CJohn

@Boiler Yes she lives in Turkey. Doesn't she need to attend the visa interview at the Consulate-Embassy in Istanbul for example ? Or is there another way ?

She cant speak english and physically you can see that she can't work. Also in the interview at the embassy does she have to speak English with the interviewer ? Would it help if I or my wife are there to accompany her ? Should we write a letter of invitation ?

I'm a US citizen, my wife got her 10 year greencard through marriage 7 months ago. We want her mother, to visit us from Turkey. Her mother owns a house in Turkey, she is retired. She's coming only to visit us. We don't have kids either so no babysitting. Is there anything we can do to increase her chances of approval ? Her only child is my wife and she isn't married either. But she had cancer a few years back and gets checkups from her doctor. She also has a sister who she takes care of from time to time.

We'll be married 2.5 years in september

No no, she will come in the port of entry and get the stamp i551 on her visa on September 2023. stay in the US for 1 week, go back to turkey for around 5 months until February-March 2024. come back to the US and stay here from that point on. She will leave the US only one time under 180 days. We will arrange a caretaker for her mom by then

Do you know how long it takes to get a re-entry permit, we cannot leave her mom alone there for more than a week 😓

She is going to enter the US and stay for 5-6 days then leave, she has to return for her mom...She'll stay in Turkey for another 4-5 months and come back permanently to the US. Do we need to do anything special at that point. We'll open a joint bank account with her as evidence, but still its under 180 days.. Also thank you Mike, I felt very anxious until I got an answer from you.

The latter Just to be %100 clear, at the port of entry once they stamp the I551 onto her passport does that mean she can live in Turkey with her mom for another 180 days ? Her immigrant visa was on april 12th so it will already be 5 months in Turkey before she ever entered the US. The time between when she recieved the passport immigrant visa and her first port of entry do not count in the 180 day rule correct ?

Adding on to this I know spouses can apply for citizenship after spending 3 years as an LPR, and must have been physically present in the US 18 months within the 3 year period. Does that mean her 3 year period started on April 12th when she got her immigrant visa in her passport or does it start after passing the port of entry into the US for the first time ?

My wife successfully got her immigrant visa printed in her passport through the IR1/CR1 process on April 12th. It says ''upon endorsement serves as temporary i-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year.'' My question is; my wife is taking care of her mother, in Turkey. Does the ''you can stay 180 days outside the USA in a single year'' rule start when she passes through the port of entry into the US or did it start on April 12th when she received her visa in her passport ? Her mother is sick and we plan on her entering the US in September before her visa expires, we want her to go back and take care of her mom 4-5 more months until we can arrange someone else to do it. Would that be a problem or how can we do it legally ? We are a happily married couple going through some tough times because of all this, please help.

I'm sorry that is correct the CBP will stamp your passport at the port of entry into the US.

My wife's mother is being taken care of my wife while she is in Turkey. My question is after my wife enters the US with her visa can she leave 10 days later without any problems and stay another 5 month in Turkey to take care of her mother ? Would there be any problems because she entered and exited too quickly ? Or is that her legal right to be able to leave for 6 months ?

We are waiting for our embassy interview on April 11th, in Turkey; How long is the visa valid for ? What happens if my wife doesn't enter the US within the visa validity date (for example within the 6 months) ? Do we lose all chances of her coming to the US or can we re-apply for another visa at any time ?