Wyatt's Torch

CanadiaGirl is right -- you should have some more evidence showing joint domicile, and evidence of a functioning marriage. The financial evidence is very important, but you should probably round it out with more...and in this case, affidavits might be a good idea.

Received my 10-year GC today.

California Service Center (22 Applicants, 16 Approved 73%)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics.......Approved.....GC Received

COLU.................12/01/11........12/02/11........12/28/11........--/--/--......--/--/12 (Early Bio 12/13)

KOSTYAN..............12/05/11........12/06/11........01/06/12........05/15/12......--/--/12

DARWINSFINCH.........12/05/11........12/06/11........02/06/12........09/07/12......09/14/12 (RFE dated 6/15/2012, responded 8/2012)

LYN AND JEFF.........12/05/11........12/07/11........01/04/12........05/17/12......06/11/12

SIOT2012.............12/08/11........12/--/11........01/12/12........--/--/--......--/--/12

XRUKOPOTAM...........12/11/11........12/14/11........01/23/12........05/21/12......06/11/12

JOJO_GEE.............12/12/11........12/??/11........01/19/12........08/20/12......08/25/12 (RFE received 05/30, responded 08/07)

WIS-CAN..............12/13/11........12/20/11........01/14/12........05/24/12......--/--/12

MIMMO................12/14/11........12/20/11........??/??/12........06/13/12......06/18/12 (Early Bio 01/17)(RFE received ??/??-dated 05/29, responded 06/01)

SENTHILSKP12.........12/16/11........12/23/11........01/27/12........--/--/--......--/--/12

LANCELOTTE25.........12/18/11........12/19/11........01/20/12........05/22/12......06/13/12

TINA&ROLAND..........12/19/11 .......12/20/11........01/13/12........06/15/12......06/21/12

OOMIE................12/19/11........12/20/11........01/13/12........05/14/12......--/--/12 (Early Bio 01/03)

LONGEY...............12/20/11........12/21/11........01/13/12........05/14/12......--/--/12

KACRS1221............12/21/11........12/23/11........01/18/12........--/--/--......--/--/12

MEIKO_KC.............12/21/11........12/25/11........01/18/12........05/29/12......--/--/12

CHRISJORDAN..........12/22/11........12/27/11........01/13/12........05/29/12......06/15/12 (Late Bio 01/23)

LOLO2012.............12/23/11........01/07/12........01/19/12........--/--/12......--/--/12 (Did BIO again on 2/15)

FLYINGBEE............12/23/11........12/--/11........01/13/12........06/11/12......06/15/12 (Never received NOA)

LEVIATHAN23..........12/23/11........12/--/11........01/20/12........06/06/12......06/18/12

TCHAUEUA.............12/24/11........12/27/11........01/26/12........--/--/--......--/--/12

LUKE AND DEANNA......12/28/11........12/29/11........02/15/12........06/06/12......06/19/12 (Early Bio 01/26)

Vermont Service Center (32 Applicants, 28 Approved 88%)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics.......Approved.....GC Received

BANKERMAI............12/03/11........12/23/11........01/09/12........11/05/12......11/30/12

BOP..................??/??/11........12/06/11........01/05/12........--/--/--......--/--/--

LGG..................11/29/11........12/07/11........01/14/12........10/15/12......--/--/--

NYLA.................12/01/11........12/06/11........01/13/12........08/27/12......09/14/12

VARESKA..............12/05/11........12/07/11........01/03/12........09/10/12......09/21/12

TOMMY2012............12/05/11........12/07/11........01/09/12........08/15/12......08/21/12

ABESTER..............12/05/11........12/19/11........01/06/12........08/23/12......--/--/--

NYLA.................12/06/11........12/??/11........01/??/12........08/27/12......--/--/--

MAPLESTAR............12/07/11........12/09/11........01/30/12........09/04/12......09/19/12

ESJAY................12/08/11........12/13/11........01/05/12........09/10/12......--/--/--

SDW..................12/09/11........12/13/11........01/06/12........12/04/12......12/10/12 (RFE received 09/15)

PURSUIT82............12/10/11........12/??/11........02/29/12........09/15/12......09/24/12

AYABA................12/13/11........12/??/11........01/03/12........11/30/12......12/10/12 (RFE received 09/14, responded 10/10)

GREEBO...............12/13/11........12/15/11........01/06/12........08/24/12......09/14/12

TOGETHER-FOREVER.....12/07/11........12/16/11........--/--/12........--/--/--......--/--/--

CHARLO13.............12/12/11........12/19/11........01/30/12........10/31/12......11/05/12 (RFE dated 09/21)

DANVIL101............12/xx/11........12/19/12........02/08/12........11/15/12......11/26/12 (RFE received 10/01)

EVANSCHOLLY..........12/15/11........12/20/11........01/20/12........09/15/12......09/22/12

MIKE777..............12/??/11........12/21/11........01/18/12........10/04/12......10/10/12

BRB..................12/16/11........12/21/11........02/06/12........09/15/12......--/--/-- (Early Bio 01/18)

READYTOLEAVE.........12/16/11........12/21/11........01/20/12........09/24/12......--/--/--

DALLASJEEPER.........12/18/11........12/22/11........01/19/12........09/10/12......--/--/--

ELY2009..............12/23/11........12/27/11........01/23/12........--/--/--......--/--/-- (Interview is scheduled)

GRUNTSWIFE...........12/19/11........12/24/11........04/16/12........08/06/12......08/14/12 (Reschedule Bio 06/25)

JOSHDBA..............12/20/11........12/27/11........01/26/12........12/29/12......--/--/-- (RFE received October, responded 12/07)

BOWGIRL..............12/22/11........12/27/11........02/28/12........10/01/12......10/10/12

FLYER92..............12/23/11........12/29/11........03/28/12........--/--/--......--/--/--

BASY.................12/27/11........12/30/11........01/23/12........09/13/12......09/22/12

JACK12...............12/27/11........??/??/??........03/??/12........08/27/12......10/22/12

WYATT'S TORCH........12/27/11........12/30/11........02/24/12........12/20/12......01/10/13

ELTEMP...............12/28/11........01/03/12........01/31/12........11/21/12......11/29/12 (RFE received 10/11)

ROY&KATY.............12/28/11........01/04/12........02/02/12........09/20/12......--/--/--

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Yeah, as ProudAfrican says, it's not too big of a deal, so long as you have the case status number. It's highly unlikely you will need that document for anything -- so long as you have the GC extension letter, you're fine.

Having said that, try not to lose any more USCIS documents.

Way to go, Josh! Congrats!

Yesterday I received texts and emails telling me that my GC card production had been ordered.

Doesn't hurt to notarize them. We did.

Doesn't hurt, but often costs money, and it's debatable as to how effective affidavits are -- notarized or otherwise.

In my case, I had a lot of good information, but was light on bank info, since my wife and I don't have a joint account. I sent a couple unnotarized affidavits, and was approved without RFE.

One of the most frequently asked questions on this forum.

No, they don't need to be notarized, and are generally viewed as secondary evidence -- so long as your other evidence is strong, they're not necessary, though if you're the kind of person who likes to err on the side of caution (as I am), it can't hurt to have them done. Just don't worry about notarizing them.

One of the main things is to be utterly confident that the expired GC and the extension letter are ALL YOU NEED. You know definitively that that's the case, so it's just a case of being patient and going up the chain until you find someone at the airport that recognizes that the extension is an official federal document. It's reasonable to expect that lower level airline officials aren't going to know the ins and outs of U.S. immigration documentation, especially considering that there are nearly 200 countries on this planet, each with their own procedures...

You just have to be confident, patient, and persistent.

I wouldn't worry about the online status. My ROC process was approved a couple of weeks ago, but the online status STILL says "Initial Review." Often the USCIS phone clerks don't have a solid understanding of the process. Bear in mind that they have to deal with ALL types of immigration issues.

Ultimately, just give it a little while longer, then if you're really at wit's end, contact your congressman.

Well, just for the record, mine took almost a full year. I filed at the end of December 2011, and when things hadn't moved along by November, I called USCIS and had them put a query on my case. The online status check wasn't updated, but I finally received my approval letter dated December 20th, 2012. NOTE: I did NOT have an RFE on my case...it was probably just a situation where it slipped through the cracks, or was misfiled / misplaced. I'm guessing that your situation is the same.

Don't lose hope. My approval came within the 60 days window that the query suggested. Give them the full 60 days, then if you don't hear back, call them again AND contact your local congressman. Good luck!

Wow, I'm kind of astonished that people are suggesting that the OP lie to USCIS...and that the OP thinks this is a good idea!

Seriously, don't do it. No matter what, just don't do it. First of all, lying is pathetic. Second of all, lying to USCIS is illegal, and also quite stupid. There are many ways to get the I-551 stamp without lying. Being 100% HONEST about the situation with USCIS is a great starting point. As others have mentioned, it's clearly a recurring issue, and so long as you are earnest in your request for a stamp, it shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks Yurika! I'm positively ecstatic about it.

By the way, I'm pretty sure LGG can come off this list -- I think she was ultimately updated on the NOV 2011 thread and wasn't looking at this one.

WOO HOO!

Arrived home from a week-long vacation to see that I've FINALLY been approved for my 10-year green card!

The date of decision was 12/20/2012, and since I've had my mail held by USPS until Monday, it's entirely possible that my new card will be in there. Here's hoping...

I honestly didn't think I'd be this excited, but after waiting almost a full year, this has finally been approved!

Incidentally, my case status still hasn't been updated on the USCIS website.

Thanks to all of you who have offered suggestions and words of support. Next stop...citizenship!

I agree -- customer service in Canada was typically nothing special, but it's far worse in the U.S. I've always been really polite with customer service agents, but I've learned that I simply can't be like that in America -- I need to be pushy and demanding. Fortunately my wife is great at being pushy and demanding (though not with me, fortunately!), so I don't have to go into that grey area too often...but the point is that I really shouldn't have to. Sure, I know retail workers generally get paid ###### wages, but they ARE being paid to do a relatively simple job. Adding a modicum of personability to the equation seems to be too much strain for most.

Congrats SDW! And thanks for the well-wishes for my situation, folks.

I'm frustrated by the lack of progress on my case, as you might expect, but I'm still within the sixty day window in which USCIS said they'd give me a decision (this is after I called on November 6th). I'm not going to go through the hassle of getting a congressman involved at this stage, I don't think. If I still don't hear anything by early January, I'll call again and see what's up. After that, it may just be most prudent to file for citizenship, since I was planning on doing so anyhow.

I'm annoyed, but it's not like I expect them to start deportation proceedings once March 10th hits...and anyhow, that's three months away. I'm a naturally optimistic kinda guy, and I figure I'll hear something before then, provided that I stay on the ball. I just wish I knew what it is that's making my case take so long. Everything was fine through the biometrics, then beyond that...nothing. I have to assume that my file was lost, misfiled, or generally misplaced somewhere along the way.

Yes I got my new card in the mail today , looks more beautiful than the temporary one

Good Luck to all folks who are still waiting !!!

Congrats!

Looks like I'm one of the only active members left from last December who is still waiting. Hmm...

You can formally abandon the GC and get another one, there is no downside or questions about what happened to the first. It will just be the same as the first time (though in your case this time with a spousal visa).

I can't imagine how this would be so. Abandoning one's permanent residency, then reapplying a few years later WILL look suspicious, no doubt about it. Immigration is a luxury, not a right, and I can envision MANY immigration officers thinking that the would-be immigrant doesn't take the process seriously.

The bottom line is that there are better (and safer) options.

Well, your business is your business, but I'm quite curious as to what school program you're going to take in Canada that you can't take in the U.S. Unless it's something really specific, I can't imagine not trying to find a similar program in the U.S. You can still receive student loans etc.

In theory you could apply for permanent residency again in the future, but it's entirely possible (perhaps probable) that USCIS won't look too kindly on it -- it will likely appear to them (justified or not) that you didn't take permanent residency seriously enough the first time around. And they'll wonder, like I did, what it was in Canada that you couldn't take down here.

It really comes down to a decision of what's more important to you: going through with the process and remaining united with your husband, or going back to school in Canada. I personally can't imagine leaving my spouse to return to Canada for virtually any reason, but to each their own.

I just got a letter from USCIS. they say that they reviewed my cased and that my case is at the appropriate USCIS office waiting for an interview date to become available. When the date becomes available I will receive an appointment notice to appear for an interview. For those who were in my case, what should I bring with me at the interview?

Ah, that is so frustrating...though I imagine that an interview is a lot more definitive than having to send yet another round of documents and wait for a response. I'm willing to bet that any documents required will be listed on the appointment letter. I can't imagine them requiring anything other than the usual: proof of shared address, shared financial documents etc. It's also possible (though unlikely) that they'll want to do a Stokes interview -- ask a few basic questions of your spouse in one room, and the same questions of you in another. I wouldn't worry about it too much though. Personally, I think I would have preferred an interview at this stage than having to wait for months longer than my fellow December filers. Good luck (and commiseration) either way.

Hey peeps!

For the record, I filed in December of 2011, and am STILL waiting for my 10-year GC. I finally called USCIS a couple of weeks ago to see what's up, and they put a query on my account. The next day I received an email from USCIS telling me that I'll have a response within 60 days. The wait isn't "bad," per se, considering that I'm currently living happily and legally with my spouse in this country...but it's certainly annoying to see that people who filed two or three months after me have already been approved while I'm still waiting! It's great for them, obviously, but it makes me wonder what causes one case to be approved in eight months and another to be approved in eleven. Weird!

If it's any consolation, when I initially sent my package in last December, I was downright meticulous about everything, including the order all the documents were in, how they were clipped together etc. It was returned back to me a week later because I had somehow neglected to actually SIGN the I-751. Perhaps the most boneheaded mistake a person could make. All I had to do was sign it and send it back in.

So just make out a new check, send it in, and you should be fine.

What number did you call? the one on the RFE?

I would call the number that pops up when you check your case status on the USCIS website: 1-800-375-5283. There's an automated system, but it's pretty easy to navigate through and get a human. That's what I did a couple of weeks ago, and the clerk was surprisingly receptive (which wasn't my experience when I used to call a few years ago).

Having said that, I'm still waiting on my case, so who knows how effective it will be.

Got approval letter today on our petition!!! One month after sending the RFE we finally decided to give them a follow up call last Wednesday and today we got the approval letter. Good luck to all those who are still waiting.

Congrats, Danvil!

Yup -- just to chime in, I've been a full-time student for the past year and have received financial aid for all of it. You'll have no problem.

I suspect separating the material into different envelopes will be annoying to the USCIS officer. Not enough to get you an RFE, of course, but imagine if it was you, dealing with a relentless onslaught of immigration submissions, then being forced to open an envelope...that is full of other envelopes. Just use paper clips and binder clips, make sure all the material is in the order you state it is in on the checklist, and that should suffice. Organization does not require compartmentalization.

I followed some of u advice and called USCIS. They put a request and said to wait for 15 days. If nothing happens, they recommended to call again. Still, I don`t know what to expect. Afyter so much time(12/23/2011), u guys think that there is a posibility to get a RFE or interview, or I should get the green card? The wait is so hard now, should I expect the worst? How many people are still waiting and did not get any notice from the office since NOA?

Well, I'm still in the same situation. I called the USCIS office on November 6th, was told to wait 15 days, but was contacted by USCIS itself (via email) on November 7th and was informed that I should hear back within 60 days. Since my case was registered in December of last year, it's looking like my case will have taken a full year by the time I get my renewed card or even notification. It's a little worrisome, but I'm not panicking.

It's impossible to say what will bring about an RFE though. I don't know if it really matters to USCIS how long the process has already taken -- if they see something they believe warrants an RFE, I'm sure they'll issue it regardless.