AFTER Bio and BEFORE and AFTER GC

[HU@VJ 0]

Hi

Dear Fellow VJites

I got my bio done on Sep 3rd 2010. And i have a vacation planed in October. I am AOS pending approval.

1. Please tell me as my I-94 has expired, and my interview date hasn't come yet, which is the best way to travel within US.

2. How long before i will receive my interview letter?

3. How long before i will receive my EAD? Can I start job-hunting immediately?

4. Also, I am wondering what happens when the officer pulls down the I-94 from our passports? Do we get anything on our passports to show what we are?

5. I can't leave the country until we receive the GC, right?

6. Does it mean, I can't find work until the GC is received, even if the EAD is there?

7. Also, how do we travel outside US after we receive our GC, does our passport show something?

8. I have learned that we got to use the same passport until the US citizenship is granted. this is giving me goosebumps? I mean how do we travel once we have the GC and our passport doesn't show anything in it related in this regard.

Hope i could make myself clear. I will appreciate any information you can give me on this. I will be happy to answer any questions as well.

Thanks much

Ruchika

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hi

Dear Fellow VJites

I got my bio done on Sep 3rd 2010. And i have a vacation planed in October. I am AOS pending approval.

1. Please tell me as my I-94 has expired, and my interview date hasn't come yet, which is the best way to travel within US. However you want to travel is up to you, be it boat, plane.. bus.. just take your NOA1 from the AOS with you

2. How long before i will receive my interview letter? No-one knows for SURE. usually 3 months can be longer

3. How long before i will receive my EAD? Can I start job-hunting immediately? Around 2 months, again, no-one knows for sure. You filed I-765 paperwork right? Yes you can start looking for work AND even working right away, as long as you also have a SSN

4. Also, I am wondering what happens when the officer pulls down the I-94 from our passports? Do we get anything on our passports to show what we are? What do you mean "pull down"? Do you mean pull it out? and do you mean at the interview?? If you mean pull it out at the interview then no, you don't get anything in your passport, that's what the greencard is for when you eventually receive it.

5. I can't leave the country until we receive the GC, right? No. Well, actually it depends. Did you file for Advanced Parole? The I-131? If you did, you can leave the country and return using that, if you didn't then yes, you need to wait for your GC. If during the wait you NEED to leave you can file for the I-131, you can even file for it now, there is no fee, you just will need to send a copy of your AOS NOA1 to get the fee waived

6. Does it mean, I can't find work until the GC is received, even if the EAD is there? I don't understand the first part of the qn, but once you have an EAD you can work, as long as you also have a SSN.

7. Also, how do we travel outside US after we receive our GC, does our passport show something? you would travel outside the US the same way you normally would, showing your passport. There is nothing regarding your immigration in it (except the K1 visa of course which is now invalid). You would show your GC to get back INTO the US

8. I have learned that we got to use the same passport until the US citizenship is granted. this is giving me goosebumps? I mean how do we travel once we have the GC and our passport doesn't show anything in it related in this regard. You don't HAVE to use the same passport. You can apply for a new one with your new married name in it, but otherwise yes, you would need your home countries passport to travel, and you would use your GC to get back into the US

Answers in red above, hope that helps.

[Nik+Heather 121]

Just a clarification on number 3.

No one can say how long it will take to get the EAD, but the estimate of about 2 months is borne out in the statistics this website tracks. You can job hunt, but you can NOT start work until you have the EAD card and a social security number. The SSN is not enough.

Once you get the green card, to travel overseas you would need to get visas for the destination country just like anyone from your country is my understanding. The US residency might help if it's usually unlikely for citizens of your country to get tourist visas. You'll need to carry the originals of your passport AND the green card when you travel, as you'll need the green card to enter the US again. You won't need a visa to enter the US anymore (or your home country), as you're a resident.

[HU@VJ 0]

Hi

Vanessa and Tony, and

Nik and Heather

Thanks a lot for all the answers you helped me with. Means a lot.

I applied for all the three - 485, 131, and 765 in July end.

My bio was done on Sep 3rd, so as i have been waiting for the interview letter, i started to have ll these questions.

Thanks to VJ, that we have this forum and that people come forth to help others.

And Vanessa, yes, i did mix-up words down/in there, thanks for correcting me.

Thanks much

Ruchika