agynyame

In my experience at USEG they just looked at the numbers to make sure your co-sponsor helps you to bridge whatever gap you are missing. As long as the co-sponsor has the last three years of tax returns, you should be okay and any financial stuff that could be liquidated into cash should they need to; I believe you will be fine

I just wanted to check up with you to see how your process is going?

I pray that hopefully you have reunited with your wife

My petition for a K1 visa has been approved while in the US on a visitors visa. I have learnt from this forum and other sites that the processing of the K1 visa in Ghana takes a very long time. In fact it appears to have the longest processing time.

My problem is we have already paid deposits with a hotel for our wedding in June and I am also expected to start a new job here in the US in July. My fear is that my visa may not be ready on time to come back to the US.

I had an appointment with an immigration officer at the USCIS about my perculier situation. She was surprised about how I was issued a visitors visa when I had a petition pending. After a lengthy consultation with her boss she said she could not advice me on what to do but I can either go back to Ghana and come back with a K1 visa or get married now and apply for AOS. She told me to contact the US embassy in Ghana to find out how early they can give me an interview. My emails to the embassy have not been replied and calling the embassy is useless because nobody talks to you.

I am very confused now as to what to do next. How soon am I going to know about my interview date in Ghana ?

If you spoke with folks and they gave you the options, please consult an attorney and then make the decision. I am surprised they granted you a visa while your K-1 was pending. Hell, I tried to get my wife a visa while our IR was pending and they flat out refused her. So just talk to an attorney and then take it from there.

I think that JFk is quite simple. If you are coming via Delta they arrive by 4:10AM and there is hardly anyone there so it is normally a breeze to go through customs. It took about 45mins to be processed.

i picked up my packet yesterday at the Accra embassy and my interview date is not until late April 2012. i got my NOA2 on Nov 15th and my case was completed at NVC around late November 2011. this sucks i thought things were moving faster nowadays at this embassy, but i guess its still pretty slow. i was really hoping for a sooner interview date. i am really upset and sad about this...actually more sad!!!

Jarta,

I think you are doing good timewise. we had to wait 18months before our interview. Also it appears that they try to schedule the appointment either close to or a few months after the 2yr anniversary if you are CR1 so your visa will be stamped IR1.

For Diversity Visas delta in Accra offers a special immigrant price, and it is MUCH cheaper. Call the agent through the number for that region which you can find on the Delta website. She would have to go to their offices and pay cash for the ticket. We thought we could get that price for my fiance, but it turned out that K-1 visas did not qualify (which seemed unfair!).

Jen and Babs

:thumbs:

The Delta deal is only through the end of this month though. So I will get that ASAP. We got my wife's ticket for $1272 dollars way better than kayak and others were suggesting and we bought it only last Thursday.

Congrats KnA,

hit me up and lets chat perhaps i can share a wisdom or two in navigating through Accra. Glad though to hear you will be at the first interview

Congrats y'all.

Ziggy's wife please check this link.

http://travel.state.gov/law/family_issues/birth/birth_593.html

has anyone applied for a us passport and consular report of birth abroad at the US embassy in Ghana? can you please share your experience with me,the document that were accepted,the questions asked and did you do dna?

I believe they require DNA, Ziggy's wife. I remember someone going through that experience some time ago. YOu might want to search the forum because I believe someone else going through Ghana has had to do DNA test

What does line 22 of your tax return show?

What does your W2 show as Wages, Other?

you know thanks for pointing this out. i will check n send you a message

Bear in mind that most of the COs working at the USE around the world are not up on the more complicated IRS tax rules, they know just the very basics about tax filings. Just like you, the same thing is happening to US military members that have served in the TAX FREE zones in IRAQ and AFGAN. In some cases for military members if they have been in the TAX FREE zone for more that a year, on our W-2s it looks like we made no money for the year because our pay is tax free. VISAs have been declined in Ethiopia just on the basis that the CO did not know what they were looking at when they try to interpit a military member's W-2. You would think, they would be advised on these small but very vital facts but they are not kept up to speed or informed about the various tax rules. Try contacting the USE she did her interview at and explain it so they can understand. Chances are they did not even look at letter from your church. God Bless you,,,Hope your situation change soon.

Herb,

Thanks I appreciate it.

Does the stipend alone cover 125% poverty line for your size family? Having done payroll/end of year tax stuff for a mainline protestant church that paid the minister with a mix of stipend and housing I know the tax paperwork is different than typical taxes they see all the time, the CO may be looking only at the stipend number???

catnip,

yes the stipend alone covers the 125% poverty level. n i believe she only looked at the stipend which is the only stuff listed on the w2. $19,906 is listed on the transcript. the 125% for 2 is $18,387.

It has been a while since I posted so please bear with me.

I am a clergy person with a mainline denomination. This means that my taxes are handled a bit differently. Clergy persons per IRS guidelines can declare portions of their salary for housing(within reason of course) which is tax exempt . We pay taxes on the stipend.

During the NVC stage when I turned my information there was a letter from the church attached to the I-864EZ which plainly indicated that once you combine my housing allowance which the church pays me and my stipend also paid by the church which is taxable, I make about $57K (pretax). Once my pension and car allowance are added, I make a combined annual of about 76K. Taking the housing allowance and stipend alone (57K) does this not put me over the federal poverty threshold for just my wife and I?

Well I did not get an rfe at the NVC. Today, however, when my wife went for her interview at the Embassy in Accra, we were told that while everything is in order, based on my tax transcripts I do not make enough to sponsor my wife by myself and will need a co-sponsor (bear in mind that a portion of my salary cannot be taxed). How do I get it through the Embassy that I have more than sufficient income based on my salary of 57K to sponsor my wife by myself. Can the CO make such a determination without reading the information to understand that he or she is dealing with a clergy person?

I need your input and advice. We have been given till next month to provide a co-sponsor.

This process and people's inability to see beyond the guidelines provided has given me gray hair.

Do you not need a marriage certificate with the I751? Should that not be proof enough? I am just asking because I did not see that part of the evidence turned in.

I just received additional paperwork 1 is a DS-3032 change of agent and address form and other AOS fee

I really cant make head or tail of this

I do have an address error so iassume I would need that correction

I was under the impression that i was always petitioner or in this case the agent of my stepchild .

so is it required ?

Also is there any additional forms/paperwork for the AOS or just pay the 88.00 fee ?

tomcat,

the ds-3032 allows you to designate who you will like to receive the information. Most people choose the US resident as mail is more reliable. so fill it out if you are the US resident and let the beneficiary sign and then mail it to the NVC. i believe you can also scan and email the ds-3032 if you choose.

the AOS fees can be paid online. checkout the guides section for NVC and the instructions are clear. hope this helps.

Hey folks......just wanted to know how long are ghana police certificate good for. I read it was good for only 6 months, while I also read 1 year. Can someone pls help me on this. Thank u

As it was explained it used to be good for one year. However, now it is only good for 6 months.

Whatever you do, DO NOT get married in Ghana.

It is a long and excruciating process that takes its toll. Go the fiance route.

Whatever you do, don't purchase the ticket until the visa is in hand! Get the cash and hold it. Shop around. I haven't really checked this out yet, but, I once heard that if you purchase the ticket in Ghana you may save a few dollars. I will be looking into that possibility as well.

:thumbs:

That is a sound advice. That being said, it appears to be cheaper to buy a round trip ticket. Buying a one way ticket from Ghana is about twice the cost of round trip ticket from US to Ghana

Hi sincier, well ur case is being processed at the NVC now so no need to notify USCIS cos there job is done but u should notify the NVC u can still pay the renaming fee but make sure to let them know immediately. God bless!!

When you log on, you should be able to see whether you are ready to pay for the processing fee and then you go ahead and pay it.

Purple_Lilac,

for all purposes you had intentions of marrying when you came. The law is very clear about that. However, you have the benefit of being able to visit your loved one.

I wish my wife whom, I have been separated from 2yrs next month can exercise the option you have but we cannot. None of us want to be separated from our loved ones and in the meanwhile we are living within the constraints of the system. I finished processing last December. I pray that my wife will receive an interview this year in Ghana. It has yet to happen. So I think six months is preferable to the year or two that some of us are subjected to.

In short, do the right thing and you will be ok. No need to subject your self to a situation that may further keep you guys apart.

Thought I would post here since this is where I hang out most.

Our son was born on Saturday....surprising us on his due date and right before Hurricane Irene hit DE. Here is the link to some FB pics

https://www.facebook...822f6eb0&type=1

congrats Zee

I have a friend who has won the Visa lottery.He has been in the US for two years since winning the lottery, he has his green card and everything.He is currently married and his wife is in Ghana.can he file for her to join him or does he have to wait till he is a citizen?

He can file as a permanent resident for his wife and wait in line. When he becomes a citizen, he will have to file an addendum with USCIS if they are still processing or with the NVC so that they can process him. My advice file and park so that your friend will be in the queue when his citizenship is falls in place. It helps curb the weight time.

me and my daughter's cases were completed in march this year, but yesterday my husband and i had an email from nvc telling us about an rfe in my daughter's form I-864w,guys pls tell me,did the nvc not see this error before closing the case? does it really mean the case is going to be closed 20 days after i submit the rfe or it still remains closed in march? oh god i dont want this pls.....

Ziggy's wife,

I will call NVC now and find what the RFE was for and try to prepare it and send it in asap. That will lessen the time and hopefully when your case might be closed again. Something on the tax form was probably filled incorrectly.

Peace and blessings. I hope this gets resolved real soon for you.

Mdlove,

It would appear that the visa gods have been favorable to you. Looking at your time you completed this year (July)and you are having an interview this year. Some of us completed since last year and are yet to receive an interview. I'd say you are okay. :thumbs: