March 2017 AOS Filers

[Nin&Way 69]

7 minutes ago, earnhaaart said:

Hi guys, for those you got their Ead/combo card, how many days did it take for you to receive your card after they mailed it?? And did you receive another email from uscis that says usps has picked up your card and gave you a tracking number?? 

Hi, it took for me 5 business days (read my signature). And no, there wasn't any tracking number or anything. 

[earnhaaart 30]

5 minutes ago, Nin&Way said:

Hi, it took for me 5 business days (read my signature). And no, there wasn't any tracking number or anything. 

Mine was approved on july 28, they mailed it out on aug 2 but when i called uscis to get the tracking number they told me that usps may not have picked up the card yet thats why theres no tracking number yet. I'm so anxious to get my card as i will be travelling back home next week. Anyways thanks for the info!

[Californiansunset 336]

1 hour ago, KimberleyVDB said:

Wow you weren't even aloud to take your written test? I live in Sacramento (thank God apparently) and went to my DMV (Carmichael)and had no problems whatsoever. I'm sorry you had to go through all of this. Hopefully everything goes smoothly from this point on. 

Good luck on your behind-the-wheel test. I'll have mine on the 29th!

Thank you! Yeah they only took the picture of me and did the vision test but wouldn't let me take the written one. In hindsight I should've tried to insist that i want to take the written test as well since I got up at 6am, had studied and already took the time to go there, but I was just so puzzled by the entire situation that they told me that they were unable to verify my status with my EAD. They wouldn't lose any time had they just let me quickly take the test since they still prepared the rest of the documents. Plus today they just took my verbal confirmation that it had been verified without checking, so it's not like it seems like they need prof of it to let me take the tests. Oh well lesson learned, I'm going to stand my ground the next time something like this happens.

 

Also, from my research I found out that this seems to happen a lot to H1B visa holder who want to get a DL. It makes more sense that it happens to a visa holder though that has an embassy issued visa than for someone who has an actual verified immigration status card in hand (EAD) issued by USCIS. It's frustrating how inefficient the immigration process is being handled. Hoping for a smooth process from here.

 

Good luck for your behind the wheel test as well!!!!

[kimy33 19]

6 minutes ago, Californiansunset said:

Thank you! Yeah they only took the picture of me and did the vision test but wouldn't let me take the written one. In hindsight I should've tried to insist that i want to take the written test as well since I got up at 6am, had studied and already took the time to go there, but I was just so puzzled by the entire situation that they told me that they were unable to verify my status with my EAD. They wouldn't lose any time had they just let me quickly take the test since they still prepared the rest of the documents. Plus today they just took my verbal confirmation that it had been verified without checking, so it's not like it seems like they need prof of it to let me take the tests. Oh well lesson learned, I'm going to stand my ground the next time something like this happens.

 

Also, from my research I found out that this seems to happen a lot to H1B visa holder who want to get a DL. It makes more sense that it happens to a visa holder though that has an embassy issued visa than for someone who has an actual verified immigration status card in hand (EAD) issued by USCIS. It's frustrating how inefficient the immigration process is being handled. Hoping for a smooth process from here.

 

Good luck for your behind the wheel test as well!!!!

 H1b status or H1b visa holder if you will also have an USCIS issued document (I-797 approval notice) in hand. 

 

I understand you frustration, it happened to me and my friends too, when we tried to get our DL renewed at DMV. They just told me they were unable to verify our information in their system and told us to go back later. 

[Californiansunset 336]

1 hour ago, kimy33 said:

 H1b status or H1b visa holder if you will also have an USCIS issued document (I-797 approval notice) in hand. 

 

I understand you frustration, it happened to me and my friends too, when we tried to get our DL renewed at DMV. They just told me they were unable to verify our information in their system and told us to go back later. 

Yes that is what I mean. I can understand it if they need to verify a visa holder that "only" has a paper verification instead of someone who has an USCIS issued identification immigration status card. There is a big difference between bringing an approval paper notice or an actual USCIS issued identification immigration status card.

I had the same issues getting an ID in Cali when i was a B1 visa holder and expected having to wait a while. I just think that with an EAD which almost equals a greencard they would have a better processing system at the DMV and don't randomly pick people whom status they need to verify and leave them hanging for couple weeks or months - but then again nothing should surprise me anymore when it comes to the immigration process

[IkaStuart 24]

Hey, guys... Wow, so many wonderful news here. I am so glad for everyone who got their green cards already.  Congratulation guys!!!

I have a question for those who had one or two RFIEs... Did anybody get interview date yet? If yes, how many days after they received a response to RFIE they gave you a date? And, how we can know where they are processing our case? Thank you so much in advance...

[Kooky 3]

2 hours ago, earnhaaart said:

Mine was approved on july 28, they mailed it out on aug 2 but when i called uscis to get the tracking number they told me that usps may not have picked up the card yet thats why theres no tracking number yet. I'm so anxious to get my card as i will be travelling back home next week. Anyways thanks for the info!

Did you sign-up for notifications with USPS?  https://my.usps.com/

[earnhaaart 30]

11 minutes ago, Kooky said:

Did you sign-up for notifications with USPS?  https://my.usps.com/

No but im going to do it now! Thank you👍🏻

[Kooky 3]

Just now, earnhaaart said:

No but im going to do it now! Thank you👍🏻

Let me know if anything comes up--I don't know if that has worked for anyone but someone on a different board recommended it.  Also if you do Informed Delivery Request it takes photos of what is coming in the mail that day and emails it to you.

 

[DorothyLa 107]

4 hours ago, Californiansunset said:

I'm writing this in case it happens to another person on this forum or someone is using the VJ searchbar to look for the same issue (which I did but didn't help much because I never found the answer Babigau gave):

 

So the recommendations from Babigau to go through Sacramento instead of waiting for the normal DMV were extremely helpful (thank you so much for that)! After a week I called the "general DMV hotline" just as I've been told by the lady at the DMV and they said that nothing has been verified yet. THe lady on the phone seemed utterly confused though so I called the main DMV office in Sacramento just like Babigau had told me. THey even have a department there that just handles immigration verification processes for the DMV. I told them what happened and both guys I talked to there said it was odd that my DMV didn't let me take the test. Apparently the normal procedure would've been to let me take all the tests and then verify my status afterwards. Anyways the guy said that he can find my DMV application in the system but can't see that the DMV made copies of my EAD and sent them to the Department of Homeland Security to verify my status (so I would've waited forever to have the normal DMV taking care of this because they obviously messed this up). I had to send a fax with a readable photocopy of my EAD and DL permit number to Sacramento. The guy, Brian, I had on the phone said he will personally take care of this matter so I can continue taking my tests. When I called them an hour later to see whether the fax i sent them of the EAD was big and bright enough (that's what they told me to make sure), I was told that Brian had already taken care of everything and had verified my status by USCIS. Apparently instead of just sending the documents to the Department of Homeland Security to get the verification what the normal DMV would do (which can take months), the Sacramento head office just goes straight through USCIS and sends the same document (my EAD) that I sent them to USCIS to have it quickly verified. Having everything verified I went back to my DMV today and just told them that my status had been verified. They didn't even check it or anything although I had been told to tell them to call Sacramento if they had given me a hard time. I was finally allowed to take my written test and my behind the wheel test will be in two weeks. Hopefully everything will go smoothly then as well because this immigration process has been nothing but a nightmare so far for me (142 days wait for EAD and now having issues getting a CA DL). 

This is so important for me. I live in florida. Do i need to call sacremento also?

[KimberleyVDB 77]

2 minutes ago, DorothyLa said:

This is so important for me. I live in florida. Do i need to call sacremento also?

No. Since you live in Florida the Sacramento office in California can't do much for you. Try the Thallahassee office. The DMV is federal but the licenses are all different per state. Hope this helps.

[DorothyLa 107]

3 hours ago, KimberleyVDB said:

No. Since you live in Florida the Sacramento office in California can't do much for you. Try the Thallahassee office. The DMV is federal but the licenses are all different per state. Hope this helps.

thank you i will do it tomorrow. maybe it helps  

[KIRKUVAN L 75]

Hello guys! Congratulations for all of those approvals and good luck for the ones that are still waiting for news!

I got the approval notice today and the status online changed to "Card was mailed to me" Hopefully I get it soon.

Y'all have a great weekend!

[KIRKUVAN L 75]

On 8/1/2017 at 8:32 PM, minemar said:

Hi guys, I am preparing my AOS package. Have some questions regarding the whole process and I really don't want to look at the "Instructions" in the VJ page cause sometimes they are not updated.

 

I know there has been some changes with the forms. Or anyone has a very detailed list of how the process goes??? I am really lost.

 

 

Also could any of you help me with the following questions?

• I requested my SSN on Monday, should arrive within next week. Should I wait till I have it in hand to add it in the I-485 form?
• I did all my vaccines in Mexico with my medical. Someone said that I don't need to take it to a civil surgeon in the U.S., that I can just add the page they gave me in the medical, is that correct?
• For my Birth Certificate, will they accept a notarized translation made by myself?  Or it has to be done by some type of USCIS designated company?
• From your experience what other forms should I include in my package and what kind of evidence do they request??

 

Any help or word of advice would be soooo helpful.

 

Thanks for ur time!

Hi, I hope you are doing great!

We filed on March so it's very probable that some of the forms have changed, perhaps these are the ones that we filed:

I-485 APPLICATION TO REGISTRY PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR ADJUST STATUS.

I-864 AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT.

I-765 EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION (allows you to work and get a DL while you are waiting to get your GC)

I-131 TRAVEL DOCUMENT OR ADVANCE PAROLE

G-325A BIOGRAPHIC INFROMATION

I-693 REPORT OF MEDICAL EXAMINATION (I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE ABOUT THIS ONE BUT I THINK THE PHYSICIAN FILL IT FOR YOU, ALSO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO DON'T OPEN THE ENVELOP!!)

No, they won't accept it. As long is certified you should be fine I used a online page called Rev and they accepted (Also it is very cheap like 33 bucks!)

I hope I have helped you a little I know how confusing and stressing this can be, that is why I recommend you to check the uscis page and give them a call!

Have a good day.

https://www.uscis.gov/greencard/green-card-processes-procedures  

https://www.uscis.gov/forms?topic_id=1131

      Those can be of help, take care and good luck amiga :)!

On 8/2/2017 at 11:31 PM, nikaero said:

All done... Interview went very smoothly... IO came out and called my name, he was not smiling but professional and polite, took us into his office and swore us in... then he went through our full names and date of births and address... then he went through the questions on my i-485... then he asked my wife where we had met and around what date... then he asked if it was both of our first marriage and we said yes, then he asked if either one of us had kids and we said no then he asked who are the kids in those photos and i was pleasantly surprised that he had actually personally looked through the pictures and i said those where her niece and nephew... then he asked if we had any extra evidence we want to submit and i gave him our wedding album and my sealed medical form... he said we did a background check and everything looks great that your marriage is bonafide and your green card is approved!!! he then went to get some copies of some of the pics from the wedding album (we had already submitted close to 38 pics with the application) and then he said you will get the card within two weeks and explained ROC and naturalization... then he asked us if we had any questions and we said no and he lead us out... hurraay!!! i hated that we were all tensed up as  the interview appointment letter had mentioned a long list of things to bring to the interview and we hadn't gotten an employment letter from her boss and didn't have the most recent pay stubs but he didn't even ask about them... so i guess this process is finally over for now... thanks to every single one of you who has read my posts and answered my questions and been a part of my journey, you guys made it easier for me... thank you...

 

P.S. I'm kind of worried that i haven't gotten an update on my status online yet, interview was at 1:30 PM and now its 12 30 in thew morning and no update yet... I am gonna post this same comment on the March, April and May 2017 topics as there are people on each who have supported me through this process...

 

 

That is so awesome, so happy for you!

Now just gotta wait, today I got my approval notice. I hope you hear something soon!

Have a great weekend and take care

On 8/3/2017 at 11:41 AM, kara&mati said:

We had our interview at the Detroit office today. It was very simple, we checked in at the counter and they told us to have a seat and someone will call you. We waited about 20 minutes. The questions were simple, she went over the application than she asked how we met and how he  proposed, she went over our photos and that was it. We got approved, interview was about 10 minutes long. 

Congratulations !

It sounds like a easy interview!

Have a good day!

On 8/3/2017 at 8:25 PM, DorothyLa said:

Do you guys know that if it is normal that they don't give me my DL because i wanted to get Drivers permit first but tallahasse (florida dmv i guess) didn't send my card to me. So now they don't give me my DL before i got my hard card driver's permit. And it has been like 3 weeks since they reordered my hard card. Do you guys know what should i do?

 

Hello Dorthy! I hope you are doing great!

I made a little research about it and this is what I found...

"Florida New Drivers (Over 18)

The FDHSMV requires residents who want an adult Florida drivers license to take a written driver's test, if they have never been licensed before"

I recommend you to call and ask about it, or visit another DMV.

Here in Arkansas I wasn't required to have a Learners permit. After I passed my writting test they gave  me a instruction permit so I could practice until my skill test (30 days after) Every state has different requirements, so it would be great if you call and ask about it

Good luck!

https://www.dmv.com/fl/florida/drivers-license

8 hours ago, earnhaaart said:

Hi guys, for those you got their Ead/combo card, how many days did it take for you to receive your card after they mailed it?? And did you receive another email from uscis that says usps has picked up your card and gave you a tracking number?? 

It took about 5 business days to received in the mail.

Good luck, you will get it very soon!

[DorothyLa 107]

8 hours ago, Kirkuvan Lehtonen said:

Hi, I hope you are doing great!

We filed on March so it's very probable that some of the forms have changed, perhaps these are the ones that we filed:

I-485 APPLICATION TO REGISTRY PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR ADJUST STATUS.

I-864 AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT.

I-765 EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION (allows you to work and get a DL while you are waiting to get your GC)

I-131 TRAVEL DOCUMENT OR ADVANCE PAROLE

G-325A BIOGRAPHIC INFROMATION

I-693 REPORT OF MEDICAL EXAMINATION (I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE ABOUT THIS ONE BUT I THINK THE PHYSICIAN FILL IT FOR YOU, ALSO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO DON'T OPEN THE ENVELOP!!)

No, they won't accept it. As long is certified you should be fine I used a online page called Rev and they accepted (Also it is very cheap like 33 bucks!)

I hope I have helped you a little I know how confusing and stressing this can be, that is why I recommend you to check the uscis page and give them a call!

Have a good day.

https://www.uscis.gov/greencard/green-card-processes-procedures  

https://www.uscis.gov/forms?topic_id=1131

      Those can be of help, take care and good luck amiga :)!

That is so awesome, so happy for you!

Now just gotta wait, today I got my approval notice. I hope you hear something soon!

Have a great weekend and take care

Congratulations !

It sounds like a easy interview!

Have a good day!

Hello Dorthy! I hope you are doing great!

I made a little research about it and this is what I found...

"Florida New Drivers (Over 18)

The FDHSMV requires residents who want an adult Florida drivers license to take a written driver's test, if they have never been licensed before"

I recommend you to call and ask about it, or visit another DMV.

Here in Arkansas I wasn't required to have a Learners permit. After I passed my writting test they gave  me a instruction permit so I could practice until my skill test (30 days after) Every state has different requirements, so it would be great if you call and ask about it

Good luck!

https://www.dmv.com/fl/florida/drivers-license

It took about 5 business days to received in the mail.

Good luck, you will get it very soon!

So, they printed my drivers permit and we are still waiting for hard card of it. They said i cant get dl without my hard card because then it might be 2 hard cards and it is illegal to have 2 id cards and it will.make a problem. They say they will do immigrant verification. 

 

I tried on save uscis verification check but i cant find my alien/uscis number over there. It makes me crazy. I hope i dont have to call uscis. I will try to call dmv soon.