July 2023- AOS Filers

[Slimsta 4]

Starting the group off since I didn’t see one made and we sent off our paperwork earlier this month. Copied below from last month’s group:
 

Hello July 2023 AOS filers another month another round of AOS submissions,  Please be aware that this checklist is NOT all inclusive and you must consult the USCIS website to crosscheck this checklist against/with. The AOS process has been confusing since the pandemic hit, not to mention the added politics. So please I want to stress that you only use this check sheet as a starting point and guide if you will. The USCIS site will be the final guide. Please ensure that you check your forms for the correct versions and editions because if you use the wrong forms USCIS will reject your application and send it back to you. This is easily checked on the USCIS website prior to downloading your forms. You should also ONLY download your forms from the USCIS website.  The current and correct fees can also be ascertained from the USCIS website .

 

Just a side note before we get started  USCIS may decouple Forms I-765 and Form I-131 if filed jointly with Form I-485. Here is the quoted text taken directly from the USCIS website. "To improve efficiency and reduce Form I-765 processing times for Form I-485 applicants, USCIS may decouple Forms I-765 from Forms I-131 filed at the same time. Effective Feb. 1, 2022, when possible, we will adjudicate an applicant's Form I-765 first. If we approve it, we will issue an Employment Authorization Document without any notation about advanced parole. We will adjudicate the Form I-131 separately and if we approve it, we will issue an advance parole document". I know this is old news, but I thought it would be good to include it here for your knowledge.

 

What this means is some people elect to include three (3) copies of their marriage license / certificates one attached to each form (I-485, I-765 and I-131 respectively). I do not know of anyone receiving an RFE for a marriage license/certificate missing on the I-765 or the I-131 since USCIS has started doing this new way of adjudicating the AOS (the marriage license / certificate with form I-485 is required though). This is an age old concern that has been in play before this new way USCIS started adjudicating these forms. Some filers including me when I filed the AOS back in 2019 sent in three (3) copies of their marriage licenses / certificates. I did it then because of peace of mind and there were some RFEs given out for missing licenses / certificates (back then).  USCIS also used to issue Combo Cards, Employment Authorization Document and Advance Parole (EAD and AP combined in the same card). I've seen now where they have issued an EAD without the AP.  Whether you include three (3) copies of your marriage license / certificate is going to be your individual call when you file your AOS.  Having said that let's get into the checklist:  

  

 

AOS Checklist

• Cover Letter listing Table of Contents 
• Check Payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security - $1,225.00 (this includes the Bio-metrics fee) 

 

Form I-485 (completed and signed by non-US Citizen/beneficiary)

• Form G-1145   
• Copy of beneficiary's Passport with biographical page  
• Copy of beneficiary's K1 Visa from Passport and entry stamp  
• Copy of NOA2 Approval letter (from K1 process)  
• I-94  
• Copy of beneficiary's Birth Certificate  
• translation of birth certificate (if needed) 
• Certified copy of Marriage License or Certificate 
• Passport Photos (2) name written on the back  
• Copy of DS-3025    

 

Form I-864 (completed and signed by USC) (goes with form I-485)

• Proof of USC's citizenship (copy of birth certificate, copy of passport bio page, or other) 
•  Current tax year 2021 and (optional 2020 , 2019) Tax Return (with W-2) or Transcripts (transcripts are better if you can get them)
• Employment Verification letter (updated one - not the one used during K1 process)  
• Pay stubs (last 3 months)   

 

Form I-765 (completed and signed by non-US Citizen/beneficiary)

• Copy of beneficiary's Passport with biographical page  
• Copy of beneficiary's K1 Visa from Passport and entry stamp  
• I-94  
• Passport Photos (2) name written on the back  
• Copy of NOA2 (from K1 process)
• Be sure to use the correct filing code of (c)(9) if this code applies to you. The I-765 instructions explains all the codes in detail. If you are filing under a different code (other than (c)(9) the fee for your AOSwill not be correct and USCIS will reject your entire packet.

  

Form I-131 (completed and signed by non-US Citizen/beneficiary)

• Copy of beneficiary's Passport with biographical page  
• Copy of beneficiary's K1 Visa from Passport and entry stamp  
• I-94 
• Passport Photos (2) name written on the back  
• Copy of NOA2 (from K1 process     

 

Be sure to double check for the current fees as fees do sometimes increase and they can change on a dime so please check. Additionally, check the forms as listed above i.e., current version and or edition date, there have been many changes to various forms. Consider sending tax transcripts instead of the 1040, and W2's. Also consider preparing a cover letter for each form in addition to the main cover letter.  

Make sure you send long form birth certificates and not the short form.  Hope this helps in your preparation of your AOS. When in doubt ask questions.

 

Please consider filing the I-131 and the I-765 even if you don't think you'll need them right now. You never know what changes your life will have on down the road, so I recommend you file these two forms from the start. There is no extra charge to file them with your AOS and it's better to submit them all at once.  There has been much confusion coming out of USCIS, partly due to Covid-19 and partly self-inflicted. This confusion filters on down to the people filing for AOS. The above listing is subject to change at a moment’s notice so please check, recheck and check again BEFORE you send off your packet for any last-minute changes.

 

 

Congratulations on a successful submission of your AOSpacket!

[Slimsta 4]

Created this thread for my fellow July 2023 AOS filers.

So far: Mailed (Texas Lockbox): July 3rd, 2023.

USCIS received July 5th, 2023 (using tracking number )

Credit Card Charge July 18th, 2023

Received Text Acknowledging Receipt July 19th 2023...now wait on our NOA's

I pray this part goes by fast!

[SeaSing 26]

Submitted AOS package 7/3/23
NOA 7/11/23

Biometrics appointment 8/2/23

I've been looking at some other timelines from people who submitted AOS in 2023 and those who receive biometrics appointment this quickly tend to get Greencard approved quickly as well (1-2 months after biometrics appt). EAD has also been approved 1 day after biometrics?! AP seems to not be approved because they just approve greencard first which rules out the need for AP. 

This sounds so much quicker than what people were seeing last year so I'm unsure how optimistic we should be. 

[L&R46 12]

July 1 | Dropped off Package at UPS (Concurrent Filing in the US: I-485 (AOS), I-765 (EAD), I-130 (Travel Parole)

 

July 6 | USCIS Received the Package

 

July 11 | Text Alerts: Received Confirmation Texts from USCIS they received the applications. IOE Receipt number (3) was provided for each application

 

July 14 | Received an update that I am schedule for biometrics 

 

July 17 | Received Confirmation letters (I-797C) via mail from USCIS providing the same IOE numbers. Received letter in mail (I-797C) to sign up on USCIS website and enter the provided access code to track application progress online.

 

July 21 | Received ASC Appointment Notice via mail for the biometrics appointment. (Scheduled for July 31)

[LandPfromPA 5]

Hey everyone. We have just overnighted our K1 AOS package and it will arrive tomorrow. So we made it with being July filers. We are really late filing after a large amount of things went wrong. Either way, we've got it off and hope our local FO is fast - or at least, fast-ish. So here's hoping we all hear something soon. 

[LandPfromPA 5]

Update my timeline:

 

Mailed AOS packet to Elgin lockbox: 7/28/23

Arrived at Lockbox: 7/31/23

Credit card charged: 8/2/23

[Slimsta 4]

We got our appointment letter from the USCIS website for 8/22. We went today 8/9 to see if we could do a walking and they allowed. 10 min after completed our status changed to being actively reviewed! 

[LandPfromPA 5]

Congrats on that! Hopefully, you guys get a quick EAD approval. We got ours too, it's for the 24th, but we're going to wait until then. From what I've read the Philly office generally doesn't allow walk-ins. We're fairly impressed with how fast they've got out the notices and appointments scheduled so far. Fingers crossed it keeps up.

[SeaSing 26]

I've seen a few timelines on VJ showing people get their EAD approved relatively quickly after biometrics appointment, as in within a few days. Unfortunately for us it has been over a week now and no EAD approval so am guessing that the average time to process and approve is still long. 

[Slimsta 4]

16 minutes ago, SeaSing said:

I've seen a few timelines on VJ showing people get their EAD approved relatively quickly after biometrics appointment, as in within a few days. Unfortunately for us it has been over a week now and no EAD approval so am guessing that the average time to process and approve is still long. 

Yeah it been 2 days for us whereas I’ve seen others be approved the next day after bio. We are still ahead of the estimated time so I’m not really expecting too much action…. But I am praying for it lol 

[Sam Burns 108]

On 8/9/2023 at 2:26 PM, Slimsta said:

We got our appointment letter from the USCIS website for 8/22. We went today 8/9 to see if we could do a walking and they allowed. 10 min after completed our status changed to being actively reviewed! 

It would help the site to update your timeline with this info

[L&R46 12]

Received an email yesterday ‘We have taken an action on your case’ but when I check the case status, it hasn’t changed. I asked a live agent today about this and they told me the I-765 got approved and is now waiting in line at the production site. Hopefully he is correct and we will get an update on the case status soon.

[SeaSing 26]

4 hours ago, L&R46 said:

they told me the I-765 got approved

Did you log into the USCIS portal and check the "Documents" section under your I-765 application? I believe once approved they upload a document there confirming it. A card then gets mailed out a week later. 

[L&R46 12]

16 minutes ago, SeaSing said:

Did you log into the USCIS portal and check the "Documents" section under your I-765 application? I believe once approved they upload a document there confirming it. A card then gets mailed out a week later. 

I have but nothing appears there. I’ve read it could take a couple of days to update.

[L&R46 12]

Just got the EAD approval letter in the documents tab!!

Edited August 18, 2023 by L&R46