Starting off my Adjustment of Status

[Erica & L 50]

Yeah, I was aware Canadians do not enter under the VWP. I was confused at first, because I didn't realize that we got an automatic 6 months visiting terms without having to apply for a Visa.

[matrix915 0]

Same sex couple here too. We got married in Maryland too last month and I did all the paperwork myself. Just got the receipt number yesterday. I could send you my cover sheet which includes everything in my package if you want but it is really not different from all the other cover sheet samples you can find online for heterosexual couples. VJ has a really good guide which was immensely helpful to me you should go check it up. Good luck!

Edited September 11, 2013 by matrix915

[Erica & L 50]

I wouldn't mind seeing your example (just because I'm trying to review as much as I can before the package!!) but I'm definitely going to check out the other ones listed on here as well, this website in general has relieved so much of my stress already, even before we start applying.

Thanks for replying!

[Derby dog 9]

Hey another couple here. Good luck with everything. We are sending ours tomorrow i hope. Should of been last week but after double checking again i realized i was missing a couple of things. The photos for my EAD and some of my wife's pay stubs etc. so that's probably the best advice lol check and then check again. Also if you're not sure if they need something, just send it anyways. I've found myself spending more time browsing these forums looking for advice than it would take to just put that extra piece of evidence in the package. I guess I'd rather send too much than not enough and get an RFE.

For the medical, CALL AROUND!! i called several on the USCIS list and had prices ranging from 650 to 150. That's ridiculous. I wouldn't stress too much about it. It seems scary but once you've done it youll wonder what all the fuss was about. They just ask about family history and take blood etc. my wife had to do one in Australia for our visa there and it was waaaay more intense.

Also, DOMA was turned over on June 26. If you came in on the 25 then you might need to convince them that you had no idea it was about to happen...

And the money situation, well it sux. We have been together 7 years and moved countries, selling all our belongings and starting over atleast 4 or 5 times now. Just in the last 3 months we've had to move to a different city, pay for a wedding, pay for international school fees and pay for all the immigration costs. All on 1 persons income. Now we are living with my wife's parents untill this is all sent in and we are more stable again. It's horrible. There were months that we lived on nothing but bread, pastas and whatever cheap bulk ####### we could buy and just stayed home playing video games or watching movies every night. We did whatever we could to save a little just to stay together over the years. Just don't get mad and fight over money!! You will be stressed but try not to take it out on each other.

[Erica & L 50]

Thank you for the support!!

It is super stressful, I just have to keep reminding myself the stress is only temporary and everything will work out.

As for the DOMA act, I went back and found out it was June 26th it got passed, but we have a terrible flight (12 hour lay overs, cancellations, etc) from Vancouver to Alabama that once we finally got here (also we didn't receive our luggage for 3 days!!) we just tried to adjust and sort out stuff, so I really didn't even hear about the change in the DOMA act until a couple weeks later.

We booked our flight like, two months in advance with no notion of DOMA as well, so I don't know how we would prove that other than verbally convincing the immigration people? Can airports/flight centers provide old flight history information at all? To prove we booked the flights way before we new anything about the change in the federal law.

Thanks!!

[britishdakota 18]

Thank you for the support!!

It is super stressful, I just have to keep reminding myself the stress is only temporary and everything will work out.

As for the DOMA act, I went back and found out it was June 26th it got passed, but we have a terrible flight (12 hour lay overs, cancellations, etc) from Vancouver to Alabama that once we finally got here (also we didn't receive our luggage for 3 days!!) we just tried to adjust and sort out stuff, so I really didn't even hear about the change in the DOMA act until a couple weeks later.

We booked our flight like, two months in advance with no notion of DOMA as well, so I don't know how we would prove that other than verbally convincing the immigration people? Can airports/flight centers provide old flight history information at all? To prove we booked the flights way before we new anything about the change in the federal law.

Thanks!!

When you enter the US from a Canadian airport you go through pre-clearance so it would be your intent at that time. If that was on the 25th and the ruling was handed down on the 26th I don't see how you could have had intent to adjust status.

The other thing is that it is for USCIS to prove intent at the time of entry, it seems plausible that you got married on a whim following the weeks of news articles about same-sex marriage being legalized.

Any evidence that you had intended to return would be useful, work expected you back etc.

On another note, if your finances are tight you should look into the income requirements and possibly a co-sponsor.