ShayrineC

So I had my AOS Interview yesterday and to be honest I'm not sure how it went... We got in and the officer only asked for ID, a certified copy of the marriage license, and nothing else. I voluntarily handed over a new i-864 and supporting evidence and he accepted it.

Got asked questions on how we met, how the husband proposed, plans for the future, yes/no from the i-485 form. And that's about it.

He mentioned repeatedly that he should have everything he needed, and that we should be approved. Otherwise if he needed anything it'd be an RFE. 

It's only after we got out of the building that we realized that never asked for evidence of joint living (leases, bank statements, photos). I think I blanked out when I should have handed over the pile of evidence? 

It's day 2 after the interview and still no update online on the status, and I'm just crushed. I had hoped to tell my family that I can return home after 2 years away but seems this needs another period of waiting now. 

Does anyone know or have any insight on how long it usually takes for interviews to be processed and approved? Just feeling so lost now and maybe looking for some comfort and reassurance lol. 

On 12/13/2021 at 12:56 PM, ZZBOLIVIA said:

Hello,

I've not hear anything since March 2021 they issued my EAD. I just file the EAD extension. Does anyone in April case still waiting for the interview? How long the EAD extension will take? I will lose my job if I can't get my new card or greencard when my current EAD expired.  

If your EAD was issued in March 2021, which means it will expire on March 2022. But since you filed for renewal in a timely manner, you get an automatic 180 extension of your EAD, which will take you to September 2022.

4 hours ago, Ally&Axel said:

Is there anybody here that saw some movement lately? 
After my case changed to interview is ready to be scheduled à month and a half ago, we are still waiting.

i just talked to a tier 1 and when I asked him about the location of my file he told me that he’s only seeing that it was at the nbc back in May.

i hope it was transferred..

I did. My status changed to 'ready to be scheduled' this morning (first movement in 18 months) - and then I got further notice that my interview was scheduled later in the afternoon. Was impatient so I spoke to an agent on Emma and managed to retrieved the date and time of the interview from them.

It was really all very sudden. I was poised for a good long wait on this.

On 12/13/2021 at 9:29 AM, Rambava said:

Update to all still stuck - My case is finally approved and card is being produced(10 year GC). Had my interview on 9th and very basic questions and the officer was very chill. Although my case was stuck like you all for the longest time on fingerprints were taken since Aug 2020. The only thing that worked is contacting through congressman twice. First time in March of this year and then second follow up in Nov. Few days after the second response(generic kind) the ball started to move. Hope you all get it through and let me know if you have any questions. 

Things happened very rapidly for me as well. I was scared of my EAD extension running out so I reached out to my Congressman for help.

Got my EAD approved within a week, received my new EAD card last Saturday, and I wake up today to see my status got changed to 'ready to be scheduled'. Later at 3pm, I got another notification that my interview was scheduled by my field office for next month. Whirlwind!

Not sure to be happy that it is FINALLY scheduled or a little miffed that its scheduled 2 months before I am eligible for the 10 year green card....

Just went onto the USCIS website and tried to speak to a live agent through Emma about my cases (AOS + EAD renewal). I have been doing this regularly about every 2 weeks but as usual, no luck at all.

Not sure if I am not asking the right questions, or if its all dependent on how helpful the agent is. But most of the live agents who attended to my chat are pretty devoid of compassion when I tell them that I have been waiting for >15 months for my application to be completed - they simply give generic template answers about how its all "within normal processing times" and to create an online USCIS account. Normal processing times can be up to 28 months in my field office.

Does anyone have any tips on how we can contact them for an update?

13 hours ago, Viking said:

hi everyone

 

Still awaiting to hear back from USCIS since Biometrics in August 2020 .....

case is at NBC awaiting to be screened for interview -

 

This is Despite expedite request and governors office involvement. 

 

the last expedite request was acknowledged received 97 days ago- but STILL no response after more than 90 Days... What does one have to do in order to accelerate this process.

 

Tried to call USCIS - but goot annoyed that the automated phone system even advise it will disconnect if you ask to speak with an agent - Can this really be true ?

I got through by requesting an expedite - without filing another one... wait time was ok merely 65 minutes... 

 

i am merely venting as well as pondering how many are left in the same or similar situation after filing for AOS in April 2020....almost 17 month in the makin.... how are you guys coping with the wait... 

 

It does please me to read positive reports on interviews going through and people getting through the process - at least there is light at the end of the long long tunnel...

 

 

Hey @Viking!

Also in the same situation here. Submitted AOS packet last day of April, NOA1 May 5th, Biometrics August 2020. No news despite 2 service requests via USCIS live chat.

It's been so long and I have even filed for EAD renewal in April! Same thing, no news after NOA1 on that. 

Mainly been keeping busy with work to distract myself - guess it worked cause I just got promoted in July. Being open with my husband about struggles helps too.

But there are some days when I'm simply internally screaming. Greatest fear is that this gets stuck in this stage forever and losing the job I love and the life I had built for myself in the last 20 months...

Trying to keep positive - but there are good days and bad days. Keeping busy definitely helps.

Hang in there!

Hi! We had shared the same principal residence and my father in law was the parent of the sponsor (my husband), and back then we thought combining incomes would be ideal since it is a simpler form. 

But that is definitely not the case anymore, which is what I am concerned about. We essentially separated households when my husband and I moved out, so our initial i-864 we submitted to USCIS is no longer relevant. Which is why I am concerned whether we would be allowed to submit an updated i-864. 

I had initially hoped that we can simply send an updated i-864 but after reading similar posts on the forum, I was advised not to do so since that might get sent back/rejected since you are sending information that USCIS did not explicitly request. 

Now I wonder whether we can simply pass the i-864 immediately first thing before the interview starts, just to get that out of the way 😅

Thank you so much for replying! I am basically just scared out of my mind about this whole process sometimes, and wanted some reassurance that I am on the right path. Hopefully this is enough.

Hi all, been waiting for the interview to be scheduled for many months now, and was thinking of what is coming ahead (the interview). 

My situation is slightly complicated as during AOS, we had counted my husband's father's income as a household member, as my husband makes just above 125% of the poverty threshold. My father-in-law filled out an i-864a and we sent that off with the AOS package.

Since then, our financial situation has drastically changed. I got my EAD approved, got a job, and moved out of the house. As such, my husband (my sponsor) and I no longer share the same residence with my father-in-law.

In this case, could I prepare an updated i-864 that counts my new job's income towards the household income? I have read that adding my income is possible if the intending immigrant's income (mine) will continue from the same source after AOS. Our income status would look much more favorable if I add my income with my husband's, as we now comfortably make over the income requirement.

Am asking in advance as I want to get documents (paystubs, letter of employment) prepared in advance, so that there is no mad scramble when the interview is eventually scheduled.

Really stressed about this sometimes so any advice would be very appreciated. Thank you all!

4 hours ago, lgb2015 said:

Hello - a belated question.... did you then include your foreign income in the 'Additional Income' section (with the overseas tax return as evidence)?

No, I quit my job before entering US on the k visa. If you are not continuing your job after your admission the foreign income does not count towards your assets/current income. Depends on your situation really. 

1 hour ago, ra0010 said:

Hi there! Sorry that you got a RFE. I guess most of us have been there! However, bear in mind that they wanto see current income. Although the employment letter should say something about opportunities for future advancement, I would definitely focus on getting a joint sponsor, such as your father in law. So I would just send the I-864 signed by your husband, with the letter of employment and the pay stubs from his current job, and also send all the paperwork related to your joint sponsor. 

Also, don't quote me on this, but I think your father in law should send I-864 and not I-864A (unless you share a household with him).

Heya. Yes, we share the same residence since we are waiting a year at least before moving out. But we have already sent the i-864a with our application, so probably going to include a statement that says that we have submitted that just in case they still deem my husband's income evidence insufficient.

40 minutes ago, malajoe said:

Send paystubs from his old job and the new job he just started. I'm assuming the income from the old job is what he used to file this year's taxes.

Yeap old job lasted till March this year. New job's details are what we entered on the i-864.

Planning to wait a month to accumulate a couple more payslips as his hours are almost back to normal levels and they would look favorable. But still planning to use some old job paystubs to make up for the 6 months since there is no way to have 6 months worth of the new job.

Just didn't want to delay by EAD and AP. I want to start working cause I'm so bored at home already 😅

2 hours ago, WorldCitizen1969 said:

One thing to consider could be to wait to get more pay stubs. They give you several months (3 or 4?) to reply with this additional information before they reject you. I had an RFE dated May 7 and I had until August XX to reply by. You might be cutting it close so you'll need to do the exact math to make a determination. But in the meantime you can still get the letter.

Thanks! That's certainly something to consider. But I calculated the days (87 days) and even by then I would not have 6 month's worth of pay stubs.

The reason that is stopping me from waiting is because if my case is on hold due to an RFE, my EAD and AP will be on hold as well. I am both eager to travel back home and to get a job. Adding an extra 3-4 months on top of the already long processing times is not ideal.

Am thinking of waiting for a few more pay stubs to get in, and send at least 3 month's worth?

Hi guys, got an RFE and need some help. Made a post here but I didn't make much headway in getting advice so I thought of you guys.

Basically, got an RFE about current income - the letter stated we did not submit evidence of current income and wanted some info. We had only sent in one month's worth as my husband started a new job only in March. Also sent in a projected income amount he saw on his work portal and an employment letter.

Someone mentioned that we should wait and cut it potentially close to the deadline (i have 87 days from May 26) and accumulate more paystubs - is this viable or too much of a risk you think? 

Even if i do so, i wont get 6 month's worth of payslips, so is it better to just send in my RFE response soon?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

5 hours ago, Pharoe40 said:

We've tried but it is a pain to get a hold of anyone.

most evaluation agencies will require a transcript to be able to evaluate your degree's authenticity. Not sure whether you tried via email or phone, but email might get a better response.

Yes, i feel you. It is definitely a pain, but unfortunately there aren't many alternatives 😅

1 hour ago, flfreddy said:

You may need more co-sponsors to be sure no more RFE2.    But documentation is key.  DOCUMENTED income that meets min threshold is what you need. Ok lah?

Thanks, am getting more employment letters from all possible sources.

I already have a co-sponsor, who is my father in law. He filled out an i-864a and we had submitted that with all the relevant documents. the RFE did not make any mention of that. 

8 minutes ago, Luckycuds said:

 

     1) Asking husband's direct manager provide letter of employment and statement about loss of hours because COVID; unsure if this would help or hurt him as they look at current income and currently his hours are cut and there is not guarantee of when or if his hours will increase (can't predict the future).

     2) Asking husband's HR manager to provide letter of employment (to make it two voices from company to back his claim; this would be helpful with an updated date

     3) Going to husband's ex-workplace to retrieve payslips and letter of employment from them to make up for past 6 month's employment; don't think this would be helpful because it is not income moving forward 

     4) Providing a detailed written statement and timeline showing his work for past 6 months may be helpful to show he has been consistently working

 

They are looking for current income so I think it will not help going back to your husbands previous job. I would suggest to submit a new I-864 with his new job, new income, all of his pay stubs from this job and an updated letter with date of employment, full/part time and salary. I'm unsure if reporting his hours are reduced due to COVID would really help because there is no GUARANTEE when or if his hours will pick up. I personally think it would be best to have a joint sponsor if what he is bringing home now won't meet the requirements- it would be less of a headache in my opinion and you wouldn't have to worry about another RFE or god forbid a denial. 

 

Good luck. It sucks that so many people are in this situation (had a good job but now lost it or decrease in hours)

 

Thanks for the detailed reply! His hours are slowly returning back to normal, so we are hoping his manager will explain in his letter that it will be better going forward.

the i-864 is of his current job, although what we have entered as the current income may not be what he will be earning come year's end, since work hours were lost. If we do get an employment letter showing us a different projected income, we should submit an updated i-864? and just to explain that this is an updated one due to recent circumstances?

We also had combined his father's income as an i-864a because we knew the situation going forward was uncertain. My FIL's income meets the requirement on his own. But they didn't address that in the RFE at all. I hoped they have not overlooked it, but I am thinking of including this in my written statement in my RFE reply just in case.  

4 minutes ago, Sanella&Dylan said:

I’m sorry to hear you received an RFE. I got an RFE because we didn’t add in my husbands W2 and 1040. I forgot that and I just added the transcripts of the past 3 years what they also asked for the K1 interview. Did you add in those forms as well? 

Hi, thanks. Yes I did include the forms, 3 year's worth from 2017-2019, although it didnt meet the requirements those years, which is why he got a new job. They did not state that they had an issue with the tax documents, just that they required more evidence about current income. 

2 hours ago, EmiliaBrown123 said:

1. can I go ahead and start requesting that background check and do the medical exam or do i need to wait for a special permission from the USCIS prior to doing those?

 

Not sure about your country, but for Singapore's procedures, the clinic i did my medical at and my local police authority both required a scan of the embassy letter before they will allow me to apply for anything. So you might not be able to get the medical or police certificate even if you want to.

Heya. I did my evaluation at FIS (Foundation for International Services). They did not require any original certificates or transcripts, and I only had to submit them online in document attachment form.

My turnaround was 1 week, paid slightly more for expedited service. FIS also has a same day or next day service. Their response is timely and I got a positive evaluation with them.

However, in your case, without transcripts will be difficult as they need to ascertain the results etc. Have you contacted your schools/universities to get your transcripts?

Dear all, unfortunately we have gotten an RFE about our i-485 application, and would like to solicit some advice on what to do next.

Basically, they are requesting more information about my husband's current income. Wording on the RFE letter reads "The petitioning sponsor lists their current income on Form I-864 as an amount to be considered as sufficient; however, no evidence has been submitted as proof of current income." They then proceeded to ask for evidence such as 6 months of payslips and a very detailed letter of employment which includes prospect of advancement etc.

Problem is, my husband had just switched jobs less than 2 months prior to our I-485 submission; we did not have 6 month's worth of payslips and provided only a month and a half's worth. We also provided a letter of employment from my husband's company, stating he has been employed since start of March 2020. We even added my father-in-law's income in an I-864A.

In addition, the COVID-19 situation has reduced my husband's work hours. We had entered a number on I-864 that was on his company's work portal, but since hours has been reduced, we are now quite certain the amount he will earn this year will not be the amount that we had entered on the i-864.

 I have some ideas/questions on what to do next, and was wondering whether they will be sufficient for the RFE:

     1) Asking husband's direct manager provide letter of employment and statement about loss of hours because COVID;

     2) Asking husband's HR manager to provide letter of employment (to make it two voices from company to back his claim;

     3) Going to husband's ex-workplace to retrieve payslips and letter of employment from them to make up for past 6 month's employment;

     4) Providing a detailed written statement and timeline showing his work for past 6 months

Also, if my husband's employers come back with a different amount now about his annual salary, should i resubmit his i-864 with the adjusted salary information?

So sorry for the long message, but I'm so afraid of making any missteps with the RFE. This whole adjustment has not been smooth at all.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi all! Just got my texts a few minutes ago. I can finally breathe again!

For those still wondering, I had used the i-485 version that expires in 2020. 

Just a question, when I tried entering the receipt number into the myuscis account (so that it can be associated with my account), it said they cannot find my case, although the online case status tool was able to find all my cases. Is the tracking just unreliable?

10 minutes ago, weelisa said:

Hi! What a nightmare, the i-944 supporting documents were by far the biggest nuisance, I hope you get all that sorted out.

 

I sent my package back last week via priority mail, and today I received my three NOA letters, so the new form seems to have been accepted, Phew. One more stage completed, thank goodness, since my K1 ran out last week.

 

 

That's great, congratulations!

I sent mine back last week too, stressing much and hoping it goes through this time!

1 minute ago, Rambava said:

When I first discovered it on this Monday the reason I didnt change it on my packet was, because on the USCIS website for the form I-485 they only mention the edition date meaning the important date of the two and no mention of the expiring date at all.

I would like to think USCIS is competent enough not to reject people's applications because of their own internal, unknown-to-the-public rule that the expiry date matters too.

2 minutes ago, Rambava said:

@ShayrineC Do you have a USCIS notification of doing that on the website or is it more like a ball park idea of when it changed?

Just a ball park idea based on the posts we have been seeing around here. Although I have no idea what went wrong with my first filing and I had a 2021 form. I refiled today with the 2020 one.