Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Which country my I-130 for IR1/CR1 will go to?	Oh I see ... now this is weird .. as the title of the question (22) is "Complete this section if you relative (her) is in US and will be applying for AOS " .. I wrote N/A in all four boxes, without noticing the small subtitle on last two boxes. I hope they donot hold it against me and reject I130, and route it to Malaysia as Ryan H said. If they dont and deny it, too bad. I hope they either put the right one in, or ask for new I130, else I am out of the fee For what it's worth, we put N/A on all four blanks in question 22 of the I-130 for the same reason you mentioned. It was not an issue for us so you probably don't need to worry about them rejecting your application because of it. Edited by caly, 30 January 2012 - 01:57 PM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-01-30 13:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Tax forms for I-864	Not sure about the tax documents, but regarding paystubs, we submitted the equivalent of 6 months worth of paystubs which was 12 paystubs for us as my husband gets paid twice a month.	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-01-30 13:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Finally!!!!	Congrats!	caly	Female	Singapore	2011-10-21 05:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Marriage certificates	I'm hoping someone can help answer a quick question. My Canadian fiance and I (I'm American) are to be married in Ottawa in a couple weeks. I'll arrive a few days early and we'll apply for our marriage license in Ontario, to use in Ottawa. After we're married, I understand the officiant fills in the license and mails it to the Office of the Registrar General for registration, while giving us a Record of Solemnization. Next, we'll apply for the marriage certificate. My almost-husband will be immigrating to the U.S., and our intention is to file the papers for the CR-1 visa shortly after we obtain the marriage certificate. My question is this -- Do we need to do anything on the U.S. side with the certificate of marriage? Asked differently, once the province of Ontario validates the completed license and issues the certificate, there's no "next step" we have to do on the States-side with just the certificate, is there? USCIS will accept the marriage certificate of another country, no problem, right? And any other last-minute advice for us two weeks out that will ease the immigration paperwork to follow?? I'm all nerves on THAT part! Thanks everyone. I'm encouraged to know you all have similar life experiences in many instances and are all here to help. It's a huge comfort. Anne Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! If the marriage certificate is in english, you don't need to do anything with it. As for advice... I found that compiling separate checklists of all documents that needed to go with each form helped us to stay organized throughout the process (especially when you are reading ahead and don't want to forget anything later!) Being proactive also helps to speed things up alot, if that's what you are after. This is especially true during the NVC stage. A couple of links that were invaluable to us during our journey: Loto's Spousal Visa Guide LingChe NVC shortcut Good luck!	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-01-30 14:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	NVC Check List	I thought it was just a copy of all civil documents, not the whole DS230 pkg. That was cleared up later on in the thread. My mistake.	caly	Female	Singapore	2011-04-14 23:22:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	NVC Check List	Good advice Caly, but as far as I now is only copy of civil documents together with original or certified copy. At least is what we did asking other VJ members that have gone true all process. Thank you for clarifying.	caly	Female	Singapore	2011-03-18 20:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	NVC Check List	Wouldn't let me edit my post to add this. The EZGuideSpouse has the following items listed under things to include in the IV packet: a. Bar-coded cover sheet b. 2 Passport-sized photographs of the beneficiary c. Completed and signed form DS-230 Part 1 by the beneficiary d. Completed and 'unsigned' form DS-230 Part 2 by the beneficiary e. Photocopy of the biographic data page of the beneficiary's passport f. Original/Certified birth certificate of the beneficiary g. Original/Certified marriage certificate of the beneficiary and the petitioner h. Original police certificate(s) of the beneficiary i. Original/Certified divorce decree of the beneficiary's prior marriage(s), if applicable j. Original military certificate of the beneficiary, if applicable k. 1 set Photocopy of all the above civil documents The bolded item was what I was thinking about, but what I read was to submit a copy of everything, not just the civil documents. These will probably suffice.	caly	Female	Singapore	2011-03-18 10:54:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	NVC Check List	Caly - I quit didn't understand what you were recommending "Also, don't forget to include a photocopy of the entire DS-230 package with your DS-230 submission." Can you share what you mean on these DS-230 Stuff? Thank You Everyone! Josh Hum.. This is what I meant: assemble your DS-230 packet completely make a copy of the whole thing [and maybe 2 more copies for your own records and to send to your spouse] send out (1) and (2) to NVC I read somewhere to include that copy of the entire package... Thought was the NVC website, but since I cannot find it anymore now, it's probably just recommended but not required. Maybe the only reason to do this is so that they will return your original civil documents at the interview and still have a copy for their records. Otherwise you probably won't get your originals back. Sorry for the confusion!	caly	Female	Singapore	2011-03-18 10:43:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	NVC Check List	Looks like you have everything... Except, I don't think you are supposed to send proof of relationship to NVC, save it for the interview. Also, don't forget to include a photocopy of the entire DS-230 package with your DS-230 submission. Hope your petition gets approved soon!	caly	Female	Singapore	2011-03-18 02:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Starting the CR1 process	I agree with what everyone else has said. Unless your situation is unique, there's really no need to pay someone to help you file paperwork. Just read and re-read the guides, take notes if you feel like it will help give you a better picture (that's what I did!) I basically made my own step-by-step guide based on everything I read here and stuck it to the wall so I could easily tell what needed to get done next. Reading material: I-130 guide (start here) LingChe's NVC guide NVC process flowchart Good luck! Edited to add: It's also very important to triple check everything you send to USCIS/NVC as errors can lead to delays. Edited by caly, 28 September 2012 - 01:53 PM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-09-28 13:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Proof of bona fide marriage	I would not suggest to overwhelm them with paper for the I-130... make your point that it is bona fide That being said, I've read that while the consulate officers HAVE to take into consideration the evidence in the I-130 packet when they make a decision, this is not the case for any additional evidence you take to the interview. Some really nasty COs completely ignore any other evidence at the interview. Of course, this only really happens in the more notorious and difficult consulates which is why they always say to build a really strong case with your I-130 if you are petitioning for someone from one of the high fraud countries. I'm not sure if Israel is one of them though. Edited by caly, 28 September 2012 - 01:39 PM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-09-28 13:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Post-interview problem - five weeks to get a visa!!	Oh my, how confusing. At least you got some answers from the embassy. Hope the visa arrives soon.	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-09-28 13:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	The Curious Case Of Moving To America	Hey, So I am a resident of Mumbai, India. Just got married last month in India. My spouse is a a citizen of USA, studying in Houston, Texas. I plan to join her in the US and do an MBA, after which I may live there with my wife or we may move back to India together. Having consulted an immigration lawyer, they determined that the CR-1 Visa would be the best route for us to proceed with. However, in most cases of CR-1 Visa, the US Citizen will be supporting the immigrant. However, in this case, my wife is still a student, staying with her family. Also, since we are not staying in the same country and she has now gone back, we do not have joint bank statements or other financial documents. My questions are: 1) If I name my wife as my sponsor, does that mean she HAS to be financing me? Or should I name my father in law as a co-sponsor too? I wouldn't want to unnecesarily get into extra paperwork. 2) She is going to start filling the I-110 form for me from Texas. Does she need the original of our Marriage Certificate, or do I hold on to that for the interview and simply send her a copy? 3) In the I-130 form, will the lack of any financial data for Proof Of Marriage make them suspicious? We have our wedding album, invitations, relatives and friends who can attest it is real, and Skype/IM Transcripts. Will these suffice? 4) If I tell the Immigration Authorities that I may or may not stay in the US permanently after my MBA, will that be a reason for them to reject me? Thanks in advance. 1. Your wife is the primary sponsor, even if she makes no money. Her dad can be the joint sponsor- ie he needs to fill in a I-864 too, submit tax papers etc, when the time comes. 3. No, the government realises you won't have joint accounts etc when you do not live together. Evidence of spending time together (airline tickets, photos etc) and communicating (emails, phone bills etc) are fine. 4. Not by itself, but they may find it odd. I would not mention it unless they specifically ask. Her dad should fill in the I-864A (instead of the I-864) if they live in the same household, right? Pretty sure I've got this right but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.. We didn't use a joint sponsor so I may not have my facts straight! Good luck, OP! Edited to add: Nevermind what I said! Seems the I-864 is the way to go if her dad qualifies on his own. Read this thread for an explanation. Sorry for the confusion! Edited by caly, 10 December 2012 - 08:21 AM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-12-10 08:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-864A	You cannot use the I-864EZ as it is only for sponsors that qualify based on their own income alone. You and your father should each fill out your own I-864 form as you are not living under the same household.	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-12-11 07:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	POE at jfk help please	It will be alright for you to be there to translate. My POE was JFK too. My husband (the USC) and I flew here together and we were together the whole time. The CBP officer didn't really even acknowledge me and just directed all questions at him. So I just let him take the lead and do the talking. The only time CBP guy spoke to me was to tell me to look into the camera and to put my fingers on the scan pad for fingerprinting.	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-12-18 18:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Need Help aboutG-325A	You wife is allowed to take your name, however, that particular question on the form asks specifically for her maiden name. I am guessing this is so that the name on the G-325A will match up with the name on your wife's birth certificate. Not sure on this one though!	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-12-19 14:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Need Help aboutG-325A	Hello everyone ! Im' filling Inshaa Allah (God willing ) The i-130 ( The cr-1) i have question about The G325 a im' the benificiary my wife was already married which means divorced of course the question what i ahve to write in this (" curent husband or wives (if none,state)/family Name( for wife, give maiden Name ) her maiden name or my family now .Ty for everyone any help will be more than welcome You will need to put her maiden name in that box. Good luck!	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-12-19 14:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Question about DS-230	Hi guys, i (Beneficiary) am married to a USC, and my wife (Petitioner) is currenty living in the US. and this is the first time that i got married. Now i am in the process to file out the Form DS-230 to the NVC. my questions are: in question n° 9 about the marital status: shall i put that i am married or they mean to put "married" if with other than the USC ? questions 14 to 18 are concerning my USC wife (Petitioner) ? This is asking about current marital status. "Married" for you.. then "Including my present marriage, I have been married 1 times." what about question n° 31a : shall i put N/A or NONE ? since no one will accompany me to the US because my wife is currently living in the US. None thank you very much guys for your help Good luck and welcome to VJ! Edited by caly, 19 December 2012 - 08:29 AM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-12-19 08:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	HELP	That is confusing so just to understand... I send photocopies of my marriage certificate and birth certificate and then later the NVC will request me to send the original? I was rereading the I130 instructions and I do see now it says copies of the documents and not originals. I did intercept the parcel so I will review again and just use copies this time. Yup. You'll only need originals at NVC and the interview (good to have on hand just in case of unexpected emergencies). Good luck! Edited by caly, 21 December 2012 - 08:49 PM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-12-21 20:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Need help	You can either scan the form you have signed and email it, or use the email template: http://www.visajourn...il_DS-3032_form The email address is NVCINQUIRY@state.gov	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-12-30 15:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	need advice	The K-3 is still in use.. It's just obsolete and the I-129F is usually closed and the K-3 is processed as a CR-1. Not sure what you can do (if anything!) to get the papers you've sent returned. But if I were you, I'd study the guides linked in post #2 above and re-send the required paperwork to the right address. Stay on top of things from here on out as it's obvious your "caseworker" doesn't have a clue. Start here: http://www.visajourn...ge_documents.3F Good luck!	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-12-31 18:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	DS 230 question #2	None is fine in those spaces. We had filled out "NONE" even though my husband ended up visiting me again and he entered the US with me. Think it's more asking if anyone else will be immigrating with you.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-03 13:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	DS 230 question #2	Do you go by any other name(s) or have you changed your name before? If yes, put other name down. If you are female and you changed your name after marriage then you need to fill this one out with your old name. (Edited to add: Just looked at your timeline, guess this does not apply to you. ) If neither of the above is true, put none. Edited by caly, 03 January 2013 - 12:14 PM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-03 12:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CONFUSED: Received Notice for I-601A but spouse never been in US	You would suggest calling into NVC and speaking to a human to try to sort this out. I would not advice disregarding any info that is requested, even if it does not pertain to your case.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-03 16:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-130 Proof of bona fide marriage	I'm sending off our I-130 packet this weekend but I'm anxious about the proof of bonafide marriage because we met in the US while he was here on a visitor visa and then he returned to his country and a few months later, sent me tickets to come to Dubai where we got married. I stayed there for 2 weeks with him and then returned to the US so we don't have any joint bank accts, no lease agreements, no joint bills at all... we've got really nothing other than a marriage certificate and some photos to prove our marriage exists. There really isn't anyone in the US who would even be able to sign any type of statement that they know us to be married since we haven't lived together in the US and he hasn't yet met my family and friends (other than my children). Do you think the marriage certificate, copy of the plane ticket he sent me and the photos are going to be enough if I include in the cover letter an explanation as to why we don't have these other documents? Does anyone have any advice to offer for this situation? Many thanks! A lot of people who file for the CR-1/IR-1 have not lived together and don't have that kind of proof to submit. Don't sweat it, you don't even need to explain it to them but you can if you want to. If you don't think you have enough evidence, other things you might consider including are: evidence of communication (chat logs, phone logs, emails, letters etc..) entry and exit stamps in your passport from when you have visited each other have you added each other as the beneficiary on the other person's insurance? If yes, you can include that as proof of financial co-mingling. Good luck!	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-04 08:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Sponsor Canadian to the US	You have the right idea! Highly recommended readings: http://www.visajourn...p/EZGuideSpouse & http://www.visajourn...he_NVC_ShortCut Also, Montreal has an optional electronic processing programme at the NVC stage. If this applies to you, Saylin has compiled a very comprehensive guide to electronic processing in Montreal here. Read, digest and follow up in these forums with any questions. Good luck!	caly	Female	Singapore	2012-12-10 16:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	i-130 approved & i going the CR1 path	we should just stick with the Cr1 path Yes. The i-601a waiver does not apply to your case at all.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-10 11:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	how long	If you requested one during your application process for immigration it should arrive within a few weeks of you entering the US on your visa. If you haven't applied for one yet you need to go to an office and apply in person I believe and then it will come soon after that. MsHogan, you are confusing the green card with the SSN card. OP: The green card will usually take anywhere from a couple of weeks to 2 months to arrive in the mail.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-10 11:33:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Explanation Letter To Accompany I-130	You shouldn't have a problem with this. USCIS considers you married as long as you are legally married in the country that issued your marriage certificate.. Which would be the date of your civil ceremony. Not at all a bad thing that you subsequently had a big wedding ceremony that follows the customs/traditions (picking an auspicious day for the ceremony) of your spouse's culture.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-09 11:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-130/IR-1 received but can I travel on a VWP?	Maybe I'm confused about something but you don't need to be in the presence of your spouse to go through the paperwork turn in at the border. I believe (and I may be wrong!) that the USC spouse has to enter before or with CR-1 holder. OP: Not sure if you will be able to enter on the VWP. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can provide an answer. BTW, congrats on your visa approval! Edited to add: Did a quick search of the forums and found a similar thread here! The consensus is that it's possible but totally at the discretion of the CBP officer at your POE. Be prepared to have your request denied if you do try it. Edited by caly, 14 January 2013 - 07:35 PM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-14 19:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-130 "last address at which you lived together"...short term okay?	Husband and I had visited each other for periods of time between 2 weeks to 3 months before we submitted the I-130. We wrote "just married, never lived together, extended visits only" in that space. Good luck!	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-15 12:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	can i apply visitor visa for usa or not yet my spouse visa already running in process.	You can apply for a visitor's visa while your spousal visa is being processed. You will need to prove strong ties to India such as property ownership, car ownership, having a stable job, etc.. There's no harm in trying for the visitor's visa because a denial won't affect your spousal visa at all. Good luck! Edited by caly, 17 January 2013 - 07:06 AM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-17 07:05:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Many questions! Please help!	That was probably just bad Karma	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-17 15:54:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Many questions! Please help!	Thank you! Your lawyer recommended showing that your wife changed her last name. Do you think it'd be recommended that I go ahead and change mine? I was just worried that I wouldn't ba able to get my passport changed before I turn in my paperwork, so I didnt want 2 different last names showing up during the process, confusing anybody. Or do you think it will be fine since they'll have a copy of my marriage certificate? Thanks so much for your advice! I'm the beneficiary and I didn't (and still haven't) changed my name. Just sayin'.. It's not necessary to change your name once you get married. When and if you do it should be your choice, not to please USCIS or anyone else. But if you want to file using your married name, all you need is the marriage certificate, yes. Edited by caly, 17 January 2013 - 01:22 PM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-17 13:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CRI visa or K3 Visa	There's no charge to file the i-129f when it is filed following the receipt of the i-130. My bad.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-17 15:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CRI visa or K3 Visa	You are not receiving bad information. The K-3 is an obsolete visa. It was useful a few years back when spousal visas were taking 2-3 years to adjudicate. Current processing times are, on average 8-12 months for the CR-1. These days K-3s are rarely (if ever) issued. What usually happens now is that both the I-130 and I-129f are approved at the same time and then the I-129f is automatically administratively closed. The information you are looking for is stated here: http://travel.state....es_2993.html#21 Also, when filing both, the initial I-130 gets pulled out of it's place in the queue and is matched up with the I-129f so you end up actually losing time for no reason. Not to mention, it's kind of a waste of money to file the I-129f today. Edited by caly, 17 January 2013 - 03:49 PM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-17 15:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Worried:/ pls help	The forms all ask about other names used.. In the I-130 question #7 "Other Names Used (including maiden name); DS-230 question #2 "Other Names Used or Aliases (If married woman, give maiden name)". As long as you fill in those spaces with your other name(s) you shouldn't have a problem. As mentioned above you will need to submit divorce decrees to prove you are legally divorced and could legally marry your current husband. So yes, they will know but it shouldn't affect processing. Good luck! Edited by caly, 17 January 2013 - 07:22 AM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-17 07:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?	My husband and I are working on getting Skype call logs but they only go back a year - how did you evidence for the chat logs the whole time? We also use blackberry messenger but I'm not sure that we can get evidence... we don't want to overdo it of course, but I don't want to provide too little evidence either - we have not been able to live together except when visiting the others' country, etc... thoughts? I'm not really familiar with Skype chat history and have had absolutely no experience with Blackberry. We've used MSN messenger forever so no reason to switch, really. (Until now since MSN messenger is going bye-bye in a few months ) This thread sounds helpful with regards to generating Skype chat history an call logs though: http://www.visajourn...kype-chat-logs/	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-19 11:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?	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). We did ours the same way. Our trip related stuff was also arranged in the same chronological order. 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. Totally agree! did you eventually have to print the photos on photopaper for the interview stage? 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. 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? Our petition fit in a regular USPS envelope.. Not sure about your options in Japan though!	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-05 10:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-130 proof of relationship: Good enough?	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! 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 ) 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. But as leszeku1 said, don't sweat it too much. People have been approved with a lot less. Edited by caly, 04 January 2013 - 07:58 AM.	caly	Female	Singapore	2013-01-04 07:52:00