RFE received

[Son of Clyde]

Turbo,

His fee was $1,560.00 plus the $165.00 filing fee.

I paid $780.00 at our first meeting and the remainder just before he filed.

Most attorney's want half of their fees up front and the second half once they complete the job.

Where I work we process attorney fee cases and the attorneys fight for every penny even if the claimant clearly cannot afford to have the money withheld from their first disability check. The attorneys often receive 25% of the claimant's past-due benefits.

We are in the wrong business.

jb, She is taking English classes and I saw a marked improvement the last time I visited her. I still need an interpreter for most phone calls because she is not very confident to speak in English. Her son is doing even better with his English.

I don't think she will want to conduct 100% of her interview in English but she will be able to communicate fairly well now.

 

[jb]

Clyde,

I sincerely hope everything goes smoothly for your g/f's interview.

I somehow suspect you will become a strong advocate for NOT using a lawyer for future newbies.

[wxman]

SOC,

Sorry to hear that you have had such big problems with your lawyers. When it all said and done, you will have ended up doing all the work and they got a free paycheck.

[wxman]

SOC,

I think it is also a good idea to write embassy in Kiev. I also had my fiancee write them requesting they notify her by email, or phone when interview date has been approved. Since she and my lawyer will be notified, but not me, I want her to have direct connection with embassy, so that if something falls through the cracks, there is a paper trail.  She included in the letter all the pertinent info. According to embassy web site they respond to all emails within a day or two.  

[Son of Clyde]

wxman,

I wrote them last night and asked if any supporting evidence such as pictures and affivavit of support woult be mailed to them with the approved petition and if it would be forwarded to my fiance.

I sent a letter to my attorney also.

Thank you for your suggestions.

[OhioGuyRob]

I am bumming so hard..... My RFE was April 14th and as of May 9th I still have heard NOTHING from the helhole known as Nebraska.  I must have the slowest worst governement employee who has ever lived working on my file. 

[Son of Clyde]

Rob, I would not wait more than 4 weeks before phoning them.

Even if you have to make up an excuse to phone them early.

I think 60 days is too long to wait.

When I sent my required evidence I attached a cover sheet and apologized for the oversight even though it was not my fault. 

[OhioGuyRob]

I phoned them today and got the standard it goes to the case agent working the file line of crap.  Its just so dam frustrating when you have given what they want and they cant seem to figure out what they want to do.  Im seeing on the timeline they are now approving applications from March 17th  2 months ahead of my date!!!

[wxman]

SOC

I talked to my lawyer today and box number 3 of KEV-1 form:

Â� 3. evidence of support from your American fiancé(e) - tax returns, pay stubs, letters from employers, bank statements, Affidavit of Support I-134.

This info is sent directly to embassy in Kiev.

 

[wxman]

SOC

I talked to my lawyer today and box number 3 of KEV-1 form:

Â� 3. evidence of support from your American fiancé(e) - tax returns, pay stubs, letters from employers, bank statements, Affidavit of Support I-134.

This info is sent directly to embassy in Kiev.

 

When K1 petition was filed all of this was sent to Nebraska Service Center.

On their approval notice it states that they sent the original visa pertion to NVC. On the notice from NVC it states that the original petiton has been sent to Embassy.

All I have to send my fiancee is my latest tax return which was filed after petition, and also bank statements since then along with a few pay stubs, and correspondance  and photos.

 

[Son of Clyde]

wxman, I think I may send her a duplicate of all the documents and forms and I will indicate which documents she will actually need for the interview. I will suggest she take everything just in case. I'm glad I had plenty of pictures. Now I can include some with her son and us.

I am beginning to see that each person has a different way of filing and some send a duplicate of the K-1 package very early on.

She does need my translations of her and her son's birth certificates and her divorce decree. If not she will have to pay someone to translate them.

My attorney never requested statements from my employer or bank and I want to include them also.

Thank you, I am seeing that your attorney and mine seemed to agree on some things my attorney just did not send a copy of the package to her for her to start the KEV-1 early.

[wxman]

SOC,

In the end our results will be the same.  Since you are going to get a bank letter, have them notarize it at the same time. It's not required, but anytime you can get a document notarized, it never hurts. The bank will do that for free. It's just a simple statement that says than you have been a bank customer since (date), list the accounts and the amount of money in each one.

 

[wxman]

What annoys me most about having to send this documentation is, that Immigration can get all of these records since they have your SSN. Since they do a background check through homeland security, they access your tax info, bank info, employment history, criminal record etc. If it gets approved, and sent to embassy, why does fiancee then have to present it all over again? Immigration laws and regulations are written by morons. Once it gets to embassy, it should be a simple interview, with her  only having to bring passport, birth certificate and medical exam results. I'm not the one they are interviewing, so she should not have to present my documentation.

[Son of Clyde]

Nothing about government is simple.

They have to justify the jobs of the clerks in the mail room, the reviewers, the interviewers, the secretaries and any other person who might have touched the package.

I wonder how many hands touched the petition from me to the attorney to the VSC to the NVC and beyond.

 

[wxman]

SOC,

Apparently, a notarized affidavit of support is not even needed. According to web site of US Embassy, I found the following:

Q. What proof should I present to show that I can support my fiancée financially?
A. You must supply proof that your fiancee will not become a public charge. This proof can be supplied in different forms. Many applicants present a notarized I-134 affidavit of support. This form is available from USCIS. Other acceptable forms of proof are a letter from your employer that indicates your current earnings and job history; your most recent federal income tax returns and bank statements or documentation of other assets.

 

[Son of Clyde]

wxman,

I went for overkill, better safe than sorry.

I thought she should have all my documents anyway since we are both in this together. I put everything in a clear plastic binder and separated into different types of evidence. There were about 5 stacks and a letter of intent to marry within 90 days.

[wxman]

SOC,

Same here. She is going to hate me when the next package arrives!  

[Son of Clyde]

The only thing I omitted from the package was my RFE letter because I don't want to upset her. All my paperwork is being sent.

[START2]

?. on the DS 156, they ask for the place of issuance for her international passport. I downloaded this form btw. I will fill it out for her and she can sign it. She said on the phone today that the only thing she sees for a place of issuance, there is a number there. Does this jive with what is on your fiancees passport as well?  ?2. I also went to download packet 3 from the website and it tells me to unzip. what is that? i did and nothing happened. What do I need to do. I want to get it all done before she receives the packet. ............ Also as you know, it looks like we will have to go to court for the child to come here. Here is what's happening so far if anyone else runs into this. We got an attorney, she will have to collect staement from friends and teachers telling how useless the ex is.  Tomorrow, a judge will be assinged to the case. There are 6 or 7 that it could go to but one will be chosen. There is one opportunity  to ask for a different judge if the lawyer does not think the first one is favorable.  There is a possiblilty to pay a little extra)))  to spped this up. Normally it could take 6 months but greasing the wheel can take less than 2.  In 10 days she will talk to the judge and tell her story and show statements. at that point, he will receive a letter to come to court to protest or do whatever he needs to do. He will have up to 30 days to for this. Then a meeting is held with someone similar to a DHS person, and she will make a recommendation to the judge. As it is my fiancee is very good friends with this person. It is in her favor at this point that the ex has never given support and  is mostly drunk. Or with a little grease, the judge can rule as soon as the 30 days is up. So, it looks like we're close. I'm sure the info from N.H. is at the  embassy  as it was sent 2 weeks ago to Kiev.  I have more questions but I'llwait to ask until this situation is clear. I think i read that info from packet 3 can be e-mail to the embassy. da?

[Turboguy]

"it tells me to unzip. what is that? i did and nothing happened. What do I need to do."

Humm, if you don't know what unzip is and you did, I am wondering what you unzipped.   Well zip up whatever it is that you unzipped. 

Zip is a compression program.  It is used to shrink files so that they take less space.  Depending on what version of windows you have there should be a zip/unzip program on your computer.   Visit your help section and it should give you all the details.   If there is not one on there just visit any shareware site and you should be able to download one.   pkzip used to be one of the better ones but I have not followed it for a while. 

Sounds like you have a real mess to try and solve.  I wish you the best with it.   I still think a hit man for the ex would be cheaper.

 

[Son of Clyde]

Start2,

Send me a PM with your email address and I will email the Packet 3 and Packet 4 to you already unzipped. It might take several mailings to get everything to you.

I don't think she can submit the DS-156 until the Embassy receives the checklist

KEV-1 from Packet 3. 

[wxman]

DS-156 is a form she brings with her to embassy when she has interview. It is the actual non immigrant visa form. All the other documents, etc that we have filled out the last few months and sent in for approval all lead up to that form. It is a general visa request, similar to form you fill out for visa request to enter Ukraine. All that we have done in forms etc, mean nothing if this one isn't approved. If you used a lawyer, then he/she can fill that form out for her and sign part of form stating he/she filled out form. The DS-156 has a sister form(DS-156K) that is also included with packet 4 and all the paperwork that was filed, such as birth certificates, divorce decree, proof of relationship, etc; will be attached to the sister form that she will bring along to embassy.  Again she will sign and date in front of embassy official.  

[wxman]

My fiancee received packet 3 in mail today. The petition was approved by NVC on April 12th. So it takes about a month for it to get to embassy in Kiev, and for packet 3 sent out. I scanned a filled out KEV-1 form and emailed it again to embassy today.

[Turboguy]

Congratulatons wxman.   If you are jumping up and down with excitment as much as I was you will have a hole in the floor.   So when is the interveiw?

[wxman]

Turboguy,

We have not recieved packet 4 yet, which will have interview date. Now that I have sent them the KEV-1 form from packet 3, all we have to do is wait for packet 4! I'm pacing a hole in my carpet! LOL Just one more step! I can see the light, as I jump and pace!

Thanks!