lamia227

Received green card today. I can now rest until the 2 year deadline come up! Hope everyone else is doing well and that everyone in the March group will get their card soon.

Oh my goodness this is going to be a great weekend! Just got a notification (email) that my card is being produced!!!!

Went to the interview today in Chicago this morning. Waited half an hour, interviewed for only 15 minutes. Basically we were asked to swear that everything we said were true, then she asked to look at our IDs and asked our date of birth, parents' names to make sure we are who we say we are. Then it's just a few questions like how did you guys meet, are you still working, who was at the wedding, blah blah. I showed her wedding photos from our bigger wedding ceremony in July, she didn't ask to see any original documents aside from IDs, and then just said she'll give the application one last look and that my green card should be along in 3-4 weeks because they are kind of backlogged.

I guess we were her easy case of the day

BEST news I could have gotten on an early Monday morning, got text and email that my interview is scheduled for August 13th!

Just received the EAD/AP card in the mail! I'm so happy right now! The only thing that can make me happier now is if I get an letter for a scheduled interview in the mail.

One question though, I'm currently on OPT-EAD, should I go to the school and update them with the new EAD/AP card info? Then, what status will I be in terms of international/resident? Since I won't use the OPT-EAD card anymore, I guess I won't be on the F-1 status anymore. Is there such a thing as AOS status? And do I still need to report to the international student's office at school?

Hello, Hi, I'm new to this process and just looking for some assistance.

My OPT will expire on Aug 31st and I and my fiance will apply for AOS in August.

My question is that am I going to be okay to stay in USA even after my OPT expired if I apply for AOS BEFORE my OPT expires?

My other question is since my OPT expires soon so my fiance and I are going to sign a marriage licence first without marriage ceremony to apply for AOS(I am planning to have marriage ceremony in my home country after I get green card). We've been dating about 2 years now and will live together as soon as we sign the marriage licence. Does marriage ceremony really necessary to prove Bona Fide marriage?

Answer to question 1: yes, you will be allowed to stay. As soon as USCIS receive your application your status change to AOS (adjustment of status) so that even after your OPT expires, you are legally allowed to stay until a decision is made on your application.

Answer to question 2: I assume you mean you will apply for the marriage license and then get married in the courthouse so you can get your marriage certificate, and then you will have the ceremony (celebration) in your home country right? If so, yes, you can do that. The wedding at the courthouse will count as a real wedding, some people do that even if they don't have to worry about visa issues, it's just a lot simpler and cheaper. Your wedding ceremony back at home will just be that, a ceremony, to celebrate with your family/friends, it's not going to be a legal wedding, you can't get married twice.

As for the evidence of bona fide marriage, you can ask a friend to snap a few pictures at the courthouse wedding just to show it (and to have witnesses). But USCIS mostly just wants to see your marriage certificate, so make sure you get several copies. Other evidence such as joint bank account, joint insurance, any co-mingling of finances, photographs of relationship (vacation photos, family photos...) will also help to prove bona fide marriage.

Oh my gosh, checked the mailbox today (postal mail, not e-mail) and I got the I-797 letter telling me that my EAD/AP card is approved! Actually the phrasing on there says "The form I-766, Employment Authorization Document with I-512 endorsement, will be sent to you separately". I'm guessing that's what they call the EAD/AP card. It's printed on rather thick and official-looking government paper, much different from the NOA letter I got when I applied for OPT-EAD.

And yes, I can confirm that my status online on USCIS website hasn't changed at all. They must be having some sort of system glitch where they can't update electronically.

Guess I'll check the mailbox everyday now for the actual card!

I did a service request on June 10th on my husband's EAD card and I just checked the USCIS website and it say on June 12th your case have been a signed to a case officer. I hope that's good news. Does anyone know what happen after the service request is assign to a officer?

I got a standard letter that basically said "your case is under review, there should be something within 60 days." And that was 8 days ago. The system is really useless. Hope you get a faster response than that.

NOA date is March 31st, biometric appointment was April 24th. Didn't have any RFE. My status has not changed since March 31th! I start wondering if they lost it. Going to call Monday as it will be Day 75 since NOA1

Anybody else in the same case, with about the same timeline?

No change for me since NOA1 on March 24th (says received on 18th though). Put in a service request and still no speeding up. Approaching the 90 day deadline and I will get my congressman involved. Looks like we are less lucky than some other people on this thread

Grmbl - I just called and try to put in a service request because it was over 75 days but they wouldn't let me cause the time frame is 90 days. I'm currently on a L1 and working so I don't really need it , but it would give me more sense of security if I have it since my company is going through a very rough period.

This is upsetting .

Call back and refer to this information on their own website: https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do

Scroll down to the section titled "Important Information About Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization". You'll see that you are allowed to make service request after application has been pending for 75 days.

I got a rep like that before, some of them just aren't well informed.

Congrats to everyone who has gotten EAD/interview notices. I must be the only one who has put in a service request for EAD after 75 days and does not have any approval notice still. I'm now waiting until it passes 90 days to send in another request + getting my congressman involved.

Yes I did, its a good thing. Your case enquiry has been added to the system and someone will pick up your application pretty soon (tomorrow possibly) and start looking at it. I saw mine approved before it actually said case assigned for processing. All is good with what it says.

Yup, this morning I checked again and it said that it has been assigned to an officer. I also got an email that said the case is now under review and I should hear back within 60(!) days.

No status change yet, but hopefully soon!

Just checked I-756 status online and nothing has changed, also, right under "Next Steps" on the bottom right, it said "As of June 3, 2015, your inquiry about the status of your Employment Authorization application, referral number TxxxxxxxxxxMSC, is currently not assigned for processing."

Did anyone have this? What does it mean? Are they ignoring it?

You'll probably hear something in the morning going off a few others including mine. Check online later tonight and see if the case has been assigned to an officer. I was told 15 days and it took less than 1.

I really hope so! Checked last night and again this morning, no changes as of yet! I think I'm getting really paranoid thinking that someone may have lost my application or something...

So I called them today. The first rep told me I had to wait 90 days, after which I found that it says on the USCIS processing time page that you can call after 75 days (https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do), so I called them back again and opened up a case.

I was told that I will hear from the processing center within 15 days, either via mail or email. Is this what you guys heard?

Do I just wait for a status update now?

So yesterday after my 75 days had come to an end I phoned USCIS and opened a case enquiry, as of this morning central time I got an email to say my EAD car was in production. Less than 24 hours from making the call to getting it approved. HAPPY is not a word that describes how I feel enough right now.

Congrats! I called yesterday and apparently that was my 74th day. So I'm going to call again on Wednesday. Hopefully I can hear some good news before the end of this weekend!

73 days and counting 2 more and I'll request to see where my case is, I tried online today but it immediately tells you that you're still within the time frame.

I just tried to do the e-request thing at the uscis website but I couldn't find I-765 under form type, how did you submit the request?

Still nothing for me. I've been checking the case status every morning and it's still the initial "case received/fingerprint fee received" stage. I will reach 75 days on June 1st so maybe I'll put in a case inquiry. My local office is Chicago so I knew that the interview might take a long time, but come on, EAD!

Hi Lamia227

I jus noticed that we almost have identical timeline. LOL

You are lucky to already have an update to your I-485 status! California is so fast, Chicago is crawling like the turtle

final update online was march 24th with fees received, did biometrics on April 15th, nothing since then. I'm gonna go with the "no news is good news" thing.

Just went for my biometrics today! Everything went smoothly, it's just such a hassle to have to drive for 2 hours to do this 15 minute thing.

I guess I'm back to waiting for any updates on the cases. It's probably a good sign that I haven't received any RFEs right? right?

I got my 3 noa1 in the mail.Yay yay

Congrats! Now don't you feel slightly better?

Got the biometric appointment letter, scheduled for April 15th. Husband and I might make a day of it and look at some used cars (we are also going to move soon).

Now that I've got my NOA letters, I'm confused as to what service center is actually processing my application. I sent it to the Chicago Lockbox, and the Chicago field office is the closest place to me. All my receipt numbers starts with "MSC", and on the hardcopy letters, the USCIS office address is in "MO", does that mean it's in Missouri? Are all 4 of my forms at the National Benefits Center?

You should hear back this week. I would not worry about it until the end of this week. Sometimes USCIS does not send an email/text. Wait for the hard copy for the notices.

This is amazing, we got text notifications for all the forms! (I-130, I-485, I-131, I-765). Only to my husband's phone and email though, which is strange, since I handed in G-1145 forms for both of us. Oh well! On to more waiting!

P.S. If the receipt numbers start with "MSC", does that mean it's routed to the Missouri Service Center?