kaussie

Hi there - I've lived in the U.S. for almost 10 years but finally naturalized this year, so I have driver's license, SS, passport, bank accounts, cell phone etc. Is there a guide for which documents to file first/get updated first, then second, etc? 

Bonus points if anyone can explain what to do about my married name vs. given name. I got my naturalization certificate in my given name but was told with my marriage license I'll be able to use my married name. Is that what I should put on my passport application form, my married name? Or the name on my naturalization certificate? 

Thank you!!

Kate

Anyone else?

Have you thought of adding his last name as in this example SMith-JOnes

I'd prefer not to, but good thinking!

Hi all - I'm an Australian citizen married to a US citizen and have a 10-year GC. My Aussie passport is up for renewal and I'd like to change my last name (I just had my son and now have a desire for us all to use our family name.) Given the passport renewal, I thought it might be prime time to make this change. BUT:

1) is now the right time or is it going to cause a lot of drama for my immigration status to change my name?

2) will i need to re-apply for my GC? I just got my 10-year and am not looking to go through that all over again...

3) which step is first if i do want to change my name? Do I change my immigration status first, or get my passport changed and renewed? Or something else? What about SSN?

4) I've read its easier to do upon naturalization. Should I just wait until I do that and then file my name change (and then my passport change, again, too?)

It seems like a huge hassle which is why I haven't done it yet... but want to for my family! Appreciate any advice!

Hi there - I have an info pass appt this week to get an I-551 stamp (thanks to forum members recommending I do so, as my I-751 for my 2-yr gc is still in process and I need to travel for work). What do I ask for when I get there and what do I need to bring? Do I just say I need an I-551 stamp and show my letter stating that my application is in process and my 1-year extension has run out? Any help is much appreciated!

@teeak - so I can go to any office anywhere (doesn't need to be in my area/state?) Let me know - thank you!!

Kate

hi all,

I posted recently asking about what to do since my application is still in process but my 1 year extension has expired. I have to travel for work on April 11 so I am desperately trying to figure out what I need to do to travel. Someone suggested going to my field office for an Infopass appointment to get an I-551 stamp. When I went on to Infopass though, there are zero dates available through the end of March. What do I do?

Any ideas? Thank you!

Kate

The weird thing is there are only specific options when I go to make my infopas appointment! Does anyone know what I select in order to make this appointment for the extension?

Looking for some advice. My 2-year marriage based green card (I have been married to a US citizen for 5 years and my son is also a US citizen) was issued in 2012 and expired in 2014. Prior to expiration, I filled out the 1-751 forms, and did my biometrics and received my 1-year extension letter. However, because I have bad fingerprints (which I've dealt with every single time I've filed visa paperwork, for years), I always get called back in to do a second round of biometrics, before they finally send me to secure a Good Conduct certificate (as I live in NYC, I've gone to One Police Plaza to do this and successfully did it with no issues for my first green card.) The process in between USCIS sending me the various notes to re-do biometrics etc took over a year, with my last request to do this in June 2015. I did it, submitted, and waited.

And waited.

Finally in September 2015 I started to worry and called USCIS customer service, who escalated my case due to 'outside normal processing times' and told me I would get a letter in 2 weeks about my status. I got the letter, but all it says is "our records show that your form i-751 is currently pending adjudication. You will be scheduled for an interview. Please wait to receive this notice. We apologize for the delay."

This is frustrating given how long the process has taken! But now I need to travel for work in April, and my 1-year extension letter will no longer be valid (which is what I used for the same trip last year.) What do I do? Am I able to travel? Is the new letter from USCIS saying my application is still in process enough to make sure I can get back into the country? Kind of freaking out and frustrated that I first filed this paperwork in 2014! Thanks in advance for any advice!

(FYI: Posted this in the wrong forum earlier, so moving here to the Travel forum - someone had said I can go through Infopass to get a new stamp in my passport, but does anyone know what Infopass appt I request? TIA!)

Yes, you can still travel. Schedule an infoPass appointment and bring all relevant documents. At the appointment, the CO will see that your 1-year extension letter has expired and they will give you an I-551 stamp in your passport.

https://infopass.uscis.gov/

This stamp is valid for 1 year and you shouldn't have a problem coming back to the US.

Also, another note, if it's been 3 years since receiving your GC, you can apply for citizenship as a spouse of a USC and this will "force" USCIS to render a decision on your ROC application.

Thank you! I went to the Infopass website to schedule, but what should I select as the reason for going?

Looking for some advice. My 2-year marriage based green card (I have been married to a US citizen for 5 years and my son is also a US citizen) was issued in 2012 and expired in 2014. Prior to expiration, I filled out the 1-751 forms, and did my biometrics and received my 1-year extension letter. However, because I have bad fingerprints (which I've dealt with every single time I've filed visa paperwork, for years), I always get called back in to do a second round of biometrics, before they finally send me to secure a Good Conduct certificate (as I live in NYC, I've gone to One Police Plaza to do this and successfully did it with no issues for my first green card.) The process in between USCIS sending me the various notes to re-do biometrics etc took over a year, with my last request to do this in June 2015. I did it, submitted, and waited.

And waited.

Finally in September 2015 I started to worry and called USCIS customer service, who escalated my case due to 'outside normal processing times' and told me I would get a letter in 2 weeks about my status. I got the letter, but all it says is "our records show that your form i-751 is currently pending adjudication. You will be scheduled for an interview. Please wait to receive this notice. We apologize for the delay."

This is frustrating given how long the process has taken! But now I need to travel for work in April, and my 1-year extension letter will no longer be valid (which is what I used for the same trip last year.) What do I do? Am I able to travel? Is the new letter from USCIS saying my application is still in process enough to make sure I can get back into the country? Kind of freaking out and frustrated that I first filed this paperwork in 2014! Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi there,

I am currently in the final stages of removal of conditions on residence (form I-751). I had my biometrics done twice, and because my fingerprints for some reason don't read well, I got a letter from USCIS requesting a "Criminal Background Check Alternative." This happened to me at my first green card processing (for my 2 year conditional) and they required that I get a "Good Conduct Certificate" from the NYPD that said I had no criminal record (which I do not.)

The request this time though says they want "police clearances or police records from each place you resided". It then goes on to say that you can submit "locally issued police clearances instead of state issued police clearances. You are required to submit locally issued police clearances from localities that do not offer state issued police clearances."

So my question is this - do I need a New York State clearance or will the NYPD good conduct certificate suffice? From google I found something called MorphoTrustUSA which apparently NY outsources this kind of thing to: http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/ojis/recordreview.htm.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Would really appreciate it - have searched the forums and can't figure it out!

Thanks everyone - would there be any scenario where it makes sense to wait to file until right before or even after my travel (which would be 1 month before my expiration date, and still within the 90-day window)? Just in case the biometrics appointment notification came while I was away?

Thanks @virtuous45 - I am definitely in the 90-day window, but can you travel in that 90-day window if you file the I-751 or are you stuck until it is processed?

Hi,

Question 1:

I am a 2-year green card holder and it is about to expire at the beginning of May 2014. I have overseas travel booked for work at the beginning of April. Will it be an issue if i I file my I-751 now and try to travel in April? Will it be an issue to travel with paperwork that is 'currently in process' (even though my green card will not have expired yet?)

Question 2:

I did not change my name when I got married because I was an E3 visa holder and did not want any confusion during my green card paperwork. Does it make sense to change my name now, prior to filing my I-751/applying for removal of conditions?

Any help is MUCH appreciated - the whole process is very confusing!

Kate

I literally just went to him about 2 months ago - my first visit I waited about an hour, the visit was maybe 15 minutes with him - he was super nice, and then the nurse took my blood and TB test. Then three days later I came back, waited 30 mins, showed them my arm (for the TB test) and then they handed over the sealed paperwork. Extremely quick and painless. It cost a flat fee of $200 - I called around and it seemed comparable.

Hope this helps!

Don't trust receptionists. They don't fill out forms or do any exams - just take in patients. We used the green card medical Dr. Blau which comes up on google and it cost $200 for everything (including blood work and TB test - yes everyone gets those). An X-ray is not needed unless the first check comes up positive for TB. The doc was nice and told us to go to the free health clinic for MMR shot instead of using him. We had no mistakes on the forms. I have seen other posters on here find a CS for $150 in the NY area. As far as vaccines, it will depend on what country you are from and the doctor's familiarity with vaccinations in your country. They can also do a blood test to see what immunities you have, or you can go get some free shots. Good luck.

I did end up using Green Card Medical - process was quick and easy. Appreciate the reference!

I don't - I didn't know to apply for one since I have my E3....

Hello,

I am currently in the US on an E3 visa extension, which apparently differs from an E3 because it does not allow for travel outside the country. I recently married a US citizen and we submitted AOS paperwork. If we were to travel outside the US with an approved AP, the AOS would not be invalidated but the E3 extension would be invalidated. We have been told that, based on our marriage, an application for an E3 while overseas would be rejected.

Does anyone have any experience with an E3 being rejected or approved with outstanding AOS paperwork?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi there,

So I have contacted a lawyer through my work and wanted to get a second opinion - I searched the boards for lawyer help in NYC but saw that most people really encourage everyone to handle this on their own. As such - I'm hoping you guys can help. I have made many mis steps in the process and this is my current situation.

I have an E3 visa extension which I did not realize did not permit me to travel (I have had two E3s in the past and have always traveled on them.) With an extension you give up the E3 if you leave. However, I was booked to fly home out of the U.S. for Christmas 2011.

While on my E3, I married a US citizen and I filed the I-130 and I-485 with a priority date of Nov 10. I thought it would come through much more quickly and am only just realizing it will take 5 months or more. So I have a biometrics appointment for December but did not realize I would wait another 2-3 months for an interview.

As such I alerted my work and lawyer today and they are advising that I do not travel at all. Their advice (all of which I am unsure of):

1) You can't file for another E3 while abroad (which I intended to do once I realized my extension would finish if I left.) Because you are married the E3 will not be granted.

2) You can't leave because you don't have Advanced Parole, which will take 60 days to get.

3) If you leave, you can't work when you get back because you won't have an EAD. That takes 90 days to get.

I'm really disappointed because it was going to be my husband's first trip to my home, and also because we have already paid for both tickets. Thirdly, it's Christmas! Any advice or second opinions are much appreciated. I know I messed this all up by not filing in advance for AP and EAD - I just never realized I had to or that my E3 extension would become invalid.

An E-3 visa is not technically a dual intent visa. That means that you cannot use it to enter the country with the intent to adjust status, which is what you would be doing if you left and tried to use it to re-enter with a pending AOS. You need to have your Advanced Parole approved before you can travel.

I noticed above it looks like it took a month to get your AP. A laywer told me it takes 60-90 days - would you agree?

Hi,

I am an E-3 visa holder (Australia) and the visa is valid through March 2012. I recently filed for my Green card with my husband (married in the US in 2010) and I received my biometrics appointment and receipt for December 2011. We need to fly home at the end of December for Christmas, and I wanted to check if anyone knows of whether travel is an issue while waiting for an interview appointment. I'm not worried about missing my interview - more worried about traveling while paperwork is in process (but my current visa is valid.) Anyone know if this is a big problem?

Hi there,

I am an E3 visa holder who recently got married to a U.S. citizen. As such I am currently filing my change of status forms and need a 163 form filled out. A few questions:

a) Can anyone recommend a reasonable, good civil surgeon in the NYC area? I called around off the civil surgeon list and none of the receptionists even knew what a civil surgeon was or had heard of the 163.

b) What do I need to bring to show that I've had my vaccinations? What proof does the Dr need in order to fill it out?

c) I noticed there's a spot for an X-ray and bloodwork - does everyone need to get these? Or are they extra?

Thanks in advance for your help - this has been a real pain!