2010 Decemberite K-1 AOSers

[Mochamich 7]

Ahh Lisa + Michael, I saw some of the post, but I also saw some posts (as well as what is recommended by visa journey) where they said that you still need to go to a civil surgeon to certify (to fill the form), and they will check your vaccine forms and fill up the form. however, if you have had the medical within the last one year, you DO NOT need a medical examination.

So, you will still need a civil surgeon to certify, the only difference, is the medical check up.

I'm paying it safe and getting it certified anyway even though i have all the vaccines done.

Thanks anyway! i hope it will be easy!

I'm glad I'm not alone in this situation. A friend of ours explained to us that her medical (although completed in Haiti) was incomplete. She needed to get the vaccines she did not receive before sending out her paperwork. We are bringing ours to a CS just in case

[lee&jeniebee 23]

Hi guys!! We are getting ready to send off our AOS packet, question?? We are not planning on traveling outside of the USA until 2013, so should we even bother with the AP? Once Jen has the 2 year green card (in the next 120 days? hopefully) she can exit and re-enter the USA with the green card correct?

Thanks to everyone who has sent a post to update us on your status, it's great to hear what you are doing these days.. Take care.

Lee

[lee&jeniebee 23]

My last question was answered with a little research. This post is to just "gripe" As I have been going over the AOS packet double and triple checking things (ready to mail today) I am hung up on my wife's "status". As best I can see her immigration status is: "OUT OF STATUS" her I-94 and visa have both expired. I know and understand that every person who enters on a K-1 visa encounters this, but why is it this way? After the wedding why can't you drive to the nearest USCIS office and have something extended? I have read that once you have NOA #1 for the AOS that your status is "pending" and that is baloney, there is no "pending" show me the US code. I will feel better when we have the green card in hand, sorry to gripe.

I wish all of the Decemberites a wonderful and happy Christmas, remember last year? hahahaha Wow, what a year it has been! Take care!!

Lee

[kristen_maroc 126]

My last question was answered with a little research. This post is to just "gripe" As I have been going over the AOS packet double and triple checking things (ready to mail today) I am hung up on my wife's "status". As best I can see her immigration status is: "OUT OF STATUS" her I-94 and visa have both expired. I know and understand that every person who enters on a K-1 visa encounters this, but why is it this way? After the wedding why can't you drive to the nearest USCIS office and have something extended? I have read that once you have NOA #1 for the AOS that your status is "pending" and that is baloney, there is no "pending" show me the US code. I will feel better when we have the green card in hand, sorry to gripe.

I wish all of the Decemberites a wonderful and happy Christmas, remember last year? hahahaha Wow, what a year it has been! Take care!!

Lee

I am with you on the griping bit! We go through all the pain, money, time, stress, and red tape of doing things the RIGHT way and we are still going through an "out of status" period?

But at least most of us are here with our loved ones!

I was worried about my husband getting a driver's license (his expired the day the I-94 expired), but we tried bringing a copy of NOA1 and they extended it for another six months. Phew.

[gyselle 4]

Hi guys!! We are getting ready to send off our AOS packet, question?? We are not planning on traveling outside of the USA until 2013, so should we even bother with the AP? Once Jen has the 2 year green card (in the next 120 days? hopefully) she can exit and re-enter the USA with the green card correct?

Thanks to everyone who has sent a post to update us on your status, it's great to hear what you are doing these days.. Take care.

Lee

i think you should apply for it anyway..coz it doesnt cost extra when you apply for it together with AOS.

You never know what might happen and you might need to travel and it will be a pain to get it then.

We all know about the process...it could take 120 days..it could take..who knows how LONG!

the paper for it isnt too bad...

My paperwork is all done..i'm just waiting for our marriage cert to be ready on Tues, then i'm sending mine off.

Happy holidays all!

[DiZZyLoX 114]

FINALLY sending AOS today! I'm not even the teentsy bit worried about the I-94.

[DiZZyLoX 114]

Hey guys! First and foremost, huge congrats to the Dizzy Family!!!<3

Things have been pretty hectic for us here! We had a lovely thanksgiving and Reilly's family have all been so warm and amazing to me, I am truly blessed to have 2 amazing families. I get days where I am so homesick I will just fall into myself, presently my husband is working 3 jobs to keep us afloat, so I'm to my own devices for a lot of the days and evenings. The upside is for the first time ever I am discovering I am a pretty awesome cook (with the time I've had to occupy myself it's been a blessing to find something I like to throw myself into!) and am getting quite reknown for this with my husbands work friends! Although the cabin fever can get to me as I can't really go anywhere without someone to drive me. That said - I did get a learner's permit soon after I came, and have had a fun time learning how to drive, though today at the DMV I went in to get them to extend the expiration (the same date as on my I-94, I was told I just needed my I-797 for the I-485 and they can extend it a year) only to have a bit of an arguement with the receptionist who said otherwise. If anything though it makes me feel more American to moan about the DMV on the ride home!

Biometrics was a breeze - we got to the Alexandria branch in VA half an hour early and I got whisked to the fingerprinting & photo booth straight away - in and out in under 10 minutes!

We were hoping for a nice calm first christmas together in our new home, but hubby got a job offer for a Linux position he's been studying for all year so on Christmas eve of all days we are driving our little Toyota with all our worldly goods in it down 5 hours south to Virginia Beach! We're very excited, not only does this equal job satisfaction for Rei and an exciting adventure for us but we'll get so much more time together! Best Christmas present we could recieve

Having our family Christmas portrait tomorrow with his parents and brother, very blessed to have the love and support of them.

I wish you all happy holidays! My fellow 'aliens', make sure to throw in a few native dishes at dinner time and everyone make sure to start some fun family traditions!

xxxx

Thank you so much, sweetie!!! I think my husband can totally relate to your homesickness and cabin fever. Bless him, I don't know what he would do without XBOX Live. At least you have your learner's permit! We're waiting to see what to do about his license...bah humbug!!!

[DiZZyLoX 114]

2-year conditional green card in hand this morning

YAYYYYYYYYYYY CONGRATULATIONS!

Congrats everyone! we are all here! one year later!

I think i'm probably the last of the decemberite getting my SSN and AOS stuff done.

We finally got married in SF on tuesday (13 dec) and I'm starting the paperwork for everything esle!

Question:

For SSN: What did you guys tick for: Citizenship (legal alien allowed to work? legal alien not allowed to work? others?)

Anyone in the SF area found a good civil surgeon?

Legal alien not allowed to work...something like that

Ahh Lisa + Michael, I saw some of the post, but I also saw some posts (as well as what is recommended by visa journey) where they said that you still need to go to a civil surgeon to certify (to fill the form), and they will check your vaccine forms and fill up the form. however, if you have had the medical within the last one year, you DO NOT need a medical examination.

So, you will still need a civil surgeon to certify, the only difference, is the medical check up.

I'm paying it safe and getting it certified anyway even though i have all the vaccines done.

Thanks anyway! i hope it will be easy!

Soo...at my husband's K1 medical, he received everything but the Varicella shot. Otherwise, we would have just sent the medical info from the K1 Medical. We found a Civil Surgeon that would transcribe his medical stuff for free. she also just put that varicella was unnecessary because he had exposure to it before. that lady saved us SOOOOOOOOo much money!!!!

Edited December 28, 2011 by DiZZyLoX

[Piefre 15]

My wedding day is set for January 11th. It's not fancy or anything, just a short 15 minute thing at the courthouse. But I still got a dress and we got rings. There isn't any issue if I choose not to change my last name to his, right? I weighed the benefits and drawbacks and it made more sense to keep my last name the same for now.

[setherwyn 0]

i kept mine, same reason... and i think giraldo is waaaay better than sarnicki

no problems so far

[lee&jeniebee 23]

Hi guys!! I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is doing well. This was the best Christmas I think I have ever had! Okay, now it's 2012 and I am thinking about taxes, some of you must have researched this. Is there any tax advantages out there floating around while we are in this AOS filing stage? So far my wife doesn't seem like a tax liability but adding her to the family last fall does not seem to help either? Seems like the most information I have seen is on the IRS web page but I was surprised that I couldn't find anything on visajourney? Any thoughts??

Lee

[gyselle 4]

Got my physical NOAs today!

[Mochamich 7]

My wedding day is set for January 11th. It's not fancy or anything, just a short 15 minute thing at the courthouse. But I still got a dress and we got rings. There isn't any issue if I choose not to change my last name to his, right? I weighed the benefits and drawbacks and it made more sense to keep my last name the same for now.

I'm debating the name change thing myself. Haven't changed anything yet. Hope you have a wonderful wedding day:)

[setherwyn 0]

time to whine, after almost 5 months, no green card, i've called uscis a dozen of times, they say my local office is delayed, and they cant do anything... i thought the transfer was supposed to expedite the process :/ oh well. i hate to be out of status, i cant get a student loan... more waiting, i think this k1 process is all wrong and broken.

end of whining.

my husband is awesome, he is worth all this #######

[bobbyA 20]

Hi guys!! I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is doing well. This was the best Christmas I think I have ever had! Okay, now it's 2012 and I am thinking about taxes, some of you must have researched this. Is there any tax advantages out there floating around while we are in this AOS filing stage? So far my wife doesn't seem like a tax liability but adding her to the family last fall does not seem to help either? Seems like the most information I have seen is on the IRS web page but I was surprised that I couldn't find anything on visajourney? Any thoughts??

Lee

Interesting!! I never thought about "tax advantage" besides the benefit of proof as a couple when filing jointly. I'm looking ahead to ROC 2 years from now for my wife, so having joint tax returns for the next 2 years is important to me