Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Mailing to fiancé in Russia	Hi, anyone have experience mailing documents to Russia? I'll have to sen my noa2 step 2 soon. I have mailed things before through USPS and while it's fine leaving the country, it isn't very reliable on their end. Ups is extremely expensive. It would have been $300 to ship my gift to her. And I hear dhl in this area is closed. anyone help?   You are faced with the age old problem that if it is cheap it may not arrive and to guarantee that it arrives costs some coin.  I sent the documents to my then fiancée via FedEx at the cost of $100 each way.  I sent a small gift to the tune of $300.  Do you want it to pass customs?  This process is expensive and you need to decide what's important.  For a few hundred dollars more, you could fly to Russia and deliver the package in person with the added benefit of seeing her again.  Airfare to Kazakhstan is around $2,200, so I opted for FedEx at $100.  Just remember that the adjustment of status (AOS) is $1070 after you get married in the US--to put things into perspective.   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2013-12-17 00:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Failed to Deliver - what happens? Will they pick it up?	I'm so happy to see someone sent it off at the same time as us ^^ Yes they are closed, usps should try again monday   Actually they will try again Tuesday, as Monday is a Federal holiday--MLK Day.  One reason to opt for not requiring the signature on Express Delivery.   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-01-19 23:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NOA-1 - wasn't there supposed to be a case number or something?	Hey all, got our NOA-1 by mail, I thought we were supposed to have like a number or a way of checking the status of our case online? I'm so confused!    First box in the upper left says: "Receipt Number" and begins with three letters like WAC followed by a bunch of numbers.  Use that number along with the letters to check your case status on-line. Good luck,   Dave Edited by Dave&Roza, 01 February 2014 - 10:29 PM.	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-02-01 22:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	K1 DENIED WE CAN'R BELIVE THIS???	I would refile.  Read the guides here on VJ to make certain you include everything so you can avoid the RFE that was "sent" to you.  I would also go to the local post office and complete a form for who is to receive mail at your address and make certain your name is on the card in the mailbox or put a card in the mailbox with all people that are to receive mail at that address.  Then I would send a letter or card to yourself with a work address as the return address and see if it gets to you.  We had an issue at the apartment complex with mail addressed to my wife--this does appear to be more of an issue with wife's that keep their maiden names.   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-02-06 17:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Airlines procedures	The cost of the ticket is just a matter of simple economics. You can buy a thousand tickets if it's cheaper, but you can't use them to go back home until after you get married and get approved AOS, or get advance parole.      Yes, it is a simple economic exercise.  Do I purchase a round trip ticket for $2100 or do I purchase a one-way ticket for $3300?  (I am using actual numbers for when I was going to bring my fiancée to the US).  If I purchase the RT, I achieve my goal of getting my fiancée to the US and I spend $2100. Yes, there is the return leg that I do not use because she cannot travel until she receives her GC or EAD/AP.  Not to mention that if we did use the return leg, she would be in her home country without a ticket to the US, so we are in the same situation of what to purchase--a RT or one-way again.  If I purchase the one-way, I achieve my goal of getting my fiancée into the US and I spend $3300.  I do not have to worry about a return leg, but my bank account is $1200 lighter.  So call me crazy for buying a RT ticket and "wasting" the return leg just so I can have 12 Franklins in my pocket rather than having given them to the airline.    YMMV,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-02-17 15:21:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Airlines procedures	A K1 visa is affixed inside the passport. It entitles the holder to enter the US at any time for up to one year and from any airline. It's issued by the US State Department who must accept it. A one-way ticket is all that's allowed for a K1 visa. Well, I suppose you could get a round-trip ticket, but in so doing you would violate the visa and lose the K1.   Sorry to say this but you are wrong on so many items with your response.   First, a K-1 visa is issued and attached to the passport and is valid for a maximum of 6 months--the actual time period it is valid for is sometimes tied to the medical examine date.  Second, a K-1 visa is a non-immigrant, single entry visa for the express purpose to getting married.  The foreign spouse has 90 days to get marreid to the petitioner or the K-1 visa is no longer valid for the purposes of adjusting of status (AOS).  There is no restriction on the type of airline ticket that can be used.  We purchased a RT ticket for my wife to come to the US on her K-1.  The return part was 89 days after her arrival.  Once we were married I canceled the return portion of her trip and kept the confirmation number.    OP:  There are two issue when traveling to the US. 1) is dealing with the arilines and their employees and how well they are trained on unusual situations like a K-1 visa and 2) is dealing with the CBP who typically see this more often than the airlines, plus they have a computer that can look up your file--the airlines do not.  Buy which ever ticket is cheaper and plan to explain yourself if you have a one-way ticket and the airline employee is not well trained.   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-02-17 13:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	What to do next after recieving Alien Registration Number?	Ok. So if I have my NOA1 and an Alien Registration Number has been assigned, that means that the service center started working on the case?    It means that someone actually touched your file to enter it into the computer, issued you your NOA1 and the A# associated with your file.  They then placed in into a big box and placed that box in the long line of other I-129Fs being adjudicated.  Think of it as you have walked into the door and decided to go into the third line from the right that has approximately 10,000 people in front of you. You now wait for you petition to get to the front of the line and to be looked at.  The wait is currently about 180 days from NOA1 to interview date.   Good luck,   DAve	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-04-06 14:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Request for Original Passport !!	The visa cancellation in UAE takes about 21 days. So my plan is to arrive in US with original passport, apply for marriage certificate and apply for SSN and make photocopy of it and apply for AOS, then send the passport back to UAE to enable them to cancel the visa.   One important question arise here, how long it takes USCIS to call you for interview and Bio metric for AOS since the time we apply for AOS and send form i-485??   If they will call me for interview and bio metric session and request me to attend personally less than one month from applying for i-485, I will be a dead man..!! lol   Any suggestions??   Thanks tons for your ideas and participation         Typically bio appointment is about 1 month after they receive and process your package and issue the NOA1.  So it depends on how quickly they process the package when they receive it.  IMHO, I would wait until after the bio appointment to send your passport back.  An interview will take several months to be scheduled.   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-04-07 16:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Request for Original Passport !!	I may be able to help a bit with this inquiry.   From the VJ AOS Guides:     We made color laser photocopies of ALL pages of all of our passports (K1, K2, USC). Submitted copies of wife and stepson's passports as described above. At the AOS interview, the IO asked us to provide our original passports for comparison to the previously submitted copies.    Good luck.       I agree with this.  After arriving in the US, make a copy of the entire passport before sending it back.     Hello Everyone,    I would like to ask a very important question:   In the K-1 visa process, what are times that you need to present your original passport??   I know that the original passport has to be with me in the interview at the Embassy and when I enter USA...   Do we need to present the original passport in the process of Adjustment of Status or applying to Social Security Card??   I need to send my passport back to my residence country in order to cancel my visa and have my end of service benefits.   Thanks for your answers in advance   Good luck for everyone in your journeys       You will not need a passport in the US, however; it may be your only form of a government issued ID which may prove frustrating until the EAD or GC arrives.  No government issued ID no domestic travel.  No government issued ID, no alcoholic beverages should they want proof of age.  Can you wait until you have the EAD/AP so you can use that as a form of ID--you would not be able to send the passport back for about 3-6 months after arriving in the US.   Good luck,   DAve	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-04-06 14:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Residing in COLORADO? Anyone?	Where in Colorado Dave? Where in Colorado Dave?   Westminster.	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-05-15 23:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Residing in COLORADO? Anyone?	I'm excited for my interview and really quite nervous. But to amused myself, does anyone here leaving for COLORADO? I'm excited to meet you.   Born and raised in Colorado.  Left for about 23 years for college and a job, but I finally came to my senses and moved back.   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-05-14 15:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Concerned about length of visit for K-1	Can someone please inform me if they suppose it would be an issue that we have only met in person one time?  I flew to Ghana in February but was only able to stay for 9 days.  We are in love but my demanding job and the fact that I am a single father makes it very difficult to get there again.  Financially it is nearly impossible, and I have nobody to care for my daughter and make sure she makes it to school.  I had my mother fly down from NY to care for my daughter for the 9 day visit in February.  I'm just concerned that one visit for nine days may not be enough for the CO in Accra to justify our petition.  We have chat logs and communicate everyday.  We have several photos, receipts for dinner when I proposed, hotel receipts, and she has an engagement ring.  Should I try and take out a loan to get there again before the interview?  I'm torn because I love this woman and want to spend my life with her, but I don't want to start off in debt when she will not be able to work for about six months after she arrives.  Can anyone share with me their thoughts?          This is a two stage process.  Stage one is filing the I-129F and showing that you have meet within the last two years, you are both free to marry, and that you both plan to get married within 90 days of entering the US on the K-1 visa and the petitioner is a USC.  Period.  End of stage one.  Now comes stage two which is at the Embassy or Consulate where your intended spouse resides.  Each Embassy/Consulate handles this process differently.  Your fiancée is at one of the harder Embassies to get through due to a high rate of fraud in the past.  So you will have to show that she is not entering into a marriage with a USC in order to just get a GC and immigrate to the US.  So how you met, how you proposed, how the relationship develops, and how many times you visit will be weighed more heavily than my evidence of continuing relationship I submitted to the Consulate in Almaty.  So you may want to plan to save for another trip especially around the time of the interview she will have at the Embassy.  I understand about the cost of airfare as each trip to Almaty runs $1800-$2400 depending on the travel season, but if this is something you want you will need to figure out a way to make it happen.  Just image how it will be after the marriage and you travel back to her home country--the cost is now double and around $5,000 per visit before adding in spending money .   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-05-15 22:21:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	petitioner change of address after interview scheduled	I, the petitioner, will be moving in a week, same area but different apartment. My fiance's interview at the embassy is 5 days after my move. Will this have any impact on his interview being approved? I put down my address at the time as the address he will be staying at permanently once he's here, so that will obviously change. I'm so nervous that we've come this far, and I don't want this little thing to mess things up for thé interview getting approved. Help, please!   This will be one of the only times you do not need to notify the USCIS of your move.  Once your husband files for AOS, both you and any sponsors that complete an I-864 form must notify the USCIS of any moves until the I-864 is not longer in effect for the USC and as long as your husband is a LPR--the USC has 30 days and the LPR has 10 days to file for a change of address.  The USC uses I-865 and the LPR uses AR-11.  Just have him put the new address on any forms he completes after you move--i.e. the AOS and if he is asked where he will live at the POE (point of entry).   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-06-13 22:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Change of address question...	Hi, I filed a I-129f petition for my fiancé in January and we are waiting for the noa2.... Since then we both have moved homes. I was wondering if I need to inform uscis about the change of addresses even though both of our mailing addresses have stayed the same? If so how do I go about doing this and will it delay my noa2 from coming? Thanks so much!   A change of address is only needed to receive the approval notice (NOA2) which a copy of is needed for the adjustment of status (AOS).  The rules on change of address only apply once you are a LPR.  Then you have 10 days to inform the USCIS of the address change using the AR-11 form and if you have a pending application or petition you need to do an additional step.  Any USC that is a sponsor on the I-864 must compete an I-865 when they move and they have 30 days to do so.  Before the petition approval, the only reason to inform the USCIS of a change of address is to receive any letters from them as the USPS will not forward anything from the USCIS.   Since your mailing address is the same, I would not worry about it.   Good luck,   Dave Edited by Dave&Roza, 17 June 2014 - 08:38 AM.	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-06-17 08:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	i had my interview today.... No Visa cause only 3k difference	At least the I-134 used for the K-1 interview at the Embassy is not legally binding, but if you find someone to sponsor and get here on the K-1, you have to look forward to the adjustment of status  (AOS) and its $1070 fee for just the spouse and the legally binding I-864 affidavit of support which does not end until 40 qualifying quarters of work, the alien spouse becomes a citizen, the alien spouse abandons their LPR status and leaves the US, or either party dies.  Finding someone to do that will be very difficult, but your life in the US does not begin until you become a LPR and you need to file the I-864.  So you need to find some one who qualifies income wise and is willing to step up and be on the hook when it is time to file the I-864.   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-07-08 12:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Allowing ourselves to dream; Buying his ticket to the U.S.	Hi all!   So I know the CARDINAL rule of VJ (which we have followed faithfully thus far) is that you don't make ANY plans until the visa is in your hand.     However, with still 74 days to go until I fly to Cambodia for his interview, we're both starting to feel a bit stir crazy.     To distract ourselves, we are planning. Just a little bit. We're not buying anything, we're not setting anything in stone. But we're letting our selves dream about what we will do if/when that approval comes.     VJers, how have you handled buying that plane ticket to the U.S.? I already have my returning flight from Cambodia after his interview booked,  and by the time we get to the interview, I am certain that a seat on that flight will be too expensive for us to afford.   But I've read about fiance(e)s who fly to the U.S. after the interview together. How are people doing that? When do you book the flight? Or if your fiance doesn't fly back with you, when have you all been scheduling them to leave?    I usually book my tickets to Cambodia (not that I've gone so many times)  at least three months in advance, but we definitely don't want to wait that long after the interview to book his flight over here.     Any advice? Thanks everyone!!      I bought a round trip ticket for my then fiancee as it was about $1200 cheaper than a one-way ticket--the return leg was 89 days after she arrived.  I also played the game of booking the tickets for tomorrow, next week and over a month from the booking date.  The prices were all the same.  Most international flights the fares are based on what season you fly and not when you book the ticket--unlike here in the US.If you do buy a RT ticket, please cancel the return part before its departure date to avoid any undue complications the airlines can cause if they sell the seat and fail to remove him from the manifest.   So I would see how the time from booking to the flight date affects the ticket price and once he has his visa you can book his ticket.  Some high credit card fraud countries require a copy of the CC or other proof that the ticket was purchased by someone else, but the traveler was authorized to accept that ticket.  That was not an issue for us on Lufthansa.  I have also noticed that flying RT FROM the US is more expensive than flying RT TO the US from Almaty and that prices drop after September 15th until Christmas and go back up for the summer travel season in May.   Good luck, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-07-21 08:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	I-797 question	Aaaaahhhh.... Whattttt??? I'm not talking about the visa expire im talking about noa2.   I understand that.  Who is going to see the NOA2?  The Airline people will see the expiration date of the VISA.  The CBP will see the expiration date of the VISA.  You have the NOA2 and USCIS does too.  Who else will know what the date is unless you show them the NOA2?    The NOA2 for the I-129F PETITION is what you are looking at.  If it expires before your interview the Embassy can extend the date so you can have your interview and be issue the K-1 visa.  You are well beyond that stage.  The only thing that matters is the expiration date on the VISA.    Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-08-15 11:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	I-797 question	Hello my vj friends! FINALLY.. Our k1 visa issued yesterday and on Monday I ok go at the embassy to get the passport with the envelope. I have one question for u. As i was searching on google i read that a woman got entry deny on k1 cause of the i-797 (noa2) was expired even of she had a visa. Is that true? Should i say that on my embassy on Monday? My noa2 expires on September 7. My flight will be on September 14 and Poe entry miami. I also had a bad interview experience. Do u think is possible to deny my entry ?? How is miami Poe entry miami? Thank u so much for everything!!   Please, for your sake look at the visa and find the expiration date on the visa.  You must enter the US on or before that date.  After you enter you have 90 days to get married.  You might want to go to you local SSA office and apply for your SSC before you get married in your visa name.  After you are married you file for adjustment of status (AOS--I-485), along with the employment authorization document (EAD-I-756) and advance parole (AP-I-131) which costs $1070 for one person.  After your AOS is approved you receive your GC and the clock as a LPR begins.   As long as you enter the US before your VISA expires you should be fine--there can always be problems until you get a blue passport.  Once you become a USC the CBP must let you enter, until then you are always at their mercy in gaining entry into the US (this is not meant to scare you as the horror stories are probably less than 1% of the people traveling to the US, but you hear about them and not the "everything was fine").   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-08-15 09:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	PROOF OF INTENT TO MARRY!!!!!!!!!!!	HELLO EVERYONE! I NEED HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     you must submit evidence that you and the benefiaciary intend to marry 90 days of the benefiary entry to the united states as a k-1.evidence may include,but is not limited to ,copiesof correspondences between you and the beneficiary discussin wedding plans,evidence of wedding plans,evidence of wedding such as announcements,plans made to reserve a venue for the weddin,or any other evidence ofyour intend to marry one another,including,for example an original statement from the benificiary establishin his intet to marry you within 90 days of his admission to the united states!!!! I NEED HELP WITH THE RFE THEY SENT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE HELP !!!!!!!!! WHO HAVE TO ANSWER THEM BACK ME OR MY FIANCE   Goto the guides http://www.visajourn...content/k1guide and down to #5 and click on the example of a letter of intent to marry.  BOTH you and your fiancée need to complete a letter and sign it.  Your fiancée needs to send you the signed letter via a courier as the original signature is required.  Basically they want a statement from the two of you that you both intend to get married to each other within 90 days after enter into the US by the foreign person.   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-08-17 00:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	port of entry	Hi I am a bit confused for my port of entry. In our application we put the address of my fiancee's parents address to where I stay when I arrive in the U.S. But then we decided to just get a house to where he is stationed. Should it matter? Thank you.   The POE is where you will hand over your medical package and be processed by the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) other countries call this "Passport Control" as you have to show your passport and any required visas in order to gain entry into the country.  They may ask you where you are going to living at the POE. Just give them the new address.  You will complete the adjustment of status (AOS) after getting married and indicate the address you will be living at on that form.  THAT will be the address that matters as you will receive the advance parole (AP) and employment authorization document (EAD) and eventually the GC at this address via the USPS fro the USCIS.  The USPS will not forward any mail from the USCIS so it is important to keep your address up-to-date with the USCIS. You do this after filing the AOS using the on-line AR-11 form.  The USC sponsor(s) for you that completed an I-864 must also notify the USCIS of a change of address within 30 days using the I-865 form.   Living in a different location than indicated at your interview is not a problem.  People move al the time in the US.  The important thing is to know your responsibilities of being a LPR and when and how to keep the USCIS up-to-date  regarding your current address.   Good luck,   Dave Edited by Dave&Roza, 18 August 2014 - 08:49 AM.	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-08-18 08:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	RFE, Intent to Marry	This is one of those hotly debated items here on VJ.  There are stories of getting an RFE for an original signature and stories of people not getting an RFE for a scanned copy.  For stock trades, a faxed copy of the original signature is acceptable as the fax contains the transmission information and it shows that it was faxed.  Notarized copies show that the person who signed the form was identified to the Notary and carries more weight.  An original signature can only be distinguished these days with copy copiers and scanners by the impression on the paper--some at USCIS must check this and other do not.  If speed is an issue, IMHO, I would sign the LOI and have it notarized and then e-mail it and print it out.  Next option would be to sign the LOI, have it notarized, and fax it.   Given you have an RFE for something simple, I would cover my a$$ and have it notarized.  I might even have it mailed so there is no question it is an original signature.   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-09-19 10:42:00
Middle East and North Africa	Obtaining a visa to leave Morocco but already in usa	Not to hijack this post...ok, I guess I am...but my husband would like to spend Ramadan with his family this year. We will be filing to remove conditions in a few months but I doubt the green card will yet be received before Ramadan. His 2 year green card will have barely expired by the end of Ramadan so what will he need in order to be able to get back into the US without any trouble? 2 yr GC PLUS the NOA1 from USCIS extending the GC when they accept the ROC should be taken with him while traveling. Just be careful that he does not get a BIO appointment while out of the US. Have someone get your mail and should the BIO letter arrive do what is needed to reschedule. Not doing so could casue your ROC to be assumed abandoned and all kinds of fun things happen. So will he be gone the entire month of Ramadan? Two months for ROC to be processed before Ramadan is unrealistic. Good Luck, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2012-01-08 20:36:00
Middle East and North Africa	change of name	if u take u husband's name, before u complete the adjustment of status, what name do u use to the fill out the forms? You fill the AOS forms in the name you would like your GC to be issued in. If yur take your husband's then use his last name, if you want to keep you maiden name then use your lastname. Just be aware that your passport is the document you will use to travel internationally and the name on the ticket must match that name. So if your GC and passport do not match, you should carry a COPY of your marriage certificate to help the airline people make the connection. Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2012-06-12 21:46:00
Middle East and North Africa	I -134	Hey it is getting to the time to for the sponsorship stuff so I am using a co-sponsor who will use property to cover the amounts of poverty etc. I know it cant be primary residence and its not and I think the equity must be 125% of the poverty which isn't a problem my question is do I need an appraisal to show value of property and do I need to run a title search to show it is free of debt ? Please anyone that knows help me I don't want to spend money in the wrong places or should I say on the wrong things and not be enough or complete.Please advise ....Thanks in advance If the co-sponsor is using property to cover a shortfall in income, the property must by 5X the shortfall amount. Yes, it needs to be appraised and if there is no loan that needs to be shown as well. Good luck, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2012-07-27 14:47:00
Middle East and North Africa	Should we apply for K1 now or wait a year?	Hello, I am just dipping a toe in here. I am in a serious relationship with a Moroccan man and I am just starting to gather information about the K1 visa process. We have discussed filing this year and also waiting a year to strengthen our case and I was wondering what people here thought. I think we have a very strong case but I've been reading so many horror stories. We met when I was on an extended trip through Africa and Europe in Sept. 2011, traveled together in Europe in Dec. 2011, officially became a couple then, I went back to Morocco to meet his family in Jan. of 2012, then we had a looooong period of long-distance and now he's here (on a B1 visa) for a two and a half month extended visit. Things in our favor: -We met in person, not online. -We've met each other families. -His family and friends like me and my family and friends adore him and approve the relationship. -We communicate in English and have no communication difficulties. -He has no communication difficulties with my family and friends. -We skyped/FB chatted/talked on the phone almost everyday we were long-distance. -We have met three times since the first meeting. -Only a small (2 years older than me) age difference. -I'm a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (I don't know if that would help but I certainly spent over two years fending off marriage/love proposals from men in a poor African country so I can recognize when a guy is just after a sugar mama/green card. -We have similar education levels. -He is gainfully employed and makes more money than most Moroccans. -Neither of us have been previously married nor do we have any children. Things I'm worried about: -(This is the big one) I have been unemployed since returning to the US a year ago, due to the bad economy. I am planning to go back to school to become a teacher and will work part-time during school but I doubt that income would be enough. I can at least point to steady employment between 2009-2011 (Peace Corps). I am reluctant to ask my parents to co-sponsor because they've done so much for me already. I do have assets (IRA) and so does he (owns land). -We traveled together in Dec. 2011 and I came to Morocco in Jan. 2012 but we don't have many pictures of the visit-my camera had died on me and he hadn't brought his yet. I'm pretty sure I have at least some ticket stubs saved in a box somewhere, but I doubt he kept his. So that's two out of three visits that don't have much documentation. -He has a history of relationships with foreigners (I don't know if that is really a negative especially since he never got engaged to any of his exs). -Although my family and friends really like him, they might think we're moving too fast (most of them dated for 3-6 years before getting married; we've only been together for a little over a year). I don't know if that would affect statements of support. -None of his family speaks English so I can't communicate with them. -There has been talk about Morocco having an economic crisis this coming year and maybe people would find the timing of our application to be suspect. -He's Muslim (although a secular one) and I'm agnostic. Our world views and values align almost perfectly and we've had MANY long talks about how to raise children, what role religion will play in our household, etc. But we do have very different religious upbringings. So our options are to file soon and hope for the best or wait another year. In another year, hopefully I'd have a steadier income, we could save up money for the various expenses involved and my family would have had more time to get used to the idea of me being married. I just don't know if I could do another nine months of seperation, especially when I want us to be able to start our lives together. We've talked about him going to school here, which would be ideal because that would give us a chance to live together before marriage and it would give us more "face time" to point to in our application. But would a J or F visa affect an eventual K1 visa? We've also talked about me moving to Morocco for year or two, but he's not crazy about that idea because he wants us to get our careers on track and start saving money (the only thing I would be qualified to do in Morocco would be teaching English, which pays poorly). So I guess I am wondering from people who have been through it...do we have a strong case now? Should we wait a year? How realistic are the other options (student visa) for getting him to the US for a year or two? Thanks! The only thing I would worry about is not having a job that is well over the poverty guidelines. You might want to check to see if Morocco accepts a co-sponsor for the K-1 visa. That would be the deciding factor for me. If they do not then the only option would be to get married first and file for a spousal visa, CR-1. You could wait until you have a job that is well above the poverty guidelines if you really want to go the K-1 route. Good luck, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2012-12-27 10:43:00
Middle East and North Africa	Expired Moroccan Passport	The GC is irrelevant for leaving the US.  You must have a valid passport.  You might call the airline you are flying on and ask them if you can travel to Morocco with an expired Moroccan passport.  Or try the Consulate to see about some sort of travel document that will allow you to re-enter Morocco and then apply for the passport there.  You will need something other then the expired passport inorder to board the plane.   Good luck, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2013-09-22 15:45:00
Middle East and North Africa	Changed my name in America, can't go back to Egypt!	I did think of another option.  Make an infoPASS appointment with the USCIS and take all the legal documentation of the name change with you.  Ask them if they would be willing to place an I-551 stamp in your Egyptian passport so that way the GC and passport and airline ticket names all match for this upcoming trip.  The stamp will have an expiration date, but you can use it as a GC until it does expire. Good luck, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2013-11-25 20:51:00
Middle East and North Africa	Changed my name in America, can't go back to Egypt!	I migrated to America and have my green card, but still 4 years away from becoming a US citizen. One of the first things I did in America was to legally change my first and last names because my original name was very difficult for people in America to pronounce and I had to spell it over and over for people to write it correctly. I obtained a new Green Card with my new name as well.   The problem is, I still need to travel with the Egyptian passport since I'm not a US citizen. In Egypt you can only change your first name under very restrictive conditions, but you can't change your middle and last names. Now I need to go back to visit my family in Egypt and I can easily enter the country using my old name on the passport, but when I need to fly back to the USA they will not allow me to board because my green card has the new name. I asked if I could show them the court order stating that my name was changed but I was told it will not work and that I can't board unless I have a valid US Visa or a Green Card bearing the same name on my passport.   I contacted the Egyptian embassy in Washington and several Egyptian diplomatic missions around the United States, but no one answered my messages! Do you have a solution for this issue? I don't want to wait for 4 years until I can get an American passport in order to see my family. Any suggestions are highly appreciated   Thanks         You have to overcome the fact that the airlines need to verify that the name on the passport and thus the ticket match the government issued ID allowing you the ability to re-enter the US.  You can either convince the airline you will be traveling  on to allow you to board the airplane or you need to contact your country's Embassy in the US and have them give you something the airlines will accept--just because they have not responded in the past does not mean that you cannot be persistent especially if this is something you really, really want.    I would start by asking the airlines what they would like you to show.  Having the same name on the GC and passport is a bunch of BS as most all women change from their maiden name to their married name and the passport is in the maiden name and the GC is in the married.  Usually they use the marriage certificate to overcome this.  You might try going to a higher authority at the airlines or you might spend a few extra dollars to use an airline that knows and understands US immigration laws.  I would make very certain you have what the airline you will be flying on wants to show that you are the same person as they hold your fate in their hands by either allowing you to board the airplane to the US or not--get it in writing if at all possible.  IF not write the person's name down and contract information so if you do run into an idiot when trying to board you can hopefully get it resolved quickly and not miss the flight.   Good luck, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2013-11-25 00:55:00
Middle East and North Africa	Flight 1stop/2stops	Hi , happy new year to everybody,  Im looking for flight ticket to Los Angeles, i may don't travel with my husband, and it will be this time my first time i ride a plane and travel bymyself, i found nice prices with (1stop) and (2 stop) too, with layover (17 h) in both of these ticket i want to buy , im not sure wich one you can pick and select if you are me ,  17 h layover in1 stop or 17 h between 2 stops like (7h in 1 stop) and 10 h in another stop ) , Thanks    When we travel to Almaty we have a choice of a 7 hour layover in Frankfurt or break that up into a 2 hour layover in Frankfurt and 2 hours in Chicago.  I prefer the 1 stop as the trip is shorter, there is less chance of lost luggage, and less change of delayed airplane due to weather of mechanical problems.  17 hours at one airport maybe a bit of a stretch, but I would rather do that than 2 7+ layover myself. Just to give you and idea of why we like the 1 stop is that my wife missed the plane in Chicago but her luggage made it.  The next time she made the flight but her luggage did not. If travelling this time of year weather can cause delays. Nothing worse then getting into an airport only to not be able to leave.   My vote is the 1 stop very long layover.  If your POE (point of entry or first landing in the US) is NY you could go see some of the city before going back to the airport for the next flight.  Nothing says you have to stay at the airport.   Good luck,   Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-01-02 00:35:00
Middle East and North Africa	JFK layover	Hi eveybody, happy new year  I was looking i and my US husband  about a nice flight price to enter USA, i will travel myself  without him , to avoid the long layover between flight and different stops  especially this travel will be my first travel outside my country and using a plane , i suggested to buy a separate ticket from Casablanca to New york then from new york to los angeles (no stop ) , i just bought the first ticket , , JFK will be my port of entry and the layover will be just 3 h between the first flight and the second flight (i didnt buy yet)  my question please is  3 h is enough in my port of entry?  Thanks       If you are going to split the trips up into two separate flights rather than a single purchase with a connecting flight, IMHO I would opt for staying in NYC for a day or two and have your husband met you there.  Three hours for a connecting flight is okay, but 3 hours for having to go to the ticket counter and get the second boarding pass and check your luggage and then go back thru security will be cutting it a bit close given the size of JFK.   So I would purchase the second ticket to LA to be the next day or later and enjoy a day or two in NYC.  Either that or see if you can add a connecting flight to the first ticket you already bought.   Good luck, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2014-01-13 12:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	orginals	All is good if you consider having a certified copy as being okay. SSA wants to see the original as proof of name change if needed. Others may want to see the original before they keep a copy of it. I would say all is not good as your original copy is no longer in your possession and will not be returned to you. Good luck and hopefully you will learn to NEVER give up an origianl copy of anything to anybody. Show it to them and have a copy made, but NEVER NEVER give up an origianl. Dave Edited by Dave&Roza, 26 May 2011 - 11:44 PM.	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2011-05-26 23:43:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IRS transcript and unsigned 1040 income tax	i did not realize that before..i just check mine tax returns for 2008,2009,2010. 2009 has sign on it but 2008 & 2010 don't have sign on it. for 2008 i do have also transcript but i don't have 2010 one. do i need to go IRS office to get one..or i can sign on it or make it another copy. Get a 2010 transcript. I ordered ours from the IRS in May for the AOS interview and was able to receive it and I filed April 15th. If you have about one week then the transcript will arrive in time. It is also better proof as it is what the IRS has on file for you. ANybody can print out a tax return, sign it, and claim to have filed it. That is why transcripts are preferred. From the IRS website: There are three options for obtaining free copies of your federal tax return information – on the web, by phone or by mail. To request either transcript online, go to http://www.irs.gov and look for our new online tool called Order A Transcript. To order by phone, call 800-908-9946 and follow the prompts in the recorded message very easy and it will arrive in about one week or so. Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2011-07-07 16:18:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Everything is mailed..waiting on interview. But I am moving.	Notify USCIS via the AR-11 form. THE USPS WILL NOT FORWARD ANYTHING FROM THE USCIS. So your address with the USCIS MUST be correct and current. Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2011-07-27 18:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Once receive Visa can I travel to other countries before POE?	The K-1 visa is valid for one entry into the USA and one entry only. You must enter the USA before the K-1 visa expiry date that will be on the visa itself. For example, Roza received the K-1 visa on 09/21/2011, but did not enter the US until 12/22/2010 and the visa expired on 03/20/2011. You can travel anywhere you want on your passport as long as you have the approprate visa's for the country(ies) you are visiting--this also applies once you get your GC as your international travels will be on a Canadian passport. The only thing the K-1 does for you is allow you to enter the USA ONE TIME for the purpose of getting married within 90 days of that entry. As to your other questions, I have no idea as this is Embassy specific and I have found that if it is Montreal snails move faster with a fire chasing them then the Montreal Embassy--sorry. That being said, it is always better to make travel plans after the passport is in hand with the visa, if possible. You may be able to travel before the visa is issued if the Embassy is very slow. Good luck to you, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2011-08-09 11:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I think I really screwed up :(	That is what the other names used part of the application is for. As long as you filled that out with all other names you have gone by you are okay as they should be able to look at the transcript and find the name on the form. If not, I would only send in the last yaers tax transcript as it has the amount over the poverty limit. Good luck. Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2011-08-13 12:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Used Maiden Name Throughout CR-1 Process	Not a problem if she wants to use her maiden name. The only problem you have is since you are doing the CR1 your wife will be issued a GC in the name on the application filed i.e. her maiden name. To change the name on the GC will cost you money as you have to file I-90 and pay $450. You could wait until your wife files for citizenship and then change her name or she could just continue to use her maiden name. Good luck on the up coming interview. Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2011-09-14 11:25:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Evidence of genuine marriage	We had a simple wedding at the courthouse with two witnesses/friends and a nice dinner afterwards. One was the designated photographer. He took pictures for us. Sent in the AOS with the marriage certificate and no photos. Took the photos to the interview, but they were never asked for. The IO did want to see the original marriage certificate and kept another copy. To my mind photos are secondary evidence that can support primary evidence, but by themselves are worthless as they can easilly be faked. Good luck, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2011-10-07 09:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	question about noa2	hello there my wife sent my i130 on 29 of august and we recieved the noa1 on september 6 and for now i didnt recieve anything...is that normal? and how long it takes for my noa2 plzz helpp thx... You have no reason to worry until about March 2012. Processing times are typically 5-6 months now. I was fortunate that my K-1 petition was approved in 90 days from the day I mailed it off. It did take about two weeks before I received my NOA1. So I was seeing people say they had their NOA1 and I was still waiting. At least I knew the check had been cashed. I did not hear a peep until the NOA2 was approved via a text message and then the actual NOA2 arrived in the mail. I know it is hard, but you have a long wait ahead of you. Dave Edited by Dave&Roza, 10 October 2011 - 09:09 AM.	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2011-10-10 09:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Green Card	It sounds like the real issue maybe how long she will be out of the US after receiving her GC. As others have mentioned she can travel with the I-551 stamp in her passport back to India, but now she is a LPR of the USA and must be watchful of the time spent outside the USA so she does not lose her LPR status. So Penguin_ie's advice maybe the best way to go with your situation. In other words do not rush the interview and her arrival into the USA, but hope it is delayed a bit so she can finish her studies without having to worry about being outside the USA too long. Good luck and I hope it works out for you, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2011-10-07 14:44:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Interview	NEVER NEVER NEVER give up an original document of any kind unless it is for a very important reason--but I have yet to see a reason that is that important that a copy verified by looking at the original would not do. WIthin the instructions it plainly states that copies of original documents are fine. If you do send in the originals they will be come part of your record and not returned. It is stated in every instruction for every form I've had to fill out for USCIS. You now must take copies of the originals to the interview. Hopefully the originals that are now part of your file will be sent to the embassy along with everything else. I know at our AOS interview the file the IO had was quite thick with all the docements we had subnmitted for the K-1. The IO did look at the original marriage certificate and asked if she could keep the copy I had. I still have our original marriage certificate. Use this as a life's lesson that original documents are irreplacable and should never be given up--EVER!! Only copies. I had one person insist on keeping the original and I managed to convince them that verifing the copy I had made is a true representation of the original should be good enough. I pointed out to them that someone else may want to look at the original, but now you have it so what am I to do. Take what you have and if asked you can explain. If you already sent the originals then take copies, but they may realize that they already have the originals. You will be fine. Now relax. Good luck, Dave	Dave&Roza	Male	Kazakhstan	2011-10-07 10:24:00