Pickle

Timelines here look like GC should arrive just days after the "card is in production" update.

However, almost 3 weeks for me since that update (July 17). Permanent resident status registered July 20th. Received welcome notice July 24th.

Hope to get more responses on here of others that has waited longer than just a few days!

Hi Pickle, Did you receive your green card? How long does it take to get the actual card?

Hey florist, I was actually just looking at timelines here on VJ. I do not have my card yet, even though it went into production on July 17!! Why is every single step of this process going so slow for me! Timelines that I have seen, it should take anything from a few days to less than two weeks after card has been ordered for production. Of course for me, it is already almost at 3 weeks again *sigh*

Any updates on your case??

That's awesome. Very happy for you. I contacted the senator and sent in the signed form they requested. Now the waiting game. Hopefully hear something soon.

I cannot imagine how much patience you must have to go through what you are going through. I was going crazy after 3 months! I really do hope the senator looks into your case and that you will hear something soon. I contacted mine again after two weeks when I did not hear anything, so stay in contact with them!

One more question...

On item 21, it says "If filing for your spouse, give last address at which you lived together. We currently live together in the US. In the TO field for the dates, the form won't let you type "Present" since it only accepts numeric values. Do most people in our situation just print the form out and write "present" by hand here?

Yes, you can do that. I did that as well.

thanks for your help, newacct!

After further research, I just thought of a possible reason why someone might include a foreign address under item 19, even if they have lived for several years in the USA as an F1 student. According to F1 requirements, per university websites such as this: http://internationalservices.gwu.edu/immigration-status#Permanent or http://www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu/home/F1Visa/70/136/mainF1Grad F1 students need to maintain a permanent foreign address. For example, the UCLA site above says...

"F-1 students are required to have a valid local mailing address and permanent foreign address at all times"

Any other thoughts on this, anyone with similar experience?

I used my parents' address, since that was the last place I lived at and is where I still get the occasional piece of mail. That is also where I will request mail to be sent if there is ever a need for it (transcripts from my South African university, renewal of passport, etc). Does your wife have an address like that? What is the address that your wife gave the school as her foreign address? If she doesn't have a foreign address anymore, I'm sure it will not be a big deal if you put "none" like newacct advised.

Yay congrats pickle! That's some good news right there. I'm so happy for you, it's been way too long!

Thanks so much, Starkilla!! I'm sooo relieved!

Happy for you !

We are coming up on 6 months since filing and haven't gotten any word on the interview.

Do have the EAD/AP card, of course.

Our wait is irritating, but perhaps it is even worse to wait like you had to . . . after the interview.

By the way, what was your field office city, your time line shown on your posts doesn't list it. The field city is the one that controls the interview scheduling, Green Card approval, etc. And some cities are just way behind due to work load and other factors, so would be helpful to others to know your city.

Best to you for the future, Leo

Thanks, Leo! Yes, waiting after the interview was worse for me than the 8 month wait for the interview.

My city shows when you go to the "Immigration Timelines" and go to "AOS Timelines," but I will add it to my profile too. OKC office is backlogged quite a bit!

Good luck with the wait, hope you get good news soon.

To those who are still here: FINALLY got the "your card is in production" email yesterday!!!! After 3 months and 1 day after having the interview. Never even got any status that we were approved, just went straight to the current status. We were getting close to a year from the date that we have filed. I had an infopass on Thursday, and I contacted my senator two weeks ago. So it was probably the senator's office case worker's help.

So relieved!

Guys, I got the email yesterday that my card is in production! I think it was the senator's office caseworker's help, not because of my infopass. Or maybe a combination of both?

10pmStalker, heard anything from the senator yet?

florist, any news for you?

Temporary file: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/privacy/privacy_pia_uscis_nfts.pdf

Thanks for finding that, I appreciate your response!

VJ experts, or anyone that has heard of this, please help? I had an infopass today regarding my case status. I tried to find out why I haven't heard anything regarding my AOS interview that was 3 months ago. I was told that I have two files, and the one file is in the archives at NBC (the other one was used at the interview). They are waiting on it at my local office (and I'm sure everyone at NBC is falling over their feet to send it here).

My questions:

1. I was not aware that applicants had two files. Is there a reason why they would be separated?

2. Apparently this second file is called a T-file (sorry, spelling?!), what is that??!

Not that this will change anything, I've just never heard of this and would like to hear if anyone knows what this mystery file is.

Hi guys. Had an infopass this morning. Well of course nothing came of it, I just thought I would give it a shot. Apparently I have two files (what?) and one is still in the archives at NBC (archives?! It's not like I filed three years ago!). So they are waiting for the file here at the local office (uhm...anyone maybe thought of requesting it instead of just WAITING?!). I had to fill out a request form (like a service request you do online), and the person that helped me said it will go to the interviewer (hmm, should I trust?). Of course, I have to wait four weeks for a response (there we go, USCIS at it's finest). So, I'll probably be visiting their office again in 4 weeks (really don't expect to hear anything at this point).

thank you a lot for the information. now i understand how the processing timing works. My second question is, I read that if you apply for GC after 2 years of marriage you get permanent GC. In my case I applied 2 weeks after I got married, and by now it has been approximately 10 months since I applied. Will the 10 months be counted toward the 2 years of conditional green card?

You are very welcome.

I believe the two year's conditional starts counting on the day your green card is approved (according to the paper you get from the interviewer that explains conditional status).

This is what USCIS list as the requirements (I'm sure you've seen this yourself, maybe your boyfriend's school's DSO needs to see it too): http://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide/f-1-opt-optional-practical-training/understanding-f-1-opt-requirements and http://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide/f-1-opt-optional-practical-training/f-1-optional-practical-training-opt and http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Outreach/Upcoming%20National%20Engagements/Upcoming%20National%20Engagement%20Pages/2012%20Events/June%202012/Form_I-765_OPT_Overview_06-19-2012.pdf

Don't see anything about a 4 year degree, I don't recall that requirement from when I was on OPT myself. If DSO is adamant, call USCIS to confirm.

is my interview taking over the normal time? what should i do

Your local office, Dallas, states their processing time as July 9, 2014. That means if you filed after this, you still have to wait before you can do anything. If you filed before that date, you should call the NCSC at 1-800-375-5283 (or file online service request). Of course you can still try and call them even if you filed after the processing time to make sure you are not missing any updates (online status can sometimes be inaccurate), but they will likely tell you that you are still in the normal processing time.

I'm not sure now. Look on your receipt notices you received in the mail. It should have the form name you submitted (says "case type") and receipt number associated with it on there. I hope that helps.

Have any of you contacted local senator? My interview was in February and I haven't heard anything. I emailed California senator. Got no reply at all.

Yes, contacted a week ago and I got a reply back that said that my email and consent form was forwarded to a case worker. Haven't heard anything back yet after that. How about you try the congressman, maybe you have better luck there? That is crazy that you have been waiting that long!

Thanks for sharing your experience Pickle. I had the same issue with the service request. and I exactly did what you have done. The processing time for Boston has been update don April 30, I'd assume they should have progressed a little by now?

I don't know... It has put all mu plans on hold and I do not even know why this delay is happening. It looks like that it is only you and me waiting this long... Fingers crossed!

That's a good point, you would think that they should be working on October cases by now! Then again, how they process really does not make sense, because people get approved on the spot even if there are specific processing dates in place. Makes me think those processing times really are only for their convenience so that they have something to fall back on when people call about their cases.

Anyways, I hope you hear something soon. Please update here when you do. Good luck!

You will change your address for all the receipt numbers you have. If you leave one out, mail for that particular application/receipt number will still go to the old address.

Your local office is only now processing applications from September 2014, so yes you are still under normal processing times.

You will need patience if there is a backlog at your local office (like it seems there is). We waited 8 months to have our interview.

Pickle, I see that you are still waiting we are on the same boat. We had our interview on April 13th and still no news. It is going to be 3 months after interview for us in a week... Hopefully this frustrating wait will end soon

Hi florist, yes this has not been a joyful journey. First my EAD takes almost 100 days to complete, then I waited 8 months to attend the interview...now close to 3 months waiting for a decision! It gets more frustrating when you see other people just flying through the process.

I saw in your timeline that you filed in October, but Boston's processing time for I-485 is September 2014, so you can also not file a service request yet (same situation here). See what I did here though, just to hopefully bring attention to my case: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/556083-online-service-request-worked-for-i-130-but-not-i-485/

Have you tried to call yet?

I have been having trouble for weeks now filing a service request for my I-485 (interview April 16, 2015. Interviewer said we will receive decision in 6-8 weeks.....)

I get "error, please contact technical support." Tried different computers, different browsers.

This morning I thought I would give the I-130 a shot, because hey, why not? It worked! Not the form I was concerned with, but at this point I will try to bring attention to my file any way I can.

So is it because the I-485 has a processing time attached to it, and I am not yet past the processing time for my local office that a service request was not possible? Random luck (or lack thereof)?

Not sure if there is an answer, but that is all I can think of.

Anyone experiencing the same?

lucky! my wife is super upset right now, we have to post late our honeymoon because she is so worried.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Know that you are not alone! Our interview was April 16, also adjusting from F-1. Also missed out on something in my home country that we have been looking forward to and planning since last year.

Good luck!

Aww pickle I can't believe you're still in the dark waiting. Hope you get your card as soon as possible.

Yup, I'm still here, waiting so patiently Thank you for your support, Starkilla!

Good luck to you! I know how you feel, been there myself. Anyways, wish you to get your green card as soon as possible

Thank you, panssey. I appreciate your kind words!