Getting married immediately for AOS

[Drew and Tik 0]

Thank you, that helps a lot.

Sorry for the confusion earlier, I'm trying to take it one step at a time and right now I'm on the "getting the visa approved" step Hopefully I will be more informed of the later stages of the process by the time I get to the "getting the green card approved" step. Thanks for pointing it out though.

[featherB 1]

Thank you, that helps a lot.

Sorry for the confusion earlier, I'm trying to take it one step at a time and right now I'm on the "getting the visa approved" step Hopefully I will be more informed of the later stages of the process by the time I get to the "getting the green card approved" step. Thanks for pointing it out though.

Nope, by thinking ahead and starting to learn about what you need to do once you've actually got the visa and got your fiancee into the country, you're definitely doing the right thing! Much better to feel you've got some handle on what to expect next, rather than be the one posting 'my fiancee arrived yesterday - now what?' 'cos you haven't thought ahead beyond her arrival at the POE! Good luck, and may your journey be a smooth one!

[Drew and Tik 0]

Thanks a lot, I'm doing my best

[rebeccajo 14]

Thanks a lot, I'm doing my best

I think it's best to look ahead but not overwhelm yourself with the details. You're doing the right thing.

[Drew and Tik 0]

Thanks a lot, I'm doing my best

I think it's best to look ahead but not overwhelm yourself with the details. You're doing the right thing.

Thanks, I'm just starting to research exactly what we need to do when we get our NOA2, I have an idea, but I want to really know. Hope we don't get any RFEs, I think I did good enough since everything was there and a reasonable person would believe we had met in the past two years with the proof I provided, but who knows. Yeah, the AOS is so far off, it's like a distant dream Be here before we know it hopefully.

[rebeccajo 14]

Thanks a lot, I'm doing my best

I think it's best to look ahead but not overwhelm yourself with the details. You're doing the right thing.

Thanks, I'm just starting to research exactly what we need to do when we get our NOA2, I have an idea, but I want to really know. Hope we don't get any RFEs, I think I did good enough since everything was there and a reasonable person would believe we had met in the past two years with the proof I provided, but who knows. Yeah, the AOS is so far off, it's like a distant dream Be here before we know it hopefully.

Yeah, it will be. Hope hers goes without any hiccups.

[Amarach 0]

We got an RFE, which no-one looks forward to that but it wasn't as awful as I thought it would be. We got our approval 2 weeks later and are working on the next step now.

Like you we plan to do a civil ceremony so he can work and start the AOS process as soon as possible.

Good luck

Adriane

[bora bora 1]

My husband's EAD was approved in less than 90 days - but we did make two infopasses (which may have helped).

His AOS however has not been updated since May...

[Drew and Tik 0]

Hey, thanks for all the good info guys, it really helps!

[LaL 418]

Just a side note about NOA2's - keep your hands on them! As it stands now it is a required submittance for AOS. You can pay to have them replaced, but its pretty costly.

[Drew and Tik 0]

Just a side note about NOA2's - keep your hands on them! As it stands now it is a required submittance for AOS. You can pay to have them replaced, but its pretty costly.

Will definitely do that then, thanks.

[zqt3344 21]

We were planning on having our American wedding ceremony on August 17th if everything goes according to plan. We wanted to be together before this though, so if the K-1 visa approval permits, which it should since we've allowed some extra time, we wanted Tik to move in with me in late May or early June. Since she has 90 days to marry me, this wouldn't be a problem for the August 17th wedding date...

However, I noticed that the EAD she will (hopefully) receive at JFK expires 90 days after she enters the country. The AOS seems to take some time for approval, looks like an average of about 80 days or so. So my question is, should we have a civil ceremony immediately after she gets here so there won't be a large gap in her EAD expiring and her green card being approved? Otherwise if she comes in June and doesn't file for AOS until August her EAD will expire before her green card comes, which could be a problem if she is employed at that point (which is something we're sort of hoping for).

I don't see any real problem with having a civil ceremony for the legal aspects and then the ceremony with my family and our friends for the personal aspects, other than our technical marriage anniversary won't be the same day as our wedding day.

What do you guys suggest? Just open to input at this juncture.

You need to do what you said, get married ASAP(recommend within two weeks) once she arrives, then apply for AOS/EAD/AP within a day or two or as soon as you get the marriage license copy to mail in with AOS/EAD/AP application. Also you better start reviewing the checklist of items you will need for applying for the AOS and get on it at least 3 months in advance to start gathering up that documents you need to submit as proof, because it is tedious and a lot of work and not something you can do in one day.

Something else you need to remember that K1 90 day work permit approval you receive once you arrive in USA is only good for 90 days or until you get married, so once you marry it is of no use to her anymore and cannot be used.

Also another thing you need to do is make sure she gets a copy of that DS(something or other) form from her USA approved Medical Exam Dr in her native country which is the one she will need to have to submit to a USA CIVIL SURGEON DR in order for that CIVIL SURGEON to complete a I-693A vaccinations form which you will have to have when you apply for AOS, or you will get a RFE for not having it, they have screwed down on this lately, used to you could slide by with just mailing in the copy of the DS form from her Medical Exam in her home country, not much so anymore. AND wait until you start trying to get a CIVIL SURGEON to fill one out for you! AHHA they will try to rip you good, for just completing paperwork and their signature, let me know if you need address of CIVIL SURGEON that will do this by mail for $10 fee within week or two. This is a major racket and you will see once you start checking into this. Basically USCIS has said so what if you get a official medical exam overseas by our approved DR we send you to and they fill out that DS vaccination form, guess what you get when your arrive in USA, more bureaucracy new K1 couple, now you get to go search out a CIVIL SURGEON to fill out this piece of paper called a I693A which basically is same thing as the DS vaccination form. I truly think the DR lobbyist must have been involved in this piece of legislation or policy for it granted them a license to steal easy money and prey on K1 immigrants.

Thus I would say to be realistic that when your finance arrives in late May you will have to allow at least 2 weeks to mail off your CIVIL SURGEON request DS vaccination form to be completed/transferred on a new I-693A form to be mailed in and this is if you have everything else together thus within few weeks of her arrival you should be able to apply for AOS, which then could take 3 months or less if all goes well at USCIS or as long as 6 to 12 months depending on the USCIS case worker, but at least it looks like now you will get that EAD and AP card within 1.5 to 2 months while you wait on AOS green card.

Also if you go apply for a social security card, allow about 10 - 20 days to do so, problem is not social security office but Dept of Homeland Security USCIS and POE when they take your finance brown sealed packet, there is a serious lag time on this so even if you go apply at SS office immediately, to them it will be like she does not exist and her data from brown sealed envelope will not have been data entered into SAV system that Social Security Administration checks before granting SS Card #, I mean you can apply but then you will just have to wait and then make sure you call back to the person at the social security office you applied with about once a week and check on status of it. Reason I mention all this, if you decide to change your spouse maiden name on social security card after you marry, you have like 15 days before 90 day K1 expires to do this otherwise SS office will not allow it and make you wait on Green Card AOS then come back and to do name change. Or what I wish we had done is this, I suppose you could marry immediately within few weeks, go apply in her new married name but take copy of marriage certificate with you and just apply for social security card in her new married name and not worry about having to change name later on social security card since it is already in married name.

And get ready big boy you are in for a wild ride and some waiting, best thing going for you is that you filed through Vermont Service Center on K1 and they seem to be very organized and speedy there, but as far as getting AOS, that is a ####### shoot, anything can happen in that process and you can wait awhile on that Green CArd, there are people on here that I have seen waiting for 2 plus years for AOS, it is insane what USCIS and Dept of Homeland SEcurity have done to this legal immigration system, and all in the name of FBI name checking for these delays, which to me I ponder well why did you not do this FBI name checking during K1 process for visa was granted for if they truly are a terrorist or criminal in USA illegally it is a little late now to be checking on them after they arrive in the USA, and I wonder what they are doing for two years or so while FBI is checking their names out! HAHA it is a joke.

ZQT3344

[zqt3344 21]

Just a side note about NOA2's - keep your hands on them! As it stands now it is a required submittance for AOS. You can pay to have them replaced, but its pretty costly.

You got to be kidding they now charge for that NOA2! Nickle and Dime stuff, like it costs so much to email one to someone or reprint it or make a photocopy, get real. AND I agree they seem to want a copy of that mailed in now as well with documents for AOS.

[Drew and Tik 0]

Wow zqt3344, that's a lot of good advice, thank you! I will try to have everything sorted.

Also your last statement is so true, why does the FBI name check after someone is already here? If they're a terrorist marrying a US citizen you're basically allowing them to run around rampant in the country while you're checking them, I really don't see much point in this. This government pisses me off so much sometimes (and I work for them!).

Anyway, thanks again!

[korat2michigan 0]

Also another thing you need to do is make sure she gets a copy of that DS(something or other) form from her USA approved Medical Exam Dr in her native country which is the one she will need to have to submit to a USA CIVIL SURGEON DR in order for that CIVIL SURGEON to complete a I-693A vaccinations form which you will have to have when you apply for AOS, or you will get a RFE for not having it, they have screwed down on this lately, used to you could slide by with just mailing in the copy of the DS form from her Medical Exam in her home country, not much so anymore. AND wait until you start trying to get a CIVIL SURGEON to fill one out for you! AHHA they will try to rip you good, for just completing paperwork and their signature, let me know if you need address of CIVIL SURGEON that will do this by mail for $10 fee within week or two. This is a major racket and you will see once you start checking into this. Basically USCIS has said so what if you get a official medical exam overseas by our approved DR we send you to and they fill out that DS vaccination form, guess what you get when your arrive in USA, more bureaucracy new K1 couple, now you get to go search out a CIVIL SURGEON to fill out this piece of paper called a I693A which basically is same thing as the DS vaccination form. I truly think the DR lobbyist must have been involved in this piece of legislation or policy for it granted them a license to steal easy money and prey on K1 immigrants.

Thus I would say to be realistic that when your finance arrives in late May you will have to allow at least 2 weeks to mail off your CIVIL SURGEON request DS vaccination form to be completed/transferred on a new I-693A form to be mailed in and this is if you have everything else together thus within few weeks of her arrival you should be able to apply for AOS, which then could take 3 months or less if all goes well at USCIS or as long as 6 to 12 months depending on the USCIS case worker, but at least it looks like now you will get that EAD and AP card within 1.5 to 2 months while you wait on AOS green card.

Also if you go apply for a social security card, allow about 10 - 20 days to do so, problem is not social security office but Dept of Homeland Security USCIS and POE when they take your finance brown sealed packet, there is a serious lag time on this so even if you go apply at SS office immediately, to them it will be like she does not exist and her data from brown sealed envelope will not have been data entered into SAV system that Social Security Administration checks before granting SS Card #, I mean you can apply but then you will just have to wait and then make sure you call back to the person at the social security office you applied with about once a week and check on status of it. Reason I mention all this, if you decide to change your spouse maiden name on social security card after you marry, you have like 15 days before 90 day K1 expires to do this otherwise SS office will not allow it and make you wait on Green Card AOS then come back and to do name change. Or what I wish we had done is this, I suppose you could marry immediately within few weeks, go apply in her new married name but take copy of marriage certificate with you and just apply for social security card in her new married name and not worry about having to change name later on social security card since it is already in married name.

ZQT3344

Just stop by and I think I got the issue I always doubt about it from here.. esp

- the medical doc and I 693A ( cuz what I have in my hand right now is a copy of DS 3025 ONLY!)

- and when I should apply for SSN (cuz I used to worry abt the last name changed after marry...it will b different from SSN etc.)

Now I know what I should do then...

Very useful info for me.

Thank you guys

Edited November 3, 2007 by korat2michigan