GalyasTorpedo

Congrats, you should have your card in one week.

Thanks all. You may look at my profile and see my previous thread on the RFE. Essentially, I have no idea what they were asking for nor did they specify in the RFE letter, nor could USCIS tell me when I called them (seriously). Essentially I ended up compiling things that I didn't have when we originally sent the package and responded. Apparently it was good enough to satisfy the request. Unfortunately I know this response is not too helpful but the whole RFE process was so odd.

Thanks all, hopefully we'll get the card early next week.

Approval email came today, you can update our entry, thanks!

Application Type: CRI89 , PETITION TO REMOVE CONDITIONS OF PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS RECEIVED

Current Status: Card production ordered.

On April 29, 2008, we ordered production of your new card. Please allow 30 days for your card to be mailed to you. If we need something from you we will contact you. If you move before you receive the card, call customer service. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we process your case. Just follow the link below to register.

I also received an RFE where the receipt # didn't match anything I had seen before. The response I received upon inquiry is that there is a receipt number for the case and a different # for the actual ordering of the card. That made no sense to me but just passing along what I was told. Good luck.

New to this forum....Have joined out of complete and utter frustration with the USCIS and this process. We need to be added to the list.

Filed 751 3/13/07

NOA 3/27/07

Biometrics 4/17/07

Yesterday we received a request for evidence (dated 4/14/08), and I am wondering if anyone else has also received one recently. I am confused as the Receipt # on the Request for Evidence does not match the Receipt # on any of our other correspondence from the USCIS regarding the removal of our conditions. If I search the "new" Receipt # on uscis.gov it does not find anything. When I check our case status with our "old" Receipt # it does not appear to have been touched since 4/2/08.

I had these concerns as well and agree that instructions on how to protect your identity while submitting confidential documents should be addressed in the instructions by USCIS.

I was told, that while it's rare, when adding a spouse to the title, the lender does have the option of calling your loan due if the title is changed and they become aware of it. Talk about an added expense....

Actually I did add a note about the mortgage deed as well so I think I have that covered. Thanks.

As promised, here is what we are sending today in response to the RFE:

- Copy of original cover letter detailing everything they should have already

- Additional notarized letter of support, that makes 3 now

- Confirmation of enrollment in life insurance as of 1/1/08, 100% to spouse

- Phone bill showing two cell lines with us in family plan

- recent copies of multiple bank statements with j/o

- travel docs of our scheduled trip to Hawaii in May!!! Aloha.

- copy of recent water bill sent to our house with both names

- letter offering employment sent to our house to my wife back in '06

- recent Amex/Costco (greatest store on earth) sent in both our names, new in '08 for us

- copy of TurboTax certification of filing 2007 taxes, that makes THREE years they have now

- pictures of us entertaining both our extended families together

- written explanation that we cannot provide documentation of children as we do not have children

If that's not enough then it's time for my Congressman to join the party. Thanks all for the support.

Yes, it changes with a note indicating they sent you a request for additional information, at least it did for my case.

It states on the RFE letter to not resend the info you sent the first time. I am going to resend the cover sheet indicating what they should have in lieu of this when I send more info this week. I'll respond and share what we came up with when we send it out Wednesday. My wife made a good point, just compile what we can and send it vs. wondering why they would be sending us an RFE. It's not like they are going to suddenly apologize and approve us admitting they made a mistake for asking for more information.

We never heard from USCIS so we called back today as it has been two weeks. Apparently our file was pulled and it's still "en route" to an officer but the rep today told me it could be weeks before someone looks at it. She told me to just "do our best" to figure out what additional info they want and send it. Essentially the life insurance info will go out, I can ask friends or family so I can send a 3rd certified letter attesting to our marriage, maybe copies of our tax returns I just filed this year and whatever else I can come up with. I've sent everything on their list and am not a mind reader so hopefully it will be enough. Just a bit frustrated right now....

Another quick update, we just got off the phone with USCIS. The agent, after listening to the list of items we sent, was a bit surprised and stated that they would "pull our file" to make sure they have everything. She advised me to NOT re-title my home and risk having the loan come due, she said it's not necessary. Furthermore, she indicated that they would call us back within 1 week. I was not sure what to expect but glad they are taking a second look before asking us to send additional docs, etc.

Thanks all, we did send vacation pictures. I spoke to my settlement attorney today and it appears I can add my wife to my home deed, for a fee of course, and it will not impact my mortgage. I guess the lender can call the loan due if they become aware of this change but that is apparently rarely if ever done when adding a spouse. So it looks like I get to shell out some more cash. If sending this, extra joint financial statements from different date ranges and sending the life insurance info I recently purchased is not enough they are going to have one heck of a fight on their hands.

We have the RFE in hand, they don't list anything specific. It only gives the boilerplate list of items they had when we sent the application the first time. That's what is so frustrating, they ask for more but don't tell you what they want and I sent everything on their list I could.

Most of the time, they will ask you the things that you've already sent (originally). I guess the only way to find out what they wanted is to wait for the RFE notice in the mail... Good luck!

Well, we received an RFE today from USCIS. Here is a list of what we originally sent, any ideas on what else I can give them as evidence? Frankly, I thought we went overboard the first time...

We sent:

- copies of front and back of green card

- copy of both of our driver's licenses

- copy of our medical and dental insurance cards

- joint bank account statements

- IRA plan with each other as beneficiary

- copy of 401k account with wife as sole beneficiary

- Joint income tax returns for 2005 and 2006

- copy of health club contract for both of us

- copy of auto registration showing both as joint owners

- copy of auto insurance policy with both of us listed as drivers

- copy of gas, credit card and water bills sent to our home with both of us

- copy of airline tickets for 2006 and 2007 vacations with pictures of us

- original envelopes sent to our house for our anniversary and christmas addressed to both of us

- two notarized letters from friends and family attesting to our marriage

What I did not send:

- docs about previous marriage, it's the first for both of us

- docs about children, we don't have any

- docs showing joint ownership of residence, I had the mortgage before my wife arrived and she has no credit history so worried we will get a horrible

rate if we refi if I add her to the mortgage

I have purchased life insurance through work since we filed this so I can send them that showing my wife as sole beneficiary. Other than that, it's going to be repeat of stuff I sent before with today's date.

Bitter beyond belief they RFE'd us, I am angry beyond the heat of thousand suns right now.

Any ideas folks on what more I can send??????

Congrats, I hope to be making a similar post in the next week or so.

Just saw we are on this list. My dates should be 7/23/07, 8/8/07 and 9/21/07 respectively. We are still waiting.....

In Alexandria, Virginia they no longer allow the USC to even sit in the waiting area while the fingerpriting and picture taking is being conducted. The plus from this is that I noticed a lot less chaos in the room and my wife was in and out in less than 20 minutes. The rules may vary office to office but just a heads up, this was a change since we did AOS.

We received a Biometrics appt on a date we are on travel. Easy enough, mailed back the receipt as instructed on the NOA2 and asked for any Saturday starting 9/29 or later. Yesterday we get a letter back with a new appointment date of Friday, 9/21. So as an FYI, either they autopick the next available time and give it to you or someone botched this. We're keeping this one because I am afraid what they'll do next. Good luck all.

We also received biometrics appointment letter and have not received NOA1 yet, don't call or panic yet, they will only tell you that it takes up to 90 days. If no NOA1 after 90 days, then it's time to call.

I am happy to say the $275 check cleared my bank last night, the hand written date on the check is 08/06/2007, I can't make out my receipt number but it's cashed so hopefully the NOA will be in the mail soon!!

So that's a timeline of 2 weeks from the day that I mailed it to the day the check was processed, not bad.

Well, I did find this on Medicare's website:

" You will be eligible to apply for Medicare if you have paid into Social Security for at least 10 years or you are eligible to receive Social Security benefits on your spouse’s earnings. If you do not meet these requirements, you can still get Medicare hospital insurance (Part A) by paying a monthly premium if you are a citizen or a lawfully admitted alien who has lived in the U.S. for at least five years.

Also, anyone who is age 65 and a citizen or a lawfully admitted alien with five years of residency in the United States can sign up for Medicare Part B medical insurance and pay a monthly premium."

So to me it looks like you need to have a 2 part plan:

1. Bridge the gap for the first 5 years by finding some sort of insurance that's not a scam, or negotiate fees, and/or go back to their home country for anything that deems it so.

2. Apply for Medicare and pay the premiums after 5 years. I wonder what the premiums from Medicare are like...

Seems like a picnic...

One of my concerns about bringing over the mother or father of a newly minted USC, what about health insurance? For a mother or father who is 60+ years old, what is typical for health insurance for those individuals.

This is obviously someone who has no U.S. work experience. What is everyone doing for this?

Just curious...

Thanks.

Lingo has something called "Lingo Link" and it's a $7.95 a month plan. You can make calls between Lingo members only with this plan but I THINK you can receive calls from anyone. I have friends working at the embassy in Nairobi that are thinking about setting this up with a local number for their friends and family to call them (local call for family and friends). It's obviously not good for them to make outgoing calls from the phone but incoming it's like they are next door for the friends and family. Technology is cool....