frank1538

This link http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/visa_info.htm will direct you to all the immigrant and non immigrant visa categories. It sounds to me that a niece or nephew would not fit within the "family visa" categories absent a change in status through adoption. You might want to consider a non immigrant category such as student or worker.

Two or three times a day for us while we were waiting for the K-1 to process. Her morning=my evening. Her evening=my morning. Her bedtime=my lunch. Towards the end, we spent a bit more time on the phone, but Yahoo voice/webcam was the mainstay for us.

Maybe it's time to resurrect carhil24's post: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index....3b48e289ffc6301

I'm a little confused. It sounds like you filed the I-130 for the CR-1/IR-1 visa but did not file the I-129F for the K-3. You got a receipt notice for the I-130 dated 4/4/05. I take this as meaning that you received your P1 (Notice of Action acknowledging receipt) and that the files are still at the Service Center. Should you now file the I-129F for the K-3? I'd say it's a judgement call. How much time, if any, would you save? Is the potential time savings worth the paperwork and the fees?

For all intents and purposes, you're done. Take a deep breath and let reality sink in. Does she want to be naturalized?

I-864 4. This one would be whoever he claimed on his recent tax return. You say it is you and your son, then that would be 2 *total = 5 Ty, I was wondering if it is appropriate to double count here. Since Paula and her son were already counted on line 2 as "number of immigrants being sponsored", it seems to me that line 4 would include other dependents as claimed on the tax return. In this case, if the husband was paying child support to his ex and was entitled to claim them on his tax return, he would count his own kids here. Otherwise, maybe line 4 should be 0.

Alex, the wheels are starting to grind again. Good news I think.

Bump. Big week coming up.

This is from one of the Mexican consulates, http://www.consulmexsj.com/tourist%20card.html : TOURIST THAT ARE PERMANENT RESIDENTS IN THE U.S. When you travel to Mexico as a tourist, it is necessary to present to the immigration authorities a tourist card, better known as (FMT). You can obtain it at the Consulate of Mexico, at the international airport or at any port of entry in Mexico. The permanent residents in the United States and Canada will be able to enter Mexico by showing their permanent resident card or a stamped seal in your passport in which this situation is validated, as long as you enter Mexico through the United States or Canada. Because of possible changes resulting from US changes in requiring passports, etc. ( http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html ), I would double check before I went.

Jingwen's biggest hurdle was realizing that the "Chinese way" is not the only way. When she first arrived, her view of life in America was fairly negative. Everything was "bu hao". I always corrected her - not bad, just different. It took her a long time to change her views, but she has. Related to this was her initial homesickness. I think that, because things were so different in America, she wanted to retreat to the familiar surroundings of her old home. She did go back to China once (because of her father's death). Since then though, I see a comfort level in her life here in America. As would any mother wanting the best for her children, she is excited about the progress of her kids and about the birth of her daughter's baby, making plans for a "new American", buying things for the house (Chinese decorating styles are a another subject ), and preparing to help raise a grandchild. Has your wife made any new friends, especially ones who are similarly situated, meaning an American/Chinsese couple? Jingwen keeps in touch with Trigg's wife regularly and talks with her friends from China who are married to Americans. They are constantly comparing notes, and I think it is comforting to Jingwen to know that she is not alone in adjusting to her new life.

Give her a credit card and watch how fast she learns parts of the English language. When I added Jingwen to my account, she refused to use it. Now that she has learned how, new words in her vocabulary include "credit card", "charge", "where", "sorry" (as in "sorry, wo mai le hen duo" - Sorry, I bought so much); "how much?". Give her time. She'll eventually realize that English is an essential part of life in America. Jingwen has been here more than a year, and she is just now beginning to see this. One question. Did you promise her that you guys would return to China one day? Jingwen and I are planning to move there, and I think this knowledge allows her to slough off, thinking that she won't need to know English when we return.

Jingwen complains that she is too old to learn another language. Personally, I think it's an excuse for not wanting to attend ESL classes which are filled with predominantly younger folks. Fortunately, my puntonghua is passable, so communication is not a problem for us. One thing I keep telling her is that if she wants to be naturalized (which she said she wants), she'll have to learn English. Right now, she's picking up a word or two here and there. She reminds me of my grandmother with her language skills - fluent in her naitive tongue with a smattering of English. With the family set to grow with the birth of her daughter's son, I suspect that she'll also learn a lot as the baby starts to learn English (in addition to Chinese and Spanish).

And the winner is... giddyup888. Congratulations.

Nicely done. Congratulations.

Jim - Portland seems to be the expert on this subject: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index....03c46e18da1d2c9 and the link shown there in his post.

This is a very reasonable argument... the thing that bothers me is that there is once case of the USC being present and the passport being presented ,but the VO blue slipped them and one of the items requested was a certified copy of the passport. The USC stormed the embassy in obvious disbelief.. and the embassy certified it for him... So, even if you plan to be at the interview, I still stand by the idea of bringing a certified copy... I agree. It really torques me that someone would get blue slipped for having the original but not a certified copy. Maybe the VO doesn't have the authority or ability to make a copy or to certify a copy.

We're pulling for you Jim. Good luck.

Just a couple of comments about certified/notarized copies. Bringing the original passport is better than a certified copy, but the VO may want a copy for the files in which event a certified copy is better than a plain copy or no copy. As already posted by others, certified indicates that the copy is a true and correct copy of the original, while notarized suggests that the person signing the documents is who he or she claims to be. I remember when I provided copies of my tax returns for Jingwen's interview, I personally certified them and had my signature notarized.

But, isn't a woman hippie a Mississippi?

Shoot, by the time you guys finally make it to the AOS interview, you'll be looking like an old married couple compared to when you first filed for a visa. Should be a piece of cake but good luck nonetheless.

Hear, hear. Welcome home.

Ok, I'm going to give this a shot, but who knows, I may be way off base. This is how I read the requirements for the sponsor. First, if you are relying on income to satisfy the requirements, you must generally have proof of employment. If you are not employed, you can show income from other sources. This, I think is what the link that David provided is aimed at. I would not read the link to say that a sponsor has to be employed to meet the I-864 requirements. Rather, I think the link is saying that you must show proof of employment only if you are using income to satisfy the requirements. Second, if income is not sufficient, 1/5 of your assets (readily convertible to cash) can be used. If you are only using assets to satisfy the I-864 requirements, I don't think it's necessary to be employed or show proof of employment. Third, if some combination of income and/or assets is not sufficient, you need a joint sponsor. Generally, the income/asset rules for the joint sponsor are the same as for the sponsor. As it relates to the individual talked about in the link to British Expats, I have some suspicions. It may have been a question of domicile (a sponsor must be domiciled in the US - hence the VO's requirement to go get a job in the US). It might have been the VO's gut check that the joint sponsor was less than credible. Or, it could have been any number of reasons unrelated to the I-864 itself. Audelair, it seems to me that your being temporarily unemployed while you are with your SO should not be a cause for concern, particularly in view of your having sufficient assets AND having a joint sponsor. The only cautionary note I would make is that you be mindful of your domicile, a shorthand way of defining your place of permanent residence.

Slogan from my youth. "Never trust anyone over 30." Happy Birthday.

The return that your mom filed is what it is, and there's nothing that you should have to do. If your mom wants to file an amended return before your interview, I'd attach that as well. But remember, the returns furnished in conjunction with I-864 are used to document "gross income" amounts. http://uscis.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/fa...eets/affaqa.htm. I'm not sure what mistake mom made, but if mom's mistake related to a deduction, I wouldn't be concerned. If it related to an item of income, I go back to the first thing I said. It is what it is.

Yep, a talent possessed by those that grow up in a country where haggling is learned early on.