ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1/IR1 to bring her from India
Mr. Sachinky wasn't present in India for the notice period either. He signed the papers in the US and I signed my bit in my living room in my PJs.

It took about 3-4 days to get our marriage certificate. My mom paid someone 500/- and they gave us 8 copies of it. Looks like a minty green large sheet of paper with all the information typed out in it (that was filled in during the wedding). The header is titled "Special Marriage Act."
sachinkyFemaleIndia2012-04-12 07:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1/IR1 to bring her from India

hi,
the priest said that the ceremony cannot take place before the end of this year.
sorry if my reply was not clear enough for you.

so it was I who thought that if we marry at the end of this year and then we file for paperwork, means she will come here next year(2013) and not this one.


You mean there's no auspicious date till the end of this year when the two of you can get married?
sachinkyFemaleIndia2012-03-28 08:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1/IR1 to bring her from India

you will not believe the run around we are getting trying to find out about civil marriage. the marriage registrar himself says that we must have a religious ceremony and then bring proof of that and then only will he register the marriage.

can you please tell me a little bit more about your civil marriage process.


Are you both Hindus? In that case, you will have to be married under the Hindu Marriage Act which I am not familiar with. The Special Marriage Act applies when the bride and groom belong to separate religions. I had to file a notice of intent 30 days prior to the wedding. Our wedding comprised signing the marriage certificate in front of the marriage registrar with 3 requisite witnesses in our living room. Then we exchanged rings and garlands. Afterwards, we had a reception for about 250 guests. It was low-key as far as Indian wedding affairs go. It took about 3-4 days to get our marriage certificate. No hoopla. Which part of India are you from?
sachinkyFemaleIndia2012-03-28 07:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1/IR1 to bring her from India
You met in January. I see. It is March and you can't live without each other?

Riiight. Posted Image It's sure gonna be a long process.

Really, I am not trying to be mean but seriously it rubs me the wrong way when people say shite like that.

Read the CR-1 guides. I will always vote CR-1 over the K-1. It's pretty straightforward. We went for a civil marriage under the Special Marriage Act. No issues. Interview at Mumbai lasted for 3 minutes.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2012-03-23 21:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAbandonment of Green Card
Good luck, man, hang in there!
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-08-13 11:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAbandonment of Green Card
There is no I-485 for a IR-1 case.

Have you looked into the DCF option -- would that work for you guys?

The forms involved are an I-130, DS230, DS3032, and I-864. And the waiver, in your case.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-07-22 21:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAbandonment of Green Card
I strongly urge you to NOT listen to Mustafa's 'advice.'
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-07-16 15:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAbandonment of Green Card
If you're in Germany or hold legal status in Germany, I'd recommend filing for Direct Consular Filing. This will take about 4-6 months as opposed to the Consular Processing I-130 which will take about 6-8 months. Could be more with the waiver figured in.

Both of those routes will result in an IR-1 visa which will 'activate' a 10 year Green Card at POE. This time, she will need to maintain her primary residence in the U.S.

I'd suggest a consultation with an attorney just so you're clear on the waiver issue.

And we don't call the USCIS 800 #, the 'misinformation line' for nothing.

Edited by sachinky, 16 July 2010 - 12:15 PM.

sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-07-16 12:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresis he my son or not?
Awesome news, congrats, Ronald!

Best wishes.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-10-08 09:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresis he my son or not?
Good luck! I hope everything works out well for you guys!
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-09-04 17:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1 Visa Denied at US Embassy
Sounds like the Fraud Prevention Unit will step in and do their job. They are very good at what they do.

The case will stay with the Embassy. You can request your Senator or Congressman to contact the Embassy on your behalf.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2011-05-24 20:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresThe Stupid RFE Thread
RFE (Request For Evidence) NOTES from the LingChe guides:
Stay on top of your case during your stay in NVC so you catch an RFE as soon as it pops up.

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE THAT YOU HAVE AN RFE, USE CAUTION. The RFE advice below is under review. A VJ member has reported that they know of instances where sending in RFE information has delayed cases. We are waiting for specific information on these instances, and until such time we caution all users of the guide to use their best judgement in responding to a "possible RFE".

If you review your packages, you might even find an RFE before NVC does, and can send the correction at anytime.
When reviewing your package, it's helpful to know some common RFE as linked here as well as searching the forums.
If you are issued an RFE, send the required documents.

IF YOU CONFIRM WITH NVC THAT YOU HAVE AN RFE, DISREGARD THE WARNING ABOVE.
BARCODED cover sheet you printed from the website, but when addressing your package, change the Attention line from "ATTN: CMR" to "ATTN: DR"
Your own Cover Sheet listing the documents you're sending and reason.
Include the documents missing or corrected based on operator suggestion and your own common sense.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-03-12 16:19:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresThe Stupid RFE Thread
Category:
AOS Package

My stupid RFE was:
USC petitioner's bank statements of all savings and checking accounts. Despite joint sponsor being fully qualified.

What I learned:
Make sure to send in everything you can regarding your financials, even optional stuff you don't think they will ask for.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-03-02 13:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWHAT IT FEELS LIKE!
Hang in there and soon you will be with your love....i so understand what your going through....but all we can do is wait....my husband's papers were transferred to the California office this month and they have been working on them everyday since the 14th of August....so all i can do now is leave it in God's hands....i pray that you will be with your love soon....God Bless....
bassel15FemaleMorocco2008-08-25 18:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCALLING ALL TRANSFERRED APPLICANTS!
QUOTE (maroon5 @ Aug 29 2008, 02:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
My case has reached the visa center. kicking.gif

Im so happy to hear that good luck to you.....

QUOTE (brnidokiegurl @ Aug 29 2008, 02:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
without reading back thru all post can i ask After trans to calif about how long have some of the approvals been taking just as a close average knowing everyone can/will be some different

Well it looks like 15 days or so....
bassel15FemaleMorocco2008-08-29 15:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCALLING ALL TRANSFERRED APPLICANTS!
Just wanted to let you all know that we got approved!!!!!!!!!! kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif Thank You God!!!!!!! I hope the rest of you get your approvals soon......God Bless....
bassel15FemaleMorocco2008-08-29 08:26:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCALLING ALL TRANSFERRED APPLICANTS!
I'm so happy that some of you guys have been approved!!!!!!!!!!I pray that more of you are approved including us.....God Bless kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif
bassel15FemaleMorocco2008-08-28 22:13:00
Middle East and North Africainterview November 16
All the very best to you!
sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-11-15 11:41:00
Middle East and North AfricaLET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR RED FLAGS
Morocco4ever -- I did read your reply. I was just clarifying b/c another poster used herself as an example. =)

One way to test whether the non-USC spouse's motives are genuine, especially if you have some nagging doubts or suspicion: Suggest that after marriage, you, the USC, are willing to make the move and want to live in their home country. Cite whatever you want: declining economic conditions in U.S., no job opportunities, you'd like a change in scenery, you can't imagine separating your SO from their family/friends, etc. And not as a one-off joke. Be serious about it -- look at apartments and jobs online. Say you wanna learn the language. Ask about public transport, gas and electricity, local restaurants and movie theaters. Be very convincing about it. After a month or so of this, if your SO is still hanging around, you'll know that he/she is in it for the real deal. On the other hand, if they've done the disappearing act, you'll know what they really were after in the first place. Quite simple if a bit sneaky.

But you can't be too careful when it comes down to the rest of your life, now can you?

And before I get flamed for this -- I'm the non-USC spouse from India. I just don't like people getting hurt, that's all. USC and non-USCs alike.

Edited by sachinky, 19 November 2009 - 06:16 PM.

sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-11-19 18:16:00
Middle East and North AfricaLET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR RED FLAGS
Hey -- I was only talking in generalities. I'm not doubting/questioning/attacking every single relationship that starts out that way. No need to use your own relationship as a defense.

I'm sure plenty of people could cite specific cases where the relationship was 100% genuine. And has remained a viable, functioning one for at least 3-5 years after the immigration procedure is over. (As an addendum: sometimes, it may not even last those few years but then one must honestly analyze the relationship and aswer these questions -- was it really just a scam to get a GC? Or could it be that you did not know your SO well enough? How much time did you really spend together? Were the cultural adjustments and social differences too much for the immigrant from a more traditional country to make? Too much stress for a new marriage to handle? I've seen/read cases where the petitioner will claim fraud as soon as the marriage goes downhill. While it may or may not be a case of fraud, he/she must also recognize his/her own part in the process).

And, of course, there are several, well documented cases of USC spouses getting a giant heave-ho as soon as the GC arrives in the mail.

Here's the problem with love: When you're in it, even an actual red flag looming in front of your eyes, can be ignored or quite easily be explained away. The more people, whether family, friends or well-wishers, try to "warn" you, the more determined and convinced one becomes of the validity/sincerity of one's relationship. "The world is against us, then this MUST be true love, right? No one understands our feelings!"

Edited by sachinky, 18 November 2009 - 06:34 PM.

sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-11-18 18:31:00
Middle East and North AfricaLET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR RED FLAGS
Just my $.02 on the older woman/younger man thing. A lot has to do with who is online and at what time. A 25 year old greencard scammer in Morocco isn't going to find a PYT 20 year old American girl in college. She probably is too busy with her social life, schoolwork and fratboys. Far too many options for her to choose from. She isn't going to bother responding to a badly composed request for friendship - "hi ther, wanna do friendship?" Whereas, an older woman, divorced, single mom, tired after a hard day's work, too busy/tired to date, would probably be more susceptible to someone who is nice to them online, for whatever reason, who is willing to listen to them, tells them all the things I want to hear -- that she's funny, pretty, smart etc. However, when it's a "Will you marry me?" after barely a week of communicating online, that's when you need to take a reality check.

I'm not knocking on all internet relationships, but a charade of chatting for an hour daily for three months is not that hard to keep up. It's VERY easy to pretend someone you're not online. It's very easy to talk to SEVERAL people online at the same time while the person on the other line probably has no idea and is feeling flattered at all the attention he/she is receiving. It gives one a sense of reality even if it is all virtual. And while communication is great, don't fall for all the BS you hear. Even if it is what you want to hear. Try and meet in person as many times as possible before actually tying the knot. After marriage, presumably you will be living with that person and as far as you know, she/he might be very different from how they represented (or misrepresented) themselves to you online. Get the best, accurate picture of your SOs and this can only be done in-person, face to face. Not through a computer screen, separated by thousands of miles.

Have your thinking caps on. That said, good luck to everyone on their visajourney!
sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-11-15 22:04:00
Middle East and North AfricaLET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR RED FLAGS
I'm not MENA but I did find this thread extremely useful. At least when it stayed on track.

These red flags could technically apply for any consulate in the world.

And while it is hard NOT to take such things personally, you have to view your case from the eyes of a CO/US Immigration.They are not sitting there willingly handing out visas. Think of it as guilty before proven innocent. The burden of proof is on the applicant, not the consulate. Don't bank on things such as love and friendship. Love is BLIND. View your cases OBJECTIVELY. Ask for neutral third party observations. A 50 year old American woman, possibly with kids/divorced, engaged to a 20 year guy from an impoverished Third World nation decides to get married after an extremely short courtship of two-three months online is BOUND to raise a few eyebrows. Whether you like it or not. Especially through a high fraud consulate.

So instead of raving and ranting against the unfairness of it all (and yes, of course, it is unfair. But mostly because people in the past HAVE taken advantage of this route), take all the advice you can get. It can only help you. Pinpoint your red flags and work towards eliminating them.

Edited by sachinky, 15 November 2009 - 09:59 PM.

sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-11-15 21:55:00
Middle East and North AfricaAre you using me for a greencard?
WHAT is the purpose of this discussion? I mean, what is the topic in question that everyone is debating? I only see a lot of rambling.

Is Tina Turner making a comeback?
sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-12-11 10:18:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhich type of visa
Go for the IR1/CR1.

K3 is practically obsolete at this point. It was introduced at a time when CR1s were taking years to be processed so as to allow the immigrant to be with the USC spouse during the process. Nowadays they are processing both at about the same time -- the only place where the K3 saves you time (4 weeks or so) is in the NVC stage. Not worth it. The CR1 is a far superior visa as has been explained in minute detail regarding cost/time/benefits. After two years, you may file for removal of conditions.

You don't want to have to deal with USCIS more than you really need to.

Good luck on your visajourney! smile.gif

Edited by sachinky, 12 December 2009 - 07:06 PM.

sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-12-12 19:05:00
Middle East and North AfricaNervous about the interview..
You should be prepared for an AP. Seems common enough for Moroccan men.

Looks like there's a bit of grilling that goes on during the interviews -- especially, the online cases. So be prepared with TONS of evidence.

And also, like someone else pointed out, people need to get over this misconception that having a child is a fast ticket. It is not proof of a valid relationship, just that you had sex with someone. Not saying this to be rude -- but don't BANK on a visa based on your child alone.

Good luck and keep us posted! smile.gif
sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-12-14 05:02:00
Middle East and North AfricaPeople from DOS is going to visit my fiancee's home !
Let us know how it goes.

Good luck!:)
sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-12-13 13:56:00
Middle East and North AfricaSo is there any real rhyme or reason to AP?
I think most men from the "hot spots" get it. I'm not sure about the women, really.

Red flags most certainly do. A lot of it is for name checks and background verification or additional document processing.

It's tough luck.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-12-17 08:12:00
Middle East and North AfricaAnyone's parent/s hate their fiance/e?
OP, I'm sorry about your mom not liking your fiance. I hope in time she comes to like him and appreciate why you love him as much as you do.

At the interview, your fiance should say whatever he knows to be the truth.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-12-19 00:44:00
Middle East and North AfricaTanya and Mohamed no more!
This thread makes me wonder how people can do this to other people.

I'm sorry for all your troubles. I hope you find the peace and love you deserve.

Professor Dumbledore is a wise man -- "We accept the love we think we deserve."
sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-12-14 02:58:00
Middle East and North AfricaTanya and Mohamed no more!
I'm sorry for your heartbreak. What happened exactly?
sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-11-15 22:45:00
Middle East and North AfricaTanya and Mohamed no more!
Oh dear! I'm so sorry.

Did you know him for a long time before you guys tied the knot? Or was he great at putting on a very convincing act?

Edited by sachinky, 15 November 2009 - 06:35 PM.

sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-11-15 18:34:00
Middle East and North AfricaLosing friends because of marriage choice
Wow, everyday we learn something new.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-12-28 01:17:00
Middle East and North AfricaOverseas Visits
Try and save diligently for the next 6 months so that you can travel and take a family trip.

I am not a mother and I don't plan on becoming one in the near future, but I can't imagine letting a 7 month old travelling without his mother.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-01-01 05:19:00
Middle East and North AfricaFoolish friend wants to come to US on visitor visa & marry b/c fiancee won't fly to Morocco
Ok. I'm confused. And let me see if I understand this.

It is not illegal to enter on a tourist visa and get married and adjust status if you had no previous intention to do so.
Eg: Visiting your boyfriend in the US on a tourist visa, he proposes, you guys go down to the court house and get married. And then file the paperwork.

You may also enter on a tourist visa and get married and then leave to file the CR1/K3.
Eg: You say you're gonna get married on the forms/POE to your fiancee/girlfriend and will leave once your NOA2 is given/or your tourist visa expires whichever is first. And you do just that and wait while your IV gets processed.

However, to enter on a tourist with previous intention to get married/file AOS is illegal?

I'm guessing this previous intent is what is hard to prove.
As long as you don't lie on the forms/POE, you're good to go?
I'm guessing if you have a spontaneous Vegas chapel wedding it's okay. But an elaborate white wedding just doesn't seem very spontaneous, does it?


Do I understand this information correctly? Yes or no?

Edited by sachinky, 10 November 2009 - 12:49 PM.

sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-11-10 12:46:00
Middle East and North AfricaVisa denied in Algeria
I'm sorry -- I hope something can be worked out. Good luck!

Edited by sachinky, 17 December 2009 - 08:10 AM.

sachinkyFemaleIndia2009-12-17 08:09:00
Middle East and North Africadevistated...now what?
Oh dear. What a horrible thing. I'm so sorry, this has happened to you.

Keep the faith, and be strong!

You can call the Embassy/DOS and see if they can tell you the visa has been activated at the border.

I do think he's in the U.S. and "divorcing" you so that he can live his life now as he pleases.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-01-28 10:57:00
Middle East and North Africacasablanca consulate is LOONEYTUNES
Maybe use their death certificate to confirm the last name?
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-01-31 13:38:00
Middle East and North AfricaFriend from Libya
20 hours during the semester.
40 hours in the summer.
This employment HAS to be on campus. In my four years at college, I worked in the dining hall, in the History department as a student assistant, in the library and held several internship projects with department professors.

If he's caught working illegally off campus, his visa will be revoked.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-02-23 07:45:00
Middle East and North AfricaOur Interview Monday 2/22
CONGRATULATIONS! Once again! That sounds easy. :) Hope that passport is returned really soon!
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-02-23 00:18:00
Middle East and North Africak1 denied jan 5th,just got email from uscis
That is incredible. I've never heard of a reaffirmation so soon. Good luck for Round II.
sachinkyFemaleIndia2010-02-23 07:03:00