Hi! Well, we haven't even received our NOA2 yet for the I-129f, but are thinking ahead. I read the guides about EAD and AOS after marriage but am still unsure about something. I read in another thread that the AOS times have slowed down. Does that mean that EAD filed at the same time as AOS have slowed down too, or can you be approved for EAD first and begin working while you are waiting for the AOS. When does the EAD filed at the time of AOS expire?

Thank you for any info!!!

Skyler

You apply for your AOS, EAD and AP at the same time, after marriage. The fee covers all three. Usually you get your EAD and AP first. Timelines have slowed down, however you can usually expect it in 3-4 months. Some people have had theirs come in 2 months, some in 4. Your AOS interview or not, could come months later. Your EAD is good for a year. You can start employment with an EAD. There has been rare occurances where your AOS interview is granted before you've got your EAD!

Best of luck!

Great! Thank you! So, just to clarify... Even though AOS times have slowed and we may not have our AOS appointment for a year or so, we should still have our EAD and AP within 2 - 4 months?

Unless there is some type of holdup that I'm not aware of, you should get your EAD and AP within 3-4 months of applying. Your AOS interview or transfer to CSC could be months away, but that won't preclude you getting your other stuff earlier.

Thanks! You're the best!

The link on the main page here at VJ talks about how the USCIS states that AOS processing times have about doubled recently, but EAD times have held steady.

Here's a link.

In this link to VJ News, I suspect that the graphs and the data are based on VJ members timelines, so I would take the information with a grain of salt. USCIS receives hundreds of thousand of applications a year, while VJ members are a small proportion of that. And I don't think VJ has access to internal USCIS data to compile such statistics. In any case, a source for the numbers should have been posted along with the article.