Oct 12 stamp in Passport/Visa

[nathandace 0]

hi all,

you all have been very helpful to me, but i still have more questions regarding my AOS application. for those of you who dont know... i was married on july 17. my fiance left for basic training on july 21, so I retained my lawyers again (so it would be done right) they began filling in my applications, my husbands, and his brothers (who is our co-signer). my issue is that my stamp in my passport/visa is for Oct 12. my lawyers just told me today(retained again on aug 17)that I need to book a medical(the medical place closest to here said take about two weeks for an appointment), and get more passport photos. Thats fine and all, and I understand why it has to be done. But I also have to allow for mailing time, you know? I guess my question is will anything happen if I go over the OCT 12 stamp in my passport/visa? is there some sort of extension? Is there anything that I can do? any help would be appreciated. thank you!

[rsn 135]

hi all,

you all have been very helpful to me, but i still have more questions regarding my AOS application. for those of you who dont know... i was married on july 17. my fiance left for basic training on july 21, so I retained my lawyers again (so it would be done right) they began filling in my applications, my husbands, and his brothers (who is our co-signer). my issue is that my stamp in my passport/visa is for Oct 12. my lawyers just told me today(retained again on aug 17)that I need to book a medical(the medical place closest to here said take about two weeks for an appointment), and get more passport photos. Thats fine and all, and I understand why it has to be done. But I also have to allow for mailing time, you know? I guess my question is will anything happen if I go over the OCT 12 stamp in my passport/visa? is there some sort of extension? Is there anything that I can do? any help would be appreciated. thank you!

1. You do not need to "book a medical" if you already had a medical exam in Canada before your K1 interview. Most civil surgeons I have come across unnecessarily require you to take a 2nd medical exam to add to the lining in their pockets. You simply need a vaccination supplement on the I-693 filled out by a civil surgeon. Dr. L E Arnold in Texas will do that via mail for $30.
2. Regarding the "stamp on your visa", I assume you are talking about the date that occurs 90 days after your entry. You must marry before that date and would be wise to file AOS before that date or shortly afterwords as well. There is no extension.

[nathandace 0]

hi all,

you all have been very helpful to me, but i still have more questions regarding my AOS application. for those of you who dont know... i was married on july 17. my fiance left for basic training on july 21, so I retained my lawyers again (so it would be done right) they began filling in my applications, my husbands, and his brothers (who is our co-signer). my issue is that my stamp in my passport/visa is for Oct 12. my lawyers just told me today(retained again on aug 17)that I need to book a medical(the medical place closest to here said take about two weeks for an appointment), and get more passport photos. Thats fine and all, and I understand why it has to be done. But I also have to allow for mailing time, you know? I guess my question is will anything happen if I go over the OCT 12 stamp in my passport/visa? is there some sort of extension? Is there anything that I can do? any help would be appreciated. thank you!

1. You do not need to "book a medical" if you already had a medical exam in Canada before your K1 interview. Most civil surgeons I have come across unnecessarily require you to take a 2nd medical exam to add to the lining in their pockets. You simply need a vaccination supplement on the I-693 filled out by a civil surgeon. Dr. L E Arnold in Texas will do that via mail for $30.
2. Regarding the "stamp on your visa", I assume you are talking about the date that occurs 90 days after your entry. You must marry before that date and would be wise to file AOS before that date or shortly afterwords as well. There is no extension.

rsn,

thank you for your advice. yes i had a medical exam in canada before my K1 interview. all my vaccinations are up to date, except for my third HPV shot (which I cant get until the end of this month)whats does a vaccination suppliment mean? this is the form my lawyers have given me to take with me once I book a second medical.

yes, that is what I was referring to. I left Canada on July 14, and my stamp is Oct 12. I am married already, have retained my lawyers again, and they have begun filling in the forms like i said, but my lawyers cant do anything further until i get a new set of passport photos to them, along with this medical information. as far as i know everything should be submitted by Oct 12, but just incase...what time frame would 'shortly after' consist of? just so i can have a general idea and not worry as much.

has anyone else been in a similar situation? or exceeded thier time line? if so would you be able to share experiences with me?

[rsn 135]

hi all,

you all have been very helpful to me, but i still have more questions regarding my AOS application. for those of you who dont know... i was married on july 17. my fiance left for basic training on july 21, so I retained my lawyers again (so it would be done right) they began filling in my applications, my husbands, and his brothers (who is our co-signer). my issue is that my stamp in my passport/visa is for Oct 12. my lawyers just told me today(retained again on aug 17)that I need to book a medical(the medical place closest to here said take about two weeks for an appointment), and get more passport photos. Thats fine and all, and I understand why it has to be done. But I also have to allow for mailing time, you know? I guess my question is will anything happen if I go over the OCT 12 stamp in my passport/visa? is there some sort of extension? Is there anything that I can do? any help would be appreciated. thank you!

1. You do not need to "book a medical" if you already had a medical exam in Canada before your K1 interview. Most civil surgeons I have come across unnecessarily require you to take a 2nd medical exam to add to the lining in their pockets. You simply need a vaccination supplement on the I-693 filled out by a civil surgeon. Dr. L E Arnold in Texas will do that via mail for $30.
2. Regarding the "stamp on your visa", I assume you are talking about the date that occurs 90 days after your entry. You must marry before that date and would be wise to file AOS before that date or shortly afterwords as well. There is no extension.

rsn,

thank you for your advice. yes i had a medical exam in canada before my K1 interview. all my vaccinations are up to date, except for my third HPV shot (which I cant get until the end of this month)whats does a vaccination suppliment mean? this is the form my lawyers have given me to take with me once I book a second medical.

yes, that is what I was referring to. I left Canada on July 14, and my stamp is Oct 12. I am married already, have retained my lawyers again, and they have begun filling in the forms like i said, but my lawyers cant do anything further until i get a new set of passport photos to them, along with this medical information. as far as i know everything should be submitted by Oct 12, but just incase...what time frame would 'shortly after' consist of? just so i can have a general idea and not worry as much.

has anyone else been in a similar situation? or exceeded thier time line? if so would you be able to share experiences with me?

You might want to think hard about why you have a lawyer. Is your case unusual? If not, you can do this all yourself. You will end up doing it yourself anyway I suspect just to make sure your lawyer is making the right choices. I can't imagine what a lawyer is charging you on top of the $1010 fee you have to pay to USCIS. Save your money unless there is some compelling reason why you need lawyer for your case. AOS seems simple enough so I can't, offhand, fathom why one might be needed in your case.

As long as your vaccinations are up to date by the time you file, you should be fine. Like I said, you don't need to book a second medical. Have a look at the guides for K1 immigrants adjusting status.

I can't give you a safe "shortly after" date. Maybe a few days, who knows. Your status at that point is a little murky as far as I can tell, but I suspect if you don't file before that date you are out of status. Furthermore, your NOA1 is probably the only hard proof (aside from maybe a canceled check) that USCIS has accepted your app. I'm sure others have filed after this date without a problem, but I wouldn't take any chances, personally.

Edited September 2, 2009 by rsn

[nathandace 0]

Thank You!

hi all,

you all have been very helpful to me, but i still have more questions regarding my AOS application. for those of you who dont know... i was married on july 17. my fiance left for basic training on july 21, so I retained my lawyers again (so it would be done right) they began filling in my applications, my husbands, and his brothers (who is our co-signer). my issue is that my stamp in my passport/visa is for Oct 12. my lawyers just told me today(retained again on aug 17)that I need to book a medical(the medical place closest to here said take about two weeks for an appointment), and get more passport photos. Thats fine and all, and I understand why it has to be done. But I also have to allow for mailing time, you know? I guess my question is will anything happen if I go over the OCT 12 stamp in my passport/visa? is there some sort of extension? Is there anything that I can do? any help would be appreciated. thank you!

1. You do not need to "book a medical" if you already had a medical exam in Canada before your K1 interview. Most civil surgeons I have come across unnecessarily require you to take a 2nd medical exam to add to the lining in their pockets. You simply need a vaccination supplement on the I-693 filled out by a civil surgeon. Dr. L E Arnold in Texas will do that via mail for $30.
2. Regarding the "stamp on your visa", I assume you are talking about the date that occurs 90 days after your entry. You must marry before that date and would be wise to file AOS before that date or shortly afterwords as well. There is no extension.

rsn,

thank you for your advice. yes i had a medical exam in canada before my K1 interview. all my vaccinations are up to date, except for my third HPV shot (which I cant get until the end of this month)whats does a vaccination suppliment mean? this is the form my lawyers have given me to take with me once I book a second medical.

yes, that is what I was referring to. I left Canada on July 14, and my stamp is Oct 12. I am married already, have retained my lawyers again, and they have begun filling in the forms like i said, but my lawyers cant do anything further until i get a new set of passport photos to them, along with this medical information. as far as i know everything should be submitted by Oct 12, but just incase...what time frame would 'shortly after' consist of? just so i can have a general idea and not worry as much.

has anyone else been in a similar situation? or exceeded thier time line? if so would you be able to share experiences with me?

You might want to think hard about why you have a lawyer. Is your case unusual? If not, you can do this all yourself. You will end up doing it yourself anyway I suspect just to make sure your lawyer is making the right choices. I can't imagine what a lawyer is charging you on top of the $1010 fee you have to pay to USCIS. Save your money unless there is some compelling reason why you need lawyer for your case. AOS seems simple enough so I can't, offhand, fathom why one might be needed in your case.

As long as your vaccinations are up to date by the time you file, you should be fine. Like I said, you don't need to book a second medical. Have a look at the guides for K1 immigrants adjusting status.

I can't give you a safe "shortly after" date. Maybe a few days, who knows. Your status at that point is a little murky as far as I can tell, but I suspect if you don't file before that date you are out of status. Furthermore, your NOA1 is probably the only hard proof (aside from maybe a canceled check) that USCIS has accepted your app. I'm sure others have filed after this date without a problem, but I wouldn't take any chances, personally.

[thepizzadude 26]

hi all,

you all have been very helpful to me, but i still have more questions regarding my AOS application. for those of you who dont know... i was married on july 17. my fiance left for basic training on july 21, so I retained my lawyers again (so it would be done right) they began filling in my applications, my husbands, and his brothers (who is our co-signer). my issue is that my stamp in my passport/visa is for Oct 12. my lawyers just told me today(retained again on aug 17)that I need to book a medical(the medical place closest to here said take about two weeks for an appointment), and get more passport photos. Thats fine and all, and I understand why it has to be done. But I also have to allow for mailing time, you know? I guess my question is will anything happen if I go over the OCT 12 stamp in my passport/visa? is there some sort of extension? Is there anything that I can do? any help would be appreciated. thank you!

1. You do not need to "book a medical" if you already had a medical exam in Canada before your K1 interview. Most civil surgeons I have come across unnecessarily require you to take a 2nd medical exam to add to the lining in their pockets. You simply need a vaccination supplement on the I-693 filled out by a civil surgeon. Dr. L E Arnold in Texas will do that via mail for $30.
2. Regarding the "stamp on your visa", I assume you are talking about the date that occurs 90 days after your entry. You must marry before that date and would be wise to file AOS before that date or shortly afterwords as well. There is no extension.

rsn,

thank you for your advice. yes i had a medical exam in canada before my K1 interview. all my vaccinations are up to date, except for my third HPV shot (which I cant get until the end of this month)whats does a vaccination suppliment mean? this is the form my lawyers have given me to take with me once I book a second medical.

yes, that is what I was referring to. I left Canada on July 14, and my stamp is Oct 12. I am married already, have retained my lawyers again, and they have begun filling in the forms like i said, but my lawyers cant do anything further until i get a new set of passport photos to them, along with this medical information. as far as i know everything should be submitted by Oct 12, but just incase...what time frame would 'shortly after' consist of? just so i can have a general idea and not worry as much.

has anyone else been in a similar situation? or exceeded thier time line? if so would you be able to share experiences with me?

I agree with the if you can fill out forms and follow directions and do not have any extenuating circumstances with your relationship then do it yourself.

You should file your AOS by the time that your I-94 expires on Oct 12 but if you don't DO NOT LEAVE THE COUNTRY OR GET CLOSE TO ANY BORDER where you may run into immigration agents in any form. At the point you pass that date your will be "out of status" which means you have no legal status in the US. As soon as you file your AOS and receive your NOA1 you will be back in "status" your status will be "pending approval" of you application.

Its hard to give you a firm amount of days you can go past that date, many file a short time later, many file a long time later, but best advice is do it ASAP.

Good Luck

[nathandace 0]

Thanks for you input thepizzadude. It was very helpful for me as well. the only reason I am using lawyers again is because my brother in law is in the military (he is our co signer), and my husband was in the military at the time. I had no way to get the forms and information to them so that they would be able to fill it in themselves, and my lawyers have everything on file. It was the most logical solution at the time. As of right now everything is rolling quite smoothly and on time. Im quite optimistic that everything will be submitted well in advance to my date. The only thing I would be relying on at this time would be the postal service. That was my biggest concearn and part of the reason why I was inquiring about the date in the first place. I just wanted to have a general idea of what to expect. You know? as a worst case scenario. Wthout any serious action being involved...because i definately do want to be considered out of status. As I said earlier, thank you everyone for your help!

[Eric-Pris 1,602]

Don't worry about the date so much. Numerous peoople have waited 1, 2, even 3 years to file AOS for whatever reason and were approved without any issues. USCIS understands that everybody's situation is different. $1010 is not a couple bucks, some people don't have the money to file. So they wait. Being out of status isn't a big deal as long as you don't come in contact with immigration.

My neighbor has been out of status since 1991, so she's been in the US illegally for 18 years. She finally had a hearing and with the help of a lawyer, a judge granted her a greencard based on her brother's I-130.

[nathandace 0]

wow! that's crazy. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

Don't worry about the date so much. Numerous peoople have waited 1, 2, even 3 years to file AOS for whatever reason and were approved without any issues. USCIS understands that everybody's situation is different. $1010 is not a couple bucks, some people don't have the money to file. So they wait. Being out of status isn't a big deal as long as you don't come in contact with immigration.

My neighbor has been out of status since 1991, so she's been in the US illegally for 18 years. She finally had a hearing and with the help of a lawyer, a judge granted her a greencard based on her brother's I-130.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

hi all,

you all have been very helpful to me, but i still have more questions regarding my AOS application. for those of you who dont know... i was married on july 17. my fiance left for basic training on july 21, so I retained my lawyers again (so it would be done right) they began filling in my applications, my husbands, and his brothers (who is our co-signer). my issue is that my stamp in my passport/visa is for Oct 12. my lawyers just told me today(retained again on aug 17)that I need to book a medical(the medical place closest to here said take about two weeks for an appointment), and get more passport photos. Thats fine and all, and I understand why it has to be done. But I also have to allow for mailing time, you know? I guess my question is will anything happen if I go over the OCT 12 stamp in my passport/visa? is there some sort of extension? Is there anything that I can do? any help would be appreciated. thank you!

1. You do not need to "book a medical" if you already had a medical exam in Canada before your K1 interview. Most civil surgeons I have come across unnecessarily require you to take a 2nd medical exam to add to the lining in their pockets. You simply need a vaccination supplement on the I-693 filled out by a civil surgeon. Dr. L E Arnold in Texas will do that via mail for $30.
2. Regarding the "stamp on your visa", I assume you are talking about the date that occurs 90 days after your entry. You must marry before that date and would be wise to file AOS before that date or shortly afterwords as well. There is no extension.

rsn,

thank you for your advice. yes i had a medical exam in canada before my K1 interview. all my vaccinations are up to date, except for my third HPV shot (which I cant get until the end of this month)whats does a vaccination suppliment mean? this is the form my lawyers have given me to take with me once I book a second medical.

yes, that is what I was referring to. I left Canada on July 14, and my stamp is Oct 12. I am married already, have retained my lawyers again, and they have begun filling in the forms like i said, but my lawyers cant do anything further until i get a new set of passport photos to them, along with this medical information. as far as i know everything should be submitted by Oct 12, but just incase...what time frame would 'shortly after' consist of? just so i can have a general idea and not worry as much.

has anyone else been in a similar situation? or exceeded thier time line? if so would you be able to share experiences with me?

There is no penalty at all if you file within 180 days of the expiration of your I-94, but then your lawyer, who is doing everything right (except telling you that you need a medical exam) has already told you that. The "penalty" after that would be a potential bar from the US IF you left anbd tried to retrun without a green card. The I-485 instructions clearly provise an exemption for the wife of a US citizen who married on a K-1 visa. Your lawyers showed you that already, yes? Because for all the money you pay them I am sure they know this.

You need only the medical exam which you turned in at your point of entry when you arrived (it was in the secret envelope as your lawyer already told you) and the DS -3025 form you got at the medical exam because your lawyer told you to bring your vaccination records to the medical exam so they would do this for you for free and you would need nothing else when you arrived for the AOS. How WOULD we do it without lawyers?

Yes, you do need passport photos for the process, two for each form filed. My wife's lawyer (ME) told her this when she initially got her passport photo for the petition and she had 12 made all at once and we used them throughout the process.

Isn't it amazing how the lawyers can do NOTHING for you unless you bring them everything? And then have the nerve to charge money for it.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Thanks for you input thepizzadude. It was very helpful for me as well. the only reason I am using lawyers again is because my brother in law is in the military (he is our co signer), and my husband was in the military at the time. I had no way to get the forms and information to them so that they would be able to fill it in themselves, and my lawyers have everything on file. It was the most logical solution at the time. As of right now everything is rolling quite smoothly and on time. Im quite optimistic that everything will be submitted well in advance to my date. The only thing I would be relying on at this time would be the postal service. That was my biggest concearn and part of the reason why I was inquiring about the date in the first place. I just wanted to have a general idea of what to expect. You know? as a worst case scenario. Wthout any serious action being involved...because i definately do want to be considered out of status. As I said earlier, thank you everyone for your help!

FWIW...

The forms can be downloaded by your husband from any computer anywhere in the world. I downloaded and printed the fiance(e) letters of intent and the G-325a for my wife right from this site at an internet club in Odessa, Ukraine. She signed the blank forms and I sent them in when I got home. I could just as well have mailed them from Ukraine.