EatBulaga

Checking the current USCIS processing times estimates: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ I-765 is 11.5 months compared to VJ estimates https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/eadstats.php I-485 (Atlanta FO) is 29.5 months (down from 38.5 months) compared to VJ estimates https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/aosstats.php

After googling dual citizenships for South Africa and New Zealand, both allow dual citizenships and dual passports. Has your partner considered the dual citizenship option of keeping both passports unexpired? For the K1 and AOS processes, it may be less confusing to keep the passport consistent with the original I-129F application. Is the requested K1 interview at the New Zealand consulate? You can update the new citizenship information at the K1 interview. But if you keep the K1 application passport consistent (that is the K1 visa will go in the South African passport), I don't think it will matter to the consulate or to USCIS that the K1 beneficiary acquired a 2nd nationality during the K1 process. When you file for the I-485, you will need to make sure the passport with the K1 visa is used.

@pocccco I've seen some of those stories on the Philippines news. And discussed some of those with my Filipina spouse. Those stories are definitely more of the exceptions than the rule. Those are most likely some rogue gate agents or rogue immigration officers trying to extort money. So they essentially can make up any concerns to hassle you till you miss your flight, or until you get the message to pay some extortion. One news that I heard was a Filipina traveling alone overseas for a vacation and the officer said that the Philippines passport photo was not her. And they questioned her background going back to her high school and asked her to prove it by showing her high school yearbook photo. Well needless to say she didn't have it and she didn't get the message to pay. So this Filipina missed her flight and reported the incident to the higher authorities which didn't do anything. So she reported to the Philippines news channels. Because of this and other similar news reports, more stories came out about the corruptions at the Philippines airports from stealing luggages to extortions. There are some checks-and-balances going on because the Philippines government certainly wants more tourism dollars coming in, and such news give the Philippines a poor reputation for tourism. But at the same time, the average wage for the Philippines airport workers are low enough that some are willing to go rogue and extort from the travellers. So this is not an immigration issue, but more of how do you deal with a rogue agent? The best advice I got about traveling to the Philippines is to be unassuming so that you are not a target. Or at worst, pay the extortion--at least you may be helping out the rogue agent's family.

Thanks for sharing. Good advice for your wife to use backpack and to go with someone whenever in the Philippines. Might I also add to wear the backpack in the front and not on the back since I've seen warning videos about how thieves can slit open backpacks from behind to open pouches to remove items. With regards to the "bad day", I've also heard of stories of how the police and street gangs coordinate "attacks" on individuals who they suspect have large sums of money or valuables. For example, if the police tries to extort from someone and don't get all that they want from that someone, then they will signal to the gang to get that someone outside or later. After the gang attack, that someone can't go back to the police or gets no help from the police because they did not pay or pay enough extortion. I also have stories about Philippines customs robbing from luggages at airports or from the postal service. But I don't want to deviate too much from this post. The best advice I got was to be unassuming so as to not be a target.

Congratulations! Happy for you all! If you look at our Timeline or Profile->Our Story, it took us about a week from getting the approval notification to receiving the permanent residence card. Start preparing for the post-AOS to-do's. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/799707-post-aos-optional-to-dos/

Search the term "Passport Bros" on YouTube or TikTok. It's really nothing new that American men are going abroad to seek spouses/fiancés, but what is trending is that American women getting pissed at the guys doing that. My own VJ research reveals that the ratio of US males filing for foreign spouses/fiancés to US females filing for foreign spouses/fiancés is about 4 to 1. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/796552-passport-bros/ My first advice about going the Passport Bros route is don't take it for granted and don't abuse your position of power in the foreign dating market. If you are scared of being scammed, being taken advantaged of, etc., think of it from the foreign women point of view: are the foreign women more likely to be taken advantaged of by the American men than the vice versa? Think about human trafficking, think of the average guy who all of sudden have a windfall of abundant 3rd world women who think he is "exotic", etc. Dating/mating has inherent risks (i.e. divorce rate). Your best safeguard is to invest the time into knowing your mate. If you meet someone online and both are interested, definitely make a trip to visit. If you don't have the time, then you are prioritizing other things with your time than choosing a mate. Since @smore posted in the Philippines forum, then you are probably aware of the Filipino OFW (Overseas Foreign Worker) program. If not, look it up and compare your "don't have time" or other work/dating complaints compared to the Filipino OFWs'. From my experience, no matter how hard or abused worklife the OFWs have, they are grateful for the opportunity to work compared to the limited opportunity in their homeland. So my last advice is to be grateful that you have an American passport, as opposed to not having it and wishing for a visa journey to get the US passport.

Here was my advice to acclimate a Filipina spouse that moved to Texas. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/799160-any-filipinas-heading-to-texas/?tab=comments#comment-10832698 You can do the similar for your Filipina girlfriend? Maybe hangout at Jollibee in Wheaton, MD, and there should be plenty of Pinoys to socialize? 😂

Yes, you can apply for SSN before AOS. You can see our Timeline or Profile->Our Story to see our steps. If you get your marriage certificate early enough before the I-94 expiration, you can even update the SSN to the marriage name before the AOS and file the AOS with the marriage name using the SSN in the I-485. I also chatted with someone in Florida that got their marriage certificate within the I-94 valid period, and filed for SSN directly with the marriage name using passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate and I-94. And then, they applied for the AOS. Have not heard any problems from them yet.

Check the pharmacy, I've had the flu vaccine before at the pharmacy without seeing the doctor during the off-season. Depending on your health insurance card, it should be no extra cost.

I think one of the lesson learned for all here is to get the SSN as soon as the I-94 is available instead of applying SSN with the AOS since so many things depend on the SSN from driver's license to bank accounts to billings, etc. And after marriage, change the SSN to the marriage name if needed.

Another option is for the sibling to apply to some education program with in-demand employment like healthcare, IT, etc. Then apply for the student visa, which can be approved in about a month. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html After graduation, adjust status with an employer.

FYI to all who are interested, I've been playing with Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, CLEAR and ID.me. While none can store the Permanent Resident Card at this time, the technology is certainly there if USCIS chooses to adopt it, or choose to create their own app that links to the my.USCIS.gov login. It would certainly be convenient if there is some app that can store the Permanent Resident Card or EAD/AP or Green Card extension letter, Passport, Marriage Certificate, REAL ID driver license, etc. all in one place, which will be convenient for the foreign resident. Then again, USCIS is not about convenience.

Hello Everyone, We have a I-551 Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) and an still unexpired Combo Card I-766/I-512. If traveling abroad and the Green Card is lost or stolen, the standard procedure is to file the I-131A with the nearest US consulate for a boarding foil. But if the non-US citizen Green Card is lost or stolen but still has in possession the Combo Card, can the non-US citizen still return to the US using only the Combo Card? Or will the airline or CBP flag the entry irregular? Thanks.

Hello all, Which IRS transcript is best to submit with the I-751 and eventual N-400? Return Transcript? Account Transcript? Record of Account Transcript? Or Wage & Income Transcript? Thanks!

US citizens should be filing their taxes regardless of currency. You can look up the currency conversion for the tax year at https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/yearly-average-currency-exchange-rates You can determine if you qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion which should be part of what you plan to file with the IRS. https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/foreign-earned-income-exclusion So your I-864 income should reflect what you will file with the IRS.

Why do you think DL in Apple Wallet is trash?

Hello all, Is there any phone apps that will save your Permanent Resident Card information besides keeping a photo copy? Apple Wallet only saves a driver's license for Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland currently. https://learn.wallet.apple/id#how-to-video Are there other options to save the Permanent Resident Card virtually besides carrying it around physically as currently the required by law? Thanks for any response.

Did you file your US marriage certificate name for your green card and passport (and driver's license REAL ID)? Did you file a Philippines Report Of Marriage with the US marriage certificate name, and used the ROM for the passport update? My filipina spouse used the married naming convention on the marriage certificate of first name, middle name (maiden last name), and last name (spouse's last name). We filed a Philippines Report Of Marriage using the same naming convention as the US marriage certificate, and I believe she is using the Philippines ROM to update her Philippines passport. As long as you continue to file using your marriage certificate name consistently, name format shouldn't matter like the green card only shows the middle initial and the driver's license only shows the first and last name, etc.

It should not matter. But if you want "extra insurance" to avoid "future problems", you might consider applying for Global Entry. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry GE will document your passport, id and green card, and you show up for an in-person interview to verify all those are you so that your documents and names are verified prior to the Port Of Entry immigration entry and the GE line is usually faster than the regular immigration line. You can check out our GE experience at https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/799684-global-entry-with-conditional-green-card/

Yes. If you travel with US passport only-entry to Philippines and exit Philippines with US passport would have cleared that situation. But that eliminates the advantage of the dual passport, which include unlimited stay without visa, etc. For the problem case, because the airline only had the US passport info since the flight was booked with US passport ONLY, but the entry was with the Philippines passport. If the US passport did not show Philippines entry and US embassy does not have a record of the US passport entry, the airline assumes a US passport irregularity to maybe even a fake passport which the US may not accept on entry. And in which case, the airline assumes the cost to fly the traveler back to the departure country. So to avoid such cases, it is probably best to include both passports to all the connecting airlines for your international travel.

I've been reading posts about other travelers with dual passports, including US-Philippines. Oddly enough, it is the airlines that give the most hassles. I've come to the conclusion that it is best to give the airlines both passports information on booking. Airlines are financially responsible for any travelers who can not be cleared to travel to the destination, and suck up the cost returning the traveler to the departure country. US or Philippines don't care if you have passport from the other country as long as you have valid entry. And it is often the gate agent or the boarding agent who makes the decision to allow a traveler to board or not. So the more information you provide the airlines before the flight, the more information that the gate agent can pull up to avoid any confusion. One post that reported a problem was that they booked with a US passport ONLY, but entered the Philippines with the Philippines passport. So when it was time to depart the Philippines, the airline flagged that the traveler's US passport had an irregularity and would not allow the traveler to board even though the Philippines immigration was cleared. The airline referred the traveler to contact the US embassy to clear the US passport irregularity, but the US embassy had no record of the US passport entry since the entry was with the Philippines passport. I think it took a missed flight to clarify everything, but it could be a hassle that could be avoided if you provide the airlines with both passports when getting boarding passes, or if the airline portal allows it to upload all visa or relevant traveling documents information before travel.

Hello Green Card holders interested in Global Entry, After getting conditional approval for the GE, we were fortunate to get a GE interview at our nearest airport in about a month. We read cases where some are still waiting for interviews 6-12 months out. My foreign spouse only has a 2-year Green Card and was approved for the Global Entry, so these are some lessons learned that are probably true for 10-year Green Card holders as well: 1. Getting a convenient interview date and location can be a little tricky and is the hardest part of the whole process. You have to keep checking back almost everyday to see what opens up. We first scheduled an appointment at another location farther away but within our date limits in hopes of re-scheduling later if nothing opens up. And we noticed that more locations/date were opening up whenever we go back to try to re-schedule. I read one advice that CBP releases new interview location/dates every first Monday of the month. I think we checked on a Tuesday after the first Monday of the month to get our preferred interview location/date. There is also the Enrollment On Arrival option if you already have an international travel, but you need to arrive at a Port Of Entry with a Global Entry office during their working hours, so that will require some flight scheduling if you plan to do that. 2. My foreign spouse's passport name (maiden name) did not match the green card name (married name). Even though she showed the GE agent our marriage certificate, the GE agent said that she may be pulled aside for more questioning at the Port Of Entry. We thought the GE agent could maybe upload the marriage certificate to avoid any confusion, but the GE agent said they could not, but they will issue her a GE card anyways with the understanding that she may still get questioned at the POE. Carrying around the marriage certificate during travel for passport-green card name mismatch is the usual procedure anyways but hopefully, the GE line will be shorter and more efficient than the regular immigration line when the time comes to enter from international travel. Thinking back in hindsight when we were uploading document information for the GE application, the site did allow us to upload other documents like a second passport, etc. besides the standard passport, driver's license, and green card. And we should have uploaded our marriage certificate then because now the only way to update new documents is thru GE agent. And since the GE agent chose not to accept the document then we are stuck with the potential questioning at the POE. 3. To follow up on the passport name and green card name mismatch, the GE agent did say whenever the foreign spouse updates her foreign passport to the green card name, we can take it down to the GE office without the need for scheduling an interview and they will update her GE with the new passport name. This also makes me think that GE offices are maybe open to walk-in interviews if they are not busy? Because they have to accommodate for Enrollment On Arrivals anyways? But that may be hit-of-miss depending on how busy they are? What we observed was that most people with interview appointments were in-out of the office within 5-10 minutes. Since my foreign spouse had the special case of name mismatch, she was in-out in 15 minutes. Ideally, GE is supposed to do the background check and approve low-risk international travelers for the faster immigration processing thru the GE line. And the scheduled interview is really just to verify in-person your passport information along with the immigration status, and driver's license (REAL ID). The reason I got my foreign spouse GE was that we hope it will be less immigration hassle at entry. But I'm getting the feeling that GE does not guarantee lesser hassles, but maybe a shorter line?

I've seen a COURTESY EMAIL notice for I-693 where the applicant re-uploaded the DS-3025 and was approved. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/798091-request-for-form-i-693-courtesy-email/?do=findComment&comment=10840726 If you got the RFE for I-693, then I would do as the RFE says. Not complying completely with the RFE risks abandoning the AOS application or AOS denial and starting over.

1. Both can be sufficient. But as a general rule for myself, any electronic pdf statement printout is better than screenshot printout as supporting documents for I-864. 2. Do you have a US state driver's license with the US mailing address? Pic or converted to pdf print are both fine. 3. Not necessary, but if you have a voter registration card, then printout of that is better. What are the most important for the I-864 are the proofs of US income or US employment or US assets. Current pay statements, IRS tax transcripts (joint filing if married), property deeds, etc.

Congrats! Were both your I-485 interview and I-751 interview waived?