CanadianYinzer

Omg! My I-485 just got approved. Does it mean i skip the interview process?

Yes! Congrats!

Husband got his EAD/AP combo card in the mail today.

We got two different text/emails when the EAD was mailed, but no updates on the AP except when it was approved last week.

Their system to update (or don't update) the status is screwy.

Hey everybody, for those of you who already have your AP/EAD, I was wondering how long it took for you to receive them in the mail after they were approved... and did you get a case update that they were being processed or mailed out?

We put in our service request on day 75. As you can see by my signature, it took about 6 days to get approved. I got a text yesterday that the card was mailed on the 5th. We didn't get a "your card is being produced" update. It went from approved to mailed. We tracked it today and it's set to be delivered on monday. Aaaaaand he starts his new job on Tuesday!

A haha, yes CanadianYinzer..

Think its why my partner liked me because I have his look and an accent, lol.

Haha! Awesome! He's one of my favorites

Good news! The husband was offered a job this morning! Now we just have to wait for his EAD card to be produced and mailed.

He was really at the end of his sanity rope from not working since September.

Good Evening,

jackireland,

Off topic... is that jonathan rhys meyers??

After calling around 30 tax accountants, I finally found someone local to me that has done this before.

All he told me at the moment was for my husband to file as normal in Canada, then when he gets his return to come see him to do my taxes.

I asked him if me filing MFJ with his foreign earned income was correct and he said, "yes, partly"

So I don't have any concrete filing details yet to share.

Since you were married to a USC in tax year 2015, you and your spouse may file jointly. In order to file jointly, you'll need to include a statement signed by both of you saying that you wish to be considered a resident alien in tax year 2015 for tax purposes only. You would then need to report your earnings on WORLDWIDE income. However, you can file for the foreign earned income exclusion that will exclude the first $90,000 - ish (don't have the document in front of me) of the foreign income from taxes. In other words, you'll have to report it but won't pay any tax on the UK income if it's below a certain threshold.

The easy way out is for your spouse to file MFS, but you would miss out on about $6300 of a tax deduction. They could under certain circumstances claim you as an additional exemption in this case but it's not as good as the MFJ deduction.

I'm doing the MFJ this year as well. Using tax software to prepare the forms, but filing by paper since the statement must be included.

Thank you so much for this!

So my husband, who moved here in Sept 2015 but only worked in Canada in 2015, would have to file in Canada as normal first to show how much he paid in taxes, then I would MFJ with his foreign earned income exclusion?

I-765 and I-131 approved yesterday!! I just got the text and email now!

WOO HOO!

When it says a response was sent and the request is now closed. Does that mean they're just sending a letter to us in the mail telling us what the outcome is?

I can't remember the answer to this but can I call (I'm the petitioner) in a service request for my husband's EAD or does he have to call?

If I don't hear anything tomorrow on my online service request tomorrow, one of us is going to call.

The status says:

As of January 26, 2016, your inquiry about the status of your Employment Authorization application, referral number SRxxxxxxxMSC, is currently not assigned for processing.

I know it's only been two days, but there are too many opportunities that came up for him that he cannot miss out on

Congrats!!!!

Me too my EAD is finally approved!!!!!, I submitted request yesterday afternoon and my case status just changed to EAD/AP approved, but nothing for my AOS... thanks God.

Good luck for the rest of our journey...

Congrats!! We submitted a request yesterday too, early in the morning, but I haven't heard anything yet. There a few really good jobs listed he wants to apply for but is worried to do that before he has his EAD in hand.

Just put in the service request for the EAD..... fingers crossed!

So weird that I'm excited to be able to file a service request tomorrow. I think this process has finally pushed me over the edge into insanity haha

I'm getting a little nervous about when they'll schedule our interview. I have a mandatory business trip from March 2-12 and with my luck.... it'll be scheduled when I'm gone.

At least I only have 5 days before I can file a service request for the EAD... my husband is going insane sitting at home all day.

Congrats to both of you!

So is the 75 days from when they received your application (the NOA1), right? Not the biometrics appointment?

I put a service request in this morning for my EAD and it says it has been assigned to an officer for a response so we'll see! We probably won't hear back about the Green Card anytime soon. Last I checked the local office where we would go was processing May applicants.

How did you put the request in? Did you call or do the online thing?

I'll write up my experience afterwards but I have a lawyer going with me and she said that the Pittsburgh office is really small and there are about 4 officers working all of whom my lawyer has worked with a bunch of times. She said she really doesn't see it being a big deal, so I'm not especially worried about it. More worried it's going to be a blizzard and the office will be closed and I'll have to reschedule, but if that happens I already have the day off work so I'll just go snowboarding instead... silver lining.

Well, if it helps... I work in the building right next to the Pittsburgh office. If it snows, at least around this area, they take really good care of the roads. I don't think you have to worry about them closing

Just got my interview date for 02/18/2016 at the Pittsburgh office!

Congrats! I'll be curious to hear your experience at the Pittsburgh office. That's where we'll have our interview too!

GOOD LUCK!

Its for the I-485....no update to the EAD or AP. I assume since they are producing my green card i wont have any use for the other two?

WOW!! That was crazy fast!!! Congrats!

Heads up to November filers, you can file a service request over the phone when you have passed the 75 day mark for the EAD, what I've seen in our October group some will get fast approvals on AP/EAD card, hindsight some of us filed service requests at the 90 day mark or later. When the request was made approval were within 2 days. So those of you that don't get early approvals watch your receipt date and call after 75 days, it will force them to look at you EAD. Good luck

Thank you! Good to know!

So if we don't hear anything by the 26th, I can call on the 27th. I hope we don't have to wait that long though, this is stressful enough... plus, trying to figure out how to file taxes this year. My head may explode. :\

we got EAD approval today after sending back our REF in mid Dec, but no progress on 485 for the interview.

Congrats!

I hope we hear something soon because he's going crazy not being able to work. haha

Btw, I only sent in one Form G-325A (Biographic info) - we were supposed to send three? Oops. We were surprised at the $20 at Walgreens for the two copies we bought. Then my husband goes, "Honey, how much did we pay for these? WOW! In Afghanistan, you can buy 20 or 40 photos for $1 or $2 and they can make the photo brighter for you too." Looks like we will need another $40....whenever we get the NOA...

I just took a picture of my husband in front of a white wall, cropped it to 2x2 and tiled them on an 8x10 canvas in photoshop and had it printed at walmart, then cut them out.

12 photos for $2.50

I hear Pittsburgh office takes a while to schedule an interview, so am curious to see others' experience, especially because we filed roughly at the same time.

Not happy to read that... but I shouldn't complain too much, since they moved their office to the building next to where I work. No need to endure the South Side anymore!

My husband got his driver's license. In PA, he only needed our certified marriage certificate, his social security #, and passport with the K1 visa in it. His license is only good for one year.

I'm currently working for my Canadian company remotely now in the US. One thing i've learned- there's almost no way to file for AOS and the permit to work and get it in 4 months after crossing (assuming I file for early parole). There's too much to do, and it all has to be done in a certain order and it all takes time. Granted, we've been dragging our feet on sending in my AOS paperwork but after going through everything to this point it was niave of me to think it could all get done in 4 months after crossing over.

I consulted 2 lawyers before accepting the offer to work remotely. Both verified it wasn't illegal and wasn't legal. It is certainly a grey area. My HR department seemed to believe it was legal as well (we had a lengthy meeting going over everything before I left) but quite honestly, I took that with a grain of salt. I won't expect to count on them if this goes sideways somehow.

A few key points- nothing changed as far as my payroll or banking went. I have a permanent Canadian address (the same I used while I was still living there). My Canadian company is global but has no US presence. For some reason, that mattered. I have not changed my maiden name in Canada either. Nothing changed over there really; in fact I only missed 2 days of work during the move.

We're planning on filing AOS in the next week or so. It took longer to save for the fee than we thought. :/

Keep giving us updates! Especially around tax time.

We were told "absolutely no" for him to work remotely. Maybe because his company is worldwide with a US presence (but he would have been working remotely for the Quebec office)? I don't know. But we were told it would be a huge problem come tax time when they would see he was working while living in the US before he got his EAD.

He's just been on a nice little vacation. He's going a little stir crazy but he's turned out to be quite an awesome house husband. haha!