AOS FEES

[Blublod 0]

FYI, Enterprise Architect here. I can redact personal documents 10 ways to Sunday without leaving "artifacts" in the image file. This is easy using analog or digital methods.

I beg to differ, you are only as good as you think. thanks anyway.

[Blublod 0]

Is there a fee for the form I-864? Or do I just send it off as a bundle in my AOS packet along with my I-485, I-765 and I-693?

I am Canadian, but recently married here in the States so the I-864 will be reviewed domestically. I've heard that there is a new $88 fee for domestically reviewed I-864.

So far I have the following ready to send off:

AOS PACKET with a fee of $1010 includes I-485, I-765, I-693 (I-864 sent off as part of packet, or separately with a separate fee?) Anyone out there PLEASE HELP ME TO CLARIFY!!

I-130 is ready to go separately with a fee of $355

THANKS!!!! I'm so overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that needs to be filled out and packaged up... I've been at it for over a month now!

One more thing, if you have doubts about the correct fee with a check, buy a money order. goodluck

[kjmel38 1]

Is there a fee for the form I-864? Or do I just send it off as a bundle in my AOS packet along with my I-485, I-765 and I-693?

I am Canadian, but recently married here in the States so the I-864 will be reviewed domestically. I've heard that there is a new $88 fee for domestically reviewed I-864.

So far I have the following ready to send off:

AOS PACKET with a fee of $1010 includes I-485, I-765, I-693 (I-864 sent off as part of packet, or separately with a separate fee?) Anyone out there PLEASE HELP ME TO CLARIFY!!

I-130 is ready to go separately with a fee of $355

THANKS!!!! I'm so overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that needs to be filled out and packaged up... I've been at it for over a month now!

Hi! BullWinkle,

I Made a Payment of 1,010 Checked to USCIS , with My AOS Last April 30, All The Forms Submitted Are: F-I 485, F- 765,F-I 864, F- G-325 A,& the Copy of my F- I-797 & F - I 797C and all Supporting Documents required in AOS. I am from K-1 Visa to AOS, Don't know how it goes with your Case Becaused you don't have a Timeline.Form I 130 is if your Filing late, Better Look the other Advice about that. If you file with F- I485 AOS ,the F- I 864 Nope no seperated fee, but if you are Filing Late/ Not Concurrently Yes .Good Luck.

Kjmel38

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Bob i am a software engineer, all the redacting in the world won't save you. if you have any data mining skills or programming skills you would understand.

I am just letting others know or warning them, i have looked over my docs and i see nothing wrong.

Thanks for the advice all the same

If you were a good programmer you would know how to get rid of any hints. If you can't edit the files to that extent maybe you missed a couple of classes.

[Blublod 0]

If you were a good programmer you would know how to get rid of any hints. If you can't edit the files to that extent maybe you missed a couple of classes.

You so don't know what you are talking about, if you did you would not have made that comment. lol.

redacting a document is easy, i am not putting my information on vj. period!!! just sharing my experience. if some want to start a pissing contest let them.

Make of it what you want.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

You so don't know what you are talking about, if you did you would not have made that comment. lol.

redacting a document is easy, i am not putting my information on vj. period!!! just sharing my experience. if some want to start a pissing contest let them.

Make of it what you want.

I have a BS in electrical and computer engineering and a masters in IT , so yes I do know what I am talking about.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

The instructions say Dept of homeland security or USCIS check the instructions for filling out I-485

Sorry to interrupt your skirmish over who is the best IT person, but:

The Instructions for I-485 (see p. 8) say make payment to US Department of Homeland Security, unless you live in Guam or the US Virgin Islands. They also clearly say you may submit one check for a total of $1010. They do not say making a check to USCIS is acceptable. And they go further to say you should spell out the words and not put DHS or USDHS

Edited July 9, 2010 by Nich-Nick

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Sorry to interrupt your skirmish over who is the best IT person, but:

The Instructions for I-485 (see p. 8) say make payment to US Department of Homeland Security, unless you live in Guam or the US Virgin Islands. They also clearly say you may submit one check for a total of $1010. They do not say making a check to USCIS is acceptable. And they go further to say you should spell out the words and not put DHS or USDHS

This is correct. If the check was made out to "USCIS" then THAT is why it was returned. We've seen it happen many times here. The instructions are quite clear.

Side note: I'm a programmer with 25 years experience, much of it dealing with digital graphics. Redacting information from a linear bitmap image that's been compressed using a "lossy" compression algorithm will leave some artifacts of the editing, and it may leave artifacts that could be used to recompose the redacted information. Look closely at a heavily compressed JPEG image and you'll see some 'ghosting'.

Anyway, if you have the original document then you can easily do an uncompressed scan, edit it, and then compress it for upload. There will be no evidence of the redacted information.

[Blublod 0]

I have a BS in electrical and computer engineering and a masters in IT , so yes I do know what I am talking about.

You are still clueless. i have my masters in software eng, and i started programming at age 10. go do your research properly.

maybe your the one who skipped classes.

[Blublod 0]

This is correct. If the check was made out to "USCIS" then THAT is why it was returned. We've seen it happen many times here. The instructions are quite clear.

Side note: I'm a programmer with 25 years experience, much of it dealing with digital graphics. Redacting information from a linear bitmap image that's been compressed using a "lossy" compression algorithm will leave some artifacts of the editing, and it may leave artifacts that could be used to recompose the redacted information. Look closely at a heavily compressed JPEG image and you'll see some 'ghosting'.

Anyway, if you have the original document then you can easily do an uncompressed scan, edit it, and then compress it for upload. There will be no evidence of the redacted information.

Hiya jim,

I did write out the USCIS in full on the cheque, when it came back it had dept of homeland security citizen and immigration services stamped on it, i think the pdf for the instructions have been revised

i have an older version that says payments should be made to dept of homeland security or uscis(spelt out) , anyway i have written out 2 new cheques as instructed by the I-797C.

Thanks for information for the benefit of the redaction apologists, i guess those who redact till Sunday and who didn't miss classes have much to learn. we have a saying where i come from '' what a young man/inexperienced person see's from the top of tree an elder/experienced person will see sitting on a stool at ground level''

Some people just don't know how to ask questions or give advice.

Regards

Blublod

[kjmel38 1]

This is correct. If the check was made out to "USCIS" then THAT is why it was returned. We've seen it happen many times here. The instructions are quite clear.

Side note: I'm a programmer with 25 years experience, much of it dealing with digital graphics. Redacting information from a linear bitmap image that's been compressed using a "lossy" compression algorithm will leave some artifacts of the editing, and it may leave artifacts that could be used to recompose the redacted information. Look closely at a heavily compressed JPEG image and you'll see some 'ghosting'.

Anyway, if you have the original document then you can easily do an uncompressed scan, edit it, and then compress it for upload. There will be no evidence of the redacted information.

NOPE , I made my Payment to USCIS of 1,010 , And My Check was Cash out within 5 days, After I filed, Absolutely there is Something wrong with the Check, At the Bottom of every Check there is a Word (Memo) I put AOS on that line, maybe he did Not. that is why it is Returned , Or maybe the format of Writing the Check.

Sorry Jim, I won't agree with you becaused my Checked payment is Made to USCIS .

Kjmel38

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I did write out the USCIS in full on the cheque, when it came back it had dept of homeland security citizen and immigration services stamped on it, i think the pdf for the instructions have been revised

i have an older version that says payments should be made to dept of homeland security or uscis(spelt out) , anyway i have written out 2 new cheques as instructed by the I-797C.

I made my checks out to "U.S. Department of Homeland Security", as per the instructions. Not USCIS, or even "U.S Citizenship and Immigration Service". The current version of the form is dated 12/03/09 with an expiration date of 12/31/2010. The previous version of the form is dated 12/16/08 with an expiration date of 11/30/2011. Both versions say to make the check to "U.S. Department of Homeland Security". I think the reason for issuing a new version before the previous version expired is because they changed the filing addresses for many of the filing categories.

My canceled checks had also been stamped above the "Pay to the order of" line with "U.S. Department of Homeland Security". Below that it looks like "Citizenship and Immigration Services", but it's difficult to read. I only have access to a scan of the canceled checks. I'm guessing they stamp everyone's check like that, but mine were cashed without any problems. They're stamped on back by Chase bank.

NOPE , I made my Payment to USCIS of 1,010 , And My Check was Cash out within 5 days, After I filed, Absolutely there is Something wrong with the Check, At the Bottom of every Check there is a Word (Memo) I put AOS on that line, maybe he did Not. that is why it is Returned , Or maybe the format of Writing the Check.

Sorry Jim, I won't agree with you becaused my Checked payment is Made to USCIS .

Kjmel38

Ok, I'm glad you didn't have problems. The fact remains that a lot of people have posted on this forum that their checks were returned because they wrote "USCIS" or "USDHS" instead of "U.S. Department of Homeland Security". I guess a lot of people have probably done the same as you and not had problems, but when giving advice it's usually best to advise people to follow the instructions, even if not following the instructions won't always cause problems.

[kjmel38 1]

I made my checks out to "U.S. Department of Homeland Security", as per the instructions. Not USCIS, or even "U.S Citizenship and Immigration Service". The current version of the form is dated 12/03/09 with an expiration date of 12/31/2010. The previous version of the form is dated 12/16/08 with an expiration date of 11/30/2011. Both versions say to make the check to "U.S. Department of Homeland Security". I think the reason for issuing a new version before the previous version expired is because they changed the filing addresses for many of the filing categories.

My canceled checks had also been stamped above the "Pay to the order of" line with "U.S. Department of Homeland Security". Below that it looks like "Citizenship and Immigration Services", but it's difficult to read. I only have access to a scan of the canceled checks. I'm guessing they stamp everyone's check like that, but mine were cashed without any problems. They're stamped on back by Chase bank.

Ok, I'm glad you didn't have problems. The fact remains that a lot of people have posted on this forum that their checks were returned because they wrote "USCIS" or "USDHS" instead of "U.S. Department of Homeland Security". I guess a lot of people have probably done the same as you and not had problems, but when giving advice it's usually best to advise people to follow the instructions, even if not following the instructions won't always cause problems.

Hi! Jim,

Yes mine was Cashed out too with out any Problems, what a Co-incedence ,Mine is Chase Bank too.

[MalolosToUSA 0]

Copied from the I-485 Instruction from the USCIS website:

Page 8

"You may submit one check or money order for both the application and biometrics fees, for a total of $1010..........Make the check or money order payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security.........NOTE: Please spell out U.S. Department of Homeland Security; do not use the initials "USDHS" or "DHS"."

I think this explains the situation with your check. Sorry.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Cheque details from USCIS: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=3850a99ba78af110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=fe529c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD This site USED to say "USCIS" (spelt out) was fine because I remember it distinctly. It's obviously now been revised.

Regardless, always follow the FORM instructions. Not what someone else has said, or mentioned in passing, or something you think you saw a month ago. Save links by all means but remember to double check them (and that you're using the updated version of the form) at the time of FILING, not the time of filling out the forms (I had to redo a few forms before I sent my AOS package because i got a bit ahead of myself and the forms were updated).

I would correct who the cheque was made out to. Check that you've written the amount correctly (as per my link above) and you should be fine. Good luck.