APRIL 2018 AOS FILERS

Diorella · July 4, 2018

19 hours ago, NancyLyz said:

You will most definitely need to receive your EAD card first before you can apply for a state ID.

thanks for the reply.. i am not expecting my EAD to be approved soon, given the processing time posted. i dont have a valid reason to expedite it too.. just praying for some miracle for EAD/AP to be approved before 1st week of aug.

George & John · July 4, 2018

20 hours ago, NancyLyz said:

You will most definitely need to receive your EAD card first before you can apply for a state ID.

@Diorella I think it depends on which state you're in. I went to the Social Security Administration and found that I qualified for a social security card (non-work) in NY while my AOS, EAD are pending. I used this to get a NYS photo driving license (learner permit) in my married name. I don't have an EAD yet.

In NY, even without a social security number, you can get a letter from the SSA saying you're ineligible for a social security number, and the DMV will still issue you a driving license / learner permit. You'll just need to do a bit of research into what your state will allow.

Edited July 4, 2018 by George & John

Diorella · July 5, 2018

4 hours ago, George & John said:

@Diorella I think it depends on which state you're in. I went to the Social Security Administration and found that I qualified for a social security card (non-work) in NY while my AOS, EAD are pending. I used this to get a NYS photo driving license (learner permit) in my married name. I don't have an EAD yet.

In NY, even without a social security number, you can get a letter from the SSA saying you're ineligible for a social security number, and the DMV will still issue you a driving license / learner permit. You'll just need to do a bit of research into what your state will allow.

i have a SSN no. with my married name. i applied for it days after we got married. i am in california. from what i read, they need a green card or work permit or any paper that you are legally residing in the state when you apply for DMV learners permit. my I-94 is expired already.

Matiela · July 5, 2018

hey guys, do any of you obsessively check the case status trackers (egov.uscis.gov & my.uscis.gov) even though we all know they're not really that useful or accurate? I'm quite OCD so I keep doing it, but was annoyed with logging in every time and checking the dates, so I just made a script to do that super quickly.

there's an extension for chrome called tampermonkey which lets you write/install scripts to modify a specific website's behavior. if you want to use it, install that extension (greasemonekey for firefox is supposed to work too? untested), once you have it, press "create a new script" and paste the code from here: https://pastebin.com/raw/e0mGn0tV

after the first 15 lines or so inside the code you have to replace the dates and statuses with your own current ones so the script can compare them with what it sees on the sites and tell you if it changed or not. you can also optionally write down your username and password (only for egov.uscis.gov *) so it logs in automatically (if you don't want this, make sure it's blank... meaning just the double quotes with nothing inside and a comma after).

here are the lines you have to modify (keep the double quotes and trailing comma for everything!!!):

//////////////// 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 PUT DATES, STATUSES, USER & PASSWORD BELOW 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 ////////////////
// MIND THE FORMAT OF EVERYTHING HERE WHEN MODIFYING: things
// start with a double quote and end with double quote and a comma
// user & pass can be left blank (but keep double quotes empty and comma after them!)
// if you do, you write them and press the submit button manually on the site
egov_username: "john_doe_88",
egov_password: "secret123",
// exactly as they appear in the egov.uscis.gov column "LAST UPDATED (MM/DD/YYYY)",
// separated by a semicolon (keep the same order as on the site)
egov_dates: "04/20/2018;04/20/2018;05/22/2018",
// exactly as they appear on my.uscis.gov (keep same order)
my_statuses: [
"May 25, 2018",
"We reviewed your biometrics and are still processing your case",
"April 20, 2018",
"We received your case",
"May 25, 2018",
"We reviewed your biometrics and are still processing your case",
]
//////////////// 👆🏽👆🏽👆🏽 THAT WAS ALL THE INFO NEEDED 👆🏽👆🏽👆🏽 ////////////////

once setup, you just go to either website and it immediately informs you like in the screenshots I attached to this post.

so! I know this is not really going to change anyone's life, just going to save a few seconds of your day (I guess this is what happens when people are forced to wait endlessly for the GC with nothing to do but little overkill projects to occupy their time! or at least that's me). I thought I might as well share it since I already went through the hassle of writing it. I feel silly about this but oh well, why not? if you do like it enough and feel like sharing this anywhere else on VJ or somewhere else feel free!

also I know grabbing code written by a random internet stranger and running it on a website with sensitive information is almost never a good idea. if you have any misgivings, better ignore this post and keep your peace of mind. if you ARE interested and are a programmer, and feel like bothering to read the code to confirm it only does what I say and nothing else, you could vouch for it here I guess, that'd be nice.

PS: I also wrote a script for checking penndot's (PA's DMV) road test schedules for an opening so I can take it sooner rather than wait a full month for the next available slot (today in about an hour and a half I'll take that test for the 4th time 🤦‍♂️). if anyone wants that just ask!

* sorry but the other one is impossible with its "one-time secure password" bull

Diorella · July 5, 2018

i have a question, which one is more reliable? the my.uscis.gov or the egov.uscis.gov? the things is in my.uscis.gov my aos case status is 'we reviewed your biometrics and are still processing your case' but in egov.uscis.gov my case status is 'your case is ready to be scheduled for interview' since may 14? i am kinda confused here.

Tella&T · July 6, 2018

13 hours ago, Matiela said:

hey guys, do any of you obsessively check the case status trackers (egov.uscis.gov & my.uscis.gov) even though we all know they're not really that useful or accurate? I'm quite OCD so I keep doing it, but was annoyed with logging in every time and checking the dates, so I just made a script to do that super quickly.

there's an extension for chrome called tampermonkey which lets you write/install scripts to modify a specific website's behavior. if you want to use it, install that extension (greasemonekey for firefox is supposed to work too? untested), once you have it, press "create a new script" and paste the code from here: https://pastebin.com/raw/e0mGn0tV

after the first 15 lines or so inside the code you have to replace the dates and statuses with your own current ones so the script can compare them with what it sees on the sites and tell you if it changed or not. you can also optionally write down your username and password (only for egov.uscis.gov *) so it logs in automatically (if you don't want this, make sure it's blank... meaning just the double quotes with nothing inside and a comma after).

here are the lines you have to modify (keep the double quotes and trailing comma for everything!!!):

   //////////////// 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 PUT DATES, STATUSES, USER & PASSWORD BELOW 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 ////////////////

  // MIND THE FORMAT OF EVERYTHING HERE WHEN MODIFYING: things

  // start with a double quote and end with double quote and a comma

  // user & pass can be left blank (but keep double quotes empty and comma after them!)

  // if you do, you write them and press the submit button manually on the site

egov_username: "john_doe_88",

egov_password: "secret123",

  // exactly as they appear in the egov.uscis.gov column "LAST UPDATED (MM/DD/YYYY)",

  // separated by a semicolon (keep the same order as on the site)

egov_dates: "04/20/2018;04/20/2018;05/22/2018",

  // exactly as they appear on my.uscis.gov (keep same order)

my_statuses: [

  "May 25, 2018",

  "We reviewed your biometrics and are still processing your case",

  "April 20, 2018",

  "We received your case",

  "May 25, 2018",

  "We reviewed your biometrics and are still processing your case",

  ]

  //////////////// 👆🏽👆🏽👆🏽 THAT WAS ALL THE INFO NEEDED 👆🏽👆🏽👆🏽 ////////////////

once setup, you just go to either website and it immediately informs you like in the screenshots I attached to this post.

so! I know this is not really going to change anyone's life, just going to save a few seconds of your day (I guess this is what happens when people are forced to wait endlessly for the GC with nothing to do but little overkill projects to occupy their time! or at least that's me). I thought I might as well share it since I already went through the hassle of writing it. I feel silly about this but oh well, why not? if you do like it enough and feel like sharing this anywhere else on VJ or somewhere else feel free!

also I know grabbing code written by a random internet stranger and running it on a website with sensitive information is almost never a good idea. if you have any misgivings, better ignore this post and keep your peace of mind. if you ARE interested and are a programmer, and feel like bothering to read the code to confirm it only does what I say and nothing else, you could vouch for it here I guess, that'd be nice.

PS: I also wrote a script for checking penndot's (PA's DMV) road test schedules for an opening so I can take it sooner rather than wait a full month for the next available slot (today in about an hour and a half I'll take that test for the 4th time 🤦‍♂️). if anyone wants that just ask!

* sorry but the other one is impossible with its "one-time secure password" bull

Wow, that is pretty cool you can do that! I am actually trying to NOT check my status every day now. I am past 2 months since having done biometrics and my theory is that once you are past 2 months mark the likelihood of the fast interview decreases significantly, especially in Philadelphia office. And EAD and AP seem to take 5-6 months on average.
But I am very curious about your experience with DMV. Would you be willing to share what they asked you to do and what was difficult? I should do it soon but I am afraid of failing! Whatever feels comfortable to you, you can PM me if you don't want to share publicly.

Matiela · July 6, 2018

11 hours ago, Diorella said:

i have a question, which one is more reliable? the my.uscis.gov or the egov.uscis.gov? the things is in my.uscis.gov my aos case status is 'we reviewed your biometrics and are still processing your case' but in egov.uscis.gov my case status is 'your case is ready to be scheduled for interview' since may 14? i am kinda confused here.

sorry but I honestly don't know, I don't think either one is "the best", I just check them both. I have the same situation as you (the 'ready to be scheduled' I got since may 22)...

2 hours ago, Martella&T said:

Wow, that is pretty cool you can do that! I am actually trying to NOT check my status every day now. I am past 2 months since having done biometrics and my theory is that once you are past 2 months mark the likelihood of the fast interview decreases significantly, especially in Philadelphia office. And EAD and AP seem to take 5-6 months on average.
But I am very curious about your experience with DMV. Would you be willing to share what they asked you to do and what was difficult? I should do it soon but I am afraid of failing! Whatever feels comfortable to you, you can PM me if you don't want to share publicly.

sure my fellow PA immigrant (LOL), I'll share my experience! (and that's great that you can check it less that daily, I maybe should just try doing that... don't know if I'll be able to!)

I think I shared about the knowledge (multiple choice) test at the DMV above in this thread, so about the road test: I found this couple links with info about my specific DMV, Penn Hills:

which means, if you google for the name of the couple centers closest to you you might find people telling about their experience there and even the exact route they take you during the exam!

anyway, the test itself is not hard, but they're strict with a few things. in my DMV, they took me for a tiny trip down the road the DMV is in (35 mph) and then a very short "loop" through a side road (residential - 25 mph), exit that and back to the DMV through the same road.

I failed my 1st test (jun 14) bc I did a wide turn (instead of sharp) left when exiting a main road to a side one. there were no cars around and it was absolutely safe to do so, but they want you to stick to every little rule regardless of context so that's something to watch out for!
I failed the 2nd because I skipped a stop sign (it was very easy to see but didn't even realize it was there!). the thing is that I had practiced the course a thousand times and this time they just made me enter the side road from last time's exit and leave from last time's entry point. I got super nervous that I hadn't practiced it that way and completely ignored the stop sign.
the 3rd time I was already quite nervous from the previous two times so I made no fatal mistakes but was very hesitant all the time, making lots of jerky movements (accelerating and stopping very abruptly) so I lost a lot of points. also I think I hit 40 mph for 2 seconds when the limit was 35
the 4th time was yesterday and I did everything perfectly! yay me I was also super nervous but after a good parallel parking the guy told me "you have 0 points so far so you're doing great, this is where you want to be to pass the test" and I calmed down a lot.

additional notes I wrote down after each try:

no wide turns ever
parallel parking:
- turn signals on again if they turn themselves off after turning the wheel (right from beggining to end of parking maneuvers, left when exiting the spot)
- look behind shoulder when going back ALWAYS
- look behind shoulder again when leaving spot
remember how to defrost windows (asked at beginning)
announce: "I'm going to move up a little" when needed so they don't get scared
memorize where the car is parked! LOL
ALWAYS wait until there are no cars or it's super obvious other cars are yielding to you. there is no rush.
accelerate/deccelerate as smoothly as possible
always keep the speed within 4 mph above and 4 mph below the speed limit (except when it's very obvious that you have to slow down because it's very curvy or full of potholes, they will probably forgive you for going even slower in that case. so if the limit is 35 never exceed 39 and never go below 31)

hope that helps. I'm just happy I don't need to take my passport everywhere now and can leave it safely at home. also being able to drive on my own is nice haha. good luck!

Tella&T · July 6, 2018

12 hours ago, Matiela said:

sorry but I honestly don't know, I don't think either one is "the best", I just check them both. I have the same situation as you (the 'ready to be scheduled' I got since may 22)...

sure my fellow PA immigrant (LOL), I'll share my experience! (and that's great that you can check it less that daily, I maybe should just try doing that... don't know if I'll be able to!)

I think I shared about the knowledge (multiple choice) test at the DMV above in this thread, so about the road test: I found this couple links with info about my specific DMV, Penn Hills:

https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/6jikvp/roaddriving_test_at_penn_hills/

https://ivan-ruchkin.blogspot.com/2013/02/passing-drivers-test-in-north-hills.html

which means, if you google for the name of the couple centers closest to you you might find people telling about their experience there and even the exact route they take you during the exam!

anyway, the test itself is not hard, but they're strict with a few things. in my DMV, they took me for a tiny trip down the road the DMV is in (35 mph) and then a very short "loop" through a side road (residential - 25 mph), exit that and back to the DMV through the same road.

I failed my 1st test (jun 14) bc I did a wide turn (instead of sharp) left when exiting a main road to a side one. there were no cars around and it was absolutely safe to do so, but they want you to stick to every little rule regardless of context so that's something to watch out for!

I failed the 2nd because I skipped a stop sign (it was very easy to see but didn't even realize it was there!). the thing is that I had practiced the course a thousand times and this time they just made me enter the side road from last time's exit and leave from last time's entry point. I got super nervous that I hadn't practiced it that way and completely ignored the stop sign.

the 3rd time I was already quite nervous from the previous two times so I made no fatal mistakes but was very hesitant all the time, making lots of jerky movements (accelerating and stopping very abruptly) so I lost a lot of points. also I think I hit 40 mph for 2 seconds when the limit was 35

the 4th time was yesterday and I did everything perfectly! yay me I was also super nervous but after a good parallel parking the guy told me "you have 0 points so far so you're doing great, this is where you want to be to pass the test" and I calmed down a lot.

additional notes I wrote down after each try:

no wide turns ever

parallel parking:

turn signals on again if they turn themselves off after turning the wheel (right from beggining to end of parking maneuvers, left when exiting the spot)

look behind shoulder when going back ALWAYS

look behind shoulder again when leaving spot

remember how to defrost windows (asked at beginning)

announce: "I'm going to move up a little" when needed so they don't get scared

memorize where the car is parked! LOL

ALWAYS wait until there are no cars or it's super obvious other cars are yielding to you. there is no rush.

accelerate/deccelerate as smoothly as possible

always keep the speed within 4 mph above and 4 mph below the speed limit (except when it's very obvious that you have to slow down because it's very curvy or full of potholes, they will probably forgive you for going even slower in that case. so if the limit is 35 never exceed 39 and never go below 31)

hope that helps. I'm just happy I don't need to take my passport everywhere now and can leave it safely at home. also being able to drive on my own is nice haha. good luck!

Congratulations on passing the test and enjoy the freedom!!! I am also in awe how precise you are able to be. That's a great help! When I passed my driving test many years ago I really was so certain I would never have to do it again in my life. I'm still hopeless at parallel parking ;-)

When you reach the point where checking the sites is more frustrating than NOT checking them you will stop doing it all by itself ;-). I have a Case Tracker app on my phone for egov... site and if there was any change there the app will notify me and for my.uscis site they should send out an email if something changes.

Thank you so much one more time. I am going to print your notes and see if I can put them into practice!

Vicolas · July 8, 2018

Hi everyone, my EAD got update online yesterday and says fingerprint review was completed, does that mean I might get my EAD soon? Is there similar timeline I could refer? Thanks!

George & Roth · July 8, 2018

On 7/3/2018 at 10:02 PM, NancyLyz said:

You will most definitely need to receive your EAD card first before you can apply for a state ID.

My fiance (now wife) has her NJ drivers license. EAD is NOT NEEDED and she does not have it yet. She needed to show the I-797 (NOA) for the Affidavit of Support.

I think this may vary by state, but I am inclined to think EAD should not be a precursor to driving. These are family-based visas, not worked based visas. The thought of them forcing people to apply to work just so they can get a driving license is absurd, but definitely a real possibility given the way these state-run organizations operate.

Check out my thread below. Within the state of New Jersey I received different answers at different Motor vehicle locations. In the end my wife has the driving license and no EAD yet.

Matiela · July 8, 2018

On 7/3/2018 at 10:02 PM, NancyLyz said:

You will most definitely need to receive your EAD card first before you can apply for a state ID.

4 hours ago, George & Roth said:

My fiance (now wife) has her NJ drivers license. EAD is NOT NEEDED and she does not have it yet. She needed to show the I-797 (NOA) for the Affidavit of Support

can confirm for PA as well, driver without EAD, GC or anything else here (just SSN and NOA1)

Diorella · July 8, 2018

anyone here from california that tried to get a state ID or DL before they get their EAD or GC?

eagle85 · July 9, 2018

12 hours ago, Diorella said:

anyone here from california that tried to get a state ID or DL before they get their EAD or GC?

I live in California. I tried to get state ID but the staff at DMV told me that she needs something to prove that I am legal permanent resident. I showed her the marriage certificate, NOA1 from AOS but she refused those document. She asked me to comeback again later when I get EAD or greencard.

frisbieprods · July 9, 2018

6 hours ago, JloveN said:

I live in California. I tried to get state ID but the staff at DMV told me that she needs something to prove that I am legal permanent resident. I showed her the marriage certificate, NOA1 from AOS but she refused those document. She asked me to comeback again later when I get EAD or greencard.

I had a similar experience, except I wasn't there. My wife gave all of the documents requested, and after battling for a while, she found a REALLY nice DMV employee who gave her a learner's permit. Unfortunately, it was only good up until the I-94 expired, and now we're left waiting for the EAD/GC too.

Diorella · July 9, 2018

8 hours ago, JloveN said:

I live in California. I tried to get state ID but the staff at DMV told me that she needs something to prove that I am legal permanent resident. I showed her the marriage certificate, NOA1 from AOS but she refused those document. She asked me to comeback again later when I get EAD or greencard.

hello.. thank you for the reply. i was reading the california AB 60 bill for undocumented immigrants. can we use this instead? if we wait for the greencard or EAD. we have to wait a little longer to get DL.. how sad😞

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