AOS-Marriage to US Citizen (same sex couple)

[trimble717]

Hi,

I just wanna share my experience as well so you guys can have an idea what the timeline is. I am based in L.A., so I sent my paperwork to the Chicago lockbox then it went to the Missouri Center for processing. Here's the timeline:

a. I-130, I-485, I-765 concurrent filing filed on April 25, 2018.
b. May 2, 2018 sent back because I used separate payment options (check and credit card. It should be one or the other ONLY).
c. Sent back the entire packet May 5, 2018 with the correct payment.
d. Fingerprint appointment scheduled May 10, 2018.
e. 6/18/2018 Ready to schedule for an interview.
f. 2/7/2019 Scheduled for an interview (that's almost 8 months wait time! I've filed numerous inquiry why it was taking so long)
g. 3/27/2019 Interview at the DTLA USCIS. The interview took about 25 mins. After the interview, the IO handed me a letter saying my case is under review.
h. 3/28/18, online status changed to "My case in under review".
i. 3/29/2019 online status changed to "We ordered your new card."
j. 4/01/2019 status changed to "We mailed your card/"

As of this writing, I'm waiting for the physical green card, though I got in the mail 4/1/2019 an approval notice for my I-485. I did not use a lawyer and just followed the instructions on the forms. Hope this helps! Thanks!

[Dukeith]

Thank you for sharing the time line~ and BIG congratulations!
Would you share about the documents and the questions you had for/during the interview?

[JunkMart]

Hi. Do you think the multiple inquiries helped speed up your case, since 8 months is not that long of a wait for an interview, and still within normal processing times? Typical wait times for an interview can be 12 to 30 months at some field offices. Just curious. Thanks

[trimble717]

Hi guys,

I don't know if making multiple inquiries sped up anything but I did it just to try it and hoping that maybe it will speed the processing. I forgot to include in my timeline that I got my EAD on 09/18. Again, this was after I filed an inquiry. Three days later after filing, I got a notice that my card (EAD) is being made for production.

As for the interview experience, my husband and I were interviewed together. The IO asked our ID's and passport. The IO first asked me and he went over the 'YES or NO" questions from the I-485 form (the General Eligibility and Inadmissibility Grounds). There were a couple of questions in the form that I answered "NO" but in the interview, I said "YES". So, the IO had to change it and had me put my initial next to it. As for the documents, I brought all the originals I sent from before (marriage license, bank accounts, insurance, pictures from our wedding, etc.). Then it was my husband's turn where the IO asked him questions from the I-130 form, how we met, when did we decide to get married, who proposed, etc.

After that, another IO joined the interview and the IO interviewing us said she's just there to observe for she was in training. After the interview, the IO asked us to step outside while he kept our ID's. Then a few minutes later, he met us outside with a letter saying my case is under review and it shouldn't take a few days for the decision. Later that day, the online status of my case changed to "CASE UNDER REVIEW". Then the following day, it changed to "CARD was ordered". That's it. Hope this helps.