ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaUS Citizen getting married IN Venezuela - Documents help
Which Notaries are you talking about? The ones in Venezuela? Which documents will I have to get through them?
spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-02-14 13:21:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaUS Citizen getting married IN Venezuela - Documents help
I don't know... MANY MANY countries require something like the carta de soltera... it is just a document that proves you are single.... but what is that here in the USA? If not for Venezuela, certainly someone here (hellllooooooo VJ?) has had to obtain a similar document in the USA for marriage in a different country. What did you do?I've been asking around on other forums too, and so far, nothing. I can't believe I'm the only one that's gotten married outside of the USA and had to come up with a clear idea of what this stupid document is!

Edited by spectrrr, 11 February 2013 - 12:20 AM.

spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-02-11 00:19:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaUS Citizen getting married IN Venezuela - Documents help
hmmm... I wonder if it is possible for me to obtain una carta de soltera aqui en los EEUU.... perhaps a letter from the state of Ohio (my state) that says they cannot find any records of my marriage, and a letter signed and notarized by my friends that I am not married, and then everything translated. Then perhaps I only must go to the Ministerio Popular de relaciones exteriores to have it apostillada, rapido cuando llego a Venezuela....

Perhaps a translation service like this one is "certified" and can do things correctly? http://www.foxtranslate.com/

Really, it is important that I can do all or most of the documents here in the USA. We will not have time to do it before the civil ceremony in Venezuela. I will only arrive a week before the wedding. Es triste, pero tengo demasiado cosas aqui de mi madre que todavia falta a terminar, no puedo ir mas temprano.... :/

The time waiting for the CR1 really does not bother us. We can come to the United states anytime, January 2014 hasta June 2014, pero no mas tarde. She will need to apply for admission to Universities before the end of September, 2014.... and then classes will begin in September, 2015.

Thank you for all of the help! :)
I spent weeks researching every possible option for visas.... But it was two years ago, now I do not remember many of the requirements, I am learning it all again....
spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-02-04 00:23:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaUS Citizen getting married IN Venezuela - Documents help
I'm moving to Venezuela in April to marry my fiance. We're planning the wedding for a few weeks after I arrive.
To the US citizens who have gotten married in Venezuela, I have a couple questions about the documents needed.

This is what the the local authority that will handle the civil ceremony said are the required documents for me to have. I'm trying to get them together now and send them to my fiance via fedex (but not the passport of course).

1) documento de nacimiento (birth certificate)
2) una carta de solteria (what the heck is this? internet searches have turned up a huge array of different things)
3) passport

And here's the part where my confusion really kicks in: "estos documentos debes traducirlos con un traductor certificado y aportillado por el consulado." WHO has to do the translating? a specific subset of "certified translators IN venezuela"?? Anyone in the USA who is fluent and can translate it and stamp it? What kind of "certification" stamps is the venezuelan offical looking to see???? "aportillado por el consulado" - which consulate? who?

Thanks in advance!

Edited by spectrrr, 03 February 2013 - 04:24 AM.

spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-02-03 04:15:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaMoving to Venezuela, but no visa yet - how to handle immigrations

Never was checked once at the Caracas airport, just got off the plane and walked in. Major problem was those hundreds of cab drivers trying to grab my bags. We live 350 miles from the Chicago Venezuelan Consulate, would have to check with my wife, thought that is where we would go to get their visa. Still have to make trips down there, her US passport is no good going to her home country, thanks to an agreement our DOS made with them. Since she still owns property, had to maintain her Venezuelan citizenship to keep it, otherwise Chavez will take it away. He also started that Hitler policy of neighbors squealing on neighbors for rewards. Have to be careful what you say.


But... how the heck.. from my reading, it looked like the ONLY way to get a US passport was to renounce Venezuelan citizenship. I didn't realize it was possible to maintain both passports...

I stay out of politics when I'm there. Partly for my security, and partly because I think that a foreign citizen who is there visiting, a guest, doesn't have much business or right butting their head into what's best for someone else!

I've got a cupboard here stocked with Malta Polar y Harena PAN. I'm lucky enough to have a place 2 hours from me that sells it relatively cheap. I am going to miss blasting the HiFI... and having the HiFi in the first place!

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The short version of our plan is that she is beginning her final year of Dental school in Venezuela. She should finish up by the end of 2013 hopefully. The plan is to spend Christmas 2013 there with her family, and move to the USA sometime in early 2014. Once here, she'll have to go back to school for two more years here in order to get her US based degree and practice here in the states. The US degree also opens up international potential as well, there's a lot of places in the world we could go and she could still practice dental medicine if she has a US degree.

I find myself in a position to make an educated opinion about the strengths and weaknesses of living in each country. My father was a pilot, he had me on a plane when I was 3 weeks old, and I have been traveling sporadically ever since. I haven't seen that much of the world... but I've seen more than the average American (maybe not the average American here on VJ, LOL). I've seen plenty of Venezuela, and America, and I can compare them both, the cultures and the services available, the living conditions, etc.

But my fiance? She has only ever known Venezuela. She has never traveled outside of Venezuela, or very far from home. Our honeymoon will be the first time she's ever left the country or set foot on a plane. She has not even experienced the full variety of the limited choices available to her in Venezuela, because her family is relatively poor. So she does not have any real form of comparison or comprehension about what kind of life really awaits her here in the US.

So we have not really pushed the issue very far, until she has an opportunity to live here in the US for a year and see the difference. THEN we can have a more fruitful conversation together about where we want to put down roots and start a family. USA, Venezuela, somewhere else in the world. I'm confident that once she comes here, she will have a similar reaction to most and not want to return! But I'll let time work it's course.

For the moment, we're going mad being apart. We've been going mad for the last two years years. Ya Basta. I'd rather live there with nothing but the very basics (and often, lacking the basics), but WITH HER, than I would to live here in the states for another year, apart. I also want to live there so I can improve my Spanish and really absorb even more of my fiances culture, before we come here. Helps me to better understand her, and I like having multiple arrows in the quiver, so to speak.

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WHAT TO DO FOR WORK! That is the question isn't it... Any work I do there will require a work visa. I do have a varied skill set. I am a professional photographer, but it's probably not worth the hassle to do it down there. Security problems for expensive gear, not all that much money in doing the actual work, etc.... Other options - I grew up in a family business (intl. specialty foods) and studied Intl. Business/Econ in college. If my Spanish were to get a little better, I could probably find expat work with international oriented companies.

BUT all of those options have a common problem - earning bolivars in a market where getting them out of the country again is not easy, and their value is relatively low and sinking lower. So my planned work path is in computers. I've been building and fixing them since the Pentium 1. I plan on taking a few months off when I get there, to learn and make the jump into programming. (just what language, I'm not sure yet... thinking JAVA and android). In that field, I can work from home (more secure), and earn dollars that will be waiting for us when we move to the US. And even a very low starting income in programming is still more than I would earn from most jobs in Venezuela.

My wife coming from a poor family has it's advantages. She's used to living relatively cheaply :). I have enough saved and budgeted to last us a year (living very conservatively, in the manner she's already accustomed to) and then get us back here. Nothing more. But if that doesn't work... I'm very technically inclined, and a fast learner, so I'm confident I'll find some way to earn a living there. I hope! And I'm not without some support network in Venezuela, I am very good friends with her pastor (he knew my father 25 years ago, and visiting him was how I met her in the first place!), and through him I have access to a number of trustworthy people around the area.

Edited by spectrrr, 14 February 2013 - 11:03 PM.

spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-02-14 22:59:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaMoving to Venezuela, but no visa yet - how to handle immigrations
I've lived in Maracay with friends for 6 weeks a year for the last few years, so I do have some idea of the mess I'm getting myself into... water / power goes out pretty frequently. especially the water in his neighborhood was only ON for 3-5 hours every 2 days... had to fill your tank quick then.

At this point I have no difficulty drinking any of the water I have encountered there. Nastiest bug I got lasted me a full day, from eating unwashed strawberries from a street vendor (yeah, not my brightest moment, but what can I say, I grew up on a farm).

Flew into Caracas once 5 years ago. I havn't stepped foot in the city since. I guess I'll be making a few trips this year to the American Embassy, and to request a 1-year Venezuelan visa. I DON'T travel south, too risky. Security is always a concern, but, I always try to carry enough cash (200bsf) that a robber is not angry to receive nothing, and if he want it, he can have anything I have. I don't care. Here's $30 for my life, seems like a fair trade.

I'm a very skilled driver here in the States, but I don't drive in Venezuela for the same reason you don't sell your condo - if I did have the money to buy a decent car there (I don't), I couldn't get the money back out of the country if I leave!

Currency is a real mess down there, no denying that. I majored in Intl. economics though, so understanding it is... a little easier for me. 22% inflation seems low compared to the numbers on the street that I see (like that baby stroller)... I think inflation for most common goods not subsidized by the government (like groceries) is probably closer to 60%. For some things, like green lettuce, the rate has almost tripled in the last 18 months.

What are the trouble spots to avoid in getting my wife's documentation together for the Visa application? Where does the corruption show up the most in this process?
spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-02-14 13:51:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaMoving to Venezuela, but no visa yet - how to handle immigrations
What was the hardest thing to learn about driving here? The principle difference between here and driving in Venezuelan? I have never driven in Venezuela, but here I am a very good driver (skilled, aggressive, no accidents). It seemed to me from observing Venezuelan drivers that the principle difference is the rules. In venezeueal, there are very few rules, but you must always watch the road for damage (potholes), and other drivers because there are no rules. Here in America the roads are good, and you must follow the rules. This seems much easier to me. It is always easier to follow a rule than it is to improvise. I am curious what I can teach her while we are in Venezuela so that she can be ready more quickly to drive here.

I spent the last 3 years caring for my sick mother. My income last year was zero! So I will definitely need a co sponsor! I will keep my current PO Box, it also is for my bank cards.

Fortunately, she has lived all her life in Maracay, At least she understands the big city! She speaks a little English, but honestly I do not know how much! our relationship has always been 100% in Spanish. Now will be the time to begin learning :)

jejeje, I suppose the relationship will be equal. I will be very dependent on her when I am living in Venezuela. I can do some things, va por el mercado, etc... pero no mucho mas.... mi espaniol todavia falta algo para entender a otroa jente... jeje... entonces cuando llegamos a los EEUU, ella puedes tener su veganza y ser dependiente de mi. jeje.
spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-02-11 00:14:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaMoving to Venezuela, but no visa yet - how to handle immigrations
jeje, esta bien. When we first met, I did not speak one word of Spanish! We spoke only using online translators. jejeje. I learned to read the HORRIBLE english that the translator would say. jeje. Your English is good. The words you miss don't actually matter for understanding the meaning of the setence, they only give it a grammatically polished look.

Until now, we have only spoken Spanish. For many years she did not have internet, we only spoke via MSN messages sent to Digitel. So I learned spanish while reading the correcting the machine translator here on my computer. jeje. Speaking on the telephone, the sounds are too difficult to hear for me to teach her English. I think when I arrive, I will begin teaching her English this year. She already knows a little. Her dad is fluent in English, she learned a little from him, but she did not have any motivation to learn it before she met me. And she always surprises me, her pronunciation is very good.

I worry the most about driving. She has never driven. My first priority is for her to go to a driving school in Venezuela and learn to drive (manual transmission I hope). I think if she can be comfortable driving in Venezuela, then it should be very easy for her to drive in America. Then I only have to teach her to drive in the snow (I grew up in Ohio, in the north)...jaja... esto me da mucho miedo!

I know the transition in America, without friends and family, will be difficult for her. That is something difficult for me to empathize with. I was the only child in my family, and my family is small, and I grew up in a house in the country. jeje. I am comfortable to never see a single human for 3 weeks, alone in the house. The latin family culture is VERY different from this! (it is a better culture, I think. Family is important.)..... but I do not know yet how to help her with this transition. I only know that we should move to a city with bastante latinos, que ella va a necesitar amigos rapido.

mmmm, sh**, I have honestly not given the CR1 document requirements enough consideration yet.... Right now I'm trying desperately to get my mother's house cleaned out and sold before I leave. But I am beginning to believe that I may have to return for a week in May to finalize things. I'll make a note to examine those document requirements soon. I have no recent pay stubs or taxes to speak about (I shut down my business over a year ago to take care of my mother at home, now she's in an assisted living facility). My Uncle here in the USA will co-sponsor her. Once I arrive in venezuela, I will spend a few months learning computer programming and I will work from my home to earn US$. Even a small $ income will be better than a good job in BsF. And I don't have to apply for a work visa.

My poor fiance has no idea about the document HELL we are about to begin. She had a very small taste of this when she tried to get a tourist visa, jeje... but it will be nothing compared to the joys of the immigration documents!
spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-02-04 00:08:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaMoving to Venezuela, but no visa yet - how to handle immigrations
jejeje, viviendo en Venezuela no sera como viviendo en EEUU, esto es cierto! jeje, pero tambien... sera ok. I've spent about 6 weeks every year there. I am/was a wedding photographer, which allowed me to determine my own schedule. I lived with friends in Maracay, but on the other side. I spent 2-3 hours a day on the bus traveling to meet her, algunas veces regresando en la noche. Se algunas de los peligros, jeje. Anyway, there are many reasons I decided it best to live there for our first year.
1) I want to be more Venezuelan! My fiance is Venezuelan, and she thinks like a Venezuelan. So I want to learn everything I can about her culture.
2) Mi espaniol no es tan bueno... necesito practicarlo muchoooo mas. Todavia no entiendo mucho cuando otra jente habla... solamente entender a mi novia. jeje. Un ano alli sera bien por esto....
3) We're done waiting. We were done waiting last year. But she still has one year (2013) remaining in her university.
4) She's never traveled or been out of the country. Knowing her like I do, I think it will be MUCH easier for our marriage if she can adapt to married life with me while she is still in her home country and environment. Then next year when we move to the USA, at least one thing in her life (our marriage) will not change.
Really, I don't mind living in Venezuela for a year. My father was a pilot, and he had me traveling when I was very young. I travel cautiously, without flashy things, and generally go unnoticed (as much as a white man can be in south america)... and I go with dios, y confio que el me proteger.

Naguara, ellos quitar las cremas! jeje, I think the customs officer wanted a present for his girlfriend :)
Two years ago when the special airport officer searched my bag,he found my Leatherman Multitool and said very strongly that it was illegal because it had the small knife inside. But he did not take it. Jeje, Last year, the normal customs guy found my leatherman, and he did not say anything, he only saw the pliers and then put it back in the bag. Jejeje. I left the leartherman and a few other things in my friends house last year, jeje, I did not want to try and be lucky a third time with customs. Better to have one in the country, y listo.

jeje, I remember 3 years ago, I was there during one of the elections. EVERY day la guardia nacional stopped the bus on my way into Maracay and inspected the ID for everyone. Always they asked me why I did not have a cedula. jajajajaja. Increible!
spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-02-03 17:56:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaMoving to Venezuela, but no visa yet - how to handle immigrations
In April I'm moving to Venezuela and marrying my fiance. I've been to Venezuela 8 times over the past 5 years, and I am still using the same "well stamped" passport with that evidence.

Here's my catch 22 - everything I understand about applying for a 1-year visa to stay in the country requires that I already be in the country, and apply in person in Caracas. Esta bien... no hay problema... pero.... what happens when I show up at the airport requesting admission as a tourist... and yet I'm dragging enough stuff with me to move there (because I AM moving there!)

I have fond memories last year when some form of special police (NOT customs) picked me out of the airport immigration line, took me and my bags over to a little room, and spent the next 45 minutes carefully examining everything I owned and grilling/questioning me on anything imaginable (friends, reasons, etc.)... even then they commented that it looked like I was moving. I can't imagine what this next trip will look like... and I'm not sure what to tell the immigrations officer (or god forbid, a more thorough examination). Technically I can't tell the immigration officer that duration of stay = 1 year, because I don't have a visa! And I can't say duration of stay = 2 months, because that's a lie, I'm staying for a year!! How the heck do I get through the airport with all of my stuff intact? I'm not exactly wealthy, this will be my only trip into/out of the country for the next year.....

Edited by spectrrr, 03 February 2013 - 04:35 AM.

spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-02-03 04:34:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsUSC Green Card Petitioners' Committee

NO LUCK with the USCIS spanish town hall tonight. They didn't answer my questions on Twitter (they addressed very few questions from email and twitter). Most of the questions they answered were from live callers. We called in, but they never got to our call. :(

 

 

auuggghhhhh.... SOOOO close to talking to someone DIRECTLY with the power to answer a question. sooo close....


spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-12-11 21:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsUSC Green Card Petitioners' Committee

#######.... looks like the "LO quality" video stream still is not low enough for my internet connection. More buffering than listening, I can't understand anything. #BingFail

 

Please let me know if he addresses one of our questions :)


spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-12-11 16:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsUSC Green Card Petitioners' Committee

I submitted video and twitter questions to the #AskTheWhiteHouse about the current delays of the CR1/IR1.

 

I also submitted a twitter question to the USCIS_es about the IR1/CR1 delays, and another question about whether they would reinstate the previously FAST approval times of the K3 visa, given the current situation.

 

Not sure the White house will respond to it, they're more worried about the PR debate regarding millions of immigrants already in the country... but hopefully the USCIS will say something.....


spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-12-11 14:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsUSC Green Card Petitioners' Committee

http://www.bing.com/...oing - Partners  

 

Ask the Vice President about an immigration issue! Is anyone else going to do this? 

 

awesome, thanks for the link! I just recorded my video question, and I'll send one via twitter, just in case :)


spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-12-11 05:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsUSC Green Card Petitioners' Committee

I'll try to get my wife in there, see if she can wrangle some straight answers out of them :)


spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-12-04 00:05:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsUSC Green Card Petitioners' Committee

I can sum it up pretty easily.

 

I am a US citizen and should not have to wait for 2 years to bring my husband to the US just because the USCIS messed up and created a backlog of 400,000 files. 

 

good.gifgood.gifgood.gif

 

400,000 and counting .... If I understand it correctly, the approval rate is still a trickle, so new apps (like mine!) are still just adding on to the pile!!

 

How on earth do these fools plan on catching up!?


spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-11-01 10:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsUSC Green Card Petitioners' Committee

Sorry, didn?t have time to finish writing this post until now. I think the length of my first post and this one will tell you why I don?t use twitter... writing in shorthand is, unfortunately, not one of my skills. But here are some of my thoughts about social media, getting people to CARE about our message, and the road ahead we?ll have to navigate in order to affect a change in the process. Apologies for the verbose nature of it.

 

We truly live in a unique time in history, one which many people have not yet fully adjusted to. In today?s digital world, where nearly everyone has both an opinion about something in the world, and the digital means with which to express that opinion, getting that message heard above the deluge of noise is an increasingly difficult task.

 

We use terms like ?going viral? to describe one of those rare messages that are successful at breaking through the noise. Just about every person with a message, also has dreams of it ?going viral? and their problem heard. But it is not such a simple task. There are messages that have, simply by luck, struck just the right chord with people and, almost accidentally, gone viral. This is what most people with a message aspire and hope to have happen to them, HOWEVER the reality is that this is not like trying to win the raffle at your local supermarket. This is more akin to the odds of winning the state lotto.

 

There is another way that things go viral, and that is one that is purely intentional. A brilliant, carefully crafted marketing campaign, spreading just the right message, exquisitely tuned to strike just the right chord with people who see it, supported by meaningful and accessible engagement activities which people can participate in afterwards. None of this happens by accident, or with only a little organizing. This happens with very careful and coordinated planning, and even then, the internet is littered with well organized and well funded campaigns to take something viral that, despite appearing to be well designed, never made it off the ground and never got noticed.

 

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That is the sandbox we?re playing in if we want to talk national petitions. We need more people to sign and get involved than JUST the people waiting for their CR/IR visas to be processed. Which puts us in the same realm as business and marketing --> define the market, figure out what product we have to sell to the market, and then market it in a way they?ll buy it.

 

Target market: If we?re talking whitehouse.gov petitions, then we?re talking about getting people involved who are not directly involved or had prior involvement with immigration visas. The fundamental principle of activism is first and foremost, make people CARE. People already involved in the visa process obviously care. But someone who has never applied for a visa before has no idea of the hell that we have to go through just to be with those we love. And note that just telling people about it doesn't automatically mean they'll care. knowledge of the facts doesn't mean caring about them. It has to be a message that strikes a chord in people in a unique way.

 

Making someone care? that?s the tricky part? I?m not sure how we go about doing that. Immigration is a hot button issue in America today?. LOTS of people care a lot about it? but generally only the part they see as affecting them. Lots of other people hear the word ?immigration? or ?visa? and have a strong negative association with ?illegals crossing the border?. A successful message has to make the issue relevant and relatable to people, WITHOUT getting lumped in with the illegal immigration issue which a lot of people are tired of hearing about, or simply want to ?throw them all out and be done with it.? (I?m not starting a political discussion here, just observing the climate in which we have to spread our message). Pushing the family separation issue like we have been seems like a good direction.

 

All of the above that has to be balanced by the fact that anyone not already involved in the immigration issue has a very short attention span. ?tl;dr? is a common internet saying, which means ?too long; didn?t read? ..... This post easily qualifies as such. It is way too long. Talking about CR-1 visas and K-3 visas and i-130 forms is a great way to lose people who are uninformed or uninterested in the issue, which is the majority of people. In the end, there?s just a few short steps to getting signatures. Yeah, it?s oversimplified? but frankly, this post is too long already!

 

Step 1: Get people to read or listen to the message. If it?s a wall of text, most people get bored after 4 sentences and close it.  I skip watching youtube videos that are more than 4 minutes unless it REALLLLLLLY interests me. Don?t have time.

Step 2: make the message such that the people who read it understand it enough in that limited exposure to become motivated and care about it.

Step 3: give them something to do with that motivation (sign the petition).

 

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The letter that we have written is very good. VERY GOOD. I like it. It is very detailed and informative, for those that wish to LEARN about the issue. Let me pause here, so no one misinterprets me. I LIKE IT A LOT. It is well written and sums up our plight, as completely and succinctly as is possible for an issue as complicated as ours.

 

BUT I think we ALSO need a short version. 2-3 very short paragraphs. Something small, marketable. No mention of confusing CR-1/i-130/K3 form numbers. It?s got to be simple, natural language, digestible and understandable by a 10 year old. Anything longer, and it?s ?tl;dr? for too many people... people we need signatures from and cannot afford to alienate. People uninformed about immigration should FEEL informed and motivated to help us out with a signature after they read it. The truth is WE know that you can?t learn much about this issue in 3 short paragraphs. But that?s not the point. The goal is not to thoroughly educate everyone, because frankly, most people don?t care enough to spend the time and learn it. The point is to get them motivated enough to lend their signature, so that we can build up a mountain of signatures that cannot be ignored, and get our voice heard! I imagine the formula for the youtube video would be similar to this letter. The letter could in fact be a modified form of the youtube script, or the other way around.

 

Well, that?s more than enough rambling for one night.

 

There.... I said.... something! .... I feel better, I feel like I at least tried to contribute!

 

I have tried to lend my perspective on the issues we face. I don't guarantee I'm 100% correct, in fact, I'm probably not! It's the internet, everyone has the ability to write something, no matter how wrong it is! BUT HOPEFULLY amongst my ramblings, at least something will prove useful in our fight.


spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-11-01 05:22:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsUSC Green Card Petitioners' Committee

Alright.... Let the fun begin.

 

First off, count my wife and I in for reading for the video. That?s a step in the right direction. To the folks that have started this ball rolling, THANK YOU. Call me a ?highly motivated pragmatist?. I am preparing to file the paperwork now to petition for a CR1 for my wife. When I last investigated this process a year ago, the picture was obviously quite different. Needless to say, now I?m a little worried.

 

Now, I do have to make a few comments about this effort, many of them cautionary in nature. It is my sincere hope that they can be used to improve the effectiveness of the message of this committee, and ultimately, contribute towards achieving the same goal we all share, returning the visa processing times back to a ?reasonable? time frame. (Not like ?reasonable? is a word that can ever be used to describe our broken system, even on a good day, but I digress!!).

 

As a quick point of introduction for who I am and what I do, I am nearly 30 years old, a professional photographer, aspiring programmer, and business entrepreneur at heart. Before you get your hopes up, I am NOT a graphic designer. I am fluent in using Photoshop to MODIFY images and content that already exists (improving upon it), but I have very little talent in the realm of creating something new from scratch. Although I could probablly download the Adobe Premier demo and figure out the video editing part without too much trouble, my internet connection here in Venezuela is pretty slow, making transfer of big media files back and forth a difficult task. But I can offer to lend a hand in any way possible with regards to media. Especially if someone else comes up with a rough draft of something, I am pretty good at polishing and refining it from there.

 

Some people have called me a geek, but honestly, that would be an insult to all the real geeks out there. I?m just somewhere in between. But I do live and breathe on the internet every day. I am not a social media genius, with thousands of twitter followers or youtube subscribers. I prefer to observe and analyze from a distance. But what I am is someone who truly enjoys asking the question ?WHY? every time I see a story of success or failure. WHY is this youtube user cashing in the $$$ with millions of subscribers, and another youtuber who I think is far more talented and interesting, languishing with almost no video views? WHY does one social activism message about something relatively stupid get heard, and why do many issues of this day that are even more important go unheard? I believe there is an answer to those questions, and I enjoy the mental exercise of finding it.

 

That?s it for the introduction.... next post coming in a few minutes with some thoughts and ideas about the road ahead.


Edited by spectrrr, 31 October 2013 - 04:35 PM.

spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-10-31 16:26:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNVC Filers - September 2014

 

I think he's telling you he just doesn't want to hear about it anymore, not that he doesn't want to be with you. 

 

That was my first thought as well.

 

Men usually live to SOLVE problems. It is very VERY frustrating for us to hear about something if we cannot take an active part in it's solution. If we can't do something about it, we do our very best to forget about it and pretend it doesn't exist. It's how we cope with the stress.

 

Women on the other hand tend to cope with stressful situations and unsolved problems by talking about them, thinking about them, and focusing on them. It's their natural way of coping with the stress.

 

With newlyweds, it just takes some time to learn each others boundaries on that. The man has to learn to grit his teeth, bite his tongue, and listen, just to listen, without any hope of a solution every being presented.

And the woman has to learn how much her hubby can listen to before he reaches saturation. It's a learning process. :)

Personal example: When I'm traveling for a few weeks at a time away from my wife, she needs to hear from me DAILY that I miss her, I'm thinking about her constantly, etc. - that's what she needs, and that's what I give her because I have learned it's what she needs. On the other hand, haha, my reality is, because I miss her and can't wait to see her again, I'm actually NOT thinking about her constantly. I do my best to forget about her during the day unless I actually have time to call her in that moment, since it's a problem i can't solve until my trip ends or i have time for a phone call. I love my wife, and I can't wait to get back to her. It's just the way each of us process the stress differently, and we're always learning more about our spouse :) 


spectrrrMaleVenezuela2014-09-28 05:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresUhh oh... I don't live in the USA, BUT I don't meet residency to qualify for DCF... now what?

Alrighty then.... file the I-130 from here, then wait....

 

Later on, domicile and I-864. I do have a co-sponsor in the US that will allow me to meet the support requirements. And I've read through the big domicile thread. I should be able to show intent to reestablish domicile with tax filings, an advance contract for apartment rental, and job offer for employment at a friends company who will help us get on our feet in the US.

 

Now if only the I-130 system in the US was not so terribly broken.... 2 years waiting here we come... ranting33va.gif


spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-11-01 11:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresUhh oh... I don't live in the USA, BUT I don't meet residency to qualify for DCF... now what?

Well, I'm not sure what my options are here... from everything I am reading, it appears that I am stuck in between visa options.

 

I am a US Citizen, living in Venezuela since April, 2013. My wife is a Venezuelan citizen. We were married here in Venezuela, in April 2013, after dating for 5 years. 

 

I have a Transeúnte Familiar visa (transient family, NOT a residency visa) that is valid for 1 year from the date of issue, May 2013. I also have a Venezuelan ID card (Cedula #). The Cedula is also marked Transeúnte. Stamps in my passport will confirm that I have been here in Venezuela since April, with only a few short trips outside of the country.

 

My wife and I have decided to move back to the United States. She will be free from obligations here and available to move anytime beginning in April, 2014, which means we need to get working on the paperwork right now.

 

In trying to determine what visa to apply for, I ran into a snag. The CR-1 and K3 both appear to be designed to be filed by a US petitioner living in the United States. If you live outside of the United States, most information says to file directly with the embassy (Direct Consular Filing). EXCEPT... DCF requires legal residency in the country, and I have to live in Venezuela for 2 years before I can apply for "residency", which appears to be a requirement to petition for a visa directly at the consulate.

 

Which means that although I do not have domicile in the United States, I have no address, etc... and the only thing I have back in the United States right now is a Bank Account, some Student Loans, and a rented storage room with my old stuff in it.... and yet, it would seem that technically I am still a resident of the United States, not here in Venezuela.

 

So folks, tell me some good news that I overlooked. Surely there must be a way to petition for a visa for my wife from here in Venezuela? If DCF filing is not available, then what is?? Is the ONLY option available to FedEx the I-130 and I-129F document packets from here to the Chicago Lockbox? I'm not broke, but I don't have money to burn either, this needs to be planned out and executed in an orderly manner.

 

The one thing that I do know is that extended separation from my wife is NOT an option. I realize many people have been forced to endure very lengthy separations while waiting for their visa, and I truly salute them... but I know my wife, it would kill her. So I need to come up with an option that keeps us together while going through the process. Short trips back to the USA are ok? BUT bear in mind that due to the current economic situation here in Venezuela, finding a plane ticket to leave the country in anything less than 4 months advance notice is extraordinarily difficult.

 

 

 


Edited by spectrrr, 30 October 2013 - 04:35 AM.

spectrrrMaleVenezuela2013-10-30 04:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1, but not living together? Challenges?

Depending on what school and what degree your fiancée is going for, you may not find much benefit to finishing school in Venezuela. Instead it might be a better idea to transfer the classes you can, and finish education within the US.

Its hard to make a judgement on that without doing some research.


I did some research on that last year, she's in school for dentistry. Most of her stuff won't transfer :( She'll have to do 1.5 years of additional schooling here in a "foreign trained dentist" program in order to practice in the US, but that's it. So it comes down to 3 years of free school there + 1.5 years of paid school here.... or 8 years of paid school here! (and at least a year of learning English before she could even think about starting those 8 years or even applying for schools... so probably 2 years!)

Hurray for waiting!!!
spectrrrMaleVenezuela2010-08-10 12:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1, but not living together? Challenges?
Thanks everyone for the replies!

Darell, some great ideas there about how to strengthen the paperwork ties, I'll definitely look into them.

The CR1 is certainly looking like the better route from a simplicity and problem solving point of view. Beyond that, I guess we'll just start building our document files now and wait. Having so much time sucks from a waiting standpoint, but at least we have time to build our case right and don't have to worry about any further delays creeping in from a rushed case prep.
spectrrrMaleVenezuela2010-08-09 16:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1, but not living together? Challenges?

Me and hubby got married in Bulgaria and we filed for a IR1/CR1 visa a few months after (we had to get all the dox prepared).. I don't think that being married and living in different countries would be a problem - most of us are goin trough this right now.. :) All depends if you are willing to be apart during the process..
I don't understand the "-Medical exam could reveal the lack of prior sexual activity?" question tho...
My point is that you guyz can have a "normal" wedding and file for IR1/CR1 with no problem after - as far as I see it.. :)

ps: I am not aware of the traditions in Venezuela tho.. Am I missing smth here?? :think:


mmm, sorry, I might not have made that part too clear.
We have chosen to abstain until after marriage.... and I'm pretty sure that once we start living together, being separated again would kill her. So I have been trying to find an option that would allow us to get married there first, and then immediately come here to start our life together.
The only such option I have come up with so far is to split the marriages there - one civil ceremony marriage that is a legal one so we can file for the CR1, and then a formal ceremony later on so the parents are happy and she can have her wedding night without being separated from her husband shortly thereafter.

The only real important tradition there is probably similar in Bulgaria - Don't piss off the family! (and thus far her parents have NOT been very supportive, so keeping them as happy as possible prior to our departure is important!!)

Clear as mud? :)

Edited by spectrrr, 09 August 2010 - 01:47 PM.

spectrrrMaleVenezuela2010-08-09 13:44:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1, but not living together? Challenges?
Here is a scenario that I haven't seen discussed very much in my searching.



The setup:

-Fiancé is in Venezuela.

-Three years until she finishes school, three years until she comes here.

-I have student loans and cannot afford to live in Venezuela prior to her coming here.

-Her parents NEED to see the wedding (they are currently not very supportive, it would be a very necessary acknowledgement to them).

-It is ILLIGAL to perform a religious marriage in Venezuela without being civilly married first.

-K1 option eliminated since her parents would not be present.

-"standard" CR1 option is limited because I can't live there after the wedding.



The plan:

We are thinking the best course of action may be to have a no frills civil ceremony in Venezuela in 2 years. At that point, we would be legally married, however since we would still not be able to live together for any period of time, we wait to consummate the marriage and would treat it like nothing more than a piece of paper. I would Immediately file for the CR1 after the marriage. 1 year later, with CR1 in hand, we can have a formal religious ceremony in Venezuela that everyone can attend, we'll consider that our "real" wedding day, and then we can immediately "hop on a plane into the sunset" with no waiting!



Potential problems:

-Medical exam could reveal the lack of prior sexual activity?

-"Proving" our marriage. No joint bills, nothing with our name on it together except the marriage certificate, since we would still be living in different countries.No fancy album of wedding photos since it was just a private civil ceremony. Only the chat and phone logs...

-????? What else have I missed as a potential pitfall?



I fully realize that in the world of immigration, there is no "have your cake and eat it too" scenario. We all have to make significant sacrifices to be with the ones we love (but I think this just makes the relationship stronger :)). Whilst this scenario is no different, it certainly seems to mitigate some of the problems.... IF IT WORKS!! So what do you think folks…. Could it potentially work, or am I barking up the wrong tree?
spectrrrMaleVenezuela2010-08-09 12:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHow much is your phone bill?
hmm lets see... we chat every day via MSN/Txt message (MSN on my end, comes in as a txt message on her end), and we talk every other night or so on the phone.... and most phone calls are 45-120 minutes long. No internet available for her, and no land line, so no cheap skype or vonage. I defiantely second what Ryna said about having multiple avenues to call with. My primary phone service is a CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP prepay calling card at 8.5 cents a minute (setup to automatically reload the balance when it gets low), but if that doesn't work I can use google voice at 16 cents a minute.... and she has SIM cards from a few different providers down there in case one is not working.

All told, I would say I spend $80/mo on phone bills, plus another $10 in direct text messages.
Add in yearly trip costs of $5000 and packages sent down there... and it comes out to around $500/month, not including whatever she spends on txt messages.
spectrrrMaleVenezuela2010-08-09 14:09:00