EatBulaga

Just an update. Atlanta Field Office 1-485 family-based adjustment processing times are down to 27 months now. https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/

Hi @slavaskii, Congratulations on the EAD/AP combo card that you got back in June 2023. In our case, we got the GC about 3.5 months after the combo card. So if the pattern holds, you may be hearing something in September or October? I know it's frustrating, but just be patient. Your time will come soon.

Greetings ROC experts, 04-22-2025: Conditional Residence Expiration Date 04-22-2023: Conditional Resident Since 01-22-2025: Earliest data you may file your Form I-751 Planning ahead a little, I have a scenario where I can submit the I-751 at or near the earliest date (01-22-2025), or wait later to file (like wait 30- to 40-days like late 02-2025 or early 03-2025). 1. Submitting later allows time to file for the 2024 income tax. At the earliest date of 01-22-2025, I may not have time to file the 2024 income tax. I would already have the 2022 and 2023 tax transcripts already with the I-751. So is there any advantage to including the 2024 income tax filing with the I-751? 2. Whether submitting I-751 at the earliest or later, the "Conditional Resident Since" date does not change, so is the 4-year extension based on the NOA1 date (depends on the date of I-751 submission) or the Conditional Resident Since date? If the 4-year extension depends on the NOA1 of I-751, wouldn't submit later buy a later 4-year extension expiration? 3. Is there any more advantage to submitting at the earliest than later besides getting into the USCIS system with an earlier NOA1 date? So given the dates for our case, which is more preferable? to submit at the earliest or later? Or am I missing anything? Your expert responses with whys are appreciated. Thanks.

You can see Visajourney AP stats at https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/apstats.php You can also help others on Visajourney by completing your Timeline. Thanks.

@YVxPX First, it is legal to work on B-2 now? Second, are their B-2 visas 10-year with multiple entries? If so, then is it possible to just do a visa run and reset their 6-month countdown?

@Skye841 We filed the I-693. @BPCW re-submitted the DS-3025. If you read the posts on this thread, both were approved with slightly different circumstances. Hopefully, these are extra data points you can use to decide what is best for your case.

@Ninjaturtur Although we got the Georgia Real ID driver's license, I think one process that affects most everyone in getting the Real ID regardless if it is driver's license or state ID or both is to get the Social Security Number as soon as possible. With the SSN, one can open a bank account, utility bills, etc. which can establish permanent mailing address for the Real ID and can file for income tax. In Georgia, we also ran into the 120-day extension limit for the Real ID driver's license. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/799707-post-aos-optional-to-dos/?do=findComment&comment=10837804 Therefore, we filed for an I-765 expedite because Georgia can also use the EAD card for the driver's license renewal. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/789757-is-expiring-drivers-license-reason-for-expediting-ead/?tab=comments#comment-10792667 We were able to extend the Georgia driver's license expiration with the EAD, and then extend again after receiving the green card. But as @Mike E showed, Maryland has the additional requirement of 2-year income tax filing.

Checking the current USCIS processing times estimates: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ I-765 is 11.5 months compared to VJ estimates https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/eadstats.php I-485 (Atlanta FO) is 29.5 months (down from 38.5 months) compared to VJ estimates https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/aosstats.php

After googling dual citizenships for South Africa and New Zealand, both allow dual citizenships and dual passports. Has your partner considered the dual citizenship option of keeping both passports unexpired? For the K1 and AOS processes, it may be less confusing to keep the passport consistent with the original I-129F application. Is the requested K1 interview at the New Zealand consulate? You can update the new citizenship information at the K1 interview. But if you keep the K1 application passport consistent (that is the K1 visa will go in the South African passport), I don't think it will matter to the consulate or to USCIS that the K1 beneficiary acquired a 2nd nationality during the K1 process. When you file for the I-485, you will need to make sure the passport with the K1 visa is used.

@pocccco I've seen some of those stories on the Philippines news. And discussed some of those with my Filipina spouse. Those stories are definitely more of the exceptions than the rule. Those are most likely some rogue gate agents or rogue immigration officers trying to extort money. So they essentially can make up any concerns to hassle you till you miss your flight, or until you get the message to pay some extortion. One news that I heard was a Filipina traveling alone overseas for a vacation and the officer said that the Philippines passport photo was not her. And they questioned her background going back to her high school and asked her to prove it by showing her high school yearbook photo. Well needless to say she didn't have it and she didn't get the message to pay. So this Filipina missed her flight and reported the incident to the higher authorities which didn't do anything. So she reported to the Philippines news channels. Because of this and other similar news reports, more stories came out about the corruptions at the Philippines airports from stealing luggages to extortions. There are some checks-and-balances going on because the Philippines government certainly wants more tourism dollars coming in, and such news give the Philippines a poor reputation for tourism. But at the same time, the average wage for the Philippines airport workers are low enough that some are willing to go rogue and extort from the travellers. So this is not an immigration issue, but more of how do you deal with a rogue agent? The best advice I got about traveling to the Philippines is to be unassuming so that you are not a target. Or at worst, pay the extortion--at least you may be helping out the rogue agent's family.

Thanks for sharing. Good advice for your wife to use backpack and to go with someone whenever in the Philippines. Might I also add to wear the backpack in the front and not on the back since I've seen warning videos about how thieves can slit open backpacks from behind to open pouches to remove items. With regards to the "bad day", I've also heard of stories of how the police and street gangs coordinate "attacks" on individuals who they suspect have large sums of money or valuables. For example, if the police tries to extort from someone and don't get all that they want from that someone, then they will signal to the gang to get that someone outside or later. After the gang attack, that someone can't go back to the police or gets no help from the police because they did not pay or pay enough extortion. I also have stories about Philippines customs robbing from luggages at airports or from the postal service. But I don't want to deviate too much from this post. The best advice I got was to be unassuming so as to not be a target.

Congratulations! Happy for you all! If you look at our Timeline or Profile->Our Story, it took us about a week from getting the approval notification to receiving the permanent residence card. Start preparing for the post-AOS to-do's. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/799707-post-aos-optional-to-dos/

Search the term "Passport Bros" on YouTube or TikTok. It's really nothing new that American men are going abroad to seek spouses/fiancés, but what is trending is that American women getting pissed at the guys doing that. My own VJ research reveals that the ratio of US males filing for foreign spouses/fiancés to US females filing for foreign spouses/fiancés is about 4 to 1. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/796552-passport-bros/ My first advice about going the Passport Bros route is don't take it for granted and don't abuse your position of power in the foreign dating market. If you are scared of being scammed, being taken advantaged of, etc., think of it from the foreign women point of view: are the foreign women more likely to be taken advantaged of by the American men than the vice versa? Think about human trafficking, think of the average guy who all of sudden have a windfall of abundant 3rd world women who think he is "exotic", etc. Dating/mating has inherent risks (i.e. divorce rate). Your best safeguard is to invest the time into knowing your mate. If you meet someone online and both are interested, definitely make a trip to visit. If you don't have the time, then you are prioritizing other things with your time than choosing a mate. Since @smore posted in the Philippines forum, then you are probably aware of the Filipino OFW (Overseas Foreign Worker) program. If not, look it up and compare your "don't have time" or other work/dating complaints compared to the Filipino OFWs'. From my experience, no matter how hard or abused worklife the OFWs have, they are grateful for the opportunity to work compared to the limited opportunity in their homeland. So my last advice is to be grateful that you have an American passport, as opposed to not having it and wishing for a visa journey to get the US passport.

Here was my advice to acclimate a Filipina spouse that moved to Texas. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/799160-any-filipinas-heading-to-texas/?tab=comments#comment-10832698 You can do the similar for your Filipina girlfriend? Maybe hangout at Jollibee in Wheaton, MD, and there should be plenty of Pinoys to socialize? 😂

Yes, you can apply for SSN before AOS. You can see our Timeline or Profile->Our Story to see our steps. If you get your marriage certificate early enough before the I-94 expiration, you can even update the SSN to the marriage name before the AOS and file the AOS with the marriage name using the SSN in the I-485. I also chatted with someone in Florida that got their marriage certificate within the I-94 valid period, and filed for SSN directly with the marriage name using passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate and I-94. And then, they applied for the AOS. Have not heard any problems from them yet.

Check the pharmacy, I've had the flu vaccine before at the pharmacy without seeing the doctor during the off-season. Depending on your health insurance card, it should be no extra cost.

I think one of the lesson learned for all here is to get the SSN as soon as the I-94 is available instead of applying SSN with the AOS since so many things depend on the SSN from driver's license to bank accounts to billings, etc. And after marriage, change the SSN to the marriage name if needed.

Another option is for the sibling to apply to some education program with in-demand employment like healthcare, IT, etc. Then apply for the student visa, which can be approved in about a month. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html After graduation, adjust status with an employer.

FYI to all who are interested, I've been playing with Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, CLEAR and ID.me. While none can store the Permanent Resident Card at this time, the technology is certainly there if USCIS chooses to adopt it, or choose to create their own app that links to the my.USCIS.gov login. It would certainly be convenient if there is some app that can store the Permanent Resident Card or EAD/AP or Green Card extension letter, Passport, Marriage Certificate, REAL ID driver license, etc. all in one place, which will be convenient for the foreign resident. Then again, USCIS is not about convenience.

Hello Everyone, We have a I-551 Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) and an still unexpired Combo Card I-766/I-512. If traveling abroad and the Green Card is lost or stolen, the standard procedure is to file the I-131A with the nearest US consulate for a boarding foil. But if the non-US citizen Green Card is lost or stolen but still has in possession the Combo Card, can the non-US citizen still return to the US using only the Combo Card? Or will the airline or CBP flag the entry irregular? Thanks.

Hello all, Which IRS transcript is best to submit with the I-751 and eventual N-400? Return Transcript? Account Transcript? Record of Account Transcript? Or Wage & Income Transcript? Thanks!

US citizens should be filing their taxes regardless of currency. You can look up the currency conversion for the tax year at https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/yearly-average-currency-exchange-rates You can determine if you qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion which should be part of what you plan to file with the IRS. https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/foreign-earned-income-exclusion So your I-864 income should reflect what you will file with the IRS.

Why do you think DL in Apple Wallet is trash?

Hello all, Is there any phone apps that will save your Permanent Resident Card information besides keeping a photo copy? Apple Wallet only saves a driver's license for Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland currently. https://learn.wallet.apple/id#how-to-video Are there other options to save the Permanent Resident Card virtually besides carrying it around physically as currently the required by law? Thanks for any response.

Did you file your US marriage certificate name for your green card and passport (and driver's license REAL ID)? Did you file a Philippines Report Of Marriage with the US marriage certificate name, and used the ROM for the passport update? My filipina spouse used the married naming convention on the marriage certificate of first name, middle name (maiden last name), and last name (spouse's last name). We filed a Philippines Report Of Marriage using the same naming convention as the US marriage certificate, and I believe she is using the Philippines ROM to update her Philippines passport. As long as you continue to file using your marriage certificate name consistently, name format shouldn't matter like the green card only shows the middle initial and the driver's license only shows the first and last name, etc.