YandP

I would very very much appreciate help!

I just called USCIS and they told me that they are currently working on October 20 EAD applications ( I am November 20 so I have another month to wait ) it was more than 90 days so I wanted to schedule the infopass appointment at my local office and their web-site says:

Anyone had experience with this???

So desperate and very upset about this whole situation :(.

I filed for my EAD on December 29th and require an expedite due to personal financial loss and I have a pending job offer. My first request for an expedite, I received a letter stating that I need to complete my biometrics and then request a second expedite. I then received an RFE for my marriage certificate and they said that they needed this in order to move forward and for me to request a THIRD expedite.. They claim I should hear something this week.

If I were you, I would try and put an expedite.. it can't hurt.

Thank you! You are right, it won't hurt to try.

I have a job offer and don't even know for how much longer to ask them to hold the job for me, so this is just getting annoying!

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience, I think I will file after my 90 days is over.

Hi! Does anyone know if we can file an EAD expedite request after 90 days?

I filed an information request after 75 days and in 2 (!!!) days we received a letter saying that they have too many applications and they are processing them based on the date they were received. Well, we know that is not true, we filed on Nov 17 ( NOA1 Nov 20) and people that filed after us have already been approved. Just wondering about our options to speed it up.

Thank you!

I'm stunned at how fast some of you have gotten your work permits and travel permissions! My wife and I filed my paperwork and received our NOA1 in November (the 20th), but didn't receive a call for biometrics until the end of January (which we successfully did the first week of February) and are now just stuck waiting for any kind of response.

Hey, the same here. We had the biometrics appointment on Dec 11 ( I think) but no updates since then. I filed the info request and they just send me a letter saying that they are working on the cases as they were received ( yeah, right!) and it has nothing to do with our particular case.

Do you by any chance know if we can file an expedited request after 90 days? I have a job offer and don't know how long it will be waiting for me heh

Does anyone know if you can file an EAD expedite request if we are over 95 days (No requests for additional evidence)??

Thank you!!!

Are people from Syria, Ukraine getting expedited at present? Will be interesting to see how long the Phillipines expedite goes on for.

Last winter, when there were tanks downtown Kyiv ( the capital city) and Putin has started the undeclared war ( moving Russian troops to the eastern border) nobody expedited our case. Because of the nature of my job - I had to work in the war zone. So we filed on the basis of humanitarian and financial loss reasons - apparently that was not important enough. They put us in AP for 3 months, so we couldn't file another expedite request we just had to sit and wait for 7 months total. But just to be fair, I heard that now, they are expediting people from the eastern part of the country, that is officially a war zone.

Hi everyone!

We are Nov. 20 filers - still nothing:( :( super upset !

I have filed the information request after 75 days and just received a letter from USCIS saying how sorry they are for the delay and that the reason for that is "a backlog...blah blah blah workload". Is there anything else I can do speed it up? Why people that filed after us are being approved and we are still waiting, I just don't understand this!

Do you know if this depends on the state you are from? We send the package to Chicago lockbox, and then i assume it was forwarded either to Vermont or TX.

Any thoughts?

Thank you !!

Fulbright has a job-placement office - should be open on Tuesday - you reaching out to them at all? if no, why no ?

I didn't know about that. thank you! Do you by any chance know if they work with the former Fulbrighters?

But I am a Fulbright Alumni, got back home to fulfill my home residency requirement and now, a couple years later - back to the US with my husband.

Hi

Anyone Fulbright alumni here ? I would appreciate any job-search tips \ your job-search experience?

I have a liberal arts degree and just starting my job-hunt.

Thank you!

Hi

I was just wondering if there is anyone from CT here, who's been\is going through this whole visas adventure. It would be nice to meet someone from the area ...well extended area

Thank you everyone for your inputs and advices!

Seems like I should just take the computer test now while still waiting for the EAD card and once i get it, do the road test and get a CT license.

I don't know about K-1, but my (now ex-)husband came in on a CR-1, and we were first in CT for a year before relocating. He put off getting a CT license until 6 months after he arrived, despite me reminding him that as a resident, he really needed to get one. We happened to get pulled over one night in Killingworth coming home from seeing friends (tail light out, didn't know) while he was driving on his UK license. The cops didn't cite him for it, but reminded him he absolutely needed to get one ASAP (and I had to drive home). He was worried that he was going to fail the test, despite having driven in the UK for 20 years without a single ticket... :-/

Anyway, if you're worried about the CT test, don't. It's fairly easy. I did it as an adult (I had never gotten a driving license before in the US), and I wasn't required to parallel park or do a three point turn. The only "hard" thing I had to do was back into a parking space at the end of the test. Mostly it was turn right, turn left, merge into traffic. Make sure the car you're doing it in is in good condition (all lights working, up to date insurance) and trust yourself! I did it in Hamden and it was a breeze.

thank you so much, i was indeed a bit worried about how complicated it is to take the test in CT I feel much better now

Thank you for your replies!!

~~Duplicate threads merged. Please do not make multiple threads for the same or similar topic.~~

I am sorry, i cant find how to delete one post

Hi everyone

I will appreciate your expertise on the following issue:

are you allowed to drive using your driver's license issued abroad while waiting for adjustment of status (from k-1)??? Anyone was going through this? Anyone from CT was going through this?

I checked the DMV web-site and it ways:

"Connecticut permits a student or visitor to operate a motor vehicle in Connecticut for a period of up to one year with his or her foreign license."

but while waiting for AOS I am neither a student nor a visitor

Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated

Hi everyone

I will appreciate your expertise on the following issue:

are you allowed to drive using your driver's license issued abroad while waiting for adjustment of status (from k-1)??? Anyone was going through this? Anyone from CT was going through this?

Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated

If it was not flu season when you had your K-1 medical, then you do not need to go out and get a flu shot now. If you had all the required vaccinations at the time of the K-1 medical and they were marked off on a properly filled out DS-3025, then you should not need to see a civil surgeon for an I-693. If you did not have all the required vaccinations marked off on the DS-3025, then you would need to see a civil surgeon for the vaccinations and I-693. Since it is now flu season when you go to the civil surgeon, then you would need to get the flu shot. See this thread for details > http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/428381-i-693-report-of-medical-examination-and-vaccination-report/?p=6206232

Thank you for this link - good to know at this time of the year! I got confused because my DS-3025 said that all the vaccinations that are age appropriate are done, so I am glad to hear that. Thank you

As i already mentioned, that it´s base on what i read and seen, in general my opinion during AOS it all depends on what officer has your case, cos i read over here people were getting RFEs for flue shots and MMR shots etc.......and MMR shots unfortunately are among those that were not done in Ukraine.

As your case, my friend who applied for AOS with DS3025 also did not faced problems. So the OP may give it a try and follow any advice given over here.

Loving_girl, thank you for the greetings We had a blast Yes, I am noticing that at all the stages of this journey a lot depends on the officer. thank you though for reminding about the flue shots! I hope your trip to Ukraine was successful and the passport mission was accomplished

If your medical was done not in flu season, you do not need flu shots even though you're filing for AOS during the flu season. So if you have DS 3025 with everything filled out, you do not need anything else, just send in a copy of it and it's fine. My wife had medical done in the summer without a flu shot and we filed for AOS in January and just sent in DS 3025 and got approved without any hassles.

vbtwo, that is good to know! Indeed, I did my medical in summer. I just got a bit confused because the DS 3025 said that all age appropriate vaccinations are done so i got paranoid thinking that possibly in the US ( and I 693 ) some other vaccinations are age appropriate. But seems like whatever we get in Ukraine is sufficient. Thank you!

Look at this form the AOS guide for K1:

"I-693, Medical Examination of Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status.I-693, Medical Examination of Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status. If you are a K-1, K-2, K-3 or K-4 visa holder the I-693 instructions state that you are not required to have another medical examination as long as your Form I-485 is filed within one year of your overseas medical examination. If you are missing any shots from your overseas medical a I-693 vaccination transcription is required to be completed by seeing a Civil Surgeon to have certain portions of the I-693 completed and have the Civil Surgeon certify the form (sealing the original in an envelope and giving you a copy)."

I read on VJ that some people did not have any issues when they just submitted the DS-3025 and some others did have problems and received an RFE and they were requested to submit the missing I-693 form. It can delay your process a few months so it is a judgement call and you can decide :-)

If you are 100% sure that all the vaccinations required and all subsequent vaccinations have been completed at the time of the medical exam overseas and it is listed properly and completed on the DS-3025, then you don't need to submit the form I-693. If by any chance you don't have all the vaccinations up to date or missing any subsequent shots, for example: if you needed a Hepatitis B shot (3 shot series) and you received one at the medical exam overseas, but have not completed the remaining 2 shots, then most likely will need to go and see a Civil surgeon. He/She will need to complete the first page only and the supplemental vaccination record (last page) with the missing required vaccinations. You do not need a new medical as long as it is one year from the medical that was done overseas so don't let the civil surgeon charge you as if you need a new medical (about $300+). I would definitely would not pay full price. When I used the civil surgeon I only paid $150 and that was too much, but I needed him to complete the first page and supplemental (last page) of the i-693. If you need vaccinations and you have insurance, don't do it with the civil surgeon as they mostly don't accept insurance policies and it can be expensive, check to see if you can do it at wallgreens medical center or urgent care centers, they accept most insurance policies and most vaccinations should be cover by your insurance. The civil surgeon will transcribe any vaccinations done somewhere else into the vaccination supplemental sheet of the I-693 and attach it to the document and place in a seal envelope.

FYI, if you decide to go to the civil surgeon, make sure to bring the USCIS I-693 form completed as indicated and bring the instructions sheet as well. I brought the instructions and highlighted Section 3 on page 5 of 9 as it is states clearly that you don't need a new medical, etc, etc..... When I first was calling to make appointments with civil surgeons, they all would insist on charging us the full price as if they were doing the full medical again blah blah blah, so you can show them the USCIS instruction sheet where it says that you don't need one if you meet the requirements which I am sure you do :-)

Well, good luck to you and I hope this helped!

J

Cocolucho , thank you for your advice! You are right, its better to play it safe and try to avoid RFE by filing I-693. And thanks for the idea to print out the complete form to make sure i can back up my words that about NO new medical is needed! I was reading how some folks here on VJ had problems finding the civil surgeon that will just fill out the form. thanks a lot!

I know ToddB sent a copy of DS-3025 with AOS, I (as a lot of other people) went to the USCIS appointed doctor and did medical exam, showed my DS 3025, they put your shots into their paper and complete the rest.

Take into account its a flue season in USA, so USCIS does demand flue shots to be done during flue season. So, my best advice is to go to the US doctor and make sure all shots are up-to-date and do the flue shot.

Loving_girl, oy WOW i didn't realize that flue shots might be required! Thanks for reminding! Yeh, you know I got confused with whether the DS-3025 is enough since all we are getting in Ukraine is just its copy. Thanks for the advice! Now on the way to find a local civil surgeon that wont insist on the full medical examination yet again

I'm very happy I came across this thread. I went to see Dr. Henry Jacobs earlier this week and it was a very good experience altogether. Transcription is still $50. The address has changed since to 1 Northwestern Drive, Suite 202, Bloomsfield CT, 06002. Phone number is still the same.

So happy I found your post!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Totally going to her office next week

Hi, I would appreciate your help\experience in understanding I-693.

We are about to file our AOS ( k1) . It is not clear to me if we have to file I-693 or not, considering that i did my medical back in Ukraine and I have brought with me a copy of DS-3025 they gave me at the hospital. DS-3025 does have my vaccination records. Do I need to file I-693 and the copy of DS-3025 with my AOS package?

So yes, if anyone whose AOS was approved could help me with this, that would be great

Hi there

I was curious about the same. Seems like the is not many people from CT here

Your update about the biometrics was helpful, thanks !

Thank you for your help. You were right, everything went smoothly

You have a safe trip yourself and get back with your renewed passport

it is indeed valid for one year

Hi

I just wanted to share our experience when waiting for the updates from NVC.

Do call them! E-mailing is not terribly efficient. We e-mailed them 3 times after the two weeks of waiting and didn't get any response, so my fiance called them after two weeks just to find that our application was already send to the embassy in Kyiv. They replied our e-mail request the day I had my flight to the US.

The same was with e-mailing the US embassy. They answered the e-mail, a few days after I picked up my passport with the issued visa.

Just wanted to let you know - dont stress out if you dont hear anything in return to your e-mails, just call them

I was just at OVIR You are officially allowed to have TWO international passports. To keep both you just have to pay extra 60UAH

They do indeed let you keep your first international passport without any problems at all.

(I just presented the copy of the first page of my first passport when applying for the second one - no problems at all) The other girl in the line didn't even have her first international passport ( not copies of it) with her, since she said it was at a consulate - she didn't have any problems.

And you probably already know that but anyway the prices ( at least in Kyiv ) are the following:

1. 960UAH and your second passport is ready for pick up in 10 workdays ( 2 weeks)

2. 45UAH and you can pick it up in a month and a week

3. 174 UAH and you go to Bortnychi center ( in from Kyiv) and the waiting is 30 work days.

So dont worry, you are good to go

Congratulations!!! And thank you so much for the review! very helpful

PS. totally bookmarking your post

Thank you all for your replies ! I think we'll also go 50\50