AOS filig

[smallgirlbigworld 46]

Hello all I have a quick question. We are filing for AOS at the end of November but are leaving to see his family mid December.

Would that be a problem? I mean is it likely to get a biometrics appointment that soon after submitting? I don't think it will go that fast since christmas is coming up. We won't be home till after christmas. Thank you

[Pitaya 2,577]

Impossible to tell how fast or slow USCIS will send out ACS Biometric Notice. For example, my wife and stepson got their ACS notices about two weeks after AOS submission..... there is no rhyme or reason....

Is there someone that can monitor your mail, and keep an eye out for official-looking USCIS letters?

Happy Holidays, and good luck on your immigration journey.

[smallgirlbigworld 46]

No unfortunately we don't have anybody that can monitor our mail.

So our best bet would be to wait till we return from our trip I guess?!

What happens if we get an Bio appointment and don't attend it?

[LionessDeon 2,060]

When you say leaving, I assume you mean within the USA

[smallgirlbigworld 46]

When you say leaving, I assume you mean within the USA

yes of course within the USA

[JessDak 27]

If you miss the appointment then it is possible that your case may be closed as 'abandoned'.

My letter showed up in our mailbox after the interview date and it has warnings all over it about missing the appointment. However I just went in to the office the next morning to try a late walk-in. Unfortunately they didn't allow that but the lady didn't seem to care to listen to my explanation as to why I was late (I wanted to explain so as to make it clear that I didn't abandon the case). She just told me the next available appointment, handed me the new letter and sent me on my way. So in my case it wasn't such a big deal to miss the appointment (other than delaying the processing times) but I'm not sure if I was just a lucky case that didn't get stamped as 'abandoned'

[Mounat 74]

Hello all I have a quick question. We are filing for AOS at the end of November but are leaving to see his family mid December.

Would that be a problem? I mean is it likely to get a biometrics appointment that soon after submitting? I don't think it will go that fast since christmas is coming up. We won't be home till after christmas. Thank you

If you file at the end of November, it will take 2-3 weeks, at the earliest, to receive a biometrics appointment letter. In the letter, you will be given a date that is at least 2-3 after the date on the letter. Given your planned filing time frame, there's almost zero chance your biometrics appointment will happen in December. More likely, it will be well into the new year when your appointment is scheduled. Don't sweat it.

Good luck.

[smallgirlbigworld 46]

If you file at the end of November, it will take 2-3 weeks, at the earliest, to receive a biometrics appointment letter. In the letter, you will be given a date that is at least 2-3 after the date on the letter. Given your planned filing time frame, there's almost zero chance your biometrics appointment will happen in December. More likely, it will be well into the new year when your appointment is scheduled. Don't sweat it.

Good luck.

Thank you... at least one person with good news LOL we can push out the filing till the beginning of December to give us the extra time to be sure nothing will go wrong while we are on our trip. Also due to the holidays coming up I would think it will take a few extra days to get everything processed anyways. We just want it to be filed before the new fee's are coming in place.

[Mounat 74]

Thank you... at least one person with good news LOL we can push out the filing till the beginning of December to give us the extra time to be sure nothing will go wrong while we are on our trip. Also due to the holidays coming up I would think it will take a few extra days to get everything processed anyways. We just want it to be filed before the new fee's are coming in place.

Right. The new fees don't kick in till the 23rd and things usually slow down in December. You will have no problem beating the fee hike deadline and no issues missing a bio appointment.

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

If you file at the end of November, it will take 2-3 weeks, at the earliest, to receive a biometrics appointment letter. In the letter, you will be given a date that is at least 2-3 after the date on the letter. Given your planned filing time frame, there's almost zero chance your biometrics appointment will happen in December. More likely, it will be well into the new year when your appointment is scheduled. Don't sweat it.

Good luck.

Our appointment date in the letter was only 9 days from when we received it in the mail, 12 from the date on the letter, so I am not sure how much faith to put in this.

Bio appointments are held at individual local service centers so the time it takes to be given a date can fluctuate pretty significantly depending on where you are filing from.

If you notice the timeline in my signature it was almost exactly a month from the day our petition was received to when we had our appointment. So there is definately more than a zero percent chance that the appointment will be in December if she files in November.

Edited November 16, 2016 by MorganandMichael

[Ketsuban 1,034]

Some people are lucky and get a good 2-3 weeks' notice, personally for my biometrics (for my ROC) I had 11 days' notice.

[lacolinab13 86]

My husband's biometrics appointment was exactly one month after USCIS received his I-485 package. (Arrived at the USCIS PO Box on August 18, received date on NOA1 August 19, biometrics Sep 19). Pretty typical timing for people who filed for AOS in August; the vast majority of people had their bio appointments scheduled about a month from the date USCIS received the application.

We got the notice in the mail something like 9-10 days before the appointment date.

[smallgirlbigworld 46]

thank you all for your feedback... I'm still sitting here trying to figure out what to do. I would think if we file around the 10th/15th of December we should still be able to keep the deadline for new fees and it should give us enough time to take a two week trip so see family...

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

thank you all for your feedback... I'm still sitting here trying to figure out what to do. I would think if we file around the 10th/15th of December we should still be able to keep the deadline for new fees and it should give us enough time to take a two week trip so see family...

The letter does give you the contact information if you need to reschedule, and you can also try a walk-in as soon as you have that letter. I feel like the ideal situation for you would be to file and then as long as you receive the letter before you leave for vacation, first trying doing a walk-in before you go. If the walk-in is unsuccessful and the medical date you are given doesn't work with your trip, then you can always reschedule it. For this I would advise trying to get the petition out as soon as you can, however, so you can get that letter before your trip. If that's not possible then waiting until early/mid December is an option, yes.

On the issue of what happens if worse-case you do miss your appointment, there was at least one person in a current AOS filers thread who missed her appointment because they had a wrong mailing address and she never got her letter. Her petition was not closed as 'abandoned' and she was able to get in contact with USCIS and set up another appointment.