Multiple questions when filling out i130 form

[Elrona 101]

Started filling in all the needed paperwork and although I though I did proper research and had good overview and knowledge, its amazing how many times we got confused. Hopefully you can help from your own experience, of how to answer to some things. Just to clarify, I am beneficiary and my husband is petitioner (USC). 

 

1.      Place of your current Marriage – should it be a town and county where we filed for the application or the place where we actually signed the paper (town and country where we signed paper is different then where we filed, its also written on the marriage certificate)?

2.      I don’t have middle name. Should I write N/A in the middle name questions? I do understand that overall should write N/A or none to every place so not to leave anything blank.

3.      Petitioner works seasonally abroad. He right now wrote for the start date first year he worked there and as he already has contract for new season, he wrote end date as: PRESENT. So it basically shows that he has worked abroad 2011 until 2017, but its every year just 4 months, not the full year. Is that correct to do?

4.      In part 4 it asks about the spouse and in the next question it asks about “Information About Beneficiary’s Family”. Do we need to reenter the same spouse information? Seems a bit of weird that you'd need to reenter it again.

5.      With the Beneficiary Entry information. There is also asked whether I am currently in US. Would it be harmful for our application if we sign the paper it with the date that I am still in US but file it after I have left (we’ll leave USA on 17^th of June). Or should I wait until I’m abroad so I could answer that I am not currently in USA, print it out, sign it, send it to US to my husband’s mom and she could add i130 to rest of package and file it?

6.      Is it okay if we write that we live together in USA when I came here on VWP? Or cannot we state “living together” as entering on VWP I’m not supposed to “live” in the States. I came to USA for a month (vacation, before we continue to NZ together), and I have stayed with him the entire time. We will continue living together in New Zealand though, once we will get there. If we do state that we live together now, then should I also write the same US address as my current address in i-130a form as when we fill in the form, we are still in USA?

 

If you know answer to any question, thank you a lot!

[millefleur 5,047]

I also don't have a middle name. I wrote "None" for that question on the I-130.

 

Regarding the VWP point: where are you now, in the US or another country? I wouldn't say that you "lived" in the US on the WVP. That sounds suspicious to me since it's not a visa for living in the States.

[Elrona 101]

Currently I am in USA. I entered on 18th of May, and will leave on 17th of June. I got married while here in US.

[millefleur 5,047]

1 minute ago, Elrona said:

Currently I am in USA. I entered on 18th of May, and will leave on 17th of June. I got married while here in US.

Ah, I see. So you're just visiting and planning to apply for a CR-1? It wasn't clear if you were adjusting status or planning to apply for a spouse visa.

 

In any case, you aren't living in the US so I would not put that down. You're just visiting. Just put down your home/mailing address for the time you're staying in the US.

[Elrona 101]

Oh, sorry! Yes, should I have brought out that I am just visiting and filing for CR-1. Thank you for your help!

[pushbrk 13,176]

In that case, I would do the filing after you leave, and indicate in the appropriate section that you are not currently in the USA.  It avoids confusing USCIS, as to whether you're adjusting status or intend to apply for a visa based on the approval of the petition.

 

[Ryan H 3,834]

What 5 hours ago, Elrona said:

Started filling in all the needed paperwork and although I though I did proper research and had good overview and knowledge, its amazing how many times we got confused. Hopefully you can help from your own experience, of how to answer to some things. Just to clarify, I am beneficiary and my husband is petitioner (USC). 

 

1.      Place of your current Marriage – should it be a town and county where we filed for the application or the place where we actually signed the paper (town and country where we signed paper is different then where we filed, its also written on the marriage certificate)?

2.      I don’t have middle name. Should I write N/A in the middle name questions? I do understand that overall should write N/A or none to every place so not to leave anything blank.

3.      Petitioner works seasonally abroad. He right now wrote for the start date first year he worked there and as he already has contract for new season, he wrote end date as: PRESENT. So it basically shows that he has worked abroad 2011 until 2017, but its every year just 4 months, not the full year. Is that correct to do?

4.      In part 4 it asks about the spouse and in the next question it asks about “Information About Beneficiary’s Family”. Do we need to reenter the same spouse information? Seems a bit of weird that you'd need to reenter it again.

5.      With the Beneficiary Entry information. There is also asked whether I am currently in US. Would it be harmful for our application if we sign the paper it with the date that I am still in US but file it after I have left (we’ll leave USA on 17^th of June). Or should I wait until I’m abroad so I could answer that I am not currently in USA, print it out, sign it, send it to US to my husband’s mom and she could add i130 to rest of package and file it?

6.      Is it okay if we write that we live together in USA when I came here on VWP? Or cannot we state “living together” as entering on VWP I’m not supposed to “live” in the States. I came to USA for a month (vacation, before we continue to NZ together), and I have stayed with him the entire time. We will continue living together in New Zealand though, once we will get there. If we do state that we live together now, then should I also write the same US address as my current address in i-130a form as when we fill in the form, we are still in USA?

 

If you know answer to any question, thank you a lot!

 

Answers:

1. Where you were officially married
2. Use dashes like this: ----------  you may have to handwrite that in as the form may not let you type that.  Don't write "None" because that is an actual name in some languages.
3. If it were me, I would write "see attached" and explain the arrangement on a supplemental sheet.
4. Yes, you need to reenter it again.
5. What pushbrk said.
6. What millefleur said.

[millefleur 5,047]

2 minutes ago, Ryan H said:

Where you were officially married

1. Use dashes like this: ----------  you may have to handwrite that in as the form may not let you type that.  Don't write "None" because that is an actual name in some languages.
2. If it were me, I would write "see attached" and explain the arrangement on a supplemental sheet.
3. Yes, you need to reenter it again.
4. What pushbrk said.
5. What millefleur said.

OF course, the ---------- for no middle name! I totally forgot that this is also what I did, duh. I put "None" for other answers (such as SSN for my husband) on the form. But yeah, the dashes for lack of a middle name worked. Sorry for blanking out on that.

 

I was able to type it into the form without any issues as I recall. So the OP should have no issues with it either.

[Elrona 101]

Oh, great! Thank you all!

[brahimi 2]

Just now, millefleur said:

OF course, the ---------- for no middle name! I totally forgot that this is also what I did, duh. I put "None" for other answers (such as SSN for my husband) on the form. But yeah, the dashes for lack of a middle name worked. Sorry for blanking out on that.

 

I was able to type it into the form without any issues as I recall. So the OP should have no issues with it either.

Sorry to chime in, but what is this --------------?!!! I've never heard of this! It doesn't make any sense to put --------- it's meaningless!!! Why can you just put None or better yet N/A? (cos None could theoretically be a middle name in some other country/language)

Edited June 13, 2017 by brahimi

[millefleur 5,047]

6 hours ago, brahimi said:

Sorry to chime in, but what is this --------------?!!! I've never heard of this! It doesn't make any sense to put --------- it's meaningless!!! Why can you just put None or better yet N/A? (cos None could theoretically be a middle name in some other country/language)

Right, basically to avoid confusion with the word "None" you should use dashes for no middle name. Technically you could also probably just leave it blank, but I used the dashes and had no issues. You could probably also put N/A but again it might be confusing, that's why I went when with the ---- dashes.

[brahimi 2]

Thank you!

[Elrona 101]

Yeap, the form does not allow to type "-------" for middle name, so I'll leave it empty and fill later by hand. Have to make very near dashes

[Elrona 101]

One more question about writing down work history.

 

I have worked for one company since 2012 and one company for who I have worked since 2008. There is some time where I've been abroad (for 11 months, 4,5 months and 12 months) and then I have continued to work with the same company when I returned home. There is no one contract, but more that when some month there is lot to do, I work more and get paid more. And at the same time there might be months where I'm not doing anything.

 

Is it okay to write it in i130a as one continues employment (for example: 08/01/2008 - PRESENT) or should I divide them into the parts so that when I've been abroad, that period of time is excluded (for example: 08/01/2008 - 07/27/2010)? If I should divide them, I assume I need to make separate entry under the additional information about each case?

Edited June 13, 2017 by Elrona

[Bfree3 132]

Just to piggyback, it's fine if you are in the us and file your paperwork. The sooner you file,the better, so just my advice don't wait until you go home. I filed shortly after we got married and I was still in us went home about a week after filing. They are aware that someone has to travel for the marriage to take place. Just be sure to put in passport info correctly along with I-94 info. 

 

In ref to the work employment, if the gaps were for extended periods of time such as 6 months to a year, I'd separate the dates. Whenever I had a gap I put unemployed and listed the dates. Put whatever you are comfortable with and if you feel you need to explain then use additional paper in the back. 

 

No matter what I did, no matter how many times I read over our paperwork I still felt unsure and just lost but I filled it out double checked it then triple checked and sent it off, now the wait is killing me slowly. Good luck to you! Be encouraged and file as soon as you can.