AOS FILERS: OCTOBER 2008

[Beantownbabe 1]

Rosie was right!!! The much coveted Green Card just arrived in the mail!!!!!!!! WoooooHooooo! Just 11 days after my interview and here it is! I am very, very happy indeed. Who says Friday the 13th is unlucky!

[Rosie74 0]

Hi friends,

Well I'm glad to say we are APPROVED but it didn't come without a struggle. We honestly weren't that nervous when it came down to it, but perhaps we should have been.

Our interview was scheduled for 2:30 and we arrived at 1:45, went through security, got checked in, then started waiting. We noticed about an hour later that a lot of the people who had come in after us were going through, getting their interviews, and leaving as we waited and waited. Finally around 3:30 we inquired with one of the people who came out to call a name, and the very rude IO told me to sit back down and that our name would be called when it was our turn. He ignored the part about me saying we had been there nearly two hours. We kept waiting and around 4:15 Greivin inquired with a different IO that came out to call a name and she commented that we had in fact been there a long time (she had seen us several times when she came out to call other names). She checked on our case and told us we would be next and that there had been a mix up. We looked around to find only one other person left waiting. The door opened, an IO came out, and called not us, but the ONLY other lady sitting and waiting. GRRRR. Finally another IO came out and called the name of a woman who was obviously not there. We laughed (annoyingly) and he asked our names and came back in about 5 minutes and said he would take us back. FINALLY.

He was friendly enough, but didn't seem to care we had been waiting FOREVER. He started us with an oath then began asking Greivin some questions. Greivin is not a native English speaker, and the IO started firing crazy questions at him, most he didn't understand without any context, so he immediately got nervous. "Are you a spy?", "Are you a communist?", "Do you have ties to terrorists?", and "How many crimes have you gotten away with?" Greivin was so confused and was trying to answer honestly, but the guy just kept firing questions at him. Finally, the IO let me explain each thing to greivin, in english slowly, and he was able to understand and answer each one.

He then wanted to see wedding pictures. He held up our album and asked ME about the people in the pictures. (I thought that was strange too, cause chances are, if the people are white, they are related to me and I would know them. It would seem to be more useful to ask the foreign guy who the white people are if he was really hoping to see if we were legit... but whatever).

He then asked how we met and when we got engaged. He didn't like that we didn't have an "engagement date" and he thought that we got married "awfully fast." (We dated for a year and a half before we got married, and we've known each other for like 4 years. GRRR.)

Then we got into previous visa issues. He asked about previous visa applications that had been denied and Greivin told him Yes, he had applied for a tourist visa before. He was denied on lack of evidence, so he applied again several months later with all the evidence they wanted, and was denied again. After that, it was only the K1 Visa application, and that one was approved. The IO then started asking him about why he wanted to come here so bad, and asked Greivin if he had come on a Tourist Visa, would he have married me in the US and failed to return to Costa Rica. Greivin was like "... uhh... no, probably not, but I don't know, it didn't happen. I came on a K1 Visa and I was allowed to get married." He then asked me why we were so desperate for a visa. I nervously explained that Greivin's village sees a lot of visitors from the Seattle area (educational study abroad programs go there) and that he has a lot of friends here in Seattle. I said that Greivin not only wanted to visit me, but to see his friends, and also get to see this country in the event him and I continued with our serious relationship and someday planned to live together here. The IO grumbled and said alright.

I asked if he wanted to see more evidence, more pictures, or any of the papers I had brought. He said he had everything in his file, and that although he wasn't happy about the "visa issues" he would approve us. Then he started making stupid small talk which I felt was like another trick or something, but he stamped our forms and said congratulations, so we packed our things and got the heck out of there!

So I guess we are happy about the Approval, but man, it was exhausting! The main tip I would have is to be prepared for the crazy "spy" questions at the beginning, especially to those who are still learning their English. Also, be prepared to talk about any Tourist Visa denials. Apparently that made us look a little suspicious when we obviously have nothing to hide. Craziness. Anyway, it's done, and we are USCIS free for 2 years, WAHOO!

Thanks for all your encouragement guys, and good luck to those who are up next!

Congratulations CourtandGrey!! :dance:

The fact that it was so difficult makes you appreciate more what you just achieved

Time to celebrate!!

[Rosie74 0]

Got my welcome letter and I-130 approval notice yesterday..it says to carry the green card when it arrives with me at all times...bit scary huh? Think I'll put it in a safe place, knowing me I'll lose my purse with it inside....

LOL! You're like me.. I don't think I will carry the Green Card with me either.. I know you're supposed to, but with my luck I'd loose it in a week

Rosie was right!!! The much coveted Green Card just arrived in the mail!!!!!!!! WoooooHooooo! Just 11 days after my interview and here it is! I am very, very happy indeed. Who says Friday the 13th is unlucky!

I knew it!! Way to go!! You're officially USCIS free for 21 months!! :dance:

[Kang Lang 7]

i didn't want my husband to carry his either so he carries a copy and his original is in a safe place at home. i think he'll only carry it if we're travelling.

[Beantownbabe 1]

Who is up next? Barrowboy?!

[Beantownbabe 1]

Yay! I passed my Road test today! Glad that's out of the way now, too!

Canadian - where are you?! I'm hanging out with you here til your approval comes!

[Rosie74 0]

Green Card received today in the mail!! Yyyyeeeeaaahhhhhhh!!!! :dance:

Congratulation for your road test Beantownbabe!

[Beantownbabe 1]

Thanks and many congratulations, Rosie! How funny that we were on almost the exact same time schedule!!!

[Rosie74 0]

Thanks and many congratulations, Rosie! How funny that we were on almost the exact same time schedule!!!

True, just a few days difference!

We'll definitely be together again when it's time to remove conditions! But now we're free for another 21 months..

Mu husband and I are going out for dinner tonight.. time to celebrate my "not so green" Green Card! What color would you call it? Beige? Egg shell? Tan?

[Eli the Barrowboy 16]

Who is up next? Barrowboy?!

Tuesday is the big day ... St Patrick's Day for the Irishman. We have all our documents together. Now to photocopy them all and get photos printed out for the interview.

Here's hoping it goes well. And best luck to everyone else and congrats to all those recently passed.

R

[idealistix 0]

Aaargh! I got an RFE for form I-693. I paid 200 bucks to get vaccinated and examined by a USCIS "approved" civil surgeon, and sent the form to USCIS 4 months ago. Now they say they don't have it!

My EAD and AP were approved, so why the problem with the I-485 now? Dammit! Maybe it got misplaced when my case was transferred to CSC.

Just to confirm - for those of you who came in on a K-1 visa, did you only fill out the vaccination section of form I-693? That's what I did based on the advice of the doctor. The I-693 instructions agree with this:

If you were admitted as a:

A. K-1 fiancé(e) or a K-2 child of a K-1 fiancé(e), or as a

B. K-3 spouse of a U.S. citizen or a K-4 child of a K-3

spouse of a U.S. citizen, and

C. You received a medical examination prior to

admission, then-

a. You are not required to have another medical

examination as long as your Form I-485,

Application to Register Permanent Residence or

Adjust Status, is filed within one year of your

overseas medical examination.

b. You will, however, be required to complete Part

1, Information about you, and submit the

vaccination section of Part 2 with your

adjustment of status application. A designated

civil surgeon must complete the vaccination

section and Part 5, the Civil Surgeon's

Certification.

[idealistix 0]

The RFE also stated:

"It appears that the form I-864 does not meet the minimum income requirement in accordance with form I-864, poverty guidelines for 2008."

My wife was a student in 2007 and was below the poverty line. She started working full time in 2008 and earned more than the poverty guideline. We had submitted her current paystubs and a letter from her employer stating her current income. Apparently that was not enough evidence for USCIS.

1. Will submitting a new I-864 with the 2008 tax returns and W-2 be sufficient?

2. Do you think I should also submit evidence of my financial assets?

3. I filed taxes in the US in 2007 when I was working on an L-1 visa. I earned well over the poverty guideline in 2007, but I am not employed currently. Will submitting my tax return for 2007 help? I don't think so, because this income was in the past.

4. I have my EAD, and hope to get a full-time, permanent job offer next week. Will sending this offer letter help?

Thanks for your inputs and advice!

[sib 7]

My husband and his kids came on K1, K2.

I just submitted a copy of D-3025 because vaccination was completed.

It seems that our cases are close together. I did not hear anything yet.

Submitting new I-864 is probably best. Can you get a transcript of you 2008 tax return? That is easier to submit than a copy of the tax return and you don't need W-2. You can order the transcripts via phone and even get them faxed, but they might not be available yet for 2008.

Wishing you luck.

[Canadianmade 1]

what an awful experience but congrats courtandgrey! 21months free of the uscis.

canadianmade we're all still with you man!

Thank you guys, you know this is getting really old not knowing anything at all, I just cant believe how long it is taking to get an answer.

Yay! I passed my Road test today! Glad that's out of the way now, too!

Canadian - where are you?! I'm hanging out with you here til your approval comes!

Hey Beantown I am still here on VJ, I am still playing the waiting game again, so who knows when it will come. Thanks for your support and hopefully I can tell you guys some good news.

[idealistix 0]

Thanks for your reply and wishes. Unfortunately, transcripts won't work because we haven't filed our tax returns yet.

My plan is to file the tax returns this week and then send the RFE documents back to USCIS next week.

My husband and his kids came on K1, K2.

I just submitted a copy of D-3025 because vaccination was completed.

It seems that our cases are close together. I did not hear anything yet.

Submitting new I-864 is probably best. Can you get a transcript of you 2008 tax return? That is easier to submit than a copy of the tax return and you don't need W-2. You can order the transcripts via phone and even get them faxed, but they might not be available yet for 2008.

Wishing you luck.