I-751 December 2020 Filers

[tab0712 141]

13 hours ago, KULtoATL said:

You can use your time to organize the extras that you have while waiting to hear from USCIS. If they ask for more or an interview later (touch wood!), your ducks would be in a row already   I'm so glad that I do not need to kill more trees, putting together an immigration package until I decide to file for citizenship years down the road though I'm eligible by Q4 2021. After spending $680 for a 10-year GC, I'm definitely milking the GC for its worth. LOL.

at this time, my husband has no desire to get US citizenship. He is from Sweden, and has a "better" passport then ours. And he hates the political atmosphere here, so doesn't want to be tied to such negativity. Shoot, there were times when I was living in Mexico, I would tell ppl I was Canadian. 

[KULtoATL 1,551]

2 hours ago, tab0712 said:

at this time, my husband has no desire to get US citizenship. He is from Sweden, and has a "better" passport then ours. And he hates the political atmosphere here, so doesn't want to be tied to such negativity. Shoot, there were times when I was living in Mexico, I would tell ppl I was Canadian. 

While I didn't come from a nice European country, I personally am not in any rush to go for U.S. citizenship either  The GC allows me to do almost everything that a citizen can do except running for office and vote. So long I can live with my husband legally and work here, I'm gold!

 

[Leeandrei Cruz 1]

So hey guys. 

 

At first few months we didn't anticipate trying out forums like VJ but here we are. We're supposed to be December 2020 Filers too but our first attempt of i751 was deemed too early. Like Lockbox (the office that receives our envelopes) said we filed on November 2020. Kept banging my head on how that became to be. But here comes PCS (military relocation) and now our addresses have changed to overseas. We filed our packet again as soon as we can, basically February, because we're avoiding her conditional i-551 expiration. And to think the only information we've gotten all these headaches was from an email that was sent on 18 MAR 2021. However, now our 2nd packet is stuck on ISC New York since feb 20, 2021 at least from the web tracking.

And her i-551 is expired. 

 

We need help. Please

[KULtoATL 1,551]

23 hours ago, KULtoATL said:

December 3, 2020: ROC package delivered

January 14, 2021: NOA1 date

January 15, 2021: Check cashed

January 22, 2021: NOA1 received in mail
January 25, 2021: Received text notification

March 5, 2021: Biometrics waiver received in mail

March 17, 2021: Card is being produced

March 18, 2021: Case was approved though date might have to be adjusted if NOA has a different date (funny how COVID turned everything the other way around i.e. card production before approval notification)

 

March 19, 2021: Card is mailed out

[tony3841 2]

21 hours ago, Leeandrei Cruz said:

At first few months we didn't anticipate trying out forums like VJ but here we are. We're supposed to be December 2020 Filers too but our first attempt of i751 was deemed too early. Like Lockbox (the office that receives our envelopes) said we filed on November 2020. Kept banging my head on how that became to be.

Yeah that happens. Was it a USCIS error or did you really file early? What is your exact filing date and what is your green card (i551) expiration date?

 

21 hours ago, Leeandrei Cruz said:

And to think the only information we've gotten all these headaches was from an email that was sent on 18 MAR 2021.

What did that email say?

 

21 hours ago, Leeandrei Cruz said:

However, now our 2nd packet is stuck on ISC New York since feb 20, 2021 at least from the web tracking.

OK so your case is being processed and you have a tracking number. Did you receive the 1st NOA that extends your I551?

[Locito 85]

On 3/19/2021 at 5:36 AM, tab0712 said:

at this time, my husband has no desire to get US citizenship. He is from Sweden, and has a "better" passport then ours. And he hates the political atmosphere here, so doesn't want to be tied to such negativity. Shoot, there were times when I was living in Mexico, I would tell ppl I was Canadian. 

Yeah, I understand that. For those of us coming from a European country, the value of a US Green Card/Passport may not appear to be as high for some other. But I guess it all depends on what you guys want to do in the future. I would be eligible to apply for citizenship in less than a year by meeting the 3-year rule, but it's difficult for me to know what to do. Like your husband, I've got a Swedish passport.

 

We are going to stay in the US until foreseeable future because of my wife's employment. That was a major reason why we even decided that after getting married I would apply for US residence, rather her coming to Sweden. I make peanuts (well, unemployed for a year now thanks to Covid), and I hate here how little hard-working employee are valued here--and we live on the West Coast where the minimum wage is much better than the federal minimum wage! I have struggled, and still struggle, a lot with kind of home sickness (WHERE is home?), especially since finding employment here has been such a pain. And unless you live in a big city, you're stuck without a driver's license (me). At least in Sweden if you live in an urban area, you can manage getting to places with public transportation.

 

I wouldn't mind living abroad in the future, but on the other hand I don't want to ever have to be dealing with USCIS again. Just with the curveballs so far during our removal of conditions process, I'm already fed up with their ineffectivity and how they seemingly are not responsible to anyone for their errors... I don't want move somewhere else, and then go through the whole IR-1 process again, UGH. On the other hand, I don't want to deal with filing for US taxes. Everyone just has to find what works in their situation, I suppose 

[Leeandrei Cruz 1]

12 hours ago, tony3841 said:

Was it a USCIS error or did you really file early? What is your exact filing date and what is your green card (i551) expiration date?

Won't be telling our story here if we filed incorrectly. We followed the Filing Calculator on when to do it, you can safely presume we followed it, and USCIS for some supernatural reason, said we filed too early, Nov 20, 2020.

According to the Calculator, our 90-day opening was on December 12, 2020 because her conditional I-551 ends on March 12, 2021. So,  for good measure, we filed December 14, 2020. That's 88 days before her I-551 expires, if anyone is counting; just within 90 days right?

Now here's the not funny part, there was a decision on January 6, 2021 but we never got an email, never got mail, and never got calls, not until WE called on February 2021, just fresh of oversea military relocation. If you know how stressful that can be, you know. 

 

13 hours ago, tony3841 said:

What did that email say?

Basically what I said above, USCIS Lockbox decided on 01-06-2021 we filed too early, 11-20-2020, and they've decided to return our packet through mail which, by the way, we have not ever gotten back. Not even before we left for our military relocation. And the email itself arrived on 18-Mar-2021. 

 

13 hours ago, tony3841 said:

OK so your case is being processed and you have a tracking number. Did you receive the 1st NOA that extends your I551?

There is no case being processed. Well, we don't believe or see any writing that it is.

The tracking website and number I refer to is the USPS tracking number and website. We have received nothing. Is that clear?

 

We obviously did not forget to file an AR-11, Address Change. But of course, we can't put in Oversea Address, so our only choice was to put our military PO BOX.

[tony3841 2]

7 hours ago, Leeandrei Cruz said:

Won't be telling our story here if we filed incorrectly. We followed the Filing Calculator on when to do it, you can safely presume we followed it, and USCIS for some supernatural reason, said we filed too early, Nov 20, 2020.

According to the Calculator, our 90-day opening was on December 12, 2020 because her conditional I-551 ends on March 12, 2021. So,  for good measure, we filed December 14, 2020. That's 88 days before her I-551 expires, if anyone is counting; just within 90 days right?

Yeah they make mistakes. There was someone else in one of the i751 threads that had the same issue. Although they didn't mention a wrong filing date. It sucks but it happens, and there seems to be nothing you can do about it, besides filing again.

7 hours ago, Leeandrei Cruz said:

The tracking website and number I refer to is the USPS tracking number and website. We have received nothing. Is that clear?

Oh OK i thought you meant USCIS tracking. In that case, you mention ISC New York, did you send your 2nd packet directly to New York? I think you're supposed to send them to Phoenix, AZ, even when re-filing (But I may be wrong on that).

It takes about 6 weeks (at least it did in January, you should follow the February thread to get more recent dates) so you should get your NOA in a couple weeks. If you don't, and your check (or other method of payment) has been cashed, call them to get your tracking number. And then I suppose you can ask for an infopass appointment to at least get a i551 stamp in your passport. I hope there is a USCIS office where you are.

7 hours ago, Leeandrei Cruz said:

We obviously did not forget to file an AR-11, Address Change. But of course, we can't put in Oversea Address, so our only choice was to put our military PO BOX.

Yeah I went through a change of address when doing my AOS. Filed a first AR-11, kept receiving notices at the old address, filed another AR-11, the Green Card was sent to the old address (and returned). Sigh... It took months to get it re-sent to my new address.

[KULtoATL 1,551]

21 hours ago, Locito said:

Yeah, I understand that. For those of us coming from a European country, the value of a US Green Card/Passport may not appear to be as high for some other. But I guess it all depends on what you guys want to do in the future. I would be eligible to apply for citizenship in less than a year by meeting the 3-year rule, but it's difficult for me to know what to do. Like your husband, I've got a Swedish passport.

 

We are going to stay in the US until foreseeable future because of my wife's employment. That was a major reason why we even decided that after getting married I would apply for US residence, rather her coming to Sweden. I make peanuts (well, unemployed for a year now thanks to Covid), and I hate here how little hard-working employee are valued here--and we live on the West Coast where the minimum wage is much better than the federal minimum wage! I have struggled, and still struggle, a lot with kind of home sickness (WHERE is home?), especially since finding employment here has been such a pain. And unless you live in a big city, you're stuck without a driver's license (me). At least in Sweden if you live in an urban area, you can manage getting to places with public transportation.

 

I wouldn't mind living abroad in the future, but on the other hand I don't want to ever have to be dealing with USCIS again. Just with the curveballs so far during our removal of conditions process, I'm already fed up with their ineffectivity and how they seemingly are not responsible to anyone for their errors... I don't want move somewhere else, and then go through the whole IR-1 process again, UGH. On the other hand, I don't want to deal with filing for US taxes. Everyone just has to find what works in their situation, I suppose 

If you're happy with just having a 10-year green card, that's totally fine. Otherwise, you can file for citizenship once the window opens or further down the road

 

On taxation, whether you're a permanent resident or citizen, you're liable to file taxes. This page makes good reading: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/tax-information-and-responsibilities-for-new-immigrants-to-the-united-states

 

I can truly empathize with you on the employment and transportation matter. I'm fully experienced and qualified for jobs I applied for but guess what? Nobody would even want to give me an interview. I'm stuck working a lower level job and don't make a ton. I do live in an urban area but the public transportation is not as extensive as I'm used to back home plus I never driven in my life, which limits the vicinity that I could apply for jobs. Did you drive in Sweden? Why don't you get a driver's license?

[Locito 85]

14 hours ago, KULtoATL said:

If you're happy with just having a 10-year green card, that's totally fine. Otherwise, you can file for citizenship once the window opens or further down the road

 

On taxation, whether you're a permanent resident or citizen, you're liable to file taxes. This page makes good reading: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/tax-information-and-responsibilities-for-new-immigrants-to-the-united-states

 

I can truly empathize with you on the employment and transportation matter. I'm fully experienced and qualified for jobs I applied for but guess what? Nobody would even want to give me an interview. I'm stuck working a lower level job and don't make a ton. I do live in an urban area but the public transportation is not as extensive as I'm used to back home plus I never driven in my life, which limits the vicinity that I could apply for jobs. Did you drive in Sweden? Why don't you get a driver's license?

Yeah, don't mind filing taxes when I live in the country, but I was thinking more of in case I would be living in some other country as a naturalized US citizen, and still have to be filing for US taxes. Of course the transition over to IRS and World's Most Complicated Taxes™ has been a difficult one 😅 In Sweden my salary would automatically be reported to the tax authorities, and at the end of the year I would basically just click a few buttons on their website to find out if I was going to receive a refund, or if I had to pay something back. I kind of miss having to be a professor of mathematics when doing 1040 manually, or buy an expensive piece of software annually to do something that the authorities are IMHO supposed to do for you.

 

Definitely the same concerning the transportation! I guess the transition would have been easier if I had had a driving license back home--never had one since I have lived in cities all my life. I know I need to get a license at some point, but to be honest...I am just scared moving inside a metal cube when the traffic here is so crazy, and people have no patience whatsoever cutting off anyone they can whenever they can.

 

I guess I just needed to vent... Naturally we all ended in this country because of our love for our spouses, but sometimes it's difficult to adjust and assimilate when you're the odd one out, and can't seem to achieve the same standard of living like "back home".

Edited March 22, 2021 by Locito

[KULtoATL 1,551]

8 hours ago, Locito said:

Yeah, don't mind filing taxes when I live in the country, but I was thinking more of in case I would be living in some other country as a naturalized US citizen, and still have to be filing for US taxes. Of course the transition over to IRS and World's Most Complicated Taxes™ has been a difficult one 😅 In Sweden my salary would automatically be reported to the tax authorities, and at the end of the year I would basically just click a few buttons on their website to find out if I was going to receive a refund, or if I had to pay something back. I kind of miss having to be a professor of mathematics when doing 1040 manually, or buy an expensive piece of software annually to do something that the authorities are IMHO supposed to do for you.

 

Definitely the same concerning the transportation! I guess the transition would have been easier if I had had a driving license back home--never had one since I have lived in cities all my life. I know I need to get a license at some point, but to be honest...I am just scared moving inside a metal cube when the traffic here is so crazy, and people have no patience whatsoever cutting off anyone they can whenever they can.

 

I guess I just needed to vent... Naturally we all ended in this country because of our love for our spouses, but sometimes it's difficult to adjust and assimilate when you're the odd one out, and can't seem to achieve the same standard of living like "back home".

 

I hate the tax system here. Back home, when you earn below the minimum taxable income, you don't get taxed. Over here, when you make minimum wage, you still get taxed to death. And if you live in a piggyback state like GA, tax is even worse. Everything is taxed including last year's tax refund like #######??? Don't even get me started on the healthcare system. It's like a Wall Street business, so unscrupulous. 

 

Like you, I'm considering taking up driving. However, people around Atlanta are horrible drivers too. That terrifies the sh-t out of me. I always joke as soon as I take my new car out for a drive after passing, I'd get into an accident not because I'm not being careful, rather a more experienced driver acts like a menace. Haha!

 

A couple of years ago, I had a Lyft driver who asked me if it wasn't for my husband, would I still go through the immigration process solely for the GC and it was a really loud h3ll no from me. I was set back home. Starting over when you're not 18 is a pain in the back. 

 

Wishing you all the best!!

[Sarah&Facundo 576]

19 hours ago, Locito said:

Yeah, don't mind filing taxes when I live in the country, but I was thinking more of in case I would be living in some other country as a naturalized US citizen, and still have to be filing for US taxes. Of course the transition over to IRS and World's Most Complicated Taxes™ has been a difficult one 😅 In Sweden my salary would automatically be reported to the tax authorities, and at the end of the year I would basically just click a few buttons on their website to find out if I was going to receive a refund, or if I had to pay something back. I kind of miss having to be a professor of mathematics when doing 1040 manually, or buy an expensive piece of software annually to do something that the authorities are IMHO supposed to do for you.

 

Definitely the same concerning the transportation! I guess the transition would have been easier if I had had a driving license back home--never had one since I have lived in cities all my life. I know I need to get a license at some point, but to be honest...I am just scared moving inside a metal cube when the traffic here is so crazy, and people have no patience whatsoever cutting off anyone they can whenever they can.

 

I guess I just needed to vent... Naturally we all ended in this country because of our love for our spouses, but sometimes it's difficult to adjust and assimilate when you're the odd one out, and can't seem to achieve the same standard of living like "back home".

 

Just following these last couple of posts in this conversation and my husband feels exactly as you are all describing in these last posts, if it is any consolation that you are not alone. He hates living in the US, for many of the reasons mentioned above. We are also on the fence about what to do regarding citizenship. He doesn't want to become a citizen and would be perfectly happy with just having his 10 year green card when it arrives to maintain legal status. We may leave the US either to go back to his country or to Europe and he doesn't want to get his green card revoked in case we end up deciding to relocate back to the US. It's definitely a difficult decision so I empathize with you!

[tab0712 141]

10 hours ago, KULtoATL said:

 

I hate the tax system here. Back home, when you earn below the minimum taxable income, you don't get taxed. Over here, when you make minimum wage, you still get taxed to death. And if you live in a piggyback state like GA, tax is even worse. Everything is taxed including last year's tax refund like #######??? Don't even get me started on the healthcare system. It's like a Wall Street business, so unscrupulous. 

 

Like you, I'm considering taking up driving. However, people around Atlanta are horrible drivers too. That terrifies the sh-t out of me. I always joke as soon as I take my new car out for a drive after passing, I'd get into an accident not because I'm not being careful, rather a more experienced driver acts like a menace. Haha!

 

A couple of years ago, I had a Lyft driver who asked me if it wasn't for my husband, would I still go through the immigration process solely for the GC and it was a really loud h3ll no from me. I was set back home. Starting over when you're not 18 is a pain in the back. 

 

Wishing you all the best!!

We somewhat "regret" doing the K1->AOS->ROC. We were both living in Mexico and loving it. Being back here hasn't been what I had expected at all. 

[KULtoATL 1,551]

2 hours ago, Sarah&Facundo said:

 

Just following these last couple of posts in this conversation and my husband feels exactly as you are all describing in these last posts, if it is any consolation that you are not alone. He hates living in the US, for many of the reasons mentioned above. We are also on the fence about what to do regarding citizenship. He doesn't want to become a citizen and would be perfectly happy with just having his 10 year green card when it arrives to maintain legal status. We may leave the US either to go back to his country or to Europe and he doesn't want to get his green card revoked in case we end up deciding to relocate back to the US. It's definitely a difficult decision so I empathize with you!

Having just an American GC is not too shabby unless someone wants to vote or run for office  This journey for me has always been about being able to be and live with my husband in the same city and country. It's not about American citizenship or passport. With my GC and Malaysian passport, I still get to live in the US with him so that's a win-win.

 

I'm so glad that someone can actually empathize! I thought it was just me 😂

 

 

2 hours ago, tab0712 said:

We somewhat "regret" doing the K1->AOS->ROC. We were both living in Mexico and loving it. Being back here hasn't been what I had expected at all. 

When we've lived outside of the US and/or traveled a lot, we know what the world has to offer. The country was in a shambles in the last few years and I'm glad things feel a bit normal now.

[KULtoATL 1,551]

On 3/19/2021 at 6:46 PM, KULtoATL said:

 

March 19, 2021: Card is mailed out

Estimated arrival was March 25, 2021 but it arrived today, March 23, 2021. Yay!