March 2018 filers: let's share our experience!!

[Shae]

Congratulations to everyone who has been getting through!!!

I too am a March filer and the last update to my case was on 4/1/18 stating that the fees and the forms (I-130, I-485 and I-765) have been received.

Our priority date is 3/21/18 and biometrics was completed on 4/27/18, nothing further.

I feel so lost and left out, but i'm sure our day is coming soon

Field office is NY, NY

[kd2008]

Hi kd2008,

Can you share your expedition story with me if you don?t mind? I?m on the day 60 and I really need to work, got an interview today and there is a possible job offer out of it. How can I use it and what else would I need to expedite my ead

Thank you

1. Call USCIS and put in an expedite request for your I-765 case with financial harship for company as the reason
2. They will email or mail you a letter requesting more proof for the reason of expedition
3. Fax them the proof as requested including financial hardship for the company if you don't start work soon
4. If nothing happens for a week or so, then reach out to your Congressperson or Senator
5. They will ask for privacy release and the same proof documents that you faxed USCIS
6. They will update you once they hear back from USCIS.

Typically, 3 to 4 weeks is the duration from the day you put in the expedite request to receiving your card. Ignore all case status updates from USCIS once you put in the expedite request - they are inscrutable and misleading. Only one to believe is Card is being produced.

[doctorbighands]

Still Waiting...

Holy smokes, so many of you are SO lucky with your expedited timelines! I feel very disheartened about our application right now.

Our file was received on 3/12/18, biometrics done about 2 weeks later, "yellow letter" as a courtesy to let us know our medical wasn't filed, and...nothing else. No status changes, no emails or texts, no scheduling for an interview, no other notices - nothing! Just absolute silence since filing original paperwork, other than yellow letter and biometrics appointment. "We received your case" is all the site will tell us.

Our file is at NBC. Maybe that's part of the issue?

Congratulations sincerely to those who have managed to get through so quickly!!

[belu31]

Holy smokes, so many of you are SO lucky with your expedited timelines! I feel very disheartened about our application right now.

Our file was received on 3/12/18, biometrics done about 2 weeks later, "yellow letter" as a courtesy to let us know our medical wasn't filed, and...nothing else. No status changes, no emails or texts, no scheduling for an interview, no other notices - nothing! Just absolute silence since filing original paperwork, other than yellow letter and biometrics appointment. "We received your case" is all the site will tell us.

Our file is at NBC. Maybe that's part of the issue?

Congratulations sincerely to those who have managed to get through so quickly!!

Hey there, I have the same priority date and my case was updated today to "case is ready to be scheduled for an interview". I don't expect an actual interview soon but its a relief to finally know they've gone through the application. Hopefully, yours will be updated soon too.

I did expedite my travel document three weeks ago but so far no news. I recently contacted my representative and waiting for some update.

[brighteyes12]

1. Call USCIS and put in an expedite request for your I-765 case with financial harship for company as the reason
2. They will email or mail you a letter requesting more proof for the reason of expedition
3. Fax them the proof as requested including financial hardship for the company if you don't start work soon
4. If nothing happens for a week or so, then reach out to your Congressperson or Senator
5. They will ask for privacy release and the same proof documents that you faxed USCIS
6. They will update you once they hear back from USCIS.

Typically, 3 to 4 weeks is the duration from the day you put in the expedite request to receiving your card. Ignore all case status updates from USCIS once you put in the expedite request - they are inscrutable and misleading. Only one to believe is Card is being produced.

Thank you so much

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

I came here on a b1-b2 visa, and I did overstay.
My husband propose to me December 2016 and that is 2 months after we met. We were engaged for 1 year and 1 month before we got married on February 24, 2018.
We lived together for exactly 1year and 7months. I do not have a ssn so I'm very limited to what i can documented I can be on.
Here is an update of my contents.

Exhibit A
Original Documents and Copies

Interview Notice
New Passport
B1-B2 Visa
Old Passport
Birth Certificate (both sponsor and beneficiary)
Certified Marriage License
Drivers License (Sponsor)
Divorce Decree for sponsor
I-94 ( Proof of legal entry)


Exhibit B
Updated 1864 Documents

a) 2015, 2016, 2017 tax transcript
b) copy of last 2months paystubs ( original and copies)
c) Employment Letter of 2 employers
d) Additional sponsor i864 and required documents

Exhibit C
Evidence of Cohabitation

e) Proof of joint lease information for current address
f) UPS joint membership information
g) Proof of joint accounts Costco membership
h) Proof of mail delivered to both of us at the same address
i) Proof of mails for old address where we lived together for a year

Exhibit D
Evidence of commingling of financial resources

j) Proof of being beneficiary on sponsors life insurance.
k) Proof of being beneficiary for sponsors 401k.
l) Proof of money paid for joint expenses like rent, utilities, etc from January to May.
m) Joint checking accounts. ( 6 months statement detailed)
n) Proof of joint savings account. ( 2 months statement) only get these every 3 months
o) Proof of sponsor being the added user on beneficiary credit card. ( 6 months statement detailed with each individual spending)
p) Copy of Electric bill with both sponsor and beneficiary

Exhibit E
Evidence of relationship

q) Sworn affidavits from family as proof of bona fide marriage
r) Flight tickets with trip taken together for Thanksgiving and pictures to match
s) Copy of wedding pictures with friends and family (15 pages)
t) Receipts with sponsor and beneficiary name for furniture for our home. ( original and copy)

This draft looks great. Here are my thoughts:

1. Evidence of Commingling of financial resources should be first. Then, I would rearrange items within that category in this order:

a. Joint checking first, (**If both of your checks are direct deposited, I would highlight that, write it on a label and glue to that part of the bank statement, or state it on the table of contents)
b. joint savings second
c. Proof of money paid for joint expenses like rent, utilities, etc from January to May.
d. Proof of being beneficiary on sponsors life insurance. *Highlight monthly deduction on paycheck that goes towards benefits.
e. Proof of being beneficiary for sponsors 401k.
f. Proof of sponsor being the added user on beneficiary credit card. ( 6 months statement detailed with each individual spending)
g. Copy of Electric bill with both sponsor and beneficiary

*If there is a joint tax return, that is concrete evidence of commingling of financial resources.

2. Identify the earliest document that ties you financially. In my case, we met in 06/2016 and I added my husband to my car insurance in 09/2016. That is the earliest financial/joint liability we have.

3. r) Flight tickets with trip taken together for Thanksgiving and pictures to match *** I would add receipts of this trip. Even if it's a Starbucks coffee, it does not matter. Serves as proof that you were there.

4. Sworn affidavits are acceptable. Notarized affidavits are "best evidence".

5. Sinoptola is the only one who has presented an Advanced Health Care Directive. The ISO took notice of it. That is because USCIS takes that document very seriously. Here is a link https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/fina...ce-directives/

6. I would pair pictures + receipts + image of credit card.

7. If your spouse was unable to add you to the health insurance, because you don't have a SSN - I would state that on the table of contents.

8. I would add a brief relationship timeline that you can hand to the ISO and then walk him/her through your relationship's main events.

9. If you have text messages or receipts from the time you met (and until you got married), those can serve as proof of when you met and how long you dated for.

When the ISO says, do you have evidence of your relationship? Most of us think by default - weddidng pictures, birthday cards, affidavits. ***No, they mean "show me the money". Start with the financial evidence and go from there.

All the best,

USCFFS

[hopeanddream]

so slow...




I check this every morning and it is so slow, one day at a time, by the time it reaches march 30th it will be 3 more months, I hope this not necessarily means i will have to wait for EAD for more three months, it could be early right?

[MissTz1982]

[ATTACH]1230[/ATTACH]


I check this every morning and it is so slow, one day at a time, by the time it reaches march 30th it will be 3 more months, I hope this not necessarily means i will have to wait for EAD for more three months, it could be early right?

My PD is 2/22 and I?m still waiting. I have seen people that filed in January starting to receive their EADs. Feb should be next and then March.

[hopeanddream]

My PD is 2/22 and I?m still waiting. I have seen people that filed in January starting to receive their EADs. Feb should be next and then March.

That's good. Post here when you receive one, will give a clear picture of where march guys stand. Not sure why USCIS would have a range, may be it makes it look less when they add two month range.

[Marchfiled]

No update on status

Hi, I am on F1(STEM OPT, expiration 6/26/2018) and Married on November 2017 to US citizen,
Applied AOS in March 2018 through lawyer, filed forms I-485, I-130, I-765

Field office, I think it is mount laurel, NJ.

3/16/2018: Priority date
3/27/2018: Finger print fee accepted
4/06/2018: Bio-metrics appointment letter
4/16/2018: Bio-metrics done(Philadelphia)
4/19/2018: Case is ready to be scheduled for an interview.

As of today: I-485 status: Case is ready to be scheduled for an interview, last changed, 62 days ago.
I-130 status: case was received, last changed, 96 days ago.
I-765 status: case was received, last changed, 96 days ago.

Fingers crossed: waiting for EAD or interview letter.

[MissTz1982]

That's good. Post here when you receive one, will give a clear picture of where march guys stand. Not sure why USCIS would have a range, may be it makes it look less when they add two month range.

I definitely will post once it updates.

[ember]

Me too

Holy smokes, so many of you are SO lucky with your expedited timelines! I feel very disheartened about our application right now.

Our file was received on 3/12/18, biometrics done about 2 weeks later, "yellow letter" as a courtesy to let us know our medical wasn't filed, and...nothing else. No status changes, no emails or texts, no scheduling for an interview, no other notices - nothing! Just absolute silence since filing original paperwork, other than yellow letter and biometrics appointment. "We received your case" is all the site will tell us.

Our file is at NBC. Maybe that's part of the issue?

Congratulations sincerely to those who have managed to get through so quickly!!

I feel the same

I am very happy for those who are going through quickly, but it is hard to watch with no updates on your own application! We filed 2/20/18 and although we have the EAD thanks to an expedite request, we are stuck on "we reviewed your biometrics and are still processing your case" - Since 4/4/18!!!

[dlee1243]

Hi guys, how would I find out which USCIS office my case was assigned to? I live in New Orleans and my wife lives in Houston due to our work and my H1B being tied to the company in New Orleans. On form I130 Question 61A we put Houston, but we realized Houston has a much longer processing time than New Orleans. Any way to find out where the case was assigned to and any way to change it?

[cali2018]

Should be i485 driven mailing address. But double check and call.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Hi guys, how would I find out which USCIS office my case was assigned to? I live in New Orleans and my wife lives in Houston due to our work and my H1B being tied to the company in New Orleans. On form I130 Question 61A we put Houston, but we realized Houston has a much longer processing time than New Orleans. Any way to find out where the case was assigned to and any way to change it?

Your jurisdiction is determined by your physical address. Most likely, they have you under the New Orleans, LA jurisdiction. Even if you put Houston for your I-130, what determines your AOS is your I-485.

You can call and ask what jurisdiction they have you under. The Level 1 will tell you. It's best practice to have the same address for all forms. You can do a change of address online. You do that by filing the AR-11 online. Before you fill out the AR-11, you want to do the change of address with the post office. Since you are already registered to receive mail at your current address, that step may not be necessary.
So once you fill out the AR-11 online you have to submit change of address for each petition. I-485 I-765 I-131, then you do the I-130 separately. You get a confirmation number online, and will estimate a completion time of 30 days. It actually takes just a few days. You can call and ask a level 1 officer what the target date is.

You can print the AR-11 for your records. It is not necessary to mail it. Your sponsor on the I-864 has to fill out and mail a I-865. it's a change of address for sponsors.

All the best,

USCFFS