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top_secret

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  • City
    San Diego
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    California

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  • Immigration Status
    Naturalization (pending)
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    San Diego CA
  • Country
    Philippines

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  1.    OldUser reacted to a post in a topic: N-400 July 2024 Filers
  2. top_secret
    Passports completed with expedited appointments at the passport agency this morning. Both wife and daughters passport applications now show completed online with will call pickup of the actual passports scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. They did give us a little more hassle than we expected on proving actual custody of my wife's daughter for her derivative citizenship. They were fine with her Philippine birth certificate showing only one parent as proof of sole legal custody. But while we had insurance documents, state ID and several other proof of her living with us at our address, they still insisted on us getting additional school records for her. But, they let us drop by her school and then e-mail attendance and enrolment records so it still all got sorted today. Tomorrow afternoon they should have actual US Passports on hand. Generally we'd give a really positive review for the San Diego Passport Agency too. They seemed friendly and efficient.
  3.    top_secret reacted to a post in a topic: N-400 July 2024 Filers
  4.    top_secret reacted to a post in a topic: N-400 July 2024 Filers
  5.    Kai G. Llewellyn reacted to a post in a topic: N-400 July 2024 Filers
  6.    JeanneAdil reacted to a post in a topic: Why are people getting rejected on assets only?
  7.    Scott001 reacted to a post in a topic: N-400 July 2024 Filers
  8.    TBoneTX reacted to a post in a topic: Bank Account Queries
  9.    top_secret reacted to a post in a topic: N400 Online Application: Child Evidence
  10.    top_secret reacted to a post in a topic: N400 - Extension letter, expired green card.
  11. top_secret
    Just being an authorized user DOES create a credit score and immediately starts building credit so it is definitely a good thing (so long as it is authorized user on a good account). My wife had a 750+ credit score before she ever arrived or even had a Social Security number. Where it becomes more important is getting that new Social Security number imputed into one's credit file so a good score can be put to use. Once you have a credit score and it is good you need some creditor to input the Social Security number into the file for it to be of much use. We found Capital One does that if you input an Social Security number and upgrade an authorized user to "account administrator". Discover 'might'. Not sure.
  12.    OldUser reacted to a post in a topic: N400 - Extension letter, expired green card.
  13. top_secret
    Extension letters are supposed to be the original copy. CBP would be unlikely to give you any grief about a copy but airlines may be more strict.
  14.    top_secret reacted to a post in a topic: Does my Armenian marriage certificate need an apostille before I apply?
  15.    OldUser reacted to a post in a topic: N400 Online Application: Child Evidence
  16.    top_secret reacted to a post in a topic: N-400 July 2024 Filers
  17. top_secret
    We just clicked "next", the warning popped up, we decided it doesn't apply to us since there are no children who live apart from us, ignored the warning, clicked next again and went on. My wife was approved earlier today with no questions on the subject at all other than that her daughter is living here with us.
  18.    top_secret reacted to a post in a topic: FILIPINA DIVORCED IN USA BUT NOT RECOGNIZED IN PH
  19.    top_secret reacted to a post in a topic: FILIPINA DIVORCED IN USA BUT NOT RECOGNIZED IN PH
  20.    top_secret reacted to a post in a topic: N-400 July 2024 Filers
  21.    top_secret reacted to a post in a topic: N-400 July 2024 Filers
  22.    Myko87 reacted to a post in a topic: Why are people getting rejected on assets only?
  23. top_secret
    I probably follow some of the same FB groups and I have seen several very real recent cases where people weren't outright rejected, but did get 221g's that they struggled to answer in very similar circumstances. Enough cases to say it is a pattern and a problem at US Embassy Manila. But in my opinion, the underlying common thread to all of those cases is that they had been supporting themselves with assets while living with their spouses in the Philippines for protracted periods of time. It seems US Embassy Manila definitely does not like that particular profile. But for those who overcame the 221g it seemed the way forward was to provide extremely detailed plans of the minutia about how they intend to resume life and fully support themselves in the US. I feel the best proactive approach would be to go in strong in the first place with a case that they are fully maintaining a life and are already easily supporting themselves in the US. The assets should be seen as actively providing their means of their support in the US rather than just a balance in a bank.
  24.    Stt reacted to a post in a topic: N-400 July 2024 Filers
  25.    Fenja reacted to a post in a topic: N-400 July 2024 Filers
  26. top_secret
    Well Success!!!! kind of. My wife is now a US Citizen!!!!! However when it came to the name change they easily talked her out of it. She has been trying to change her name since she got here. Social Security previously denied a name change telling her USCIS must sign off on it first due to a Costa Rica Marriage Certificate. I had extensively coached her to argue her name is already changed due to the marriage but even if they wouldn't accept that just go with a judicial name change but.... The interviewing office suggested it's 'simpler' not to change her name and all that went out the window and she agreed not to change her name during naturalization. So now she is a US Citizen, with her maiden name and a 4 year old Costa Rica Marriage Certificate that has already been rejected as a name change document by Social Security. Tomorrow morning we have an expedited appointment at the Passport Agency. We'll try the name change there but I'm not optimistic. California DMV is quite specific that they require Social Security to change a name before they will. Court name changes in California cost like $600 and take months. It seems like she is stuck with her maiden name at this point. But otherwise the naturalization went extremely easily.
  27. top_secret
    It's better than what we submitted and we got approved. I'd throw in car insurance and if you have joint car registration or titles.
  28. top_secret
    I would rephrase that just slightly because it seems like you totally live in the US and are just temporarily visiting the Philippines??? On the bright side, the latest batch of interview letters that just went out included April 2024 DQ dates so it seems they are finally making some progress reducing the interview backlog at US Embassy Manila.
  29. top_secret
    Technically they should probably carry the extension letter but in reality even an expired green card would generally suffice. If they really wanted to get serious they could and would confirm status based on 'any' green card. We live in Southern CA and hit interior checkpoints out in the desert with some regularity and they never gave us any grief.
  30. top_secret
    People are still getting approved but you are correct that they sometimes run into issues. You should build a strong case for domicile in the US. It is not so much the assets that US Embassy Manila is challenging, rather it is the domicile issue. In similar cases some people have found themselves scrambling to answer a 221g after an interview about EXACTLY how they intend to re-establish domicile in the US after a protracted visit to the Philippines.
  31. top_secret
    Anecdotally, US Embassy Manilla has been taking a hard line on domicile recently. There are multiple recent examples of persons who lived with spouses in the Philippines during the immigration process running up against very serious issues attempting to prove domicile when the time comes. It is perhaps far less of an issue of assets or income, and more an issue of proving one is actually currently supporting themselves IN THE US. Assets may be fine if you have conclusive evidence you are using them to support yourself in the US. If you have been living on assets in the Philippines it may be problematic and require a really detailed plan of how you would support yourself in the US.
  32. top_secret
    It sounds like you took exactly the good advice that they gave you. Of course you must fully disclose it and the interviewing consul would know all about it. But I can't see how it would be the slightest issue. You literally did exactly what they said you should do.
  33. top_secret
    Well, tomorrow is a big day for Visa Journey. My wife interviews in San Diego. We feel highly confident she will pass but are not 100% confident her change to married name would allow a same day oath. To us, it seems it is a mater settled by the marriage certificate and doesn't require a judge, so a same day administrative oath is possible. But we shall see. But amongst other VJ members there are six others who also have N400 interviews listed on their timelines for tomorrow, November 19, too. So good luck and best wishes to all. @top_secret San Diego Philippines YEA!!!! @raizujukishi San Diego Philippines @jm17 Honolulu Philippines @Scott001 Honolulu China @theprocess01 Philadelphia Dominican Republic @hQEMA66czy Chicago Turkey @Kai G. Llewellyn Seattle Canada Best wishes to everyone. November 19, 2024 is a good day.😁
  34. top_secret
    In the past that particular issue has been complicated. The best advice was to get it notarized in the Philippines while carefully requesting that half the page be left empty for notarization overseas. In our own case, we traveled to Peru together and got notarized in Cusco together. 😂🤣 But more recently it seems the Philippine Embassy in SF is accepting notarization of only the American party which makes it really easy. Since you are actually IN SF. I'd make an appointment and go down there and pay. It's probably 80% just a way they raise revenue and 20% actual Philippine law that it is wise to comply too.
  35. top_secret
    CFO will probably hassle her and give her a hard time about not having a ROM. But, they still have to let her go. It's not a show stopper. If you want to appease them, file it now. She would probably have the temporary copy back in time and that would make CFO happy. Otherwise, don't worry to much about it. Expect they might complain and try to make her feel bad about not doing it, but not actually do anything to stop her from traveling.
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