Royce

Maybe unrelated, but I have lost my job in January and I am an LPR, I avoided applying for unemployment so far but finding a job has been near impossible and I'm running out of savings and emergency cash, does unemployment classify as public charges? 

I consulted another attorney today who said that in most of her approved VAWA cases there was no green card interviews and moreover; processing time for green card based on approved VAWA petition doesn't depend on residence ( I checked USCIS.gov and for example processing time for I-485 in Cleveland OH is much shorter than LA or SF) and that's an attorney who is specialized in VAWA and U. Is this information reliable? how can I make sure?

Thank you

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For the questions I received about what I submitted for the case (as far as I remember)

List of documents:

-Forms I-360 (self petition), form I-485 (adjustment of status because spouse was a US citizen), form I-765 (work permit) and fee waiver request form.

-Her birth certificate (any evidence she is a US citizen or green card holder).

-Pictures of ID/Passport/Visa/entry stamp/I-94 and passport size photos.

Proof of good faith marriage:

-Marriage certificate and pictures of ceremony.

-Tons of pictures together.

-Prints of joint bank account statements and phone bills (family line).

-Personal statement.

Proof of a good moral character:

-Affidavits (from friend/manager) with picture of US IDs when possible.

-Clearance for sheriff's office.

-Copies of recommendations for scholarships from professors as well as recommendations from previous managers with contact information.

-Affidavits from family members (back home -Egypt) translated with IDs as well as explanation on why I couldn't get a criminal back ground check in time.

-Copy of transcripts -graduate degree from a US school.

-Personal statement.

Proof of abuse:

-A letter from a therapist (that I didn't read) and a letter from the non-profit saying how many sessions I attended there and when.

-A psychological evaluation from a certified doctor.

-Two affidavits from friends.

-Email exchanges with therapists.

-Brief police report of the last incident when I fled the residence.

-A lengthy and very detailed personal statement.

Proof of common residence:

-Statements (credit cards etc..).

-Detailed description of residence with diagrams and maps.

-Copy of lease (they disregarded it because it was not signed).

thank you very much

Question: if I move will the file be transferred accordingly or do I still have to attend interview in San Francisco no matter where I settle down?

Thank you very much

Hello again, I just received a notice that my I-485 application was sent to national benefit center (address in Missouri) I was thinking a field office is normally where it goes?

and then I checked on the USCIS.gov for time frame and didn't find any I-485 category at that center, they seem to be processing other stuff I-129, 130 etc

do I need to contact them or is that temporary until the case will be assigned to a field office?

Makes sense thanks

Maybe the attorney doesn't really know!

So on Jan 8th (almost 2 months after RFE received) form I-360 /self petition for VAWA was approved

Today form I-485 for adjustment of status was "transferred to another office:

Quote

On January 29, 2018, we transferred your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or to Adjust Status, Receipt Number ###########, to another office for processing and sent you a transfer notice. The notice explains why we transferred your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice

Is this normal? do they send it to a field office maybe?

I think the attorney lost the first notice because I didn't get anything from her and she is not answering! I still can request a copy but I live in a place where I can't receive mail and I have a p.o box but they won't send on it. It has to be a residential address.

Thanks

For some reason I can't log in with the original account, I am the person who posted this.

So I received a case update and checked the status online, that said my case was approved.

Should I feel happy or what? I am very anxious now. They said they will send instructions (to my attorney) what should I prepare for? As far as I know, she filed everything at once (I-360, green card application, work permit request form). 

I assume there are further steps because government don't automatically do things for people but can I do it on my own without attorney and what are these steps? Thank you

Thanks for the feedback and useful information. Being a (Muslim&Male) wasn't on my mind until the attorney suggested it could be a factor -after a discussion with her supervisor, and that the final say is up to the officer to decide.

Also; finances are limited, I can't hire another one.

Also; as people who have been in depressing or traumatic circumstances before will tell, you can't simply "shrug it away" or "brighten up" people don't simply forget and move on, people spend endless nights staring in the dark with morbid thoughts and zero energy. You eventually stop thinking rationally at all. And finally; when you lose everything and see your entire life shattered to the extent of homelessness, with all what's above, you can't resume anything at all whatsoever. Human chemistry is too complex and it can be darker than any statement will explain, and you have to go though all this alone without complaining about it just hide it deep inside.

Thanks for the feedback, hope for the best and wait for the worst.

I filed for VAWA case sept. 2016

I received RFE on August 11th 2017, which according to the attorney was very extensive, it asked for evidence on:

-Good faith marriage

-Good moral character (I already submitted clearance from the sheriff department and affidavits from people in the US, now they require clearance from back home -Egypt)

-Evidence on battery/abuse etc

-Evidence that we cohabited

Attorney from the start of the meeting said very clearly that me, being Muslim, male could be a factor in making my case very unlikely to be approved...

With that said, I didn't have enough evidence on good faith marriage other than tons of pictures together and a statement or two from friends, and then my personal statement truthfully explaining the situation.

Then the "Egyptian" background clearance thing was practically impossible for me in the time frame (3 months) and I explained that I provided a clearance to the embassy/Department of State before I came to the US which is mandatory thing, being here means I already passed such a check and I didn't leave the states since then. Attorney also attached a copy from a MBA degree that I obtained in the US as part of this segment of RFE response.

I provided a letter on counseling sessions that I attended previously and I provided another statement from a psychiatric (extensive evaluation) that said I have concerning level of depression and severe trauma etc

I couldn't provide insurance or lease copy but I sent several receipts on the address and a joint bank statement etc I also explained in my statement that the time I spent there was brief and I couldn't stay for too long and preferred homelessness over abuse. I explained that during this short marriage it didn't occur to me to gather evidences on such things because I didn't have all that in mind, I knew about VAWA by coincidence when I was looking for some help in a non profit and they advised me to do that.

We sent the RFE response on Nov 2nd 2017, and now the USCIS processing time for Vermont says they are on cases from Sept 2016. Do they process RFEs as a new case, or will it be sooner? and why I have a very bad feeling about that? even the attorney -I can tell she had very little confidence ...

Thank you, all.

@Boiler my prime focus is to NOT do anything wrong that will have consequences after that, saying that my prime focus is "my status" can be explained in several ways, thank you

Howdy and happy new year

My case is simple (I think) I have been here in Alameda CA since June 2014, studying for MBA, I have been talking recently with a girl that I used to date for a short period of time (she visited Egypt once, that's where we met first time I think in 2013, and I visited her once in 2014 in Vegas) at one point we wanted to get married but practically it was difficult because I wanted to finish my school in California, and she didn't want to leave Vegas, but recently because my classes are finished and I don't have to be in California while writing my research project, we were talking and thinking if it's possible to do that (in case you wonder how these two people loved each other but that dude is talking this way, I don't want at any point to do anything that compromises my legal status in any way, if we can't be together in a way that satisfies uncle Sam, I won't just take my bag and drive to Vegas)...

We were talking for years online, phone...etc, but I don't really know what's the correct thing to do, of course marriage is a correct thing to do (for me: socially, spiritually) and for the government to accept our relationship as a reason to let us be together..

Some points: I know she has pretty low credit score, and she had food stamps at a point, and I know that if we will ever do that we should talk to a lawyer first...

I believe that we need a person to sign affidavit of support (a sponsor) so I am asking could that person be a friend who has a high income or must they be a family member (hers) and can we do that at first place?

I am in a dilemma and to be honest I just want to take my bags and run, but I am scared of the consequences :'(

Cheers