Specific Questions for AOS + I-130 Filing!

[Erica & L 50]

Hi everyone, I’m going to be going to the Library tomorrow afternoon to make some copies of my package and I just wanted to go through all my forms and ask some questions before I go ahead and print everything out. I'm aiming to send everything off (finally) on Monday!

Mailing:

First off, I will be sending USPS Priority to this address:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 805887

Chicago, IL 60680-4120

Is that correct? I considered sending express, but from all the threads I've read, sending express via USPS seemed to cause a lot of confusion in whether to send to the physical address or the PO box etc. Also, does anyone recommend using the flat-rate envelopes over your own wrapping? I know they have a base price despite how much stuff you put in, but I also wanted to ship mine as securely as possible so I didn't know if it would be worth it to just pay the extra 5 or so bucks and have it labeled and wrapped the way I’d like it.

G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance:

Do you need to clip one of these to every form or just clip one to the overall cover-page?

Form I-130:

Do you have to put none or N/A in every part of the form that isn't applicable? I know it says to in the instructions, but in some cases I wasn't sure if it was necessary but I don’t want to leave anything to question. For example, if my spouse already answered that she is a US citizen on question 13, is it necessary to put N/A on question #14 when it asks if she’s a lawful permanent resident? Even though the correct answer has already been stated? Or question # 22, If my local office is Atlanta GA, and the other option is the overseas office consulate, again, do I need to put N/A or is that already implied since I put my local office in the first part of the question?

Question #21 where it says: “If filing for your spouse, give the last address that you lived at together.”

It says to give a date from when to when, but when doing it on PDF, it will only let me use numbers so I can’t write from 06/25/2013 – Current, so what date do I put, the date we send off the application since that would be considered most recent? Or just write “current” by hand?

In the Visajourney instructions it says to provide a certified copy of the marriage certificate, but in the USCIS instructions, it just says “a copy of marriage certificate” and does not explicitly ask for the original certified copy? I have two certified copies on hand, but I don’t want to send them in if a photocopy will suffice, but would rather not risk a RFE either.

Proof of Bona Fide Marriage:

If you're sending in a few photos, do they need to be labeled with names/dates/location? I was going to thoroughly organize everything for my interview but I didn't know if it was necessary for the initial application since I'm only sending in a handful for good measure.

I-485:

Part 3A, where it says place of last entry into United States, do I put Vancouver, Canada, which is where I went through customs, or Chicago, Illinois because that was my first stop into the United States? Under the space it says “city/state” so I wasn't sure if that meant Chicago even though I wasn't inspected there.

I-864:

Is there any specific reason all the other forms indicate that you should out “none” or “N/A” if something doesn't apply but in the I-864 instructions it says to just leave it blank?

I-765:

Again, like on the Form I-485, question 13: "Place of last entry into the United States." do I put Vancouver where I got inspected or Chicago where my first lay-over was?

If anyone can provide me with some confirmation/answers to these questions in the next 24 hours I'd really appreciate it! I might be over-thinking but I'm trying to tie up some lose ends and I would rather be overly cautious than miss something,

Thanks!!

[blk 87]

Hi well I will try & answer some of your questions, on I-130 question 21 if you cannot type it in then just use a black pen, any thing like passport, birth certificates, marriage certificates you can send in photocopies of them as you might not get the originals back. If Vancouver is where you went through US immigration then put that, yes label any photos with date & place, as for the address you are sending it all to if you want to send it by express mail then send it to this address USCIS ATTN; FBAS 131 SOUTH DEARBOURN-3rd FLOOR. CHICARGO IL 60603-5517

Good luck

Brian

Edited January 31, 2014 by blk

[Erica & L 50]

Hi well I will try & answer some of your questions, on I-130 question 21 if you cannot type it in then just use a black pen, any thing like passport, birth certificates, marriage certificates you can send in photocopies of them as you might not get the originals back. If Vancouver is where you went through US immigration then put that, yes label any photos with date & place, as for the address you are sending it all to if you want to send it by express mail then send it to this address USCIS ATTN; FBAS 131 SOUTH DEARBOURN-3rd FLOOR. CHICARGO IL 60603-5517

Good luck

Brian

Thank you. I was under the impression though for the mailing that if you were sending it express, the physical address was for private express couriers like UPS, fedex etc. And although it would be USPS Express, it's still not a private courier?

Can anyone else fill in the blanks?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

You can write by hand, use your best judgement about N/A, you only need a regular photocopy of the marriage cert (The VJ guide is wrong on that), put where you were inspected for place of entry (Vancouver)

What else? You used a lot of spacing and explanations for your questions so it's hard to see them all while scrolling.

[blk 87]

Hi the address I quoted is for usps express mail & also any courier company as well, apparently there is a person their that sign's for it.

[Erica & L 50]

You can write by hand, use your best judgement about N/A, you only need a regular photocopy of the marriage cert (The VJ guide is wrong on that), put where you were inspected for place of entry (Vancouver)

What else? You used a lot of spacing and explanations for your questions so it's hard to see them all while scrolling.

Thank you! I think you guys pretty much covered everything, just one last question about the G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance: you need to clip one of these to every form or just clip one to the overall cover-page?

On the VJ guide it doesn't say one for each form but because that form was linked on the USCIS site for the I-130, I-765, and I-485 pages I wanted to make sure I would be receiving notifications for all.

Hi the address I quoted is for usps express mail & also any courier company as well, apparently there is a person their that sign's for it.

Gotcha, I'll have to take a look at all the prices online and weigh my options. Thanks!

[Erica & L 50]

Eek, another question regarding the mailing. I just looked up USPS Express Mail and it says that the add-on for a signature isn't available to request AT the post office, that you have to print it off online. Has any one had that issue? I've never heard of not being able to request that at the actual retail store...

[blk 87]

Hi the G-1145 I have put one with each of the applications just on the safe side lol, as for the usps my wife said that you can ask at the post office as she recently sent a letter by express mail with signature needed.

Edited January 31, 2014 by blk

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Just one G-1145 for everything, and you can't request a signature at a post office box. No person can sit in a box and sign things.

[blk 87]

Hi Harpa, the address I quoted is not a P.O Box it's normal address for anyone who is sending in there I-130 & I-485 & want to send it by express mail.

[Erica & L 50]

Just one G-1145 for everything, and you can't request a signature at a post office box. No person can sit in a box and sign things.

No, I meant if I were to send USPS Express instead of Priority and then send to the physical address, I'd like to include a signature and according to the website, you can only request a signature if you print out the mailing label online, but not if you go into the actual office and ask for it to be added while you're sending it of? Maybe the website is incorrect because I've read of everyone else simply asking for a signature while at the USPS, or forgetting to waive the signature and having it be added automatically.

I worked for Canada Post and we added signature in the retail store if requested, it wasn't strictly just a service available online, but hey that's Canada!

I tried calling the USPS store and of course nobody is answering so I'm probably just going to pop in and ask at some point today...

[blk 87]

Hi a letter my wife sent last week through express mail was Signed for by the recipient & she did it at the post office in person, I hope this helps.

Brian

[Erica & L 50]

Hi a letter my wife sent last week through express mail was Signed for by the recipient & she did it at the post office in person, I hope this helps.

Brian

Thank you. Yeah, I went to the post office and they said I could send express for 19.99 in a flat rate envelope and request a signature when I ship so I have no idea why the USPS website said otherwise.