sddude89

Receptionists knows nothing  or receptionist did not ask you the right questions and did not understand what you were talking about.
 
Not true.
Plenty of folks on this forums currently (like within the last 10 days) being approved with no interview
 
Please don't spread receptionist rumors.

Receptionists knows nothing  or receptionist did not ask you the right questions and did not understand what you were talking about.
 
Not true.
Plenty of folks on this forums currently (like within the last 10 days) being approved with no interview
 
Please don't spread receptionist rumors.

I am sorry that you had that experience but FYI that was absolutely illegal. You could have sued, file a complaint with the DOL, or bring up the issue with your senator. 
Federal law prohibits employers from conducting the Form I-9 and E-Verify processes before the employee has accepted an offer of employment. https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/inquiries_citizenship.cfm
Nobody can ask you what document you have, all they can ask at job interview is if you are authorized to work in the US. The answer is either Yes or No. Period.
Once you accept the job offer, you go to HR (not your boss) and fill up forms including the I-9. It is usually a formalism and many times you just email the docs and no reason to get a weird look from anybody.
This is serious and if someone asked to see your green card before you accepted a job offer they are so breaking the law and should be denounced.
 
Regarding Dallas, you can't say that the officers are slow at reviewing apps.
The reason that Dallas is taking longer is probably a backlog. There are not enough officers to review as many applications that come in.
 
Have you looked at the Sep 2016 filers thread? lots of approvals for the last 3 weeks. They are really moving along.

HI all, 
 
Thanks for all the experiences you have shared. Wanted to share mine, I am a Sept 6, 2016 Filer, Backed up at CSC, i bit the bullet and applied N400 in November, got interview Feb6th 2018, where they adjudicated the i751 then proceeded to the interview ( passed!) 
 
One word of caution for all, please don't forget to bring spouse with you if you i751 is still pending and you are going for the citizenship interview. There will be a combined interview basic questions about where you met etc looking over evidence sent to show its a bonfide marriage. 
I was originally not planning on brining my wife as it is a 3 hour drive to the office from where we live. 
 
They were a bit surprised I751 was still pending and were actually not prepared to do a combined interview but a senior officer helped out. 
 
The officer was very kind, helpful. 
 
Good luck to all. 

You need nothing other than your passport if you have an I-551 stamp inside it. It carries the same legal weight as a green card.

Without an advanced degree and specialized work experience, a work visa is extremely difficult to obtain.
 
A J1 visa (cultural exchange) might be an option. It is not easy either. And he has to go back for 2 years to Philipines after the J1 program is done before being able to come back to US. But his stay as a J1 will give you time to consider your relationship, know each other and maybe you decide to marry, process a fiancee visa during his 2 years away.
 
To be honest, a work visa is really a long shot. Almost impossible for someone that is currently abroad, even with high qualifications (bachelor in engineering, science, etc, specialized work experience ). Promotions at a mall is not really a specialized expertise enough to justify a work visa.

For sure!!!
Anybody is.
And this applies to green card, passport with stamp, extension letter, etc.
It is not easy or fast to replace any of the docs above.

It might be difficult that you get specific anecdotal experience with Air France from someone around here.
 
What I can tell you is that people travel all the time with expired green card and extension letter with no issues.
We recently traveled on LATAM, no issues anywhere.
 
Don't stress out. You will be fine.

I can only tell you what you are supposed to do.
Legally, you are supposed to carry proof of permanent residence at ALL times. This means any of these:
1) An unexpired Green Card
2) An expired Green Card with extension letter
3) A passport with I-551 Stamp.
 
Yes, the letter is thick, yes, carrying the passport around is a pain.
But, legally, that's what you are supposed to do.
See it this way. A photocopy of the letter is as bad (or good) as the photocopy of  a valid green grad.
 
Now, on to the other angle of your question.
What will be the consequences of being pulled over by a border patrol agent, etc. and not having a current green card but just a copy? (or  expired GC + extension)?
Anecdotal experiences here and other forums seems to be that nothing happened other than some arguing, stress and wasted time with the officer to be finally let go.
But anecdotal experiences are no guarantee of anything, right?
 
Chances are you will be able to carry on with your life without having to carry the original extension letter or without a current green card.  Just like you would be able to drive at 70mph on a 65mph freeway mostly without issues. 70mph is still breaking the law though.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Nothing is mandatory.
Each case is different.
USCIS looks at the whole package.
 
It is ok to be on separate insurance plans as it may make financial sense for the couple.
My husband and I have each our own insurance plan through our respective employers (no joint health insurance). We filed for ROC and got approved without RFE. (But we had other strong evidence of financial commingling).
 
 

Then your is most likely coming soon!!!
Yay!

The only notification I got by email/text and update online was "CARD WAS MAILED TO YOU".
4 days later I got the approval notification letter in the mail (paper mail).
Two days later (7 days from email/text notification) I got the green card.
 
I did not file for N-400 either.

I've only come back by car from Canada, and the officer just told me "you're still waiting??!!"
The entire thing couldn't have been more than a minute.

A lot of people here will rationalize that a photocopy is fine or may even narrate anecdotal experiences.
Truth is, nowhere in offical documents/rules say that photocopies are ok.
 
If I were you, I would take all original documents for this time. 
If anything, you will save yourself of a pointless and time consuming argument with a border patrol agent if you have original documents.
 
I do have experience driving on the "10" near the border in AZ and I was actually pulled over and asked for proof of status (Glad that I had my green card with me). So, yes it seems is very common they do this.

I got an update from USCIS today.
"Card Was Mailed to Me".
On January 12, 2017 we mailed your new card...
 
Please update timeline...Thanks.

I got an update from USCIS today.
"Card Was Mailed to Me".
On January 12, 2017 we mailed your new card...
 
Please update timeline...Thanks.

There's 3 (most likely?) possibilities:
No changes or the F4 category remains: The sooner you file, the shorter the wait will be. F4 category is removed but existing petitions are grandfathered: The sooner you file, the shorter the wait will be. F4 category is removed and all existing petitions are no longer eligible for a visa: You lost out on $535 * 3 in fees. Only you can determine if the $535 * 3 in fees is worth losing given your financial circumstances. But assuming it's not back-breaking to your financial situation, there's nothing else to lose.

Same here.
I don't care about the interview. Our marriage is bona fide and there is nothing to fear.
 
Perhaps some people are afraid of the unknown (understandable) as they have interviewed at consulate but never at field office before.
 
Well, for those that don't know, the interview at field office for 2yr green card (AOS) was very pleasant. Questions were easy and the USCIS lady was very charming and had a nice office with books, nice decorations and a few family photos. Nothing scary. We actually shared some laughs.
I don't see why I-751 interview would be any different.
 
Interview is nothing to worry about if your marriage is real (not fraud)
 

Why people get too much worried about interviews? personally I don't get so much stressed about it, If I get the ticket for interview, so be it. I guess since the K-1 long waiting,  going through the process don't get me so much worried.
 
Regards,
 
M.

Receptionists knows nothing  or receptionist did not ask you the right questions and did not understand what you were talking about.
 
Not true.
Plenty of folks on this forums currently (like within the last 10 days) being approved with no interview
 
Please don't spread receptionist rumors.

Receptionists knows nothing  or receptionist did not ask you the right questions and did not understand what you were talking about.
 
Not true.
Plenty of folks on this forums currently (like within the last 10 days) being approved with no interview
 
Please don't spread receptionist rumors.

Receptionists knows nothing  or receptionist did not ask you the right questions and did not understand what you were talking about.
 
Not true.
Plenty of folks on this forums currently (like within the last 10 days) being approved with no interview
 
Please don't spread receptionist rumors.

Fake No0z

The frustration is completely understood.
 
But it is too bad that many folks on temporary green cards don't know their rights and what to do. Life should go on regardless of temporary or permanent green card.
 
When one interviews for a job, the only question that an employer can ask regarding status is "Are you authorized to work in the United States"? And the answer is Yes or No. Any other details are irrelevant. Only when one gets the job, the employer requests the I-9 "Employment Verification eligibility" and supporting documents and it would be illegal to reject someone that has the legal document proving eligibility (expired green card + letter or passport stamp). If an employer has not accepted any of the latter as sufficient for the I-9, a complaint with the DOL (Department of Labor) should be filed.
 
Same goes for mortgages. If you are residing in the US and paying taxes, you are considered a US resident for tax purposes and that's all that the mortgage company should care about. Rejection of a mortgage for having an I-551 passport stamp is not legal. And, mind you, when we applied for a mortgage (with husband), never ever was proof of legal status required. Only Tax Returns, proof of income/assets and credit scores/reports. There might have been box to check "US Citizen/Permanent Resident" but that's it.
 
Same goes for the DMV. The DMV should at least give you a DL valid up to the date your extension is valid for.
 
Be informed and fight for your rights.
A pending I-751 should not be a reason not to have a normal life (other than frustrating wait and annoyances of going to get the passport stamp, going to the DMV too often, etc).
 
As far as USCIS, they are constrained first by budget. No budget, no possibility of increasing  manpower. And second, even if there was a budget to increase manpower, new personnel needs to go through training and background checks. So it is not that the problem could be solved overnight. Add to that uncertainty due to the imminent immigration reform sought by the current administration.
 
I have the mindset that the new normal is 16-24 months for I-751 processing and I will have to live with that, sadly. 

Pretty cool to see what the building looks like, didn't see the cobwebs, I think thats the other side of the building where our files are!!