alefonck

It seems they are finally getting around to my case. I filed for removal of conditions in July 2021; then changed to a divorce waiver back in May 2022 (sent them a letter and they had marked it as received.) Just received an update that they finally changed the name in my application (I had requested for them to change it to my maiden name.) Hopefully will get another update soon. Fingers crossed.

It seems they are finally getting around to my case. I filed for removal of conditions in July 2021; then changed to a divorce waiver back in May 2022 (sent them a letter and they had marked it as received.) Just received an update that they finally changed the name in my application (I had requested for them to change it to my maiden name.) Hopefully will get another update soon. Fingers crossed.

1 hour ago, annab864 said:

I just sent in a divorce decree and a letter telling them that me and my ex spouse got divorced due to irreconcilable differences , I didn’t go into details. Maybe i should have, because they eventually sent my case to NBC to schedule an interview which delayed my case for almost 2 years (I filed in Sep 2019, switched to waiver in August 2020, still waiting for the interview). In the letter I included our full names, my case number, alien number, address and phone number!

wow, that is a really long time of waiting. perhaps when you changed your application to a waiver,  it gave you kind of like a new priority date. I initially filed in June of 2021, so even more waiting for myself. I guess it does not hurt to submit more evidence with my request to adjust my application. I believe David (the person I had originally messaged) did not have to do an interview.

Thank you for your help.

7 minutes ago, annab864 said:

I’m not David, but I have switched to a divorce waiver while my case was at Potomac as well and i sent the letter (asking to switch to the waiver) to Potomac Service Center. They updated my case status within a few days after receiving my letter!

Thank you so much! What did you send, if you dont mind me asking? Just a letter saying you wish to change your case to a waiver with your case number and the divorce decree or did you include anything else? Did you explain the circumstances behind your divorce?

On 3/9/2022 at 11:12 AM, DavidS87 said:

Hey! I didn’t fill n400 as I got divorced and have to wait for the 5-year rule. My case wasn’t transferred and I didn’t have an interview! I did have an initial interview when I applied for the conditional green card.

Hey David,

Where did you send the request to have your application transformed into a waiver? the original lockbox that you filed in or the Potomac Service Center?

Thank you in advance.

My green card expires on August 27. My ROC package delivered earlier than expected and was delivered on May 27. According to the calculator USCIS has in their website, i could file starting May 29. My credit card still has not been charged nor have I received anything in the mail or text. Do you guys think they would reject it so close to the date I can file? I see people whose packages were delivered around that date already got an update. 
 

Figured i’d ask for your input. 

5 hours ago, Trinab80 said:

So, today was our Green Card Interview at the Philadelphia Field Office. I can truly say that for it to take as long as it did to get to this point from our filing date, this was the most QUICKEST and EASIEST part of the whole process!!!

 

Our interview was scheduled for 10:45am, we arrived at 10:15-10:20am. There's a parking lot across the street from the building that has a flat rate of $20 for all day parking which sucked because we weren't going to be there all day but it was either that or having my husband to keep running downstairs to feed the meter. Anyway, we went through security (cell phones are not allowed inside the building just have to keep them on silent) but no food or drink (glad I had a big breakfast as I'm almost 9 months pregnant and would have been starving and grouchy if I didn't). Checked in at the front desk with the interview notice and driver's licenses, and was told to go to the 2nd floor and sit close to door 3.

 

It was a lot of people waiting but it flowed very well and was very organized from what I can see. I actually did see a couple go in separately to be interviewed so I assume they had a "Stokes Interview" because they were in there for a long while (we actually left and the husband was still waiting on his wife to come out). 

 

Around 11:30-11:45am, my husband's name was called. IO Alton, was her name, interviewed us - she was younger than me, very nice and pleasant. She immediately took notice of my belly and my waddle and said, "I'm gonna get you guys out of here quickly because you look like you're about to have the baby any minute now!" I appreciated her kindness and consideration but told her that it wasn't needed. We walked into her office, she asked us to raise our right hand and we were sworn in. She asked my husband to scan his index fingers from both hands, and advised that the interview would be recorded.

 

She first asked for us to present all original documents so she could compare them to the copies already provided in the AOS filing, so she looked at his birth certificate, marriage license, my original divorce decree (she asked for a copy as well because she claimed she couldn't find the copy that was provided) and she asked for our passports. She asked me (USC) the following:

 

What is my full name?

What is my DOB?

Where was I born?

What is my current address to where I live?

How many times have I been married?

How many children do I have?

 

She went through our file and then asked my husband (Beneficiary) the following:

 

What is his full name?

What is his DOB?

Where was he born?

What is his current address to where he live?

Where does he work?

What is his SSN#? (he didn't know it by heart so he gave her his SS card so she can confirm it was correct on the petition)

How many times has he been married?

What date did we get married?

What are his parents' names?

She asked him to explain what happened during Thanksgiving 2016 when he attempted to come visit me using his visitor's visa for which he was denied entry, and was made to go back home and had his visitor's visa cancelled. As he provided his explanation, she nodded in agreement and understanding, I apologized for had happened and moved on.

She asked him had he traveled outside the US since receiving his EAD/AP combo card?

Then she asked him all the questions that are on the AOS petition that we answered "No" to, as if to confirm that these answered wouldn't change (which they didn't).

 

Finally, she asked for any documents or additional evidence we might have had to show proof of ongoing marriage, so I provided the following:

 

2018 Tax Return (which we filed Married Joint; even though he hadn't worked last year)

Car Insurance Cards

Credit Card Statements (2 months worth only)

Copy of Health Insurance Cards, along with printout showing the date he was added to my Health insurance plan (which was 3 days after we got married)

Beneficiary documents such as 401k and Life Insurance showing his name being added

4 months Joint Bank Statements (and I highlighted his transactions to show spending and his direct deposit from his employer - also attached his paystubs for the payroll that wasn't direct deposited when he first started)

And I printed 40 pictures and told her she could keep them all but she only took maybe like 5-10 of them because she said she didn't want to weigh down our file anymore than it was with all our prior relationship proof (K1 visa packet is in the same file)

 

While going through the photos, she talked about how great we looked in the pictures, talked about her having her son last year during the summer, she noticed I had "Bruno Mars" ticket stubs from when we went to his concert last year and talked about that...I mean, the whole interview process was so relaxing and very pleasant. After taking the photos she wanted, she said "everything is perfect, and we're good to go! You will have an update to your case within 4-6 weeks but most likely sooner." She said congratulations to us on the baby and good luck and now we can just focus on the baby coming in the next few weeks. And that was it! We left at 12:15pm!

 

She didn't ask any hard questions, or relationship questions, no tricky questions - it was very basic, which could only mean they never questioned the legitimacy of our relationship and marriage. 

 

Glad this part of the process is over and we finally get a break from dealing with USCIS and the immigration process for at least 2 years! 

5 hours ago, Trinab80 said:

So, today was our Green Card Interview at the Philadelphia Field Office. I can truly say that for it to take as long as it did to get to this point from our filing date, this was the most QUICKEST and EASIEST part of the whole process!!!

 

Our interview was scheduled for 10:45am, we arrived at 10:15-10:20am. There's a parking lot across the street from the building that has a flat rate of $20 for all day parking which sucked because we weren't going to be there all day but it was either that or having my husband to keep running downstairs to feed the meter. Anyway, we went through security (cell phones are not allowed inside the building just have to keep them on silent) but no food or drink (glad I had a big breakfast as I'm almost 9 months pregnant and would have been starving and grouchy if I didn't). Checked in at the front desk with the interview notice and driver's licenses, and was told to go to the 2nd floor and sit close to door 3.

 

It was a lot of people waiting but it flowed very well and was very organized from what I can see. I actually did see a couple go in separately to be interviewed so I assume they had a "Stokes Interview" because they were in there for a long while (we actually left and the husband was still waiting on his wife to come out). 

 

Around 11:30-11:45am, my husband's name was called. IO Alton, was her name, interviewed us - she was younger than me, very nice and pleasant. She immediately took notice of my belly and my waddle and said, "I'm gonna get you guys out of here quickly because you look like you're about to have the baby any minute now!" I appreciated her kindness and consideration but told her that it wasn't needed. We walked into her office, she asked us to raise our right hand and we were sworn in. She asked my husband to scan his index fingers from both hands, and advised that the interview would be recorded.

 

She first asked for us to present all original documents so she could compare them to the copies already provided in the AOS filing, so she looked at his birth certificate, marriage license, my original divorce decree (she asked for a copy as well because she claimed she couldn't find the copy that was provided) and she asked for our passports. She asked me (USC) the following:

 

What is my full name?

What is my DOB?

Where was I born?

What is my current address to where I live?

How many times have I been married?

How many children do I have?

 

She went through our file and then asked my husband (Beneficiary) the following:

 

What is his full name?

What is his DOB?

Where was he born?

What is his current address to where he live?

Where does he work?

What is his SSN#? (he didn't know it by heart so he gave her his SS card so she can confirm it was correct on the petition)

How many times has he been married?

What date did we get married?

What are his parents' names?

She asked him to explain what happened during Thanksgiving 2016 when he attempted to come visit me using his visitor's visa for which he was denied entry, and was made to go back home and had his visitor's visa cancelled. As he provided his explanation, she nodded in agreement and understanding, I apologized for had happened and moved on.

She asked him had he traveled outside the US since receiving his EAD/AP combo card?

Then she asked him all the questions that are on the AOS petition that we answered "No" to, as if to confirm that these answered wouldn't change (which they didn't).

 

Finally, she asked for any documents or additional evidence we might have had to show proof of ongoing marriage, so I provided the following:

 

2018 Tax Return (which we filed Married Joint; even though he hadn't worked last year)

Car Insurance Cards

Credit Card Statements (2 months worth only)

Copy of Health Insurance Cards, along with printout showing the date he was added to my Health insurance plan (which was 3 days after we got married)

Beneficiary documents such as 401k and Life Insurance showing his name being added

4 months Joint Bank Statements (and I highlighted his transactions to show spending and his direct deposit from his employer - also attached his paystubs for the payroll that wasn't direct deposited when he first started)

And I printed 40 pictures and told her she could keep them all but she only took maybe like 5-10 of them because she said she didn't want to weigh down our file anymore than it was with all our prior relationship proof (K1 visa packet is in the same file)

 

While going through the photos, she talked about how great we looked in the pictures, talked about her having her son last year during the summer, she noticed I had "Bruno Mars" ticket stubs from when we went to his concert last year and talked about that...I mean, the whole interview process was so relaxing and very pleasant. After taking the photos she wanted, she said "everything is perfect, and we're good to go! You will have an update to your case within 4-6 weeks but most likely sooner." She said congratulations to us on the baby and good luck and now we can just focus on the baby coming in the next few weeks. And that was it! We left at 12:15pm!

 

She didn't ask any hard questions, or relationship questions, no tricky questions - it was very basic, which could only mean they never questioned the legitimacy of our relationship and marriage. 

 

Glad this part of the process is over and we finally get a break from dealing with USCIS and the immigration process for at least 2 years! 

Congratulations! Thank you for the very informative post.

15 hours ago, Tom Do said:

Any August filers out there still waiting for an interview like me?  😥 my current status is "Case is ready to be scheduled for an interview".

 

I am still waiting. My case has been ready for interview since last year. I think my local USCIS office of Oakland Park, FL is just super backed up. According to USCIS website they are working on May cases.

7 hours ago, bostonBruce said:

No news as of yet. We are staying with Moeshas Aunt so we don't have rent or utilities under both names as of yet. Hope that is ok. We will move into our own place once we get the travel and work approval, hopefully before our interview date. Chase bank wouldn't give us an joint checking account here in Orlando, but we heard Bank of Boston would give us one without the green card. I will let you know if they approve an account. I think the Orlando office is way behind on everything. 

I live in the South Florida area and I was able to open a bank account in Chase without a social or anything. As long as there is 1 person in the account with a social/citizen, you can just give your passport with your visa or whatever you have and that is enough. Now that I have my social I added it to the account. It has been this way for years because I’ve had a bank account with my mom with no social for at least 5 years. Been to multiple branches.

2 hours ago, Kat1111 said:

Hi guys,

 

When I travel overseas, should I take the combo card with me only, or should I bring all the original USCIS notices with me to be safe? 

 

Thank you!!

Only combo card. If you have had a name change and name on combo card is different than passport I would also bring a copy of your marriage certificate. 

5 hours ago, Brook72 said:

Congratulations on receiving your EAD!  Did you receive your ssn as well? My EAD came in the mail yesterday but no ssn

Mine arrived about 10 days after my EAD card. 

18 hours ago, jean baptiste said:

you get me man. of course i was hesitant. with TRUMP you never know hahahaha.

thank you 

True, you never know. But you can’t live your life in fear of “what if” for the next 2-3 years. That is a long time to not travel outside of the country. You have no reason to worry since you followed the law and now have a legal immigration status in this country.

20 minutes ago, jean baptiste said:

thank it's good information i'm planning to travel in march and will gladly read someone that have experienced airport agent with green card in hand

I do not have a green card but both my parents do. They have traveled many times, they have never run into trouble. If you have a green card, there is really no danger in them not letting you back in; this is your home. 

Maybe you are a little hesitant because of the whole Trump situation that happened last year with people from Muslim countries not being let in, but that was an extraordinary situation and I am very confident that you will not run into any issues.

I just got back from my travels. I went on a 7 day cruise with my employment authorization card/Advance Parole.

I would say cruise Customs and Border Patrol is way more laid back than airport CBP.

Getting on the cruise ship took longer than when I came back.

On the way out of the US I believe the issue was a lack of knowledge on what an Advance Parole was but I think this is because when you get on a cruise ship, you are not really dealing with TSA or actual immigration agents; only with the cruise line’s employees. 

I showed my Visa and they asked if I was a tourist. At this moment I did not want to lie and have any problems, but I feel like if I had just said “yes, I am” I would have just gotten on the ship right away. But since I am adjusting status I explained that I was adjusting my atatus and showed my AP card. The man at security did not know what this meant and sent me to guest services. At guest services the guy inputting my information had to go in the back and ask his manager on what to do. Took about 10 minutes. They took my picture and sent me on my way.

On the way back, I showed my visa and advance parole document to the Customs and border patrol officer. She just looked at it and asked me to take off my hat to compare to the picture. Did not even question the different name. (i brought my marriage certificate with name change just in case) and let me go.

took less than a minute.

for people that are hesitant on traveling with advance parole, I would say you should go for it. I did not run into any issues, but of course you should always keep in mind that this is not a guarantee that you will be let in to the US again.

Got my EAD and AP combo card in the mail 😍

1 hour ago, Dee28 said:

Hi all- can someone please explain to me what does the advance parole entitle us to?  Not sure if I’m wording this correctly i guess what I’m trying to figure out is if it’s approved can we travel using the document for leisure or does it have to only be used on emergency basis? 

I would like to add that maybe it’s a better idea to wait to leave the country until you get your green card just to be on the safe side. Most likely we will get our green cards fairly soon.

But if you have to leave the country, I wouldn’t be that worried.

You can travel for business or pleasure but this said, USCIS does not guarantee that they will let you back in even if you have Advance Parole. They stress this multiple times in the letter you receive when your Advance Parole is sent. Also, if you have unlawful presence you could potentially still be barred from entering to the United states back after departure. 

Supposedly to be let back in is still to the discretion of the CBP officer who you encounter at the point of entry.

Now, I have read a lot of experiences of people traveling with Advance Parole and I have not seen them run into issues. They just make you go to another room, take your Advance Parole card, input your date and then let you go; usually no questions asked.

I am going on a cruise on the 17th of this month and will update you guys when I come back with my experience.

if anyone knows more or has experience with this, feel free to add.

Got the update that my “card was picked up by United States Postal Service” and they gave me a tracking. Says will be delivered on Wednesday which would be exactly one week after I got the “card is being produced” notification.

18 hours ago, jtona said:

Received Hard copies of the I-797 approvals for both EAD and AP in mail today ...

Same. Hope to receive the actual card by Tuesday.

9 minutes ago, APBP said:

Hang on in there, it will happen soon. Be sure to check your status on MY USCIS site, i did this and found out mine had been approved for a week and didn’t even know as it hasn’t been updated on the main site. Good luck  

For me the regular USCIS website has proven to be more reliable. This is where I have gotten all my updates and the “card is being produced” didnt even show up on MY USCIS until a day later. Although in the MYUSCIS it shows my i-131 as approved and in the regular just as received.

But thankfully my card has been mailed as of today according to the regular USCIS.

Got this update this afternoon. 

USCIS received my case August 27 and NOA was August 31.

So excited 😋

@Daphney

I started visiting this topic a couple of days ago because I am to the point where I am very impatient about getting my EAD/AP card since I have a trip scheduled for February 17th. It brings me joy not only for me, but for yourself too to see that they are producing your card. My case is very similar to yours. Have no updates since August 31; they received my case August 27th, and USCIS website does not even show that my fingerprints were taken. i-485 shows ready for interview since 11/14/18 which is 6 days after I went to my biometric appointment.

I see that people from August are now getting their Work permits and hopefully I will get mine soon. Spoke to tier 2 representative about 2 weeks ago and he said everything looked good and that I just needed to wait. 

Anyway, congrats.

😋

Thank you for clarifying this for me as well. 2 more questions: my PD date is January 5, 2015 but I have not received an approval notice(NOA2). Do I qualify to apply for EAD and AP in October.

Q2: do I need to include police certificate from my home country with the AOS application (this is the most difficult to get my hands on as we recently had a hurricane causing major damage)

As far as I know you don't need to submit police certificate when applying for adjustment of status.

We're still waiting for ours.... Why did you get your case complete?

Not sure what you mean by ''why'' but my scan date was June 4th and got case complete on June 30th.

I got the email for my interview date - October 22nd, 2015. PD: March 17th, 2014.