OldUser

Yes, paper submissions are big, that's true. It does require effort, and I knew people who had 1-3 inch thick applications which they put together themselves. Besides being overwhelmed or having to do a lot of work, anything else that stops you from going paper route? I'm not saying this is the only way, surely you can file I-130 online and I-485 on paper. But sometimes USCIS has trouble connecting them if filed separately. Be very careful with leaving the country when out of status. You may get a ban reentering the US for 3 or 10 years, l depending how long your overstay is. Any overstay is forgiven for a spouse of US citizen if you they remain in the US, but not if they leave the US! At that point you may need a waiver and it will add years to your processing time. If you need to leave, leave before you accrue unlawful stay... For consular processing without overstay, it will take 2 years or so to get immigrant visa.

Anything under 12 months is OK and nothing to worry about. NY office is super busy. Not many get interviews within 3-4 months of filing.

Why would you serving Jury duty in the past exempt you from pool? I think exemptions is all about health or mental issues, criminal past or if you somehow know the victims or person being tried.

Makes sense!

I got Jury Duty card as LPR. Had to reply saying I wasn't a citizen at the time. Never registered to vote until I became a citizen. Some states don't differentiate and target anybody with DL. Jury Duty is mandatory obligation for most US citizens, whether registered or not registered to vote. Of course, there are some exceptions.

https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/search/recent-search Passport number is what I recall entering in the Document number field when I had I-94.

No downsides as far as I know. You can even register to vote online before DMV visit, at least that's what I did in California. https://vote.gov/register I registered on the same day as I became a citizen. Few days / weeks later (sorry, don't remember), I got confirmation card in the mail with voter ID.

Not saying all the finances should be merged. It can be a middleground, combining the minimum to cover the necessary monthly bills. If partners have issue with that, are we saying there's 0 trust in relationship. My spouse and I were cautious combining finances at first. We started at bare minimum, just enough to pay electrical bill. Over the time, we combined a sizable portions of our incomes to cover necessities and save for the future. It's definitely a matter of opinion, not saying what's right or wrong. It just makes sense logistically to us. For example, if there's no shared bank account, who's receiving tax refund from IRS? 😃 And who's paying for house renovation? Shifting funds using Venmo / Zelle all the time is very inconvenient IMO. Again, only my opinion. OP has other good evidence.

Technically, it shouldn't be much different. I considered applying at library, but the wait for appointment was a lot longer than at USPS office. Please post your experience once you apply!

Global Entry has nothing to do with biometrics for USCIS. I was a GE member at the time I got scheduled for AOS biometrics.

It's hard to know, honestly. There's been cases on VJ when person had to do biometrics at every stage without particular reason why. Internal policies are always shift at USCIS. Not so long ago majority of I-751 filers has their interviews waived, now it seems like a lot more get interviews. Same can happen with biometrics. Nobody can reliably predict who's going to need to go for biometrics, and whose is going to be reused. I always assumed the worst for my case: needing to go to appointment and having interview. I was glad when neither happened

That's a smart move. There's no such thing as too much proof of US citizenship. If my state issued EDL, I would have gotten it.

Within 2-6 weeks

Translation to English is definitely needed. Apostiles etc typically not required. Is the third country your home country?

Normal. Next step is ceremony!

To add to that... In my case, this status was one of several statuses in history that occurred in one go. I had same day ceremony. But, if officer requires approval from a higher up, this can take some time.

This is normal

Usually within few months of filing Case status changes. You also get letter in the mail. Yes, typically you receive email saying action was taken. Not sure about text... Yes, they assign date, time and location.

Yes, you can get away with not submitting them. You have other good evidence it seems.

What's your field office?

Not a big deal. Considering I-130 for siblings take decades, some siblings change their names in the meanwhile, due to marriages, divorces etc.

Most likely it won't be an issue. Make sure to include middle name in any subsequent USCIS forms you file.

Yes, if you are beneficiaries on brokerage / bank / retirement accounts, make sure to include evidence of this

You have great evidence of bonafide marriage. Joint bank account is worth opening for reasons beyond immigration. In my family, it helped combining funds for paying off mortgage, car loans, utilities and other recurring expenses. It won't look fishy. Also, you can open free joint checking / HYSA accounts to keep emergency fund or save towards vacation or other goals. I hope you filed taxes jointly? In overwhelming majority of cases, joint filings make better financial sense for the family as you get bigger tax break. If this is the case, include joint IRS tax return transcripts in your I-751 packet. These are downloadable for free from IRS website.

Before proceeding with I-290B, just know there is potential it may be denied in case if USCIS doesn't see this as their fault. You also don't get anything that would allow you to get EAD or reentry permit off when using I-290B. For the future, it's really in your interest to proactively monitor your case status using USCIS website or third party tracker. You can also sign up for free for USPS Informed Delivery and know when mail is heading your way. It's really easy to avoid problems you had, in 2025 with technology we have available. Good luck!