I-130 - some quick questions

[mg23 1]

Hi there,

I arrived as a J-1 visa holder in summer 2009. I applied for an H-1B towards the end of my 18-month period and was granted it. I left the country for a few weeks in Feb 2011 and re-entered on the new H-1B visa. I went home to the UK for a brief visit in Nov 2011 so the I-94 in my passport is from that trip.

I'm not sure what we should answer for Q's 14, 15, 19, 21.

14.

If your relative is currently in the U.S., complete the following: He or she arrived as a:

I assume it means my current status? H-1B?

Arr/dep record, date arrived

Record number is easy to get from Nov 2011's I-94. But date arrived? Does this mean date on the I-94 (i.e. Nov 2011), or date I arrived as an H-1B visaholder (i.e. Feb 2011), or even when I first arrived in the US (i.e. summer 2009)?

15.

Name and address of current employer.

Date this employment began

I've been working for the same employer since I arrived in summer 2009 as a J-1. Should I put this down as the start date, and if so, won't it look a little odd that the start date could be a couple of years before my "Date arrived" in the previous question? Should I put down the start date of my current position with the company which really began in Dec 2010 when I was granted the H-1B?

19.

Your relative's address abroad:

I kind of don't really have an address abroad. I'm 35, and have been living here for a number of years. Should I leave this blank? Or should I maybe put a relative's address in the UK (where I'm from), even though they'd probably be quite a distant relative and it really isn't my address at all.

21.

If filing for your husband/wife, give last address at which you lived together

We've been living together for over a year. The space for To: won't allow me to enter "current", only date format only, so should I just enter the date that I fill out the application, or leave it blank?

Thanks in advance

[Mike X Man 37]

Hope this helps you some...

14.

If your relative is currently in the U.S., complete the following: He or she arrived as a:

I assume it means my current status? H-1B?

Arr/dep record, date arrived

Record number is easy to get from Nov 2011's I-94. But date arrived? Does this mean date on the I-94 (i.e. Nov 2011), or date I arrived as an H-1B visaholder (i.e. Feb 2011), or even when I first arrived in the US (i.e. summer 2009)?

Yes...current. H-1B. Didn't they stamp your passport or something when you got through a POE in the USA? Date should be on your passport or I-94 card. Date you should use is of your current status' last entry to the USA.

15.

Name and address of current employer.

Date this employment began

I've been working for the same employer since I arrived in summer 2009 as a J-1. Should I put this down as the start date, and if so, won't it look a little odd that the start date could be a couple of years before my "Date arrived" in the previous question? Should I put down the start date of my current position with the company which really began in Dec 2010 when I was granted the H-1B?

No. You should answer the question accurately. Use the 2009 date and state it commenced during your previous status as a J1. (It helps to provide corroboration evidence for this)

19.

Your relative's address abroad:

I kind of don't really have an address abroad. I'm 35, and have been living here for a number of years. Should I leave this blank? Or should I maybe put a relative's address in the UK (where I'm from), even though they'd probably be quite a distant relative and it really isn't my address at all.

You are not abroad, you are here, leave it blank or N/A.

21.

If filing for your husband/wife, give last address at which you lived together

We've been living together for over a year. The space for To: won't allow me to enter "current", only date format only, so should I just enter the date that I fill out the application, or leave it blank?

You can click on it and type "present." I can do so on my Acrobat PDF document just fine.

Edited February 29, 2012 by MikeX

[mg23 1]

Yes...current. H-1B. Didn't they stamp your passport or something when you got through a POE in the USA? Date should be on your passport or I-94 card. Date you should use is of your current status' last entry to the USA.

I did get the stamp and the I-94 card when I last came through a POE in the US. I was 99% sure I was supposed to enter the date tied to the I-94, rather than the date when I first arrived on an H-1B but just wanted to double-check.

No. You should answer the question accurately. Use the 2009 date and state it commenced during your previous status as a J1. (It helps to provide corroboration evidence for this)

I can't actually state anything other than a correctly-formatted date, and that's all. See below re: my version of Adobe Reader - same problem with this field. Should I add a supplementary sheet of paper with details and also my J-1 documentation?

You can click on it and type "present." I can do so on my Acrobat PDF document just fine.

Not on my computer unfortunately. I'm using Adobe Reader X on Windows 7. When you click the field a popup calendar appears, with which you select a date. Maybe I'll try it on a different computer or PDF reader software.

Thanks MikeX I appreciate the help

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

The above advice is spot on. To add: You can write in anything by hand that you want in those fields. You don't have to use a computer.

[Mike X Man 37]

Not on my computer unfortunately. I'm using Adobe Reader X on Windows 7. When you click the field a popup calendar appears, with which you select a date. Maybe I'll try it on a different computer or PDF reader software.

Thanks MikeX I appreciate the help

No problem. The trick is NOT to click on the calendar but just left click on the highlighted space before the arrow. Some weird prompt will pop out, close it and you will be able to type just fine. I use the same software you have. Good luck.

Edited February 29, 2012 by MikeX