AOS Question

[CourMad 11]

Hi everyone!

first of all I would like to introduce myself, my name is Ahmad and I am a computer Engineer working in Germany. My Wife who is a US Citizen, is a student. she is also living with me in Germany, she does not work as she is a student.

we filed our I-130 in Aug/2014 and received a number from USCIS EAC149....

on the website, it is saying initial review. when we filed the I-130 we provided Health Insurance cards, showing that she is my wife, same insurance number, emails from landlords stating that we are married, as my wife has anxiety, we did not have a wedding, rather we had a family party, and we sent the photos along, also pictures for us in different places, like Dubai, Germany, Jordan etc. we have been married for 2 years.

the question is, will the evidence be enough? we also submitted pictures with family, chat logs, emails, etc.

another questions regarding the AOS, since my wife does not work, does a credible work offer for me in the states work as a help? also a friend of mine, american citizen, offered to file as joint AOS, also we have a bank account in Germany with both our names on it that has a good amount of money for a couple who are 25 year old(me) and 21 year old(her). would that also help? her mom and dad cannot file as Joint AOS as they don't have enough money.

what else would help?

she is from Ohio, Cleveland, which processing center will we be assigned to?

Thanks a lot!!

Best regards

[Thomas&Cleofe 358]

I believe you have a couple problems that need addressed......Your SO filed an I-130 petition, however the United States government does not recognize a "party" as uniting a man and a woman as husband and wife

Secondly your " wife" needs to prove she has US domicile.....

[kzielu 1,154]

She already has been assigned to Vermont (EAC in the receipt number). Your work offer is not relevant, need a (co)sponsor with _current_ income meeting 125% of poverty limits.

Your evidence will most likely be more than enough.

[CourMad 11]

I believe you have a couple problems that need addressed......Your SO filed an I-130 petition, however the United States government does not recognize a "party" as uniting a man and a woman as husband and wife

Secondly your " wife" needs to prove she has US domicile.....

she has anxiety, meaning she cannot have a lot of people looking at her, she would start crying. we had a family party, many people do not have weddings.

we have a marriage contract, she's been living with me since almost 2 years in Germany, we have a joint bank account, joint insurance number, joint tax filing in Germany, etc.

the question is if a friend of mine, who is an american citizen can do this co sponsor?

someone told me that a credible job offer from a credible company can be accepted to show that you wont be a public charge.

regarding having a US domicile, her whole family is residing in the states she visits this regularly, she is out of the US just because she is residing with me

and yes she is my wife! a wedding is not a prerequisite for a couple to be announced married!

[kzielu 1,154]

Anybody that is US citizen or permanent resident can be a sponsor, doesn't have to be family or anybody related to you. Job offer can help establish domicile but it's not a proof that you have this job or are making any money.

Fact that your wife's family is in US has little to do with her own domicile either. You need to start watching language - saying that she is visiting clearly indicated she has no domicile in US at all, otherwise she would be living there, not visiting. What you need to look for (on this site of example) is a proof of an "intent to re-establish domicile".

[Thomas&Cleofe 358]

she has anxiety, meaning she cannot have a lot of people looking at her, she would start crying. we had a family party, many people do not have weddings.

we have a marriage contract, she's been living with me since almost 2 years in Germany, we have a joint bank account, joint insurance number, joint tax filing in Germany, etc.

the question is if a friend of mine, who is an american citizen can do this co sponsor?

someone told me that a credible job offer from a credible company can be accepted to show that you wont be a public charge.

regarding having a US domicile, her whole family is residing in the states she visits this regularly, she is out of the US just because she is residing with me

and yes she is my wife! a wedding is not a prerequisite for a couple to be announced married!

Whoa....calm down. You stated that you did not have a wedding. If you have a marriage contract, then you had a wedding.

And your wife's family is not petitioning you....your wife must have US domicile.....she is the US citizen petitioning you.

[Cathi 5,795]

I believe you have a couple problems that need addressed......Your SO filed an I-130 petition, however the United States government does not recognize a "party" as uniting a man and a woman as husband and wife

Secondly your " wife" needs to prove she has US domicile.....

it is tradition is Jordan and much of the middle east to have a wedding party, it is the same thing as a reception, it can be a small get together with family and friends at home or a lavish hotel reception and anything in between. Before telling someone this is not sufficient evidence and the US government doesn;t accept a wedding party, know your facts. My husband and I were married in Jordan and we had a wedding party, We had ZERO problem getting his visa. I am sure they had a marriage in a court or by an imam before the party and signed a marriage contract. Customs and procedures are different in other countries and you need to know and understand them before making sweeping assumptions. Good lord why is there always one in the bunch?

And why are you putting party and wife in "quotes" as though they aren;t married? He never said they weren't married legally, now did he? SMH

And don;t tell the OP to relax, you are the one jumping to conclusions and jumping all over his SH%$. Get a grip

Edited September 9, 2014 by mimolicious

[Cathi 5,795]

she has anxiety, meaning she cannot have a lot of people looking at her, she would start crying. we had a family party, many people do not have weddings.

we have a marriage contract, she's been living with me since almost 2 years in Germany, we have a joint bank account, joint insurance number, joint tax filing in Germany, etc.

the question is if a friend of mine, who is an american citizen can do this co sponsor?

someone told me that a credible job offer from a credible company can be accepted to show that you wont be a public charge.

regarding having a US domicile, her whole family is residing in the states she visits this regularly, she is out of the US just because she is residing with me

and yes she is my wife! a wedding is not a prerequisite for a couple to be announced married!

your wife needs to have a physical address or prove that she will have one before your visa is issued. Her family has nothing to do with this, and visiting doesn't count. If your English or understanding of it isn;t very good ask you wife to come here and I will be happy to explain it all to her.

[Hollyday 122]

I think the root of misunderstanding here is in the definition: the US looks for an official marriage paper (marriage certificate, probably known as contract in Germany, i wouldn't know). I don't think they'd really care a lot about the reception afterwards per se. But there needs to be a confirmation of an official marriage procedure conducted by local authorities. Many people don't even have a wedding reception / party. I had a tiny little one with just 9 guests.

Of course pics from reception would be considered evidence but it's not the main evidence, it's only additional one. Joint bank accounts, joint lease, medical insurance etc. have much more weight as they show comingling of finances.

But yes, she would need to prove US domicile since she lives abroad now, as the posters above have said.

[CourMad 11]

it is tradition is Jordan and much of the middle east to have a wedding party, it is the same thing as a reception, it can be a small get together with family and friends at home or a lavish hotel reception and anything in between. Before telling someone this is not sufficient evidence and the US government doesn;t accept a wedding party, know your facts. My husband and I were married in Jordan and we had a wedding party, We had ZERO problem getting his visa. I am sure they had a marriage in a court or by an imam before the party and signed a marriage contract. Customs and procedures are different in other countries and you need to know and understand them before making sweeping assumptions. Good lord why is there always one in the bunch?

And why are you putting party and wife in "quotes" as though they aren;t married? He never said they weren't married legally, now did he? SMH

And don;t tell the OP to relax, you are the one jumping to conclusions and jumping all over his SH%$. Get a grip

Thank you! that is exactly what I mean, people jump to conclusions and make assumptions thinking they know everything.

and what made me mad that he started putting wife and married into quotes lol.

[CourMad 11]

I think the root of misunderstanding here is in the definition: the US looks for an official marriage paper (marriage certificate, probably known as contract in Germany, i wouldn't know). I don't think they'd really care a lot about the reception afterwards per se. But there needs to be a confirmation of an official marriage procedure conducted by local authorities. Many people don't even have a wedding reception / party. I had a tiny little one with just 9 guests.

Of course pics from reception would be considered evidence but it's not the main evidence, it's only additional one. Joint bank accounts, joint lease, medical insurance etc. have much more weight as they show comingling of finances.

But yes, she would need to prove US domicile since she lives abroad now, as the posters above have said.

how would we prove US domicile? that is really frustrating the main reason we are going to the states is because she does not like Germany as much as the US, she wants to complete her studies there as well.

what are the means of proving US domicile?

[CourMad 11]

your wife needs to have a physical address or prove that she will have one before your visa is issued. Her family has nothing to do with this, and visiting doesn't count. If your English or understanding of it isn;t very good ask you wife to come here and I will be happy to explain it all to her.

thank you so much! my English and understanding are pretty good (Thank God)

we put her family physical address on the I-130, because she lives there, and the we put in bold that she is living in Germany but she keeps on holing her address in the states.

we are planning to buy a small house there, and we actually have some communications with some real estate agents, hopefully we will get one very soon I think this would be also a prove that we intend to live in the states for real.

[MacUK 983]

Thank you! that is exactly what I mean, people jump to conclusions and make assumptions thinking they know everything.

and what made me mad that he started putting wife and married into quotes lol.

It could be a problem in translation, you said that you did not have a wedding. In English that can be implied as you are not married.

You have had a wedding, maybe not a lavish one but a wedding nonetheless.

[CourMad 11]

It could be a problem in translation, you said that you did not have a wedding. In English that can be implied as you are not married.

You have had a wedding, maybe not a lavish one but a wedding nonetheless.

"as my wife has anxiety, we did not have a wedding, rather we had a family party"

as for my understanding, a wedding != to marriage. you can be married without a wedding as long as you go to the court and get it done legally with the approval of the American Embassy in Jordan.

[mofatsd 127]

how would we prove US domicile? that is really frustrating the main reason we are going to the states is because she does not like Germany as much as the US, she wants to complete her studies there as well.

what are the means of proving US domicile?

After reading Saylin's fantastic wiki page (over and over again) You'll need a letter that explains how your spouse has maintained a U.S. domicile. Pulled directly from the wiki page (which you can find HERE):

*remember it lists MANY possible documents - so not all are necessary

Domicile

Please note, if the petitioner lives with the beneficiary abroad, you'll need to provide proof of US domicile with the AOS package, as well as bring it with you to the interview. Please read the I-864 instructions (pages 3 and 4) for information about it. This is NOT needed if the petitioner is living in the US. Here is a sample cover letter to include in the package (it lists MANY possible documents, some may not be applicable, of course, to prove that you have, or will re-establish, domicile in the US):

NAME

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

Form I-864

Part 4, Question 5: Country of Domicile

I, XXXX, am currently residing in FOREIGN COUNTRY with my spouse, SPOUSE'S NAME. Below you will find a list of attached documents to show that my principle residence is in the US and the steps that I have taken to return to the US with my family.

Steps I have taken to maintain US Domicile:

• Maintained my XXXX voter registration

• Maintained my XXXX credit card registered in the US with a US PO box

• Maintained my bank account at the XXXX Credit Union

• Maintained my bank account at XXXX Bank

• Maintained my XXXX drivers license

• Maintained my US retirement fund through XXXX

• Maintained my US investment account with XXXX

• Maintained my US PO box

• Maintained licensure by the XXXX

• Maintained membership in the XXXX

• Maintained my automobile in care of my parents

Supporting Documents for the above steps I have taken:

• Voter registration card showing permanent US address

• XXXX credit card statement showing US billing address

• XXXX Credit Union statement showing permanent US address

• XXXX Bank statement showing permanent US address

• XXXX drivers license showing permanent US address

• Retirement fund statement showing permanent US address

• Mutual fund statement showing permanent US address

• XXXX license currently up to date

• Renewal of XXXX membership

• County tax bill showing I still own a vehicle

Steps I have taken to return to the US to take up residence:

• Made arrangements for us to have a house to live in

• Contacted schools for requirements of things to bring to register my children in school

• Contacted my auto insurance company to find out about re-instating my insurance on my car

• Contacted shipping company for estimate of costs to ship belongings

Supporting documents for the above steps I have taken:

• Lease agreement for our house

• Email from schools regarding registration requirements

• Email from my former auto insurance company regarding my inquiry

• Email from XXXX with estimate and correspondence regarding shipping our belongings

I declare that I intend in good faith to re-establish my domicile in the United States no later than the date of spouse's admission into the US.

I certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the statements in this letter and all accompanying evidence are true and correct.

Signature: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________