USCIS Agent advised my waiting time is now 2 years

[ClickityClackity 134]

Good morning y’all!

 

I have been waiting since February for my interview to be scheduled at the San Fernando Valley Service center for my K-1 visa AOS.

I recently called USCIS to see if everything was okay and the agent that took my call informed me that my AOS application has a processing time of about 2 years as of now. (11.5 to 29.5 months)

Is this the new normal after COVID?

It seems I’m going to have to renew my EAD twice more? 
This is getting ridiculous 

[Boiler 45,493]

Big variances were common before Covid, obviously a bit of a guess but there seem to be a lot of changes coming and I would expect longer time lines.

[SalishSea 17,829]

Pre-COVID AOS interview wait times in Seattle were 12-23 months.   We waited 14.

[ClickityClackity 134]

26 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Pre-COVID AOS interview wait times in Seattle were 12-23 months.   We waited 14.

 

43 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Big variances were common before Covid, obviously a bit of a guess but there seem to be a lot of changes coming and I would expect longer time lines.

Oh well, it’s what it is I guess. It’s going to take forever to become a citizen too having to start the 3 year clock whenever I get my GC

[HRQX 4,145]

2 hours ago, ClickityClackity said:

(11.5 to 29.5 months)

My field office is also in CA and my I-485 is still pending. I filed in December 2017.

[JonSeattle 202]

Are these 2 year long I-485s resulting in permanent green cards? We didn't have much evidence to submit of a bona fide marriage when we submitted our I-485 after just 1 month of marriage. Or do you just submit an I-751 right after getting a conditional?

[HRQX 4,145]

13 minutes ago, JonSeattle said:

Or do you just submit an I-751 right after getting a conditional?

No. If I-485 is approved after the 2 year marriage anniversary then USCIS should issue 10-year GC per INA 216. I say "should" since USCIS sometimes makes mistake. If the wrong card is issued, I-90 is filed for free. "My existing card has incorrect data because of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) error."

Edited November 16, 2020 by HRQX

[ClickityClackity 134]

1 hour ago, HRQX said:

My field office is also in CA and my I-485 is still pending. I filed in December 2017.

You are still waiting for AOS?

After 3 years?

That can't be right. 

Have you been renewing your work permit every year?

How long did it take for your EAD renewal to be processed?

[HRQX 4,145]

2 minutes ago, ClickityClackity said:

Have you been renewing your work permit every year?

Yes. Filing I-765 and I-131 are also free for renewals assuming you paid the full I-485 ($1225) fee. The EAD part of your card is automatically extended if you timely file I-765: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/40-completing-section-2-of-form-i-9/44-automatic-extensions-of-employment-authorization-documents-eads-in-certain-circumstances But for AP part of your card there could be a gap where if you leave the US I-485 would be deemed abandoned. For example, if you leave the US after the combo card expires but the I-131 renewal (and underlying I-485) are still pending.

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

19 hours ago, HRQX said:

My field office is also in CA and my I-485 is still pending. I filed in December 2017.

Wow...Just wow.

[Scandi 4,166]

2 years doesn't sound odd or unreasonable in times like these, it may even be the new normal for some time to come, for all we know. Many people waited for 2 years even before the pandemic, so.

[ThomasNC1988 762]

Back in the good old days, before COVID, adjustments from K-1 were usually at the low end if not quicker than the estimated time from USCIS. I think I have heard it explained that those times are basically the time it takes for 10 percent of cases to be processed and 90 percent. So 10 percent of cases would be processed quicker and 10 would be processed slower. K1 AOS was often in the first 10 percent in the before times. I can't even venture a guess to how things are now though.

[dwheels76 5,468]

21 hours ago, JonSeattle said:

Are these 2 year long I-485s resulting in permanent green cards? We didn't have much evidence to submit of a bona fide marriage when we submitted our I-485 after just 1 month of marriage. Or do you just submit an I-751 right after getting a conditional?

Well hopefully the I-485 gets approved resulting in a Green card whether 2 or 10 years depending on how long married.

You would not qualify to file for Removal of Conditions (I-751) after I-485 is approval. If you received the 2 year green cad (because you were approved before you were married 2 years) you would be eligible to apply for removal of conditions 90 days from the expiry of your green card.

[dwheels76 5,468]

21 hours ago, HRQX said:

My field office is also in CA and my I-485 is still pending. I filed in December 2017.

Were you adjusting from a K1 or other type Visa. Because that matters. Visitor visas and overstays take much longer to process and most times require an interview.

[FamousJerry 47]

23 hours ago, ClickityClackity said:

Good morning y’all!

 

I have been waiting since February for my interview to be scheduled at the San Fernando Valley Service center for my K-1 visa AOS.

I recently called USCIS to see if everything was okay and the agent that took my call informed me that my AOS application has a processing time of about 2 years as of now. (11.5 to 29.5 months)

Is this the new normal after COVID?

It seems I’m going to have to renew my EAD twice more? 
This is getting ridiculous 

We just had our AOS interview last Thursday (Nov 12) it took us about 13 month from filing to interview. We are married more than 2 years by the time we got the interview and my wife was approved for green card and she is being sent a 10 year card. We first filed AOS Sept  2019 , in our interview i asked him if they were closed due to covid. He said they were closed for over 4  months and applications and forms kept coming in and sat idle for that long. He also said there is a long long long back log of cases. And we were lucky to already be in the waiting for interview section. He said others would have extremely long waits for any progress on the cases. We were waiting for an interview from our action notice of April of this year. He also said because of how much things are backed up and what a mess it is there is not real order of things till they get caught up and they cant hire any more people because of a government freeze in the USCIS.

 

I know none of this is very helpful in getting your case moving but hope I was able to share what i was told in our interview and what to maybe expect. And as i have said through this whole process we feel extremely lucky they way our case from K1 - AOS has gone. We know we are the rare case and not the norm.