February 2017 AOS Filers

[shayden10 78]

Hey AOS friends! Just wanted to let everyone know that I received word and my green card is being produced!

 

I did not have an interview, nor did I have any requests for evidence. I did call USCIS around the 5 month mark to check in, on August 16 I submitted a service request to see where it was at because it was over 6 months. I got a response to my request around the 27 or so saying they had no information for me. 

 

I hope everyone else starts getting good news soon! 

[Donnell 26]

Hi guys. I haven't posted in a while. Got my green card in the mail today

Aos from vwp. No rfes

March 3 2017- aos packet sent via usps priority mail
March 6 2017- packet received
March 16 2017- biometrics appointment letter
March 30 2017- did biometrics
May 16 2017- EAD/AP approved
May 19 2017- EAD combo card mailed
May 24 2017- EAD combo card received
August 1 2017- Received email and text updates for aos- jumped straight to - interview scheduled for September 5 at 11.30am
September 5 2017- went for interview- pretty straight forward, IO swore us in and just asked us questions to confirm identity, when we met and supporting evidence. Supporting evidence we took where - joint bank account statements, photos with us and other people ( IO took 4 photos from the album), health insurance( asked why she didn't include me on the policy within a month of marriage as she was supposed to. We told IO that she couldn't include me as we had to wait for my SS number and IO was ok with it. Apparently if you're a federal employee and if you were to include spouse in your health insurance policy, you're supposed to include them within a month of marriage. We also took our driver's licenses to show matching home addresses. Received 'card in production' email update at 7pm
September 7 2017- received 'welcome to America' mail. Also received text and email updates - card mailed 
September 11 2017- received green card in mail

[dmcw8890 5]

2 minutes ago, Donnell said:

Hi guys. I haven't posted in a while. Got my green card in the mail today

Aos from vwp. No rfes

March 3 2017- aos packet sent via usps priority mail
March 6 2017- packet received
March 16 2017- biometrics appointment letter
March 30 2017- did biometrics
May 16 2017- EAD/AP approved
May 19 2017- EAD combo card mailed
May 24 2017- EAD combo card received
August 1 2017- Received email and text updates for aos- jumped straight to - interview scheduled for September 5 at 11.30am
September 5 2017- went for interview- pretty straight forward, IO swore us in and just asked us questions to confirm identity, when we met and supporting evidence. Supporting evidence we took where - joint bank account statements, photos with us and other people ( IO took 4 photos from the album), health insurance( asked why she didn't include me on the policy within a month of marriage as she was supposed to. We told IO that she couldn't include me as we had to wait for my SS number and IO was ok with it. Apparently if you're a federal employee and if you were to include spouse in your health insurance policy, you're supposed to include them within a month of marriage. We also took our driver's licenses to show matching home addresses. Received 'card in production' email update at 7pm
September 7 2017- received 'welcome to America' mail. Also received text and email updates - card mailed 
September 11 2017- received green card in mail

Congratulations!!!!! 

I received my NOA 1 the first week of Feb, I put in a service request at the end of August and haven't heard back from them yet. Keeping my fingers crossed I hear something soon! 

[shayden10 78]

As an added note, I only read the email notification I received from USCIS saying my card was being produced, however upon checking the website to view the update it says that my card was being produced as of 9/8/17! Fingers crossed everyone starts to get their cards or interviews!

[sergeipoo 1]

10 hours ago, shayden10 said:

Hey AOS friends! Just wanted to let everyone know that I received word and my green card is being produced!

 

I did not have an interview, nor did I have any requests for evidence. I did call USCIS around the 5 month mark to check in, on August 16 I submitted a service request to see where it was at because it was over 6 months. I got a response to my request around the 27 or so saying they had no information for me. 

 

I hope everyone else starts getting good news soon! 

Good deal. Nice to see people are getting approved! Thanks for the update and congratulations! 

[shayden10 78]

For those who have already received their green cards, is the processing/shipping time comparable to the EAD card? I am headed home to Canada next week and staying for a couple weeks, I am curious as to whether I'll have it before I leave!

[shayden10 78]

On 9/7/2017 at 4:49 PM, allyrose said:

We were told that if you make a joint bank account that just sits there and is un-used that it looks suspicious.  

Hi allyrose!

I don't know if you've responded yet to your rfie but I wanted to lend a hand, if I can!

I definitely think you should get your parents to write an affidavit stating that you live together and with them (that helps to explain why there aren't any bills!) until you're ready to be on your own. If you have any close friends or family other than that, I would choose two other people to do an affidavit regarding your relationship. 

Do you have or know anyone who has a decent camera? It may be worthwhile to have some photos taken of the two of you together and with family. I submitted two pages of photos of my husband and I with the initial package that included some with our family and friends. 

If you received any cards from family or friends following the wedding congratulating you on your marriage, make copies of those. Or if you have any cards addressed to both of you (holiday cards?). 

Do you have a car? I would suggest changing the title to have both of your names. Even if it's your mom and dads car and you change it then change it back later. 

I would consider asking your parents if you can take over one of the bills. I know you said money is tight but even if you two go out and get a cell phone bill that has both your names it might help. 

If you have any plans for the future ceremony (do you have a dress, a ring, or have you picked a date already and made arrangements with a venue/photographer/caterer?) showing that you're making arrangements might help. 

You should also consider (I know you've mentioned it before) opening a joint bank account if you haven't already. If your husband is working already he can switch his pay to go into the new account or you can make a small deposit every pay. If you do open an account, order checks with both your names and your current address on it. 

I know it's frustrating right now that you have an rfie and feel like there is nowhere to go from here, but you'll get there. I think the best place to start with is to sit down with your man and your parents (as a group and one on one) and discuss what this rfie means and how you need to respond to it. 

Best of luck to you and your hubby, hopefully you get things sorted soon.

[allyrose 31]

On 9/10/2017 at 4:57 PM, antoineD said:

I think the easiest thing to do here is to make him an authorized user of your credit card or vice versa. Should be for free, and if you trusted him enough to marry, hopefully you can trust him with your credit score.

 

It'll be a good paper trail.

Yeah he's been authorized on my card for several months now. 

[allyrose 31]

1 hour ago, shayden10 said:

Hi allyrose!

I don't know if you've responded yet to your rfie but I wanted to lend a hand, if I can!

I definitely think you should get your parents to write an affidavit stating that you live together and with them (that helps to explain why there aren't any bills!) until you're ready to be on your own. If you have any close friends or family other than that, I would choose two other people to do an affidavit regarding your relationship. 

Do you have or know anyone who has a decent camera? It may be worthwhile to have some photos taken of the two of you together and with family. I submitted two pages of photos of my husband and I with the initial package that included some with our family and friends. 

If you received any cards from family or friends following the wedding congratulating you on your marriage, make copies of those. Or if you have any cards addressed to both of you (holiday cards?). 

Do you have a car? I would suggest changing the title to have both of your names. Even if it's your mom and dads car and you change it then change it back later. 

I would consider asking your parents if you can take over one of the bills. I know you said money is tight but even if you two go out and get a cell phone bill that has both your names it might help. 

If you have any plans for the future ceremony (do you have a dress, a ring, or have you picked a date already and made arrangements with a venue/photographer/caterer?) showing that you're making arrangements might help. 

You should also consider (I know you've mentioned it before) opening a joint bank account if you haven't already. If your husband is working already he can switch his pay to go into the new account or you can make a small deposit every pay. If you do open an account, order checks with both your names and your current address on it. 

I know it's frustrating right now that you have an rfie and feel like there is nowhere to go from here, but you'll get there. I think the best place to start with is to sit down with your man and your parents (as a group and one on one) and discuss what this rfie means and how you need to respond to it. 

Best of luck to you and your hubby, hopefully you get things sorted soon.

Hi! We haven't responded yet because we don't have enough evidence- trying to open a joint bank account but all the local banks are closed here because of Hurricane Irma. My mom is going to write a lease agreement of sorts to say that we live together and pay rent to her. We have many many photos of us together that we submitted for the K1 in the first place, we didn't know we also needed to submit them for AOS. We have two cars, one in my moms name and one in my dad's name. We have no cards of congratulations because we only told few people and will have a big ceremony and party later on. We have no plans for this right now as we have no money. We don't event have rings. 

 

I am just upset that we keep having to prove to all these strangers at USCIS that we are a real married couple. We don't have a lot, but we're together and that's all we wanted. 

[Suudsu 66]

2 hours ago, allyrose said:

Hi! We haven't responded yet because we don't have enough evidence- trying to open a joint bank account but all the local banks are closed here because of Hurricane Irma.

Which bank do you use?

[allyrose 31]

1 hour ago, Suudsu said:

Which bank do you use?

Bank of America. They are all closed today around us. 

[Suudsu 66]

43 minutes ago, allyrose said:

Bank of America. They are all closed today around us. 

Your free annual credit reports would presumably list the accounts (and also your address). I still think a letter from the bank would be better.

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action

[allyrose 31]

Hi everyone, 

 

Last week my husband and I got an RFE for his green card asking to prove the validity of the marriage. We are in the process of getting the evidence together and have some questions that we can't find answers to. First of all, one of the suggested documents in the letter was a lease/rental agreement showing we both pay rent and live in the same place. We live with my mother who rents the house, and we give her money towards her rent and bills every month. We don't have utility, phone, or internet bills addressed to us because she is the one renting the house from the landlady. Does anyone know of a template for something like that? We want it in writing stating we pay her rent, but we also don't want to write up a lease agreement because she's not really sub-leasing the rooms. We live with her, we aren't her roommates but we do pay her to live here. How can we get this down in a way that is acceptable to UCSIS? 

 

Also, one of the other suggested documents are affidavits from people that know us certifying we are a couple and that they have known us. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to structure those document as well? Is it just a sort of letter? 

 

We are in the process of transferring one of the car titles to both our names, and are opening a joint bank account as soon as our bank opens (damage from Irma) and we are both authorized on each other's credit cards and have pictures of each card with the same number on it with our names on each one. We also have a flight itinerary from when we traveled together to RI and several pictures of us at a wedding we attended. We are not in a financial position to do much else- do you all think that evidence will be enough? Getting tired of proving to strangers that our love is real. Thanks. 

[sergeipoo 1]

6 hours ago, allyrose said:

We are in the process of transferring one of the car titles to both our names, and are opening a joint bank account as soon as our bank opens (damage from Irma) and we are both authorized on each other's credit cards and have pictures of each card with the same number on it with our names on each one. We also have a flight itinerary from when we traveled together to RI and several pictures of us at a wedding we attended. We are not in a financial position to do much else- do you all think that evidence will be enough? Getting tired of proving to strangers that our love is real. Thanks. 

Can you just open a joint online savings account? It'll take a few days for the mail confirmation to come in (not sure how badly mail is delayed with the Hurricane) but usually it's pretty easy to add a joint account.

 

Ally.com (I submitted printed documents of my wife and her name on our initial package), Discover, Capital One 360 Savings are all online savings account that will save you from having to deal with the in-person banks. There isn't a minimum balance if I remember correctly (maybe $1?). Plus these actually give better/competitive rates at 1.2%, better than the minuscule rates BofA or Chase will offer.

[allyrose 31]

10 hours ago, sergeipoo said:

Can you just open a joint online savings account? It'll take a few days for the mail confirmation to come in (not sure how badly mail is delayed with the Hurricane) but usually it's pretty easy to add a joint account.

 

Ally.com (I submitted printed documents of my wife and her name on our initial package), Discover, Capital One 360 Savings are all online savings account that will save you from having to deal with the in-person banks. There isn't a minimum balance if I remember correctly (maybe $1?). Plus these actually give better/competitive rates at 1.2%, better than the minuscule rates BofA or Chase will offer.

Banks are still closed all around town and I'm not sure if we can open a joint savings account online. I also don't know if it would look weird that our savings account would be at a different bank than the rest of our accounts. I was also advised that a checking account would be better than a savings- do you have any advice?