emzie1007

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your help! I am glad someone has been through the same thing and knows the ropes! All the best!

my concern was that my adviser told me to maintain f-1 status until i receive the GC, but EAD comes before the green card, so from her point of view working voids the f-1 status.

Hey again guys. So I have some updated info on my earlier questions. Sorry for driving you guys crazy with these questions. I just want to get this straight. So I am currently pending. I had the letters from the USCIS that said they received my package and then literally the day after got a letter for my biometrics, which I had just over a week ago. I am still currently in school taking 12 hours per f-1 student regulations. I told my international adviser that I was pending and if there was anything I needed to do as far as school records are concerned. She said I didn't need to fill out anything, but she would advise maintaining my student status until I get my GC. Now here is the thing I am confused about.... I planned to stay in school and maintain my 12 hours, I am not that far away from getting my bachelors, but when I receive my EAD wont my student status be void due to the fact that I will be working, which could potentially result in the school dropping all of my classes? I am completely confused. I thought when you were pending you could still be in school but not have to abide by the rules of a student status because you are not technically on one anymore. Could someone help clear this up for me? She seemed to think not maintaining student status would result in problems. Please help!

Thank you!

Normally,you wil get your EAD/AP card (if you requested them), after 30 to 45 days after your biometric appointment. And the green card the waiting is unknown. Some people recieved it after 90 days or more after the biomteric. I had my biometric taken on august 31, recieved my EAD on sep 29. I havent heard anything from USCIS since then. Till waiting for my interview or having a great surprise of recieving my gc without interview

Thankyou so much for the help. I appreciate it! Good luck to you!

I am just wondering how long after the biometrics you here from USCIS. I only had my Biometrics a week and a half ago so it wasn't very long ago, but this process is all very new to me.

Thanks!

Thankyou so much! Really appreciate the help!

I wouldnt be worried in anyway. We know that we have a ton of evidence and are legitimate! I have been in school since Jan 2008. I almost have my bachelors. I don't want to drop out altogether. K just want to drop to 9 hours for this semester if possible. I have a class I find extemeley hard and I am not making the best grade so rather than the D which is not a pass in this class I would rather drop it.

Did you go to school when you were out of status? I just don't want the school to report if I drop a class and it cause me any problems

Hey guys so I am currently pending status from an f-1 student visa and was wondering the following, if any of you have had experience with this. First of all do I tell the school I am pending? I want to let them know but wasn't sure if it was unnecessary as I do not yet have a green card. Am I still required to have 12 hours in school? I know this is a rule as an f-1 student holder but I an unsure when you are pending if you still need to maintain 12 hours and obviously I want to make sure and not make a bad decision dropping one of my classes. Lastly did many of you even attend school after you were pending? I don't know what the rules are of this. Any help would be greatly appteciated. Thank you!

Thankyou for your help!

Ah ok. My I-20 doesn't expire for like 3 years!

Oh so it is not a problem if your student visa expires while your here as long as your still in school? I thought you had to have it renewed because If it expired while you were here you go out of status! Shows what I know lol

Thankyou! Appreciate the help. Did you have a long time left on your visa? Mine expires in a few months so I am not sure if they won't do it because of that. I will have to check.

Hey guys. So I am currently on an f-1 student visa and my husband and I are about to send off our package. I have an issue and wondered of anyone has experienced this. My drivers license expires in October, by which point I should be pending status, and I know my local dps place likes to see paperwork to renew a license, but as I will be pending I won't technically be on the visa anymore. Has anyone experienced this and knows a solution? I will be in school this fall and I want to figure this out ahead of time!

I have a few questions before we file if anyone doesn't mind helping me! First off does it matter if the person who writes your letter for proof of a bonafide marriage is a family member? I was not sure if they don't allow for family to write the letter for some reason? Secondly, is it okay if you send a photocopy of your marriage certificate? Obviously we have our original one, I just didn't know if photocopies weren't allowed.

Filing concurrently? what do you mean? Oh my I am new to this. lol

I was told to absolutely NOT file as "single" because I was married, and filing single would be dishonest. So, I filed married, requested a ITIN for my husband (they'll give those out to aliens for tax purposes) and have filed married jointly for the past 2 years.

I don't know what immigration will tell you, but I have not had any issues with the IRS. In fact, getting the ITIN made it easier for my husband to be added to my bank account, health insurance, etc.

I dont know if the situation is different for me? I am on an f-1 student visa and I am not allowed to work, and have no social. too be honest I am completely confused by this whole thing!

Hey guys, I have some questions and was hoping some people could help me with the answers. First off, my husband who is the citizen has been filing his taxes as single. He has been doing this as he asked a lawyer who said that he cannot legally file as married seems I do not have a social security number, however, i read someone else's case on here who said that they did the same thing and when they went for the interview the interviewer said that they should of filed as married. Does anyone know anything about this? Also, my husband and I have been saving for AOS, but I had my medical about 3 months ago now. Is this a problem seems when we file my medical will be about 3 months old? Also, do all people adjusting status send it to the Chicago lockbox? Lastly, i live in texas and read somewhere that special requirements may apply, but when I opened the link it said it was expired. Does anyone know about this? Thankyou!

Thankyou so much!

It is full time and he makes a significant amount over the poverty lines.

Hey guys! So I have a question and hopefully someone here can answer it. My husband and I are going to file for my adjustment of status. We have purposely held off because he is starting a new job in a weeks time and we didn't want to put his current employer on the forms as he is leaving. My question is, we planned to file as soon as he got his new job. We will be over the poverty line so that's no problem but will the office filing the paper work not like the fact that when the paperwork asks how long you have been at the job it will be a really short amount of time because he would of JUST started? Thanks guys.

Thankyou to all of you for helping me out. I really appreciate it!

1) Medical costs vary from doctor's to doctor's. What I did was call up each USCIS approve doctor in my area for the best rate. In the end I payed $200. Costs also generally vary depending on your vaccination history and if a chest x-ray is needed or not.

2) Medical records are not required, but that just means more vaccinations and a higher cost. If you are okay with that, then you are fine.

3) You will need Forms: I-130, I-485, I-864, G-325A (x3). The are mandatory, but you may as well file Form I-765 and I-131 too since they are free when filed with an I-485.

4) Yes, it is mailed to the Chicago Lockbox.

5) Checks are made out to the "U.S. Department of Homeland Security" (Do not abbreviate). You can make one, two or three separate checks, it doesn't matter. I made out three (one for the I-130, one for the I-485 and the other for Biometrics)-- this way is one got denied, it wouldn't hold up the entire applications.

6) It is not mandatory to apply for work authorization, but recommended and you cannot work without an EAD. Period. Even an F1 student working on-campus needs one. You also don't need a SSN at the time you apply, accept or start a job, but if your employer doesn't have one on record, they will usually ask you to provide one within 30-60 days of starting employment.

Most of the answers to these questions could have been found in the instructions to the forms you are suppose to file-- i highly suggest reading them!

Hi Guys,

So my husband and I are starting the paperwork to change me from f-1 student to a GC. I have some questions and hope that someone here can help me. Firstly, how much is the medical and is it a problem that all my medical paperwork history is in my country of origin? I am not sure if they needed some medical history of myself at the exam. Secondly, if I am correct I need to send the i-130 and i-485. Am I correct in saying that we send our pack to the chicago lockbox? Also, did you send the checks for these two forms as one check or two separate checks and who did you make them payable to? Lastly, I am a little confused about the whole applying for work authorization. I know technically you are pending and not on a student visa anymore while the process is going on but I am a little confused at how you can work lacking a social security number? I am assuming it is not mandatory to apply for work authorization? Hopefully someone can answer my questions. Have a blessed day. ES

Just stick with the VJ guide and the instructions for the forms, and you'll be fine. Start making a list for yourself of all the documents you'll need, and cross them over as you collect them. Note that you may need to get some things mailed from your home country, such as your original birth certificate, which may need to be translated if it is not in English. It's also a good idea to book the medical appointment as soon as possible to get that out of the way, as it can take a few weeks to get everything done if you happen to need vaccinations or a chest X-ray. It took us about a month or so to get everything together from when we began to collect all the docs.

Thanks a lot. Were you still in school when you filed? I am a little confused about what happens when I apply and I am still in school on a visa if that makes any sense. Does anything change and do I have to change anything?

Cool. I am glad I have spoken to someone who was in the same situation as me! Some of the stuff I feel is very confusing!