Scandinavians Part 2

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

21 hours ago, LizM said:

 

I just double checked the embassy checklist and I have two questions about the interview, if anyone happens to know:

1. Military records. Checklist says "A certified copy of any military record is required, either stating that the military service has been completed, or that the applicant is exempt from serving". I had just skipped this one before, because I thought I read somewhere it's not applicable unless you served. But just to make sure - does this mean I need to show I'm exempt from serving, even if I never served in the first place?

 

From my recollection, this line had more to do with Denmark, especially if you had been called before the draft board, like a random number of young men are every year.  My husband, for example, had to provide documentation that he was called before the draft board and what the outcome was from that (he chose not to serve).

 

I can't remember if you need to provide something if your number hadn't been called to prove that as well.

Edited April 23, 2018 by N-o-l-a

[Filip and Alix 42]

Filip had his x-ray and blood tests last week and he is currently at his medical exam in Oslo! Will let you know how it goes Happy week of progress to everyone no matter where you are in the timeline 

[annaandasbjorn 35]

Hello everyone!  We are still waiting for the case number from NVC, but i was wondering, can beneficiary do his medical without a case number?  He's in Denmark!

[Juliees 27]

Hi guys,

Help a Swede out! I just reunited with my love on a K-1 and we're about to file for Adjustment of Status. I have a question about last names though and I'm getting really confused! I was planning on holding off on changing my last name until next year, and have filled out all the adjustment forms in my maiden name. Will this work? I will be changing last names next fall though - will I be able to inform USCIS about this update once changed with SSA and so on?

 

Thanks so much!

[Scandi 4,154]

3 hours ago, Juliees said:

Hi guys,

Help a Swede out! I just reunited with my love on a K-1 and we're about to file for Adjustment of Status. I have a question about last names though and I'm getting really confused! I was planning on holding off on changing my last name until next year, and have filled out all the adjustment forms in my maiden name. Will this work? I will be changing last names next fall though - will I be able to inform USCIS about this update once changed with SSA and so on?

 

Thanks so much!

Why wait until next fall? You would do yourself a huge favor by changing your name now so you can get your greencard in your married name, you can have your greencard changed later but it'll cost you a hefty ~$500. 

 

You can choose to keep your maiden name, use your married name, change name later etc, it's just a matter of how difficult you want to make it.

[camillamilla 33]

Visa approved yesterday!!! 

Had my medical done last Monday at Sibyllekliniken in Stockholm and the embassy received it within 10 days. Interviewer gave me a copy of the whole medical report after the interview was done and approved. Waiting to pick up visa and hope for POE within next few weeks.  

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

16 hours ago, Juliees said:

Hi guys,

Help a Swede out! I just reunited with my love on a K-1 and we're about to file for Adjustment of Status. I have a question about last names though and I'm getting really confused! I was planning on holding off on changing my last name until next year, and have filled out all the adjustment forms in my maiden name. Will this work? I will be changing last names next fall though - will I be able to inform USCIS about this update once changed with SSA and so on?

 

Thanks so much!

 

The easiest two options are to do it now or wait until naturalization.  

[nadiachr13 0]

Hi everyone. Can anyone tell me how it works getting back to Denmark after the interview in Stockholm since the embassy keeps your passport? (I will be flying). 

I don't have a drivers license and Denmark doesn't have any other form of official ID. What did everyone else do? Or do they even check it? Can I bring something else? 

-Nadia

Edited April 27, 2018 by nadiachr13

[camillamilla 33]

20 minutes ago, LizM said:

Okay @Paul & Mallory @blenheim @camillamilla and anyone else who may have some input on the Stockholm embassy interview - what financial docs did they seem most interested in?

 

We will of course bring the I-134 (wet signature petitioner), the 1040 for 2017 (signed, but copy), employer's statement (wet signature by HR), salary raise letter (no signature), pay stubs for the last three or four months, letter from petitioner explaining his occupation (studies) before he started working in June 2017 (wet signature petitioner). I also got copies of his bank statements (one for every single one of the past 12 months) but they do not really say date opened. But then I read the I-134 instructions and they said to bring evidence that "apply to your situation". And we will rely on his income, not his assets/bank balance, for the sponsorship, so I'm not sure how important these bank statements are. 

You have more than I brought with the I-134. They seemed most interested in I-134 and tax return. I think you should be fine with what you have. If they would need anything else they'll let you know and have him send it to them. I would not stress about that as you seem well prepared. Everyone were very kind and helpful. Let me know if you have other questions and I'll help as much as I can. Good luck, it's almost done now!!  

[camillamilla 33]

3 minutes ago, LizM said:

This is so good to hear! I've just read through the consulate reviews and everyone says the same thing - that the embassy officers are really nice. I just can't help to be a little bit nervous still. Thank you for calming my nerves  I miiight just pm you if I have any more questions in the next few days 

No need to be nervous. I was soooo nervous before the interview too though!! Couldn't sleep the 2 nights before. Lol!

Absolutely, feel free to do so. 

[Scandi 4,154]

3 hours ago, LizM said:

This is so good to hear! I've just read through the consulate reviews and everyone says the same thing - that the embassy officers are really nice. I just can't help to be a little bit nervous still. Thank you for calming my nerves  I miiight just pm you if I have any more questions in the next few days 

One of them, an older American man, is not so nice, haha. But from what I understand he doesn't handle the immigrant visas (K-1 included), only temporary visas for work, tourism etc.

 

When sitting in the waiting room you can hear people being interviewed, and after listening to this particular interviewer for over 2 hours I was so scared I would end up being interviewed by him. He denied student-, tourist and work visas over and over during the all-in-all 3 hours I was there. He wasn't nice about it either, some people even left crying. I'm sure he did what he had to do, but in a very harsh tone, haha.

 

Everyone that was involved in my K-1 visa process at the embassy was extremely friendly and easy to talk to. Even the email correspondence was very nice. So you'll be perfectly fine!

 

The embassy only asked for the i-134 and the latest tax return, but my husband is self-employed so it's not like he has paystubs, letter from employer or anything like that to show anyway. We never showed our assets/bank accounts/money markets etc. as the tax return showed he earned enough, and they never asked for anything else either.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Scandi

[blenheim 243]

16 hours ago, LizM said:

Okay @Paul & Mallory @blenheim @camillamilla and anyone else who may have some input on the Stockholm embassy interview - what financial docs did they seem most interested in?

 

We will of course bring the I-134 (wet signature petitioner), the 1040 for 2017 (signed, but copy), employer's statement (wet signature by HR), salary raise letter (no signature), pay stubs for the last three or four months, letter from petitioner explaining his occupation (studies) before he started working in June 2017 (wet signature petitioner). I also got copies of his bank statements (one for every single one of the past 12 months) but they do not really say date opened. But then I read the I-134 instructions and they said to bring evidence that "apply to your situation". And we will rely on his income, not his assets/bank balance, for the sponsorship, so I'm not sure how important these bank statements are. 

I didn't go to the interview myself, so this is what I remember from what my partner shared. He said they only took the i-134 and financial proof, everything else he kept (good less papers we have to fetch for AOS!!). He said the whole interview lasted only about 15 minutes and was generally pretty pleasant. They were most curious as to how we met, not in a questioning way, but more in a they were interested kind of way. Apparently most people who meet online in Sweden do so through gaming they said, whereas we met in instagram which wasn't very usual. The CO asked him why he wanted to move here instead of vice versa and he said to further his career and apparently the CO really liked that answer.

 

You're going to breeze through this and be hoping over in no time!! 😎

[jollyelephant 24]

Hello friends! I don’t remember if I have posted here before, but I think not....my fiancé and I just received our NOA2 last week and are preparing for the next steps of the process with medical and interview and whatnot (he’s the Swedish one!). So it finally feels like we have things to do instead of just waiting forever! I don’t want to be redundant if this is asked all the time, but can someone maybe direct me to a link or a place with more Sweden/Stockholm specific embassy info? I just want to make sure we don’t miss anything form-wise and get an idea of the timeline we’re still looking at! I’ll be here in Sweden for about 3 more weeks and would like to help him move everything along as quickly as possible. Maybe it’s unlikely, but it would be really cool if I could even be here when he gets his interview or his medical   

 

I also have a specific question to us...if I am a student and my parents are sponsoring him instead with the I-134, do I still need to fill one out myself even though I have no income basically? I did fill out a tax return last year, but not for 2016. So I could only provide 2017 at this point. Any info or websites with more info would be appreciated!

[camillamilla 33]

On 2018-04-28 at 8:21 PM, Scandi said:

One of them, an older American man, is not so nice, haha. But from what I understand he doesn't handle the immigrant visas (K-1 included), only temporary visas for work, tourism etc.

 

When sitting in the waiting room you can hear people being interviewed, and after listening to this particular interviewer for over 2 hours I was so scared I would end up being interviewed by him. He denied student-, tourist and work visas over and over during the all-in-all 3 hours I was there. He wasn't nice about it either, some people even left crying. I'm sure he did what he had to do, but in a very harsh tone, haha.

 

Everyone that was involved in my K-1 visa process at the embassy was extremely friendly and easy to talk to. Even the email correspondence was very nice. So you'll be perfectly fine!

 

The embassy only asked for the i-134 and the latest tax return, but my husband is self-employed so it's not like he has paystubs, letter from employer or anything like that to show anyway. We never showed our assets/bank accounts/money markets etc. as the tax return showed he earned enough, and they never asked for anything else either.

Haha yeah I got to his window first when they directed me to go there entering the building. When I gave him my passport and said I was there for a k1 Visa he said I was at the wrong window and told me to sit down and wait for my name to be called up. The Swedish lady and the young American officer doing the interview at the other side of the room were very nice though! 

I don't know how it's even possible!? but somehow, I lost my ticket for my phone in that small waiting room.  Told the officer standing at the entrance door and he just smiled and said not to worry about it and to focus on the interview. And yes I have the most bad luck ever.  

[Filip and Alix 42]

Hi Scandis! 

My fiance and I are working on everything we need for the interview date (recieved at NVC but no case # yet). Filip spent three years in Portugal, he was not registered there, he has always been a resident of Norway. He paid Norwegian taxes during that time. He rented several different apartments over the 3 years in Portugal. Our K1 application has supporting evidence containing trips I took to Portugal to visit him while he was living there. 

So my question has to do with police records...I know he needs a copy of his Norwegian police record for the interview but what about Portugal? 

The Norwegian police record says it's valid only for Norway. The Portuguese one doesn't specify but it does state it's available to "former residents" 

If he was never registered or legally a resident there, does he need a copy of his police record for the time he was there ? 

Would they even have a document available to him? 

Any insight would be much appreciated. Thanks all!