This is crazy

[aya*abouelnasr 0]

This makes me nuts. My husband has been here since October 31, 2007. We filed for the AOS and EAD in December, and had his biometrics on Jan 4th. On May 19th he had the interview for the AOS.

During the interview he was asked if he was a member of the taliban, al quaida, or any other terrorist groups. He was also asked if he entered the US with the intentions of overthrowing the government, making a bomb, and several other ludicrus questions.

Now, this man has been in the United States totally unsupervised for 8 months, and they asked those crazy questions. Okay, so maybe they think they are neccesare questions to ask, so be it.

My problem comes with the fact that after 8 months, we are still no where close to him getting his work permit.

After several calls to the USCIS, they did say they would do an internal investigation to find out what the problem is. Okay, but they also said that in March. LOL They also sent us a letter in March saying that we would have a decision within 60 days, didn't happen. We receieved another such letter in June saying we would have a decision in 60 days. Okay? 60 Days from when? Hell freezing over?

Please, living on a single income is NOT easy, yet the government says they won't give a visa to anyone who may become a recipient of welfare? What is wrong with this? They can let them lose in the US, totally unsupervised, yet they can't hurry along the work permit so he can get a real job?

Seems like the immigration reform worked about as well as the welfare reform of several years ago.

Soo sorry for venting!!

[*JG* 2]

I feel your pain. We waited 5 months for the AOS to come through and another 2 to find a decent job.

Hang in there. It will soon come.

[Nasturtium 500]

That sucks. I wish i could help but I've never done that process-- I am sure others on here will have a better idea!

[Ban Hammer 13,498]

During the interview he was asked if he was a member of the taliban, al quaida, or any other terrorist groups. He was also asked if he entered the US with the intentions of overthrowing the government, making a bomb, and several other ludicrus questions.

tammy, that part i have been asked for the past 25 or more years. it's standard security questions.

[nu7015 0]

I feel your pain. Read the following timeline. I recommend getting your congressman involved. Ours was a tremendous help. The namechecks can take a looooooooooooong time and some get to wait much longer than others.

I'm confused though since you filed in Oct. 2007, you would have had to pay the new fees and those included the EAD. Did you file for the EAD and they still haven't approved it yet? In that case, it is DEFINITELY time to get the congressman involved. Ok, I just reread your post and saw that you did file EAD so, YES GET YOUR CONGRESSMAN INVOLVED! It is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past time for them to approve the EAD.

I'm guessing it is namechecks that is holding up your case and no it doesn't make any sense at all that they have to wait to find out if there is anything he has done illegally, yet he's as free to do as he pleases while waiting for them to figure it out.

I believe that they are going to be changing the order in which they do things in the future. They will require the namechecks to be completed before immigrants can be allowed into the US in the future. And they are supposed to be implementing an all computerized namecheck system where now some checks are done manually. Unfortunatley, it's a little late for you and others waiting right now.

It will be over. It won't go on forever even though it seems like it. Some have been waiting 6 years or more. I highly recommend getting your congressman involved; heck, get all of them involved. Go to infopass appointments too. Our case was sitting on someone's desk after our interview and thank goodness we went to an infopass which forced them to find our file which was sitting in the office of our interviewer 2 weeks after the fact.

Hang in there. This will end.

AOS filed March, 2007

EAD approved June 30, 2007

AOS transferred to CSC July 30, 2007

AOS transferred to local office February, 2008

Namechecks completed February, 2008 (that's when we found out-who knows how long ago completed)

AOS still hasn't reached local office...

Congressman asked local office to request the file from NVC...NVC never responded

Congressman asked local office to request the file again from NVC

April 10th congressman says file is in local office

April 23rd we recieved our interview date notice for APRIL 21ST!!!!!!!!!! WTH??????????

April 24th went to infopass and ended up having AOS interview (thank God I brought the filing cabinet just in case) Told we'd receive GC or denial in mail in two weeks once NVC unlocks our computer file

May 8th Congressman's office keeps checking local office and still no decision...

May 15th went to infopass and they decided to approve us right then and there

May 19th CRIS update: Now pending at office transferred to! (they remembered to unlock the computer!!!!!!!)

May 20th CRIS update: Notice to welcome permanent resident sent

May 21st Touch

May 22nd CRIS update: Card production ordered!!!!!!!!!!!!! After 420 days!!!!!!!!

May 29th Received Green Card!!!!!!!!!! CRIS update: Approval letter sent

Edited July 4, 2008 by nu7015

[Aymerlu 3]

It sucks! I cannot believe he was asked those questions! I know how hard it is to wait till he's able to work. Best of luck!

[belinda63 3,046]

Those are pretty standard questions, my mother immigrated from germany in 1962 and was asked if she was affiliated with the nazi party, etc. Don't take offence everyone gets asked this.

As to the EAD i though after 90 days they were supposed to issue a temporary EAD if the permanent one had not been approved.

[maggieNomar 0]

Tammy,

Sorry to hear you are one that got stuck in the immigration mess. I hope your congressman can get some answers as to what is holding up the EAD. As for the questions, as 'ridiculous' as they sound, they are standard. For one friend of mine, that was the entire inteview, going over those 20 or so questions. I think they ask them verbally to see how one responds to them, like looking for a liar.

[Nasturtium 500]

I was going to add-- those are basically the questions on one of the forms you filled out for immigration as well... DS156?157? One of them has it on there. We just had to do both of those forms for his family as well for the tourist visa. I always laugh-- like someone is going to say "yes" to any of them!

[polarbear 0]

I was going to add-- those are basically the questions on one of the forms you filled out for immigration as well... DS156?157? One of them has it on there. We just had to do both of those forms for his family as well for the tourist visa. I always laugh-- like someone is going to say "yes" to any of them!

If I remember correctly, they don't expect anyone to say "yes" to those questions, it's more of a legal thing. Like if you end up in trouble and they can find something like that in your history, they can nail you for missrepresenting yourself when applying for status in the US and deport you right away. They probably have to ask anyway so that if you do end up doing something, the government can cover their azzes and say that they asked you that question during your interview.

This sucks Tammy, I would deffinantly get your senetor/congressman involved

[deadbird 2]

aww Tammy, I hope this all works out soon! We didn't have an interview for AOS but those same questions were asked on one of the visa application forms before the original visa interview.

I'm surprised he hasn't received the EAD though. Took only two months for ours! Best of luck to you.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

During the interview he was asked if he was a member of the taliban, al quaida, or any other terrorist groups. He was also asked if he entered the US with the intentions of overthrowing the government, making a bomb, and several other ludicrus questions.

tammy, that part i have been asked for the past 25 or more years. it's standard security questions.

word

[aya*abouelnasr 0]

Oh, I know the questions they asked him were just the requisite questions they can ask anyone, I just got a sarcastic laugh out of it because my husband didn't even know how to change the windshield wipers on the car, so making a bomb just seemed way out of the realm of his knowledge base. LOL

My worrying question isn't about the AOS, but about the EAD. I cannot imagine why it has taken so long, and tho I have made phone calls to the USCIS, the last they told me is that we need to wait 45 days more before we make any more inquiries as to if and when it will be granted. By that time it will have been almost 10 months with no work. Yet they don't want them to be a "public charge"?

I'm not complaining because I am supporting him, I knew that I would have to, and really, his needs are not that expensive. It's just so disheartening to know that he want's to work but because of no EAD, he can't. By the time he gets it, it will be near to fall and jobs won't be so easily found, not that they are in Michigan anyway. Supporting 5 people on less than 40 thousand a year is no easy thing to do, but by letting go of a lot of extras we have been doing okay, but an extra income would really be nice right about now!

[SaadBell 0]

Those are normal questions and they are ridiculous, I would give anything to see someone answer these questions:

I would love to see their face if someone said –

Are you an member of the taliban, al quaida, or any other terrorist groups, or know anyone that is associate with these groups?

Why yes I am a member of al quadia, and also the NRI, but as you can see the good violence has died down in Irland and well, I got bored so I joined, but now the Taliban is trying to recruit me and I am not sure, I will be going to a meet and greet this week with the Taliban just for me to meet some of the guys.

Did you entered the US with the intentions of overthrowing the government?

Of course I did, what a funny question, I have my plans of overthrowing the US in my purse, you wanna see, I would love to have feedback, you know from someone who is associated with the government.

Are you involved in making a bombs –

I sure hope so, since I have two suitcases on me as we speak, would not want to have an accident, before I get to use them where I want.

[zsam 0]

Oh, I know the questions they asked him were just the requisite questions they can ask anyone, I just got a sarcastic laugh out of it because my husband didn't even know how to change the windshield wipers on the car, so making a bomb just seemed way out of the realm of his knowledge base. LOL

My worrying question isn't about the AOS, but about the EAD. I cannot imagine why it has taken so long, and tho I have made phone calls to the USCIS, the last they told me is that we need to wait 45 days more before we make any more inquiries as to if and when it will be granted. By that time it will have been almost 10 months with no work. Yet they don't want them to be a "public charge"?

I'm not complaining because I am supporting him, I knew that I would have to, and really, his needs are not that expensive. It's just so disheartening to know that he want's to work but because of no EAD, he can't. By the time he gets it, it will be near to fall and jobs won't be so easily found, not that they are in Michigan anyway. Supporting 5 people on less than 40 thousand a year is no easy thing to do, but by letting go of a lot of extras we have been doing okay, but an extra income would really be nice right about now!

sorry to hear about your situation--esp that you are still waiting for the hubby to work. I'd definitely contact the congressman or better yet the senator--AND try the ombudsman. It has been well over 90 days and your husband doesn't have the EAD yet so make that case with the ombudsman. Also, if you write the ombudsman, do call them say about 7-10 days after they get the papers. They are quite nice.

Good luck!