About to file AOS

[Emma5490 1]

I'm unsure if this is the correct place to post but me and my husband ( US Citizen ) are about to file for AOS 

I'm a 26 year old British girl, He's 24.

 

Can anyone advise me if they've successfully adjusted AOS without a attorney? My husband is very nervous that we can't without but we really can't afford to pay for one right now.. 

Also i'm on the WVP, I was when we got married to although it was totally unplanned, My flight home got cancelled and changed to a date a week later and my husband asked me to marry him from nowhere, long story short we got married with about 3 days notice.

 

I just want to know if it is possible to file without an attorney

Thank you

 

[p-ana 933]

This is a dyi website, pretty much everyone has gone through with the help of the guides here and no attorney

[Emma5490 1]

Oh really? That's great i was more than confident but my husband worries about things, Thank you for you reply !

[KierenHby 899]

Most here end up filing on their own. Spousal AOS should be routine not requiring an attorney. Click on the Guides tab for Immigrants above, scroll down to Adjusting status within the US. 

[KazuriSana 324]

Using an attorney to AOS is a waste of much-needed resources. Those forms are very easy to understand, and they come with detailed instructions.

[Emma5490 1]

This was my opinion on the situation, Does anyone know if we file for my work permit while we file for everything else we still need to pay the separate fee? We've read countless different answers 

[RRR2016 21]

I also think you do not need an attorney to file for your AOS. Just make sure to fill out and send all of the forms. And MOST IMPORTANT have as much evidence as possible of your relationship and marriage. Attorneys are quite expensive and I believe they are only necessary when your case is complicated. AOS seems rather straightforward and the wait time is shorter than the Consular Process.

 

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU! 

[Emma5490 1]

As far as i've read our case seems very straightforward, I'm from the uk, we don't have a big age gap, neither of us have criminal records, It's our first marriage.

 

The only thing i'm nervous about is that we got married while i was here on WVP even though we certainly didn't plan to..

[RRR2016 21]

Just now, Emma5490 said:

As far as i've read our case seems very straightforward, I'm from the uk, we don't have a big age gap, neither of us have criminal records, It's our first marriage.

 

The only thing i'm nervous about is that we got married while i was here on WVP even though we certainly didn't plan to..

The age difference and the circumstances of your marriage should not be a problem, as long as you prove a legitimate relationship-marriage. My husband is 7 years younger than me and we did not have any issues. He is also my second marriage and showed documents of my divorce and did not have any issues either. We had been living together 3 years before we got married and I began collecting lots of evidence of our relationship after our marriage. A few suggestions, I asked for both our names to be on our home bills, merged our bank accounts, he added me to his vehicle tittle, I began taking lots of photos of us together, of our trips, etc. 

 

You mentioned a work permit? An EAD card? Are you here as a student? or other type of VISA?

[Emma5490 1]

I'm here on a visa waiver program because i'm a UK citizen we haven't been married that long we have alot of photos together and we have hours and hours of call logs from when i was back in the uk ( over 300 calls ) i'm unsure if we can get a joint bank account as my name isn't changed here legally because i obviously don't have a ss number and my uk ids are all in my maiden name. 

[p-ana 933]

20 minutes ago, Emma5490 said:

This was my opinion on the situation, Does anyone know if we file for my work permit while we file for everything else we still need to pay the separate fee? We've read countless different answers 

If applied with the aos package or with a pending aos case, applying for the work permit will grant a waiver for the fee. So you won't have to pay for the work permit if you apply for it with your aos package or later on with a pending aos 

[RRR2016 21]

1 minute ago, Emma5490 said:

I'm here on a visa waiver program because i'm a UK citizen we haven't been married that long we have alot of photos together and we have hours and hours of call logs from when i was back in the uk ( over 300 calls ) i'm unsure if we can get a joint bank account as my name isn't changed here legally because i obviously don't have a ss number and my uk ids are all in my maiden name. 

I understand. Well, if you guys were in a long-distance relationship before your marriage and have proof of phone calls, photos, visits, etc. just try to show as much documentation as possible. From now on, try to 'document' your relationship with any means you have. Things like meetings with friends, his parents and trips you make, etc. Given your situation, I don't think you need to worry much about bank accounts, SSN or work permit. With the AOS process, you will be able to apply for a SSN and work legally in the U.S. 

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

Yeah you guys should have no problem doing the AOS without an attorney. You just have proof of a bonefide relationship and marriage. That means proof y'all got married, mingling of finances, and relationship. Just use the guides on here and you shouldn't have a problem, if you have one just ask a question. We are here to help if needed. Also the age difference isn't bad at all so don't worry, I am 33 and my wife is 35. 

[Scandi 4,178]

If you haven't found it already http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide2

 

And yes, both work permit (i-765) and advance parole (i-131) are for free when you file for (or already have a pending) i-485.

[DrEllaNJ 288]

as for bank account, it depends on the banks, but you can ask. Bring your marriage certificate. You'll probably have to use your maiden name if you don't have IDs in your married name. It is possible they make you wait until you get a SSN or a EAD, but not all banks require that.

 

Focus on the evidence you do have. You'll most likely get an interview, and if you didn't include a whole lot of documents in your initial package, that's your chance to provide more documents. If you can't get a joint bank account yet, you'll most likely have it (with SSN and EAD) by the time of your interview, so at that time you can bring those documents.