splatterpaint

My wife has passed her interview and has only the oath ceremony to go.  She said on the N-400 that she wanted to change her name.  The interviewer at the citizenship test mentioned something about that (not sure what, she doesn't remember exactly) and she stated that she wanted to change it.  However now she's changed her mind.  Is it too late, or does the official paperwork etc. for the name change happen at the oath ceremony?  Will the paperwork *at* the oath ceremony all be in the new name?  Can she call USCIS and straighten it out beforehand?

 Thank you

I had to send in the biometrics appointment letter twice with "reschedule" checked.  The first time they sent a new letter soon after.  The second time they did not.  It's been a month and a half at least since I mailed in the letter.  I can either show up for the original appointment (though I no longer have the original letter, because I mailed it), or I can just call them.  What is suggested?  And which office is the right one to call?

Thank you

oops

2 minutes ago, EmilyRosePF said:

I just learned (after lurking in another thread) that I was supposed to file form I-865 (sponsor's notice of change of address) within 30 days of moving. We moved into our new house last February. Anyone want to reassure me that everything is going to be okay? I'm sending the form asap.

 I had this same fear.  I posted threads on here that were removed by an admin, for some reason.  So I saw a lawyer.  I am NOT a lawyer.  I can only tell you what the lawyer told me.  He said it was no big deal.  He said for the I-751, just be honest, and say where you've lived, why you've used other addresses (in my case it's because I use one address as my 'home base', always).  I now file this form in the 30 day window like I'm supposed to (online, for both me and my spouse).  But like I said, my prior lapse is supposedly no big deal, per my lawyer.

5 hours ago, Unidentified said:

Is there someone you trust who can check your mail and reschedule your biometrics if it would come during your vacation? All they need to do is check a box and send it to whatever address it says in the letter. 

 Really?  I'd heard (on here I think) that it's semi-involved and risky to reschedule.  If it's easy, that's what we'll do.

Looks like my suspicions were confirmed - there are issues with getting a timely biometrics appointment now.  This is tricky for us because we want to leave the US for the summer.  To wait, or not to wait, that is the question...

We submitted the I-751.  It's been about a week and we just received an "I-797 Notice of Action".  The notice begins, "Your conditional resident status is extended for a period of one year.  During this one-year extension you are authorized employment and travel."

It seems like that's it about travel.  This seems very ambiguous.  The GC is up next month (though I think this is the letter that extends it a year).  We'd like to travel overseas.  The problem is, if I were a foreign customs officer, I might not know this letter extends the GC expiration.  It may seem, to those not familiar with the process, that the expiration date on the GC is more official and important looking than this vaguely worded letter.

Is this indeed the right letter?  Has anyone had issues traveling back to the US with an expired GC and this letter?

From what I understand, I will probably get an appointment letter for my spouse, for biometrics, soon (maybe in a few weeks) after sending the I-751.  I read that some people (but not everyone) also has an interview.  I assume this is different than the biometrics appointment - am I right?  If an interview is necessary, will this likely occur within a few weeks of submitting the I-751 as well, or much later?  We need to plan our summer travels.

Before I just left fields blank, but I see in the instructions to write "n/a".  This will be a lot of "n/a"s that in my opinion will make the form look messy.  Dozens of "n/a"s.  Did you write "n/a" or just leave blank fields blank?

We'd like to spend a couple of months out of the States after filling out the I-751.  Given recent applications, what's the risk there?  Is there a good chance the appointment for biometrics will be scheduled within a few months of filing?

@TBoneTX It looks like my question about using home of record instead of my actual physical address, and reporting physical address while constantly moving in an RV, was deleted or merged.  Do you consider them to be the same question as this one?

 Thanks

We live at, and have notified USCIS that we're living at, a different address than our visa paperwork, medical bills, telephone bills, and everything else uses.  I've historically moved very often (every year), and we plan on continuing that trend, so we use my parents as a home of record.  Might this be a problem when submitting evidence?

 Thank you

My wife has her parents' address (in her home country) as the address on her (foreign) passport.  Is it ok if we leave it like this, or is it necessary to change it (and submit it as evidence for the i-751)?

I see listed in sample evidence that marriage certificates in a US location were provided.  My wife and I married in her country.  No one has asked to see any marriage documents originating in the US, so we never bothered to have a second marriage here.  Will this be an issue?

10 hours ago, andy78 said:

The card doesn't have an address on it.

You can inform USCIS of the address change using the online address change form.

Good point about the card.  What my concern is, is using the my Home of Record as the address all the time. It's what I've done for years, since I've moved very frequently since I left home.  And it's convenient since my wife and I will move around the US as well, before her citizenship.

We move around a lot.  Between places, we stay with some of my relatives.  I've used that address as my address for years, since my military days.  Now we're using it as my wife's green card address as well.  Even when we're leasing an apartment for a year elsewhere.  The address is only about a 30 minute drive from where we stay currently.  Is this an issue?  Do I need to apply for a new GC every time we change our address (once a year), instead of using my home of record?

2 minutes ago, dwheels76 said:

3 years is for citizenship. You can start the removal of conditions (to get 10 year green card) 90 days before the 2 year expiry on green card. Not 3 years. You would be out of status.

But the citizenship 3-year counter, does it start from the date of her first green card issuance, or the date on the 10-year (that she gets next year)?

Unfortunately, my wife and I moved to the US two months before our second anniversary.  Her green card is not a 10 year one.  I have to do the I-751 early next year.  We've lived in the US for 1 year.  Does the three year residence requirement start on the issue date of her current green card, or the date of issue of the 10 year card we will get?  Will we actually need four years?

Thank you.

1 hour ago, charmander said:

That's fine, use a certified translation of the marriage certificate.

We have a certified translation we had done in Turkey.  It was done for the State Dept. stuff.  Should this work?

2 hours ago, charmander said:

Let's make it clear there are exceptions to both I-751 and N-400 that allow a Conditional GC holder to apply N400 earlier than 3 years and even without filing I-751. INA: ACT 319 explains these conditions. Don't get too excited because these are strict rules and vast majority of LPRs (maybe 99.9%) do not qualify to file under these conditions.

 

I-751 is not tricky but don't wait for two years to start collecting evidences. There is an entire thread for I-751 on this forum. For now just read the pinned posting I shared the link below. This would give the idea what kind of evidences you'd need when the time comes. There is no magic formula but everybody use more or less very similar list of evidences. The only stressful part of I-751 is waiting, other than that pretty much everyone gets approved in the end whether it takes 2 months or 12 months. Good luck in your journey!

 

 Thanks for this.  By the way, we were married in her country, but didn't marry in the US.  The marriage certificate from her country is what we've used whenever required (application for visa, green card, whatever.)  Will this be a problem or is it enough?  I'd rather not marry a second time in the US

59 minutes ago, Shauneg said:

Or just join the military and all the rules go out the window.

I already did.  Once you're out, nobody cares.

1 minute ago, aleful said:

you must live in the US more than out of the country or you can loose your GC

 

the GC is for living in the US, being more than 6 months out of the country breaks continuous residence

 

 

More than 6 months out of the country at a time, or 6 months over the three years we have until citizenship?  So 6 months a year for example, or two months a year?

Just now, blue_angel_29 said:

ROC is Removing of Conditions. That is what the i-751 will do because right now,  she has what we call Conditional GC.

 

for now, since youdo have at least 9 more months,  i suggest you get both out your names on everything you both can get your names on,  bank account, credit cards, lease, insurance, wills, bills. If you go on vacations,  any tickets you both got. 

 

Good luck

Thanks

Just now, milimelo said:

You have to do ROC first. 

How do I do ROC?  Is that I-751?  By the way, I don't know how anyone is supposed to go through this process.  This forum is the only thing that is getting me through.

2 minutes ago, blue_angel_29 said:

So, to clarify, she got her GC BEFORE your second marriage anniversary? Is the GC issue date before you were married 2 years?

 

If so, then you will need to file the i-751. 

 

From what I have read here in VJ, it's pretty routine. Just make sure you have lots of proof of bonafide marriage. Lease, wills, bank statements.

 

My friend said that the process of i751 is easier than k1 especially they are already together during 751.

 

Good luck

 

If anything I said is wrong, please correct me. 

She didnt' get her GC before our second marriage anniversary, but we moved to the US on a marriage (CR-1 I think) visa just a couple of months shy of our second marriage anniversary.  The GC came later (and later than we expected), and says it expires in two years from the date we entered the US.