Club Colombia AOS!

[TonyS 0]

I started teaching my wife to drive the second week she was here. Here in the CT, a new driver does not have to have a learners permit if they are over 18. The instructor must be at least 20 with no license suspensions in the last 4 years. She is doing excellent and always drives when we travel. I am very impressed. My wife also speaks good conversational english but is waiting for the free ESL classes to start in September. This thursday are biometrics, so one more stage will be completed!

Edited July 30, 2007 by TonyS

[parkpapa 0]

Good for you Lucho.

By the way, I was going to ask you guys how your spouses are keeping busy since they got here? I've been wondering about that because when we get back from Colombia, I'll be off to work and my husband will be stuck at home until he can get his driver's license and gets enrolled in school. I'm just hoping he doesn't get depressed.

Diana

Diana, your question/comment struck home with me. Lorena's kept busy, of course, with two young boys in the house. But both she and they are having to rely on me for all transportation and translation (for now). I submitted the I-765 prior to all other paperwork for this very reason. It's the only way she can get a Social Security number, and that number is the only way she can get a driver's license (in Missouri, anyway), and also the only way her name can be included on my bank account, life insurance, and a bunch of other stuff. Long story short, make the SSN one of your first priorities when your SO arrives in the US.

[parkpapa 0]

Quick AOS update.... The medical exams for Lorena and the boys were on July 19. There was one glitch in that two vaccinations were not listed on one record for one of the boys. We came up with the information and I took the paper to the doctor's office. They made a copy. I called this past Thursday to see if everything was ready (they had told me to give them 7 to 10 business days, but that would have put us past the date for the price increase). They told me that all was ready except the paperwork for the older boy. I drove there to find out why. They said they didn't have his full vaccination records!!! The lady that had made the copies had never given them to the lady that prepared the packets. Soooooo.... I faxed them to the office and picked up the final packet on Friday, July 27. That meant I worked my a$$ off Friday night and then got little sleep worrying if I'd find a post office that was open on Saturday. Fortunately, there was one open in north Kansas City, so our AOS packet got postmarked on THE LAST POSSIBLE DAY!!! I had few hair before.... now I have NONE!

But, everything is on it's way. Wish us luck otra vez.

Charles

[HAL 9000 96]

Suerte!

Again... no need for it, though!

When you get the receipt notice (the NOA1) for the process do let us know the 'estimated' processing time. Curious minds want to know...

[TonyS 0]

Completed biometrics today. Not much to it. Took about 30 minutes. One more thing that is out of the way! On the subject of SS number. What I thought would be the easiest thing has been the only glitch in the hole process so far. We have applied twice. Now I think we will have to wait until approval of the EAD.

[waitingforher30 0]

My wife arrived on a K-1 and we married within the 90 days. I got my AOS/EAD in before July 30 and have received NOA-1 on both. Biometrics is today August 7. My question is about the Advance Parole document. I have read the directions three or four times but I am still confused. My wife wants to go to Bogota to visit her family in a couple of months. Can anyone explain this form? Especially where it says attach a seperate piece of paper and explain how you qualify for advance parole. Can she leave the country before she is approved?

[TonyS 0]

My wife arrived on a K-1 and we married within the 90 days. I got my AOS/EAD in before July 30 and have received NOA-1 on both. Biometrics is today August 7. My question is about the Advance Parole document. I have read the directions three or four times but I am still confused. My wife wants to go to Bogota to visit her family in a couple of months. Can anyone explain this form? Especially where it says attach a seperate piece of paper and explain how you qualify for advance parole. Can she leave the country before she is approved?

Your wife cannot leave the country before the advance parole is approved, it would be considered abandoning the application. My understanding is that the advance parole approval takes 2 months or less. It doesn't have to be a emergency to get approval. You can simply say that she plans to visit family. The USCIS has become easier with this as it knows some AOS take a long time. Of course you run the risk of a fast no interview AOS approval (2-3 months) then you would have wasted your money, but we know the odds are against that. Also the exact date of travel is not important, just put a best estimate on the form.

[HAL 9000 96]

We hope to have our AP approved so we can spend Christmas in Colombia. Since the AP application will be going our in the AOS package, hopefully the overwhelming evidence in our favor for a prompt approval will reflect on EAD and AP, then on the actual Conditional Permanent Resident Card.

[Mononoke28 135]

This is a bit off topic but I had a question for Maviwaro. Are your wedding bands 18K white gold? That's how ours are and mine looks a little yellow at times? Is it normal?

Diana

[HAL 9000 96]

HI Diana

Actually, yeah, we have white gold on our ring fingers... and they're rhodinated as well to give them a little more white color. As for carats I actually think they're a bit higher but we got our rings through a friend that designs jewelry so we got a much lower price for what we got...

Wow... now is when the AOS fun starts for us over here... practice gives way to actual filing and we'll be doing this in the next two weeks... just when I was getting used to see my bank account with actual money in it...

[parkpapa 0]

HI Diana

Actually, yeah, we have white gold on our ring fingers... and they're rhodinated as well to give them a little more white color. As for carats I actually think they're a bit higher but we got our rings through a friend that designs jewelry so we got a much lower price for what we got...

Wow... now is when the AOS fun starts for us over here... practice gives way to actual filing and we'll be doing this in the next two weeks... just when I was getting used to see my bank account with actual money in it...

Well, get used to it being empty! hahahaha

With our AOS packet, I know they received it on July 31 (postmarked July 28) because I got the signed return thingy in the mail. But we have yet to receive the NOA1. :-(

Strangely enough, with the 765 application for permission to work, Lorena received a notice to have biometrics done last week. About the same time, I received an email notice that the 765 application was transferred from Chicago to California, then a second email a few days later saying the same thing. The guy at the USCIS office here in Kansas City told Lorena that she would have her card within two to three weeks. So, what's the deal with sending stuff to California if the process is already nearly complete? Am I missing something?

[HAL 9000 96]

At least I have faith that my wife will probably make more money than I make within a year... then a lot of stuff becomes possible again!

[HAL 9000 96]

Speaking of cash... I think I just found a local health center that won't charge me a dime for the I-693A... just got off the phone with the nicest lady that told me she'll look at the immunization forms we have from Bogotá and transfer them for free to the I-693A. No appt necessary. I'll be crossing my fingers!

Everyone else I've called is charging between $50 and $75 for the same thing...

[Mike and Adriana 0]

You must have EAD to get an SS#. You can apply for EAD simultaneously with AOS (maybe you did this). Of course, now it costs more. If you did not do that, might as well wait for AOS....unless she really wants to work. But by the time you got EAD (about 3 months), you'll probably already have your AOS interview. If you did submit EAD with AOS and your had your biometrics, her EAD will come very soon.

Mike

Completed biometrics today. Not much to it. Took about 30 minutes. One more thing that is out of the way! On the subject of SS number. What I thought would be the easiest thing has been the only glitch in the hole process so far. We have applied twice. Now I think we will have to wait until approval of the EAD.

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Just curious....why did you get more medicals? Did the doctor in Bogota not give you a copy of the Vaccination Documentation Worksheet? The medical that was done in Bogota is supposed to suffice for K3/K4.

Mike

Quick AOS update.... The medical exams for Lorena and the boys were on July 19. There was one glitch in that two vaccinations were not listed on one record for one of the boys. We came up with the information and I took the paper to the doctor's office. They made a copy. I called this past Thursday to see if everything was ready (they had told me to give them 7 to 10 business days, but that would have put us past the date for the price increase). They told me that all was ready except the paperwork for the older boy. I drove there to find out why. They said they didn't have his full vaccination records!!! The lady that had made the copies had never given them to the lady that prepared the packets. Soooooo.... I faxed them to the office and picked up the final packet on Friday, July 27. That meant I worked my a$$ off Friday night and then got little sleep worrying if I'd find a post office that was open on Saturday. Fortunately, there was one open in north Kansas City, so our AOS packet got postmarked on THE LAST POSSIBLE DAY!!! I had few hair before.... now I have NONE!

But, everything is on it's way. Wish us luck otra vez.

Charles