Filing an IR1/CR1 from within Germany

[Mr_B 3]

Good luck!

Just a reminder -- you can start the process without, but when the time comes to fill out I-864 for your wife you'll need your most recent US tax return (probably 2017). 

[NikLR 13,227]

3 hours ago, Mr_B said:

Good luck!

Just a reminder -- you can start the process without, but when the time comes to fill out I-864 for your wife you'll need your most recent US tax return (probably 2017). 

You need to have filed the last 3 years but present the most recebt.  Domicile and sponorship may also be an issue for the op. 

[nsankary 3]

9 minutes ago, NikLR said:

You need to have filed the last 3 years but present the most recebt.  Domicile and sponorship may also be an issue for the op. 

I will be able to provide my tax returns for 2017, however, I do not have tax returns for the last three years because I was filed as a dependent with my parents. I haven't looked into it much, but I just assumed I will need them to be co-sponsors and can provide their tax returns for the last year, and previous three years.

 

I am a bit concerned with the domicile condition because I have been away from the US for 4.5 years, and I am a resident of Germany as the condition to be able to do DCF with the Frankfurt office.

 

However, I have been away from the US enrolled as a student for the entire 4.5 years, which I have read supports being domiciled more favorably. Also, I have maintained and used my US credit card and bank account the whole time while abroad, renewed my US driving license, and I have closed all bank accounts that I had while studying in Israel. I guess the question is to try to prove I have been domiciled, or that I have intent to move permanently to the US?

 

We had previously not considered the US an option due to the timeline that we would be in Germany and the long timeline of doing the process through the mail, so we were previously considering to start the ~1.5 year process from somewhere that we planned to be for at least 2 years. Knowing that it is possible to do the process "quickly" from Germany opens up the job search in the US, which we now consider the most important once the I-130 is submitted, and hopefully, a job would support being/intending to be US domiciled and the means of support conditions. 

[NikLR 13,227]

Intent to reestablish domicile is pretty easy.  Where are you going to live? Have you applied for any jobs? Schooling? Do you still have a US bank account?

 

Since you have a joint sponsor that makes it easier.

 

 

[nsankary 3]

Hi everyone,

 

We have begun putting together out package to petition for the I-130. I am wondering if anyone can explain or confirm the payment process for the Frankfurt field office. 

 

I went to my bank today (sparkasse) to ask about the options for a cashiers check, dollar money order, or International bank draft, as stated on the Frankfurt field office website. The bank was not sure how to deal with any of these options, but eventually we found out that Sparkasse can compose a check, or a "verrechnungsscheck" that can be written out to the department of homeland security. 

 

Does anyone have experience with this specific check or know if this will be accepted? Has a different method been preferred to pay this from within Germany?

 

Thanks again

[Jorge V 195]

1 hour ago, nsankary said:

Hi everyone,

 

We have begun putting together out package to petition for the I-130. I am wondering if anyone can explain or confirm the payment process for the Frankfurt field office. 

 

I went to my bank today (sparkasse) to ask about the options for a cashiers check, dollar money order, or International bank draft, as stated on the Frankfurt field office website. The bank was not sure how to deal with any of these options, but eventually we found out that Sparkasse can compose a check, or a "verrechnungsscheck" that can be written out to the department of homeland security. 

 

Does anyone have experience with this specific check or know if this will be accepted? Has a different method been preferred to pay this from within Germany?

 

Thanks again

I do not have experience with payment in Frankfurt, but my experience with payment while doing DCF in Mexico was similar. I went to several banks and none were able to issue a cashier's check that met the requirements. I ended up asking my mom in the US to get a cashier's check at her local bank and overnight it to me.

[nsankary 3]

6 hours ago, Jorge V said:

I do not have experience with payment in Frankfurt, but my experience with payment while doing DCF in Mexico was similar. I went to several banks and none were able to issue a cashier's check that met the requirements. I ended up asking my mom in the US to get a cashier's check at her local bank and overnight it to me.

Having poked around little bit it seems that this is a common issue in Germany since the credit card payment method was closed. Ironically, in unrelated plans I have family from the US visiting next week and I am going to have them bring cashiers checks from wells fargo. It seems the easiest way to go at this point.

[nsankary 3]

Hello everyone,

 

Just wanted to provide an update for anyone who may be looking for the same questions that I had when beginning (and initially posed on this post).

 

We received the NOA2 from the USCIS field office in frankfurt last week on Thursday. 

 

Our official I-130 processing dates: 

Filed: March 23, 2018

Approved: May 18, 2018

 

Info about our submission:

We methodically filled in all of the required forms, take your time.  We married in the US so our certificate was already in English. We had a german friend translate all documents and proofs of residency in Germany. They simply signed their name on the documents and stated that they are fluent in English and German.

 

The major questions that we were unsure of were proving a bonafide relationship. We provided official documents about our bank accounts that we have shared over the years, copies of our signed lease, and about 20 captioned pictures that spanned our entire 3 year relationship. 

 

We had a large number of german documents that were really dense text and "uninformative" as far as our relationship goes, for example a german lease. We only translated selected portions of these documents, such as the first and last page our our lease contract, and the first and last page of the documentation from opening our bank account.  That seems to have worked fine, and we never got an RFE even though the entire document was not translated.

 

To submit the pictures, printed them off at a local DM, and then glued two pictures to a page of A4 paper, and wrote by hand a 1-2 sentence caption. We also submitted a 1 page letter that I wrote by hand to tell our story chronologically that referenced the pictures.

 

A major problem that arose was paying the USCIS fee. I was very lucky that my parents were visiting me right around the same time that we were submitting, and so they brought with me a US cashiers check that I ordered from Wells Fargo. Unfortunately, that is not so helpful for someone without this possibility, but I did not find a whole lot of information about what exactly is accepted since the credit card method has been removed.

 

For the office, I combined everything with a two hole punch fastener on the top (one of these: http://syngularonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/plastic-fastner.jpg) and on the bottom pages i labeled and indexed everything with 3m post it note tags (these: https://officelandng.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/650x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/2/0/209.083_-3.jpg).

 

I hope this post helps a bit for others submitting, and if anyone has questions as I did, I will try to offer any advice I can.