EAD Processing Time

[Kiwiwi24 2]

Hi all,

 

My husband (NZ citizen) and I got married on May 23rd in Wisconsin and quickly filed our AOS/EAD/AP shortly after.  Our NOA was June 19, 2019 and he is scheduled for his biometrics appointment in Milwaukee on July 10. I received an email saying he will likely receive his EAD on January 21, 2020. 7 months!! Is this really the reality now? We are concerned and may just end up giving up on the process and going back to NZ. My job is able to support us, but barely. Our expectation was that he would receive his EAD around November/early December. 

 

Any info would be much appreciated. This email has caused me a lot of anxiety!

 

Sarah

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

14 minutes ago, Kiwiwi24 said:

Hi all,

 

My husband (NZ citizen) and I got married on May 23rd in Wisconsin and quickly filed our AOS/EAD/AP shortly after.  Our NOA was June 19, 2019 and he is scheduled for his biometrics appointment in Milwaukee on July 10. I received an email saying he will likely receive his EAD on January 21, 2020. 7 months!! Is this really the reality now? We are concerned and may just end up giving up on the process and going back to NZ. My job is able to support us, but barely. Our expectation was that he would receive his EAD around November/early December. 

 

Any info would be much appreciated. This email has caused me a lot of anxiety!

 

Sarah

The timeline for the EAD has been sitting around 6 months for a while now. So I would expect that and hope for less.

[p-ana 933]

Please don’t try misleading the OP.

 

ead is taking around 6 months to be granted. Some cases longer, some cases faster. 

[Loren Y 2,768]

If you want to speed things up, do an early walk in for the biometric appointment. Nothing is going to start until that is done. And 4-6 months is the usual time. I was going to try for an expedited processing and as I started the process the card arrived after only 83 days. So it can vary . We did an early walk in 2 days after receiving the letter for the biometric, that shaved a few weeks off.

[Biffa 89]

Hi fellow kiwi! 

In exact same situation as you. Pretty similar timeline too. 

I think hopefully things will speed up as the time goes on. I’ve noticed people getting their GC quite fast too. 

Try hang in there. 

 

[Cheschirecat 176]

We are on our 97th day....nothing yet... 

[SalishSea 18,462]

38 minutes ago, Artists0 said:

He will get his ead by August  when my wife filed my papers in  2012 in Milwaukee it took me from start too finish 4 months too get my green card and now I just file for my citizenship in March and my interview is in a week or so 

The EAD/AP processing is not done by local field offices, so this is irrelevant.

[SalishSea 18,462]

1 hour ago, Kiwiwi24 said:

Hi all,

 

My husband (NZ citizen) and I got married on May 23rd in Wisconsin and quickly filed our AOS/EAD/AP shortly after.  Our NOA was June 19, 2019 and he is scheduled for his biometrics appointment in Milwaukee on July 10. I received an email saying he will likely receive his EAD on January 21, 2020. 7 months!! Is this really the reality now? We are concerned and may just end up giving up on the process and going back to NZ. My job is able to support us, but barely. Our expectation was that he would receive his EAD around November/early December. 

 

Any info would be much appreciated. This email has caused me a lot of anxiety!

 

Sarah

Sorry to hear.  The process truly sucks.  Is there any chance he could get a job offer in writing, and you could apply for an expedited combo card?  Seems that has been a successful tactic around here lately.

[SalishSea 18,462]

Just now, Artists0 said:

He will get it by August 

You do not know what you're talking about.

[SalishSea 18,462]

2 minutes ago, Artists0 said:

Stfu he will get it by August 

 Post reported.

[Nikki82 17]

18 hours ago, p-ana said:

Please don’t try misleading the OP.

 

ead is taking around 6 months to be granted. Some cases longer, some cases faster. 

Is that 6 months from the biometric appt or from the initial filing? 

[JMCKNG 156]

222 days here waiting and nothing, we got married in October and filed in November 2018 in Wisconsin. It's already July. My husband arrived here in September. By the time we get the card and a trip planned back to see his family it will have easily been a year since he arrived. 

[Moon&Stars 172]

I understand how you feel. I'm watching the expected timeline on here creep from 5 months to 7 months as we've sat and waited. The reality is, things are just taking really long times to process right now, but no one actually knows when anyone will have their cards. The best option is try to get a job offer & expedite the process. If you do choose to go back to NZ, you will be abandoning your visa and if you & your spouse ever want to come and live in the US again, you will have to go through the CR-1 spouse via process which has a longer waiting period than the K-1 fiancé visa process. However, the beneficiary would then not have to wait to receive a greencard and work permission.

 

Ultimately, it's your choice, but you're already in and have paid the fees. And moving back to NZ wouldn't be cheap either.

[geowrian 22,339]

As noted ITT already, the EAD is processed at NBC, not the local field office. Secondly, 2012 timelines are not 2019 timelines.

 

19 hours ago, Loren Y said:

If you want to speed things up, do an early walk in for the biometric appointment. Nothing is going to start until that is done. And 4-6 months is the usual time. I was going to try for an expedited processing and as I started the process the card arrived after only 83 days. So it can vary . We did an early walk in 2 days after receiving the letter for the biometric, that shaved a few weeks off.

I wouldn't go that far. The I-765 cannot be approved until name checks complete, which means biometrics being completed beforehand. But I haven't seen any verifiable information that getting biometrics completed earlier necessarily results in the I-765 being adjudicated earlier as well. I'm assuming it does in cases where the name checks are the limiting factor, but that would very likely be the exception instead of the norm nowadays.

[dudeinTriBeCa 38]

So amazing how things have changed so much at USCIS in a very short period of time. Back in 2014 when I applied for an EAD it took less than 30 days if I’m not mistaken to get it approved. At the time I even though it was too much of a wait... but now it’s taking up to 6months, I think I woulda lost my mind.