DCF'ing in Spain

[RBSoul 0]

Hi, I'm planning on flying to Spain and DCF in Madrid with my wife after chirstmas. I'm just trying to verify all that is needed. I'm basically trying to file i-130 and Packet-3 all at once. I called the embassy and the consular said if I can get it all bring it.

I-130:

* Payment - visa, check or money order for the required fee. $190

* I-130 Petition for Immediate Relative

* G-325A Biographic Information -- U.S. Citizen

* A copy of U.S. birth certificate

* A photo of yourself (see note) with your name printed on the back of the photo.

* G-325A Biographic Information -- Spouse

* A photo of your spouse (see note) with the spouse's name printed on the back of the photo.

* A certified copy of your marriage certificate.

Does my copy of my birth certificate needs to be notarized or certified?

Does my marriage translation needs to be notarized? I ask because I never caught until I was out the country, but when I got it translated, the retard at the legal office never signed it and never notorized it. I saw that it was translated and took him like a week to do it which was ruining my plans. This was at the military base in Spain. So when I got back to military base in Italy, informed me that it wasn't a legal document. So the Spain legal office faxed over the signed/notorized to the Italian legal office. And thats what I got now, which looks like a copy but technically isn't. Would need to get it redone?

Am I going to need a copy of the original marriage license and translation? Or just the translation? Our license is a family book and not sure what pages we need to copy.

Packet-3:

Form DS-230 Part 1

DS156

DS156K

DS230 Part I

DS230 Part II

DS157

I-134/I-864

Medical Information Sheet

And that's it to get to the point of entry? Hopefully I'm not missing anything.

Also when we're going to file in January its going to be in the 90 day window of our second anniversary. Is there anything else we should file?

I basically got all the paper prepared minus the --864 and medical. Trying to make this only 2 trips to the embassy. Any guidance in much appreciated.

Hasani

[meauxna 15]

hola Hasani,

I don't trust my memory to tell you if that is everything you'll need, but I found a couple of threads that might be useful:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...topic=3445&

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...opic=17490&

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...pic=460&hl=

As far as your 2nd wedding anniversary, this is how it will affect you:

If you are married less than 2 years when the visa is issued, the visa will be class CR-1.

If married +2 years when the visa is issued, the class is IR-1.

If you are married less than 2 years when the immigrant enters the US for the first time with that visa, the status class will be CR-1. You will be required to file I-751 2 years after *entry*.

If you are married +2 years AT ENTRY, the status class *should* be IR, however, if the visa is CR, make sure you carry proof of the wedding date and call it to the offier's attention to s/he should change the status class.

IRs do not need to file I-751.

edit to be super obvious: it is OK to have a visa in one class, but upgrade the status at entry to another class.

Edited December 3, 2006 by meauxna

[RBSoul 0]

Thank you meauxna. I actually read 2 of 3 links before. It did shed some light after reading it again. Is the packet-3 will be needing marriage license again or will a copy suffice? I will be turning in the original with the i-130 unless I need to get to.

For Spain DCF'ers: What pages of the Family Book needs to copied and submitted with the translations?

Wife passport, all pages needs to be copied, correct?

I'm just trying to be thorough as it took me multiple trips to Spain from Italy to get our wedding papers in order. I blame that to the Spanish lawyer on the base for not properly informing me of certain requirements (like in Spain, birth certificates expire 3 months after date of issue, #######??) and for totally screwing up my paper work multiple times.

[meauxna 15]

Thank you meauxna. I actually read 2 of 3 links before. It did shed some light after reading it again. Is the packet-3 will be needing marriage license again or will a copy suffice? I will be turning in the original with the i-130 unless I need to get to.

For Spain DCF'ers: What pages of the Family Book needs to copied and submitted with the translations?

Wife passport, all pages needs to be copied, correct?

I'm just trying to be thorough as it took me multiple trips to Spain from Italy to get our wedding papers in order. I blame that to the Spanish lawyer on the base for not properly informing me of certain requirements (like in Spain, birth certificates expire 3 months after date of issue, #######??) and for totally screwing up my paper work multiple times.

Aww, sorry about the bureaucracy--in Europe it can be quite a drag if you're in a hurry.

I suggest that you retain ALL originals---submit only copies of evidence (forms must be originals) and show the evidence originals at the interview. You never know when you'll need that last remaining original of your marriage license.. I had a laugh imagining going back to our little Greek island and trying to get a photocopy out of the family book there....