All Japan Filers

[chicalifornia 0]

Hello. I did not visit here for a while, but how are you, Japan-filers? (Or anybody who has some relations with Japan.) I received RFE in October due to the incomplete I-864, but now received EAD, so I am happy that I can start on driver's license in CA and to look for a job, yay!!

Please be careful when you have more than 2 sponsors for I-864. It is very complicated, but all I can say is all the petitioners have to file I-864, and the paperwork may change for another sponsor depending on the fact if he or she has been living with you.

I just wanted to let you know that even though RFE can be stressful and may cause a lot of arguments, there will be a light at the end of tunnel, so cheer up, sire!! I did not expect to receive EAD so fast, so I am crossing my finger that the upcoming process for approved I-485 won't be too painful...

I am not sure if this is a proper place to do this, but I decided to have 2 blogs and I may be able to talk about this "visajourney" in more detail unless anybody gives me a hard time about it. so please check them out. If I find out this is not proper or get too many spam messages or angry haters, I am gonna delete this section.

If you would like to read my blog in English....

http://chicalifornia.wordpress.com

If you would like to read my blog in Japanese...

http://phoebe1680.jugem.jp

As I said earlier, cheer up even though your visa journey can be painful, and Happy New Year!!

Hello and welcome aboard!

Thank you!! Sorry to hear the AOS fee has increased. All the fee and process have been too much!!

Edited January 3, 2011 by chicalifornia

[suvro 0]

Hi, I am suvro and this is my first post in visajourney.

My visa preference category is F4. Priority date January 2001. Consulate - Tokyo US embassy. Case completed in NVC on 29th November,2010. However, still have not received any interview letter from NVC.

As my petition filed in USA, NVC will schedule my interview date. Last week I called NVC and the operator replied me that he have no information about my interview date and suggested me to wait few more days to get the interview date.

Do you have any idea, how long usually it takes to get a interview date in Tokyo US embassy? Thanks in advance for any of your suggestions or comments.

[MochiKamo 93]

Hello. I did not visit here for a while, but how are you, Japan-filers? (Or anybody who has some relations with Japan.) I received RFE in October due to the incomplete I-864, but now received EAD, so I am happy that I can start on driver's license in CA and to look for a job, yay!!

Please be careful when you have more than 2 sponsors for I-864. It is very complicated, but all I can say is all the petitioners have to file I-864, and the paperwork may change for another sponsor depending on the fact if he or she has been living with you.

I just wanted to let you know that even though RFE can be stressful and may cause a lot of arguments, there will be a light at the end of tunnel, so cheer up, sire!! I did not expect to receive EAD so fast, so I am crossing my finger that the upcoming process for approved I-485 won't be too painful...

I am not sure if this is a proper place to do this, but I decided to have 2 blogs and I may be able to talk about this "visajourney" in more detail unless anybody gives me a hard time about it. so please check them out. If I find out this is not proper or get too many spam messages or angry haters, I am gonna delete this section.

If you would like to read my blog in English....

http://chicalifornia.wordpress.com

If you would like to read my blog in Japanese...

http://phoebe1680.jugem.jp

As I said earlier, cheer up even though your visa journey can be painful, and Happy New Year!!

Thanks for your blog chica. I will definitely follow it to gain insight in the process.

May I ask, what were some of the things that were unexpected for you coming from Tokyo to California. My fiancee will be doing the same move and I'd like to prepare for it.

Edited January 18, 2011 by Yagisama

[chicalifornia 0]

Dear suvro-san

I am afraid I don't know much about your situation. I filed k1 visa back in American embassy in Tokyo, and I remember I had to book an interview there at American embassy website. However, I have a feeling that all the procedures are different based on visa type. Good luck!!

Dear Yagisama

Thanks for checking out my blog. I apologize I haven't written anything there yet. I don't have a good Internet access right now, and hard for me to communicate in Japanese as my computer is really old. (typing from the phone now) However, I believe that I can be more active in near future, so please be patient and visit there again!!

Something unexpected in terms of moving to California from japan... Ummm... I used to live in US (not CA) so I did not have much of "culture shock", but if it is your fiancee's first time moving here, she might have some. I had a little bit, too. I still think this way often, but everything is freakishly ginormous here. 

And you probably have noticed this already, but DMV here in cal state SUCKS!! I have always thought DMV is not exactly like go-carts in Disneyland, but the one here is absolutely like a zoo compared to the one in where I used to live. And if k1 visa holder doesn't start process driver's license in 30 days of arrival, she may need to show more ID with expiration date,  after 60 days, she even cannot take driver's permit. I am not sure what DMV officer says to somebody without SSN, but they want every ID to have same names including your name on SS card. In summary, it has been such a pain in the neck for me, and if your fiancée wanna drive asap, she might wanna be careful not to make a worthless trip where DMV officer gives her a hard time and to have everything there. 

It's very complicated and I might write more about it in my blog, but if you are curious, there are some information under the category of living in and moving to US in visajourney. DMV website explains about it as well even though it's a little hard to understand..

Sorry for the late reply, and good luck everybody!!

FYI, I have an interview soon, too, so wish me luck!! 

[MochiKamo 93]

First of all, thanks for your reply and I wish you the best of luck for your interview.

My fiancee has lived in the US temporarily on a student visa. She went back to Tokyo to complete her studies. And she has visited me several times in California since then so it won't be a complete shock.

But as you say the DMV is absolutely like a zoo!!! Actually, I've been to several zoos in Japan and those seemed less like zoos than the DMVs here!! So your recommendation is to apply for a driver's license within 30 days of her arrival. I plan to buy some driving instruction books in Japanese and mail them to her. Driving in the US is much easier than driving in Tokyo so I hope everything will go well. We also plan to take a Japanese speaking driver's education training so she can try driving with an instructor who speaks Japanese.

As for everything being large, I already showed her a picture of me eating a 1kg steak in Arizona!

Speaking of zoos my favorite place was Kobe Kachoen where I could take my picture with a baby penguin!

http://www.kamoltd.co.jp/kobe/penginfureai001.htm

[kwbaille 0]

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to poke in here and say hi. I'll be starting the K-1 Visa journey here with in the next two weeks. My fiance is Japanese and I am American. If anyone has any tips related to the process with a Japanese feel free to share.

[honbako 1]

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to poke in here and say hi. I'll be starting the K-1 Visa journey here with in the next two weeks. My fiance is Japanese and I am American. If anyone has any tips related to the process with a Japanese feel free to share.

Welcome aboard! The best advice I can give you at the moment is to make sure that you get all the pertinent information sooner than later. The process is generally straight forward, so I think you'll be all right. One thing to keep in mind is that once you've put the petition off into the mail and are waiting for the NOA1, the both of you should try to find things to keep your mind off of when the NOA1 will actually arrive. Otherwise the "wait" can turn out to be very stressful. It also doesn't hurt to visit each other during the process.

Best wishes for your journey!

[kwbaille 0]

Welcome aboard! The best advice I can give you at the moment is to make sure that you get all the pertinent information sooner than later. The process is generally straight forward, so I think you'll be all right. One thing to keep in mind is that once you've put the petition off into the mail and are waiting for the NOA1, the both of you should try to find things to keep your mind off of when the NOA1 will actually arrive. Otherwise the "wait" can turn out to be very stressful. It also doesn't hurt to visit each other during the process.

Best wishes for your journey!

How do you define "pertinent information"?

[kwbaille 0]

Nevermind, I think I understand what you meant. And thank you, we hope all goes well also.

[honbako 1]

Nevermind, I think I understand what you meant. And thank you, we hope all goes well also.

No worries. I noticed that I had made a typo in my last message. Waiting for the NOA2 is the potential stressful part; the NOA1 usually arrives within a week or two after they've received and successfully processed the petition application.

[kwbaille 0]

Just mailed in the visa application for my Japanese fiance. Please wish us luck. I'm very nervous. Right after I mailed it I was scared something was wrong with the application.

[honbako 1]

Just mailed in the visa application for my Japanese fiance. Please wish us luck. I'm very nervous. Right after I mailed it I was scared something was wrong with the application.

Hi there!

It's pretty normal to feel nervous after mailing everything in. If there is something wrong, you'll generally hear back from them within two weeks, but I honestly wouldn't sweat it too much for now. The main thing is to just relax (as best as you can) and take it easy.

It's super-cool that you've got everything together this far! Best wishes on your journey.

[kwbaille 0]

Hi there!

It's pretty normal to feel nervous after mailing everything in. If there is something wrong, you'll generally hear back from them within two weeks, but I honestly wouldn't sweat it too much for now. The main thing is to just relax (as best as you can) and take it easy.

It's super-cool that you've got everything together this far! Best wishes on your journey.

Does the USCIS usually contact you through the mail or email/phone if I sent in the G-1145? Also how do I get my case number so I can register on the USCIS site? Is that given with the NOA1?

Edited September 6, 2011 by kwbaille

[honbako 1]

Does the USCIS usually contact you through the mail or email/phone if I sent in the G-1145? Also how do I get my case number so I can register on the USCIS site? Is that given with the NOA1?

I believe they will use whatever method of contact you filled out on the from e-mail, phone, or possibly both. If you sent in your petition and paid with a personal check, you should be able to see the case number on the back of your check if you have an online banking account that allows you to view cashed checks. Otherwise, you will have to wait to receive the NOA1 in order to get the number.

[kwbaille 0]

Just giving an update. Reika and I received our NOA1 09/10/2011. Now the real wait begins.