Colombia Club Part II

[ryna 132]

Also, I meant to add that any shared custody agreement (in addition to the initial AOS requirements of remaining in the US) would need to be structured so that she be in the US at least 6-mo/year or she'll possibly need re-entry permits for any stays longer than that.

Just a couple things I thought of off the top of my head..

[Mark and Carol 4]

I'm very excited!...

A few weeks ago we got a notice that our case was "being transferred to the California Service Center for quicker processing" and didn't attach any special significance to it at the time, just a bit of confusion over why. Now our status on the I-485 online has gone to the "Document/Card Production" column. After reviewing the step by step guide for AOS filing once again, I now see this paragraph:

"Interview Exception. In some cases a beneficiary's Adjustment of Status case may be transfered to the California Service Center (possibly another location) where the CIS will attempt to complete processing without requirinig an "in person" interview. There is no particular way to know if this will happen to your case however if this does happen then you will not be required to attend an interview in person. If the I-485 is approved the beneficiary's green card will simply be mailed to them."

Am I correct in assuming that we have most likely fallen into this category and will soon have a green card arriving in the mail without having to go through the interview stage? We're prepared for an interview and are sure we would easily satisfy them with our answers & supporting materials, but if they are satisfied that we can be approved without that stressful encounter, so much the better. Anyone else had this happen recently who can comment?...

Dan,

When our case was transferred to CSC, I thought the same thing...that we had bypassed the interview process. Unfortunately, 2 months after the transfer we received a letter informing us that an interview had been scheduled for March 22nd. I don't know the reason for the interview or how you can tell if you will be required to attend an interview. I hope to findout the reason at our interview. All that I can say is be prepared. I don't want to panic anyone, but I have heard that some interviews can be very extensive. Questions like...where does your spouse keep his/her underwear, etc. So, just be prepared.

Mark

[kennym 275]

Hey Kenny...

I don't know of all the details on how a tourist visa would/wouldn't affect a future K-2, but I can tell you that I a 7 y/o would have to AOS just like an adult. The only difference is they don't need biometrics (if under 14). That said, because it would be a stand-alone application (not with her mother's) the cost would be $985 ($1070-$85 for biometrics).

Also, children are subject to the same AOS rules as far as foreign travel goes. Any potential shared custody agreement would need to take that into account. However, a legally binding need to return to her father in Colombia seems as good a reason as any (to me) to qualify for and get an AP approved, potentially on an immediate basis.

Good luck

Does anyone have an Idea of what a Perent Consent Letter need to say?

If someone has one they've used or can give me examples of the verbage required, I'd apprecite it.

Kenny

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Dan,

When our case was transferred to CSC, I thought the same thing...that we had bypassed the interview process. Unfortunately, 2 months after the transfer we received a letter informing us that an interview had been scheduled for March 22nd. I don't know the reason for the interview or how you can tell if you will be required to attend an interview. I hope to findout the reason at our interview. All that I can say is be prepared. I don't want to panic anyone, but I have heard that some interviews can be very extensive. Questions like...where does your spouse keep his/her underwear, etc. So, just be prepared.

Mark

Mark,

Be sure to read the list of instructions line by line related to your upcoming instructions. Both Petitioner and Beneficiary will be required to attend. Be sure to have a bank statement with your spouses name on the account and lots of other proof of a continuing relationship. Good luck,

-Ken

[xelance 31]

has anyone here used the online pasado judicial certificate for DAS purposes? The operator at NVC strongly advised that my wife gets the hard copy one...any experience with this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot

[ryna 132]

Mark,

Be sure to read the list of instructions line by line related to your upcoming instructions. Both Petitioner and Beneficiary will be required to attend. Be sure to have a bank statement with your spouses name on the account and lots of other proof of a continuing relationship. Good luck,

-Ken

Are you talking about an AOS interview or an ROC interview?

AOS seems a bit too early to start asking for joint accounts considering you can't "join" them until the immigrant spouse has the GC (in some cases.)

I only ask because I've been trying to add my wife to my accounts for a month now but she's had a problem getting her SSN issued and we haven't been able to do squat. In other words, she's on none of the household accounts yet. The only proof that she has of even living at our house is a couple of letters mailed to the house from the SSA and if they fail to get her SS card to her before her 75th day post-POE, they won't issue it until she has her GC.

On the plus side. we do have plenty of pictures taken together!

[Mononoke28 135]

Guys

I am back to the same question which has been a large part of the confusion I've struggle with for the duration of our visa journey..

As some of you know, my Now-Wife, K1 Beneficiary, has an 8 year old daughter still living in Colombia with her father (daughters father).. As part of the K-1 Petition, I included her daughter in the Petition as the K2 Beneficiary. when we set up our appointment at the Embassy in Bogota, I also included all the forms for her daughter, (DS230, and DS156K, DS156, and So forth).. We did not have the Fathers Permision, but felt he would provide the needed permission with the year. The CO at the Embassy told we could schedule the interview separately within one year.. We are still hoping for the permision from the father and will hopefully be able to do the Visa for her at a latter date..

So now, some new thoughts have come to mind.. As it turns out, my wifes parents are applying for a tourist visa. And it seems they are in good shape and able to show good ties back to Colombia, fanancials and so-forth... what we were wondering is, it would be soo cool if we could also do a Tourist Visa in the meantime for my wife's daugter.

With the pending K2 and the fact that she's 8 years old (A Minor), what would we need to show for a minor to have compelling ties to back to Colombia.. Now one thing that comes to mind here is the father.. He would more than likely allow the daughter to come visit for a period of time, but may not be ready to let her immigrate permanently.. Does that carry any wieght for "ties". What I mean is, if the daughter does not have permision to stay permanently, then that shows a compelling reason for the daughter to return..

Other than the father of course who still must allow the minor to visit, he would not currently allow his daugther to permanently immigrate at this time...

We feel the permission for his daugter (my wifes daughter) will come later this year with a personal visit from My wife to Colombia to work out the details of an agreement we intend to make with him for his permission. But in the meantime, we're hoping there is an interim solution like the possibilty of obtaining a Visitors visa.

One other thought that seems to be boucing around in the empty space between my ears is the AOS for her daughter. Today, I am ready to send in the AOS Papers for my wife. So, when we finally have her daughter here, do I need to do the whole thing over again for her.. Does an 8 yr old have the same requirements as her mom as far as staying in the US? what if she must travel to Colombia to spend part of the year with her father? Will that result in the abandonment of the Resident Card?

I'm sorry if I ask some questions that may seem obvious to anyone else, but it seems that if USCIS doesn't realize that foriegn partners sometime have these issue like the need to have one of the parents abroad and the other in the US and bot parents want to be a part of the childs life, it would seem natural to have some accomadations for that in the AOS Process and Immigration Process...

Anyone, please take your time and consider these questions carefully and if there are things that I did not include which you need to know to answer me, please ask...

Thanks for everyones help on this matter..

Kenny

Kenny,

The chances of your wife's daughter getting approved for a tourist visa while she has a K2 visa petition pending are pretty much slim to none. Many people who have filed for a K1/K2 visa have been denied a tourist visa or the US embassy has taken away their current tourist visas because they want that person to come to the US with the appropriate visa without the risk of them immigrating illegally.

As for the father's permission to leave the country, it's not so much for the embassy to see, some COs will ask for it, some don't care about it. But the DAS is the one entity that will not let a child leave Colombia without the consent of both parents. They will ask for this document at the airport before leaving the country and if it was not recently issued (30 days or less) and signed by the parent who will not be traveling with the child, they will not let that child leave the country. You can find out more about this document directly from the DAS but it's basically a typed permission document issued at any notary in Colombia.

If the child arrives in the US with a K2 visa, she will need to file for AOS just like everyone else. It will cost $985 because you won't have to pay for her biometrics.

Once she gets her permanent residency approved she needs to live permanently in the US. Yes, she may stay outside of the US for less than 12 months, but after leaving the country for so long and so often, I can guarantee you that Immigration will have an issue with it because she's not living permanently in the US. I had an aunt who did this for a while and at one point she almost lost her permanent residency status because of this. So you have to be very careful with that. Also, the child will need a new permission slip signed by the father (or mother if she's not traveling with her) every time she leaves Colombia until she turns 18.

Diana

[Mononoke28 135]

has anyone here used the online pasado judicial certificate for DAS purposes? The operator at NVC strongly advised that my wife gets the hard copy one...any experience with this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot

Yes, the only DAS certificate is valid and that's all she needs to send to the NVC along with her DS-230 form.

Diana

[Mark and Carol 4]

Mark,

Be sure to read the list of instructions line by line related to your upcoming instructions. Both Petitioner and Beneficiary will be required to attend. Be sure to have a bank statement with your spouses name on the account and lots of other proof of a continuing relationship. Good luck,

-Ken

Thanks Ken. Yes, there are a lot of instructions. I plan to read every one of them and check off each one as I go. We have a joint checking account and I'm applying for a credit card for Carol. I have other proof as well.

Thanks,

Mark

[Mark and Carol 4]

Are you talking about an AOS interview or an ROC interview?

AOS seems a bit too early to start asking for joint accounts considering you can't "join" them until the immigrant spouse has the GC (in some cases.)

I only ask because I've been trying to add my wife to my accounts for a month now but she's had a problem getting her SSN issued and we haven't been able to do squat. In other words, she's on none of the household accounts yet. The only proof that she has of even living at our house is a couple of letters mailed to the house from the SSA and if they fail to get her SS card to her before her 75th day post-POE, they won't issue it until she has her GC.

On the plus side. we do have plenty of pictures taken together!

AOS interview. I was able to add my wife's name to my utility bill before we were married without a SSN. I had to wait until she received her EAD card so she could apply for a new SSN card with her married name. Then, we were able to open a joint checking account and apply for a credit card.

You do not have to wait until she receives her GC to apply for SSN. When she receives her EAD card, take the card and your original marriage license to SS Office and they'll issue a new SS card with her married name. Then you can open joint banking accounts, credit cards, etc.

Edited March 1, 2011 by Mark and Carol

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Are you talking about an AOS interview or an ROC interview?

AOS seems a bit too early to start asking for joint accounts considering you can't "join" them until the immigrant spouse has the GC (in some cases.)

I only ask because I've been trying to add my wife to my accounts for a month now but she's had a problem getting her SSN issued and we haven't been able to do squat. In other words, she's on none of the household accounts yet. The only proof that she has of even living at our house is a couple of letters mailed to the house from the SSA and if they fail to get her SS card to her before her 75th day post-POE, they won't issue it until she has her GC.

On the plus side. we do have plenty of pictures taken together!

Unfortunately, I am speaking about the Adjustment of Status from K-1 to 2 yr. Conditional Green Card. Our interview was a hair-raiser, for sure!

[dleeg 2]

Hi everyone...

A lot of great info here and I have learned a lot. We are going to send packet 3 in on 3/7 and we hope to get a mid April interview. We'll see. My fiance is a concerned about her vaccinations. She doesn't have her records from childhood but she does have a card proving her tetanus shot dates (about 2 years ago) and one other vaccination I can't remember. I have read a lot of different things here about vaccinations, some people say it's good to get them before the medical, some say to wait and take whatever she has to show as proof and the doctor will determine what is necessary. I have read horror stories of how a lot of people are getting repeat vaccinations of shots they had weeks before from their own doctor in their hometown. I have also read good stories, but not many. Most of the information I read is a few years old on this site via forums. I guess I would like CURRENT info about this topic. I'm just trying to be prepared and remain informed like everyone else... anything is appreciated. If you can contribute thanks for your time!

[kennym 275]

Kenny,

The chances of your wife's daughter getting approved for a tourist visa while she has a K2 visa petition pending are pretty much slim to none. Many people who have filed for a K1/K2 visa have been denied a tourist visa or the US embassy has taken away their current tourist visas because they want that person to come to the US with the appropriate visa without the risk of them immigrating illegally.

As for the father's permission to leave the country, it's not so much for the embassy to see, some COs will ask for it, some don't care about it. But the DAS is the one entity that will not let a child leave Colombia without the consent of both parents. They will ask for this document at the airport before leaving the country and if it was not recently issued (30 days or less) and signed by the parent who will not be traveling with the child, they will not let that child leave the country. You can find out more about this document directly from the DAS but it's basically a typed permission document issued at any notary in Colombia.

If the child arrives in the US with a K2 visa, she will need to file for AOS just like everyone else. It will cost $985 because you won't have to pay for her biometrics.

Once she gets her permanent residency approved she needs to live permanently in the US. Yes, she may stay outside of the US for less than 12 months, but after leaving the country for so long and so often, I can guarantee you that Immigration will have an issue with it because she's not living permanently in the US. I had an aunt who did this for a while and at one point she almost lost her permanent residency status because of this. So you have to be very careful with that. Also, the child will need a new permission slip signed by the father (or mother if she's not traveling with her) every time she leaves Colombia until she turns 18.

Diana

Thank You Diana

You are always soo much help...

As you can imagine, this is rather emotional issue for us and especially for my wife.. We are somewhat desperately seeking the most expediant and reliable way to have her daughter here but at the same time accomadate the father by allowing for trips back to Colombia..

Thank soo much for your help and continuing to offer your great advise to everyone..

Kenny

[bramirez04 2]

Hi everyone...

A lot of great info here and I have learned a lot. We are going to send packet 3 in on 3/7 and we hope to get a mid April interview. We'll see. My fiance is a concerned about her vaccinations. She doesn't have her records from childhood but she does have a card proving her tetanus shot dates (about 2 years ago) and one other vaccination I can't remember. I have read a lot of different things here about vaccinations, some people say it's good to get them before the medical, some say to wait and take whatever she has to show as proof and the doctor will determine what is necessary. I have read horror stories of how a lot of people are getting repeat vaccinations of shots they had weeks before from their own doctor in their hometown. I have also read good stories, but not many. Most of the information I read is a few years old on this site via forums. I guess I would like CURRENT info about this topic. I'm just trying to be prepared and remain informed like everyone else... anything is appreciated. If you can contribute thanks for your time!

Hi how are you???

What we did was that, my husband waiting to get his shots with the doctor he had to go through with immagration. we were going to have him get all the shots in his hometown since he didnt really have much record of all the shots he has had, and thankgod we waited for the doctor in Bogota she only had him take 3 shots. so from our experience i would say wait until your finacee goes to the doctor in bogota before the interview to see what shots they ask for its better and safer that way. GOOD LUCK!!

[Mark and Carol 4]

Hi how are you???

What we did was that, my husband waiting to get his shots with the doctor he had to go through with immagration. we were going to have him get all the shots in his hometown since he didnt really have much record of all the shots he has had, and thankgod we waited for the doctor in Bogota she only had him take 3 shots. so from our experience i would say wait until your finacee goes to the doctor in bogota before the interview to see what shots they ask for its better and safer that way. GOOD LUCK!!

I agree. We were in the same situation last June, so I decided to wait until Carol saw the doctor in Bogota. If you wait, then you will probably save money and the hassle of your fiancee getting 2 sets of the same shots.