krychy

March 27, 2023

Hi all!

I've been trying to find answers for this for months, and I'd like to post here before consulting with an attorney..

I was married to a US citizen in 2018, divorced in 2020. I filed I-360 then and I finally have my 10 year green card/permanent residency! I've been wanting to go home since I haven't seen my family for so long..

I have one issue, though: my green card is under my married name, and my expired Philippine passport is under my maiden name. I never reported to the Philippine embassy that I got married. I have a couple of questions and concerns:

If I go to the Philippine consulate (nearest one to me is LA), will I have any issues if I renew my passport? One of the requirements would be the green card, which uses my married name. I'd like to renew my passport still using my maiden name.
Given that I'm able to renew my passport using my maiden name, when I go on a 2 week vacation in the Philippines and went back to the US with my passport using my maiden name and green card showing my married name (my married last name is hyphenated), will I be grant re-entry if I have a certified copy of the dissolution/divorce?

I'm hoping to have some insights from people who have dealt with the same situation. Thank you all so much!

Sasacb · January 27, 2023

4 hours ago, Sasacb said:

Another update to all members from this amazing forum !

Time line
**March 2018 - filed vawa and ask the USCIS to hold the I485.

Since 2018 they never took any action on my case ‘always renewing prima facie and work permit’. I sent a lot inquires from congressman to USCIS and they always saying ‘background check’.

**July2022- I fired the lawyer who filed my case and hired a new one. The new lawyer was doing everything to make uscis take action on my case and that didn’t make any difference to USCIS they was saying background check again and again.
My new lawyer recommended that I hire another lawyer to sue USCIS ‘MANDAMUS’.

**September2022 - I hire a lawyer to sue the uscis that cost me $5k and the amazing lawyer assured me that my case would be approved based on my evidences against my abuser.

**November 2022 - vawa approved.

**December14/2022 - RFE i693

**January26/2023 - i485 APPROVED no interview

THANK YOU THANK YOU everyone finally my journey is completed so far 🙏🙏🙏🙏

I sent my I693 to USCIS on 01/17/2023 and they approved me today 01/26/2023 .

DONT GIVE UP, I hope everyone who is passing thru this long and stressful process can enjoy from this glory 🙏🙏🙏

Congratulations!!

January 27, 2023

On 1/23/2023 at 12:30 PM, ImmiUSA said:

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS! Maybe I ask how long did it take to receive I-360 approval from receiving c-31 EAD?

Mine took about 5 months if I'm remembering correctly!

Priya25 · January 24, 2023

On 1/21/2023 at 2:15 PM, Priya25 said:

Congratulations, very happy for you. I think i needed this at this moment. I know it is very hard to wait while still trying to deal with everything after coming out of such a relationship. could you please let me knowhow you got govt help in the psychotherapy.

Thank you!

I was eligible for MediCal at the time based on my low income, so I signed up. It started with an intake and then I was recommended to a therapist in network. I was then recommended by my therapist to a psychiatrist after 3 sessions.

Karman · January 21, 2023

Hello all, I'm happy to report that my case has been approved yesterday, no interview. My timeline is below:

02/2018 - Ex husband proposed.

03/2018 - Moved in with my now ex-husband I've been with for 5 years (South Dakota).

11/2018 - Marriage.

12/2018 - I-130 & I-485 Application, notice received on same month.

09/2019 - Moved out due to abuse. Was bouncing around different places but settled for Los Angeles since I know people there and would be easier for me. Found a job that paid me $12.00/hour. Was able to get psychiatry and psychotherapy help from the local government.

10/2019 - Got notice that interview was scheduled in Nebraska. Found out through husband (now ex) who was threatening to go to the interview and ask them to deport me.

11/2019 - I decided that I needed to be brave so I went to interview alone, even if my husband appears or not. Husband did not appear, the officer who spoke to me was nice. He asked me what happened and I started to break down and actually advised me to file for I-360. I have never heard if I-360 before, so he explained it to me. He told me to submit it before 02/2020 and gave me an RFE requesting I-360. I immediately started schooling myself on what I-360 is and gathering everything I need to file it. That's also about the time I joined this VAWA thread, which I learned a lot from.

02/2020 - I missed the submission timeline as my vital records, police clearances, etc. from the Philippines did not arrive on time.

04/2020 - I received a letter about removal proceedings since I did not submit I-360 on time. I wrote back to my officer telling him that I'm at the mercy of the issuing departments back in the Philippines and I had no control. By this time I already had all the requirements I needed to file VAWA so I did, and I attached receipt notice.

05/2020 - Since I got really stressed out about the removal proceedings, I told myself that I would need an attorney to represent me if it were to happen again. I reached out to a couple, but every single one was quoting me for money I did not even have nor ever had in my life. I started to become really scared because I was barely surviving with $12.00/hour job that I would skip meals just to pay my share of rent.

07/2020 - I found out about Asian Americans Advancing Justice. I inquired but they did not have a capacity to take my case. They told me to continue researching VAWA attorneys. This whole month I had consultation appointments with different attorneys every other day. Some were giving me lower rates since it's VAWA, some does not.

08/2020 - Then an angel came to my life. I went to a consultation with an attorney. She specializes in family based petitions, but was a domestic violence attorney prior to that. I told her my story and the whole thing became very emotional. She offered to take my case pro-bono. A week later after her paralegal reviewed all the documents I sent to USICS (good thing I have a copt of everything), they submitted G-28 (notice of entry appearance as attorney).

09/2020 - Prima facie received.

It was crickets for 2 years. My attorneys told me to be patient, and they showed me support. They told me to keep my mind off of it and focus on the other aspects of my life. So I did. I focused on healing myself from everything that just happened. From the abuse, the immigration stress. Those 2 years felt like a never ending marathon. I'm surprised that I even survived it and never gave up. I continued with my medication and of course psychotherapy. I gained back my confidence, and started to see my self worth. It was still financially hard at first but I excelled in my career as I gave most of my time and effort on that. It was my outlet. From a $12.00/hr retail job, I moved on to $20.00/hr junior designer job, then to $30.00/hr intermediate designer job, to now $50.00/hr senior designer job. I was able to move to a nicer place in a nicer area, I was able to purchase my own car. The independence felt great. I never knew that this was how my life would turn out to be. In between all of those, I found new friends, and I was just being unapologetically me. Life was worth living again.

04/2022 - I-360 Approved!

11/2022 - RFE for I-693.

12/2022 - Submitted RFE.

01/19/23 - New card being produced.

01/20/23 - I-485 CASE WAS APPROVED!

I know that this was way too much detail but I'm hoping that it would give hope to everyone who's waiting for approval. That was 5 years of my life not knowing how everything will turn out. I'm glad I did not give up.

Q2018 · September 17, 2019

2 minutes ago, Q2018 said:

I havent got it in the mail yet.

They just gave me a temporay credential, and on it says temopory credential expiration is Jan 12, 2020, not my I-94 expiration date though.

I think it is best to wait until you got the temporary credential to know for sure I’m only speaking based on my experience so hopefully the expiration date on your state ID isn’t the same as the expiration of your I-94! So you can use that ID to get a driver’s license. They didn’t ask for my I-94 again when I got my driver’s license, the state ID was sufficient for them. I don’t think there will be a problem if you go for a road test, but I guess the main problem is, it defeats the purpose of obtaining a driver’s license if it’s going to expire at the same time your I-94 expires which will be in a few months. But then again, if your EAD arrives, you can just renew the expired driver’s license and just show them your EAD!

September 17, 2019

2 minutes ago, Q2018 said:

Hi, everyone.

I just got my NOA1 two days ago, so still a long to go on the AOS journey.

But I'm currently considering getting a drivers license.

I have a Chinese drivers license and the international certificate of it.

I know with that, I can schedule a road test withouth getting a permit.

But problem is, I applied for SSN with my maiden name before marriage, and havent changed it on ss card yet since I was told to go in and update it with EAD by SSA employee in Minneapplis.

So will that be a problem if I go in DMV and request a written or road test?

Also my I-94 will expire on November 1st, so if I want a drivers license, I should apply for it as soon as possible correct?

My husband was trying to make me get permit first and wait for 90 days to take the road test. But I'm afraid by that time, my I-94 will expire when taking road test.

BTW, we went in dmv last saturday and applied for state ID with my maiden name.

Any advice would be appreciated!

When does your state ID expire? I’m not so sure if it’s the same with every state but in my case, my state ID’s expiration date is the same with my I-94’s expiration date. I had to wait until I got my EAD to renew my state ID and get a driver’s permit.

AM 7 · April 26, 2019

9 hours ago, Amit M said:

Ah lucky you!

I filed just a couple of days before and biometrics was a day before. However case is ready to be scheduled has been up there since February 20. No other update after that. But the difference is you’re in FL and I’m in MN. I had to be in MN for such a process 😭😂

I feel your pain, my field office is MN too 😭

Edgar Sousa272 · April 23, 2019

4 hours ago, Edgar Sousa272 said:

Interview was Scheduled!!! We are so happy to announce it.

Today I I got notification through the app ( I didn’t received any text message not email).

case received on December 21, 2018.

biometric done on January 17, 2019.

“Case is ready to be scheduled interview” on April 17, 2019

Interview was scheduled” on April 23, 2019.

Tampa, Fl - Office.

Congrats!!! ❤️

April 18, 2019

22 minutes ago, Amit M said:

Hello people! Newbie in this forum: kept looking for people in MN who were going thru AoS process and thought that there’s no one and formed an own forum for MN AoS dec 2018 filers. But I’ll be here I guess.

im dec 2018 filer for AoS and my combo card was just mailed today. Based off of reading people’s comments, I’m assuming I won’t hear about our scheduled interview until dec 2019 or Jan 2020?? Is the medical going to be valid until then. I got mine for k-1 process in my home country in May 2018??

Hi there! I am a December 2018 AoS filer too 🙂 But I would assume also that we won’t hear until Dec 2019...

C💏A · April 15, 2019

15 minutes ago, C💏A said:

Hi guys! My VisaJourney timeline for the last two days was stagnating for between 1st-15th April. It was correct!

I just received a message and email for EAD that NEW CARD IS BEING PRODUCED!🙌

Case status updated only on Case tracker and old USCIS which is connected to it 👈

Hope it will start raining with EADs for all people waiting from September to December!!!🤞

Yay!! Congrats! ❤️

Edgar Sousa272 · April 1, 2019

Just now, Edgar Sousa272 said:

It’s amazing!!!

I am at 101 waiting day. I hope that I got it sooner. My VJ said mid May, but, I whish got it early.

I am hopeful for you! ❤️

April 1, 2019

7 hours ago, Edgar Sousa272 said:

Congrats!!

did you expedited it?

Thank you! I did not. I was in complete shock because I wasn’t expecting it until late May/early June.

4A2 · April 1, 2019

Hi everyone, I just checked my cases and this appeared. I’m assuming it’s for my EAD or AP, I’d have to check my receipt number when I get home. Usually, how long does it take until the EAD/AP card arrive after I get this update? Thanks so much x

Ambra · March 21, 2019

8 minutes ago, AnJay said:

I feel like I am the only one who left from Dec filers without any status updates xD

Congrats everyone who already received positive messages:)

Worry not! I don’t have updates on mine yet too

January 18, 2019

29 minutes ago, USC4SPOUSE said:

It was a long wait. If I were you, I would start applying for jobs. Once you secure a job offer, you can call USCIS to place a request to expedite. At that point, you also want to reach out to your Senator and have them inquire on it.

All the best!

USC4SPOUSE

Thank you for the advise! I will definitely do that. 😊❤️

January 18, 2019

7 minutes ago, USC4SPOUSE said:

137 days. PD 03-16-18, approved 07-31-18.

Thank you for your response!

That’s almost 5 months.. oh well. Nothing to do but wait..

January 18, 2019

Hello everyone, I filed for my I-485 on December 2019 together with my I-765. I was wondering how long did you guys wait until you got your EAD? 😊

December 29, 2018

Priority Date is 12/07/18... still no biometrics appointment

Jenny17655 · December 18, 2018

4 hours ago, Jenny17655 said:

WOW a month before you submitted!! thats amazing lol

Typographical error. 12/13/2018 *

December 18, 2018

Got our NOA1 in the mail today!

For reference, we submitted our packet last 12/07/2018 and got the e-notification on 11/13/2018.

AnJay · December 12, 2018

29 minutes ago, AnJay said:

I am from B2:) ( long overstayer). I have a good lawyer just in case and always can call and ask, but I did all my documents by myself because lawyer said it will be waste of money in my situation haha:) but if i need some help, I can just pay for an hour or two. But she didnt want to take my easy case ( i have nothing exept overstay).

i am from B2 also. Hope its not prohibited on this forum..

I just arrived here in the US in June, but I’ve been coming back and forth from here to my home country a handful of times already for vacation, even before I met my husband. That’s good that you have a lawyer you can just call anytime, I was also considering getting one but all of the immiration law firms I called advised me that I wouldn’t really be needing one as I did not really overstay before my husband and I decided we wanted to move forward with our relationship and get married.

Also, I don’t see why it would be prohibited on this forum.

AnJay · December 12, 2018

2 hours ago, bebkay said:

I sent my AOS (from B2 visa) today 12/12/18 via USPS.

I'm nervous as I overstayed and didn't use as lawyer but I've prepared everything for the last 2 months and know I should be fine. 😅

Good luck to everyone!

Glad to find someone adjusting from B-2 also! 😊

Gibus · December 6, 2018

10 hours ago, Gibus said:

To me it looks like what you provided is good and well organized More than they need as proofs. Make sure that all form are signed. And also to not make the same mistakes than me with the check, you can take a look at this page https://www.uscis.gov/forms/paying-uscis-fees

Thank you! I totally overlooked that, I will be ordering checks with our name on it tomorrow. Thank you again so much

December 5, 2018

Hello everyone!

I will be sending in our AOS packet tomorrow. Before I do, I would appreciate it if you guys can go over and check the things I have included in it. I’m scared that i might be forgetting something! (BTW, I am adjusting from a B-2 visa.)