stanislavski

Perhaps someone with more expertise will chime in but as far as my own experience shows, your passport always has to be valid in order for any changes in status to take place. Tourist visas are not given by most countries unless the passport is valid 3 - 6 months beyond the visa expiration. It stands to reason the same would apply to AOS. Why not call USCIS and ask?

An additional question: you say your visa expired in October 2014. Have you been in the US since then out of status?

Hello all,

very happy to announce that my application for permanent residency has been approved. Here's my timeline should anyone be interested (I am a Canadian citizen, born in Czechoslovakia):

12/7/2011 - entered the US on an O-1 ("alien of extraordinary merit") visa, working in Orlando, FL for an L.A. based production company

7/15/2014 - married a U.S. citizen

9/1/2014 - application for adjustment of status received by USCIS

mid-October 2014 - biometrics and medicals

mid-November - EA and AP card received

3/3/2015 (my birthday!!) - interview

3/4/2015 - APPROVED

A 6 month process almost to the day. Total cost of about $5K (same for my O-1 visa, so total 10K in 4 years, pretty steep)

(If this is of any interest to any of you, I can compare the process in Canada and the US, since I had sponsored my ex-wife to Canada in the late 90's. The Canadian process is less expensive (not by much) It takes substantially longer (Canada receives 3x as many immigrants per capita as the the US). There is no interview involved, just a decision notification. Eligibility for citizenship after 3 years of TOTAL residency (all exits and stays abroad are deducted)

Overall, my impression of the US system is quite good. I find that in recent years, even border crossings have become less confrontational and smoother. The one thing that *really* rubs me the wrong way are the rude robocops in charge of security at USCIS facilities - just like the TSA. The immigration officers themselves have been professional and courteous.

Hello immigration mavens :-)

my wife and I have just completed our interview. We've been married for 8 months, all documents were in order, supporting docs etc. The interview was quite pleasant, lasted about 15 minutes. The officer kept coming back to supporting docs, as the condo is in my name only and my wife is not on my car insurance due to her having sold her car just recently and not yer registered on mine. We do have a bank account together and we do have a health insurance policy together. I was expecting to be told one way or another but at the end of the interview, the officer said she would render her decision (possibly with a supervisor?) and let me know via mail. Is this normal procedure? We had gone in thinking we'd know right away - especially since we are both in our 60's, our families are co-mingled (my daughters and hers hang out together and we had pics to prove it), we have taken many trips together and have airline tix to prove it etc...why the delay in making a decision? Or is this just bureaucratic procedure? We live in Orlando, FL, btw. All the other steps leading up to the interview went without a hitch.

Thanks for your input

George

This is my first post in this forum - nice to be here and I am amazed at the wealth of information to be found. My question is regarding the number of documents needed for the removal of conditions. While my wife and I do have a joint bank account and health insurance, pretty much all other documentation and bills are in my name only. Likewise the deed on the condo, which is solely in my name. We travel together and I have plentiful evidence of airline tickets, joint family vacations (with her adult children and mine), many friends in common etc. However, I do not intend to have her added to the deed (my ex-wife was not on it either) and we keep some of our finances separate (credit cards, for example) Of course, we DO file taxes jointly. (I file both in Canada and in the US, since I work in both countries) No one who knows us for more than 60 seconds would doubt our marriage is genuine but I hear horror stories from folks being asked for all sorts of utility bills etc. to prove their bona fides and we simply do not have those. How much of an obstacle will this be once I apply for the removal of conditions? (I have gone through the same process in Canada - as a sponsor - and while waiting times are about the same, there is no interview, no conditions and no follow-up. Once you receive the Canadian equivalent of the GC - that's it. A much more streamlined system, in my opinion) Once again, thank you all on this forum - a great place!