US Immigration from Russia

I would like to file a joint tax return with my spouse, who has been going through the adjustment process to obtain a green card. She has arrived in USA as a K1 fiancee, but she could not get any SSN as SS offices were closed due to Covid. Since we are already married, her K1 visa has expired and she cannot get a SSN. I checked the IRS web site and found out that ITIN (individual Tax Identification Number) can be used in place of SSN in the joint return. However, I cannot request a ITIN before we file the joint tax return. I found it very strange. It looks like we need to submit our federal tax return with Form W7 Form (Application for Tax Identification Number) and attach her foreign passport. Can someone confirm that my understanding is correct? I appreciate your help.

PS. Her passport is her only identification document here is USA as we cannot get her a driver's licence without SSN. Has anyone send the original passport to get ITAN and received it back? Note that we cannot get a certified copy of her passport.

Not realizing that her greencard was conditional and would expire in two years, my wife's Greencard expired 3/24/2020.

I am just now realizing I need to now resolve this.

From what I have read, I need to include an explanation with "good cause" to explain the delay.

Are there any suggestions on this?

Hi everyone,

I searched this forum but didn't find a definitive answer to my question so decided to try my luck and create my own topic.

I received an interview appointment notice today that lists the documents I should bring with me to the interview: the usual GC, passport, appointment notice as well as (since I'm filing as USC' spouse) marriage certificate, proof of prior marriage termination, and USC's birth certificate (my husband was born in the US). Later it states to bring the originals if the copies were submitted for the initial filing.

Unfortunately the only original document I have is my divorce decree from previous marriage. It seems that the rest of the documents are currently in storage in California (why did I not think to bring those originals with me before moving - is a whole other story ).

On the notice it also says that it's important to show up at the interview even if I don't have all of the documents.

I was thinking about bringing the copies of my husband's birth certificate and our marriage certificate, and his passport. Do you think this will be sufficient? I read others' stories about their interviews, and it seems that IOs rarely ask for all of the documents listed on the appointment notice and usually just ask for GC and foreign passport....

Thank you!

Hello everyone!

Could you please advise how it is better to bring to the US my mom and her 20-year old son (my half brother). Do I need to file for my mom and then my brother will be automatically included into the process? He will turn 21 in October 2021. Do we have enough time? How to speed up the process?

Or do I file for f4 sibling visa for him (but then it is like 15 years).

Or is it better to file for my mom and then once she gets her green card, she would file for him (but it is again like 15 years).

Thanks a lot!

In September 2020 USCIS accepted our concurrent AOS package for my wife (I-130 + I-131 + I-485 + I-765, including I-130A, I-864, I-944) but today she received the EAD marked "NOT VALID FOR REENTRY TO U.S." which obviously means it's NOT the combo card. The receipt number for the I-131still shows the same as it did since late September, that it was accepted. Why wouldn't USCIS issue the combo card in such case?