Callistora

I could be wrong but I thought you had to have a green card in order to get the stimulus?  I know with the new bill USC in mixed status families qualify, even retroactively for the 1200.  If you only have an EAD there's restrictions on your SSN from what I understand.  My husband got his green card in October and just applied for a new SSN with no restrictions last month because we thought it would affect getting the rebate.  

My Canadian husband adjusted from a B2 visa and overstayed 4 years before our interview and we were never even asked about adjusting from a tourist visa at the interview.  We front loaded our AOS package with evidence which I feel like helped in the interview.

And like said above she needs to plan to not work or travel for several months.  It is a commitment.  

16 minutes ago, HRQX said:

 

Then he'll need to wait until it's possible to go in-person if he doesn't want to send-in his passport and GC. In the meantime, he can still use his current SS card.

It is possible but only by mail, which is scary having to send not only your green card but passport as well.  The lady I spoke to said they just verify the documents and immediately send them back.

25 minutes ago, HRQX said:

He should register now, since he is under the age of 26. It's federal law. Once his I-94 expired, he was required to register. 50 U.S. Code § 3802: "The provisions of this section shall not be applicable to any alien lawfully admitted to the United States as a nonimmigrant under section 1101(a)(15) of title 8, for so long as he continues to maintain a lawful nonimmigrant status in the United States."

Use his SSN. Register online: https://www.sss.gov/register/

 

Even individuals that don't have SSN must register with SSS: https://www.sss.gov/register/immigrants/ "With very few exceptions, all immigrant males between ages 18 and 25 are required by law to register with the Selective Service System (SSS) within 30 days of arriving in the United States. This includes naturalized citizens, parolees, undocumented immigrants, legal permanent residents, asylum seekers, refugees, and all males with visas more than 30 days expired." "If you do not have a social security number, you can visit your local post office to pick up a form or download it here."

Well he adjusted from a nonimmigrant tourist visa so I assume he couldn't register then.  Of course now he has to.  

So we are years from even applying for my husband's citizenship but just to see what was required and what I needed to save for the next couple of years I was looking at the N 400.  I saw that you must register with SS if you are 18-25 and my husband is 24, turning 25 next month.  For some reason I never saw anything about this when we applied for the green card but I read USCIS may give information to SS.  So do we need to register him or will USCIS do that?  As of now there is no record of him but he just recently got his green card and his SSN still says only valid for employment.  

If we do have to register him ourselves do we need to wait for a proper SSN with no restrictions?

My husband got his EAD this summer and shortly after was auto sent a SSN card (we did not apply for the SSN) that states only valid for employment.  He now just recently got his green card and we are wondering will he get sent a new SSN with no restrictions or do we need to apply for one?  Unfortunately the offices here are not allowing appointments except for new applicants with no SSN so in order to apply we would have to send his passport and green card so he'd be without both for a week. 

On 9/16/2020 at 8:33 PM, portorusa said:

@Callistora Congratulations! When you receive your card please let us know if the date of LPR on the card is the date of the interview, or after. Thanks!

Got the card today. The date on the card is September 16th which is the day the card was ordered. Our interview was August 14th.

Yea I think if you have a lot of evidence they won't ask.  Of course it all depends on your IO.  It doesn't seem like they often ask about adjusting from B2 unless you give them a reason.  One good piece of advice I learned through this whole process is just answer what they ask and don't offer more information than necessary. 

My husband adjusted from B2 visa and he overstayed 3 years before we filed and this was all before the pandemic which honestly is forcing a lot of people to adjust.  I mean it's changed the world whether people want to admit it or not.  

We were never once asked about his overstay. The IO asked to see his tourist visa and we explained it was just a stamp in his passport since he is Canadian (and the IO seemed confused about this, he was expecting something different.  They must not see a lot of Canadians there) but that was it.  He had no follow up questions although we were prepared to answer.  Most of the personal questions were directed towards me and just asked how we met and such.   

I will say I sent in a lot of evidence which helped because he wanted almost nothing when we interviewed except our new tax returns, new pictures, and the medical exam.  And we did everything without a lawyer.

I think because of the pandemic you will be fine.  There's not much else you could have done.

Well I ended up calling and she told me I'd have to call between 8-11am to talk to a T2 which I would need to in my situation but at 6pm when I called they had a no transfer policy (since it was the end of the day).  She did tell me to put in a service request, so I did.

Three days later my case updated to card being produced.  So maybe the SR helped?  But just updating on my situation.

No one has any advice on the call centers and if they are worth calling or if we should just keep waiting?

So on Monday it will have been one month since our interview with no response.  Our IO told us we would have a response within 30 days (to me he made it seem like it might be shorter but due to COVID-19 it could take up to 30).  Should we call to inquire about our case next week or keep waiting?  Does calling even help?

While looking for other people adjusting from the same FO (with August 2020 interviews) some got instant approval, some waited around 2 weeks and then there's a couple of us who are still waiting. Our FO seems to have a fairly quick turnaround so that is the main reason for concern. We were also hoping he'd get his green card so he could visit his Mom who is going through some personal stuff. We never got AP because we thought it was pointless as he overstayed a B2 visa we were worried he might not be let back in.

We also never received a paper saying they'd make a decision within X amount of days that I know some people get. But it does say online that the case is being reviewed.

It will have been 4 weeks today since our interview and I also have heard nothing.  We thought it went well but I guess just have to be patient which is hard lol.  He told me I would have a decision within 30 days. Is that just 30 regular days or business days?  And is it worth calling next week or pointless?

I just read last night there were 800 layoffs at NBC so that can't help things. 

28 minutes ago, martinataylor said:

Question 61 on form I-130 asks:

"

"The beneficiary is in the United States and will apply for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in:"

 

I am a little confused. I will send the application to the Chicago office drop box.

 

But the nearest immigration office to us is Seattle.

 

What do I put in response to that question?

 

The office I send the forms to or the office I want to be used for an interview?

 

Thanks Martin

Pretty sure it should be the office at which you will interview, whatever city is closest to you. That's what I put on mine. 

I believe everything gets sent to Chicago for initial processing but then gets sent out to whichever office is going to handle your case

1 minute ago, Jorgedig said:

Honestly, I don't believe the furloughs will happen.  In the 11th hour, the funds will be made available.  Look at previous, widespread government shut-downs as an example.

 

If furloughs are necessary, they will be temporary.  I would worry more for the visa petitions that are just arriving around that time.  You're very nearly done with the process until ROC.

Well we should get a 10-year green card. Next month we will have been married for 4 years.  Then hopefully he can become a citizen in a few years.

10 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Don't worry if you don't hear back right after the 72 hours.  We didn't receive the "new card is being produced" message for a couple of weeks.  This was right at the start of Covid, and USCIS was as busy as ever.  

Yeah I'm assuming they are just backlogged, although I've been quite impressed with how quick the Raleigh office is. I just like to worry. I wish I had asked him if he thought we'd be approved but I didn't think it was appropriate and didn't want to offend him after having a good interview lol. I'm just hoping we hear back before the possible furloughs at the end of the month. Hopefully they delay them again or get whatever funding they need to keep working.

13 hours ago, geowrian said:

It's hard to say. I only saw a few reports from people months ago and nothing more recent.

I just did a marriage interview (AoS from B2 for my Canadian husband) 5 days ago.  It was on a tablet. We were sworn in on the tablet, showed all documents through the tablet and any documents we submitted we put into a folder that was placed on a 72 hour hold before reaching our IO.  I assume our IO was in the office somewhere else although there were almost no cars in the parking lot.  Only people we saw was security and a front desk person.

We've not yet heard back though 😢.  Our IO wouldn't be able to touch our documents/medical exam until yesterday.  Hoping they aren't too backed up and we hear soon.

1 hour ago, TJF said:

Interview waivers are a thing now? How have you heard about this?

 

Thanks!

I've heard that they were waiving some interviews but honestly I think it's very clear-cut cases where it's 100% obvious bona fide marriage. I'm just speculating here but possibly cases where there are kids together or where they came on a k1 visa so they already went through an interview.  I'm also thinking it's in more populated areas where they are heavily backlogged but like I said this is all just speculation.  I'd honestly expect an interview I haven't read about them waiving that many it happens but it seems rare. 

10 minutes ago, itscarly said:

Can I ask you what those questions were? I’m kind of nervous about that 

He asked my husband my name and birthday and date of our wedding.  He asked me how we met (which was online in a game),  when we first met in person and really that was it.  I think he was going to ask why we didn't have a joint lease/mortgage in both our names but I had previously answered that when I offered an affidavit of residence (which he didn't even want) for my husband from my mom since we rent a room from her which meant everything was in her name.

Yeah my Canadian husband just needed his birth certificate (wasn't even a long form one) and passport and the affidavit HRQX mentioned.  Here is a link to what you are looking for although you may have to rewrite it.  Just print it and take it to a notary.  Make sure they spell your names correctly!   Our notary did not and we had to go back lol

http://www.wakegov.com/rod/help/vital/marriage/Pages/nosocial.aspx

Actually it looks like your county provides the affidavit you just have to get it notarized.  But it looks like what I linked if you are curious.

Yeah I was never asked for my passport, or birth certificate at the interview. I just used my state driver's license lol.  All the us citizen needs is a photo ID because you mailed in copies of his birth certificate. They may ask to see the original but in my experience they did not.

So I just wanted to post this to help people on how me and my husbands interview was done in North Carolina.  Our PD was 10/28/2019. We had 1 RFE for Canadian long form birth certificate and original interview was for 4/21/20 I think before being cancelled because of COVID-19. Interview was rescheduled for today, 8/14/20.  We got there and there was almost no one in the parking lot, like 10 cars max.  After security we were immediately sent to a room with 2 chairs facing a tablet.  Our officer was on the tablet and told us he needed time to review our case before he began the interview and he told us we could chit chat with each other while he was muted, which we did lol.  About 10 minutes later we started, he asked for my husband's B2 visa (which he doesn't have because canadians just get a stamp in their passport).  He asked if we had any more evidence to submit and asked for the medical exam.  He went through the I130 and I485 and then asked me like 4 questions, how did we meet and such and that was it.  I wasn't expecting a digital interview in fact I hadn't heard anyone talk about it but this is how the office we went was conducting them.  (We were allowed to take off our masks since we live together too)  

Also the documents we submitted go into a folder in a box with other people's folders and the officers aren't allowed to touch them for 72 hours (COVID-19) so because of that they are not giving same day approvals, he said.  I assume they need the signature at interview on the last page of the I485 as well as the medical exam before approving?  Hopefully all goes well for us and this information helps someone. We got lucky and our officer was nice and he made us feel comfortable.

Thank you for the response. We had the interview and all seemed to go well I think.   He didnt really want more evidence and kinda laughed at everything I was pulling out.  He said the evidence he had looked good. We didnt get an approval yet though.  We did not submit the medical exam until today and because of covid 19 anything we submitted today wont be seen for 3 days.  We didnt even interview in person lol it was on a tablet in an office.  It was nothing we expected. He did say before covid 19 you'd hear back same day or fairly quickly but it takes up to the 30 days because of all the restrictions. He went through the applications and then asked only 4 questions about us to me and that was it. Lasted like 30 minutes , at least 10 of that was him looking at the case for the first time. The officer was really nice.  Hopefully he gets approved. 

I am preparing for me and my husband's interview and going through the copy of our application package I realized I missed an error on the I-130A. We put down the wrong month on one of his old addresses but we put it down correctly on the I-485. The year is correct though and it was not the last place he lived in Canada before visiting. He moved one time after that before moving to the US after we married.  Should we mention this at the interview? It wouldn't give any reason for denial would it?

So going through everything I've realized that for my husband's address history I put the wrong month (but right year) on the I 130a but it is correct on the I485. I don't know how we missed this.  Should I mention it at our interview?  It was before he visited so it doesn't change anything but I assume I should mention the mistake?