Newbie with Questions about the process

[Bassi and Zainab 1]

I hope you guys can help me answer some questions.

Does anyone know how I can get a copy of the instructions and information sheet for the packets 3 and 4?

Does the police certificate have to be on a form? What exactly is that asking for?

Does anyone have experience with the Ghana Consulate? Do our fiances have to get medical exams before they can leave the country or is that done in the US after they arrive? If they have to do it before they leave Ghana, is there a form or specific dr or can he just go to his regular dr? I read some information that said that immunizations can be completed in the US, but it didn't state if there was some level of the process that needed to be completed prior to arriving in the US with the visa. I'm wondering if he can just go to his dr now and have a form completed if necessary.

If the visa takes more than 4 months to be issued after NOA2, are we required to file a request for extension or will they take responsibility and extended it on our behalf? I guess I'm wondering if I should be keeping an official clock and contacting them. I'm only at NOA1 but I want to know in advance if I need to be tracking something specifically and acting.

With the I-134, anyone find that they regularly ask for extra of certain information, like tax returns? And I'm curious, if you go back three years, I filed joint returns with my now ex-husband. Do I send those returns in? Had anyone had experience with this?

If your fiance has a passport, do they also need a birth certificate? I know here in the US if you have your passport, you don't need a bc.

I know I asked a lot of questions. I appreciate any help anyone would be willing to share. Thanks.

[YuAndDan 153]

1) P3, and P4 instructions are consulate specific, P3 tends to instruct you to gether required doucments, P4 tends to have forms needed for the interview and invite to the consulate.

2) Police cert is a form issued by the local police dept.

Police Records

Ghana Police Clearance Certificate: Available. Residents of Ghana should report to the headquarters branch of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Ghana Police Authority in Accra, where a fingerprint sample will be taken. Cost for preparation of the certificate is approximately $7 USD (higher for expedited service), payable in local currency, for preparation within 7 days.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/reciproc...ocity_3568.html

3) Medical exam is required to be done before the visa interview, P4 directions usualy specifies where and when. For K-Visas Immunizations can be done in the USA, but if they have been done in foreign country you will want a record from a doctor. Requirements: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/ty...tml#Vaccination

4) Most consulates will routinely extend the K-1 petitions if they cannot schedule an interview within the 4 months of the K-1 NOA2. You can send them the form letter provided in the VJ examples to request the extension. In our case China take more than 4 months with every immigrant visa and that consulate extends ever K-1 automatically.

5) You are only required by most consulates to provide past year's IRS data.

The I-134 is an old document that USCIS has not updated in years.

The consulate tends to treat the I-134 like a mini-I-864 as so prefer the same financial evidence as the I-864.

In our case this what the I-134 included.

• I-134 signed and notarized.

• SIMPLE Tax transcripts from the IRS for past 3 years, (Redundant for the (1040,W2,1099) but are free from the IRS http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq1-6.html

• Photo copy of IRS form 1040, and W2s for past 3 years (Not necessary if you provide the transcripts)

• Letter from my employer stating annual salary, job responsibility, and that is full time, on company letterhead.

• Photo copies of past month or so of pay stubs up to a few weeks before the interview.

My income was well above 125% povertyline so I did not include any asset data (LIKE BANK STATEMENTS or property values).

6) They need both passport and birth cert, also have extra copies of the birth cert, it will be needed later in the USA when applying for marriage license, SSN, adjusting status, ect..

Birth Certificates

Available. Persons over l8 years of age must apply in person at the appropriate Registrar's Office. Records of registrations more than one year old are deposited with the Office of the Registrar of Births and Deaths for Ghana, C/O Ministry of Local Government, P.O. Box M.270, Accra, Ghana.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/reciproc...ocity_3568.html

Most of these questions are answered in the FAQ.

Edited September 19, 2007 by YuAndDan

[Bassi and Zainab 1]

Most of these questions are answered in the FAQ.

Thank you very much for your response. I did read all of the FAQs. But these were questions that I didn't get a full understanding of from what I read. I appreciate that you included links in your response, so now I have another place that I can go and look if I have future questions. Sorry if I was a bother.

[YuAndDan 153]

Most of these questions are answered in the FAQ.

Thank you very much for your response. I did read all of the FAQs. But these were questions that I didn't get a full understanding of from what I read. I appreciate that you included links in your response, so now I have another place that I can go and look if I have future questions. Sorry if I was a bother.

No bother at all, if it were I would have just kept it short and said look at the guides and FAQ, I did not do that.

[polarbear 0]

YuAndDan gave good information, but just to add a little....

1. The medical needs to be given by one of the doctors on the list they send you of "approved" doctors for the consulate. It's usally a really small list and only in the large cities. They have all the right forms (they are all in english) and will make sure it's done properly. If someone can provide you with this list now, the medical generally does not expire for at least 6 months (but you will still want to ask)

2. Ofiical documents in another language (such as birth certificate and police certificate) will need to be translated into english.

3. Keep in mind also that you will have to provide sufficient proof of continuing relationship during the interview (more then you have already for the initial application) So you might want to start saving emails, send him/her some letters, save phone bills, ect.... They need proof of ongoing relationship dated after the initial application.

4. Most consulates will automatically extend your aproval if the interview if it is not possible within 4 months (always good to check though), but the packet 3 information must be turned in and processed before that date for the approval to be extended.

5. Police records from other countries can take a very long time to get.... so if he/she has ever lived in another country for more than 8 months (correct on the time?) it would be good to start requesting it now. That one cause me alot of delays.

6. P3 and P4 are different for alot of countries (only on the little details) so you might want to make sure you have the most recent info for the P3 for your specific country.

[YuAndDan 153]

4. Most consulates will automatically extend your aproval if the interview if it is not possible within 4 months (always good to check though), but the packet 3 information must be turned in and processed before that date for the approval to be extended.

Not exactly, in our case P3 was sent out by the consulate after the NOA2 expiration date, again slow consulates tend to extend the NOA2 expiration date automatically/

[Bassi and Zainab 1]

Great! Thanks for the information. I understand a little better now. I think I may ask on my portal since I know someone there just got through the interview this week. Maybe while it's hot, they'll remember some things that could help me. The Consulate website had some information, but not much specific. They almost seemed to have the information there that they had to have and nothing more. But I guess that's better than nothing. I've started working on the I134 but Bassi wants to keep busy when he's not working. So, he can get the police certificate. He just had to do a physical with x-rays and blood work and I was thinking maybe that could be used. But nothing is ever that easy right? Can't blame a girl for wishing.