ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresDS-230 Questoins
Thanks aussie. always there, huh? :D

Jennieh - don't worry, I'm not going to send things before they're requested... I just want to have the paperwork ready to go so I can have a same-day turnaround when I do get the request. I'm not a patient sort of person! haha.

Tagging on, if I may... Given that for the residences, all it wants is city/town, etc... My wife lived at two different residences in the same city in a row. This seems silly to ask, but should I put two consecutive lines with the same info except for from/to dates (so it's clear they were two separate residences), or should they just all be combined into one line (in the case this is just a checklist for the police reports, it would be easier for them)? I can kinda see it bending both ways and I'm generally lucky enough to pick the wrong one ;) Thanks!
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-02-01 16:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresDS-230 Questoins
:help:

We're working on our DS-230 so that it's all ready to go and I ran into a few questions.

For an attachmnt, do we just use the same format as the petition? Put the form and full name at the top, then label the questions, etc... or for the DS-230 is there a different way to go at that (since it's for different people)?

When it says "Location" (employment and education), are they just looking for maybe city, state/province, and country? Judging by the tiny spaces, it doesn't seem that they're really expecting street addresses.

Should this (and the 864 and the 3032) be two-hole punched like the original petitions were? They all end up together, don't they?

Thanks!
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-01-31 03:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIts our first time to be touched?

see the pattern here?? unfortunately, there is no way that anyone here on VJ can tell you if you case will or will not be touched and how many times.


What I said above wasn't meant this way; hopefully that's not how it appeared. Was just what I was seeing in people's sigs. Definitely far from a formal calculation. ;) regarding what's "normal" at USCIS/NVC... i think anyone that's even read a couple posts here can see there's no such thing :lol:
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-01-29 00:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIts our first time to be touched?
Hi lime -

You can go here to check on your case status: https://egov.immigra.../jsps/index.jsp You'll enter that WAC number that is on your receipt from your NOA1.

This is also where you can sign up for email alerts as to the status of what's happening with your case. Your case is "touched" when someone does some processing on it, though that doesn't mean that it has been completed or that your status will change (to approved, hopefully, right? :) ). As far as I know, the only way you'll know when your case is touched is if you have the email alerts since it's just internal processing. Look around at some people's signatures to see, but it looks to me that you usually get touched about 2 times before you're processed. It's more or less just a way to know that *something* is going on, though you'll never really know what.

Hope this helps. ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-01-28 19:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresTime to look at K3s again?
Howdy. I was just scaring my wife to death with the statistics here on VJ for IR-1 processing times for our situation and I'm not terribly fond of them myself. According to the most recent data here:

http://www.visajourn....php?history=90
http://www.visajourn....php?history=90

It would take 200 days (average) to get our I-130 approved (through CSC) and about another 500 days (average) to get through the NVC phase (Manila, Philippines). I can believe it will take that long at CSC, they're still processing August I-130s for spouses according to the data posted on the link I can't find right now that I think was last updated 8 Feb 2006.

Now, I note the following figures using the stats pages:

CSC times in days:
......IR1...|...K3
1yr...146...|...73
6mo...188...|...83
3mo...200...|...94

consul -> interview:
......IR1...|...K3
1yr...316...|...129
6mo...409...|...145
3mo...490...|...160


In general, the K3 time is about half of the IR1 approval at CSC.
In general, the K3 time is about a bit more than a third of the IR1 for time to interview.

Using the latest data (last three months), I could shave our time to case complete from 690 days to 254 days.
Using the average data over the last year, I could shave our time to case complete from 462 days to just 202 days.

Going from anywhere from almost three years to just under 10 months sounds VERY good to me. I know this will be more paperwork and more money, but my wife is definitely worth it - who here wants to wait another day to start their life together?

Is there anything I'm missing here? I've heard numerous times and places that K3s were no better than IR1s with regard to response times. Is there a difference between a K3 case complete and an IR1 case complete? At the end of the IR1, you wait a week to get your visa, hop a plane, and live happily ever after, right? If there anything different when your K3 case is complete? You don't get a visa and don't get to fly on over?

Are we a very big exception to the guidance of shunning a K3 and focusing straight on an IR1? Please let me know if there's some kind of HUGE hole in my observations here. Is there anything that would even hurt us if I just sent in the K3 anyways? Thanks VJ experts :)
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-02-16 04:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-864 fillable form?

i fsomeone had an answer to my question, that be great.
If not I might have to try posting a separate thread.


The most recent tax year is now 2005. If he wasn't exempt this year as well, then you'll not have to worry about that anymore and just check what he will or has file(d) for this year. If he was exempt again, then *maybe* you could check the "filed single/separate" (or whatever he would have had to file) and just put a note next to it saying that he was exempt from actually filing, but that was his status at the time. He can order your tax receipts from the IRS (for free and they arrive fairly fast - better than my old mobile phone statements are arriving) that will show that he did, in fact, file nothing. I don't know... you may want to call them about this one if my answer/idea goesn't give you warm fuzzies. ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-02-18 18:09:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresquestion about vaccination/immunization

other says they will give shots/injection depending on age/or what is needed.



Yes this is true, the vaccination is given to you depending on your age bracket, medical condition and according to what your Embassy's instruction to their panel physicians on what kind of vaccination you are suppose to have. I am getting 3 vaccination. I already got one, and I am getting 2 more next week as they release the result of my medical exam.

undefinedquestion..... can we have a shot/injection before the medical? papers are processing so at least we are ready with the record of immunization...... can this be done?




I do not know if you can get your vaccination in advance, why don't you ask the US panel physician of St. Lukes?


road2kros - So are you saying that it's ok to go there without your vaccination records? my wife is in the same situation where finding her records will be (at best) pretty difficult. Did you have your records when you went there or no? If you don't actually need them (since the doc will just determine what you need anyways), then it sounds like there might soon be a collective sigh of relief in manila ;) ttyl,

mich

Edited by phirephly, 27 February 2006 - 12:17 AM.

phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-02-27 00:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedurespls. share ur timeline
is in my sig ;) you'll see the others around :D

right now, it's looking pretty slow, though, if you look at the processing times (link above in menu).

I also did a bit of comparing using the data made available here and especially if you're using the CSC, it seems like you should seriously consider the K3. Here's a link to my thread where I cite VJ's data:
http://www.visajourn...wtopic=2475&hl=

These are statistics based on a very very finite set of people in a particular situation, so it's not universally true and since it's the average, there will be people (perhaps yourself) that will take a much shorter amount of time to process. However, after looking at the difference in times and a little bit of advice (in the thread), i went ahead and sent our K3 (just today, actually) so that I can try to get her here with me so we'll not have to wait so long to be together. Do a little bit of research on your particular situation and determine what's right for you. :) The K3 is another $170 but I can afford that and my sweetie is defintely worth it. :blush:

Hang in there. It looks like it won't be fast, but hopefully it won't stop. :thumbs:
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-02-24 02:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSo, What's Next ???
the second link in aussie's sig is going to help you out quite a bit, and i totally second her pointing you at the NVC flowchart... it lays things out very well and is very easy to see exactly what's happening. i've made a bunch of copies of it and both my wife and I will be using it to check off things as they happen. :) ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-03-05 01:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWAITING FOR I-130 APPROVAL FOR CR-1/IR-1

Member Name.....Date sent..Center....NOA1....RFE/AR.....NOA2........(Days)
Gatorfan........03/22/05..TSC/CSC..04/07/05............07/30/05....114
approvemedamnit.03/31/05..CSC......04/21/05............10/11/05....173
Euro............04/09/05..NSC/CSC..04/21/05............10/11/05....173
Sanctifyer......04/18/05..VSC......04/21/05............07/20/05....91
wouldubelieveit.04/08/05..VSC......04/21/05............06/28/05....72
perdesi.........04/20/05..VSC......04/22/05............08/11/05....111
melliemel.......04/28/05..VSC......04/25/05............07/16/05....95
Muppetpinchess..04/13/05..NSC/CSC..04/28/05............??/??/??....??
MoGuishle ......04/20/05 .NSC/CSC .05/08/05............10/12/05....157
metaledge.......03/29/05..NSC/CSC..05/13/05............??/??/??....??
Nonie...........05/02/05..TSC/CSC..05/13/05............??/??/??....??
Mary13*.........05/05/05..VSC......05/13/05............07/04/05....52
Colombia bound..05/06/05..CSC......05/19/05............08/22/05....96
pathesow........05/01/05..NSC/CSC..05/18/05............??/??/??....??
andrewbrit......04/30/05..CSC .....05/18/05............12/23/05....219
Lyeats..........05/06/05..TSC/CSC..05/19/05............12/12/05....207
yabasta&bella...05/10/05..TSC/CSC..05/23/05............11/30/05....191
Alex___.........05/05/05..CSC......05/24/05............11/09/05....190
gerard..........04/28/05..NSC/CSC..05/24/05............12/21/05....211
Alenushka.......??/??/05..CSC......05/24/05..01/04/06..??/??/06....??
ofelya_tr.......06/11/05..CSC......06/16/05............12/30/05....198
Katheleen.......06/16/05..CSC......06/21/05............01/06/06....199
MGD.............??/??/05..CSC......06/21/05............??/??/??....??
hewjang.........06/10/05..CSC......06/22/05............12/29/05....190
ylime0411.......??/??/??..CSC......07/07/05............??/??/??....??
joyeann.........07/09/05..CSC......07/11/05............01/12/05....185
wilmaron........??/??/05..CSC......07/30/05............01/24/06....178
Chicky..........07/21/05..CSC......08/03/05............01/18/06....168
purple_Hibiscus.07/07/05..CSC......07/16/05............12/22/05....159
Joel/Analyn.....06/??/05..CSC......07/11/05............12/29/05....171
JohnnySpangle...06/16/05..CSC......07/02/05............??/??/??....??
Germangel.......08/23/05..TSC/CSC..08/29/05............01/25/06....207
nakashima ayumi.08/20/05..NSC/CSC..09/06/05............??/??/??....??
Munchkins.......09/02/05..CSC......09/05/05............??/??/??....??
Bjumanja........09/16/05..NSC/CSC..09/27/05............??/??/??....??
Bc_ed...........09/20/05..NSC/CSC..09/27/05............??/??/??....??
aussiewench.....10/08/05..VSC......10/17/05............11/22/05....45
Drew............10/03/05..CSC......10/14/05............??/??/??....??
charlie76.......12/24/05..CSC......??/??/06............??/??/??....??
rommelandra.....11/07/05..VSC......11/12/05............01/09/06....58
software........??/??/05..CSC......01/09/06............??/??/??....??
phirephly.......01/17/07..CSC......01/27/06............??/??/??....??

phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-01-29 00:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresneed help
for completeness here, can someone post the NVC email address to which these emails were sent?

It isn't this one, is it?

NVCINQUIRY@state.gov

(from aussiewench's NVC timesavers thread)
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-04-26 20:22:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresImmunization Records
I'm far from an authoritative source, but I don't think that you would need a flu or pneumonia shot for entry into the US. We don't require them here (for citizens), and I know I've never had either one of them. Unless you want it personally, I wouldn't get too worked up about those things. I think (but I don't know) that the shots they'll be looking for are things like the MMR (measles, mumps, ruebella (too lazy to look up the spelling)). However, I've also been told that getting shots at a place other than an approved place (by US) won't do you any good. Whether or not this is true and if it's equally applicable for Canada, perhaps others can verify if that's the case or not. From what I've read here, it seems like the impression that I've received is that it's better to just wait and see what they tell you need and where they tell you to get it, then follow their orders. But again, hopefully someone with better experience will chime in here. ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-04-26 19:34:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresprepare for interview

:D So far My case is done and I am waiting for the interview letter (IR-1 Canada case). But my husband got a letter from NVC and said there are some missing documents in his I-864 package and let him prepare them and send them to me for the interview. The missing document is the explaination why he didn'f file 2003 tax return. Before, He send NVC the letter 2 times to explain that he has no any income in 2003 so that he didn't file 2003 tax return. Why did they still ask it? Does he have to file late return for 2003 though he had no income?

Another question is that I got my police check in the middle of last Jan. If the police check is valid only for half of year(I got this from the poster of others), Do I need to get one more update police check in advance? (Because according to the Montreal cases' timeline, it seems that I can get interview in Aug.) Or just wait for the asking from Montreal consultate? :D

Thank you so much and have a good day!


I think the process in my sig will also send you a document from the IRS that says that you didn't file a return for a given tax year, but I'm not sure. I've always had to file a return. :P ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-04-26 20:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresYIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
congrats aussie. :) very happy for you. though it'll too bad to see you go when you're way too busy spending all the time you did here WITH YOUR HUSBAND! :D
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-04-27 00:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWOOOHOOOO!!!
:dance:

Congratulations! :D :thumbs: Yay for you!

We were approved 2 May also, probably since we filed the same place about the same time ;)

Now we battle through the NVC, huh? Good luck to you :) ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-03 17:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresA Couple I-130 Questions

And these days many (most?) people consumate before they wed.

Yodrak


...

simple_male
One doesn't have to of lived together in order to of consumated a marriage. That can been done anywhere, anyplace :P


Heck, considering that it usually takes about a year to get through the process I hope everyone here is consumating like crazy any chance they get, despite if they're married. :lol:

To answer your questions, MissLiss, I put myself down as my wife's husband and I also put "none" for our last address lived together (then n/a for the dates). Mine was approved without any issues, except for the huge wait. :thumbs:
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-07 02:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNVC Generated I-864 instructions Question

Mich,

There could be the following three scenarios regarding I-864:

1. You need to fill out only one I-864 for your spouse. Obviously, if your income is sufficient, then you won't need a co-sponsor. So total only one I-864 (by the US citizen petitioner) would be needed.

2. But, if you need a co-sponsor, then the co-sponsor needs to fill out a separate I-864. In that case, total two I-864 would be needed. One by the US Citizen petitioner and the other one by the co-sponsor.

3. If your co-sponsor is your household member, then the household member should fill out either a separate I-864 or I-864A. So A) total two I-864 would be needed; one by you and the other one by the household member co-sponsor. OR B) One I-864 by you and one I-864A by your household member co-sponsor.

I would like to hear from others too and they can correct me, if something that I mentioned above is not correct.


I don't need a cosponsor, so your bullet 1 would be the applicable one. :) ok, i think we're both working along the same lines here. I think I didn't phrase my last post very well. I was more complaining about how they poorly phrased their insturctions (the ones from the NVC, not the ones with the form). So overall, I just need the one that I have, and everyone is happy :D thanks! ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-07 13:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNVC Generated I-864 instructions Question
ok... so this isn't in addition to the completed form that is specified in Part I... it's just clarifying it? I was thinking it was telling me I needed a second one for some strange reason that I really didn't understand. A bit of a weird way to just restate that you have to submit one... oh well. How does that song go? "If I were king of the forest... " :whistle: thanks! ttyl,

mich

Edited by phirephly, 07 May 2006 - 03:14 AM.

phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-07 03:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNVC Generated I-864 instructions Question
The instructions we get from them look like this:

IV. Documentsfor the principal immigrant and accompanyingdependents:
. Principal Applicant: Original signedand notanzedI-864 and I-864A (if needed)and one
completeset of supportingdocuments(tax records,employmentletters,etc.) is neededfor
eachprincipalimmigrant. All accompanyingdependentsmust be listed in Part 3 of
the I-864 and Part 2 of the I-864A.
. Accompanyingdependents: Each dependent must have either a signedand notarized
original or a photocopyof the principal applicant'ssignedand notanzedI-864 and I-864A
(if needed). Copiesmay only be used for dependents whose namesappearon the
principal'soriginal forms. Copiesof supportingdocumentsare not required for
dependents applying for visasor adjustmentof statustogetherwith the principal
immigrant.

I can't remember where I downloaded it on here (checked downloads and example forms... no dice), hopefully someone else will know that's done this before. What is this part IV talking about? How is this different from the Petitioner's Documents listed in Part I? I have to submit two copies of the I-864? That doesn't seem likely, but I can't figure out what this part has to do with anything - and I *don't* want it to come back and bite me in the butt later.

Thanks and ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-07 02:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNot sure what's next!


(Taken from aussiewench's timesavers)

Check this out for how to prepare for your DS-230 (eg which documents to include):
http://travel.state....applying_in.pdf
That's the pdf that you'd download from this page: http://travel.state....types_1309.html for immigrants from Canada. Then you'll want to look here:
http://travel.state....er/C/Canada.htm
for help on how to get the documents required. There is a link to this from the pdf I linked above, but the link in the pdf is wrong. Note it missing visa directory - it needs to be there. Hope this helps! ttyl,

mich


Wow, that was all incredibly helpful, thank you! I'm going to get started on all of this right away. I can't believe they want original birth certificates...well I guess I can believe it...but it's kind of scary to hand that over! :)


np. :) I actually just found these a few days ago, so I was freakin' out a bit 'cause I thought I didn't have to get all that stuff ready until the interview (so much for my "research"!). So yeah... my wife is going ot get started on all these ASAP (since she's the only one that can get them for her country).

I didn't read the Canada-specific stuff... they require originals? In the PDF (the first link), they say this:

Please obtain the original documents or certified copies from an appropriate authority (the issuing entity) for yourself and each family member who will accompany you to the United States. All documents that pertain to your petition are required, even if they were previously submitted to the CIS with your petition.

That's the first paragraph on the top of page 2. So unless you're seeing something more specific somewhere, it looks like a certified copy would be just fine. I totally agree with you that it's a bit scary to have to give up the originals! I am trying to get certified copies of everything instead ;) Hope this helps. ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-07 13:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNot sure what's next!
(Taken from aussiewench's timesavers)

Check this out for how to prepare for your DS-230 (eg which documents to include):
http://travel.state....applying_in.pdf
That's the pdf that you'd download from this page: http://travel.state....types_1309.html for immigrants from Canada. Then you'll want to look here:
http://travel.state....er/C/Canada.htm
for help on how to get the documents required. There is a link to this from the pdf I linked above, but the link in the pdf is wrong. Note it missing visa directory - it needs to be there. Hope this helps! ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-07 02:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresYet another I-864 query
np. thanks and good luck to you too :D
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-08 01:46:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresYet another I-864 query

Hi! :)

I am waiting for the NVC to mail back the I-864 forms so I have naturally been doing some reading up on how to process them and I am confused. In some places it looks like the instructions are to send the forms back for processing and in other areas it seems I should send the forms to my beloved husband for him to bring to the consulate. Which is correct? Or is it both, and I need to send him a copy?

Sign me, mildly confused.

Thanks for any advice!

Dina


The way I understood the flowchart for an I-130 petition (IR-1/CR-1 visa), the USC mails back the I-864 long before the spouse even gets to the embassy for an interview. According to the flowchart, the I-864 is part of what completes your case, which needs to be done before its sent to the embassy (where your husband comes into all this). I think your interview can't even be scheduled until you've returned the 864, since your case wouldn't be complete.

I think (but am not completely sure) that the equiv of this form - I-134 - is taken to the embassy if you do a K3 (nonimmigrant) visa... maybe that's where the confusion came from. Hope this helps! ttyl,

mich

Edited by phirephly, 07 May 2006 - 07:17 PM.

phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-07 19:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresBIG booboo

guess what....
I included the text under the barcode when i "made" it ------ so now it has our case # printed under the bar code of the aos fee bill...

will I be penalized?? :unsure: :unsure:


i'm doubting penalized, but be very careful how the number might affect the barcode. If the numbers are similar to the thickness of the barcode (like a 1), this may cause issues. However, I think that would just make an invalid scan if it messed anything up. If there's still a part of the barcode that's scannable (ie no digits behind it), then maybe that should be good enough that if the person gets an error, will try again on a "clear" part of the barcode...

At least these are my thoughts from having dealt with barcodes for a few years ;) I would bet that you're ok. Worst case is they just won't have it so convenient. :P ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-08 01:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions about the I-864

hey, yes im filing a IR-1-but my husband was in the US since 2000. we got married in 2003, and have filed joint returns even for this past tax year.
but only my income was used in 2004 and 2005.

his and mine were used in 2003.

he hasnt worked since 2003

he left back to india in november 2005--
(he came on a k1 visa, got divorced, filed a waiver-I-751, was granted 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, and they actually gave him a 2nd interview.. where they told him his I-485 adjusting status thing was denied in 2002. --
and they issued I-551 stamps for 3 years after that...
and everytime he made an infopass appt and asked about his case, they kept telling him it was PENDING.
he even got it in writing from one appt..
anyway they told him at his 2nd interview in nov that his i-485 had been denied.. they told him to go home and file an appeal..
well he left back to india the next day after the interview--- SO TECHNICALLY HE HAD NOT OVERSTAYED HIS VISA. there are about 4 stamps in his passport to prove it.. :-)
anywho, we applied for the K3 again- which btw never reached the NVC.. and his I-130got approved and is at the NVC now...

he did work one year, and has his W-2 for it too... and the stamps in his passport says" authorized to work and travel abroad, I-751 pending"
he traved 2 times out of the country with that stamp too... and was inspected upon return both times, and its documented in his passport)
we have a child, a huge home loan, 2 car loans, and real estate... all approved that hes here legally WITH THAT STAMP-- hes signed patriot acts permitting the FBI to do background checks on him and hes got a Drivers license valid for 10 years.. and a SS #......
so we've always filed jointly after getting married..


whew that was a whole lot (probably that u didnt want to know anyway..)
ive got hisw2 for 2003, and mine for 2003, 04 and 05... they can have it ALL....

boy am i mad...

:crying:


It says W-2s if you filed a joint return but you're only using your income. Since you're filing an IR1/CR1, you didn't file this way, did you? If you didn't, the instructions seem to me to indicate that they're not needed (it's all in your returns anyways ;) ).

Also, it appears that you need either the pay stubs or the letter from your employer. It's to verify your employment and how much you make, I suppose. Note, however, that the generated instructions (which I don't know where I downloaded them), say that the paystub must be within a month of the signing of the I-864. However, the signed I-864 is good for 6 months. So if you sign it now, you could submit a paystub that you have within the last month.

Hope this helps. ttyl,

mich


yeah... that's quite a mouthful. well, i gues you're right then, that you'll need W2s. But I think you just need them for your income (I don't think you can count his even if he was here... being a sponsor for yourself seems a bit funny, but I'm not sure). That's good you have your W2s for 03, 04, and 05. I think that's what you'll need unless you have a cosponsor. :) What a wild time he's having with them, huh? Best of luck to you both! :thumbs: ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-08 01:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions about the I-864
It says W-2s if you filed a joint return but you're only using your income. Since you're filing an IR1/CR1, you didn't file this way, did you? If you didn't, the instructions seem to me to indicate that they're not needed (it's all in your returns anyways ;) ).

Also, it appears that you need either the pay stubs or the letter from your employer. It's to verify your employment and how much you make, I suppose. Note, however, that the generated instructions (which I don't know where I downloaded them), say that the paystub must be within a month of the signing of the I-864. However, the signed I-864 is good for 6 months. So if you sign it now, you could submit a paystub that you have within the last month.

Hope this helps. ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-07 02:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresTwo kinda lame questions...
I think this is where you'll want to look for your police certs:
http://travel.state....ada.htm#Ontario

It's a few clicks (and a correction to a state.gov document with a bad link) out of aussie's timesavers link in her sig. :)

for anyone else looking for how to get police certs for your country, this seems to be a good place to look:
http://travel.state....ountry_pick.htm

ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-07 02:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresRecieved NOA2 today!!!!
first, congratulations! :)

second, you're right... now comes the NVC (I'm with you here, we just got our NOA2 from CSC also). From the timelines I've been seeing, It seems to take about two weeks to get to the NVC (but yeah, might take longer). Get yourself familiar with the flowchart for the NVC. It's really handy and helpful. This stage seems much more transparent than the last one. From the timelines that I've seen, that seems to take maybe about two months if you send things back and forth as quickly as you can (and who wouldn't?). Then your case is complete and you wait for your interview. :)

Make sure you read aussiewench's shortcuts here: http://www.visajourn...p?showtopic=117 She has the link to the NVC flowchart that I mentioned above. :) And hopefully it will help you save time and reduce your wait! :thumbs: Hope this helps! ttyl,

mich

Edited by phirephly, 10 May 2006 - 02:00 AM.

phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-10 01:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhat is the A number?
ok, so separate petitionns, separate A#s. Got it. Good thing I asked, I would have assumed otherwise! Thanks folks :) ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-14 11:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhat is the A number?
Hopefully this will bump up to the top so i don't have to create a new thread...

I have what I believe is our alien number for my wife, but here's the rub: it's on our K3 NOA2. In the beneficiary box, above her name is sequence like this: A000 000 000 where the 0s are numbers. Now, I, as many people, it appears, received NOA2 for both the CR-1 and the K3 at about the same time. As I proceed through the CR-1 track, can I still use the alien number from the K3 (we didn't get an A# on the CR-1 NOA2)? Is this number "universal", in the sense that there should only be one per alien (this makes sense to me, but I want to make sure). In particular, should I put the A# from my K3 petition on the I-864 that I fill out for the CR-1 visa? I just want to be careful that there isn't a new A# assigned to my wife in the CR-1 process and things get messed up if I cross the streams. Thanks! ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-14 04:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresemail for approval ?

You'll receive an email or five... :lol:


Yup, we got three for each petition when they were approved. :P But for some reason we didn't receive the emails when our petitions were touched like other people here seem to. Oh well. ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-17 00:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresDid I cover everything
I separated things into two piles: one for our relationship and one for the well-being/support of my wife.

For example, in the relationship pile, I have things like the invoice for the hotel where we stayed when I visited, my travel itinerary, air stubs, emails, about 200 pics, etc. All the lovey-dovey stuff...

In the well-being (wanted to avoid the word "welfare") pile, I included things like how I have added my wife to my benefits at work (medical, dental, etc), and how she's the primary beneficiary for my insurance policies and retirement accounts. We also added her to my lease and I gave her an ATM card for my account (since we can't add her until she's here). So we will have proof that we're sharing a bank account and that she has a place to live, even if something happens to me (even though I'm not allowed to die or anything ;) ). She will have with her on the day of the interview the ATM card, the medical card from our health care provider, and the dental card, along with the documents supporting them. Our health care provider has even sent her a few letters to our address in the US, which she will have as well. I have written a document outlining these things that we'll submit with that "evidence". These would probably be very strong things to show if you've done any of them. :) These are the more businessy stuff and could show that the practical daily living concerns have been raised and addressed. It's one thing to say that you'll take care of your spouse, but it's another to actually have that person actually covered under your medical insurance ;)

Hope this helps! ttyl,

mich

PS - If you haven't done these - don't freak out! You'll be fine. :)
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-17 21:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI know am precipitous...

I received and sent back the I 864 and the bill/payment for the DS 230 today. I know I am still at least a few weeks from approval but I was wondering:
1. When do you schedule the medical exam, and when/where do you get the list of authorized MDs who can do it?

2. When do you start making travel plans? It looks like our case may be completed in the summer, during peak travel time so advance planning seems pretty critical.

Any advice or personal experiences would be welcome. :)


I'm a bit behind you in the process, so take my advice accordingly... but for the travel plans, I think the best recommendation based on what I've seen here would be to wait until you ahve the visa. You don't know (but we hope!) that you'll definitely be approved right there at your interview. Even if you are, what if the delivery of the visa is delayed outside of your travel window? Or what happens if the interview goes ok, but you get put on administrative review? Then you could be delayed for months. :( So any plans that you make before your interview could easily be ruined at the interview. So be very careful. It's a sour pill and a hit on the wallet, but it's better than buying tickets and not even being able to use them, right? Of course, we definitely hope that everything would go peachy. :)

Regarding the medical, I think that you get that information in packet 4. They tell you where to go, etc. Once you have that, I think you can go whenever you want.

Hope this helps! ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-17 01:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedurescalifornia - Wahat's up with that
yes... you have a long wait ahead of you, but fear not... your friends at VJ are here to wait with you. :thumbs: ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-19 18:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK3 & returned for CR1 interview

I did post briefly in the London Embassy forum after my interview, but we arrived home last night after our trip to England so am posting here now!!

The CR1 interview was easy pretty much the same as my K3 interview, my interview was on a friday, and i got my passport back on the saturday morning, which was pretty fast!!
I entered Chicago POE yesterday it took them about 5 minutes to process me with no problems & now i'm done with immigration for 2 years -90days YAY! :dance:

The K3 visa i had in my passport, the embassy just put a stamp on it saying it was cancelled without predjudice :yes:


congrats and welcome! :) i'll have to search for your other thread about your K3 interview. We're practicing :yes: ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-22 19:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Approved, I-129F far off
Aussie's post here starts pretty much where you are in your process:
http://www.visajourn...p?showtopic=117
ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-24 18:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresOff To London !!!
woohoo! congrats! :thumbs:
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-22 19:04:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Approved

Hi,
Today my I-130 was approved. What is the next step. Wait for the NVC to send me a bill or packet or should I file any more papers at this time. One more thing is my I-129F is still pending and will be approved any day once my I-129f gets approved can I abandon K-3 processing or should I write to the NVC asking them to abandon my K-3 process and continue with I-130.

Any help would be appreciated.


Now you fall into the hands of the NVC. You can read a lot about that in aussiewench's thread
Also, sounds like you might want to review the IR-1/CR-1 guide

I'm not sure how to abandon a K3 process (other than just halting your correspondence with them). We're going to continue ours as a contingency plan and probably bring her here for a few months while we wait for the CR-1/IR-1 interview. ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-26 19:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresGreen Card

:dance: .My card came today................happy dance on the door step :P ............now i'm just waiting for my SSN............. :whistle:


:dance: :dance: haha. good for you :thumbs: ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-28 02:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHelp Needed


If you would only make a search on Google.


Yeah, That is a really smart comment.......Don't you think that I have done that already? But you should also know that most of the small name hotels are not listed in a Google search. You should also know that there is no advice like the advice of someone who has done it already, someone who has already made the St. Luke Medical and the US Embassy walk. So before you go telling someone to make a simple Google search....I would really think about what they are asking for first


That's really a bummer that you didn't get better responses; I thought you would. There seem to be plenty of fil-am couples here. :) Maybe the regional forums would have been more help for you... live and learn, i guess. :( Anyways, I don't have anything better, and it's probably too late, but maybe digging around here a little would give a little more info:
http://travel.yahoo....ila_vacations-i
The first one on the list, for example, has like 53 reviews, so at least you're not completely blind about how the hotels really are. It looks like the mapping data is a bit askew, though... it says one of the Manila hotels is in Utah. :P Google? What's that? :P Yahoo! has you covered ;)

Also, when I was over there with my wife, this seemed to be the "yellow pages" of choice that she used when we needed to find something (the URL should take you to hotels on roxas blvd, but for some reason isn't completely limiting to manila) :
http://clickthecity...... blvd, manila
perhaps cross referencing these results with the y! ones above would give good data. Anyways... yeah... prolly too late to be helpful, but in case you can still use it, hope that it's helpful. ttyl,

mich

One more thing I found... people writing about their trips to Manila:
http://travel.yahoo....anila&x=22&y=11
ttyl,

mich
phirephlyMalePhilippines2006-05-28 02:49:00