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JasonGG

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  1. JasonGG
    My wife was scheduled for her citizenship interview before her green card was approved. Her I751 status remained "transferred to another office to speed processing" from December 2021 to 3 weeks after her citizenship was approved in January 2023. Her I751 online status and approval letter she received soon after says she will not get a new green card because she already passed the citizenship interview. Makes me want to ask for a $680 refund! My wife's son applied for his 10 year green card separately because he arrived in the U.S. after his mom. He just got his 4-year extension letter last week. He filed his I-751 in May 2021 and it was never transferred to speed processing. He will probably have his U.S. passport (through his mother's naturalization) this summer - long before he would have ever gotten the green card through Potomac. 😬
  2. JasonGG
    I should add that the passport stamp required "special processing" at JFK last month. The officer did require her green card and expired extension letter. After going through the immigration line, we were all led to a side room by a guard and sat in a waiting room. They have to look up each passport 551 stamp in a computer system and verify with the expired documents. It took about 10-15 minutes for them to approve my wife and daughter's entry. Kind of stressful because they were not very pleasant and didn't explain what was going on.
  3. JasonGG
    My wife got her passport stamped in November. She kept her green card. The officer said she may need it when going through immigration. She was asked for the expired green card and letter and passport stamp going to and from Vietnam. It was a bit of a problem in Vietnam as most had never seen the stamp before and focused on the expired documents.
  4. JasonGG
    For some countries, it does not matter. In Vietnam, I think it makes a difference, especially if the CO has any doubts. At the very least, your fiancé will be much less anxious if you are with her. In Vietnam, you can be at her side (or feet away) through the entire interview process. Check my timeline for our experience at the consulate in 2018. I’m glad I went.
  5. JasonGG
    Yes, you can go into the consulate and wait with her in line outside (have your passport ready), go through security, and sit in the waiting area together. After security, she will go through a line while you wait off to the side on one of the benches. She will get her interview number from that line/window after which the two of you can wait together on benches in a different part of the waiting room. Pay attention to the signs and announcements. The announcements can be difficult to hear. When her number is called, you both go to the window. The CO will decide if you will stay together at the window or will ask you to sit nearby. In 2018, the interview took less than 10 minutes - longer than others on that day simply because our petition included 2 children and their associated documents. The CO had clearly gone through our documents, made notes, and already had the approval paperwork when we went to the window. Best of luck to you - Jason
  6. JasonGG
    My wife was approved in early January. The USCIS officer was great and understood that we were traveling overseas 2 weeks after the interview. She noted on my wife's record that she should be scheduled after 2/13, but advised us to keep an eye on her online account to make sure those instructions were followed. Two days before we left, we saw online that she was scheduled for a 1/31 oath ceremony. USCIS lists pre-planned travel as one of the reasons for rescheduling, so we followed the instructions on the ceremony letter. We sent back the ceremony letter, included airline e-ticket copies, and a letter explaining why we wanted to reschedule to the local USCIS office. We asked to be rescheduled any day after 2/13. Within days of sending the letter, her online account showed her 1/31 ceremony was canceled and reverted to "will be scheduled." On 2/13 (the day we said she'd be available again), the local office rescheduled for a March ceremony. Hope that helps - Jason
  7. JasonGG
    It may be required, but it’s very easy to get a ssn. Takes about 7-10 days once you submit your application and documents. If that’s not an option, call and ask for the ESL/ELL department. They may have to register her for you.
  8. JasonGG
    My wife attended the ESL certificate program at the local community college. Just needed to show proof of current address to get the cheaper in-county tuition. Immigration status was not a factor. I think it was about 8 classes over 2 years, $300-400 per class. They offered free classes, too, but no certificate that allows you to begin other programs at a state university.
  9. JasonGG
    In 2018, my wife was in the U.S. and also waiting for her green card when her 12 year old son had his interview in Ho Chi Minh City. He attended with a family friend. The friend carried identification and stayed with him through the entire process. No issues at all. - Jason
  10. JasonGG
    Not sure there are many people with the same issue, but I'll ask anyway . . . My wife got a 551G stamp in her passport in November for international travel while waiting to remove conditions. She was just scheduled for her citizenship interview in January, which we assume will be a combined green card and citizenship interview. We are leaving to travel overseas 10 days after the interview. If approved, she probably won't have the 10-year card in hand before we leave. Is the 551 passport stamp still valid if the green card is approved, "being produced," or sitting in our mailbox? Thank you!
  11. JasonGG
    No green card after 28 months, but my wife was was scheduled for her citizenship interview on January 6. The interview notice online doesn't say anything about the green card, but we assume this will be a combined green card and citizenship interview.
  12. JasonGG
    My wife filed just a few weeks after you. She filed a request at the beginning of October, but no response. She got a I551 stamp in her passport earlier this month, so there is a little less urgency to get the green card for now. We have the forms to request an inquiry from our senator, but have decided to wait until after our upcoming overseas travel. We will be very happy when this waiting on the green card and and citizenship process are over.
  13. JasonGG
    Congratulations! My wife filed just a few days before you and she got a 551 stamp last week.
  14. JasonGG
    Thank you! This is very helpful - Jason
  15. JasonGG
    My wife finally got scheduled for an I-551 stamp in her passport because her extension letter expired and we are traveling overseas this month. The appointment letter says we should "Bring all immigration forms, receipts, and any other documents related to your case." Do they really want ALL our related documents for the 551 stamp? It's a 10-minute appointment (my wife is at 11 and daughter is at 11:10) and we have thousands of pages of bank statements, utility bills, legal documents, photos, etc, going back to our marriage 4 1/2 years ago. What did those of you who recently got the 551 stamp bring to your appointments? Also, what does the stamp look like? Is it an ink stamp or sticker (like the visa) on a passport page or is it a 551 letter that she carries with the passport? Thanks for any help - Jason
  16. JasonGG
  17. JasonGG
    My wife submitted her I-751 in August 2020. It went to the Potomac Service Center. Her biometrics were reused in December 2020 and her case was moved to NBC "to speed processing" in December 2021. There had been no case updates until today, when the most recent online status changed to "Case was updated to show fingerprints were taken" again. Does this mean someone is actually - finally - looking at the application? Has anyone else had this status update showing a second biometrics reuse on the same application? Thanks - Jason
  18. JasonGG
    After 3 weeks we got an email from USCIS. Have others received this response? If so, what did you do? We need to get a 551 stamp for travel. Do we call again? Wait for them to call us? Are we still in the queue for an appointment? Thanks! "We are contacting you about your pending request to be scheduled for an in-person appointment at a USCIS field office. Unfortunately, there are no available appointments with the field office that you need to visit. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your patience. Please note that we process all requests for appointments in the order in which they were received. We ask that you wait for the Contact Center to reach out rather than calling back to check on your request as it may result in longer wait times. As soon as an appointment becomes available, we will: Send you an email with the date and time if it is determined you are eligible for an appointment; OR Contact you by phone or email to confirm that the appointment is still needed, and if so, schedule as appropriate. "
  19. JasonGG
    We called this morning for an infopass appointment at the Baltimore, MD office. We were also told we'd get a call back in 30 days. The email confirmation added that we'd get a text or email 1-2 business days before the call so we would be expecting it. - Jason
  20. JasonGG
    My wife sent her I-751 in August 2020. The last update she received for removal of conditions was in December 2021 saying her case had been moved from the Potomac Service Center to NBC. (Her 11 year old daughter - who applied with her mother - also had her case moved at the same time. Her 15 year old son applied 9 months later and is still at Potomac). Now that I am seeing summer 2020 applications being approved at Potomac, I am wondering if her application will take even longer because it was moved to the NBC. Can she still hope to get a decision around the same time as other August 2020 Potomac filers or does that timeline go out the window after being moved to NBC? She also filed her N-400 online in August 2021. No update on that since the confirmation and reuse of biometrics letters from August 2, 2021, but the online estimate in her USCIS account says a decision could come in 2 months. Thanks - Jason
  21. JasonGG
    Thank you - that is very helpful to know. - Jason
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