Starting the Process in a couple of months

[EMMO 2]

Hello, Everyone. Hope y'all are having a good day.

Starting the process and have been through the forum (and the uscis website) but still have some questions (perhaps might have overlooked in some already existing questions) so apologies for that and lengthy post.

 

Our Background

-       My wife is American and I am Indian (holding a valid tourist visa till 2020)

-       We have been together for 4 years and married for over 2 years. We got married in Kenya. We, currently reside in Myanmar (Burma). We plan to apply for the paperwork this year. We have travelled to US together a few times as well.

-       The US Embassy here does not have USCIS field office – Thailand does.

-       My wife has maintained her domicile -  filed taxes regularly (hers are separate from her parents), trips home for summer, bank account, driving license, voting registration etc.

 

Questions

1.     The Thailand US Embassy website says it has jurisdiction over Myanmar immigration. We mailed the Myanmar US Embassy who said we should apply via Chicago. We are sending an email to the Thai US Embassy to confirm the same. Has anybody had any similar experiences living in a 3^rd country?

2.     Can we scan all the documents (forms + supporting documents) and my in laws print it out or do they have to be mailed across ?

3.     If we do apply via Chicago, can we give the address of my in-laws in the US as our mailing address? Mail is a bit unreliable coming in, here in Myanmar.

4.     For the I 130 supporting documents – to show a bonafide marriage, we do have lease agreements here in Myanmar, to show we are living together. We can also open a join account (she gets paid in cash, school deducts taxes at base) Does the Joint account have to be open for a certain time before applying for our I 130? We used to have a joint account when we lived together in Uganda. We have documents to confirm that. Since then, we have moved the funds to India for investment - but in my name only. While moving the funds, both of us had signed the bank documents to release the funds. Can we share these documents? (We of course will be also sharing pictures, airline e-tickets of travel etc.no stubs – would that be a problem?)

5.     When we send the payment along with the I 130 – can my in laws send the money on our behalf from their account or does it have to be from the main sponsors bank account? (we plan to send the entire set of documents to them in the US, and they ll mail it on our behalf)

6.     Since my wife or me will not have a job immediately, my father in law is helping as the joint sponsor (we ll also be staying with them as soon as we get back)

- 6.a does she get counted as part of the household as well – so making it a household size of 4 or just 3, which is, only sponsoring me? (I am aware my wife will also fill an I864)

- 6.b My in laws file their taxes together (he is a self-employed person and she is retired but receives pension) so if my father in law is joint sponsoring me (he fills I864), does my mother in law have to fill the I 864a?

 

 

Thank you for the help, and please correct if I may have noted anything incorrectly above.

Have a good day.

 

Emily and Mohit

[pushbrk 12,881]

4 hours ago, EMMO said:

Hello, Everyone. Hope y'all are having a good day.

Starting the process and have been through the forum (and the uscis website) but still have some questions (perhaps might have overlooked in some already existing questions) so apologies for that and lengthy post.

 

Our Background

-       My wife is American and I am Indian (holding a valid tourist visa till 2020)

-       We have been together for 4 years and married for over 2 years. We got married in Kenya. We, currently reside in Myanmar (Burma). We plan to apply for the paperwork this year. We have travelled to US together a few times as well.

-       The US Embassy here does not have USCIS field office – Thailand does.

-       My wife has maintained her domicile -  filed taxes regularly (hers are separate from her parents), trips home for summer, bank account, driving license, voting registration etc.

 

Questions

1.     The Thailand US Embassy website says it has jurisdiction over Myanmar immigration. We mailed the Myanmar US Embassy who said we should apply via Chicago. We are sending an email to the Thai US Embassy to confirm the same. Has anybody had any similar experiences living in a 3^rd country?

This link indicates non Thailand Residents may file DCF only if they determine "exceptional circumstances" exist.  https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/thailand-uscis-bangkok-field-office

Quote

2.     Can we scan all the documents (forms + supporting documents) and my in laws print it out or do they have to be mailed across ?

Original Signed forms must be mailed.  Everything else is copies.

 

3.     If we do apply via Chicago, can we give the address of my in-laws in the US as our mailing address? Mail is a bit unreliable coming in, here in Myanmar.

Sure

4.     For the I 130 supporting documents – to show a bonafide marriage, we do have lease agreements here in Myanmar, to show we are living together. We can also open a join account (she gets paid in cash, school deducts taxes at base) Does the Joint account have to be open for a certain time before applying for our I 130? We used to have a joint account when we lived together in Uganda. We have documents to confirm that. Since then, we have moved the funds to India for investment - but in my name only. While moving the funds, both of us had signed the bank documents to release the funds. Can we share these documents? (We of course will be also sharing pictures, airline e-tickets of travel etc.no stubs – would that be a problem?)

No Problem

 

Quote

5.     When we send the payment along with the I 130 – can my in laws send the money on our behalf from their account or does it have to be from the main sponsors bank account? (we plan to send the entire set of documents to them in the US, and they ll mail it on our behalf)

Sure

6.     Since my wife or me will not have a job immediately, my father in law is helping as the joint sponsor (we ll also be staying with them as soon as we get back)

- 6.a does she get counted as part of the household as well – so making it a household size of 4 or just 3, which is, only sponsoring me? (I am aware my wife will also fill an I864)

No

Quote

- 6.b My in laws file their taxes together (he is a self-employed person and she is retired but receives pension) so if my father in law is joint sponsoring me (he fills I864), does my mother in law have to fill the I 864a?

Yes, best practice is to include the "a" as well.

Quote

 

 

Thank you for the help, and please correct if I may have noted anything incorrectly above.

Have a good day.

 

Emily and Mohit

See answers inserted above.

Edited January 15, 2018 by pushbrk

[EMMO 2]

Hi Pushbrk,

 

Thank you for your clarity and response. Missed the drop down on the USCIS website, appreciate it.

Have a good day.

 

Thanks