AOS from Tourist Visa - not filed yet - can she get a non-work SSN?

[Leo7777 243]

Hey, great news Maxx and spouse.

Congratulations!!

Oh, I just noticed on your time line that you got green card approval in less than 90 days.

WOW . . . is that some sort of record for minimum time??

What service center did your paper work get sent to . . . Vermont, Missouri, Texas, Nebraska or California?

[Qilipu 0]

My new question is this: What are the real chances of her being detained and/or deported? We are in upstate New York in Syracuse and live a clean life. If there's a turn signal out and she gets pulled over driving is the police officer going to check her immigration status and detain her if her papers are not in order? Anyone heard of such a thing in a similar situation?

Sounds like something that might happen in Arizona with a Mexican criminal that has no papers at all. My wife has a valid passport, drivers license, and valid visa. Her I-94 will expire Nov 22. Are police that trained to know immigration rules?

I mean... I have heard of (some) criminals that are here illegally being deported but what are the real chances of my cute Ukranian wife (Or any of the tens of thousands or more illegal aliens in NYC for instance) actually getting deported?

There are SO many eastern European women that are not even married to a us citizen in a similar situation but I have not heard of deportation from any of them.

The chances are small, but not zero. Syracuse is not too far from the border (yes, it is the Canadian border and not Mexican, but so what, as far as the government is concerned!), and ICE or Border Patrol do conduct "random sweeps" in the area, e.g. on buses and trains:

https://nacla.org/blog/2013/2/5/price-security-border-patrol-bounty-hunting-northern-new-york

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/when-the-border-patrol-comes-aboard/comment-page-5/?_r=0

It helps to be white of course (as, I assume, your wife is), but white skin, or even "cute" appearance and lack of criminal history is not a 100% guarantee of protection from the authorities.

Money may be tight, but the way I feel it, filing the I-130 + I-485 + I-765 + I-131 package ASAP (i.e., as soon as you can get all the required paperwork together) is the best investment you can make at this time, even if you need to steal or borrow.

The last two forms ( I-765 and I-131) are free if they are filed together with I-485, and they will produce a nearly immediate "monetary return" of sorts: if the application is in order, the USCIS is supposed to issue an Advance Parole and Employment Authorization Document (EAD) within 90 days (and often this comes in somewhat faster). The EAD will allow your wife to find a job and earn some money, and the AP, to travel abroad if needed.

Under the current regulations, your wife does not have to take the medical exam right away (even though the instructions for I-485 may say so). It's OK to take the medical later (shop around for a better price) and to bring the completed and sealed medical report (I-693) to the interview, which will probably be several months away. If it that time she already has a medical insurance (e.g., through the employer), *some* kind doctors may combine the immigration medical exam (which would not be normally covered by one's insurance) with the routine annual physical (which the insurance may cover), thus saving on the exam fee. This is not common, however; ask around.

P.S. As others have said, your wife can apply for ITIN with the INS right away. ITIN is not tied to once immigration status or even physical presence in the US; it is for banking and tax purposes only. Later on, once she has an SSN, she can notify the bank (or any other institution where she has her ITIN on file) about her new SSN.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Qilipu

[Qilipu 0]

... filing the I-130 + I-485 + I-765 + I-131 package ASAP (i.e., as soon as you can get all the required paperwork together) is the best investment you can make at this time,

Oops - I just realized that I replied to a post that was several months old, and that the original posters did file their paperwork early, and got the results by now... Congratulations!