US Immigration from South Africa

Hey all! Been on the forums here since around the time of our first K1 NOA2 (yes, we had two) back in March of this year. I'd say we're long overdue for a little introduction:

I'm Heather, the main arbiter of the hplusj account and the USC. My now-husband, Jon, is from South Africa. He arrived here on Friday the 13th of September because September 11th is clearly cursed and his flights kept cancelling. We live in Iowa, though right around the time of our NOA2 (literally my first piece of mail) I moved from Minneapolis down to the Des Moines metro. I work in the hospitality industry and, once that EAD shows up for Jon, he'll probably jump right back into software development.

We did things the hard way with a K1, and it is what it is. Things like delaying our wedding would've been smart but we're suckers for sentimentality and wooo, is that a costly endeavor. When I mean costly, I don't necessarily meant the cost of the K1 (although that's certainly not cheap either). What it also cost us was understanding from our loved ones, and a sense of normalcy. Jon and I had a lovely micro-wedding in Vegas in an olive grove (pics below) but our family and friends really struggled to wrap their heads around a wedding invitation which had several time zones printed on it. Imagine the feedback we got: letters that read, We're so happy for you but we just can't make the journey when we had paid over $500 for a production team to livestream, in an attempt to include them!

Anyway, the wedding was quite the adventure (so much to say on that, but let's not bog down an intro), and we're glad to be on the other side. At the time of this post, we just got the text from USCIS notifying us that Jon's NOA1 for the AOS/EAD are in the mail. It's on to the next steps, getting just a bit closer to citizenship!

We are so glad to be here, to contribute our journey and hopefully help others along the way. Thank you for this site, it's been a godsend!!

Welcome to all AOS filers for October 2024! Following the example of other users, I'm taking on the task of starting the thread for us, in order to track our progress.

We all come from a variety of situations, so please reference the Immigration Guides for your AOS filing directions. Feel free to share your procedure/progress in the comments below!

My husband arrived on a K1 visa on September 13 and we were married on October 10. We filed today with the following packet composed (this is a copy of our Table of Contents):

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SECTION A : I-485, APPLICATION FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE

• I-485 Payment (two money orders, total $1440USD)
  • Money order payable to US Department of Homeland Security , total $1000USD
  • Money order payable to US Department of Homeland Security , total $440USD

• Forms
  • Form G-1145, e-Notification of Petition/Application Acceptance
  • Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence

• Identification
  • Copy of applicant s passport bio page
  • Copy of applicant s K1 visa page
  • Copy of applicant s birth certificate
  • Copy of applicant s police clearance record -2 pages
  • Bag containing 2(two) passport size photos of applicant

• Confirmations
  • Copy of form I-797c
  • Copy of both received I-797s
  • Copy of valid I-94 travel record
  • Copy of applicant and spouse s marriage certificate
  • Copy of form DS-3025, vaccination documentation worksheet - 2 pages

• Supplemental Evidence
  • Supplemental photo evidence - 5 pages, numbered
  • Supplemental document evidence - 1 page each
    • Community Choice credit union account
    • Iowa state instruction permit (Real ID)
    • Social Security conditional card

SECTION B : I-864, AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT FROM US CITIZEN

• Sponsor s Affidavit
  • Form I-864, Affidavit of Support
  • Copy of sponsor s US passport (maiden/birth name)
  • Copy of sponsor s birth certificate
  • Copy of sponsor and spouse s marriage certificate
  • Sponsor s employment verification letter
  • Sponsor s paystubs, from April 2024 to present
  • Sponsor s 2023 IRS tax transcript

SECTION C : I-765, APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION

• I-765 Payment
  • Money order payable to US Department of Homeland Security , total $260USD

• Forms
  • Form G-1145, e-Notification of Petition/Application Acceptance
  • Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization

• Identification
  • Copy of applicant s passport bio page
  • Copy of applicant s K1 visa page
  • Copy of applicant s birth certificate
  • Copy of applicant s police clearance record - 2 pages
  • Bag containing 2(two) passport size photos of applicant

• Confirmations
  • Copy of forms I-797c
  • Copy of both received I-797s
  • Copy of valid I-94 travel record
  • Copy of applicant and spouse s marriage certificate
  • Copy of form DS-3025, vaccination documentation worksheet - 2 pages

• Supplemental Evidence
  • Supplemental photo evidence - 5 pages, numbered
  • Supplemental document evidence - 1 page each
    • Community Choice credit union account
    • Iowa state instruction permit (Real ID)
    • Social Security conditional card

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We're looking forward to following others' journeys! Best of luck to everyone.

Firstly, I wanna say a big thank you to God, Secondly, I want to appreciate everyone on this site for your contribution in helping shape my path to American Citizen. Thank you all, as I prepare for my oath and ceremony becoming a US citizen, Thank you all and God bless you.

Can someone please assist yesterday my husband and I received the denial for our adjustment of status we filed in 2021 and yesterday we were denied. We have been together for 12 years and married for almost eight. I have not received the denial letter yet but I'm not sure what my next steps are I know we have to consult with an immigration attorney but I'd like to know what do I do as far as my job goes I'm a paralegal I work for a law firm can I continue working until I get The denial letter? we will obviously refile but I just would like to know what my next options are we are completely and utterly devastated.

Hey all, just a very quick question as I prepare our paperwork for AOS:

If my fiance is receiving a SSN/card prior to us filing and we provide that number on the forms, should we also be requesting a new card be issued? My understanding is that the one he gets prior to our wedding will be conditional, I want to know if we have to request a new one for the EAD, or if that will be issued automatically upon approval, even if we say no on the form. Thanks in advance!