Sad...and worried....

[Sisu 0]

I got married to a US Citizen a couple of months ago.....

So I am in the very beginning of applying for AOS.

However;the more I read about it the more complicated it sounds.

I have started to get so horribly afraid about not doing things right....

There seems to be a million of ways to screw up.

I dont mind the long waiting times at all....I am just so scared of being told:"Denied"(Even if I am pretty sure that there is no reason to deny me.I dont have a criminal record and I have never overstayed in the US)

Is there anyone out there in the AOS-chaos who can calm me down a little...?

Please?

[boboroad 0]

You are going to do just fine!! As someone once said "the attempt is always painful" If you can handle the wait, which my wife can not! Then you will do well.

[Sisu 0]

Thank you...I really needed to hear that......

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Hi Sisu,

I can appreciate how you are feelilng - it does sound overwhelming when you first look at it. One thing I did that helped me is that I got the required forms - downloaded them from the FOrms page at www.uscis.gov - then made copies of the forms and instruction sheets. These were my draft forms and I could fill them out and make as many mistakes as I wanted before I got it just right. The other thing I did was take a highlighter pen and then I highlighted everything it said I needed to include as an attachment. I then made a separate list, printing out the name and number of each form then listing the things I had highlighted for that form and needed to get. That gave me a checklist. When I got the attachment I needed I would put a checkmark against it and then I knew I had it. I also made 4 file folders. One I labeled AOS and I put the good form, my working draft form, the list of attachments I needed for that form and then, as I got the attachments, into that file. I repeated the same steps for the Employment Authorization form, the Advance Parole form and for the Affidavit of Support form. Breaking it all down into smaller steps like this made it much easier for me to see what I needed to do and what I needed to get.

You will be fine. Just take it one step at a time, don't worry about making mistakes because you are using your practise copy forms first, and soon you will see everything falling nicely into place. Good luck.

Edited September 16, 2006 by Kathryn41

[walls1010 3]

I got married to a US Citizen a couple of months ago.....

So I am in the very beginning of applying for AOS.

However;the more I read about it the more complicated it sounds.

I have started to get so horribly afraid about not doing things right....

There seems to be a million of ways to screw up.

I dont mind the long waiting times at all....I am just so scared of being told:"Denied"(Even if I am pretty sure that there is no reason to deny me.I dont have a criminal record and I have never overstayed in the US)

Is there anyone out there in the AOS-chaos who can calm me down a little...?

Please?

Hi Sisu,

I understand how you felt at the moment, but don't worry everything will be fine. You can get all the information ang forms at www.uscis.gov and follow the instruction of how to file the form I-485. One of the requirements is having your immunization record, to find a designated civil surgeons of the Homeland Security in your area www.uscis.gov/graphics/exec/cs/LocateSurgeon.asp just explain to them that you just need an immunization and not the whole medical examination. The clinic will give you your immunization record in a sealed envelope (don't open the envelope) you can send it together with the form I-485 or you can bring it with you on your interview. Good luck!

Lorna

[Adam M 0]

I'd concur with Kathryn. Staying organized and making lists is the key to it all... and once you've checked everything off the list you should find that the list is a good template for how to organize the documents before popping them in the envelope.

That said, I've not been touched yet!!

Adam.

Edited September 16, 2006 by Adam M

[Sisu 0]

Thanks you all for your replies......

I feel a bit better now.

[cali 0]

I can understand what you are feeling. The whole process seems so overwhelming but it is really not too bad and with the support of this site it will make the experience alot easier. I actullay used an online site to fill out my forms and had an attorney form that site look over the forms and attach a form G28. The fee was very reasonable (300-500 depending if havinga lawyer review) I think knowing what I know from this site I could have filled the forms out by myself and been fine. The one thing with the online forms they prompt and guideyou through every step of filliing out the forms plus provide you with all document to send with each form and how to prepare to send the entire package. My whole process was about 2 1/2 months. Good Luck!!

[Sisu 0]

Thanks again you guys.....

Now:do you think that the whole AOS progress will be more complicated since I have been married before?

Are immigrations here in the US going to contact the gov. in Sweden to see if my divorce was accurate?

I have the Divorce papers here and I have had a friend(Who knows both Swedish and english very well) translate them.

Any thoughts on this?

(I know...I must sound paranoid but i am just really,really worried about what could go wrong.)

[kaffykat 0]

I can really feel where you are coming from. My poor husband watches me totally stress every time we have to start looking at the paperwork, it all seems so overwhelming.

I and my husband have both been married twice before, it hasn't seemed to affected anything with the process, although I have the added stress of also having to do the AOS on my daughter's case as well, which they keep messing up. Mine seems to be moving along fine. But I look at it that we are together now and not apart as we were when waiting for the K1, we got caught up in the CSC slow down last year so we were watching everyone else get their approvals in no time while we waited, and waited.

You'll get through it, everyone here pretty much did.

[Clownies 2]

just have your daily cup of visajourney, and you'll be fine!

:energetic:

[MIKE & BETTY 0]

I agree, everything looks so confused but don't stress that much ... we're here!!! (to share your confusion)

And to help you too!

It's true that somebody can help you with the translations (or you can do it by yourself), after de translation this should be written:

I, "name", hereby certify that the above is an accurate translation of the document, and that I am competent to translate from "language" to english and viceversa.

Signature, month, day, year.

Name. Date prepared.

[Sisu 0]

I agree, everything looks so confused but don't stress that much ... we're here!!! (to share your confusion)

And to help you too!

It's true that somebody can help you with the translations (or you can do it by yourself), after de translation this should be written:

I, "name", hereby certify that the above is an accurate translation of the document, and that I am competent to translate from "language" to english and viceversa.

Signature, month, day, year.

Name. Date prepared.

Can I really do it myself????

[Nagishkaw 510]

,,,,If you want something you never had, you have to be willing to do something you've never done....

I think you will do just fine !

[sjoefl01 1]

YES!!!

You can do the translations yourself. A lot of people will try to send you down some sort of certified translation path but it is not necessary. We did some documents amd had no problem. We didn't even use the little note at the end telling them that the document was accurate.

If I were doing it again I would use the little note. It later became one of those things that we worried about.

Don't be intimidated about this. It is just a stack of forms and a pile of money. It is nothing like the K1 or K3. You are already in the country. It is mostly a formality. The hardest part is paying for all of this #######.

I agree, everything looks so confused but don't stress that much ... we're here!!! (to share your confusion)

And to help you too!

It's true that somebody can help you with the translations (or you can do it by yourself), after de translation this should be written:

I, "name", hereby certify that the above is an accurate translation of the document, and that I am competent to translate from "language" to english and viceversa.

Signature, month, day, year.

Name. Date prepared.

Can I really do it myself????