Scandi

It was hit or miss if the agencies used my middle names or not on my different documents (often they didn't because I had two middle names and they just wouldn't fit, the US isn't made for more than one middle name). Didn't matter for the N-400, didn't matter what the documents showed, I just put my entire name with middle names and all. The IO changed several things on my form at the interview, but I don't remember her changing anything in regards to my names. Either way, it can all be changed at the interview if they IO feels that it should. What you put in the form is a non-issue.

You're still married, so legally he has the right to be in the house too, yes. Changing the locks and not giving him the key will be illegal, don't give him any reasons to sue you. As for USCIS, no you won't face any issues if you don't let him move back in. But there is no "let him", as per law he has the right to be in your martial home, unless you have court documents showing otherwise (like restraining order etc).

Okay, you write in the very first sentence in your first post that you used the calculator tool, hence my reply. Either way, definitely file online. Much easier and "safer" than filing on paper. You don't have to worry about your application disappearing in the mail, you don't have to wait to get your acceptance letter (NOA1), you get all of your documents straight in your online account etc. You can also upload documents as you go, the entire time your application is pending, as you gather more evidence each month. The online form is also a lot less confusing than the paper form.

It specifically says this exact thing in the uscis EARLY filing calculator that you used.

Nobody but citizens are guaranteed entry into the US. It has always been like that, nothing has changed.

You have the exact same chances of being let into the US now as you did in March of last year. The reason you hear about denials in media now is because it wasn't news worthy until January 20, even if it happened at the exact same rate. Nothing has changed for you, it's all still the same.

I don't see anything in your post that would cause you any problems. You might get asked questions, which is normal, but I don't see any issues.

Back in 2016 when I applied for my K-1, the embassy only had K-1 interviews on Thursdays, and only 2 applicants per Thursday. So about ~8 K-1 visa interviews a month. It wasn't difficult getting an appointment either, so I'm assuming there isn't a big interest for K-1s in Scandinavia.

We've all been there. And afterwards I bet the majority of us were like "What did I even stress so much about? This wasn't nearly as difficult as I had imagined.". I almost had to travel to another country for my interview, going from Skåne to Sweden... 😆 And just four days before my interview they emailed me from the embassy and asked if I could do my interview three days earlier than expected since they were going to be closed on the day of my original appointment. So I had to buy new train tickets (and the first ones were obviously non-refundable) and book a different night at the hotel. It worked out in the end, but any change is stressful, especially when it comes to the interview itself.

It's been a few years since I went through the process (2016), so it may have changed a bit. It took close to 40 days for us to get our case number from NVC (we started calling NVC at around 30 days after our i-129f approval), I'm thinking these days you might not be able to call, but have to use their message function? My US fiance did get a letter from NVC with the case number etc, but that took months. Because we called we got the case number much faster and I could schedule a medical appointment quickly (the appointments are hard to get, there was only two clinics in entire Sweden to choose from - nowadays I think there's only one? So you might have to wait a long while to have the medical). The date of the medical is also the date your visa expiry date is based on - your visa will only be valid for 6 months from the date of the medical, so don't do the medical too early in case you need more time to get things in order at home before you move. I had my medical 2 business day before my interview, it takes 2 weeks for the embassy to receive the medical report from the date of your medical appointment. Once you have your case number you can check your status here: https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/ (I remember my status going from "in transit" to "ready" once the embassy had received the petition from NVC). The K-1 visa is considered an immigrant visa, so when you check your status you choose "immigrant visa". I, the beneficary, did not receive anything from the embassy. It was my then US fiance who got the email with the checklist of things to do and to bring to the interview (likely because they had his info from the petition, since it was his petition). He just forwarded the email to me. This is the checklist we received: SE ID: STK(case number) APPLICANT: S Dear Visa Applicant, This office has received a petition entitling you to a “K-1” nonimmigrant visa classification as an alien proceeding to the United States to marry an American citizen. Please note that the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm is processing applicants legally residing in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. To prepare for your interview appointment with a consular officer, please read and carefully follow the instructions below. We encourage you to schedule your appointment as soon as possible as we need to process your application within the validity of the I-129F petition. We also request that the applicant reviews a copy the submitted I-129F petition (attached in this e-mail) IMPORTANT: The U.S. Embassy in Stockholm has implemented several changes in the visa procedures that affect fiancé(e) K1 visa applicants. The scheduling and collection of application fee will be done through http://www.ustraveldocs.com/se as of January 18, 2014 . CHECKLIST ( ) FEE: There is a $265 fee for each visa application. The fee will be paid through http://www.ustraveldocs.com/se ( ) COMPLETED DS-160 ONLINE APPLICATION FORM. All fiancé(e) visa applicants and their children must complete one DS-160 each in order to apply for a K1/K2 visa and seek an appointment. The form can be accessed at: https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/ You must: 1) complete the online visa application and 2) print the application form confirmation page to bring to your interview. All questions on the forms must be answered. Kindly also note that all applicants (including residents of Denmark and Norway) must select Stockholm, Sweden as the location where the visa will be sought. ( ) PASSPORT: A passport must be valid for travel to the United States and must have at least six months validity beyond the issuance date of the visa. ( ) BIRTH CERTIFICATE: Please provide the original birth certificate from country of birth (Sweden). Please request an extract of the population register from the Swedish Tax Agency (Personbevis). The certificate must state the date and place of birth and the names of both parents. Please request the English version. ( ) POLICE CERTIFICATES: Each applicant aged 16 years or over, is required to submit a police certificate from the appropriate judicial or police authorities from the country of the applicant’s nationality or current residence where the applicant has resided for at least six months since attaining the age of sixteen, as well as from all other countries where the applicant has resided for at least one year, or more since attaining the age of sixteen. For countries not maintaining national police records, a certificate must be obtained from each locality. A police certificate must also be obtained from the police authorities of any place where the applicant has been arrested for any reason, regardless of the length of residence. For information on how to obtain a police certificate from a specific country, please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/reciprocity-by-country.html Please note that there is a fee of 192SEK to obtain a police certificate from Sweden: www.polisen.se ( ) COURT AND PRISON RECORDS: Persons convicted of a crime must obtain a certified copy of each court record and any prison record, regardless that they may have benefited from an amnesty pardon. ( ) PHOTOGRAPHS: Two (2) identical color photographs are required. The photographs must be full face photo, taken within the past six months. The photographs should measure 2 inches square (roughly 50 mm square) with the head centered in the frame. ( ) MARRIAGE TERMINATION/DIVORCE DECREE(S): If you or your fiancé(e) were married previously, obtain one certified copy of the divorce decree(s) or death certificate(s) to prove the dissolution of each of such prior marriage. Please note that your I-129F petition only included a copy of petitioner’s divorce decree so we must request that you bring the original court certified divorce decree for your interview at the U.S. Embassy. ( ) EVIDENCE OF SUPPORT: Evidence, which will show that you and your children, if any, are not to become public charges in the United States. If you have no assets, you may find a financial sponsor in the U.S. who completes form I-134, Affidavit of Support on your behalf. The sponsor should also provide a copy of the most recent U.S. Federal income tax return (1040) and proof of current U.S. income or assets. Form I-134 can be obtained from Citizenship and Immigration Services’ webpage www.uscis.gov ( ) MEDICAL EXAMINATION: Arrange for a medical examination with one of the Embassy approved panel physicians listed on: http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Medical/STK%20-%20Stockholm.pdf You are responsible for the cost of the examination. A medical examination is also required for each child who will accompany you. This medical examination will also be accepted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service for adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence. ( ) EVIDENCE OF RELATIONSHIP: You will be required to submit evidence that you have previously met your fiancé(e), and proof of a valid fiancé(e) relationship with your petitioner. It is, therefore, useful to bring with you letters, written correspondence, phone records, photographs, or other evidence of your engagement and proof of on-going contact. Please note that you will not be allowed to bring your phone, tablet or computer to your interview. If you communicate through Skype/Viber/WhatsApp etc – you may want to present screenshots of some of the communication. We also kindly ask all our applicants to read following pamphlet: http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Humanitarian/Battered%20Spouse,%20Children%20%26%20Parents/IMBRA%20Pamphlet%20Final%2001-07-2011%20for%20Web%20Posting.pdf ( ) TRANSLATIONS: All documents not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. IMPORTANT: HOW TO GET YOUR VISA/DOCUMENTS MAILED: ( ) REGISTRATION OF ADDRESS. For residents of Sweden: Fiancé (e) visa applicants residing in Sweden will have to register their Swedish address and choose their visa pick-up location when they book the appointment online. Please bring proof of your registration (your UID confirmation number) at the time of interview. Please note that you must bring one certified interpreter if you do not speak English well enough to participate unassisted in the visa interview. IMPORTANT: Once you have completed the DS-160 application form and have all documents in order, please register and create an account at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/se in order to schedule your appointment and pay your visa application fee Note: All the collected documents are to be presented at the final interview. Do not send any collected documents to this office unless specifically requested to do so. Sincerely, Immigrant Visa Unit Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 31 115 89 Stockholm E-mail: stkivinfo@state.gov ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED FOR AN APPOINTMENT YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE IMMIGRANT VISA UNIT. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE U.S. EMBASSY, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO STAND IN THE LINE FOR IMMIGRANTS/U.S. CITIZENS AND NOT IN THE LINE FOR NON-IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANTS. We hope this information is useful to you. Should you require further assistance, please submit an inquiry via: stkivinfo@state.gov For post specific instructions regarding arrival at the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, please see: http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Supplemental/STK%20-%20Stockholm.pdf Security and Access Warning For security reasons, visa applicants and American Citizen Services customers are not allowed to bring luggage, bags, cell phones, other electronic devices, or any items that are not relevant to your business with us (with the exception of one small purse, or items to care for babies). If you have prohibited items with you, you will not be allowed to enter the Embassy and may need to reschedule your appointment. The following items are not permitted in the Embassy: · Cameras · Cell phones · Laptops · Any other electronics, such as MP3 players, iPods, etc. · Large shopping bags · Luggage, backpacks, briefcases · Tools of any size, such as a leatherman, or Swiss army knife · Weapons of any kind All visitors to the Embassy are subject to airport-type screening. When planning your visit here, bring only what is needed for your business with the Consular Section to speed security screening. All items are subject to inspection and your wait time at the Embassy depends on the items you and other visitors bring. We do not have storage facilities at the Embassy. We suggest you make use of storage facilities at the main bus/train station in Stockholm (Centralstationen) or at the airport. Cellphones may be stored in lockers at the entrance, will be returned upon your departure from the Consular Section. We appreciate your cooperation in making your visit to the Embassy as smooth as possible.

You bring your tax return transcripts because paying taxes is part of "good moral character", and your transcripts show that you have filed and if you owe or not. So they should always be brought (federal and state, preferably), even if they sometimes don't look at them. I had already uploaded every single transcript in my online account, so the IO only asked to see the latest tax return I had brought with me to the interview. Since we had filed our taxes just a couple of days prior to my interview, there wasn't a transcript available yet. The IO scanned the entire 50-page tax return I brought.

Same, after the initial petition/visa you kind of realize it's not THAT bad/difficult, and things feel easier and much less stressful. The N-400 is by far the easiest of them all.

Only ONE of them is LEGAL in the eyes of USCIS, so what you're saying is that there aren't two marriages. Only ONE legal wedding/marriage and then some random ceremony.

One date is for WHEN he became a citizen, the other date is only when the PROOF of his citizenship was issued. So obviously you go with the date he BECAME a citizen, not the date the certificate was printed. If you have been LEGALLY married more than once, you need to upload the divorce decree for each marriage that ended. You cannot LEGALLY marry a second time without divorcing first.

One date is for WHEN he became a citizen, the other date is only when the PROOF of his citizenship was issued. So obviously you go with the date he BECAME a citizen, not the date the certificate was printed.

I don't know of anybody that brought certified tax transcripts. We all just upload and/or bring the print-out versions from IRS website.

Would overstaying and working illegally on a tourist visa really stop someone from getting a family based immigrant visa? I don't know, just seems a little odd if that's the only issue here.

Sounds like they failed you based on not understanding what you answered on the form? You can only fill out the form if you understand what each question means, sometimes the IO will ask you to define certain words or questions off of the form, to make sure that you understand the questions you answered.

Aside from what has been mentioned, I'd also bring my USC spouse's passport or original birth certificate/naturalization certificate (or certified copy of the certificate). Just in case.

Go ahead and file jointly. I moved to the US in late October 2016, got married in November 2016 and we filed jointly for that year. I didn't have a greencard or any status at all (just authorized stay due to the pending AOS). I had my SSN though, which made things a lot easier. The more years she files taxes, the more evidence she'll have for ROC (and AOS interview if she hasn't had one yet).

Even without you, he can still go through with the i-751, change it from a joint petition to a divorce waiver. You're still on the hook for the affidavit of support, either way. You can certainly notify USCIS about it, they may request that he comes in for an interview (spouses need to be there for these interviews if it's a joint petition).

I'm talking about terrorist ties that you might not know about. Not saying that's what it is, I don't know anything, but clearly they have found something. When you read all the crazy stories on here about how little many spouses actually know each other, you tend to keep that in the back of your mind. Anything's possible.

Makes you wonder if hubby has secrets OP doesn't know about.

Yes, crazy expensive here. They claim that the certificate is "only" $17, but then you're also forced to pay a $9 "handling fee". It takes up to 8 weeks to get your marriage recorded in L.A. county (before that you can't get the certificate), we were lucky that it "only" took 4 weeks. We got married in the end of November 2016, and in December USCIS raised their fees. We managed to ship our AOS off 1 day before the new fees took effect, the same day our marriage was finally recorded and we could go pick up our certificate. 🤪

It's nasty Los Angeles, nothing is cheap here. 🤢 We have only needed one, we have used it in person for everything. Immigration interviews, bank meetings, SSA appointments etc. Not a bad idea to have more if something happens to that one though. Especially if they're only $7 each. 😄