msdynamite

Just now, ZeeQ said:

msdynamite - I think we both sent our package at the same time and got the NOA on the same day too. Waiting to get the biometrics letter like you but I do think they'll give us a 7-10 day period between date of letter and actual biometric appt date. Fingers crossed!

I hope you're right. It's always such a hassle. They have the worst timing ever ?

I'd like to really get the biometrics letter so at least I'd know when. I got leave the state next week for business and am scared that it's exactly then!

10 hours ago, ivanalex1980 said:

Hi every one and good luck to all of us

Can any one please tell me if the above list of proofs is ok?

 

1. copies of green card, drivers licenses of both of us, passport copies of both of us

2. proof of health insurance and life insurance

3. copies of credit cards showing the same card numbers, one credit cards statements (Chase)

4. proof of joint checking account along with statements

5. house and cars insurances showing both of our names

6. copy of military dependent's card, showing US citizen spouse as sponsor

7. official transcript of tax return 2015 from IRS along with W2s

8. Phone bills

9. Utility bills both of our names on them

10. social pictures with friend and so on (10 total)

11. boarding passes and itineraries of traveling together 

Looks like the usual proof to me. Should be absolutely sufficient if it were up to me

Got NOA in mail today dated to Jan 30th. Updating list.

 

California Service Center (37 applicants,0 approved - 0%)

The last three or four people have been using an old list to update their information. That's why the list is missing the ones that have updated later. I'm not on it anymore either. 

Has anyone here done a walk-in for their biometrics by any chance? You have to have the biometrics letter to do this right?

On 2/1/2017 at 10:19 AM, ZeeQ said:

Hey Msdynamite, thanks for letting me know of when your package got received and when your check got cashed. My package was received on January 30 and my check shows pending right now so i think they've applied to cash it and it's just under processing right now. For adding yourself, i just copied the entire list available, added my entry and posted it as a new entry. I can do that for you, not sure if NOA means an official notification from them or we can use the date they cashed the check for that

Thanks for the tip. I put myself on the list. It looks like they already got your NOA question covered. Good luck for the process !

Putting me on list too

 

California Service Center (34 applicants,0 approved - 0%)

23 minutes ago, ZeeQ said:

You'll receive a mail sent to your home address in 1-2 weeks after the delivery of your packet which will extend your stay in the US (travel + work) for one more year. Good luck!!

Hi VeraBradley, thanks a lot for replying to my post. Just curious about what you meant when you said that my stay will get extended for one more year? I thought that once your conditional status is removed your green card can be valid for 10 years?

Once you get that first letter from them it'll say that with this letter your conditional greencard is good for one more year UNTIL they approve your 10 year greencard.

another good indication that they received your case is when they cash your check. 

They received my case on the 28th and my check got cashed today.

i also don't know how to add myself to the list here. Could someone do this for me?

thabk you!

My package was delivered 01/28/17 to California Service Center. Check not cashed yet. Wishing everyone good luck.

Anyone from Montana in this group?

hi everyone!!!

i hope that you are all doing amazing!!! i assume every one is starting to do their removal of conditions for their green cards.....i just had a question...

my green card is expiring in march 2017, i will be putting in my paperwork in December (90 days prior to expiration) but we are travelling to canada for the holidays (returning to California at the end of january) ..... does any one know if it is okay to travel during those 90 days prior to expiration?

thanks so much!

Robynne

It shouldn't be a problem at all to travel with the greencard before it expires. I also read in the guides that once you applied you'll get a notification which is good for a year and that this will have to go together with your greencard if you want to travel after the greencard expired. So basically if you applied in time before expiration you're good for another year until you get your new greencard if I understand this correctly.

Happy holidays.

We're up to apply for ROC in January. It's definitely 90 days before expiration.

It's seems like it's been yesterday that I was in contact with USCIS last. Not looking forward too much for this one. But it'll be nice to have this over and done with for 10 years good luck everyone.

I never understood this name change hullaballoo anyway. Just keep your name... Neither me nor my husband changed anything. Don't see the point and don't need the added running around to change documents.

Anyway, under US naming law you can have the constellation you want - so why not go for it? The German passport will be different - but does that matter?

I changed my last name for my step kid. She is my husbands daughter having his last name and I wanted to show that we are a unit. Nevertheless still tried to include my maiden name for my side of the family.

The decision to change last names is not the discussion here, but to try to help those who decided to do so.

If your German passport doesn't match your American ID you will have problems if you want to take German AND American citizenship!

That's why we are trying to make an effort to match those documents! Me at least!

The last thing I'd want is a double last name, with each of our last names 3 syllables and 9 letters long already.

I guess I can do without my maiden middle name in my German passport. Traveling shouldn't be a problem since the middle name certainly is optional?

Hi everyone- I've just found this thread. I'm still busy with the name change problem. So apparently that letter I got could've been diregarded since at least in America my name wishes have been accepted. First name, maiden name middle name, husband last name.

I've been traveling with my non updated passport and marriage certificate without any problems. My passport is good another 5 years BUT my two year greencard is going to expire and the question of citizenship (I'm gonna go double) came up. In this case I will have to update my passport.

I've been in contact with the German embassy and the bottom line simply is: YOU CANNOT HAVE YOUR MAIDEN LAST NAME AS A MIDDLE NAME IN GERMANY!

That's a huge bummer. BUT at least the embassy stated, that I can have this name-constellation in the states without having it matched in my German passport. Means they will drop the middle name on it.They will maybe ask why that is at customs but they said it shouldn't be a problem.

I don't know how that's gonna go with the citizenship paperwork etc. what an ordeal :/

If anyone did this with success PLEASE let me know!

Good luck to anyone. I can only recommend: if you love your maiden name: keep it. I will probably have to drop my maiden middle name and that is really sad.

We will be in Germany week after next! How fun would it have been to meet up for, what else, beer?

Tina!!! When will you be where?

We we be close to Munich from the 30th to the 7th of septet actually. It would be great to meet someone for real that has been thru the same process. So sorry to hear about all your struggles. I hope the rest of the journey is going to be easier for you guys!

Hallo-

ich hätte mal eine Frage zur Passänderung. Ich bin seit letztem Jahr September verheiratet und hab den Namen meines Mannes angenommen und meinen Mädchennamen zum Middlename werden lassen. Die Greencard hab ich auch mit gewünschtem Namen grade erhalten. Mein deutscher Pass ist noch bis 2023 gültig und natürlich noch im Mädchennamen. MUSS ich den jetzt ändern, oder kann ich warten bis der abläuft?

Hat irgendjemand hier Erfahrung mit dem Mädchennamen als Middlename und ob die deutschen Behörden das so in den deutschen Pass aufnehmen, wenn man bei der Namenserklärung amerikanisches Recht wählt?

The SS card does not actually control your name or name change. Your marriage certificate is your legal name change document for changing your name through marriage. You can begin using your new married name as soon as you are married.

SSN is not even required for AOS, so it won't matter that the middle name is not on the SS card when applying for AOS. Just fill out all your AOS paperwork in your new married name. List maiden name where it asks for other/maiden/previous names used.

Can someone maybe help me? Here's my situation: let's say my maiden name is Mary Miller. That's what's on my birth certificate and passport. I never had a middle name or second first name before. My husbands last name is Smith.So then I married an filled in the AOS application like this: Mary as my first name, Miller as my middle name and Smith as my last name.

I got my greencard and everything was printed like I applied for.

When I tried to update my SSN they said even though the card was printed correctly USCIS had me in their system as Mary Miller Miller. So I send a letter to USCIS and they changed it. I went to SSO and DMV and got the SSN and my drivers license like I wanted it. Mary Miller Smith.

Thought: good. Done.

But NOW I got another letter from USCIS that they checked my file and they saw I never had a middle name on my birth certificate so they changed my name in their system to Mary Smith without my maiden name as my middle name.

What I wonder now is: I thought I could just apply in the name I wanted if I never had a middle name before??? I heard lots of people did it this way.

How do I get USCIS to take my maiden name back in their system? Will it be a problem let's say for traveling abroad that I have my name on all my documents differently than USCIS has me in their system??!?

Help would be highly appreciated. THANK YOU

Just to update ya'll incase anyone else gets this same issue at some point;

I phoned and e-mailed the probate court again today, and they all said my certified copy of my marriage certificate should have been enough to change my name, and middle name, the way I want it, just as the probate judge told me when I got it. County clerk's office said no idea, contact an attorney. Social security office and DMV office here both also said the marriage certificate should be enough to change my name that way, just as all the women in our family here have done so.

Called USCIS and waited for an hour and a half to talk to a tier 2 IO, she said that everything in their system is in the correct name and it shouldn't matter what the receptionist woman typed in at USCIS Charleston, and that my EAD and GC should all come through in the correct name.

Can someone maybe help me? Here's my situation: let's say my maiden name is Mary Miller. That's what's on my birth certificate and passport. I never had a middle name or second first name before. My husbands last name is Smith.So then I married an filled in the AOS application like this: Mary as my first name, Miller as my middle name and Smith as my last name.

I got my greencard and everything was printed like I applied for.

When I tried to update my SSN they said even though the card was printed correctly USCIS had me in their system as Mary Miller Miller. So I send a letter to USCIS and they changed it. I went to SSO and DMV and got the SSN and my drivers license like I wanted it. Mary Miller Smith.

Thought: good. Done.

But NOW I got another letter from USCIS that they checked my file and they saw I never had a middle name on my birth certificate so they changed my name in their system to Mary Smith without my maiden name as my middle name.

What I wonder now is: I thought I could just apply in the name I wanted if I never had a middle name before??? I heard lots of people did it this way.

How do I get USCIS to take my maiden name back in their system? Will it be a problem let's say for traveling abroad that I have my name on all my documents differently than USCIS has me in their system??!?

Help would be highly appreciated. THANK YOU

Can someone maybe help me? Here's my situation: let's say my maiden name is Mary Miller. That's what's on my birth certificate and passport. I never had a middle name or second first name before. My husbands last name is Smith.So then I married an filled in the AOS application like this: Mary as my first name, Miller as my middle name and Smith as my last name.

I got my greencard and everything was printed like I applied for.

When I tried to update my SSN they said even though the card was printed correctly USCIS had me in their system as Mary Miller Miller. So I send a letter to USCIS and they changed it. I went to SSO and DMV and got the SSN and my drivers license like I wanted it. Mary Miller Smith.

Thought: good. Done.

But NOW I got another letter from USCIS that they checked my file and they saw I never had a middle name on my birth certificate so they changed my name in their system to Mary Smith without my maiden name as my middle name.

What I wonder now is: I thought I could just apply in the name I wanted if I never had a middle name before??? I heard lots of people did it this way.

How do I get USCIS to take my maiden name back in their system? Will it be a problem let's say for traveling abroad that I have my name on all my documents differently than USCIS has me in their system??!?

Help would be highly appreciated. THANK YOU

Can someone maybe help me? Here's my situation: let's say my maiden name is Mary Miller. That's what's on my birth certificate and passport. I never had a middle name or second first name before. My husbands last name is Smith.So then I married an filled in the AOS application like this: Mary as my first name, Miller as my middle name and Smith as my last name.

I got my greencard and everything was printed like I applied for.

When I tried to update my SSN they said even though the card was printed correctly USCIS had me in their system as Mary Miller Miller. So I send a letter to USCIS and they changed it. I went to SSO and DMV and got the SSN and my drivers license like I wanted it. Mary Miller Smith.

Thought: good. Done.

But NOW I got another letter from USCIS that they checked my file and they saw I never had a middle name on my birth certificate so they changed my name in their system to Mary Smith without my maiden name as my middle name.

What I wonder now is: I thought I could just apply in the name I wanted if I never had a middle name before??? I heard lots of people did it this way.

How do I get USCIS to take my maiden name back in their system? Will it be a problem let's say for traveling abroad that I have my name on all my documents differently than USCIS has me in their system??!?

Help would be highly appreciated. THANK YOU

It's always something, isn't it? I'm so glad you got your stuff fixed and figured out! We're still waiting for an update. we're hopeful that Johan and his son will have their green cards inside of a year of filing, but that's less likely these days. .

yes it's always something. Even though I realize I'm one of the more lucky ones by having the greencard already. I wouldn't have minded not doing an interview though. i wish all of you guys luck with receiving it soon! And congratulations on baby's and pregnancies!!

We are so busy with work lately that indeed time seems to fly! We are going to Germany end of August for 10 days. I can't wait to see everyone! Time can't fly fast enough till then

Just a little update: today I finally got a letter from USCIS that they updated/corrected my name in their system. So I went to the SSO and had them update my info with the greencard. No trouble with it this time. Phew. And then finally when I have the new card in two weeks or so I can get my new drivers license.

What a hassle it is to be a legal alien.

I hope all you others are doing ok. For those who are still waiting: all the best of luck! You'll get there!!

Oh gawd it's a fricking pain in the butt.. We got approved on April 22. First I thought we are done with this. But now we got this: of course they sent my greencard to the old address in Oregon. Of course. Then, after my boss forwarded it to me, I went to SSO today to change my status and wanted to go after to DMV and get a Texan drivers license. All in Austin. 50 min drive.

So the lady at SSO told me that even though my name appears correctly on the greencard, it doesn't in USCIS system. They put my middle name also as my last name. Great just great.

So I made an info pass appointment USCIS in Austin, the guy looks at it and says: well I can't do anything about it, since the mistake was done in Portland. You gotta talk them guys..I was like: yea but if I call them I can only make an info pass appointment. There's no phone number directly to the office. He's like: well then you gotta send them a letter!

Seriously it left me speechless! I am SO mad.

So now I wrote a letter to Portland and attached copies of the greencard, SSN and my drivers license in the hopes that they will just correct their mistake.

But I can already picture them answering me: well since you moved to Texas we are not responsible. Or even better: you can only change this by appearing in person in Portland field office or something stupid like that...

Please tell me something nice before I freak out...ARGH!

Sorry for the rant for all those who are still waiting..I know this is a first class problem..but my nerves are just wearing thin after dealing with USCIS for a year now

Edited by msdynamite, Today, 08:31 PM.

Oh gawd it's a fricking pain in the butt.. First of course they sent my greencard to the old address in Oregon. Of course. Then, after my boss forwarded it to me, I went to SSO today to change my status and wanted to go after to DMV and get a Texan drivers license. All in Austin. 50 min drive.

So the lady at SSO told me that even though my name appears correctly on the greencard, it doesn't in USCIS system. They put my middle name also as my last name. Great just great.

So I made an info pass appointment USCIS in Austin, the guy looks at it and says: well I can't do anything about it, since the mistake was done in Portland. You gotta talk them guys..I was like: yea but if I call them I can only make an info pass appointment. There's no phone number directly to the office. He's like: well then you gotta send them a letter!

Seriously it left me speechless! I am SO mad.

So now I wrote a letter to Portland and attached copies of the greencard, SSN and my drivers license in the hopes that they will just correct their mistake.

But I can already picture them answering me: well since you moved to Texas we are not responsible. Or even better: you can only change this by appearing in person in Portland field office or something stupid like that...

Please tell me something nice before I freak out...ARGH!

Sorry for the rant for all those who are still waiting..I know this is a first class problem..but my nerves are just wearing thin after dealing with USCIS for a year now

Congratulations msdynamite! You don't have to worry since the IO told you you were approved...

Thank you..I just got the status update that the new card is in production...

Oh and the only other questions that there were, I remembered tonight, we're that she asked our parents names and birth dates...of course my hubby told her the wrong year I was born but obviously it was close enough )

And then she went thru the yes and no questions and explained removal of conditions..

Good luck to all you other guys!!

Phew we had our interview four hours ago I guess we were approved. At least that's what our IO lady said.

I can't recall it completely..I was too nervous, but we were there like 1.5 hours early and waited around an hour until we were called in.

First sworn in and then she asked for photo ID with our address on it. And there we were with our one big problem which made us hold our breath for a minute or two: my dear husband never got a new drivers license after moving two years ago. So his license had the state montana and a completely different address on it.

That was the one thing I had never checked, I was prepared for everything else.

The IO was pretty upset about this and said that he had to get one latest after 30 days and that we should be trying to proof that we are living at the same house, which is hard without an updated ID.

Luckily I had my boss, who is also our landlord, write an affidavit which said that she is our landlord and knows we are living together.

Phew.

Next questions were the usual like how we met,when we decided to marry, who attended our wedding and where it was and if we have some pictures to show.

And if I had some supporting material.

I handed here taxes filed married, phone bill, joined saving account, joined credit and best buy card and our car insurance and the affidavits I had written by boss and one friend.

She took a copy of a few pictures out of our wedding album and said we were approved.

I didn't receive any confirmation by email yet and realized that she didn't take my EAD/AP card?