tungsten_tip

11 hours ago, carapuce said:

Have you been transferred to any other service center like me (from CSC to TSC)?

Yes. Mine was transferred from CSC to TSC on 7/24.

I was the same: arrived on K-1 visa, then filed I-485. For Current Immigration Status, I put 'K-1, Pending Adjustment of Status'. Don't know whether that's the 'right' answer, but I was approved without interview, so didn't cause me any problems.

8 hours ago, xilef said:

What's your NOA1 date ? it usually takes 30 - 60 days after the transfer for approvals, hang in there. you are almost done !

Now that's exciting to hear! I hope you're right. I had anticipated having to wait longer than that.

My NOA1 date is also May 10th 2017, @carapuce, so I'll be keeping an eye out to see if you hear anything soon. Can't wait for this all to be over with! 

12 minutes ago, regent said:

My wife got her extension letter yesterday. January 2017 filer, GC expiration in March 2017, meaning this "extension" really only adds a month. Fortunately we got her passport/visa stamped before the end of the original 1-year letter, so she'll be good into 2019. Kinda pointless to sent 18-month extensions to people who have been waiting for 18 months...

 

Yeah, kind of useless having a letter that's only valid for an extra month. Even if I got one today, it'd only add an extra 6 months (probably still not enough to get me through to the 10-year GC!). Judging by your own timeline, seems like my chances of getting a new extension letter any time soon are slim.

Sounds like I'd be best giving up on the dream of the 18-month letter and just getting myself a stamp. 

9 minutes ago, NikV said:

with new administration, I would advise you to get the stamp as soon as your extension letter expires. Peace of mind. Although you do not need it if you do not intend to travel out of US.

Sounds like good advice!

5 minutes ago, NikV said:

I believe the 18 month extension letters are a rarity for folks who already had filed the petition. You should go get stamp for sure. 

That's what I'd gathered. Shame.

Out of curiosity, do I absolutely need to get a stamp, even if I don't have plans to travel any time soon? Or is it just recommended so that I have proof of status? I'll probably still go get one, for this reason, but the idea of handing over my green card (albeit an expired one) in exchange for a stamp still makes me very nervous! I was really hoping they'd come through with those 18 month letters 😏

Just wondering: has anyone heard of anyone receiving a new, 18-month extension letter, besides those who filed right around May/June 2018? I haven't seen any examples of people filing way back in 2017 getting a new letter, unless I'm missing something.

I filed in May 2017 and received a 12-month extension letter valid until... well, tomorrow! That news release a couple of months back got my hopes up that I'd be receiving a new extension letter, meaning I wouldn't have to get an infopass appointment. But I guess I was wrong. 

16 hours ago, tram said:

Is there an updated link from the original post? The link leads to nowhere. 

https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2017-Nov/carrier-information-guide-english.pdf - page 38. 

I have a question concerning the possible advantages/disadvantages of travelling on a I-551 passport stamp versus the expired green card + NOA extension letter combo. 

My original 2-year green card expired on 08/01/2017. I received the NOA letter in May 2017, meaning my green card is technically extended until 08/01/2018. I traveled to the UK in December 2017 with the expired green card + NOA letter, and had no issues doing so. 

However, I plan on travelling to Canada in mid-July 2018. I should be back by 07/16/18, so still 2 weeks before the NOA letter expires, but the proximity does worry me a little. So I essentially have two options:

1. Travel with expired green card + almost-but-not-yet-expired NOA extension letter (then get I-551 stamp once I return to the US).
2. Get an I-551 stamp at the beginning of July before travelling to Canada, then travel on this (presumably without the expired green card, since my understanding is that they will take it away from me when I make my InfoPass appointment).

In your experiences, which of these options is least likely to cause issues at the airport/border? Which seems like the safer option? 

As always, this place is a lifesaver! 

UPDATE: Success! So I went in first thing this morning and they had no issue with seeing me early. I went with boarding passes in hand for my upcoming travel, but they didn't even want to see them. The place was pretty quiet, too - just two people in front of me. In and out in less than 15 mins.

Thanks to all for your advice. I'm glad I took the risk!

5 minutes ago, mindthegap said:

Nowhere near the one you have mentioned!

Alas, not so many immigrants in Kansas to share their stories.

1 hour ago, mindthegap said:

They were a bit arsey about mine.

I went in the morning and they wouldn't let me in without an appointment for that day.

I went back at the end of the day, and got let in when I requested a supervisor. The fact that I had already rescheduled several times, and had proof of imminent travel covering the period I had been rescheduled for helped me immensely, and the supervisor told me to come back very first thing the next morning and I would be seen.

I did and I was, but they still kept me waiting around ages. That is USCIS for you I guess.

 

 

Ask for a supervisor right off the bat.

Just out of curiosity, which service centre was this at?

Hi everyone,

Yesterday I received my appointment letter for the biometrics appointment after sending in form I-751 earlier this month. However, the date I was given is next week. As of this Saturday, I'll be out of the country for 2 weeks so cannot attend. I'm aware that I can reschedule the appointment, but my concern is that it'll be rescheduled for the second week of my trip.

I've read about people doing walk-ins for their biometrics (i.e. just turning up with letter in hand and hoping for the best), and found several accounts on this site dating back a few years. However, I haven't found many taking place recently, and not for the ASC on Kansas City, MO.

I'm thinking of showing up tomorrow. Does anyone know if this is still a thing? Does anyone have any recent experiences of doing a walk-in? Any tips?

As always, any advice would be greatly appreciated! This site has been a gold mine for me over the last few years.

Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience of a so-called 'inbound immigrant' health insurance policy (or similarly, visitor insurance).

I will arrive on a K1 visa, and we will be married a couple of weeks later. However, my fiancée is a grad student and adding me to her policy appears to be prohibitively expensive (makes sense - it's obviously a policy designed for students and students only!). The hope is that 3+ months down the line when I have my EAD and am able to work I would be in a better position to purchase something else/get employer-based insurance. Is this the best option to tide me over until then? Are these policies worth it, or are there better alternatives?

I've seen a few posts on this topic, but not too many experiences of specific policies.

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Do keep in mind what others have said, you will have to pay over $1,000.00 in fees to cover your AOS, so push yourself now to have that money ready to go when you get here. You may have a rather tight budget for a bit when you first arrive, but a good marriage lasts a lifetime and this short time of struggle will seem a distant memory soon enough

Oh, don't worry, we're well aware of how much the AOS package will cost us! We've been preparing for that for a little while now. Hence why the original question of a potential way of earning some money sooner rather than later came up. If that's not possible, though, the hope would be to have a job lined up for the moment the EAD comes through.

And yes, having the AOS package ready to send off the day after the marriage is definitely also the plan!

If there is a rolling admissions and you're actually interested in the MA program, your better bet may be seeing if there is a Winter 2015 admission available that comes with tuition waivers and salary.

In answer to some others, though, it may not be too late to apply. This particular programme has rolling admissions and I've already taken the GRE (last year, in preparation for a failed application elsewhere). So getting a place on the MA, whilst far from guaranteed, would not be completely out of the question. Although if I'd be unable to accept any funding, then it probably wouldn't be worth it anyway.

To go off on a slight tangent, however: whilst I'm waiting for the EAD to arrive, I obviously can't work or earn any money. But is there anything prohibiting me from accepting the offer a job which I would then start as soon as the work permit arrived?

Thanks again for everyone's advice!

Ok I got my K1 in may 2013 Married June 2013 filed AOS July 2013, reciept of AOS is enough to enroll in school (IN NC) and be considered instate if your spouse is in state as a spouse can use either there or their partners residency for tutition fee purposes. However you can not work until you get your EAD card. You are not even suppose to volunteer without an EAD card. I am afraid it is simply a waiting game.

Alternativly you could ask your current english employeer for the ability to telecummet.

OK, that's interesting. So enrolling at a university might not be completely out of the question. The impression I get is that it's up to the university themselves rather than anything written in law.

It sounds, though, like the working might be more of an issue. Regarding working for a foreign employer: is that totally fine without an EAD? Is it only work based in the US that's not permitted?

If you decide to switch to a F1 you will still need EAD to work. F1's take less time than K1's but with your immigrant intent raises other issues.

The thing is that I already have my K1 visa in hand. Having spent a small fortune on filing fees and waited over 6 months to receive it, I wouldn't want to just abandon it. There would also be the small issue of having to cancel the already-planned wedding for August! So no, I fully intend on keeping my K1 visa and entering on that.

Work queries aside, am I correct in thinking that I could immediately study on my K1 visa without any permit or change in visa type? Or is it not this simple?

You rightly mention that international tuition fees would make any income from a TA position redundant. However, apparently one of the advantages of this TA position is a 100% tuition fee waiver (also, during AOS would I even be considered an international student, or just 'out of state'?). So there is still the possibility of it being financially worthwhile.

The more important question, I suppose, is the legality.

Some of you have said that a K1 visa entitles you to 0 hours of work, whereas a student visa would allow a limited number of on campus hours. I suppose this makes sense. One thing I have come across, though, is the suggestion that your TA wages whilst a student might not technically be considered employment but rather a form of student financial support (which, I understand, is allowed). Something on this thread (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/394181-f-1-aos-rfe-for-on-campus-employment/) suggests that your 'income' as a TA is more like a kind of financial excess after the tuition fee waiver.

Sounds far-fetched, I know, but any thoughts?

Hi,

I recently received my K1 visa and will be travelling to the States mid-August. We will marry on the 31 August and immediately file for AOS. Given that the EAD could take up to 3 months to arrive, however, my fiancée and I have been concerned about having to live off her limited funds until I am permitted to work (she is a PhD student, working as a teaching assistant alongside this).

My fiancée came up with an idea today and I have been trying to find out whether it is feasible or not. Her suggestion was that I apply for an MA at her university to begin this fall. The idea being that I would usually be offered a paid teaching assistantship alongside this. Her thinking was that other international students (presumably on a student rather than a work visa) have carried out that job, so why couldn't I (even before receiving my EAD).

Now, from what I can gather, I am allowed to study whenever I like (no permit required). However, I cannot work until I receive my EAD (presumably this will be around early December). The question is, in which camp does this TA position fall? Would I be right in thinking that a teaching assistantship at the university I am enrolled at would still count as paid work, and therefore not permitted until I receive my EAD, or would this be counted as part of my student activities?

I hope I have made myself clear, but please let me know if I need to clarify this. Whilst not an active poster, this forum has been a godsend throughout our application process, and any extra help people are able to offer right now would be enormously appreciated!