Matrix13

17 hours ago, MFRittman said:

She received her social security number at the office, but her card was lost in the mail.  

The document they gave her at the social security office would probably be accepted in lieu of a card. Maybe not at every bank, but there would have to be at least one local bank that would accept that. After all, it's an official SSA document with your wife's name and SSN on it.

1 hour ago, juggy_11 said:

Thanks for the response. I did get an AR-11 acknowledgement email, but our AOS interview notice still got sent to our old address (no big deal since we moved in the same area/jurisdiction). 

 

To clarify, when you said you filed the I-864 in April, did you mean the I-865?

Good catch, I didn't mean to confuse things. As you suspected, I meant to say that I filed the I-865 in April. 

Our AOS interview notice was forwarded to us without issue, but I'm not confident that our physical green card will be forwarded. 

2 hours ago, juggy_11 said:

Hello, 

 

I tried searching this forum for answers but couldn't find what I'm looking for. We have our AOS interview (from K1 visa) scheduled in mid-September after having originally scheduled our interview back in March, but due to COVID, that was postponed. Back in July, we bought a house and moved. 2 days after moving, we filed for AR-11, but as I was reviewing the requirements for the I-864 Affidavit of Support, it says that I (the sponsor) need to file I-865 as well for change of address. Is this correct? 

 

My question is, since we haven't had our interview yet, but completed the I-864 and signed it (included in our original AOS packet), does the I-865 apply to me? 

 

Thank you! 

Yes, the I-865 applies to you. Think of it as a way for the USCIS know where a sponsor lives in case they need to enforce an I-864.

We're on a very, very similar timeline to you. I (the sponsor) filed the I-864 after we moved in April, and I subsequently received a USCIS letter acknowledging the change of address.

My wife filed the AR-11 (online), and did NOT receive a letter from the USCIS acknowledging the change of address. In fact, they sent our re-scheduled AOS interview letter to our old address. We decided to file another AR-11 and also ask the IO about it when we go to the interview later this month.

Did you get an AR-11 acknowledgement letter from the USCIS after you submitted it?

2 hours ago, payxibka said:

Last year in our house, the tree went up and was decorated on labor day weekend.   I'm sure something similar will happen again 

Our (artificial) tree went up today, following a week of me telling the asawa that we needed to at least wait for the ber months. I wish I could get as excited about anything as much as she gets about Christmas.

34 minutes ago, Indira/Charlys said:

so its taking 6 weeks to get the interview date?

What I was trying to say was:

Case tracker notification to interview letter...about a week

Case tracker notification to interview...about 6 weeks

YMMV

17 hours ago, Indira/Charlys said:

after 4 loooong months... we finally get a notification that our interview has been scheduled!!! our original interview was scheduled for April 8, but due to COVID-19 it got cancelled! we are back on track again!

Congratulations! We are on a similar timeline now. Our appointment letter took a little extra time to arrive because the USCIS incorrectly sent it to our old address. Fortunately the USPS forwarded it to our new address without too much drama. Expect your letter within a week. Our scheduled appointment is set for 6 weeks after our case tracker notification. We're in Jacksonville, but I assume that 6 weeks thing is pretty standard for all the field offices. 

Now we just have to hope that the upcoming USCIS furloughs don't screw up the second attempt for our interviews. And even if the interviews do go as planned, I have been reading that there is a major delay in the production of the physical green cards. If anyone in this thread knows anything about green card production delays, please chime in.

Sorry if I'm sounding negative. It's been a pretty messed up year for everybody. Good luck on your journey!

3 hours ago, 1quickZ said:

Hi all,

 

We had an interview scheduled for April 8th, which was then cancelled due to the virus. We have just received a request for initial evidence for your Form I-485 update today. How could it have been scheduled for an interview before but now they need more evidence? As anyone else encountered this?

 

Thanks,

 

Kev

I agree with Ayrton. There have been other VJ members who received RFIE leading to a waived interview. I would consider it to be good news. Keep us posted.

More good news...Application Service Centers are planning to re-open soon! Most of them are scheduled to re-open this month. See the list here: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings

Although the ASCs re-opening does not guarantee any movement with all of our individual cases, it certainly seems to be a step in the right direction.

Good luck to everyone. 

We used RapidVisa for the K-1. Based on that experience, we decided not to use them for AOS. I agree with all the responses above me that tell you that you will still have to do all of the leg work. They don't provide a lot of bang for your buck. They will actually slow down your timeline, because they will act as a middle-man and take time to review your package before they mail it. I found VJ to be infinitely more helpful throughout our entire process. Whether you decide to use RV or not, you should still spend some time reading the VJ guides and asking specific questions here, also. Good luck!

1 hour ago, Jenerii said:

 

Yes, I am talking about the I-864. Thank you for the clarification!

 

Unfortunately, due to the COVID pandemic, I have been unable to file my taxes. Can I still provide my income tax return from last year? Or will they be expecting my income tax return FROM this year?

 

Thanks again!

The IRS filing deadline for the 2019 tax year is July 15, 2020. You are well within your rights to wait to file. And, therefore, the USCIS can't require you to produce a return for the 2019 tax year. In your situation, 2018 would considered your most recent tax year. That's the only return required. But...

If it works to your advantage, you might want to think about filing your 2019 taxes and including that return in your AOS package. It's your option. And you should also consider including 3 years of tax returns (2016, 2017, 2018 or 2017, 2018, 2019) if you think it makes your application stronger. Your goal is not to merely show that you meet the poverty guideline limits, but to paint the strongest (and honest) picture of your financial situation. 

16 hours ago, Jenerii said:

Hi all,

 

We tried to get my tax transcript from IRS.gov. I filled everything out but it won't send me a text confirming my phone number. I tried countless times with no luck.

 

So I tried calling IRS like the website said to and you guessed it, there is an answering machine that said they are short staffed due to the COVID pandemic and the only way to get my tax transcript is to get it online.

 

So we are stuck. How are we supposed to go along with the adjustment of status if we can't even get my tax transcript??

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 

 

 

I think you're talking about filing the I-864, correct? If that is the case, then you don't need to use IRS tax transcripts. Transcripts are often easier to send. But if you're having difficulty obtaining them, you will need to send your Federal income tax return (W-2, 1040 and attachments) instead. 

From the USCIS I-864 instructions: 

You must provide either an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) transcript or a photocopy from your own records of your Federal individual income tax return for the most

recent tax year...

If you provide a photocopy of your Federal individual income tax returns, you must include a copy of each and every

Form W-2 and Form 1099 that relates to your returns

and from the I-864 filing checklist, you will provide:

A copy of your individual Federal income tax return, including W-2s for the most recent tax year, or a statement and/or evidence describing why you were not required to file. Also include a copy of each and every Form 1099, Schedule, and any other evidence of reported income. You may submit this information for the most recent three tax years, pay stubs from the most recent six months, and/or a letter from your employer if you believe any of these items will help you qualify. 

Good luck!

Our cancelled interview was March 24. Still nothing received about a new date. Actually, I have yet to see any VJ members say they have been rescheduled for their AOS interview. Pretty sad.

Another VJ member believes the interviews will not resume until the ASCs are re-opened. I personally don't know what to believe. 

According to this Roll Call article  - https://www.rollcall.com/2020/06/12/administration-puts-hold-on-green-card-requests-from-us/ - I wouldn't get my hopes up for any AOS/ROC case processing from the USCIS in the near future. The article is vague and unsupported, but my interpretation is that now that the USCIS field offices are open again, the only things they are processing are Naturalizations and Green Cards for emergency situations and some medical-related professions. This seems to be supported by the anecdotal information that no VJ members have posted about having a new AOS/ROC interview date scheduled. Combined with the USCIS funding crisis, this paints a pretty bleak future for all of our timelines. 

13 hours ago, Brainstorm124 said:

long story short, this happened 2 months before my B2 visa interview and I couldn’t cancel and I went ahead to attend the interview since the purpose of my trip at the time was important. (I was working for the Lagos state government and they needed me to attend a conference) 
 

You lied about being married to increase your chances of B2 approval when you were going on a Nigerian govt sponsored trip to attend a conference in the US? None of this adds up. If it doesn't sound right to us on VJ, it's really not going to work for a CO. 

So, it has now been 8 days since the USCIS field offices re-opening, and we still have not seen a single case of rescheduled appointment posted on VJ. 

Anybody?

(I'm talking about USCIS field offices, not US consulates or embassies)

31 minutes ago, GordonRamsey said:

Hey everyone, I have a little bit of confusion on what evidence I need to submit with my I-485.

 

Under the instructions: What Evidence Must You Submit; Part 7: Evidence of Continuously Maintaining a Lawful Status Since Arrival in the United States.

It states: Include evidence of every time you entered the United States and for the time periods spent in the United States. See Additional Instructions for information on whether your specific immigrant category requires this evidence.

 

Under my additional instructions for my specific immigration category, Person admitted to the United States as a fiance (Form I-129F), it doesn't mention anything about the time periods or evidence of entering.

 

So, I'm a little bit confused here. Am I required to include this evidence?

excerpt from the I-485 instructions:

Anyone applying under the following immigrant categories must submit evidence to show they have continuously

maintained lawful immigration status while in the United States and are therefore not barred from adjustment by INA

section 245(c)(2): applicants applying under a family-based preference category or an employment-based preference

category; special immigrant religious workers, Afghan or Iraqi nationals, and international broadcasters; and selectees

under the Diversity Visa Lottery program.

You are not from one of those categories if you are adjusting from a K-1. Instead, you are an immediate relative (spouse of US citizen). So, technically, you're not required to include that evidence. You will still include a copy of your I-94, though. 

I agree with the excellent responses you have received. Just want to add 2 more points of info:

1. Your green card is your DHS authorization, so your green card + your current SS card = proper documentation to work in the US

2. If you do choose to go to the SS office to get a card without the annotation on it, they will make you forfeit your old card. This will leave you without any SS card until the new one arrives in the mail.

If you do choose to get a new card, please give us some feedback on the process, including SS office availability. Good luck!

3 hours ago, Crashdoom said:

Still no news from the San Antonio office about my case, they've been pretty much radio silent since COVID hit and I got the cancellation for my start of April appointment. Hoping something comes through in the next week or so to at least give me a date to work with. Anyone else have any news from that office they can share?

https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings

According to the USCIS website (you might need to expand the "Field Offices" tab),  the San Antonio field office has re-opened for non-emergency face-to-face services. Many others have not. Just how "open" they are remains a mystery. Seems like the USCIS is throwing an invitation-only party without sending out any invitations. 🎉🎉

51 minutes ago, RPete said:

@Matrix13

The website is slightly confusing, but when you select field offices on this link:

https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings?fbclid=IwAR2TF22LSpQaN1TFcAUp8Yl0km8Ovu7fkKH5arQKJ9Gqly0d6J99DUEMaUs

 

this is what comes up:

 

Thanks. And, yes, that is slightly confusing. Do you interpret that as meaning all field offices other than Minneapolis are open?

5 hours ago, uab1969 said:

As of June 4:: According to the USCIS pages, all field offices are open; and all ASC (Application Support Centers - biometrics) are closed.

 

https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings

All field offices are open today? This is the message on the USCIS splash page:

Beginning June 4, 2020, certain USCIS field offices and asylum offices will resume non-emergency face-to-face services to the public. Application support centers will resume services later. 

Looking at USCIS info pages for individual field offices doesn't show any definitive open or closed info, as far as I can see. It's difficult to determine which field offices, if any, are open today for non-emergency face-to-face services.

It's also unclear to me what all the USCIS field offices have been doing during the closure period. Anecdotally (on VJ), I have only seen 3 green cards issued without interviews during that period. And (on VJ) apparently zero interview notices were mailed out during the closure period. How can they possibly start interviews if the appointment letters weren't sent out?

Our AOS interview was originally scheduled for March 24, and then it was cancelled for the COVID-19 field office closures. I don't think we deserve any special treatment, but it certainly seems like we would be put back near the front of the line when our Jacksonville FL field office opens again. And if that's the case, we would certainly need an appointment letter mailed to us. But as of now, our case tracker still says ready to be scheduled for an interview, and our mailbox remains empty.

If anyone has any real information that conflicts with mine, please feel free to chime in.

I wonder if the SLEC visa medical exam will now include coronavirus testing.

2 minutes ago, mamba said:

I'll be starting a job in NYC in September (I just finished law school). I'll only be staying here for the next month or so. Would be okay to send the package to my mom who could then send it from my physical/current address that I list for myself on the I-129F? 

No need to send it to your mom first. Mail it directly to the drop box from where you are. You will need be domiciled in the US later in the process, but from the timeline you just described, you will have no problems with that. Good luck!