levan8421

Just now, Cadence said:

Was schooling the reason why you guys lived apart? Do you guys live together now?

I finished my school in Florida in April 2016. We are living together now in Connecticut (where she is working now) right after we got married (July 2017). We have had a lot of picture together after we moved in together.

1 minute ago, Cadence said:

How about your bona fide evidence such as joint documents? Did you have a lot of those?

We have photos about 190 pictures (we lived in 2 different states thus only meet 2 or 3 times per year before but we did meet more the year before marriage; those pictures also show me with her family member in different states), joints bank accounts (2 banks), letter from electricity company showing my name on the address, her insurance policy (both health and life) with my name on it (2017). He asked for latest tax but we have not submitted it yet. 

Just now, Cadence said:

I hope you get an update soon. Why didn't you guys prepare as well as you guys could have? Even without the preparation, some of the questions such as what your degree is and what you're volunteering in seem to be information that would have been talked about in your day-to-day lives as a couple in some form or another. What went wrong?

Hi Cadence,

She knows correctly what my degree is which is Phd, she knows what I studied which is nanomaterials (but the full title of my degree in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering with the specialty in nanomaterials laser processing), she said my school was the State University of Florida (actually it is Florida State University), she said correctly that I do volunteering to teach children (but beside that I also do volunteer for American Red Cross). I told her those things before but just that we do not review such things to prepare (we prepare things like our hobbies, favorite food, travel times, favorite color...). 

I know we should have done better.

I know there have been a lot of posts about this issue in the forum but I just want to share so I could relieve my stress a little bit. 

I had interview yesterday on 02/02/2017 at 10am in Hartford, CT. 

The process included a strict security checking, submission of copies of the required documents, and the interview (30-40 minutes)

The question was almost about the information in the submitted documents (we just prepared other information about the marriage life but did not prepare well for this).
I was not in my best condition for the interview because I had had a non-stop coughing the night before. The interviewer said he was also coughing a lot last month. I was kind of slow on my answers and had to ask the interviewer to repeat the question a couple of times. I made some mistakes. I corrected some answers and explained right away, i.e.: where my wife lived before the current location, what her job was before the current one, what her mother's first name is (her name has 4 syllables so I did not realize her first name now includes the first name and a part of middle name, how many times I have been travelling to US (I said 2 but corrected 3 right away). Sometimes he repeated my answered so I can realized I mistook the answers. I did not realize I was wrong in other questions such as: since when I was a member of that organization (a professional organization I join before), whether I am still a member of it, how to spell the name. My wife answered more confidently but also made some mistakes. But she only remembered one of 6 addresses I lived before, did not say my school name exactly, said the right I studied but not the exact title of my degree, did not say exactly what I am volunteering now (although she generally said correctly). He did not take either my EAD or travel document (he told me I can hold on to them). He advised me not to travel internationally during this time (we asked him about this).
That sucks; I was nervous and my health was not totally recovered. I had a friend also having the interview the same place a year before. She also told me the interviewer did not say the result but her status was update a day later and the GC was delivered after a week.
The waiting is pain in the butt; it makes me recall what happened in the interview and it feels worse. I know I could not do anything else but waiting. Just to share with everyone so I can feel a little relief. 
Hope I will get the result soon (no matter what it is) so I can prepare for next step.

Time flies. Unfortunately, I could not get the job within my 90-day unemployment period of OPT. I understand that I could not accept any offer now.

However, I wonder whether I can still do volunteer for any non-profit organization, such as Red Cross. It is not that I want to compensate the 90-day period or extend my OPT; I just would like to outreach to my community and do something meaningful instead of just doing nothing.

Thank you.

You can only work only with a valid EAD. So I would recommend waiting for the new one unless your employer does not mind a gap in employment. Note that being an immediate relative does not give you the right to work at will. Apply for AOS and the EAD immediately so the gap in your work authorization is minimal. Good luck!

Thank you Cheezees. I hope you would have a wonderful day.

According to your advice, I guess my best luck now is to find a job before my 90-days period ends on 09/18/2016. Otherwise I have to wait for the new EAD coming (properly next January).

1. No. You are now an immediate relative of a US citizen and are eligible to stay and adjust.

2. See above response.

3. Yes, submit it now as it is free and the entire AOS process can take mouths. The EAD takers about 90 days so you'll be eligible to work before getting your GC.

4. See 1 and 2.

Good luck!

Thank you very much Cheezees for your very helpful information.

Following up with your answers,

(5) If I can earn a job offer, because I am in the adjustment of status period, is it legal for me to accept the offer with my current OPT or do I have to wait until I got the new EAD to work?

Thank you.

Deal all,

I got an OPT, valid from 01/10/2016 to 01/09/2017. I was unemployed from 01/10/2016 to 03/22/2016, which means I have spent 72 days of unemployment. I have been working since 03/22/2016 to 08/31/2016. According to the 90-day period rule, I only have 18 days of unemployment left. It means that after I finish my job on 08/31/2016, I can only stay legally in US until 09/18/2016.

My girlfriend, an US Citizen, and I have just married and we also have submitted the I-130 and I-485 on 08/12/2016. I guess USCIS will receive our documents on 08/15/2016 or some day during that week.

(1) I wonder after our documents are received, whether the 90-day rule still applies for me?

(2) If I cannot find a job after 09/18/2016, do I need to leave the country?

In addition, I mistook the idea of the OPT I am having now and the EAD when I apply for I-485. Thus, I have not submitted the I-765 when I submitted the I-485.

(3) Is it ok for me to submit the new I-765 now? I guess I do not need to pay any other fee, do I?

(4) If I am granted the new EAD, will it help me to avoid my current 90-days period issue?

Thank you very much.