MLR14

Just now, K1visaHopeful said:

Yes. I did. That's why my assumption is the only thing that could have happened was they lost the MCs. Im really over thinking this I think. 

Thanks for reassuring me your Maiden name MCs are legit! 

Sounds like they just misplaced them then! I was confused when I got my marriage certificate and it didn't state my new name anywhere but I was reassured that this is normal!

My marriage certificate only contains my maiden name but I did not receive this REIE. Did you list your maiden name in the "previous names used" section?

For reference my AP and EAD got approved today after 166 days

I applied for EAD and AP together, along with AOS from K1. I've been notified that my EAD card is in production, but no news on AP which I found a little odd as it's a combo card. I'm not overly worried as I have my AOS interview next month, but just wondered if this is normal/happened to anyone else!

I've taken about 5 domestic flights whilst AOS was pending and just showed my foreign passport as ID. I was never asked for anything else.

On 2/11/2019 at 6:51 AM, bucksy said:

The difference even between 9 and 9:30 was quite stark. At 9 I was straight in, but there was already a queue of people to one side for the 9:30. And as I was leaving the 10 / 10:30 queues were huge.

If you're coming from t'north then maybe grab a cheapo premier inn and stay over. Then you're not knackered on the day as well.

The one at Wembley Park near my flat can sometimes be as cheap as 30 quid and parking there is a fiver. I just checked a few dates and 1st March is 40 quid for example. Then you're straight on jubilee line down to Green Park for Victoria line to Vauxhall.  There's other places too like Harrow or Edgware.

Must have been a busy day! My appointment was at 11, I tried my luck at 10.15 and was let straight in. I was approved and on my way by 10.45.

I was able to get insurance through go walkabout. I think they called it one way travel insurance, and it was valid for 30 days once I entered the USA, by which time I was covered by my husband's plan. I didn't need to claim so can't comment on how good it actually was, but for less than 30 pounds, it was worth it for the piece of mind! It also would have covered any issues encountered when travelling such as a cancelled flight or lost luggage. 

Also AP and EAD is taking 4-6 months, not 90 days.

41 minutes ago, Thunderbolt said:

The sad part is, that after 25 days from arrival we went back to the same SSA, had the same employee and that's all she wrote...

They can't find her arrival record on the DHS site. How it is possible if after my fiance being in US for under 2 weeks, I was able to go to the I-94 DHS web site and pull up all the information?

Now I don't know what to do. Just fed up with wasting 3 hours each time we go to the SSA.

I'd try a different office if that's an option for you! Also print off the I-94 and take it with you if you aren't doing so already!

The cost of mailing from the US to the UK is a lot more reasonable than from the UK to the US. We just mailed ours all separately from the US (to the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, and Canada in the end!) Our guests enjoyed receiving them in the mail. We did set up a website though to make RSPVs easier, and this worked really well.   

I was also here in on J-1 in the past. There were parts in the AOS/AP/EAD application that mentioned proving that the 2 year residency requirement had been met if it applied (I don't remember which of the applications or parts this was actually for, though). I wasn't subject to the requirement myself, but with your fiance's J-1 being so long ago, if this did come up I imagine you'd easily be able to prove that he lived elsewhere to satisfy the requirement. That's the only mention of the J-1 that I can recall from AOS so far! 

I was able to change my name on my SSN with my marriage certificate. This then enabled me to get my driving licence, bank account, credit cards etc. in my married name right away, without having to go through and change them later. My AOS application is still pending, but I changed the name prior to my I-94 expiring.  

As to showing EAD card to an employer, I'm pretty sure most employers will require this either way when they employ someone who isn't a US citizen, to show you can work for them legally.

14 minutes ago, mch1234 said:

Hello, I am planning on filing Form I-131 so that I can get an Advance Parole Document. This form requires you to submit a copy of a document showing present status in the USA. Would it be acceptable to include a copy of my NOA2, K1 visa, and marriage certificate? Is that too much? I am filing this form with my Form I-485 and Form I-765. TIA

I'm pretty sure a print out of your I-94 shows this.

Yey! Good luck with your next step!

Hi all!

I just wanted to share a great option I found to help fill the time between entering on a K1 and EAD, particularly for those with interest int he health/counselling fields!

So I took some time looking for online volunteer opportunities and they were few and far between, or didn't seem legitimate. However, I eventually found the Crisis Text Line. There's a short application, and they need a SSN for a background check, but it was a straight forward process. You complete an online training course first over 3 or 6 weeks (you choose). This in itself was so good for me. It gave me something to do while my husband was at work! Then after that you book shifts in 2 hour slots to reply to texters, and you don't even have to leave your home! Great for those in states where it's harder to get a driver's licence! It's a super rewarding thing to do, I feel much better just knowing I'm doing something with a positive effect on others.   

Happy to answer any questions that people might have!

That sounds pretty good to me! Are you are to obtain the I-94 for you leaving the US after your J1 as well to show the date that you left the US?

Just now, gaski said:

yea my husband explain that to me and he did something to block spam calls..its really annoying 

Right! I actually had one wake me up super early today and I've been grumpy ever since, so this post came at a funny time!

Phone numbers are also recycled here, and easier to predict than in some countries as they only have to guess the last 4 digits! I get at least one call a day about student loans or medical grade supports for my ankles...

4 minutes ago, packetgod42 said:

 

 

That's fine and dandy but the SSA will not accept your marriage certificate to change your name on your SS card with out your Employment Authorization first. You must file for AOS before changing your name with SSA.

I changed mine without issue after filing for AOS.

Got my 3 NOA letters in the mail today! I mailed my application on the 6th October, got the texts on the 18th. And now the waiting starts again!

8 hours ago, LukeU said:

Thank you! I'll give them an email once I'm back home, it's always good to just get the little things done each day and get everything lined up. 

 

How have you found the transition from the UK to the US overall?

I know my fianceé (USC) is worried that she'll want to come to the UK after some time, so I have no doubt we'll be going through double immigration paperwork for many years to come! 😂

I haven’t found the transition too bad, however I was previously here on a student visa for a couple years so it wasn’t completely new for us! 

We’re the same. We are both open to living in either country, it was just easier for me to move to him for the time being! We have been traveling together for a couple years too so our list of places we want to live one day is pretty long!

On 10/12/2018 at 3:57 AM, LukeU said:

Hey everyone, 

 

So we're still approximately a few months from our NOA2 but there's one question often comes up during our discussions on moving over and starting a new life together over in Michigan and that's the initial driving from my POE and receiving the Temp greencard.

 

Has anyone from the UK moved over to Michigan and if so how did you go about driving/getting a license once over there on your K1 and did you have any issues? I understand driving on a tourist visa is absolutely fine and I've definitely put the miles in over there compared to here. 

 

Many thanks in advance! 

I'm also from the UK but I've moved to Ohio. The rules probably aren't the same between states however I recommend emailing the BMV in Michigan. My husband and I took a really long time reading countless pieces of information and from what we read, it looked like I couldn't get a licence without my GC. On a whim, I emailed them one day and they were really helpful and said I'm fine to go in and take the test and gave me a list of what to bring. If I hadn't emailed them, I would've been sat around await! It's also good to have it in writing from someone so that if someone else tells you different you at least have something to argue with!  

On 10/16/2018 at 4:17 PM, K1visaHopeful said:

Thanks for the reassurance!

I also paid with a credit card and have received my texts/the money has been taken. Wasn't going to miss out on that sort of cash back 😂

16 minutes ago, Naes said:

Probably yours passed when they tried at the office later, and didn't really go through the whole document check. My Officer said he will try it again the next day as systems sometimes just don't work and thats all, and if that won't work they will send the papers to be verified. yet I still got the 4 weeks letter. 

 

It was really nice to actually have an officer who had a wife came on k1  at least he was all open with us.

That’s nice. Sometimes I can feel pretty judged as a K-1, or people are just completely oblivious!

2 minutes ago, Naes said:

Wow then you received your SSN card extremely fast! that may be the reason you didn't get the letter itself. Good to know, theres a possibility to get it fast even with the paper. 

I shocked when it arrived. When the envelope said SSA on the front, I assumed it was the one to tell me it would be two more weeks!