January 2018 AOS Filers

[nanaaalex 49]

I got the green card today! However my last name is not hyphenated on it  is it a big deal?

[DebbieRaney 126]

13 minutes ago, nanaaalex said:

I got the green card today! However my last name is not hyphenated on it  is it a big deal?

I'd call USCIS just to make sure it won't be a big deal. :) 

[pattyandvern 282]

20 hours ago, simonvikih79 said:

Hey guys, for those who’ve already had their EAD via expedition based on job offer. Could you tell me a little bit about the kinda offer, the due date to start work, and or whether you had your employer write an accompanying letter to USCIS to justify the offer explaining severe financial lost in the event of the employee not being able to accept the offer because of no EAD?

Hi. So my job offer letter was not really official. It just said in very common language that my employer is ready to hire me and willing to wait until my paperwork (Yes, they used Word paperwork  ) will be expedited ALTHOUGH the contract start at certain date and the sooner the better, Thats pretty much what they said and if there is any additional questions they provided a phone number and email adress. The letter was written on the official company stationery. Also they wrote me job description letter. It was accepted within 3 weeks from sending a fax.

[nanaaalex 49]

3 hours ago, DebbieWRaney said:

I'd call USCIS just to make sure it won't be a big deal.

I meant to say the dash wasn't there (both names are on the card) but I called and they said it was fine! Thank you

[Aker 26]

Green Card Timeline after Interview:

 

May 24th- Interview (verbal approval)

June 2nd- email notification "case approved, card is in production"

June 6th- US paper mail received- case is approved

June 8th- Green Card received in the mail

 

Good Luck everyone!  I hope you all get your cards soon. 

[gtiorobertsf 72]

On 6/5/2018 at 11:15 AM, Marion said:

I just got the same today with May 22nd in there too. I don’t understand lol (I am a Feb 5th filer) 

I called again today and was referred to a tier two officer and he said that the may 22nd email was to tell me that my case was ready to be scheduled for an interview and to expect an appointment within 25 months from filing date!!!! yes he said 25 months for my husbands interview!!!

They are ridiculous!!!

We're heading to our congressman today to see if they can assist with speeding up the process. 

The officer did say that my husband should expect to get his EAP/AP within five to five and a half months from our filing date of February 3rd.

R

 

[Marion 105]

1 minute ago, gtiorobertsf said:

I called again today and was referred to a tier two officer and he said that the may 22nd email was to tell me that my case was ready to be scheduled for an interview and to expect an appointment within 25 months from filing date!!!! yes he said 25 months for my husbands interview!!!

They are ridiculous!!!

We're heading to our congressman today to see if they can assist with speeding up the process. 

The officer did say that my husband should expect to get his EAP/AP within five to five and a half months from our filing date of February 3rd.

R

 

Wow! Hey that is a good thing. It won’t be 25 months in my honest opinion... and you’ll have the EAD/AP combo card soon so your husband will be able to function like a normal resident of the USA. Stay hopeful and maybe your congressman can help a bit. Thank you for telling me, hopefully my case is also ready for interview! 

[FindHerKeepHer 244]

so i finally got approved for EAD. i did do an expedite which was approved on May 4th. so approximately a month from expedite. 

My priority date was Jan 11th. 

 

didn't get an email or text message notice. logged in on Saturday and saw it was approved on Thursday 07/06. 

got an email this morning saying we are still working on your case and their is no update at this time. logged in again today and say an update as of June 9th that my card was mailed out. 

checked the mail this afternoon and my notice of approval was there. 

 

not too sure how long until i get the card. 

[Lindsayacbeck 14]

17 minutes ago, FindHerKeepHer said:

so i finally got approved for EAD. i did do an expedite which was approved on May 4th. so approximately a month from expedite. 

My priority date was Jan 11th. 

 

didn't get an email or text message notice. logged in on Saturday and saw it was approved on Thursday 07/06. 

got an email this morning saying we are still working on your case and their is no update at this time. logged in again today and say an update as of June 9th that my card was mailed out. 

checked the mail this afternoon and my notice of approval was there. 

 

not too sure how long until i get the card. 

Congrats! I successfully expedited my EAD, and I had my card within one week of the approval notice. Hopefully you have similar luck.

 

Edited June 11, 2018 by Lindsayacbeck

[Jjjb 13]

Finally after 150 days I received the noticed that my EAD card is being produced.

 

Here is my timeline:

1-10 sent package

1-13 package at Po box

1-18 texts/e-mails

1-22 check cashed

1-22 got NOA1  in the mail

1-26 biometrics letter

2-6 courtesy letter

2-09 biometrics appt

5-31 Infopass - expedite EAD w/ letter from employer

6-11 Your card is being produced

 

Hang in there guys. I was getting deppresed thinking I was going to lose my job. I do not know if the letter from my employer really helped since the agent said at the my infopass appt that my case was on the queue for the EAD and to have the interview scheduled.

 

Now I can relax a bit. 

 

[GioRod 69]

1 hour ago, FindHerKeepHer said:

so i finally got approved for EAD. i did do an expedite which was approved on May 4th. so approximately a month from expedite. 

My priority date was Jan 11th. 

 

didn't get an email or text message notice. logged in on Saturday and saw it was approved on Thursday 07/06. 

got an email this morning saying we are still working on your case and their is no update at this time. logged in again today and say an update as of June 9th that my card was mailed out. 

checked the mail this afternoon and my notice of approval was there. 

 

not too sure how long until i get the card. 

Hello May I ask what did you send in? I'm pretty sure it was a job offer letter. Also what was the expedite based on. My situation for my wife is we filed all together  with the i485 also ap but then EAD was rejected due to out dated form so I sent it back in and my clock reset for the EAD I'm coming up on 89 days tomorrow and my AP and i485 are on 125 days. I mean I hope to receive something really soon if not I am going to try and expedite.

 

Thanks for any response hope everyone is having a good day

[Kristina K 5]

Hey everyone! We received my husband's green card last Friday, June 8. my thoughts to you all: CHECK EVERYTHING ON THE CARD! They put "resident since" as the date of our wedding (last October!) and the expiration date 2 years from that. The "resident since" should be the date of the approval. Anyway, he called and was told he HAS to get this updated or we will have issues removing conditions / applying for citizenship in the future. Made an infopass appointment last night for this morning, and he got an I-551 stamp in his passport which is valid for one year. Now, we have to submit an I-90 and send back the card  And he was told this could take A YEAR!!! So stupid and frustrating. But, at least he is now a valid LPR so guess I shouldn't be complaining too much. I just don't understand how they can make sooooooooooo many mistakes on these!

[FindHerKeepHer 244]

On 6/11/2018 at 5:32 PM, FindHerKeepHer said:

so i finally got approved for EAD. i did do an expedite which was approved on May 4th. so approximately a month from expedite. 

My priority date was Jan 11th. 

 

didn't get an email or text message notice. logged in on Saturday and saw it was approved on Thursday 07/06. 

got an email this morning saying we are still working on your case and their is no update at this time. logged in again today and say an update as of June 9th that my card was mailed out. 

checked the mail this afternoon and my notice of approval was there. 

 

not too sure how long until i get the card. 

update: received the card today, we are so happy!! time to get a job! already have hunters ready to place me! so shouldnt be difficult for my field! good luck to all.

 

will be back when i get the interview letter!

[Marion 105]

On 6/8/2018 at 3:52 PM, pattyandvern said:

Hi. So my job offer letter was not really official. It just said in very common language that my employer is ready to hire me and willing to wait until my paperwork (Yes, they used Word paperwork  ) will be expedited ALTHOUGH the contract start at certain date and the sooner the better, Thats pretty much what they said and if there is any additional questions they provided a phone number and email adress. The letter was written on the official company stationery. Also they wrote me job description letter. It was accepted within 3 weeks from sending a fax.

Hi,

 

Waiting for my EAD too. I have an interview tomorrow for a job and I might need to do an expedite. How do you actually do it? Do you have to file for it online and then fax the paperwork or...? Can you enlighten me? 

Thank you  

[FindHerKeepHer 244]

CREDIT BUILDING!!!!!!! (LENGTHY BUT WORTH THE READ!)

Introduction

Seeing how building a credit score is one of the biggest hurdles for an immigrant to tackle, and every now and then you see a topic pop up with a question about things like credit cards, buying a car and so on, I thought it would be a good idea to have a single topic to gather all tips and tricks in a single thread.

In time, maybe we can incorporate this info into one of VJ's Guides...

What is Credit Score

The US Credit Score is a number between 300 and 850, which reflects your ability to handle credit. The official score is often referred to as FICO (Fair, Isaac & Company)

There are 5 items that contribute to your score, each with a different weight:

• Payment History (35%): Any history of bankruptcy, liens, judgments, settlements, charge offs, repossessions, foreclosures, and late payments drops your score.
• Revolving Debt (30%): The amount borrowed versus available credit. Think Credit Cards.
• Length of Credit History (15%): Both the average time of accounts, as well as the age of the oldest account. These must be ACTIVE accounts.
• Types of Credit (10%): installment, revolving, consumer finance, mortgage. If you handle more than 1 type of credit, this is good.
• Inquiries and New Debt (10%): When making an inquiry for credit, such as credit card applications, shopping for a loan etc, your rating goes down.

Why is this good or bad as a new immigrant

As an immigrant you do not have a history in the US. This means you DO NOT HAVE a US credit rating when you arrive.

The positive thing is that you also do not have any BAD payment history.

The bad thing is, credit is a catch-22 problem in the US: You can't get credit without a good credit score, and you can't get a good credit score without having and using credit.

Any cards, accounts or history you have or had abroad do not count. (One known exception, see below)

What credit score ranges are there

• Excellent credit score: 720 and Up
• Good credit score: 680 to 719
• Average credit score: 620 to 679
• Poor credit score: 580 to 619
• Bad credit score: 500 to 579
• Miserable credit score: Less than 500

How to get credit so you have items reporting into your credit score

A lot depends on your personal situation. Are you married, employed, do you have cash to open an account, and so on.

Typically, you will need to find a bank or credit union first, so ask around.

Once you have found a suitable financial institution, ask for a "Secured Credit Card". This is a card with a certain spending limit, which amount you secure through the financial institution by depositing the cash equivalent on a locked account.

You can then use the assigned credit, and after the first month's statement is due, you will have items reporting into your credit score. You now have payment history, length of credit and revolving debt.

Usually, your bank will replace the secured credit card with a regular credit card, increasing the limit on the card. Expect this after a few months, if you pay your statements on time.

People coming in through a work visa can often get a company credit card, which makes life a lot easier!

If your spouse has a good credit rating, the financial institution might also allow him/her to co-sign the credit card application. Check with the financial institution on the requirements they have. In theory any person (in the US) with good credit can co-sign, so a family friend, parents etc are fine too.

How to get from decent to excellent credit

OK, now that we have some things reporting into our credit score, how can we boost that score up?

1. The number one rule: PAY EVERYTHING ON TIME, IN FULL

2. Specifically to credit cards, the use of credit is important, more specifically, how much do you charge to your card:

• Per account, avoid exceeding 33% of assigned credit.
  • Some people say it's best to have a utilization of 12-20% (Some say between 1 and 20%)
  • The utilization is based on the amount due on the reporting date. If you buy a 900$ television on a 1000$ credit, but deposit 700$ before the reporting date, your utilization is only 200$, or 20% (Can anyone confirm?)
• Do not leave credit cards unused (When not using credit, this hurts your score). If you have a 500$ secured card, you could for instance use it to put fuel in your car every week or so.
• Do not close old credit cards, this hurts your account age!

3. Diversify. Get at least one credit card and one installment loan. You can get a secured installment loan through your financial institution. If you want to buy a TV for 1000$, but that 1000$ in a secured account at the bank, and have them give you a loan over 12 months against that deposit.

Another option, typically when buying a car, is to get a car from a dealer who gives credit to "anyone". But ALWAYS ask if they report to the credit agencies (CRAs). Then pay the remainder of the loan after at least SIX months. The intrest rate will be ridiculous (over 20% in most cases).

According to Equifax, having at least 4 (different) lines of credit are required to get a really good score (Credit Card, Mortgage, Car Payment, Student Loans, Personal Loans, Home Equity Loan for Credit, ...)

My credit union actually suggested the following:

a) Get a "personal secured loan" to buy a car. (basically: Put the money you would pay as a cash downpayment on a car, into a secured loan for yourself)

b) After 90d of employment, you qualify for a "first time borrower" loan. Bring in the title to the car, and you can use the title to borrow against. You'd get a mediocre intrest rate (C-level credit).

This would give you 3 lines of credit after about 4 months, which is pretty good !

Age of Credit Accounts

Even if you have a decent credit score after a few months, when the time comes you want to buy your first car, you might get rejected quite a bit on your loan, due to "no sufficient credit history". Although the average age of accounts only counts for 15% of the credit score algorithm, financial institutions will count this as one of the major factors for credit decisions. The solution is to get a large downpayment, and preferably work with the financial institution directly, not through a dealer.

Credit Reporting Agencies

There are 3 major CRAs in the US:

• TransUnion (http://www.transunion.com)
• Equifax (http://www.equifax.com)
• Experian (http://www.experian.com)

They all have minor differences in how they calculate your credit score. By law, they are (each) required to give you one free credit report per year.

What can affect your score negatively?

(From TransUnion)

Wondering when judgments and bankruptcies will no longer appear on your credit reports? Check the dates on records in your credit report. Generally, here's how long judgments and bankruptcies remain on a credit report:

Bankruptcy

Generally, Chapter 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcies appear as public record items on your credit report for up to 10 years after filing. Chapter 13 bankruptcy records are sometimes taken off sooner, 7 years after filing, depending on the credit reporting company’s policy. When you receive an Order of Discharge in bankruptcy, your creditors should mark those accounts that were discharged as "Included in Bankruptcy" and they will stay on your report for up to 7 years.

Charge-off accounts

Generally, if a delinquent account is charged-off, the charge-off record appears on your credit report for up to 7 years.

Closed accounts

Generally, negative or derogatory information about delinquent accounts remain on your credit reports for up to 7 years. Positive closed accounts (without late payments or other delinquencies) may appear for longer than 7 years.

Collection accounts

Generally, accounts sent to collections will be listed on your credit report for up to 7 years, beginning 181 days from the most recent delinquent period before the collection activity. A collection account’s status should change to "paid collection" once you've paid off the entire amount. If you settle with the collection agency for less, your credit report may list the account as "settled for less than full balance."

Inquiries

When a creditor or lender checks your credit in connection with an application, you'll usually see a "hard inquiry" on your credit report. Generally, these stay on your report for as long as two years, and may lower your credit score slightly. When a creditor reviews the credit report of an existing customer, or when you access your own data online, a "soft inquiry" typically shows up on your credit report. Soft inquiries don't lower your credit score or appear to businesses checking your credit.

Judgments

Generally, most court judgments, including small claims, civil and child support, stay on your credit reports for up to 7 years from the date they were filed.

Late payments

Generally, if you make a payment late, the delinquency could appear on your credit report for up to 7 years.

Tax liens

Under federal law, city, county, state and federal tax liens could stay on your report indefinitely. Generally, after the lien is paid, the record of it stays on your credit reports for up to 7 years from the payment date.

One of the most important of these are the inquiries. If you want to get store credit or a new credit card, DO NOT JUST APPLY for one. Every time you apply for credit, your score will drop a few points, and the inquiry itself (Often referred to as "hard inquiry) stays on your report. Lenders who see systematic hard inquiries on a report see this as negative.

However, when shopping for a car (and thus car loans), all hard inquiries within 14 days are reported as one. When buying a house and a mortgage, they are grouped into one for 30 days.

Major Tip:

VISA and MasterCard are basically payment PLATFORMS, where local financial institutions issue the credit through the platform. Your credit history and account reside with that financial institution.

American Express (AMEX) however, issues the credit itself (Sometimes through local companies, but the credit file is shared with Amex --> This appears NOT to be the case: If cards in your country are not issued by American Express directly (Global Network Cards), they cannot be transferred.).

If you have an Amex abroad, and have had it for more than 12 months, you can (in most cases) request a US Amex card to replace your foreign card. The advantage is, with a good foreign history, chances of approval are very high, plus, the age of your account goes back to the first issuance of your Amex card abroad !

https://www.americanexpress.com/global-card-transfers/united-states.html

Transferring Funds to the USA:

Another point to remember is that transferring your foreign money to your new US account (for instance, to get your secured loan or secured credit card) can be a costly affair. Banks have 2 areas to make money off you:

1.      Transfer fee: Usually a flat fee or a fixed percentage. This is the fee that is generally quite visible.

2.      Exchange Rate: The exchange rate your bank will use is quite different from the real exchange rate on the market. For example, the exchange rate between the EURO and the US DOLLAR might be 1.330 on the market, but your bank might only offer you 1.290. That is a 3% difference you might not see !

After doing some research, I settled on TransferWise. (https://transferwise.com/u/b6f15). This seems to be the best platform so far for people in Europe (incl. the UK) to send money to the US. (Or from UK -> EU and vice versa).

It takes a few days longer than most bank transfers, but other than that, I have found it faultless and easy to use. The people behind TransferWise are those that built Skype.

Little disclaimer: The URL provided (https://transferwise.com/u/b6f15) is linked to my account and will allow me to accumulate friend referral benefits.

There are other platforms that outperform high-street banks and Paypal, please feel free to comment below to add your experiences (and from where to where you sent the money). I would find it useful to add information on how to send money from Non-EU countries, and also how to send money to the foreign spouse / fiancee.

Reading Tips:

http://www.myfico.com/CreditEducation/articles/

http://www.freescore.com/good-bad-credit-score-range.aspx