Original Submission - need a sanity check

[bigangrytexan 0]

First of all, let me give a little bit of background.

My name is Cody, and I am an active duty Sergeant in the Marine Corps. I met my wife, Vicky in Myrtle Beach, SC in July of 2007. She is a Russian citizen and was in Myrtle Beach on a J-1 student exchange program visa. We spent every second we could together until August 24th, 2007, when I had to leave her in Myrtle Beach without knowing what our future would hold. On September 8th, 2007 I deployed to Iraq for my second combat tour. During my combat tour, we continued to communicate and I proposed to her. Upon returning in April of 2008 from Iraq, I began the process of flying to Russia to see her family and to get married in Russia. Due to visa complications and a number of other factors, I was unable to fly to see her again until July 24th, 2008; a full 11 months since I last saw her. We spent three amazing weeks together in Russia and got married on August 12th, 2008. I flew back the next day and we have now begun the long process of immigration. At the end of September, I will be honorably discharged from the Marine Corps after five years of service, and a week later, in early October, I am flying back to Russia to spend two months there as a student learning Russian and to spend as much time with my wife as possible.

I have done as much research as my brain will absorb over the past year about the whole immigration process and how it works and what forms you need, and on and on. The biggest rule of thumb that I've seen is that every situation is different, and that anything can happen. Tomorrow, I will be sending off my initial I-130 packet to begin the process. I am posting this because I would very much like people who are familiar with the process to give me a "sanity check" and to help me ensure that I have all of my "I's" dotted and my "T's" crossed. Every second I have to spend away from my wife is an eternity, and I want to make sure I've done everything in my power to make this process as smooth and efficient as our wonderful bureaucracy will allow it to be.

Items included in the packet:

Thoroughly filled out Form I-130 signed and dated

Thoroughly filled out Form G-325A for myself - all 4 pages signed and dated.

Thoroughly filled out Form G-325A for my wife - all 4 pages signed and dated.

Copy of our certified translated marriage certificate - let me elaborate on this a bit.

The original marriage certificate is in Russian. My wife took it to a certified translation agency where they photocopied it, attached a translation, and then added a third page in Russian stating that they are a certified translation agency. A possible problem I see here is that the translation agency certification is only in Russian and not in English, and that the marriage certificate itself is a copy of a copy. Should I be worried about this?

A copy (front and back) of my birth certificate

A copy of the information page of my passport

A copy of my Military Identification Card. (I know they don't need it, but I figure it wouldn't hurt if they knew I was active duty military. I might get someone who may be sympathetic to the military)

A notarized affidavit from my mother stating that the marriage is bona fide

A sworn affidavit from a mutual friend in Russia stating that the marriage is bona fide. There is no notary, so a simple signature will have to do. She is also the only person we know that is able to write a statement in English.

One passport style photo of myself and one of my wife - properly filled out on the back.

One cashier's check from my bank for $355 made out to the Department of Homeland Security

And that's all I have. The package seems a little thin, compared to what I've read of what some people have submitted. Sworn affidavits that our marriage is bona fide is all we have because our marriage was only a mere two weeks ago and we haven't been able to live together. Is that enough proof? Most of our relationship has been spent across long distances, because of my military service, so I don't have much proof to give. Is there anything else I can put in my package that will help my chances? I've already spent eleven months away from my wife, and I'm looking at a year at least until she can come to the US. I really want to avoid any delays.

Thank you in advance for your assistance,

Cody

[yankee 0]

check this link

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=302

goodluck..are you in Houston?

[bigangrytexan 0]

check this link

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=302

goodluck..are you in Houston?

Yeah, I've read through that link as best I as I can. I was just hoping a few other people can put a sanity check on it.

I'm from Houston originally, thats where my family and home of record are. I'm currently in North Carolina, where I'm stationed. At the end of September, I will be going back to Houston, for about a week. I then get on a plane for 2 more months in Moscow. I'm worried about delays because I need to file my K-3 application before I get on the plane to Russia.

[MrsD 0]

Hi Cody,

unfortunately I don't know a lot about your type of filing, but my husband did send I-130 for me for our AOS application. What I can suggest you is to send at least a few pictures of your wife and you together as a part of proving bona fide of your marriage. I suppose you have some from the wedding and while you were dating. Just a thought. Best of luck to you both.

[Jen&James 0]

check this link

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=302

goodluck..are you in Houston?

Yeah, I've read through that link as best I as I can. I was just hoping a few other people can put a sanity check on it.

I'm from Houston originally, thats where my family and home of record are. I'm currently in North Carolina, where I'm stationed. At the end of September, I will be going back to Houston, for about a week. I then get on a plane for 2 more months in Moscow. I'm worried about delays because I need to file my K-3 application before I get on the plane to Russia.

Hi!

We also sent our pictures togehter (wedding pics, with parents and friends). We sent also copies of the tickets (flights to Russia), copies of visas, copies of Western Union payments, copies of phone bills and Skype calls, emails, letters. With your translations should be fine. This is the way how they do translation in Russia. I just didn't understand something. You said that you have translation "copy of copy". Do you mean that they first made a copy of your Marriage certificate and translated it or they made a copy from copy and translated it? Usually you bring your original document to the office. They make a copy and notorize this copy, after that they stick translation to this copy and notorize that the translator is competent and has diploma. (this is the right procedure) For interveiw at Moscow your wife can translate all her document by herself. (if she speaks English OK) I made all translations by myself.

Jen

[rahi 0]

hi,

i would like to elaborate on the proof of bonafide marriage for your application.

you can send them all the boarding passes or airline tickets or any stamps on your passport

along with any hotel bills and bookings and photos dated with time and brief description about each picture written on the back .

cover letter stating about how you met and how you married briefing the period between your first meeting to nmarriage and etc.

any other credit card receipts or purchases you both have made together.

these i feel are important because they will provide proof about your story

rest everything l;ooks good,

goodluck for you.

rahi

[Thai family 0]

First of all, let me give a little bit of background.

My name is Cody, and I am an active duty Sergeant in the Marine Corps. I met my wife, Vicky in Myrtle Beach, SC in July of 2007. She is a Russian citizen and was in Myrtle Beach on a J-1 student exchange program visa. We spent every second we could together until August 24th, 2007, when I had to leave her in Myrtle Beach without knowing what our future would hold. On September 8th, 2007 I deployed to Iraq for my second combat tour. During my combat tour, we continued to communicate and I proposed to her. Upon returning in April of 2008 from Iraq, I began the process of flying to Russia to see her family and to get married in Russia. Due to visa complications and a number of other factors, I was unable to fly to see her again until July 24th, 2008; a full 11 months since I last saw her. We spent three amazing weeks together in Russia and got married on August 12th, 2008. I flew back the next day and we have now begun the long process of immigration. At the end of September, I will be honorably discharged from the Marine Corps after five years of service, and a week later, in early October, I am flying back to Russia to spend two months there as a student learning Russian and to spend as much time with my wife as possible.

I have done as much research as my brain will absorb over the past year about the whole immigration process and how it works and what forms you need, and on and on. The biggest rule of thumb that I've seen is that every situation is different, and that anything can happen. Tomorrow, I will be sending off my initial I-130 packet to begin the process. I am posting this because I would very much like people who are familiar with the process to give me a "sanity check" and to help me ensure that I have all of my "I's" dotted and my "T's" crossed. Every second I have to spend away from my wife is an eternity, and I want to make sure I've done everything in my power to make this process as smooth and efficient as our wonderful bureaucracy will allow it to be.

Items included in the packet:

Thoroughly filled out Form I-130 signed and dated

Thoroughly filled out Form G-325A for myself - all 4 pages signed and dated.

Thoroughly filled out Form G-325A for my wife - all 4 pages signed and dated.

Copy of our certified translated marriage certificate - let me elaborate on this a bit.

The original marriage certificate is in Russian. My wife took it to a certified translation agency where they photocopied it, attached a translation, and then added a third page in Russian stating that they are a certified translation agency. A possible problem I see here is that the translation agency certification is only in Russian and not in English, and that the marriage certificate itself is a copy of a copy. Should I be worried about this?

A copy (front and back) of my birth certificate

A copy of the information page of my passport

A copy of my Military Identification Card. (I know they don't need it, but I figure it wouldn't hurt if they knew I was active duty military. I might get someone who may be sympathetic to the military)

A notarized affidavit from my mother stating that the marriage is bona fide

A sworn affidavit from a mutual friend in Russia stating that the marriage is bona fide. There is no notary, so a simple signature will have to do. She is also the only person we know that is able to write a statement in English.

One passport style photo of myself and one of my wife - properly filled out on the back.

One cashier's check from my bank for $355 made out to the Department of Homeland Security

And that's all I have. The package seems a little thin, compared to what I've read of what some people have submitted. Sworn affidavits that our marriage is bona fide is all we have because our marriage was only a mere two weeks ago and we haven't been able to live together. Is that enough proof? Most of our relationship has been spent across long distances, because of my military service, so I don't have much proof to give. Is there anything else I can put in my package that will help my chances? I've already spent eleven months away from my wife, and I'm looking at a year at least until she can come to the US. I really want to avoid any delays.

Thank you in advance for your assistance,

Cody

Hi Cody,

Your package does not have to be thick. It sounds like you're submitting what they ask for. They don't like reading tomes. With a straight forward case they are totally unnecessary.

1) Do you have pictures of the two of you together with her family? A couple of those might be helpful, along with a copy of visa stamps from your passport and any travel itineraries or evidence of communicating with her. If you have anything financially jointly, it wouldn't hurt to submit evidence of it. Even receipts for rings help. Overkill isn't necessary, but a couple of convincing examples do not hurt. They do not hold newlyweds to the same co- mingling rules as those who have been married for a long time. In the I-130 instructions it states submit "Any other relevant documentation to establish that there is an ongoing marital union."

2) I'm a little concerned that your certification of translation is in Russian. Is there a college or university close by that may know of someone who speaks Russian who can vouch for it? It can be done by anyone who is fluent in Russian and English. At the USCIS here they only speak and read English. Even the USMC has Russian linguists, but they aren't stationed just everyplace. The copy of a copy doesn't concern me. The original marriage certificate is needed at the interview.

3) Have you checked to make sure her J-1 visa was not subject to the 2 year residency rule? I'm sure you already have, since you've been so thorough. She may be able to tell this from looking at her passport. If not, the application for the J-1 would give an indication or the program she went through.

3) You might want to leave the door open for a CR-1 visa, as it has definite advantages and they seem to be being processed fairly quickly now. My kids got a K-3 and are wishing they had the immigrant visa. Just don't make it clearly evident with I-130 package that you intend to file for a K-3. In my kids case we made it clear, and the I-130 was not sent to the National Visa Center. The best option is to keep your doors open and request when you send the I-129F that they send both petitions to the NVC because you are still trying to determine the best path.

4) Did you write a cover letter itemizing what you're including and clarifying any special circumstances?

My son is a USMC vet and I signed on to help the newlyweds be together, so I'd do anything to help you in this process. He met his wife while studying abroad on his GI bill and USMC college fund benefits.

Thanks for serving!

Congrats on your marriage!

[Thai family 0]

I hope you left your address as your home of record. It makes life easier. Since you're going to be abroad, it could be helpful to give representative status to a trusted family member or close friend who is willing to keep a close eye on the situation. If you haven't filed a G-28 only you can talk to the USCIS about your case. It is preferable that this person lives at the address where your official mail goes. If you have attorney, the same form is filed for them. The form is filed with your petitions. Hopefully you won't need to talk to the USCIS or respond to any correspondence.

Good Luck!

[bigangrytexan 0]

I hope you left your address as your home of record. It makes life easier. Since you're going to be abroad, it could be helpful to give representative status to a trusted family member or close friend who is willing to keep a close eye on the situation. If you haven't filed a G-28 only you can talk to the USCIS about your case. It is preferable that this person lives at the address where your official mail goes. If you have attorney, the same form is filed for them. The form is filed with your petitions. Hopefully you won't need to talk to the USCIS or respond to any correspondence.

Good Luck!

I did leave my home of record as my address. I'll also be leaving a power of attorney with my mother to allow her to take care of anything that I can't take care of from Russia.

What is a G-28?

[Thai family 0]

I hope you left your address as your home of record. It makes life easier. Since you're going to be abroad, it could be helpful to give representative status to a trusted family member or close friend who is willing to keep a close eye on the situation. If you haven't filed a G-28 only you can talk to the USCIS about your case. It is preferable that this person lives at the address where your official mail goes. If you have attorney, the same form is filed for them. The form is filed with your petitions. Hopefully you won't need to talk to the USCIS or respond to any correspondence.

Good Luck!

I did leave my home of record as my address. I'll also be leaving a power of attorney with my mother to allow her to take care of anything that I can't take care of from Russia.

What is a G-28?

A G-28 is a specific power of attorney for the USCIS, sort of like the IRS makes you file a specific one for them. It is available under 'forms' on the USCIS website. I am almost 100% sure you will need it for your mother to do anything at all, including talking to a customer service rep about your case. They won't honor any power of attorney other than their own. It has to be filed when you file the petition with your original signature. It worked out well for my kids since my son travels a lot, and when working, the location is sometimes remote, as in no cell phone service or internet for weeks at a time. It stays with the petition, so the representative you designate can deal with the NVC and embassy if necessary, too. They can also register at the USCIS website to get case mail updates, etc. There are just some things that are easier to deal with if you're stateside, as I'm sure you well know.

You are getting short!

thai Mom

[filirican 3]

goodluck!

[cmnb 0]

First of all, let me give a little bit of background.

My name is Cody, and I am an active duty Sergeant in the Marine Corps. I met my wife, Vicky in Myrtle Beach, SC in July of 2007. She is a Russian citizen and was in Myrtle Beach on a J-1 student exchange program visa. We spent every second we could together until August 24th, 2007, when I had to leave her in Myrtle Beach without knowing what our future would hold. On September 8th, 2007 I deployed to Iraq for my second combat tour. During my combat tour, we continued to communicate and I proposed to her. Upon returning in April of 2008 from Iraq, I began the process of flying to Russia to see her family and to get married in Russia. Due to visa complications and a number of other factors, I was unable to fly to see her again until July 24th, 2008; a full 11 months since I last saw her. We spent three amazing weeks together in Russia and got married on August 12th, 2008. I flew back the next day and we have now begun the long process of immigration. At the end of September, I will be honorably discharged from the Marine Corps after five years of service, and a week later, in early October, I am flying back to Russia to spend two months there as a student learning Russian and to spend as much time with my wife as possible.

I have done as much research as my brain will absorb over the past year about the whole immigration process and how it works and what forms you need, and on and on. The biggest rule of thumb that I've seen is that every situation is different, and that anything can happen. Tomorrow, I will be sending off my initial I-130 packet to begin the process. I am posting this because I would very much like people who are familiar with the process to give me a "sanity check" and to help me ensure that I have all of my "I's" dotted and my "T's" crossed. Every second I have to spend away from my wife is an eternity, and I want to make sure I've done everything in my power to make this process as smooth and efficient as our wonderful bureaucracy will allow it to be.

Items included in the packet:

Thoroughly filled out Form I-130 signed and dated

Thoroughly filled out Form G-325A for myself - all 4 pages signed and dated.

Thoroughly filled out Form G-325A for my wife - all 4 pages signed and dated.

Copy of our certified translated marriage certificate - let me elaborate on this a bit.

The original marriage certificate is in Russian. My wife took it to a certified translation agency where they photocopied it, attached a translation, and then added a third page in Russian stating that they are a certified translation agency. A possible problem I see here is that the translation agency certification is only in Russian and not in English, and that the marriage certificate itself is a copy of a copy. Should I be worried about this?

A copy (front and back) of my birth certificate

A copy of the information page of my passport

A copy of my Military Identification Card. (I know they don't need it, but I figure it wouldn't hurt if they knew I was active duty military. I might get someone who may be sympathetic to the military)

A notarized affidavit from my mother stating that the marriage is bona fide

A sworn affidavit from a mutual friend in Russia stating that the marriage is bona fide. There is no notary, so a simple signature will have to do. She is also the only person we know that is able to write a statement in English.

One passport style photo of myself and one of my wife - properly filled out on the back.

One cashier's check from my bank for $355 made out to the Department of Homeland Security

And that's all I have. The package seems a little thin, compared to what I've read of what some people have submitted. Sworn affidavits that our marriage is bona fide is all we have because our marriage was only a mere two weeks ago and we haven't been able to live together. Is that enough proof? Most of our relationship has been spent across long distances, because of my military service, so I don't have much proof to give. Is there anything else I can put in my package that will help my chances? I've already spent eleven months away from my wife, and I'm looking at a year at least until she can come to the US. I really want to avoid any delays.

Thank you in advance for your assistance,

Cody

Cody - let me first of all thank you for all the work that u have done for our great nation and let you know that u have the support of countless americans.

reading ur post above, i have a few additions for you that may help. the first point may sound a little stupid but ull b surprised how many people make this mistake. have u had ur wife sign the g-325a? if yes, then u r good...if not, then please have her sign it.

to prove the bonafides of ur relationship u can send a few wedding pictures with family and stuff.

other than that ur list looks good to me. Good Luck!