May 2019 Filers

[NYCpaps]

Hello all, just received my interview letter this morning. Scheduled for November 18th. Will let everyone know how it goes.

Best of luck to everyone

[DutchTeacher]

Hi everyone!

This forum has been really helpful. This journey has been proven to be very challenging en mentally exhausting. But I am hanging in there. Hope you all do the same.

Here is my time line

San Diego, California filer
EB2 ROW employment based
PD: 04/15/2019

04/03/2019: I-485, I-765, I-131, I-140 filed concurrently (Nebraska Service Centre)
04/14/2019: I-140 Approved
05/20/2019: Biometrics Completed
09/20/2019: I-485 Case Was Transferred NBC
10/04/2019: EAD approved after I-131 got RFE 2 weeks before
10/10/2019: I-765 Combo Card in Hand

Actions to expedite my case so far. The EAD was taking an awfully long time, so I had my employer and lawyer expedite. I also called to request my EAD to me expedited. I finally contacted my local congressman, and the next day I got word that my EAD was approved.

No word on when I can expect my GC interview. Hoping to hear something soon.

[NYCpaps]

Hi everyone!

This forum has been really helpful. This journey has been proven to be very challenging en mentally exhausting. But I am hanging in there. Hope you all do the same.

Here is my time line

San Diego, California filer
EB2 ROW employment based
PD: 04/15/2019

04/03/2019: I-485, I-765, I-131, I-140 filed concurrently (Nebraska Service Centre)
04/14/2019: I-140 Approved
05/20/2019: Biometrics Completed
09/20/2019: I-485 Case Was Transferred NBC
10/04/2019: EAD approved after I-131 got RFE 2 weeks before
10/10/2019: I-765 Combo Card in Hand

Actions to expedite my case so far. The EAD was taking an awfully long time, so I had my employer and lawyer expedite. I also called to request my EAD to me expedited. I finally contacted my local congressman, and the next day I got word that my EAD was approved.

No word on when I can expect my GC interview. Hoping to hear something soon.

Hang in there my friend. This process is quite the torment for all of us. From my experience so far, the security clearances and background checks (aka Case Transferred to NBC) take the longest time. After that your case will be ready to be scheduled for an interview. My case took roughly 3 months to get ready for an interview after getting transferred to NBC. I am based in NYC and it is equally as hectic as San Diego. My cousin lives in San Diego as well and his interview is on November 3rd (marriage based); 8 month wait after case was transferred to NBC...

Good luck and try take it a day at a time.

[patientlywaiting2019]

Hang in there my friend. This process is quite the torment for all of us. From my experience so far, the security clearances and background checks (aka Case Transferred to NBC) take the longest time. After that your case will be ready to be scheduled for an interview. My case took roughly 3 months to get ready for an interview after getting transferred to NBC. I am based in NYC and it is equally as hectic as San Diego. My cousin lives in San Diego as well and his interview is on November 3rd (marriage based); 8 month wait after case was transferred to NBC...

Good luck and try take it a day at a time.

NYCpaps my status changed to interview was scheduled on 10/10 but I haven’t received my interview notice on the mail yet. I’m filing from New Mexico

btw, goodluck!

[HarryLee]

Hi, everyone. My case is F2A
I'm a F-1 student married with a Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).
They received my applications on May 22 (I-485, I-765 and I-131).
Bio-metrics Appointment done on June 18.

From there, I have not seen any changes yet even on the USCIS website
I-485 Fingerprint Fee Was Received
I-765 Case Was Received
I-131 Case Was Received

They are still the same from the Received day. Is anyone in the same situation? or have experience, please advise. Thanks a lot.

[gojev93]

Our application process has completey stalled. Radio silence.. Anyone else? We applied in May and have only done the biometrics. Haven't head anything since...

I-765 with AOS I-485

[ashCAVisa2019]

Any other May Filers getting their combo card EAD/AP? I have a stressed spouse who needs to travel for Christmas and we've been checking every day and nothing has come through. I also checked the processing times for NBC and its gone up to 5.5 -7.5 month. Do we have a chance to get this to book flights??

Receipt Date: May 16th
July 16th: RFE for Joint Sponsor - Lawyers made a mistake on our application
August 16th: RFE received
Oct 5th: Application Ready for Interview

[SweCA2019]

Hi guys,

Just had my AOS/Green card marriage based interview and I was approved on the spot. I am sooooo happy! The immigration officer told me the green card would come in the mail within 2 weeks so Im really hoping thats true!

Anyway, this is my experience:
I front loaded my application to USCIS. I worked on my application from March to May 2019 and submitted all sorts of supporting documents together with the required docs. I submitted 50 pictures, from our first date in January 2018 to May 2019 and explained every occasion. I submitted 5 affidavits from friends and family, bank statements, phone bill (our only utility bill with both our names, the rest we just venmo our roommate), ******** messenger, texts, birthday flowers confirmation emails, plane tickets confirmation (honeymoon) and train ticket confirmation.

I had my interview today at 9:45 am at the downtown LA federal building. I was prepared with a binder with copies of the application, new pictures from June until October 2019, bank statement, more phone bills, my medical examination, venmo transactions between me and my husband, pay stubbs for my husband, original of my birth certificate, husbands certified copy of his birth certificate, basically I just had everything they could ask for and whatever they asked to bring in the notice.

They called us in at 10:00 am and the immigration officer seemed strict as we were walking to his office. He asked us to raise our right hands and swear that we would tell the truth and then asked us to sit down. He then took my fingerprints and then a picture. he took our passports and IDs. And then he started to joke about how similar my husband looks to John Legend (he hears that all the time). He asked us two questions basically:
1. How long have you known each other; and
2. How did you meet
We started to answer the questions which involves the fact that we went to two different schools for our masters. He went to USC and I went to UCLA, which used to be a thing we joked about when we first started to date. Turns out the immigration officer went to USC as well and thought that was funny. We basically just had a conversation about our foreign law degrees (mine is from Sweden and my husband has one from England) and what kind of law we wanted to practice here etc. We spoke a little bit about the bar exam and so on. So he didn't ask any of the other questions you read online that they usually ask. He didn't even ask me or my husband about out birthdays, or our wedding date. He read from the application and asked us to confirm the date lol. We were kinda in shock because we thought he was going to ask us tons of questions but we just had a nice conversation with him.

After that, the immigration officer asked the questions on the I-485: "have you ever been denied admissions to the US" etc, he asked a couple of those questions. And he focused on the fact that I had answered yes on two of the questions: "have you ever had a J1 visa" and "did you comply with the 2 year rule". I had a J1 visa when I did an exchange semester in Oklahoma, in 2014 so the 2 year rule does not apply to me anymore. Told the officer that I had my old passport with the J1 visa with me if he wanted to look. He said he didn't need that.

He pretty much said that he has everything he needs and didn't ask for any of the docs I brought with me. I told him I have new evidence, gave him the new pictures, which he looked through and gave it back to me. I then gave him my unsealed medical examination and he thanked me for reminding him about that. He left the room for about 5 min and came back and told us my case was approved (yay). He gave me 2 documents, one where it congratulates me because my "application to adjust status has been approved" and some information if i need to travel before I have my green card in hand and information about changing address. It ends with saying "Once again, congratulations on becoming a lawful permanent resident of the United States".

The second doc is a "Notice to Conditional Permanent Resident Alien" and that one has information about how to remove the conditions on the green card I will be getting, and during what dates I should apply to remove the conditions and what form to use: I-751.

He told me I should have my green card within 2 weeks so I'm really hoping that's true and I cannot wait! Overall it was a great experience, the immigration officer was nice and funny and easy to talk to, our case was pretty straight forward, first time married, no criminal records, no kids, similar age and education (so it made sense that we met in school even though we went to different schools). I think the interview it self took around 15-20 min. We were out of the federal building at 10.30.

Sorry for the long post. Let me know if you guys have any questions. Good luck to you all, its all worth the wait!

-------

My previous visa was F1 - married my husband (citizen) during my OPT-visa

05/16: Mailed forms I-130, I-485, I-765, I-131 from Los Angeles, CA
05/21: NOAs
09/11: Biometrics completed
09/19: Case is Ready to Be Scheduled for An Interview
09/25: Interview was scheduled
10/29: Interview - Approved on the spot

[Goebh]

Hi guys,

Just had my AOS/Green card marriage based interview and I was approved on the spot. I am sooooo happy! The immigration officer told me the green card would come in the mail within 2 weeks so Im really hoping thats true!

Anyway, this is my experience:
I front loaded my application to USCIS. I worked on my application from March to May 2019 and submitted all sorts of supporting documents together with the required docs. I submitted 50 pictures, from our first date in January 2018 to May 2019 and explained every occasion. I submitted 5 affidavits from friends and family, bank statements, phone bill (our only utility bill with both our names, the rest we just venmo our roommate), ******** messenger, texts, birthday flowers confirmation emails, plane tickets confirmation (honeymoon) and train ticket confirmation.

I had my interview today at 9:45 am at the downtown LA federal building. I was prepared with a binder with copies of the application, new pictures from June until October 2019, bank statement, more phone bills, my medical examination, venmo transactions between me and my husband, pay stubbs for my husband, original of my birth certificate, husbands certified copy of his birth certificate, basically I just had everything they could ask for and whatever they asked to bring in the notice.

They called us in at 10:00 am and the immigration officer seemed strict as we were walking to his office. He asked us to raise our right hands and swear that we would tell the truth and then asked us to sit down. He then took my fingerprints and then a picture. he took our passports and IDs. And then he started to joke about how similar my husband looks to John Legend (he hears that all the time). He asked us two questions basically:
1. How long have you known each other; and
2. How did you meet
We started to answer the questions which involves the fact that we went to two different schools for our masters. He went to USC and I went to UCLA, which used to be a thing we joked about when we first started to date. Turns out the immigration officer went to USC as well and thought that was funny. We basically just had a conversation about our foreign law degrees (mine is from Sweden and my husband has one from England) and what kind of law we wanted to practice here etc. We spoke a little bit about the bar exam and so on. So he didn't ask any of the other questions you read online that they usually ask. He didn't even ask me or my husband about out birthdays, or our wedding date. He read from the application and asked us to confirm the date lol. We were kinda in shock because we thought he was going to ask us tons of questions but we just had a nice conversation with him.

After that, the immigration officer asked the questions on the I-485: "have you ever been denied admissions to the US" etc, he asked a couple of those questions. And he focused on the fact that I had answered yes on two of the questions: "have you ever had a J1 visa" and "did you comply with the 2 year rule". I had a J1 visa when I did an exchange semester in Oklahoma, in 2014 so the 2 year rule does not apply to me anymore. Told the officer that I had my old passport with the J1 visa with me if he wanted to look. He said he didn't need that.

He pretty much said that he has everything he needs and didn't ask for any of the docs I brought with me. I told him I have new evidence, gave him the new pictures, which he looked through and gave it back to me. I then gave him my unsealed medical examination and he thanked me for reminding him about that. He left the room for about 5 min and came back and told us my case was approved (yay). He gave me 2 documents, one where it congratulates me because my "application to adjust status has been approved" and some information if i need to travel before I have my green card in hand and information about changing address. It ends with saying "Once again, congratulations on becoming a lawful permanent resident of the United States".

The second doc is a "Notice to Conditional Permanent Resident Alien" and that one has information about how to remove the conditions on the green card I will be getting, and during what dates I should apply to remove the conditions and what form to use: I-751.

He told me I should have my green card within 2 weeks so I'm really hoping that's true and I cannot wait! Overall it was a great experience, the immigration officer was nice and funny and easy to talk to, our case was pretty straight forward, first time married, no criminal records, no kids, similar age and education (so it made sense that we met in school even though we went to different schools). I think the interview it self took around 15-20 min. We were out of the federal building at 10.30.

Sorry for the long post. Let me know if you guys have any questions. Good luck to you all, its all worth the wait!

-------

My previous visa was F1 - married my husband (citizen) during my OPT-visa

05/16: Mailed forms I-130, I-485, I-765, I-131 from Los Angeles, CA
05/21: NOAs
09/11: Biometrics completed
09/19: Case is Ready to Be Scheduled for An Interview
09/25: Interview was scheduled
10/29: Interview - Approved on the spot

First of all... CONGRATS!!
Questions regarding the affidavits: what exactly do the say and do they have to be notarized?
thanks!!

[SweCA2019]

First of all... CONGRATS!!
Questions regarding the affidavits: what exactly do the say and do they have to be notarized?
thanks!!

Thank you so much! I feel very relived.

Here's an example of one of the affidavits my friend wrote for us:

"Re. Affidavit in Support of Spouse 1 and Spouse 2

Dear Sir or Madam,

I met Spouse 1 in August when we both studied for our Master in Laws at UCLA. She has since then been a very close friend to me. Spouse 1 and Spouse 2 met at an “all law school” party where all law schools in LA gets together. From that night, I don’t believe they have been apart. I met Spouse 2 sometime before all of us graduated from law school. Seeing them together, even early on in their relationship, they just seem like a great couple. Always having fun together and with others around them. Spouse 1 couldn’t stop talking about Spouse 2 when they first met.

I have spent brunches, dinners, and one or two nights out with both of them and every time we hang out I get to witness their love and commitment to each other. For them to get married was just the natural next step in their relationship. Unfortunately, because of my move to New York City I was not able to attend their wedding. However, upon seeing pictures from their wedding day, I saw the same happiness I have been seeing since Spouse 1 and Spouse 2 first started to date.

Spouse 1 and Spouse 2 will have a strong and healthy marriage as they are head over heels for each other, as well as communicative, caring and reasonable. These factors and many more will help them stay strong together for the rest of their lives and I couldn’t be happier for them. I can’t wait to see them again when I visit them in May this year. They are a fun and loving couple and I am proud to call them my friends.

Please contact me at email if you require any more information.

I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.

Kind regards,

Signature

Date: xx xx, xxxx"


And no - none of my affidavits were notarized, only signed by the person but I only sent copies and brought the originals with me to the interview. The immigration officer did not ask for the originals.

[freeboy]

Hi,
I got 2 RFIE lettres couple days ago.
- 1st for I 485 Requesting my Affidavit of support I 864 from my sponsor. Initially i only filed I485/I130, i didn't submit I 864 since i made 60k+ a year which is far on top of the poverty limit. My wife as a student plus we have a baby, she made only 26k last year.
My question is: Now that the USCIS is requesting the I 864 affidavit of support, based on how much my wife made last year, could she sponsor me or should i need a second joint sponsor just in case?

- 2nd USCIS asked me to submit the form I 130 A.

Since i didn't submit I693 for medical examination, i was expecting a courteousy letter requestiing it but they didn't. I hear lately that people was getting denied just for a missing I693. Should i worry to send it together with the RFIE or i should just wait and see if they request it? Because on the RFIE letters they said they were waiting for the requesting documents (I864 and I130A) to make a decision.
Yours answers will be very welcome. Thanks.

[dracula224]

My center is NBC and I filed from California

PD: 5/27 for i130, i485
6/12 for i131, i765
finger print: 6/28
REF: 9/6
REF: 10/4 received
10/24: Interview ready to schedule
10/25: Interview was scheduled and will be mailed
10/31: Received interview date in the mail
12/2: Interview date

Nothing for ead and travel parole yet.

[ashCAVisa2019]

dracula224, I'm in the same boat. I filled from California on 5/16 and have not received the EAD or AP yet. It also looks like they extended the dates to receive these to 5.5-7.5 months

Where in California is your interview scheduled? I received interview notice on 10/05 and it has still not been scheduled yet in SF.

[sf2019july]

dracula224, I'm in the same boat. I filled from California on 5/16 and have not received the EAD or AP yet. It also looks like they extended the dates to receive these to 5.5-7.5 months

Where in California is your interview scheduled? I received interview notice on 10/05 and it has still not been scheduled yet in SF.

Good to see another SF filer. Is the interview notice you received on 10/05 for "Case ready for interview"? I think SF field office might take at least 10 months to scheduled an interview.

[sf2019july]

Hi, everyone. My case is F2A
I'm a F-1 student married with a Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).
They received my applications on May 22 (I-485, I-765 and I-131).
Bio-metrics Appointment done on June 18.

From there, I have not seen any changes yet even on the USCIS website
I-485 Fingerprint Fee Was Received
I-765 Case Was Received
I-131 Case Was Received

They are still the same from the Received day. Is anyone in the same situation? or have experience, please advise. Thanks a lot.

I am in the same situation, with the same initial case-status for i-485, i-765 and i-131. I called USCIS help-desk and they said my cases are currently being processed and all status regarding fingerprint review may not be updated online.