Juarez Consulate

[caityrose 0]

I remember those feelings Caity, though I must admit that I had a reasonable calmness once I got to Juarez. It was kind of like, what will be will be.

Those pics of Ronin's on p.121 were priceless. I remember pulling in town about 11 p.m, not knowing where I was. Then I saw some some landmarks in Ronin's pics and it was as if I had been there before. I remember laughing as I saw the famous blue tarp over the rental chair area.

Everything will go smoothly, Caity.

Brian

Thanks Brian for the reassurance. Angel got safely to Ciudad Juarez last night and he likes the hotel a lot (Los Cedros). Except- a taxi driver told him that the night before, someone had been shot right in front of the hotel. And that's when I reminded him that when he's not doing something pertaining to the visa, he should just be in his room chilling and watching TV I hope his medical goes well today!! And he's going to retake his passport pictures after the medical exam. I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, my stomach is in knots.

Thanks!

Caity

[brian87 0]

And he's going to retake his passport pictures after the medical exam.

Thanks!

Caity

That was probably a smart thing to do. I wish we had just gone ahead and had them done there. I was sick to my stomach about my SO having to run out and get them re-done. For $8 or so, it is worth the peace of mind.

I hope your SO arrives at the medical at a decent time and not the 4 am stuff. And of course, 4 am makes no sense on embassy day, since you truly do not get in before 8 am. And the group was only maybe 100 strong for the 8 am time slot, with at least half being there for support and not allowed inside.

Brian

[caityrose 0]

And he's going to retake his passport pictures after the medical exam.

Thanks!

Caity

That was probably a smart thing to do. I wish we had just gone ahead and had them done there. I was sick to my stomach about my SO having to run out and get them re-done. For $8 or so, it is worth the peace of mind.

I hope your SO arrives at the medical at a decent time and not the 4 am stuff. And of course, 4 am makes no sense on embassy day, since you truly do not get in before 8 am. And the group was only maybe 100 strong for the 8 am time slot, with at least half being there for support and not allowed inside.

Brian

Alright... Angel got to the clinic around 6:45 AM, and by 7:45 he had already taken chest X-rays and was waiting for his blood to be taken. After that, he sent me a text message saying that they took his blood and the doctor sent him to get his vaccinations. I repeatedly told him he did NOT need vaccinations, and he tried to tell her that but she said to wait anyway. So I sent him frantic text messages telling him to let them know they he's there for a fiance visa and will do it at a later date. Finally that worked and they told him to go pay. So he's in the line to pay now and it's 10:00 AM there. Not too much time. I hope everything is fine with his results. I somehow have 12:00-4:00 wide open with nothing to do... maybe I'll cook something to keep myself occupied!! I just want tomorrow to come!

[GueraKristina 1]

Good luck caityrose AND angel, im anxious for both of you. I hope all goes well!!!! keep us informed!! You have me checking the site more often than usual now cause im anxious to see what happens.

[caityrose 0]

Good luck caityrose AND angel, im anxious for both of you. I hope all goes well!!!! keep us informed!! You have me checking the site more often than usual now cause im anxious to see what happens.

Thanks Kristina! I just can't wait for tomorrow to come!!!

[GueraKristina 1]

Perhaps it is a little early to be thinking about it because alfredo has not even gone to his appt. in mexico yet, but i think it would be best to have some of the papers ready by the time he gets back from his appt. so that we are prepared and ready to file the AOS. I have some questions that i hope somebody can answer for me. The I-765, authorization of employment, can that be mailed with the I-485 (AOS)? And i am assuming that the $1,010 for the I-485 does not include the $340 for the I-765?

The I-485 asks for a copy of the foreign birth certificate but it says that any foreign documents have to be translated, does that mean the birth certificate? i dont think it does, but you guys telling me so will help reassure my nerves.

the I-485 also says something about police clearance, alfredo has never had any trouble with the police so does he need this?

Also im pretty sure i read in previous posts expressing some concerns/advising peopel to be careful with the marriage certificate, because you have to supply a copy of it for the AOS, but i guess it takes a while for them to return it to you once you are married or something? anybody who has already gone through the AOS, can you set me straight?

PLUS< on the Visa journey forms (which is where i was getting most of my info, there, and uscis site,) it mentions the I-131, which is the Application for travel Document, it lets you leave the U.S and then come back in, we dont need that right? its only if he wants to leave before the AOS is approved right? Because i thought that the AOS would allow alfredo to leave the country and come back if he needed to? Did i get something mixed up?

Anybody that can help me sort this stuff out would be a life saver. Im just trying to figure this stuff out so i dont have a panic attack when alfredo gets approved because im not prepared.

[웃 910]

Anybody that can help me sort this stuff out would be a life saver. Im just trying to figure this stuff out so i dont have a panic attack when alfredo gets approved because im not prepared.

1. From my understanding, you pay the $1,000 AOS fee and you get to include the employment authorization and the travel permit (advanced parole) for free. Keep in mind that if it is not too out of the way or costly, you can fly one-way from Juarez to Mexico City and then one-way to New York's JFK airport and then one-way to the final destination. JFK airport gives the EAD stamp to everyone (it is a stamp inside the passport)....

2. You need to get the birth certificate translated when it comes time for AOS, but it can be a rough translation, you don't have to pay top dollar, just have someone sign that they are fluent in Spanish and translated the birth certificate correctly

3. Not sure about the marriage certificate or police record

4. I have been saying this ever since I found out that the EAD is only stamped in the JFK airport: WHY?? Especially in an economic slow down/recession! There are tens of thousands of hardworking immigrants that enter the country legally each day that would be more than happy to work, if only they could get the stamp. They would work and get money, spend $$$, be more productive, adjust to the American culture quickly, feel better, help stimulate and grow the economy, etc. etc. ME ENTIENDEN???

Edited October 27, 2008 by thegreatgate

[GueraKristina 1]

What is the EAD stamp, and if alfredo needs it in the U.S doesnt crossing 1 of the bridges in ciudad juarez take care of that? P.S, can any1 answer the questions that thegreatgate couldnt, or does anybody have anything to add?

[caityrose 0]

Medical day is over... Angel paid his interview fee, picked up his results at 2:00, retook his pictures (which he'll pick up early tomorrow morning) and I think he's set to go for tomorrow. I talked to him for a while today- he said he's feeling stressed and nervous and his eye has been twitching all day. hahahaha. So... hopefully I will sleep tonight and come tomorrow I pray that I can post the happiest message of my life. I'm drinking a smirnoff... hoping that will calm me

[nm123 0]

Hey y'all,

So now I'm here to vent on my name-changing frustrations. My husband has 2 last names, which is probably what most of the men on here have, and when I went to the DMV today to change my name, they told me I had to keep my middle name and then take on his 2 last names; I can't simply be just my first name and his paternal last name.

I've already changed my name on my SSN card, my job, credit cards, and mortgage...

It's so frustrating! So instead of me having 4 names, I just walked out to think about what to do. Went to the county courts and got a name change packet, but that'll cost $143, plus $15 for fingerprints, plus $90 to get a new name published in the newspapers. So stupid... so I'm twiddling my thumbs instead trying to think of another plan. I don't really feel like calling all the places to reverse my name back to what it was, since that took 3 hrs to do. It's like, 3 hrs to do it all over again? Or keep going and just finish what I started?

Edited October 28, 2008 by nm123

[GueraKristina 1]

Wow, i never thought it was actually going to be a hassel to do something like that. I planned on taking alfredo's paternal last name and keeping my last name, i know people have done it in the past, all of my grandparents did it because they are puerto rican and its just cultural, duh, i probably would have been as fusterated as you. Did you ask why you cant take your husbands last name? treat them like they are stupid and explain teh whole situation to them. Tell them that he his hispanic, and that typically when a woman marries a hispanic male, she takes his paternal name, and keeps her last name. BUT REGARDLESS who are they to tell you you cant do it? if you have documents showing you did it, and your just trying to do it with the dmv, i would just bring your marriage license that shows you changed the names there, and other documents showing your legal name change and be like look, its legal to do it, ( my point is, who is the dmv to tell you that you cant do it, you already did it on your marriage license right? correct me if im wrong but we just go to the dmv to do licenses and ids, and changing of names on that stuff, why would they not let you do it, if ... YOU ALREADY DID IT????!!!! i would say just take the papers you have showing you already do it, and get ready to ###### some people out, but thats just what i would do in the moment of fusteration. good luck, and definately let me know how it goes, b/c chances are, it will probably happen to me too.

[YGandMAT 0]

Perhaps it is a little early to be thinking about it because alfredo has not even gone to his appt. in mexico yet, but i think it would be best to have some of the papers ready by the time he gets back from his appt. so that we are prepared and ready to file the AOS. I have some questions that i hope somebody can answer for me. The I-765, authorization of employment, can that be mailed with the I-485 (AOS)? And i am assuming that the $1,010 for the I-485 does not include the $340 for the I-765?

The I-485 asks for a copy of the foreign birth certificate but it says that any foreign documents have to be translated, does that mean the birth certificate? i dont think it does, but you guys telling me so will help reassure my nerves.

the I-485 also says something about police clearance, alfredo has never had any trouble with the police so does he need this?

Also im pretty sure i read in previous posts expressing some concerns/advising peopel to be careful with the marriage certificate, because you have to supply a copy of it for the AOS, but i guess it takes a while for them to return it to you once you are married or something? anybody who has already gone through the AOS, can you set me straight?

PLUS< on the Visa journey forms (which is where i was getting most of my info, there, and uscis site,) it mentions the I-131, which is the Application for travel Document, it lets you leave the U.S and then come back in, we dont need that right? its only if he wants to leave before the AOS is approved right? Because i thought that the AOS would allow alfredo to leave the country and come back if he needed to? Did i get something mixed up?

Anybody that can help me sort this stuff out would be a life saver. Im just trying to figure this stuff out so i dont have a panic attack when alfredo gets approved because im not prepared.

Advance Parole lets him travel outside of the US before his AOS is approved. If he leaves to Mexico and does not have advance parole or his green card, he cannot come back to the US. It is a good idea to have him have the AP, in case he has an emergency in Mexico and needs to go back.

The $1,010 includes the fees for AOS, EAD, and AP.

The EAD stamp allows you to get your employment authorization before even mailing out the AOS documents. Like someone posted before me, you can only get this in JFK airport...(You cannot get in any of the crossing points in Mexico). So if traveling to JFK is not too much hassle, it could be well worth it, as he can start working right away.

[nm123 0]

Wow, i never thought it was actually going to be a hassel to do something like that. I planned on taking alfredo's paternal last name and keeping my last name, i know people have done it in the past, all of my grandparents did it because they are puerto rican and its just cultural, duh, i probably would have been as fusterated as you. Did you ask why you cant take your husbands last name? treat them like they are stupid and explain teh whole situation to them. Tell them that he his hispanic, and that typically when a woman marries a hispanic male, she takes his paternal name, and keeps her last name. BUT REGARDLESS who are they to tell you you cant do it? if you have documents showing you did it, and your just trying to do it with the dmv, i would just bring your marriage license that shows you changed the names there, and other documents showing your legal name change and be like look, its legal to do it, ( my point is, who is the dmv to tell you that you cant do it, you already did it on your marriage license right? correct me if im wrong but we just go to the dmv to do licenses and ids, and changing of names on that stuff, why would they not let you do it, if ... YOU ALREADY DID IT????!!!! i would say just take the papers you have showing you already do it, and get ready to ###### some people out, but thats just what i would do in the moment of fusteration. good luck, and definately let me know how it goes, b/c chances are, it will probably happen to me too.

Well I thought it would be easy to explain to them that why HE has two last names, and they said that they understood. But on our marriage certificate it shows his full name and my full name. And then to make things more complicated, the county court said I should've signed BRIDE as the new name I wanted - which no one said. It's so stupid because if it was that easy, and it would've prevented the DMV situation, then they should make it a point to tell newlyweds that information so they don't go through this hassle. My next idea is to just go to another county. Oh and another thing that's frustrating is that, even though name change laws are determined by each state, each county seems to have different processes/prices. I called another county and they said it was only $107 (but I didn't ask about the fingerprints and newspapers part, but if the filing fee is different, then there are probably other things that are different too). Will let you know what happens...

[GueraKristina 1]

The EAD stamp at the JFK airport, do they do that automatically for all immigrants that come to the U.S or mexico? or will alfredo have to ask for that specifically?

[웃 910]

The EAD stamp at the JFK airport, do they do that automatically for all immigrants that come to the U.S or mexico? or will alfredo have to ask for that specifically?

They stamp it in without the person having to ask....But I recommend asking just to make sure.