Alexsed

I guess I am just repeating what some other people said, but I enlisted in the Army National Guard in September with a conditional Green Card and became a citizen in AIT in March. I should have been naturalized when I graduated basic training but the USCIS lost my file. So no, you don't have to wait a year,   

I think you need to have at least one year left. That is at least what I remember my recruiter telling me when I enlisted.

Hi guys,

just wanted to know if anyone has any experience naturalizing at BCT?

I am shipping off to Army BCT in two months and I am planning to hopefully be a citizen when I get out there. My recruiter hasn't been too much help when it comes to giving me any details so I figured I'd ask here.

I am assuming that I should just fill out the N-400 and the N-426, bring them, the supporting documents and photos with me when I leave, but then what?

Do I hand them in during the welcome reception or how does it work?

Hi guys,

I am a dual citizen of Australia and France currently working in the US on an E3 work visa (similar to H1B but for Australians only.) I am getting married to my USC fiancé soon and planning on filing for AoS.

Which citizenship should I put on my AoS application forms (eg on form G-325A)? I am inclined to put "Australian" because my current visa is in my Australian passport and I would not need to get my birth certificate translated. But I have also in the past had a US work visa in my French passport.

Should I just pick one? Should I attach an additional sheet explaining my dual citizenship?

Would love to hear from anyone with a similar experience.

Thanks a ton for your help!

I would let them know of both. It's generally better to put all your cards on the table, so to speak.

So after the interview my status for I-130 and I-485 -- "Your interview was completed my case must be reviewed" and then 15 minutes later I got another update on my I-485 that "New Card is being produced" but I-130 still says "Your interview was completed my case must be reviewed".

what does it mean ?

It means that they approved your Green Card. My guess is that the I-130 will be changed to approved within a day or so.

Please help me!!

I am from Sweden and I am married to an American citizen and is currently staying here with my husband were we are applying for a adjustment of status,/ greencard for me. My question is on the forms they wanted to know the city I was born in, but on my birth certificate and on my passport the place I was in born is a parish not a city. Should I write the city I was born in even though you cant find it on any legal papers (passport nor birth certificate) or should I write the parish as it shows as the location of place of birth on my passport and birth certificate? Even though they don't have any option to write your parish or similar on the forms. They only have city and country.

I have already sent the papers in and now i worry I made a huge mistake, i feel so stupid.

Now in retrospect when looking through the papers i realize they obviously want the same info to be the same as they see in my legal documents, and not a name of a city that's nowhere to be seen on any papers. Yet its the parish so I thought i should not write it as a city since its a parish. What should l do!? Should i write them a letter explaining this ..is it possible to resubmit those forms where the ask for place of birth???. Please please please help me !!!

I wrote what was in my passport and on my birth certificate, which is a parish, and at the AoS interview the Immigration Officer asked my wife where I was born and she forgot that I had put down the parish so she said the city and the IO didn't seem to care at all.

Hey guys,

So me and my wife had our interview yesterday at 10:00 am at 26 Federal Plaza. We got there at 9;20ish and there was no line at security and there were only about 15 people in the waiting room. Exactly at 10:00 our immigration officer, a serious looking man in his 50s, came out and called our names. He took us back to his office, made us swear in and asked for our passports, birth certificates and any documents with both of our names on. We gave him our lease, our renters insurance, our jointly filed taxes and our joint bank information. He looked them over and asked my wife when and where I was born and then asked me the same question about her. He asked my wife when we moved in together and me how much we pay for our renters insurance. After that he my wife about my job and then asked me about my wife's educational background. After that he asked me some of the yes/no questions on the I-485 and then told us to give him 5 min to do some work.

He typed some stuff and then took out a green stamp labeled "Approved" and stamped my I-485 form, told us he approved it and that I will have to apply to have the conditions removed from my Green Card in about a year and 9 months.

We had brought a ton of stuff, like pictures, letters, wedding invitations etc but he said he didn't need to look at any of those. Our IO was nice but very serious, although he actually did crack a smile in the end.

About an hour later I got a text/email that my card was in production, but since I am a "worrier" I guess I won't feel calm until I have the card in my hand.

My interview is scheduled for 2/16. Very excited!

Silly question, but is there a recommended attire?

Use your best judgment, I guess.

I am going with business casual.

In case anyone is interested, it went fine both checking in and getting back into the country. I flew with Norwegian back to the US and the woman at the check-in counter did initially seem a bit confused by the card but I gave her the EAD approval letter and then it was fine. When I came to JFK, it was a madhouse with literally a 1000 people waiting at immigration and when I after about 2 and a half hours made to the CBP officer, he only asked me where I was coming from and then sent me to secondary inspection. I waited there for about 25 min and then I was handed my passport, EAD card and customs form and I was good to go. No other questions asked at all. Easy as pie.

They finally scheduled my interview and it's on January 27th. About damn time.

You are right - air companies DO care about the documents that allow you to enter the US. If an individual doesn't have appropriate one, most likely the person will be denied boarding.

Most air companies are good with EAD/AP. Maybe, some of them barely understand what AP means I've experienced this in Paris, where I had my next stop. Before boarding they asked for the document. I was curious if they know what is it, the EAD/AP. The answer was NO But as soon as air company sees it is issued by USCIS/DHS and you are allowed to enter the country, they are satisfied. You will be fine

Just keep your AP along with your passport - if you have more than one stop, you will be checked for the document every time. Traveling, I also had my Marriage License and copy of the I-797C for the I-485. Have never been asked to present them, but - just in case..

Good luck and have a great time with your parents!!!

Gotcha, thank you!

Well I think they do have to care about it because any air or sea carrier that transports a person who does not have visa waiver or a visa to the US, can and most likely will be fined by the DHS.

Hi guys,

Me and my wife will be traveling to back to the old country to see my parents for the holiday's and I am going to be using Advanced Parole to get back.

I am not too worried about CBP not letting me back in (well ok I am a little bit worried but for no rational reason just general paranoia) but I am a bit worried about the airline not understanding what Advanced Parole is. I tried calling the airline that we are flying with and the person at customer service had no idea what I was talking about, which didn't make me feel better.

So has anyone had any problems using Advanced Parole to check in for your flight?

Good luck to everyone with upcoming interviews, and congratulations to those that already have been approved and have the greencard! We are still waiting on interview notice Ever since August, the only update I keep seeing on the USCIS website is "we received your RFE response August 13th, bla bla bla" Just wondering if anyone else is in NYC and had an RFE? Very nervous as to what's taking so long.

Yeah we're in NYC too, we filed in June and got and RFE in July on the I-864 and the USCIS received our evidence in August, but we've heard nothing since. I am getting ready to contact our member of Congress, but I doubt that will help.

Hi guys,

I am currently in F-1 status awaiting my AoS interview, and I will be graduating with an MA in June of 2016. After this semester I technically only need 3 more credits to fulfill the program requirements to graduate, so my question is: do I need to take the full 9 credits and stay in F-1 status while waiting for the interview? I really don't want to have to take two classes I don't need, and I definitively don't want to pay for two classes I don't need. Me and my USC wife filed in June of this year, but since the NYC field office seems so backlogged we're not really expecting an interview anytime soon.

Sent the what they request, and I-797, and I would also suggest making a copy of your original AP application and any/all of the associated paperwork. In your cover letter, explain what you are doing and the circumstances.

Sounds like they may have misplaced your original AP application. You can play mail tag with them. However, just cut to the chase and send them a copy of your original AP application.

Good luck on your immigration journey.

Will do, thank you!

HI guys,

My I-765 & I-131 was apporved a few weeks ago, but when I got the card it said "Not valid for reentry to US" on the bottom instead of "Serves as I-512 Advanced Parole". I called the USCIS and they said they'd send me a notice of what to do.

I got it today and it says that I need to mail back the EAD card with a letter explaning what the error is and supporting documentation.

So I am wondering what type of supporting documents I should send? Obviously I'll send a copy of the I-797 NoA that says that my EAD and Advanced Parole has been approved, but what else?

Should I send all the documents that I originally used for my I-131 application or is the 797 enough?

Anyone from New York? Got the EAD and AP in September and now wondering when the interview will be....

Yeah I am, and It looks like we have about the same AoS timeline and my gut feeling says that we probably won't get an interview until next year, but then again I am generally a pretty pessimistic person.

Hi,

I don't think that would be a good idea.

The thing is that the F-1 visa does not allow intent to immigrate, or "duel intent", so if you leave and come back with your wife and tell the CBP agent that your intent is to study, while it actually is to adjust your status, that would be considered immigration fraud (regardless if you continue to study or not) and could land you in removal precedings.

I'd recomend getting married here (at city hall or whatever suits you), adjust your status + apply for advanced parole, go back to your home country and have the official wedding for friends and family. Of course that might not be ideal but that would be the easiest way.

That expired visa is irrelevant. The point of AP is to not need a visa to enter the US. You can't enter on that visa even if it were unexpired anyway, because F1 visa requires no immigrant intent.

Ah gotcha! Thank you!

Hi guys,

I have a question regarding traveling with AP. Me and my wife filed for AoS this summer and I am expecting my EAD/AP card to show up within a month or so.

We are planning to go visit my parents back in the old country during christmas and then go to Berlin for New Years, but something occurred to me recently.

I came here on a F-1 visa and I am still on that visa and in status since I am in graduate school. The thing is that the physical visa (the one in my passport) expires in December, but as I understand it, I am still in F-1 status since my I-94 says D/S and I 've been registered as a full time student every semester.

WIll the fact that my actual visa is expired cause any probelms when we travel to or arrive back to the US even though I have my AP card? I can imagine problems both checking in when flying back and when being inspected at the border.

Am I being overly paranoid or is this something I should be concerned about?