rikkitikkitavi

Thank you. Helpful to know you had the same issue. Do you remember how long it took for the updated NOA with the A# to show up after the first one? Btw I checked my parents' case status online, and it says they're both scheduled for biometric. I'm hoping the NOA notification for biometrics might have the A# when it shows up in the mail.

Thank you, this is super helpful. An A# is what they keep asking for, but I'll see if the receipt notice alone works.

Yes, I know that. But aren't you supposed to get an A# when you *apply* for a green card? And as it happens they need this number to buy insurance from Covered CA as an applicant for AOS (a valid category).

We just received NOA1s for my parents' AOS application: I got an NOA for each of their I-130 petitions and they each got an NOA for their I-485 applications. They're both adjusting from a tourist visa. The receipt date & priority date (for all petitions) are 11/25/2022 and the notice date is 11/29/2022. Each form has a receipt number that starts with IOE. The notice type says "Receipt" and the case type for the I-485 petitions says "I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status." The preference classification is "Immediate Relative of US citizen." Unfortunately, the field for USCIS Alien Number is blank. Also, the form does not mention an online access code, which is what I need to be able to access their cases online. We're in the process of getting them health insurance through Covered California, which requires their Alien #s to process their applications. And this is precisely what we don't have. Is not getting an A# common at this stage? When can we expect to receive those? Is there anything we can do to receive the A# quickly? Many thanks.

My parents, who are here on a visitor visa, are filing for an adjustment of status. I am filing an I-130 for each of them and they're each filing an I-485. We're also submitting I-864, I-864A (contract between me and my husband) and I-693 (medical). Importantly, we're NOT submitting an application for advance parole (I-131) or for employment authorization (I-765). Under these circumstances, how many passport-size photos are required for each parent? Just 2 photos, for the I-485 alone? Or 4 photos, for I-485 as well as I-130? Elsewhere I'm also reading that 6 photos are required, but I imagine some of those applicants are also filing for advance parole or employment authorization, which my parents are not doing. Second question: as the US citizen petitioner on I-130, am I also required to submit 2 passport-size photos of myself? USCIS instructions mention only that 2 photos each of petitioner and beneficiary are required in the case of a petition for spouse and don't mention this requirement for parent or other relative petitions. Many thanks for any advice.

I'm a US citizen petitioning for a GC for my parents. My parents are married to each other and immigrating at the same time. Thanks to VJ I know I need to file a separate I-864 for each of them. But Part 3, Question 2 (see attached) has me stumped. For my mother's I-864 do I check the box in Q2, since I AM sponsoring another family member (namely, my father) immigrating at the same time or within six months of the principal immigrant (my mother, in this case)? But it also says in parentheses: "do not include any relative listed on a separate visa petition." Since I am filing a separate I-130 for my father, and a separate I-864 to accompany his I-485 application, this suggests I should not check the box. My inclination is not to check the box. But then how would USCIS correctly calculate my household size, which should be 4 (myself, spouse, my mother, my father)? If I include only my mother on one I-864 and only my father on another, doesn't that make the relevant household size smaller—namely, just 3—in each of the petitions? Thanks in advance for any help. This site is a lifesaver!

I'm a US citizen sponsoring my parents from India for a green card (through adjustment of status). My husband and I have always filed taxes together but he earns the bulk of our household income. My income alone is probably not sufficient for sponsorship (well, it depends on how we classify the income we earn from a rental property). Under these circumstances, when I file I-864 for my parents, am I required also to file I-864A, Contract between Sponsor (me) and Household Member (husband)? Would we need to do this even though the household member is my husband and we have always filed taxes jointly? Alternatively, would it be possible for my husband to be the primary sponsor on the I-864 even though I am (obviously) the petitioner on I-130? A different option altogether would be to qualify on the basis of assets. Even just my half of the equity in our house is more than enough to qualify based on assets. Would this be better than using my husband's income to qualify? If we choose this approach, how do we establish the value of our house (estimate from Zillow?) and how much we owe on the property (latest statement from mortgage lender?)? Incidentally, my husband is self-employed. Our income is well over the required threshold, but I know self-employment requires much greater documentation. So perhaps qualifying based on assets is once again the more straightforward approach? Appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Thank you!

This is probably a dumb question, but I am very confused. I am a US citizen sponsoring both my parents for a green card. They are B2 visitors from India and will be adjusting status here. I have filled out separate I-130s for each of them, and of course they are each filing an I-485. I was intending to file a separate affidavit of support for each of them, but the language on the I-864 is very confusing, because it keeps asking for who else I'm sponsoring within a 6-month period. Both their applications will be filed at the same time, so it will obviously be within a 6-month period. Would appreciate any help. Many thanks!

Thanks, this is helpful, especially the part about attaching G-1145 to the forms. I didn't know about that at all.

To the best of my knowledge, anyone coming in on a tourist visa does need to wait 90 days before filing for AOS. This is the State Department's 90-day rule. More here: https://cliniclegal.org/resources/ground-inadmissibility-and-deportability/uscis-incorporates-state-departments-90-day-rule The basic idea is that when someone applies for or enters on a tourist visa, they are declaring nonimmigrant intent. Applying for permanent residence is inconsistent with that. If someone applies for a green card or does anything else inconsistent with nonimmigrant intent within 90 days of entering the US, the presumption is that they misrepresented their intent when they applied for the tourist visa and used it to enter the US. To be sure, the 90-day rule is not a binding principle and the presumption of material misrepresentation can be rebutted. But it is a rule used by USCIS officers to adjudicate admissibility, and there is no reason to ask for trouble by violating it.

I'm a US citizen helping my parents, currently visiting from India on a tourist visa, adjust status. We're putting together the AOS package right now (I-130, I-485, I-864) and hope to mail it tomorrow, Oct 25. How long does it take to get the I-797 indicating receipt (NOA1)? Is there a decent chance we could get it by Oct 31? We don't need a paper copy; a digital copy via email or viewable online is fine. The reason I'm asking has to do with purchasing health insurance on the Covered CA exchange. My parents currently have a pending application with Covered CA, and if they can submit their A# and other details from the I-797 by Oct 31, their coverage can start as of Nov 1. Otherwise it will be delayed by a month. Is there anything we can do to expedite the process beyond sending everything by Fedex/UPS? Folks here talk about receiving NOA1 via email or text. Is there something special we should do for this to be an option? Does having an online account with USCIS mean we can view documents faster? The alternative is to wait to file until early next week, in which case we can also include the I-693 (medical exam) in the AOS packet. Is there any advantage to sending the I-693 along with the other forms? I've heard that it can speed up overall processing time. If there's not much chance of getting NOA1 by Oct 31, we'd rather wait to send everything in one packet.