September 2014 AOS Filers

[asianculture 14]

Well yeah right...

You can't drive until you get your GC...I don't think DMV will give you a DL with only an EAD... Not that surr

***sure

Yes you can be issued a drivers license with AED....a friend of mine just got hers few days ago with her AED only in California.

[asianculture 14]

No updates on our case at USCIS since 9/9/2014. Biometrics were completed on 10/1....

*sigh*

We are the same boat...nothing after biometrics on 10/1 but I got my SSN with my married name though. I hope soon because I am so eager to start working and driving.

[icebryker 21]

I wish we had filed AOS/EAD sooner. I want to work already. I drove a few times when my I-94 was still valid and now I can't wait to get the EAD/AP combo card so I can apply for a driver's license.

By the way the officer at the Social Security Office was annoying. I applied for SSN after I got married (2nd month since I got here) and she said I can't have it in my married name because something wasn't updated in the DHS whatever. She said I should have it in my maiden name then return after 2 weeks so I can update it and have it in my married name. And so we came back and she (same lady) was saying a different story, she said I should wait for my green card. What a poopy lie! Ughhh.. I hate it when they can't keep their stories straight. I plan on going back there when I get my EAD/AP combo card.

Wait. Wait. Wait. All we can do is wait. **sigh**

[mmanginsay 5]

Yeah right SS and DHS aren't communicating with one another... Just like in my case ..2 weeks after I arrived in the US I got my SSN a with a record "Legal alien allowed to work" but after my i94 expires I cant work anymore I have to wait for i765 or GC

[pro_star 52]

Government branches not communicating?

Stop the presses that never happens!

Okay I'm overly sarcastic today...running off of next to no sleep. But anyway. Wouldn't it be lovely if they actually could play nice and communicate? Course, why make life easier for the legal immigrants...sigh.

The wait continues.

[mmanginsay 5]

Well as we all know US immigration policies are quite fragmented and broken. I'm not blaming the government for its failure to simplify the system as this is a joint effort by executive and legislative.

But yeah it would be easier if government agencies are communicating each other so immigrants like us will be assisted and be informed properly.

My experience is the same experience I guess for this K1 holders whose port of entry is JFK. I read a lot of forums with the same experience.

This whole experience is draining mentally and financially. I just only hope that this will be over since I want to drive and go back on my daily routine I'm not use to stay at home and just wait for my partner to feed me.

[Calikitkat 16]

Hi guys! So it's been a couple days more than a week since I had my biometrics on 10/22 and yet no change in my EAD status! I just wish I could work for the USCIS once I have my EAD to understand what's going on there! Seems like a fun job to me, helping people out!

Oh and how about the I-94 after you had your biometrics on your new married name? Does it also state your new married name at some point? Cos then maybe I can at least I can change the name on my SSN before the EAD! Looks like that one will take forever!

Edited October 31, 2014 by anapetcu

[Zedayn 485]

Our biometrics was on 10/6 and still no change in our status....

[Nikki D 6]

Hello all and happy Halloween!

I'm super late to the conversation, but better late than never, right? And what better time than the spookiest day of the year for an angry rant?

Here goes. My USC man and I touched down on US soil on August 19 and married on August 20. I think our story is a little different to a lot of posters on this thread because my fiance/now-hubby has been living in Australia for 11 years, six of those years in a relationship with me. In a sense that really has made this whole K1/AOS process so much easier, but it has also made it rather tricky, seeing as we now have to reestablish him back in America while at the same time getting me through this GC process and integrated into society.

After arriving in his home town Pittsburgh where we are living in an apartment owned by his mom, we filed for AOS and EA on September 9 and I have to say the longer this process takes, well, the longer this process takes!

It feels like we are now crawling at a snail pace - so frustrating, seeing as we have so much to establish us as a bona fide couple. It feels like, compared to a lot of you lucky September filers who are moving at lightening speed, our service center is on permanent vacay and that our postman is constantly out to lunch.

And when it comes to the Affidavit of Support (definitely the biggest headache), seeing as hubby didn't have any US Tax Returns (he's been in Australia since he was a teen and has never earned a US income), we provided his last three Aussie Tax Returns, multiple pay stubs, his hefty retirement fun and more than enough monetary assets between the two of us to exceed $100k.

So yesterday I checked my case status online and was so crestfallen to see that after doing my biometrics three weeks ago, I was issued with an RFE on October 27. Dammit! We've been so good thus far, never retaining the services of a lawyer and never receiving a single RFE before this moment. I can't help but think that, after reading posts from other September filers, it has something to do with the Affidavit, seeing as hubby does not currently have a job.

This waiting game just sucks. I'm almost embarrassed to say i feel so jealous of all the September filers who have been issued with EA and letters about their impending GC interviews. So not fair!

End rant.

[mmanginsay 5]

Welcome to the broken immigration system of America...Lols

It's a waiting game

[Nikki D 6]

Welcome to the broken immigration system of America...Lols

It's a waiting game

Patience has never been one of my virtues.

[AuroreJeremy 26]

Hello all and happy Halloween!

I'm super late to the conversation, but better late than never, right? And what better time than the spookiest day of the year for an angry rant?

Here goes. My USC man and I touched down on US soil on August 19 and married on August 20. I think our story is a little different to a lot of posters on this thread because my fiance/now-hubby has been living in Australia for 11 years, six of those years in a relationship with me. In a sense that really has made this whole K1/AOS process so much easier, but it has also made it rather tricky, seeing as we now have to reestablish him back in America while at the same time getting me through this GC process and integrated into society.

After arriving in his home town Pittsburgh where we are living in an apartment owned by his mom, we filed for AOS and EA on September 9 and I have to say the longer this process takes, well, the longer this process takes!

It feels like we are now crawling at a snail pace - so frustrating, seeing as we have so much to establish us as a bona fide couple. It feels like, compared to a lot of you lucky September filers who are moving at lightening speed, our service center is on permanent vacay and that our postman is constantly out to lunch.

And when it comes to the Affidavit of Support (definitely the biggest headache), seeing as hubby didn't have any US Tax Returns (he's been in Australia since he was a teen and has never earned a US income), we provided his last three Aussie Tax Returns, multiple pay stubs, his hefty retirement fun and more than enough monetary assets between the two of us to exceed $100k.

So yesterday I checked my case status online and was so crestfallen to see that after doing my biometrics three weeks ago, I was issued with an RFE on October 27. Dammit! We've been so good thus far, never retaining the services of a lawyer and never receiving a single RFE before this moment. I can't help but think that, after reading posts from other September filers, it has something to do with the Affidavit, seeing as hubby does not currently have a job.

This waiting game just sucks. I'm almost embarrassed to say i feel so jealous of all the September filers who have been issued with EA and letters about their impending GC interviews. So not fair!

End rant.

Welcome! Sorry for the RFE. I had one too and I know it sucks! Did you guys use a joint sponsor?

[mmanginsay 5]

Yeah right Patience is a virtue...but even if you have this virtue with the long wait in the processing and wandering of what is going on I doubt if this saying still applicable hahaha

Yeah right Patience is a virtue...but even if you have this virtue with the long wait in the processing and wandering of what is going on I doubt if this saying still applicable hahaha

[Nikki D 6]

Welcome! Sorry for the RFE. I had one too and I know it sucks! Did you guys use a joint sponsor?

G'day! Yes, I saw you got one too as I read this entire thread yesterday while feeling sorry for myself. It made me feel a bit better to feel not so alone.

While I await the hardcopy RFE in the post, I can only guess at what it's in regards to and of course my mind goest straight to what I feel is the worst case scenario, which is something to do with the Affidavit.

We didn't use a joint sponsor because my hubby's last three Aussie tax returns showed his earnings far exceeding the 125% poverty guideline. We included a statement as to why he didn't file US tax returns (due to zero US income earned) and additional pay stubs from his freelance work apart from his Aussie full-time job. While he currently doesn't have US employment, he does have savings that exceed the poverty guideline, as does his retirement fund. Also, we decided to use my monetary assets, which is allowable according to the i-864 instructions:

"You may use the assets of the intending immigrant regardless of wherever he or she resides. The intending immigrant must provide evidence of such assets with this form."

We even included an up-to-date currency conversion to show how Aussie dollars compare to US currency. While Australia is incredibly expensive and the cost of living is high, so are the earnings, which means we were able to save a lot of money in the lead-up to our big move.

It would suck to fritter away our hard-earned savings, but our proof of available funds show that it would be a long time before we'd potentially be a drain on the US system, unless of course disaster or bad luck strikes.

[divikaki 8]

G'day! Yes, I saw you got one too as I read this entire thread yesterday while feeling sorry for myself. It made me feel a bit better to feel not so alone.

While I await the hardcopy RFE in the post, I can only guess at what it's in regards to and of course my mind goest straight to what I feel is the worst case scenario, which is something to do with the Affidavit.

We didn't use a joint sponsor because my hubby's last three Aussie tax returns showed his earnings far exceeding the 125% poverty guideline. We included a statement as to why he didn't file US tax returns (due to zero US income earned) and additional pay stubs from his freelance work apart from his Aussie full-time job. While he currently doesn't have US employment, he does have savings that exceed the poverty guideline, as does his retirement fund. Also, we decided to use my monetary assets, which is allowable according to the i-864 instructions:

"You may use the assets of the intending immigrant regardless of wherever he or she resides. The intending immigrant must provide evidence of such assets with this form."

We even included an up-to-date currency conversion to show how Aussie dollars compare to US currency. While Australia is incredibly expensive and the cost of living is high, so are the earnings, which means we were able to save a lot of money in the lead-up to our big move.

It would suck to fritter away our hard-earned savings, but our proof of available funds show that it would be a long time before we'd potentially be a drain on the US system, unless of course disaster or bad luck strikes.

As I understand it, foreign earned income is not applicable for meeting I-864 requirements. However, you can use the savings you have from this. Savings is counted at something like 1/5 the value of current income (therefore you'd need something close to 100,000 for a family of two, which I believe you said you have). You just need to show proof of this. Did you include your bank account info with these savings?

Also, just a note, your husband was not exempt from paying US taxes just because his income wasn't from the US. Americans are required to pay taxes on US and foreign-earned income. This could create an issue for you all later with the IRS if you don't sort it.