kt180

Surely I am not the only one who made this (admittedly stupid) mistake?

Hi all,

I applied for a passport following my naturalization, but just realized that I put my mother's married (instead of maiden) last name on the passport application form. Will this cause problems?

Thanks!

Hi guys,

I'm still in conditional residence, about a year from filing for removal of conditions. Those of you who worked on your

conditional 2-year green cards, can you help me out? I'm about to start a new job and need to fill out an I-9.

Which box should I check in section 1 of the I-9 -- "lawful permanent resident" (even though I'm still in conditional status)?

Also, did any of you experience problems with employment because of the expiration date on your 2-year green card?

Thanks.

The only difference between the two (Conditional/2-year and Unconditional/10-year) cards is the validity period - otherwise you are a Lawful Permanent Resident with either card - there is no difference in rights or privileges. The only thing an employer will do (or should) is re-verify your status when the 2-year card expires (often they forget or don't have a way to remember to do so).

Thanks, NArocks and Otto und Karin. Yes, I was wondering about re-verification too (there are conflicting views on this on the web). In principle, one could just use a driver's license and a social security card (without the restrictive legend) for the I-9 and the employer wouldn't know when your card expires. On the other hand, it's a good reminer to file for conditions if the employer insists on re-verifying :-)

Hi guys,

I'm still in conditional residence, about a year from filing for removal of conditions. Those of you who worked on your

conditional 2-year green cards, can you help me out? I'm about to start a new job and need to fill out an I-9.

Which box should I check in section 1 of the I-9 -- "lawful permanent resident" (even though I'm still in conditional status)?

Also, did any of you experience problems with employment because of the expiration date on your 2-year green card?

Thanks.

My parents tought that if a relative put our i-94's in the drop box at the border as you drive out to Mexico that we would have a better chance of being able to go to Mexico if we wanted to , and then be able to re-apply to reentry with a new I-94 when coming back to the U.S , that way they wouldn't think that we overstayed.

So basically on record , i left the country when that I-94 was returned but in reallity i stayed here in the U.S ,

does it matter that i was a minor only 17 ? i mean i had no control over what my parents did , i didn't even know what an I-94 until my wife and I started this whole process.

You should consult a competent immigration attorney -- this issue is too complex to rely on answers from other members.

Which country do you come from?

I come from Serbia, which has changed its name from "Yugoslavia" to "Serbia and Montenegro", to "Serbia", all in the

last five years. I suspect this is the reason for the "Unknown" entry -- they may not have the code for "Serbia" yet

(my EAD, which I got earlier this year, said "Serbia and Montenegro", one of the former names). That is also why

I'm reluctant to send it back -- I'm not sure they wouldn't do the same thing all over again.

Hi guys,

I finally received my conditional green card in the mail. I checked it over,

and all the info is correct, except for one thing -- the country of birth is

listed "Unknown"!

Has this happened to anybody before, and did you have trouble using

the card for travel/work? I'd just as soon not replace it, since it expires

in 2 years, and it would take months to receive a new one (I'm not

really sure how long, as I couldn't find the processing time for I-90

for the National Benefits Center which issued the card).

Would appreciate any help!

hmm icic. Hmm hopefully it goes through with the ball point pen ink on my photos

There will be no problems with this, as long as you didn't press too much (ball point pens

can leave a mark on the other side -- face -- of the photo). That's the only reason they recommend

pencil or felt tip pen.

Hi everyone,

I need information from anybody who had expired passport at the time of green card interview.

Were there any problems? I know that they may or may not stamp the passport, my concern is - is it mandatory to have valid passport during interview? I will have state ID card.

Thank you for any input

Hi,

I'm not sure whether expired passport at the time of the interview would cause problems, but there is another solution for your situation.

Why don't you apply for a new passport at the consulate, but ask them to give you your old passport back while you're waiting. They should

only need the old passport at two points in time: at the beginning, to confirm your identity, and once they issue the new passport, to cancel the old one. There is no reason for them to keep it while you're waiting.

Just a question – My husbands biometric interview is coming up and I know in the letter that we received it said to bring picture ID (other than and including passport). Did anyone have any problems if they only bring in their passport? Or should I be trying to get a state identification card before his interview?

Any help is appreciated.

His passport is quite sufficient -- in fact that's the best form of ID for this occasion. My center actually refused to accept a driver's license eventhough

it's listed in the letter as acceptable ID.

Yes, you can file for AOS and then leave the country. However, keep in mind that:

1) about a month after the application is filed you will need to get fingerprinted (you will receive a notice and where to go)

2) USCIS may issue a request for further evidence or RFE that you'll have limited time to respond to

3) You never know when you'll be called for interview -- sometimes it happens as early as 2 months after filing (before EAD and AP have been issued).

It seems that the interview letter arrives about a month or so before the interview.

So you may want to stick around at least until after fingerprinting (say for a couple of months after filing), and you shouldn't stay out

of the country for too long (have someone check your mailbox while you're gone). Applying for AP and EAD

will *not* invalidate your H1B. *Using* the EAD for work will.

I really can't think of anything else you will need from your home country. Perhaps if you want some of your family to write affidavits testifying

to your relationship being genuine, that would be something that you need to get from there.

Also, if you're nervous about this, it may be best to have a consultation with an immigration attorney (which I'm NOT, so don't

take my advice too seriously). They typically charge about $150 for an hour long conversation.

Hi,

Your H1B will not expire once you file for AOS. You can apply for an EAD, but once you've used it, it will invalidate your H1B status (mere possession of an EAD will not do that).

You don't have to have AP to leave the country and come back since you're on an H1B (dual intent) visa. You can use your H1B visa to re-enter. However it is advisable to apply for AP and EAD just as a back-up since it doesn't cost extra to apply.

AOS duration depends on where you live (what your District Office is). Preliminary processing at the National Benefits Center will take 2-3 months. At the

end of it you will get your EAD and AP. You will then be put on a waiting list for an interview and how long you wait will depend on how efficient your local office is. Time from filing to interview varies widely from 2 months to more than a year. Look at the timelines on this site to get an idea.

You should get a birth certificate from your home country -- that's the only thing I can think of.

Regards,

kt180

Thanks! I checked out the processing time for Hartford, but I'm not sure what to make of it.

It says they are processing cases from March 2007, same as for e.g. New York City

(which I know has scheduled interviews for filers from Jan. 2008!).

So these processing times don't seem too reliable.

But I guess I'll get the letter some weeks before the interview, in time to change

the travel plans if need be.

Hi,

I'm new on this forum. Filed for AOS end of February based on marriage to a US citizen,

AP and EAD approved, and am currently expecting my interview letter from Hartford DO.

I'm trying to make plans for foreign travel this summer, but have no idea when my interview might

be scheduled. Is there anyone here who recently had an interview in Hartford? How long did you wait from

filing to interview?

Thanks,

kt