hoppla

Okay, finally some progress. I got two letter yesterday from USCIS one stated that that on 07-23-2010 your EAD document was approved, allow so 30days to receive document by mail. The second letter was my approved advance parole document..... Still no updates on the uscis webpage since 06-18th. Now come on interview letter.

YES!!! Finally!! Hope you get the interview letter soon!!

EAD received today.

Now waiting for GC.

Congrats!!

my tuition is around $9800 semester and i don't understand if i can get financial aid if i'm going to be a PR ,my sponsor is not gonna have to pay if i apply right ?!

I think you might be able to apply for financial aid, or if not at least for student loans.

You got a lot of proof, great! You'll do great! Congrats on the new job as well!

In grad school I worked 20 hours per week as a Graduate Assistant too. I paid about $700 tuition a semester, and my stipend was about $1800 a month which was enough to cover living expenses in Small Town, Indiana. It was a great deal, because I pretty much got a great education for FREE!

I am very thankful for the opportunities I've been given in the USA.

I regretted not bringing my profile pic photo (one of our engagement pics) with me to the interview! When we stepped into the IO's office, hubby and me noticed right away that he had a Vikings figure sitting on top of his shelf. I thought it would work in our favor to show him we were fans too...

Wow! My tuition was A LOT higher! Each credit hour was about $515, that is credit hour, not class! I got my Bachelors for free in Sweden, with a non-refundable grant every month (everyone gets this). Yeah, I know...why did I get my MBA over here? Long story.

yup thats what I was. Technically still an RA now. I just don't get paid anymore..

The tuition is waived because I am required to publish a certain amount of conference proceedings and represent the uni at different conferences in addition to publishing the thesis.

More headache than it's worth really.. because I see no jobs out there asking for a master's

I know, I'm happy I got my MBA but not sure it was worth all the time & money really... I was offered a lot of jobs while still in school, but couldn't accept the offers then. I figured I would get more offers once I graduated, but nope!

Yes, no tuition.. in return I have been an indentured servant for the last 2 yrs.

I taught lab sessions and graded lab reports, and did research.. 40+ hours/week but at the rate of pay of 18 hours a week.

Still doing research now, for free.

I wish I didn't go to grad school

So you were a TA/RA then? We didn't have that option at my grad school (private uni) but we could work 20hr/week as Graduate Assistants, which is what I did...got paid but had to pay tuition.

OMG!! I guess my Intl. advisor was pretty good compared to yours. Even though she did ask me if I would consider getting married when I was worried about finding a job after graduation I told her NO! To clarify that was over 2-3 years ago so that I actually got married this year had nothing to do with that

Haha! I didn't have to pay tuition for grad school, but yeah otherwise that would be great

I'm sort of still in school. Done will all my classes, but still finishing up my research and writing my thesis

Short of picking up my I-20, I don't ever talk to the international advisor. Not even sure I remember what she looks like

But I guess now I have to go find her..

What? No tuition? I wished I would have known about your grad school before I finished my MBA

I would try to find her just to make sure, I'm sure it will all be beneficial changes if any.

Yaaay! Congrats!!

Felipe said GC will come in 5-10 business days

Oh hey guys all of you on F-1 student status.. this is slightly

Do I need to let my school know that I'm no longer an international student now?

Is there anything that needs to be done with SEVIS?

Hmm... I used to be on F-1, then H3. If you're still a student, you don't have to pay international tuition anymore I don't know about SEVIS, maybe if you're still a student. I didn't have to tell them anything since I had already graduated when I changed to H3. I would let your international advisor know for sure, she/he should know if you need to do anything else.

Oh and also, our IO seemed to like that hubby was the one who took the initiative taking out the album and showing all the pictures.

Probably because it looks less like I put everything together and then hubby just came along for the ride, if you know what I mean

So at the very least, when you put all the evidence together, make sure your hubby knows what is what and where everything is.

Yeah, we will have a sit down and go through everything. Last night he asked me "when did we meet again?" The interview will be very interesting haha!

I got my welcome letter too! Well, to my parents'. I thought we had changed addresses but USCIS is oblivious. How long until we get the card?

Congratulations!!

Hoppla, I think what you have is good.

Other than what you listed I just had joint health insurance and 401K.

Plus little extra things like gym membership and stuff like that (in a secondary binder that I was only gonna pull out if needed)

We don't have a family plan for phone, no joint car insurance, no bills in the same name even..

And just like ValerieA, the IO only ended up looking at our pictures

Thanks for the reassurance! He could add me on the gym membership, but it doesn't make sense since we both had our memberships (same gym) on freeze and I just canceled mine. We don't have health insurance so that is not an option. I will make sure to print all our photos and put them in a nice album.

Congrats!! I just got mine in the mail too!

NOW it feels official, heheh..

Yeah it's probably better you didn't get the EAD. Mine is approved and I'll probably get it in the mail in a week or so, but I was told to send it right back. At least you don't have to spend the extra postage $$

Congrats!!

Received my "Welcome" letter today which states that I should have my green card within the next 3 weeks. I guess I will never get the EAD card (now useless anyways). Btw, since people are discussing the proof of relationship stuff, we only submitted the electric bills that I pay and the gas bills that my wife pays + about eight pictures of us together in Germany, Ethiopia, Austria and with the parents at the wedding. We don't have joint bank accounts since we don't see the benefit of it right now (which I told the guy at the interview when he asked). Guess we will switch car insurance soon since having our cars with a single provider might be cheaper ;-)

Great to know, thanks! We're the same way, we have had our car insurances and bank accounts for so long and right now we don't have a "need" to change them, but as you say we might later if it saves us money.

My parents met in Ethiopia, my dad is from Eritrea. Beautiful country! Oh, and congrats!!

Ok, cool. I will have them write one then. Better to be safe than sorry. Might take a trip to the bank and add him to my checking account as well next week.

Our neighbors/friends have said that they will write an affidavit if we need them to, but do the affidavit have to be notarized? I've heard different things on VJ about that.

Okay, so this is all I have for now...I think...

• Marriage license

• Lease & renewal of lease

• Drivers licenses with the same address

• Joint savings account

• Renters insurance w. both names

• Wedding invitation

• Thank you card from my Mom to both of us

• Photos

I am so lazy, but I might add him to my checking account and see if it will be cheaper if I change to his car insurance (we have seperate cars and car insurances). I have almost given up on AT&T and changing to a family plan, they are too slow.

bring the envelope

Will do! I have to write down what I have so far, to see if it is enough.

We have pics of my mom with his parents, that should be pretty good evidence you would think. I sent those in with the application too.

So, when you say wedding invitation, where are your names written? Because we have one but our names are only on the envelope.

Oooh, I missed that on the spreadsheet. So you're next then Barcelona Suerte!

Seems like next interviews are not until Aug 10 and it is Felipe, Nico and Guardianangel's turn.

I have to agree with Valerie. I find that whole conversation very weird.

My pic is ugly, but I already told you that I have really long hair and since the photo is cut off below your chin (more or less0 it looks like I have a weird bob hair-do

We will have to stay in touch somehow, before we know it we will be ready to remove the conditions.

Drinking sparkling white zinfandel in everyone's honor

(yes, that includes myself, ha!)

I will have another one for you, and then another one for everyone else

I just handed her my entire file of proof, and she went through it at the end. For some reason, the lease file and affidavits from people did not come out when I grabbed them. However, my feeling (and the lawyer's) was that we were pre-approved. My take? Intent really doesn't matter!

I will list out my proof tomorrow for you when I am not celebrating.

ETA: Thank you so much everyone for the congratulations. You guys rock!

Great! I'm celebrating for you as well, drinking a glass of wine in your honor