you need to read this...
http://usembassy.state.gov/manila/wwwh3226.html
it says that i824 is not necessarily needed if you are a beneficiary of FTJ...
but to make it sure, an i824 receipt must be presented in my opninion.
just present/mail all the documents they need...
http://usembassy.state.gov/manila/wwwh3217.html
Required Documents for Visa Applications
a cover letter will greatly help your application.
i'm on the process of FTJ.
judex
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Following to join family members
The spouse and children of a principal applicant are entitled to derive immigration benefits from their principal’s approved visa petition and may travel to the United States at a later date. Under no circumstance will the derivative spouse or child be allowed to travel to the U.S. ahead of the principal applicant.
Following-to-join applicants may derive immigration benefits only if:
a) the spouse or children were acquired before the principal applicant’s admission into the United States; and
b) the principal applicant gained lawful permanent resident (LPR) status or was issued an immigrant visa under the family-preference (F) or employment-based (E) visa categories or was issued a nonimmigrant K or V visa. Foreign nationals who immigrated to the U.S. under an immediate relative (IR) visa category need to file a separate Form I-130 visa petition on behalf of their spouses and children.
c) the principal applicant has not naturalized. Once the principal applicant becomes a U.S. citizen, a separate visa petition would need to be filed on behalf of the spouse and /or children to qualify for immigration benefits again.
Following-to join derivative beneficiaries must present documentation establishing the principal applicant’s immigration status in the United States and their relationship to their principal. These include:
· A copy of the child’s birth certificate issued by the National Statistics Office
· A copy of the marriage certificate issued by the National Statistics Office
· A copy of the principal alien’s registration receipt card or I-551 or a copy of the principal alien’s passport pages indicating admission to the U.S. as an immigrant
·
If applicable, Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition
To register a family member as a following-to-join derivative, the above documents may be faxed to the Immigrant Visa Section at (632) 338-4129 or mailed to the U.S. Embassy, Immigrant Visa Branch, Roxas Blvd, Ermita, Manila. The documents must come with a letter of request clearly indicating the name of the applicant(s) and the applicant(s)' contact address and telephone number.
Once the Embassy ascertains the eligibility for following-to-join derivative status, it will provide instructions on how to apply for the visas.
It is important to remember that a child is only eligible for following-to-join benefits, if he or she is a child, stepchild or adopted child in accordance to U.S. immigration law.