saving evidence for USCIS

[Brit Abroad 166]

As soon as I arrived in the US (I'm the wife), I took charge of all his paperwork as well as mine. So, I look after everything and just bug the ####### out of him for completion of documents and tax returns.

Great question though, it's interesting to see the responses!

[NickD 203]

As the sponsoring USC spouse accustomed to dealing with US agencies, I took upon most of that responsibility myself. But did provide my fiancée with a check list of things she had to bring. LOL, got that list from my immigration attorney.

One of our major obstacles since my wife wanted to bring her daughter with her, this I fully agreed with, was for her to get full physical custody, and then to get all the documentation translated by a certified translator, this was involved in dealing with her government. And let's just say, similar to our DOS and with certain forms of the USCIS, I offered to pay an "expedient fee" to the judges that they gladly accepted, otherwise these court cases would drag out into years. Also had her gather all of her medical records for her and her daughter, plus that piece of paper from her police department stating neither had a criminal record. Fiancée had her hands full, demonstrations, poor weather, poor roads, at times she was on the road seven hours a day plus her full time job. Even at that, took close to a year to gather all this paperwork only to have it glanced at by the USCIS.

At the advice of my attorney, handled the I-751 and N-400 myself, with the latter, downloading the M-476 manual, printing it out, still don't know why my computer always has problems with government publications and forms, everything else works fine. I did search for a real M-476 manual, couldn't find one anywhere, even would pay for it. But got by, by printing out about five sheets at a time. Actually made my own manual by copying and pasting only the things that applied to us, knocked that down to about five sheets of the important stuff.

Still can't bat a thousand on these crazy forms, can't they hire somebody that knows how to ask a question in a clear and precise manner?

Dealing with the USCIS for five years was just like six years in the military, when it's over, they just dump you on the streets so to speak. We should be deprogrammed. But after nine months, slowly getting the idea when a letter comes in, can just trash it, no longer need that evidence.