moving to a different city for faster AOS

[rich rich 10]

There is a large variance in I-485 family visa processing times based on which field office is doing the work.

 

For a spouse married to an American citizen, does it make sense to move to a city with faster processing time?  Does it really make a difference for a spouse?  I've talked to lawyers who say if you are applying for a spouse, it will be fast in any field office.

 

https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/

[SalishSea 17,971]

You've posted the actual link to this info yourself.  Go to the link, select the form, and then your field office.  It is no faster for spouses of USCs.

 

There is wide variation in processing times.  Most people probably do not have the option of packing up and moving to an entirely different city on the off chance that it will processed faster.  No one will stop you if you want to do that, but there are no guarantees that it would make a difference.

[rich rich 10]

There's no category for spouse of USC under I-485. Only family based. For Albany, it's 23.5 months. Memphis is 13 months. 

[powerpuff 6,744]

3 hours ago, rich rich said:

There's no category for spouse of USC under I-485. Only family based. For Albany, it's 23.5 months. Memphis is 13 months. 

Spouse = family

[Unlockable 7,315]

3 hours ago, rich rich said:

There's no category for spouse of USC under I-485. Only family based. For Albany, it's 23.5 months. Memphis is 13 months. 

A spouse is family. So refer to the family category.

[rich rich 10]

3 hours ago, Unlockable said:

A spouse is family. So refer to the family category.

Right, but spouse is faster than parent or nephew, which are also family.  But family is the closest wide spectrum category.

 

Might be worth moving if Memphis is twice as fast as ALbany...

[powerpuff 6,744]

20 minutes ago, rich rich said:

Right, but spouse is faster than parent or nephew, which are also family.  But family is the closest wide spectrum category.

Actually, parents, children and spouse are in the same category for immediate relatives of US citizens. There is no distinction in regards to speed for particular family members over others if you’re talking about adjustment of status. Nephews or anyone else besides spouses, children, parents and siblings do not have an immigration path to the US.

Edited August 24, 2022 by powerpuff

[rich rich 10]

21 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

Actually, parents, children and spouse are in the same category for immediate relatives of US citizens. There is no distinction in regards to speed for particular family members over others if you’re talking about adjustment of status. Nephews or anyone else besides spouses, children, parents and siblings do not have an immigration path to the US.

Thanks for clarifying.  So the wait times of Albany at 23.5 months and Memphis at 13 months is a true difference? 

[powerpuff 6,744]

6 minutes ago, rich rich said:

Thanks for clarifying.  So the wait times of Albany at 23.5 months and Memphis at 13 months is a true difference? 

No, I personally don’t think timelines are completely accurate and I also wouldn’t move in hopes of faster processing times. As an example, my case: my LFO was Long Island, NY where processing times are 19 months. I received my interview in 6 months

[Adventine 3,201]

47 minutes ago, rich rich said:

Right, but spouse is faster than parent or nephew, which are also family.  But family is the closest wide spectrum category.

 

Might be worth moving if Memphis is twice as fast as ALbany...

I'm in Memphis and got the GC about 6 months after filing AOS. I believe the approval was fast because we had an extremely organized package, our field office is fast compared to others, and because we were just plain lucky.

 

However, I DON'T recommend moving to Memphis JUST because the USCIS field office is faster. You have to look at the big picture, not just the immigration aspect. How does a move impact your family's career goals, income potential, cost of living, housing, kids's schooling, etc? 

 

If it turns out your wait in Memphis longer than expected, what's the backup plan? Move again to another reportedly faster field office? USCIS is known to mess up address changes so you might end up scheduled for an interview in a city that you don't live in any more.

[rich rich 10]

7 minutes ago, Adventine said:

I'm in Memphis and got the GC about 6 months after filing AOS. I believe the approval was fast because we had an extremely organized package, our field office is fast compared to others, and because we were just plain lucky.

 

However, I DON'T recommend moving to Memphis JUST because the USCIS field office is faster. You have to look at the big picture, not just the immigration aspect. How does a move impact your family's career goals, income potential, cost of living, housing, kids's schooling, etc? 

 

If it turns out your wait in Memphis longer than expected, what's the backup plan? Move again to another reportedly faster field office? USCIS is known to mess up address changes so you might end up scheduled for an interview in a city that you don't live in any more.

Hey thanks for chiming in from Memphis!

 

I want the shortest AOS possible because fiance would not have health insurance until she gets her GC.  No insurance = no pregnancy.

 

But I know what you mean.  Need to consider other factors before moving.  Memphis is awesome.  

[Adventine 3,201]

6 minutes ago, rich rich said:

 

@rich rich she doesn't need to have a GC to get health insurance. Once you're married, you can add her to your existing health insurance as your wife. That's what my husband did for me the day after we got married. I didn't have a GC or SSN at the time. He logged onto his company portal and got it done in 5 mins.

 

Marriage is a qualifying event so you don't have to wait for the annual open enrollment period. Search the forums for experiences from many, many others who have been in your situation.

[Lil bear 4,261]

10 minutes ago, rich rich said:

Hey thanks for chiming in from Memphis!

 

I want the shortest AOS possible because fiance would not have health insurance until she gets her GC.  No insurance = no pregnancy.

 

But I know what you mean.  Need to consider other factors before moving.  Memphis is awesome.  

She can be added to your insurance policy on marriage   I think you will be frustrated if you approach the process with this time pressure. So much is out of your control, unpredictable and very fickle  . 

[rich rich 10]

1 hour ago, Adventine said:

@rich rich she doesn't need to have a GC to get health insurance. Once you're married, you can add her to your existing health insurance as your wife. That's what my husband did for me the day after we got married. I didn't have a GC or SSN at the time. He logged onto his company portal and got it done in 5 mins.

 

Marriage is a qualifying event so you don't have to wait for the annual open enrollment period. Search the forums for experiences from many, many others who have been in your situation.

Thanks! Will do. I'm self employed so I'm on the healthcare.gov Obamacare. I think you have to be GC holder. Need to double check that. 

[K1visaHopeful 2,856]

You're going to bring someone to the US and not offer to buy them health insurance?

You are going to wait until they can work and get their own HI through their own employer?

One does not need residency to buy health insurance.