K1 Visa, Married, Now What?

[asaeljethro 162]

My wife and I got married on Dec16. Prior to getting married we got her a Social Security Card. She came here on a k1 Visa.

Now we're just waiting for the marriage certificate to come in the mail from the county so we can go to Social Security and change her last name.

 

My question is now what? I've been researching and do know we have to file an AOS. 

 

1) Can we file for the AOS now? or wait until our marriage certificate comes in the mail and then change her name in the social security

2) So here are the fees that I pulled from the USCIS Website.

-$1,140 I-485 (AOS)

-$410 I-765 (Employment

-$575 I-131 (Travel/we want to travel)

which is a total of $2,125. 

3) Can I make one check for the amount of $2,125? or do they have to be separate?

 

[mighty836 87]

No total fees for all 3 are 1225, no charge for I-765 and I-131 are waved when filed together  with the I-485

Fees are 1140 + 85 for Biometrics = 1225. 

Yes you do need your Marriage  certificate  to send with your AOS  but go get your SS card changed first. You can use the mail to show her married name with address. 

[TNJ17 1,329]

What previous poster said. Also, send out two checks, one for each fee. Some people in this forum have reported getting RFEs for sending out one check for the full amount. 

[Ksenia_O 696]

29 minutes ago, TNJ17 said:

What previous poster said. Also, send out two checks, one for each fee. Some people in this forum have reported getting RFEs for sending out one check for the full amount. 

Do you mind to provide a link?... Have never heard of RFE for sending out 1 or 2 checks... It actually doesn't really matter. Besides, if there is something wrong with a check,  the whole application/package gets rejected and sent back to you. But no RFE..

 

OP,

here is the link

 

https://www.uscis.gov/forms/paying-uscis-fees

 

Scroll down to  "How to write Your check". There is an example there. ONE check, with ONE amount. And in MEMO it states both services - N-400 (I-485 would be in your case)  AND biometric fee.

 

Good luck.

Edited December 21, 2017 by Ksenia_O

[asaeljethro 162]

40 minutes ago, mighty836 said:

No total fees for all 3 are 1225, no charge for I-765 and I-131 are waved when filed together  with the I-485

Fees are 1140 + 85 for Biometrics = 1225. 

Yes you do need your Marriage  certificate  to send with your AOS  but go get your SS card changed first. You can use the mail to show her married name with address. 

So when I send in the I-485, I-765, I-131 as well as the I-864 (affidavit of support), G-325a, and G-1145. I'll just make a payment of $1225, and will satisfy the fees needed?

 

 

34 minutes ago, TNJ17 said:

What previous poster said. Also, send out two checks, one for each fee. Some people in this forum have reported getting RFEs for sending out one check for the full amount. 

So I will write a check for $1,140 and another check for $85.

 

those are the only two checks needed right?

 

6 minutes ago, Ksenia_O said:

Do you mind to provide a link?... Have never heard of RFE for sending out 1 or 2 checks... It actually doesn't really matter. Besides, if there is something wrong with a check,  the whole application/package gets rejected and sent back to you. But no RFE..

 

OP,

here is the link

 

https://www.uscis.gov/forms/paying-uscis-fees

 

Scroll down to  "How to write Your check". There is an example there. ONE check, with ONE amount. And in MEMO it states both services - N-400 (I-485 would be in your case)  AND biometric fee.

 

Good luck.

 

gotcha. Thank you!

[TNJ17 1,329]

11 minutes ago, Ksenia_O said:

Do you mind to provide a link?... Have never heard of RFE for sending out 1 or 2 checks... It actually doesn't really matter. Besides, if there is something wrong with a check,  the whole application/package gets rejected and sent back to you. But no RFE..

 

OP,

here is the link

 

https://www.uscis.gov/forms/paying-uscis-fees

 

Scroll down to  "How to write Your check". There is an example there. ONE check, with ONE amount. And in MEMO it states both services - N-400 (I-485 would be in your case)  AND biometric fee.

 

Good luck.

No can do. I don’t remember which thread I saw it. Just saw it somewhere. 

[mighty836 87]

9 minutes ago, TNJ17 said:

No can do. I don’t remember which thread I saw it. Just saw it somewhere. 

I only sent 1 check and have had no problem,  we are even scheduled  for our biometrics for next week.

[Ksenia_O 696]

14 minutes ago, TNJ17 said:

No can do. I don’t remember which thread I saw it. Just saw it somewhere. 

Something wasn't accurate in the tread. .. Or mis-posted/misread. USCIS NEVER sends a Request to re-write a check. As stated above, the whole package gets rejected and sent back. Rejected means - there is no case and case#, for #. No case # - no RFE. That's it.

 

but anyway, seems like OP got the answer

 

16 minutes ago, asaeljethro said:

So when I send in the I-485, I-765, I-131 as well as the I-864 (affidavit of support), G-325a, and G-1145. I'll just make a payment of $1225, and will satisfy the fees needed?

 

Correct

 

Edited December 21, 2017 by Ksenia_O

[asaeljethro 162]

2 minutes ago, Ksenia_O said:

Something wasn't accurate in the tread. .. Or mis-posted/misread. USCIS NEVER sends a Request to re-write a check. As stated above, the whole package gets rejected and sent back. Rejected means - there is no case and case#, for #. No case # - no RFE. That's it.

 

but anyway, seems like OP got the answer

 

Correct

 

much cheaper...i mean isnt as much as I thought it would be, which is 2-3k. My friend paid around 2k for his wife who came here on a k1...

 

anyway, do i make two separate checks? 

 

$1,140 for the I-485 form and $85 for biometrics?

[audacieux89 256]

Don't forget to make a cover letter for the whole package saying you are concurrently filing i765 and i131 with the i485 and breakdown the amount you write on the check: 

$1140 - filing fee

$85 - biometrics fee.

 

Attach a cover letter too to each application form (i485, i765, i131) and enumerate all the attachments. I485 will have the i864 as attachment.

 

Go through the guides here on vj on how to arrange your packet (and how other people arranged theirs). Lots of tips on here!

 

Good luck!!

[Ksenia_O 696]

Just now, asaeljethro said:

much cheaper...i mean isnt as much as I thought it would be, which is 2-3k. My friend paid around 2k for his wife who came here on a k1...

 

anyway, do i make two separate checks? 

 

$1,140 for the I-485 form and $85 for biometrics?

I'd follow with directions, provided in the link above. It's  from the USCIS website, so I'd just follow them. ..  There is ONE check there.  We always sent one. No problem  Also I know people who sent 2 - no problem either, but WHY?.....

[mighty836 87]

Youtube  has a lot of great videos on AOS packages 

[geowrian 22,337]

19 hours ago, mighty836 said:

Yes you do need your Marriage  certificate  to send with your AOS  but go get your SS card changed first. You can use the mail to show her married name with address. 

No need to change the name with the SSA first. Many K-1 applicants don't even get a Social Security card, and having one (or not) and the name on it doesn't matter to USCIS. The marriage certificate is a legal name change document in the US, which is all USCIS needs.

 

There is often quite a bit of difficulty in getting the name changed prior to an EAD or GC. My wife personally had to go to the SSA office 3 times to finally get somebody who was able to update the name (we are still waiting on an EAD).

 

18 hours ago, asaeljethro said:

So when I send in the I-485, I-765, I-131 as well as the I-864 (affidavit of support), G-325a, and G-1145. I'll just make a payment of $1225, and will satisfy the fees needed?

G-325A isn't needed anymore. Please check both the guide as well as the instructions for every form. You're using an outdated form and/or guide.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1k3aos

 

18 hours ago, asaeljethro said:

So I will write a check for $1,140 and another check for $85.

Two checks should be fine, but only 1 is needed. They cannot accept the I-485 without the biometrics fee (if biometrics is needed, based on age), and they cannot accept the biometrics fee without the correct I-485 fee.

 

If somebody was doing concurrent filing of the I-130 + I-485, I would suggest 2 separate checks as it's possible for 1 form to be accept while the other one rejected. But this is a single form, so a single payment is perfectly fine.

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

19 hours ago, TNJ17 said:

No can do. I don’t remember which thread I saw it. Just saw it somewhere. 

Always go with the advice that ends with "I just saw it somewhere."

[mighty836 87]

44 minutes ago, geowrian said:

No need to change the name with the SSA first. Many K-1 applicants don't even get a Social Security card, and having one (or not) and the name on it doesn't matter to USCIS. The marriage certificate is a legal name change document in the US, which is all USCIS needs.

 

There is often quite a bit of difficulty in getting the name changed prior to an EAD or GC. My wife personally had to go to the SSA office 3 times to finally get somebody who was able to update the name (we are still waiting on an EAD).

 

G-325A isn't needed anymore. Please check both the guide as well as the instructions for every form. You're using an outdated form and/or guide.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1k3aos

 

Two checks should be fine, but only 1 is needed. They cannot accept the I-485 without the biometrics fee (if biometrics is needed, based on age), and they cannot accept the biometrics fee without the correct I-485 fee.

 

If somebody was doing concurrent filing of the I-130 + I-485, I would suggest 2 separate checks as it's possible for 1 form to be accept while the other one rejected. But this is a single form, so a single payment is perfectly fine.

Yes you are correct you dont need to go change the name , it was easy for us to do it and then it adds to show residence in her married name.  Also its just another form of ID while waiting  for the AOS to be approved 

Edited December 22, 2017 by mighty836