Proof of completion of 2-year home residency rule to bring to the US embassy interview

[Katie28 0]

I am curious if anyone has been in a similar situation and what kind of documentation you brought.

About 10 years ago I held a J1 visa and was subject to a 2-year home residency rule. Since then I had gone back to the states on an F1 visa but never completed the home residency rule in its entirety. Fast forward many years from then, I met my now husband while in college in the US. Soon after we got married I, of course, had to go back to my home country to complete my 2-year home residency rule. While doing that my husband and I have successfully filed an I-130 for me and now I have an interview scheduled with the embassy (yay!) for my CR1 visa. By the time of my interview I will have completed my 2-year rule and I am bringing in all the evidence that I can get to prove that I did it. I have all the plane tickets, passport stamps, I-94 travel history, pictures of me at home. I have traveled back home while on my F1 visa many times, so that's a lot of evidence. How much do I really need to bring? Are they even going to look at it? I've heard mixed feedback about this. Some say that they don't ask a single question and others say that the embassies are very strict. Any information would be appreciated! I don't want to have spent this excruciatingly long amount of time without my husband(during a pandemic where he can't even come visit me) to be refused a visa because I missed something.

[aceegreene 34]

Hi Katie - congrats on the interview!

 

So I can speak from my personal experience of having to meet the two year home residency for J1. My case was a bit different in the sense that I met the requirements in two consecutive years instead of including back and forth visits (which is what some people do and seems like you did as well). 
 

What I took to prove my two years was a copy of my return flight ticket from the USA. Copy of entry stamp in my home country upon arrival back from the USA. My DS-2019 stating when my program ended. And of course my passport to show that I never went back to the USA (lack of other USA visas and travel stamps). 
 

The officer didn’t ask much. Only confirmed my return date with me, looked at the entry stamp of my return to my country and that’s it. 
 

Hope this helps.

Edited July 19, 2020 by aceegreene

[pooj97 89]

On 7/19/2020 at 12:27 PM, aceegreene said:

Hi Katie - congrats on the interview!

 

So I can speak from my personal experience of having to meet the two year home residency for J1. My case was a bit different in the sense that I met the requirements in two consecutive years instead of including back and forth visits (which is what some people do and seems like you did as well). 
 

What I took to prove my two years was a copy of my return flight ticket from the USA. Copy of entry stamp in my home country upon arrival back from the USA. My DS-2019 stating when my program ended. And of course my passport to show that I never went back to the USA (lack of other USA visas and travel stamps). 
 

The officer didn’t ask much. Only confirmed my return date with me, looked at the entry stamp of my return to my country and that’s it. 
 

Hope this helps.

When you had your interview, how did the officer know you were subject to the 2-year rule? Did they have the info on their computer/records? Or was it because of your DS-2019 or DS-160?

[aceegreene 34]

28 minutes ago, pooj97 said:

When you had your interview, how did the officer know you were subject to the 2-year rule? Did they have the info on their computer/records? Or was it because of your DS-2019 or DS-160?

My J1 visa says that the 2 year rule does apply.