wheeler04

oops please delete this

Thanks, guys.

So I guess having the NOA letter allows you free travel and employment.?

Stupid system. It doesn't change that if you need to travel and get back into the country with an expired GC, you have to explain to the border guy with a "note" from USCIS why you're okay. That's shady.

You guys have been in those lines, the USCIS guy I went through last time didn't even know if he was supposed to be procesing "LPRs" (legalized permanent residents) in his line or not.

I'm sure it will be fine though.....probably

Sorry if this is a repeat, I just don't have time to exhaustively search forums, so I'd like to tap into the bored, public database of knowledge....

I seem to remember that when I filed my wife's I-485 back in 2007 that the time window to file the eventual I-751 was 180 days (6 months) before expiration of the GC.

But now I read it is 90 days (3 months)? Whatever, memory is fading in my early 30s....

The importance of THIS however, is that I'm not really optimistic a decision will be rendered within 3 months, even though it SHOULD basically be a formality.

So are a boatload of people walking around with expired temporary GCs while they wait for their I-751s to be approved? Or is there some kind of travel/waiver form like with the I-485 that you can submit - and SHOULD submit - so you can leave or get back into the country while you are waiting for the USCIS decision?

Thanks in advance, all...

Are you kidding? Cultural differences?

If this guy was a USCIS officer making decisions on the worthiness of applicants to come to and be in the United States, then we should be waaaaay past cultural differences being a factor.

But I do agree with you. Without trying to sound insensitive, there are some cultures of the world where it does seem that a culture of poverty and criminiality have become endemic.

But this isn't one of them....yet.

Just an update:

We had our interview on Monday afternoon and were approved. She stamped my wife's passport.

The place was crazy. Newark, NJ is crazy. We waited more than an hour and a half past our appointment time before being called (I should have brought a magazine).

I almost barfed when the interviewer asked us for proof of our current residence. We had been temporarily living with my parents in their basement while we looked for a house so we:

-had no bills at our current address

-our drivers licenses were from out of state

-to make filing income tax easier, I had changed my work address and bank accounts to a relative's house in MA (so I would not really have left the state in '07 - I work in outside sales for software and travel all over the Northeast).

The one saving grace was that we bought a house back up in MA, so we had the deed and all the info with both our names on it.

The other interesting aspect and one question the IO grilled us on had nothing to do with my wife or her situation. Apparently in 2000 when I traveled to Holland to visit my parents (living there at the time), I was brought into "secondary questioning" by customs when I re-entered the US in Boston. I didn't even remember this, but the IO was interested in my reaction, or apparently USCIS now thinks I am some kind of international smuggling fiend or something. She asked me if I remembered this and why I was brought in. They had the exact date even.

Oh well. We got the stamp. Good luck to everyone else here that has waited so patiently. Keep up the faith, be persistent, and you WILL eventually get there too.

Hi everyone

I have AOS interview in october 30th NY the problem is i moved to AZ now how to solve this problem ?

how can i cancel the appoitment or change it.

Thanks

Man, you can go through the hassle of trying to cancel it and to change your address, and hope you'll get notified of another one, but if you have the AOS interview, that's like the last hurdle you should need to do anything for. Pass it, and you are home free, pending all background checks and stuff.

By putting it off, the best case, it all works out, you stay where you are and you're delayed at least a couple months. Worst case, the change of address goes through, but something funny happens and the local office counts you as missing your interview, which I think then invalidates your AOS and puts you out of status.

I'd seriously consider hopping on a plane for a couple hundred bucks, SWA now flies Phoenix to LaGuardia. For me, the peace of mind would be worth it, if you can scrounge up the cash and take the time.

Yeeha. Interview notice just came in the mail, slated for 10/29.

No touches since 6/20, though, so this is a surprise. Goverment flunkie must have noticed his mousepad was getting a lot of coffee rings on it, and then realized it was actually an I485.

Anyway, take heart Bora, Winter, Jashley, others. Coming soon.

Oh I sure wish it was the GC, but it was actually the EAD & AP. Still good news though!

My husband has been very supportive of the very idea that you mentioned. He is really encouraging me to take the time to decide what I would enjoy & love to do every day. He is so fantastic! I will definitely do some soul-searching and decide if going back to school is what I want. I had a few opportunities fall into my lap yesterday, so we'll see where things go.

Thanks for the congrats everyone...I am crossing my fingers for GC approvals for all of us!

Sorry, somewhere I must have misread that about the GC.

Anyway, congrats on the EAD, AP approval - feels good doesn't it? Like something in this whole crazy process is working and you're really getting somewhere?

Thanks on the Infopass info - I will probably look into it more seriously. It can't hurt, anyway.

For those of us still waiting for interviews or have had interviews but are awaiting GC approval for AOS, are people going to wait until processing times have passed at local offices or start scheduling infopass appointments or lobbying their senator ahead of time?

I'm not really sweating this, but I don't want to wait until late December or January, which is when it looks like we'll finally be outside of the processing times - only because our AP and EAD expire NEXT July and by the time that works itself out, we might be cutting it close.

Just wondering what others think.

I am really scared/nervous now...I thought I'd have all kinds of time before I had to decide what I want to do, work on my resume, etc...I have been off since June 2006 so I feel like I'll be useless in a job now.

Congratulations on your GC!

One idea - if your not sure what to do for work and not terribly pressed for cash, maybe just pick something up part-time and go take a class at a local community college, continuing ed program. I did that just for fun and a few years and many courses later later found myself launched into a new career.

I agree with the lost tax argument. Very stupid. We throw away billions each year by not having a guest worker program, and by making things like online poker and certain drugs illegal (but I digress as my views are not very popular when it comes to that, I realize).

One suggestion however - why not have your wife take up work on a cash basis "under the table" - dogwalker, babysitting, tutoring....any of these can be done and pay quite well these days.

wheeler, you and I have similar timelines - except we haven't received an rfe so our case shouldn't have been slowed down.

my hubby says nothing about the GC since he was mostly concerned with the EAD. now that he has it he's working on buying a car. we need one...

I wonder why our case hasn't even been transferred or touched...we'll see what happens.

Bora, Winterr,

Yeah, not knowing is a killer. Byzantine does not even begin to describe how USCIS must operate. Literally, this makes the RMV look efficient.

I'm just concerned about the fact that we haven't got an interview date. It would seem to me that there shouldn't be anything holding that up. From what I am reading, FBI name check doesn't hold that up. Confirmation was received that our response to RFE was received three months ago. Confirmation of address was received and EAD and AP were approved and received at new address. So what's been going on for the past two months?

Is anyone else waiting for word of an interview for the AOS, who applied in may?

Still waiting for an interview or a transfer on AOS as well, although our EAD and AP have already been approved. Thinking of trying to be more proactive, I'm wondering if somehow our address change in June fouled up getting an interview date.

Pepe, we're right in the same time frame as you. We're waiting for the Newark NJ office, I think (we started in Boston in April/May but moved in June).

Our case still says it is at the National Benefits Center - but maybe it just sits there until the local office can take it and give you/us an interview date.

CONGRATS EVERYONE!

JessiPooh,

Are you beginning to feel like we're left behind in no mans-land *sigh*

Maria

Yes I am

Congrats to the rest.

You're all not alone. We're hanging right with you all. Just passed 3 months on our AOS, no transfer, no interview scheduled.

At least we have an EAD and an AP, I guess. but I'm wondering if I should start to be concerned.

it's been a month since the last time they touched my EAD and it is now my 72nd day (if i'm not mistaken with my counting)... Any thoughts on this???

Our EAD production was ordered right on day 72. We just got it in the mail yesterday. Don't worry just yet.

Congrats wheeler. You were one of the first May filers so it's good to see you have progress.

Thanks for the well wishes, all.

FWIW Bora, the total duration of time until our EAD approval was 72 days, so not thinking about any issues you seem to have had with the classification of your filing, you still have a few days before it probably trickles it's way over to getting reviewed, whether the classification was corrected or not.

It looks from the tracking data here on this website that things are slowing down for USCIS, perhaps vacation time for some people.

EAD and AP approved on 7/6 for us.

We're bringing up the rear for May filers, so all who are still waiting after us, it's coming soon...

I got one of these in email.....

I have been checking the USCIS site for touches but no change since May30th and no emails??? Then yesterday Mira got her interview letter date August 27th. Thanks.

Just downright scary...

Their computer system must be a byzantine nightmare of poorly strung together databases. In a world where you leave electronic trails everywhere, how is this even possible?

It must have been the one analyst that still prefers using his IBM selectric and paper.

1099 is a statement issued to you by a bank or brokerage if you earn any interest or profit from investments.

Nice. Looks like we're DFL on this list of May filers.

Last (only) update for all our docs was 6/19 and 6/20, but that might have just been because we changed our address.

I know the expected delay for an RFE is always case-by-case, but ours was succinct and we replied with exactly what they needed in one day back on May 18th.

Does anybody know if a change-of-address affects your processing time? I tried looking through forums on this before, but couldn't find an answer.

I would write down the person's name who met with you.

Perhaps one idea would be to write a letter commenting about how badly they smelled like alcohol, and that indeed you are very concerned about the security of our country because of this.

Eek, just checked again and my AOS has been touched this morning, as well as last night. Can't be getting transferred or anything 'interesting' like that pre-biometrics, surely... I'm definitely thinking 'RFE' here...

We got touched last night and this morning as well. Don't overthink it.

Probably nothing. But nice to know that something is happening with it somewhere....

I 485 with following docs

• My Translated Birth certificate with photocopy of original birth certificate and Certificate of Translation

• Marriage certificate

• Photocopies of my Passport

• Completely filled and signed G-325A(all four pages) and two passport size photographs of mine

• I 693 Medical Examination form

• Employment offer letter from my employer

• IRS tax return for year 2005 and 2006 (filed by me and she's not on these returns)

• Last two months of my pay stubs

You'll also want to include photocopies of HER passport with your I-485 AS WELL as the I-130. We got an RFE for our I-1485 this asking us to prove not only are we married, but that I was a US Citizen, that including it with the I-130 wasn not enough.

I debated sending them a copy of my mom's DAR membership info proving we've been here since this was still England, but didn't.

How badly does an RFE letter really slow everything down? I know it says up to 60 days but has anyone had actual experience with this situation? My husbands Biometrics Appt. was on the SAME day we rec'd the RFE letter. As of 5/31 the case has resumed processing but now his EAD won't be touched for 90 days, is it possible to get the I-485 approved BEFORE the EAD? If that is the case then we wasted $180 on the EAD!! Oh well, as long as he gets his GC by the end of the year (hopefully)!!

I'm wondering the same thing. We filed I130 and I485 together a bit later (NOA 5/1), got an RFE on 5/18, seriously hustled on getting additional copies of my birth certificate and our marriage license out the next day (though the two with the I130 was enough, it wasn't), and then got a similar "RFE response received, resumed processing" message on 5/24. Nothing else yet.

We'll see, I'll post an update for when something happens. Please do the same.