Best way to get wife of US citizen to US? We r both students in CAN.

[Moes78 1]

On 7/24/2017 at 4:20 PM, Ryan H said:

 

The section I placed in bold and green is acceptable as long as you include the month and year.  If you are unable to determine the exact date of when the pictures were taken, then it is what it is.  FWIW, not everybody remembers to adjust the clock on their camera.

 

This is what I mean by binder clips:  https://www.staples.com/binder+clips/directory_binder+clips

Thanks!

 

It says in general that all documents can be submitted as copies except when they explicitly ask for originals. So, I will submit copies of the affidavits and keep the originals, ok? Guess I just want to hear you approve that -.- Thanks.

 

Also, if I read correctly, I don't have to submit any originals really for the i130.

______

There's a section here in the instructions: Answer all questions fully and accurately. If a question does not apply to you (for example, if you have never been married and the question asks, “Provide the name of your current spouse”), type or print “N/A,” unless otherwise directed. If your answer to a question which requires a numeric response is zero or none (for example, “How many children do you have” or “How many times have you departed the United States”), type or print “None,” unless otherwise directed. 

 

-> Do I really have to do that for all fields where I don't write anything? If not, how do I know for which fields they want an NA or None?

 

I mean, for instance at the beginning where they ask for my Alien reg number and/or USCIS online acount. Do I leave it blank or write none?

 

___

 

On page 2, address history, I can't print electronically in fields 12a-13b. I assume that is because I clicked: current mailing and physical address are the same-> YES. So I leave that blank, correct?

Again, is blank then fine, or do I need to write N/A everywhere?

 

____

 

I assume it's okay to have 99% filled out electronically and print it off. Then add N/A in some fields by hand? Is it okay to mix like that?

_____

 

 

Cheers

 

[Ryan H 3,812]

38 minutes ago, Mo Schmid said:

Thanks!

 

It says in general that all documents can be submitted as copies except when they explicitly ask for originals. So, I will submit copies of the affidavits and keep the originals, ok? Guess I just want to hear you approve that -.- Thanks.

 

Also, if I read correctly, I don't have to submit any originals really for the i130.

______

There's a section here in the instructions: Answer all questions fully and accurately. If a question does not apply to you (for example, if you have never been married and the question asks, “Provide the name of your current spouse”), type or print “N/A,” unless otherwise directed. If your answer to a question which requires a numeric response is zero or none (for example, “How many children do you have” or “How many times have you departed the United States”), type or print “None,” unless otherwise directed. 

 

-> Do I really have to do that for all fields where I don't write anything? If not, how do I know for which fields they want an NA or None?

 

I mean, for instance at the beginning where they ask for my Alien reg number and/or USCIS online acount. Do I leave it blank or write none?

 

___

 

On page 2, address history, I can't print electronically in fields 12a-13b. I assume that is because I clicked: current mailing and physical address are the same-> YES. So I leave that blank, correct?

Again, is blank then fine, or do I need to write N/A everywhere?

 

____

 

I assume it's okay to have 99% filled out electronically and print it off. Then add N/A in some fields by hand? Is it okay to mix like that?

_____

 

 

Cheers

 

 

Answers:

• Reread what I said about affidavits in a prior post.  If you choose to submit them anyway, use the originals. 
• Official documents such as your marriage certificate only needs to be a photocopy at this stage.
• You will not do that in every filed, just the beginning of a field.
• Write "none"
• Since you ticked the box, you will not have to write N/A everywhere.
• N/A does not need to be added by hand to blank fields if you completed the form electronically.  If the first part of a section is N/A, then that carries over to the remainder of that particular section.

[Moes78 1]

Ryan, thanks again, you'r the best!

 

What do you think about Trumps announcement today (cracking down on legal immigration)? Will that likely affect spousal visas? I'm quite worried and anxious with this situation.

You would expect that spouses of US citizens can always join.

 

Cheers

[Boiler 45,510]

3 minutes ago, Mo Schmid said:

Ryan, thanks again, you'r the best!

 

What do you think about Trumps announcement today (cracking down on legal immigration)? Will that likely affect spousal visas? I'm quite worried and anxious with this situation.

You would expect that spouses of US citizens can always join.

 

Cheers

 Minor children and spouses would still be eligible to apply for green cards.

 

We have an ongoing thread for such matters btw.

[Ryan H 3,812]

3 hours ago, Mo Schmid said:

Ryan, thanks again, you'r the best!

 

What do you think about Trumps announcement today (cracking down on legal immigration)? Will that likely affect spousal visas? I'm quite worried and anxious with this situation.

You would expect that spouses of US citizens can always join.

 

Cheers

 

Nothing but talk at this time, personally, I don't see legislation in that form getting 60 votes to break a Senate filibuster.

[NikLR 13,227]

How much longer are your wife's studies? She will need to have a valid canadian visa or permanent residency at the time of the interview to interview in Montreal.  You cannot do it on a visitor visa.  If she doesn't then everything will need to be transferred by the DOS to Mexico. 

[Jorge V 195]

I'd just like to pitch in and answer some of your questions that stood out. I'm petitioning my Mexican citizen wife for a CR1 and we're currently at the tail end of the process (interview next week).

 

- As far as how to assemble the packet, you can use binding clips as others have mentioned. I used a three ring binder and it helped better organize myself. If you go this route, don't punch holes in any document. I used those transparent document holders: https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&biw=1680&bih=949&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=binder+document+protectors&oq=binder+document+protectors&gs_l=psy-ab.3...26173.28084.0.28196.16.11.2.0.0.0.251.1192.0j3j3.6.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..9.0.0.Rd7IFsXpfKE

 

- I filled the I-130 electronically and then hand wrote "None" or "N/A" everywhere that needed it. I read a few posts on here where people got RFEs after leaving blanks. I had to handwrite N/A as many fields would not allow non alphanumeric characters.

 

- I seriously recommend assembling the packet yourself. I was quoted USD$4,000 and USD$4,500 by two lawyers on top of the $1,500 or so fees required by the government. There are plenty of examples online and it's really not that complicated. I know those visa services are much cheaper but I still don't see the point. You still need to collect all the information yourself and pass it along. They simply fill out the documents with the information you provide. They can verify that everything is correct with your packet, but you can do that yourself with some research.

 

- I asked both lawyers if my wife could travel to the US on her current B1/B2 visa while her case is pending and both said that normally yes, but being from Mexico makes it much more difficult. One lawyer said that he had seen Mexican citizens with strong ties (job, family, active rental lease) turned away by the CBP officer. 

 

- I created photo collages to save on pages. I simply hand wrote descriptions, dates, names, and phone numbers next to each image.

 

- I also included affidavits in support of our bona fide marriage. I know they don't carry much weight, but it only took me a few minutes to get them from a few friends and family members.

 

- I had the same question about having to translate and include long lease agreements. I even emailed USCIS in Mexico and specifically asked them about this as I did not want to include all pages. They replied by saying that, while not required, they may want to see the whole thing and a RFE would delay things. I opted to not risk it and translated and included every page.

 

- I did the translations myself

 

- You mentioned that your wife has a B1/B2 visa that is valid for 6 months at a time and for several years. Keep in mind that she cannot use this visa to essentially live in the US. If the CBP officer notices that she's using her tourist visa to spend 6 months at a time in the US she will be denied entry. The B1/B2 visa is meant for occasional short trips.

 

Edited August 5, 2017 by Jorge Valdivia

[Dianalorena 1,153]

I've sent the regular acta de nacimiento/birth certificate and it's fine. Had a previous CR1 accepted with it. The one with the parent's names  we don't really have ''long'' birth certificates I think, but we do have longer marriage /original marriage certificates vs ''copia certificada'' (certified copies)  remember to send both the original, the certified, and have all documents translated to English. We did use Rapidvisa but it doesn't make applications go faster (we knew this) we just wanted to have an extra pair of eyes for the file and have a payment plan for the fee, which they provide. They helped us find a few inconsistencies we didn't, so to us it was already money well spent. It is not required but helpful to some people, So that's totally up to you. 

We also did front load the petition with affidavits, pictures and receipts from trips. Pictures are useful, but not the most important supporting evidence: plane tickets/receipts/affidavits are all good supporting documents. 

[Moes78 1]

On 8/5/2017 at 6:22 AM, NikLR said:

How much longer are your wife's studies? She will need to have a valid canadian visa or permanent residency at the time of the interview to interview in Montreal.  You cannot do it on a visitor visa.  If she doesn't then everything will need to be transferred by the DOS to Mexico. 

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for that insight. She has the study permit and visa for another year, and there's quite a high chance she needs to extend it to finish the degree. So, another year minimum.

 

What do you think about that timeline?

 

Also, if one says now. CAN and interview in Montreal. But then, it really happens that she's back in Mex at that time. I assume that is fine in general but just takes additional time. Any idea how long?

 

Cheers

[Moes78 1]

On 8/5/2017 at 8:56 AM, Jorge Valdivia said:

I'd just like to pitch in and answer some of your questions that stood out. I'm petitioning my Mexican citizen wife for a CR1 and we're currently at the tail end of the process (interview next week).

 

- As far as how to assemble the packet, you can use binding clips as others have mentioned. I used a three ring binder and it helped better organize myself. If you go this route, don't punch holes in any document. I used those transparent document holders: https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&biw=1680&bih=949&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=binder+document+protectors&oq=binder+document+protectors&gs_l=psy-ab.3...26173.28084.0.28196.16.11.2.0.0.0.251.1192.0j3j3.6.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..9.0.0.Rd7IFsXpfKE

 

- I filled the I-130 electronically and then hand wrote "None" or "N/A" everywhere that needed it. I read a few posts on here where people got RFEs after leaving blanks. I had to handwrite N/A as many fields would not allow non alphanumeric characters.

 

- I seriously recommend assembling the packet yourself. I was quoted USD$4,000 and USD$4,500 by two lawyers on top of the $1,500 or so fees required by the government. There are plenty of examples online and it's really not that complicated. I know those visa services are much cheaper but I still don't see the point. You still need to collect all the information yourself and pass it along. They simply fill out the documents with the information you provide. They can verify that everything is correct with your packet, but you can do that yourself with some research.

 

- I asked both lawyers if my wife could travel to the US on her current B1/B2 visa while her case is pending and both said that normally yes, but being from Mexico makes it much more difficult. One lawyer said that he had seen Mexican citizens with strong ties (job, family, active rental lease) turned away by the CBP officer. 

 

- I created photo collages to save on pages. I simply hand wrote descriptions, dates, names, and phone numbers next to each image.

 

- I also included affidavits in support of our bona fide marriage. I know they don't carry much weight, but it only took me a few minutes to get them from a few friends and family members.

 

- I had the same question about having to translate and include long lease agreements. I even emailed USCIS in Mexico and specifically asked them about this as I did not want to include all pages. They replied by saying that, while not required, they may want to see the whole thing and a RFE would delay things. I opted to not risk it and translated and included every page.

 

- I did the translations myself

 

- You mentioned that your wife has a B1/B2 visa that is valid for 6 months at a time and for several years. Keep in mind that she cannot use this visa to essentially live in the US. If the CBP officer notices that she's using her tourist visa to spend 6 months at a time in the US she will be denied entry. The B1/B2 visa is meant for occasional short trips.

 

 

Thanks man. Great stuff.

 

How is it possible your process was so fast, wow, great! I hope it's so fast for us too.

 

Do you have a Mexican marriage certificate? If so, did you send "only" the short acta de matrimonio i.e. marriage certificate (which has the witness addresses etc), or the other longer version?

 

Cheers

 

 

[Moes78 1]

On 8/5/2017 at 9:37 AM, Dianalorena said:

I've sent the regular acta de nacimiento/birth certificate and it's fine. Had a previous CR1 accepted with it. The one with the parent's names  we don't really have ''long'' birth certificates I think, but we do have longer marriage /original marriage certificates vs ''copia certificada'' (certified copies)  remember to send both the original, the certified, and have all documents translated to English. We did use Rapidvisa but it doesn't make applications go faster (we knew this) we just wanted to have an extra pair of eyes for the file and have a payment plan for the fee, which they provide. They helped us find a few inconsistencies we didn't, so to us it was already money well spent. It is not required but helpful to some people, So that's totally up to you. 

We also did front load the petition with affidavits, pictures and receipts from trips. Pictures are useful, but not the most important supporting evidence: plane tickets/receipts/affidavits are all good supporting documents. 

I am submitting the petition today. But we were thinking the "short" acta de matrimonio/marriage certificate is fine (it's 1 page with some more on the backside). It has all our info, our witnesses, parents info (only for her), and our thumbprints.

 

The other document we got didn't have much valuable info. Do you think this is fine?

Cheers

[Jorge V 195]

1 hour ago, Mo Schmid said:

 

Thanks man. Great stuff.

 

How is it possible your process was so fast, wow, great! I hope it's so fast for us too.

 

Do you have a Mexican marriage certificate? If so, did you send "only" the short acta de matrimonio i.e. marriage certificate (which has the witness addresses etc), or the other longer version?

 

Cheers

 

 

 

Our application is getting processed quickly (about 7 weeks from start to finish) because we're using DCF (direct consular filing). Unfortunately DCF isn't available in Canada, only in these countries: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-immigration-offices .

 

A normal CR-1/IR-1 application is processed through one of five USCIS offices in the US. These offices receive hundreds of thousands of applications a year, leading to backlogs of 8+ months. Once one of these offices processes your app, they'll send it to the NVC (National Visa Center), which not only has its own backlog (4+ months I think), but also introduces delays when shipping your app from USCIS to NVC. The NVC will review your app and if approved, will forward it to your local embassy. This step can also take a few weeks. Add all this together and you get the often quoted 12-14 months.

 

DCF allows you to file directly at one of their international offices listed above if both spouses reside in the relevant country. The benefit is that these offices have a very small backlog. The one in Mexico City, for example, has an official backlog of less than a week. DCF also skips the NVC phase as the international USCIS office forwards your app directly to your embassy. I went from submitted to the equivalent of "Case Complete" (end of NVC phase) in only two weeks. The remaining five weeks have simply been waiting for our interview.

 

As far as marriage certificates, we got married in Mexico and we do have a Mexican marriage certificate. I'm not sure about short vs long though. I wasn't even aware that there were multiple types of marriage/birth certificates in Mexico (I do know that there are different ones in the US). We simply went to the office where we got married and requested certified copies with no mention of long or short. The document itself is larger than letter size ("tamaño oficio" in spanish). It has the list of witnesses and their addresses. Same thing for my wife's birth certificate.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Jorge Valdivia
clarity

[NikLR 13,227]

3 hours ago, Mo Schmid said:

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for that insight. She has the study permit and visa for another year, and there's quite a high chance she needs to extend it to finish the degree. So, another year minimum.

 

What do you think about that timeline?

 

Also, if one says now. CAN and interview in Montreal. But then, it really happens that she's back in Mex at that time. I assume that is fine in general but just takes additional time. Any idea how long?

 

Cheers

A month maybe? 

[Moes78 1]

2 minutes ago, NikLR said:

A month maybe? 

And with one year or more to go, we should file for Montreal, right? Cause we also don't really have an idea when she could be back in Mexico...

[Dianalorena 1,153]

5 hours ago, Mo Schmid said:

I am submitting the petition today. But we were thinking the "short" acta de matrimonio/marriage certificate is fine (it's 1 page with some more on the backside). It has all our info, our witnesses, parents info (only for her), and our thumbprints.

 

The other document we got didn't have much valuable info. Do you think this is fine?

Cheers

I think it should be fine! we didn't want to risk it so we did translate and added the original acta de matrimonio as well as the copia certificada. 

I'm sure considering the ''short'' one has all your info it should be okay  welcome to the crazy wait!