AOS Timeline for Spouse - Atlanta, GA

[lplplpx3 12]

So we filed for AOS in the Atlanta office 11/16/16. I have had my bio appt and received my EAD card. I’m just a little concerned that approaching the end of July there has been no contact about an interview or approval (some have been approved without an interview).

 

I checked others' timelines who filed around the same time as me and out of 20 filers, 9 have been approved. I noticed that these all took place around the 24th and 25th of April. The rest, it seems, are still waiting like us (unless they have not updated their timeline). So I am wondering do we  just keep patiently waiting or should we check up with USCIS.

 

On their website, the status correctly says that the EAD was mailed in February so I do not think anything has transpired since then but I am just wondering others thoughts on this. Wait or check? EAD runs out in January so any insight will be most helpful. Is there something going on that I am unaware of (maybe with the newly imposed immigration laws affecting timelines) or is this long wait normal? Can I expect to hear something BEFORE the EAD runs out?

 

Thank-you.

Edited July 24, 2017 by lplplpx3

[Dutchster 1,106]

I'm an October filer and I got approved for my green card two weeks ago. Comparing your case and dates to others will just make you worry even more. Don't. 

 

Adjusting can take up to a year from the moment you send it in. 

 

Edit: I just saw you received a RFE in January. Was it initial? It *can* reset the complete clock. 

Edited July 24, 2017 by Dutchster

[Scandi 3,970]

It's normal for AOS to take a year, there's nothing odd going on here. You can put in a service request if you feel like it but they will most likely just go by the processing times on their website and tell you you're still within normal processing times.

[Scandi 3,970]

And if your EAD is about to run out (when you have like 90 days left on the card) you just send in a new application to request a new EAD card, it happens that some cases take longer than a year.

 

When you got your first EAD card it was attached to a paper that you send in with your application to get a new EAD card, it can help getting your new EAD card processed faster.

Edited July 24, 2017 by Scandi

[lplplpx3 12]

Hey, thanks so much, you don't know how much worry you have both alleviated although I was pretending that I was not worrying, lol. 

 

I am not sure what you mean by "initial" but I would think so as USCIS just wanted pay stubs and tax returns, nothing major. So yes, I assume I could really start counting my time from February but thanks once again.

 

And congratulations Dutchster, I can't wait to get where you're at!

[Scandi 3,970]

33 minutes ago, lplplpx3 said:

Hey, thanks so much, you don't know how much worry you have both alleviated although I was pretending that I was not worrying, lol. 

 

I am not sure what you mean by "initial" but I would think so as USCIS just wanted pay stubs and tax returns, nothing major. So yes, I assume I could really start counting my time from February but thanks once again.

 

And congratulations Dutchster, I can't wait to get where you're at!

There's "request for evidence" (known as RFE) and then "request for initial evidence" (known as RFIE). 

 

The RFIE can set the clock back so it starts over from when they receive your response, while the regular RFE only puts your case on hold until they receive the evidence they asked for. 

 

If they asked for pay stubs and tax returns then yours was an RFIE. It doesn't really say much about the processing time on your case though, while it *could* set the clock back completely (like Dutchster said) it could also just have been paused, it seems to differ a lot from case to case. They do refer to the "set the clock back completely" to give themselves more time if needed, if they're backlogged etc and someone inquires about their case. It doesn't necessarily mean it's true. You could get approved any day now, or get approved in November etc. Or you could get an interview date tomorrow and have your actual interview in August as an example. Impossible to say, sorry. Just know that it's normal to wait for a year, so don't even worry about that yet. And just renew your EAD/AP if you have to.

[lplplpx3 12]

Thanks Scandi, I just checked and it was indeed Request for Initial Evidence so I guess you could say I filed in February but have definitely taken your advice and am no longer worried. Love conquers all, after all!

 

[Dutchster 1,106]

For example; I received a RFIE in December for a missing 2015 tax return. Technically seen, my clock got reset at the moment they received my response and seven months later I am approved. I'm not 100% sure to say I got reset completely, it feels more like delayed because adjusting from certain visas can take up to a year.

Edited July 24, 2017 by Dutchster

[lplplpx3 12]

Ok thanks...and 7 is my lucky number so you never know it could be somewhere around there for me too but trust me I am a lot more confident knowing all of this and I hope it helps someone else too.

Edited July 24, 2017 by lplplpx3

[Georgia16 2,858]

ATL filers from September just had their interviews so shouldn't be that long before it's your turn.

[Tam&Luke 30]

You need to make sure you look up the Atlanta field office processing time.  Its not about everyone else around the countrys timeline for AOS.  We are in Houston and Houston has about a 13 month wait for interviews for AOS.   Go online and check Atlantas. 

[matteo&John 25]

Honestly, it seems that USCIS approves and works in a pattern that no one knowns what to ever expect.

We filed all our paperwork AOS from San Antonio Texas at the end of Feb 2017 and got our NOA2 at the beginning of March. Biometrics March 31st and finally we got the Combo Card on May 31.

We looked at the processing time for San Antonio and we thought we would have an interview in about 1 year.

Then out of the sudden our status updated to "card being produced" in July 15th. We received his Green Card July 21st.

So bottomline, we can estimate all we want and look at other people's approvals to try to keep our hopes up, but we never know when that approval  or interview is coming. (at least is not as straightforward forward as the K1 visa Process).

Hope your case ends up like ours with an approval without interview. 

 

Good luck!

[Andrea&Henry 311]

My AoS took 9 months to be approved. Applied on july 19 and I was approved on april 20th the following year. No RFE, no issues, we just happened to be not so lucky with the office handling our case. Good thing: they waived my interview

Edited July 24, 2017 by Andrea&Henry

[zilchfox 296]

Atlanta filer here, filed Dec 13th, approved on April 24th without an interview.

 

Your RFIE will delay things, but the good news is you have your EAD so you can start finding work if you haven't already. Some AOS petitions can take up to a year, and the EAD can be renewed an infinite number of times for free, as long as you have a pending I-485 application.

[lplplpx3 12]

Thanks for all the info and encouragement guys, thanks to you all I'm in a much different space than I was yesterday.