Naturalized U.S. Citizen (via Marriage to U.S. Citizen) applying I-130 for my spouse

[guessgame 0]

Hello everyone, I'm a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2008 (via marriage to U.S. Citizen). Unfortunately, my ex-spouse decided to change course in life and ended up divorcing me in early 2010, and since then I got recently married second-time and applying I-130 for my foreign spouse this time.

I have prepared all the required documents for I-130 application, except 'proof of bona fide marriage'. My spouse lives abroad and we have not started living together yet as I live in States. My question is: do I need to attach anything in initial I-130 processing or it can wait until the NVC interview. I don't know what to show as 'proof of bana fide marriage' except the name change document.

Does the affidavits from family/friends has value? If yes, how many should I attach? Any other documentation that I should attach either from my previous or current marriage?

I will really appreciate if I can get some guidence in this regard.

Thank you all!

[Boiler 44,985]

Are you of the same nationality as your second spouse?

[guessgame 0]

Are you of the same nationality as your second spouse?

Yes - I have a dual citizen ship now of States & Pakistan.

[Boiler 44,985]

You can expect the nature of your relationship to be particularly inspected, together with the validity of your first marriage.

[pushbrk 12,636]

You can expect the nature of your relationship to be particularly inspected, together with the validity of your first marriage.

Absolutely. Prepare for significant scrutiny of both relationships and the circumstances surrounding them. Do some reading here and in the applicable regional forum before filing anything, so you can be well prepared.

[guessgame 0]

Absolutely. Prepare for significant scrutiny of both relationships and the circumstances surrounding them. Do some reading here and in the applicable regional forum before filing anything, so you can be well prepared.

You have scared me now. I tried to look around on VJ forums for similar cases but I wasn't able to find any information similar to my case. Can you please help me point out if there is an existing thread that I can read?

Also, what documents can I attach from my previous or current marriage to make this process smoother. I would really really appreciate some pointers.

What sort of problems should I expect so I'm better prepare with the documentation; is that something I should expect in the phase of I-130 or DS-230 processing?

Also, I'm filing case on my own (not using any lawyer) - is that something I need to consider?

Thank you!

[pushbrk 12,636]

You have scared me now. I tried to look around on VJ forums for similar cases but I wasn't able to find any information similar to my case. Can you please help me point out if there is an existing thread that I can read?

Also, what documents can I attach from my previous or current marriage to make this process smoother. I would really really appreciate some pointers.

What sort of problems should I expect so I'm better prepare with the documentation; is that something I should expect in the phase of I-130 or DS-230 processing?

Also, I'm filing case on my own (not using any lawyer) - is that something I need to consider?

Thank you!

Go to the list of forums and scroll down to the regional forum. Click on the one appropriate for Pakistan. If you're going to manage the process on your own then you'll need to be prepared for many hours of homework and preparation. This is a do it yourself site, not a free "spoon feed me so I don't have to do my homework" site.

Expect the Consular officer to think your first marriage was entered into for an immigration benefit instead of because you had a bona fide relationship. Then, expect them to think this marriage is entered into for less than genuine reasons too. Learn what you need to do to overcome that. It's complicated and it depends on the details of your circumstances.

Edited December 25, 2010 by pushbrk

[guessgame 0]

Go to the list of forums and scroll down to the regional forum. Click on the one appropriate for Pakistan. If you're going to manage the process on your own then you'll need to be prepared for many hours of homework and preparation. This is a do it yourself site, not a free "spoon feed me so I don't have to do my homework" site.

Expect the Consular officer to think your first marriage was entered into for an immigration benefit instead of because you had a bona fide relationship. Then, expect them to think this marriage is entered into for less than genuine reasons too. Learn what you need to do to overcome that. It's complicated and it depends on the details of your circumstances.

Thanks for the quick response! I'm definitely not looking for a spoon-feed-me-site. Usually, asking question on forum is always last resort for me once I exhaust all my reading options and that is exactly what I did here as well (spent countless hours/days preparing the documentation)

Anyways, I wasn't aware of regional forums before. But I still don't see how visiting regional forum is any different than asking *this* particular question at global forum. My question obviously has nothing to do specifically to a region unless I'm missing your point.

Thanks again!

[Crossed_fingers 128]

Most of the scrutiny to which Pushbrk refers will come from the consulate in Pakistan, so it will be to your benefit to read up on the quirks particular to that consulate. As someone facing the Casablanca consulate, I can tell you that Casablanca is on high alert for a pattern of male beneficiaries who defraud a naive American woman, arrive here, get citizenship, divorce, remarry in the home country, and petition for the new Moroccan wife as was their plan all along. This is not to say your intentions were bad in either of your marriages, this is just to tell you what the Casablanca consulate might assume at a first glance of your file if you were petitioning there, and to give you an idea of what you would have to overcome. Morocco is by no means the only high-fraud consulate in the world. I don't know anything about Pakistan in particular because my focus has always been Morocco, but from what I've seen in passing in the Middle East and North Africa forum, I think Pakistan might have a similar suspicion. If your first marriage had any of the classic "red flags" such as if your first wife was older than you, if you met online, if you had a short courtship, if she had little contact with your family, and so on, I wouldn't be surprised if your journey now is that much harder. Others with experience particular to Pakistan will be in a better position to answer your questions about what evidence to send and whether affidavits are important to the consulate. My guess is that if you and your ex-wife are on good terms and if she would write an affidavit on your behalf that it would be very helpful in demonstrating that you entered that marriage with honest intentions. At least in Morocco I've read that that the consulate does not value affidavits from the beneficiary's family very much because the CO's may assume the entire family is "in" on the scam. Pakistan may be different, though.

Good luck! Hopefully you will find the most knowledgeable people on the forum to advise you.

[pushbrk 12,636]

Thanks for the quick response! I'm definitely not looking for a spoon-feed-me-site. Usually, asking question on forum is always last resort for me once I exhaust all my reading options and that is exactly what I did here as well (spent countless hours/days preparing the documentation)

Anyways, I wasn't aware of regional forums before. But I still don't see how visiting regional forum is any different than asking *this* particular question at global forum. My question obviously has nothing to do specifically to a region unless I'm missing your point.

Thanks again!

You ARE missing my point and a lot of the difficulties you will face are BECAUSE both you and your current wife are Pakistani by birth. Countless hours preparing the documentation is going to be needed anyway but before preparing documents, know what you're up against by reading and asking clarifying questions in the appropriate regional forum. People who hang out there are more familiar with the specific issues you'll be facing. Though the "Asia South" region is directly applicable, the Middle East and North Africa group probably discusses the relevant issues more fully.

Now you've asked. It's time to use the answer before asking more questions. If you do, you'll start getting the point without it being spoon fed to you. OK?

[w8inglongtime 29]

Is it out of the ordinary to think another reason to have the OP's case scrutinized a bit more will be the timing of the divorce and re-marriage? Divorced a US citizen in 2010 and married someone in Pakistan the same year and trying to bring them to the States. Won't it raise questions as to whether the new spouse was already in the picture the whole time you were married? I hope it doesn't become a problem but you can see why an IO will ask when and where you first met the new husband? Won't saying you knew each other while you were married to your ex also raise questions about the legitimacy of the first marriage? Maybe someone who has been through it could shed some light.

[pushbrk 12,636]

Is it out of the ordinary to think another reason to have the OP's case scrutinized a bit more will be the timing of the divorce and re-marriage? Divorced a US citizen in 2010 and married someone in Pakistan the same year and trying to bring them to the States. Won't it raise questions as to whether the new spouse was already in the picture the whole time you were married? I hope it doesn't become a problem but you can see why an IO will ask when and where you first met the new husband? Won't saying you knew each other while you were married to your ex also raise questions about the legitimacy of the first marriage? Maybe someone who has been through it could shed some light.

Yes, all of the above are serious considerations (red flags) to be dealt with.

[Amy and Nick 37]

I imagine if you can prove that your ex-husband divorced YOU, that would be a step in the right direction.

I also would ask how you met your current husband. Did you know him from before the marriage? I ask this not to be nosy, but because you will be scrutinized.

Also, how long has it been since you naturalized?

[Boiler 44,985]

OP did not mention gender, seems that male is the favourite.

I thought female, but I would not put any money on it.

Lot of assumptions being made about the details of the situation, limited information and it is easy to speculate.

No doubt the Consulate will speculate as well unless the issues are addressed in advance.

[Sergi9 110]

You have scared me now. I tried to look around on VJ forums for similar cases but I wasn't able to find any information similar to my case. Can you please help me point out if there is an existing thread that I can read?

Also, what documents can I attach from my previous or current marriage to make this process smoother. I would really really appreciate some pointers.

What sort of problems should I expect so I'm better prepare with the documentation; is that something I should expect in the phase of I-130 or DS-230 processing?

Also, I'm filing case on my own (not using any lawyer) - is that something I need to consider?

Thank you!

If your brief post threw up RED FLAGS to a group of people who have all rather recently undergone USCIS scrutiny, then that I think is the answer to your question regarding an attorney.

RED FLAGS I see as a "non-professional" are a marriage that occurred most likely almost immediately following your divorce from your sponsor. Also the meeting of the new wife might have taken place while you were still married to the other spouse? Another RED FLAG, then of course the question of how you met someone who needed immigration benefits while you were still married.... lots of scrutiny.. I would RFE the heck out of you, and personally interview you for starters.

But I am a skeptic.