elyjack

P.S. to my last post ..... I see your local USCIS office is Tampa. So was ours. The only good thing I can say is that the interview went smooth. As for the rest, see my previous post. Hope things go better for you.

I hate to say it but you're asking a very good question and I don't think anybody has an answer though I hope somebody does. If your experience is like ours there won't be any way to know if an interview is scheduled and the notice gets lost in the mail. I have actually heard stories of people getting a notice in the mail that their petition had been denied because they didn't show up for the interview when they hadn't gotten an interview letter. For some reason they tell you to send the petition in by certified mail but they don't do the same. They have an online system that is supposed to keep you updated about the status of your case and you would think that would be a safeguard against this but it is not. You will hear people say they were "touched" and that's what they mean - the online status was updated. Ours was never touched until the whole thing was over, however! When I made an Infopass appointment to find out why, I was told to pay no attention to the online system because they don't always update it!

If you call on the phone they will just look up the same information you get in the online system. Go figure!

We changed addresses while our case was pending so I worried about this too, especially when I saw how bad the post office was about handling the change of address (basically, they didn't). Even though we reported our change of address to USCIS they still sent the notice to the old address. Fortunately, I had a deal with the new owner of the house to hold it for me.

Since you just filed I wouldn't worry about it yet. We waited two years for our interview. Hopefully you won't have to wait that long but it should be long enough to get your postal situation straigtened out.

There are processing times posted for the local USCIS office that's processing your case. If you see that time go past your filing time then it's time to start worrying but even that won't give you accurate information. Our interview occurred 8 months after when they said they were processing claims filed in our time period.

I see they are going to significantly raise the rates for this "service". That should fix the problem (sarcasm intended).

My wife, also K1, got her SSN about a week after applying but my stepson's story sounds like yours. When we went to the SSA office they couldn't find him in the database so they had to send away to DHS for confirmation. They said it usually took 60 days but it took 5 months. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do but wait. It was very frustrating because he wanted to go to work in January when he arrived but had to wait until August, first to get his EAD which was required for SSN and then for the SSN. He couldn't go to school either so he just spent the first 8 months of his new life in America sleeping and playing video games.

I spent a considerable amount of time gathering documents similar to yours. Turned out the only thing asked for was our most recent tax return which they placed in our file. Nothing else at all. They didn't even want to see the nice photo album we prepared.

Hi guys,

we filed our AOS/EAD on 01/25 and still got an RFE for my 2006 tax return. Thank God for TurboTax.

I filed about the same time in 2005 and brought mine to the interview so maybe this is good news for you. Maybe it means you aren't going to have an interview.

Just a thought, but I wonder if there is such a thing as too much information? If it looks like somebody is overdoing it, maybe this looks suspicious to them?

Hi

I know of a couple who filled the petition...and they sent in both names the following:

car insurance , health insurance, bank account statements , tax returns

AAA membership , Vacation itinerary and photos .... It looked like enough evidence...don't you think????

She told me that she received a letter saying, 2 months later , INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO

SUPPORT BONA FIDE MARRIAGE.......

She then sent more...like several affidavits, copy of tax return check

jnsurance plan, boarding passes from trip vacation

more photos and holiday cards on both names... and she has to go to the interview on the 20th....

So I was thinking...Well, she sent a lot of evidence the first time ...The second time around, she sent even more...

but she got picked...

I was wondering...maybe this is because they have that quota of couples to call for the interview, and the computer picked her number.....Anyway...she is so terrified.....Nobody likes interviews, eh!

Meredith

If you haven't filed your 2006 return yet then you would just need to include returns or transcripts for 2003-2005. Unless you're extremely lucky you will have your 2006 return by the time of the interview so take a copy of that with you because they probably will ask for it. If you're as unlucky as we were you will also have to bring your 2007 return with you after you file it next year (ours took two years).

Hi everyone! Good news: My fiance arrived here 2 weeks ago after a 14 month separation. We got married on Thursday of last week!

I have no idea of what happens now- can anyone enlighten me? It's so nice to just be together, and I'm dreading more beurocracy and paperwork!

Can anyone tell me where to go to find out about the next steps we need to take?

Congratulations on your marriage.

Unfortunately, you are right to dread more beaurocracy and paperwork.

You have already come to the right place to find out the next steps and since you posted this in the Adjustment of Status forum I'd say you're already on the right track. I did ours two years ago and this web-site told me everything I needed to know. You need to file for Adjustment of Status and optionally for work authorization (EAD - if your spouse wants to work) and/or Advance Parole (AP) if your spouse intends to leave the country before the Adjustment of Status is complete. You can file for all of these at the same time.

Assuming your spouse is on a K1 Visa he/she is eligible for a social security number as long as it is applied for before the K1 visa expires (90 days). If you wait until it expires then you have to wait until you get an EAD or your AOS is complete.

Our AOS took almost two years. Hope yours goes faster.

I changed jobs while waiting for AOS (we waited almost two years). When we got the interview notice I didn't see anything on it about filling out another I-864 if anything had changed. It just said to bring one if you had not already submitted it and since I had submitted it, I didn't do another one. I did bring a letter from my employer just in case they asked for it. At the interview they didn't ask anything about my current employment and I didn't volunteer any information. They did ask for the previous year's tax return.

I did the same thing when I filed in January of 2005 and my application was also returned.

As an experiment I dated the check I sent to pay my income taxes last year with the wrong year just to see what they would do - and that was in April, not January.

Do I really have to tell you whether they cashed that check or not?

Hi All

I sent of my AOS last week. THey sent it back to me because I had the wrong dates on my cheques/checks!

My silly Husband dated them 2006 instead of 2007, but this wouldnt stop them banking them, its not like the were post dated!

Anyhow, off to the post office again today. DO i just send the whole thing back as they sent it (they stapled a lot of stuff together etc) and enclose new cheques/checks?

Thanks!

Elyjack... you were permitted to claim your stepson in 2004 because the rules on claiming a dependent were significantly different then...

I didn't know they changed the rules. It seemed pretty straightforward back then.

As for Turbo Tax, the IRS has found math errors on my return every time I've used it.

After reading the whole thread I see my own situation was substantially different from yours so pay no attention to my experience. My wife had no income in her home country and I was supporting both her and her stepson for at least half of the year even before they arrived. I think that is a major difference.

I did my taxes with Turbo Tax and just answered the questions as they were asked. It said I was eligible to claim my stepson as a dependent and I think I even got the child tax credit though I'm not sure about that. So far the IRS hasn't disagreed with Turbo Tax.

My fiance' and stepson arrived on December 24th of 2004 and we got married on December 30th. I filed a joint return and claimed our stepson as a dependent.

My fiance' and stepson arrived on December 24th of 2004 and we got married on December 30th. I filed a joint return and claimed our stepson as a dependent.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about this kind of stuff, you'll just drive yourself crazy! I used paper clips, small ones for individual forms and larger ones to group together the different applications, and my NOA's came in a very timely manner. As long as it's all there, organized, and with payment, I really don't think it matters too much. There's enough to stress about in this process without worrying about staples, paper clips, or acco fasteners

I agree. It will take as long as it takes any way. Ours took nearly two years. As to why, I guess we'll never know. Maybe it was the acco fasteners but I doubt it.

Sorry to confuse the issue but here is the link where it says NOT to use acco fasteners. This pertains to the NBC Lockbox in Chicago which is where I sent my petition at the time.....

http://149.101.23.2/graphics/fieldoffices/nbc/faq.htm

Here is what it says....

What specific steps can applicants and their representatives take to avoid delays in processing certain applications/petitions through the Lockbox?

General

* Please do not send original passports or other valuable personal documents. Make copies of your original documents and submit the copies with the application/petition.

* Copies of all documents, including odd-sized documents, should be on 8 ½ x 11 paper.

* Please refrain from using “ACCO” style fasteners and/or staples (However, it is ok to staple the fee to the top of the primary application package.)

* If one financial instrument is submitted, it needs to be attached to the first primary application/petition and needs to contain the name of the applicant to whom it relates. Please note that if more than one Form is filed using a single check and just one is found to be unacceptable, ALL Forms will be returned.

* Please make checks/money orders payable to “US Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.”

* Be sure to submit the most current official version of each Form. The most current Form version can be found by visiting the Forms and Fees webpage or by calling the National Customer Service Center toll free at 1-800-375-5283.

* Be sure to use the same name and the same version of the name on all Forms that pertain to the same person (I-485, I-765, I-131, etc.).

* Do not put an entire street address in the “care of” line---this line is for names only, such as an attorney, firm/organization, or a building.

* Remember that “Place of Birth” means country of birth.

* Be sure to include the date of birth on all Forms

* Be sure that the applicant’s/petitioner's original signature is on each application/petition submitted.

I know it says that in the section about general tips which is why I did my I-129F that way, as well as being advised by others. The instructions I'm referring to came directly from some USCIS instructions pertaining specifically to AOS applications and it specifically said NOT to use Acco fasteners. I don't have the time to dig through the docs so you'll have to take my word on it. I made this same statement on another forum a couple of years ago and an immigration attorney posted that I didn't know what I was talking about. I then provided him with the link I was referring to and he apologized to me. Like I said, I don't have time to look it up right now. This was two years ago so maybe it has changed.

Also, like I said, when my petition was returned to me the Acco fasteners were gone so it looked to me like they didn't want them just like I read.

... but it's best if you use those Acco fasteners.

I don't have the link but there is a place in USCIS docs where it specifically says NOT to use Acco fasteners. This came as a surprise to me because I used them for my I-129F and thought that was what they wanted. Confirmation that they do not want them came in the form of having my AOS application returned for another reason (wrong year on check). The Acco fasteners had been removed.

General Tips on Assembling Applications for Mailing

.....

Use ACCO fasteners to hold together thick or bulky applications or petitions. Two-hole punching the top of the material for easy placement in the file is appreciated.

......

from: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

... but it's best if you use those Acco fasteners.

I don't have the link but there is a place in USCIS docs where it specifically says NOT to use Acco fasteners. This came as a surprise to me because I used them for my I-129F and thought that was what they wanted. Confirmation that they do not want them came in the form of having my AOS application returned for another reason (wrong year on check). The Acco fasteners had been removed.

We also filed in January of 2005 but I noticed in another post that you actually meant January 2006. We didn't get our interview until September of 2006 so you still have 8 months to go to match our wait time.

We also had a cancellation, also did the Infopass and Congress Critter thing. All without any success. All they ever said was just to wait, so we waited We saw many others who filed before us get their interviews and green cards in a timely fashion but we just kept waiting. No reason was ever given why it took so long and I'm sure none will ever be.

We were K1 and I don't even know what an F1 is but I thought the Adjustment of Status was pretty much the same regardless of visa type. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

We had our interview in August and we DID get the passport stamp even though I have heard it stated here that they don't do that any more. Even without it, you do get a piece of paper that says you were approved.

Then you get a welcome letter a few days after the interview that also says you were approved. Finally you get the green card and that arrived only 5 days after our interview. I should think any of those things would satisfy your husband's employer about his legal status to work.

So, is there ANYTHING I can vote in?

Not today, but I think American Idol will be back soon.

We waited 19 months for our interview while watching others get theirs from the same office in a lot less time. We were never given any explanation for why it took so long and I suspect we never will.

I hear people counsel about making an Infopass appointment all the time but that never did us a bit of good.

All they ever did was read the same information we could see on the computer and tell us to be patient. Asking why it was taking so long was pointless. They didn't know any more than we did and the whole exercise was a waste of time.

I wrote my congressman and I don't think he was helpful although I could be wrong about that. Shortly after we got the green card he sent us a letter that was supposed to have a response he had gotten from USCIS about our case attached to it. Unfortunately, the letter from USCIS was not attached so I have no idea what it said or if the congressman had helped us. I wrote him back and asked him to please send me the letter but he hasn't responded. He's retiring and not running for re-election so I suspect I will never see it.

I have heard of some congressmen and senators who are helpful so I would definitely give that a try after waiting two years. You have one congressman for your home district and two state senators to choose from. I was getting ready to write both senators when we finally got the interview.

I reckon my three emails were due to the number of times I played with the email setting in the 'online cases' on the USCIS site. Mainly out of frustration at time slipping by without a 'touch'.

It would be interesting to verify if those that had multiple emails played with email on/off as well.

Ours was most definitely not the result of self-touching. We had long ago given up on the online system as our case never got touched even when we knew something had happened. The emails came unexpectedly out of the clear blue sky. They may have coincided with a change of address as this happened at about the same time.

I think they have a computer glitch. We got a bunch of duplicate emails all saying the same thing and dated only seconds within each other. I took it for a good sign because at least something was happening even though the emails made no sense (they were informing us of an interview cancellation when none was even scheduled). Our interview was scheduled a few months after this happened so perhaps it was related.

Don't take my word on this without checking into it yourself but if memory serves me correctly I only filed one I-864 for both my wife and my stepson. I believe I read that if you send in the petitions together at the same time then only one is required. If you send them in seperately that would be different, of course.

We had to wait 19 months for our interview and had it last August. We were not required to get another medical and if I remember correctly the interview letter said to bring an affidavit of support if one had not already been filed. It said nothing about the previous one expiring so I didn't prepare another one.

They did NOT ask for another one at the interview. I had changed jobs and had a new employment letter ready but they didn't ask for that either. The only thing they asked for was our joint tax return for 2005. Since I filed in January of 2004 they didn't even have our return for that year but they never asked for it.

As for the biometrics, it did expire after one year and we had to get a new one but this was not connected with the interview. That had a couple of months earlier when we got a notice to have it done again.