ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAbout to return to US while waiting for my wife's Visa

Just to clarify, I'm fairly certain we have everything we need for the I-130 application including passport photos and marriage certificate and everything else outlined in the guide here on visajourney. I'm wondering if I'll need anything from her (or she needs from me) later on for NOA1, NOA2, etc. that can't be sent digitally. However, your note about the marriage certificate reminded me... we only have 1 original copy of the local registrar marriage certificate. I'm sending a photocopy of this with the I-130. I know we'll need the NSO certified marriage certificate later. Will I need that as well, or only her?


We just submitted our I-130 today! Yey! :)

I think you guys should stock up on the NSO certified marriage cert. i submitted one for the petition, but I have 4-5 more here with me. We're currently neither in the Philippines nor the US, so I did make it a point to hoard as many government certificates (our marriage and my birth) as I could before I left

I am glad we can help you - this process is TOUGH! VJ helped me to maneuver through without a lawyer, so that was a plus!

My husband and I were able to order copies of our marriage certificate as soon as our signed marriage contract was filed with the city registrar of where we were married, which was Cardona, Rizal, Luzon (there were 4 copies that needed to be signed at the marriage ceremony). You should be able to order your certificate now, regardless of the longevity of the marriage (as long as you filed it at the local registrar). NSO will be the one to request it from the city registrar. You can order it online... I would post the link, but I cannot, since I don't have more than 5 posts or whatever. It is ecensus . com . ph (lose the spaces) :thumbs: My husband said it is P315 per copy ordered and they will deliver it to your address 3-5 days after you make payment through BPI.

I was under the impression that all we needed was the NBI too, BUT, in our particular situation, my husband has lived in different places throughout the PI since age 16. This was stated in all of his applications, which is why NVC sent us an RFE asking for EACH police certificate (since we only sent the NBI clearance). If your wife did not live anywhere, but where she lives now (since age 16), she of course would only need a police certificate from that barangay. Otherwise, she will need one from each barangay she lived in (since age 16, lasting for 6 months or more). Trust me, we learned the hard way!! So, hopefully she hasn't lived in several places within the PI since age 16 like my husband... :no: :lol:

I hope you have no trouble getting your docs! :thumbs:


Vic and EJ, thanks for this post!

I have lived in 3 places in Metro Manila all my life. but im different cities, does this mean I need to acquire police certificates from each area? Which part of the process will they require this? And also, did the barangay/districts/towns require a letter from NVC or to look at the application before they gave certificates?
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-15 00:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAbout to return to US while waiting for my wife's Visa

I'm (USC) currently in the Philippines with my new wife and we're going to be sending in our CR-1 application within the next couple of days. I'll be returning to the US soon to get a job while we wait for her visa.

What, if anything, should we exchange with each other before I leave so that we can avoid needing to ship documents back and forth between us for future phases of this process? I.E. Are there any forms other than the I-130 and G-325A that she can fill out and sign ahead of time that I am going to need, or vice versa?

Thank you


Did you marry in the Philippines? You will need a copy of the marriage certificate. Not sure though whether this needs to be NSO certified.

She also needs to have passport sized photos taken.
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-09 04:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresG-325A: Attachment question

If the page is relating to HER information then she would need to sign it, I believe. Since those particular forms are supposed to be coming from the person they are about.



Oh my. i'm confused.

We had attachments/continuation sheets for both of our G-325a forms. I thought that since it is my husband (petitioner) who is supposed to be filing this petition, he should sign off on everything that says applicant's signature... And that includes the attachment... Or am I totally wrong? :( :(
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-15 00:44:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Rejected and Returned
Unfortunately, that might be it. I onlh abbreviated USA and Texas, for my husband's places of birth, former address etc. But for my country etc, I made continuation sheets
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-15 00:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAbbreviations for forms

We filled out the I-130 and the G-325A and only problem we see is there isnt enough space for City and Country so we had to abbreviate Philippines with PH. Knowing abbreviations are a no no, how do we go about attaching a paper with the full address on it so they know the full address? Any help would be appreciated Thank you


If you check the information pdf about the I-130 petition, it says there you should attach a continuation sheet and sign and date it. What I did for our petition was this... I typed out continuation sheet of form g-325a of beneficiary/petitioner on top. Then itemized each part of the form that needed more space to be complete. I had to type out the entire addresses and work addresses, etc. i chose to be on the safe side.

As for abbreviations, I asked a similar question before http://www.visajourn...99#entry5901999

Maybe you can get answers from there, too :)
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-18 19:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

As I told my pharmacist... thank you for being a perfectionist. :thumbs: Just remember the principle of diminishing returns, and the thing about perfect being the enemy of the good. Cheers :)


Hahaha! Cheers! :)



Hi there! Don't forget to submit also your AFFIDAVITS of WITNESS/WITNESSES affirmed by two parties. It could be your so-called NINONG or NINANG at your wedding ;) And don't forget to submit your G-325A forms. You can download these at the USCIS website.


affidavits are not necessary or required and hold very little weight.
if you have more obvious evidence then its not necessary


Unfortunately, I am limited by time and by geography with what I can do regarding affidavits. I'm no longer in Manila, where our marriage took place. And we want the petition sent before this week ends.

lvchic, thanks for the tip! Yup, didn't include G-325a forms in that checklist because it's my list of proof of relationship. Thanks again, KDH! :)

I've accumulated a ton of photos and papers. Gonna make the evolution of relationship letter together with my husband. We're planning to make it a letter similar to what Darnell posted on here: http://www.visajourn...ost__p__3995116
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-07 03:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

Ivy, is your husband an engineer? I say this because I train engineers and I dearly love them, but there's nothing like an engineer for either unnecessary "efficiency" or wretched overthinking. :)

Monthly statements should be more than sufficient. Someone I know just pasted a voided check from the joint checking account and a voided deposit slip from the joint savings account to a piece of paper and did fine. We will probably do the same. I don't feel comfortable with Immigration doing a fishing trip into what I spend money on; I just want them to know we bank together.


Monthly statements... I will tell my husband to print those out. i really don't think I should send them our daily statements, too. Haha! They might think we eat out a lot.

Nope, he isn't an engineer. But, he is in a field that requires good foresight. ;) i'm actually the primary person gathering up proof and making sure we have everything needed. And I admit to being an unnecessary overthinker and being extremely technical with details. But, I'm a medical professional. ;)
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-06 19:06:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

If you're mailing from abroad, definitely use express mail of some sort, but I'd be inclined to tell you to use fedex/dhl/ups.

If you're mailing from in the US, then just make sure it has tracking.


It will be mailed from a PO outside continental US (Japan, to be exact). So, we will definitely consider tracking and express :) will check out presence of private couriers here,
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-06 12:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

I didn't do anything special in regards to sending all of the paperwork.
Don't remember how many sheets I had, maybe 15-20 pieces of paper.
The only thing I did was put all of the paper in (1) file folder so it was easy to take out of the envelope.
Other than that, everything was just separated into sections with some pretty paperclips because I only had fancy ones that I used for decorations on our wedding invites (2)+ years ago =X

Oh and I sent everything fedex but that's because I didn't have money at the time and we can use our company fedex number and it just comes out of our paycheck lol


I see. Hmmm, one file folder might be enough then :) and oooh i will probably have to buy paperclips.

We're going with USPS. Maybe do it express mail?




By the way, please... If anyone can answer, how did you deal with bank statements? We have a joint account and my husband printed all our daily statements since day one! Hahaha! It's a ton of paperwork. I shouldn't submit everything, right? What did you do?

Edited by ivyanddan, 06 January 2013 - 12:28 PM.

ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-06 12:26:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

I just brought our wedding album and our travel photo book (which I did back in 2011) to the interview. The CO just asked if I he can take a look at some wedding photos and I showed the album, flipped through a few pages. Then that's it. Was not asked for anything else, not even chat logs, remittances, etc.

I think my husband just used the regular USPS envelope. Our papers amounted to about 35 pages perhaps, including the required forms. Just used paper clips to group papers together. Posted Image


Thank you! I was thinking of using plastic folder thingies too. But, that might add to the weight, eh? Hmmm


I already had the developed photos at that point, so I basically just glued the developed prints onto regular paper so it was easy to put into a folder.

Our petition fit in a regular USPS envelope.. Not sure about your options in Japan though! :P


Alright. Developed photos prior to interview it shall be :)

Yey! We do have USPS here. We live near US bases.

I am soooo sending this package this week!!!

Thank you so much for your help, ladies! (ladies, right?) :)
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-06 01:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

Affidavits of Witnesses of your Wedding. as me and my husband we are just newly married 9 months exact. So far we only send that one. As a proof because we dont have yet any joint bank account yet. which has a stamp from the solicitor. We got married here in Singapore my stamp came from philippine embassy in Singapore. pictures together and flight itenerary. Im patiently waiting for my noa2 in Gods Time


Hi luisa1625! Are you living together already or not? My husband and I have been married for less than 7 months, but we started living together almost immediately after the wedding. And we set up a joint account and he named me as beneficiary in all his insurance and investment accounts.

I feel like affidavits might be overkill. Hmmm... And I also don't think we have enough time to get that ready. His best man is actually stateside for work, so I don't wanna bug him to make an affidavit. :(


We just printed the photos on regular letter size paper, in color. I just copied and pasted the photos on powerpoint, re-sized to fit 8 photos in 1 page (was being cheap, haha). Photos were grouped according to visit dates, in chronological order - it was some sort of a story photo collage --> his 1st visit to the PH (where we got re-connected), his 2nd visit, his 3rd visit, my 1st visit to the US, his 4th visit (the proposal), my 2nd visit, his 5th visit (the wedding), my 3rd visit (after the wedding).

You have a lot of ammo, already, I think. Just make sure you organize your files in a way wherein the one who'll check the application won't have a hard time reviewing.

Good luck!

PS. I didn't know PH is considered as a high-fraud country, lol! Posted Image


It is! Hahaha... Kept reading posts on here that said it was. So, I always thought it was. And also... We have to apply for visas to practically everywhere! :(

Thank you for the idea! All our photos are digital. I was planning to have it printed at a photostudio. But now, I'm just gonna lay it out like you did. :) did you eventually have to print the photos on photopaper for the interview stage?

By the way, with the massive amount of paperwork, what kind of envelope did you use? And how were you able to make the files so easy for them to peruse?

Edited by ivyanddan, 05 January 2013 - 09:59 AM.

ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-05 09:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

Hi!

For our case, as evidences, we sent about 40 photos collated from our visits to each other (including the wedding) from 2008-2011. I was being cheap so I had the photos arranged as 8 photos per page, so had a total of 6 pages worth of photos. Then got sworn statements from 6 individuals (2 from my side, 2 from his side, 2 common friends), photocopy of the marriage certificate.

You actually have a good list already! However, maybe the contracts from your wedding suppliers may be a bit of an overkill as you will be providing photos from your wedding already? And since you already have your marriage certificate, perhaps you can forego the marriage license as the marriage license is a legal document which allows you to get married, while the marriage certificate is the legal document that says you are married.

You don't have to send everything, a few from each will do just like what the other members suggested. Posted Image

Good luck!


The I-130 is more for establishing if you have a legal marriage between the two of you, and that the applicant is not some wanted criminal or doesn't have a history of bringing people to the US and dropping them like a rock kind of thing.
They also do a check on the beneficiary to make sure they weren't previously in removal proceedings or overstayed.
It's not so much to establish how genuine your relationship is, so for one to say that they 'only supplied 2 pieces of evidence and were fine' when they aren't at the step that establishes that part is unfair.
This evidence is used for later parts of the process that haven't yet been reached and still don't know how it will affect them.
Sure, I'm sure there are some people that only provided a couple pictures and that was it and got all the way through, but it doesn't mean it's the case for everyone or even the majority.

For an evolution of relationship, no, it doesn't have to be notarized.
None of your affidavits have to be notarized.
I provided an evolution of relationship as well.
History of chats/emails are a great thing to provide.


We actually didn't submit a lot of stuff quantity-wise. For the communication bit, I only ended up sending 8 pages of chat history spanning 4 years (or one page every 6 months :hehe:) and 5 emails just to show that we have been in touch over the years.

I'm quite a pack-rat so had 4 years of chat history backed up and still hadn't thrown out the later travel related stuff. I even had my luggage tags from when I came to visit him in NY. :rofl:

But as leszeku1 said, don't sweat it too much. People have been approved with a lot less. :thumbs:



I guess what's making me paranoid is the fact that I come from one of the high fraud countries. I know that we're for real, but I also don't want them to doubt our relationship. But, yeah, it's their job to do so! Hahaha :)

I have amassed quite a collection of papers and photos. I will trim them down in the next few days and might go with this set:

- evolution letter to be made by my husband
- first 2-3 emails we sent to each other when we first met
- pictures of us on our trips together PLUS copies of corresponding entry & exit stamps on our passports
- emails we've sent to each other (through facebook and yahoo), maybe will get one every 3 months
- plain copies of 2-3 postcards we sent to each other (we love sending postcards)
- 5-7 pictures from our wedding day with captions
- marriage certificate from our statistics office
- colored copy of our wedding invitations
- flight itineraries of my husband when he went to the wedding plus entry & exit stamps
- copies of his leave forms for the wedding
- copies of the lease contract for the apartment he stayed in during the wedding
- copy of the receipt for his wedding ring and his tuxedo
- copy of contract from my wedding gown supplier (excessive?)
- my boarding passes for my flight to Japan, plus entry stamp
- bank statement of our joint account
- paperwork that I am his beneficiary in all his insurance and investment accounts
- sponsorship letter from his military command that I'm his dependent
- entry and exit stamps of my stay here in Japan so far
- some more pictures from events we 've attended in Japan with captions

For consideration, a letter/affidavit about our relationship by my husband's best friend & best man... But maybe this is excessive. Hmmm

Please give your opinions on this, too. :)

Do any of you have sample layouts or copies of the affidavits? Or can it be made out like a letter but just with the letter-writer's info? :)

As for the photos, did you send the actual photos or only photocopied them (colored or black & white)?

Thank you so much for your responses! This is all very exciting, but nerve-wracking! ;)

Edited by ivyanddan, 05 January 2013 - 01:05 AM.

ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-05 01:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

No we got married in last year, and i just completed the I 130 now dealing with the NVC process mainly long distance just travel back when my work allows me to take vacation for 2 or 3 weeks 2 times a year.


I see. Thanks for your input. Still, I wanna leave no doubt in their mind. :)
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-03 21:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

I gave a lot less and had no problems.

just a copy of my passport with visa stamps
1 wedding photo
1 Original marriage certificate


Hi leszeku1! Have you been living together since you got married? We also were in a long distance relationship pre-marriage. Just wanna make sure they know that we are legitimate. ;)
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-03 20:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

Our evidence was a mix of both kinds. But we didn't have proof of how we first met because we met each other on an online game and had known each other for almost 7 years at that point.

In presenting what we had, I divided our evidence into 6 categories:

  • co-mingling of finances (copies of a couple of credit cards in both our names, insurance paperwork etc..)
  • affidavits from people
  • wedding related stuff (photos, receipts etc..)
  • 3 pages of photos
  • travel related stuff (boarding passes, entry stamps, trip itinerary etc..)
  • evidence of continued communication spanning the years we'd known each other as well as after the marriage(chat logs, phone logs, emails etc..)

We had to prove that we were communicating regularly since we weren't living together at the time. This is probably not as important in your case though!



Wow! That must have been a lot. We also met online, through a dating site. I guess I can just print out emails from when we first started talking. And whew, glad I was such a sentimental girlfriend and I kept a lot of my boarding passes when we flew all over Asia to see each other. haha!

Thank you so much for your input! :)
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-03 20:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

:yes: Yup. My husband (the USC) wrote and signed the evolution letter. It does not need to be notarized.



Thank you! Did you put any proof or documentation of how you first met and sustained your relationship? Or were your proof for the I-130 petition mostly about a marriage that had taken place?
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-03 20:05:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

I would include the photos AND the entry/exit stamps.
I don't know how handy you are with mspaint, photoshop, gimp, etc, but you could arrange them all together on one sheet for (1) easy printout.


I do know photoshop. However I have no idea if there's a similar program on the mac... It's the only computer I have now :(

But thank you for the idea! I will probably just rough it out and experiment with layouts on my husband's office photocopying machine. Or I will probably scan everything and lay it all out in MS word. Hahaha

Edited by ivyanddan, 03 January 2013 - 05:46 PM.

ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-03 17:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

If I were you, I would just photocopy the relevant entry/exit stamps. Instead of highlighting, write on the top right hand corner of each page a very brief description such as "[Beneficiary]/[Petitioner]'s entry stamp to [Country], [Date]". I've read that USCIS scans everything you submit into a black and white format so highlighting could potentially obscure the important information you want them to see.

You can group the passport stamps and photos (maybe one page per country; 2-3 photos + captions per page) by country or present them separately. It's really up to you.

We did our evolution letter separately from the cover letter. Our cover letter basically highlighted our names and the visa we were applying for and gave a list of items we were submitting in the package, in the order presented.

One more piece of evidence to consider adding to your list: if you are listed as the beneficiary on each other's insurance policies do include that too.


Thank you for those great ideas! As for insurance, I should definitely be on there as well.

Re: evolution letter, did you have the US citizen write and sign it? Does it need to be notarized?
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-03 17:43:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?

Also, include photocopies of the entry/exit stamps in both your passports of the countries you have visited together. Photos are good, but entry and exits stamps are usually dated and can prove that you were in the same place at the same time.

Good luck!


Yey! Thanks for this great idea. So, no photos? Or will it be better if we just photocopy all our passport pages and highlight stamps which show that we were in the same country as the photos (with photos appended)? Or will that be too much? Hahaha... I'm also afraid to come off as defensive.

As for the letter, is that how a cover letter works? Or should that be separate? Thank you sooo much! :)


AJabad, thanks for the idea! Unfortunately, I am not in the Philippines. And also, I am not sure if their base's legal office does that :( re: emails showing our relationship. We have tons! Hanaha! I don't wanna come off as too defensive. But that got me into thinking if I should send copies of 2 or 3 of the postcards and cards we've sent to each other prior to getting married. :)
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-02 20:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?
Hello everyone! This forum has been really helpful with our I-130 petition package. I just want to get your opinion on what we currently have.


Quick background:

We met online. Met in person 5-6 times. Got married in my country (Philippines) 2 years after meeting each other.
I currently live with him near a military base outside the US. I have been here as his dependent for almost 7 months now.
We have no kids. We have a joint bank account with a US bank.


What we intend to send as proof of relationship + some questions I have:

2-3 photos from our wedding day, with dates and some explanation
1-2 photos each from the 5 countries we have traveled in together (or will boarding passes weigh more?)
Joint bank account statement
Photocopies of 2-3 cards & their envelopes which has our names on it
Marriage certificate
2 or 3 contracts from our wedding suppliers (caterer's, photographer's, my gownmaker's)
Copy of our marriage license (from Manila)
Boarding passes/itinerary emails of his flights to and from Manila for our wedding
Entry and exit stamps to the Philippines on his passport
My letter from their military command regarding my stay here near their base
My entry stamps to Japan (where we currently live)
My boarding pass/itinerary email to Japan


Questions:

We are already married and living together. Do I have to send proof of how we met? Like maybe his receipt from the dating site where we met? Or pictures from when we first saw each other in person? Or does that not matter since we are already living together?

Should I ask for affidavits attesting to our relationship? Like from our best man (who's his best friend) or from my mother-in-law (who was at the wedding)? Or we don't really need it anymore?

Really hope to get more info... We don't wanna get an RFE. :(
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-02 19:54:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresPossible problem??
Check the airport website for info on those who have long layovers. They will always have info for international passengers and which countries require visas.

Sometimes, you can get answers from googling, too. I know this because I once tried to search for "do i need visa for long layover in china" etc.

I hope you are able to leave before your deadline.
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-18 20:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Petition for my husband
Hi Alma!

My husband and I currently live together but for 2 years, our relationship was peppered with trips to see each other every 2 to 3 months.

For our petition, I included proof, as follows:

- evolution of relationship letter (format we followed was here http://www.visajourn...16#entry3995116)
- first 2-3 emails we sent to each other when we first met
- pictures of us on our trips together PLUS copies of corresponding entry & exit stamps on our passports
- emails we've sent to each other (through facebook and yahoo), chose those that specifically showed an important aspect in our relationship, like our engagement
- plain copies of 2-3 postcards we sent to each other (we love sending postcards)
- 5-7 pictures from our wedding day with captions
- certified marriage certificate from our statistics office
- colored copy of our wedding invitations
- flight itineraries/boarding passes of my husband when he went to the wedding plus entry & exit stamps
- copies of his leave forms for the wedding (he's in the US military)
- copy of contracts we had with two wedding vendors (caterer/venue and photographer)
- my boarding passes for my flight to Japan, plus entry stamp
- monthly bank statements of our joint account
- paperwork that I am his beneficiary in all his insurance and investment accounts
- sponsorship letter from his military command that I'm his dependent
- entry and exit stamps of my stay here in Japan so far
- some more pictures from events we 've attended in Japan with captions

I actually had a similar topic before that you may wish to peruse http://www.visajourn...ip-good-enough/ Some people commented I'm frontloading, but I'd rather do that haha

I didn't pursue affidavits just because we were constrained for time. I will probably ask for affidavits from our best man and his wife, and from one of my bridesmaids for the latter part of the process.

If you don't think you can give them a lot of evidence, your plan of asking this set of people who you will ask affidavits from sounds great. Just make sure they state stuff about you as a couple, and not just about the wedding :)

Edited by ivyanddan, 18 January 2013 - 07:57 PM.

ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-18 19:53:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 sent today
Comgrats! Read all the guides on here. Then, of course, the UsCIS info, too.

And you can hang out with us I-130 petition filers here while we all wait :)

http://www.visajourn...30#entry5940630

Is your spouse in Japan? Near the Naha or the Tokyo consulate/embassy? :) we filed from Japan, too

Edited by ivyanddan, 24 January 2013 - 09:02 PM.

ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-24 21:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFiling from abroad?
This thread last year was really interesting to follow! :) http://www.visajourn...-living-abroad/

Yes, you (USC petitioner) need to be living abroad (work, home, etc) to be able to file from abroad :)
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-30 20:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Routed to National Benefits Center
Anon1234, a lot of filers are at NbC too. Myself included :)

Welcome! http://www.visajourn...50#entry5955267
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-02-01 22:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWill I get an RFE? (split topic)

I'm freaking out. When I sent my I-130 in to the USCIS, my husband and I had not been married an entire month. We married overseas while I was on a business trip. He went back to Northern Ireland and I came home to the US. We sent all the "required" documentation with the I-130 and none of the documentation they said we "should" send. My husband insisted that we should only send in the supporting documentation if our required documentation wasn't good enough, and if we sent in any supporting documentation it would just be confusing, like saying something was wrong with our required documentation. Well, we send NO supporting documentation. I'm having a panic attack.

We now have an apartment lease in both our names, a joint bank account, he's mentioned on my car insurance as a non-driver (since he does not drive), and he's on my life insurance as a beneficiary. We have chat logs for several months and boarding passes showing we went to Northern Ireland for a weekend to meet his family right after we married. We have some photographs for Christmas and New Year that we took ourselves, a couple of wedding pics taken by the registrar (seriously with my phone), and he came to visit me on the VWP.

Is that enough evidence in case they send us an RFE? Please help, I'm really in a bad way and shaking. Thanks. :crying:


Affidavits from people talking about your relationship will probably help.

Hugs, dear. You have got a great set of evidence there already.
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-01-21 20:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAffidavit for proof of bonafide marriage
These links should help you:

http://www.visajourn.../content/guides

If you're one of them lucky ones who can DCF, do so :)

I also asked a similar query before... http://www.visajourn...ost__p__5904259

Hope it helps you start the collection :)
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-02-11 23:04:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresName Issue

Hi,

Im about to file for my wifes I130.

I have a little situation. My middle name is DE GUZMAN.

On my birth certificate and passport it is written as DEGUZMAN.

On my social security card, it is written as DE GUZMAN.

WHich one should i follow? Which one should i use? Will there be any issues? Please help. Thanks guys.


Go with the one on the id cards that weigh more, i.e. passport, and the birth certificate.

What's on the marriage certificate? Make sure it is consistent. Obviously, you need a lot more work legally to have stuff fixed if you preferred De Guzman. If you have time and the money, do it.
ivyanddanFemaleJapan2013-02-19 08:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshow many I-30 forms?

Trust me u have to file 2 separate petitions: 1 for the wife, and 1 for the child, and you pay two separate fees which will equal $840.00. I learned the hard way , and it slowed the whole process down.:)))



:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:
PatRheaFemale02011-04-19 18:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMore NVC Questions
The beneficiary can just email the Choice of Agent form. Use this template:

To: NVCINQUIRY@state.gov

Subject: <NVC Case#, Beneficiary’s Full Name and Date of Birth>


Body

NVC Case#: #####

USCIS Receipt#: #####

Petitioner's Name: #####

Petitioner's Date of Birth: #####

Beneficiary's Name: #####

Beneficiary's Date of Birth: #####


Re: Declaration of the Choice of Address and Agent for Immigration Visa applicant


To whom it may concern:

My name is <Beneficiary’s full name> and my visa case# is <NVC Case#>. Per the DS-3032 (Choice of Address and Agent for Immigrant Visa Applicants), I would like to appoint my spouse as my agent of choice to receive all future correspondence from the U.S. Department of State. My spouse’s contact information is provided below:


Name: <Petitioner’s Full name>

Address: <Petitioner’s U.S Address>

Phone: <Petitioner’s best contact number>

Email: <Petitioner’s email address>


All the mails from the U.S. Department of State concerning my immigrant visa application should be sent to the address above.

If you have any questions or concerns on the above matter, please do not hesitate to contact me at <Beneficiary’s phone number> or at the address specified below.


Thank you,

<Beneficiary’s Full name>

<Beneficiary’s Address>

<Beneficiary’s Phone number>

<Beneficiary’s Email address>


follow this template..copy then paste it in your emails then edit.....
PatRheaFemale02011-04-20 23:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMore NVC Questions

:crying: hello everyone here!!!


I am reading, asking and still can't understand how to send Choice of Agent... :crying:

I just got our e-mail's from NVC with instructions... And in this e-mail I got D-3032 form with my name, case#... I just need to fill there my husband name as Agent, but I can't!!!! it does not give me to type there..... :bonk: :bonk: :bonk:

I can download D-3032 from site NVC and fill, but how to put there my case#, THAT form does not give me to type case# on top :crying:

HELP!!!! what should I do?

you can use the template above..no need to download it...and email to NVC...i did that and that is good...and now i have my interview date on may 11, thanks god that i did all very well without RFE from USCIS to NVC>..goodluck and godbless
PatRheaFemale02011-04-20 23:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMore NVC Questions
no need the form just follow the template and email to NVC...good luck and godbless
PatRheaFemale02011-04-20 17:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresExpedited case
my daughter case is expedited at NVC too...they were really fast...goodluck to both of us...godbless...
PatRheaFemale02011-04-22 16:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNVC so slowwwwww!!! is it normal?
they cant tell you if your docs is already with them until they review it..just be patient...i sent my DS-230 last march 18 and my husband sent the AOS last march 17, and we got a false RFE last april 5 saying that our AOS is missing...and my husband
called them, saying we sent it...april 6 Sign in FAiled...april 7 case complete through NVC operator...and May 11 interview date...Just keep on praying...God is Good...
PatRheaFemale02011-04-21 16:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSIGN IT FAILED AT NVC

Okay, I sent my wifes IV packet on April 18 via certified priority mail and it wss delivered on April 21. If I am tryingto find out when SIF is for me where do I go to "sign-in". What "payment portal" are you refering to? Also, how will we be notified of CC and interview date. Is there a way I can check on-line?



Payment Portal is the one that you paying online to NVC...after we noticed that we can't sign in (Sign In Failed) my husband called NVC to check..then the lady there said we are case closed...means case is complete...will forward to USEM...sometime they will tell you to wait 20 working days for update...but we call them everyday...then after a week we called them again to asked our interview date..and they said May 11, 2011 at 8:30 and we got an email too...
PatRheaFemale02011-04-23 05:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSIGN IT FAILED AT NVC

What is a CC and SIF?


SIF is Sign in Failed...when u cant sign in to their Portal Payment..it means u r good..then the next day u will get CC means Case Complete...we got ours last april 6...and after a week we got my interview date of May 11...goodluck and godbless to all of us...

Hello.

I just want to know how long it take since the sign in failed at NVC until I get my interview date?
I am waiting since April 11 and I still do not have a date. - Thank you -


i m case complete last april 6...and after a week i got interview date of May 11, u have to bug NVC so they will give you, your date...we call them everyday....goodluck and godbless us always..
PatRheaFemale02011-04-21 16:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions in NVC
i have a personal message to you..goodluck...
PatRheaFemale02011-04-24 03:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions in NVC
what kind of payment u did ONLINE PAYMENT or ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT? in ONLINE PAYMENT u will see the PRINT DOCUMENT SHEET u click that one....that is the bar coded sheet...

xerox means make a copy of everything
PatRheaFemale02011-04-23 17:22:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions in NVC
Biographic page is the first 2 pages .... with all information...do not forget to xerox all the papers...
PatRheaFemale02011-04-23 17:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions in NVC
when u paid the AOS and IV fee Bill u will see the PRINT THE DOCUMENT COVER SHEET...u paid in ONLINE PAYMENT?
you will send all document to NVC....u will see the address in the cover sheet...
PatRheaFemale02011-04-23 16:51:00