Just beginning..any advice & assistance appreciated

[queenofthenile 2]

I am just beginning the process.. getting the documents needed to file the I-130 petition. Before I begin I want to seek the experience of other.. what they would have done if they knew then what they know now.. The forms seem pretty easy and the documentation seems like it should be fairly easy to put together. However I have seen many sites that offer to do the work for a fee...with guaranteed results...Do you recommend I do it myself.. or hire assistance?

Here is the basic information for our situation..

We met online as friends 9/2010..and then in person when I came to Egypt 12/2010 to stay with friends for vacation. (I stayed with a friend's family so there are no hotel receipts. My divorce was final 2/2011 I came back to Egypt 3/2010 to meet his family and were were engaged. We considered doing a K-1 visa at that time, but rather I move to Cairo. 8/2010 I moved to Cairo and we married here. I am living in Cairo. I am teaching English for KG1 & KG2.. but I just found out that I am really working illegally as really I need a work permit that my employer should get..which I am sure they won't..from what I have read it is a HUGE process.. Dec 2011 my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away.. I went back to the U.S. during Dec & Jan.. My grandmother came back with me in Jan to see Cairo and meet my husband and his family. Being back in the U.S. really made me homesick and with the death of my mother.. I really want to be in the U.S. to take care of my grandmother, so my husband has agreed that we could go to the U.S. I have been reading and doing research for the CR-1 visa which is the most applicable. However I have some concerns.. I read that I must be a U.S. resident to complete, yet it states you can file if living abroad.. so I am assuming that means you claim residency in the U.S. and are just temporaraly living outside the U.S. I would like to continue living here and file and then go together to the U.S. Yet I believe it may be best for me to go back to the U.S. work and file from the U.S. I will have a joint sponsor who's income and assets combined with my assets will qualify... my concern is my current employment..as I do not have a work permit I do not see the benefit of asking for an Employment Letter... Living here in Egypt.. we use cash..so we do not have joint banking.. he rented the flat before I came..so we do not have a joint-lease...He does own land that we are building on, however that is in his name..not joint.. I really want to stay here and continue to work at least until the end of the school year.. I am looking for advice about what I should do.. What I will need.. etc... Thanks in advance

[BesosforMexico 13]

We you born in the US? or are you a US citizen?

[queenofthenile 2]

Yes I am the USC.. born in the U.S.

[together4evr 360]

You have to have USA income or savings or assets to use as a sponsor. But you can use a sponsers income or assets. You have to have residence in the USA. So establish grandmas home as where you and husband will live and have your mail sent there. You also need to claim taxes in USA on your egypt income. So do the taxes if you decided not to the last 2 years.

Alot of people live in Egypt and are able to file from Egypt.

Good Luck

Edited February 15, 2012 by togetherforever13

[together4evr 360]

You have to have USA income or savings or assets to use as a sponsor. But you can use a sponsers income or assets. You have to have residence in the USA. So establish grandmas home as where you and husband will live and have your mail sent there. You also need to claim taxes in USA on your egypt income. So do the taxes if you decided not to the last 2 years.

Get an ID card with grandmas address and get a bill in your name at grandmas house. Pay taxes using grandmas address and then I think you can stay in egypt. But you have to file lat xes on the income you earned in egypt and pay taxes to USA.

Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong on any of this information...I just read from others posts.

Alot of people live in Egypt and are able to file from Egypt.

Good Luck

[queenofthenile 2]

I did file for 2010.. I need to file for 2011... I do have U.S. assets, checking and savings..just not u.s. income thus the need for a co-sponsor..my grandmother's home is my permanent residence and where i receive my mail..I am just not sure I will be able to file 2011 taxes by the deadline.. I may have to file an extention this year..which this is the 1st time to do that..or i will have my grandmother send what i have there to me here and try to file online..I have the copies of the past 3 years, as i ordered those from the IRS when I was considering the K-1...

[together4evr 360]

DO not make this journey harder than it is so do whatever you need to file taxes on time.

Also on the I-130 use the Egypt address for yourself because people say you might get NOA2 within a month instead of 5 months

when they see you are overseas and NO DCF anymore. So make sure you flag your paperwork as NO DCF available

For your assets or savings--it needs to be worth about 55,200. But Egypt can be hard on assets and he has to show them YOU meet the requirement of assets so they will approve yours if you have enough assests to sponsor him alone

Good Luck

[queenofthenile 2]

Thanks..then I will have her send them today. and I guess I should keep the envelope to show where she sends it to me here to verify my address in Egypt since I am not on the lease here.

"So make sure you flag your paperwork as NO DCF available" How do I flag my paperwork like this?

I alone will not qualify with assets.. that I am sure of.. but with a co-sponsor should have no problem.

My concerns are should I use a company to prepare the paperwork?

When completing the paperwork do I list the current employment I have... since I do not have a permit to work in Eygpt? I guess I would have to since I would need to list it on my taxes.... hummmmmm... any advice???

[together4evr 360]

I think most people can do the work themselves and your case sounds simple except for the taxes. consult a tax advisor for that. Have grandma send you mail in egypt under BOTH your names to prove you live together.

VJ is great. Look at the guides for I-130 at the top and it tells us all that you need to send to the chicago lockbox. Just double check all forms are up to date

You will use a coverletter to outline your package you send. On the cover letter type I am living in Egypt with my husband for 1 year and No DCF available.

Then they process your case quicker is the rumor. Only have to wait 1 month for the noa2 approval.

It is alot of reading but you can manage without a lawyer.

Good luck

[And_Sam 44]

Welcome to VJ, Queen.

It sounds like you pretty much have everything mapped out as well as a hired lawyer or firm can do. I think you shouldn't have any problem in filing the paperwork yourself for your husband. I'm not sure how to go about filing since they did away with DCF.

As far as the work permit goes, is that more for the Egyptian government or the US? I don't remember anywhere on the petition does it ask for a work permit for those who are living in Egypt. The only time I saw where they asked for any proof of employment was the proof for having the money to support your SO in the US and you said that you have no problem lining up a co-sponsor. You can go ahead and file the I-130 for your husband and then once you have your taxes done for 2011 you can give it to your husband when he goes for the actual interview with the embassy. That is what we did. I included the 3 prior years of tax transcripts then since my husband's interview was at the end of February, I gave him a copy of the income tax return to take with him. No problem.

Good luck with your journey, there are plenty of people here who has some good advice!

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.