EAD approved but no word on travel AP

[chc2149 0]

Hi all,

 

Looking for similar experiences/guidance. I got a notice that my i485 EAD status had changed to 'New card being produced' three days ago, which is great. I have yet to receive anything in the mail, however I am sure that will come in time.

I was under the impression that by filing the i485 and i131 for EAD and AP at the same time, I would be issued with a combination card, giving me both work and travel authorization. However, my i131 is still saying 'Case received.' 

Has this happened to anyone else? Should i expect to receive word about travel authorization separately, and if so, how long might that take? 

 

For reference, I am an O-1 visa holder transferring to AOS/Green card through marriage to an American citizen. I filed in late June 2018, had my biometrics end of July 2018, mid August 2018 main case petition was 'ready to be scheduled for an interview.'

 

Any advice/information is welcome! Thanks!

[geowrian 22,336]

My wife's was the same way..it still shows the initial received status on the tracker. Her EAD was a combo card, and she got the I-131's NOA2 in the mail still.

[Sunnyland 639]

If you filed for the AP and EAD together then you will likely receive a combo card. When you receive your EAD card in the mail, check if it has a wording at the bottom that says  “Serves as I-512 Advance Parole" or similar wording. If so, then that is your combo card. Sometimes they don't update the AP status, just the EAD.

[chc2149 0]

2 minutes ago, geowrian said:

My wife's was the same way..it still shows the initial received status on the tracker. Her EAD was a combo card, and she got the I-131's NOA2 in the mail still.

Hi geowrian — huh! So did the docs take a lot longer to come through the mail? Did she need them to travel? I thought that the combo card was supposed to eliminate the need for having separate documentation for both. 

[geowrian 22,336]

2 minutes ago, chc2149 said:

Hi geowrian — huh! So did the docs take a lot longer to come through the mail? Did she need them to travel? I thought that the combo card was supposed to eliminate the need for having separate documentation for both. 

No, it took about a week or so to get in the mail. She can use them fine.

The combo card OR a separate AP document is needed to travel and return. The I-131 NOA2 came in for her, but that's not AP itself...just an approval notice. Her EAD was a combo card, so that acted as AP for her.

Edited October 25, 2018 by geowrian

[chc2149 0]

1 minute ago, Sunnyland said:

If you filed for the AP and EAD together then you will likely receive a combo card. When you receive your EAD card in the mail, check if it has a wording at the bottom that says  “Serves as I-512 Advance Parole" or similar wording. If so, then that is your combo card. Sometimes they don't update the AP status, just the EAD.

Thanks! I sort of suspected that USCIS maybe just doesn't update everything... As always, it is hard to know their logic/process on these things. Meanwhile us poor folks try to pick up any crumb of information that we can, haha. 

[chc2149 0]

Just now, geowrian said:

No, it took about a week or so to get in the mail. She can use them fine.

The combo card OR a separate AP document is needed to travel and return. The I-131 NOA2 came in for her, but that's not AP itself...just an approval notice. Her EAD was a combo card, so that acted as AP for her.

I see. Thanks for letting me know. Much appreciated. Hope it will be the same story for me.

[Sunnyland 639]

3 minutes ago, chc2149 said:

Thanks! I sort of suspected that USCIS maybe just doesn't update everything... As always, it is hard to know their logic/process on these things. Meanwhile us poor folks try to pick up any crumb of information that we can, haha. 

 

Yes, most of the times you won't know what is normal or not during the process. This forum saved me so many headaches and was my support group throughout all my immigration journey. Otherwise I would have gone insane trying to understand or guess how this works. Just look for the wording “Serves as I-512 Advance Parole” on your EAD card when you get it.

[kid1412 62]

If I remember correctly, mine was the same thing. Only the case for the EAD got updated because that's where the card was actually produced. The I-131 never got updated, but I got the combo card. Mine was like 6 years ago though. 

[chc2149 0]

12 minutes ago, Sunnyland said:

 

Yes, most of the times you won't know what is normal or not during the process. This forum saved me so many headaches and was my support group throughout all my immigration journey. Otherwise I would have gone insane trying to understand or guess how this works. Just look for the wording “Serves as I-512 Advance Parole” on your EAD card when you get it.

It's fast becoming a similarly great resource for me, wish I had known about it sooner (I've been dealing with USCIS for nearly 10 years now). It is great to have somewhere that you feel like you are not just alone shouting into the void! Thanks again for your advice.

[Sunnyland 639]

Your welcome. Hope you have a smooth AOS.

[Newcron 6]

Just as an additional data point to show that these things vary a lot:

 

When my wife and I submitted our I-131 and I-485 (November 2017, I am primary) we didn't get our EAD approved at the same time. I got approved first, received my EAD card, and then my wife was approved and we received her EAD card about a week later. 

 

However, when the cards arrived, my EAD comes as a combo card (note at the bottom right "..serves as advanced parole"), while the note on my wife's EAD specifically said "not valid for reentry...". We checked online and at the time my wife's status shown her I-131 as pending. We were a little concerned, but a week later we received the approval notice for my wife's AP document and the AP document arrived a few days later. 

Edited October 27, 2018 by Newcron