AOS, EAD & AP for April & May filing

[RSA 0]

Here we are, having finished the first leg of our journey to be happily settled with our loved ones. Welcome to US. Some of us are already married and some are in the process of getting married. Once the celebrations are over, it is time to get started with the second leg of our journey .. AOS, EAD & AP.

So here I am.. again requesting all of us from India to share our application process, our doubts & fears, help each other to successfully get through this phase of our journey.

[RSA 0]

Hi VJfamily,

I am working on the AOS, EAD and AP papers. Since my DS-3025 doesn't contain any entries because of K1 visa, I have to get I-693a done here at Utah through civil surgeon (locator link provided in AOS area). Any alternative we have to this? Senior VJs please guide us.

Edited April 2, 2008 by RSA

[Manish+Manya 0]

Nice thread RSA. Am getting ready to be with my hun, But I will join you guys in this second stage soon.

All the best!!!

Manya

Edited April 2, 2008 by Manish+Manya

[RSA 0]

Nice thread RSA. Am getting ready to be with my hun, But I will join you guys in this second stage soon.

All the best!!!

Manya

Thanks Manya. See you quickly here!

Hi Parul, I saw in the AOS April 08 filers thread that you are almost ready with the package. What did you do for I-693a?

[DanielParul 50]

You know, thats the 1 question that has been bothering me... I did not get a DS-3025 in India so now I have to get the vaccinations done here... so I can get a I-693a.. Is it required while filing for AOS or during the medical??

Guess, have to do a lot of reading!!!

[RSA 0]

You know, thats the 1 question that has been bothering me... I did not get a DS-3025 in India so now I have to get the vaccinations done here... so I can get a I-693a.. Is it required while filing for AOS or during the medical??

Guess, have to do a lot of reading!!!

You need to file it I-693a alongwith other AOS papers. Otherwise you might get a RFE for vaccination supplement.

Edited April 2, 2008 by RSA

[DanielParul 50]

"Another reason for a medical RFE.... you are required to have a TB skin test, not just the X-RAY test done in other countries. We got an RFE because of this, so make sure to send the results of a skin TB test if you have not done so already"

Just read this on another thread.... Is this true too???

[DanielParul 50]

OK!! so I called up a Civil Surgeon approved by the USCIS/DHS and explained the whole situation to them. They said I can come in any day and get the I-693a and the vaccinations I need without having to go through a medical.. Thats sorted now, PHEW!!!

[pkewl 0]

Great thread... Please count me in as a April '08 AOS filer.

For the background info, my wife is here in the U.S on a K-3 Visa and I just mailed her AOS packet yesterday.

In regards with the medical, even though she had a copy of DS-3025 with her from the medical in India, we just decided to get a "new" sealed envelope that has a newly filled I-693 in it by a USCIS approved panel physician, mostly to avoid a potential RFE or other complications later. I am not saying that NOT getting a new I-693 will surely have a RFE on your way but I guess I wanted to be little over-prepared than otherwise. I tried getting a straight answer for this by doing some reading but dint get any and dint wanted the medical to delay my wife's AOS process.

Anyways, I just mailed the AOS packet (without the AP) yesterday and will let you know of any progress.

Also, congrats and welcome to all who just recently moved from India and good luck for the rest of the process.

Regards,

Pkewl

[RSA 0]

That's great Parul. I guess I will do the same - plus go for TB skin ( just to be on the safe side of RFE )

Hello Pkewl, itt looks like you are the better prepared one amongst us all ... Good to know that you already filed your spouse's AOS package.

Edited April 2, 2008 by RSA

[neel06 0]

Great thread... Please count me in as a April '08 AOS filer.

For the background info, my wife is here in the U.S on a K-3 Visa and I just mailed her AOS packet yesterday.

In regards with the medical, even though she had a copy of DS-3025 with her from the medical in India, we just decided to get a "new" sealed envelope that has a newly filled I-693 in it by a USCIS approved panel physician, mostly to avoid a potential RFE or other complications later. I am not saying that NOT getting a new I-693 will surely have a RFE on your way but I guess I wanted to be little over-prepared than otherwise. I tried getting a straight answer for this by doing some reading but dint get any and dint wanted the medical to delay my wife's AOS process.

Anyways, I just mailed the AOS packet (without the AP) yesterday and will let you know of any progress.

Also, congrats and welcome to all who just recently moved from India and good luck for the rest of the process.

Regards,

Pkewl

Hey Pkewl, nice to see your post again..... i am glad you are done with the K-3 process. AOS is pretty crazy but it won't be as bad because your spouse will be with you. good luck.

[ELW 5]

My advice is to call up several of the local civil surgeons and see who will do the I-693A Vaccination Supplement for the least price. Some say you have to do a full medical and charge hundreds of dollars, that is not needed. Usual fees are like from $10 - $40 or so for the I-693A.

Most local USCIS offices are no longer requiring the TB skin test, some are. No one asked us for it (we sent in AOS packet without it, then had it done just in case). But of course better safe than sorry, so have it done if possible.

The vaccinations can be done anywhere where they cost the least, then the proof brought into the civil surgeon to transfer the info to the I-693A. The civil surgeon we used actually sent us to the local govt health clinic to get the vaccinations done, he said because he charged a lot in the clinic!

Some members of VJ could not find an honest civil surgeon (sometimes they all insist a full medical has to be done) so they did it by mail. To have your vaccination information transcribed to Form I-693a, the following Civil Surgeon will do it by phone and fax for a nominal fee ($10 at time of writing) (call up first to confirm what you need to send):

Dr. L. E. Arnold

4534 Westgate Boulevard, Suite 106

Austin, TX 78745

Tel: (512) 444-3131

Fax: (512) 447-4699

Good luck to all of you, for a smooth and quick AOS process!!

[RSA 0]

Thanks ELW. As usual you are always there to help us out!

[DanielParul 50]

Wecome to the thread pkewl and thanks for the info as always ELW

I am just waiting for my SSN card so Daniel can add me to his military medical insurance. That way all vaccinations and the tests will be free, atleast.

So much for the AOS package being ready, hehehe!!!

[pkewl 0]

Hi Neel06... Likewise, great to hear from you again and good luck for the rest of your AOS process...

ELW, as always, thanks for your valuable input. We all appreciate it. I just have a quick question in regards "Most local USCIS offices..." in your post. I am pretty new to this whole AOS process and am currently reading about it but, according to the new AOS guidelines, I mailed our AOS packet to the Chicago Lockbox address. So, by local office, do you mean that after Chicago has processed the AOS packet, they are going to transfer the AOS packet back to my local office for the further processing of it or did you mentioned local office in the context of "old" guidelines, when we had to submit the AOS packet to the local office. I guess I am a bit confused ..lol.

In any case, I guess, my question is, does the Chicago Lockbox office transfer the AOS packet back to the local office or to CSC for the further processing of it?

Thanks, RSA, Parul and good luck to you all too.

Regards.