ETM8986

Thanks for creating the thread and for sharing your filing process. I arrived on Aug 9th on a K1 too. We were married Aug 17th - and sent the package (AOS and EAD only) off end October. NOA receipt Nov 6th.

@Edward and Jaycel We sent our package via USPS Priority to the Chicago lockbox on a Thurs and it arrived on Sat afternoon. The NOA is dated on the Wed that followed (so about a week from mailing it off to receiving an e-notice). It has the receipt number in the notice too. They took our money the following day 😂. I didn't know this at that time (now I do, haha!) but the receipt notice is not enough. USCIS then sends another letter with the online access code which you will need to link your case on the USCIS portal. That one took another week to arrive by snail mail. Hopefully you get news soon! And thanks for creating the new thread for November filers. Appreciate it!

Thanks @Edward and Jaycel and @hplusj - the NOA arrived in the mail! (And I found the electronic notice in the spam folder of my inbox) So the waiting begins...

@hplusj We had a joint sponsor who stepped in at the last minute after the first one dropped the ball unexpectedly (that was not fun at all 😭) so we mailed the packet off on 10/31. USPS tracking says it was delivered on Saturday 2/11 but we haven't got ANY notice that USCIS has received it so I'm getting worried.

Thanks @hplusj! I don't know if we'll make it for the October filing though. Hopefully - I'd be relieved to send the packet off! I'm certainly not relishing the idea of being "out of status." It sounds dreadful and the lack of a so-called "bridging visa" is unusual to me. We're waiting on a joint sponsor to get his I-864 forms ready. My husband is a full-time student so we have no income, and I don't know if that makes our case more complicated or not 😩

Thanks for the clarification... ... and also for the suggestion #2. I don't actually see a thread created yet though, unless I'm looking at the wrong places. (I have to admit that using the search function, whilst immensely useful, is also not very reassuring when reading about the seeming arbitrariness of USCIS! 😭)

Another question about the AOS : I'm confused about the medical requirements. Reading the instructions on the I-485, it says (on p14, No.10) that fiance nonimmigrant filers have to refer to the I-693 instructions on whether I need to submit certain parts or a full I-693... So I read the instructions for the I-693, and on page 7 (FAQ Q3) it says: How do I show proof of this? I was emailed a copy of the DS-3025 after I completed my overseas medical with the last page marked as such: Do I simply include the copy of DS-3025 in the AOS packet that I am submitting (I-485, I-864 and I-765)? Thanks - appreciate your help in clarifying these - I've read several threads from Feb/Mar 2023 about I-693s and RFEs (Eg. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/788868-rfe-for-i-693-even-though-ds-3025-was-completed/ AND https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/798091-request-for-form-i-693-courtesy-email/) so I am rather confused and flustered now.

Thank you for your responses. Thanks especially to @K1visaHopeful for the screenshot - that is very helpful! Appreciate it.

Thanks @powerpuff for the quick response. Is it okay to just leave #3 blank then? I'm reading page 7 of the I-864 Instructions and it says fill in "1" if married (see screenshot). (#8 auto-populates - we're filling in the form using a computer.) Thanks again!

Hi all - I entered on a K1 and am now filing the AOS forms. This question is about the I-864, Part 5, about household size (screenshot below). My husband is the sponsor, and it is just me. But if he fills in "1" for items #1, #2 and #3, for #8 the automated answer is "3" but our household size should be 2. So I'm really confused and wondering whether we're misunderstanding something on the form. Thanks for your help!

Prior to my resignation and move to U.S. I had a chat with my bosses and they were keen on retaining me on a remote work basis. I explained that I wasn't too sure about the legality of it etc, but they were adamant that it didn't matter because they were a foreign entity, nothing to do with U.S. tax or labor laws or whatever I was worried about. "Remote work doesn't touch the U.S., so why should it be an issue" is their question. I think it's a legitimate question that many ask. I'm not that chuffed about being unable to work (not just because income would be helpful, but so I can be occupied - moving from a crazy dense city to suburbia is a challenge!) but also don't want to do anything wrong. 🤣 Of course the CR1 route is much better in this respect, but I think it's possible that not every couple really understands the advantages of the CR1 over the K1 at the beginning of their journey. My now-husband and I definitely did not really comprehend how insane the process of getting me to the States would be when we got engaged!

Hi all, This question has been asked to death, I know, so I apologise for yet another one pertaining to the K1 visa and the legality of remote work. I have explained to my former employers that I am not permitted to work, even remotely for a foreign company, while pending work authorisation - is there a legal document that has it stated in black and white that I can quote and show them please? Thank you very much. And a separate question (maybe better on another thread?) but what do most K1 visa entrants do while waiting for their EAD? I am afraid that brain-rot will set in very quickly. Thanks!

An update on the SSN, if this information is useful to anybody. I entered the US on Friday evening and got to the SSA office first thing the following Tuesday. They have an online application which you can fill in prior to the walk-in appointment, so that was incredibly helpful. Went in with the I-94, foreign passport and birth certificate. No questions were asked - just confirmation that the address provided was correct (I was in a different county as my then-fiance was finishing up his work) and I got a receipt saying I'd get the SSN in the mail in two weeks. Received it about a week and half later. Very relieved - and very grateful for the replies on this forum!

Thanks - nervous traveller, and will be travelling alone, so I appreciate the reassurance!

Hi all, I was looking through our documents and noticed that the NOA2 we received expired last month early in May 2024. I am only flying into the US via SFO on a K-1 visa in August. (The visa sticker on my passport says it expires in mid-August.) Would that be an issue? Sorry if that's a silly question. I'm just very nervous about this whole process etc. Thanks!

Thanks @Crazy Cat. Hoping the AOS won't be too horrible of a process - it's all rather intimidating!

Can one apply for SSN sooner than after day 10? Say on Day 2 or 3? Or would that be an issue? On the VJ guide it says 2 weeks because of the SAVE database - am I correct in my understanding that now that things are electronic it is not necessary to wait that long? Thanks - my fiance and I plan to get married within the week of my arrival, hence my question.

Thanks for the quick reply. 1) OK. Hopefully the personnel we encounter won't make things difficult. 2) For the SS-5 item #5 do I select "Legal Alien allowed to work" or "Legal Alien NOT allowed to work?" At the time of application I wouldn't have applied for the AoS or EAD yet. Dumb question perhaps, but I come from a very tiny city-state so it's not something I'm familiar with, hence another qn: 3) Does it matter which SSA office you go to? Does it have to be within the county/state you're in? What complicates matters is that my fiance is very possibly going to be moving out-of-state for work so do we apply for SSN in his home state or the state which we will likely be living in? Thanks again.

Hi all, I'd like to clarify a couple of things - I've read the guides and am still unsure. 1) Would the expiration of the validity of the K-1 in the passport matter when applying for the SSN? Due to employment issues, I can't travel till about a week before my K-1 validity is up. My fiance and I intend to get married within the week of my entry but I will not be changing my name as yet. I know it says on the guides that SSN should be applied for before day ~76 of the I-94 expiring, but would the expiration of the K-1 affect the application process? (eg. if my K-1 is valid till mid-August and I apply end August would that be an issue?) 2) What exactly do you tell the SSA office if they ask for a reason why I need an SSN? Would just showing the policy memo and saying "because I'm eligible for one" cut it? I'm a bit skeptical it will work in all cases, so I'd appreciate some input on that. Thanks very much. It's been very useful reading the posts on VJ and I'm really grateful for all the information here.