RdMngo

A question to everyone who has their Green card through VAWA petition and also to @sandranj:

What is the category on the green card through VAWA? What is the correct category on the Green card under VAWA to file for naturalization after 3 years? IB1 or IR1? 

On 3/19/2018 at 11:36 PM, FocusedFemale said:

Thank you @RdMngo I truly appreciate you telling me this. I will heed your advice. I’d rather not waste my money. 

You’re welcome @FocusedFemale!! Good luck and don’t forget to call different Civil Surgeons in your area to get the cheapest price for your medical exam. 

You can check the USCIS civil surgeons’ list on Uscis.gov 

2 hours ago, FocusedFemale said:

Thanks @iwillsurvive I suppose I should go redo my medical now. 

Hey! My suggestion to you would be to NOT do your medial right now. Wait till you get interview notice and then do medical. 

Medical results are only valid for one year and some field offices are taking months to schedule interview for I-485. 

Sometimes uscis sends a RFE for missing/expired medical during case transfer phase else 

your interview notice might ask you to bring updated medical results. 

My medical results had expired in 2016 but when I got my interview notice for Feb,2018, the notice did not even ask to bring medical. I did it anyway and during my interview the immigration officer asked for updated medical results. 

This is not a legal advice nor I am an attorney. I am just telling you what my experience is.

13 minutes ago, RdMngo said:

Sandra or anyone who might have knowledge of this, please help:

I arrived in the U.S. on k-1 visa when I was 25years old. I married my U.S. citizen spouse within 90 days and within 90 days of arrival, filed for I-485. I am now 27 and just got my green card via VAWA. 

I was never out of status but had pending I-485. 

As a male, was i supposed to register with Seletive Services before getting my green card? 

Selective services’ website is very confusing. 

 

Thank you! 

Please ignore this question!! Thank you! 

Sandra or anyone who might have knowledge of this, please help:

I arrived in the U.S. on k-1 visa when I was 25years old. I married my U.S. citizen spouse within 90 days and within 90 days of arrival, filed for I-485. I am now 27 and just got my green card via VAWA. 

I was never out of status but had pending I-485. 

As a male, was i supposed to register with Seletive Services before getting my green card? 

Selective services’ website is very confusing. 

Thank you! 

I got my Green card today finally after getting interviewed on 02/27/2018. So happy and relaxed. 

Good luck everyone! 

@FocusedFemale Congratulations!! May you get your Green card soon. 

53 minutes ago, Valerie899 said:

Congratulations !!! I'm in the same page as you not in the process but in the abuse, I have wrote a 22 pg affidavit, and have pictures of bruises.Just to ask did you notarize your personal affidavit or just your friend affidavit?

Thank you! I had notarized my affidavit as well.

Just make sure in your affidavit, you write how you two met, when did you decide to get married? who proposed, how was the proposal like? Explain the ceremony, who was present, etc. Explain your married life and then explain the abuse in the sequence of dates it occurred. If you don’t remember exact dates, use approximate dates and mention,”on or about MM/DD/YYYY.... this happened”.  Affidavits from people who are aware of your marriage and/or abuse. Their affidavit should include their relationship with you, what do they know about your marriage/abuse, if that friend/relative hung out with you and your spouse together. People residing in USA should write their complete address and contact information on it and date it. 

Send in only copies of the documents(colored copies of pictures or get extra prints of photos of marriage, abuse etc). 

If you don’t have any document that’s on USCIS’s checklist for any of the forms, explain why you don’t have it or can’t get it. 

If you’re married to a US citizen, you can file for I-485(adjustment of status/Green card) and I-765(Employment authorization application under category C(9) together with your I-360 VAWA petition. Only down side is that if your application gets denied, you will be put in removal proceedings. 

If your spouse is a Green card holder and not a citizen, you have to wait to file for I-485 after Vawa is approved. 

You can file the fee waiver form for each application your are submitting, if you don’t have any money to pay the fees. Just read and follow the instructions on the form. 

Good luck. 

Nothing mentioned above is any kind of legal advice, nor I am an attorney. Do as you think is wise. I am saying all what I know from USCIS’s website and from this blog and my experience. 

16 minutes ago, Niniadara said:

Today

 My i360 was approved 

 

i’m November 2016 filler

 

Congratulations! I hope you get your Green Card soon. :-)

1 hour ago, bold said:

What is your time line please and which state are u resident in?

Following is my Timeline: 

Arrived on K-1 visa, got married within 90 days and filed for I-485, I-765, I-131 around the end of September 2015. Received notices within couple of days. 

Got EAD and Advance Parole combo card in first week of December 2015.

USCIS sent out the interview notice for the I-485 through marriage in July, 2016. Interview was in August 2016. Asked the immigration officer to put my case on hold because I was going to file for I-360 soon. 

**09/15/2016: filed the Forms I-360, I-485, I-765 with Vermont service center through an attorney from a domestic violence Shelter. (I was married to a US citizen at the time VAWA was filed). Got notices within 3 weeks. 

My case was filed with: self affidavit of around 15 pages, containing courtship, marriage and abuse in details and with dates, weddings pics, pics of my spouse and I together, lease agreement in both of our names , utility bills, phone bill, joint bank account statements, joint tax return. 

Had a letter from the shelter counselor and few pictures of bruises that I took after my spouse had beaten me up. A friend wrote their affidavit as to what they knew about the marriage and abuse. That affidavit was notarized. 

I had no money to attend therapy with a psychiatrist or means to even travel to attend a free one. 

**EAD received after couple of months. 

**Long silence and No RFE’s. 

**10/11/2017 I received an email and texts from USCIS about Case update. 

Case approved on 10/05/2017. (Took a while to get an online update I guess).

** 10/15/2017 received email and text notifications that my I-485 (concurrently filed with I-360) was transferred to my Local office.  

** 01/21/2018 Received notice for I-485 interview at my local office in NY. Interview scheduled for morning of 02/27/2018. 

Did Medical exam and got form I-693 sealed in an envelope from the doctor. I DID NOT get any RFE for medical, neither did the Interview notice asked to bring an updated medical exam. My first medical feed with I-485 based on marriage had  expired in 2016. 

** Interview on 02/27/2018. Was asked Yes/No or security questions from I-485 and was told to wait for decision for couple of weeks. 

** Got texts and email updates yesterday that Green Card is being produced and will get it in mail soon. 

17 hours ago, blest.but.strest said:

Congrats 

Thank you!

Had adjustment of status interview on 02/27 and was told by the Officer to wait for couple of weeks for the approval. I got text and email notifications today that new card is being produced. Thanks God! 

Will post once the Green card arrives. 

Good luck to everyone!! 

23 hours ago, Godblessme said:

May I ask what local office you had your interview? 

My local office is in NY. 

Hello everyone. I had my Vawa approved in mid Oct, 2017 and got interview notice for adjustment of status in January 2018. My interview was on 02/27/2018. It went well. The officer only asked me the security questions(yes/no questions) and told me to wait for couple of weeks for the decision. 

If anyone wants to read, I have posted my timeline in October 2018 here. 

6 hours ago, Jenny1 said:

Hello, 

who should my counselor address a  letter to concerning my case .

 

Thanks you

If you’re sending it to the USCIS for your VAWA petition, address it to:

USCIS
Vermont Service Center
75 Lower Welden Street
St. Albans, VT 05479-0001

7 hours ago, nuka987 said:

Thank you redmango. I'm just worried because I read here that some officers agree to do that, some don't especially if you don't have the vawa reciept that proves you filed already.  Was the officer pretty understanding about the situation? Did you have your lawyer with you? Thank you again

The immigration officer was pretty understanding. I asked to put my i485 on hold while I gather documents to file VAWA petition. Even if for some reason they cancel/deny your marriage based i485, you won’t get deported if you file for VAWA soon after the i485 interview. Pending vawa means everything is on hold. 

3 hours ago, Poupis said:

Thank you for your answer. And which one should I follow? For example to know the next steps such as fingerprints, combo card??

 

Another question: The 90 days to expect the WP+parole starts when?? With the receipt date?

You will get a notice to do your biometrics with your appointment date, time, place and instructions on it, via mail. Just read it carefully and follow it. 

EAD filed with form I-485 under c(9) category usually arrives between 1-3 months after biometrics. It all depends on how quick it gets processed. 

3 hours ago, nuka987 said:

Hello everyone. Did anybody here send a letter to USCIS local office to hold i485 in abeyence after recieving the interview appointment? I dont know if its better to send the letter or to just go by myself and request that there? i also dont have the vawa reciept notice yet since i'm still working to put all documents together. thank you all

Don’t send a letter. Go for your interview when it’s scheduled and ask the immigration officer to put your i-485 application on hold because you’re going to file VAWA soon. 

I filed VAWA after my marriage based I-485 interview and I did the same as written above. 

1 hour ago, Poupis said:

Hi

I have one question, I recently filled for vawa, I sent all forms including work permit and fee wave, my question is: when USCIS send me the receipt, are they going to send me all together or separately? The receipt number is the same for all forms? Or are they going to be different?

 

Thank you.

USCIS will send you individual receipt notices with different number for each application. Receipts will be in separate envelopes and might arrive in mail on different days. 

23 hours ago, iwillsurvive said:

Yes, you can submit I-485 at any time. But you will also have to resubmit I-765 under category c9 to have it adjudicated within 90 days. 

Also, don’t forget to enclose either Filing fee or Fee waiver form, whichever is applicable. 

Hi, 

I was a silent reader of this blog until now. Thank you everyone!

Following is my Timeline: 

Arrived on K-1 visa, got married within 90 days and filed for I-485, I-765, I-131 around the end of September 2015. 

Physical, Mental, sexual and emotional abuse started from day one. Thought things will get better but it got worse.

** Did biometrics in 10/2015. 

Got EAD and Advance Parole Combo Card after 2 months. 

** A domestic violence shelter helped me get out of abuse. 

**09/15/2016: The attorney at the domestic violence shelter filed the Forms I-360, I-485, I-765 with Vermont service center. (I was married to a US citizen at the time VAWA was filed). Got notices within 3 weeks. 

My case was filed with: self affidavit of around 15 pages, containing courtship, marriage and abuse in details and with dates, weddings pics, pics of my spouse and I together, lease agreement in both of our names , utility bills, phone bill, joint bank account statements, joint tax return. 

Had a letter from the shelter counselor and few pictures of bruises that I took after my spouse had beaten me up. A friend wrote their affidavit as to what they knew about the marriage and abuse. I had no money to attend therapy with a psychiatrist or means to even travel to attend a free one. 

**EAD received after couple of months. 

**Long silence and No RFE’s. 

**10/11/2017 I received an email and texts from USCIS about Case update. 

Case approved on 10/05/2017. (Took a while to get an online update I guess). 

Now waiting for the I-485 decision. 

Be hopeful everyone, please. We all will get our share of good news soon.