nsull527

I just want someone to at least commiserate with. We've been waiting since April 29 for our EAD. My husband, our beneficiary, has been not allowed to work for 6 months on Sunday. We talked to our congressperson a month ago and heard nothing. Friday the congresswoman's office told us our application is "on an adjudicators desk" and we should hear back by this week but honestly I don't expect to hear back.

I know that we signed up for this. I know that. But in no reality did I expect this work and travel document to take such an obscenely long time. My savings are dwindling and both mine and my husband's mental health is suffering. Hobbies/fitness/whatever he can do to take up his time only does so much. He's doing everything he can to support us in other ways than financial but I just need help.

How are other people coping with this? How do you keep yourself patient and sane? I feel like I literally do not have any patience left. I've seen in many groups that there's people who applied around the same time we did or even after us and already at least have an interview, or their EAD, and we get nothing. It just seems like there's absolutely no rhyme or reason to this process. And then I see other people who have been waiting 8,9,10 months and I literally just can't believe it. 

I'm just having a day where I'm having a hard time being positive about this and am wondering if I got myself into something that I can't actually handle. As soon as we get this stupid EAD our entire lives will change and its just so frustrating to call the USCIS and be told to "be patient" and literally not a single other explanation. 

I know I'm preaching to the choir and this probably just sounds super whiney but I just am feeling so desperate and powerless sometimes. 

Our Visa Timeline is below. My husband is an Irish Citizen and I am an American Citizen. I've read somewhere that after 90 days out from getting the I767C and we haven't heard back, we can call and request they start working on it ASAP -- is that true? Our case has been sent to the National Benefits Center I believe. We are very anxious to get the EAD so that my husband can start working ASAP. I appreciate any and all input for others in a similar situation -- I feel like I'm unsure how to correctly read the forms or know definitively where we are in our case. Does receiving these notices of action indicate that everything is filed correctly and that we're on track? Has my husband's status changed now to "pending" meaning he is in the country legally at this point? thanks for any feedback

4.29.19: Concurrent I-130, I-485, I-765 & I-131 send to USCIS office
4.30.19: Applications received at USCIS lockbox in Chicago
5.7.19: Checks Cashed
5.10.19: Received three I-797C notifications for I-130, I-485 & I-765 respectively

@eckoin @p-ana thank you both for your responses. We do have the visa form that explicitly says there is no two year requirement, so that is comforting. As for asking the "do you know anyone in the US" question, it was asked during his j1 visa interview in Belfast. I'll be prepared if they do eventually ask us, but it's good to know that it most likely won't be a problem. A big thank you to you both. I'm sure this wont be my last time on this forum with questions  You're all so helpful.

This forum has been incredibly helpful so I'm back with a few questions.

My boyfriend is Irish and here on a J1 visa. We are getting married at the courthouse on Friday, so I am getting started filling out the paperwork now. Some info:

- He came to the US on a Irish Graduate Visa (J1) In November and we immediately started living together.

- His Visa does not have a 2 year requirment. 

- His Visa will expire on April 3, followed by a 30 day grace period.

My questions are basically wondering if there's any way our AOS could be interpreted as fraud. We 100% did not plan to get married when he first came over here, but now we are. He said in his Visa interview for the J1 when asked if he knew anyone in the US he said no (I don't know why he did this, I think he was nervous). Would that be a red flag?

I am beginning to fill out the paperwork from this link: https://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide2. The following line is giving me pause:

J1 Visa holders will almost always require a waiver and should consult with an immigration lawyer or the USCIS for more information. If you have any doubt, consult an immigration attorney.

Is this something I should be worried about, or is this in reference to the 2 year requirement?

Thanks so much in advance for any advice. General advice for going through the process is also extremely helpful. Thank you!

@LizM Ooooh I see! Thank you for clearing that up, that's good to know. Thank you!

@Cathi So you're saying there's a way we could get him a permit to work quicker? Can you please give some more info on this or send a link? Sorry I'm completely new to this but really appreciate the help.

@SusieQQQ @LizM @geowrian Thank you all so much for the input. I feel like I have a good amount of resources to use now going forward, so I really appreciate it. I'm sure I'll have lots more questions down the line, but this is super helpful for getting started. 

We'll probably end up going the AOS route for now, knowing that the wait times are significantly longer than previous years, as it seems we are in a position to do so. Seems like the whole process will be faster, albeit more expensive, but at least we'll be together.

Thanks again!

If you filed for an EAD, your spouse will get their Employment Authorization Document approved in 30 to 90 days and will be scheduled to have their picture taken and to have their EAD card issued.

This is also listed in the step by step guide.. will the EAD not authorize him to work? Or does this article just underestimate how long the waiting time is for these papers?

@geowrian Thank you for clearing that up.. So you're saying there's a chance he won't be able to work for 4-7 months?

He cannot leave the US (and re-enter) until he has AP or a green card. Otherwise he needs to complete processing abroad as his green card application will be deemed abandoned.

So until he gets a green card, possibly a year to 18 months from now, he will be unable to leave the country?

@LizM Thank you so much for your response, that link is incredibly helpful. We double checked on his visa, and he is definitely not subject to the two year return requirement. For all that paperwork -- Do we do that after we're actually married already? do we take this packet to the courthouse with us? So basically if I'm reading that correctly, he'll get the right to work in 60-90 days, but will probably not get the greencard paperwork for months or years? We don't mind waiting -- but what would his citizenship status be while we wait for that to come through? Do you think it's worth it to consult a lawyer or can we just move ahead? I'm fine with consulting a lawyer, but if I can save a couple hundred dollars that would be great. Thank you SO much for your response, I really appreciate it.

I'm hoping to get some advice from anyone who has been in this situation or is familiar with it.

My boyfriend is here on a j1 visa (Irish graduate visa). We do not believe he has the two year requirement.

What steps do we need to take to get married and have his status adjusted? What forms will we need to fill out? We're hoping to go to the courthouse next week to get everything sorted. His visa will no longer be valid on April 3 so we have about a month. We live together and have been together (with proof of our relationship, timestamped photos, boarding passes to visit each other, etc) for almost two years.