can AOS, EAD and AP wait?

[beck26 1]

hello everyone, i just got here on california USA last april 10. im still adjusting to my new life with my wife (i was a K1 visa holder, we got married last april 18)...of course, im now a house husband but i want to work so bad soon...i checked and im preparing my AOS and EAD files as of the moment but then i saw the fees are around $1070 (including $85 for the biometrics) just for the AOS fee alone.

the thing is, i dont want to trouble my wife with it anymore, as a man, i want to work for it....can anyone help with these questions?

1. is it fine for me to just get the SSN for the meantime and let the AOS, EAD and AP applications wait? can i get jobs just with SSN alone?

2. if this is fine, would it still be alright to file for AOS (and the other two stuffs) with an expired I-94?

this one is regarding to me filing for SSN on friday:

3. SSN requires another ID (US issued) aside from passport, but i dont have any. would the visa (inside my passport) do?

also, i know this is kinda off-topic but:

4. how much will driving lessons cost in california?

i feel so helpless right now, i want to adjust and earn money to help my wife ASAP...i would appreciate everyone's response. thank you very much, being a petitioned wife in US is hard, but being a petitioned husband in US is hard and humbling at the same time....im not used to this, i want to provide for my wife....like im providing to my mother and father back in the Philippines.

[Pitaya 2,577]

hello everyone, i just got here on california USA last april 10. im still adjusting to my new life with my wife (i was a K1 visa holder, we got married last april 18)...of course, im now a house husband but i want to work so bad soon...i checked and im preparing my AOS and EAD files as of the moment but then i saw the fees are around $1070 (including $85 for the biometrics) just for the AOS fee alone.

the thing is, i dont want to trouble my wife with it anymore, as a man, i want to work for it....can anyone help with these questions?

1. is it fine for me to just get the SSN for the meantime and let the AOS, EAD and AP applications wait? can i get jobs just with SSN alone? NO!

2. if this is fine, would it still be alright to file for AOS (and the other two stuffs) with an expired I-94?

this one is regarding to me filing for SSN on friday:

3. SSN requires another ID (US issued) aside from passport, but i dont have any. would the visa (inside my passport) do?

also, i know this is kinda off-topic but:

4. how much will driving lessons cost in california?

i feel so helpless right now, i want to adjust and earn money to help my wife ASAP...i would appreciate everyone's response. thank you very much, being a petitioned wife in US is hard, but being a petitioned husband in US is hard and humbling at the same time....im not used to this, i want to provide for my wife....like im providing to my mother and father back in the Philippines.

Read up on getting an SSN:

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

Good luck on your immigration journey.

[pieroot 43]

the thing is that you won't be able to work legally without the EAD, so there's no way of getting around paying the fee. Sorry.

[OZ62 17]

If you get an SSN, the card will have the words in big fat letters that you need DHS permission to work.

In other words, you can't work legally until you file for EAD. It takes about 3 months to get your worker's permit.

Takes about forever to get your Green Card.

If you don't have the cash, you can try to work for someone who will pay you in cash or your petitioner can always apply for a small loan?

[beck26 1]

can i apply for AOS and EAD with an expired I-94 though?

Edited April 25, 2013 by beck26

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You cannot work without applying for AOS. You also cannot get a Driver's License. You should have studied up on it and realize that this fee was a part of the process. You can pay your wife back for the fee, but postponing it is not a good idea.

[Peter_Pan 661]

can i apply for AOS and EAD with an expired I-94 though?

Yes, no problems there.

[khwaidee1 196]

Given the current immigration reform issues going on I wouldn't wait to get your AOS filed. As pointed out your can't work or get your DL without an EAD or GC and once your I-94 expires you can't get a SSN. As for driving lessons in Calif., they really vary, do an online search for it. Some charge hourly with packages right through the driving test. However, you will need a temporary permit to take driving lessons. And, you guessed it, you will need a GC to get the permit. My wife got hers using her GC and was told she would need to have proof of legal status (GC) to get it. The EAD will not suffice.

[Tahoma 2,292]

You don't need a U.S. ID to get a Social Security number. You can get one with your passport and your I-94. That's what my wife, Chinook, did. Chinook applied for a Social Security number about one week after she arrived in the U.S. She received her Social Security card in the mail a week or two later.

However, you must apply for your Social Security number at least two weeks before your I-94 expires.

[ladyblue 11]

hello everyone, i just got here on california USA last april 10. im still adjusting to my new life with my wife (i was a K1 visa holder, we got married last april 18)...of course, im now a house husband but i want to work so bad soon...i checked and im preparing my AOS and EAD files as of the moment but then i saw the fees are around $1070 (including $85 for the biometrics) just for the AOS fee alone.

the thing is, i dont want to trouble my wife with it anymore, as a man, i want to work for it....can anyone help with these questions?

1. is it fine for me to just get the SSN for the meantime and let the AOS, EAD and AP applications wait? can i get jobs just with SSN alone?

2. if this is fine, would it still be alright to file for AOS (and the other two stuffs) with an expired I-94?

this one is regarding to me filing for SSN on friday:

3. SSN requires another ID (US issued) aside from passport, but i dont have any. would the visa (inside my passport) do?

also, i know this is kinda off-topic but:

You cannot work without the EAD, you can get a SSN but it will state your working staus on it.

you will need your passport and birth certificate when applying for SSN

My husband is ready to work also since day one but without EAD you cant its illeagal.

4. how much will driving lessons cost in california?

i feel so helpless right now, i want to adjust and earn money to help my wife ASAP...i would appreciate everyone's response. thank you very much, being a petitioned wife in US is hard, but being a petitioned husband in US is hard and humbling at the same time....im not used to this, i want to provide for my wife....like im providing to my mother and father back in the Philippines.

[neodragon0l 6]

@OP. As a male, I know what you mean, but I think your feelings also applie to everyone with a K-1 visa or with an immigration issue. You have to understand that marriage at least in the US is all about give and take. I think your wife understands the fact she has to support you for now. I say, file the AOS right now, even if she has to pay for it. Don't let it linger. The sooner you file the sooner it is in queue and you can move on to other things. The last thing you want is always think about your immigration status.

Also, getting a SSN does not allow you to work. Getting a job with employment authorization may jeopardize your status. It is hard to risk it. EAD is only 2-3 months away. Just hang in there and then look for a job. Even better, look for a job after your biometrics. Job hunting also takes awhile. Unless you are a nurse, it takes several months to get a decent job. That way, if you find a job, you can ask the employer if you can start as soon as you receive it. You have a K-1 visa. I really doubt they will deny you for an employment authorization.

Regardless, get a copy of your SSN. Go to the link that someone above mentioned. Print out the law where you are allowed to get a SSN. Best advice from this forum. Many SSA employees do not know it and may give you are hard time. Go to a friendly immigrant SSA office. I am not so sure where you are located. My wife can be used for a lot of things aside from employment. It also is a good feeling that you exist somehow in the US.

In CA, you can't get a drivers' license/permit without an employment authorization or a greencard. DMV people like SSN only have lists of allowed documents for processing. To answer your question, driving lessons are around 60-75 per hour, but you will need your driver's permit first.

[beck26 1]

thank you very much neodragon, i guess i'll have to ask my wife to shoulder the costs for now... it hurts me but i have no choice...

im now at california and im just trying my luck on online jobs for now as a graphic artist...

i know i shouldve read the process of AOS first before coming here but its not like i can produce that kind of money in few months...we will apply for SSN tomorrow so i guess i'll start from there....

thanks for all the responses guys...i appreciate it. you all have a good day.

@neodragon.

by the way, i know its a dumb question and all, but i cant seem to find the address where i should send the AOS/EAD/AP packet. could you help me with this? thanks again. sorry for the trouble.

Edited April 26, 2013 by beck26

[Pitaya 2,577]

by the way, i know its a dumb question and all, but i cant seem to find the address where i should send the AOS/EAD/AP packet. could you help me with this? thanks again. sorry for the trouble.

When all is fails, read the instructions:

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-485instr.pdf

Good luck.

[Fight for Love 98]

1. is it fine for me to just get the SSN for the meantime and let the AOS, EAD and AP applications wait? can i get jobs just with SSN alone?

you could apply for SSN and CA ID. but you cannot work yet.unless it's under the table jobs.

2. if this is fine, would it still be alright to file for AOS (and the other two stuffs) with an expired I-94?

you could AOS anytime. but its better to do it before your medical expired (1yr since you been in st.jude)

this one is regarding to me filing for SSN on friday:

3. SSN requires another ID (US issued) aside from passport, but i dont have any. would the visa (inside my passport) do?

any id will work..do u have any ID from the philippines...any SSS card there or any kind?

also, i know this is kinda off-topic but:

4. how much will driving lessons cost in california?

it depend...usually its about $50-$80/hr.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Fight for Love

[neodragon0l 6]

thank you very much neodragon, i guess i'll have to ask my wife to shoulder the costs for now... it hurts me but i have no choice...

im now at california and im just trying my luck on online jobs for now as a graphic artist...

i know i shouldve read the process of AOS first before coming here but its not like i can produce that kind of money in few months...we will apply for SSN tomorrow so i guess i'll start from there....

thanks for all the responses guys...i appreciate it. you all have a good day.

@neodragon.

by the way, i know its a dumb question and all, but i cant seem to find the address where i should send the AOS/EAD/AP packet. could you help me with this? thanks again. sorry for the trouble.

Depends how you are you planning to send it. We sent it to the Chicago office. The address is in the back in the instructions page of the AOS. You have to go to the USCIS website to download the instructions. Good luck.