Mena28

Hello there,

i am in the process of collecting my paperwork to visit the Austrian Consulate to get such fun things done as updating my passport, citizenship certificate, and getting all paperwork in order for my one year old. 
 

i have a question about the application for the Staatsbürgerschaftsnachweis - it says to include “as applicable” all kinds of things. Amongst them, parents’ birth certificates and marriage license. Makes sense for my son to include as proof of his citizenship. BUT does that mean I have to have the same? I have a Staatsbürgerschaftsnachweis already, and a passport, do I really have to get my parents’ documents from Austria?

the consulate is pretty busy I guess and is not really answering direct questions (or picking up the phone unless it’s related to emergency passports), just supplying links. And “as applicable” doesn’t really tell me if it’s applicable to me. 
 

Does anyone remember what they brought along with them?

Thank you!

I got my new green card in the mail (approved via VSC)!

I have been honestly so distracted with life that I wasn’t even thinking to look for it yet (extension letter valid until fall, and I had a looooong 10 month wait for my K-1 NOA2, so I was like, “whatever, it’s gonna take a while, I am here legally, all good”), and suddenly, there it was  

Excited not to have to think of immigration paperwork for a while now!

I hope everyone else’s come through soon too!!!

5 hours ago, skeltzer said:

Spouse's country allows for dual citizenship and he is irritated that he has lost the ability to vote (can't vote in home country and can't vote here). No politics at play here; he thinks voting is important at all levels wherever you live.

Good point. 

9 hours ago, YecaCruz said:

 

What tips the scales for us:

Husband will not loose citizenship by getting another one. I read through the Nicaraguan constitution just to make sure of that

We plan to not live in the US after he gets citizenship so we want the ease of traveling hither-to and thither-to with a US passport instead of hoping we get a tourist visa

We don't want to go back to immigrations every 10-ish years. Also the fee costs keep rising. Save that moolah and go out to eat instead. huzzah for HU-HOT or Johnny Carinos!

 

But this is 'cause he can't have his taken away as a natural-born Nica citizen. Obviously some countries don't allow for this as some others have explained.

I can't for the life of me figure out how to do multiquote while also turning the page... oh well.

Good point about being able to just have dual citizenship to be able to move without having to go through immigration yet again.

My country only allows dual citizenship if you go through an approval process with them before applying for another one - and even then it's not 100% apparently. So I am just not feeling like having to do the paperwork right now. Maybe it will change one day if we decide we want to move back and forth as well 🙂

31 minutes ago, mrandmrsBRS said:

Looks like only Vermont filers are getting the 18 month letter as of now?

Yep, I got it too (Vermont), showed up in the mail yesterday. I was actually impressed that they are being proactive now, rather than let people run into employment/travel issues in early 2019. They might be slow, but at least they thought ahead!

Personally, I am not currently planning on applying for citizenship, but I am curious what tipped the scales for people to want to do it? Do your countries/ your SO's countries allow dual citizenship or are you giving up the original citizenship?

Hi! Came to say I just successfully traveled internationally with an expired greencard plus extension letter. Was no problem with carriers or at the border.

The only one who didn't know the combo was a check-in agent at a small European airport, who was happy to read the lines pointed out and just called a supervisor to check that this was indeed a thing. She apologized and said she had just never seen it and wanted to make double sure. 

At the actual border control in the US I wasn't able to use the electronic check points (where you have to fill out the homeland security forms and get a receipt before speaking to a border control officer), and was directly sent to speak to an actual person. Again, low stress, no problems whatsoever.

I just got my biometrics letter in the mail - scheduled for 3/23, the notice date is 3/2/18, so it took forever to get here, but then we did have the storm this week, so I guess that delayed things :-)

Now I just have to go to it, then then I can go back to blissful waiting for another year :-D

Hi!

that's quite the comprehensive list you have got there!

I actually sent mine on 1/27, received 1/30, check cashed today 2/2. So far so good!

11 hours ago, edpa said:

One is fine! Good luck! 

Thanks!

Hello everyone!

I am probably way overthinking this, but did you send two checks or one combined check for the fees for the I-751 and biometrics?

We wrote just one, but now I am second guessing myself, urgh.

Other than that, we are ready to go, can't wait to get it in the mail and off my desk ;-)

Congrats to those approved and fingers crossed for those still waiting!

In the meantime I have successfully re-entered the US after a month in Europe on my GC that is missing a hyphen... Nobody brought it up, not the guys at check-in, police/ passport control before boarding, or when re-entering. Having my husband next to me may have helped. Ticket name matched passport name, GC in hyphenated name.

Interestingly, the self-service machines upon reentering gave me a giant X over my photo, the immigration officer explained that was because the computer still has me as a J-1 exchange visitor, which I am no longer and she can easily see that. One of the easiest entries ever, except the wait was pretty long.

I had forgotten to bring our marriage certificate (oops), but also wasn't asked for it.

I had the same problem (also MA), and was unable to drive until I had my full license. When I was here before though, I just drove on my foreign license, with an international license along with it, and that was fine, because I was a visitor. So your MIL can use her foreign license (bring an international one along), but your wife cant. Wait times suck, I am sorry

That's the current plan - unless I receive their response between now and May 18, of course, or someone else comes up with a better idea.

You could try having your husband write his own letter explaining work, print on work letter head and have it signed by a superior (are there any others than his grumpy lady boss? she sounds charming).

That is essentially what my husband did for any and all letters we needed from his work for evidence. His bosses were happy to sign as long as that was all they needed to do. One of them was always around, so not having a specific person needing to sign made it easier.

Good luck!

So, our GC interview is next Wednesday.. which my husband cannot make as he's running a 2-day workshop at work. As luck would have it, the field office called ME about correcting an error in my address and I explained this to the IO while on the phone. He said to write to the field office at Santa Clara (registered mail, confirmed receipt) explaining this but I haven't heard a peep out of them about rescheduling.

What should I do?

I know that missing the appointment means denial of my I-485 and the start of removal proceedings. Is it best to just turn up alone on the scheduled day with a copy of my letter, the proof of receipt and explain what's happened? I can't seem to find a number to call them back on (their call came from a blocked number) and INFOPASS appointments are not available.

I am not an expert, since I had no interview, but I have heard from others that they went on their own and it was ok. Hopefully one of them can give you a better answer!

BUT - does it say on your interview letter whether or not both of you should come?

Go and check out this topic http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/367977-thinking-of-early-walk-in-for-biometrics/page-11

it was very helpful when I had to do a late walk-in.

Good luck!

I got my combo card EAD/AP.I am still waiting my green card.

When I came here one month after we went to the social security office and they told us to come back when I will have my EAD.after receiving my EAD on macrch 16, we applied for my SSN on march 17 and I received my SSN yesterday with the mention valid for work only with DHS authorization.

you are good to work :-) the note on it doesn't do anything bad, I have had mine foreverrrrrr (got my first SSN in 2006, and updated it to reflect my name change in November 2015. That was before I even applied for AOS, so of course it came with the same notation on it). I guess now that I am an LPR I could go and update again, but I haven't yet.

basically the EAD is your work authorization that you need :-)

Congrats to everyone

I am so happy for your guys.

I received my SSN today after weeks and 3 days.

They wrote on my SSN valid for work only with DHS Authorization.what does that mean?

After receiving my green card do I need to apply for another SSN?thanks for your answers.

that is great that you got your SSN!

valid for work only with DHS authorization just means you have to have a valid permit (EAD or greencard) in order to work. If you have either one, you can work.

I think there is no need to go get it re-issued once you get your greencard, because you would have to resent both to an employer anyways, but don't quote me on it. Maybe someone else knows more about it than I do?

I'd say always do some research, bring all the correct information in case you need it, and always be calm. We were traveling domestically - so we didn't expect many issues, but they do happen. I'd even call what we went through a non-issue, as it really was a case of the first point of contact person just not knowing what to do in our case. They did ask if we had any other forms of picture ID with the new name on it, but because this 'limbo' stage, we couldn't get one. We almost had to stay on the beach until it got resolved.. the horror.

We were travelling domestically over Christmas - after getting married and filing for AOS, but before getting anything - I had my ticket in my passport name, and brought the marriage cert, but no one questioned anything. This will be international, so hm... research it is ;-)

So far I have to say that I have always been treated nicely by border control and TSA people - even when I made a mistake filling out forms years ago (entering on visa waiver), they just talked to me, let me explain my plans, looked at my stuff (documents) and sent me on my merry way, so really, haven't had any issues ever. I like to make it easy on them by being super polite, well informed, and bringing the right stuff :-D

My only other ID with my name on it is my MA driver's license which ironically has both names run together in one because my name is too long my one character, so they left away the hyphen... go figure. I thought it was such a strange thing to happen, but have since met people who have had this happen to their first names, so seems to be a thing (also two background checks using that ID came back free and clear, so it seems to work lol).

No, you aren't overthinking this. There are a few threads on VJ about this issue because some people have gotten stopped or had to get their tickets reissued at the desk in the airport because of this. I think your passport is okay, but do a little research. There are a few posts that don't agree with other's comments, so read all the way through.

I think you would use the name on your passport as is for travel, and the GC should only be applicable when you re-enter. You can't travel internationally with your GC; you must have a passport to do that.

That's what I thought, which is why I used my passport name. I mean it is hyphenated and I am taking my marriage cert, it really is still me, biometrics on everything too... I am bringing my fingers and face to make it easy to check that lol Really, I think most countries we are going to only care that my ticket, passport and face match... Didn't want to be standing in the UK, set to fly to Slovakia, explaining why my ticket name matches my US marriage cert, but not my passport.

I honestly didn't take my passport into consideration when hyphenating my name, how could I have forgotten about that? Man, I feel so stupid :-D

I will do some more research!

Also on whether or not it makes sense to update my passport while in Europe - which would leave me with my ticket name not matching anything. Goodness. I will figure it out and post about what happened afterwards!

Good luck on your travels!

Just got back from a family vacation (and no daily checking on the USCIS website). Still no updates since biometrics, so it looks like I'll be holding on a bit more. I suppose, for us, it's just waiting - and waiting we can handle.

On a side note, the foreign passport + marriage certificate worked in the airport going, but we had some issues coming back. Several TSA supervisors were needed in order to approve the ticket name not matching the name on the passport. I almost thought I'd need to break out some USCIS paperwork

glad they let you back int!

we are going to Europe over the summer, and I put my passport name (which is half of my name now, because I hyphenated them together) on the tickets. Was I supposed to put the hyphenated name on? I was always going to bring my marriage certificate, obviously, because my greencard and my passport don't match yet.

The booking page specifically said to use the name from the passport though. Ahhh.

Am I totally overthinking this?

can you do an early walk in? like go there on the next possible day instead of whenever your appointment is and explain and ask for flexibility?

There is a very helpful thread at http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/367977-thinking-of-early-walk-in-for-biometrics/page-11?hl=%2Bearly+%2Bwalk+%2Bbiometrics#entry7965208

it is about early walk ins and rescheduling experiences. Hope it helps!

that's great guys!

thank you :-)

for the resume writing - I just recently did mine and because the format is so different than what we do in AUT, I just used one of the templates on word that gives you an outlines and talks about what to include. This gave me a starting point to work with, without having to worry about formatting! I have since taken it to my schools career resource center where they looked it over and let me keep all my content (but fixed little things like all caps in the beginning, correct use of tense -all past tense - and other "cosmetic" stuff like that). I ended up using slightly different formatting than the template, but it was a great starting point - also on what to include.

a second car is nice! *thumbsup*

Greencard in hand :-)

(minus hyphen though lol)