bstand's US Immigration Timeline
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Petitioner's Name: Jake
Beneficiary's Name: B
VJ Member: bstand
Country: Australia
Last Updated: 2015-11-02
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Immigration Checklist for Jake & B:
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USCIS I-129F Petition:
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Dept of State K1 Visa:
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USCIS I-485 Petition:
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USCIS I-765 Petition:
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USCIS I-131 Petition:
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USCIS I-751 Petition:
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USCIS N-400 Petition:
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K1 Visa
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Texas Service Center |
| Transferred? |
California Service Center on 2014-05-14 |
| Consulate : |
Sydney, Australia |
| I-129F Sent : |
2014-05-05 |
| I-129F NOA1 : |
2014-05-12 |
| I-129F RFE(s) : |
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| RFE Reply(s) : |
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| I-129F NOA2 : |
2014-06-10 |
| NVC Received : |
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| Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : |
2014-06-26 |
| NVC Left : |
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| Consulate Received : |
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| Packet 3 Received : |
2014-07-01 |
| Packet 3 Sent : |
2014-07-28 |
| Packet 4 Received : |
2014-07-01 |
| Interview Date : |
2014-07-29  Submit Review |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2014-08-11 |
| US Entry : |
2014-10-31 |
| Marriage : |
2014-12-19 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-129f was approved in 29 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 78 days from your I-129F NOA1 date. |
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Port of Entry Review
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| Event |
Date |
| Port of Entry : |
Honolulu |
| POE Date : |
2014-10-31 Submit Review |
| Got EAD Stamp : |
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| Biometrics Taken : |
Yes |
| Harassment Level : |
0 |
| Comments : |
I flew from Sydney, Aus to Vegas via Hawaii.
POE - Honolulu, Hawaii. I arrived at the airport and as expected I knew the lines were going to be long. Because it was crowded I wasn't sure which line to go to for K1 visa holder so I just took one of the lines in front of me. When I arrived in the line I told the officer what visa I'm on and that I wasn't sure if I'm supposed to be in this line. The officer then told me that there's one for K1 visa holders and he called one of the officer to take me to the US citizen line. When we got there he said 'just follow me, we're not lining up'. We cut in line and just walked right up to the window and the officer told his colleague I'm on a K1 visa. So I gave my envelope and passport to the gentleman that's behind the window and smiled. He said he rarely deal with K1 holders and had to ask one of his colleague to refresh his mind. I thought it was funny and we both laughed. He opened my envelope, had a quick read through everything and said 'looks good to me' and stamped my passport and wrote a date on it and told me I had 'til 28 Jan to marry or leave. He gave me my passport back and kept the envelope and said 'that's it, you're done'. The only thing he asked me was where in the U.S. I'm going to live and that's about it really. The officers were very nice and helpful.
When I arrived at Vegas Airport I didn't have a problem either and no one check my passport or anything. So I just went straight to the baggage claim and picked up my suitcases. |
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Adjustment of Status
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Las Vegas NV |
| Date Filed : |
2015-05-04 |
| NOA Date : |
2015-05-08 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2015-06-02 |
| AOS Transfer** : |
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| Interview Date : |
2015-10-20 Submit Review |
| Approval / Denial Date : |
2015-10-20 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
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| Greencard Received: |
2015-10-22 |
| Comments : |
So I had my AOS interview on 20 Oct 2015, at Las Vegas USCIS office at 9.25am. We were there on time, got called to do the fingerprint and photo then sat back and waited for about 15 mins for my interview. My name was called and my husband and I followed the immigration officer to the room. Can't remember the officer's first name but I think his last name was Mazzam or something like that. He was an old white man and very nice. We took an oath before taking our seats. In front of him he had all the files I sent over the past year. First thing he asked was my ID so I showed him my passport then he asked if I have a SSN and EAD (which I got them 2 months ago) so he can update our file. He also asked my husband for his ID and if he's still working at the same company and how long. Then he asked me those questions like terrorism, criminal history, etc. which I said 'no' to all. He asked if we brought some photos which I did and it's a mini size photo album with 23 photos to be exact including 8 wedding photos, 8 photos of us together and 7 group photos of friends and family. He liked that I had photos of my in-laws and husband's friends. I asked him if he wants a copy of our marriage certificate and he said 'no it's fine...where did we get married?' I said 'downtown vegas'. Then he wanted some other evidence like documents/letters that has both our names on it. We didn't have a lot but we explained to him that I'm currently not working hence why my name is not on any bills/rent etc, and we live with my bro-in-law and all utility bills are under his name. I think he understood our situation so he said 'that's ok'.
These are just some of the things I brought to my interview and gave copies to the IO:
1. Copy of lease agreement under my husband's name only.
2. Copy of husband's bank statements for 3 months but he later added me to his account (now joint account). However, I didn't get my debit card on time (bank screwed up) and latest statement didn't have my name on it so we provided a letter from our bank confirming that it's a joint account.
3. Copy of car insurance, although both our names on it I'm only listed as his spouse and not covered on the policy. We explained this to the officer that they wouldn't add me because I don't have a driver's license.
4. Copy of mobile phone plan under my husband's name; online plan/profile under my name.
5. Copy of joint gym membership.
6. Copy of vet bills with both our names on it.
He did ask for the rent transactions but we told him my husband has another account (not a joint account) from another bank which is the same bank as our landlord so it's convenient when paying the rent and for that bank statements we didn't think about bringing it since we have the lease agreement. The officer said 'it's ok then'. He also asked (which makes sense) if our joint bank statements we provided had any transactions that was spent on female stuff related such as women's clothes, nail salon etc. we said 'no'. I told him that I don't really need to buy clothes because I have too many and majority of the time we use cash (which is true) so he said 'that's fine'. He asked if there's anything else we want to add so I said 'we have cards from our family' but he didn't want those. In their eyes it's probably not a strong evidence. I could tell he wanted us to give him more evidence but at the same time I think he also understands that it's quite hard to have all these things when only one of us is working and we're still settling down and I've only been here under a year. There's really nothing else we could do but just explain our situation. I brought all the required documents like a bunch of them with me and even made copies of every single one of them but he only needed the ones that had both our names on it. He asked if we have any questions which we said 'no'. He then gave us a paper and explained to us how the permanent resident card works and we have to remember to file a form 90 days before it expire and that we'll also get something in the mail within 5 weeks etc. He didn't exactly say I was approved even though it was kinda obvious and he said his supervisor will make the decision even though he said 'we're good'. It was actually kinda funny how he said it. I've read on this forum that they take the i-94 during the interview process but the officer didn't take mine so I'm not sure if that's good or bad? So that's one thing I forgot to ask the officer.
Overall, my interview went well and only lasted about 15-20 mins. Oh and we weren't asked about how we met, what's his mother's name or any of those Q&A thing. My husband and I weren't nervous at all and just relieved that we're done with the interview.
So later that day, I checked my case status online and got this message:
"Welcome Notice Was Mailed"
On Oct 20, 2015, we registered your permanent resident status and mailed you a Welcome Notice for Receipt Number MSCXX. Please follow the instructions in the notice. Your new permanent resident card should arrive by Dec 19, 2015, after this registration or after you complete any ADIT processing referred to in the welcome notice, whichever is later. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address."
YAY!! WE GOT APPROVED!!!
My advice to anyone who's preparing for their interview is to bring as much evidence as you can. Most important thing is to bring copies of any joint account that you have ie. bills, bank statements (incl rent transactions if u can), lease, insurance, phone plan just to name a few. Joint gym membership and vet bills def help too especially if you don't have enough joint accounts. In regards to the photos, def include group photos with the in-laws and friends, I think Immigration officers likes that.
**UPDATE**
2 days after my interview I was surprised I got my green card in the mail already!! :) |
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Employment Authorization
Document
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Chicago National Office |
| Filing Method : |
Mail |
| Filing Instance : |
First |
| Date Filed : |
2015-05-04 |
| NOA Date : |
2015-05-08 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2015-06-02 |
| Approved Date : |
2015-07-20 |
| Date Card Received : |
2015-07-29 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your EAD was approved in 77 days. |
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Advance Parole
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Chicago National Office |
| Filing Method : |
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| Filing Instance : |
First |
| Date Filed : |
2015-05-04 |
| NOA Date : |
2015-05-08 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Date Received : |
2015-07-29 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your AP was approved in 77 days. |
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Member Reviews:
Local US CIS Office Review: Las Vegas NV
Review Topic: cis_topic
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
October 22, 2015 |
| Embassy Review : |
So I had my AOS interview on 20 Oct 2015, at Las Vegas USCIS office at 9.25am. We were there on time, got called to do the fingerprint and photo then sat back and waited for about 15 mins for my interview. My name was called and my husband and I followed the immigration officer to the room. Can't remember the officer's first name but I think his last name was Mazzam or something like that. He was an old white man and very nice. We took an oath before taking our seats. In front of him he had all the files I sent over the past year. First thing he asked was my ID so I showed him my passport then he asked if I have a SSN and EAD (which I got them 2 months ago) so he can update our file. He also asked my husband for his ID and if he's still working at the same company and how long. Then he asked me those questions like terrorism, criminal history, etc. which I said 'no' to all. He asked if we brought some photos which I did and it's a mini size photo album with 23 photos to be exact including 8 wedding photos, 8 photos of us together and 7 group photos of friends and family. He liked that I had photos of my in-laws and husband's friends. I asked him if he wants a copy of our marriage certificate and he said 'no it's fine...where did we get married?' I said 'downtown vegas'. Then he wanted some other evidence like documents/letters that has both our names on it. We didn't have a lot but we explained to him that I'm currently not working hence why my name is not on any bills/rent etc, and we live with my bro-in-law and all utility bills are under his name. I think he understood our situation so he said 'that's ok'.
These are just some of the things I brought to my interview and gave copies to the IO:
1. Copy of lease agreement under my husband's name only.
2. Copy of husband's bank statements for 3 months but he later added me to his account (now joint account). However, I didn't get my debit card on time (bank screwed up) and latest statement didn't have my name on it so we provided a letter from our bank confirming that it's a joint account.
3. Copy of car insurance, although both our names on it I'm only listed as his spouse and not covered on the policy. We explained this to the officer that they wouldn't add me because I don't have a driver's license.
4. Copy of mobile phone plan under my husband's name; online plan/profile under my name.
5. Copy of joint gym membership.
6. Copy of vet bills with both our names on it.
He did ask for the rent transactions but we told him my husband has another account (not a joint account) from another bank which is the same bank as our landlord so it's convenient when paying the rent and for that bank statements we didn't think about bringing it since we have the lease agreement. The officer said 'it's ok then'. He also asked (which makes sense) if our joint bank statements we provided had any transactions that was spent on female stuff related such as women's clothes, nail salon etc. we said 'no'. I told him that I don't really need to buy clothes because I have too many and majority of the time we use cash (which is true) so he said 'that's fine'. He asked if there's anything else we want to add so I said 'we have cards from our family' but he didn't want those. In their eyes it's probably not a strong evidence. I could tell he wanted us to give him more evidence but at the same time I think he also understands that it's quite hard to have all these things when only one of us is working and we're still settling down and I've only been here under a year. There's really nothing else we could do but just explain our situation. I brought all the required documents like a bunch of them with me and even made copies of every single one of them but he only needed the ones that had both our names on it. He asked if we have any questions which we said 'no'. He then gave us a paper and explained to us how the permanent resident card works and we have to remember to file a form 90 days before it expire and that we'll also get something in the mail within 5 weeks etc. He didn't exactly say I was approved even though it was kinda obvious and he said his supervisor will make the decision even though he said 'we're good'. It was actually kinda funny how he said it. I've read on this forum that they take the i-94 during the interview process but the officer didn't take mine so I'm not sure if that's good or bad? So that's one thing I forgot to ask the officer.
Overall, my interview went well and only lasted about 15-20 mins. Oh and we weren't asked about how we met, what's his mother's name or any of those Q&A thing. My husband and I weren't nervous at all and just relieved that we're done with the interview. 
So later that day, I checked my case status online and got this message:
"Welcome Notice Was Mailed"
On Oct 20, 2015, we registered your permanent resident status and mailed you a Welcome Notice for Receipt Number MSCXX. Please follow the instructions in the notice. Your new permanent resident card should arrive by Dec 19, 2015, after this registration or after you complete any ADIT processing referred to in the welcome notice, whichever is later. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address."
 YAY!! WE GOT APPROVED!!!
My advice to anyone who's preparing for their interview is to bring as much evidence as you can. Most important thing is to bring copies of any joint account that you have ie. bills, bank statements (incl rent transactions if u can), lease, insurance, phone plan just to name a few. Joint gym membership and vet bills def help too especially if you don't have enough joint accounts. In regards to the photos, def include group photos with the in-laws and friends, I think Immigration officers likes that.
(updated on October 22, 2015) |
| Harassment Level : |
Very Good |
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Timeline Comments: None yet, be the first!
*Notice about estimates: The estimates are based off averages of other members recent experiences
(documented in their timelines) for the same benefit/petition/application at the same filing location.
Individual results may vary as every case is not always 'average'. Past performance does not necessarily
predict future results. The 'as early as date' may change over time based on current reported processing
times from members. There have historically been cases where a benefit/petition/application processing
briefly slows down or stops and this can not be predicted. Use these dates as reference only and do not
rely on them for planning. As always you should check the
USCIS processing times to see if your application
is past due.
** Not all cases are transfered
ver 5.0
