Adjustment of Status - I-130, I-485 etc Checklist!

[MilitaryWife2010 0]

Hello everyone!

Maybe this topic already exists somewhere, but I just spend over an hour searching for it. The pinned threads seem a little too old (from 2007) and as I know some important rules changed in 2009-2010.

I'm a little confused about the AOS package. I just found out that I need to mail 4 copies of G-325A for both of us, and before that I thought it just had to be 1 for each. I stumbled on this info on some other forum, so now I'm not sure what other copies (and how many of them) we need to mail... Don't want to make mistakes in this fragile process, so please help!

Here's my story:

I came here on a J-1 work and travel visa (no 2 year rule applies) in 2007. Visa expired in 2007 and I don't have any status now. I have an SSN, employed, paying taxes, abiding by law otherwise.

Met my hubby in January through my coworker - her brother is my husband's best childhood friend. So we liked each other and started dating. He is a Marine, so he lived Mon-Fri on the base, and came over to my place for the weekend since week three.

We got married in mid-march. It was VERY spontaneous, because we were dating for only a few months... He did mention before that he would love to marry me one day, but nothing serious was planned. He was going to be deployed for over 6 months, so just a week before deployment on a Friday night he invited me to Vegas to party before deployment, and proposed to me next Sat morning. I wasn't sure if I wanted to jump into this so early, but he was really concerned about my expired visa and it bugged him (because he has his standards etc). So he pretty much told me that he would have peace of mind if I could become legal while he's away. Now he's gone (left the U.S. last Wednesday night) and I'm trying to figure out what and where to send... He filled out his I-130 and the affidavit of support, his G-325A, applied for my military ID, but it looks like there's so much more to include..

Please, give me a checklist of everything that goes into that packet.

Also, I'm not so sure about the interview process - he's not coming home until about November! What do I do?

Also, some people are talking about "cover letter". Nowhere in the USCIS instructions I found this suggestion...

How many pictures do we send for each of us?

What supplementary paperwork (and pictures) shall I put in the envelope?

Please, help!

Thank you and Happy Easter!

[milimelo 4,477]

Hello everyone!

Maybe this topic already exists somewhere, but I just spend over an hour searching for it. The pinned threads seem a little too old (from 2007) and as I know some important rules changed in 2009-2010.

I'm a little confused about the AOS package. I just found out that I need to mail 4 copies of G-325A for both of us, and before that I thought it just had to be 1 for each. I stumbled on this info on some other forum, so now I'm not sure what other copies (and how many of them) we need to mail... Don't want to make mistakes in this fragile process, so please help!

Here's my story:

I came here on a J-1 work and travel visa (no 2 year rule applies) in 2007. Visa expired in 2007 and I don't have any status now. I have an SSN, employed, paying taxes, abiding by law otherwise.

Met my hubby in January through my coworker - her brother is my husband's best childhood friend. So we liked each other and started dating. He is a Marine, so he lived Mon-Fri on the base, and came over to my place for the weekend since week three.

We got married in mid-march. It was VERY spontaneous, because we were dating for only a few months... He did mention before that he would love to marry me one day, but nothing serious was planned. He was going to be deployed for over 6 months, so just a week before deployment on a Friday night he invited me to Vegas to party before deployment, and proposed to me next Sat morning. I wasn't sure if I wanted to jump into this so early, but he was really concerned about my expired visa and it bugged him (because he has his standards etc). So he pretty much told me that he would have peace of mind if I could become legal while he's away. Now he's gone (left the U.S. last Wednesday night) and I'm trying to figure out what and where to send... He filled out his I-130 and the affidavit of support, his G-325A, applied for my military ID, but it looks like there's so much more to include..

Please, give me a checklist of everything that goes into that packet.

Also, I'm not so sure about the interview process - he's not coming home until about November! What do I do?

Also, some people are talking about "cover letter". Nowhere in the USCIS instructions I found this suggestion...

How many pictures do we send for each of us?

What supplementary paperwork (and pictures) shall I put in the envelope?

Please, help!

Thank you and Happy Easter!

I will move your topic to AOS from student, work and visitor visas. Follow the guide there. If you get an interview, bring a copy of his orders with you.

[Alla 3]

Hello everyone!

Maybe this topic already exists somewhere, but I just spend over an hour searching for it. The pinned threads seem a little too old (from 2007) and as I know some important rules changed in 2009-2010.

I'm a little confused about the AOS package. I just found out that I need to mail 4 copies of G-325A for both of us, and before that I thought it just had to be 1 for each. I stumbled on this info on some other forum, so now I'm not sure what other copies (and how many of them) we need to mail... Don't want to make mistakes in this fragile process, so please help!

Here's my story:

I came here on a J-1 work and travel visa (no 2 year rule applies) in 2007. Visa expired in 2007 and I don't have any status now. I have an SSN, employed, paying taxes, abiding by law otherwise.

Met my hubby in January through my coworker - her brother is my husband's best childhood friend. So we liked each other and started dating. He is a Marine, so he lived Mon-Fri on the base, and came over to my place for the weekend since week three.

We got married in mid-march. It was VERY spontaneous, because we were dating for only a few months... He did mention before that he would love to marry me one day, but nothing serious was planned. He was going to be deployed for over 6 months, so just a week before deployment on a Friday night he invited me to Vegas to party before deployment, and proposed to me next Sat morning. I wasn't sure if I wanted to jump into this so early, but he was really concerned about my expired visa and it bugged him (because he has his standards etc). So he pretty much told me that he would have peace of mind if I could become legal while he's away. Now he's gone (left the U.S. last Wednesday night) and I'm trying to figure out what and where to send... He filled out his I-130 and the affidavit of support, his G-325A, applied for my military ID, but it looks like there's so much more to include..

Please, give me a checklist of everything that goes into that packet.

Also, I'm not so sure about the interview process - he's not coming home until about November! What do I do?

Also, some people are talking about "cover letter". Nowhere in the USCIS instructions I found this suggestion...

How many pictures do we send for each of us?

What supplementary paperwork (and pictures) shall I put in the envelope?

Please, help!

Thank you and Happy Easter!

Here is a checklist:

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide2

3 pictures dating,3 pictures of marriage.

Actually I sent about 10 total.With family and friends and from wedding.

Cover letter will ease a job for IO. It's in your interest.

All the best to you!!!

[Laura & Kyle 16]

Please, give me a checklist of everything that goes into that packet.

Also, I'm not so sure about the interview process - he's not coming home until about November! What do I do?

Also, some people are talking about "cover letter". Nowhere in the USCIS instructions I found this suggestion...

How many pictures do we send for each of us?

What supplementary paperwork (and pictures) shall I put in the envelope?

Please, help!

Thank you and Happy Easter!

Hello! I have my cover letters on this forum somewhere.. i'll dig them up to show you. Cover letters are not necessary, but help both you and possibly the USCIS understand what your different packets of info are for. Makes life a little easier to make sure everything was included.

What we did for pictures was make a collage. I just used microsoft word and just added pictures as a collage of Kyle and I and subtitled them all with who was in the picture, the month/year the picture was taken and sometimes where it was taken. I did one page for random pictures and one of the wedding. That way I didn't have to actually print out real pictures and the interviewer we had showed us those pages and said they were excellent!

Let me do some digging and I'll place the cover letters up! Good luck!

Laura

[Laura & Kyle 16]

Here are ours... we used bits and pieces of the sample and others we had seen... Please be sure to check addresses because some of the new "sending" places may have changed.

Overall Cover Letter:

United States Department of Homeland Security

Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 805887

Chicago, IL

60680-4120

December 26, 2009

Immediate Relative (Spouse) Family Based Adjustment of Status Application with Concurrent I-130 Filing

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed please find the following contents:

• I-130, Petition for Alien Relative and evidence

• I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status and evidence

• I-765, Application for Employment Authorization

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Kyle (VWP Spouse) Laura (USC Spouse)

Addresses

Phone Numbers

Email Addresses

I-130:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 805887

Chicago, IL

60680-4107

December 26, 2009

Nature of the submission: I-130 Petition

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed please find the form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative for Kyle Gordon Savage-Lowden, and supporting documents.

Contents of packet includes:

• Payment in the amount of $355.00

•Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

•Documents establishing petitioner’s US citizenship

-Certified copy of birth certificate

•Certified copy of marriage certificate

•Certified copy of divorce decree from petitioner

•Form G-325A, Biographic Information with photo of the petitioner

•Form G-325A, Biographic Information with photo of beneficiary

•Evidence that bona fides the marital relationship

-Documentation showing co-mingling of financial resources (bank statement)

-Photographs

Copies of documents submitted are exact photocopies of unaltered documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date. Please feel free to contact me, if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Laura

Address

Phone Number

Email

I-485:

]United States Department of Homeland Security

Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 805887

Chicago, IL

60680-4120

December 26, 2009

Nature of the submission: I-485 ORIGINAL SUBMISSION

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed please find my Form I-485, APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR ADJUST STATUS

Contents include:

• Payment in the amount of $1010.00

• Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

• Copy of Passport (Biographical Page and Entry Stamp)

• Copy of Form I-94

• Copy of my Birth Certificate

• 2 Photographs with name on back

• Certified Copy of Marriage Certificate

• Copy of divorce decree for USC spouse

• Form G-325A, Biographic Information

• Medical Form l-693 (in sealed envelope by the Civil Surgeon)

• 1-864 Affidavit of Support

- Federal Income Tax Return for the past year, including W2

- Copy of Pay Stubs from past 7 months

• Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization

Copies of documents submitted are exact photocopies of unaltered documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date. Please feel free to contact me, if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Kyle

Address

Phone Number

Email

[MilitaryWife2010 0]

Thank you for all your replies!

However I still don't understand what the purpose for the interview is if he's not coming with me (since he just got deployed).

Are they just going to call me alone or wait till he gets back?

Thanks!

Here are ours... we used bits and pieces of the sample and others we had seen... Please be sure to check addresses because some of the new "sending" places may have changed.

Overall Cover Letter:

United States Department of Homeland Security

Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 805887

Chicago, IL

60680-4120

December 26, 2009

Immediate Relative (Spouse) Family Based Adjustment of Status Application with Concurrent I-130 Filing

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed please find the following contents:

• I-130, Petition for Alien Relative and evidence

• I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status and evidence

• I-765, Application for Employment Authorization

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Kyle (VWP Spouse) Laura (USC Spouse)

Addresses

Phone Numbers

Email Addresses

I-130:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 805887

Chicago, IL

60680-4107

December 26, 2009

Nature of the submission: I-130 Petition

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed please find the form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative for Kyle Gordon Savage-Lowden, and supporting documents.

Contents of packet includes:

• Payment in the amount of $355.00

•Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

•Documents establishing petitioner’s US citizenship

-Certified copy of birth certificate

•Certified copy of marriage certificate

•Certified copy of divorce decree from petitioner

•Form G-325A, Biographic Information with photo of the petitioner

•Form G-325A, Biographic Information with photo of beneficiary

•Evidence that bona fides the marital relationship

-Documentation showing co-mingling of financial resources (bank statement)

-Photographs

Copies of documents submitted are exact photocopies of unaltered documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date. Please feel free to contact me, if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Laura

Address

Phone Number

Email

I-485:

]United States Department of Homeland Security

Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 805887

Chicago, IL

60680-4120

December 26, 2009

Nature of the submission: I-485 ORIGINAL SUBMISSION

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed please find my Form I-485, APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR ADJUST STATUS

Contents include:

• Payment in the amount of $1010.00

• Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

• Copy of Passport (Biographical Page and Entry Stamp)

• Copy of Form I-94

• Copy of my Birth Certificate

• 2 Photographs with name on back

• Certified Copy of Marriage Certificate

• Copy of divorce decree for USC spouse

• Form G-325A, Biographic Information

• Medical Form l-693 (in sealed envelope by the Civil Surgeon)

• 1-864 Affidavit of Support

- Federal Income Tax Return for the past year, including W2

- Copy of Pay Stubs from past 7 months

• Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization

Copies of documents submitted are exact photocopies of unaltered documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date. Please feel free to contact me, if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Kyle

Address

Phone Number

Email

[besaangel 18]

That is hard for us to determine. You could try calling USCIS or visiting www.uscis.gov to inquire about the possibility of him not being at the interview. Usually, this is required so as to see if you guys both "know" each other.

[ceziepie 0]

Here are ours... we used bits and pieces of the sample and others we had seen... Please be sure to check addresses because some of the new "sending" places may have changed.

Overall Cover Letter:

United States Department of Homeland Security

Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 805887

Chicago, IL

60680-4120

December 26, 2009

Immediate Relative (Spouse) Family Based Adjustment of Status Application with Concurrent I-130 Filing

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed please find the following contents:

• I-130, Petition for Alien Relative and evidence

• I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status and evidence

• I-765, Application for Employment Authorization

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Kyle (VWP Spouse) Laura (USC Spouse)

Addresses

Phone Numbers

Email Addresses

I-130:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 805887

Chicago, IL

60680-4107

December 26, 2009

Nature of the submission: I-130 Petition

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed please find the form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative for Kyle Gordon Savage-Lowden, and supporting documents.

Contents of packet includes:

• Payment in the amount of $355.00

•Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

•Documents establishing petitioner's US citizenship

-Certified copy of birth certificate

•Certified copy of marriage certificate

•Certified copy of divorce decree from petitioner

•Form G-325A, Biographic Information with photo of the petitioner

•Form G-325A, Biographic Information with photo of beneficiary

•Evidence that bona fides the marital relationship

-Documentation showing co-mingling of financial resources (bank statement)

-Photographs

Copies of documents submitted are exact photocopies of unaltered documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date. Please feel free to contact me, if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Laura

Address

Phone Number

Email

I-485:

]United States Department of Homeland Security

Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 805887

Chicago, IL

60680-4120

December 26, 2009

Nature of the submission: I-485 ORIGINAL SUBMISSION

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed please find my Form I-485, APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR ADJUST STATUS

Contents include:

• Payment in the amount of $1010.00

• Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

• Copy of Passport (Biographical Page and Entry Stamp)

• Copy of Form I-94

• Copy of my Birth Certificate

• 2 Photographs with name on back

• Certified Copy of Marriage Certificate

• Copy of divorce decree for USC spouse

• Form G-325A, Biographic Information

• Medical Form l-693 (in sealed envelope by the Civil Surgeon)

• 1-864 Affidavit of Support

- Federal Income Tax Return for the past year, including W2

- Copy of Pay Stubs from past 7 months

• Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization

Copies of documents submitted are exact photocopies of unaltered documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date. Please feel free to contact me, if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Kyle

Address

Phone Number

Email

Why did you pay 355 for the I-130? Isn't that supposed to be included in the 1,010 payment in 1-485? I will be sending in my AOS in a few weeks and I'm making sure I have the correct info. Thanks.

[Leigh Ann 8]

Why did you pay 355 for the I-130? Isn't that supposed to be included in the 1,010 payment in 1-485? I will be sending in my AOS in a few weeks and I'm making sure I have the correct info. Thanks.

No, it's not. It's two different fees. You have to pay them both.

[ceziepie 0]

Do I need to file and I-130 if I came on K1 visa?

[Leigh Ann 8]

Do I need to file and I-130 if I came on K1 visa?

Not sure, you can ask in the K-1 visa forum. That's where you'll find your best answers.

[Haarp425 26]

Do I need to file and I-130 if I came on K1 visa?

No, If you AOS within 90 days of your I-94 validity.

If you have not AOS within 90 days of your I-94 validity, your will have to include I-130 in addition to the I-485.

[trillium13 84]

No, If you AOS within 90 days of your I-94 validity.

If you have not AOS within 90 days of your I-94 validity, your will have to include I-130 in addition to the I-485.

You've replied to a nearly year old post. I reported the most recent post so it can hopefully be posted as its own thread to avoid confusion.

[Krikit 1,164]

Unrelated post given its own thread here.