EatBulaga

VJ stats for AOS is at https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/aosstats.php Did you use a check or credit card to see if the payment went through?

I also recommend stopping by Seafood City Supermarket. If it is anything like the one in Las Vegas or LA, she will want to stock up on Filipino goods there. As for contacting other Filipinas, it started when she was still overseas and I saw a few YouTube and Facebook Filipinas talking about their K1 journey. I just asked her to contact them for help or support since we had just started then. Some responded to her, but many did not. That's okay--nothing gained, nothing lost. After she got to the US and we married, she would reach out to a few others from YouTube or Facebook just to connect or network. She even had other Filipinas overseas reaching out to her. Some continued chatting. Some did not. That's okay--nothing lost, nothing gained. Through it all, she has chatted with maybe 20-30 Filipinas who were going through the K1 or CR1/IR1. Now, she has a core group of 3-4 who she's been corresponding with weekly if not daily. And it seems that everyone now in her group is getting to the point where they are working and getting settled with their daily lives, so they are not chatting with each other as much unlike before when they could be videocalling for hours. She also developed a couple of close friends at church who are going through her green card process in another pathway, but they bonded nevertheless. Anyways, consider yourselves lucky to live in Seattle which has a high Filipino population. It should not be that difficult to connect or network with other Filipinas.

Tukwila also has a Jollibee AND a Seafood City Supermarket (Filipino supermarket)! Many other Filipino restaurants and bakeries in the Seattle area as well and Filipino events like the recent Philippines Independence festivals. Also, several Filipino churches around Seattle. While waiting for the EAD/AOS, my Filipina spouse made new Filipina friends at church and was learning to drive. Recommendation: prepare to pay about 1000 or more on driving lessons instead of trying to teach yourself. For one, the driving lesson cars have passenger side brakes. And two, each of you will end up losing patience with each other which is not good for your marriage. Also, I showed her how to grocery shop by herself. She was able to go to a nearby Goodwill store to shop. I added her to my credit card so eventually she was able to do all the necessary household or grocery shopping by herself. The credit card statements can be used as co-mingling evidences for the AOS interview and for the I-752 ROC. Eventually, she was able to buy whatever ingredients to cook the Filipino foods she craved. I also had her go thru the Khan Academy Financial Literacy and Personal Finance courses because she had no clue about US taxes, tipping culture, health care costs, 401K, etc. I then enrolled her in other online courses like small business ghost kitchens, English course, 100 US civics questions for naturalization, etc. Of course she kept in touch with her family and friends overseas. She also met a few other K1-AOS Filipina brides online who were going thru the similar stages in their process. So she had emotionally support from others who can relate. They ended up sharing some coupon apps with each other like Ibotta, Fetch, etc. where they were able to save on items or get some cash back. But they had to keep the total under 600 or the apps would asked for their SSN, which is then considered work income. As a general rule, the more familiarity she has of her new surroundings, then the less homesick she will be. She also needs to be self-sufficient so she can feel secure and confident about her new surroundings.

Without more details about your RFE Letter, can't say for certain if what you listed fulfills the RFE?

Wow! If USCIS approves after your 2-year anniversary, then you should get the 10-year green card. This is rare But if USCIS approves before your 2-year anniversary, then you will still get the 2-year green card and have to file I-751 remove condition.

@appleblossom @Boiler The Canadien programs seem more straightforward for foreign applicants. Whereas in the US, foreign applicants don't even know where to start looking for employers willing to sponsor H-2 visas?

Thanks. The H-2 visas seem valid for 1 year but extendable up to 3 years with no pathway for permanent residence unlike Canada's temporary foreign workers programs. Now how to find H-2a and H-2b employers...?

According to your Timeline, I assume the UK pensioner is a US naturalized citizen? Where is the UK pensioner residing? All US citizens are required by law to file for the IRS tax return every year regardless. Depending on where you reside, in the US or abroad, will determine how you can claim the pension income. If living abroad (pass the physical presence abroad definition), then you can file for foreign income exclusion within the maximum limit. If living in the US, check with a CPA if UK pension is already taxed by the UK and how to file with the IRS to avoid double taxation. In addition, if the UK pension is distributed to a foreign bank account, and the foreign account balance exceeds 10,000 US at any time, don't forget to file for the FINCEN FBAR.

Yes, they can file asap. But suppose the reasons are not good reasons like they forgot or something? Is there some sort of penalty they can pay? Or will the I-751 be denied regardless?

The applicants are Philippines nationals. So TN visas which are for NAFTA Canadien or Mexican nationals are not feasible. L1 is not likely since they are looking for new companies in the US willing to sponsor them. Canada has several programs in which migrant workers can apply. One of which specifically targets Philippines nationals. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2023/10/pilot-program-launches-to-streamline-work-permit-processing-for-canadian-employers-recruiting-in-the-philippines.html Canada is even targeting non-skilled workers with pay that is higher than many of the overseas skilled workers to where the overseas skilled workers are willing to sacrifice their skills for the higher pay. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/temporary-foreign-workers-1.7240374 There are overseas production managers, engineers, etc. willing to take skills cut for the Canadian jobs like fruitpickers, housekeepers, construction workers, etc. just for the higher pay. I was hoping US has some sort of equivalent programs?

Greetings I-751 gurus, I'm asking for someone not on VJ who has an expired 2-year green card (like 3+ years) and has not yet filed for the I-751. What are their options? What are their penalties for late I-751 filing? Thank.

So for the foreigner, is the EB3 better option than the H1B since there are more H1B applicants?

Who are "we"? Yes. That seems quite inefficient. I was hoping for some real references from successful applicants with sites like https://www.bdvsolutions.com/ or https://eb3.work/

Please post updates so others can learn from your case. Thanks 👍

Thanks. Many of my friends overseas are in tech manufacturing overseas looking to immigrate. Some have already immigrated to countries like Canada, EU countries, etc. Many of the sites for US jobs have negative reviews or are scams. Plus, the paths to US work visas don't seem to be as well defined as for other countries. Do you know successful foreign applicants using h1bvisajobs? Thanks

Greetings work visas gurus, Are there reliable websites or agencies that list companies hiring foreign engineers, tech workers, or manufacturing workers for EB3 or H1B visas? Are most EB3 or H1B sponsored hires mostly direct hires or contract hires? In other words, the foreign workers apply or send resumes to the company directly, and the companies file visas for the applicants? Or are there government programs where foreign workers apply to and get by the program and get distributed to companies like some of the programs in Canada? I'm trying to find some leads for some foreign friends. Thanks for any responses.

K1 visa travelers from the Philippines will need a CFO sticker. Getting CFO scheduled and approved can be more of a hassle than booking a one-way ticket. Since some airline systems may not have an input for entry documents, you can call Japan Airlines after booking to ask them to add a note with your reservation for the gate agent that you have a K1 visa and one-way ticket.

Did your wife register to vote after her naturalization? In the past, rumors had it that the jury duty register was tied to the voters registration.

You can voluntarily go to a US Civil Surgeon and request an I-693 medical without an RFE and include the sealed medical report as part of your AOS. Make sure you request a copy of the medical report from the overseas doctor because the US Civil Surgeon will want to see it. Personally, there are usually a lot to be done within the 90-days. And getting the AOS sent off within 1 month of US entry would be a great achievement. Depending on your state or municipality, most don't realize that the marriage certificates can take a few days to over 30 days to receive. So putting an extra I-693 on your plate of to-do list requires some organized planning.

My K1 beneficiary had her medical at a 3rd country and did not have any vaccination record with her at the time. So the doctor assumed she was unvaccinated. She agreed with a small battery of vaccine shots, and requested a copy of the medical form DS-3025 from the doctor. While waiting for the AOS, we received the infamous I-693 Courtesy Email of 2023. So we went ahead with the I-693 medical where the US Civil Surgeon wanted to see the copy of the DS-3025. From the DS-3025, the doctor recommended another missing vaccine, which we agreed to complete the I-693.

The green card and passport should only be copies--1 notarized as true copies. https://newyorkpcg.org/pcgny/civil-registration/report-of-marriage-of-a-filipino-abroad/ You need to include 4 sets of copies of the documents listed. It took the Philippines Los Angeles Consulate about 6 months to respond with our PSA Report of Marriage.

Yes, you do have an issue or irregularity. Your I-485 AOS probably has little chance of approval without USCIS having possession of your envelope. Not to mention the time waiting for the USCIS response before continuing with other courses of actions. The proper regular course of action was to request a copy of the DS-3025 from the doctor abroad so you have a copy, and insist that the CBP take the sealed envelope. Since you didn't fill out your Timeline or list your Port Of Entry... Option1: Return it to the Port of Entry CBP office to see if they will take it along with your explanation. They may or may not accept. Option2: Continue with your AOS and explain your situation. USCIS may or may not have a response for an action. If lucky, they may just ask for an RFE? Option3: Do both Option1 and Option2 concurrently. Option4: Consult an immigration lawyer to see if they know of other similar cases or options. Whatever option or actions, I can only warn you that your case may take longer than the average AOS because of this irregularity. Maybe others here who have seen similar cases can respond better?

@jenar19 Let me update that each consulate's DS-160 and UStravelDocs may differ. Or may change over time. So the DS-160 Application ID and the NVC case number MAY need to be input into UStravelDocs. Or they MAY not. Or they MAY just need one or the other. But the common identifier between the DS-160 and UStravelDocs should be the passport. Please update what the Philippines UStravelDocs require now? Thanks.

Since you already paid the MRV fee, according to these guides, the DS-160 can be completed, and the DS-160 Application ID and NVC case number need to be input into UStravelDocs. Schedule an interview allocating enough time to complete the medical. https://www.visajourney.com/consulates/index.php?ctry=Philippines&cty=Manila https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MNL-Manila.html https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/778486-february-2022-k1-noa2-to-nvc-to-embassy/?do=findComment&comment=10648763

Not sure what do you mean? https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ Can you show a screenshot? Did the beneficiary create a login with an email? And input the passport, DS-160 Application ID, and NVC case number?