bradfordplip

All,

What are your thoughts on this - in the next couple of days, I will be sending off my removal of conditions package - my 2 year GC anniversary date is 4/15. Unfortunately, I have just been informed that my company needs me to take an extended business trip from the middle of February to India which may run to my 4/15 date, and beyond.

I am concerned that I will miss my biometrics appointment because there is not enough time between now and receiving my bio appointment before my date of travel 2/11.

I dont know what your thoughts are:

1) Do you think I'll be able to schedule an appointment without an NOA1 for biometrics before I go?

2) Do you think I'll be able to reschedule my biometrics until I get back (which may or may not be before my 2yr GC anniversary - if it has to be, I can get back for it)

3) Would I need anything other than my NOA1 to show I have applied for removal of conditions on returning to the US when I get back, if I return after my 2yr GC anniversary? My wife will be meeting me in India half way through the trip, so can bring my NOA1 with her).

Any thoughts would be appreciated, as I'm starting to get worried about what is and is not possible - especially the biometrics part.

Thanks!

Well, what a crazy day yesterday was...

We had our interview for my AOS yesterday in Detroit. We arrived at the office about 45 minutes before our interview time, but ended up waiting a couple of hours before we were called. Fortunately, Harry Potter 1 was playing on the TV which is my wife's favourite film, so the time flew by

Our interview started pretty straight forward. We were sworn in, asked for our ID's (he wanted ones with our address on (driving licence) rather than passports, and asked me (the beneficiary) the names of my parents, SSN, address, when I entered the US, when my medical was, and when the wedding was.

He asked my wife how we met, if she had ever been to England, and that was pretty much it for the questions. He then asked for evidence of the relationship... well, I had 2 folders worth, plus our wedding photo album and guest book... I started handing him stuff and told him to tell me when he had enough. I didn't get far before he said he had enough, and from memory I gave him: copy of our 2005 joint tax return, letter from bank stating we have a joint account and a photocopy of our debit cards and a void cheque, copy of our vehicle title in both names, a print out of all my health and insurance benefits from work with my wife as the beneficiary, and a photocopy of my work health insurance card with both our names on it. He said this was plenty.

Then came the surprise - apparently, the medical folk in London had made a mistake on my medical paperwork. Bloody London! I did my medical at the Nuffield place in London just a couple of weeks after they moved from Dr Phelan's and outsourced it to Nuffield. While they had written no problems on each of the sub categories listed in the medical, they had not checked the box at the top of the paper saying all was ok. The immigration officer said that although it there was any problems with the medical I wouldn't have got my visa in the first place, that he had no idea why the box wasn't checked (admin error or health issue) and that I would need to get a brand new medical done before my AOS was approved. We were really disappointed that botched paperwork in London meant a further delay and more expense, and it was pretty obvious to the officer that we were both just really surprised not to get our approval today.

Anyway, fast forward 2 hours and we are driving to an USCIS approved doctor to find out what to do next. My phone rang, and it was the immigration officer who interviewed us that said that, after consideration, he would approve our case and that I could ignore my RFE that he gave us at the interview!!!

I can't tell you how happy we were!!! Having thought that we still had more hoops to jump through, we had got approval... and in no way did we ever expect that after leaving the Detroit office. We were also really thankful of the immigration officer who I am sure gets lots and lots of people to adjudicate on over the day. As soon as the RFE was written, the case was off his desk, so he didn't have to do what he did - it just shows that for all the bashing we do, there are some really helpful and compassionate officers out there, and we were lucky to get one!

Because we weren't approved in the office, I didn't get the stamp in my passport, but got to keep my EAD and AP. He said the GC should be here in a couple of weeks, and I can't wait to get it!!!!

We had no problems at all with them I would highly recommend them.

I bought my wife's engagement ring from them - at a price much much reduced from what I would have paid in the UK. The only problem was that they would not deliver to the UK. So, they arranged to have it shipped to the local FedEx office in San Fran a couple of weeks later (I was travelling to San Fran on business) so that it would be there to pick up when I arrived in town.

We subsequently bought both our wedding rings from their. My wifes engagement ring got battered around a bit when she was at work, and they fixed it and cleaned it for free for us.

So don't be afraid of them - my only advice is that I felt comfortable buying from their because I had done an inordinate amount of research and knew exactly what I wanted. I went round all the local jewellers in the UK (and was astounded at how they tried to sell you ####### for huge amounts) so I could decide what of the 4 C's I wanted, and then went back to BN and ordered it online.

From what I can remember, you cannot even volunteer as it still may take a position away from a USC / PR. Even if it is helping out at the local animal shelter! Nothing to stop you from job hunting, but you probably wont have much luck until you have your EAD in your hand.

I can't really remember.... I guess what ever we had to pay for in USD my wife paid for, and whatever we had to pay in GBP, I paid for. It wasn't important though cos by the time we got engaged we didnt think of our money as mine and hers, but ours