konjo

Wow .... so much has happened while I have been away. Congratulations to all the new approvals and Good Luck to those next in line.

As for the marriage question this is what the lawyer and the lady who interviewed me said....

If I stay married, I can file in 3 yrs. If I get a divorce I have to wait for 5 yrs.

Congrats mona-lisa!

I didn't go with my original lawyer. Since she had other commitments I decided to go with another one. They were not that expensive tho'.

Congratulations Konjo!!! How did your interview go? Did you have to wait for a decision too?

Thanks guys. This is the best Christmas gift ever.

Mine was very quick ... they were behind schedule that day. She just asked for the travel docs, marriage status, if I had kids and what I did for work. Then she asked the yes/no questions. After that she said I was approved. I doubt it lasted 10 minutes.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for all of you.

Received card in the mail today. This dreadful journey is now over.

YEAH!!!

Send the medical with your I-485 package don't wait to take it with you to the interview.

The doctor at the public health department told me this... there is no reason to do another tb skin test if you have had a positive result before with no other sign of TB. If you go to the same doctor who did the initial tests, they should have a record. Ask the civil surgeon to send you for a chest x-ray. If the he/she insists and does it anyway and they end up sending you to the health clinic coz "oh my God it's positive!!!", let the doc at the health clinic know what happened so that the civil surgeon can be educated.

Wow...I am still amazed. I spoke with so many people about my initial case being closed and not even one person said I could re-open it. I can't believe $1010 went down the drain. I am going to see another lawyer to go with to the interview.

Really? Very interesting. This is what we requested but it ended up being administratively closed but not denied and no one could explain why. My lawyer then told me it's coz we took too long to file the I-360 (almost 2 months). I don't know what I paid that woman to do for me!!!!

My two cents...

I think there is a time limit that they can hold the I-485 in abeyance. I think it's something like 30 days - please verify . If you take too long then the I-485 will be administratively closed and then you will have to refile that and the I-765.

Hope someone can answer this one (especially those who have gone for the interview after VAWA approval).

I need to change lawyers coz mine is just too expensive to take with me to the interview. Is this advisable? Has anyone done it? Please, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

This is my situation.

Last year I went for my adjustment of status interview with my lawyer. The lady asked a few quick questions but she removed my I-94 from my passport. We later refiled: I-360, I-485, I-765 and I was recently approved for the I-360 and I just received my Interview notice. Listed in the items to bring is the I-94.

What do I do? Do I tell them they have mine somewhere in their files with my old I-485. Should I file for another one (it's expensive) or should I go down there and see if they have it locally and can give it to me?

Wow .. just received my biometrics notice for 11/17/2009 and the Interview notice for 11/24/2009.

They are processing May 3rd, 2009 at my local office. I guess I'll just wait. The hard part is already over.

Dear Konjo,

You filed your I-485 along with I-360 but lostinNJ filed in July 2009. There might be a few days or couple of weeks difference to move the case from Vermont to NBC as you filed on March 2008 and lostinNJ file in July 2009. Just a guess. no one knows, how exactly the USCIS processing goes because each case is unique in its own way.

-*--/

I filed the I-485 they are looking at on August 4th 2009. That is what everything they do on my case should be based on. But like we all know.. there is no rhyme or reason for anything these pple do.

My I-485 was touched today, I called USCIS to find out how long it takes to get biometrics appointment. She told me my file is currently at my local office, it was transferred on Monday and I should receive the biometrics appointment within the coming weeks. I also asked her if it was standard for I-485 to be transferred from NBC to local office, she said it is, I for some reason thought NBC usually sends out the bio appointment and interview notice. Processing time for I-485 at my local office is May, 2009, I filed I-485 July, 2009

Wow that was fast. Mine is still at NBC and I was approved before you. What are they doing with my file????

That's funny ... after mine was approved I woke up in the middle of the night to double check just in case it was a dream.

hey lost in, you seems your in good mood.... that good

so tell me how your felling when you got the news approved after so long?

I still can't believe it, I sometimes double check the website to see if I was really approved lol

I paid $200 for the medical and don't let them give you the TB skin test. If you have had it before and it was positive, you can go the the Public Health office and tell those those pple there what you have going on and you might get a waiver for that (just the skin test). That way if they need to check for TB you will just get a chest x-ray.

I don't know about getting a waiver for the $1010.00, I tried asking about that but I ended up paying.

Lost inNJ, mine was touched 3 times too then it was approved. Fingers are crossed!!!

Mslady, yeah, I filed everything all over again and no, that is not a typo I paid the whole amount again $1,010 ... plus the cost for medical ... ohh and don't forget I couldn't work the entire time I was sorting this mess out so no money coming in . I had been told that I didn't need to refile the I-485 but once my EAD renewal was denied, I found out that I had to do it all over. As we all know there is no rhyme or reason behind the decisions that take place at that office. Maybe you need to do it over like I did, or maybe you don't like VAWA2006 - it's a pain either way.

If you try to renew the EAD by itself, it WILL be denied. You have to file another I-485 to go with it. Below is basically what I did and it worked for me.

I sent another complete package (see below for the contents) to the Vermont center (where all VAWA apps go) and clearly marked the envelope VAWA in HUGE RED letters. I included a cover letter with a list of all the applications and this RE line at the beginning of the letter. "RE: Route with I-360 EAC123456789". I also stuck a post-it with that number on each application just in case things got separated (I wasn't taking chances).

I-485

G-325A -----> This has to be the 4 page one, there was an error on the site and I was just getting a 2 page at that time.

I-864W Intending Immigrant's Affidavit of Support Exemption

I-765 ------> option C(9)

Medical Exam --->you need to pay to have this done

Copy Marriage certificate

Copy of my birth certificate

Copy of his birth certificate --------> they need something to prove he is a citizen.

Copies of any expired EADs

Copy of the I-360

Copy of the Prima Facie ------> I think if you are due for a renewal you can also request one in this package.

you need to send all together with a check for total $1,010

I got my info from people on this forum, a paralegal at my crazy lawyers office (I told them I was too broke to pay for their services), and my friend's lawyer who didn't charge me a dime for her advice.

I just noticed something new on the website. You can actually check the average time it takes to process a particular king of case..... instead of going to "check processing times", click on "check my case status". There is a spot where you enter your receipt number but if you scroll down there are some drop down menus where you select the kind of application you are looking for. For VAWA at all centers they say 5 months so I guess that explains all the approvals lately.

OMG... it had better be an approval. They touched my case quite a few times then they approved it. I am sending some prayers UP on your behalf.

I need a response from someone who has been to an interview for this one.

Do they ask you for your I-94? When I went for my AOS interview without my husband, the lady took it and stapled it to the stuff that was with that I485 application. So now since that particular case was closed, how can I get back my I-94? Someone told me I have to pay to have another issued (that is just plain thievery if you ask me).

Hey Heath...

I filed my application myself and sent the forms that were listed in the post above (also see below). However, since I had previously filed an I-360, I sent the package to the Vermont center (where all VAWA apps go) and clearly marked the envelope VAWA in HUGE RED letters. I included a cover letter with a list of all the applications and this RE line at the beginning of the letter. "RE: Route with I-360 EAC123456789". I also stuck a post-it with that number on each application just in case things got separated (I wasn't taking chances).

I-485

G-325A

I-864W Intending Immigrant's Affidavit of Support Exemption

I-765 ------> option C(9)

Medical Exam --->you need to pay to have this done

Marriage certificate

Copies of any expired EADs

Copy of the I-360

Copy of the Prima Facie (I think if you are due for a renewal you can also request one in this package)

you need to send all together with a check for total $1,010

I got my info from people on this forum, a paralegal at my crazy lawyers office (I told them I was too broke to pay for their services), and my friend's lawyer who didn't charge me a dime for her advice.

Hope this helps.

I am not divorced yet so when I go for the interview can I ask them to change the surname back to my maiden name so that when the card comes it doesn't bear the married name? Or do I have to file other petitions to get the name changed after?

EWTN2009, that's the spirit. Be faithful I am sure that good things will happen on your case soon. My very first I-360 was denied about two months after I filed so this was a second petition for me. So if they have had your case for this long it can only mean good things and not bad.

Just remember that this too shall pass!