Stand alone I-130 for stepchild(ren)

[FaSa2008 0]

I've noticed there have been quite a few people over the last few months who have filed stand alone I-130s for their stepchildren. There is some information about the I-130 process but not specifically for children. I thought we could gather here and share information and experiences as we go through them.

My husband and I filed in early March at CSC. We got the NOA-1s shortly after that and are now patiently waiting...

Anybody else?

How did everything go ? My step daughters visa interview is tomorrow at 8 am in Lima Peru

[katraska78 6]

Just an update. Our interview is scheduled for Feb. 21. My stepdaughters mom made the appointment for medical exam for Feb. 12th. When she asked how much it would be they told her 6,925 lempiras which is about $350. I told my husband that was probably if she had to have all of her immunizations but as far as we know she is current on everything. When he called back yesterday to ask this question he was told there was no appointment. He confirmed the date with our daughters mom and called back. Again the lady told him there was no appointment because they were going to be closed the whole month of February and would open again in March. He called bio mom back and so she called and spoke with the lady who told her the same thing. She told the lady she was given a confirmation number for the appointment and so the lady asked for the number. When she looked it up she said oh yes, that is an appointment number but we had to cancel that appointment because we are going to be closed. Ugh!! I just wonder if they were planning to call and let us know or if we would have just showed up and told no appointment. Anyway, there were two other doctors listed on the embassy website so we called both of the others. We were told they couldnt make the appointment until the first of next month and said to call back then. I guess just another frustrating part of this process. Hopefully, we will get an appointment and get this taken care of. We were told by the other clinics 7,000 lempiras which is about $400 whether or not she had any immunizations or not.

We have our plane tickets bought and our hotel reserved.....28 days and we will be in Honduras. I can see the finish line Good Luck to everyone else!

Sorry you're going through rough patches right now. I can't believe the medical is so expensive in Honduras!!!! In Ecuador it's 140 dollars w/o any immunizations.

Best of luck to your family

[sancruz 26]

Have a question as our interview date approaches. For anyone who has already had their interview... Are there any other fees that have to be paid at the embassy at the time of the interview. I keep reading consulate reviews and everyone keeps mentioning about having to pay fees. I thought all of our fees were paid? Thanks in advance.

[cgayle 1]

Have a question as our interview date approaches. For anyone who has already had their interview... Are there any other fees that have to be paid at the embassy at the time of the interview. I keep reading consulate reviews and everyone keeps mentioning about having to pay fees. I thought all of our fees were paid? Thanks in advance.

I believe the only fees that you will have to pay is to DHL to have the Visa shipped to you from the Embassy.

[SerenityNOW 11]

Have a question as our interview date approaches. For anyone who has already had their interview... Are there any other fees that have to be paid at the embassy at the time of the interview. I keep reading consulate reviews and everyone keeps mentioning about having to pay fees. I thought all of our fees were paid? Thanks in advance.

Well there is the fun new "Immigrant Fee" that is required as of Feb 1 - $165, paid after the interview...

[lucy4 11]

Well there is the fun new "Immigrant Fee" that is required as of Feb 1 - $165, paid after the interview...

So I guess I really should have waited til my hubby became a citizen to file. Not only would life have been easier for us with the I864W step, but we more than likely would have been approved already, and got in before the new fee. It seems that VSC transferred all cases after August 15th to NBC for faster processing since they were backlogged. People who filed as late as Nov are currently receiving approvals, while we just wait. Supposedly VSC is processing cases from the end of May.

Edited January 24, 2013 by lucy4

[sancruz 26]

Well there is the fun new "Immigrant Fee" that is required as of Feb 1 - $165, paid after the interview...

Do we pay that there or we can pay this after we get back home?

[SerenityNOW 11]

So I guess I really should have waited til my hubby became a citizen to file. Not only would life have been easier for us with the I864W step, but we more than likely would have been approved already, and got in before the new fee. It seems that VSC transferred all cases after August 15th to NBC for faster processing since they were backlogged. People who filed as late as Nov are currently receiving approvals, while we just wait. Supposedly VSC is processing cases from the end of May.

You never can know with these people! It's a ####### shoot about timing and/or service center. When I sent the I-130 for my husband 5 years ago, I was at the CSC, which was much slower than VSC but right around the time I applied, they flipped. Ours was approved months before someone else who applied from the same country on nearly the same day, but going through VSC. I moved to my husband's country because approvals were taking the better part of a year then... got approved before I even left. Doh! Meanwhile, the other person with stats similar to mine was waiting and waiting here while he was stuck there.

But yeah the new fee suuuuuuuuucks.

Do we pay that there or we can pay this after we get back home?

I'm just learning about this too... Here is the info from USCIS:

When and How to Pay the Fee

Applicants must pay this fee online through the USCIS website. Applicants should submit payments after they receive their visa package from DOS and before they depart for the United States.

Applicants can electronically submit the fee by answering the questions on the USCIS website by providing their:

• checking account information, or
• debit or credit card information.

All check payments must be drawn on a U.S. bank.

If the applicant is unable to make this payment, another person can make this payment on the applicant's behalf.

Failure to Pay

The applicant will not receive a green card until the required USCIS Immigrant fee is paid.

Failure to pay does not affect the lawful status of the applicant. The applicant will have their passport stamped showing their lawful admission and permanent resident status. This stamp is valid for one year but it is strongly advised that new permanent residents pay the immigrant fee as soon as possible to avoid delays in receiving their Permanent Resident Card.

Looks like you have plenty of time to pay, up to a year after entry into the U.S., until the passport stamp expires.

[SerenityNOW 11]

So I guess I really should have waited til my hubby became a citizen to file. Not only would life have been easier for us with the I864W step, but we more than likely would have been approved already, and got in before the new fee. It seems that VSC transferred all cases after August 15th to NBC for faster processing since they were backlogged. People who filed as late as Nov are currently receiving approvals, while we just wait. Supposedly VSC is processing cases from the end of May.

But here's another thought about the Immigrant Fee: Based on the info in the previous post, I wonder if this means that if the immigrant doesn't need an actual "Green Card", we don't need to pay this fee?? My stepson will become a citizen immediately -- sounds like yours too -- which of course involves paying a fee if we want to get a passport (of course we do!). Apparently we apply for his U.S. passport with his foreign passport stamp and his birth certificate showing his father's name + my husband's naturalization certificate -- so he is never actually going to get a green card ... I wonder if those in that situation don't need to pay the Immigrant Fee?? Might as well try it, as the worst that will happen is that they say that fee must be paid before a passport can be issued. Maybe this is good news for you too if this works.

Edited January 24, 2013 by SerenityNOW

[lucy4 11]

But here's another thought about the Immigrant Fee: Based on the info in the previous post, I wonder if this means that if the immigrant doesn't need an actual "Green Card", we don't need to pay this fee?? My stepson will become a citizen immediately -- sounds like yours too -- which of course involves paying a fee if we want to get a passport (of course we do!). Apparently we apply for his U.S. passport with his foreign passport stamp and his birth certificate showing his father's name + my husband's naturalization certificate -- so he is never actually going to get a green card ... I wonder if those in that situation don't need to pay the Immigrant Fee?? Might as well try it, as the worst that will happen is that they say that fee must be paid before a passport can be issued. Maybe this is good news for you too if this works.

Good thinking... I was just about to ask the same question. I read the piece you quoted and immediately thought, so if you dont need a green card, you can just never pay the fee. lol

[aaron2020 11,651]

But here's another thought about the Immigrant Fee: Based on the info in the previous post, I wonder if this means that if the immigrant doesn't need an actual "Green Card", we don't need to pay this fee?? My stepson will become a citizen immediately -- sounds like yours too -- which of course involves paying a fee if we want to get a passport (of course we do!). Apparently we apply for his U.S. passport with his foreign passport stamp and his birth certificate showing his father's name + my husband's naturalization certificate -- so he is never actually going to get a green card ... I wonder if those in that situation don't need to pay the Immigrant Fee?? Might as well try it, as the worst that will happen is that they say that fee must be paid before a passport can be issued. Maybe this is good news for you too if this works.

You need to pay the fee.

To get US citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act, the child needs to be admitted to the US as an LPR to live with the US citizen parent.

You have to get the green card. You have to pay the fee.

Don't pay the fee, then no green card. No green card, then no US citizenship.

It that simple. Pay if you want the paperwork done.

Edited January 24, 2013 by aaron2020

[SerenityNOW 11]

You need to pay the fee.

To get US citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act, the child needs to be admitted to the US as an LPR to live with the US citizen parent.

You have to get the green card. You have to pay the fee.

Don't pay the fee, then no green card. No green card, then no US citizenship.

It that simple. Pay if you want the paperwork done.

Yeah, I had already added this fee to my budget ... I am spending a lot of time learning about all of this process for immigrating a child here, and I have gotten some completely incorrect information from immigration lawyers, so I appreciate your input. I definitely have no expertise in the realm of immigration, just relying on extensive research and the knowledgeable VJ folks.

I was speculating because it was odd to me that the USCIS information about the fee made a note of pointing out that: "Failure to pay does not affect the lawful status of the applicant. The applicant will have their passport stamped showing their lawful admission and permanent resident status..."

An actual plastic green card is not a requirement to apply for a passport for our situation -- per USCIS instructions for my stepson to apply for a passport, one of the items he can provide for the application (in addition to his birth certificate and proof of his father's citizenship) is: "The child's foreign passport showing the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS) I-551 stamp in the passport".

Since we will apply for the U.S. passport as soon as he arrives, my stepson would probably have a U.S. passport in hand before any physical green card would even arrive (at least from my past experience, passports take less time than green cards do). Green cards are confiscated upon citizenship, so I was just wondering how this works... we would pay the fee, then the green card production request would immediately be cancelled with the passport application ... maybe. Or there will be a provision that we have to pay the Immigrant Fee before being approved for a passport (that scenario makes more sense to me) -- even though the fee is supposedly for the card itself, not to become a permanent resident. This new fee hasn't even been implemented yet, so I don't think that anyone has all the answers on how this will work, especially for this small group of people who fall under the Child Citizenship Act who are becoming LPRs and citizens simultaneously. Hopefully others ahead of me in the process will post their experiences.

In any event, I am not paying that fee until we are back in the States after the interview, so both that fee and the passport fee will be paid at approximately the same time, even though the payments are going different places. We will then find out whether that delays the passport production process.

[lucy4 11]

Yeah, I had already added this fee to my budget ... I am spending a lot of time learning about all of this process for immigrating a child here, and I have gotten some completely incorrect information from immigration lawyers, so I appreciate your input. I definitely have no expertise in the realm of immigration, just relying on extensive research and the knowledgeable VJ folks.

I was speculating because it was odd to me that the USCIS information about the fee made a note of pointing out that: "Failure to pay does not affect the lawful status of the applicant. The applicant will have their passport stamped showing their lawful admission and permanent resident status..."

An actual plastic green card is not a requirement to apply for a passport for our situation -- per USCIS instructions for my stepson to apply for a passport, one of the items he can provide for the application (in addition to his birth certificate and proof of his father's citizenship) is: "The child's foreign passport showing the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS) I-551 stamp in the passport".

Since we will apply for the U.S. passport as soon as he arrives, my stepson would probably have a U.S. passport in hand before any physical green card would even arrive (at least from my past experience, passports take less time than green cards do). Green cards are confiscated upon citizenship, so I was just wondering how this works... we would pay the fee, then the green card production request would immediately be cancelled with the passport application ... maybe. Or there will be a provision that we have to pay the Immigrant Fee before being approved for a passport (that scenario makes more sense to me) -- even though the fee is supposedly for the card itself, not to become a permanent resident. This new fee hasn't even been implemented yet, so I don't think that anyone has all the answers on how this will work, especially for this small group of people who fall under the Child Citizenship Act who are becoming LPRs and citizens simultaneously. Hopefully others ahead of me in the process will post their experiences.

In any event, I am not paying that fee until we are back in the States after the interview, so both that fee and the passport fee will be paid at approximately the same time, even though the payments are going different places. We will then find out whether that delays the passport production process.

I concur.

[evoria 19]

Hello family,

After completing theI-130 process, with all the help I found here, I successful in bringing my husband to the US. I am now working on bringing his kids. We submitted the I-130 for the kids on November 16th and today we got an email that it has been approved and NOA 2 is on the way. However, only for one child, I am assuming since today is Saturday they just have not updated for the second child.

Whew, that hurdle jumped. However I am freaking out a bit because I forgot what is next. With my husband, I moved one step ahead of the process and was able to get the interview rather quickly. Now I am drawing a blank. I need to call on help from you nice people again. I am seriously having a panic attack. Someone please direct me to the next steps.

Yipee, from NOA 1 to NOA 2 in 69 days and are they working on Saturday? Good for them.

[beejay 123]

Hi Beejay,

Yes, initially the i864 was sent for each child (2 kids), the nvc sent a checklist for i864w instead for them, their bio dad is the usc and is doing the filing, am being filed for as well, my case is completed, am just waiting on the kids cases to be completed as well.Thanks for your reply.

Thanks for the response. Glad NVC caught that as it will make things much easier for you.

YES best feeling and Yes teary eyed as i told my husband we finally had a date! When we called Honduras to let biological mom know we had a date I could hear in her voice she was sad even though she was trying to sound positive. That is the hard part for me. As excited as we are i know this is hard for her and i know she is going to be really sad but she wants her daughter to have a better life than what she can give her in Honduras. Now just praying everything goes well. Already booked our Hotel and working on airplane tickets.

Sancruz congrats on the interview date! I am with you on the moment being bittersweet. My husband and I are nothing but excited but I feel for their mother as I know this wasn't an easy decision (years in the making) and it isn't going to be an easy transition.

We had a hiccup at the airport with some Philippine gov't requirements. They didn't want to let us board the plane with the consent form I had - they wanted the official one from a specific agency in the Philippines (DSWD). We had already fulfilled an exit orientation requirement for the Phil. gov't (CFO) and they had told us what we had would be fine. I had to get elevated to a few different people within the airline. I was insistent that the consent should work and if in doubt their mother was right outside security and they could talk to her themselves. They finally took me past security to speak with immigration who also wanted me to have the DSWD clearance but luckily the gate agent had gotten my stepdaughter and gone to get her mother in the drop off area to bring her back to immigration (who then had to sit in immigration holding her 3 month old for quite some time while everything got sorted out). The immigration guy still didn't want to let us through and was calling his boss on the phone. I kept saying isn't the point of the DSWD clearance to show we have permission and here is their mother giving permission. Anyway we eventually got through and their mother hung around until the plane took off just to make sure we didn't have any other problems. The reason I bring it up is she had to be really committed to go through all that business at the airport and it was still incredibly hard when it came time to say goodbye. Luckily over the years I feel we've built trust and respect for each other and she knows I'm going to do my best along with their father to provide a loving and supportive home for the kids. Still I could tell she was trying to be strong for the kids but I can't even imagine the feeling.

Hello everyone!

Welcome KatandFreddy! Thanks for joining our thread. Good luck on the process! We're there any questions you still needed to be answered? I think quite a few of them got answered.

How did everything go ? My step daughters visa interview is tomorrow at 8 am in Lima Peru

Hi FaSa2008, how was your interview?

SerenityNow - thanks for making a wiki page! That info was long overdue! Hopefully we can all add and update it as we move along in the process.

I have to agree with you that it seems unlikely that you will have to wait for the greencard to apply for the passport. The stamp on the visa upon entry should prove the children were admitted on immigrant visas. We are going this week to apply (w/o greencards) so I will let you know how it goes.

*To anyone in a similar situation permission is needed from both parents of a minor (under 16) wanting to obtain a U.S. passport - unless the applying parent has sole legal custody and can prove it. If one parent does not have sole legal custody then the non immigrating parent needs to sign and notarize the consent form (DS3053) that will allow the minor to obtain a US passport. The consent form is only good for 3 months after it is signed so plan accordingly.

Just an update on us. The kids are finally here and we've been doing pretty well. We've spent our time going to lots of museums, seeing relatives, trying to balance new foods with familiar foods. Everywhere we go everyone wants to give them chocolate or ice cream or some kind of sweet - the kids are loving it. They will be starting school soon but for now we're just trying to enjoy the time together and get adjusted. They do think it's crazy cold here. I think they had no idea weather could ever be this cold. I have to say once we got on that first plane all the immigration hassles (even the stuff at the airport) just left my mind. Now that we've crossed the 'finish line' I've sort of forgotten the race. I feel like the real adventure begins now.

Good luck to everyone!