Baby Cookie

Hey thanks a lot Baby Cookie. May I ask a question: Did you get an RFE for the form I-693? Appreciate to hear from you before your AOS approval?

I've heard that some applicants were requested to comply with I-693 RFE while others were not. Although I have been really reading a lot about the instructions, so I hope there is someone I can find that do medical transcriptions only of the vaccination records to form I-693. lol

No, I didn't get an RFE. I'm past the AOS, i just got my citizenship last December.

You can send your AOS packet without the I-693 as long as her vaccination is not expired. Some may not agree with me, but that's what I did. If they need it, they'll send you a RFE, then you can comply.

Thanks! Mine is at 8 am as well. Do I need to arrive early like 7 or 7:30 am or do the doors open at 8 am?

It's a two hour drive for us so we are thinking of getting a hotel room to make sure we get there on time. Don't trust I35 traffic.

Be there early like 7:30 since traffic is unpredictable. We left really early like 4am since we were driving from Killeen.

I have my Oath ceremony this month in San Antonio. Does anyone know how long the ceremony takes? I will have my three children with me and read online that it can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.

My schedule was 8am and we finished about 10:30am. The ceremony itself is quick, it's the checking of papers that takes time and it was 496 of us in the morning and I think 418 in the afternoon.

I had my interview late november, been in que since dec 7....has any one that had their interview in late november been scheduled for an oath ceremony yet? (san antonio office)

My interview was Nov. 16 and oath ceremony was Dec. 17. They do have an oath ceremony in San Antonio tomorrow, Jan. 21 though. If you're not part of that group, yours should be coming up soon.

Just because you've never heard of it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. It's careless and foolish not to mention technically a civil offence

I understand what you mean, but my whole point of bringing this up is because I just learned about this and it doesn't make sense to me. Trust me, I took care of my paperwork. I applied for citizenship as soon as I was eligible.

i don't think not filing AOS right after marriage makes the person's stay here illegally. there is no provision in the law that states that one has to file AOS right after marriage. as long as the marriage takes place within 90 days of arrival. i have read a blog here in this website that she waited for 2 years before filing for AOS and that she got interviewed and got approved and was given ten years GC because the marriage has been more than years on the day of the interview. it's not the usual process but it is still legal. i may be wrong but one's marriage within 90 days to the USC petitioner protects the person from being an illegal alien. as i've mentioned above the only down side i can see in this scenario is regarding work situation. and oh by the way let me mention that the person is also risking the possibility of getting out of the US without any re-entry documents.

I agree, I don't think you're illegal...out of status, yes. Never heard of anybody getting deported for this. Because how can you be illegal when you're given a 10-year green card when you decide to adjust status.

The best will be the marriage falls apart before filing AOS during the 2 years (Probably the USC isn't that dumb to get lock in with I-864 for a ex / soon-to-be ex spouse), leaving the K1 beneficiary screwed with no status at all -> deportable and overstay ban.

I see your point, but that's the one thing I'm not concerned about because my husband and I love each other and my whole purpose of coming to the US was to be his wife and not to go to work as soon as I got here. I've never heard of anybody getting deported after getting married on a K-1 visa. Instead, if they stay out of status for 2 years and adjust status after that, they get the 10-year green card.

the only draw back with this path is that you would have not worked for 2 years while waiting to file your adjustment status. correct me if i'm wrong but i believe one cannot acquire an EAD without the adjustment of status application. it all depends on your situation, if your spouse is able to support you for 2 years without you working then by all means one can wait after 2 years to bypass the removal of conditions application. it is also a matter of financial stability and if you support other people. i see you're from the philippines, and i'm from the philippines too and we know our culture of supporting our family back in the philippines. i'm not judging anybody but for me paying $590 is less than the income i would have if i started working as soon as i'm legally allowed. so again it all depends on your situation. there is definitely nothing wrong with waiting for 2 years before filing AOS.

I didn't go to work and never have yet. I'm a full-time housewife and mother. In a few years I will when my baby is bigger.

hi

removal of conditions is only for those who are married under 2 years, if you are married over 2 years, you automatically get the 10 year GC

the removal of conditions was created to try to stop those who married for a GC and once they got the GC, divorced as soon as they got it, they would automatically get the 10 year GC, divorce and then go on their merry way

so it is an extra step to deter marrying for a GC as you have to prove that your marriage is bona fide, to get the 10 year GC

Ah, so she's right after all. Had I known, I would've waited 2 years to adjust status and avoid the $590 fee for ROC.

I spoke to my friend and she said that if I would have waited 2 years of being married before filing for Adjustment of Status, I would've saved some money and avoided the hassle of Removing Conditions (I-751). Now, I'm already a US citizen, but all along I was confident and thought I knew the process. I thought that the Adjustment of Status (I-485) would always give me a 2-year green card, regardless of whether I file right away or after 2 years of being married, and that the Removal of Conditions (I-751) follows no matter what. I didn't know there are shortcuts??? To me, it doesn't add up. So, the USCIS rewards procrastination by eliminating the hassle of removing conditions and waiving the fee??? Please enlighten me on this.

I think now it's like $21

Man that's a huge jump in 4-5 years

Wow, $21? That's what you paid for that one copy you got last week? Goodness, gracious! Hehe I'm so glad I'm done with all that and a citizen now.

I got married on Jan 7th (in Texas) and when I went on Jan 11th to have the licensed signed and was told the marriage license is the marriage certificate

But I remember hearing people getting A RFE for showing the License but not the certificate

For people who got married and did there AOS in Texas and got approved did you just show them the license and explained or did somehow got a certificate from somewhere ?

Any help is appreciated

It threw me off also when I learned that the license and certificate here in Texas are one. I just made sure that I submitted a certified copy of the marriage license to avoid any RFE. It was, I think, $3 per copy in 2011, so I got 2 copies, in case I need it again in the future.

Hello Mam, can i ask your timeline from filing to oath? Thanks. I will be filing mine this February (3 year rule) and what are the documents that you sent? Thank you so much. appreciate the reply.

Hi. Mine took a little over 4 months from filing to oath taking. Sorry, I don't know how to show the timeline on my page, but here it is:

Date Filed: 08-05-2015

NOA: 08-10-2015

Biometrics: 09-02-2015

Interview: 11-16-2015

Oath: 12-17-2015

My N-400 packet included the following:

• A money order for the application and biometrics fees, totaling $680

• Form N-400 with two identical color photos attached to it

• A photocopy of my green card, front and back

• A copy of my husband's birth certificate

• Current marriage certificate

• A copy of the birth certificate of our son

• Tax transcripts for 2012, 2013 and 2014

• A copy of our apartment lease contract

• Divorce decree from my husband's previous marriage

Good luck in yours. May God bless you!

Congratz on getting your U.S. citizenship...!

Are you going to reacquire your Filipino citizenship?

I really don't know yet. Did you? What are the benefits? Please enlighten me. Thank you.

Congrats to you!

Thank you!

I just wanted to thank all of you who have answered my questions and have helped me with my immigration journey. I am now a US citizen. This site has been tremendously helpful, and I didn't have to pay the extra money to have somebody do the paperwork for me. Once again, thank you. GOD bless you all. Merry belated Christmas and a happy new year!

Large groups with several hundred applicants can take up to 3 hours. Smaller groups usually take less than 2 hours. In any event, you should be done by Noon. Congratulations.

Thank you for your response.

hi

no not that long, it can take from less than an hour to a few hours, depending on how many people are taking the oath and where

mine was 45 minutes

OK, thank you very much for your quick reply. Looks like we'll be driving back same day.

My oath ceremony is scheduled on December 17 in San Antonio, TX. It's at 8AM and I was wondering how long does it usually take? Does it take all day or will it be over by noontime? I want to have an idea so we can see if we'll have to stay a night at a hotel there since it's a 2 1/2-hour drive from where I live, and I have a baby with me. Please share if you have any idea. Thank you.

My journey has been pretty fast, I mailed my application on July 1st, biometrics in Austin in August, interview in San Antonio Oct 20th and my oath ceremony is on Dec 17th. Maybe my journey is so fast as I have been a resident in my own right for 21 years.

-Deb-

By God's grace, mine has been pretty fast, too, and I'm filing based on marriage to a US citizen under the 3-year rule. They received it on August 10, biometrics Sept. 2, interview Nov. 16 and I just got my oath ceremony notice for Dec. 17th, like yours. I was really hoping for one in Austin even if it was going to be in 2016. I guess we'll have to leave Killeen around 4am since it's at 8am.

I did my interview in San Antonio on Oct 20th and just received my ceremony letter today, Nov 20th and my ceremony is in San Antonio Dec 17th, I'm from Austin.

I'm from Killeen, so I'm also hoping for a ceremony in Austin.

My buddy's wife has been waiting a great many months for an interview in San Antonio. She was approved in spring or summer, I think.

Wow, so it can be that long!

I just had my citizenship interview on Nov. 16 in San Antonio. I was wondering what the oath taking schedules are here in Texas, either in Austin or San Antonio. Anybody has any idea? Thank you.

Thank you all for your response.

I'm just curious if anybody here had their citizenship interview and oath taking on the same day? My friend said she had both on the same day in Houston. Is this common? I'll be having my interview in San Antonio, TX, which is about three hours from where I live and I was hoping to be done with both on same day. Is this hoping too much?