MatthewNCarolina

From someone who took 4 folders full of all kinds of chat history, 1 folder with at least 60+ photos printed on glossy photo paper plus all the documents and forms requested I would say take as many photos as you want, use the glossy paper because it does look better and if you want, later you can put the pictures on a frame or album like I did. Take as much evidence as you can, the more the better and on a high fraud country I would recommend it.

On my interview day, when my fiance (now husband) and I entered the CO's room for the interview, as soon as he told us we could sit down, we just put all those folders on the table which probably scared him lol In the end it worked out perfect because he didn't ask for pictures, any chat history or any evidence at all but he knew we were prepared if he did. People got amazed on how much stuff we had but I am pretty sure if I did not have all that evidence with me that day, he would've asked for something I wouldn't have in hands. Good luck!

Hi guys, I just wanted to let you all know that yesterday my AOS was approved. I contacted the Ombudsman last week and yesterday I had just sent the paperwork to the Senator's office and they were going to call USCIS. A little bit over 4 hours after I faxed the paperwork I received the text on my phone, today I got 2 other updates but only saw one saying that "we registered this customer's permanent residency" or something like and to wait for the welcome letter in the mail. What a relief and the good news came right after I found out I am going to be an aunt again. Happy day!

I wish you all luck and guess I'll see ya's on ROC!

P.S: @Shendon, I got the same thing on mine as you can see above, I have no clue what it means either and I guess its not a big deal (I hope). Now just wait for the card in the mail and have a break from USCIS for a good bit. Congrats by the way!

Hi guys, I just wanted to let you all know that yesterday my AOS was approved. I contacted the Ombudsman last week and yesterday I had just sent the paperwork to the Senator's office and they were going to call USCIS. A little bit over 4 hours after I faxed the paperwork I received the text on my phone, today I got 2 other updates but only saw one saying that "we registered this customer's permanent residency" or something like and to wait for the welcome letter in the mail. What a relief and the good news came right after I found out I am going to be an aunt again. Happy day!

I wish you all luck and guess I'll see ya's on ROC!

Okay, has been a while and we have been so busy with vacation, back to work, puppy, etc etc...So last week I hit the 7 months mark and since July 30th my service request have been with USCIS and nothing yet, not even a touch which made me try to turn tables today! I sent a request along with paperwork to the Ombudsman's office and also contacted my senator and am still tempted to contact senator #2 to see who works faster LOL

I called USCIS before all that and asked to speak with a Tier 2 Person and personally don't think that the first representative I spoke with was really happy once I asked to be transferred, oh well... The Tier 2 lady told that at this point my application is still with CSC and only on August 20th they got my file for review and if everything goes well I shouldn't take too long to hear something back from them (Yeah right). You know, like everybody else here, I just want a break from USCIS and am tired of looking at USCIS' website and seeing Initial Review. I am glad for the ones who got theirs approved and good luck to the ones waiting with me.

I do not think that he is obligated to go with you, my husband went with me but I just used him to hold my paperwork lol I guess its a good emotional support? I took with me my marriage certificate too, just in case they would say something about the change of last names, letter for NOA1's and for biometrics (they will stamp it saying that you were that at that date and that you completed your biometrics), passport...Also if you have like an state I.D or Driver's license from here I'd say to take it with you or even the SSN in case you are also getting your GC, EAD/AP with the married name, they could ask for it as I've seen other people's stories. Better safe than sorry, right?

Good luck with it!

Hey Xena, here in WV I needed my SSN and EAD to get my learner's permit since I don't know how to drive. I tried once I arrived here but they needed either the GC or some other document from immigration so they denied it to me, you should call their toll-free # or go to their website and check what are all the rules. I did that and had no problem this time, has been almost a week.

@Sunny, Congratulations! Hope we all get green soon!

On our side here, Monday I was able to call USCIS and put a service request on my AOS. The guy told me to wait 15 days to hear a decision, I really hope he is right. lol Since we are going on vacation this week, I am not really worried because I just want to go to the beach! hahaha... If it helps anyone, I was past the 6 months mark and when I previously called USCIS they told me on what specific date the local office that was handling my application was working on (after it was transferred to CSC) and when I could put a service request on it. I will give at least one more month until I contact my Congressman if I don't hear anything, getting tired of waiting for this though. I would really like to go visit my parents back home but I don't trust using the AP since its no guarantee at the airport. I'm sort of paranoid with this stuff lol Anyway, I hope everybody hear good news soon and good lucky everyone!

I should have joined this before, my AOS was transferred in February and so far nothing at all. I wonder when can I get my congressman involved, last time I called USCIS they told me that I could only put a service request by the end of this month which I am counting the days. From what I saw some people say here to get the congressman's help it needs to be 6 months since the application was TRANSFERRED or 6 months since you FILED FOR AOS?

For me it will be 6 months since I filed for it next week but 6 months since it was transferred next month, does anyone know about it? Good luck to everybody, hang in there.

Thanks guys! I'm sure that we will be all green before summer is over, geez!

My parents absolutely love my husband, they were/are very thankful that he was the one I wanted to share my life with but while waiting for NOA2, interview, etc my mother did try to change my mind several times, even the day before I left. Sometimes she would be really nasty and say things that I bet she regrets now, things like "I'm sure all of this will fail and when it fails what are you going to do there?" or "I doubt that you both are in love like this, he could move here and see if it really works, if not just divorce and that's it". Those kinds of comments and "suggestions" were really hard on me because you are already suffering with all the wait and distance and not having the support you would like to it makes even worse.

On the other hand with my dad, whom I am really close to, until 5 days before I left he never said one negative word to me and were always excited to hear updates about the visa. It did hurt me like crazy days before I left seeing my dad walking around the house with his head down or staring at me with sad eyes, it made me feel horrible inside and even though I was so happy to finally have the visa in hand and the flight booked, excited to finally be able to marry my baby it was really hard and made me feel guilty. It still does sometimes.

The day I left it had all the crying and sad faces, I have no idea how I could walk away... Thankful I had my fiance (now husband) with me. Now my parents seem to be really happy for us, they know we love each other more than anything and here is where I belong, beside the love of my life. I try to call them at least once a week through Skype but since they don't know how to use a computer at all I am not able to see them on camera, just talk on the phone.

Trust me, once you get to U.S and your family sees that you are happy and things are doing good, they will be just fine. Try to keep in touch as much as you can, so they don't think you forgot them and just let time help them adjust to the idea of you moving. Good luck!

Hey guys!!! No real updates here, I called USCIS today to change my address and stuff and also asked about my AOS. It happens that supposedly the regional office that is with my application is working on cases dated from January 2nd and to put a service request on it I still have to wait 23 more days. Oh well, huh? Hope it comes very soon...

On a different note, we are more than happy to announce that we bought our first house!!! I love it, husband loves it and its all great! Finally married life has a meaning to us. How is everybody doing?

I get bothered by people who act like the k-1 visa is the only "right" way, but hey...just my opinion.

Sarcasm mode on, eh? There's tons of visas that allow you to the the RIGHT way but the last thing you should do is go around the system unless you are on the same boat with the OP. If ain't unfair to you, I'm not even sorry but yes it is for me.

What did your fiancee do? Should she have stayed in Vietnam with her family or should she have quit everything to go to U.S and marry her american citizen fiance (at the time)?

No clue on the filling date, congratulations on the card and interview... Nothing here yet, not even a touch, poke, stab, etc lol

I have a question, does anyone else think its somewhat funny when new people post on VJ questions about, "What if we marry outside U.S, can we use the K1?", and people explain over and over again why not and they still argue over that? I find that funny but understandable because, hell this whole immigration/visas thing is complicated, just wondering if anyone feel the same...

We haven't closed with the house yet, waiting on the slow appraiser! After that we will hear the closing date ... Hope everybody is doing well!

What I'm noticing is people whose fiances are from europe are getting AOS approved. Maybe background checks/investigations slowing it down for people applying AOS who come from under developed countries.

Do you all think this is what is slowing things down?

Unfortunately we will never know, my friend. Since we are buying our first house and there's so many things going on right now my mind has been pretty busy lately. I try to check just once a day and during the weekends I don't even get near a computer, whenever they decide its time to approve me or let me know if they need anything its fine with me now. Its a test for my patience but its still better to wait to have our house than worry about GC and such, USCIS do not deserve to give my first wrinkle.

My fiance, now husband, at the time of the interview wore his engagement ring and all of our pictures we separated for the the interview showed it aswell. I know its not common in the U.S for a male to wear an engagement ring but for me it was and he loved the idea and at the interview nothing was questioned about it and neither we had to show any pictures.

The only difference for us was, engagement rings in my country for both, male and female, stays in the right hand. Once you marry it goes to the left hand, I believe that if they ever noticed that at the embassy stage they would know the country's culture and even if questioned we would've told the CO what was meant for, I think you should be fine. If the CO ever ask about it just tell him honestly that it is an engagement ring, no big deal.

Why does it seem I can't stop checking every day what the hell is going on with our GC?

I look on March's AOS and I see people are already getting green cards?

Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I try not to look at other months' forums because I know it will be frustrating. Today its 1 month since they "touched" my case and this really pisses me off, why does it take so long? You would think that the 1000 bucks would make them work a little bit faster. I just want a break from them and I'm sure they want a break from me!

I called again and the other lady said that EVERY I-485 application that is transferred to CSC is later sent to the regional office and YES you get an interview date and unfortunately my regional office is backed up. Told me to give 50/60 days to get a letter with the interview date. But now you tell me, I have never heard of anyone transferred to California have an interview, or does this happen very often and I am not aware of?

And if that's the case, freaking West Virginia rednecks working slow Man, I would give anything to be done with this immigration stuff forever. Guess I will wait and see, huh?

Alright, so I called USCIS today, my 4 months mark, to inquiry about my case and see what was going on. Not that I am rushing to get this card or anything but you know, its been 4 months and I'm curious. The lady who talked to me on the phone (very nice) tried to put a service request on it and I told her that my case was transferred to CSC, which she said it did not matter because she had to check the processing time with the regional office(?) which for me is Charleston, WV.

She started to explain why it is taking so long and why I cannot put a service request on it, this office is working on I-485's from December 21st, 2011 applications so there is a 50 some days gap in between. I once again tried to ask "what about California? That's where my application is"... She ignored me. But anyway, she told me to give some time, it depends on who is handling my application, could hear something anytime and to call back within 30 days if nothing happened and she would try again to put a service request.

Now my question is, should I go with the regional office processing time or with California? Or try calling again and speaking with a Tier 2 person? Or just be quiet and wait, after all I am not in a rush? Did anyone put a service request yet? I just really want to be done with this for a good while.

Geez took me a while to find this group, lol How's everybody doing? I hope is all good, just waiting on GC and to close with the house here! Updates people!

Hey guys! A happy update. Our card production was ordered today. Should have GC in next 30 days! apparently that touch was a good thing?

Congrats! That's very good news and happy mother's day!! Mine was touched 04/30/2012, praying it will come soon

Looky, Aloe Vera cleans your whole body pretty much. It kicks out of your body all the bad things and yes, that would include making a couple trips to the toilet. LOL

Glad she is doing better, I miss gymnastics! Stopped doing that when I was 12 after an accident I had during the class, my knee have never been the same again but oh well! Go see your woman, take some dance lessons lol

About us here, we are really close to closing with the perfect house! Little cute house with a great property, halfway to where we live right now and to work so it works perfectly fine for us. We love it, praying we can get it! How's everybody doing? Hope all is well! Keep in touch people!

aaaah I figured it would be after becoming a USC. Thanks, just curious.

I'm sorry if posted in the wrong place but I could not find this answer anywhere, hopefully somebody will be able to help. Anyway, out of curiosity, where/how/when can I get a U.S passport? Example, right now my AOS is pending, waiting for the GC but have EAD, will I ever need or receive a U.S passport? Let's say if I want to travel outside U.S after I get this first GC, wouldn't I need also a passport? Do I use my old one, get a new one from my home country or one here?

I'm just so curious about it, so please shed some light? If I ever need one, how/when/where/why do I get one? If I do not need one, what do I do in case I want to travel outside U.S? Old passport or just GC? lol this might sound silly but I really want to know, thanks!