claire

Congratulations!!!

I'm in total shock...I just got an e mail too. I was expecting it to take about a year. My NOA is May also...it got approved yesterday at CSC. California Rocks!!!

Claire

Anyone had any recent experience with the DMV (especially in Minnesota) when trying to get a new drivers licence? My AZ licence is expiring 9/14 and I am going to need to go to the DMV in Minnesota and try to get one there. I am thinking that I am going to run into problems with the extension letter. On top of the usual stuff, the extension letter is in my married name, as is my AZ licence. My passport and GC are in my maiden name. anyone have any experience or advice? thank you.

Claire

Hello everyone...hoping someone can help me out with this....

I am from the UK. Husband is US citizen. We are planning on travelling to the UK at Christmas with our new baby.

When I originally got my temporary GC it was issued in my maiden name. My passport is also currently in my maiden name. When I applied to have the conditions lifted I applied in my married name (as i had since changed my name) and put my maiden name under other names used. I got the extension letter (in June) in my married name. I am presuming that my 10 year card will not be approved before Christmas, therefore I have 2 options...

1. travel with GC = Maiden name

Passport = Maiden name

Extension letter = Married name

Marriage certificate

Buy airline ticket in maiden name

2. travel with GC = Maiden name

Passport (get changed now) = Married name

Extension letter = Married name

Marriage certificate

Buy airline ticket in married name

if you are still with me - thank you very much!!! any suggestions (and yes i know i would have saved a lot of hassle if i had just applied for my green card in my married name initially.)?

Claire

I have a similar situation. My passport and GC is in my maiden name, but everything else SS, drivers licence etc is in my married name. I want to change my passport and GC to my married name. We will be applying to remove my conditions in March 08 - and I wondered if I could fill out the form (I751) in my married name, and put my maiden name in the names previously used box (despite the fact that my 2 year green card is in my maiden name). I am sure there is a reason why I can't do this.....but I wondered if this was possible, to get round having to pay an extra fee to apply for a new green card, on top of the $275.

What do you guys think? Any help you can give me would be really appreciated.

Claire

Firstly I want to say a huge thank you to everyone on this site for their valuable input and advice. Today would not have gone half so smooth if it hadn't been for all the information I read on this site.

So, the interview....

Our appt in Phoenix was at 1.15pm. We arrived at 12.45pm and were called at 12.55pm - there were only 3 couples waiting when we arrived. The officer didn't really say anything to us at first, just did the oath. We were interviewed by a guy who is from the LA office, helping out with the backlog at Phoenix. The name on his badge was Alexander. Anyway, he was super friendly and really kept the interview on a seemingly informal basis........Mike said he got the impression that this was to observe the way we interact with each other and I think this was probably the case. The interview lasted about half an hour, longer than I expected, this wasn't because there were any problems, just because he was extremely thorough.

He had all our information in front of him, and went through each form, confirming all information (he never asked us questions like addresses, telephone numbers, birthdates etc - he just said them and asked us to confirm that they were correct). He asked me the standard terrorism, prostitution questions.

He then asked to see our joint evidence - we showed him bank statements, insurance (house, car, life), cell phone bills and joint tax return. He kept the tax return and the bank statements. He then looked through our wedding album.......on the last page of our album there is a shot on a bridge of everyone who came to the wedding (95 people) with us in front of them.......he said, this is what we are looking for, evidence that you had people at your wedding. He then looked at a couple of additional photos we had, and asked us where we were in a couple of them.

He confirmed I had my medical done, the date I had my fingerprints, told me my name check had been cleared and then went online to approve me.....he told me to expect my green card in about 2-3 weeks. He did not ask for my parole document back.

Questions that we were asked along the way (the ones I remember!):

He asked if the bank account and house were Mikes originally

Had we been married before

Are we still married?

Are we intending to stay married?

Any children from our relationship or any prior relationships

How long we had known each other

I had an old J1 from being a camp counselor and he asked a bit about that

Looked through my passport to see where I had been, and asked me about a couple of places.

Asked what I was studying and how much longer til I finish

Did I receive a stipend from the university for my assistantship

Asked Mike to explain his job

Did we have anyone else living at home (only our dog, Austin!!)

Was I pregnant!?!? (I'm hoping this is a standard question, and not based on the fact that he thinks I'm looking a little porky!)

Did we live together before we got married?

Why did we decide to get married?

Which of Mikes family members came to the wedding?

How was married life?

Asked Mike did I coerce or blackmail him into filing the I130 (I think this one was a joke!)

Things we took that he did not ask for:

Letters from our employers

Our pay stubs

Our birth certificates

Certified marriage certificates (he did ask to see the original)

Our wedding cards

Correspondence

Notices from DHS

Mikes old tax returns

Advance Parole document

Like I said, the whole thing was conducted in an informal manner, along the way we talked about things like the other offices he had worked at around the country. He saw that Mike is from California and talked to him quite a bit about different parts of California. It was definitely longer than I thought, and very thorough, but overall a very good experience. I am now looking forward to getting my conditions lifted in 2 years.

Thanks again everyone - my file was so prepared and easy to find things all because of you guys. I wish everyone else lots of luck on their visa journeys - and particularly good luck to Anastacia who I know has her interview in Phoenix on Friday and Molly and Stephen or have their interview in Phoenix in July. Let me know if you have any questions.

Good morning everybody,

I'm just feeling tired about the waiting game of EAD right now, so I write this email. I wanna hear you guys suggestion for above subject.

I submit my AOS on April (NOA1 on April 18), done my bio on April 29. We have a plan to go back to my home country at end of Sept and we were hoping to get the Green card before our trip, saving 170. Now is June already and I wonder should I just apply for AP? What do you guys think? I see some people got their AP really quick and I know it's really depend on your luck.

Anyway, I love to hear what you think about that. Thank you so much!

From reading peoples experiences on this site it seems that a 5 month turnaround from NOA to green card is extremely hopeful! If you have your hearts set on going home in September I would definitely apply for the AP - some people do get it really quick, and some people don't (mine took 130 days). I guess you do run the risk of getting your AP and being called for an interview about the same time, and therefore wasting the money.....so I suppose it depends how much you want to go home at that specific time. Have you looked up the processing dates for your local office to see what month month they are currently processing? Have you had your biometrics done yet?

Come on people!!!

I cannot believe that no one has used their AP!!!

I made a search, and I know how everyone planned to use it. But no one has posted their experience coming back!!

It is not life or death, but it'd be nice to know what to expect... no?

Ana

I used it once - coming back from a cruise. Lots of blank faces and waiting til they had dealt with everyone else, but it was fine. I will post again after Tuesday - I am entering the US from England - so in a slightly more conventional way this time, so I think my experience will be more valid. We have our interview a week after I get back.

Congratulations on getting your green card approved. How exciting!!! I'm glad it went well. We are in Phoenix as well and are waiting for our AOS interview. Can you please tell us what your application date was for the adjustment of status? I'd just like to get an idea of where they are really at in interviewing. I was at the office today and they told me that our case is still at the MSC and they are still doing interviews for applications in May 2005. Our date is in December 2005 so we still have some time to wait if they are being real with me on the current dates. Anyway, thanks. And congrats again!!!

Molly

Hi Molly,

We are also in Phoenix. Our application date was right before yours in November 2005 and we received our interview notice a few weeks ago. Our interview is in just under 2 weeks - 21st June. So your interview notice is hopefully right around the corner. We can't wait for the interview.....we are going away for our anniversary right afterwards so I hope they are going to stamp my passport! Good luck, keep us posted.

We have our interview in Phoenix 2 weeks tomorrow. I was curious as to whether people have taken/or are planning to take to their interviews letters from their relatives/friends. Is it a good idea to do this? Who is a good idea to ask for letters (ie I am sure they wouldnt be interested in letters from my family friends in the UK?!?) and what information should they include in the letters.

Hope this makes sense. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Claire and Mike

None of this should worry you, if your marriage was and is truly bona fide.

I've seen people talk about bringing letters before and was just curious as to the expectation that you bring these with you. However, I appreciate your helpful input as I always enjoy your policing of the authenticity of people's marriages. We've managed to keep up the pretense for 9 years......so once we struggle through to our Golden wedding anniversary I'll be sure to send you an invite.

Hi everyone,

I filed for adjustment of status back in October 2005, everything was fine as far as communication with the USCIS is concerned ,suddenly in january they sent me an email saying '' our last writen notice was returned as undeliverable.....'' i never moved or changed my address but unfortunatelly I never received the mail .Since I already made the fingerprints for the I-485 ,i imagined it was the interview letter .From january to april I've been calling the customer lines services and each time they gave me confirmation numbers proving that I called. In the meantime I email the CSC on the 27th of march to see if they knew where my file is ,they answered 2 weeks later saying that my file was in phoenix. Unfortunatelly, I received a denial letter of my i-485 application cancelling my work permit and my social security number on April 11 2006 and the reason was the failure to appear to an interview.once again,I never receive the interview letter.

Thanks to the support of the members of this site and Grouchy in particular, I filed a motion to reopen my case and i went for an infopass ,the officer was not very helpful,so i paid 385 dollars to reopen the case and she said it will take a year or more to do so and it was not even sure that they were going to do it. So ,i paid and file the form I -290B and explain with all the proofs that i had that I never received the mail calling me to an interview and send the copy of the file plus the evidence to Chicago lockbox on april 28th before the expiration of 30 days. On May 1st ,my husband called the senator John Mc Cain office ( thank God for that great man) and explain everything to a lady in his office , they said they'll make an inquiry .

Today May the 20th almost a month after I filed the motion to reopen,I received my interview letter for june,02 ,2006. I'm so excited .

my thoughts to you all is that normally after the I-485 biometrics ,the next mail is the interview letter ,if it takes a long time and you don't hear anything for your file, make an infopass appointment just to see and most of all keep your faith in God. My journey is not over but at least my file is back on track i'm no more out of status. Thank you all and thank you Anastasia.

I'm with you - thank God for Senator McCain - he's the best!!! I am home in England right now (and I have an interview in Phoenix for June 21st) and I wholly attribute it to him - he's the best!!!

someone told me that if i have a H-1 visa, and my I-485/I-130 petition is pending, i DO NOT need to file I-131, Application for Travel Document??

is this true?

My understanding is that you are good to go........lucky you!!!!

We have our interview in Phoenix 2 weeks tomorrow. I was curious as to whether people have taken/or are planning to take to their interviews letters from their relatives/friends. Is it a good idea to do this? Who is a good idea to ask for letters (ie I am sure they wouldnt be interested in letters from my family friends in the UK?!?) and what information should they include in the letters.

Hope this makes sense. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Claire and Mike

I would try and approach a senator that is up for election - I think that drastically improves your chance of help/a quick response (am I too cynical????)

Just wanted to let everybody know that DHL just stopped by with my AP!!!! YEAY!!!!!

Congratulations. I am so happy for you. Now go home and enjoy your wedding!

I feel so bad for you. I would get on the phone with your senator's office NOW. Or, as my husband did, just drive down there and walk in. Beg, plead, do whatever is necessary. Our congressman tried to help us with AP, but was getting nowhere. A week after my husband went to Senator McCain's office I had the document in my hand. He sent us the e mail correspondence later that went back and forth between his office and the MSC - so I am pretty convinced that he moved things for us, rather than it being a coincidence.

Find someone who is in a position to help you and hopefully they will feel bad for you and help you out.

GOOD LUCK and keep us posted.

I am going to state on 24th May and we are getting married on the 26th May. ( under K1 visa )

I am planning to file AOS/ AP somwhere mid June...

We are going to have a relegious ceremony back in my home country somewhere in September/October. So I will obvously need the AP by then.

Do you think it is possible?

Be really careful when you file your AOS to not make any mistakes. I had an RFE and that really delayed my AP, which seems to have happened with other people on this site too. I think if you don't get an RFE then your time frame is fine - if you do then it will take longer.

Congratulations, Anastasia and Claire on your interview dates. We are in Phoenix as well and our receipt date for our I485 is December 29, 2005. Hopefully we will be getting an interview soon as well. I can only hope that our AOS goes better and quicker than our EAD, which we are still waiting for four and a half months after filing.

I am wondering if you received any kind of notification that your AOS case was transferred from the MSC to the Phoenix office or did you just receive interview letters as the first indication?

Thanks. Congrats again!

Molly

I was totally shocked to receive the interview letter. My case was not touched since they received my RFE and medical back in February. I hope you get an interview date soon.

Thanks for all your help. I hope I don't get too many blank faces when I present my AP!!

My husband and I will be going on our honeymoon on Friday. This will be the first time I use my AP. We are going on a cruise. When the cruise ship gets back to Tampa (which i presume is where we will clear immigration) what should we do...

a) me go through non-citizens my husband through citizens

B) both of us go through non-citizens together

c) both of us go through citizens together

This is probably a dumb question, but I just want to do the right thing. Thanks for any helpful input.

We also got out interview notice in the mail yesterday. We're from Phoenix too. We are 2 days before you - 21st June at 1.15pm. i freaked out when I saw the notice - I am in England until 13th June and was worried it had been set up for while I was away. Good luck with your interview.

Good luck to you too Let me know how it went once you're done

I definitely will - I wish you were first!!

Got the interview notice today in the mail, the interview will be on 23rd June. I'm from Phoenix, and Phoenix used to take forever for such things, I'm glad it's speeding up now

Here's something interesting I noticed, the AOS case online was never touched again after the biometrics, but I knew something is cooking because recently on 1st and 2nd may the EAD case was touched. It didn't make any sense because it's already been approved and I got the card in the mail the week before. I looked at the interview letter cover and it was stamped may 2nd as the date it was sent out. I believe the touch on the EAD case was because they were sending out the interview letter.

We also got out interview notice in the mail yesterday. We're from Phoenix too. We are 2 days before you - 21st June at 1.15pm. i freaked out when I saw the notice - I am in England until 13th June and was worried it had been set up for while I was away. Good luck with your interview.

When both me and my daughter used our AP's for the first time, we only took one copy with us. At the border (we drove into the U.S. on our return from Canada), we had to go inside and they stamped the AP document as well as put a stamp in our passports.

After the first trip, we only used our passports to re-enter the U.S. The stamp was all we needed, so we didn't take the AP documents with us after that.

Rayma did you and your daughter each get 2 copies of the AP? I was expectiong to just get one....do you have any idea why they would give me two...both originals? They didn't take the AP document away from you then? Just want to know what to expect upon returning...thanks.

Maureen

I got 2 copies as well. I think I have seen posted on here before that they usually take one away from you the first time you use it.

I waited 130 days for my AP too - and I am sure my RFE is what messed it up. We got the congressman involved - and they ended up just as frustrated as us. Once Senator McCain was involved it was 10 days until I had the document in hand. Maybe a coincidence.....but I was sold!! I totally understand your desperation to get the AP and I would go down whatever path you need to to get it. Check out the website of your congressman and senator - there are usually instructions on what to do. GOOD LUCK!!!

i received Notice of action for I 130 petition . Name is written incorrect on Beneficiary portion of NOA.

what should i do. How can i inform USCIS to correct it??

What doctach?documnets should i attach?

Ans

This happened to us. I called the misinformation line to correct it and after holding for 45 minutes was told that as it was on the I130 and this form is filed by the petitioner that my husband would have to call. So he called them - got through pretty quickly - but they seemed to really struggle to figure out how to change that O to a D. He kept being put on hold and put on with other people - in the end they told him it would take 30 days (!) and we have never heard anything else. I posted a few months ago asking if we should receive a new NOA - the general consensus seemed to be not to worry about it and that as we had informed them it should be okay at the interview.

Without any supporting documents (I can't get hold of the doctor) is there any chance they will approve me in a day?

If she is in a hospital or hospice, then a letter from any medical personnel there would probably do, I don't think it needs to be her specific doctor. When I asked about emergency AP at Phoenix - they kept repeating that they needed documentation of the prognosis. Another thing I wanted to let you know is that I was told I would be required to repay the 170 dollars and the local office only issues single entry APs.......this seems to be pretty variable, I know other people have been told the same thing, but others did not have to repay. So, I guess you should be prepared to pay again tomorrow, just in case........GOOD LUCK!!