GoingCrazy2012

Just sharing my experience here. We had conditions removed just like the above member described and applied for Citizenship 2 years later. Didn't do at the 3-year mark due to upcoming PCS and we didn't want to get caught up and risk USCIS's documents getting lost in the mail due to moving to a new place of residence.

Joining the N-400 June 2016 Filers Group! Good Luck to All

No Ma'am. You still have to pay the biometrics fee even if you send your own fingerprints. USCIS will return your application if fees are missing. They still have to "process" your fingerprints so that's what your fee is supposed to be for.

Hi Pamela,

I have a friend here in Bahrain who is stationed with me, whose wife was in a very similar situation that you are. She explained to us that when she was up for Removal of Conditions she submitted all her I-751 application package, and a couple of weeks later after she had submitted, she was advised that she could apply for expedited citizenship because her husband was getting orders to the UK. She then apply for N-400 and got her citizenship even before the I-751 had been processed, so as far as know, it is possible.

So again, and just to clarify. If you are a conditional resident you MUST remove conditions. That is written in the immigration law and cannot be bypassed. However, immediately after you have applied for removal, granted you have all the paperwork to prove that your husband will be going overseas, you are entitled to apply for expedited citizenship if you wish to do so. That in some way, is one of the benefits that a military spouse has. I hope I did answer your questions. Again I'm not an immigration professional but I have been dealing with my wife's process for over 3 years, all on my own, and we are doing pretty well.

Take care

Alex

Thank you! I feel better now knowing that you guys went through the same thing

The I-797, Notice of Action we received is titled "I-751 RECEIPT NOTICE"

Is that how it's supposed to read?

Hi All!

We received our NOA in the mail and it says that the Conditional Residence is extended for 1 year. Also somewhere else there is a note about Active Duty military overseas saying that we will not receive an appointment letter for biometrics and to ensure that the proper fingerprints and photos are submitted with the I-751 application which we did.

This NOA has a "Receipt Number" which is just like a reference number. I've read though that some folks (non-military) when they get the Biometrics appointment letter they get a "Case Number" on it and with that number they are able to track the status of their 10-year green card. I guess since we don't get that letter, there is no way to track anything.

Am I right?

Howdie! The day after you wrote me I went to check my bank account and I was thrilled to see that check had been cashed. So now it's just a waiting game. The NOA1 should be coming in the mail shortly. Thanks for the feedback

Thanks for your message. Actually the day after you reply (yesterday), I went to check my bank account and the check had been cleared. So we should be getting our NOA1 soon in the mail. Thanks!

All right! so we mailed our I-751 package on the 15th in the afternoon and it was received Stateside on the 19th of March. The earliest we could file was on the 17th, so we are good as far as timeline goes.

Is there anyway of checking on the status of it? (such as if it was accepted or not). Or do we only get to know that until we receive the NOA1 in the mail?

I was thinking about mailing our I-751 package next week via DHL since I have both options USPS and DHL on base BUT ... I was about to fill out the DHL shipping label and it reads: "DHL cannot deliver to a PO Box" and since the Vermont service center mailing address is a PO Box, I guess I'm gonna have to send it via USPS with tracking.

How did you send your package from Aviano AB?

Thanks!

Glad we could help. To answer your questions. I suggest you use your actual "Physical Address" in Germany and then the APO address as your mailing address. I didn't fill it out manually, I just left the State and Zip Code blocks in blank and under City, I wrote: Manama Bahrain or in your case your city and country.

For your second question, we updated our address online with USCIS not right away upon arrival (because we were staying at a hotel for 45 days), but as soon as we moved into our actual apartment and I had an address. You are supposed to report your change of address within 10 days of moving into a new residential property. For this I suggest you update your address online and get a confirmation as soon as possible, the reason being is that all documentation from USCIS, including the new green card will be sent to the address on file and if you keep your US address in their records, any NOA or GC will be delivered to an address where you no longer live.

So save yourself a headache and change your address when you get a chance. The link to change your address online is:

https://egov.uscis.gov/coa/displayCOAForm.do

Thanks for your input. At first I had listed our physical address in Bahrain but then hesitated about it because I read somewhere that there could be a possible delay in processing the petition, so I changed it to our last physical address in FL.

What I didn't think though is that us (military) are a special case and we're not overseas because of personal choice like other applicants but under Government orders plus it wouldn't make sense if I list our "present physical address in FL" but the supporting documentation says that we live in Bahrain.

I will change our physical address back to Bahrain and ensure it reads "ACTIVE MILITARY" at the top of each page of the I-751 form.

Thanks!

Thank you so much for all those extra details. Your information has been really helpful. Just curious, do you remember listing your foreign address on the I-751 application as your residential address? or did you list your US address?

I've read somewhere online that sometimes listing a foreign address could cause the Service Center to put the petition on hold (I don't know if it is different with military personnel under orders overseas, though).

We're residents of Florida so I figured we will be sending our I-751 package to the Vermont Service Center (according to what the instructions on the website say).

Also forgot to ask how do you determine whether to send your package to either Vermont or California? The instructions say that you send the papers to either or based on your state of residence but in our case we don't reside in the States. So which of the two is it? Could it be based on the last State in which you resided prior to departing the US?

Greetings,

Thank you so much for all that valuable information. Our timelines are very similar as we'll be submittiing our I-751 package in a few weeks. Just out of curiosity, what examples of evidence did you submit? I have compiled stuff that I think constitutes good evidence but a third set of eyes to double check never hurts. Hope you don't mind sharing that info.

I hope you continue to enjoy your duty in Italy.

Alex

We will be filing for Removal of Conditions next month but we're currently stationed overseas. We know where, what, and when to send all the I-751 package so that is NOT the question.

However, here are our main doubts:

1. Since the I-751 process for military stationed overseas falls under "exceptions" and it requires us to send fingerprint cards and passport photos (biometrics) along with the initial application, my first assumption is that the biometrics appointment never happens. Am I correct?

2. I have read about some people under the same circumstances who have filled for I-751 from abroad and after everything is processed (provided solid evidence has been submitted), they just get the 10-year green card in the mail a couple of months later (without going through an interview) but .....

I have also read about USCIS putting your case on hold until you return to the States in order to conduct the interview, and what they do is they extend the conditional green card for an extra year. But what about if you are permanently PCS overseas? or keep getting back to back orders overseas?

Please submit your comments only if yo know about the subject and don't just post for posting or speculate about something you don't know just because you think you know it all about immigration.

Thanks!

My wife will be applying for Removal of Conditions next month but we are unsure about where to file. We're currently residin in Bahrain under US Military orders and the USCIS website only lists where to file based on your state of residence. Again, we are currently residing outside the US and not in any of the 50 Continental States nor US territories. We just moved from Florida to this overseas location.

Should we file with the Vermont or the California Service Centers?

My wife will be elegible to apply for citizenship in March 2015 but we're currently abroad on military orders and will be in that status until January 2016.

Can she apply for citizenship and take care of her exam, and oath while abroad? Perhaps at the local US Embassy? or does USCIS requires the applicant to be physically present in US soil to complete the citizenship process?

Yes, please use the foriegn address, as you can then be able to use the provisions under exception. As per exceptions, you will be able to send two passport photos and two finger print forms (FD-258) for the immigrant spouse to get the biometrics without having to travel back to US (read the last para of page 1 and para 1 of page 2 of I-751 instructions). The finger print cards need to be prepared at US Embassy or Consulate or US Military Installation near you. In order to identify filing based on military, you will have to indicate "ACTIVE MILITARY" on top of the I-751 form.

Those are some wonderful news! Thank you so much for your guidance

1. Do you still have possession of the US address you last provided to USCIS?

2. Have you filed AR-11/ I-865 for change of address, if you have moved?

3. The above 2 questions become relevant if you are thinking about giving foriegn address under "Address".

4. "Mailing Address" could be any address other than your address where you would like to receive your correspondence fro USCIS.

Thanks for your reply. Here are my answers to your questions so you can further guide me:

1. At the present time I do have possession of the US address I last provided to USCIS

2. I have not filed a "Change of Address form" as of now because I have not moved yet. However, we will be residing abroad when we are eligible to file for Removal of Conditions

The question again is:

Is it okay to list a Foreign Address on the I-751 Form if we are residing abroad due to military orders? or Do we need to provide an Address in the US?

When filling out the I-751 Form under the "Address" section, is it necessary to list a US address? How about if I'm stationed overseas and living my wife (GC holder removing conditions)? or Is it okay to list the foreign address?

Hi there! It's me back from a long break at Visa Journey LOL! For Saylin or any good friend around, Where would it be the right forum to ask questions about "Ramoval of Conditions"?

We still have time to get there but I'm in the military and I might be stationed overseas when the time of filing comes.

I was right behind you at the NVC stage Amanda and it hurts to see you're going through this. Like many have written on previous posts and IMHO there is a huge cultural difference you didn't take into consideration when marrying Elvio and that's something that has come up once again. Marriage is intended to be a life committment and husbands are not "goods you ship back" because you didn't like the "quality of them" or because it didn't meet your expectations. The same way you don't like his machismo, there are things he doesn't like about you.

God Bless You and Good Luck!

That sounds about right and pretty accurate information to me Mike.