Minneapolis-St. Paul MN Office AOS Filers

[AffableAndy 107]

I filed in Feb (in Virginia, though) - I haven't heard anything yet. Going to a wedding in December and purchasing refundable tickets just in case!

[Vpanda85 45]

We had our interview today. We got there about 30 minutes before the interview and were called in about 20 minutes after we got there. The entire interview lasted about 15 minutes. I did not get approval on the spot and he handed the standard notice saying "case is under review". The IO said everything looks fine and I should get the green card in about 1-2 weeks. He also mentioned that if he needs any further documentation, he will send a request in the mail. 

 

The IO asked the standard set of questions. He went through the details on the I-130 with my husband and then the I-485 with me, including the standard yes / no questions. He asked us how we met, when we started dating, each others birth dates, where we both live (and who lives with us), what we did for our wedding and who proposed. He also asked me for an updated I-94 for my most recent entry into the US (we travelled internationally after the I-485 was filed) and ask for details of when I first came to the US and under what status I've entered the US previously. 

 

He did not ask for any additional evidence but specifically only wanted the joint tax returns for 2018 and a house title / deed showing that our house was in both our names. I had a full folder with new evidence and photos - when I offered the folder to him, he said he did not want it. 

 

Now the anxious wait starts to when I get the actual card. 

[JuLiA1234 10]

1 hour ago, Vpanda85 said:

We had our interview today. We got there about 30 minutes before the interview and were called in about 20 minutes after we got there. The entire interview lasted about 15 minutes. I did not get approval on the spot and he handed the standard notice saying "case is under review". The IO said everything looks fine and I should get the green card in about 1-2 weeks. He also mentioned that if he needs any further documentation, he will send a request in the mail. 

 

The IO asked the standard set of questions. He went through the details on the I-130 with my husband and then the I-485 with me, including the standard yes / no questions. He asked us how we met, when we started dating, each others birth dates, where we both live (and who lives with us), what we did for our wedding and who proposed. He also asked me for an updated I-94 for my most recent entry into the US (we travelled internationally after the I-485 was filed) and ask for details of when I first came to the US and under what status I've entered the US previously. 

 

He did not ask for any additional evidence but specifically only wanted the joint tax returns for 2018 and a house title / deed showing that our house was in both our names. I had a full folder with new evidence and photos - when I offered the folder to him, he said he did not want it. 

 

Now the anxious wait starts to when I get the actual card. 

I think we might have had the same officer today. 
 

I also had an interview today. Got exactly same questions like yours.

 

He didn't need I-94 since last time I entered the US was with K-1 visa. 
 

The officer did not need anything from us. Not even tax return, no photos of us. 

 

He said he already has everything he needs. 
 

I did not get any instant approval but he gave me a paper saying the case is under review.
 

I just checked the status tonight. 
 

and it says "new card is being produced"

 

Check your status to see any changes! 

Edited October 25, 2019 by juliakimjieun

[Vpanda85 45]

2 minutes ago, juliakimjieun said:

I think we might have had the same officer today. 
 

I also had an interview today. 
 

The officer did not need anything from us. Not even tax return, no photos of us. 

 

He said he already has everything he needs. 
 

I did not get any instant approval but he gave me a paper saying the case is under review.
 

I just checked the status tonight. 
 

and it says "new card is being produced"

 

Check your status to see any changes! 

We may have had the same officer. He was nice but not making much jokes or small talk. 

 

I just checked my case status and my I-485 says "new card is being produced". But, interestingly, my I-130 says "Interview Was Completed And My Case Must Be Reviewed". I'm going to assume that the application was approved!

[JuLiA1234 10]

2 minutes ago, Vpanda85 said:

We may have had the same officer. He was nice but not making much jokes or small talk. 

 

I just checked my case status and my I-485 says "new card is being produced". But, interestingly, my I-130 says "Interview Was Completed And My Case Must Be Reviewed". I'm going to assume that the application was approved!

Congrats! I think both of us are safe now  

 

Yup! He went to the business right away. 
 

No small talk or jokes but very professional and nice! 

[Vpanda85 45]

Just now, JuLiA1234 said:

Congrats! I think both of us are safe now  

 

Yup! He went to the business right away. 
 

No small talk or jokes but very professional and nice! 

I'm feeling much better about it! I will celebrate once I have the card in hand. Haha!!

[JuLiA1234 10]

6 minutes ago, Vpanda85 said:

I'm feeling much better about it! I will celebrate once I have the card in hand. Haha!!

Yes!! You are right! I didn't get my combo card for more than a month even after the status said new card was being produced. Please make a comment here when you actually get the green card in hand! I will do the same  

[Vpanda85 45]

I got a notification last night that both my I-485 and I-130 have been approved!

[dentsflogged 352]

Got the notice for our interview literally on the last day of our vacation (to my home country) - came back through LAX with zero issues (and no secondary) using my EAD - which honestly was a shock - everything I've read here says that first time using EAD is a pain and takes forever - it took all of 5 minutes. 

I need to arrange a new medical though, which is a pain where we live - 3 hours drive from the nearest civil surgeon. The last one I got done has long since expired thanks to the doctors office screwing up my tests and not telling me until the DAY of my appointment - had to have blood drawn & pay all the fees again - then they held on to it for nearly 5 weeks after getting the results before posting it so it arrived well after we decided to just send the package.    Hoping that the new doctor will accept the tests from the last one without forcing me to get them all done again because I don't want to pay for that again. 

 

A little over 3 weeks. Scared, nervous, excited.

[Vpanda85 45]

On 10/28/2019 at 12:32 AM, dentsflogged said:

Got the notice for our interview literally on the last day of our vacation (to my home country) - came back through LAX with zero issues (and no secondary) using my EAD - which honestly was a shock - everything I've read here says that first time using EAD is a pain and takes forever - it took all of 5 minutes. 

I need to arrange a new medical though, which is a pain where we live - 3 hours drive from the nearest civil surgeon. The last one I got done has long since expired thanks to the doctors office screwing up my tests and not telling me until the DAY of my appointment - had to have blood drawn & pay all the fees again - then they held on to it for nearly 5 weeks after getting the results before posting it so it arrived well after we decided to just send the package.    Hoping that the new doctor will accept the tests from the last one without forcing me to get them all done again because I don't want to pay for that again. 

 

A little over 3 weeks. Scared, nervous, excited.

All the best! Make sure you have all your documentation and you will be fine. 

 

I went to a local clinic "chain". They had all my records on file (I provided those to them a few years ago) and hence I did not have to repeat any immunizations. I think you may have to repeat some tests.

[JuLiA1234 10]

On 10/26/2019 at 7:48 AM, Vpanda85 said:

I got a notification last night that both my I-485 and I-130 have been approved!

Have you had any changes since Saturday? Mine still says "case was approved". Got the notice paper by mail yesterday. Still no actual green card has been mailed. 

[Vpanda85 45]

16 hours ago, JuLiA1234 said:

Have you had any changes since Saturday? Mine still says "case was approved". Got the notice paper by mail yesterday. Still no actual green card has been mailed. 

Mine changed last night to "Card was Picked up...". I checked USPS and I should receive the card on Thursday 10/31! 

 

I received the paper approvals on Monday too. 

[AffableAndy 107]

@payxibka - thanks for the warning! Just got my interview notice in the mail, it's on Dec 5. My PD was 2/12, so moving here didn't delay my application nearly as much as I thought it might. 

 

Good thing I bought refundable tickets!

[pamawemo 78]

A little off-topic but wondering if any of you have a spouse who has never driven. My wife has not; she scored a perfect score on the written test so has her permit but shortly after she received it had to undergo major surgery (with a cancer scare!) and was not able to drive for six weeks. She has been given the go-ahead to drive now and we have been out a couple of times and it is not going well. I probably don't have the patience and she is scared to death - not a good combination. I was going to get a professional driving school but we live out of the metro area and our options are limited. And the ones that are nearby seem to cater to high school students; only have hours when I'm working or waitlists for Saturday instruction out to next February.

 

Any advice? Are there people out there who provide driving instruction that aren't connected to the schools and that focus on adult immigrants? I really think she would do better with someone else teaching her. Oh, and it is expensive but I'm willing to find a way to do it if it means her learning to drive well and us surviving as a couple!

[dentsflogged 352]

Our interview is next week and I'm starting to flip out a little.

 

Putting together our folder today and so far I've got: 

• All our NOAs, Biometrics appointment (stamped to show it was done), my SSN, both birth certificates, marriage certificate, both passports and my EAD/AP
• Print out of husbands insurance showing me as a beneficiary
• Copy of letter from my retirement fund with my husband as sole beneficiary (this one concerns me as I added him when we were still engaged but they only had the option of "spouse" so he's on there as a spouse way before we actually got married - I literally did it as a response to my aunt telling me to get all that stuff done since she was in the middle of being the executor of my dad's will and it was a pain in the neck since he didn't have ANYTHING done except a will)
• Statement of Benefit from dental insurance from when I had work done listing husband as the subscriber and me the patient - also included the receipt where I paid the remaining balance using our HSA. 
• Print out of our joint account which is where groceries, household bills and the mortgage is paid from (mortgage is only in Husbands name since I didn't have an SSN or job when he got it and I'm still building credit so it would drag his down too much to add me right non) - also a concern to me since he deposits WAY more than I do (he's an Engineer, I'm a bartender & chef - so half his wage is direct deposited whereas I put my whole pay-check in there but keep tips in cash to either save for things - like our trip to Australia last month - or for outings like dinner/movies etc. 
• Printed copies of our bookings etc from our recent trip - can't find our boarding passes (I kept them but don't know where they went ) but have got things like a receipt from a tour booking and then a photo of the two of us at that tour with a very obvious sign which shows it's the same thing. 
• Photos spanning the whole of our relationship from when we first met right up until last week, in chronological order. 
• Receipts from things I've paid for around the house - we agreed since he paid deposit on the house that I'd buy furniture and appliances. 
• Photo copies of our car insurance cards showing us both on the insurance (though we never changed the titles on the cars to both of our names because the DMV is only open 2 days a week in this town and if I wasn't working those days he was so its been tough to try to get there together).
• Printouts showing we have a joint Amazon Prime account, Google Home setup with both of us, etc.
• Envelopes & invitation + thank you card for going to our niece's birthday party.
• Random selection of "everyday" emails and texts like him talking about going on a work trip, planning weekend stuff, talking about our next planned trip, discussing generic dinner plans, work schedule and such.

Neither of us have wills yet, but that's the next Big thing we're going to do.    

 

I can't think of anything else that I can possibly toss in there that doesn't seem "manufactured" - this is all stuff that we just have from the last year of living together and I should have been more cautious with keeping stuff but I honestly was expecting this to take at least another year! 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2019 by dentsflogged