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This forum was very helpful while I was waiting for news on my GC application, so I would like to contribute by sharing my own timeline. Our case was straightforward (even the officer said so) and was processed very fast. Field office was Santa Ana (CA), but my case was sent to Los Angeles for the interview.
Concurrent filing of I130, I485, I131, I765 and G1145 (notifications).
2/17/17 Case delivered at the Chicago mailbox
2/21/17 Priority date
2/28/17 USCIS notifications (text and emails)
3/01/17 Checks were cashed
3/04/17 Notice for biometrics appointment was mailed
3/23/17 I could finally start using myUSCIS (my receipt #s would not work until now)
3/23/17 Biometrics appointment
4/11/17 Interview notice for May 17 in Los Angeles
4/13/17 Notice of interview cancellation "due to unforeseen circumstances"
5/03/17 Interview notice for June 2 in Los Angeles
5/11/17 Day 80: I called USCIS to start a service request on my EAD application. Case completed on the same day
5/15/17 Day 84: I765 and I131 were approved
5/17/17 Combo card was mailed
5/19/17 Combo card was received
6/02/17 Day 102: Interview in Los Angeles
6/03/17 Day 103: I130 was approved. Card was ordered
6/05/17 I485 was approved
6/07/17 Green card was mailed
6/10/17 Card was received.
Here are some additional details and suggestions. As I said, our case was very easy because we applied while I was in the US with a valid F1 visa after years of studies in the US. Also, we applied several months after our wedding in Italy and we submitted all kinds of evidence of our long standing relationship (several lease agreements, bank accounts, credit cards, insurance, pictures, plane tickets, wedding invitations, etc).
Our interview was extremely easy: The officer only asked us to confirm all the details in our I130 and I485 applications and to verify our signatures. He didn't ask for any extra evidence. The only personal question was how we met each other and if we know each other's parents. He then told us that our case was pretty "cut and dry", he gave us a standard computer-generated notice, and told us that we should receive a reponse soon. The next day our application was approved.
I strongly recommend submitting a service request after day 75 to accelerate your I765 application. It worked for me, it was approved almost immediately.
I took my biometrics in Santa Ana. For anybody who might be interested, they generally accept walk-ins for biometrics and questions. Also, they sent my case to Los Angeles for the interview. Apparently they do that sometimes if they are too busy at the Santa Ana office.
The myUSCIS service is not the best. I couldn't use my codes for the first month, and I stopped receiving text messages after April. Also, I never saw the message "Case ready for interview" that many applicants see, and even today my I130 case still says "Case was received on 2/21/17".
USCIS cancelled my first interview appointment. It's rare, but it does happen, and it doesn't affect your application at all. Just be patient, they will reschedule.
One last thing, for all the F1 students applying for Adjustment of Status: My I20 was expiring on 6/16/17, which would have terminated my F1 status. Since the school insisted that I should not let my status expire and that I should apply for an extension, I did some research, and got opposite answers from lawyers, SEVP, and USCIS. Eventually, I was lucky that my card was approved before that, but for anybody in this situation, the interviewing officer said that I could have let my I20 expire since my status was "pending", not F1.
I hope this helps. But obviously every case is different, and sometimes you just have to be patient. Good luck to everybody!
Concurrent filing of I130, I485, I131, I765 and G1145 (notifications).
2/17/17 Case delivered at the Chicago mailbox
2/21/17 Priority date
2/28/17 USCIS notifications (text and emails)
3/01/17 Checks were cashed
3/04/17 Notice for biometrics appointment was mailed
3/23/17 I could finally start using myUSCIS (my receipt #s would not work until now)
3/23/17 Biometrics appointment
4/11/17 Interview notice for May 17 in Los Angeles
4/13/17 Notice of interview cancellation "due to unforeseen circumstances"
5/03/17 Interview notice for June 2 in Los Angeles
5/11/17 Day 80: I called USCIS to start a service request on my EAD application. Case completed on the same day
5/15/17 Day 84: I765 and I131 were approved
5/17/17 Combo card was mailed
5/19/17 Combo card was received
6/02/17 Day 102: Interview in Los Angeles
6/03/17 Day 103: I130 was approved. Card was ordered
6/05/17 I485 was approved
6/07/17 Green card was mailed
6/10/17 Card was received.
Here are some additional details and suggestions. As I said, our case was very easy because we applied while I was in the US with a valid F1 visa after years of studies in the US. Also, we applied several months after our wedding in Italy and we submitted all kinds of evidence of our long standing relationship (several lease agreements, bank accounts, credit cards, insurance, pictures, plane tickets, wedding invitations, etc).
Our interview was extremely easy: The officer only asked us to confirm all the details in our I130 and I485 applications and to verify our signatures. He didn't ask for any extra evidence. The only personal question was how we met each other and if we know each other's parents. He then told us that our case was pretty "cut and dry", he gave us a standard computer-generated notice, and told us that we should receive a reponse soon. The next day our application was approved.
I strongly recommend submitting a service request after day 75 to accelerate your I765 application. It worked for me, it was approved almost immediately.
I took my biometrics in Santa Ana. For anybody who might be interested, they generally accept walk-ins for biometrics and questions. Also, they sent my case to Los Angeles for the interview. Apparently they do that sometimes if they are too busy at the Santa Ana office.
The myUSCIS service is not the best. I couldn't use my codes for the first month, and I stopped receiving text messages after April. Also, I never saw the message "Case ready for interview" that many applicants see, and even today my I130 case still says "Case was received on 2/21/17".
USCIS cancelled my first interview appointment. It's rare, but it does happen, and it doesn't affect your application at all. Just be patient, they will reschedule.
One last thing, for all the F1 students applying for Adjustment of Status: My I20 was expiring on 6/16/17, which would have terminated my F1 status. Since the school insisted that I should not let my status expire and that I should apply for an extension, I did some research, and got opposite answers from lawyers, SEVP, and USCIS. Eventually, I was lucky that my card was approved before that, but for anybody in this situation, the interviewing officer said that I could have let my I20 expire since my status was "pending", not F1.
I hope this helps. But obviously every case is different, and sometimes you just have to be patient. Good luck to everybody!
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