KristinH

Thank you to everyone for your help and advice. My husband received his green card in the mail on Friday.

Manu and I had our interview today in Philadelphia at 9:00am. I was so nervous on the drive down that I could hardly talk when we got within 10 minutes of arriving (and I usually have a lot to say). We arrived at 8:50, and were admitted into the building, cleared security, and were checked in on the 3rd floor by 9:00am. The security was very polite and friendly and there was no wait time getting in. We were called by our interviewing officer around 9:40am. When we were brought into the room, he told us to remain standing, asked to raise our right hand, and swear to tell the truth. Once we were seated, the officer spent about 5 minutes looking for a red pen, emptying a 2-hole punch, and telling us a story about when he used to collect the hole punch clipping to save to put in an envelope to use as an office prank. We were somewhat relieved by his conversation, but still incredibly nervous!

The first thing he asked us was if either one of us had been married before in any country in the world. We both said no. Then he asked if either of us had children in any country of the world. We both said no.

He started flipping through our file and asked to see both of our driver's licenses (Manu gave his French Driver's License, he doesn't have one here yet), proof of my US Citizenship (I gave my passport) and our original marriage certificate. While he continued looking through papers, he asked how we met. I told him I met Manu while I was on vacation in Europe in the fall of 2010. I had traveled to London, Paris, and Rome and met him in Paris at a bar next to the Moulin Rouge, and it was love at first sight- there was just a sparkle in his eye from across the room. He then asked how we remained in touch with each other. I told him we emailed, called, and skyped. I explained that I went back to France a month later for work by chance and was able to see him again, he came to the US for the first time ever in March for 1 week to visit me, then he came back in May for 3 months, we went to France in July so I could meet his family, he came back in August and we were married in October. I usually go into much more detail about our love story, but I felt like he wasn't really listening to me as he was looking through the paperwork the whole time I was talking, so I just gave a bare outline. When I finished, he said "Wow that's a great story". He then held up the 1 page photo montage that I made on walmart.com of our wedding photos and had submitted with our initial paperwork in November (the only photos I submitted with our application). He said "This is great". He then asked if we still lived at the address listed in our paper, which we replied yes. He asked us if we planned on moving soon, and we said not within the next year.

He asked if we had the same jobs, which I said yes, and Manu said he just got a job a few days ago (he was previously unemployed, and just got a job after receiving his EAD 2 weeks ago). He congratulated Manu on finding a job, and asked what he was doing. When Manu replied that he was a waiter at a sushi restaurant, the interviewer started a whole conversation about how much he likes sushi and was asking questions about the place Manu works. After what seemed like 5 minutes of sushi talk, he started explaining to us what conditional residency means, what it meant to be adjusting the status of Manu's immigration, and what paperwork we would need to file in 2 years to remove the conditions. He still hadn't said we were approved yet though, so I told him that I had brought along tax records (we filed married jointly in 2012), health and life insurance papers, and 2 photo albums, and he said "I would only ask to see them if I questioned the validity of your marriage, which I don't." I was stunned (this was WAY too easy!) and asked him what would make him question a marriage. He went on for the next 10 minutes to explain all the ways he sees marriage fraud, listing certain countries, and different scenarios that send up a red flag. None of them related to us, thank goodness!! He said that the fact that Manu is a French National right off the bat made him not overly concerned, because worse case scenario he would get deported and I would just move to France with him (I immediately said this WOULD be a very worse case scenario to us!). He said there are jobs and a good quality of life in France, so US marriage fraud is not prevalent. I wish I would have known that USCIS feels that way towards French immigrants before the interview, I wouldn't have been freaking out for the past 4 months!

Once he got done telling us about all the bad scenarios he sees every day, he went into more information about the green card and that Manu would receive it within 2 weeks. I said "So, we are approved?!?" and he just said "Yes." Manu and I exchanged excited glances and smiles and I said "Oh yay! We were so nervous!" and he said "Most people in real marriages are." He asked if I wanted to submit any of the additional documents and photos I had brought along to be included in our file, but that he did not want me to present them to him one-by-one. I handed him the insurance confirmations, my updated employment letter, and an 8x10 wedding picture. He looked at the life/health insurance papers on top of the stack and said "See... this is a real marriage here...". I then asked him what picture would be used for the Green Card, and he said the ones we submitted with our application. I told him that I was curious because they used an awful snapshot they took at his biometrics appointment for his EAD card, where he had a full beard and looked like a Taliban member! The interviewer said seriously "You can't say that word here, that's like saying 'bomb' in an airport. Let me see the picture..." I apologized quickly and handed him Manu's EAD card. He looked and said "Hmmm... he does look Lebanese here" and we all started laughing. I was so relieved how pleasant and friendly our interviewer was, and so thrilled he approved us on the spot!

We then got up and were getting ready to leave, and Manu asked if he wanted to see any of the photos we brought (we had 2 albums with over 300 pictures). He said that he was sorry he didn't have enough time to look through and fully appreciate them, but he would take a quick look because he had went to the trouble to bring them. After he saw a few pages, we got ready to leave. Manu and I both thanked him so much, and he said "No, I want to thank you both. You have renewed my faith in true love and that these real marriages really do exist. I am so skeptical because of what I see every day. You both made my day. Happy Valentine's Day and thank you."

Our biggest fear walking into this interview was that we would be questioned about adjusting the status of Manu's Visa Waiver Program on the basis of marriage. Our proposal, wedding, and Manu's intent when he came here was a tourist was NEVER BROUGHT UP ONCE.

Good luck to everyone else waiting for their interview. Happy Valentine's Day! (Also our Green Card day, and 4 month wedding anniversary)

Manu and I had our interview today in Philadelphia at 9:00am. I was so nervous on the drive down that I could hardly talk when we got within 10 minutes of arriving (and I usually have a lot to say). We arrived at 8:50, and were admitted into the building, cleared security, and were checked in on the 3rd floor by 9:00am. The security was very polite and friendly and there was no wait time getting in. We were called by our interviewing officer around 9:40am. When we were brought into the room, he told us to remain standing, asked to raise our right hand, and swear to tell the truth. Once we were seated, the officer spent about 5 minutes looking for a red pen, emptying a 2-hole punch, and telling us a story about when he used to collect the hole punch clipping to save to put in an envelope to use as an office prank. We were somewhat relieved by his conversation, but still incredibly nervous!

The first thing he asked us was if either one of us had been married before in any country in the world. We both said no. Then he asked if either of us had children in any country of the world. We both said no.

He started flipping through our file and asked to see both of our driver's licenses (Manu gave his French Driver's License, he doesn't have one here yet), proof of my US Citizenship (I gave my passport) and our original marriage certificate. While he continued looking through papers, he asked how we met. I told him I met Manu while I was on vacation in Europe in the fall of 2010. I had traveled to London, Paris, and Rome and met him in Paris at a bar next to the Moulin Rouge, and it was love at first sight- there was just a sparkle in his eye from across the room. He then asked how we remained in touch with each other. I told him we emailed, called, and skyped. I explained that I went back to France a month later for work by chance and was able to see him again, he came to the US for the first time ever in March for 1 week to visit me, then he came back in May for 3 months, we went to France in July so I could meet his family, he came back in August and we were married in October. I usually go into much more detail about our love story, but I felt like he wasn't really listening to me as he was looking through the paperwork the whole time I was talking, so I just gave a bare outline. When I finished, he said "Wow that's a great story". He then held up the 1 page photo montage that I made on walmart.com of our wedding photos and had submitted with our initial paperwork in November (the only photos I submitted with our application). He said "This is great". He then asked if we still lived at the address listed in our paper, which we replied yes. He asked us if we planned on moving soon, and we said not within the next year.

He asked if we had the same jobs, which I said yes, and Manu said he just got a job a few days ago (he was previously unemployed, and just got a job after receiving his EAD 2 weeks ago). He congratulated Manu on finding a job, and asked what he was doing. When Manu replied that he was a waiter at a sushi restaurant, the interviewer started a whole conversation about how much he likes sushi and was asking questions about the place Manu works. After what seemed like 5 minutes of sushi talk, he started explaining to us what conditional residency means, what it meant to be adjusting the status of Manu's immigration, and what paperwork we would need to file in 2 years to remove the conditions. He still hadn't said we were approved yet though, so I told him that I had brought along tax records (we filed married jointly in 2012), health and life insurance papers, and 2 photo albums, and he said "I would only ask to see them if I questioned the validity of your marriage, which I don't." I was stunned (this was WAY too easy!) and asked him what would make him question a marriage. He went on for the next 10 minutes to explain all the ways he sees marriage fraud, listing certain countries, and different scenarios that send up a red flag. None of them related to us, thank goodness!! He said that the fact that Manu is a French National right off the bat made him not overly concerned, because worse case scenario he would get deported and I would just move to France with him (I immediately said this WOULD be a very worse case scenario to us!). He said there are jobs and a good quality of life in France, so US marriage fraud is not prevalent. I wish I would have known that USCIS feels that way towards French immigrants before the interview, I wouldn't have been freaking out for the past 4 months!

Once he got done telling us about all the bad scenarios he sees every day, he went into more information about the green card and that Manu would receive it within 2 weeks. I said "So, we are approved?!?" and he just said "Yes." Manu and I exchanged excited glances and smiles and I said "Oh yay! We were so nervous!" and he said "Most people in real marriages are." He asked if I wanted to submit any of the additional documents and photos I had brought along to be included in our file, but that he did not want me to present them to him one-by-one. I handed him the insurance confirmations, my updated employment letter, and an 8x10 wedding picture. He looked at the life/health insurance papers on top of the stack and said "See... this is a real marriage here...". I then asked him what picture would be used for the Green Card, and he said the ones we submitted with our application. I told him that I was curious because they used an awful snapshot they took at his biometrics appointment for his EAD card, where he had a full beard and looked like a Taliban member! The interviewer said seriously "You can't say that word here, that's like saying 'bomb' in an airport. Let me see the picture..." I apologized quickly and handed him Manu's EAD card. He looked and said "Hmmm... he does look Lebanese here" and we all started laughing. I was so relieved how pleasant and friendly our interviewer was, and so thrilled he approved us on the spot!

We then got up and were getting ready to leave, and Manu asked if he wanted to see any of the photos we brought (we had 2 albums with over 300 pictures). He said that he was sorry he didn't have enough time to look through and fully appreciate them, but he would take a quick look because he had went to the trouble to bring them. After he saw a few pages, we got ready to leave. Manu and I both thanked him so much, and he said "No, I want to thank you both. You have renewed my faith in true love and that these real marriages really do exist. I am so skeptical because of what I see every day. You both made my day. Happy Valentine's Day and thank you."

Our biggest fear walking into this interview was that we would be questioned about adjusting the status of Manu's Visa Waiver Program on the basis of marriage. Our proposal, wedding, and Manu's intent when he came here was a tourist was NEVER BROUGHT UP ONCE.

Good luck to everyone else waiting for their interview. Happy Valentine's Day! (Also our Green Card day, and 4 month wedding anniversary)

Manu and I had our interview today in Philadelphia at 9:00am. I was so nervous on the drive down that I could hardly talk when we got within 10 minutes of arriving (and I usually have a lot to say). We arrived at 8:50, and were admitted into the building, cleared security, and were checked in on the 3rd floor by 9:00am. The security was very polite and friendly and there was no wait time getting in. We were called by our interviewing officer around 9:40am. When we were brought into the room, he told us to remain standing, asked to raise our right hand, and swear to tell the truth. Once we were seated, the officer spent about 5 minutes looking for a red pen, emptying a 2-hole punch, and telling us a story about when he used to collect the hole punch clipping to save to put in an envelope to use as an office prank. We were somewhat relieved by his conversation, but still incredibly nervous!

The first thing he asked us was if either one of us had been married before in any country in the world. We both said no. Then he asked if either of us had children in any country of the world. We both said no.

He started flipping through our file and asked to see both of our driver's licenses (Manu gave his French Driver's License, he doesn't have one here yet), proof of my US Citizenship (I gave my passport) and our original marriage certificate. While he continued looking through papers, he asked how we met. I told him I met Manu while I was on vacation in Europe in the fall of 2010. I had traveled to London, Paris, and Rome and met him in Paris at a bar next to the Moulin Rouge, and it was love at first sight- there was just a sparkle in his eye from across the room. He then asked how we remained in touch with each other. I told him we emailed, called, and skyped. I explained that I went back to France a month later for work by chance and was able to see him again, he came to the US for the first time ever in March for 1 week to visit me, then he came back in May for 3 months, we went to France in July so I could meet his family, he came back in August and we were married in October. I usually go into much more detail about our love story, but I felt like he wasn't really listening to me as he was looking through the paperwork the whole time I was talking, so I just gave a bare outline. When I finished, he said "Wow that's a great story". He then held up the 1 page photo montage that I made on walmart.com of our wedding photos and had submitted with our initial paperwork in November (the only photos I submitted with our application). He said "This is great". He then asked if we still lived at the address listed in our paper, which we replied yes. He asked us if we planned on moving soon, and we said not within the next year.

He asked if we had the same jobs, which I said yes, and Manu said he just got a job a few days ago (he was previously unemployed, and just got a job after receiving his EAD 2 weeks ago). He congratulated Manu on finding a job, and asked what he was doing. When Manu replied that he was a waiter at a sushi restaurant, the interviewer started a whole conversation about how much he likes sushi and was asking questions about the place Manu works. After what seemed like 5 minutes of sushi talk, he started explaining to us what conditional residency means, what it meant to be adjusting the status of Manu's immigration, and what paperwork we would need to file in 2 years to remove the conditions. He still hadn't said we were approved yet though, so I told him that I had brought along tax records (we filed married jointly in 2012), health and life insurance papers, and 2 photo albums, and he said "I would only ask to see them if I questioned the validity of your marriage, which I don't." I was stunned (this was WAY too easy!) and asked him what would make him question a marriage. He went on for the next 10 minutes to explain all the ways he sees marriage fraud, listing certain countries, and different scenarios that send up a red flag. None of them related to us, thank goodness!! He said that the fact that Manu is a French National right off the bat made him not overly concerned, because worse case scenario he would get deported and I would just move to France with him (I immediately said this WOULD be a very worse case scenario to us!). He said there are jobs and a good quality of life in France, so US marriage fraud is not prevalent. I wish I would have known that USCIS feels that way towards French immigrants before the interview, I wouldn't have been freaking out for the past 4 months!

Once he got done telling us about all the bad scenarios he sees every day, he went into more information about the green card and that Manu would receive it within 2 weeks. I said "So, we are approved?!?" and he just said "Yes." Manu and I exchanged excited glances and smiles and I said "Oh yay! We were so nervous!" and he said "Most people in real marriages are." He asked if I wanted to submit any of the additional documents and photos I had brought along to be included in our file, but that he did not want me to present them to him one-by-one. I handed him the insurance confirmations, my updated employment letter, and an 8x10 wedding picture. He looked at the life/health insurance papers on top of the stack and said "See... this is a real marriage here...". I then asked him what picture would be used for the Green Card, and he said the ones we submitted with our application. I told him that I was curious because they used an awful snapshot they took at his biometrics appointment for his EAD card, where he had a full beard and looked like a Taliban member! The interviewer said seriously "You can't say that word here, that's like saying 'bomb' in an airport. Let me see the picture..." I apologized quickly and handed him Manu's EAD card. He looked and said "Hmmm... he does look Lebanese here" and we all started laughing. I was so relieved how pleasant and friendly our interviewer was, and so thrilled he approved us on the spot!

We then got up and were getting ready to leave, and Manu asked if he wanted to see any of the photos we brought (we had 2 albums with over 300 pictures). He said that he was sorry he didn't have enough time to look through and fully appreciate them, but he would take a quick look because he had went to the trouble to bring them. After he saw a few pages, we got ready to leave. Manu and I both thanked him so much, and he said "No, I want to thank you both. You have renewed my faith in true love and that these real marriages really do exist. I am so skeptical because of what I see every day. You both made my day. Happy Valentine's Day and thank you."

Our biggest fear walking into this interview was that we would be questioned about adjusting the status of Manu's Visa Waiver Program on the basis of marriage. Our proposal, wedding, and Manu's intent when he came here was a tourist was NEVER BROUGHT UP ONCE.

Good luck to everyone else waiting for their interview. Happy Valentine's Day! (Also our Green Card day, and 4 month wedding anniversary)

Hey MissSwiss!

Thank you for your response and your encouraging words! I guess the last thing I've been worried about is proving a real marriage, as I my husband and I have a soul-mate-at-first sight kind of love and marriage that is evident to everyone that meet us, and we have 100s of pictures and documentation to "prove it". Reading through the different immigration message board web sites is what has me scared to death about the intent of his last arrival on the VWP. Seems like there are so many nay-sayers about doing the "VWP Express" instead of the traditional way.

I see from your signature that you have overstayed by 4 years, does that worry you at all? Or do you have reason or knowledge of the process that gives you confidence? I'd love to hear your point of view on the matter. Out of curiosity, why did you wait so long to adjust status?

We made sure to file for AOS just before his 90 day VWP expired, they accepted our applications the day before his passport stamp expires actually! This makes me feel a little better, and we did wait 60 days after his arrival to get married. I've read that this helps the case as well. I just really wish that February 14th would hurry up and get here, I feel like we're living on borrowed time until then.

I look forward to hearing about your interview, best of luck you! And by the way, what does donc tkt pas ca ira mean?

We have our interview coming up on February 14th for AOS of my husband's Visa Waiver Program due to our recent marriage.

I am member of topics for November AOS Filers (Family based and Tourist based), but I would like to start a thread specifically for VWP AOS due to Marriage, because the nature of our interviews will be different. We will have to prove not only that we have a legitimate marriage, but also that we did not intend to file for status adjustment on the VWP when our spouses last entered the country.

I am very anxious for our interview, and I would really like to hear others' stories of how their interviews went or how others are preparing. Please share your journey!

His EAD card arrived today! The picture on it was one taken at his biometrics appointment, which we weren't expecting and he has a full beard! Thought they'd have used one of the many (better pictures) we sent in with the applications.

He does not have a SSN yet. Does he need to apply for one before he can begin working?

Thanks!

Carlos - We are anxious to hear how your interview went today! Hope all went all, give us an update when you can!

Last night we got text/email notification:

Post Decision Activity- On January 13, 2012, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I765 APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION. Please follow any instructions on the notice.

I assume this means they mailed his EAD card! So happy to have things moving right along.

Question for the group: My husband does not have a SSN, will he be assigned one when he gets his EAD card? Or will we have to apply for one? Can we apply for one before the EAD arrives? I assume he won't be able to start a job without a SSN. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

We got our Text/Email for EAD approval last night too! I think we all got our texts at 7:30pm, LOL.

How long is it taking for people to receive their cards? Has anyone in the group received theirs yet?

Tonight we received our text and email notification: On December 22, 2011, we mailed you an appointment notice for an interview for February 14, 2012, at NATIONAL BENEFITS CENTER.

Yay! We are soooo excited! February 14th will be our 4 month wedding anniversary, and is THE day of love. How appropriate for this big day!

Green Card received today (filed Sept 19th, Interview Nov 21st).

Wow! Your timeline is so impressive and gives me hope! We just completed the biometrics and I'm so curious as to how long the next step will take...

Manu completed his Biometrics yesterday. His appointment was as 12:00pm, we arrived at 11:55am and were done by 12:15! Super easy.

Has anyone else done their biometrics, on the appointment day originally given, and received any other letters or next steps yet? Since we're not sure if doing a walk in really speeds up your timeline, I'm curious to hear from those who had scheduled appointments completed already.

Good Luck Everyone!

Hi there! I saw in your signature:

11/18/2011: Biometrics done but 9/10 are rejected due to allergy. Waiting for acceptance...or notice of 2nd biometrics.

What does this mean?

Thanks!

Kristin

We got his ASC Appointment Notice in the mail today! His biometrics appointment is 11/29 in Philadelphia. So excited!!

And by the way, we filed just one G-1145 form as the very 1st page in our packet, before the cover letter. We received all 3 texts/emails at the same time. It came later at night than I expected, around 7:30pm.

We got his ASC Appointment Notice in the mail today! His biometrics appointment is 11/29 in Philadelphia. So excited!!

And by the way, we filed just one G-1145 form as the very 1st page in our packet, before the cover letter. We received all 3 texts/emails at the same time. It came later at night than I expected, around 7:30pm.

Good luck everyone!

I know that this will open a can of worms and I don't wish to get into the story right now. It was not our plans to get married, but circumstances have meant that we have been led here.

So I just wanted to know what forms do I need to send off to AOS from VWP, do I need both the i-130 and the i-485?

Many thanks

We filed ours in the beginning of this month, just received NOAs in the mail today. Let me know if you need any help. Good Luck.

We received our NOAs in the mail today!

Mine was delivered today.

Hi there! We have a very similar time line!

Hello there! That's awesome, congrats! We sent bank certified checks so we don't have that confirmation, but all 3 cases were "touched" yesterday on our USCIS account. It's every little step in the right direction that is so encouraging! Keep me updated on your journey!

We got our text/email Acceptance confirmation today! Mailed on Friday, received at Chicago Lockbox on Monday November 7th. Any other November filers?

WooHoo!

Filing before his VWP expires is a good idea, but even if he ends up accumulating a few days/weeks of overstay it probably won't be an issue (as long as you are not filing in San Diego). It can take up to 30 days for USCIS to acknowledge receiving the papers from when you mailed them, so it's probably already too late to get them to USCIS by Nov 8th. Just put the papers in the mail as soon as possible. For me it took about a week from mailing to getting the email notice from USCIS.

Yes, you need a G-325 for both - and actually two for the beneficiary. It is all in the instructions, so just read them carefully and make a list for yourself of documents needed for each form.

You did not list I-693, I-131 or I-765. The first one, which is the medical form, is mandatory. The beneficiary has to get a medical check done by a civil surgeon before you mail the AOS package. The two others - advance parole travel document and employment authorization document are not mandatory, but it makes sense to file them too. They do not cost extra, and will allow your husband to travel and work while AOS is pending. If he overstays his previous status, then traveling on the AP is risky and should be avoided, even though technically there shouldn't be an issue if the overstay is less than 180 days.

any presentation that is logical and easy to follow is fine. I had mine in separate manila folders with a cover sheet for each main form detailing what was attached, in the order of the documents.

The ESTA number is probably fine. Canadian tourists also don't get an I-94. It shouldn't be a problem.

Thank you very much for your detailed reply. We are living quite far from San Diego, Pennsylvania in fact, so we should be okay with the potential overstay. We are aiming for mailing our package one week before his Visa expires just to safe. We are only missing his translated birth certificate (will be in hand by Monday).

I did fail to mention the I-693, my husband did go to a civil surgeon and has the sealed envelope from their office with completed medical paperwork inside. I assume this is the form and there's nothing further we need to do with it. (?)

Thanks to the replies I've received on this board, we will submit an I-765 form. I did not realize this was something we were able to do. We probably will not file an I-131 as we have no intent to travel and do not want to risk re-entry for him. Thank you for the suggestion though. After reading through the form and instructions, I'm not even sure he qualifies... it looks like we'd have to detail out our trip information (which we don't have planned), or apply for advance parole- which the instructions says is to be used only on occasion for extreme circumstances. Under what category would he apply for it? Reentry Permit, Refugee Travel, or Advanced Parole? The instructions say that the fee is only waived if submitted with an I-485 for a Rufugee Travel or Advanced Parole applicant. It appears to me that he would most likey to be applying for Reentry Permit? If it really is free to file and we don't have specify dates, then we might as well. I just don't want to cause issues with the wrong payment or forms being rejected.

Many Thanks.

The story doesn't matter. The interviewing officer won't really care. Not being heartless, just eliminating that from the discussion.

Follow the guide here on VJ. http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide2 It contains a list of the forms needed. (including the G-325A) You can find that tab at the top of every page.

Also read through all the form instructions completely. They contain a wealth of knowledge.

The circumstances you describe are fairly common. There shouldn't be any problems for you two.

Do some reading in this forum (Adjust Status - Work, Student, Tourist) to see how the process has gone for other members.

Best of luck.

Thank you so much for your suggestions! The link you posted with the forms is extremely helpful. What had tripped me up with the G-325-A form was the question about "applicant's last address outside of the US of more than 1 year". I have never lived outside the US, so I assume for my form I just put "N/A"? The question made me wonder if there was a separate G-325A form for US citizens and aliens to fill out.

I know the story doesn't matter, and no worries I didn't take it as heartless. I was posting the fully story to avoid receiving responses discouraging us from going this route due to "intent" issues with the VWP, and asking about his overstay. Sorry for the long read!

Last question: can we put all these papers in a nice portfolio binder with labeled tabs, or leave them as a stack?

I have been reading these boards for the last few weeks and doing my research on the gov't websites, but I would love for some knowledgeable eyes to read over our situation and filing preparation prior to submission. Any feedback will greatly appreciated!

My husband and I met in Paris last fall. He is French and I am a US citizen. We fell in love at first sight, and visited each other several times over the last year. In May he visited me on the VWP and stayed for 90 days. We had planned for him to visit with me in the US under the VWP for 6 months (3 months at a time) to "see how things went", and also for him to tour the US, as he had never been before. He also had lost his job in April, so the timing was perfect. He proposed to me at the end of July, before he returned to France, and we planned to file for a K-1 visa after his second 90 day on the VWP ended and he returned to France in this November. When he returned to France in August he applied for assistance in finding a new job. He re-entered the US in mid-August (his most recent entry).

My mom, who was also my best friend, became unexpected ill in August, and we spent the entire month by her bedside nearly round the clock. She expressed her will to see us married, so we began planning a wedding as soon as possible- and set the date for October 14th 2011. Tragically, my mother passed away on Sept 2nd, and it was the most devastating event that has ever occurred in my life- she was only 56. I honestly could not go on without my now husband by my side, he was the only thing that kept me together and moving forward in life and we carried out our wedding as planned- the way my mom would have wanted. We have now been married nearly 2 weeks, and I feel so blessed that he was placed in my life at a time when I so desperately need him. I can not be without him, and we have decided to apply for an AOS of his VWP instead of him going back to France to wait for the K-1 process.

His passport is stamped to expire on November 8th, and we are planning to file for an AOS based on marriage. He did not intend to marry me and adjust status when he entered the country, the extreme circumstances that occurred after his entry are what caused us to marry earlier than planned. We are able to prove this by the job assistance appointment he attend in France in the beginning of August, as well as his return plane ticket, and as much as I hate to say it- my mother's death certificate. Also, we were married 60 days after his entry on the VWP.

We are going to file an I-130 along with I-485, I-864, and G-355. We are also going to file G-1145 for E-notification.

Questions:

1. He entered the country under the VWP with the ETSA, he does not have an I-94 form. On the documents that request the I-94 number, can we enter the ETSA application number instead? We contacted his port of entry, JFK, for an I-94 and they would not issue one- saying that is is now unnecessary for an AOS application as the information is all stored in the ETSA. They said this was a new change. Is this correct?

2. Do we need to submit a G-355 form for both of us? If so, which versions? The USCIS site has G-355, A, B, and C. Which ones do we file?

3. Are there any other forms we are missing?

4. We will be submitting these on our own. What type of presentation is expected? In a binder? Tabs? Plastic cover sheets?

5. His Visa is stamped to expire on Nov 8th. When should we have our package in the mail? We want our package to be accepted before he overstays his VWP date.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Kristin H