February 2020 AOS Filers

[Dis_Guy 25]

1 hour ago, Dutch_lee said:

Hi everyone 

How do I connect to a live representative via EMMA?

According to @mat2291,

 

1. Tell emma to “Chat with a live rep”

2. Emma will ask what you need a live rep for. Choose “Case Status”

3. She will then ask for your case number

4. She’ll confirm if you want to chat with a live rep.

5. She’ll then connect you to Tier 1 via chat. They’ll ask standard questions to confirm identity. Ask for your tracking number.

[ko737 20]

1 hour ago, Pamola said:

Thanks, still in the U.S. but plan on leaving on or around Dec. 30th. Then we'll be in the U.K. and available to travel back to the U.S. for short periods (if they'll let her in!). Thanks again for any ideas you can provide. 

Okay that’s helpful! The only chance I believe is through getting the AP approved. We’ve had success reaching out to our congressperson to get things expedited. Have you made contact?

[Tensheets 17]

16 hours ago, Pamola said:

Thanks for the replies. It's interesting that several options got recommended. But the current status is waiting for interview on the I-485, after entering via the K-1. It seems there is an option to do the AP for a year and then come back for the interview, get the GC and then apply for a re-entry permit. But again, the biometrics have only been applied to the EAD and I-485 (despite being told otherwise). 

 

To be clear, we do not "want" to live abroad. It's not that we aren't excited about the move and going to the U.K. But, it's a postdoc appointment for 2 years, with the option to extend for one more. After that time, we will return to the U.S. 

 

Last thing, what exactly is converting to consular processing? I looked into it but couldn't find how it applies to an AOS (K-1 to GC). Could you elaborate? Thanks again for all of the help! This certainly is a difficult situation. 

I think then you just wait for the AP and if it’s not here by Dec 30th, she waits here til it comes then joins you (easier said than done I know). If she has multi entry AP you’ll be able to travel back and to (I believed AP is only for urgent reasons or business but I’ve been corrected on that on here!) My only concern would be if you need to disclose to the USCIS that you’ll be outside of the country mostly for 2 years, as you don’t want to be seen to be hiding anything that could be material to your case.  I think still you need a lawyer. 
Re the fingerprints not being applied to AP, there is lots of anecdotal evidence on here that that happens and people still receive the combo card with both EAD and AP. As AP processing time is still approx 6 months you could file a Case Inquiry as it’s outside of processing time (it’s a shot in the dark) and see if that gets you anywhere? Or congressman will sometimes help. Good luck! 

[LilyKins 121]

6 minutes ago, Tensheets said:

As AP processing time is still approx 6 months you could file a Case Inquiry as it’s outside of processing time (it’s a shot in the dark) and see if that gets you anywhere? Or congressman will sometimes help. Good luck! 

 

Just for anecdotal evidence -- I submitted an inquiry on August 31 and it still hasn't even been assigned to an officer for review as of this morning (09/10), so an inquiry doesn't really do much IMO. They did say to expect a reply by 09/22 in the confirmation email, so I'll update when I hear back.

[NKDL 150]

Just got an update this morning that my card has been mailed and is with usps and also the my i485 is ready to be scheduled for an interview. Slightly freaking out now just because of the whole covid thing and not having ID in my married name i couldn't get put on my husbands bank account or anything like that...i have a bill in both of our names and a lease for the house in both of our names and things like pictures of us from the day we got married and im now currently 7 months pregnant but we haven't had many events to go to throughout the lockdowns to get many more pictures and stuff...what other stuff should I gather before an interview gets scheduled? Would statements from his family etc count? 

[fabianafcm 34]

Hello everyone! My case updated to Case Is Approved for EAD and AP a couple of days ago after card is being produced. Do you guys know how long until I get my combo card? I only had bio done for AOS and EAD and apparently that’s all they need. Thanks! 

[Pamola 10]

43 minutes ago, Tensheets said:

I think then you just wait for the AP and if it’s not here by Dec 30th, she waits here til it comes then joins you (easier said than done I know). If she has multi entry AP you’ll be able to travel back and to (I believed AP is only for urgent reasons or business but I’ve been corrected on that on here!) My only concern would be if you need to disclose to the USCIS that you’ll be outside of the country mostly for 2 years, as you don’t want to be seen to be hiding anything that could be material to your case.  I think still you need a lawyer. 
Re the fingerprints not being applied to AP, there is lots of anecdotal evidence on here that that happens and people still receive the combo card with both EAD and AP. As AP processing time is still approx 6 months you could file a Case Inquiry as it’s outside of processing time (it’s a shot in the dark) and see if that gets you anywhere? Or congressman will sometimes help. Good luck! 

Thanks again for the help. I'll submit an inquiry. I would have imagined that the expedite process would go a little quicker. I'm begging for them to ask for the evidence to get things rolling, so, like almost everyone on here, it's such a painful and helpless black hole of waiting with no idea on  what's happening 'behind closed doors'. 

[TandClaudia 330]

29 minutes ago, fabianafcm said:

Hello everyone! My case updated to Case Is Approved for EAD and AP a couple of days ago after card is being produced. Do you guys know how long until I get my combo card? I only had bio done for AOS and EAD and apparently that’s all they need. Thanks! 

Mine never said "card being produced."  It went straight to "card was mailed."  It took 2 days to receive my card in Tennessee after it was mailed.

 

Congratulations!

[Sandyl 128]

48 minutes ago, NKDL said:

Just got an update this morning that my card has been mailed and is with usps and also the my i485 is ready to be scheduled for an interview. Slightly freaking out now just because of the whole covid thing and not having ID in my married name i couldn't get put on my husbands bank account or anything like that...i have a bill in both of our names and a lease for the house in both of our names and things like pictures of us from the day we got married and im now currently 7 months pregnant but we haven't had many events to go to throughout the lockdowns to get many more pictures and stuff...what other stuff should I gather before an interview gets scheduled? Would statements from his family etc count? 

I get that you are freaking out. There is not much more you can provide than what you have honestly. I don't have an ID in my married name yet because can't get a DL in Kansas without EAD or green card. My SS card is in my maiden name because the offices closed after we got our marriage license and I also can't update that yet because my I94 is of course expired so I also have to wait on my GC for that.

 

What we do have is shared lease, shared health insurance, shared car insurance, shared phone contact (only have bills to show both of our names) and we do have a shared bank account, which for now is also in my maiden name due to having no ID. 

 

For some places it can take a while before the interview is actually scheduled, mine was scheduled within a day and was scheduled for 1 month after the notice arrived. What you could do is call your bank to see if you can be added to the account, we did this and went through their drive thru to sign the paperwork, they suggested this and we later asked for statements in both of our names. Car insurance, I could add online without having to call or go somewhere.

 

I expect officers to be a little understanding that we cannot provide more than what we got since, we don't have much more and COVID kinda made things harder. If I were you I would try and get you added to the bank account, I read somewhere that they see that as a real positive thing. Just try calling them and see if you can do it at the drive thru. 

 

What I have now for my interview next week is;

- Copy of AOS package

- Copy of every single paper filed in the past before getting married

- Pictures together of wedding, events after and pictures with family

- Copy of health insurance policy, car insurance declaration page and cards, bank statement and letter from bank, shared lease and a few phone bills in both names

- Marriage certificate and copies
- Marriage cards we got at our wedding
- All letters we received from USCIS in the past

 

Its a pretty thick file and people on this website can definitely give you more advice! I give what we have right now, we are just 24/25 so we don't have much more as of right now. 

[TandClaudia 330]

We received an update this morning that we are ready to be scheduled for an interview.  More waiting for snail mail.  My mail lady probably things I'm a stalker.  i'm always standing outside when she pulls up.  LOL.

Edited September 10, 2020 by TandClaudia

[Ihatebaseboards 68]

20 minutes ago, TandClaudia said:

We received an update this morning that we are ready to be scheduled for an interview.  More waiting for snail mail.  My mail lady probably things I'm a stalker.  i'm always standing outside when she pulls up.  LOL.

Congratulations! We are timeline twinsies!

 

We received an update this morning that we are ready to be scheduled for an interview as well.

I am not sure how long the wait is until the interview will be set up. Is there a tracker of some sort?

[Sandyl 128]

1 minute ago, Ihatebaseboards said:

Congratulations! We are timeline twinsies!

 

We received an update this morning that we are ready to be scheduled for an interview as well.

I am not sure how long the wait is until the interview will be set up. Is there a tracker of some sort?

Its completely up to the local office. Mine got scheduled in 1 day but I know people that are waiting over 2 weeks now. I read somewhere that it also takes longer for the paperwork to be sent to the local office from NBC but Im not sure how true that is. I hope soon for y'all but expect to wait a little longer.

[mvasantos 67]

I tried to expedite my EAD and got this answer:

 

Our records indicate that we are awaiting your appearance for biometric processing. Your case is currently in suspense or on hold until we receive your biometrics.  Your application information has been entered into the system which schedules applicants for biometrics at their local ASC. Once you have been scheduled, you will receive an ASC Appointment Notice containing the date, time and location of your appointment.  You must take the ASC Appointment Notice and photo ID to your appointment. You may request expeditious processing again once we have received your biometrics.

Hopefully something will happen with this. 

[Basil123 138]

47 minutes ago, mvasantos said:

I tried to expedite my EAD and got this answer:

 

Our records indicate that we are awaiting your appearance for biometric processing. Your case is currently in suspense or on hold until we receive your biometrics.  Your application information has been entered into the system which schedules applicants for biometrics at their local ASC. Once you have been scheduled, you will receive an ASC Appointment Notice containing the date, time and location of your appointment.  You must take the ASC Appointment Notice and photo ID to your appointment. You may request expeditious processing again once we have received your biometrics.

Hopefully something will happen with this. 

I've gotten this reply everytime I tried to expedite (3 times since reopening). Still awaiting biometrics appointment 

[probingoduke 20]

Happy to see everyone's progress here. Our case is marriage based AOS with PD 02/21 with all receipts at NBC. My Biometrics was done on 08/11 and status changed on both i485,765 to 'Fingerprints were applied' on 08/12.

 

5 days later i485 went to 'Ready to schedule interview'. i765 is still as is. Tomorrow will be 30 days since I gave bio. I have sought help from our congressman's office but they are still waiting to hear from USCIS (approaching the 2 week mark).

 

I'm really happy to see that people are slowly getting approvals on their cases, my theory is that due to the court order asking for quick printing of EAD the process is limited to approving number of cases that they can then print in house. 

 

I'm trying to give hope to folks like me and my wife who are waiting to get back to work and pay off mortgages and hospital bills as soon as we can. Please know that you aren't alone and every mail to senators/congressmen helps us collectively. Any advice from folks here or those who would like to connect, please feel free to reply or PM.