pink_cloud

I got married within two weeks of arriving here and started changing my name immediately. Well actually there wasn't too much to change since I had nothing here, but I started applying for things in my married name - bank accounts, military ID, SSN. I recently tried to change my Dutch passport to my married name but the Netherlands will not allow a woman to be known solely by her husband's name. They make you keep your married name on all official documents and on my passport under my maiden name it has my married name. It sucks because I wanted to shed my maiden name for good and now I feel stuck with it.

Someone ran into the back of me in South Carolina (where I live) and the policeman arrived and asked for my license - not only was it my license from England, but it was in my maiden name and didn't match up to any of my insurance documents.

He didn't seem too bothered, and I think the fact that I was on my way from the DMV when it happened probably helped. I told him the DMV would not let me take my license until I was employment authorized and he was fine with it.

I am going to take my license next Wednesday and feel a little nervous about it because it's been so long since I've had to remember all the technical details. But hopefully I'll get it :-)

ChristinaM - The K1 visa is almost doubling in price, that's where I am going with that train of thought!!

I don't think the new fee will deter people coming into the US, it will just deter them from coming in legally. I know I would certainly look for other ways to get in instead of paying what would be, to me, a small fortune. If it's affordable to come in legally one is more likely to go that route. If it's astronomical I think people are more likely to "suddenly" meet their loved one and get engaged/married whilst here on visa waiver.

I personally think it sucks that the fee is so high to become a citizen...but that's probably because that's the next step for me and I really didn't want to have to fork out $600 for it. I thought the test you have to take is punishment enough.

By the way, is there a fee for lifting conditions and if so, any talk of this fee increasing? What about the fee for renewing the 10 year greencard? It may work out cheaper to stay a LPR than become a citizen.

Oh Warren, sorry to hear that. We were in the same boat with the cancelled interviews - luckily I went to mine after I heard they were denying people who didn't turn up to cancelled interviews. This totally sucks and I could have so easily been in your position.

I don't know what to suggest but I guess an immediate infopass appointment would be a good place to start. Let this be a warning to anyone else who gets a cancellation notice - call your local office immediately to confirm the email/letter or better just go along to the "cancelled" interview. I managed to get my greencard after attending a "cancelled" interview. It's ridiculous.

I used my EAd to change my name. They had to verify everything with DHS so it took 6 weeks for the card to arrive.

I received this email about an hour after my AOS interview.

Application Type: I485 , APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS

Current Status: Notice mailed welcoming the new permanent resident.

On January 11, 2007, we mailed you a notice that we had registered this customer's new permanent resident status. Please follow any instructions on the notice. Your new permanent resident card should be mailed within 60 days following this registration or after you complete any ADIT processing referred to in the welcome notice, whichever is later. If you move before you get your new card call customer service. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we process your case. Just follow the link below to register.

Has anyone else received this and what does it mean? (I mean not literally but what is ADIT?)

Thanks guys and thanks Yu and Dan - great advice! You have to play dumb and take a chance with the USCIS. It seems sometimes their disorganization pays off in our favor!!

I got an email updating my status literally 1-2 hours after my interview!!

Firstly let me give you a little bit of background:

Came in on a K1 visa (from England) in March 06.

Married later in March, sent in AOS papers with an NOA of 10 April 06.

Had biometrics taken on 22 May 2006.

Interview notice came in november with an interview date of 11 January 2007.

On 22 December received an email stating that my interview was cancelled.

Interview was not rescheduled.

After speaking to a few people on visajourney I decided that since I live near my service center I would attend the cancelled interview - I figured the worst that could happen is that they turned me away.

Well I arrived there, gave them my interview notice and about 30 minutes later we were called in. The man said NOTHING about my interview being cancelled. The interview was fine - he was pretty intimidating and militant, but it was straightforward. I had all my papers jumbled up so make sure when you go you're more organized with what are copies and what are originals and where both are.

Anyway at the end of the interview he staples my EAD to the back of my file and stamped my passport with a temporary green card and told me to expect the actual card in approx. 3 weeks.

I know it's not often we hear happy USCIS stories so I just wanted to share my joy with all of you. It seems that having a ridiculously unusual last name paid off with respect to the FBI name check malarchy!!!

I hope all those waiting get their cards quickly!! And if your interview has been cancelled you might just want to turn up for it anyway!!!! You might get lucky like me!

NOA 1 April 10 2006.

Local office is Charleston SC. Adjusting from K1 interview.

Interview was scheduled for January 11 and then cancelled.

No new date given, no chance of transfer. It says my case is still at Missouri.

Infopass said expect to wait 2-3 years.

The people at my USCIS office were also really unpleasant to me - questioning why I wanted to work if my husband was in the military and I'd be moving around a lot - as if it's their freakin' business!!!!

I was told to expect a 2-3 year wait for my greencard. It's totally unacceptable. I filed in March 06 and finally got an interview notice in December but that interview was subsequently cancelled by email. I've not heard anything further. This process sucks because there is no consistency and it seems completely random. My maiden name is so unusual there is no way that could be holding up my application, so I think incompetence is probably more the cause.

I got the same email on 22 December. It sucks so much. I have no idea when it will be rescheduled. I am just going along for the interview anyway - apparently some people who received this email before didn't go to their interview and it turned out the local office had no idea it had been cancelled and sent out a deportation notice to them.

Thanks Yu and Dan. I live really close to the office so I'll just turn up and the worst they can do is send me away. I'll just pretend I never got notice of the cancellation. The last thing I need is a deportation notice!! Thanks for the advice.

Well after waiting 9 months my interview was finally set for January 11th, then 2 days before Christmas I get an email saying my interview has been cancelled Do they normally send out a formal letter saying it has been cancelled or is the email all I get?

Also, has anyone else had any experience with Charleston, SC cancelling their acppointment and if so, how long did it take them to reschedule?

Hey Boaz

I also live in South Carolina and have heard absolutely nothing since my biometrics were taken in May 2006. I received my EAD but it is like they have forgotten about my AOS or lost the file. It is driving me crazy not knowing what is going on....Charleston is my local office - I should imagine your local office would be where your biometrics were taken, but who the hell knows with USCIS. I am tempted to make an infopass appointment soon to ask what's going on.

I applied for AOS at the beginning of April 2006. I have also not heard a thing about it since my biometrics were taken in May. I feel so frustrated with the system and I can only imagine how awful it must be to have been waiting since August 2005. That is absolutely absurd. I just don't understand why some cases are approved within 6 weeks and others take over a year - the facts are really no different so the "simple" case theory doesn't cut it. We have all been through the same K1 security check/interview process to get where we are.

I don't even know where my case is...still in Chicago or back in South Carolina...who knows what the f is going on....

Congratulations Peter!!! I am so happy for you. You have always been so nice and supportive of everyone here and I thank you for that positive input.

My case was touched on Sunday (a touch is better than nothing) but still no change of status and no tranfer to CSC (and I filed in April). I am still hopeful that I may get a transfer....send me some of your luck please :-)

Nothing has happened on my case since it was touched on June 18th :-( As Peter Miami and Stina and I were all stuck waiting together I thought when their cases would move so would mine...but no such luck. I am still in darkness :-( I really pray for a CSC transfer since South Carolina told me to expect a two year wait if they get it :-(

Everytime I have to deal with a government organisation here I want to go back to the UK. In so many ways this country is more 3rd world than South Africa (where I grew up).

Even if you are on the system you never get touched, so don't get too optimistic ;-)

Quite a few of us have gone months without being touched!

I asked my congressman to call USCIS to find out what is happening on my AOS case because it has not been touched or updated on USCIS. She called me back to say they are working on it and an processing it - but I have no touches or anything on the online system. So Stina I think that is probably why you have not received any touches - they are not updating the system when they work on some files.

I am still not getting my hopes up too much....but I am holding on to a little more hope than before.

I got my first SS card in my maiden name. When I went back with my EAD and other documents to get it changed into my married name they said I was not in the SAVE system and it would take 6 weeks to send my documents to the DHS and get verification. After 2 weeks I got a letter from my local SS department saying the card was on it's way.

Weird...my husband is AD and we also put that on the I864...we just sent his W2's and LES and they haven't questioned it (no yet anyway). Then again they haven't exactly done anything on my AOS case....

Can you fax your wife a copy of your orders? If she takes this to infopass they should be able to make special arrangements for you. Maybe next time give your wife POA and she can sign on your behalf (not sure if immigration would accept that or not - they seem to have different rules for everything).