Hi everyone,
It's been awhile but I'm back. Married life has found Sam and I happily living in Colorado where we're attending graduate school.
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Anyway, we did Direct Consular Filing through the Sydney, Australia consulate (see signature) back in 2005, and sent out our I-751 packet on the 23rd of August, 2007. We just received our NOA from the Nebraska Service Center that states "Your conditional resident status is extended for a period of one year. During the one-year extension you are authorized employment and travel..... In order to further process your petition, you will be receiving an ASC appointment notice with a specific time, date, and location to capture your fingerprints, photo and signature" (read: biometrics). Anyway, in 2005 when we were doing DCF, Sam had his fingerprints, photo, and signature captured at the Sydney consulate.

Here are my questions:
1. Why does he have to do a second set of biometrics? Is it different from what we went through in Sydney while filing the I-130 etc?

2. Sam's mother has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which is fast acting. As a result, he's taken leave from school and work and headed back home to spend time with his mother in her final months of life. I'm staying in Colorado holding down the fort, so to speak. If our biometrics appointment occurs before her death, is there a way to postpone/change the date with the ASC?

Thanks to any who can help, it's nice to be back on the VJ forums!

regarding 1.
Everyone has to do biometrics for the I751. It doesn't matter how you achieved the permanent resident status. Everyone is treated the same at this stage. The biometrics for I751 usually consist of different sets of fingerprints (every finger separately, then different groups of fingers together, etc. etc.), picture and signature. I'm guessing they want to make sure it is still the same person applying for I751 now, and of course they want an updated photograph.

regarding 2.
Yes, the biometrics appointment can be changed to a different date. There is one member on VJ that repeatedly canceled biometrics appointments and had them reassigned 2 weeks later for about 10 months. Not that I recommend that, but just to show that it is possible.

Sorry to hear about your mother-in-law.

Thanks so much! That makes me feel better. Does anyone know how to go about requesting a postponement? Is there an official form that I'd need to file on behalf of my husband?

The instructions to reschedule the biometrics appointment will be right on the biometrics letter itself. It basically says that you have to send the letter back and they will schedule a new appointment for you.