Techbrarian

Came back from a business trip to D.C. (that I brought husband with) and found his letter of approval and new green card in the mailbox. No icky interview required for us thank heavens. Good luck and godspeed to everyone who is still waiting. <3 Sam + Metodi

Sam and Metodi......11/03/10..........11/05/10.......12/08/10........03/18/11....

Anyone know an ETA for the new Green Card after Biometrics? We had our Bio appt on 12/08/10 and still nothing from the immigration gods/demons. Should we expect an interview even if we've had the biometrics already or should the card be in the mail soon enough? Hubby's card expires on Jan 31st...though I know we have that note saying he has another year, I'd like to get the Green Card asap. Sigh. Hate waiting with no info...

Thanks,

Samantha

We got our Biometrics appointment notice! Sent on the November 24th. Appointment is December 8th in Charleston, WV...whee get to take PTO and drive!

Sam and Metodi......11/03/10..........11/05/10.......12/08/10........--/--/10....

Received our NOA - 11/05/10 is the Receipt Date on it. Got it in the mail Friday.

Sam and Metodi......11/03/10..........11/05/10.......--/--/10........--/--/10....

USCIS cashed our check finally

AUTOMATED CHECK VSC FIELD OFFICE PAYMENT 1102 $545.00

From my bank it looks like it was cashed on the 10th.

I have a business trip to Sweden in early December so I'm praying that any Biometrics or Interview dates do not come up then!

We sent ours out on November 3rd. It was received on the 4th. Our check hasn't been cashed yet. No notices. I hate waiting. How long is the typical response time on I-175 forms this year?

You can add us to the list.

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

Sam and Metodi.......11/03/10........--/--/10.......--/--/10........--/--/10....

Thank you! But, argghhh...it's Charleston, WV the only place I've ever gotten a traffic ticket. Glad it's not Fairfax though, Charleston IS closer.

Your biometrics and/or interview will be conducted at the local Application Support Center (ASC) determined by the address you listed in the I-485. (Although I have read a few posts that some members have managed to get their biometrics done at an ASC that is closer, without incident...not sure if you can do that with an interview).

You can enter the zip code of the address you put in the I-485 here to find out where your ASC is: https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=offices.type&OfficeLocator.office_type=ASC

Oh nice, I didn't know the Interview was not necessarily a requirement. Thank you so much for all the additional info. Excited to finish this up!

when thay receive your 1-751 and cash your check..a week later thay will send you a receipt letter and a one year extension..next about three weeks later you will get a letter for your biometrics that letter will have the address where to go for your biometrics..and the date don't miss the date . and about the interview thay may no call you. thay only pick so many people. just hope you are not called...afer your biometrics you have to wait maybe 3 or 4 months pending if all is o.k you get your approval then thay send you aletter of approval and that your new green card will be sent.. your next step n-400 citizenship good luck.

Hi All,

My husband and I are filling out the I-175 and mailing on the 31st of October. I'm curious about WHERE our Interview and Biometrics thing will be conducted. We live in Western VA - Blacksburg. I'm guessing the interview is in Fairfax which is a 4.5 hour drive...yuck. Is there more than one place to do the Biometrics though? I'd rather not have to struggle to schedule them the same day or have to stay the night in the DC area.

Thanks for any info!

~Samantha & Metodi

Oooooh, so even though I made jack, they are going to give us $600 cash? Sweet. Okay, time to file! Won't be getting free money like that next year with a salary. Think it will automatically go to my school loans but that's just as good imo.

Thanks a lot everyone!

<3 Sam

That's what I read - you did not get the stimulus because you filed joint with your spouse who has ITIN. You can file to recover your part.

About your spouse, since he got SSN - I did not see anything prohibiting you & him to file joint in 2008 using his SSN to get stimulus.

How much you would get - see the link.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179165,00.html

I filed my 2007 taxes near the end of 08 because of the extension but yes, I did file them with his ITIN. And NO I didn't get the stimulus $.

Did you file 2007 using his ITIN? Did you receive the stimulus for yourself?

I didn't think they would give that to a couple who had one member immigrating. They might, but I always assume the worst, lol. Besides, he didn't enter the US till 2009. And no we didn't get one incidentally. I filed late for 2007 taxes with a extension since I was waiting on his damn ITIN.

I'm by no means even a novice in this but ....

Did you and your husband both receive a married stimulus payment in 2008?

If not you may want to look into that as a reason to file.

Okay, I was a grad student for half of last year and almost all of the other half I was either in Bulgaria with my husband or unemployed and job searching, so my income for 2008 was under 5k. I started my real job this January. I think its very silly to fill out a tax return since they:

A. Didn't tax me (federal work-study and Exempt on my 2 month job)

B. I didn't make enough to have to file

C. My husband didn't work last year, let alone enter the US till this year, so its just my income in question.

Should I file anyway, since we will have to do our 2 year interview eventually and they might want my financial records? Or should I just hold on to those pathetic W2s and use them instead when the time comes? I got a few more days to whip up that 1050 so let me know if you have any idea what I should do.

Thank you!

<3 Samantha

We're staying here to pay off my student loans from my MLS. Should take a handful of years that. I love Bulgaria...but, I'm still working on learning their damnable language. Once I'm decent at it and the debt is paid off I wouldn't mind moving there to farm and live close to family. I think we are more likely to retire there though. Stuff tends to happen over the years to keep you somewhere, like kids, homes, cars, and good jobs. *shrug* We will visit at least once a year though, that's for sure!.

<3

We called the national SS hotline Monday. And I'd like to complain about how impossible it would be for a foreign born person to use. VOICE not NUMERIC entering of information! It couldn't even understand me spelling M-E-T-O-D-I, let alone anyone with a real accent. ALSO even though all the options I chose before showed that he obviously didn't have a SSN the first voice question asks for a SSN... I spent 10 minutes verbally abusing the AI before she gave up and went to question #2. I don't think normal folks would bother, they'd hang up!

Anyway, they said he had no record in the system and that we needed to go to the 'local' office.

We drove to Roanoke (I missed 4 hours of work), and we took the Green Card, Passport and a translated Birth Certificate that we had from our returned NVC docs from the Embassy times. Metodi says that the guy just acknowledged that he had is BC and looked at it vaguely. I'm not sure if it was necessary to bring it or not. 2 weeks till SSN so the SS Office says...

So much for all that hype at the Embassy about checking this box or that for your damn SSN! Liars! Anywhoo back to catching up on the 4 hours of work I missed. Thanks for all the help guys.

<3 Sam

Would have been really nice to know this on the day he got here...sigh. 1.5 months of wasted time waiting for this #######. Going to the SS office tomorrow or Wednesday. Adding this ####### to my wiki about immigration....

According to this he can just use his Green Card:

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/Permanent_Resident

I guess I'll have to call the SS Card office in Roanoke and see what's up. We DID send in an AR-11 since my mom's address in KY was on all the forms and now we live in VA. The Green Card went to mom's. I guess what we need in order to fill out for the SS Card is just his foreign passport AND his Green Card?

Need to rectify the work situation soon, husband is getting ansy sitting about all day with nothing to do but clean house and play with the cat.

From what I have seen CR-1 visas tend to not get an SSN automatically, you will need to visit SSA office and apply for one.

Many employers will give you up to 30 days to produce the SSN card for them to be able to collect income tax.

Moving to moving and life in USA.

Hi,

My husband got here at the end of January and we've been waiting patiently for his SS Card to come in the mail and it hasn't. We DID receive his Green Card just last week.

Can he work without the SS Card, using the Green Card instead, or do we have to wait on it still?

AND

####### is taking so long and where should we call to find out.

Thanks!

- Sam

Cody -

Being apart is very difficult. Take a look at MY timeline. It took 7 months for the USCIS to process our I-130. Have faith though, you will get through soon. It looks as though the Centers are processing a bit faster right now than they were when it was my time. I wish you luck and a speedy shoot through their machinery from now on.

<3 and good wishes,

Sam

PS: And you're right, it IS a nightmare. But eventually it ends and you quickly forget the hell you went through to be able to live like a normal couple. All you can do for now is talk as much as possible, visit when you can, and keep each other sane. Hugs.

Wow, lucky you. Look at anyone's timeline, lol! How wonderful that some people get lucky and actually get through this with less hell. I'm so happy for you. Good luck with the rest!

<3

Thank you all very much. Metodi is enjoying his first time in the US. After sleeping off the trip the first night, we had a nice American breakfast (biscuits, gravy and sausage) at a diner. Shopped for some bookshelves and kitty toys for our baby. Then had Japanese for dinner.

He likes that the houses have space between them and that there is so much nature around and integrated with the city. He has completely organized our apartment (I'm disorderly...lol.) much to my annoyance. And we spent well over $100 at Books-a-Million last night. I think he is acclimating fine.

So uh, when do we have to start doing paperwork again. The guy at customs told Metodi he could send out the next documents in 3 months? I don't really know what he's talking about. Metodi can work when he gets his greencard in a week. What else do we need?

<3 Sam

I went to Sofia, BG last Friday to attend my husband's interview on Monday the 26th. We were approved with little fuss (besides the 3 hour wait in lines and queues). He lands tomorrow. There is a God after all.

This all feels unreal after waiting for almost exactly a YEAR to be allowed to live as husband and wife. I'm still in shock that it is finally over...

Yay.

I hope everyone's journey is SHORTER than ours was... Good luck all. Now to pretend we are a normal couple for 2 years before being harassed again for EVIDENCE of our life.

<3 Sam

Well I had Metodi call the Embassy to see if he could go get his medical done and they said that he needed to wait for his packet. He didn't mention that I'd sent him mine and he knew his interview date and all that (MEN!). But if it is identical then I suppose that he should go get it ASAP! All I wanted to know is if the medical should be done really close to the interview or not. Like does the medical exam have an expiration date or something, lol. So I'll tell him to go get it this coming week in Sofia! Woo. Now just to make it through that interview, which he has to do alone since I just started a job here in the US and can't take time off since I'm training. Sigh.

I'm so scared, we're so close yet its all still up to one person at the Embassy! Argh.

I have another question. I've moved to my new job in another state, should I call the NVC and change our address? Will that mess anything up? The old address is my mother's house, so if forms or SS cards got sent there it would still be okay.

Thanks a lot Diana!

~Samantha

Samantha,

Both, you the petitioner and your husband as beneficiary will get the exact same packet 4 which contains the interview letter and additional info required by the embassy. The packets are identical so if he doesn't get his, it's a good thing you sent him yours.

As for the delivery of these packets, many people living in other countries never get to see them, they get lost in the mail all the time so that's why they also send them to the petitioner, just in case.

Diana

So...back in the beginning of December I called the NVC and found out Metodi's interview date is January 26th in Sofia. They sent me a packet with Metodi's interview information in it about a week later I guess. So I sent the interview info to Metodi with his Christmas present just in case.

My question is: Are they going to send the same info to Metodi with additional info? It's less than 20 days till the interview and uh he still has not recieved anything from the Embassy in Sofia... It seems really unprofessional to me, but I'm wondering if this is standard protocall or if the information is only sent to the Petitioner and therefore he HAS it already? Little confused here. We really want to do his medical now and get it out of the way before the big day. Can anyone advise us?

Thanks a lot for the help.

- Samantha

You can add us.

Sam and Metodi Case Complete (after 3 weeks wasted to BOGUS RFE...)

I was told to call Monday to find my interview date. Please add us.

Just so everyone knows:

I called the Embassy this morning and talked to Arthur (Do you think they make up these names?) and he said: "It looks like military records are not needed for Bulgaria. *DUH* (insert big speil about how they schedule interview dates) Sadly it looks like there were no dates for December due to capacities at your Embassy but we'll be scheduling for January this week so you can call back next monday and find out your interview date if you like."

The NVC ruined Christmas with their pointless RFE. But at least I should get Metodi by the end of January or beginning of February barring some insane interviewer.

In other news I just rented us a two bedroom apartment in Virginia (Where I start my job January 5th) with hardwood floors, a huge kitchen and a deck on a nice quiet street in town. AND wonder of wonders, the World Food store in our town has BULGARIAN food! Whoa. I'll let you guys know how the interview goes. Looks like our POE will be Charlotte, NC.

Wish everyone else luck and no pointless RFEs like mine.

Happy Holidays,

Samantha

Conversation Number 2 with the NVC over Bulgarian Military Records

ME: Hi, I was told to call back and see if my RFE about my husband's military records has been resolved.

NVC Operator: The military book is a required document for that country.

ME: No, its not. Its treason to make a copy of that book and mail it out of the country.

ME: My husband went to his military office and tried to get a document, they said there aren't any. We called the US Embassy and they said it wasn't needed. I told the last lady I talked to last time I called here that the RECIPROCITY SCHEDULE for BULGARIA on the DOA website says it is NOT AVAILABLE! So she sent our papers to a supervisor for review. I sent you guys an email with the reciprocity schedule attached and got an asinine reply that didn't address a single bit of information I included.

NVC Operator: Hold on a moment ma'am.

...

NVC Operator: I'm going to send this to a supervisor...

ME: What? How long am I going to have to wait for this?

NVC Operator: I see that the book is unavailable for Bulgaria. This is probably just a mistake.

ME: That's what the last operator said when I called and then she sent my papers to a SUPERVISOR and here we are. Am I going to have to do the impossible and get this damn book or am I going to wait for eternity for you guys to figure out its UNAVAILABLE. I've been waiting for my husband since FEBRUARY. What am I supposed to do?

NVC Operator: Its okay you won't have to wait 10-15 days this time.

ME: How long then?

NVC Operator: You can call back next week. As soon as I get off the phone with you I am going to take this to a supervisor.

ME: Monday?

NVC Operator: Um, wait till Tuesday.

ME: Okay. Thanks. Sorry.

She hung up on me.

So what I want to know is how the hell can every NVC Operator find the information that says these records are UNAVAILABLE but a SUPERVISOR looked at our papers and said that we still need them?...

Can you demand to talk to a supervisor at the NVC? If this happens again I will see I guess.

Urgh.

<3 Samantha