CHD

I thought it was about time to come back and give an update. My interview had been scheduled for March 25th, but when we arrived on that day I was informed that it had been canceled. The IO didn't even have my file in the building. A letter had been mailed to me the previous Thursday (the 20th), which did us no good since we'd left Friday morning for the high school state basketball championship. The plan was to spend Friday and Saturday nights for the championship, then stay the extra 2 nights so we didn't have to drive home and back again for Tuesday morning - which really only meant one extra night, since we'd have been staying Monday night anyway. Given the short notice, coupled with the fact that the drive was ridiculously far for us (and probably the fact that I was in tears), the IO let me fill out another application on the spot. So with no access to my actual file or documents, he proceeded to interview me so we didn't have to make the trip a second time.

I passed the interview with flying colors, but of course given the situation he couldn't approve me right away. Finally last Friday, May 4th, he called to inform me that he now had my actual file and would be mailing me the last page to sign. I received it on Tuesday and mailed it back Wednesday, so hopefully I'll get an approval soon so I can be scheduled for an oath ceremony!

I received my yellow letter after I was in line for an interview. I was placed in line on Feb 25th, then on Mar 13 I received the yellow letter asking me to bring a drivers license/state ID card to my interview. My interview letter arrived the next day.

I'm sorry guys, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to update the chart. I just don't see a "reply" button. Anyway, I received my interview letter today for March 25th. Not much notice. Lol

Hi everyone! I have a couple of updates: I did my biometrics on 02/19/14 and am now in line for an interview appointment as of 02/21/14. I'll update again when my interview letter is mailed.

Hello everyone. I mailed my N-400 packet to Phoenix on Jan 23 and was given a priority date of Jan 27. According to my online case status, my biometrics appointment letter was mailed today. Good luck to you all!

YAY!!! Congrats guys!

whooooo hoooo congrats shpat!!!

ok got a question husband's poe has changed to today at San Francisco and when i was updating my timeline saw there are biometrics to be taken EAD and fingerprints.... do they do that at POE????? we are CR1 so I am really confused?

I don't think the EAD applies to us since the immigrant visa itself authorizes us to work, so no additional documents are needed. At my POE I was fingerprinted, but only my right index finger. Certainly nothing stressful or time consuming. The print appears on the greencard.

I received an I-797C Notice of Action today from USCIS which is a welcome notice, but gave Receipt # for tracking my visa packet which is now in the Texas Service Center. Also an USCIS account number (A-number) was given. My wife’s green card has not been received as we went through POE 2 weeks ago. Has anyone else received this same NOA as I have seen anyone post this so far?

When I received my welcome notice the first thing I did was add the receipt # to my case portfolio at uscis.gov so I could track it. It was 'approved' 7 business days after the welcome notice was dated, which I assume to mean the greencard was printed since I received it less than a week later.

Here is Ilya's thread:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=173326

I went with just the visa in my passport and no problems. The visa itself clearly states that it serves as your temporary I-551 for one year upon endorsement (POE stamp), so it proves your status just as a green card would. There is absolutely no reason they shouldn't accept it as proof of status for a SSN.

I am here just thought i would throw a question out.

Hubby just got his plane tickets to come here the 21st Yipppppeeeeee my question is this. He changes planes in NY JFK does that mean his POE is there??? I would really hope so he has a 3 hour delay and was told it's better to have a POE in a place that does it all the time versus here in Seattle cause they're much faster???

I hope all is going well and who is left?

The POE is always the first point at which the immigrant touches, so yes, it will be JFK. I'm so happy he's finally on his way and that you two will be together soon!

It will take time. Probably lots of it. When I was 22, my parents also announced they were divorcing 1 week before their 25th wedding anniversary, and 1 week after I accused my mother of staying with my father solely for the 25th anniversary party. As you can probably tell by that last bit there, I was not terribly upset or surprised, but was rather quite relieved (I had my reasons). My two brothers, ages 24 and 16 at the time, were, as your husband, completely devastated. As mentioned above, they did indeed go through the stages of grief.

Denial: "They'll be back together soon." "They'll realize that they really do love each other after they've been apart a few days." "This can't last."

Anger: This phase lasted the longest for my eldest brother. About 5 years. He was mostly angry with our mother as she was the one who initiated the divorce. A lot of this anger was also projected at me for my immediate acceptance. I believe I was even accused a few times of purposefully trying to break them up.

Bargaining: My younger brother attempted a lot of bargaining/manipulating. He promised "to pay attention in school" and "stay out of trouble" if they reconsidered, and promised to "move in with mom/dad" and "make you life hell" if they didn't. He spent a lot of time shuffling between the two, depending on who he was less angry with at the time. My older brother never got to have this stage as his anger lasted so long that dad was remarried and mom was engaged by the time he moved on.

Acceptance: Finally everyone realizes that we really are all happier and that someone infallibly running to their room crying within 5 minutes anytime the 5 of us were in the same room together really aren't moments that are missed.

Woohoo! Both my greencard and SSN were waiting for me in the box today!

Hey!!!!!!!!!!

I GOT A DATE!!!!!!

February 19th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAAAAAYYY!!! Congratulations Shrewdgal! The spreadsheet is updated for you.

Happy New Year everyone!

Hubby and I have been very busy settling back in to married life and now have our hands full with our new puppy Cole:

The dust of the immigration process is settling, but I'm still waiting on the cards. I finally got to the social security office to apply for my SSN on Dec 23, and its a good thing because they had no record of me even though the box for it was checked on the DS-230. The guy said that if it had been processed I would have been given something at the POE (I forget the technical name of it though). POE gave me nothing but my passport back. Still waiting for the actual card to arrive.

On Dec 30 my welcome letter arrived with a print date of Dec 19 (1 week after POE, but took forever to actually get here). Yesterday I added the letter's receipt number to my portfolio in USCIS's case status section to see if it came up. It showed up as OS155A, IMMIGRANT VISA AND ALIEN REGISTRATION with the last touch on Dec 31 and indicated an approval on Dec 30, so I'm wondering if that means the green card printing was on this day. But we'll see!

Sorry, I guess I could have given a little more info on him. lol. Cole is 12 weeks and 2 days old today, and was adopted just last night. Despite his puny size, our Herberto is happiest chasing the cows on the ranch, trying to herd them up. I had my heart set on a female purebred or mixed maltese to keep me company around the house. Yesterday we went into the city to see a movie with my mother-in-law, who suggested we stop at the pet store there just to see what they have. When we arrived every puppy was going crazy jumping and barking at the pet store's cat that had wandered into their area. Every puppy except for Cole, who was sitting nicely at the door of his kennel looking only at us as we came in. As we got closer he jumped up to meet us. My hubby fell in love with him right away, but I maintained a level of stubborness and searched the other kennels for a female maltese something. They did have an absolutely beautiful maltese/cavalier. I had them take her out so I could hold her. As much as I wanted her, as beautiful as she was, and as good as she was with me, she just didn't feel right. So we put her back and asked to see this one. He instantly relaxed into me. Holding him in my arms felt as right as holding Herberto. He felt like ours. And so he is.

We got a new addition to our family over Christmas. This is Cole, a yorkie/shih tzu cross. Big brother Herberto is thrilled to have someone who actually wants to play with him (unlike those pesky kitties).

In the Interview Letter, there is mention to not bring "backpacks, luggage, or large purses." No problem. Has anyone gone in with a small purse? Was that acceptable? I'm just wondering, between carrying the evidence and printed documents in hand, it'd be nice to have a small purse to stash the wallet, car keys, hotel keys, passports, etc.

Anyone here taken in a small purse and been asked to leave it outside? Or has a small purse been acceptable in your experience? Or did you just waddle in with stuffed pockets and dump it all out for the security scanner?

Thanks!

Lori (and Chris)

I went in with a normal sized purse (14"x9"x4") and a hardcover briefcase-style accordion holder for my documents (17.5"x12.5"x3.5") and had no problems. The guard at the door did question and inspect the briefcase before letting me in to security, but he seemed content that it didn't contain a computer and that it was made of plastic. The purse was never questioned. They were both searched thoroughly, so it may have taken me slightly longer to get though security, but it was still hassle-free.

Whether or not you get the SSN mailed seems to be hit or miss from what I've seen recently. I checked the box to have an SSN issued on my DS-230, however when I dropped by the social security office yesterday they had no record of me and took an application on the spot. If its not too far out of your way, I would suggest following up on it at your local office shortly after arrival. Even if it was processed as it should have been the visit won't be wasted as you can get a printout of the number. And if it wasn't processed, you'll be lad you didn't sit at the mailbox waiting for it.

I'm still trying to get up to the social security office to apply for my SSN card, but it seems every time we try to make the drive the forces of nature conspire against us and create a nasty snowstorm. Guess we'll try again this week. lol. I also found out that there is a 90-day residency requirement before I can get a driver's license in ND, but I'm not too upset about that. I've never actually driven before, and who in their right mind wants to learn how in the middle of a northern winter?

I just did my EI application online last night. One question though: since the immigrant visa in my passport states "Upon endorsement, serves as temporary I-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year", is this all I need to prove my ability to work, or do I need to wait for the actual I-551 card and/or SSN card? When I was admitted at the border I was told I could work right away.

don't forget to fill int the poe review.

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/poereviews.php

I actually did that first and then copied and pasted it here. lol.

OBX, my dog is a very small cairn terrier/corgi mix. He was in the uncrated in the back seat with my father-in-law (and behaving very well) at the time we crossed the border. Both the officer at the booth and the one who directed us where to park saw him, but neither said or asked anything about him.

And thank you everyone!

Well, I made it over the border smoothly and effortlessly. I'll paste my POE review below for anyone who's interested. Its funny how at the end of all of this, now that I'm at my husband's side for good, all of the stress and anguish of this whole process has melted away. Suddenly it seems it wasn't so hard. Wasn't so long. It was totally worth it, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I had to.

Now I just can't wait to get home and decorate a Christmas tree with him!

____________________________________________________________________

Peace Bridge (Fort Erie/Buffalo)

Highly recommended: Fast, courteous, and hassle-free

We arrived at the border at about 10:30pm. We were expecting it to be busier for a Friday night 2 weeks before Christmas, but ended up with only 2 cars ahead of us at the booths. When it was our turn we handed over our passports and answered the usual "Where are you coming from/Where are you going/What is your citizenship" trio, after which I told the officer that I needed to activate an immigrant visa. He asked if I was relocating today and I said I was. We waited there a few minutes while he filled out a form (I believe anyway...couldn't really see though), He asked to see my package and I handed over the sealed envelope. He wrote down some information from the sheet taped it and handed it back, then asked and wrote down the city and state I was moving to. We were handed a slip of paper and told to pull over to the right.

We were met by a guard who instructed us where to park and directed us to door 1. The waiting room was freeezing, and we were the only ones in it. After a minute or two someone came in and requested my envelope, then said she'd call us into the next room in a few moments. About 4 minutes or so later, another guard came in from outside, commented on how cold the room was, and went back to the secure area. She immediately picked up the intercom and invited us into the next room where the heat was working so we wouldn't have to freeze while we waited. We accepted graciously and thanked her. The first guard smiled when she saw us and said she was about to call us in anyway. She apologized for leaving us out there as she didn't realize how cold it was.

She asked me to verify that all of the information (including spelling) on the sheet that was taped to the sealed envelope is correct. I said it was. she asked me to sit for just another moment while she finished up real quick. Out came the stamp: one on the sheet, one on the DS-230, one in the passport (yay!). She has me come up again and sign the front and back of a form, then took an ink fingerprint of my right index above each signature. She handed back all of our passports and laughed that she gives the same entry speech to everyone, so bear with her. She said that as of right now I am officially a legal permanent resident of the United States and am entitled to work and all other associated rights. The visa in my passport will serve as my temporary greencard until the plastic one is issued, which usually takes anywhere from 1-3 months. Once the official greencard is issued the visa in the passport will no longer be valid. The passport and eventually the greencard should be kept on me at all times. I WILL be denied entry and returned to the last country I was in if I ever fail to present it at a port of entry (no biggie if driving back from Canada, but a huge issue if returning from, say, a European vacation). She asked if I had any questions. I asked what course of action I should follow if the greencard is not received and at what point I should become concerned. She said that I should probably call to inquire after 6 months. At 9 months something is very wrong and I need to hound my local CIS office. She said in a worst-case scenario, the validity of the visa in my passport can be extended another year if needed.

I was then congratulated and welcomed to the United States. No one was bothered at all with the truck full of my belongings, the packing list I'd prepared attesting to such belongings, or my dog. The whole process was less than an hour.

Peace Bridge (Fort Erie/Buffalo)

Highly recommended: Fast, courteous, and hassle-free

We arrived at the border at about 10:30pm. We were expecting it to be busier for a Friday night 2 weeks before Christmas, but ended up with only 2 cars ahead of us at the booths. When it was our turn we handed over our passports and answered the usual "Where are you coming from/Where are you going/What is your citizenship" trio, after which I told the officer that I needed to activate an immigrant visa. He asked if I was relocating today and I said I was. We waited there a few minutes while he filled out a form (I believe anyway...couldn't really see though), He asked to see my package and I handed over the sealed envelope. He wrote down some information from the sheet taped it and handed it back, then asked and wrote down the city and state I was moving to. We were handed a slip of paper and told to pull over to the right.

We were met by a guard who instructed us where to park and directed us to door 1. The waiting room was freeezing, and we were the only ones in it. After a minute or two someone came in and requested my envelope, then said she'd call us into the next room in a few moments. About 4 minutes or so later, another guard came in from outside, commented on how cold the room was, and went back to the secure area. She immediately picked up the intercom and invited us into the next room where the heat was working so we wouldn't have to freeze while we waited. We accepted graciously and thanked her. The first guard smiled when she saw us and said she was about to call us in anyway. She apologized for leaving us out there as she didn't realize how cold it was.

She asked me to verify that all of the information (including spelling) on the sheet that was taped to the sealed envelope is correct. I said it was. she asked me to sit for just another moment while she finished up real quick. Out came the stamp: one on the sheet, one on the DS-230, one in the passport (yay!). She has me come up again and sign the front and back of a form, then took an ink fingerprint of my right index above each signature. She handed back all of our passports and laughed that she gives the same entry speech to everyone, so bear with her. She said that as of right now I am officially a legal permanent resident of the United States and am entitled to work and all other associated rights. The visa in my passport will serve as my temporary greencard until the plastic one is issued, which usually takes anywhere from 1-3 months. Once the official greencard is issued the visa in the passport will no longer be valid. The passport and eventually the greencard should be kept on me at all times. I WILL be denied entry and returned to the last country I was in if I ever fail to present it at a port of entry (no biggie if driving back from Canada, but a huge issue if returning from, say, a European vacation). She asked if I had any questions. I asked what course of action I should follow if the greencard is not received and at what point I should become concerned. She said that I should probably call to inquire after 6 months. At 9 months something is very wrong and I need to hound my local CIS office. She said in a worst-case scenario, the validity of the visa in my passport can be extended another year if needed.

I was then congratulated and welcomed to the United States. No one was bothered at all with the truck full of my belongings, the packing list I'd prepared attesting to such belongings, or my dog. The whole process was less than an hour.

Congrats on your approval Desilu!

Today is the big move. My hubby is currently driving through Michigan and should be here at about 5pm EST. I thought I would be an emotional wreck today, but I'm not. I'm just so very happy and relieved to finally be going home!

My visa has 2 notations regarding validity (and I'm sure they're all the same). The expiry date is six months after the date of issue, but this just means it needs to be USED within that time frame (meaning you must enter the US to activate the visa before this date). Another notation at the bottom states "Upon endorsement, serves as temporary I-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year", meaning you have a full year from the date of issue to get the greencard before you'll start running into problems.