ArtUK

Hey @OldUser, I am the beneficiary in this scenario and I completed the I-130 online so I'll to double check if I did use the "preferred names" or "other names" field on that form. Yeah I am talking about the use of Alex instead of Alexander for example. Pretty innocuous but wanted to make sure that I'd done all I can to prevent an RFE.

Hi all, I'm from the UK and my wife is the USC. We submitted our I-130 in Q4 of 2024 and are currently waiting for a response. Given how long the processing time can be, I’m trying to reduce any chance of an RFE. I just realised that some of the supporting evidence we submitted (like joint bills, auto and vacation insurance policies, and other miscellaneous documents) includes my shortened first name, rather than my full legal name. However, all official documents, such as our son's birth certificate, the I-130 form itself, and my driver's license use my full legal name. I've seen posts on Reddit where people received RFEs asking them to clarify name discrepancies, and I’d really like to avoid that if possible. Would it be a good idea to proactively submit unsolicited evidence to clarify that the shortened/preferred name and my full legal name refer to the same person? I was thinking of drafting an affidavit stating this, and attaching scans of my passport, driver’s license, and birth certificate in a concise PDF. Or is that unnecessary at this stage? Thanks

Ah gotcha, thanks. Is this generated at your GP or accessible via the NHS app/website?

General question, what format is the medical officer expecting to see these in? I am in a similar boat, all my records are paper-based from the 90s - thankfully I have these. Do they want paper copies from the GP or will they accept the information in the NHS app / online portal?

Hi all, Apologies if this topic has been done to death but something I saw on reddit regarding a couple having an RFE as their marriage certificate that they submitted didn't have a "seal". For my online I-130 I submitted a scan of the Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage document which came from the council. This document has been totally fine for our UK visas but I was wondering, do I need to get and submit a certified copy with an apostille. Want to do as much as I can to reduce the risk of an RFE!

Hi all, Apologies if this has been covered before, I've searched various sites and forums and no answer to me seems concrete but pretty much as the title says. If I upload unsolicited evidence, will it negatively impact my case review timeline? For context, my wife (U.S. Citizen) and I (UK Citizen) submitted our I-130 online in Nov 2024. We were long distance for a few years and then got married and have lived together in the U.K. since 2021. When it comes to evidence for our I-130, I submitted our child's US consular report of birth abroad, 2024-2025 joint-auto, home, travel and life insurances as well as bills for co-habitation, past few yearly UK council tax bills and a document with images of us with family, child & pets over the years. Whilst going through a series of files I have found a bunch of wire transfers, my wife's old UK visa residency cards and insurance policies from over the past few years that I couldn't locate at the time of submitting the I-130. I guess my question is: given the evidence I already have, is it worth uploading these additional items, considering the ambiguity around how unsolicited evidence affects case review times?

Hi, @Crazy Cat appreciate your response. So I believe DCF is unavailable to us as we do not meet the pre-requisites to expedite via the DCF process. So I was just going to submit an application via the USCIS website. My wife (US Citizen) and I (UK Citizen) live in the north of England and have done for the past 3-4 years. For this question "at which embassy or consulate will you apply?" Do I input my city that I reside in or the closest embassy - that being London?

Hi all, Apologies if this topic has been done to death but I was feeling very OK about submitting our petition to all of a sudden feeling overwhelmed and confused! I am a UK citizen and my wife is a U.S. Citizen. We've been in the U.K. a few years and long story short her dream is to move home but she came to the UK during COVID as it was quicker and easier for us to be together but now she is really feeling the itch to move - which I am super on board with! So we're about to submit the docs and have all our evidence for the I-130 and completed the supplementary I-130A but I keep seeing things about DCF and exceptional circumstance required to file at the London Embassy? I was just planning on submitting the I-130 online and paying via the USCIS and where it gets to the question regarding processing outside of the states (part 4 on the paper I-130 form) "The beneficiary will not apply for adjustment of status in the United States, but he or she will apply for an immigrant visa abroad at the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate In:" I have just entered the following: City or Town - "London" Province - "_" Country - "UK" Is that correct? Should I be doing having to reach out to the embassy first? I am having doubts now that I am misunderstanding how to file this form. All help is appreciated!

Hi @powpow13, Thanks a lot for your in detailed response! Apologies on the delayed reply we had actually just returned from the U.S. and have been very jet-lagged. I guess my question is, what is required to prove that the U.K. was planned on being temporary - without boring you too much our desire when we first decided to end long-distance and reside together was for me to come to the U.S. on the fiancé visa however this was during COVID and processing times were extraordinary. Whereas in the U.K. they were weeks if you paid to expedite (which we did) and that is why my then fiancée came to the U.K. and we got married in the U.K. then throw in a pregnancy or two and it has been difficult to to up sticks and move to the U.S. as you can imagine. I would say that my wife has maintained strong ties with her home country, she has been returning to the U.S. for roughly 2-3 months over the year, every year with our kids - mainly in summer and thanksgiving / xmas. She has also renewed her drivers license, maintained bank accounts, filed taxes in the US as well as voting in elections. If even with all this would it be tough to prove the UK is temporary? We are fortunate that a we have the offer of sponsorship from an immediate family member so if utilising said sponsor makes this process even slightly easier I am willing to do that I just wanted to understand if we could do this off of our two feet so to speak. Thanks!

It is in Stocks and Shares ISA which I would be opposed to liquidating just to transfer

Is it mandatory for a member of her family to Joint Sponsor if we have the cash? She is up to date with taxes and are ideal timeline would be as ASAP

Hello, I am a U.K. Citizen and my wife is a U.S. Citizen we currently reside in the U.K. and have done since 2020. We have 2 children - both of whom hold U.S. Citizenship and U.S. passports. Circumstances in our personal life have changed and our family decision is that we no longer wish to remain in the U.K. and with this want to move back to be with my wife's family in the U.S. Meaning that we are going to begin the process of submitting an I-130 for me to gain U.S. permanent residency. Given that we are both employed in the U.K. from what I understand the income in the U.K. is irrelevant and our "actual household income" is 0$. Therefore we need in 3x the shortfall against the poverty line which totals assets greater than or equal to $117,000. We are fortunate enough to be in a position where my wife (the sponsor - U.S. Citizen) can provide a large proportion of the financial requirement from savings in a U.S. bank account. However we're short roughly $20,000, I have the means to make up this shortfall but it is via savings in GBP (£) and in a U.K. bank. My question here is, is the best course of action to progress using mine and my wife's savings despite a small proportion coming from a U.K. bank or is the path of the least resistance to request a finical assistance from a joint sponsor in the U.S? Thankfully a few family members have offered and are in the position to do this should it be required. As you can imagine, my preference is to avoid dragging a member of my wife's family into this process as it is pretty invasive. This is my first post so apologies if this has been covered in previous discussions etc.