Renew EAD following green card interview pending decision?

[jxn 86]

Hello all, my wife (the beneficiary) and I (the USC petitioner) had our green card interview last week. Our AoS priority date is from early January 2014 so it's been a long time coming. We are doing this through a lawyer but I like to learn about the process and these forums have been a great resource.

For our green card interview we were not approved on the spot and I wrote about the experience here on the forums. Some people speculated that the IO didn't have the ability to give instant approvals, which I believe to be the case. That said, the interviewer did spend a bit of time discussing how it can take 90-120 days to make a decision and how we could make an InfoPass meeting if we don't hear anything by then.

With how long the process has been taking us, I want to remain prepared. My wife's EAD expires in exactly 120 days, so I'd like to renew it this week. I'd appreciate it if VisaJourney could shed light on a few questions for me.

Firstly, is there any risk in renewing with the current timing—before AoS approval / receiving the conditional green card but after the interview itself?

Secondly, I'm assuming the renewal itself is free since our AoS is pending and we filed the I-130, I-485, and I-765 all together. Is that correct?

Thirdly, we didn't apply for AP / I-131 the first time around. I'd like to do it this time but we don't have specific travel plans. If anything, it's to not have the restrictive , all-uppercase text on the bottom of the work permit: "Not for re-entry to the U.S." Although we are planning on not leaving the U.S. until we have her green card in hand, we would enjoy the benefit of knowing we have Advance Parole is comforting if an emergency comes up requiring travel. On this topic, is it free to apply for AP with the EAD renewal if we didn't apply for AP the first time?

For what it's worth, I would have added peace of mind with the work permit renewal because in many states you can't get new ID without six months or more of demonstrable, authorized residence. Hence, my wife's current driver license is tied to her EAD expiration date.

So, should I just wait it out a few more weeks/months? Regardless of whether it's better to wait or renew now for free, thanks for addressing my three questions and sharing your insights!

[tj86 16]

^{Hi, You should go ahead and renew your ead/ap since its free. It seems they are taking their time making a decision, You don't want your wife to be out of status while waiting for a decision.}

[NancyNguyen 1,657]

Yes you can definitively renew it for free. But I think you can only apply 90 days before it expires. Good luck.

[jxn 86]

The EAD is different from the green card in that it can be renewed 120 days before expiring instead of 90.

Thankfully my question is now moot, as we received notification today that USCIS ordered card production. Case approved!

[tj86 16]

The EAD is different from the green card in that it can be renewed 120 days before expiring instead of 90.

Thankfully my question is now moot, as we received notification today that USCIS ordered card production. Case approved!

Congrats to you both. Happy you had a short approval time.

Congrats to you both. Happy you had a short approval time.