Hello VJ...

Please share your leasons learned from your I-751 filing and interview experiences. Maybe this could help others out in the future.

Cheers!!!

Sheriff Uling

First leason's learned item:

Please read and review VJ's Guide to Removing the Conditions of Residence [CLICK HERE]

Remember to check about the time difference to the state travelling to get biometrics done. I forgot Indianpolis was +1 ahead of central Illinois but all was okay and they were very understanding.

ha ha! Good one!

My lesson learned: Don't sweat this one too hard--once you've sent it in, just wait for your result. There will be 1) the petition mailing 2) the biometrics appointment 3) the card receipt. That's all there is! It will be done inside of 12 months---expectations managed!

And... if you want to file for naturalization, you do not have to wait for a decision on the I-751. If you're qualified to apply & want to, go for it!

Lesson learned:

it's wise to include passport photos, after all they did ask for them

I left mine out of my package but waited until I'd received my NOA then sent them on with a photocopy of the NOA and a very short note reading
"this is an addition to my I-751 application"
I also wrote on the envelope my A# and that this is additional info for my I-751 application. Surprisingly it was attached to my file and all was well - great job!

Passport photos are only necessary for those who reside overseas pursuant to military or government orders -- regular folk no longer need submit such photos because USCIS is now taking photos of I-751 petitioners at the biometrics appointment.

File as soon as you are eligible. The 90th day before the conditional green card expires. We have been waiting 7 months and the NSC website says they are still processing for August. In the mean time my wife's passport has expired and she needs her green card to renew it. Thank god we are almost done with these people. In Oct she will apply to become a US citizen then no more USCIS ever.

The Chinese government won't renew her Chinese passport unless she actually has her U.S. 10-year card? That's very odd. Why should whatever documentation a Chinese national has to reside in a foreign country affect whether the Chinese national is entitled to renew a Chinese passport?

Would anyone be willing to share their interview and/or Oath of Allegiance experience?

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...c=22253&hl=

Yes, please do! Did the same thing ourselves and realized it about halfway there

But they had sent an 8 am -1 pm time frame when I asked to reschedule - very flexible to say the least!! There were only 3 people for biometrics and one lawyer for an interview when we went in at 9 (IN time). Very very uncrowded compared to the Chicago office.

Very cool... Thanks!!!

Make sure your name and other information are correct on the system when you go for the biometrics appointment.

The technician scanned the barcode on the NOA, and I nearly missed that my last name was misspelt on the information that came up (one letter). I cannot see a reason why there was an error because all correspondence from USCIS was correct. I also am not sure if this is something that is done intentionally as a cross-check, because I also recall at the previous biometrics for the EAD, one digit was off on my SSN. Anyways, I hope I don't have to go through correcting the name when the new document arrives (whenever it does).

Do others have similar experiences?

Meauxna,

You are such an excellent researcher .. my hat is off to you ..

CB

lol, it was my own thread, does that still count?

Thank you either way!

but really I wasn't just referring to this advise .. I have seen it over and over again .. thanks so much for being a helping hand in the visa process ..

CB

I don't know about the Chinese but the German government: They want to know that you haven't become an American citizen in the meantime (without the written permission of the German government to keep your German citizenship). A Green Card is seen as a sign that citizenship has not been granted yet. Any confirmation from the USCIS that the person is not a US citizen would be sufficient, too - I guess that would include a NOA for the removing of conditions, but I'm not sure.

They don't do interviews at all anymore? There used to be occasional interviews on I-751's.
I should know since I've been through one way back when...

Of course they still pull the same small number of cases for quality control interviews. The above is a generalized version of 90% of people's experience.

Rumor has it that all those who were approved without interview at AOS will be interviewed at Removal of Conditions... but we will have to wait and see if that is the case....

Kez

Hey James! How you been man? I see there are 2 now (and I remember when Santi was just a little picture of a yet to be named zygote!). Anyway, hope all is well.

James (the other)

Yes, indeed. The first CSC transferees (who go approved without interview) will soon be eligible to apply for removal of conditions in July. I can't wait to see how their process (and mine in August) will progress.

***BIG BOOTY BUMP***

Please feel free to add more lessons learned or review for informational purposes...

***BIG BOOTY BUMP***

Any news since the last bump that anyone wants to share?

Yeah, I posted in this thread when you first started it over a year ago and I'm STILL waiting for the I-751 to be approved.

Lesson learned? Republicans do an awful job of running the government.

On edit: heh, I note that my last post in this thread was made on April 18, 2007, the very day I sent in the I-751.

One question answered from before . . . yes, those who got their AOS without an interview are also getting I-751s approved without an interview.

Also - plan ahead! It is easier to collect information when it comes in (ie bank statements, etc.) and set it aside as potential evidence rather than trying to gather it all together afterwards and finding out you may have thrown away something useful. As well, if you can, make sure you passport is up-to-date. If it is due to expire within the next 6 months, renew it as early as you can so that you can have a valid passport in which to get the I-551 stamp either after the 1st year's NOA extension letter expires - or when you never get an extension letter at all (TSC filers after mid January 2008).

Same with Russian passport-have to show that eligible to stay in US at least for 1 year ahead (means GC, long-term visa etc). I gues Chinese like Russian have to get international passports (we have internal passports too-with residency registration stamps. -to get a job, have to show residency stamp from police station-odd for you, right?) inside of the country. We are eligible to get a passport at the embassy only if we reside permanently in this country or have year-more long obligations to stay here legally. So, illigal Russians would not have a valid passport here.

NOA1 is not always sent. So, don't wait -get I-551 stamp. Go, to SS and make unrestricted SS card.

When the conditional greencard is receive, the beneficiary/spouse/permanent resident can go to the SSA to apply for any updated SS card, which does not have the restriction statement accros the top.

Not unless you are referencing something else that I'm not aware of...

Cheers!!!

Sheriff Uling

Make sure you have the most recent version of the I-751 form. I was eager, filled mine out early, and sent in an outdated version. They never did send it back to me, but I know people on here who were not so lucky.

Unfortunately, not everyone goes to the SSA to have their SS cards updated to one without the work restriction as soon as they get their conditional GCs.

I just sent in my I-751 application package today - directly to California (as a IL resident). The above advice is great. I also included my 'Welcome to the United States' letter (NOA I-797 I believe) and my permanent resident card mailer (the piece of paper that my permanent resident card was attached to when I received it). My conditional status expires on 06/14/08.

I'll be interested to see if we have to have an interview at this point. My AOS happened in less then 6 months (got the CSC transfer) and everything went off without a hitch. Here's hoping history repeats itself. I consider our case to be very solid and so I won't be that freaked out if we do end up having an interview to go to.

Good luck to all those who have applied and/or who will be applying soon for this.