant possible and any possible spelling (since Farsi does not use vowels). Sometimes they run checks on family members and/or co-workers also and the companies you have worked for.
All I can say is good luck and hang in there.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-07-04 04:46:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresadministrative processing
Think I answered this already but it depends on your name (if it is common), prior travels, your job or prior jobs, your education, your gender, and a lot of other factors. Anywhere from days to years. I suggest you join the MENA forum and/or the waivers forum AP thread for lots of moral support while waiting.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-07-03 16:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview in Cairo for wife???
Usually it is up to her to make the appointment for the medical. She will need a copy of the interview letter and her passport. The embassy website might have a list of Civil Surgeons or pop down to the MENA forum and ask around there.

Edited by belinda63, 04 July 2010 - 10:58 AM.

belinda63FemaleIran2010-07-04 10:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresEligibility Review Unit
I never went through this situation but I did suffer a loooooong wait for AP to finish and this does not sound like background checks. Due to privacy issues many times the embassy will not reveal all the information they have to the petitioner regarding the intended immigrant. As Leedah stated the embassy has a lot of other things to do than personally investigate a person's background. Something must have come up examples being, prior visa petitions to the US or other countries, prior marriages or engagements, prior overstays in the US or other countries that raised red flags as to immigrant intent or rather trying to get out of her country, or it could be an issue with an immediate family member that makes the embassy believe she is only trying to obtain a green card.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-07-05 17:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhat do you guys think.....?
Well are we speaking of British english, proper english (American style), urban english, or southern english. When my brother went to school in Boston and came home for the summer he sounded like a foreigner to us Texans. And I still "cut off the light" despite not having lived in Texas for more than 20 years.

But to the original question regarding immigrants bringing immigrants here some countries it does seem like they want to move every one related by one drop of blood here. Good? Bad? If they pay taxes, don't live off my taxes, and don't break the law what does it matter? We have plenty of native born Americans who can't do that.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-07-29 15:40:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNeed serious help!!! please
For your household (size of 4) the 125% of the poverty level is $27.563. For the co-sponsor the amount would be $32,238 (household of 5, her three children, and the immigrant). This assuming you live in the continental US and are not military.

Both of you will fill out the affidavit of support, make sure the co-sponsor provides proof of US citizenship or LPR status.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-07-25 18:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhat are the risks to "waiting it out"?/not going through the immigration process
Sorry allow me to clarify.

Since he entered without inspection he is not eligible to adjust status from inside the US (as she has already confirmed). He must either wait for immigration reform in the US or return to Mexico and try to obtain a waiver.

While he is in the country he cannot LEGALLY work, obtain a driver's license, or social security card. If he is misrepresenting himself as a US citizen he could incur a lifetime ban.

His risk for "waiting it out" involve the possibilities of arrest, incarceration, and deportation.

It is a legitimate question and I am simply pointing out the options and some consequences of each choice.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-08-06 18:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhat are the risks to "waiting it out"?/not going through the immigration process
As far as I know he cannot file for a green card without leaving the country since he entered without inspection.

As to "waiting" well he risk arrest, deportation, jail time, he can't work, he can't get a job. So if the thought of your husband being incarcerated and deported doesn't bother you take the risk.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-08-06 11:34:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAgent says CR1 *expired*, only given tourist visa!
The immigration people at the POE can only do what the visa says. They don't adjudicate the visa, the embassy does that. If it says it was expired the only thing you can do is return to the embassy and obtain a new visa with the correct expiration date.
belinda63FemaleIran2010-08-10 03:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview date in Ciudad Juarez
Our papaerwork arrived in may and our interview was in feb
tabtaMaleMexico2006-02-24 22:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCertified mail in Mexico?
I had this same problem. I filed in Mexico just like you. Our interview was in Feb. 2006 and we found out about our interview the end of DEC. The papers were sent to my address in Mexico and also my address in the US. THey never arrived in Mexico. My grandma sent the ones that arrived in the US via priority mail to me and they never arrived either. So we got to Juarez without the appt. letter. YOu have to have that to do your Medical. We would have missed it because although we were out at 5 in the morning we didnt know that the line to wait for the info window to open is on the other side of the street. Well we waited and waited and we finally got through to the info window at 2 o clock that evening(they are so slow). My husband ould have missed his interwiew because of not completeing his medical if my grandma hadn't scanned and emailed the letter before sending it to me. I paid 70 pesos to print it off there in front of the consulate and switched him places in line so he could get the medical exam. If you have to go to the info window to get a copy of the letter I would recommend lining up early (they start at about 5) and maybe even coming one day earlier
tabtaMaleMexico2007-11-11 16:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresADMIN PROCESS
QUOTE (imran sadiq @ May 31 2008, 10:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
HI EVERY ONE !

JUST NEED TO KNOW IS THERE ANY ONE RECENTELY GOT HIS/ HER ADMIN PROCESS CLEAR FROM ISALAMABAD EMBASSY.



IMRAN
NEW YORKER



My fiance had his interview Oct 30 2007, and has been on AP since that time. It is very frustrating because they wont tell you anything. They have finally told us that they are doing the security check from the USA by wire. But still there is no time when or if it will be finished. crying.gif
RobinaFemalePakistan2008-07-05 15:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMy wife she past and get her pink today
Congrats!
RobinaFemalePakistan2009-05-18 19:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHELP, confused about DS-230 and DS-156 Payment process
Thank you so much!
BellaChele68FemalePakistan2009-11-01 21:19:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHELP, confused about DS-230 and DS-156 Payment process
My husband received packet 3.5 from the Islamabad consulate and it requires that we submit the DS-156 and DS-230 but did not specify payment be sent in with it. The travel.state.gov fees table lists fees for this and we're not sure if we're supposed to submit money orders with the packet via courier to Islamabad or if we send in the forms and receive an online payment prompting after the fact.

This is such a confusing process, and one mistake can delay us another month or two!!! EEK! Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance!
BellaChele68FemalePakistan2009-10-31 22:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSign In Failed
Wonderful news for you!!! All the best in your next steps of the Visa journey and may you get your VISA without AP!!!!
BellaChele68FemalePakistan2009-12-05 11:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCase Complete
biggrin.gif Yayyyy! Congratulations
BellaChele68FemalePakistan2009-12-09 21:34:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFrustrated with the whole process
Looking back I can say the first three months were the hardest on me emotionally, then I found my way of dealing with "down time"....although I don't chart like Darnell. LOL

I organized, remodeled, researched some more, puttered around my house, then went back to researching. I organized a binder with clear sheet pockets and put all instructions, required documentation and things I read about and needed to remember for each step into each of these pockets...organized by "what was next." i.e. as soon as the 129-F and 1-130 were filed I started on the AOS requirements.

You're not alone, we've been through it and some of us are still going through it...but it does get easier with time.
BellaChele68FemalePakistan2010-02-24 22:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMy final update at VisaJourney for a while!
Congratulations! :thumbs:
BellaChele68FemalePakistan2010-02-28 07:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresRFE for AOS packet!

Thanks for your responses, guys. Much appreciated.

1) My husband will fill out another I-864 according to the income on his employment letter instead of his 2008 taxes.
2) Will ask joint sponsor for I-864 A. And a copy of his naturalization certificate, just in case.

Bella--If you don't mind my asking--what was your RFE for? So you sent it in without the RFE mail? No problem?

I plan on calling as soon as they open on Monday morning.



Hi there and sorry for the delay. Our RFE was due to the fact that my dependents in 2008 on the tax returns did not match the number of dependents in the I864. Even though I included a divorce decree that would have explained the reason to them, I had to write a letter of explanation as well.

Your RFE could be something as simple as this and not anything you forgot to include.

Good Luck Sachinky!
BellaChele68FemalePakistan2010-02-28 07:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresRFE for AOS packet!

To me - if hubby did fill out his income using the annual income on the tax return and not what he's currently making (and there's a discrepancy), that could be 'it.' Of course will have to wait and see..



Hi Otto & Karen....

When I received an RFE on the AOS I called also and was given the "you'll get a letter" and when it didn't come quickly I called again and spoke with another agent who was very nice. I asked her if she could tell the line number or numbers on the application that were checked for missing data and she was able to provide me with that information and told me I could submit the support letter without waiting for the RFE letter. It goes to the same address in Vermont, but I double checked the address with her anyway to avoid further delay.

When they re-open try giving them another call. I hope this helps shave a fews days off the process for you!
BellaChele68FemalePakistan2010-02-27 09:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresA quick question on the 130.

Hello! I'm filling out the 130 and the guides and example awesomely explain most things but - question 21 which asks the last address my husband and I lived together is a problem...we've never lived together! I visted him for about a month in the UK but it's just been visits between us, and no "living together". should I just write none?


I put the address that I was at when I spent time with my husband in Pakistan. I had no RFE's and it worked well for us!
BellaChele68FemalePakistan2010-03-01 16:48:00