beloved_dingo

Filing a writ of mandamus after only 90 days seems extreme. And I'm not sure the average layperson could file one properly without a lawyer, which would cost much more than $400.

I mean yeah, you can buy things abroad. But you need to declare the things you bought. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/know-before-you-go/what-expect-when-you-return https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-246?language=en_US Relevant portion(s): All travelers must complete a CBP Declaration Form 6059B itemizing all purchased merchandise and agricultural products. The duty-free exemptions ($200, $800, or $1,600) apply if: - The items are for your personal or household use or intended to be given as gifts. -They are in your possession, that is, they accompany you when you return to the United States. - They are declared to CBP. If you do not declare something that should have been declared, you risk forfeiting it. If in doubt, declare it.

It's always possible that the I-751 will update to "approved" soon. The I-751 has to be approved before the oath, but it doesn't require a separate interview.

So I originally was basing that off a few random threads I found here on VJ, but as it turns out my office does do same day oaths! Another user here pointed out that recent reviews on Google for our FO mention same day oath ceremonies and they were correct. So I recommend looking at Google reviews for your own FO to see if there are recent mentions regarding the oath. We are hoping to luck out and get it all done in one day but with ROC also pending we know it's dependent on whether they can approve both on the spot or not.

I remember that thread vividly and even if everything is perfectly fine now...what an awful experience. 5 weeks in jail and so much extra money down the drain as well - AOS is already pretty expensive as it is.

The SSA office gave us the worst time when we tried to get my husband's Social Security card after he came here on a K1. First trip we're told "you're here too soon, come back in a week or so" (wasn't true, we should have been able to get it right then). I mention that we will be married in a week, and ask if it will be a problem. We were told "Nope, all good". We go back 10 days later, and we're told "We can't process this because you're married now" (false). My husband ended up having to wait to get his EAD/AP card to get the SSN. We didn't bother getting the unrestricted card. Citizenship interview is next month so shouldn't matter after that. @Misscloud I hope it works out soon! SSA is notorious for telling you something different each time you speak to a new person. As a side note about documents for employment verification, it's a slight pet peeve of mine when employers ask specifically for a copy of your driver's license + social security card. It's just one combination of documents that are acceptable, out of many. I've used my passport a couple of times and both times the HR person was thrown off by it. Also, (unexpired) green cards and EAD cards are Class A documents - but I've seen so many employers treat them like a driver's license and ask for the SSN as well.

A few clarifying questions: Did you file for Adjustment of Status back in 2013, and your husband was deported while the AOS was pending? Or did you file I-130 for consular processing, and he was deported during a visit while that was pending? What was the reason/circumstance of the deportation? Why were the waivers denied? Do you have an attorney right now? If so, what exactly is your question?

Not sure if I am misreading your statement here, but Northeastern University is IN Boston. OP stated their master's program was through Northeastern, and Northeastern directed OP to attend a language school in Boston. OP then requested to attend a less expensive language school in a cheaper city instead (Chicago).

To be fair, if this was legalese, there would definitely be at least one "pursuant" in there, and likely a "therefore" or "herein" just for giggles. USCIS is king at writing 2 paragraphs that say absolutely nothing of substance though, that's for sure.

The relevant requirement, posted by @SteveInBostonI130 is "You have lived within the state or USCIS district where you claim residence for at least 3 months prior to filing." You cannot say you have lived within the state where you claim residence if you are not physically present in that state for months.

Interviews are typically 4-6 weeks following the interview notice. For us, the interview date is 5.5 weeks from the day we got the interview notice. I was also a little worried the we might be traveling during the time our interview was scheduled because we will be out of town a week in May and a week in August. We lucked out and the interview is exactly 2 weeks prior to our trip in May. Personally, I would buy refundable tickets and make refundable reservations so that you can work around the interview date on the small chance it gets scheduled on a date you planned to be out of town.

I think the confusion happening here is that the 3 month rule doesn't mean you can't go on vacation during that 3 month period. If you go on a trip for a week before filing N-400, that does NOT cause an issue with the 3 month rule. However, OP isn't talking about being out of town for a week. OP is talking about being away for months, and filing N-400 during a time of NOT living in their state for an extended period of time and that is what is causing the issue. You can't claim that you were residing within your state for the prior 3 month period if you haven't spent a single day actually in that state during that period of time.

Statistics by AOS Office (for the last 360 days) AOS Office Total Records Avg. Total Days to Interview Avg. Days to 1st NOA Avg. Days btw 1st NOA Biometrics Avg. Days btw Biometrics and Interview (if interview required) Avg. Days btw Biometrics and Decision Date Avg. Days btw Decision Date and Receiving Green Card Atlanta GA 5 465 22 85 358 369 8 Here are VJ stats for AOS through Atlanta. According to your timeline, you are ~250 days into the process. It is extremely unlikely that your AOS will still be processing another 2+ years. The processing times on the USCIS site aren't really accurate or helpful at all. An example: My FO says that N-400 takes 12.5 months, but we got our interview scheduled 9 weeks after filing. So, you are creating a worry that is prefaced on so many "what if" situations: What if your AOS takes 2+ more years to finish? AND what if you need to travel overseas during that time? AND what if having a valid EAD/AP card causes issues with CBP? (which is unheard of) AND what if some other once in a life time awful thing occurs that SPECIFICALLY affects people with pending AOS that are traveling with AP? If you approached everything in life that way, it'd be impossible to function.

Interesting, I thought that Montgomery didn't do same day oaths but I just saw the reviews you're referring to! I hope we get lucky and are able to do that. I'll update here afterwards with our experience.

Hello! Our FO is also Montgomery. To give you an idea of what to expect as far as timing, we filed January 27th, did biometrics Feb. 23rd, and we received the interview notice 3 days ago - interview is May 10th. It's very likely you'll end up with an interview in June

There's no issue just filing MFJ, as others have stated. We have filed MFJ since 2019. Husband arrived in the U.S. in May 2019, and when we filed 2019 taxes in early 2020, we had his SSN so it was not a problem at all to e-file.

Thanks! No, the I-751 is SRC.

Thank you!

Just updating here as well that we got an update on the N-400 yesterday - interview is May 10th. I'm hoping it'll be a combo interview and we won't have to think about the I-751 again 😅

Paging @pushbrk for his expertise in this situation.

The N-400 updated online. The interview letter was immediately available in the Documents tab. I expect the hard copy to arrive in the next week. As a side note, my local office does not do same day oath, so I expect the oath to likely occur in June.

Unfortunately, it looks like you've got the combination of an overstay + prior immigrant intent working against her. Doesn't matter that it was 25 years ago; that's more than enough to deny a B2. I'd be tempted to do an FOIA request if it were me, to have a look at the documents from 1998 and anything else immigration may have on file for your wife (assuming this is possible).

AHHH!!! Just got the notice that the N-400 interview was scheduled! May 10th at 9:30AM.

Tbh this tracks with trends we've seen across many types of filings since the start of the year - some lightning fast approvals (even for I-751) for recently filed cases/petitions. Meanwhile, people who have already been waiting over a year are...still waiting. Makes some 2023 filers very very lucky, and lowers USCIS' overall processing times, but doesn't help those that have already been languishing, waiting for any kind of update.

Friendly reminder to OP that even if you get a B2 without issue, every entry to the US is at the discretion of CBP and CBP can and does check electronics like phones and laptops if they suspect any kind of fraud.