OldUser

Same field office? With USCIS nothing matters - online status, verbal approvals are unreliable. Only when you get the immigration benefit there's some certainty.

Congrats! Which service center did you have and when did you file I-751?

Is your caae starting with IOE? Did you list your USCIS account (yours, not US citizens, and not just your alien number) in I-751?

I wouldn't worry just yet. According to processing times, 80% of cases take 7 months in San Jose FO - https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ So you're only delayed by few weeks so far, as 7 months would have been the end of December 2023. It may take few more months. After a year of waiting you can probably file WoM.

First of all: - I-131, not 1-131 - I-485, not 1-485 Your AP may have been denied because you're very close to receiving GC. Expect it to happen in February / March 2024. Unless you have inadmissablity etc.

Based on info in other threads, you filed N-400 in August 2023, not 2022? If filed in August 2023, it's still early to bug USCIS. It's also a bit early to bug regarding I-751 that you filed in August 2022, since most of I-751s take 20+ months nowadays.

Let us know if you get some more insight after FOIA results are available. Good luck!

https://www.uscis.gov/records/request-records-through-the-freedom-of-information-act-or-privacy-act Be aware that filing FOIA may slow down the N-400 case itself!

Are you sure your N-400 wasn't denied? Missing biometrics appointment deadline by over a year could have resulted in denial. I wouldn't believe the online status 100%. I'd file FOIA to find out what's going on with the case.

You should absolutely do it to ensure IO is aware of pending I-751. It would never hurt. Do not include original ROC extension letter, only a copy. There were cases when IO only found out about I-751 pending at the interview, and they got frustrated about it. Cannot find links, but it was on VJ.

It's a lottery. It applies to all sort of cases with USCIS. My friend got I-751 approval 4-5 months earlier than me, even though his case was filed 3 weeks later than mine. I didn't have RFEs or anything else. Cases around mine were also delayed by several months for no apparent reason. Having expectation to have your case adjudicated faster than standard processing time doesn't help. Are you ready for the interview and civics test if you were called for it today? If I was in your shoes, I'd ensure I studied everything and was prepared.

Just photos is likely not enough as evidence. Since you filed AOS, what other evidence did you accumulate? This may include bank statements from a joint account you opened, lease agreements listing both names, airline boarding passes showing trips together somewhere, health insurance policy showing both names, bills for utilities in both names or phone plans showing both names etc. If DL / ID was obtained by immigrant, include copies of it and US citizen spouse ID showing same address. If you married after coming on K-1, you should include marriage certificate. Also, may include venue or restaurant reservation for celebrating the marriage, letters from friends and family addressed to both of you congratulating on marrying. As to photos, you need to edit them in word. Add 3 photos per page and caption them: date, event, place, who's on photos. The most valuable pictures are of you with family and friends, colleagues. Photos of just two of you are pretty low in value. You can print those in B&W as long as it's easy to see who's on the photos.

It just seems like your case is waiting in a queue to be processed in a busy field office. According to https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/, at the moment it takes about 7.5 months for 80% of cases. Assuming you submitted your N-400 mid August 2023, it's only been 4.5 months in. No surprises here. Note the important part - 80% of cases. Your case may randomly end up in the 20% which will take over 7.5 months. I wouldn't worry at all until at least August 2024.

Do not lie to USCIS, as @SalishSea mentioned above. Lie can lead to misrepresentation and inadmissability. Because you're married to a US citizen, work will be forgiven, but lie can result in denial and inabilty to get immigration benefits.

"Case is being actively reviewed" is not much different to "Case was received". It's just a filler status for the periods of time when nothing happens.

Personal checks are always preferred for this reason. For all filers in Jan 2024 who are yet to submit their I-751: pay with personal check! Credit cards often get declined as fradulent charge and cashiers checks cannot be tracked.

And it was your own account, not US citizen account where I-130 / I-129F was filed?

Can send a letter to USCIS service center where the petition is pending, with new evidence attached, referencing case ID. But I'd skip that, as I agree, initial packet submission should have been already strong from the start.

Do you have USCIS account? Did you list it on your I-751?

People are getting copies of digital letters in their USCIS accounts. I doubt many filers from Jan 2024 received physical extension letters yet!

You're overthinking this. I-94 will match name on passport, that's correct. If AOS forms have married name, that's also OK, as you would have included marriage certificate proving how the maiden and married names are related. They can mismatch, that's OK. In ideal world, I always advice to only change the name during N-400 to avoid mismatch on different IDs and simplify immigration. But in real world people want to use their married names as soon as they get married and that's their right.

There's always a risk of denial when applying for any visa, whether it's a work visa, tourist visa or immigration visa.

Even if they ran the business capable of sponsoring for H-1B I'd discourage to go this route. It borderlines H-1B visa abuse due to OP's relationship with their child.

I think your best bet is to go back to France, and see whether your relationship develops, leading to marriage and sponsorship for CR-1 visa or K-1 fiance visa. Your BF parents cannot sponsor you. You can only stay if your BF marries you and files AOS forms. Otherwise you need to go back and find a different avenue to come back to the US on permanent basis.

Yes they can, I knew a couple of people at work who went through E2 -> GC. They're all sponsored by employer.