rhymeswithcandi

Sorry I didn't read your post right - I thought that you had received your EAD already. Basically, what I was saying is that you need EAD to apply for work and need both EAD and SS# to be employed.

I think you can apply for a SS# now (provided you have a AOS receipt letter from USICS).

Yes, you can now apply for a SS# at your local social security office. When I went they asked for my EAD card, my birth certificate and passport. I got my SS card about 2 weeks later. You will need that 8-digit SS# in order to get a job.

You can start applying for work now and just let them know, in your interview, that you have work authorization and are just in the process of receiving a SS#.

My SS card said (Authorized to work only with DHS approval) which basically means that an employer would have to see a EAD card with it.

As for where you can/ can't work - You can work nearly anywhere you like. Most government jobs require that you be a US citizen so that is your only limitation as far as I know.

I hope that was helpful.

The I-551 stamp acts as a temp greencard for 1 year, it is good for work and international travel. It is as good as a regular greencard.

Congratulations

I had a feeling that was the case. Thanks

Congratulations! What were you filing from a K-1?

Thanks!

No, I entered as a visitor in May of last year and my husband and I eloped soon after that. Then I did AOS.

The I-551 stamp acts as a temp greencard for 1 year, it is good for work and international travel. It is as good as a regular greencard.

Congratulations

I had a feeling that was the case. Thanks

After a great interview, I had one more document to provide before completing my AOS process. I had to bring in my long-form birth certificate. I ordered it from Canada and it came very quickly... I brought it into the same person who interviewed my husband and I and he made a copy and stamped my passport with an I-551 for one year from that date.

I apologize if this seems a silly question but is that the same as a green card? Does this mean that we may be receiving that long-awaited welcome letter?

I just want to check before I get too excited!!

**I'm starting to see the light at the end of the immigration tunnel!!

There was a lot of redundancy in my interview letter as well. I was thinking "I've already submitted ALL of this stuff" Thankfully, I kept a folder of everything I'd submitted to them in the mail.

At the interview, we were asked to produce almost all of the documents I'd already mailed. I'm not sure why. I think it's probably best to come armed with as many supporting documents as you can. They likely won't ask for all of them but it's safe to be prepared for anything - to avoid holding up the process.

Through reading this forum and talking to other people who've gone through the process, no interviewer is alike and there doesn't really seem to be a standard way in which they are conducted.

As for the language issue, I'm afraid I can't advise

Good luck!

Thanks everyone... for the congratulations!

My husband and I had our interview on Tuesday and I just thought I'd share it:

We arrived and were seen at exactly 9:30. The officer introduced himself and swore us in. He and my husband started chatting and realized they went to the same police academy so chatted some more. I was a little nervous (not sure why) so I was anxious for the interview to begin. He gave me back all but two of the passport photos we mailed in with our application. He asked if I had AP and took it to put in my file. He asked for our military IDs, driver's licenses, my passport, marriage certificate, my SS card, my EAD card and all the documents to support our marriage was legit (lease agreement, bank statement, health insurance, car insurance) He made copies of each (even though I'd brought photocopies myself).

Our officer was very professional and nice.

Although we'd mentioned how we'd met earlier through chatting (my husband was stationed overseas and I was on an assignment in the same country). He asked again about how we met. I told the whole story, in detail and when I was finished he said "and now you're stuck with him". I laughed. He didn't ask for pictures, cards, plane tickets etc. (which I brought). Nor did he ask for our financial documents (tax forms etc.) He said that everything appeared to be in order but that he just needed to copy my birth certificate. I gave it to him and he said he needed the full certificate (mine, like many Canadians' is a short form wallet-sized one). He said I'd have to get that before he could put it through for a decision. I have to travel again for work shortly so he told me to bring it in and he'd put a stamp in my passport at the same time.

That was it really. Except for my birth certificate, it seems that everything is ok.

I really don't think traveling for 6 months is an option for you, I'm sorry. Once you file for Adjustment of status you can travel, but only for emergency reasons and for a limited time.

Besides, if you receive any RFE (Request for Further Evidence) from USCIS because something is missing/lost in your application, you need to be able to reply right away, otherwise they will deny your application.

I wouldn't plan to travel that long if I were you.. you can always travel after you received your GC

I would also advise against leaving for 6 months. Being absent from the US for that long won't be good for your AOS. You may very likely get an interview while you're gone and you'll have to come back anyway. Also, I believe that if you wish to apply for citizenship in the future, absence from the country for that length of time will effect you..

I think I should address one thing though: This whole idea of AP only being for emergency reasons is a TOTAL fallacy but I read it all the time on here. It's simply not true. Traveling for holiday, business, visits etc. are COMPLETELY legitimate uses of AP. I've left the country 5 times using my AP and none of those times were for emergency reasons. The CBP officers where all aware of this at the time of my re-entry as well.

The only time I would advise against using AP is if you have something in your record or background that would deem you inadmissable into the US - ie. criminal record, previous overstay of visa etc.

After being held in secondary inspection at New Jersey airport for nearly 5 hours the last time I traveled, I was VERY worried.

Philly was a MUCH better experience. I told him I had a connecting flight and he told me to have a seat. I figured I was in for another wait for hours and sat with my head in my hands. Then he called me up and handed me my passport and AP saying "You're good!"

I could have kissed him and I told him that!

I was in and out of there in less than 15 minutes and I made my connecting flight!

I have one more trip up to Canada with my AP before my interview...

Hi all,

I haven't been on VJ for a looong time! With the move and then work I've just been so busy!

But, I wanted to share my experience with rescheduling an interview due to a move. I also had to cancel my second interview appointment due to being out of the country for work. I rescheduled that one as well and it was all a breeze.

Here is my experience:

May 30th 2008 - Received interview appointment notice for Virginia Service Center.

June 1st 2008 - Called USCIS helpline to make address change and also explained that I couldn't make the interview appointment due to the move. She cancelled my Virginia appointment and said I would receive a new appointment notice. **Made sure to get confirmation number

June 5th 2008 - Moved to California

June 7th 2008 - Received receipt for address change and cancelation notice for Virginia appointment.

June 9th 2008 - Received new interview appointment notice for California Service Center. Appointment was for July 14th but I could not attend as I was going to be out of the country on a business trip on that day.

June 10th 2008 - Called USCIS Helpline and explained. She said that since missing the business trip would cause me hardship (may lose job etc.) I would be able to cancel and reschedule. She put a note to the Fresno Service Center to cancel my appointment and told me to send a letter explaining why I could not attend and asking for a new interview date. **Again, made sure to get confirmation number** I sent a letter to the Fresno office that same day.

July 13th 2008 - Got a new interview appointment notice for August 26th!!

Yay! That was easy!

Just thought this might be interesting for those of you who are moving around the time you're to be getting an interview date.

If you're moving in the middle of AOS, make sure you do a change of address with USPS and change your address with USCIS (AR-11) as soon as possible. Doing that made things a lot easier for us.

I understand that my income/ assets can't be considered (which I think is ridiculous).

Please help

As long as it's legal and authorized employment you income can be included.

I doubt they'll bring it up in the interview anyway, once you submit those things and they're accepted it doesn't matter after

Thank you for that! I wasn't sure. We'll bring as much proof of income as we can and hopefully it'll be fine. All the other documentation we have is completely good to go so apart from the whole issue of sponsor's income I'm not worried about the interview at all.

This is unfortunately one academy that doesn't pay. It's quite possible he'll get hired by a department within the next month or so and then he'll have an income... hopefully by the time we get a new interview date (which I understand could be a long time) we'll be fine.

It's definitely bad timing.

Doesn't the police academy pay him? check on that since that can be used to help your cause.

Bad timing huh?

Good luck

I've continued to work for my Canadian employer since I've been here (I'm able to work from anywhere) so it's totally legal. I'll ask my employer for a letter and hopefully we won't have any issues.

Thank you so much for the response!!

I would just bring proof of your own income to the interview. Most likely the subject will never arise and they will not ask for the info, so you don't have to go into any explanations with them if they don't ask. They just want to be assured that you will not become a public burden financially and your husband already proved that with his sponsorship.

Hi All,

We FINALLY got our interview notice for July!! I have to reschedule it since we're moving but that's another issue.

One of the things the notice asks us to bring is a letter from my husband's current employer and recent pay stubs.

When we filed my husband was active military and exceeded the income requirements. Then he was separated from the military and got a job which still exceeded the requirements.

PROBLEM?

My husband JUST quit his job and will be going to Police Academy for the next 6 months! His income is not only $1000/ month from the GI bill. My income is well over the poverty line and I'll be supporting us for the next little while. I understand that my income/ assets can't be considered (which I think is ridiculous).

I also understand that the I-864 that we submitted last year does not expire. Our I864, his is most recent income tax statement and his pay stubs from the last 3 months show enough income BUT now that he's a student for the next six months I feel like we're gonna have a problem at the interview (bad timing).

Has anyone been in this boat? What should we do? Should we consider getting a co-sponser at this point.

I am getting slightly panicked... and the situation is not made any better by the fact that my husband insists that because he's an American he doesn't have to prove anything to them - and that our income doesn't matter... very frustrating.

Please help

There are separate biometrics appointments for the EAD and the AOS. The single print sounds like the EAD. The AOS biometrics takes all of your finger and thumb prints. The applications are processed separately and they don't seem to 'overlap' - which means that each one requires its own set of information, including biometrics. Have you had your full set of fingerprints taken yet? If not, that will be for your AOS. If so, then you shouldn't need to redo your biometrics unless your AOS takes more than 15 months to process.

I had a feeling I'd have to do it again... grrr.

Thanks Kathryn!

A little, yes.

I checked my case status online (like I sometimes obsessively do) and it said the following:

Receipt Number: mscXXXXXXXXXX

Application Type: I485, APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS

Current Status: Response to request for evidence received, and case processing has resumed.

On May 2, 2008, we received your response to our request for evidence. We will notify you by mail when we make a decision or if we need something from you. If you move while this case is pending, call customer service. You should expect to receive a written decision or written update within 60 days of the date we received your response unless fingerprint processing or an interview are standard parts of case processing and have not yet been completed, in which case you can use our processing dates to estimate when this case will be done. This case is at our NATIONAL BENEFITS CENTER location. Follow the link below to check processing dates. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we process your case. Just follow the link below to register.

The request for evidence was for my immigration medical.

I already did biometrics for my EAD 4 months ago - they only took my index finger-print. Will I have to go in for fingerprinting again or will they use the one I've already done?

I tried to find an answer to this somewhere else and wasn't able to find any thing. Does anyone know if you have to be fingerprinted a second time?

Thanks

Congratulations!!

The first year is definitely tough... My husband and I will be thawing the top part of our cake in 3 weeks!

My husband's bank was VERY strict about it and he wasn't able to add me to his account until I had a SS#. The quoted the Patriot Act as their reason. When I finally did get a SS# they wanted FOUR pieces of photo ID faxed to them as well as my SS card.

By Paul Sakuma (AP)

Published: 2008-05-11 13:55:01

Location: SAN FRANCISCO

When Maulit Shelat heard about the Bush administration's plan to pump up the economy by sending out stimulus checks, he sat down with his wife and drew up a list of priorities: first up, remodeling the bathroom.

But Shelat is married to a foreigner who still hasn't completed the often years-long process that allows her to apply for a Social Security number. Her not having that number makes even him ineligible for the tax rebate checks that started going out last week because they filed jointly.

He is among an estimated hundreds of thousands of taxpayers _ from legal immigrants to soldiers based abroad _ who won't be getting a share of the stimulus package because of a provision aimed at preventing illegal immigrants from getting rebates.

"I would have fed this economy as well," said Shelat, an Indian chemical engineer living...

SouthEast News - Rebate excludes many taxpayers with foreign spouses

Sorry... just realized this was already posted

Hahaha! I love the Onion.

Brilliant!

oh my gosh!

someone bought our fine china from our registry!!!

this is so exciting!

That's SO great! I remember when I set up my registry I would watch it kind of obsessively to see what was being bought.

It's very pretty china!

Hi everyone,

Just thought I would share my experience.. Someone might wanna know this.

We filed my AOS package on April 11, 2008 living in New Jersey at the time. In a couple of weeks we found out we had to move from Jersey to Ohio. I immediately changed my address online and the same day got ASC appoinment notice for my biometrics at Newark NJ USCIS for May 15, 2008.

I called customer service twice and was told (both times) that I had to take my original notice from New Jersey and go to ASC office in Ohio and that they would process me without any official re-scheduling to a different location. They also adviced to bring a proof of change of address with USCIS just in case.

I honestly had doubts that would be so easy...

My husband and I thought that since we were going to be a walk-in anyway, we might as well try going there earlier.

We drove to Cleveland this morning (May 6, 2008), walked into ASC office with my original notice for Jersey on May 15th and proof of change of address (ID of course) and they took my fingerprints no problem.

So I got my biometrics taken 9 days earlier

Hope this helps

Vika

This is very helpful/ informative. Thanks for sharing. I'm about to do an out of state move and I'm hoping it doesn't cause problems.

Thanks again!

My deepest sympathy to you Jon

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/lpr/adv_parole.xml

Scary language, but hopefully just that if you follow the rules.

The first paragraph is scary but it's referring to what you can expect if you DON'T have AP.