Bill & Angel

We just had a baby, and we also just filled out the DS-160 online to bring my wife's mother over here. It timed out on me twice, and I also found out that the save function does not work on a Mac computer, so I had to do it very quickly the 3rd time, but it did go through. My question is related to what reason we should use. I've been told that saying the mother is coming over to help out is a no-no. Of course she's coming over to visit her daughter and new grandson, and my wife misses her mom now, and cannot go back to visit for awhile. Should we basically avoid saying that she's going to "help out"? I'm not even sure that she will, just trying to get an idea of what the consulate frowns on. Also, is an I-134 necessary? Or can we just provide copies of our tax returns and employment letter and pay stubs? Thanks!

Hi All, My wife's mother is applying for a visa to visit us in the US. My wife & I just had a baby (7 weeks old), and mom is coming to visit and help out. My question is this: What do you recommend for the documents that we provide at the interview in Beijing? Has this been discussed and/or documented already somewhere? Looking for advice based on real world experiences (already know what the DS160 instructions say). THANKS!

Next week is our interview with our 8-year old son who came over on a K2. His mom already got her green card, and is China visiting family, so it will be just me and our son at the interview. It seems a lot of the things requested to bring don't apply for the son (such as joint bank accounts, join returns, etc...). What exactly should I bring to the interview? Birth certificate, passport, anything else? Any idea what kind of questions they might ask him? I was really hoping that would skip the interview for our son, since it seems redundant (as well as causes him to miss school). But, we have to go, so I just want to make sure we're prepared. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Bill

Here's the thing: There was no "correct" answer. The point I was trying to make is that we didn't practice like we did for the Guangzhou interview (where the fiancee is by herself). Here you are present as a couple, already married, and they just need to get a genuine sense of love between you. It's okay to worry, it's okay to be caught off guard, just be genuine. That's what I took away from the experience. Some points of interest: 1. He first asked for my passport for proof of US citizenship, and seemed alarmed that I didn't bring it. I showed him my birth certificate instead (which is what the interview letter said to bring), and he said, "Oh yeah, that will work too." 2. Pointed questions about how we knew we loved each other in such a short time. 3. He enjoyed looking at the pictures (both from our wedding, and some trips we took together later). 4. He was interested in seeing things such as join bank accounts and jointly filed tax returns. Letters from family and friends didn't seem to carry much weight, but he did mention to save them for the removal of conditions interview. 5. They do not provide translation service like they did in Guangzhou, so since my wife's English is still limited, we brought an interpreter to help her with some of his questions (she would not have understand 50% of his questions had she been on her own). That's about all that sticks in my memory now... except for after the approval stamp, the tension was gone, and he was not nearly as serious anymore. He made a point to mention that his intention was to protect the American citizen in the marriage.

We had our green card interview on 8/6/09. The interviewer asked a lot of tough questions that caught us off guard. I think he liked the fact that we did not come back with any scripted answers. In hindsight, we definitely did not have the best answers, but he saw us as genuine and more importantly, approved! Welcome to USA letter came a few days letter. Green card should arrive in a few weeks. See signature for timeline.

if your timeline on biometrics-to-interview hold true, than an info pass appointment may be a moot thing... her biometrics were exactly 10 weeks ago today. if we could get that darn interview date set, then we could re-purchase the tickets, and all would be well again (assuming she has no problems at the interview). my fingers are crossed.

yes, I know the USCIS too well, which is really the basis for my worry (meaning that although I didn't want to read the responses here, i realized the reality of the risk after reading them). the reason she didn't want to wait is because she is really missing her family, and July is the only month they can all spend time together (her brother is a teacher). she was so happy when I got the tickets for her, which in turn made me very happy. taking that away from her feels really crappy. in any case, i'm glad the responses came quickly, because i was still within the 24-hour period of buying the non-refundable tickets, which means I qualify for a full refund. we canceled the trip, and now she's calling her family to tell them the news. breaks my heart. but the worry is gone.

Let me ask then... what's the f'n point of the I-131 travel document? Is it just a crock of shit? The whole point of the travel document, I THOUGHT, is that it's supposed to let her travel before she gets her green card, but now all I hear is that you shouldn't travel until after the green card, which means the travel document is meaningless, except that it allowed us to think that it was okay to travel, buying the non-refundable tickets, etc., etc., ad nauseam.

Is it really that black and white? Should we hire an immigration lawyer? She's going to be in China for 3 weeks, and I don't think she thinks she has anything to worry about (i.e, I don't see her changing her mind about the trip, not to mention the non-refundable ticket purchase). Unfortunately, from the responses I've seen here, I now have a stomach ache from worry, which will probably turn into an ulcer by the time of her trip in July. The only thing we got going for us, I guess, is that they haven't scheduled the interview yet. Generally speaking, how long from the date they send the letter is the interview usually scheduled out?

Yes - we had someone have their interview re-scheduled, because of a move. Then the AOS application was denied, because they failed to show at the original interview (USCIS mistake here). They spent a year afterward getting that mess straightened out (successfully) Try to avoid re-scheduling, if at all possible. If she is out of the country at the time of her scheduled interview, she might be denied entry. Why would they deny her entry if she has her travel document that authorizes re-entry?

My wife had her biometrics over a month ago, and already received her work authorization card as well (I-795). Our son had his biometric appt a few weeks ago. How does that factor in?

My wife decided she needed to go visit her parents in China, and she got her travel document approved (I-131), so she's good to go. However, her greencard (I-485) is still pending. Now our concern is what happens if we get an NOA for her greencard interview, and the date is scheduled during her trip to China? Is it possible to change the interview date? Anyone ever find themselves in this situation? Anyone have an interview NOA that provides any information about possible re-scheduling?

FYI, I talked to USCIS today after getting the 2nd rejection notice for my stepson, and he said that a child under 14 does not need biometrics, so the fee is only $600.

It was unclear to me at first, but after reading posts here, I came to the conclusion that the biometrics was needed. This was confirmed when I called the USCIS to discuss this matter. The $680 is the correct sum. My son is 8 years old (and it's K2, which I guess is similar to K4). I see that you've indicated an "NOA Rejection for Son" in your timeline. May I ask what that's about? It's addressed in another thread... basically, they made a mistake and didn't treat the application as accompanied with my wife's. Hopefully it will be resolved soon.

It was unclear to me at first, but after reading posts here, I came to the conclusion that the biometrics was needed. This was confirmed when I called the USCIS to discuss this matter. The $680 is the correct sum. My son is 8 years old (and it's K2, which I guess is similar to K4).