Green Card Fees and Lawyer?

[maruska&chris 7]

Hello guys,

so here it is.. we got K1 visa, we got married and now I'm applying for the green card. - also for SSC - the people at the office are just helpless

I wanted to ask where I can see how much the fee is? I could't find it anywhere.

And also, my friends recommend to get a lawyer for the process, do you think it's necessary for the interview and everything?

There is a lot of paperwork, but I think I can handle it on my own. I just didn't know if there might be something tricky.

Thank you so much,

Marie

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Read the guides. The fee is $1070. No lawyer necessary.

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

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

Hello guys,

so here it is.. we got K1 visa, we got married and now I'm applying for the green card. - also for SSC - the people at the office are just helpless

I wanted to ask where I can see how much the fee is? I could't find it anywhere.

And also, my friends recommend to get a lawyer for the process, do you think it's necessary for the interview and everything?

There is a lot of paperwork, but I think I can handle it on my own. I just didn't know if there might be something tricky.

Thank you so much,

Marie

It honestly looks like alot of paperwork when you first look at it. But when you use the checklist on this site and go number by number what is required and needed, it's actually fairly easy and simple. I used a lawyer for my wife's K1 visa, and that's only because I was working outside of the country at the time. When we got married and filed for her AOS and then ROC later I did everything myself, thus saving the money that would have been spent on a lawyer.

Just follow the checklist on here and you will be good if you have a straightforward case.

[Dohan 133]

If your case is straightforward, no previous fraud, no previous marriages which is not clear whether you were married or not, no criminal history, etc then you definitely DO NOT need a lawyer. It boggles my mind how much they charge, and honestly the work is not so difficult when you have a simple case.

Just keep a file to the side where you put together all the evidence for the interview and keep copies of everything you submit to USCIS. It is totally doable. If you do it yourself it will cost 1070, if you hire a lawyer it can cost up to 3000 extra.

[Dave & Mong 29]

We just followed the guides on VJ and didn't get a single RFE. Had a lawyer during K1 and got a RFE! Not hard to do, just time consuming. Good luck!

[maruska&chris 7]

Thank you, so much! I found out I can't even fill the forms yet, because have been waiting for my SSN forever!!
I'm probably the only foreigner in this town and the people there have no idea what they are supposed to do.

Wow $1070?! I knew it'd be expensive, but this just stealing... alright, we just have to do it though.

Thank you again!

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Thank you, so much! I found out I can't even fill the forms yet, because have been waiting for my SSN forever!!

I'm probably the only foreigner in this town and the people there have no idea what they are supposed to do.

Wow $1070?! I knew it'd be expensive, but this just stealing... alright, we just have to do it though.

Thank you again!

It's not that expensive when you think about what you're getting. Then in two years it's another $550 or so to remove conditions and the the fee for citizenship

[Loki_Go 126]

It took less than a week for my SS card to be sent to me. How long have you been waiting? That was one of the quickest parts of the process so far.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Also if you hired a lawyer you're looking at 3k/5k

[maruska&chris 7]

Ok, I just came from SSA office and they told me that they sent my application to some government office and they are waiting for approval... and that it usually takes 45 days to get it back. Could someone tell me if this happened to them too, please? I start to be desperate with all this paperwork and I haven't even started yet. And with no SSN I even can't... thank you for your advice!

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Thank you, so much! I found out I can't even fill the forms yet, because have been waiting for my SSN forever!!

I'm probably the only foreigner in this town and the people there have no idea what they are supposed to do.

Wow $1070?! I knew it'd be expensive, but this just stealing... alright, we just have to do it though.

Thank you again!

You do not need the SSN to file for AOS.

[maruska&chris 7]

I do not? I thought so, because it's on every form to fill the SSN. Ok, then I'll just send it without it, because to get my SSN will probably take forever...

[belinda63 3,038]

SSN is optional

[Stevephoto 230]

Ok, I just came from SSA office and they told me that they sent my application to some government office and they are waiting for approval... and that it usually takes 45 days to get it back. Could someone tell me if this happened to them too, please? I start to be desperate with all this paperwork and I haven't even started yet. And with no SSN I even can't... thank you for your advice!

That does not make sense to me. SSN is an "easy" (read: nothing is easy) process once your entry into the US is registered (i.e., two weeks after POE). It took us two trips, but Joan had her SSC within a few days and then a minor hassle changing her name once we were married...not a bad process overall and nowhere near 45 days. I would go back and ask for a supervisor. Good luck.

[S + E 1]

Hi Marie,

We have just sent in our AOS and are in the waiting mode...so very similar situation. I did thorough research online (esp. VisaJourney) and filed all paperwork without a lawyer. We did the same with K-1 (I-129F) and it went through ok, so we are hoping for the same outcome this time around.

Let me know if you need any help - feel free to send me a personal message here on Visajourney - we can exchange cel # and speak over phone in Czech if you want

As for SSN, from what I researched it is not necessary for your AOS paperwork, but of course it's good to have (generally speaking). I would apply and try to get it before you mail out AOS but if not I would not wait for it so it does not delay you application too much.

Hope that helps - good luck and congrats on getting married!

Eva