Love_A_Brit

4 hours ago, Linyahui said:

 

Additionally, should the conditional resident spouse's name and A-number be written on each piece of evidence?

I wrote my husband's A number on every piece of evidence. We only signed the form itself and the cover letter.

12 minutes ago, RandB said:

Hi everyone,

 

My green card will expire on July 21, 2019. First day I can apply for removal of conditions will be on April 22, 2019. I am assembling paperwork and finishing up my application this week.

 

How did you guys assemble your package? I read on the USCIS website that ACCO fasteners and paper clips are preferable. I used binders when I filed earlier applications, but apparently you're not really supposed to do that. Did you use tabs to locate the different documents? I'm thinking of placing the documents in the order stated on the cover letter. Will that be OK?

 

Also, my spouse and I do not share a checking account in the bank. We only have a savings account together that does not have much activity on it. I see that others are including every single bank statement in their application, but I don't think this would work for our savings account since it has many months with no activity on it. Is that OK, you think? I have other evidence to show for.

 

I'm excited and nervous to start this process (again) and follow your journeys!

My husband and I didn't share a bank account until very recently when his health warranted it, so I only sent one statement. I sent other evidence of co-mingling such as a house deed, insurance policies, vehicle titles, and then things like a purchase contract for countertops with both our names on it. There are lots of ways to show joint finances other than bank statements, in my opinion. I hope USCIS agrees. 

April 4th filer here! Our package was delivered by USPS on the 5th and we received a text message with our SRC case number on the 10th. The check was cashed on the 11th. 😃

I mailed our I-751 paperwork on April 4th to Lewisville, TX and received a text today with our SRC case #. Now the waiting begins. 😊

21 hours ago, Yaztalksalot said:

Once you've booked, you can go back into the system with the login details you've created and change the appointment date

Agreed!  Personally, I would book for the end of August and get the interview over with, especially if you're aiming for an early September departure.  It takes time to receive your documents once everything is approved, and this will give you a little wiggle room in case you end up in AP.  

I "third" the Smoky Mountains in TN.  It's absolutely gorgeous up there! 

Congratulations! I am so happy that your case is moving along! I had to laugh because immigration called us during the AOS phase and nobody could quite believe it.  I was surprised to receive a phone call, but it would have been an even bigger shock to have someone show up at the front door!!  

15 hours ago, Boiler said:

Well once I have seen this is 10 plus years, so I am slightly dubious.

That was probably me - we were contacted, and on a weekend no less. It was for our AOS. I was dubious too and wondered if it was a prank but the status changed immediately and then the green card was in hand. So it does happen. 

Unless you mean being contacted specifically for cases like this...thankfully I don't know about that.

We didn't send any photos, just boarding passes and passport stamps to prove that we had met within the last 2 years.  We did have pictures (about 6) for the interview, but the CO never asked to see them.

Just now, AZSunshine78 said:

Thank you for the link!

You are welcome - it was a lifesaver for us.  With so many sources of information out there, it really helped to print the checklists off from the London embassy and to focus on those.  I don't know how much of an organization nut you are, but I used the checklist to make a binder for what was going to happen in London.  I used page protectors (so no holes punched in any paperwork) and had one labeled for each document my husband was going to need.  It worked to keep him organized in my absence. 

5 minutes ago, AZSunshine78 said:

I have went directly to the national Visa Center website and I'm confused. I thought once I received the NOA2, everything after that was on the beneficiary side. As far as collecting all of the documentation and everything that he has to take to the interview. I read information that says I need to submit some kind of formal document and then I need to pay fees and then once those fees are paid then he will get information about the checklist of the documents and everything that he needs for his embassy and interview.

 

I did not know there were fees from the national Visa Center I thought the remaining fees after filing the petition we're only for his medical appointment, the issuing of the visa and the adjustment of status.

Hi there!  Check out this link that is specific to the UK: https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/fiancee-2/applying-for-the-visa/

It gives a very good overview of the process and what is needed at the interview stage.  Do you have a case number from the NVC yet?  If not, you will need to contact them directly for your number.  It should begin with LND.  Once you have that, you can follow the remaining steps on the Embassy's website to get you right to the interview.  The link will tell you all about what the remaining fees are, and I found it to be straightforward and easy to navigate.  Best wishes! 

On 6/14/2017 at 1:12 AM, Mehar said:

Not at all, you can have your case number after a week. Just call the NVC and tell them you need you case number. They will ask for USCIS receipt number, your names etc. and will give it you right away.

 

Formal letter takes longer to come via mail. I had received the NVC letter in mail after i was done with interview. Lol

It can absolutely take up to 8 weeks.  It doesn't always take that long, but it's possible.  NVC will not investigate what the delay is until you've been waiting for a full 6 weeks.

4 hours ago, Natalie_Bart said:

Thanks! Are there more forms to fill out or fees to pay at this stage? Or does the NVC just assign the case number and book the appointment with the fiance's consulate location?

As mentioned above, you will need to pay the visa fee when you book your interview.  You might also have fees for a medical exam, a police clearance, and/or delivery fees for your approved visa.  

18 hours ago, Natalie_Bart said:

Does anyone have information on how long it takes for the National Visa Center to contact the applicant by mail following the NOA2 approval from USCIS? The NOA2 document indicates it could be up to 30 days, but I was hoping it might be quicker! Mine was apparently sent to NVC on May 24 and I haven't heard anything since. Any advice is appreciated. 

The timelines from NOA2 to NVC vary.  In our case, we received the NOA2 on 7/1 and the case wasn't received by the NVC until 8/17.  It was 9/2 before the consulate received our information.  The best thing you can do is to continue to call the NVC every day or two until they give you the good news that your case has been received.  I would recommend calling early in the morning or late at night - these times seem to have the shortest hold times.  

52 minutes ago, harvardiv said:

Nah they are too cryptic.  They really need to make things simpler and less cryptic instead of being lazy with the one size fits all government approach.

The links provided above are not cryptic - they are real information provided by real people who have successfully navigated this process.  I can assure you that the people who put this information together for the benefit of others are not lazy.  VJ is a DIY site for immigration, and most of us have completed the process without an attorney.  That being said, if you are uncomfortable with the DIY approach you should consider hiring an attorney to assist with the AOS process.  It'll be worth it in the end.  

43 minutes ago, Benel sophilienne said:

How do I check my case status

You can check your case status online at https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do. 

42 minutes ago, minemar said:

Thank you for your kind answers.  Yeah I tend to over worry. I need to get done with this ASAP.

 

The whole process has made my anxiety levels skyrocket. And I can't keep thinking something will go wrong at some point.

Try to relax.  I know it's not very uplifting to hear, but you have a long way to go in terms of time and paperwork before you'll be "done" with this.  It's natural to worry that something will go wrong, but have faith that things will work out the way they are meant to.  Hang in there.  

I would avoid the "unofficial" wedding.  Why blur the lines and give them cause for suspicion? 

2 hours ago, KristyD said:

I am in the US and married now on a k1 transitioning to a green card.  When can I apply for a social security number?

Congrats!  You can apply for your SSN now with an unexpired (more than 14 days left) I-94 and your passport.  Alternately, you can wait until you receive your EAD.  My husband applied for his SSN just a few days after entry and before we were married.  It really depends on if you need it for things like a bank account or driver's license right away.  

15 hours ago, SabrinaJerome said:

I would love to see the day when the IRS comes looking for me because they owe me $300 from 2011... because they did and I didn't file. Never heard a word. Funny that.

You are legally required to file income taxes every year, subject to certain exceptions which you probably don't qualify for if you're an attorney.  If you owe the IRS, you pay them.  If they owe you, you receive a refund.  April 15th is the filing deadline, and if you intend to file after that date you must file an extension.  You don't file an extension because you owe the IRS money.  You file one because you've missed the filing deadline, which coincidentally is the same every single year. 

Also, I wouldn't brag about not filing tax returns.  The statute of limitations is typically only three years, but the IRS can look back further if you intentionally misrepresented your income (by failure to file or other means).  

Seems to me that you just like to challenge the rules, whether it's tax rules or immigration rules.  Do us all a favor and just give them what they ask for so that they can move on to another case.  We're waiting.  

Hi there! Take a look at the processing times for the I-765.  It's not unusual to wait over 100 days right now.  We filed in January and just received his combo card one week ago today.  Personally, I think that filing a SR at this time is pointless.  Hang in there, you should see something in a couple of weeks.  It looks like your interview is already scheduled - yay for you!  You might find that your I-765 doesn't even matter at the end of the month!  

 

I just don't understand USCIS at all,I'm awaiting our NOA2 and the things you read about on here and other forums is ridiculous. You send in all the evidence they require such as pics of meeting within the past 2 years and other such items and people still get Rfe 😡 😡 😡 

I really cannot wait for this to all be over and I can plan my future with my fiance. 

Hi there! I understand your frustration, I honestly do.  I know you didn't ask for my advice, but here it is anyway.  I was in your situation not long ago.  I was wishing every single day away while waiting for my future husband to have his K-1 visa in hand.  During that time, I think I placed a lot of unnecessary stress on both of us.  The K-1 process is not easy, it's not short, and it's highly unpredictable.  Try to enjoy what the two of you have together right now...today...in the present.  Learn about each other, teach each other slang from your respective countries, watch Netflix together over Skype, "share" Chinese food while talking on the phone.  Once you are together in the US, a whole other set of worries and stresses will come up based on the AOS process and learning to live together.  So enjoy your time "together" even when you are apart.  I know the time difference between the US and the UK is a ROYAL pain in the hind end and makes it difficult to talk when you're working a full-time job, but you'll get through this.  You never know what tomorrow might bring, so enjoy today.  You'll be together soon.  

16 hours ago, zombiepatrol222 said:

I haven't found any information about that. I don't know what you are referring to, but we were advised by the SSA to wait at least 4 weeks before applying. By the time we applied, with 6 weeks to spare before the expiry date, it was evidently too late by the time they processed it. That is what I mean by it being unfair- we applied with 6 full weeks to spare. By the time they processed it- they said it was less than two weeks before expiry and we needed an updated I-94. These people obviously don't know the protocol. That seems like an error on their part and they ruined his chances of getting it. Hopefully we will get an interview with our AOS- though from our experience with asking for more information (RFE with Visa) they need more than we could ever give. All we can do is just get evidence from the SSA (If they will issue another receipt given they neglected to with our application). The lady I spoke with on the federal hotline advised me to speak with an office manager. We will be able to do that Monday, I just cant do it this week due to finals for graduate school. I will get a printoff from my bank verifying they need an SSN to add him to the account. We still are going to attempt to open another account..it is just that I have had this account in good standing for a year and with my chronic stress issues I dread attempting to open a new account elsewhere when it could take multiple attempts at multiple places.

Gotcha - I understand now. I'm sorry you are having to deal with this. We had a SSA issue as well, and I misread your post and thought you found info somewhere about applying with an expired I94. My fault. Hang in there. 

Just curious...where did you find the information that says you can apply with a nearly expired I-94? Can you post a link for the benefit of others? 

2 minutes ago, Ben&Zian said:

Ignore the other part about #3.

I think you might need to check the "yes" box on Part 3, item 1.  Double check me on this.  The rest stays blank unless you're immigrating with other family members. Somewhere on this forum, there are really good sample forms for AOS paperwork. I relied heavily on those samples, and so far (fingers and toes crossed), no RFEs for this stage of the process.