ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionVSC Approval Email
Thank you all, very much! yes.gif
SilentJesterMaleCanada2008-01-08 16:40:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionVSC Approval Email
Application Type: CRI89 , PETITION TO REMOVE CONDITIONS OF PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS RECEIVED
Current Status: Card production ordered.

On January 7, 2008, we ordered production of your new card. Please allow 30 days for your card to be mailed to you. If we need something from you we will contact you. If you move before you receive the card, call customer service. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we process your case. Just follow the link below to register. If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision from USCIS within the current processing time listed*, please contact USCIS Customer Service at (800) 375-5283.


Package received by VSC on 7/6/2007
NOA1 received on 8/25/2007

Nice surprise for me when I got home from work today...wasn't expecting this for a few more months!
SilentJesterMaleCanada2008-01-07 16:54:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionTime to do the USCIS dance again
$545 on one check for form fee and biometrics. We've always sent stuff express certified via USPS, gets it there in 2 days usually.
SilentJesterMaleCanada2008-02-20 17:15:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionWhat evidences did you submit?
Nope, on the pictures we listed the names of everyone and their relationship to us though.
SilentJesterMaleCanada2008-01-08 22:21:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionWhat evidences did you submit?
Joint Tax Transcript from 2006
Copy of joint bank account statements, 1 each from 2005,2006,2007 - random months
Copy of our lease with both of our signatures on it
Copies of Electric bill and Gas bill from our old apartment that were in both our names
Pictures from family events and a wedding we went to
Copies of Health Insurance cards showing the same policy
Copies of a Joint Credit Card
Proof that my wife was listed as the beneficiary of my life insurance from work

Really all I can recall at the moment....may have been a few more things that I am missing but that about sums it up. Case was approved with no RFE's

*edit* Don't be discouraged about the wait time for it, we got ours approved in almost exactly 6 months. Really not THAT bad at all compared to the times for some other parts of this journey! yes.gif

Edited by SilentJester, 08 January 2008 - 10:21 PM.

SilentJesterMaleCanada2008-01-08 22:17:00
CanadaCR1 Spousal Visa - INTERVIEW DATE!
Congrats! We just got an interview date of June 2nd assigned today as well. Good luck to you!!
sviracMaleCanada2009-04-27 22:12:00
CanadaPost-Visa questions
Thank you everyone for your replies! Much appreciated!
sviracMaleCanada2009-06-08 10:27:00
CanadaPost-Visa questions
Hi everybody!

My wife recently received her CR-1 visa after her interview in Montreal. Her plan is to do the big move in a couple of weeks.

However, she does want to come down for a visit this week to help me sort out our new home.

So, my questions are these:

1) Does she have to immigrate at the border now that she has her visa? (I assume yes?) Or can she just come for a visit and chose to immigrate in a couple of weeks?

2) If she does have to immigrate at that time, does she have to immigrate her car as well? She hasn't yet received the necessary paper work to do so. Could she immigrate herself now and her car later?

That's about it. If anyone knows the answers to the above, I'd be greatly appreciative. Thanks!

-svirac
sviracMaleCanada2009-06-06 08:48:00
CanadaAnother Name Change thread - how to change after immigration complete??
QUOTE (Carlawarla @ Jul 16 2009, 08:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (svirac @ Jul 15 2009, 02:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hi all;

I've read through multiple posts about name changing in various situations, with AOS, during the CR-1 application process, etc., etc., but couldn't find anything to address our specific situation.

Here's my question:

My wife has gone through the CR-1 process, received her visa, and already immigrated at the POE and is living in the US now. She wants to start using my last name as her own, but we don't know what we need to do to make that happen.

Where can we start? All of her documents have her maiden name - the marriage certificate, the visa (green card), passport, etc. So, what is the first step? The next step after that?

Any direction or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much in advance!!



My understanding is that to change the name on the GC before it's time for renewal, is that it costs $390.00. Personally, I'd wait until that needs renewal, then apply for everything else around that same time.



Thanks to everyone for your replies! This helps much!
sviracMaleCanada2009-07-16 16:19:00
CanadaAnother Name Change thread - how to change after immigration complete??
Hi all;

I've read through multiple posts about name changing in various situations, with AOS, during the CR-1 application process, etc., etc., but couldn't find anything to address our specific situation.

Here's my question:

My wife has gone through the CR-1 process, received her visa, and already immigrated at the POE and is living in the US now. She wants to start using my last name as her own, but we don't know what we need to do to make that happen.

Where can we start? All of her documents have her maiden name - the marriage certificate, the visa (green card), passport, etc. So, what is the first step? The next step after that?

Any direction or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much in advance!!
sviracMaleCanada2009-07-15 14:33:00
CanadaHow long after the interview did you wait before you got your visa??
My wife had the interview on Tues., June 2, 2009. She just received the ExpressPost mailer with her passport and visa today!! Two days turnaround. She lives in Mississauga. Very cool!!

She's coming down on Monday - for good. smile.gif
sviracMaleCanada2009-06-04 15:16:00
CanadaGardasil
and as i initially thought, it was best to leave it off the forums. my apologies - i had the best interests of all at heart.

best of luck to all on their journey. you can still PM me if you want - i"ll gladly respond, as I have done so in the past.
sviracMaleCanada2009-09-02 23:00:00
CanadaGardasil
It seems I can't win. When I don't disclose what we did, people complain and ask me to speak up. When I do disclose it, people make fraud accusations. I only posted it because I was getting PMed frequently to please share the info - people asking me to do so as this comes up quite often in these forums.

In any case, I'll keep it out there for a while. If it's deemed inappropriate or if people complain more, I'll ask the moderators to remove the post on my behalf. I apologize for whatever problems any other users may have. I was just trying to help.
sviracMaleCanada2009-09-02 12:26:00
CanadaGardasil
QUOTE (Carlawarla @ Jul 16 2009, 08:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (svirac @ Jul 15 2009, 02:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
We were able to avoid taking the vaccine altogether. PM me if you want more information.


Please don't ask someone to PM you about this information. We are asked all the time about this information on this forum, and this ends up in pages of discussion and no one is closer to getting information at avoiding it than when it is first asked. This information should be made available to everyone, so that we can refer them to this post, or that we can post on how to avoid this.

Thanks!


Sorry Carlawarla,

I would post how we did it if I could, but I think it would get moderated off of here. It wasn't exactly "legal" or "legit" or "moral" or whatever you want to call it. We "beat the system" for lack of a better term.

So, I have to resort to PM...
sviracMaleCanada2009-07-16 16:22:00
CanadaGardasil
We were able to avoid taking the vaccine altogether. PM me if you want more information.
sviracMaleCanada2009-07-15 14:41:00
CanadaIR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview
We passed the interview on 6/2/2009. The wife was there solo, so all I know is that it was fast and easy. She met another VJer there, but since I'm the primary user, she couldn't remember my VJ name for their reference. Anyways, she was in just before 7 am and was out of there just after 9 am. After she got the "Welcome to the US" from the interviewer, my wife exclaimed (while all a-smiles) "REALLY?? THAT WAS SOOOO EASY!!!! YAY!!" The interviewer did look at her funny, but still let her have the Visa. I don't think this is the recommended response, but it made me laugh.

Sooo glad to be done with this part of the journey. Best of luck to the rest of you!
sviracMaleCanada2009-06-03 14:38:00
CanadaIR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview
hey trailmix - not to be picky, but in a quest to be accurate, our interview date is 6/2/2009, not 5/19/2009. Thanks! smile.gif

Edited by svirac, 30 April 2009 - 01:39 PM.

sviracMaleCanada2009-04-30 13:38:00
CanadaIR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview
Serendipity - it might not be nearly that long...

We just got our interview date!!!

June 2nd, 2009 - that's 6/2/09, only about 47 days (I didn't do exact math here - a bit too excited for that) after our case was done @ the NVC.

So excited. Please update my stats. Thanks!!! Good luck to all!!!
sviracMaleCanada2009-04-27 21:57:00
CanadaIR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview
Serendipity,

We had the same issue in our NVC journey. It was quite frustrating - they put a note on it to get a supervisor to update it, but it takes forever. Apparently, the problem is that the IV payment becomes available to be paid online before the internal NVC system is ready to accept payment. So, you pay online, but since the internal system wasn't in sync, the payment doesn't process both places. Quite silly - they shouldn't let you pay on the website until they are ready across the board to accept the fee. In any case, I feel your pain. Be patient, they will get to it, and a bit quicker than their quoted timeline, although not much. Good luck!
sviracMaleCanada2009-04-20 23:18:00
CanadaIR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview
Hi all!

We are officially done at the NVC as of 4/15/2009 per the AVR system!!
No RFE for us - thank god.

Now, we just have to wait to be scheduled for an interview, I suppose. Hoping for one in the very near future - optimism never hurt throughout the process (at least thus far). smile.gif

Just thought I'd update. Good luck to all!
sviracMaleCanada2009-04-16 15:57:00
CanadaIR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview
Hi all!

We're currently awaiting completion at NVC. Thought I might join the crew here. Here's our timeline:

Member: svirac
NOA2: 2/23/2009
Case# @NVC: 2/26/2009
Mailed I-864: 3/5/2009
Mailed DS-230: 3/24/2009

That's where we're at. Hoping for completion soon and an interview in May.... hopefully.

Good luck to all!
sviracMaleCanada2009-03-26 13:38:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (pgp @ May 28 2009, 03:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Can anyone give me driving directions from El Paso to the consulate and/or the nearby Holiday Inn? Paseo de la Victoria must be relatively new because I can't seem to find it on any maps.


From the Holiday Inn website:

QUOTE
FROM EL PASO, TX: CORDOBA-AMERICAS INTL BRIDGE, TAKE AV A. LINCOLN, TURN LEFT ON P. TRIUNFO DE LA REP. TURN RIGHT ON AV. PANAMERICANA, TURN LEFT ON AV TEOFILO BORUNDA UNTIL P. DE LA VICTORIA, AND TURN LEFT. HOTEL IS NEXT TO STAR MEDICA.



limejelloFemale02009-05-29 06:53:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (pgp @ May 27 2009, 07:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thanks for the info. I had assumed it actually did transmit some data to the consulate so that they could associate the bar code with the case. If not, I guess we can re-fill out the form to correct a couple of mistakes?

We are going for the interview on Monday!

QUOTE (tglea @ May 27 2009, 11:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (pgp @ May 26 2009, 09:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
We have a question about the online 156 form used by Juarez. After you fill it out and press "continue" to generate the PDF, do you print it out and then sign the paper copy/copies?

Thanks in advance.

Yes. It's not really online in the sense that you are transmitting data. It's only online so that it can generate a unique barcode for everyone. The new 160 actually sends data but, as far as I know, Juarez still isn't using it. Be sure you print out two copies or photo copy the original before you sign it. You need to have two copies with the same barcode.



Nothing gets transmitted to the consulate, so you're free to fill out the form again and fix anything that you might have messed up. The only "electronic" part of it is that it generates a bar code that gets put on the form that you print out, and the consulate can quickly scan it and won't have to manually enter the info. Best of luck to you on Monday!
limejelloFemale02009-05-27 20:21:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (JustD @ May 26 2009, 02:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Went to Banamex this morning.... In line at 9:30.. In the consulate immediately.... Approved at 11:52am!!!!!! Now I can breathe again.... Now there is more planning to bring everyone home finally!!!!! Thanks for everyone's kind words and advice. It really helped us all in this process! Best of luck for everyone doing their interviews in the next few days. Hopefully it goes smoothly for you all....


Big, huge CONGRATULATIONS!!! kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif


limejelloFemale02009-05-27 15:22:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (JustD @ May 21 2009, 10:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (limejello @ May 21 2009, 02:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
For everyone who is going through this right now, I just want to give my 2 cents, take it or leave it:

1. No 2 cases, either the medical or the interview, are exactly the same, so don't worry excessively if your case varies either a little or a lot from other cases. It's only after the interview that you can take action if something didn't work out, but there really is no point losing sleep or giving yourself an ulcer BEFORE you even find out anything.

2. Because of the consulate being closed due to swine flu (and the fact that it seems something changes all the time with them), on the consulate side and DHL side things might be a little weird for a while. It also is very likely affecting the medical exams. Starting out after the period where they closed there was no backlog, but now that everyone that planned to go in the first couple weeks of May are probably all going now, there will more than likely be a wait (which will only increase before it starts to lag off a bit more).

3. Be positive (as hard is it may be). Juarez has a high approval rate for K-1's that are straightforward (meaning legit relationship, no drug problems/mental health problems/past illegal entries). Your positive attitude will have a HUGE effect on how confident your fiance(e) is in the interview. This is probably the most important thing.
good.gif



BY far the best advice I have received in a while!!!!!! We needed it too as I am sure we are questioning EVERYTHING as we all do when you are a day from the interview!! Gonna take her to a nice dinner and try to have a great evening before the big day... More to come tomorrow...


The very best of luck to you! Remember: "If you can't change your fate, change your attitude" -A Chinese Proverb

Everything will be GREAT!

limejelloFemale02009-05-22 06:14:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
For everyone who is going through this right now, I just want to give my 2 cents, take it or leave it:

1. No 2 cases, either the medical or the interview, are exactly the same, so don't worry excessively if your case varies either a little or a lot from other cases. It's only after the interview that you can take action if something didn't work out, but there really is no point losing sleep or giving yourself an ulcer BEFORE you even find out anything.

2. Because of the consulate being closed due to swine flu (and the fact that it seems something changes all the time with them), on the consulate side and DHL side things might be a little weird for a while. It also is very likely affecting the medical exams. Starting out after the period where they closed there was no backlog, but now that everyone that planned to go in the first couple weeks of May are probably all going now, there will more than likely be a wait (which will only increase before it starts to lag off a bit more).

3. Be positive (as hard is it may be). Juarez has a high approval rate for K-1's that are straightforward (meaning legit relationship, no drug problems/mental health problems/past illegal entries). Your positive attitude will have a HUGE effect on how confident your fiance(e) is in the interview. This is probably the most important thing.
good.gif
limejelloFemale02009-05-21 16:56:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (JustD @ May 21 2009, 12:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
They asked her some basic questions also, but it seemed more for him... Now I have ANOTHER thing to worry about!!!!


Don't worry unnecessarily! If everything is normal at home, there should be no issue (relax!). wink.gif
limejelloFemale02009-05-21 16:36:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (wheezy @ May 20 2009, 03:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
my fiance just came back from his medical but results will not be ready till tomorrow around 10.00 is this normal? I thought they were ready that same afternoon still more confusion wacko.gif now interview till friday


Don't jump to conclusions JUST YET, you've got enough stress going on! I think sometimes they get overloaded as well, and it doesn't necessarily mean something bad.


limejelloFemale02009-05-21 06:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (epifreak @ May 19 2009, 01:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
dancin5hr.gif dancin5hr.gif we just got approved. This is the best feeling ever, no kidding. After all that waiting, I'm so excited. My fiance just got back from his interview and he texts me, "start cleaning the house" rofl.gif so that means he was approved YAY!!!


CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif

I'm so happy for you!!!
limejelloFemale02009-05-20 09:36:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (David-J @ May 19 2009, 11:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I got approved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now the famous dhl wait. Thanks everyone for their support and their knowledge.
Regarding the payment it was indeed 1900 pesos. It is significantly less now because the dollar now is at 13,50 and a couple of months back got to be around 16.00.

Either way. Cheers everyone and now I can finally relax.

Thanks a lot to everyone who makes this site so incredibly useful.

Cheers!


CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif kicking.gif

QUOTE (wheezy @ May 19 2009, 10:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (wheezy @ May 19 2009, 09:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
BEST OF LUCK TODAY good.gif epifreak hope everything goes well now you got me thing because my fiance is going to pay in dollars hope he does not have any problems with that keep us posted





SORRY headbonk.gif its now you got me thinking


See what I mean! This process fries your brain!!! wacko.gif hee hee
limejelloFemale02009-05-19 11:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (epifreak @ May 18 2009, 10:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hi guys my fiance just came back from the medical exam. So far everything went well.

He arrived at the clinic early in the morning at 5:40 and there was already a line. He said he was the first one out, around 12,no eye exam, or vaccinations for him. Typical check up, but he said that they first gave everyone a mask and sanatized there hands because of the influenza H1N1 thing. They drew blood and took urine samples, a physical check up, x-rays. He said that for the urine samples they gave him a cup and he had to pee behind a glassed door blush.gif He said he was kind of uncomfortable because there was a girl behind the door watching him pee. I thought this was kind of interesting since I don't remember ever hearing about this here on vj. He also said that it was a young lady who did the physical check up. He was asked to undress and stay in his underware, then was weighed and asked questions about if he had done drugs before, if he had any kind of venerial desease etc etc. Then he was asked to fully undress and was physically checked, no touching though.

Later he went to pay for the interview at BanaMex. He said he had to go several times. At first he forgot his passport at home so he had to go back and get it. When he came back he let them know that he was paying for the interview and he gave them the money in US dollars but they told him that he had to pay in pesos!! wacko.gif I thought that he could pay either in pesos or us dollars but I guess not. So then he had to go to get pesos. The total fee he had to pay for the interview was 1900 and something pesos, which is the equivalent of 148 us dollars. So know I'm worried because lately I've been hearing that you pay 171 us dollars. mad.gif I guess we will find out tommorrow. This is really frustrating because you can't even trust what the juarez consulate website has posted. In there posting it states you pay 131 us dollars and it says that it was updated on april 2009. But everyone here has been paying around 171 us dollars. I just hope that tommorrow everything will go well.

I know a lot of you have been asking about what the consulate will be with our interviews now because of the whole flu thing. I will let you know as soon as my fiance goes and he gives me all the details.

I was so nervous during the physical I can't imagine what it will be like tommorrow. crying.gif Hope everything goes well. I just want to thank everyone here in vj for all there help and support. THANK YOU GUYS good.gif


Best of luck tomorrow! Everything should be fine...

That's really strange about Banamex, we definitely paid in dollars, not pesos. Maybe that's a new policy, who knows! It was also definitely $171 U.S. that we paid but it really fluctuates with the exchange rate, and lately the exchange rate has been really unpredictable, but I do know it was over 2,000 pesos. I've never heard of the costs going down instead of up, but I guess they know exactly how much it is, though, so if it's paid and you have the receipt, you should be just fine.

Just as an aside, I think I might know why they're doing that at Banamex (the not accepting dollars thing). At practically every bank in Mexico it's become extremely difficult to change dollars to pesos (it's getting worse all the time), and very few banks are now easily accepting dollars if you are Mexican. They would allow me to exchange dollars at a bank (I went to 4 different banks in Merida trying to change my money) and they wouldn't let me do it without my passport. When Marcos tried to do it they said he would have to open a bank account and present a bunch of different documents in order to change money. That might be why they didn't allow him to pay in dollars, just because it's difficult to verify the the authenticity of the bills, and they only let us pay in dollars because I was there with him.


limejelloFemale02009-05-18 21:26:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (wheezy @ May 18 2009, 06:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
stress is all I am having these days my fiance is going to his interview this week I just want an answer already so I can relax good thing it is almost here, but for right now I am just going over all the paper work mentally making sure I forgot nothing which I don't know if it is good or bad

For my affidavit of support I just included this years tax return is that enough? or should I include previous years, How about letter from bank, or employment letter?

I should really take a deep breath because this cannot be good for me ohmy.gif


Most people recommend the last 3 years tax returns. If you didn't make enough to file any of those years, you should write a letter explaining that.

You ONLY need a letter from the bank if your income is iffy and you're using your bank account info to make up for lack of income (as an asset). Some people on VJ say that having bank account info as an asset really doesn't help much; on the contrary if you have it listed and you meet the income guidelines it might make things more complicated than necessary. I personally say use it at your own discretion. My mom was our co-sponsor and she didn't list her account info, but she did put her house/land down as an asset (along with a recent appraisal that she had as an attachment).

Employment letter IS important to confirm the amount that you say that you make. Also, be sure to attach a couple (at least 2) recent pay stubs. This is to back up the employment letter. Other people who have gone to Juarez have been asked to show pay stubs.

Once you get all your paperwork together, you can make a list here on VJ of what you're taking and generally you'll get some good feedback from others on whether you're all set or if you might be forgetting something. good.gif
limejelloFemale02009-05-18 19:54:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (David-J @ May 15 2009, 07:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Also. How did you pay for the medical exam and the visa itself. Can you pay the medical with credit card or u have to pay beforehand at the bank? If that is the case do they give you the info for paying at the bank when u first go to the Consulate?

The same question for visa. I know they tell u to pay it at Banamex but do they give u the info to info for paying at the bank when u first go to the Consulate?

Thanks everyone and thanks JenandDavys for that very useful piece of information.

Cheers


Hi David-J,

The Holiday Inn you want to book is Holiday Inn LAS MISIONES. It's right across from Las Misiones Mall and literally a 2 minute walk to the consulate (you can see it from the hotel parking lot).

I don't know if you can pay the medical with a credit card, we paid in cash, and you pay AT THE CLINIC, not at the bank. The visa fee is paid BEFORE the interview, and you can pay at the Banamex at the mall across the street from the hotel. When you pay the fee, they give you a receipt that you take to the interview to prove that the fee has been paid. When you go into the bank, you have to take a number for a "ventanilla" as you walk in the door. Then you sit down and wait for your number to be called. When they call you up to the teller window, you tell them that you want to pay the visa fee (there is a flat fee for visas, so you don't have to specify that it's a fiancee visa). When we paid at the bank, I think the fee was like $171 US. I think they also ask you for your name. They print the receipt out, and you're done! You have to take this with you to the interview, I don't even think they'll let you inside the consulate without it.

They only give you one receipt, so make sure you don't misplace it. Assuming you are going to go to the consulate early in the morning for the interview, you won't have time to get to the bank to pay the fee beforehand, so pay it the day before. You can also get passport photos at the same mall.

Good luck!


limejelloFemale02009-05-16 10:55:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (wheezy @ May 8 2009, 04:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hello again
a new question has come out anybody familiar with I864-A how does it work? I want to know if my sister would fill this one out if I needed her income to qualify? what I don't understand if its going to be our income combined or does she have to qualify on her own. One more thing she has a baby so the household size would be 5 (her, her baby, me, my baby plus fiance) and both our incomes combined would have to be for 5 people? helpsmilie.gif please


I assume you're asking this for the AOS, since the K-1 uses the I-134. As far as I know, the same rules apply for the I-864 as for the I-134 (except for the I-134 being 100% of the poverty guidelines, and the I-864 is 125%).

In the case of the I-134, the sponsors only list the people who are dependent on them for tax purposes. So your I-864 would have you, your fiancee, and your baby. Your sister's will have her and your fiancee. This is assuming that your baby together is an American citizen (with birth abroad report). The only reason why your sister's I-864 would have you and your baby listed is if she claimed you on her last tax return. She would need to qualify with her income alone, and in this case she would have to make 125% of the poverty guidelines with a household of 2.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about this, but if both types of affidavits are the same, then this is the way to go.
limejelloFemale02009-05-08 23:29:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (vivamex @ May 6 2009, 10:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (wheezy @ May 5 2009, 02:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
thank you so much wink.gif I do try to relax but its so hard I can just image my nerves when he is in the actual interview

No, don't relax. Freak out. Drive yourself crazy thinking "what if he doesn't get it". Pace back and forth in the hotel room while he is in the interview. That's what I did when Ceci went in and it worked for me. =)


Hee hee, reverse psychology... might just work!
limejelloFemale02009-05-06 10:39:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (wheezy @ May 5 2009, 02:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
thank you so much wink.gif I do try to relax but its so hard I can just image my nerves when he is in the actual interview


You might actually be surprised! I know I was freaking out up until the point where I left Marcos at the consulate to go in by himself, after that I felt like a huge relief because I knew it was out of my hands at that point, and at the same time all the buildup would be coming to an end in a matter of hours (whether the result would be favorable or not, the hard part would be over). I guess it's just realizing that it's OK to freak out up until that point, and giving yourself permission to do it (it's totally normal!).
limejelloFemale02009-05-05 20:22:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (wheezy @ May 5 2009, 11:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hi limejello
I have a question for you did your fiance take all the original paperwork sent with your 129F including pictures and proof of relationship plus did you sent recent proof for example recent pictures and telephone bills sorry but I am a nutcase right now trying to make all paperwork perfect and not forget nothing blink.gif thanks for the help


Hi wheezy,

My fiance did take copies of the originals of everything sent with the original I-129F packet, but he didn't take copies of the forms (like the I-129F ITSELF or the biographical statements, etc.). I added the caveat to my original post about the results of our interview that I think our situation was unique, and I still think this is 100% true. In almost everyone else's case the consular officer looks at at least SOME of the evidence or SOME of the photos. I don't regret being overly prepared, and if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't have been like "I'll leave that out, they probably won't look at it...". In my opinion you get pretty much one shot to get it right. It definitely doesn't hurt to have documents that you *think* that *possibly* they won't look at or ask for (like Marcos's "not married" certificates), we just put them in the back of the accordian folder JUST IN CASE it comes up.

We had evidence from the days leading up to the interview: I included the boarding passes from our flights from Merida to Mexico City, and from Mexico City to Ciudad Juarez. He also had my original passport AND my Mexican tourist document to prove that I was there in Juarez with him. Of course this stuff was never asked for but I'm glad I included it just in case. The recent telephone bills and photos (along with your NEW letter of intent dated a couple of days before the interview) show that you have an ongoing relationship and you're still very much interested in your fiancee's having the visa.

Don't worry about being a nutcase before the interview! As much as I can tell you to relax, I know it's going to be really hard to do. But relax. good.gif
limejelloFemale02009-05-05 14:23:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
QUOTE (rymusic04 @ May 5 2009, 10:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
hello, when the consolate reopens, i am hoping to get news that they have recieved the peitition from the NVC. They sent it a month ago, nayway i was wandering when my fiancee gets past the interview and she is approved, can we just walk across the Border to El Paso that same day? thats what i would like to do or does she have to wait a while before she can enter the US or what? Thanks for all the info this thread is great


You can leave Mexico the same day that you have the visa in hand! Just remember that sometimes the visa might not reach DHL the same day as the interview/approval. When crossing, as is if you are flying to another point of entry, she will have to go through inspection. In our case we flew from Cancun to Pittsburgh airport, and we went together through the immigration line and the immigration officer scanned and stamped my passport and sent us to an office right there in the airport. When we went into the office I handed over my passport, my foreign fiance's passport, and the brown packet that you get at DHL along with the visa (the corner is cut on the packet, and you cannot open it). The officers there open it, stamp the I-94 arrival/departure record (basically invalidating the visa) and explain that you have 90 days to get married. They keep all the papers in the brown packet and the bottom half of the I-94. Sometimes they ask you a couple of questions like when you are getting married, etc. but in our case they didn't. Then they send you on your way.

On our visa, and I'm assuming everyone's visa it has under annotations: Blanket waiver. The officers at the airport asked "does your fiance have a medical condition? I see here that he has a blanket waiver." I said no, and explained about the vaccinations.
limejelloFemale02009-05-05 10:21:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
OMG, I must have been so tired when I posted last night! I meant we paid the Banamex fee at the same MALL, not the same HOTEL. headbonk.gif laughing.gif Please excuse any past and/or future grammatical flub-ups as my brain has been completely fried by the stress of this whole process!
limejelloFemale02009-05-03 08:59:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionJuarez Consulate
Hi David-J and Ivonne'n Jim,

The only forms that they asked for from Marcos were the DS-156 and DS-156K. I filled out and printed 2 copies of each and paperclipped them together. They did not ask for the DS-157, although I did fill out and printed out 2 copies of that as well, and kept it separate, just in case. There was another, simple form that they had at the consulate and I think the consular officer filled it out for him and had him sign it. I don't know the reference number for that form and I have no idea what the form was about. Also fill out the intent to marry form, don't sign any of the forms because the fiance signs in the consulate.

Remember that although others have not had problems at other consulates with 3 ring binders and sheet protectors (and possibly past interviewees at the Juarez consulate have also not had problems), when we were there 3 ring metal binders were prohibited, so we had to take a taxi to Office Depot to buy an accordian folder. It's best to be aware of this before you/your fiancee go there.

Ok, on to the amount of time it takes to get the visa. We arrived in Juarez on a Sunday afternoon and did nothing that day but check into the hotel. Monday was crazy because we went early to print out the invitation letter, did the medical exam, when Marcos got back from the exam he took his passport photos at the mall across the street from the hotel, we paid the bank fee at the Banamex at the same hotel, and then he went to pick his medical results up that afternoon. So basically Monday was really full, there was hardly enough time to eat from the time we got up in the morning til the time he got back from picking his results up at 4 PM. Tuesday morning he went to the interview, and got his DHL reference number, which we kept checking online and via telephone all day and at the last second before DHL closed it showed up as having arrived. So in all, we did everything, include receive the visa in 2 crazy days. The medical exam is what took the longest out of everything we did. What I would recommend is to plan for 4 full days in Juarez, 5 to be safe. If you can afford the hotel for that amount of time, go for it. I liked the hotel because it had a kind of communal feel to it, lots of the same people hanging out in the common area watching TV and chatting (a little like a hostel). Despite the stress of what was going on, it was actually kind of fun. We got to meet some really interesting people, the area that the Holiday Inn Express is in is safe, and you can kill some time across the street at the mall if you happen to be there a couple of days extra after getting the visa.

I have to say that the worst part of the whole thing was Juarez airport. I understand that security is a huge priority but it was a bit ridiculous having immigration and customs going INTO the airport (flying OUT of Juarez), where they not only x-ray your bags but also have security thoroughly go through them. We were planning on eating something once we got to the gate to catch the plane but it turns out there was nothing there and we had to leave the terminal completely to get some food and then go back through immigration and the security checkpoint/2nd x-ray/metal detectors. So eat BEFORE you go to the airport and plan some extra time to go through security.

Looking back on the experience, I don't regret at all being really overly cautious and prepared, but I do regret being so stressed and worried.
limejelloFemale02009-05-02 19:36:00