Thee_Rak

Thanks Yurika & Jim... my bad.

Congrats Thee_Rak !! Correcting CSC approval rate

California Service Center (29 applicants, 13 approved 45%)

WOW...!!! 60 Days my butt.... it took 2.

We got the approval letter on Thursday and the card arrived on Saturday!!!!

Can I get a whoop whoop...

"Notice Of Removal Of Conditional Basis Of Lawful Permanent Residence" letter arrived today...!!! It says to allow 60 days for the new green card to arrive.

California Service Center (29 applicants, 12 approved 41%)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

JOHN & OLGA..........02/19/11........03/01/11.......04/08/11........--/--/11....(interview pending)

KATIEMANNY...........02/28/11........03/02/11.......04/05/11........05/06/11....(early bio 04/04/11)

RHEANICK.............03/01/11........03/04/11.......04/05/11........04/21/11....(early bio 03/22/11)

BH45.................03/02/11........03/04/11.......05/06/11........--/--/11....

JOE&NOI..............03/02/11........03/14/11.......04/18/11........--/--/11....

ANSLEIS..............03/04/11........03/07/11.......04/05/11........04/19/11....(early bio 03/21/11)

BOSCHEV..............03/04/11........03/07/11.......04/18/11........04/28/11....(early bio 03/28/11)

MCKS.................03/04/11........03/07/11.......04/04/11........05/12/11....

H & B................03/05/11........03/07/11.......04/11/11........04/19/11....(early bio 03/25/11)

CBR..................03/05/11........03/09/11.......04/26/11........--/--/11....

MIRA CHICAGO.........03/07/11........03/21/11.......05/02/11........--/--/11....

PANDORA01............03/07/11........03/08/11.......04/07/11........05/04/11....

RAUL Y KARLA.........03/07/11........03/08/11.......04/11/11........05/18/11....(card received 5/23)

MARKB................03/09/11........03/14/11.......04/15/11........05/12/11....(early bio 04/04/11)

BRAD CHAREL..........03/09/11........03/18/11.......04/18/11........04/11/11....(early bio 03/30/11)

THEE_RAK.............03/10/11........03/14/11.......04/18/11........05/27/11....

DEREK & YUN..........03/10/11........03/11/11.......04/11/11........--/--/11....

ERICC................03/11/11........03/14/11.......04/13/11........05/31/11....

CHAMY AND GATITA.....03/11/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

TRAVIESA77...........03/18/11........03/21/11.......04/14/11........05/12/11....

DANNYMC..............03/19/11........03/27/11.......05/18/11........--/--/11....

LEAANDBEN............03/23/11........03/28/11.......05/02/11........--/--/11....

DIGLOT...............03/23/11........03/28/11.......05/04/11........--/--/11....(early bio 04/14/11)

NEW BEGINNINGS.......03/23/11........03/28/11.......05/06/11........--/--/11....(early bio 04/18/11)

RICKYNLUCY...........03/24/11........03/25/11.......05/09/11........--/--/11....

D08..................03/28/11........03/30/11.......04/18/11........--/--/11....

SHAWN & LISA.........03/30/11........03/31/11.......05/04/11........--/--/11....

CARLISH..............03/30/11........03/31/11.......05/04/11........--/--/11....

HaPPyFeEt............03/08/11........03/10/11.......04/18/11........--/--/11....

Vermont Service Center (36 applicants, 0 approved 0%)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

JUCUELLAR............02/24/11........03/01/11.......04/01/11........--/--/11....

MIDTOWNAAPPSK........02/27/11........03/01/11.......04/14/11........--/--/11....

A & M................02/28/11........03/07/11.......04/11/11........--/--/11....(early bio 03/29/11)

PETER'N'JAIME........02/28/11........--/--/11.......05/03/11........--/--/11....

ROBBYROB.............03/02/11........03/07/11.......04/05/11........--/--/11....

MARYR................03/03/11........03/07/11.......04/04/11........--/--/11....

MOOSKER..............03/04/11........03/08/11.......04/21/11........--/--/11....(early bio 04/07/11)

TRAVIS & KIM.........03/04/11........03/08/11.......04/11/11........--/--/11....

M+L..................03/07/11........03/10/11.......04/22/11........--/--/11....

ABYBAVY..............03/07/11........03/10/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ANDY-N-MARICAR.......03/07/11........03/10/11.......04/12/11........--/--/11....

MASAI................03/07/11........03/10/11.......04/22/11........--/--/11.... (early bio 04/15/11)

JONS_WIFEY...........03/08/11........03/09/11.......04/14/11........--/--/11.... (late bio 04/27/11)

P&R..................03/08/11........03/09/11.......04/15/11........--/--/11.... (early bio 04/01/11)

PHILLIP2.............03/08/11........03/10/11.......04/29/11........--/--/11....

SOON~TOBE............03/08/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

AM32.................03/08/11........03/11/11.......04/13/11........--/--/11....

PHILLYFASHIONISTA....03/09/11........03/15/11.......05/02/11........--/--/11.... (early bio 04/08/11)

HURRRYUP.............03/10/11........03/15/11.......04/25/11........--/--/11....

BCP47................03/11/11........03/15/11.......04/08/11........--/--/11....

GUS123...............03/12/11........03/18/11.......05/02/11........--/--/11....

AMRIT & ROB..........03/14/11........03/18/11.......04/22/11........--/--/11....

**LOVE**.............03/15/11........03/21/11.......05/06/11........--/--/11....

SOUTHERN_CANADIAN....03/17/11........03/22/11.......04/25/11........--/--/11....

PANTERCHEN...........03/18/11........03/23/11.......04/25/11........--/--/11....

OBX..................03/21/11........03/24/11.......05/05/11........--/--/11....

ARGENT...............03/21/11........03/24/11.......04/29/11........--/--/11.... (early bio 04/19/11)

VIVIANNYC............03/21/11........03/23/11.......06/03/11........--/--/11....

U+K..................03/21/11........03/24/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

BLUEMIST.............03/22/11........03/25/11.......04/28/11........--/--/11....

NEDINO...............03/22/11........03/23/11.......06/01/11........--/--/11.... (early bio 05/17/11)

CRAZY & MAD..........03/24/11........03/28/11.......05/05/11........--/--/11.... (early bio 05/02/11)

EMI82................03/24/11........03/28/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CHIBBY...............03/25/11........03/29/11.......05/20/11........--/--/11.... (early bio 05/05/11)

INCT.................03/25/11........03/29/11.......06/02/11........--/--/11.... (early bio 05/09/11)

CHAMPI...............03/26/11........03/29/11.......05/16/11........--/--/11.... (early bio 04/29/11)

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Is there anybody living in Texas?? I'm having a hard time trying to renew my driver's license bc they won't accept the extension letter. How am I supposed to renew my license then?? I'm trying to get an infopass but it's not showing anything on the website. If anybody knows how to renew let me know please.. My green card and drivers license expires on Sunday =( Thanks Juliana

I hope you managed to sort this all out... I'm just curious about something. You posted this on the 20th indicating that your Green Card expires on the 24th. That means that when you went in to "renew" your State ID/Drivers License your Federal ID was still valid.... what reason did the Department of Motor Vehicles give you for not renewing your license? Why did the Green Card extension letter even come up?

Attempting early biometrics tomorrow at Raleigh, NC. Does my husband need to bring anything besides passport and drivers license? Also, will I be allowed in with him?

You must have your green card with you as well.

Update (added our Biometrics appt date).

California Service Center (22 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

JOHN & OLGA..........02/19/11........03/01/11.......04/08/11........--/--/11....

KATIEMANNY...........02/28/11........03/02/11.......04/05/11........--/--/11....

RHEANICK.............03/01/11........03/04/11.......04/05/11........--/--/11....(early bio 03/22/11)

BH45.................03/02/11........03/04/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

JOE&NOI..............03/02/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ANSLEIS..............03/04/11........03/07/11.......04/05/11........--/--/11....(early bio 03/21/11)

H & B................03/05/11........03/07/11.......04/11/11........--/--/11....(early bio 04/01/11)

MIRA CHICAGO.........03/07/11........03/21/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

PANDORA01............03/07/11........03/08/11.......04/07/11........--/--/11....

RAUL Y KARLA.........03/07/11........03/08/11.......04/11/11........--/--/11....

MARKB................03/09/11........03/14/11.......04/15/11........--/--/11....

BRAD CHAREL..........03/09/11........03/18/11.......04/18/11........--/--/11....

THEE_RAK.............03/10/11........03/14/11.......04/18/11........--/--/11....

DEREK & YUN..........03/10/11........03/11/11.......04/11/11........--/--/11....

ERICC................03/11/11........03/14/11.......04/13/11........--/--/11....

CHAMY AND GATITA.....03/11/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

TRAVIESA77...........03/18/11........03/21/11.......04/14/11........--/--/11....

DANNYMC..............03/19/11........03/??/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

LEAANDBEN............03/23/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

NEW BEGINNINGS.......03/23/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

RICKYNLUCY...........03/24/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

SHAWN & LISA.........03/30/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

Vermont Service Center (34 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

JUCUELLAR............02/24/11........03/01/11.......04/01/11........--/--/11....

MIDTOWNAAPPSK........02/27/11........03/01/11.......04/14/11........--/--/11....

A & M................02/28/11........03/07/11.......04/11/11........--/--/11....(early bio 03/29/11)

PETER'N'JAIME........02/28/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ROBBYROB.............03/02/11........03/07/11.......04/05/11........--/--/11....

MARYR................03/03/11........03/07/11.......04/04/11........--/--/11....

MOOSKER..............03/04/11........03/08/11.......04/21/11........--/--/11....

TRAVIS & KIM.........03/04/11........03/08/11.......04/11/11........--/--/11....

M+L..................03/07/11........03/10/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ABYBAVY..............03/07/11........03/10/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ANDY-N-MARICAR.......03/07/11........03/10/11.......04/12/11........--/--/11....

JONS_WIFEY...........03/08/11........03/09/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

P&R..................03/08/11........03/09/11.......04/15/11........--/--/11.... (early bio 04/01/11)

PHILLIP2.............03/08/11........03/10/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

SOON~TOBE............03/08/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

AM32.................03/08/11........03/11/11.......04/13/11........--/--/11....

PHILLYFASHIONISTA....03/09/11........03/15/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

HURRRYUP.............03/10/11........03/15/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

BCP47................03/11/11........03/15/11.......04/08/11........--/--/11....

AMRIT & ROB..........03/14/11........03/18/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

**LOVE**.............03/15/11........03/21/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

SOUTHERN_CANADIAN....03/17/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

PANTERCHEN...........03/18/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CANADIAN_WIFE........03/21/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

OBX..................03/21/11........03/24/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ARGENT...............03/21/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

VIVIANNYC............03/21/11........03/23/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

BLUEMIST.............03/22/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

NEDINO...............03/22/11........03/23/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

BEN AND ASH..........03/23/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CRAZY & MAD..........03/24/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

EMI82................03/24/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CHIBBY...............03/25/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CHAMPI...............03/26/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

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You "heard"?.... Many people have traveled without incident on an expired green card with the one year extension paper....

Just curious... would you travel with the original extension letter or a copy?

Update with our NOA1 Date

California Service Center (16 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

JOHN & OLGA..........02/19/11........03/01/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

KATIEMANNY...........02/28/11........03/02/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

RHEANICK.............03/01/11........03/04/11.......04/05/11........--/--/11....

BH45.................03/02/11........03/04/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

JOE&NOI..............03/02/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ANSLEIS..............03/04/11........03/07/11.......04/05/11........--/--/11....

H & B................03/05/11........03/07/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

MIRA CHICAGO.........03/07/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

PANDORA01............03/07/11........03/08/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

RAUL Y KARLA.........03/07/11........03/08/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

MARKB................03/09/11........03/14/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

THEE_RAK.............03/10/11........03/14/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

DEREK & YUN..........03/10/11........03/11/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ERICC................03/11/11........03/14/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CHAMY AND GATITA.....03/11/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

DANNYMC..............03/19/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

Vermont Service Center (25 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

JUCUELLAR............02/24/11........03/01/11.......04/01/11........--/--/11....

MIDTOWNAAPPSK........02/27/11........03/01/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

A & M................02/28/11........03/07/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

PETER'N'JAIME........02/28/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ROBBYROB.............03/02/11........03/07/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

MARYR................03/03/11........03/07/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

MOOSKER..............03/04/11........03/08/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

TRAVIS & KIM.........03/04/11........03/08/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

M+L..................03/07/11........03/10/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ABYBAVY..............03/07/11........03/10/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ANDY-N-MARICAR.......03/07/11........03/10/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

JONS_WIFEY...........03/08/11........03/09/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

P&R..................03/08/11........03/09/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

PHILLIP2.............03/08/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

SOON~TOBE............03/08/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

AM32.................03/08/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

PHILLYFASHIONISTA....03/09/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

HURRRYUP.............03/10/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CPATEL47.............03/11/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

AMRIT & ROB..........03/14/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

**LOVE**.............03/15/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

SOUTHERN_CANADIAN....03/17/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CANADIAN_WIFE........03/21/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

OBX..................03/21/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CRAZY & MAD..........03/22/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

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Any idea how we can find out our receipt number prior to the NOA1 arriving? They converted the check into an electronic payment so there's no scan of it on my bank web-site and the "id" number that shows up on the detail comes back with the following when I search for status at uscis.gov:

Your case can not be found at this time in My Case Status. Please check your receipt number and try again. If you need further assistance, please call the National Customer Service Center at

Any idea how we can find out our receipt number prior to the NOA1 arriving? They converted the check into an electronic payment so there's no scan of it on my bank web-site and the "id" number that shows up on the detail comes back with the following when I search for status at uscis.gov:

I gave up being ticked off as soon as I started on this path... see timeline below

Package received by CSC on 3-12 and my bank shows the check was cashed today. Our countdown to NOA starts now!!!!!

Just mailed ours out today!

California Service Center (9 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

JOHN & OLGA..........02/19/11........03/01/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

KATIEMANNY...........02/28/11........03/02/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

RHEANICK.............03/01/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

BH45.................03/02/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

JOE&NOI..............03/02/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ANSLEIS..............03/04/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

H & B................03/05/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

MIRA CHICAGO.........03/07/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

THEE_RAK.............03/10/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

Vermont Service Center (10 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

A & M................02/28/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

PETER'N'JAIME........02/28/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ROBBYROB.............03/02/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

MARYR................03/03/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

MOOSKER..............03/04/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

TRAVIS & KIM.........03/04/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ABYBAVY..............03/07/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

JONS_WIFEY...........03/08/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

PAUL&ROCHELLE........03/08/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

PHILLIP2.............03/08/11........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

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How can one confirm what address USCIS currently has on record for your case? Our record with USCIS is so out of date I just can't believe it. We will file to lift conditions in a few months and our record on-line still shows that our request for advanced parole is "being considered". Well we've had her Green Card for over a year.

Is there any way to check on-line what our address is?

Is there something I can do that should generate a letter from them for something so that I can see where it goes?

Thought I'd update on this... guess I forgot b4.

So the Thai Consulate General in Chicago has this moble service they do every other weekend or once a month or something. Anyway they came to St. Louis, MO so we drove there (4 hours) instead of going all the way to Chicago. It was great because they had a Thai New Year Festival at the Wat where they held to consulate office thing. We filled out all the paper work and they take the necessary pic's and do bio-metrics etc. A few weeks later we had her new passport.

Couldn't have been easier.

Shame that the US Consulate offices around the world would never think of doing something like this!!!

I guess that AA website allows you to buy the amount of miles you miss to get a flight.

I would love to help but I think I used all my AA miles for magizine subscriptions... I fly NWA and Delta now.

For information... AA chages when you "share miles" with another AA acount. This is not the same is buying miles... I am talking about the cost to me to give you miles. See below:

You could buy the 8,000 you need for the ticket when you try to use your balance to buy her ticket. Per the AA site the cost for 8,000 miles is $200

I submitted an AR-11 on-line to change her address and haven't gotten any kind of paper mail notice of receipt of the change. Is this normal? Should I submit a paper copy? Can I find out on-line what address of record they have for us?

Thanks... I found that too. There's an English page about the requirements on the old site (http://www.thai-la.net/passport/pp-non-e-passport-eng.htm)I'm going to have to call them tomorrow and find out what we have to actually send. I'm, as I'm sure you can understand, not crazy about the idea of sending her passport away but I'll get over that. I mean we've been married for just over a year now so her K1 Visa is very expired!!!

If I understand the site correctly they want her origional Thai ID card as well.

Okay so I was just catching up on a few things (like doing the on-line AR-11 to change our address) and noticed that her passport is going to expire this week... any idea how we renew her passport here in the US?

Or... even better... is there something on the USCIS website about length of allowed stay out of the country while on a Permanent Resident card?

Oh here it is... I thought to search the USCIS site after I posted.

So it looks like for a 7 week trip all she needs is her passport and her green card.

If you are going on a long trip, you need to apply for an advanced parole again.

When does a short trip become a long trip? I mean that is sort of an arbitrary term isn't it? She is going for about 7 weeks to visit her mom who she hasn't seen in a year now. Her mom is old(ish) and she wants to take her to the doctor for a heart exam etc.

Thoughts?

Or... even better... is there something on the USCIS website about length of allowed stay out of the country while on a Permanent Resident card?

If you are going on a long trip, you need to apply for an advanced parole again.

When does a short trip become a long trip? I mean that is sort of an arbitrary term isn't it? She is going for about 7 weeks to visit her mom who she hasn't seen in a year now. Her mom is old(ish) and she wants to take her to the doctor for a heart exam etc.

Thoughts?

Or... even better... is there something on the USCIS website about length of allowed stay out of the country while on a Permanent Resident card?

Remind me please (been a while) about advanced parole...

Okay we got married, received perm resident card, received advanced parole document(2), received work authorization card, got name changed on SS Card.

How does interntional travel work now?

I think I remember that all we (she) needs to do is:

Buy a round trip ticket out of US and back - fly - stay - come back to US. Upon hitting the USCIS Desk at the point of entry she'll simply present her Perm Resident Card, Thai Passport, Advanced Parole Letter and that's it right. Bob's your uncle... "welcome back to the US Mrs."

Do you suggest that she bring her work authorization card and her social security card as well (couldn't hurt right)?

I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone here for making this process so easy. This was so painless because of the support and guidance available here. I do see how some people might turn to a lawyer for help though.

Sitting at the USCIS office waiting for our interview I could see the worried faces of so many people and could hear the pompous voices of some of the "lawyers" who had just received so much money from them to "manage" this. How can they sleep at night? They haven't done anything that the couple couldn't have done without them. They can't make the process go any faster, they can't get you approved if you don't qualify... heck, they can't even get you into the interview ahead of your turn. They sit there blowing their own horn about how many times they've done this and blah, blah, blah.

One of them was really bugging me... he came in through security right behind us and kept beeping. They don't wand you they just keep sending you back through until you don't beep. He's standing there in his $500 suit trying to tell a $12/hour security guard about how "he didn't have to go through this at the old building". He takes off his belt and... BEEP!!! "Is this really necessary... I've been coming to the old building 3 times a week for years". He takes off his shoes and... BEEP!!! I just smile and walk away. It's a metal detector dude... how hard is it to remove your metal? Have you never been through an airport? I think for sure this one had a new setting on it since it was clearly able to detect "idiots".

Well we had the interview yesterday and were approved!!!

So our interview was in Detroit. USCIS has just moved into a totally new building and it seems that all the IO's are quite happy about the new space. They have private offices with doors and windows and everything. In my experience in corp America their offices equate to someone who is making over $150K a year and manages ~100 people. Not a "cube" in site in this place! Security here is tighter than at the airport but in typical government fashion not a single person looks at our ID's. After you go through security you stop at the counter and hand the receptionist your appointment letter. She hands it right back and says to take it to the last window and put it in the tray and have a seat. Still no one has looked at our ID.

Well there's no one at that window just the tray. I can tell you it's a bit disconcerting to set that letter there without handing it to someone but anyway we have a seat and wait to be called.

As some of you might recall I was sort of worried about a few things:

1. I lost my job this year

2. Didn't have a new med check w/ I-693 'cause her check and shots were less than a year ago and the law says she doesn't need an I-693

We were called in, he swore us in and we all sat down. STILL hasn't looked at our ID. He started to go over the first page of the file (looked like the I-485 form) and ask her "your name is First, Last"? She said yes. "you were born in "home town"? She says yes. "your birthday is xx-xx-xxxx"? Yes. etc. etc. etc. Then he moves onto the "have you ever been arrested"?, "are you a member of the communist party"?, "are you a hooker"? I knew these would be sort of hard and we had the list ahead of time so we'd gone over them. Since the answer to all of them is "No" every time he asked a question and she looked at me with that deer in the headlights face I just kept reminding her about the sheet "we went over". The IO must hear her say "no" and I figured this would be easier than trying to sit there and explain what "espionage", genocide", or "clemency" is. Anyway he must have asked most of the questions on the list and he really was quite funny about it (in a Chandler Bing sort of way).

After this he simply thumbed the pages of the file like a deck of cards and said "well it looks like you're ligetimate... congratulations, you're approved".

Done deal... nothing more, no questions about how we met, no questions about our wedding, didn't want to see any evidence of our wedding or proof that we're living in the same place or have joint accounts or bills or anything like that, didn't want to see my 2008 taxes or W2 (remember that we filed in Dec so we only submitted 2007 (plus '06, '05, '04, '03). STILL hasn't looked at our ID's or her I-94 / Passport, Social Security Card or anything. He then gives some very good advice about what kind of evidence to submit in 2 years when we apply to lift conditions... along with all the usual stuff don't just show joint bank statements but submit copies of some checks she's written.

First off congrats Soancika+Brian for getting your GC and to all the others who just got their EADs and APs.

I have a few questions I would like to get feedback on if anyone has any knowledge so here goes...

My wife has survived the first round of layoffs at her work in December, but now there are talks of budget cuts again and she has a bad feeling that she would be quite possibly one of the people laid off in her department. We haven't received an interview letter yet, but suppose she does get laid off and hasn't found a new job by the time we have our interview, what exactly would our options be? Would going to the interview with a new I-864 with a co-sponsor be enough? Or would the USCIS require her to hold her job at this point and not allow us to use a co-sponsor in our case? Just wanted to get prepared for the worst.

Ajay

ajay... if I understand what you're saying I've got the same concern. I'm surprised more of us here aren't talking about the USC side of the visajourney relationship getting laid-off.

I don't understand what you are saying here "would the uscis require her to hold her job at this point". What do you mean "hold her job". If she gets let go from her current job and is unemployed then she has no job.

I wonder about options as well as I HAVE LOST my job!!

Since our interview is in 5 weeks and our EAD has just arrived I'm a bit concerned about how our file is going to look. We went to the social security office yesterday to get her name changed and even though we've had the EAD for over a week they still could not verify it on the computer and I was told that they would have to got through the manual verification process and it could take a couple of weeks. Now I understand this and was prepared for it back when we applied for the number in the first place so we waited but now I feel we NEED it ASAP. I can't get her a State ID card w/out a social security card that has the same name we are trying to get on the State ID card. I can go to the bank now and get her added to a joint account and should be able to get her added to the utility bill and I've got the receipt from the local community college where she is taking English as a Second Language class (that's in her married name and sent to "our" address). But I really wanted to have the State issued ID card and Social Security card in hand for the interview.

However beyond that "little" stuff I'm way more concerned about $$$ I have enough cash on-hand to support us for just over 9 months while I try to find a new job. But things in my field (auto manufacturing) are REALLY bad... I've run into a few people I used to work with that were let go last July and they are still not working!!! Personally I'm thinking that I want to set a quit point date that leaves us with enough cash to move to Thailand. Then I'll put all my stuff in storage at my sisters place (what I don't sell anyway), sign over a power of attorney with her, send the keys to the bank and get on a plane. We could live rather comfortably in Bangkok for a year on $10K

I plan on going to the interview with:

1. all the paper work to support the income I had

2. my current bank statements showing my cash position

3. very detailed budget with 4 months of actual numbers supporting it.

4. plan showing how we'd manage if I took a job at 1/2 what I used to earn

Thoughts???

1. Call an immigration lawyer.

2. I'm totally confused. What last name is on "your friends" birth cirtificate, social security card, bank records, IRS filings etc?

3. My thoughts on the legality of his 1st marriage... he got married under a false name and didn't have a proper marriage license. Thus, wasn't married (call a lawyer).

4. My thoughts on the foreign divorce... not to sure that this is "recognized" in the US (but so what... they weren't "married" anyway) call a lawyer.

5. My thoughts on "hurt[ing] his chance"... if he was actually "married" and he did actually get "divorced" and he files as if he wasn't/didn't then it's a really bad thing to get caught. It's called fraud. Call a lawyer.

Just need to get a feedback based on a scenario. There is an acquaintance of mine that needs to know what would happen if he had no proof of his divorce in the 70's. He got married in the US in the early 70's and the wife, who like him is a US citizen by birth, filed for a divorce in her parents birth country about two years later. He cannot locate his copy of the divorce document, has no case number to request a copy overseas and he cannot locate the ex-wife. At the time he was married using his mother's name which was certified and changed to his father's by a notary at age one. There is no document of him after age one with his mother's name and during the seventies they did not require his social security number in order for him to get married. Seeing that there is no document tying him with his surname before age one, will this hurt his chance of petitioning for his new wife?