外籍亲属的 I-130 申请
在阅读这篇文章的您可能能想知道如何在美国生活和工作。如果是这样，您应该考虑以作为最重要的移民基础的就业或家庭关系选择来引导您获得永久居留权。
通过美国公民及移民服务局 (USCIS) 提供的绿卡（移民签证）移民到美国有两种主要途径。这当然还存在其他途径，但就业和家庭关系是成为 USCIS 授予永久居民的最常见基础。
如果您和您的配偶或其他家庭成员考虑这些选项，您可以在美国或美国境外提交 USCIS I-130 表格。提交 I-130 表格旨在证明美国公民或合法永久居民与外国人、您的配偶或亲属之间的家庭关系，以便可以开始处理绿卡。
尽管如此，为您、您的配偶或亲属获得绿卡，单单是美国公民及移民服务局 (USCIS) 所批准您基于家庭的 I-130 申请是不够的，但这确是一个很好的开始方式。因此，您可学习如何创造途径来成为合法永久居民。
如果您在阅读本文后有任何问题，请立即致电我们！赫尔曼法律集团是一家专注于移民法的律师事务所，对法律了如指掌，并从业超过 25 年。我们的工作人员通晓十几种语言，我们也可以找人用您的母语与您交谈，帮助您准备申请文件并提交 USCIS 表格 I-130，或寻求其他非移民和移民签证并带领您通过绿卡申请程序。
立即致电 +1-216-696-6170 进行专业咨询，或通过我们的在线表格申请。
谁有资格获得基于家庭的 I-130 担保？
要成为旨在获得绿卡的配偶或其他家庭成员的担保人，您必须是：
- 美国公民（通过出生或归化获得美国公民身份）；或者
- 合法永久居民。
持有这些身份之一的人之间的主要区别在于他们可以担保的亲属范围。如果您是美国公民，您可以担保的人范围更广，而且等待绿卡的处理时间比持有 I-130 绿卡的人要短。
I-130 受益人：美国公民和合法永久居民
由美国公民或绿卡持有人提交的经批准的美国公民及移民服务局 I-130 表外籍亲属申请的受益人可以是配偶和未婚子女（21 岁以下）。
与 I-130 绿卡持有人不同，美国公民必须提交 I-130 表格来担保：
- 父母;
- 兄弟姐妹;
- 已婚子女。
提交 I-130 时，请确保为每个类项提供出生证明。
一般上，美国公民的配偶可以在大约一年内成为永久居民。而兄弟姐妹则可能需要在 I-130 表格批准后再等待数十年才能移民到美国。
谁不能提交 I-130 表格？
即使美国公民或合法永久居民有资格提交 I-130 申请，但在某些情况下 USCIS 也会禁止他们提交申请。
美国公民或合法永久居民不能提交 I-130 来担保以下亲属：
- 祖父母，孙子女，侄子，侄女，叔叔，阿姨，堂兄弟姐妹或岳父母
- 养父母或年满 16 岁后领养的子女。
- 亲生父母，如果您通过收养获得绿卡或美国公民身份。
- 继父母或继子女，如果孩子在建立继父关系的婚姻发生时已满 18 岁。
- 配偶，如果您没有亲自出席婚礼。
- 配偶，如果您通过与美国公民或绿卡持有人的先前婚姻获得绿卡 – 除非您成为归化的美国公民或已成为绿卡持有人至少五年。
- 配偶，如果婚姻是在他们参与任何移民法庭诉讼时发生的。
- 美国公民及移民服务局 USCIS 认定婚姻纯粹是为了移民目的。
如果您认为美国公民及移民服务局 USCIS 可能会拒绝您的 I-130 申请，我们强烈建议您寻求律师的帮助来填写表格。如果您认为在提交 I-130 表格后您有被拒绝的风险，您可以考虑联系赫尔曼法律集团。
如果您居住在美国境外，或者您更喜欢在线咨询，我们会提供 1 小时的 Skype 或 Zoom 咨询来了解您的案件情况并审查案件以确定潜在问题和缓解的策略。
如何提交 I-130 表格并获得绿卡？
首先，您需要正确填写USCIS I-130表格中分为五个部分的所有问题。在收集证明文件之后，您必须在适当的移民局收件处理中心提交文件。在整个表格中，您会注意到‘移民’是指“您的亲戚”或“受益人”。
第 1 部分 – 寻找有关您需要选择申请的亲属类型的关系的信息：配偶、父母、兄弟/姐妹或孩子。请注意，美国公民可以担保其中任何一项，但合法的永久居民只能向配偶或未婚子女提出申请。
如果您为子女或父母提交 I-130 表格，请选择关系类型（亲生、继子女/继父母或收养）的选项。关于收养关系会有一些额外的问题，但这些通常很容易回答。
第 2 部分 – 询问申请人的地址和婚姻信息。
第 3 部分 – 需要传记信息。在这里，您需要为移民选择“种族”和“民族”下提供的选项。
第 4 部分 – 询问您有关受益人（有意移民的亲属）的信息：有一些关于婚姻信息的部分（请注意，关于您和您的配偶的婚姻详细信息至关重要，因此请准备好提供有关它的额外信息），信息关于受益人家属、受益人入境信息、擅自逗留、非法入境等。
第 5 部分 – 要求您提供其他信息：您是否曾为该受益人或任何其他移民亲属提交过申请。
完成 I-130 表格后，您必须将其提交到适当的 USCIS 收件处理中心。
您提交 I-130 表（外籍亲属申请）的USCIS 收件处理中心将取决于您是否居住在美国境外以及您是否提交 I-485 表（申请注册永久居留权或申请调整身份），同时（也称为“同时提交I-140和I-485”）。
例如，如果您居住在美国境外，您可以在达拉斯收件处理中心提交您的 I-130。
根据美国国务院网站，USCIS 在英国和加纳的办公室将继续为居住在这些国家的美国公民处理 I-130 表格，直至 2020 年 3 月 31 日。
您可以在提交表格 G- 时请求电子通知
在 USCIS 网站上，您可以找到表格，该表格准确说明了您应该提交 I-130 表格的收件处理中心。
根据您在 USCIS 网站上找到的费用计算器，I-130 表格的申请费为 535 美元，您可以通过支票或信用卡支付。
I-130 表格需要包含哪些证明文件？
您需要与 I-130 签证申请一起提交的证明文件用于证明担保人首先可以为其直系亲属提交 I-130 表格，并且您与寻求绿卡的移民存在有效的家庭关系。提交 USCIS 表格 I-130 时，请确保您从您和您的亲属那里收集了您必须提交的所需文件以用作证明以下内容：
- 担保人是美国公民或绿卡持有者（出生证明或美国政府机构签发的其他文件）
- 存在合法有效的关系（结婚证或其他亲属的出生证明）
- 关系不存在欺诈性
- 如果担保人和/或寻求绿卡的人有任何姓名变更
- 受益人国籍（出生证明）
I-130 申请需要多长时间才能获得批准？
尽管必要的步骤会相当一致，但 I-130 的处理时间取决于其他情况，例如关系类型、USCIS 案件量以及您提交完好准备的 I-130 申请的能力。
USCIS 处理 I-130 表格申请的时间可能会很慢，并且取决于您发送申请的办公室。 在2020 年，美国公民及移民服务局平均需要 7 到 22 个月来处理移民签证包。之后，您必须等待特定的时间才能来美国。这取决于您是否与美国公民或合法永久居民（“LPR”）或绿卡持有人结婚。
- 如果您与美国公民结婚，您必须等待大约两个月才能将您的案件提交给美国政府机构：美国国务院-国家签证中心 (NVC)。接着，在国家签证中心处理之前有几个月的等待时间，美国大使馆已准备好安排您的面试，因此平均等待时间可能长达 24 个月。
- 如果您与合法永久居民结婚，您将受到配额制度的约束。
要跟进当前非移民和移民签证的处理时间，您可以访问 USCIS 网站并查看所有五个 USCIS 办事处或服务中心的走向：内布拉斯加州、加利福尼亚州、波托马克、德克萨斯州和佛蒙特州。
提交 I-130 表格后会如何？
提交 I-130 表格后，需要执行几个步骤。
第 1 步：获得请愿人收据通知 – 行动通知 2 (NOA2)，说明您的请愿已获批准。在提交您的 I-130 申请后，USCIS 需要几个月的时间向您发送一份名为“行动通知 2”的收据通知。该收据通知通常会在提交后的 2 至 3 周内到达。
第 2 步：美国公民及移民服务局将您已批准的 I-130 申请发送至国家签证中心 (NVC)，以进行预处理并从申请人和受益人处收取费用、表格和文件。
第 3 步：您将收到来自 NVC 的签证号码和欢迎信，其中包含有关以下步骤的说明。最好确保 NVC 有您或您配偶的正确邮寄地址。只有在此号码可供您使用后才能进行身份的最终调整。如果 NVC 未能就您的签证号码与您联系，您也可以使用美国国务院签证公告来检查您的申请是否有签证可用。
第 4 步：在面试阶段支付移民签证费用以处理您的签证申请。申请人将分开支付这笔费用，并支付支持宣誓书费 (AOS)，以处理您的支持证词和支持证据。
第 5 步：在安排与大使馆或领事馆面谈之前，请填写美国国务院表格 DS-260。这是在美国国务院网站和其他 DS 表格上找到的用于申请移民签证的在线长表格。它需要回答许多与个人和家庭信息、之前到过美国的旅行、工作和教育等相关的问题。您也可在此处找到美国国务院表格以及其他非 USCIS 表格。
第 6 步：填写美国申请人所需的 I-864 表格来支持受益人以避免他们在经济上使用公共援助。
第 7 步：填写 DS-260 表和 I-864 表后，在 NVC 或领事馆安排的美国领事馆或美国大使馆参加签证面谈。您可以在美国国务院官方网站 travel.state.gov 上找到美国大使馆和领事馆列表。
第 8 步：面试后在您的护照上盖章。当局将当场通知或在短期内发信通知。他们还会告诉您是否可以通过邮件收到护照或稍后再领取。
虽然我们尝试在我们的网站上提供相关和最新的信息，但您需要了解，网站上的信息不是法律建议，而是信息性文章，您可以在其中了解不同的 USCIS 表格和绿卡流程。阅读我们的移民专家团队准备的博客可以让您深入了解绿卡流程的外观，我们会经常更新，但我们依然鼓励您不时在 USCIS 网站上查看跟进。
关于 I-130 表格的相关问题：
表格 I-485（调整身份申请）可以帮助您做什么？
通过提交 I-485 表格，您可以通过以下方式成为合法永久居民（获得绿卡或移民签证）：
- 工作机会
- 庇护身份
- 难民身份
此外，优先亲属和直系亲属可以通过提交 I-485 表格成为合法永久居民。
您需要单独提交 I-130 表格吗？
如果您在为父母请愿的同时也在为您的孩子提交 USCIS I-130 表格，而您又是美国公民，那么您必须为每位亲属分别提交一份 I-130 表格；如果您是合法永久居民，您则可以提交一份 I-130 表格。
“欺诈婚姻”是什么意思，如何证明不是？
美国公民及移民服务局官员可以根据证明您提供的婚姻只是为了获得绿卡而得出相关结论。因此，请务必收集有关你们共同生活的适当文件和证据：纳税申报表、同居、与家人和朋友的照片、孩子、相伴的旅行等。
I-130可以撤销吗？
是的，您的 I-130 申请可以在以下情况下被撤销：
- 请愿人撤回I-130
- 申请人或移民死亡
- 婚姻终止（I-130 是基于此）
- 合法永久居民的未婚子女结婚，或
- 作为合法永久居民的请愿人失去身份（入籍除外）。
值得花钱在移民律师上吗？
您可以自行提交申请，如果您决定聘请移民律师，则意味着您的移民案件将增加额外的法律费用。但是如果您选择自行申请，那么在准备所有文件、证据或获得与 USCIS、美国国务院和其他政府机构沟通的建议时，您将无法获得任何具体帮助。失误会让你付出很多代价。因此，如果您想确保您的案件得到充分准备并取得积极结果的机会，我们强烈建议您聘请一位移民律师，他将在整个过程的每个阶段与您同在。聘请移民专家可以防止签证被拒，甚至被驱逐出美国。 赫尔曼法律集团的目标是首先了解每一位客户，并在流程的开始、期间和结束时回答您的任何问题。对专家顾问的投资通常会大大有助于让您的移民旅程更加顺畅。因此，请随时致电 +1-216-696-6170 联系我们进行专业咨询，或使用我们的在线表格来申请。
在美国获得基于家庭的永久居留权或绿卡的第一步就是 I-130 表格，外籍亲属申请。美国公民或合法永久居民使用 I-130 表格与受益人建立合格的关系。
尽管采取的步骤相当一致，但 I-130 的处理时间仍取决于其他情况。处理时间主要取决于关系类型（申请人和受益人之间）、USCIS 案件量以及您正确提交准备完好的 I-130 申请的能力。以下大纲为对大部分人而言 I-130 时间表的必要步骤。
与未婚夫（妻） K-1 签证相比，结婚签证的流程更简单，成本更低。国务院将对基于婚姻的移民案件进行评估，批准后将签发签证。以这种方式签发的签证也将作为临时绿卡。
有了这个签证，你就可以到美国旅行，而在你获得绿卡后国务院会将其邮寄给你。如果你进入美国后结婚不到两年，你将首先获得有条件绿卡。在获得十年绿卡之前，您必须申请取消条件。
外籍亲属 I-130 申请表的处理时间也可能很慢。截至 2020 年中，美国公民及移民服务局平均需要 7 到 22 个月来处理此表格。在 I-130 申请获得批准后，您需要多长时间才能来到美国，这就取决于您是否与美国公民或合法永久居民 (“LPR”) 或绿卡持有人结婚。
如果您与美国公民结婚，您将有资格成为直系亲属。这意味着您的案件处理时间就是政府处理它所需的时间。通常在这种情况下，您需要等待大约两个月才能将案件转移到国家签证中心 (NVC)。
在美国大使馆准备好安排您的面试前，您将不得不等几个月。而如您所见，总平均处理时间最长可达 24 个月。
另一方面，如果您与合法永久居民结婚，那么您的优先日期则不是立即的。相反地，您将受到配额制度的约束。
如果您的合法永久居民配偶在国外与您同居超过六个月，您应该考虑咨询律师以确保政府没有将他或她的绿卡视为“被遗弃”的。
虽然结婚 CR-1 签证所需的时间不会少于 12 个月，但它具有特定的优势。其中之一是移民一旦入境就会以永久居留权抵达美国。
抵达后，他们可以立即工作、获得社会安全号码、驾驶执照，并在美国境外旅行。绿卡则会在抵达美国后的几周内通过邮件送达，但在边境护照上的印章是绿卡身份的证明（I_551 印章）。
要跟进当前的处理时间，您可以访问 USCIS 官方网站并查看所有五个外地办事处或服务中心的趋势：内布拉斯加州、加利福尼亚州、波托马克、德克萨斯州和佛蒙特州。
注CR1签证或IR1配偶签证允许与美国公民或永久居民结婚的外国配偶在美国生活和工作。
CR1配偶签证只发给那些婚姻持续不到两年的同性或异性已婚夫妇，这就是为什么它被称为“有条件居民”。相反地，IR1签证是为结婚超过两年的夫妇签发的。 CR1申请的目的是授予外国配偶在美国有条件的永久居留权。
美国公民可以通过提交 I-130 表格（外籍亲属申请）来启动签证。作为请愿人的美国公民必须具有美国公民身份或已成为永久居民。他还必须与外国配偶合法结婚，并且他的收入必须符合拟议的签证标准。外籍配偶则必须年满 18 岁。
请愿书应邮寄到美国公民和移民服务局的指定地址。获得批准后，美国公民及移民服务局将把申请转交给国家签证中心（NCV），并将在那里分配案件编号。
同时，申请人需填写 DS-261线上表格，选择地址和代理人，并支付大约 1200 美元的请愿费。如果需要身体检查，则还需额外支付 200 美元的体检费用。除了 I-130 表格和 DS-260 表格、移民签证和外国人登记申请表外，还需要提交其他附加文件。
这些文件可以是美国公民证明，如出生证明或美国护照以及结婚的证明，如结婚证、联名银行账户对账单等。其他文件包括体检证明、护照式照片和 I-864 表格也需要用以支持宣誓书。G-1145表格也可同时提交，以便与美国公民及移民服务局就申请接受的通信从实体邮件转移到手机或电子邮件。
一旦请愿书已完成， NVC 将安排面谈并将请愿书连同案件中的所有支持性文件转发给将进行面谈的美国大使馆或领事馆。
预约信会提前一个月寄出以预留时间让外籍配偶收集所有必要的文件并做好准备。获得体检的指示也将在信中说明。
请愿人也将收到预约信，但不必参加面谈。在面谈期间，领事官员将询问配偶与申请人的关系和婚姻，目的是确定婚姻不存在欺诈的成份。
美国公民及移民服务局可作出证据请求，而若此则申请人必须提交额外的相关文件。处理时间会因情况而异，但授予签证的预估时间会是 7 至 10 个月。
即使婚姻是真实的，签证申请也有可能被拒绝，这意味着申请人必须做好充分的准备和满足列出的资格要求。
您提交了I-130 申请所有的必要文件后，并且您坚信当局会批准此申请。如果您想了解 I-130 表格获得批准后会如何，本文将指导您逐步完成这部分流程。
第 1 步：接收申请人行动通知 2 (NOA2)
在您提交 I-130 申请后，USCIS 需要几个月的时间才能向您发送一封名为“行动通知 2”的信函，说明您的申请已获批准。您需要妥善保管这封信，因为您以后可能会用到它。您可以查看您的 I-130 申请状态，如果您发现您的线上申请状态为“已批准”，但您仍未收到 NOA2，那您可以拨打 1-800-375-5283 联系 USCIS。
第 2 步：国家签证中心 (NVC) 收到您批准的 I-130 申请
在您的 I-130 获得批准后，USCIS 会将其发送给 NVC 进行预处理。接着NVC 将开始向申请人和受益人收取费用、表格和文件。
第 3 步：接收案例编号和欢迎信
当 NVC 发出您的案例编号时，它将向您发送一封欢迎信，其中包含有关以下步骤的说明。
在这里必须确保 NVC 至少拥有一个您和您配偶的正确电子邮件。 NVC 将通过电子邮件和邮件发送通信。
第 4 步：支付移民签证费和 AOS 费用
申请配偶签证需要在安排面试之前支付两笔费用。
- 在面试阶段处理您的签证的移民签证费：该费用申请人将单独支付。
- 处理您的证言和证据的支持费宣誓书（受益人和子女仅由一人支付）
第 5 步：填写 DS-260 表格
- 在安排与大使馆或领事馆面谈之前，您必须填写线上表格 DS-260。这份表格相当长，需要您回答许多与个人和家庭信息、入境美国的记录、工作以及教育等相关的问题。
第 6 步：填写 I-864 表格支持宣誓书
这是一份要求美国请愿人支持受益人的法律文件，用以避免他们在经济上使用公共援助。
第 7 步：在当地领事馆或大使馆进行签证面谈
完成 DS-260 和 I-864 后，NVC 或领事馆将向受益人发送一封信来提供面谈的日期、时间和地点。
第 8 步：在您的护照上盖章
面试成功后，当局会通知您签证已获批准，您的签证短期内就会盖在护照上。他们也会告知您是否可通过邮寄护照或直接领取护照的方式来收取护照。
申请 I-130 申请似乎是一项艰巨的任务。我明白这是您的未来，而您真的想把这件事处理好。
值得庆幸的是，我们拥有很多关于如何提交坚固的 I-130 申请的信息。您的工作是整理无意义和过时的信息以获取真正的要求和条件。
我对于大多数配偶的第一条建议就是坦率地了解他们的情况。了解面试时会问什么类型的问题，以便尽快做好准备并回复请求。等待期可能看起来很艰难，但是当您通过它获得的所有一切好处时，您会发现这仅仅是您生命中的一小段时间。
假uppose you will petition a foreign spouse for lawful permanent residence, then you need to be well informed and prepared because these requirements are more exhaustive than any other. Besides Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, you will have to submit additional supporting documents to prove your relationship.
Using marriage is one of the most common reasons to get permanent residence in the United States, but in other countries, as well. Because of it, the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have developed diverse methods for scrutinizing spousal relationships and ensuring that your spouse obtains a green card based on a bona fide relationship.
以下是与 I-130 表格一起提交的主要文件。
1. Petitioner’s information: He or she has to be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident providing details about:
- Address history for the past five years
- Employment history in the past five years
- Date previous marriage ended
- Petition for the beneficiary or other foreign national that is previously filed.
2. Beneficiary’s Information
An immigrant that wants to apply for a green card is called the beneficiary, and the details he or she needs to provide are:
- Address history for the past five years
- Dates previous marriage(s) ended (if applicable)
- Employment history for the past five years
- I-94 information (if present in the United States)
- Any previous immigration proceedings
Filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, requires completing a petition package with all the necessary supporting documents. If you miss providing any vital document, the USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence (RFE), providing you with the opportunity to supplement your petition.
3. Proof of paid fee
The filing fee for this form is $535.
4. Cover letter (optional)
Although USCIS does not require a cover letter, it will be useful to include it. With the cover letter, you can describe supporting documents and explain in more detail any evidence that might need additional clarification.
5. Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
Form I-130 has many questions that you need to answer, so be careful and fill it correctly.
6. Form I-130A, Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary
This form is required only for the beneficiary spouse who is already in the United States.
7. Proof of status
Proofs of status differ depending on whether you are a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent residence. As a U.S. citizen, you have to submit a photocopy of a birth certificate, passport, certificate of citizenship, naturalization certificate, or consular report of birth abroad. Lawful permanent residents must submit a photocopy of both sides of your green card or other permanent residence proof.
8. Marriage certificate
In order to prove a relationship between you and your spouse, you will have to include a copy of your marriage certificate as a supporting evidence
9. Proof of previous marriages terminated.
If you or your spouse were previously married, you would have to submit appropriate documents proving that prior marriages were legally terminated, such as a divorce decree or death certificate.
10. Photos for passport
You and your spouse will need to submit two passport-style color photos. These photos are supposed to be taken within 30 days of filing the petition.
11. Proving a bona fide marriage
Fraudulent marriages are often used as a method when it comes to trying to get a green card. This makes USCIS very thorough in examining your situation. So, you need to ensure your evidence shows that your marriage is legitimate.
Various documents can demonstrate this, for example, documents showing shared financial liabilities, assets, insurance, tax filings, birth certificates of a child born into the marriage, or other documents that you feel establish your bona fide relationship.
Call Herman Legal Group at +1-216-696-6170 or fill out our contact form to talk with us about helping you win your spousal I-130 or I-751.
Contents
- Introduction
- What are RFE and NOID?
- Why Do Marriage-Based Applicants Get NOID or RFE?
- How to Respond to RFE or NOID?
- What is the Deadline for Responding to an RFE/NOID?
Introduction
Sometimes, immigration law can be a rugged territory to cruise on. All those filing forms, fees you need to pay, evidence you have to submit, interviews to undertake can make you feel trapped in your immigration case. Therefore, it is advisable to hire a lawyer from the first beginning to lead you through the whole process.
But what if you have already undertaken some steps without seeking legal help and received an RFE or a NOID after your I-130 or I-751 petition? Although it might seem that the situation is not bright, do you need to panic, or is there still something to do about it?
First of all, we will remind you to relax and take a deep breath. The good thing is there is a solution, and no need to be worried. This article will provide you with answers to the most common concerns when it comes to those two USCIS actions and equip you with information on how to handle it.
What are RFE and NOID?
When the petition lacks evidence, USCIS will dispatch a Request for Evidence (RFE). This creates an additional opportunity for petitioners to provide proofs that are important for their cases.
Immigration officers at the USCIS will usually issue an RFE when an initial assessment on your application has determined that they need more information to make an informed decision.
Once an RFE has been sent out, you’ll be allowed to make corrections to any information you’ve already disclosed, if necessary. You’ll also provide documents that can further support your case or persuade the reviewing officers to approve your application.
Usually, such requests concern a copy of a birth certificate, degree, passport, marriage license, or any other relevant document which is not complicated to obtain. Still, sometimes it can request some more difficult copies, such as a request to employers for bank statements demonstrating an ability to pay the prevailing wage.
In order to avoid rejection of your petition, you will have to respond to the RFE appropriately. These Requests for Evidence are prevalent lately, and those are becoming even more frequent since the USCIS scrutinizes cases in more detail such as those for H-1B visas.
To conclude and put it in other words, if you receive an RFE from the USCIS, it only means that they need additional information before reaching a decision.
The other USCIS document you can receive after you file the I-130 petition is a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID). As its name says, when USCIS intends to deny your application, it will send you out a NOID, and not an RFE we talked about earlier.
If you receive a NOID, this will mean the USCIS has already decided that you are not eligible.
Now, wait: it doesn’t mean either the USCIS has already officially denied your application when it delivers NOID. But, it does mean that your path to winning the case is more challenging and that you’ll probably need to seek help from an immigration lawyer to win your case.
However, there are several noticeable differences between RFE and NOID to bear in mind when it comes to these two notices:
- RFEs are usually sent out because the USCIS is unsure whether your petition should be approved, so it needs more evidence to determine the outcome. On the other side, you may receive NOID when the officer deems that the petition shouldn’t be approved, but believes that additional evidence you may provide could affect the final decision.
- RFEs will include a list of the evidence needed to avoid a denial or rejection, but NOID will consist of a list of reasons why your petition is likely to be denied. Based on the listed reasons, you will need to determine what evidence you could provide and convince the offices to sway the decision.
- Deadlines also differ: you will likely be given a shorter time to respond to a NOID than you would for an RFE.
Why Do Marriage-Based Applicants Get NOID or RFE?
Firstly, let’s clarify why and in what circumstances marriage-based applicants receive RFE or NOID. In the United States, being married is not an instant ticket to obtaining a U.S. green card.
This might disappoint many couples since the burden to convince USCIS that the immigrant deserves a U.S. green card is on the applicants. If you intend to do so, you must be ready to demonstrate your eligibility by ensuring firm evidence.
On the way to getting a permanent residence, there are two steps to undertake in process. The first step is to file an I-130 immigrant relative petition. If it gets the approval, it enables petitioners to advance to the next step and apply for permanent resident status.
Many immigrants who want to obtain a marriage-based green card fail in the first step of the process, but you can guess your mistake since you are reading this article. Often, petitioners perceive filing the spousal I-130 petition as a trivial requirement due to its limited set of questions.
USCIS holds the power to ask for as much evidence as it deems necessary before it is convinced that your application is eligible for approval.
It might issue a NOID or RFE for multiple reasons, mainly including insufficient evidence of a bona fide relationship, discrepancies or inconsistencies in each spouse’s testimony, discovery of negative information, and 204(c) fraud finding.
Sometimes, you will find very detailed information in the USCIS issued document regarding allegations. Still, those may seem vague more than often, so make sure to hire an immigration expert in order to respond adequately.
How to Respond to RFE or NOID?
Depending on what phase the case is at, there is a difference in who is responsible for responding to the issued document: the petitioner or the couple jointly.
If USCIS issued the NOID following the I-130 petition submission, then the petitioner who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident prepared and filed the I-130 should be the one who will respond to it. The immigrating beneficiary cannot reply to a NOID and I-130 petition, although he or she can assist the petitioning spouse is preparing a response.
If a couple filed a concurrent marriage-based adjustment application (with a Form I-130 and Form I-485) and received a NOID, it would usually do so after the marriage interview at a USCIS office.
However, USCIS can technically issue the NOID at any time, and in that case, both people will be responsible for responding jointly.
If you were issued the RFE, read through it carefully and make sure you don’t miss any vital information, including any additional documentation requested.
Even if you think that you’ve already submitted some of the requested information with your initial application, still be patient. It happens sometimes. When responding, try to provide a comprehensive answer by using concise and clear responses, and submit all of the requested evidence.
It’s essential to take care of the RFE as quickly and accurately as possible. Failure to do so may delay or harm the outcome.
The vital point of your response is a collection of evidence that will support your application. In the next part of this article, you will learn more about specific documents that will help you strengthen your application.
How to Collect Evidence and What Evidence Would Be Useful for the USCIS?
A most common complaint by USCIS is there is insufficient evidence of a shared life. This can include a lack of evidence to prove cohabitation or joint finances. Moreover, contradictory or adverse evidence from USCIS interviews or investigations can raise doubt about your marriage.
So, make sure this time that your RFE response includes any requested information or evidence that the USCIS officer asked and do not hesitate to have any other documents if you think that it will solidify your application. Be sure to include all information and evidence that the officer might need to make an informed decision.
If you received NOID, your situation is a bit more complicated since, unlike RFE, your NOIDS contains only a list of allegations made by USCIS. It means that you have to conclude what documents you satisfy USCIS to revoke the decision. Because of it, it would be good not to submit the response on your own, but rather to seek professional legal help.
One of our clients was issued with NOID alleging marriage fraud in a prior marriage. This situation wasn’t easy since USCIS doubted the current marriage because of a previous one that was terminated, where the couple also filed an I-130 and were denied, even though the couple had children.
In our response, we stated that the intention of establishing a life together at the time of marriage is crucial in determining whether the couple entered into the marriage in good faith.
The first time, USCIS denied the petition without the interview, so the couple never had a chance to answer an officer’s doubts. As firm evidence of their bona fide relationship, we included affidavits of various important actors in the couple’s life, including ex-partner’s testimony, happy anniversary, and birthday cards.
In the other case, the USCIS denied I-130 because it believed that the petitioner did not provide “adequate documentation to show that the beneficiary was free to marry.”
Our client did not give the U.S. Embassy any previous marriage documentation. Instead, he represented himself as such in order to obtain a tourist visa easier. However, USCIS couldn’t just conclude that the client wasn’t free to enter a new marriage without valid documentation and based only on words.
As in the previous case, here as well right affidavits and strong arguments stated by our lawyers, made the response more convincing and more effective.
As you can see, there are various, unpredictable situations that can occur, and USCIS has the power to decide solely and independently about each.
Therefore, if when you receive RFE or NOID, make sure to contact your lawyer immediately, so you do not miss the deadline to deliver a response and to have enough time to prepare all required documentation.
Remember, the more supporting and detailed information you can send, the better your chances of getting approval will become.
What is the Deadline for Responding to an RFE/NOID?
The deadline within which you have to respond to your RFE will be listed in itself. If you miss this date, your application may be denied due to abandonment or incomplete documentation.
This means that you need to carefully look at your RFE, prepare a response on your own, hire an immigration lawyer who will help you out, and make sure you don’t miss the deadline.
If you have filed an initial application but moved after that, it’s essential to notify the USCIS about it and provide them with your new mailing address so that any notice can be delivered to you. If you travel away from home for a long time and if it’s possible, it is always a good idea to have a forwarding address in the place, you will reside.
In the event of missing either of these steps, you will be likely to receive an RFE notification on the wrong address without being notified, which will result in missing the response deadline and losing a to respond appropriately.
The amount of time you get to respond to an RFE will mostly depend on the level of difficulty surrounding the request’s requirements. Usually, the deadline that most applicants get is somewhere between 30 and 84 days.
Remember that this is one of the most important aspects of responding to an RFE, to meet the specified deadline set out by USCIS, and not even a day later. Moreover, the sooner you can provide USCIS with the requested evidence, the better your chances of an accurate and effective response are.
Missing this deadline will lead you to the opportunity to file an appeal to reopen your application, but this is a step that should be avoided in any circumstances unless you encountered legit events that prevented you from responding promptly.
When it comes to the NOID, this notice will also include the time of how long you have to respond, which is usually 30 days. Here, you should know that there are three additional days for mailing besides this limit, considering the date highlighted on the NOID’s top.
Typically, this period is not flexible, which means that if you cannot gather all of the evidence on time, USCIS will eventually deny your case.
Having in mind the current situation due to the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS made some exceptions. It stated that if you receive a NOID dated between March 1 and September 11, 2020, you will be given some extra time. Accordingly, you can respond up to 60 calendar days after the response date outlined in your NOID.
In order to prevent a denial, we advise you to submit as much evidence as you have, no matter whether you consider some of it sufficient.
If there is some information that takes more time to get and this doesn’t depend on you, along with gathering evidence, attach a letter advising USCIS that you will supplement more information as soon as possible.
If you have any proof that you commenced collecting additional evidence that will support your application, provide it to the USCIS, as well. In this way, you will let USCIS know that you are waiting for the missing information and are serious about proving your bona fide marriage.