E-filing the EAD and paying extra on top of the AOS fees T_T

[Demiano 0]

Hi everyone,

So I most likely made a huge blunder ...: I e-filed the EAD before mailing in the AOS for a K-1 with the idea that I could get my work authorization faster so I could help my spouse pay the bills and feel less of an unproductive person at home. BUT then later on, I found out that if you apply for the EAD at the same time or after filing your I-485, you don't need to pay the $380 filing fee for the EAD because it's already built into the $1070 cost including biometrics. BUT you must apply by mail!

Has anyone ever done the same thing accidentally or purposefully before? I'm trying to find some consolation for the money I lost for being too hasty (also kinda annoyed by the lack of clear instructions about this in the filing instructions...)

Do you think that as a result, my EAD will be finished processing sooner than if I sent it with my I-485 package?

Is anyone else upset that it costs so much money to be an international couple? I'm thankful that my K-1 was able to go through, although once you mention the "F" word, aka "fiance," at the border, it's like you become a criminal or a suspect. I was denied entry once and missed my flight because the officer thought I had a lack of ties to Canada. That was a truly low point for me. Now, it's better because I can be together with my spouse, but I still feel like I'm trying to hike uphill through a sh**storm with the rest of the government paperwork.

If there's the possibility that I am able to get my work authorization sooner, in time for the fall hiring season, the blunder might turn out to be good.

Any comments, ideas, advice, and/or consolation would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You cannot E-file an EAD for AOS.

If you get an EAD based on K-1 it will expire when your I-94 does.

Sorry, you wasted that money