Need help???

[lost_at_sea 995]

Thank you! On the I-130 it says "Has your relative ever been in the US?" Do they mean my husband ever being IN the country? Like Visiting...? If so then yes... or do they mean something else?

Yeah, like visiting or working or whatever he was doing, IN the US.

Tick the "Yes" on Q13, then the next bits in Q14 are N/A since that's for folks who are currently *in* the US and staying put there while the I-130 is being processed.

Edited July 12, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[TomandCatie 7]

Thank you so much! I know I'm probably being a GIANT pain in the behind! I'm looking at the checklist and It doesn't mention HIS birthcertificate, passport or info. Just USA stuff of that nature. Doesn't he need to submit his as well? If it wasn't for this site and you I'd probably throw papers up in the air because of my stupidity.

[TomandCatie 7]

It also says I must be a resident of the UK for a minimum of six months. I've been here since last July so it's been a year now, but the spousal visa was granted in Feb (I applied in October)... Do they mean six months from coming INTO the UK and living or being a RESIDENT as an official spousal visa holder??

[lost_at_sea 995]

Thank you so much! I know I'm probably being a GIANT pain in the behind! I'm looking at the checklist and It doesn't mention HIS birthcertificate, passport or info. Just USA stuff of that nature. Doesn't he need to submit his as well? If it wasn't for this site and you I'd probably throw papers up in the air because of my stupidity.

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/unitedkingdom/164203/dhs/i130-checklist_for_spouse.pdf

The USC needs to show their citizenship (done by copying their passport biographic page, or with a birth cert) AND their legal residency in the UK (to show they qualify for DCF).

Then the USC needs to show they're legally married to the beneficiary (that's the marriage cert) and that they were legally allowed to marry you (that's the divorce decree, and here you'll need one for both if both parties were married previously).

All the UK person's info is captured in their copy G-325A (you complete one for each of you), but it doesn't require any supporting documentation other than the US-sized passport photo they want to you staple to it.

Tick off the checklist as you put your package together in the right order, then you'll know you've got the lot. If it's not mentioned on the list, it doesn't need to go in.

The non-USC will show all their info when they do the next part - actually applying for the visa after the I-130 is approved. That's when the UK person gets to show *their* birth certificate, passport info, etc. etc. because then it's actually the Brit doing the application. It sort of turns around, and you don't need the USC passport/birth cert anymore. It's a game of two halves.

[lost_at_sea 995]

It also says I must be a resident of the UK for a minimum of six months. I've been here since last July so it's been a year now, but the spousal visa was granted in Feb (I applied in October)... Do they mean six months from coming INTO the UK and living or being a RESIDENT as an official spousal visa holder??

It's done from your entry stamp (see how it asks for a photocopy of the page with your UK Entry Clearance Stamp - that's the date they'll be counting the 6 months from).

What status were you in before your spousal visa came through? On the fiancé visa?

[TomandCatie 7]

I have a UK ENTRY CLEARANCE STAMP for my fiancee visa on May 27th of 2012... valid until Nov of that year. (When I had to get married by)

I also have a biometric residence permit from the spousal visa, but that shows Feb, 2013 when my spousal was granted. They would go by the Entry clearance no?

[lost_at_sea 995]

I just re-read your original post. Yes, you were fiancé visa.

So yeah. We were across two visas too, so we just sent both, so what I would do if I were you is send this to prove your UK residency - send three sheets of paper. 1. Photocopy of your bio/photo page 2. Photocopy of your fiancé visa (should have an entry stamp on it from May last year) and 3. Photocopy of your spouse visa to show you're still here legally.

They're not stupid - they'll be able to see from those 3 sheets what you did and that you entered the UK in May last year on a UK fiancé visa, got married, got your spouse visa and have been here the whole time, totally legitimately.

[TomandCatie 7]

Cool ok! However, it's not a spouse visa (like a stamp thing)... it's a card, like a drivers license.

[lost_at_sea 995]

Cool ok! However, it's not a spouse visa (like a stamp thing)... it's a card, like a drivers license.

Huh. Cool. I've never seen one. I guess send a scan of that, then. If it has any supporting paperwork, a copy of that might be useful, but as I say... I've never seen one!

[TomandCatie 7]

My family over in the USA wants to help pay for the initial payment. Can I put down their credit card number, scan, have them sign and they scan it back to me? Or does it have to be from US?

[lost_at_sea 995]

My family over in the USA wants to help pay for the initial payment. Can I put down their credit card number, scan, have them sign and they scan it back to me? Or does it have to be from US?

Did you mean UK?

Yes, of course you can use a US credit card (we did)!

I'm a bit less sure about the signature though - they might want a "wet" signature.

To be honest, London isn't known to be all that fussy. I think it would probably be OK. Worst case, they receive it, don't like the look of the scan, and send it back to you.

Or, if you want to be sure sure, you could get your family to mail you back the completed form.

ORRRR... final thought. You could email USCIS in London and just ask them if a scanned version is okay. They usually reply within 1 business day.

USCIS.London@uscis.dhs.gov

Edited July 12, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[TomandCatie 7]

Thanks! I emailed them. I'm hoping to have this all sent off by Monday. I hope your interview goes well (looking at your timeline signature)

I might do one as well if we get past the first bit (fingers crossed). Again, thank you for all of your help. It's SO SO SO appreciated. You have NO idea

[lost_at_sea 995]

Thanks! I emailed them. I'm hoping to have this all sent off by Monday. I hope your interview goes well (looking at your timeline signature)

I might do one as well if we get past the first bit (fingers crossed). Again, thank you for all of your help. It's SO SO SO appreciated. You have NO idea

It's fine. It's cool.

You, like most people, actually have the right idea.

But being able to just see if someone else thinks your ideas are good too is helpful and clarifying, in my experience.

And thank you. Can't wait for it to come and be done with... I'm stressing about it almost constantly (hence my lurking about on here, distracting myself with other people's visa journeys).

P.S. Do let us know if you get a reply. The answer might be valuable to someone else in the future.

Edited July 12, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[TomandCatie 7]

Yeah, definitely let us all know if you got it or not! I'm sure you will though! In my experience of obtaining the spousal visa for the UK, stress does NOT help anything LOL I stressed EVERY day about it.

[lost_at_sea 995]

Yeah, definitely let us all know if you got it or not! I'm sure you will though! In my experience of obtaining the spousal visa for the UK, stress does NOT help anything LOL I stressed EVERY day about it.

Oh, of course. It's no fun if people don't come back and let you know the result. What a cliff hanger...

Besides, as we were discussing on the other thread. This is just part one of a long adventure in US immigration to Naturalisation (assuming we don't just come back to the UK after a year when I hate not being in London)! I'm probably stuck on this forum for a few more years, yet.

Yeah, I know stress doesn't help... I'll probably be laughing at how much I worried about it by Tuesday afternoon.

Anyway. Have a good weekend. Don't worry too much about your file for now - I don't know that the USCIS bit of the embassy replies to emails over the weekend (I hope they do, but eh... it's a gov office), so best just enjoy the sun til they get back to you hopefully on Monday morning.