ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresPursuing I-129f instead of I-130
Thanks, guys, I'll do nothing with the I-130 for now, and keep my fingers crossed for a quick K3 interview in Montreal. I hope I don't wind up traveling by sleigh like Lara in Dr. Zhivago.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-22 17:56:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresPursuing I-129f instead of I-130
Thanks Yodrak,
Yes, the Choice of Agent form was included with the Affidavit of Support bill. If this is the appropriate time to let NVC know we'll carry on with K3 and adjust status later, how do I do this? Write? Call? Email?

Tracy,
I suppose some people do nothing, since there's a one-year grace period to pay the $70 Affidavit of Support Bill. I guess they simply pick up where they left off when they Adjust Status.

By the way, no inteview date yet and it looks grim from what I gather from other Montreal people. Travelling there in winter can be trecherous. Sigh... how many grey hairs have you gotten this year?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-20 21:23:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresPursuing I-129f instead of I-130
Sorry to ask, because this question has come up so many times before. We're waiting for a K3 interview in Montreal, and just received the Affidavit of Support Bill for I-130. How do I let them know we'll Adjust Status once he gets here on K3?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-20 19:33:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresi have probs:( anyone help me plzzz???
MPGGMP, it's not clear where your wife was coming from, or which type of visa was in progress when she came. While some people here have had experience with a spouse visiting successfully during the visa process, others have been denied. And being denied, and sent back to Japan, possibly with a baby in tow, would be devastating.

snowberrypie, I'm no expert, but if you decide to attempt an entry, I'd have as much documentation as possible, showing that you're likely to return to Japan (return ticket, letter from your employer stating when you're expected back, mortgage or apartment lease, bank and utility statements, etc.) Notarizing isn't necessary. It's about building a case that you're domiciled in Japan, with such strong financial and other ties, that you're likely to return.

Some people have brought documents showing where they are in the visa process. These can be further evidence that you intend to immigrate legally instead of illegally.

You could also bring proof that your husband will be leaving for Iraq in a month.

You have another alternative, which is to meet him in Mexico or Canada, where there'd be no possibility of denial.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-20 19:02:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Touched while at NVC!!!!!!!!!!!!
ae4ever, I too was touched on Sept. 23, after being approved Aug. 15. We're a Vermont to Cali transfer. A touch may mean they did something clerical that doesn't affect the approval. I wouldn't worry, nor try to find any logic in this!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-24 07:46:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresApprovals
Never waste an ounce of psychic energy trying to find a pattern or fairness in how the government operates in these matters! You'll make yourself nuts for nothing. Just relax and find something to keep you sane during the wait!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-23 07:51:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresthe I129 F
Hi Ron, that's some first post! But I'm confused. If Texas does not foward to Chicago, how could you have "two packages" there? Also, was the NOA1 for the second package you (correctly) sent? Is the moral of the story that Texas WILL forward to Chicago if you wait long enough? If so, that wait could be 3 months, as Reba's experience shows.

Maybe another alternative is to re-send the package with a new check but without stopping payment on the first check. Ask for a refund later...
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-24 09:56:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresthe I129 F
I don't know the answer. But if it were me, I'd re-send everything to the correct address. Make sure you're not sending photocopies of the last package if an original signature is required. I'd also add a note that you mistakenly submitted a I-129f to Texas.

The problem is payment. If you sent a personal check, you may be able to stop payment and send another. This is just one opinion and not an ideal solution. Anybody else?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-24 07:30:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Approved!!
Congratulations!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-26 18:29:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIm new and sad..PLZ help!
Don't worry, you're on your way now. Sorry you had some nasty surprises, but you're in the homes stretch now. Sounds like you're waiting for the interview. Who knows, you might meet some of us there!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-28 21:46:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduressupporting documents
Hi Terry. Yes, it's a major undertaking to close down a life in Canada and start up again in the States!

I'm assuming your husband is the USC and will be sponsoring you and your two children. He'll need supporting documents to show he has enough income/assets to take care of you and your kids, as well as everyone else in his household. That would be himself and his daughter. I'm not sure if the other three children he supports would be included in his household for the purposes of the Affivadit of Support.

The best way to ask a question about his AOS calculation is with a straightforward sentence, rather than burying it in a long, difficult-to-read page with no punctuation. (Help us out here, please!)

On your end, the main reason to sell your house is to convince Revenue Canada that you'll be a non-resident for tax purposes, once you move to the States. Otherwise, you'll be filing income tax in Canada (while living in the States), paying the higher Canadian rates. Get rid of the house and any other asset that could be considered a major financial tie before you leave. Be sure your last return in Canada is an "exit return," stating the date you left Canada permanently.

Start now to make sure you'll have a U.S. credit card. Apply for an MBNA or AmEx card in Canada. When it comes time for a U.S. card, they may check your Canadian credit history and issue you an American card. Otherwise, you'll have a hard time building a history in the States and will have to be satisfied piggybacking on your husband's card.

The best way to give people a snapshot of your progress is to do your Signature. Go to the top of this page, My Controls, Personal Profile, Edit Signature. Good luck with everything.

Edited by Jersey Girl, 30 September 2006 - 08:02 AM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-09-30 08:01:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK3 Knowledge Poll (KKP)!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was just intended to see whats the trend of immigrants going back home to get married.

Oh ... I didn't get that. Maybe the question you need to ask is: Are you a naturalized American who has gone back to your birth country to marry someone there?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-01 18:18:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK3 Knowledge Poll (KKP)!!!!!!!!!!!!

where are the votes?

You haven't said why you're collecting what seems to be personal information, and why it would be a benefit for anyone to provide it.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-01 12:23:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresLiving in Canada with spouse
It might be quicker to wait for Landed status in Canada and then do DCF. Depends on where you stand at this point.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-02 20:27:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshope
Fantastic! Congratulations.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-04 18:46:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK3 APPROVED
Always good to hear that someone is making progress! Congratulations.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-08 09:10:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhere should we get married?
Since you are only in the wedding planning stage, and you want to be together asap, you might consider no wedding at all, and look at timelines for K1, as someone already suggested. This puts the focus on getting here quickly, and yes, it's a gamble because there could be snags, but everyone in this forum gambles on timelines no matter what they're pursuing.

A K1 also circumvents the whole business of legal vs. non-legal ceremonies here or there. Just get to the States, marry, and if you really want, go back to Canada to renew your vows in the presence of family. It's a plan. Hey, how often do you get to be engaged?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-08 09:22:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhere should we get married?
You can marry in either country. The only thing that affects timing is when you start submitting your documents!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-04 17:57:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAfter I-130 is approved.....
meauxna gave you the straight facts, and you can compare your timeline to other US-UK couples. The hardest part is devising a plan to keep you both sane during the time it takes get him here. It could be roughly 6 months to a year, and that's a long time to be playing darts and downing pints.

Aside from staying in constant touch by phone/email/letters, you each need to know you're pushing the rock up the hill everyday, whether it's working and saving, filling out forms, researching the visa process, setting up a home in the U.S., going to school, or something! This is the time to call in all your resources, because you're each going to need good friends and family to get you through the wait.

You're at a crossroads with a choice. You can either wring your hands and bemoan your celibate fate for the next 6 months. Or you can use the time constructively, knowing that once you get through this initial trial, your marriage will be rock steady. Hang in there. We're all on your side!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-08 09:38:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview Update
Here's what Bruce Cockburn, a Canadian songwriter said:

When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Sometimes you're made to feel as if your love's a crime --
But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight --
Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight
When you're lovers in a dangerous time


(Congratulations!)
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-08 18:36:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAPPROVED.
Congratulations and best of luck no matter which path you choose.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-12 16:57:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions
Shakil, what will be your local discrict USCIS office? They each have different timelines.

district offices
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-12 17:11:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresDo K3's get EAD at jfk on I-94????
how long
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-12 17:22:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresYIIIIIIIIIPPEEEE !!!!!
Very glad to hear your good news!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-14 17:58:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresJust got back from infopass
Libersolis, I'm sorry you were treated so rudely. You'll get more information here than anywhere. I looked at your timeline, and see:

You sent your I-130 May 24. That was more than a month after getting married.

You didn't send the I-129f until July 14. That was about a month after you could have, since you had a receipt for the I-130 June 20.

We all need to be realistic, based on our own filing dates as well as their responses. I realize you and I are from different countries and have different particulars, but if you want to compare, it took 3 months for my I-129f to be approved. With any luck, your NOA2 should be coming soon. What do the stats for South Africa tell you?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-16 17:42:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresloss of job and interview
Don't panic; you'll be okay. First, be sure to get a letter from your old employer stating that you had a full-time job from (date) to (date) at a salary of ($00) and that the job was terminated through no fault of yours. That's the least they can do for you!

Next, get busy on finding a new job. Any job. Many people here are doing work that's merely a means to an end, and that's to look good on paper when the interview comes. You can always look for your ideal job while working at the stop-gap job.

Next, remember that you still have good tax returns and a good co-sponsor. Everything will be taken into consideration. It's the nature of the world we live in to have many jobs over a lifetime and the interviewers have seen it all. So just put your energies into finding your next adventure for the sake of the visa. Good luck!

Edited by Jersey Girl, 25 October 2006 - 06:40 AM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-25 06:39:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresApproved!
Before making any decisions, join us in the "Montreal Waiting Room Thread" in the Canada forum. Depending on which day it is, we're getting different answers about interview dates. Congratulations on your approval and advance to the next level of the game!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-25 18:53:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresShe's Home!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your good news has been the brightest spot of my day! Enjoy!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-25 18:47:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 approved
Hey, glad to hear you got some good news at last! Yes, her address is an issue, since she'll be receiving documents. I don't know the drill, but would imagine you have to notify everybody: USCIS, NVC, etc. As a stopgap measure, you might have her mail forwarded by the post office, in case anything falls through the cracks.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-28 06:26:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMelinda and I are Finally Home!
Welcome home!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-31 19:07:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresEntire packet?
I took a photocopy of everything, including the photos, in each petition. I sent these to my husband in Canada so he has a duplicate of what was sent.

He does need more photos, though, for the medical and interview.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-01 18:51:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F Transferred to California
Relax, it happens all the time. You may have been transferred from Texas to California, since Chicago is simply a lockbox, or mailbox, where I-129fs land and get sent on. Transferring is a way to spread the workload around the country and can be more efficient.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-28 06:31:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresk3 approved and I-130
If you have a K-3 interview, take it and be thankful! Be together as soon as you can. As stated above, you can either adjust status in the States, or travel back to Canada for the CR-1 interview. Congratulations!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-03 06:05:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedurescan my husband come to the interview with me
He can come with you to the interview, but his presence is not necessary. If he has limited time off, think about being together in the States, instead.

embassy in Van.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-05 16:18:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureslaid off
Sorry about the layoff. Be sure to get a few good letters of recommendation before you leave. You may have to get a stopgap job that makes you look good on paper when the interview comes. You can keep looking for the ideal job in the meantime. There are a number of folks here who are working at less than ideal jobs, knowing it's temporary and for the purposes of getting the visa. Even though there's a co-sponsor, it's best to rise to the occassion as best you can. Good luck on your search!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-10 06:40:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 approved NOA2
Congratulations on your approval. The weather in Newark will be sunny and mild today, above 60 degrees Farenheit!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-10 06:50:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresTwo months and not even a touch....
Dylan's Wife: my brother says life is like a tapestry and we can only see a small section at a time. But eventually, we'll see what God sees, which is the entire pattern. At some point, we'll have a bird's eye view and realize it was all for the best ... it all has meaning. But while we're going through these trials, we feel like God (along with USCIS!) has forgotten us. Not so, my friend.

If I could find the mistake running through the tapestry of my life, it would be this: I didn't appreciate what I had while I had it.

Count your blessings, right here, right now. Enjoy bringing a new baby into this world. Enjoy every moment. Yes, you feel alone at times, but these times are private and precious ... just you and your little one. Know that these days will never come again, so bask in the wonder of it all. Soon enough, you'll be together as a family. You have nothing to worry about!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-10 19:32:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresTwo months and not even a touch....
I'm truly sorry for everyone who seems to be waiting an inordinately long time. I wish I could harness the angst and anxiety, because it could power a city. Looking back, I was naive to think a K-3 would take 4 to 6 months. In reality, it's double that, for us, at least.

Had we known we'd be apart a year, we would have had a different attitude going into this. We wouldn't have bitten out nails down to the quick waiting for the magical NOA2, since it takes just as much time AFTER that to get a stinkin' interview.

So many lives hang in the balance besides the couple. So my heart and prayers go out to everyone and their families. May God have compassion and reunite us all as quickly as possible.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-09 18:41:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresA few Questions
Ruticus, check the immigration timelines above for others coming through South Africa. A lot depends on the wait times for your Embassy. For people coming though Montreal, Canada, for instance, the wait time from NVC to interview could be the longest stretch of any phase of the journey! Get the facts.

If you started K-3 and she left the U.S., the safest idea, I believe, is to stick to this plan, even if you'll be apart for months. Trying to get her back in on an older visa so you can adjust status sounds dicey. I wouldn't want her slapped with a long ban on entry because they smelled fraud.

By the way, we started in Vermont and were transferred to California. But it's the wait time for an interview that's giving us long beards and grey hairs.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-12 08:00:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK3 and working

my wife doesn't want to be bored waiting to work for a couple months

It may be worth considering having something to do, instead of working, until she's eligible. The K3 takes awhile and once she's here, there's another round of applications before she can work legally. It's up to her to know in advance what the wait times might be so she can plan ahead.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-04-24 14:55:00