Wife and child got U.S. Greencards

[medic5678]

Applied for Green Cards on June 7, approved on August 21.  She came on a fiance visa as a K-1, Daughter a K-2.  I'm truly stunned that any U.S. Government agency could act so quickly and efficiently.   Interview was a bit tense when wife couldn't understand a question with "except for, are there any".  But after rephrasing by the agent a few times, my wife finally answered the question correctly.  All in all, the interview took maybe 15 minutes.  We were a bit stunned but with a K-1, all the work is done up front.  As long as you enter the U.S. and marry the person that is sponsoring your K-1,   it's pretty straightforward.  We waited 8 months to apply for adjustment of status (green card), but if you wait a year after your medical exam (done in the country where you're coming from), you'll have to do another medical exam.  There are several pitfalls to avoid, and you must be extremely diligent in your documentation.

 

Very happy to have this done.  In 13 months, I can adopt my little girl!

[Pib]

That's great...sincere wishes everything continues to go smooth.   Just don't tell Donald T.

[medic5678]

Just now, Pib said:

That's great...sincere wishes everything continues to go smooth.   Just don't tell Donald T.

Thank you.  But it's done now.  We got follow up letters from immigration, stating we'd been approved, just as the agent told us.  This is, of course, the 2 year temporary greed card.  My wife will have to renew it but then can file for citizenship in 3 years.  The little girl becomes a citizen in 13 months when I adopt her, so she'll never need another green card.  We're all very excited to have this over because it's a HUGE barrier to being in the USA. 

 

Wife's father had a heart attack, and she would have gone home to see him if not for the fact that she didn't have a green card.  He's recovered, so it worked out ok.  All a moot point now, we are waiting eagerly for the green cards in the mail.  Agent said it would take about 2 weeks.

[medic5678]

Forgot to mention that I did all of the paperwork myself.  It's not that difficult at all and paying an attorney to do this if you don't have serious issues that would create problems (like a criminal record or other complications that may prevent approval), there's really no reason at all to use an attorney.  It's just throwing hard earned money away!

[Pib]

It's a great feeling with the spouse (or future spouse) getting the green card....I went through the process back in the mid seventies for my wife....a wife that's still my wife.   And around 10 years ago when I was still working a guy who worked for me went through the  K-1 Visa process for his Filipina bride and daughter....all went fine.  It's just a waiting game mostly...and waiting a month or two for a decision can seem like a lifetime.  And like you said the paperwork is not really that hard after understanding what is needed.   I'm sure everything will continue to move along smoothly as you seem to be on-top of everything.  Just don't tell Donald T. 

[medic5678]

Hah.  They make it pretty demanding if you're doing it legally.  But I don't think they're going to make it impossible.  I'm just hoping my wife's mother can come to visit us in America when my wife is a citizen.

[GinBoy2]

8 hours ago, medic5678 said:

Hah.  They make it pretty demanding if you're doing it legally.  But I don't think they're going to make it impossible.  I'm just hoping my wife's mother can come to visit us in America when my wife is a citizen.

I had a similar great experience when I filed for a CR-1 in Bangkok in 2017. 100 days start to finish and my wife entered with a 2 year green card, fantastic job I thought.

 

The problem however,that the rest of the 'legal' immigration system has ground to a halt. 

Now there is another thread going about this, so I know I'm not alone, and I have a friend experiencing exactly this issue.

 

So in about 9 months we will be applying to remove conditional residency and get a 10 year, ie filing an I-751

 

This used to take about 3 months, the window within which you are told to apply.

 

Sat on my patio yesterday while our wives were scoffing somtam, he told me, she has been carrying around the letter from USCIS which temporarily extends her residency for 18 months, since they are backlogged.

When I checked on the website its got even longer, which makes travel a pain the ass, work, you name it

[thailand49]

12 hours ago, medic5678 said:

Thank you.  But it's done now.  We got follow up letters from immigration, stating we'd been approved, just as the agent told us.  This is, of course, the 2 year temporary greed card.  My wife will have to renew it but then can file for citizenship in 3 years.  The little girl becomes a citizen in 13 months when I adopt her, so she'll never need another green card.  We're all very excited to have this over because it's a HUGE barrier to being in the USA. 

 

Wife's father had a heart attack, and she would have gone home to see him if not for the fact that she didn't have a green card.  He's recovered, so it worked out ok.  All a moot point now, we are waiting eagerly for the green cards in the mail.  Agent said it would take about 2 weeks.

Congrats!  I didn't vote for Trump but when the process is done legally and there is nothing to hide which I also have gone through the process take time but it works.  Has nothing to do with Trump knowing or not the process you went through has been in place for some time.

[medic5678]

Unfortunately, I think it depends on the USCIS center assigned to your area.   For the same thing that took us 2.5 months for the 2 year initial green card in Jacksonville, I hear people are waiting almost a year in Tampa.   Not sure if that's an impact on your situation.  I can assure you the first day we can file, it will be filed.  I also don't know how it affects you if you're living in Thailand with your green card wife. 

 

As far as the processing time to get approved for the K-1 in Bangkok, it was also quick, just a few weeks.  Of course, we had never been through this and I was caught off guard as far as understanding all the stuff they wanted such as national police clearance, translation on all Thai documents, etc.  Certainly a learning experience.

[BB1955]

I did all the paperwork 14 years ago . Didnt use a lawyer or agent . I did join Visa Journey and picked up some help there . Wife stayed 6 years in the states then we came back to Thailand .

[RoadWarrior371]

13 hours ago, medic5678 said:

Hah.  They make it pretty demanding if you're doing it legally.  But I don't think they're going to make it impossible.  I'm just hoping my wife's mother can come to visit us in America when my wife is a citizen.

Mother coming to US should not be a major problem on tourist visa if she even has minor ties to her home country.  Now, if you wanted your teen-age niece to come here, that would be a totally different outcome for reasons some of you may or may not fully comprehend :).  Good luck.

[Jaybott]

14 hours ago, Pib said:

That's great...sincere wishes everything continues to go smooth.   Just don't tell Donald T.

He's done it legally, he can tell anybody he wants to. Congratulations to him, his wife and child. 

[IAMHERE]

15 hours ago, Pib said:

That's great...sincere wishes everything continues to go smooth.   Just don't tell Donald T.

Unnecesnary jib at POTUS, Trump had nothing to do with this.

[newnative]

     Congratulations.  So glad it went well for you and your family.  That has not been the case for my Thai spouse and me, a gay married couple.  We did all the considerable paperwork, were approved and passed on by Homeland Security with no problems or red flags, and got turned down after the interview with USCIS.  The interview agent was horrible.  It's true my spouse had a brief overstay in the US nine years ago and he readily admitted it to the agent.  But, the agent did not ask a single question regarding the circumstances--my spouse was closing down his business after his green card application was denied at that time.  Of course, had we been a straight couple, we would have married 9 years ago and he would not have had to leave the country at all but 9 years ago gay marriage was not yet legal or an option.   If nothing else, we were denied equal process at that time, since remedied by legal gay marriage.

     At this point, even though we were legally married in the US in 2016 and I am a US citizen, we are now denied to even visit the US as a married couple--even though we legally visited the US in 2016 with my spouse's travel visa, returned to Thailand after two weeks, and my spouse has a totally clean criminal record here and in the US.   We would have been better off not applying for a green card at all as my Thai spouse had a 10 year travel visa for the US that was cancelled and we could have at least visited family in the US.  We are appealing the decision--the appeal was filed a year ago this month and apparently takes around 18 months--but I'm not too hopeful.

[Tracyb]

Congratulations!  Now, be mindful of how much time your wife spends outside the USA from now until when she gets naturalized.  I don’t have the exact info on this, but I do know that if she goes out of the country for a certain period of time, and I thinks it’s cululative, she may be denied naturalization at the end of the five year period.  Worth investigating if you don’t already have this information.  Best wishes for continued happiness.....

[bkkgriz]

17 hours ago, Pib said:

That's great...sincere wishes everything continues to go smooth.   Just don't tell Donald T.

He went through the process legally. Are you really that obtuse? 

[losworld]

17 hours ago, Pib said:

That's great...sincere wishes everything continues to go smooth.   Just don't tell Donald T.

Donald T is all for legal immigration and may be part of the reason for the success lol

[medic5678]

2 hours ago, Tracyb said:

Congratulations!  Now, be mindful of how much time your wife spends outside the USA from now until when she gets naturalized.  I don’t have the exact info on this, but I do know that if she goes out of the country for a certain period of time, and I thinks it’s cululative, she may be denied naturalization at the end of the five year period.  Worth investigating if you don’t already have this information.  Best wishes for continued happiness.....

I can appreciate that.  We may be going for no more than a few weeks a year.  I'm still working for many years and the little girl is in kindergarten.  The little girl resolutely LOVES school and life in America and has told us she "might go back to Thailand to visit", but she's going to live in America.  We're starting a family business.   The only thing we're doing in Thailand is we did just buy property and we're building a little vacation house (mostly to see that her mother and sister are ok and have a place to stay).  But otherwise, we're building a life in America.  

 

As far as ever living in Thailand, with the little girl growing up (raising her to get a doctorate) and having a good life in America, the wife won't leave her as she marries and has children.   My wife is beginning to realize she'll always live here for the rest of her life.  In fact, she has designs on buying a neighbor's  land and building a house on the property.   So this is a story of real Americanization.   I can't believe immigration could possibly have an issue with that.  

 

During the tense moment in the interview with my wife not understanding the "except for" question properly, the agent told me "you didn't bring an interpreter".  I thought we were in trouble and said "Oh my god" as my wife continued to answer the question incorrectly.  At that moment, our little girl hopped into my lap and gave me a hug.  The agent laughed and she steered my wife in to a correct (and obviously truthful) answer.  So you're dealing with people and I suppose you could meet someone who could give you a hard time.   They do have wide discretion.  The agent told me they have people trying to fake out immigration all the time.  

 

I'm just happy this is in the rear view mirror and we can focus on building a life here, where opportunities for our little girl are so much greater than Thailand.  I never really had a desire to get away from America.  I met a girl and fell in love with her and brought her back to America with me.  My wife fiercely loves our family and wants her daughter to be highly educated at a top American University.

 

She has a local group of Thai friends.  All have become citizens and none will ever live in Thailand again.  I think this is very typical of immigrants.  

[medic5678]

4 hours ago, newnative said:

     Congratulations.  So glad it went well for you and your family.  That has not been the case for my Thai spouse and me, a gay married couple.  We did all the considerable paperwork, were approved and passed on by Homeland Security with no problems or red flags, and got turned down after the interview with USCIS.  The interview agent was horrible.  It's true my spouse had a brief overstay in the US nine years ago and he readily admitted it to the agent.  But, the agent did not ask a single question regarding the circumstances--my spouse was closing down his business after his green card application was denied at that time.  Of course, had we been a straight couple, we would have married 9 years ago and he would not have had to leave the country at all but 9 years ago gay marriage was not yet legal or an option.   If nothing else, we were denied equal process at that time, since remedied by legal gay marriage.

     At this point, even though we were legally married in the US in 2016 and I am a US citizen, we are now denied to even visit the US as a married couple--even though we legally visited the US in 2016 with my spouse's travel visa, returned to Thailand after two weeks, and my spouse has a totally clean criminal record here and in the US.   We would have been better off not applying for a green card at all as my Thai spouse had a 10 year travel visa for the US that was cancelled and we could have at least visited family in the US.  We are appealing the decision--the appeal was filed a year ago this month and apparently takes around 18 months--but I'm not too hopeful.

Best wishes with your appeal.   If you don't sail through smoothly the first time, the system tends to entangle you, as you're experiencing.  I hope you can get this resolved.   It's got to be frustrating.

[newnative]

4 minutes ago, medic5678 said:

Best wishes with your appeal.   If you don't sail through smoothly the first time, the system tends to entangle you, as you're experiencing.  I hope you can get this resolved.   It's got to be frustrating.

Thank you.  It was nice to read about your good outcome; appreciate your posting it.  Good luck to you and your family.

[Tedly]

11 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

I had a similar great experience when I filed for a CR-1 in Bangkok in 2017. 100 days start to finish and my wife entered with a 2 year green card, fantastic job I thought.

 

The problem however,that the rest of the 'legal' immigration system has ground to a halt. 

Now there is another thread going about this, so I know I'm not alone, and I have a friend experiencing exactly this issue.

 

So in about 9 months we will be applying to remove conditional residency and get a 10 year, ie filing an I-751

 

This used to take about 3 months, the window within which you are told to apply.

 

Sat on my patio yesterday while our wives were scoffing somtam, he told me, she has been carrying around the letter from USCIS which temporarily extends her residency for 18 months, since they are backlogged.

When I checked on the website its got even longer, which makes travel a pain the ass, work, you name it

I am dealing with the same thing.  got the letter stating that wife is now given 18 months due to backlog. We are going back to Thailand in about 6 months and I am under the assumption that she will be able to come back to USA even if the new card is not here by carrying the letter will with us will show that she is legal as everything is computerized an. Hope I'm right. Anyone know for sure?

[GinBoy2]

29 minutes ago, Tedly said:

I am dealing with the same thing.  got the letter stating that wife is now given 18 months due to backlog. We are going back to Thailand in about 6 months and I am under the assumption that she will be able to come back to USA even if the new card is not here by carrying the letter will with us will show that she is legal as everything is computerized an. Hope I'm right. Anyone know for sure?

Assumption is the Mother of All Good F##kups.

 

Before you get on a plane, spend as much time as you need to call USCIS and confirm that assumption, or if you can visit an office.

 

As much good advice as TVF members can offer, we aint the Government, and the last thing you want to have happen is to be at a check in counter at Suvarnabhumi trying to check in to come home and they refuse to let her board

Edited August 28, 2018 by GinBoy2

[medic5678]

2 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Assumption is the Mother of All Good F##kups.

 

Before you get on a plane, spend as much time as you need to call USCIS and confirm that assumption, or if you can visit an office.

 

As much good advice as TVF members can offer, we aint the Government, and the last thing you want to have happen is to be at a check in counter at Suvarniphumi trying to come home and they refuse to let her board

The problem with calling the USCIS is that you are going to get random information which may or may not be correct.  My experience from calling them is that they are as useless as teats on a boar hog.  When I sent the adjustment of status application, I forgot to include the new passport photos.  I called them and they told me they weren't going to process the applications - NO WAY-  and would return them to me in 30 days.  Then a few days later, the checks cashed.   Two weeks after that, I got the notices for our biometrics appointment.  It was never an issue at all.  

 

I wouldn't trust what anyone at USCIS verbally told me.  I'd be sure I had correspondence from them regarding this specific issue.  You can call them 3 times and get 3 different answers.  It's a brainless bureaucracy. 

[gdaf123]

Congrats.  Make sure you continue to accumulate evidence of a bonafide relationship as you'll need that when you file to remove conditions on her GC in 2 years.  Having both of your names on bank accounts, utility bills, property deeds, insurance policies, wills/trusts, etc along with some photos together should do the trick.

[medic5678]

As I explained to the agent at the 

Just now, gdaf123 said:

Congrats.  Make sure you continue to accumulate evidence of a bonafide relationship as you'll need that when you file to remove conditions on her GC in 2 years.  Having both of your names on bank accounts, utility bills, property deeds, insurance policies, wills/trusts, etc along with some photos together should do the trick.

As I explained to the agent at the interview, it's very difficult to do much without social security numbers.  She agreed with me.  Not sure about potentially messing with my homestead exemption and making a change to my existing property deed.  But, yeah, otherwise it's all coming.  Plus I'll have adopted her daughter by then as well.  We filed a joint tax return last year with TIN #'s from the IRS, but will have socials this year.   She's already the beneficiary of my stock accounts and IRA'S.   Not at all worried about this because we are 100% above board with no hidden issues at all.  Not to mention that we're trying to have another baby soon.  

[gdaf123]

56 minutes ago, medic5678 said:

As I explained to the agent at the 

As I explained to the agent at the interview, it's very difficult to do much without social security numbers.  She agreed with me.  Not sure about potentially messing with my homestead exemption and making a change to my existing property deed.  But, yeah, otherwise it's all coming.  Plus I'll have adopted her daughter by then as well.  We filed a joint tax return last year with TIN #'s from the IRS, but will have socials this year.   She's already the beneficiary of my stock accounts and IRA'S.   Not at all worried about this because we are 100% above board with no hidden issues at all.  Not to mention that we're trying to have another baby soon.  

Why doesn't she have an SSN?  She could have applied and gotten one once she had her I-94 upon arrival in the States.

[medic5678]

16 minutes ago, gdaf123 said:

Why doesn't she have an SSN?  She could have applied and gotten one once she had her I-94 upon arrival in the States.

That's not what they told us.  I got a TINs for them when we filed 2017.  An 1-94 only grants stay through the 90 day period for marriage, although you're still in status if you marry during that time.  I've never heard of using an 1-94 as a basis for an SSN.

[gdaf123]

13 minutes ago, medic5678 said:

That's not what they told us.  I got a TINs for them when we filed 2017.  An 1-94 only grants stay through the 90 day period for marriage, although you're still in status if you marry during that time.  I've never heard of using an 1-94 as a basis for an SSN.

You can file for an SSN w/ the I-94.  That's what my wife did.  She also filed an I-765 (employment authorization) at the same time.  You just need to wait about 2 weeks after arrival so that her entry is in the SAVE-ASVI system. 

 

Now it's too late for your wife since her I-94 is most likely expired, so wait until you have the GC in hand and take her to your local SS office.

[medic5678]

4 minutes ago, gdaf123 said:

You can file for an SSN w/ the I-94.  That's what my wife did.  She also filed an I-765 (employment authorization) at the same time.  You just need to wait about 2 weeks after arrival so that her entry is in the SAVE-ASVI system. 

 

Now it's too late for your wife since her I-94 is most likely expired, so wait until you have the GC in hand and take her to your local SS office.

We filed at i-765 with the adjustment of status.  Since it happened so fast with the green card, we never heard back on the i-765.  I was under the impression that you had to file for adjustment of status when you filed for the I-765.  Moot point for us either way, my wife isn't going to work for quite a while.

[westsail]

Better check on what paperwork is required for adoption.  When I adopted my stepson (from Russia) we had to have signed permission from his natural father.  He came with his mother on a K-1 visa.  I don't remember what documents were required for him to leave Russia and move to the U.S., but it wasn't sufficient for the adoption court.  I don't know if the laws vary from state to state, but it's worth checking on.