March 2015 K-1 Filers

[Amhara 460]

This is going to be way more work than I thought.

My primary physician doesn't have any appointment until the end of December, so we might as well get a civil surgeon to do the I-693. The first one I called said they won't give him vaccinations unless they do the physical too (something about that's the way the form is set up - suuuuurrrrrrre....) They also won't accept insurance on his vaccinations because, get this: his vaccinations are considered 'personal use'...

Yeah....

[X Factor 1,112]

Now you can join the November 2015 AOS filer thread!

We married yesterday, so I am hoping we can file in December.

Congrats

[KASH2011 382]

Just thought I would give you guys an update, I had my fiancé call the USEM in Sweden after I was told that out i-134 had to be sent to the USCIS. He, however, was told that I just needed to bring the signed form so that's what I'm going to do. I got my interview date which is january 7th, so exciting! Thanks for your help!

Good luck to you!

[Amhara 460]

Congrats

Thanks, X!!

I wanted to share our experience today, in case it will help anyone else here.

SSN

We married less than a week before he landed, and I was thinking we needed to wait two weeks. I was checking the SAVE database each day, but we had his I-94 shortly after the holiday; we had it by November 12th. We married that following Monday on the 16th. However, I am seeing threads of where people applied and were approved for SSN's after their I-94's are showing. I should have at least tried on the 13th for his SSN. We couldn't get one today as they said us being married changes his "status". I accepted that as I'm hoping to file the AOS within three weeks.

Health Insurance

I had consulted with my HR benefits specialist before he came. I found out that my insurance allows us to add a fiance up to 31 days before the marriage. I asked if we could do that (at that time, I had not scheduled our JOP marriage date) when we have the marriage planned seeing how he won't have an SSN for an unknown time. She told me that it's required that he have his SSN. Again, yesterday, I came across a VJ thread which suggested we do not need SSN for health insurance. I read the instructions to the form that I will use to add him and sure enough, the instructions specifically say that benefits will not be withheld if no SSN is provided! (Reading is fundamental...) We need to get all his vaccines, so we need to add him to the insurance, we can get his vaccinations without an out-of-pocket cost at Walgreen's and I finally found an CS that will transcribe on the I-693. (Some wanted $600!!! HA!!)

What I would have done differently:

1) Read the day-gone health insurance form rather than ask...

2) Added him to my health insurance before he landed

3) Applied for SSN before marriage.

(I would add that we planned to get all his vaccines in the Kabul clinic, but for some reason, they only vaccinated him for Polio and didn't administer him for all the other vaccines. Result of miscommunication? I don't know, but that's all spilled milk anyhow...)

[Sunya and Tim 55]

Thanks, X!!

I wanted to share our experience today, in case it will help anyone else here.

SSN

We married less than a week before he landed, and I was thinking we needed to wait two weeks. I was checking the SAVE database each day, but we had his I-94 shortly after the holiday; we had it by November 12th. We married that following Monday on the 16th. However, I am seeing threads of where people applied and were approved for SSN's after their I-94's are showing. I should have at least tried on the 13th for his SSN. We couldn't get one today as they said us being married changes his "status". I accepted that as I'm hoping to file the AOS within three weeks.

Health Insurance

I had consulted with my HR benefits specialist before he came. I found out that my insurance allows us to add a fiance up to 31 days before the marriage. I asked if we could do that (at that time, I had not scheduled our JOP marriage date) when we have the marriage planned seeing how he won't have an SSN for an unknown time. She told me that it's required that he have his SSN. Again, yesterday, I came across a VJ thread which suggested we do not need SSN for health insurance. I read the instructions to the form that I will use to add him and sure enough, the instructions specifically say that benefits will not be withheld if no SSN is provided! (Reading is fundamental...) We need to get all his vaccines, so we need to add him to the insurance, we can get his vaccinations without an out-of-pocket cost at Walgreen's and I finally found an CS that will transcribe on the I-693. (Some wanted $600!!! HA!!)

What I would have done differently:

1) Read the day-gone health insurance form rather than ask...

2) Added him to my health insurance before he landed

3) Applied for SSN before marriage.

(I would add that we planned to get all his vaccines in the Kabul clinic, but for some reason, they only vaccinated him for Polio and didn't administer him for all the other vaccines. Result of miscommunication? I don't know, but that's all spilled milk anyhow...)

Sorry to hear of your issues. We went and got Tim's SSN after our marriage with no issues and I got my name changed on mine with no problems. Weird how different offices with the same rules function with different results.

[Kyle and Linh 64]

Thanks, X!!

I wanted to share our experience today, in case it will help anyone else here.

SSN

We married less than a week before he landed, and I was thinking we needed to wait two weeks. I was checking the SAVE database each day, but we had his I-94 shortly after the holiday; we had it by November 12th. We married that following Monday on the 16th. However, I am seeing threads of where people applied and were approved for SSN's after their I-94's are showing. I should have at least tried on the 13th for his SSN. We couldn't get one today as they said us being married changes his "status". I accepted that as I'm hoping to file the AOS within three weeks.

Health Insurance

I had consulted with my HR benefits specialist before he came. I found out that my insurance allows us to add a fiance up to 31 days before the marriage. I asked if we could do that (at that time, I had not scheduled our JOP marriage date) when we have the marriage planned seeing how he won't have an SSN for an unknown time. She told me that it's required that he have his SSN. Again, yesterday, I came across a VJ thread which suggested we do not need SSN for health insurance. I read the instructions to the form that I will use to add him and sure enough, the instructions specifically say that benefits will not be withheld if no SSN is provided! (Reading is fundamental...) We need to get all his vaccines, so we need to add him to the insurance, we can get his vaccinations without an out-of-pocket cost at Walgreen's and I finally found an CS that will transcribe on the I-693. (Some wanted $600!!! HA!!)

What I would have done differently:

1) Read the day-gone health insurance form rather than ask...

2) Added him to my health insurance before he landed

3) Applied for SSN before marriage.

(I would add that we planned to get all his vaccines in the Kabul clinic, but for some reason, they only vaccinated him for Polio and didn't administer him for all the other vaccines. Result of miscommunication? I don't know, but that's all spilled milk anyhow...)

[Kyle and Linh 64]

We are experiencing similar issues. This is a scam by the USCIS approved Civil Surgeons to take money period.

After calling a bunch of CS I targeted one who was located at a Walk in Clinic. This is the essence of the conversation

Q1: Do you take ____ insurance?

A1: Yes

Q2: I need to get X,Y and Z vaccinations. Can you file with ____ insurance for me since they are covered 100%

A2: Yes

Q3: This is for my new wife who needs CS to sign off on Vaccine Verification for her Green Card?

A3: Oh no way we can file with ____ insurance for any of this. You need to pay us huge $$$$ to do and we don't accept any work from other doctors so you need to get a full Physical Examination from the CS before we give the vaccinations

Q4: You mean you are telling me we need do a full physical examination that we just did 7 weeks ago that was acceptable to the USCIS?

A4: Yes we won't accept it

Q5: Maybe I should report you to the USCIS that you are not fulfilling what they say is all is required for a K-1 that is in the I-693 instructions. Let me fax the instuctions to you

A5: OK

Q6: Let me do that and I will call you back, OK?

Call back

A6: OK we see your point. We will only charge you $200, for the service but you still have to pay out of pocket for your vaccinations and we can't bill any of this to ______ insurance

Q7: So let me get this straight... You will sign off on our I-693 but you won't do the vaccinations unless they are out of pocket?

A7: Yes

Q8: So if I went to the Red Cross or my personal physician (free by the way on ____ insurance) to get the vaccinations, you are obligated to use those documents from a licensed physician or health service who could document that they gave the vaccination?

A8: Yes

Q9: So are you extorting me $200 for a service to look at one piece of paper and transfer the information to another which the CS signs for 3 minutes of work?

A9: Sir please understand its our policy not to accept the in process physical your wife has done, we are making an exception in your case.

Sigh...bend over and accept it.

Bottom LINE: CS guys are Predators and unless you stand up to one they will take as much money as they can. This was the BEST one I talked to

Just another item on the Failed Immigration Process and Laws of the USA. Please tell me how many Syrian immigrants are getting this treatment

[Amhara 460]

Sorry to hear of your issues. We went and got Tim's SSN after our marriage with no issues and I got my name changed on mine with no problems. Weird how different offices with the same rules function with different results.

Yes, I had read that other people also did not have problems getting their SSN after marriage. I really considered just calling him my fiance, because then I knew we would have no problem then, but that's unethical and illegal. I knew the rejection could be the result, but thankfully, I don't think we need it right now, right now, so not much is at stake. He can even register with SSS without one and we can sign an affidavit when we get his driver's license.

We are experiencing similar issues. This is a scam by the USCIS approved Civil Surgeons to take money period.

Bottom LINE: CS guys are Predators and unless you stand up to one they will take as much money as they can. This was the BEST one I talked to

11/21/2015: MARRIED IN GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Congrats, Kyle and Linh!! Yeah, I don't know why someone would call vaccinations 'personal use' or why CS don't want to allow insurance to cover vaccines during the exam. I think I found a good CS - mostly a Spanish speaking staff and a doctor that doesn't take insurance at all. I'm waiting with baited breath in case they change their mind, but $250 for full physical and vaccines or $25 for vaccine transcription. Thank God for the high Hispanic population in Dallas! Que bueno!!

[Sabrina&Chuck 32]

Sorry to hear of your issues. We went and got Tim's SSN after our marriage with no issues and I got my name changed on mine with no problems. Weird how different offices with the same rules function with different results.

ya we got even "yelled" at because we did it before the marriage the SSN itself was no issue. But the name change got an issue then ..why we didn't waited till after our marriage..me then because I know the k1 visa won't work for a SSN application which was right

[Amhara 460]

Hello all,

I wanted to share this site with you in case your spouse/fiance is here (or when they get here) and they need something to keep them occupied. Right now, we have about another two more months until my husband's classes will start, and probably about another three months until he will work. This site has many, many useful classes that can cover basic topics. While you can buy each class, I found that you can enroll for a year for a great price! It will be at least great exposure to topics, so they may be less foreign for our loved ones later. For example, they can cover the US government topic so the naturalization test in some years won't be so alien!

https://www.universalclass.com/index.htm

[AH_Fury 61]

Hello all,

I wanted to share this site with you in case your spouse/fiance is here (or when they get here) and they need something to keep them occupied. Right now, we have about another two more months until my husband's classes will start, and probably about another three months until he will work. This site has many, many useful classes that can cover basic topics. While you can buy each class, I found that you can enroll for a year for a great price! It will be at least great exposure to topics, so they may be less foreign for our loved ones later. For example, they can cover the US government topic so the naturalization test in some years won't be so alien!

https://www.universalclass.com/index.htm

Your husband was able to apply for school without a green card? Does he have to pay international tuition or in-state?

[Amhara 460]

Your husband was able to apply for school without a green card? Does he have to pay international tuition or in-state?

Yes, he doesn't need an SSN or I-551 for college. You will need the conditional GC for FAFSA, though. My husband needs US history and government, so he will take those at the community college. I imagine it may take us a year for the I-551C, so he will stay in community college until then. He will work and get more stable and such.

In Texas, students can't be considered residents for tuition purposes until after a year. In some areas, it's a shorter wait. At this point, we will pay the higher out-of-state rate. Spring 2017 will be the tuition resident rate for us.

[AllanGrace 9]

Hello everybody,

Finally, the long wait is over. Our AOS got approved today. I just want to share our experience in the
interview. So the CO first asked of our passports. He asked for both our Original Birth certs,
my original naturalization cert. He looked for our marriage cert and he said he needed an original and a
copy of it (good thing we made copies of our orignals too). So basically he tooked our orignal birth certs
and original marriage cert. He made a copy of our passports. Then he asked if we have some joint accounts.
I gave him all that we have our names included. First is the latest bank account statement (online printout),
my covered california with hers added to my health insurance (copy sent by coveredca), my life insurance and
brokerage accounts stating her as the beneficiary (copies from the companies). The CO was happy about me
submitting all that I got, he said I came prepared. He didn't look at our pictures at all. He asked if
we got the medical already and he was browsing his documents and found it. (it looks like the DS-3025).
Good thing he didnt ask for any I-693 wheewwww. After that he had either one of us tell him our love
story so I voluntered but in the end my wife is the one ended talking. Lols you know women right?
after that he said that we will check if you will be approved or not so he told us to wait outside and
after 10 mins he came out the door with 2 pcs of paper and said congratulations, you are approved.
Yepeeeeee

Thank you again for everybody.

[thespoons 33]

Hello everybody,

Finally, the long wait is over. Our AOS got approved today. I just want to share our experience in the

interview. So the CO first asked of our passports. He asked for both our Original Birth certs,

my original naturalization cert. He looked for our marriage cert and he said he needed an original and a

copy of it (good thing we made copies of our orignals too). So basically he tooked our orignal birth certs

and original marriage cert. He made a copy of our passports. Then he asked if we have some joint accounts.

I gave him all that we have our names included. First is the latest bank account statement (online printout),

my covered california with hers added to my health insurance (copy sent by coveredca), my life insurance and

brokerage accounts stating her as the beneficiary (copies from the companies). The CO was happy about me

submitting all that I got, he said I came prepared. He didn't look at our pictures at all. He asked if

we got the medical already and he was browsing his documents and found it. (it looks like the DS-3025).

Good thing he didnt ask for any I-693 wheewwww. After that he had either one of us tell him our love

story so I voluntered but in the end my wife is the one ended talking. Lols you know women right?

after that he said that we will check if you will be approved or not so he told us to wait outside and

after 10 mins he came out the door with 2 pcs of paper and said congratulations, you are approved.

Yepeeeeee

Thank you again for everybody.

Congrats!!!! Omg!!! Let us know when you receive the card and welcome letter. Hehehehe. Time for the happy dance and and rest from immigration stuff for a while. Congrats again!

[AllanGrace 9]

thespoons,

No problem spoons, I will post it here. It said in the letter that we will receive it in 90 days. By the way, on the interview about our love story they are really paying attention on the dates, when did you first meet and how. He was writing it down as we tell him the story. You are next hehe.