needsmorebutter

We received our approval letter in the mail today!!! Decision date was 12/23/14. Best Christmas present ever!

Best of luck to everyone who's still waiting and Happy Holidays, all!

California Service Center (24 applicants, 20 approved - 83%)

VJName............Date of I-751....NOA1 Date.....Biometrics.....Approved
USER19000............03/31/14.......04/01/14......04/30/14......06/17/14
SMS78................03/31/14.......04/07/14......04/30/14......06/25/14
317935...............03/31/14.......04/08/14......05/12/14......07/07/14
CARYH................04/01/14.......04/03/14......04/30/14......06/24/14(Early Bio 04/18)
MRS.R................04/01/14.......04/02/14......05/01/14......08/08/14
PURSUEURDREAM........04/03/14.......04/07/14......05/02/14......07/07/14(Early Bio 04/28)
CRYSTALSOUND.........04/04/14.......04/07/14......05/02/14......06/17/14
LAINIEB..............04/08/14.......04/14/14......05/07/14......06/26/14(Early Bio 05/01)
PENNY LANE...........04/08/14.......04/10/14......05/02/14......06/24/14
SIMPLYNICE12.........04/14/14.......04/15/14......05/09/14......06/23/14(Early Bio 05/07)
STERNUM888...........04/18/14.......04/21/14......05/16/14......06/??/14
KISH.2328............04/18/14.......04/21/14......05/23/14......07/29/14
RAGHU2383............04/19/14.......04/23/14.......CURRENT......07/07/14
HINDI................04/21/14.......04/23/14......05/29/14......09/30/14
CHOOCHOOPANDA........04/21/14.......04/23/14.......CURRENT......08/18/14
SISYPHUS.............04/22/14.......05/05/14......--/--/--......--/--/--
GREENWINE............04/23/14.......04/24/14.......CURRENT......06/24/14
LUPA222..............04/23/14.......04/28/14.......CURRENT......--/--/--
CANUCK JULIE.........04/24/14.......04/25/14.......CURRENT......06/25/14
ISSEY................04/24/14.......04/25/14.......CURRENT......07/01/14
MDM24................04/24/14.......04/28/14......05/20/14......--/--/--
N_KEVIN..............04/25/14.......04/29/14......07/07/14......06/29/14(Early Bio 07/01)
NENE815..............04/26/14.......05/05/14.......CURRENT......07/11/14
PETER_MIRIAM.........04/29/14.......05/06/14......06/02/14......--/--/--


Vermont Service Center (52 applicants, 38 approved - 73%)

VJName.............Date of I-751....NOA1 Date....Biometrics.....Approved
XPRSURSLF............03/27/14.......04/01/14......05/01/14......11/07/14
KENNY874REAL.........03/27/14.......04/15/14.......CURRENT......--/--/--(waiver)
MIKE N SANDY.........03/28/14.......04/01/14......04/30/14......12/03/14
PAICHE19.............03/29/14.......04/01/14......05/06/14......10/31/14
SILVERLINE75.........03/29/14.......04/03/14......05/06/14......10/27/14
CAROLINEDEN11........03/30/14.......04/08/14......05/07/14......10/22/14
SANDI2011............03/31/14.......04/08/14......05/01/14......11/03/14
DOUG&PAM.............04/02/14.......04/04/14......05/01/14......11/05/14
DAVEnROXY............04/03/14.......04/07/14......05/06/14......11/12/14
MILKI422.............04/03/14.......04/07/14......05/14/14......--/--/--(RFE received 10/30)
PPLOVER..............04/04/14.......04/07/14......05/06/14......10/29/14
GEORGERAMSARAN.......04/04/14.......04/07/14......05/13/14......--/--/--(Early Bio 05/09)
DC85.................04/04/14.......04/07/14......05/13/14......10/16/14(former myafi1985)(Early Bio 04/23)
DIMPLES..............04/05/14.......04/10/14......05/16/14......--/--/--
NEEDSMOREBUTTER......04/05/14.......04/14/14.......CURRENT......12/23/14
UP AND AWAY..........04/07/14.......04/09/14......05/08/14......10/14/14
JAY21................04/07/14.......04/10/14......05/21/14......10/20/14
ABEDOX...............04/07/14.......04/15/14......04/28/14......10/14/14
APRILPAM77...........04/08/14.......04/11/14......CURRENT.......11/06/14
NEVLUVSNAE...........04/08/14.......04/11/14.......CURRENT......11/12/14
MAKA.................04/08/14.......04/10/14......05/25/14......--/--/--(Early Bio 05/13)(As of 11/01, waiting for an Interview date to schedule)
INYONG...............04/09/14.......04/10/14.......CURRENT......11/25/14
PETERANDROBIN........04/09/14.......04/11/14.......CURRENT......12/23/14
WRIGHTFAMILY.........04/09/14.......04/21/14......05/14/14......10/29/14
GAMUT................04/09/14.......04/14/14.......CURRENT......11/06/14
BOND007..............04/09/14.......04/14/14......--/--/14......11/04/14
TORONTOGAL4388.......04/10/14.......04/14/14......05/27/14......12/05/14
MESSI10..............04/10/14.......04/11/14......05/23/14......--/--/--
NY123................04/11/14.......04/--/14......05/30/14......10/24/14
KELAD................04/12/14.......04/16/14......06/04/14......10/30/14
SULHAQ...............04/12/14.......04/15/14......06/13/14......10/29/14
KHUSAL...............04/12/14.......04/16/14......06/02/14......11/14/14
NEVIN................04/12/14.......05/05/14.......CURRENT......--/--/--
SL2014...............04/13/14.......04/18/14......--/--/14......--/--/--
JOYBEE...............04/14/14.......04/18/14......06/04/14......11/05/14
NEELA & JITU.........04/15/14.......04/18/14......06/04/14......11/04/14(Early Bio 05/16)
EVOPC................04/15/14.......04/17/14......--/--/14......11/13/14
SCRAPPYPICKLES.......04/16/14.......04/17/14......--/--/14......--/--/--

WAKWANZA.............04/16/14.......04/21/14.......CURRENT......--/--/--(RFE received 11/13, responded 11/20)
GOOGLED..............04/17/14.......04/22/14...... CURRENT......11/01/14
MADISONJAX...........04/17/14.......04/22/14.......CURRENT......11/24/14
MRS.GRANT............04/17/14.......04/21/14.......CURRENT......11/10/14
BLANK STARE85........04/17/14.......04/21/14.......CURRENT......10/31/14(RFE received 10/07, responded 10/14)
ALEX AND SOFYA.......04/21/14.......04/28/14.......CURRENT......11/04/14
PATRICK&SARAH........04/21/14.......04/22/14.......CURRENT......10/30/14
SNAPDRAGON...........04/23/14.......04/28/14......--/--/14......--/--/--
MAHYLAND.............04/24/14.......05/01/14.......CURRENT......12/05/14
MDBR.................04/24/14.......04/28/14......--/--/14......--/--/--
LIZKA................04/24/14.......04/28/14......06/05/14......--/--/--(RFE received 11/14)
DLR & M..............04/26/14.......04/29/14......06/03/14......12/09/14
PETER D..............04/26/14.......04/29/14......06/10/14......--/--/--(RFE received 11/13 dated 11/10)
VICANO...............04/28/14.......04/29/14.......CURRENT......11/14/14


IMPORTANT!

* Make sure that your VJ Text Editor setting is set to Rich Text Editor.
* Go to the MOST RECENTLY POSTED VERSION of this list (go to the last post and scroll UP) and "Reply" to it, deleting the "quote" tags in your reply.
* Please DO NOT change the font, font size, add colors, stuff like that.
* Please PREVIEW before posting to make sure it is properly formatted.
* Please check that you have not deleted anyone's NAME & DATA. Also please check that you have not deleted the name of the Service Center.

Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your petition
NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter
Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment
Approved = The Date your case was approved

* Please Capitalize your VJ Name when adding it to the list.
* When you're on this list, please come back to update your information accordingly.
* If you cannot add your information yourself, please ask another VJ member to help you do so.

Congratulations!

Haven't heard of that happening before, but I do know that USCIS sometimes use your old biometrics instead. If USCIS confirmed it when you called, I wouldn't be too worried, unless you do get a notice down the line with a new appointment date.

Just my two cents... hopefully you'll hear from someone with more direct experience!

Hi there,

As I understand it, there are two ways to fill out the i-864 affidavit of support if the petitioner (I'm assuming this is you) does not meet the income qualifications:

1. The petitioner fills out and submits a form i-864, and asks a household member (i.e. your husband) to fill out the supplemental i-864A to certify that his assets will also be used to support the intended immigrant (i.e. your mother). In this case, the sponsor and household member's assets will be added together to help meet the 125% threshold. This is probably the best option for you, assuming that you and your husband share a residence, and seems to be the one USCIS is suggesting you take.

2. Another USC/PR submits another i-864 as a joint sponsor. This is the option to take if your husband has a different address, or if you'd like to use someone else who doesn't live with you as a sponsor.

Note that in both of these cases, you, as the petitioner, would still need to fill out an i-864. You'll just have to check the "unemployed" box and put your income as 0 (unless you're earning income from assets etc). You could opt to include a cover letter to the form stating that you're the homemaker while your husband works, and he is happy to sponsor your mother, if you'd like.

On a side note, I see "filed for adjustment of status (approved)" on your profile. Since your mom's case is still pending, have you gone through this process successfully for someone else before?

Hi everyone! Just got off the phone with a level 2 rep. He said that my case had been assigned to an officer at the VT service center on December 2nd for a decision, and I should expect to hear back within 30-45 days. He said that the usual wait time after a case has been assigned is 30 days, but with the holidays coming up, I could expect it to take around 45.

Not sure what my case has been doing for the past 8 months, but hey, at least this is progress. argh. ::headdesk::

hang in there, everyone!

Yup! You are correct. Your mother-in-law can apply as the joint sponsor instead if your wife cannot not meet the income requirement.

Good luck!

I'd include as many different forms of proof as you can provide. If you don't have a whole lot of proof around common residency, I'd beef up on other kinds of proof to show that you guys have built a life together. I have a friend who was in a similar situation - she entered the US on a K1 visa, and for the first two years of marriage she and her husband lived with her in-laws. As a result, they didn't have a joint lease or mortgage. However, they were still able to establish proof of a "bona fide" marriage through other evidence, and she was able to get a green card and remove conditions with no problems.

As other commenters have mentioned, even if your bank can't issue an english language statement, you should still open an account and obtain the chinese language one and get it professionally translated. On that note, you can use foreign language documents as proof as long as you get them professionally translated.

Getting an affidavit or two (say from your dad and maybe someone else who knows you as a couple) would be helpful, but I wouldn't rely on that alone. Here are some other stuff that you could think about including:

- photos of you two together at various events, on trips etc.

- itineraries/invoices from trips taken together

- insurance policies showing each other as a beneficiary

- joint credit cards

- email correspondence

- phone bill showing a shared phone plan plus call histories

- joint tax returns

- any letter or mail sent to you both at the same address

- any joint memberships to gyms, clubs etc

- a cover letter summarizing your relationship so far.

it's hard to tell how little or how much to include, but I'd say err on the side of too much than too little good luck!

Are there always TSA agent who checks it on domestic flights?

I have never tried and so i'm curious on how actually it works, i just really want to visit my girlfriend and get bonded over time.

Yeah, there's usually an agent who checks your ID and boarding pass right before you get into the security check line. As other commenters have mentioned, they are mainly looking to confirm your identity, but there's nothing to stop them from questioning your immigration status if they have reason to do so (like the lack of a visa in the passport you use). The process is different - and less stringent - than when you enter/exit via an international flight. Driver's licenses and other state IDs can usually be used.

Your passport is an universal ID document. Airlines and TSA do not care about your immigration status unless you are entering or leaving the country, all they require to do is verify that the purcharser of that ticket is the person on that flight.

I suggest you do not show your expired DL to avoid issues, whatever identification you use has to be valid.

Every time I've traveled domestically with my foreign passport, the TSA agent always flips to my visa page. Once, when we were traveling from NJ to FL, friend of mine who's a dual US/Colombia citizen decided to use his brand new Colombian passport as identification. The TSA agent wouldn't let him through because the passport didn't contain a valid US visa, and he had to pull out his US passport and explain the situation.

Jose & Eli, has your experience been different?

Hello there,

Typically, she'll have to make an appointment at the consulate closest to her. The process varies a bit depending on where you are - it's best to check with the consulate she's looking to visit. At the appointment, she'll have to bring along a copy of the application receipt, the fee receipt, her passport, photos and any other supporting documents as stated on the consulate's website. At the appointment, she'll get a short interview and they'll take all the paperwork. They'll then either return her passport (with the visa inside, if she gets approved) by mail or notify her to go pick it up.

Wait time varies, but in my experience, short-term, non-immigrant visas (like a B-2 tourist visa) don't take longer than 3-4 weeks. I believe that most consulates also have an expedited route that you could pursue, should you need the visa sooner. Again, you'll need to check the consulate's website directly.

She can remove conditions without you, if she proved that she entered the marriage in good faith.

Did you already meet your fiancée in person?

Not to mention the fact that divorce doesn't necessarily end the sponsor's obligations.

It's also important to remember that the sponsor(s) has obligations not only to the state, but also to the immigrant as well. The i-864 is considered a legally binding contract, and the immigrant can, in fact, sue the sponsor for the support. While, as far as I know, this scenario rarely happens, there is legal precedence for it.

To give a simple answer to your question, I don't personally know of any cases where a sponsor has been sued by either the state or the immigrant, but my sample size is very limited.

I think the question you should be asking here (and what your mom is probably asking) is not how common this is likely to occur, but how likely it is in your particular situation. In other words, you should be asking yourself how well you know this woman and how much you can trust her.

It's like with marriage in general - the question you should ask before getting married is not how likely marriages are to survive (not likely), but how sure are you of your relationship.

Have your parents met your fiancee? Have they had a chance to interact with her, at least over skype? From what you've described here, it seems like you are asking your mom to stick her neck out, so to speak, for a stranger... I would have reservations too, if I were her. In her shoes, I'd be way more interested in knowing what kind of person your fiancee is (by getting to know her) than in knowing "how likely" it is for sponsors to be called on their obligations.

On a side note, you mentioned that your fiancee is interested in taking on the role of breadwinner once she moves here. This is all good in the long run, but have you guys discussed what will happen in the short term when she first moves here? What would you guys do if she doesn't find work straightaway? Will you both live off of your savings? Will your parents support you both? What happens if it takes more than a few months?

In my case, I never received the appointment notice because they ended up using my old biometrics! Apparently, this is fairly common... though they won't tell you unless you bug them endlessly over the phone.

Since it hasn't been that long yet, you could still receive a notice. If you're afraid of missing it, you could try to walk in to an ASC and get yours done early (I believe this is still an available option?).

The week before you leave and while you're gone, you should definitely try calling USCIS. select "don't have a receipt number" option and ask to speak to a tier 2 officer if the first person you speak to can't give you any information. If an appointment notice has been mailed out to you, the tier-2 person, at the very least, should have that information.

My guess, though, is that they won't schedule any appointments around the holidays and you should be fine, but i could be wrong....

I guess I was confused when submitting as I did not go in for the medical, only filled my portion and thought they set it up?

Then good thing you asked! They don't set it up for you - you're responsible for setting one up and submitting an i-693 completed by an eligible doctor along with the rest of your application

You'll need to set up an appointment with a designated civil surgeon (you can't just go to any doctor). Bring the form with you to your appointment (fill out your portion but do not sign it). The doctor will complete the form, ask you to sign it and hand it back to you in a sealed envelope. You'll need to submit the form in the sealed envelope, otherwise USCIS won't accept it.

You'll want to do this as soon as possible, since sometimes you'll need to go in for follow-up appointments (e.g. to get vaccinated).

The complete instructions plus the list of civil surgeons can be found on the USCIS page: http://www.uscis.gov/i-693

As a side note, since a part of the process is making sure that your vaccinations are up-to-date, I'd highly recommend bringing your vaccination records (and any other medical records) with you to help speed up the process.

Does your RFE ask for a new form to be submitted? If not, I imagine you'll get the form returned to you in the mail once they start processing again, which could delay your paperwork even further. I reckon you should be able to submit a new (completed) copy along with your other RFE documents (maybe include a cover letter indicating why you're including a new copy), but I would call to check.

Good luck!

Yes, I believe everything stops until the

Hello all VJs,

I came into the US on an F-1. Upon graduating I got my ead card which expired the end of November 2014. I filed my i-130, i-485, i-693, i-765, and i-864 in October 2014 and got this update for my i-485:

On November 26, 2014, we suspended processing of your case, Receipt Number XXXX, because we need more information from you. Your notice explains what we need from you to resume work on your case. We will not take action on your case until we receive the evidence or the deadline to submit it expires.

Since I would like to work while this is processing, will this RFE delay my work authorization? Does it completely stop the processing of all my forms?

Also, when do I go in for my medical exam? Will they tell me?

Thanks all!

Yes, I believe everything stops until the new docs are received.

You were supposed to include the medical examination results (I-693) in your I-485 application. Probably what they need from you.

Nevermind, I just noticed you have included it. I am confused though why you asked when you have to go for your medical?

Seconding this reply - if you went in for a medical and submitted the corresponding i-693 filled out by your doctor, you are all good to go. Could you please clarify?

Nutella!

Just curious, how did you find out they were going to use your old biometrics?

Hi Khwaidee1,

The short answer is by pulling teeth

For the first couple months after getting the receipt in the mail, I was unable to track my case status using my receipt number on their website or over the phone. At this point, I was getting pretty worried, because we were in the midst of a cross country move, and I hadn't received a notice for a biometrics appointment yet (they usually come within a month of the receipt, I think). I was basically stuck in this catch-22 where I didn't have an active case number because I didn't have a biometrics appointment notice, but I wasn't able to find out if/when one had been issued because I didn't have the active case number!

Right after the 2-month point, I called again and was transferred to a tier-2 officer who told me that they were going to use my old biometrics (it was done in the US 2 years ago when we filed my AOS). He also gave me a new case number that I was able to use to track my case up until the website went kaput a few weeks ago.

So moral of the story here is: 1) they won't reach out to tell you whether or not you need a biometrics appointment. You'll just need to call and find out for yourself. 2) If you're getting nowhere over the phone, you need to ask for a tier-2 officer (thanks VJ'ers for this tidbit!).

Hello! Congrats on your first 3 years and on surviving the first round of the process!

We filed my Removal of Conditions paperwork earlier this year and are still waiting (urgh). I was under the impression that they'd rather everyone file their paperwork with the biometric fees. In any case, we filed with the full $590, and later found out that they were just going to use my old biometrics. It's frustrating, but I'd rather waste $85 than have the application be delayed or rejected.

In hindsight, I wonder if I could have cut 2 checks, one for the base fee and the other for the biometrics (and potentially have them cash only one of them)?

I'm not aware of any sure way to determine whether they'll actually do a new one or not - I'm also curious to see if I missed something that could have saved me $85!

Congrats on getting married! woot!

If I remember correctly, there should be a visa number on your F1 visa. If I remember correctly, it's the red number in the right hand corner (if you look at your stamped i-20, it might help to confirm too).

As for the consulate, that would be the office/city where you got the visa from. I think this is in the top left hand corner under "issuing post."

Good luck!

I'm tardy to the party over here, but thought I'd better add myself to the list!

Spoke to USCIS this morning - the agent told me that the website/system is still kaput, and that VT is still going through March. Wahhhhhhhhh!

I've been in the US for about a decade now ( high school, then college and now as an adult/married person). Even though I've adjusted to life here pretty well, there are times when I feel overwhelmed too. It's not just about being in a foreign country and getting used to a different culture, but also about adjusting to life without the support system you'd grown up with (like being able to call up your dad and ask him for directions!). In addition, there's also (for me at least), the experience gap now between my family and me that makes having conversations and asking for advice even more difficult.

The thing that's been the most overwhelming for me has been figuring out healthcare - from understanding my health insurance and benefits, to figuring out where I need to go for different things, to learning the protocol for getting different types of care. Then there's getting the bill in the mail and trying to decipher THAT! But I am learning, and it's all getting easier.

I totally understand how you feel about not wanting to pester people. I feel the same way! I think it's important to realize that those people may feel the same way about not wanting to pester you, and so neither party ends up reaching out to one another! Since moving to a new city, I've been trying harder to reach out to people with that in mind. You'll find out pretty quickly if they're going to become a friend or just remain an acquaintance... but until you forfeit your game of politeness chicken, you'll never know

So keep your head up... it can be hard and overwhelming at times... but I'm sure there are good days too. I hope that you are able to communicate with your partner and find the support you need

Correct. We sent tax returns, no w2.

The information from the w2 is replicated in the tax returns anyway, no?

When it comes to the USCIS, I always tend towards providing more evidence than necessary - better safe than sorry! We provided both tax returns and pay stubs, just to be sure.

Is there any documentation of the benefits she is receiving from her retirement/pension funds? if so, I would submit that.

The hubby and I met at college, and we got married in the states at the end of my OPT period so that I could adjust my status from F-1. Since we already had a shared lease and a life together in the States, it made a lot more sense for us.

If you end up choosing the marriage/adjustment route over the K1 route, you don't necessarily have to change your wedding date. You could have a civil ceremony performed at city hall with just the two of you (and a couple of other witnesses, if you want) to get the paperwork side done, and then use your original date to throw your wedding "party." That's what we ended up doing: since neither of us are religious, we were going to have a civil ceremony anyway, so it was all the same to us. This approach also had the added benefit of separating the immigration paperwork headache from the wedding planning headache too!

Welcome to the forum.

Hmmm.... they took our money, and I had to chauffeur my wife and stepson for their ROC biometrics appointment in mid-September.

Go figure..........

And now the wad o'paper is sitting somewhere in Laguna Niguel....... yawn.....

YMMV.

Thanks for the reply, R&B! Hope you guys hear back on that wad o' paper soon

Be patient, it will finish before you even know. good luck.

Thanks, Nancy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I changed my address a couple of times since submitting the paper work (we moved to the other side of the country, had a sublet for a couple months before finding a year lease), I got confirmations in the mail for both changes, so hopefully they won't screw up and send things to the wrong address

Hey Romet,

I have no direct experience with the age difference question, but I would venture a guess that, by itself, it shouldn't be enough for a denial. In other words, if you are able to build a good case for a "bona fide" relationship with all of your other evidence, it shouldn't matter to them (after all, lots of couples out there have 10+ year age differences). If it were me, I would give the same answer that I would give to anybody else who asks - that it doesn't matter to us, and that it doesn't change the way I feel about my SO and so on. How do you/ would you answer that question if, say, your friends were to ask you?

My two cents is to beef up on all of your other evidence: photos of you guys together, photos of you with her kids, itineraries from her visits, correspondence, affidavits from people who know you both etc etc so that they have more positives to focus on in your case than negatives.

Good luck!

Along with all the threatening text messages.

if she's actually threatening you (and especially if she continues to harass you after you break it off), you might want to consider getting a restraining order.