frank1538

Better job, better pay, better benefits. Don't see how it would hurt. And, if I recall, the verification of employment letter which is used for I-134 purposes doesn't require length of employment to be disclosed. Any more openings there?

Sure sounds promising. Start looking for the "Welcome to America" letter. When it comes, start celebrating. When the green card arrives, celebrate again. And, yeah, issuing the card likely refers to the green card.

I am always VERY tentative when I differ with the DON, but I had thought that the residence of the foreign spouse did not matter: http://foia.state.gov/masterdocs/09fam/09n0200.pdf : 9 FAM 201.1 Location of Petitioner and Beneficiary (TL:VISA-152; 09-09-1996) "a. As a general rule, the petitioner must reside in the consular district but the residence or even physical presence of the beneficiary is immaterial." I understand this is just a general rule, and I may be confusing the difference between the petitioner and the beneficiary.

"Dear Madam/Sir" would be okay in my book.

First, make sure he's dealing with an outright denial as opposed to a situation where he needs to provide additional documentation in support of the application. If it's the latter, there are procedures in place to provide "overcome" documents, and he/you can do a search for the latest. I don't know about the former, but many true consulate denials (as opposed to USCIS denials) are not appealable and would require the applicant to start over. Maybe king or one of the other immigration specialists can shed some like on this. In any event, I would recommend he not start a letter with "Listen, you dumb f***."

Left it with mom. No particular reason.

If I recall, Adam did K-3 through Hong Kong.

Irrespective of residency, are you even sure DCF is available in Hong Kong? From http://foia.state.gov/masterdocs/09fam/09n0200.pdf : 9 FAM 201 AUTHORIZATION TO APPROVE PETITIONS AT CERTAIN POSTS (TL:VISA-433; 07-02-2002) a. INS has authorized consular officers assigned to visa-issuing posts abroad (other than those in Austria, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) to approve petitions for any of the statuses accorded to relatives, under certain circumstances. Form I-130, Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration, is used to accord immediate relative status under INA 201(b ), first, second, third, or fourth preference status under INA 203(a)...

thanks frank. i now remember seening that don had bumped that thread up a while ago. but this brings up another question... about tax returns, and the "oath of authenticity", what is this? the last 3 yrs i have filed my taxes online, and i only have electronic copies of my tax forms with larg "COPY ONLY" watermarks on them, will these pass for the i-864? 155107[/snapback] I used the FC-029 which is an old document that states that the copies submitted are exact photocopies of the originals and that the originals would be submitted if necessary. This was also intended to cover my file copies of the tax returns. But, I also added a notarized certification with each of the tax returns that said that I certify that the tax return was a true and correct copy of the original filed with the IRS.

Wonderful news. Congratulations and best wishes.

Congratulations. Time to bring the family home. The only remaining burning question is what's going to happen to your beard and 'stache. Best wishes to you and your family.

Welcome Tommy (and Cindy). Congratulations on getting the interview date. There is an archive feature in Yahoo Messenger that would allow you to keep copies of your Yahoo chats. I discovered this after a while but was still able to archive most of our chats. Are your e-mails saved to a "sent" folder? I will tell you this. Jingwen had a ton of printed chats and e-mails, and the VO didn't bother to look at them. It's probably overkill to try to print out each and every piece of correspondence, but I would try to get as many as you can, even if they are just from this point forward. How about phone records? Hopefully, you can provide those as well. Good luck. Glad to have you aboard.

I still like Eric's checklist: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3980 While the fees, photo requirements (passport vs. ADIT), and filing location may have changed, it's the most comprehensive listing of what to send in for AOS, EAD, and AP.

Just a couple of add-ons to Lee's post (damn, he' good). I'm not sure what is meant by a letter of invitation as it relates to a K-1 visa. While it may be necessary for a tourist or business visa, it isn't needed for a fiancee visa. Just remember to get her signed copies of the G-325A to go with your I-129F. Don't worry about the I-134. Chinese officials will never see it. If she hasn't done so, have her get her passport now. Does your fiancee have children? If so, it might be a good idea to make sure she has sole legal custody, unless they are over the age of 18. Otherwise, the ex may balk at letting them leave China for the "promised land" without some "gratuity." Welcome aboard. Since you're just starting out, you'll be here for about a year. It's not as bad as a prison term, but the wait may drive you crazy.

Jingwen and the kids tried several sites before they found one that didn't require and night's sleep while downloading. I asked them which site they used, and they don't remember. Have you tried the tencent website? One thing I found about QQ, is that you better have very good spyware and good virus protection - not necessarily because of QQ itself but because of all the crap that seems to come from Chinese websites.

The problem is that they are nasty. Already in your tummy? Not much need to worry, the worst part is over once they are past your tastebuds. Look guys (and gals) I'll consume as much Chinese cusine as any colored chap, but some things I have to draw the line at. Moon cakes are on the far side of that line. 154768[/snapback] Ate our mooncakes last night as part of the celebration. If you can stomach fruitcake, you might actually enjoy the taste of the Chinese variety - less sweet fruit and more nuts.

That's a tough one. I know in the past it was possible to get an extension due to hardship, but in very limited circumstances. It would be best to check with GZ about that. Off the top of my head, I can think of a couple of options. The first is to have her come before the six months runs out. Assuming you are married, immediately file for her AOS and AP simultaneously and wait 2-3 months for the AP to be issued. Then she can return to China. The other option might be to contact GZ and ask if the K-2 can be voided and see if she can re-interview for a K-2 within a year. Maybe others have more knowledge than I on this issue.

I'm going to move your post to the General Discussion section to give it a little more exposure. GUZ = Guangzhou consulate DOS = Department of State NVC = National Visa Center When you say "counselor agent", I'm assuming you're referring to the hangers on around the consulate and elsewhere who offer to help with the paperwork. Just remember, these people are not affiliated with the US government and most promises they make are baseless. I don't know how much they charge, and I question whether they are worth much more than piece of mind. I know others have used these agents in the past and some are helpful in understanding how the paperwork flows, but most of us here at CFL also understand the process, and we don't charge any money. It would be helpful if you would tell us what type of visa you are seeking and the form number you need some help with. It sounds like you may have received a P3 from GUZ.

Make sure you have all your papers (will, insurance, retirement and bank accounts, stock certificates, deeds, SS, medical, etc.) in a safe place and make sure she knows what each of them means. I added a "description of contents" page as well. Since Jingwen's command of the English language is not great, I figured someone else, probably one of my brothers or Jingwen's kids would be helping, so I thought a summary would be helpful. As far as setting up a trust or something like that, I thought it would be like the pot calling the kettle black. Jingwen's fiscal discipline would surely put mine to shame.

Can you say karma? Glad it worked out.

If she doesn't file for AOS within the 90 days, she is technically out of status, BUT I have never heard of any adverse consequences flowing from filing the AOS after the 90 days. I wouldn't be worried if I couldn't get the AOS in within the 90 days due to not being able to get the required paperwork from the state.

Sounds like things are moving along for you. One thing to keep in mind is that, while a "follow to join" K-2 can interivew and get the visa up to one year after the K-1 is issued, the K-2 visa must be used within 6 months of issuance. Since, in your case, the K-2 was already issued on June 28th, it must be used for entry into the US before December 28th (give or take a day). Looks like your soon to be new step daughter will be here by Christmas. Good luck.

Visajourney has a good comparison: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?pg=compare One thing to keep in mind. While a K-3 may be a bit faster than a CR-1, it does require an adjustment of status after entry into the US. With a CR-1, the immigrant enters the US as a legal permanent resident (no adjustment required).

I wouldn't give it a second thought since there's nothing you can do about it now that the form is sealed away inside the medical envelope. Just have her prepared to answer the question if it comes up.

You do not want to miss the 90 days. If all else fails, take a trip to another state where the marriage laws are less stringent and his passport is all that is needed as proof.