Club Colombia AOS!

[Mononoke28 135]

Oh that's a great idea Dre. Filing for AOS and not submit a document in order to get an RFE but still have it processed before all others who submitted after you did.

And yes, check with your local DMV to see if she can get her driver's license. In Colorado for example, they won't give you the time of day if you don't have at least your EAD in hand. In Florida you were able to get your DL without it but someone told me they changed it recently. Every DMV is different and they may be more flexible in Texas.

Diana

[ColombianoGringo 0]

In Texas you must have a social security number to get a drivers license. Consequently, she won't be able to get one until we file for AOS and she gets her social security card. We might end up following Andrea's suggestion and filing for AOS then simply dragging our feet a bit. She will need to start driving sooner or later, but I am not wild about having to buy another car.

Unfortunately, there are no English classes available at the community colleges around here until the beginning of the spring semester. In the meantime, I got her the full Rosetta Stone system which she is using on a daily basis. It is ridiculously expensive, but by all accounts, it is about the best way to study English. Hopefully, by the new semester starts, she will be ready to take an intermediate Spanish class.

Edited November 4, 2008 by ColombianoGringo

[ColombianoGringo 0]

CG, good to see you again, my tocayo friend.

I don't remember when was the last time I posted, but basically I've enjoyed the first few weeks with my wife at home. It is such an amazing feeling! I am sooo glad the previous stage is over.

She is adjusting to the US, and struggling a bit with the language. For that reason, I decided to apply for AOS and EAD as quickly as possible (there is no way I can drive her to her english classes *need to work*, and I know eventually she'd like to get a job). So I sent all the documents on Oct 16th. Today I got NOA1, dated Oct 22nd. Hopefully we'll be able to start the new year with a SS card.

Both receipts came with "MSC" letters for the case number, but I noticed the National Benefits Center only handles the EAD cases, not the I-485s. Do you know if the case gets transfered to the field office, or how does it work from here?

Thanks, guys.

Juan Carlos.

Hi Juanca,

Glad to hear things are going well with you wife. We just passed our two month since mine arrived and we are also very happy. You might consider starting her off on some computer based training like Rosetta Stone, etc. Good luck with your AOS process.

CG

[Mononoke28 135]

In Texas you must have a social security number to get a drivers license. Consequently, she won't be able to get one until we file for AOS and she gets her social security card. We might end up following Andrea's suggestion and filing for AOS then simply dragging our feet a bit. She will need to start driving sooner or later, but I am not wild about having to buy another car.

Unfortunately, there are no English classes available at the community colleges around here until the beginning of the spring semester. In the meantime, I got her the full Rosetta Stone system which she is using on a daily basis. It is ridiculously expensive, but by all accounts, it is about the best way to study English. Hopefully, by the new semester starts, she will be ready to take an intermediate Spanish class.

I thought she spoke Spanish already.

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

Diana

[ColombianoGringo 0]

Ja Ja. Muy chistosa.

[HAL 9000 96]

Dang that was a little PWNAGE in out very own AOS thread. LOL LOL LOL

[Harold08 0]

Hey guys,

I am now posting over here because i have some serious questions about the AOS process now that my wife has a K3 visa. As mentioned she will be entering the US at JFK on Nov 20, and i wanted to know what she has to watch out for at the POE. I have read that the officer has to give her the I94 and the EAD stamp at the POE. Once she gets this EAD stamp, she still has to file for the EAD document with the I-765? Can she work just showing the stamp? Can she be denied this EAD stamp at the POE? Furthermore, the conditional residence which is given if the AOS is approved before the 2 year anniversary still applies to K3 visa holders or is it just for K1 visa holders? Finally just to make sure that my wife brings the appropriate documents for the AOS, the only things that she has to bring back with an apostille and translation are her birth certificate and our marriage certificate right?

Thanks for the help and sorry for all the questions.

[Mononoke28 135]

Hey guys,

I am now posting over here because i have some serious questions about the AOS process now that my wife has a K3 visa. As mentioned she will be entering the US at JFK on Nov 20, and i wanted to know what she has to watch out for at the POE. I have read that the officer has to give her the I94 and the EAD stamp at the POE. Once she gets this EAD stamp, she still has to file for the EAD document with the I-765? Can she work just showing the stamp? Can she be denied this EAD stamp at the POE? Furthermore, the conditional residence which is given if the AOS is approved before the 2 year anniversary still applies to K3 visa holders or is it just for K1 visa holders? Finally just to make sure that my wife brings the appropriate documents for the AOS, the only things that she has to bring back with an apostille and translation are her birth certificate and our marriage certificate right?

Thanks for the help and sorry for all the questions.

All she has to do when she arrives is show the Immigration officer the sealed envelope the US Embassy mailed her in Colombia. They will then process her paperwork which can take as little as 15 minutes or as long as 3-4 hours, depending on how many people they have and so forth. They will not give her an EAD stamp because K3 visa holders are not eligible for it. But don't worry, in most cases the stamp is useless since it's only valid for 90 days and most people can't find employment right away and if they do, they have to quit until they get their EAD card which can take another 90 days from the day you mail the AOS package.

Conditional permanent residency is given to any person who has been married to the US citizen for less than 2 years, whether they enter the US with a CR1, K3 or K1 visa. This means that 90 days before the conditional residency expires, you will have to file to Remove Conditions.

All she needs to bring from Colombia are a few copies of her birth and marriage certificate with translations. NOTHING needs to be apostilled, even if the translator says they have to have them.

Diana

Edited November 10, 2008 by Mononoke28

[Harold08 0]

Oh wow so nothing needs to have an apostille? That would be great because an apostille takes really long (4-5 days since it goes through Bogota) and it costs like 40000 pesos so it would be great if she can use that money for other stuff. So what's the deal with the apostille? what needs to have it? Thanks.

[HAL 9000 96]

Oh wow so nothing needs to have an apostille? That would be great because an apostille takes really long (4-5 days since it goes through Bogota) and it costs like 40000 pesos so it would be great if she can use that money for other stuff. So what's the deal with the apostille? what needs to have it? Thanks.

An Apostille is for documents more at the government level between different entities of different governments. Its in a matter of speaking, an 'international notary seal' that in a way validates the information in an apostilled document as certifiably accurate and true.

For AOS nothing needs this. And for most professional or academic records to be evaluated in the US, the evaluating agency does the certification part in its evaluation fee.

[Mononoke28 135]

Well, even though it's an international notary stamp or seal, the US doesn't really care for it. If it were the other way around, and you needed your paperwork notarized to take to Colombia for any kind of processing, then you would need the apostille since Colombia is very strict on that policy. The US, not so much, they really don't care.

Now, if you decide to go to an agency in Colombia to have those documents translated, they will be very firm about you paying for the apostille not only for the copies you're taking but the translations as well. To someone with an IQ level of above 50 this will sound very fishy of course and figure out that it's the translating agency's way of getting more money out of you. So don't get them.

Diana

[Harold08 0]

Yep Yep that is exactly what my wife and I figured when a lot of places said that they will not do the translation without the apostille. We found this one place where the guy said it was OK and that the other places do it to just get that extra money but the problem with that place is that everything will take about a week so we are not sure if we can get the papers on time for my wife to come. We'll talk to the guy tomorrow to see if he can get those papers ready before that because we also want to translate her transcripts for High School and the two semesters of University that she did translated so that she will have them ready here. Translations here in the US are ridiculously expensive so we want to avoid that. Hopefully we can work something out so that we don't have to send for the papers later on and pay for delivery to the US and all that.

[Mononoke28 135]

Harold,

Remember that anyone who is proficient in both languages can translate any document, including yourself. Just make sure they certify it.

My husband had his birth and police certificates translated in Bogotá, based on the info I had gathered in the Colombian club thread, I told him not to pay for the apostille. They gave him the same lame answer, that they would not translate the documents if he didn't pay for the apostille. He then pretty much told them that he didn't need them and that he would go somewhere else to have them translated, so either take the money for the translations or lose the money altogether. They obviously took the money and only did the translations. So they CAN do it, if they don't want to do it, that's another thing.

Diana

Edited November 11, 2008 by Mononoke28

[Harold08 0]

Hey guys,

I have a quick question. If i have an original of our marriage certificate from when i submitted it before for the I29F and a copy of the translation [They gave this back at the embassy], can i just submit that for the marriage certificate or does the translation have to be an original? Same goes for her birth certificate.

[HAL 9000 96]

Well, even though it's an international notary stamp or seal, the US doesn't really care for it. If it were the other way around, and you needed your paperwork notarized to take to Colombia for any kind of processing, then you would need the apostille since Colombia is very strict on that policy. The US, not so much, they really don't care.

Now, if you decide to go to an agency in Colombia to have those documents translated, they will be very firm about you paying for the apostille not only for the copies you're taking but the translations as well. To someone with an IQ level of above 50 this will sound very fishy of course and figure out that it's the translating agency's way of getting more money out of you. So don't get them.

Diana

Exactly.

While translating academic transcripts from Colombia, I quickly removed the Apostilla from her records. Its simply not needed here in the States.

If planning on getting government credentials (like certifying your degree) in, say, Spain... then yes its a good idea to get the Apostilla.

Yep Yep that is exactly what my wife and I figured when a lot of places said that they will not do the translation without the apostille. We found this one place where the guy said it was OK and that the other places do it to just get that extra money but the problem with that place is that everything will take about a week so we are not sure if we can get the papers on time for my wife to come. We'll talk to the guy tomorrow to see if he can get those papers ready before that because we also want to translate her transcripts for High School and the two semesters of University that she did translated so that she will have them ready here. Translations here in the US are ridiculously expensive so we want to avoid that. Hopefully we can work something out so that we don't have to send for the papers later on and pay for delivery to the US and all that.

Sheesh. Get to know more VJers... some will translate for a restaurant invite.

Harold,

Remember that anyone who is proficient in both languages can translate any document, including yourself. Just make sure they certify it.

My husband had his birth and police certificates translated in Bogotá, based on the info I had gathered in the Colombian club thread, I told him not to pay for the apostille. They gave him the same lame answer, that they would not translate the documents if he didn't pay for the apostille. He then pretty much told them that he didn't need them and that he would go somewhere else to have them translated, so either take the money for the translations or lose the money altogether. They obviously took the money and only did the translations. So they CAN do it, if they don't want to do it, that's another thing.

Diana

AND... technically an Apostille is only legit if administered by an authorized party of the Government- as a control feature of the Hague Convention that established the Apostille back in the day. Chances are, if its a translator offering it obviously for an extra amount... its not a legit Apostille anyway.

Hey guys,

I have a quick question. If i have an original of our marriage certificate from when i submitted it before for the I29F and a copy of the translation [They gave this back at the embassy], can i just submit that for the marriage certificate or does the translation have to be an original? Same goes for her birth certificate.

The copy should be just fine for AOS. All they really care about is that the information is literal and legible.