maztec

I have a friend who lives in London. Her husband's sister applied for a green card for him to the US in 1997 and he has just been issued with it and he went to the US to get it. He has now returned back to London to be with his wife, who does not have any right to enter the US.

They would both like to immigrate to the US as quickly as possible. Am I right in thinking that they need to apply for an immigrant visa for her immediately and then wait for one to become available. They do not want to be apart but he does not want to loose his green card, but I believe the process could take a long time. Does he regularly have to go back to the US to "renew" his green card? Or is there some sort of reentry permit he can get and not be hassled for not going to the US for a while because he is waiting for his wife to get approved?

Any help/knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

There mistake was in not filing to get the wife's greencard simultaneously - she was eligible.

Anyway, London is a hell of a lot better than the US - better to stay there.

I just wanted to know how big a hassle with USCIS it is when you're moving. I just filed my application and received my NOA. However we are planning on moving in August (same apartment complex different building).

I know I have to file AR-11 and call USCIS for the address change on my application. But are they good at changing the address? Also does USCIS mail get forwarded by the mail service?

CIS sucks at updating addresses. Call CIS, File an AR-11, write a separate letter with a copy of the AR-11 to each center or office currently processing each of your petitions, and it does not hurt to make an InfoPass appointment (especially if you are changing CIS offices) to inform them of your move and request they move your file to the new location.

Make sure your postal carrier is aware of the type of mail you expect to receive and need forwarded. Explicitly ask them to send it to you - and when you receive it, send a copy back to CIS notifying them again that your address has changed.

I know that customer service is a bunch of contractors who know nothing about USCIS rules, but one of them filed an expedite request for me today because she said I fit one of the criteria: severe financial loss to company.

I explained that I am currently working on an EAD through optional practical training on F-1 visa, and it is expiring on 7/7/08, and that my pending one (filed with 485) needs to come before then or my employer said very clearly that they will have to terminate me on 7/7/08. The company can't afford to lose the projects I am exclusively responsible for, but the HR department has no room for discussion.

I was told my expedite request is being filed electronically and directly to the National Benefits Center. From friends I learned that most these things come back asking for evidence and it might take time to get it to go through.

Has ANYONE here dealt with expedite requests? For EADs or otherwise? Does my coure of action make any sense? Is there hope that i will get my new EAD before 7/7/08?

P.S. filed 4/15/08 NOA 4/21/08 Biometrics 5/14/08...

Yes, they can do that, yes it does make sense. If you haven't received an RFE - your 90 days for EAD should be up by July 17. At worst you take one week off - just don't take off the 4th of July . That may not be an option, in that case, make an InfoPass appointment the week before and inform them you requested an expedite and why you need it.

They are often pretty good about issuing a temporary stamp.

Hey All. My 90 Day mark for EAD is Sunday. I called the USCIS hotline just to see what they'd say or if they saw something different on my case. The woman there said "The employment authorization timeframe is between 90 and 120 days. What the heck? The USCIS website says you will get your authorization in 90 days or LESS. Has anyone ever heard of it taking this long???

The other thing is that I told the woman I made an infopass appointment for my local New Jersey office for Tuesday to get the temporary work permit and she said "giving out the temp EAD is at the discretion of the local office" i guess that means they give it out if they FEEL like it. What are the odds that I get it?! Im freaking out, I thought it was a given that i'd get it. What if I tell them I have job offers (true) or emotional stress (true).

All suggestions, stories and advice are appreciated!!

The law is that they must issue it within 90 days. However, the law says "issue" which means they have printed it, prepared it, approved it - but it can take up to 30 days for them to mail it. A lot of the centers are on cyclic mailings, every two weeks, so that can hold things up.

However, if you do not receive your EAD after 90 days (aka this coming Monday), you can make an InfoPass appointment and request a temporary EAD. Inform them that you need to start working in order to assist your spouse in supporting you - and explain that it is unfair for her to do all the work while you sit around doing nothing. Most officers are nice and will issue it. Legally, they have to - unless you are about to be slapped with an RFE. Also, keep in mind, if you received an RFE or RFI (request for initial evidence) then your 90 days is restarted - it starts on the day you submit the evidence for the RFE/RFI.

Hello,

I need your help to understand something. I get that the AOS/EAD/AP application has to be sent at the Chicago office for K1 holder.

However, I don't exactly get when the local office has a role to play...

I am ready concerned about getting the AP asap. I am getting married september 1st and hope to send the application by september 10th. And december 12th, I'd like to travel to my country with my future husband to have a ceremony with my family and friends... I realize that it gives us only 3 months to get approved. Timelines are different for everybody, some people are lucky enough to be approved for AP within 60 days, some others winthin 100 days. Do Chicago office send the application to the local offices?? My would be Anchorage as I will live in Alaska...

In case in early december I still have no news of my AP, where can I get an InfoPass intervew to speed the process up?

Do you think it is not realistic to plan a ceremony in december in France when applying for AOS/AP in september??

Thanks for your help!!

Faustine

Last I heard Alaska moves fairly quickly. The Chicago Office sends all applications to one of the Service Centers or the National Benefits Center. Most likely your petition was sent to the NBC. Once the NBC is done with your background checks they will send it to your local office who will then process your petition.

Have your petition ready for filing on September 2 - the day AFTER your marriage. No sense in waiting any additional time. Then, all you have to do is enclose a copy of your marriage certificate and mail it. Your EAD should come within 90 days. Barring any mistakes your AP may also come within that timeline. Indicate your reason for needing the AP before December 12 and they might expedite it. Not necessarily, but you never know. If your background checks clear fast enough - you should be great.

Hello,

I was wondering if anybody have any tips for me in this situation. I applied a for I129 Fiancee petition for my fiancee. Is has been approved and everything was running smoothly until the day of her interview she had at the US embassy in Ethiopia. The problem is I made a couple of mistakes when I was filling out the applications.(part of the problem was because of Visajourney.com, lol)

You see, in the sample forms on this website for the i325 Biographic form. It shows a sample filled form for an applicant in Italy. Well, the problem is that I supposdly wrote she speaks italian on that sheet? I also had another typo with her birthday because on the Biographic form it said 04/07/89 and on her i129 it said 04/17/89.

I guess they rejected her because of those problems like its some sort of scam and she said they told her, "if he really loves you, tell him to come here himself".

Well, I am working now but I am willing to go there again within the next two months to fight this obsurd accusations. I already sent the Consular at the Ethiopian embassy to enlighten me on what the situation is and how can it be resolved.

Anybody have any advice?

or experience on how long this will take?

That would be really helpful,

Thanks

Also, here is an attachment of the letter they gave her after the interview.

Ethiopia? Good luck. They have this response because over 95% of the petitions that go through Ethiopia are scams. They are predisposed to denying them. It takes serious evidence with ZERO mistakes to get a fiancee visa through Ethiopia. Your best bet is to email consaddis@state.gov AND call 251-11-1242424 Mon-Thu 1:00pm to 5:00pm then give a shot at consacs@state.gov . . . and explain what has happened. Tell them that you were a moron, using a website rather than an attorney to help you, you made errors on the forms, and request them to make the changes. Inform them that if it is necessary for you to visit Ethiopia, you can, but it will take you X months to be able to go there because of work.

Frankly, I would just tell them, "Fine! I will do a telephonic Nikkah (marriage) and then visit her before her interview to consummate the marriage!" And do just that - and attend the interview with her.

--errrr <RANT>----

If you want to be crude, you could always drag in the sheets of your marital bed [with appropriate allocation of food dye] and say, "See! These sheets are proof of our marriage!"

Have a friend that worked for the Consulate in Ethiopia up until a year ago. She had a man and woman come in and do that - after they had done a tentative denial. They set up a new appointment, came in, the guy was fuming mad, showed the "sheets" and asked the Consulate, "What do you need to see?!? Nude photographs of us copulating? Should we strip now and have sex to prove we love each other? You are sick! But we will do it if you will approve it!" Apparently, after holding in the laughter and fear, the Consulate approved it.

But what can I say? That really is not good advice... Stick with what there is before the crudeness and you might have a chance to fix it. If they seem sincere in that if you visit they will grant it - then go. But, honestly, I would contact my Senator first and throw an unholy fit, informing him/her that the Consulate is causing you additional cost, stress, etc and forcing you to go to Ethiopia against your will . . . when they should be able to approve your fiancee - WHO THEN HAS NINETY DAYS to marry you and PROVE that the relationship is REAL and FILE for an adjustment and PROVE AGAIN that it is real and then FILE AGAIN for removal of conditions and PROVE AGAIN that it is real. Yes, you have to prove your relationship is real at least six times before it is real enough for the government (initial CIS application, NVC documentation, Consulate, marriage/U.S. entry immigration, adjustment petition, adjustment interview, condition removal petition, condition removal interview) . . . what a pain in the ###.

The system is broke! Demand that your Senator work on fixing it.

Oh, and good luck.. Ethiopia's Consulate is one of the worst U.S. Consulates in the world - they have been cited for human rights abuses repeatedly, but never convicted. Rampant abuse by officers insisting on being bribed by sexual or monetary favors in order to approve a petition are excessively common in Ethiopia.... which makes it all the worse.

--- </RANT> ---

Hey guys! I've been participating of the k3 forum because that was my original idea. But now, many people have had both I-130 and I-129F approved together so I started to consider the CR1 IF the same happens to me (hopefully soon).

Even if the I-130 and I-129F are approved together (which they should be, I-129F is a dependent petition - although, sometimes, accidentally approved earlier than the I-130) it would take longer to process the I-130 for CR1 at the Consulate than the I-129F. It comes down to how soon you want the person to arrive in the U.S. and start your life together.

Now, while reading the guides and forum, I had some doubts about the CR1 process at the NVC. I hope you guys who have been here longer can help me out. I wanna be ready for whatever comes.

1. Do we REALLY have to send the original birth certificate and marriage certificate to NVC?

Read the instructions, they say "COPY of the original". However, at all interviews you must take the ORIGINAL for verification. If you are worried, get a CERTIFIED COPY.

2. Do they REALLY return the originals at the interview?

Sometimes. Otherwise you have to file a special form with a special request for the documents. Again, do not send originals - the instructions explicitly state to NOT send originals unless otherwise stated. For these documents it explicitly states COPY.

3. I read something about certified copies... Do they accept them if they were certified in Brazil?

Certified copies are always accepted and appreciated. Certified copies from other countries are acceptable. Brazil is acceptable. However, documents will be verified at the Interview against the ORIGINALS that you will BRING to the interview. Do not send the ORIGINALS unless explicitly requested. Send a COPY instead.

4. Can we really send the Choice of Agent form by e-mail? That sounds risky for me....

You can, but sending a physical copy also is not a bad idea.

5. Is NVC going to send the packages to Brazil (in my case) with the forms I (the beneficiary) am supposed to fill up after they've received the Choice of Agent stating NO AGENT?

You will need to take originals with you to the interview.

Sorry guys! I'm really confused...

So is Immigration.

My wife had her interview today at Fairfax, VA office. The officer was extremely nice gentleman, very helpful, very polite.

She is approved and web status shows the card has been ordered.

On her passport stamp the category he wrote is IR6, is that correct? We have been married for over 2 years.

Yes.

Short Answer: Tell his religious holier-than-though ### to piss-off, it could seriously screw you up. Unless you entered a sham marriage - the only reason he could want this would be so he could marry another woman in a church for a religion that does not allow it if you have been divorced.

Hello,

A Permanent Resident already got her citizenship thru marriage, then things didn't work and the couple want to separate but the american husband wants the marriage annulled instead of a divorce?

What is the difference between annulment and divorce and will that have any effect on the already naturalized spouse?

Also how long they should wait after naturlization to get a divorce?

Many thanks

Annulment implies that the marriage was never real, never legitimate. In order to get an annulment you must show the following:

1) Spouse was already married to someone else at the time the current marriage was entered - and had never divorced or widowed from the previous spouse.

2) Spouse was too young to be married (generally under 16) in the country of marriage.

3) Spouse was under the influence of drugs/alcohol at the time of marriage to a degree that it impaired the ability to make a decision and the marriage was essentially entered into accidentally or involuntarily. (near impossible to show - basically have to be blacked out and remember nothing of the marriage, but if you consented which is required for a marriage it is unlikely this would or could apply).

4) Spouse was mentally incompetent at time of marriage (brain damaged, comatose, temporarily insane, etc ... again unlikely, must have medical records that show this)

5) Consent to marriage was based upon fraud or force (possible, but again hard to show - and if you have been married for 3+ years, long enough to get Citizenship, fat chance)

6) Spouse was physically incapable to be married (basically you never had sex - were unable to have sex. Again, your allegations during the interview process for permanent residence and removal of conditions and naturalization essentially contradict this ... aka fat chance)

7) Prohibited by law (unlikely - usually gay marriage fits this or underage or incest... no real worries unless he is your brother, father, or practicing polyamory relationships)

8) Spouse was sentenced to life in prison when you got married. (somehow, I doubt it)

9) Concealment (drug addiction in some states, criminal record in others, sexually transmitted diseases in others . . . even then, it is difficult to get)

In any of these situations - if he is the one responsible for the situation, then he cannot request the relationship to be annulled - you must consent.

Essentially an annulled marriage is considered to have never existed. This means that CIS, if they so decided, could use the retroactive nature of an annulment to declare your marriage a sham and strip you of Citizenship and Permanent Residence - and then deport you. It is unlikely they would do this, but it is an option open to them. It really is not a good road to go down.

Finally, it is very difficult to get an annulment. The only reason I can imagine that your husband would want it is because he is of some religion that requires it in order to get married in the church again. I am going to go out on a limb here and make a bet that he has been cheating on you. That is not grounds for annulment - that is grounds for a swift kick in the balls.

So, unless you were married to someone else, never had sex with him, and were doing this purely to get your citizenship - then he cannot get it annulled.

P.S.: Sorry for the soft-core cussing. But it is situations like this that tick me off.

But USCIS is always telling me the same thing that my name check is pending, Now as the FBI did not get any request this year how can process it .

thanks

You have asked the FBI about background checks. They change for those - not name checks. Ask about name checks, you will get different results. Typically they respond with no knowledge and refer to the background checks.

Additionally, name checks are handled by a very small FBI department.

Be patient. If you aren't outside of processing times, there is nothing you can do.

Once you are past processing times by 30 days - contact your Senator. -- Or start working with an Attorney.

At 90 days - contact your Ombudsman.

At 120 days - Sue.

And every 45 days, contact CIS and inquire again. InfoPass appointments work great.

-------

Realy, someone needs to start seriously tracking delayed cases.

I called Fbi and they told me that the only information they received was for I-751 last year and they processed the finger prints and send them last year, This year when i filled N-400 i was not finger printed because they (USCIS told me that i dont need to be) as the finger prints from last year are still active. Today i called FBI and they told me that the only request they received about me was last year.

It has been five months and All i wants USCIS to get my finger prints and send it to FBI so we can start the process of name check.

Fingerprints are valid for 15 months. This means that they can re-use the results of your background check for up to 15 months after it has taken place. This means that they do not have to do additional fingerprint appointments unless your fingerprints have expired. Therefore, if it was just last year, it is quite likely your fingerprints are still valid and they do not have to process them through the FBI again.

This is good for everyone - since the FBI has four people across the U.S. that handle ALL of the USCIS background checks central processing [district officers handle personal inquiries]. The FBI refuses to hand over authority to USCIS despite numerous requests.

Cousin of mine developed the new cards. The process isn't horribly complex, but . . well, there you go.

The best thing you can do for it is make an InfoPass appointment, inquire within, then contact your Senator and ask for information, then contact the Ombudsman if yo uget nothign decent from the Senator.

good luck

Why is it taking so long? Our lawyer said it will only take 4 months...i'm so disappointed

Depends on where you are located. Your lawyer probably said, "It can be as short as 4 months." Lawyers like to state things in terms of shortest time. Unfortunately, it makes you feel bad when things don't come out daisies up your favor.

Best thing you can do is hold on. Four months is nothing - hell seven is nothing.

It can take up to 8 years and lately has been easily taking 2 years for the "longer" cases.

Good luck.

First, when you call the call center - those are not immigration officers. Those people have one job and they do it well: Read the script and do not go off of it. When you ask them for information they go to http://www.uscis.gov/ and read what is there. They will not look anywhere else and will not tell you anything else, no matter if they have additional evidence or not. They used to be better, but these days - although they answer the phone faster - they are #######. They are ran by a Lockheed Martin call center and have no authority to do anything but punch in requests if it is outside the "time line" and tell you what the website says.

However, sometimes, in rare circumstances what you request will trigger a flag that will have them forward you to an actual Immigration Officer. This ability is typically reserved for Immigration Attorneys and even then is VERY rarely done. When you do get forwarded to an officer, you are often put on hold for up to 3 or 4 hours [the shortest I have ever experienced is 43 minutes, yes 43 minutes - I keep track].

InfoPass appointments can provide you with more information - but again, they are restricted. The smartest thing you can ever do with them is say, "Can I have that in writing?" Get them to print it out, write it down, sign it, and give it to you. Then you have something to refer back to. Do not be surprised if they laugh and tell you, "No, I am not authorized to do that." You can be obstinate - but eventually they can and will throw your ### out of their lounge.

Second, dates and times constantly change. It all depends on volume, political climate, and staffing. If any variable changes things will swing dramatically forward or backward in time. Some offices are more backlogged than others. Live with it. You cannot do anything other than keep making inquiries until after the time has passed.

Finally, As for your Senators? If it is a delay, they really cannot do anything to help you. Sorry, but that is the truth. They will bust their asses to try to help you out - but maybe 1 in every 800 times do they get any actual results. They are overworked, understaffed, and overpayed. It isn't even the actual Senator that helps you - it is an aid. The aids are very kind, compassionate people who want to help you out. Some Senators actually have aids dedicated to immigration issues; many do not.

The best thing you can do is be a complete THORN in immigrations side and write them a letter 7 days after the last "please wait for a response" time period has expired.

Additionally, you might want to take a serious read of this regulation:

8 CFR 103.2:  Applications, petitions, and other documents:
(B) Evidence and processing ---
(18) Withholding adjudication. A district director may authorize withholding adjudication of a visa petition or other application if the district director determines that an investigation has been undertaken involving a matter relating to eligibility or the exercise of discretion, where applicable, in connection with the application or petition, and that the disclosure of information to the applicant or petitioner in connection with the adjudication of the application or petition would prejudice the ongoing investigation. If an investigation has been undertaken and has not been completed within one year of its inception, the district director shall review the matter and determine whether adjudication of the petition or application should be held in abeyance for six months or until the investigation is completed, whichever comes sooner. If, after six months of the district director's determination, the investigation has not been completed, the matter shall be reviewed again by the district director and, if he/she concludes that more time is needed to complete the investigation, adjudication may be held in abeyance for up to another six months. If the investigation is not completed at the end of that time, the matter shall be referred to the regional commissioner, who may authorize that adjudication be held in abeyance for another six months. Thereafter, if the Associate Commissioner, Examinations, with the concurrence of the Associate Commissioner, Enforcement, determines it is necessary to continue to withhold adjudication pending completion of the investigation, he/she shall review that determination every six months.

That means that CIS can legally delay on making a decision about your case for a minimum of THREE YEARS! It is entirely possible to ignore this and file Mandamus - but you have to have a clear right to adjudication of your case within a reasonable time. It is doable, it does exist, it does work - but a lot of the cases get thrown out for being frivolous by people who do not know how to file them correctly and do not spend the hours necessary in a law library to do their research. It takes at least a week to fully research these issues, know everything about them, and get something done.

Good luck!

Hello, i posted this on the forum twice today and no one has answered. so i will try here. can someone please explain to me the immigration time line. my fiancee lives in ghana, we will marry in August, and i thought with paperwork and all it would take 12-14months to complete the cr1 process. today i looked at the cr-1 immigration time line for ghana and it says 765 days, from NOA2 until time of interview. could this be correct. just last week it said 320 days. i read this website everyday for tips to help me along the way, but now im a little upset with what i read today. if anyone could shed a little light on what the timeline means i would appreciate it. i hope it was just a typo. thanks so much. van.

Timelines change all of the time. Same as the ability for people to post responses here, it changes all of the time. Give at least 72 hours before you cry that nobody is responding. Three posts in a row can be a bit much.

Enough with my lecturing.

The CR1 process is prone to being backlogged. Political climate may change, the number of applicants at a time may change, and numerous other factors can cause sudden and unexpected changes in processing times. I have seen things become current [processed within 2 to 3 weeks!] and suddenly backlogged for up to 8 years.

The high variability with the CR1 processing time is why many people file for K1 or K3 visas - it can be faster.

good luck.

Hello everyone,

friend of mine just won a Green Card. She is getting ready to send out her package of forms. She asked me if I knew about this and I am no sure. there is a question to write the applicants first and last name in the native alphabet if it is other than roman alphabet. so, her mother tongue is Georgian which does have its own alphabet. So should she write it in georgian language? i'm kind of confused ;-( no one could read it at the immigration office anyways.

thanks

yes, in the field that asks her to write it in her native language she writes it in Georgian. They use it for comparing against official documents and recognition that it is her name.

The other fields need to be in English.

can an NOA be enough evidence that my husband is staying here in the US legally???

we already submitted our AOS, EAD and AP application (we already got our NOAs for all 3 said documents)

his visa expires next month... can an NOA be enough evidence that my husband is staying here in the US legally while waitng for our AOS papers to finish??

It is a grey area of the law - but you are fine. It isn't considered an overstay unless your petition is denied and even then it is rarely useable against you unless CIS can show the relationship was not bona fide and was entered to circumvent immigration law.

He can stay here legally, but he cannot work until he receives his EAD or travel until he receives his AP/TD [travel document]. The EAD should arrive within 90 days.

Hi hope anybody can help me, My husband and I is already separated he make our divorce very simple that nothing to do with each other he said so that the divorce will be final very fast, and I need to remove the conditions of my greencard next year june 11, 2009, I got only the following as an evidence of our marrieage.

Tax returns 2007-2008

Credit cards, Master card, American Express, Discover card, and Sams club card

Photos of us

Cards from the family members

Deed of sale of our house in Philippines

He did not put my name on his house because his ex-wife is still the one listed their and he is been trying to take her name out but it's late because we are divorce and he never put me on any insurance like car insurance other, what else i can do or some evidence to collect that we really marry in good faith, We decided to it this way because, I cannot stay with him, He dont like us to have children and all he want us to do is travelling until the rest of our lives, he is not willing to give up his life just for a child, and I must be always with him 24 hours a day, I am not allowed to get out from the house even just in the store without him or without anybody with me like a bodyguard, Hope anybody can help me, what other evidence I can collect, Do you think those eveidences I have above is enough for lifting conditions. Hope anybody can help me here, Thank you.

Your evidence is fairly good. If they refuse it, you might have enough reason to file a VAWA Petition: "He would not let me out of the house without him, he insisted on always being with me, he would not let me have other friends, he threatened me if I did not do what he said, he kept moving us around and would not tell me were we were going, he would have sex with me when I was not interested and had told him no, he refused to let me have a kid, he lied to me." blah blah blah. Your evidence of selling your house, your financial evidence - credit cards (whoa that is a lot of credit cards! you should not have more than two!) - and photographs of oyu are often enough.

]Hi,

I got fingerprinted May 3rd, 2008 for my change of status. How much time average it is taking to get the permission to work and drive my car again in the US? A temporary resident card would suffice.

I was told by a "friend" that this signature to prove that I went for my fingerprinting is giving me one year extension while they are doing a FBI check on me but the problem is that I can not work nor drive my car after today.

Thank you.

Your change of status should not affect your ability to work if you filed it in a timely manner . . .

If your employer is refusing to lety ou work because your LPR Card expired, make an InfoPass appointment and ask them to give you a temporary stamp - so yo ucan continue to work and travel.

This depends somewhat on how old the kids are.

Immigration will look more favorably on the petition if you bring everyone at one time. But, that is your call.

I filled for my husband the k3 who is Brazilian and resides in Brazil, the K3 was approved, and were now just waiting for him to receive a letter regarding some medical things that he will need done and the interview date. I´m here in Brazil with him since Nov 07, and now I´m almost 7 months pregnant and I want to go home to the US to have the baby. But I want my husband to go with me. Do you know if there is anything that I can do so that can happen??? I can only travel until 8 months.

Please let me know!! Thank you!

Has the K3 already gone through the NVC? Havey ou done the Consular interview yet?

Contact the Consulate & NVC to find out what is going on and if things can be sped up. Request an emergency expedite due to your impending birth and the requirement that you not fly after 8 months pregnant.

CIS constantly loses or misplaces applications. I always wonder if officers throw things away maliciously. A horrid accusation, but it sure feels like that sometimes.

Make an InfoPass appointment, take the letter with you and any other documentation you have, and hope that they will give you your new card. Or not. Or at least tell you what to do.

If you applied for your I-751 that long ago, you should be more than eligible for N-400 by now. I would just file the N-400 and give them the info on the I-751 - and not worry about it. The I-751 does not have to be approved for the N-400 to be filed or processed or adjudicated.

Hi everybody!!!!! I am from Guatemala and came to the US with a k-1 visa. Now that we got married, we want to start with the AOS process. I don't know when to do the change of names. I have to apply for a SSN card and I don't know if either apply with my name as a single or my married name...

What should I do?

Change it whenever you want. Keep the evidence that you changed it so you can file it. If you really wanted to change your name - you should have done it during the marriage. It is better to changey our name before applying for everything else - otherwise you just have to change it all.

Should I be worry ??

I sent my I-751 remov conditions 10 days ago and my green card is gonna expired tomorrow

Verify it arrived by checking your certified mail or express mail receipt number [if you didn't send it with either, kick yourself]. Then relax. If you need a stamp, once you ge the receipt, go into CIS and ask for a temporary stamp.

Unless it was something important to the petition, don't worry. They'll ask you if they need it.

At worst, they will send it back - without cashing the check - and tell you to refile. . . . I intentionally did that with different types of petitions a while back, just to figure out how they organize them - so I could organize the petition to look just like they will organize it. They really appreciate that.

So, not end of the world.

Oh, and you answer "none" if the answer is none/no.. and you answer "N/A" if it is not applicable. For example:

"Name all of your spouses:" "none"

But if before that it said: "How many spouses have you had:" "none / 0" Then "Name them:" you can write "None" or "N/A" not applicable.

It's better just to write none, less confusing. Although, they pretty much know what you mean if you write N/A... a lot of people think N/A means "none available." it doesn't..