ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)Netherlands
QUOTE (letty @ Apr 29 2008, 07:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Like you can see, it is very expensive to have your items moved from the port of entry to where you live. So I though I was smart to see if there is an option to pick it up myself at the port. I'm glad I read the blue-print (kleine lettertjes) very well, because I found out you have to pay all sort of taxes and other charges.(bijv. douaneheffingen, invoerrechten, X-ray scans, havengeld, loodshuur). At first it looked cheap but probably you end up paying a lot more this way.


Has anyone actually done anything like this and knows how much the "havenkosten en afhandelingskosten" are? I am bringing more than I can send by TPG and so I am considering shipping my stuff. I figured out that it would cost me €600,- to ship my stuff to Chicago and pick it up there myself. And it's €1130,- if I have my stuff shipped all the way to where I'm going to live. According to the quote I was given, "douanekosten (inklaring, evt taxes & duties)" are never included so I'd have to pay those extra anyway. If the "havenkosten en afhandelingskosten" are anywhere near €500,-, I might as well have my things shipped all the way to where I'm going to live and not bother driving the 4 hours to Chicago to pick up my stuff. unsure.gif
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2008-05-13 15:24:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)Netherlands
OK. Thanks to you both smile.gif
I guess that means I'll go get some new American style photos taken. I definitely don't want to take the risk of my photos not being accepted.
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2008-03-24 08:43:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)Netherlands
I have yet another question huh.gif
I received packet 3 last week and included are the photo instructions for U.S. immigrant visa applicants. It says the photos must be in color and measure 2x2 inch (51x51mm). Regular passport size photos taken in the Netherlands are smaller than that though. I do have 4 color photos left that I also used for my passport which was issued earlier this year. So I was planning on using them. Will regular size Dutch passport size photos be accepted or do I have to go and have new photos taken that measure exactly 51x51mm?
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2008-03-23 09:41:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)Netherlands
QUOTE (darkhorse @ Feb 28 2008, 09:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Don't worry, teh consulate will request the police certificate for you and it will be there at your interview. You don't need to do anything about it.


Great, thanks! good.gif
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2008-02-29 14:19:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)Netherlands
Hello there.
I noticed that no one's been here for a while, but i have a question. Our case was approved yesterday and the company that's been helping us with out K1 sent us a sheet listing the things I need to take with me to the interview at the cunsulate. This is the list:

Requirements for your fiancé or fiancée’s interview:

1. Valid International Passport with a photocopy of the first page.

2. Original birth certificate with photocopy and translation into English. Original adoption decree (if applicable)


3. Applicants are required to submit police certificate in all names as well as all dates of birth that they have used. Police certificate must contain references to each place in which the applicant lives or has lived for more than six months since reaching the age of 16, regardless of where he/she is officially registered. This includes localities where applicants have lived during university studies. If the applicant was on his military service, he should bring the certificate from the local draft board. If an applicant has lived abroad for more than one year a police certificate must also be submitted from the country in which he/she lived. Military records will be accepted only from local authorities and not from military commissions. Police certificates are only good for six months, wait until the case is close to approval time before applying for the Police certificates.

4. If applicable, evidence of termination of any prior marriage: divorce decrees(s) or death certificate(s) (if applicable) original or photocopy and translation into English.

5. An accompanying child requires a valid passport (or may be included in the parent’s passport) a birth certificate and a medical examination. If a child is 16 years of age or over, police certificates are required.

6. Two photos of passport size black & white full face for visa.

7. Two photos of passport size for medical exam.

8. There is an application fee of $65 per person, payable at the Embassy on the day of the interview. Only U.S. dollars cash or local currency will be accepted. The bills must be clean and in good condition. The Embassy cashier reserves the right to reject dirty or damaged bills. Under no circumstances will credit cards or personal checks be accepted for payment.

9. Documents confirming the relationship: Photos of Petitioner and Beneficiary together, letters to each other, phone bills, emails….

10. Results of Medical Examination in a sealed envelope.

11. Court and prison records. (If applicable)

12. I-134 Affidavit of Support form-notarized, along with past 3 year U.S. tax returns and any other financial documents required.

On the day of your fiancée’s interview, he/she must bring EVERY document listed above that applies to your case, and should be prepared for a long wait. There may be additional forms required. The interview appointment sheet will contain a list of everything you must bring. It will also tell you the payment amount due and the forms of payment accepted.
The interview can last as little as 10 minutes or up to an hour depending upon your specific case. Your fiancée will take an oath under the United States law to tell the truth. It is vital that your fiancée answer every question as truthfully as possible.

It’s recommended that your fiancée bring documentation to prove strong ties and a relationship with you. (Phone bills, letters, emails, cards).


I'm just not sure what item #3 is. I'm not familiar with this. Is this something that other Dutch people have had to bring along to their interview too or is it better for me to wait until I get the actual list of things I need from the consulate itself?
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2008-02-28 02:57:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionPacket 3 received
Great good.gif
This helps a lot. Thanks to you both!
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2008-03-20 08:14:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionPacket 3 received
I just received packet 3 from the consulate in Amsterdam yesterday. I went through the forms and have some questions about what to fill out. Form DS-156 is a nonimmigrant visa application. I was wondering what to fill out at question 26 (How long do you intend to stay in the US?)? Since this is nonimmigrant visa application form, is it OK to fill out something like "indefinitely" or do I have to put a date?. And what about question 27 (What is the purpose of your trip?)? Also, I have been to the US many times, also before I met my SO. Question 29 askes "Have you ever been in the US? When? For how long?". Then it gives a very tiny space to answer. Do I just enter my last visit or mention in which years I was there and the approximate lengths of my stays? Or do I need to add a separate document with all my visits to the US? Well, that's it for now. I want to try and fill out the forms this weekend so I can send them after the weekend.
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2008-03-20 07:55:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionApproved
That's great news! Congratulations! :thumbs:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-01-08 20:36:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 RFE Assembling

I didn't punch, just put it all in the envelope.


Yep, so did I...
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-07 09:14:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionPlease review and advise my evidence

Hi,it is almost time for me to file for ROC. I am supposed to file it on Mid June this year but I want to start to gather the evidence now and ask for your advise. Your advise is greatly appreciated and it is open to all who have been through this stage or are about to send it too like myself.

Here are some evidence that I already have and plan to get one soon:

  • Apartment lease
  • Tax return transcript 2009 and 2010
  • Joint checking account statement and copies of our cards
  • Joint credit card statement and copies of our cards
  • Military ID showing my husband as the sponsor
  • TRICARE (health insurance) documents, such as the enrollment form, the certificate of creditable coverage. In which all of the documents showing information about my husband as the sponsor and me as his spouse also our address.
  • Power of Attorney from him when he was deployed, giving me the right to enroll in DEERS (Defense Enrollment Eligibility System)so that I could get my military ID card and eligible for Healthcare insurance by TRICARE
  • My husband's Post 9/11 GI Bill application which shows my name as the emergency contact and our relationship as spouse and our same address
  • My husband's school application which shows my name as spouse and emergency contact
  • Itinerary and plane ticket to Montana together in 2010 to visit his parents
  • Photos that has our pictures together and family
  • Affidavits from 2 people who have known us
  • Miscellaneous copies of documents from Department of Defense showing our names and relationship and address
  • Copies of letters and cards to our address
I think that is all I can think of and I am planning to submit. I do not have driver's license cause I can't drive so there is no car insurance or title either, and no child's birth certificate, cause our first child is due this October :)So, what do you guys think? I really appreciate your suggestions.


Yep, looks pretty good to me too. Some suggestions would be utility bills/loan documents in both your names. If you filed any medical claims under your husband's insurance, you can add the explanation of benefits for those. Also anything your husband has, showing you as the beneficiary (such as 401k, life insurance) and vice versa. That's all I can think of right now. Good luck!! :thumbs:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-06 09:49:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionAre the RFE's getting updated in "status update"?

My online status did not update when I got my RFE.


Mine hasn't updated either since we received our RFE. I just sent out the evidence they requested on Saturday and I haven't checked since then if there is an update.
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-06 13:44:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionCard Production Ordered
Congratulations!! :thumbs:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-12 13:03:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionA Few Questions
We didn't send the affidavits because they are not required and we felt confident that we had enough evidence. We sent in a big pile of paperwork. Still, we got an RFE in March. So this time around, we did send two affidavits along with an even bigger pile of paperwork. We haven't heard the outcome yet, but are hoping for some positive news soon... :whistle:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-18 14:13:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionOK to apply 3 weeks before GC expires?

That's exactly what I would do.


Yep, me too. Shouldn't be a problem. Good luck! :star:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-20 14:31:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionRFE
I think anything with beneficiary information is major. We didn't send that the first time around and got an RFE too. Also, if you are the policyholder for your health insurance and your husband incurred medical expenses, you can make copies of the explanation of benefits showing that he filed medical claims under your insurance. Just a suggestion, we added those too. Good luck! :thumbs:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-20 14:29:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionCase status online

Hi everyone,

It has been almost a month since USCIS received my I-751. I got NOA-1 a couple of days later after sending out the application. However, I cannot check my status online. Every time I tried putting in the receipt number it tells me my case cannot be found. How soon should my case appear online after filing?

Thanks for your help.


Mine never showed up, even after I got my NOA. Whenever I checked online, it always said my case cannot be found. I did call to make sure they were still working on it, but it never showed up. I just had to wait for the letters in the mail. My case is approved now.
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-26 12:13:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionGot GC 10 years!
Congratulations!! :dance:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-05-02 14:17:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionStepchild of USC from first marriage

There have been numerous discussions regarding listing children, all with various interpretations of this question. Posted Image I (the green card holder) listed only my biological children and did not include my husband's (the USC) son from a previous marriage.

Good luck!


That's what I did. Actually, it never even occurred to me to do it any other way because after all, what does my stepson have to do with my I-751?? Well, it worked that way. I got my greencard. :star:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-05-02 14:21:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionJoint car insurance but NOT car title

thanks all! i'll leave it out!


That's what we did too for the same reason and it turned out fine. :star:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-05-06 13:08:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionPossible Tax return problems and REF

Well the RFE tells you what evidence they are requesting, so that should answer what they're looking for and why.


Not always. We got an RFE and it didn't specify what it was for or which documents were missing. My husband called and they weren't able to tell him either. He was just told that sometimes RFE's are sent out to random people and that affidavits are "very important". That's strange becase affidavits are not a requirement. I'm just telling this because apparently they CAN send out an RFE for something that's not a requirement. This does seem to be tax related although tax returns are not a requirement either. It can be so confusing... :wacko:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-05-19 15:05:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
Congrats to everyone who was approved recently!! :dance:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-05-18 15:07:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
Congratulations!! :star:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-05-06 09:13:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
Got my card in the mail yesterday too. Woohoo!! :D
This was way too stressful, glad it's all over!
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-21 09:12:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers

Congrats Stardust72 :dance: !! When was the Date of Decision?


04/14/2011 :star:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-20 14:10:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
Well, I finally got the news I was waiting for. After our RFE, I got my approval letter yesterday. Greencard should follow within the next 60 days. I'm so happy we got approved! :dance:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-19 09:16:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers

Hi!! Congrats on the approvals!!! :dance:

This is disgusting, I see people with RFE who sent WAY more evidence than we did... it's simply unfair!! Hang in there, RFE people!!

Good luck :star:


Hanging in there... ;)
Actually, when my husband called regarding our RFE (there were no clear instructions as to what it was for), he was told that a lot of times RFEs are sent out to random people. So it really isn't fair. Unfortuntely, there's not much anyone can do about it. Hopefully I'll get some positive news soon. I haven't been able to access my case online wince we got the RFE so I'm waiting for the letter.
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-18 13:00:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers

Today i got accepted...my card is ordered now :) excited!!


Congrats!! :dance:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-15 12:20:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
Congratulations on all the recent approvals!! :dance: :thumbs:
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-12 13:06:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
I just tried checking my status online and it still hasn't been updated. I tried adding the case to my portfolio so I'll receive updates by email and text message. But when I tried, it said "Attempting to add a case that does not exist". I know I entered my receipt number correctly. I'm a little worried now... :unsure:

Edited by Stardust72, 06 April 2011 - 07:43 PM.

Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-06 19:42:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers

Hi Stardust,

How did you send your RFE evidence - regular mail, priority, or express? I am not sure if priority or express mail works for RFE replies.

Did you send the evidence in envelope sent by them or did you just put it in your envelope?

Hope you get a quick approval.


We sent it USPS priority mail. Since we sent a big pile of paperwork, the tiny return envelope was way too small :blink:. We used a USPS envelope, but made sure we copied the address exactly as it was on the return envelope.
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-06 09:37:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
Well, it took us a while to get all of our additional proof together after we received an RFE on 03/05. We had to call some places and wait for some stuff to be sent in the mail. But we finally mailed out a big pile of paperwork last Saturday 04/02. I just checked the USPS website and it says it was delivered and signed for today. Hopefully it won't take them too long to review our additional evidence.
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-04-05 17:11:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers

Hi everyone. Unfortunately we got a RFE yesterday 03/11/2011. We are not sure what else to send them since we already sent everything that we can think of. Anyway what I'm wondering is why I cannot check the status of the petition online. I keep getting * Customer Portfolio Insert Failed * Attempting to add a case that does not exist. Check the application receipt number. can someone help me please??? :(


Sorry to hear about the RFE :(
There are some posts on the previous pages with helpful suggestions on what to send. We also got an RFE last week. It was totally unexpected because I was convinced that we had sent in enough proof. But I did think of some additional things we can send.
Apparently when they send out an RFE, you can no longer access your case online. This happened to us too. I don't know why that is.
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-03-12 20:47:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers

Sorry to hear about your RFE. We just got approved last week. Here is the list of items we sent in. I hope they help.

1. Copy of Permanent Resident Card of my wife.

2. Copy of our joint US tax return transcripts for the year 2008 and 2009.

3. Original Verification of Account issued by my bank verifying details of our joint account.

4. Copies of joint bank account statements.

5. Copy of Home Equity Loan Agreement.

6. Copy of the title of our car, showing joint ownership.

7. Copy of Health and Life Insurance Plans Enrollment and Beneficiary Confirmation Notices.

8. Copies of Voluntary Investment Plan (401k) beneficiary designations.

9. Copies of IRA and Roth IRA Beneficiary designations.

10. Copies of medical bills showing my wife as patient.

11. Copy of our Driver's Licenses showing same address.

12. Copies of auto, homeowner, and umbrella insurance policies with both our names.

13. Copies of electricity and utilities bills.

14. Original affidavits by three U.S. citizen friends, attesting to our relationship and marriage.


15. Records of our vacations during the years of 2008, 2009 and 2010, including itineraries, boarding passes issued by various airlines, and some pictures taken during the relevant vacations and our daily life.


Thanks for the list :thumbs: That's very helpful! I didn't keep any of my medical bills, but I can send copies of EOBs showing that I filed medical claims on my husband's insurance. My husband went to our bank to ask for a verification of account showing that we have a joint bank account and they had no idea what he was talking about :o Well, our bank is a small town operation. We did already submit copies of bank statements showing that we have a joint bank account, though. I will also send vacation itineraries and this time we are adding affidavits too. We probably won't be sending our new package out until next weekend because it will take some time to get the affidavits signed and notarized. Hopefully this time the outcome will be more positive :)
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-03-12 20:38:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
One more question about our RFE. We didn't submit affidavits with our original paperwork because they weren't required and we thought we had enough proof of a legitimate marriage. So we are planning to send some affidavits this time. Do they have to be notarized?? :huh: Just wondering
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-03-07 21:39:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers

Same thing happened to us too... we got an RFE Saturday and we're so disappointed. Stardust, we there with you... We submitted our taxes filed joinly for 2009, copy of title of our house we purchased together, copy of last utility bill, insurance (car & health), joint bank account,letters from friends and our auto loans for both of our cars (joint)... in the letter we received it states evidence "from date of marriage to present"... do they want us to send bills for the past 2 years, all taxes filed since we got married, our old lease (which was provided @ time of interview for the first GC)... we don't have children and they have asked us for birth certificate even though on the application to remove status we stated we have no children... what else could we send them? We're planing to call USCIS tomorrow and hopefully can talk to someone who can shed more light on our situation.

Also, we didn't get email about our case or this REF and our case number doesn't come up online and once we called USCIS in January, we were told everything is OK and our case is pending. The receipt # is OK and the problem is with the on-line system. It took them 2 months from biometrics on 12/29 to tell us they need more evidence... so not fair.

Thanks for reading,

Yasi



Did you get to speak with someone today? If so, was it helpful? My husband called USCIS today regarding our RFE and the person he spoke with was completely useless. They didn't have any actual information about my case there. The guy was just reading the info we had already received in the mail about which documents we can send. But when my husband asked him what specifically was missing, he wasn't able to tell him. He said these RFE's just get sent out sometimes for no apparent reason. He advised us to resend everything we already sent plus anything additional we can think of. We can also schedule an infopass appointment if we really wan to know why we received the RFE, but that means a 2 hour drive to Milwaukee. I get the impression that they sometimes just pick random cases for RFE's and you and I were just the unlucky ones. From your post, it seems like you sent in even more than we did and you still got an RFE. It makes no sense! So... we're just going to resend everything plus maybe some affidavits and proof that we traveled together. That's all I can think of that we haven't already sent.
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-03-07 21:23:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers

Hi Stardust,
Sorry about the RFE, send them anything you have left out even if its not the utility bills, or write a good explanation as to why you don't have the evidence they have requested. From what I have seen so far, a good convincing explanation can be very helpful. I am still waiting for my 10 years GC, so take my advice with a grain of salt. For my own information, did your online status say anything about them sending you the RFE?


Thanks! We actually don't have a lot other than what we already sent them (which is quite a bit in my opinion). I found some travel itineraries with both our names on them, proving that we traveled together. Other than that, I can try to explain why we don't have loan documents and utility bills in our name. My husband is going to call them tomorrow to make sure that everything we sent them is actually on file and to see if he can find out that exactly they are looking for. I can't look up my case online for some reason. I enter my receipt # and the website says it can't find my status. That's weird too! Well, hopefully I'll know more tomorrow. It's frustrating and I hope it will all work out in the end.
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-03-06 14:23:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
We received an RFE today and it totally ruined my weekend. We sent a copy of the lease agreement for our house, copies of health insurance card, car insurance, life insurance, bank statements and 2008 and 2009 tax returns as well as pictures of the two of us since we were married. The RFE includes a lists of documents you can send in, but we sent them everything short of birth certificates of children born to us (we don't have any), loan agreements (we don't have any loans) and utility bills (because they are still in only my husband's name). Seriously, a copy of a utility bill can't mean the difference between being approved or denied!! :angry: I don't know what else they want from us. I'm all worried now...
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-03-05 17:34:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers

Hi,

Does anyone know if one can travel outside of the US while I-751 is pending? If so, do I need special permission from CIS?


You can. As long as you have both your greencard and the letter that says it was extended with one year with you, it shouldn't be a problem. :)
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-02-08 15:07:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
Hello November filers!! :)

I was just checking this thread again. Nothing is new here. I'm just really glad to see some approvals are starting to come in. I'm a late November filer, so I'm pretty sure I still have to wait a little longer. But I'm just very glad that some people are seeing approvals, that's great news!! :thumbs:

Good luck with the wait everybody. Hope we all get some good news soon!!
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-02-07 11:56:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 November 2010 Filers
Hello fellow November filers :)

I haven't been on here for a while so here's a quick update. I received my NOA on 12/14/2010 and my biometrics appointment was yesterday in Milwaukee. It all went very smoothly. I was only there for about 20 minutes and then I was back outside. And now we wait... :whistle:

Good luck to all other November filers!!
Stardust72FemaleNetherlands2011-01-08 20:28:00