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jonbai

Visa issued - when can I start working?

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Filed: Country: United Kingdom
Timeline

So I have successfully applied for and have received my American visa. I'm still a little confused as to when I can start working once I arrive. Do I have to wait for a green card to arrive at my American address after my arrival? I'm also wondering what to tell potential employers when going through the application process as well.

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Visa on your passport is endorsed at POE, at which point you're a permanent resident. Technically you may work any point after that, but employers require a SSN to begin paying you. 

Make sure to pay the $220 immigrant fee (to receive the Card by mail\post). Get a Social Security number for tax withholding. 

USCIS

January 16, 2015 I-130 Mailed, Chi lockbox January 20, 2015 Priority Date, January 21, 2015 NOA1 notice date, Assigned VSC, January 23, 2015 Check Cashed, electronically March 5, 2015 NOA2

NVC

March 27, 2015 NVC received April 6, 2015 Case#, IIN# assigned April 8, 2015 Paid AOS + IV fee Invoices May 5, 2015 AOS + IV package submitted May 11, 2015 Scan Date

June 11, 2015 DS-260 submitted June 25, 2015 False checklist (for ds260).. hello? June 30, 2015 Answered checklist Aug 5, 2015 Escalated to Supervisor review Aug 13, 2015 Case Complete

Consular

Sept 10, 2015 Interview Scheduled Sept 11, 2015 P4 Letter received Sept 21, 2015 file In transit from NVC Sept 23, 2015 file at Embassy

Sept 28, 2015 Medical Oct 14, 2015 Biometrics Oct 15, 2015 Interview (Approved) Oct 19, 2015 IV visa Issued Oct 23, 2015 Passport Pickup

POE

Nov 2, 2015 Entered the US Nov 16, 2015 Applied for SSN, walk-in Nov 20, 2015 Social Security Card recd Jan 15, 2016 GC received

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Greece
Timeline

The fee for the green card is $495 not $220.

 

You need an SSN card to start working. Once you enter the US, CBP will ask about getting you an SSN.

Now, you may get it, you might not. We got 2 out of 4 in the mail and we had to go to the SSA office to apply for the other 2. CBP applied for two of us and "forgot" the other 2.

 

It took 2 weeks for the SSN to arrive. You tell employers that you do not need any type of endorsement to work and that you are elligible to work in the USA. (your social security card will havea note on it saying you can't work if you couldn't i.e. if you were a dependent on someone else's visa)

GL!!

Click "spoiler" below for a detailed account of our journey to a CR1 visa via DCF in Athens, Greece.

 

2011 - Met hubby online and became friends
Early 2013 - Confessed our love for each other * Late 2013 - I got pregnant with our daughter
2014 - Our baby was born in Athens, Greece and completed our family. We now have two boys and a girl!! 2013 - 2015 - Looking for jobs in Greece, none were available (due to socioeconomic crisis) 2015 - Decided only way to feed our family was to immigrate and started the process December 2015 - Got married (Greece has a LOT of red tape for foreigners marrying Greeks)
January 2016 - Finished gathering all documents and getting them translated
* * DCF in Athens, Greece * *

28th January 2016 - Finally filed I-130s
29th June - ISSUED!!!!!!1st July - Visa packages and passports delivered to DHL.4th July - Visas in hand! CU in two weeks USA!!
19th July- POE Detroit. All went well!! (excluding our screaming, jet lagged toddler!!)

 

After Arrival in the US

September 2016 - Hubby is diagnosed with congestive heart failure
October - February 2016 - Battle with drug use, overdosing, bringing home a tiny paycheck

March - July 2017 - I am working 80 hr weeks to make ends meet. Discovered hubby's affair. Still overdoses and is hospitalized. Has quit working all together.
July - October 2017 - Marriage counseling. Revealed hubby has "several" mental conditions. Is started on several mental meds.

October 2017 - Got accepted for a college course. Got better job to help raise my kids.

October 2017 - March 2018 - Situation at home is toxic. He files for divorce.

July 2018 - Divorce is final. I have full custody of our daughter.

 

ROC (GC expires July 19th 2018)

July 16th - Package for ROC is delivered to the CA service center (divorce waiver).

August 30th - NOA1 received with 18 month extension (fee waiver approved).

March 28th 2019 - Biometrics

August 8th 2019 - Case Approved No RFE No Interview - 10 year GC in production

N400 (Online - Detroit, MI office)
June 6th 2023 - Applied for naturalization under 5 year rule.
June 7th 2023 - Application received/Biometric will be reused.
June 16th - Interview scheduled.
July 27th - Upcoming interview.



**Our DCF journey to an IV took 5 months and 1 day from turning in the I-130 to getting "Issued"**


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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
Timeline
On 3/29/2017 at 5:38 PM, Marrienne said:

The fee for the green card is $495 not $220.

Huh? I just paid the immigrant fee yesterday online. It was $220. Am I missing something?

 

I thought the $495 fee was for lost/misplaced GCs?

🇷🇺 CR-1 via DCF (Dec 2016-Jun 2017) & I-751 ROC (Apr 2019-Oct 2019)🌹

Spoiler

Info about my DCF Moscow* experience here and here

26-Jul-2016: Married abroad in Russia 👩‍❤️‍👨 See guide here
21-Dec-2016: I-130 filed at Moscow USCIS field office*
29-Dec-2016: I-130 approved! Yay! 🎊 

17-Jan-2017: Case number received

21-Mar-2017: Medical Exam completed

24-Mar-2017: Interview at Embassy - approved! 🎉

29-Mar-2017: CR-1 Visa received (via mail)

02-Apr-2017: USCIS Immigrant (GC) Fee paid

28-Jun-2017: Port of Entry @ PDX 🛩️

21-Jul-2017: No SSN after three weeks; applied in person at the SSA

22-Jul-2017: GC arrived in the mail 📬

31-Jul-2017: SSN arrived via mail, hurrah!

 

*NOTE: The USCIS Field Office in Moscow is now CLOSED as of February 28th, 2019.

 

Removal of Conditions - MSC Service Center

 28-Jun-2019: Conditional GC expires

30-Mar-2019: Eligible to apply for ROC

01-Apr-2019: ROC in the mail to Phoenix AZ lockbox! 📫

03-Apr-2019: ROC packet delivered to lockbox

09-Apr-2019: USCIS cashed check

09-Apr-2019: Case number received via text - MSC 📲

12-Apr-2019: Extension letter arrives via mail

19-Apr-2019: Biometrics letter arrives via mail

30-Apr-2019: Biometrics appointment at local office

26-Jun-2019: Case ready to be scheduled for interview 

04-Sep-2019: Interview was scheduled - letter to arrive in mail

09-Sep-2019: Interview letter arrived in the mail! ✉️

17-Oct-2019: Interview scheduled @ local USCIS  

18-Oct-2019: Interview cancelled & notice ordered*

18-Oct-2019: Case was approved! 🎉

22-Oct-2019: Card was mailed to me 📨

23-Oct-2019: Card was picked by USPS 

25-Oct-2019: 10 year GC Card received in mail 📬

 

*I don't understand this status because we DID have an interview!

 

🇺🇸 N-400 Application for Naturalization (Apr 2020-Jun 2021) 🛂

Spoiler

Filed during Covid-19 & moved states 1 month after filing

30-Mar-2020: N-400 early filing window opens!

01-Apr-2020: Filed N-400 online 💻 

02-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received online 📃

07-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received via mail

05-May-2020: Moved to another state, filed AR-11 online

05-May-2020: Application transferred to another USCIS field office for review ➡️

15-May-2020: AR-11 request to change address completed

16-Jul-2020: Filed non-receipt inquiry due to never getting confirmation that case was transferred to new field office

15-Oct-2020: Received generic response to non-receipt inquiry, see full response here

10-Feb-2021: Contacted senator's office for help with USCIS

12-Feb-2021: Received canned response from senator's office that case is within processing time 😡

16-Feb-2021: Contacted other senator's office for help with USCIS - still no biometrics

19-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice - canned response from other senator's office 🌐

23-Feb-2021: Interview scheduled - notice to come in the mail

25-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice arrives via mail

01-Mar-2021: Interview notice letter arrives via mail  ✉️ 

29-Mar-2021: Passed interview at local office! Oath Ceremony to be scheduled

13-Apr-2021: Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

04-May-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 Unable to attend due to illness

04-May-2021: Mailed request to reschedule Oath to local office

05-May-2021: "You did not attend your Oath Ceremony" - notice to come in the mail

06-May-2021: Oath Ceremony will be scheduled, date TBA

12-May-2021: Oath Ceremony re-scheduled for June 3rd, then de-scheduled same day 😡 

25-May-2021: New Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

16-Jun-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 - DONE!!

17-Jun-2021: Certificate of Naturalization issued

 

🎆 Members new and old: don't forget to fill in your VJ timeline! 🎇 https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

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3 hours ago, millefleur said:

Huh? I just paid the immigrant fee yesterday online. It was $220. Am I missing something?

 

I thought the $495 fee was for lost/misplaced GCs?

Correcto

 

USCIS

January 16, 2015 I-130 Mailed, Chi lockbox January 20, 2015 Priority Date, January 21, 2015 NOA1 notice date, Assigned VSC, January 23, 2015 Check Cashed, electronically March 5, 2015 NOA2

NVC

March 27, 2015 NVC received April 6, 2015 Case#, IIN# assigned April 8, 2015 Paid AOS + IV fee Invoices May 5, 2015 AOS + IV package submitted May 11, 2015 Scan Date

June 11, 2015 DS-260 submitted June 25, 2015 False checklist (for ds260).. hello? June 30, 2015 Answered checklist Aug 5, 2015 Escalated to Supervisor review Aug 13, 2015 Case Complete

Consular

Sept 10, 2015 Interview Scheduled Sept 11, 2015 P4 Letter received Sept 21, 2015 file In transit from NVC Sept 23, 2015 file at Embassy

Sept 28, 2015 Medical Oct 14, 2015 Biometrics Oct 15, 2015 Interview (Approved) Oct 19, 2015 IV visa Issued Oct 23, 2015 Passport Pickup

POE

Nov 2, 2015 Entered the US Nov 16, 2015 Applied for SSN, walk-in Nov 20, 2015 Social Security Card recd Jan 15, 2016 GC received

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