France/America couples

[lili&kai 0]

mmm but u see I've been travelling back and forth many times lately so it's like I'm already transitioning. I already have most of my stuff here, I'm learning the city and so on. Concerning the wedding the one with our families and friends is going to be later next year, in France. For now we're just gonna go to the courthouse asap...

Also I had to stop working in August (cause I wasn't in France and my type of contrat was so that I couldn't extend it and then stop whenever I had the visa. Plus we were expected the visa way earlier) so now I'm bored I need to work...

I guess I could volonteer too..

I don' know

lili

hello!

I've got my interview day ! December 18th

now I need to fly back to Paris (yeah I'm still in Virginia enjoying cold and sunny winter ).

so I'm wondering : shall I fly through JFK? I need to decide now cause I'm taking my round trip from here. It would cost us an extra 300 dollars but If it means I can start working a few day after I get here (time to get SSN) it is worth it...

any of you did this?

Lili (and Kai)

Congrats on the interview date! That is pretty quick.

If I were you, I don't think I would do it. The work authorization is for three months only. Your first goal is going to prepare your wedding and get settled down. A month might have passed by, by then. The economy sucks so if you want to work just for money, you will most likely get minimum wage.

Let's say you make $7.5 an hour and get (lucky!) 40 hours a week. You are looking at $1200 a month, after taxes you might come to $900. So with the two months left on your work authorization, you have officially made $1500 ($1800-$300)!!

It seems a whole lot of nothing for a whole lot of effort.

But no, I haven't done it.

You are only getting married once, enjoy it!

[Lili 3]

mmm but u see I've been travelling back and forth many times lately so it's like I'm already transitioning. I already have most of my stuff here, I'm learning the city and so on. Concerning the wedding the one with our families and friends is going to be later next year, in France. For now we're just gonna go to the courthouse asap...

Also I had to stop working in August (cause I wasn't in France and my type of contrat was so that I couldn't extend it and then stop whenever I had the visa. Plus we were expected the visa way earlier) so now I'm bored I need to work...

I guess I could volonteer too..

I don' know

lili

Then go for it! You already know the answer. From what I read on the forum, you just need to ask for the stamp when you go through the customs at JFK. It is only valid for 90 days from the date on your I-94.

Lucky you! You are getting a wedding in France. Be careful that it isn't an official one as the French government will consider that as being married twice to the same man and one of the marriage would have to be officially annulled. A lady at the French consulate told me that. Do you have a date planned for your courthouse wedding?

[lucie&damon 0]

Yeaaa.. I don't understand why JFK gives the EAD stamp and not the other airports... Does anybody knows why?

It's such a weird thing to do... Does it work with any kind of visa? even B1/B2?!

[lucie&damon 0]

Lucky you! You are getting a wedding in France. Be careful that it isn't an official one as the French government will consider that as being married twice to the same man and one of the marriage would have to be officially annulled. A lady at the French consulate told me that. Do you have a date planned for your courthouse wedding?

Are ou sure? What if you get married in a church and you don't sign anything, except that you got married in that church? It isn't an official governement paper that you sign. At the "mairie" I can understand why it's not possible...but a church?

[Lili 3]

Lucky you! You are getting a wedding in France. Be careful that it isn't an official one as the French government will consider that as being married twice to the same man and one of the marriage would have to be officially annulled. A lady at the French consulate told me that. Do you have a date planned for your courthouse wedding?

Are ou sure? What if you get married in a church and you don't sign anything, except that you got married in that church? It isn't an official governement paper that you sign. At the "mairie" I can understand why it's not possible...but a church?

As long as it isn't official, you are good to go.

[lili&kai 0]

yep I think at the church you can.

we're gonna do the courthouse wedding in the US on January, and then a party in France next Novembre with our families and friends. But they will be no official ceremony in France since the mariage will have already been reckognised by the France autorities (consulate in DC).

by the way I'm flying through Dulles (DC airport). Too much trouble and $ to fly to NY/JFK and we're not sure it would be worth it..

well, I keep u posted on how the interview goes.

j'espère que pour vous les choses avancent aussi!

Lili (and Kai)

[Cécy 44]

@lucie&damon: No it's only for Fiance or Spouse visa. You are not allowed to work in the US under a B2 visa anyway.

@lili&kai: Since the marriage recognized in France is the one at the Mairie, you are fine with having a Church wedding. After all most French people who wish to have a religious ceremony have to go the mairie first before they can do it in the Church anyway. It's more a ceremony than a "wedding" I would think.

Flying through JFK just for the work stamp isn't that worth it. For the simple reason that you have to prove that you can work in the US to any employee and they might not be interested to hire you for only 3 months. Plus once the first 3 month period expires, you cannot work until your receive your EAD which can leave you with a few weeks of nothing in between.

Volunteering is a good idea (good to make contacts too), getting as much done as you can as far as paperwork is a good thing too.

And you can get started on the job search as well.

Edited December 8, 2008 by Cécy

[lucie&damon 0]

@lucie&damon: No it's only for Fiance or Spouse visa. You are not allowed to work in the US under a B2 visa anyway.

yes, that's what I thought, but then it's weird that they allow K1 visa to work for 90days then. K1 is a non immigrant visa, like a B2...K3 I can understand why. It's an immigrant visa. Isn't it?

[Cécy 44]

@lucie&damon: No it's only for Fiance or Spouse visa. You are not allowed to work in the US under a B2 visa anyway.

yes, that's what I thought, but then it's weird that they allow K1 visa to work for 90days then. K1 is a non immigrant visa, like a B2...K3 I can understand why. It's an immigrant visa. Isn't it?

The one reason they do that "have the K1 be legal to work" is because it's a technical way that allows you to get your SS# more easily.

You can not obtain a Social Security number in the US with a B2 visa.

K3 and K1 are both non immigrant if my memory is correct.

I think it's the IR-1/CR-1 that is considered an immigrant one.

Edited for a typo.

Edited December 9, 2008 by Cécy

[Lili 3]

Cecy!!!! I haven't seen you on those boards in ages! How is life without USCIS?

[Cécy 44]

Cecy!!!! I haven't seen you on those boards in ages! How is life without USCIS?

Bliss!!!

I love not having to worry about papers and being able to enjoy life for what it is. So much less stress.

We just had our big family wedding ceremony. My parents, brother, two cousins, one grandmother and one aunt flew from France to be with us. It was really great, we had an awesome time.

Now we're trying to figure things out for a honeymoon... While I'm dreaming of buying a house. Just a lot of non-immigration related things

[Joy&Josh 0]

Hi everybody!

I had my interview today at the Paris embassy. Everything went fine and I will receive my visa within a week.

The only problem I had was that the address on the appointment letter was wrong. The consulate 2 rue St Florentin is closed for repairs and they moved it to Avenue Gabriel, next to the embassy.

After the security check, I got a number from the electronic kiosk and started waiting. They called me a first time just to take my appointment letter. I went back to my seat and waited 45 minutes before being called again. A French embassy worker asked me all my documents and congratulated me on how well I filled my forms (I used the examples forms from VisaJourney!). She asked me if I filled the DS-157, which is supposed to be only for men or citizens of some countries. I didn't, but I had the form with me and offered to fill it in front of her but she said it was not necessary. She was pleasant with me and even joked about the cold weather in Wisconsin. She took my fingerprints and then told me to wait for the American consul to call me.

30 minutes later, the consul called me and made me sign the oath and the DS-156K. The only questions she asked me were how I met my fiancé, when I wanted to enter the US and when will the wedding take place. She was very nice and congratulated me. She said that I will receive my passport with my visa within a week, and she wished me a good day.

If you have any questions about the interview, I'd be happy to answer them!

Good luck to all of you

Joy

[lucie&damon 0]

Congratulation Joy and Josh!!!

When are you going to fly to the US?

It's weird that they gave you the wrong adress. In all the papers I had from them, the new adress was on it... I guess one of the old paper got mixed with the new ones and the person didn't notice...

This paper 156K is so weird... Why are they asking everytime to see it when obviously you're a girl?!

[lili&kai 0]

youhou congrat Joy!!

I also have the rue st florentin address on the letter they sent..

they could update these letters anyways.. it seems like it was printed back in the 80'..

I also had the handwritten message saying "+98euros mandat cash si payé avant le 1er décember ou 107 après le 1er décembre". And I received the letter on the 2nd..

but well.. as long as they stamp my passport

Lili

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

I am craving CARAMBARS! Any chance I can find that somewhere in the USA?

I found a few websites where they sell some but with the shipping costs, it would probably cost less if my parents bought some for me and sent them here. Although I am not sure how much it would cost to them.

I WANT SOME CARAMBARS!

And congrats on the interview, Joy