November 2018 AOS Filers

[calliope8 72]

31 minutes ago, NikkiFromCanada said:

Anyone receive their combo card quicker than a week after “New Card Is Being Produced”? I’m so greedy to start working! Lol 😩

What do you want to do for work? My husband worked with NHS in England but isn't sure he wants to do the same sort of thing here. I think he likes having the excuse to not work tho - which would be fine if we had infinite savings! lol!

[NikkiFromCanada 233]

7 minutes ago, calliope8 said:

What do you want to do for work? My husband worked with NHS in England but isn't sure he wants to do the same sort of thing here. I think he likes having the excuse to not work tho - which would be fine if we had infinite savings! lol!

I’m a Certified Fraud Examiner & a Legal Secretary. Law firm work for me. 

[kanderson101 131]

Very happy to hear that there's been some movement for people in this group! It gives me a little bit of hope. We've given ourselves 3 weeks (currently at 188 days) before we tell my husband's family that he won't be making the trip home that we had planned. Who would have thought, back in November, that just the combo card processing could possibly take this long?! Ugh. 

[K1visaHopeful 2,892]

2 hours ago, NikkiFromCanada said:

Anyone receive their combo card quicker than a week after “New Card Is Being Produced”? I’m so greedy to start working! Lol 😩

Mine took 10 days to arrive in the mail and then another 10 days to receive the married name replacement SSN in the mail.

[NikkiFromCanada 233]

18 minutes ago, K1visaHopeful said:

Mine took 10 days to arrive in the mail and then another 10 days to receive the married name replacement SSN in the mail.

Ughhh. So it might be a few weeks yet then. I need the SSN to get the Drivers License, so that I have ID to open a bank account, in order to accept a job. 😩

[lms 50]

20 minutes ago, NikkiFromCanada said:

Ughhh. So it might be a few weeks yet then. I need the SSN to get the Drivers License, so that I have ID to open a bank account, in order to accept a job. 😩

Bank of America will give you an account without SSN ;). Plus get a secured Credit Card to build up your credit score :). 

 

I had my EAD/AP card within 7 days after notification and SSN card 2-3 days later I think. 

 

Best of Luck

[NikkiFromCanada 233]

15 minutes ago, lms said:

Bank of America will give you an account without SSN ;). Plus get a secured Credit Card to build up your credit score :). 

 

I had my EAD/AP card within 7 days after notification and SSN card 2-3 days later I think. 

 

Best of Luck

Ok I hope I’m as lucky as you and mine arrives quickly! I already have my SSN number, just no card. They kept my card when I went back to try to update my married name, then didn’t send the new one because of the pending AOS process. 

 

Yeah I know BOA will let me open one, but I don’t want to bank with them. I don’t need the secured credit card. Here’s why: 

 

I thought ahead when I was still living in Canada, and I opened a Canadian American Express card, 6 months before moving here because I knew they’re one of the only global credit card companies that do their own lending. I used the Canadian Amex card for gas purchases only for 6 months before moving and I always paid it in full. A month before I moved here, I called Amex and told them I was moving to the USA, and I applied for an American Amex. They used my Canadian credit history, and my history with them and I was approved on the spot. By the time I moved here, the card was here waiting for me. We’ve been using the card for groceries and every day purchases for the past 10 months, and paying it in full. I now have 2 American credit cards in my name with $10K in credit lines and a 740 credit score. I’m so glad I did that. Now, I’ll be able to get approved for a brand new car loan as soon as I start working! 😉

Edited May 30, 2019 by NikkiFromCanada

[lms 50]

2 minutes ago, NikkiFromCanada said:

Ok I hope I’m as lucky as you and mine arrives quickly! 

 

Yeah I knew BOA will let me open one, but I don’t want to bank with them. I don’t need the secured credit card. Here’s why: 

 

I thought ahead when I was still living in Canada, and I opened a Canadian American Express card, 6 months before moving here because I knew they’re one of the only global credit card companies that do their own lending. I used the Canadian Amex card for gas purchases only for 6 months before moving and I always paid it in full. A month before I moved here, I called Amex and told them I was moving to the USA, and I applied for an American Amex. They used my Canadian credit history, and my history with them and I was approved on the spot. By the time I moved here, the card was here waiting for me. We’ve been using the card for groceries and every day purchases for the past 10 months, and paying it in full. I now have 2 American credit cards in my name with $10K in credit lines and a 740 credit score. I’m so glad I did that. Now, I’ll be able to get approved for a brand new car loan as soon as I start working! 😉

Great! That is the best way to go about that :). Second best is getting a secured CC ahead of time . Congrats :).  

[NikkiFromCanada 233]

5 minutes ago, lms said:

Great! That is the best way to go about that :). Second best is getting a secured CC ahead of time . Congrats :).  

Secured cards take much longer to build your credit. But if one is unable to, or it’s too late to do what I did, it’s really the only way to go. I’ve worked in banking for the last 12 years. I wish I could share this information with everyone who is just starting the process! Building your credit all over again in a new country is so important, and very tricky! 

Edited May 30, 2019 by NikkiFromCanada

[Penny&Lee 338]

14 hours ago, Pengunista said:

I have a friend who also lives on Long Island.  She also did AOS.  She mailed it July 2018, got her EAD/AP end of October 2018 and had her interview March 22, 2019.  

Interesting, that’s not too bad. I mailed it Nov 2018, yet to receive EAD/AP (205 days) and nothing for interview as of yet 

Edited May 30, 2019 by Penny&Lee

[lms 50]

3 minutes ago, NikkiFromCanada said:

Secured cards take much longer to build your credit. But if one is unable to, or it’s too late to do what I did, it’s really the only way to go. I’ve worked in banking for the last 12 years. I wish I could share this information with everyone who is just starting the process! Building your credit all over again in a new country is so important, and very tricky! 

it took me 6 months to get over 700 CS with the secured card. Now 1,5y later I am at 20k Limit so not too bad haha. 

[Pengunista 221]

47 minutes ago, Penny&Lee said:

Interesting, that’s not too bad. I mailed it Nov 2018, yet to receive EAD/AP (205 days) and nothing for interview as of yet 

Yeah, that’s why when I saw that you are from Long Island, I know my friend didn’t wait that long for an interview.  A friend of mine knows someone who’s in Manhattan and it took them more than a year before they got their interview. 

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

We thought once the interview was scheduled, things would depend on us, but turns out they don't. 

After a nice smooth interview we were informed that our K1 visa packet is missing. Retreiving it from wherever it is now -because they have no clue about its whereabouts-, can take days or months. Once they get it -if they do-, they will proceed to review our case.

 

Needless to say, we're beyond angry, frustrated, discouraged, disappointed, deeply saddened, weak, clueless and all the negative emotions you can think of. 

It doesn't help that while waiting, there was a couple near us, where the beneficiary entered in February this year with a tourist visa and they were today there for their interview. 

Ten months waiting for the K1, six months waiting to be scheduled and now, who knows how long we will wait...and who knows what the outcome will be. 

 

It seems that they incentivize those who break the rules while they punish us who follow them.

 

P.S.: We have no EAD/AP and as things are now, I'm certain we will never get one. 

[tombs07 78]

We’re approved! Green card will be delivered in two weeks! He said it supersedes the combo and i don’t have to worry about anything about it.

[kanderson101 131]

25 minutes ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

We thought once the interview was scheduled, things would depend on us, but turns out they don't. 

After a nice smooth interview we were informed that our K1 visa packet is missing. Retreiving it from wherever it is now -because they have no clue about its whereabouts-, can take days or months. Once they get it -if they do-, they will proceed to review our case.

 

Needless to say, we're beyond angry, frustrated, discouraged, disappointed, deeply saddened, weak, clueless and all the negative emotions you can think of. 

It doesn't help that while waiting, there was a couple near us, where the beneficiary entered in February this year with a tourist visa and they were today there for their interview. 

Ten months waiting for the K1, six months waiting to be scheduled and now, who knows how long we will wait...and who knows what the outcome will be. 

 

It seems that they incentivize those who break the rules while they punish us who follow them.

 

P.S.: We have no EAD/AP and as things are now, I'm certain we will never get one. 

All I can say is that I am so very sorry this happened. I can't imagine the emotions you must be feeling. I sincerely hope you and your partner get some good news soon....