MARCH 2019 - AOS Filers

[Bronforth 13]

I'm at 194 days and counting and the most I've heard on my EAD/AP/AOS is my AOS case is ready to schedule an interview as of early last month. I'm trying to get some answers about my seemingly stalled case through my congresswoman since I'm way beyond normal time now. In theory the case worker put in a request with USCIS last Wednesday. She says it should take 'a couple of weeks' to hear anything. That seems totally excessive to me. But so does this whole process so my judgment may mean precious little... 

 

Should I stay on her case with calls/emails or is there really nothing else to do? Is it time to get the senator involved? How have others worked with politicians to get their cases to move?

Edited September 10, 2019 by Bronforth

[Bronforth 13]

35 minutes ago, Bronforth said:

I'm at 194 days and counting and the most I've heard on my EAD/AP/AOS is my AOS case is ready to schedule an interview as of early last month. I'm trying to get some answers about my seemingly stalled case through my congresswoman since I'm way beyond normal time now. In theory the case worker put in a request with USCIS last Wednesday. She says it should take 'a couple of weeks' to hear anything. That seems totally excessive to me. But so does this whole process so my judgment may mean precious little... 

 

Should I stay on her case with calls/emails or is there really nothing else to do? Is it time to get the senator involved? How have others worked with politicians to get their cases to move?

And I have an answer but it is probably the most frustrating answer I could have received:

 

"Thank you for your inquiry regarding this constituent’s immigration matter.  This case is currently within our normal processing times.  Our records indicate that we received a response to a request for evidence for the underlying I-485 application on 6/18/2019.  Pursuant to 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(10), if USCIS issues a request for initial evidence on either the Form I-765 application or the principal Form I-485 application, the processing timeframes start over from the date of receipt of the initial evidence.

 

It appears that the National Benefits Center is currently processing cases of this category filed on or before March 30, 2019. We can use this information to estimate that your case is about 3 months away from being assigned to an adjudicator.

 

Please let us know if you don’t hear back from USCIS by 12/10/19." 

 

😭

 

[dr01d3k4 21]

7 minutes ago, Bronforth said:

And I have an answer but it is probably the most frustrating answer I could have received:

 

"Thank you for your inquiry regarding this constituent’s immigration matter.  This case is currently within our normal processing times.  Our records indicate that we received a response to a request for evidence for the underlying I-485 application on 6/18/2019.  Pursuant to 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(10), if USCIS issues a request for initial evidence on either the Form I-765 application or the principal Form I-485 application, the processing timeframes start over from the date of receipt of the initial evidence.

 

It appears that the National Benefits Center is currently processing cases of this category filed on or before March 30, 2019. We can use this information to estimate that your case is about 3 months away from being assigned to an adjudicator.

 

Please let us know if you don’t hear back from USCIS by 12/10/19." 

 

😭

 

No idea where they got that information from, considering on USCIS's website it says 60 days after receiving your response to an RFE, you're no longer being "actively processed" and thus can send a service request. https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/displayONPTForm.do?entryPoint=init&sroPageType=onpt

[AOK 3]

So i had my interview yesterday afternoon and was approved! Today my case updated to new card is being produced  

After seeing a lot of info on here about removing the "valid for work only with DHS authorization" restriction on my SSN card, I asked my interviewer if I had to do this and he said no, so now I am confused about what I should do. I will probably go to a SS office and ask to have the restrictions removed anyway but do I have to wait to take my GC with me to do this or will it be in their system that I am now a permanent resident? And do I have to wait to do this before I start working?

Also for others who have recently been approved - I never received my EAD, do I have to wait til I have my GC in hand before I start applying for jobs or can I start sending out resumes now I have a letter confirming approval from my interview?  

[HSsweethearts4E 117]

2 minutes ago, AOK said:

So i had my interview yesterday afternoon and was approved! Today my case updated to new card is being produced  

After seeing a lot of info on here about removing the "valid for work only with DHS authorization" restriction on my SSN card, I asked my interviewer if I had to do this and he said no, so now I am confused about what I should do. I will probably go to a SS office and ask to have the restrictions removed anyway but do I have to wait to take my GC with me to do this or will it be in their system that I am now a permanent resident? And do I have to wait to do this before I start working?

Also for others who have recently been approved - I never received my EAD, do I have to wait til I have my GC in hand before I start applying for jobs or can I start sending out resumes now I have a letter confirming approval from my interview?  

I would wait until I have the gc in hand to go to the SS office. As for the job questions that really depends on each individual employer. You could start submitting applications as it might be a while between applying and actually starting work

[datnukkahd 76]

We had our AOS interview today. We were approved on the spot!!!

[ability 56]

8 hours ago, SusannZ said:

My case is the same as yours, I'm also waiting for them to send it out. 

Try now, mine has changed

[Shiran 1,134]

1 hour ago, AOK said:

After seeing a lot of info on here about removing the "valid for work only with DHS authorization" restriction on my SSN card, I asked my interviewer if I had to do this and he said no, so now I am confused about what I should do. I will probably go to a SS office and ask to have the restrictions removed anyway but do I have to wait to take my GC with me to do this or will it be in their system that I am now a permanent resident? And do I have to wait to do this before I start working?

Also for others who have recently been approved - I never received my EAD, do I have to wait til I have my GC in hand before I start applying for jobs or can I start sending out resumes now I have a letter confirming approval from my interview?  

Congrats! It is funny, we asked that same question about SSN during our interview, and the girl doing it was surprised, and completely not sure about what the answer is when we showed her SSN card with DHS restriction on it. We checkd status on eVerify site (Self check) and e-Verify confirmed that we are eligible for work, so I would sugggest you run e-verify self check on yourself and if it returns green, go ahead and start applying. 

Going back to SSN: You do NOT have to remove DHS restriction. All that means that when getting hired and filing I-9 you have to show SSN and Green card together. Now, after you get hired, when you no longer need SSN, then go back to SSA and have DHS wording removed. They will take away your SSN for a few weeks but that is ok because you will already have a job at this time. Do it before you get citizenship because once you are citizen they will take away your green card, and you won't be able to leave the country for awhile, and if your SSN still has "DHS authorization needed" it will make things very awkward. 

[SusannZ 111]

47 minutes ago, ability said:

Try now, mine has changed

Mine says its been mailed as well! 

[JoelThai 313]

3 hours ago, Bronforth said:

I'm at 194 days and counting and the most I've heard on my EAD/AP/AOS is my AOS case is ready to schedule an interview as of early last month.

 

Your status sounds very similar to my wife's.  She filed her AOS papers about one week after you, and we are still waiting.   Her I-485 updated a month ago to "Case is Ready to Be Scheduled for An interview."   It seems the only difference from you is she did not receive any RFEs for the underlying petition.  (Hopefully with her case ready to be scheduled, she will not get an "RFE"),  Like you, we are still waiting to be approved for permission to work and travel card.

 

I know there are a few others waiting here as well.  Last week I filed a case inquiry via the web page.   My hope is the more noise we make, the sooner our EADs will be approved.  Hopefully we will have good news to share with each other soon.

Edited September 10, 2019 by JoelThai

[HRQX 4,145]

9 minutes ago, Shiran said:

All that means that when getting hired and filing I-9 you have to show SSN and Green card together.

Technically don't have to show SSN card when showing Green Card since the Green Card is a List A document: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/acceptable-documents

12 minutes ago, Shiran said:

Do it before you get citizenship because once you are citizen they will take away your green card, and you won't be able to leave the country for awhile, and if your SSN still has "DHS authorization needed" it will make things very awkward. 

I recommend to do it at least before ROC is due. Some employers are incompetent and refuse to accept the expired 2-year card with the extension letter; the extension letter is a List C document: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/acceptable-documents/list-documents/form-i-9-acceptable-documents?topic_id=1&t=c "A Form I-797 issued to a conditional resident may be an acceptable List C document in combination with his or her expired Form I-551."

M-274 Handbook: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/71-lawful-permanent-residents-lpr

[Shiran 1,134]

12 minutes ago, HRQX said:

Technically don't have to show SSN card when showing Green Card since the Green Card is a List A document: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/acceptable-documents

 

Yes, but generally they want SSN for Tax reporting and payroll purposes regardless. 

[HRQX 4,145]

5 minutes ago, Shiran said:

 

Yes, but generally they want SSN for Tax reporting and payroll purposes regardless. 

Yes, the number is put on the relevant forms. Still don't have to show the actual card if you have a List A document.

[HSsweethearts4E 117]

1 hour ago, HRQX said:

Yes, the number is put on the relevant forms. Still don't have to show the actual card if you have a List A document.

Yup, agreed. I hadn't even received my physical card when I got my first job because USPS lost it. I had to text my boss my ssn 😨

[SusannZ 111]

1 hour ago, HRQX said:

Yes, the number is put on the relevant forms. Still don't have to show the actual card if you have a List A document.

Exactly, I got my ssn card when I was here as an au pair 15 years ago. I have since then lost it and never bothered to ask for a replacement. I know my ssn by heart and never has anyone asked me to show the actual card. And I've had 3 jobs on different eads. I also would never show it as a form of ID even if I did have bc it doesn't have your photo on it so who's to say it actually belongs to me? 🤷🏼‍♀️

 

Any employer will know how to verify work authorizations without having to see your ssn card. You guys don't have to worry about what it says on your cards.