Volunteer work while waiting for EAD?

[chapstick 0]

Hi all,

I've been a troll on this forum for a while now (meaning that I lurk, but never post.. hehe), and I decided to come out of hiding today to ask a few questions

I have been approved for my K1 visa and will be entering the US next week. As far as getting married is concerned, we will be doing the whole civil/legal marriage paperwork stuff as soon as possible and having the whole big wedding ceremony for friends and family sometime next year.

My questions are:

1) Are you able to do any volunteer work (say, at the hospital or what not) while you wait for your EAD?

2) For those who apply for advance parole to leave the country prior to getting your status changed (lets say I want to go back to visit home), how long does that take to approve and is it only valid once or can I go back home several times? On a side note, I hate that they call it "advance parole"... it makes me feel like a criminal sorta. Yeesh!

Thanks for all the help!

Edited July 7, 2009 by chapstick

[SapphireDreams 71]

Hi all,

I've been a troll on this forum for a while now (meaning that I lurk, but never post.. hehe), and I decided to come out of hiding today to ask a few questions

I have been approved for my K1 visa and will be entering the US next week. As far as getting married is concerned, we will be doing the whole civil/legal marriage paperwork stuff as soon as possible and having the whole big wedding ceremony for friends and family sometime next year.

My questions are:

1) Are you able to do any volunteer work (say, at the hospital or what not) while you wait for your EAD?

2) For those who apply for advance parole to leave the country prior to getting your status changed (lets say I want to go back to visit home), how long does that take to approve and is it only valid once or can I go back home several times? On a side note, I hate that they call it "advance parole"... it makes me feel like a criminal sorta. Yeesh!

Thanks for all the help!

Yes, you can definitely do volunteer work.

AP is taking around 2-3 months right now. When you apply, they ask you if you want to use it multiple times and you just say yes and you are generally granted a multiple entry Advanced Parole.

[minnew 4]

Hi all,

I've been a troll on this forum for a while now (meaning that I lurk, but never post.. hehe), and I decided to come out of hiding today to ask a few questions

I have been approved for my K1 visa and will be entering the US next week. As far as getting married is concerned, we will be doing the whole civil/legal marriage paperwork stuff as soon as possible and having the whole big wedding ceremony for friends and family sometime next year.

My questions are:

1) Are you able to do any volunteer work (say, at the hospital or what not) while you wait for your EAD?

2) For those who apply for advance parole to leave the country prior to getting your status changed (lets say I want to go back to visit home), how long does that take to approve and is it only valid once or can I go back home several times? On a side note, I hate that they call it "advance parole"... it makes me feel like a criminal sorta. Yeesh!

Thanks for all the help!

Welcome to VJ! Congratulations on the approval and upcoming marriage!!

Absolutely you can do volunteer work while you are waiting for your EAD. As long as you aren't getting any $$. I would love to be able to once I get settled in.

I hate it that they call it Advanced Parole too! I am not a criminal! Anyways, from what I understand yes you can use the AP document more than once to travel back to Canada. The EAD and AP documents usually take anywhere from 70-90 days to be approved after you send in your AOS package (I-485/I765/I 131) with the EAD and AP applications.

[TimandJoyce 1]

Congratulations with finishing up that awful paper work alone!!! How exciting that you'll be married soon and then you're both together for the rest of the journey....

Guess I really can't add too much else to your questions as they seem like they've been answered for you, except to say that hopefully you'll post more, and let us know how your POE went.

[Kimbear 53]

teehee about the only thing we can reply other than the good advise you already got is to

[kuro 0]

Do they still have temporary work permits while you are waiting for your EAD? I thought I read that somewhere.

[JillA 2]

Do they still have temporary work permits while you are waiting for your EAD? I thought I read that somewhere.

No, from what I hear they no longer provide a temp EAD stamp. Plus, only JFK in the past was the POE that provided it, most POEs did not.

[minnew 4]

Do they still have temporary work permits while you are waiting for your EAD? I thought I read that somewhere.

Also its pointless to pay the $300 and some dollars for an EAD as soon as you enter the country, before you apply for AOS, that will expire when your K-1 I-94 expires...it would take 3 months just to get the card. When you apply for AOS, the EAD and AP are "free", they are included in the $1010 fee.

Edited July 8, 2009 by minnew

[Krikit 1,164]

Just wanted to say welcome to VJ, Chapstick.

[g&a246 0]

Hopefully those of you who are about to file/have recently filed for AOS won't have to wait the whole three months for EAD/AP. The process seems to be pretty speedy at the moment, fyi. I was stunned on Monday when I got a USCIS email notice saying my EAD application had been approved. And I was just shocked this morning when the approved Advance Parole notice was waiting in my inbox. The NOA date for my AOS application was June 2. So, it took only about a month for both. Crazy!

[minnew 4]

Hopefully those of you who are about to file/have recently filed for AOS won't have to wait the whole three months for EAD/AP. The process seems to be pretty speedy at the moment, fyi. I was stunned on Monday when I got a USCIS email notice saying my EAD application had been approved. And I was just shocked this morning when the approved Advance Parole notice was waiting in my inbox. The NOA date for my AOS application was June 2. So, it took only about a month for both. Crazy!

Woot! Thats great news! I have seen the timelines range anywhere from 60-80 days...maybe a few with the whole 90 days! I hope they pick up speed! Especially with the economy the way it is! I feel awful for those USC SO's who have lost their jobs in the middle of this whole process and then their spouse cannot work until given the authorization. My SO is enlisted with Uncle Sam...unless he goes AWOL...

[antda 13]

Hi Chapstick,

Welcome to VJ and in answer to your questions:

1) Yes, by all means, you can do volunteer work while you are waiting for your immigration documents! Doing volunteer work is a great way to meet people, learn more about the community, feel more welcomed, get good character and job references, and best of all: to help others who truly need the help. I guarantee, you will feel so much better in doing volunteer work, instead of just waiting around for the USCIS to get your paperwork completed. Heck, you can continue with your volunteer work even after you get your immigration documents!

In my situation, I did not apply for an EAD, as I did not need to work right away (and saved money too by not applying for such, since it was optional at that time). Instead, I did a lot of volunteer work while waiting for my green card. In fact, I did volunteer work up until recently (couldn't continue now due to pregnancy), despite having a green card already. What I find the most rewarding in doing volunteer work is helping others and making their day a lot happier by doing such.

So go ahead, find somewhere to volunteer.....And good luck with your volunteer work too!...

2) I don't have a clue about AP, as I did not apply for such, as I did not need to return to Canada right away (and saved money too by not applying for such, since it was optional at that time). So I waited until I got my green card to travel back instead. But yeah, this AP document being called "advance parole" does sound "criminal and sinister" in so many ways...uggh....

Lol...How about the term "alien".......Doesn't make one feel welcomed in the USA, does it?

Heck, the whole immigration process makes us feel like "criminals" in some way or other, even though we are not...(but that's another story....)

Hope this helps. Good luck on the rest of your immigration journey and upcoming wedding as well.

Ant

Hi all,

I've been a troll on this forum for a while now (meaning that I lurk, but never post.. hehe), and I decided to come out of hiding today to ask a few questions

I have been approved for my K1 visa and will be entering the US next week. As far as getting married is concerned, we will be doing the whole civil/legal marriage paperwork stuff as soon as possible and having the whole big wedding ceremony for friends and family sometime next year.

My questions are:

1) Are you able to do any volunteer work (say, at the hospital or what not) while you wait for your EAD?

2) For those who apply for advance parole to leave the country prior to getting your status changed (lets say I want to go back to visit home), how long does that take to approve and is it only valid once or can I go back home several times? On a side note, I hate that they call it "advance parole"... it makes me feel like a criminal sorta. Yeesh!

Thanks for all the help!

Edited July 9, 2009 by AntandD

[Athena13 10]

But can we do volunteer work BEFORE we even get married (after entering with K-1), or BEFORE I apply for AOS (along with EAD and AP)? and without a SSN?

The information I got so far from this post is, yes we can after we applied for EAD or AOS.

i really wanna do something, in the pet shop.

[Krikit 1,164]

Yes, of course you can. As long as you're not taking the job of a paid employee you're fine to volunteer. You may want to do an advanced search for that in the Working & Traveling forum as this is a 3 year old thread.

[Trishy_N_J 23]

Yay This makes me all smiles. That's what I'll be doing, if they take me! I want to volunteer at a pet shelter.