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Our 44 month immigration odyssey is finally coming to an end.
Timeline of Events
2017-05: Wedding
2017-10: Filed I-130, I-485, plus all supporting forms
2017-11: Biometrics Done
2018-03: I-512 Combo card received
2018 - 2020: Numerous inquiries opened, phone calls to tier 2 officers, mailed inquiries by our attorneys to the director of the Chicago office. Multiple congressional inquiries via my senator and congressman. Finding out that our case was in extended review for both me the USC petitioner and my wife the beneficiary. Noted complications: My wife was previously married and her husband did petition for her green card. The marriage fell apart and the petition was withdrawn by my wife. This was in California which would explain the case traveling to the San Fernando field office. Also note, I'm a naturalized citizen originally from Thailand. My wife came to the US ten years ago also from Thailand.
While we definitely didn't expect our case to be simple or typical, we never imagined years of USCIS purgatory.
2020-04: I-131 Advanced Parole renewal was granted. Even though our attorney advised us to play it safe and remain in the US, my wife needed to travel home to take care of her aging mother. A week before she's schedule to come back to the US, we get the interview notice for 2020-10-08. Wow, after all these years, we finally got the interview.
2020-10-08: They day we've been waiting for. We have an interpreter. Our attorney is there. Things seem to go fairly smoothly. However, we get the letter that our case must still be reviewed.
2021-03-25: I-130 is Approved. No change on the I-485 status (which incidentally still only shows as 2017-10-27 - Case Received).
2021-04: More inquiries about the status of I-485. You would think that once the I-130 was approved, the I-485 would follow shortly. Yeah.
2021-05: So about 2.5 weeks ago, we get yet another interview date. Yes, we're very concerned about a Stoke Interview. Our attorney thought it would be strange to Stoke us after approving the I-130 but we needed to prepare for all possibilities.
2021-05-27
Yesterday was the interview. When it's our turn, I was asked to wait outside. ****, we're getting Stoked. Before being called in, our attorney pointed out other couples where first only the beneficiary would be taken inside, then come out, and the petitioner would go inside. So while my wife and attorney are inside, I'm waiting and watching this happen to all these other couples.
Then my wife comes out and I figure it's my turn. Nope, she said we're done. Okay so where is the attorney? My wife explains that the IO asked our attorney to stay back for a minute. So that's a bit strange, no?
Finally the attorney comes out and said the IO just wanted to have a chat with her about our process. There was nothing bad but she did not want to discuss it until we went outside. Hmmm, more intrigue. The IO wanted to explain to our attorney why our case took so long and that he personally spent more time on it than any other case. He needed to clear up some open questions regarding my wife's history, name changes, and such. Hence the reason for a second interview.
I was kind of dumbstruck; the IO basically missed these questions the first time! We should have been done with this months ago.
2021-05-28: That's today. Our I-485 case status was updated to Card is being produced.
Timeline of Events
2017-05: Wedding
2017-10: Filed I-130, I-485, plus all supporting forms
2017-11: Biometrics Done
2018-03: I-512 Combo card received
2018 - 2020: Numerous inquiries opened, phone calls to tier 2 officers, mailed inquiries by our attorneys to the director of the Chicago office. Multiple congressional inquiries via my senator and congressman. Finding out that our case was in extended review for both me the USC petitioner and my wife the beneficiary. Noted complications: My wife was previously married and her husband did petition for her green card. The marriage fell apart and the petition was withdrawn by my wife. This was in California which would explain the case traveling to the San Fernando field office. Also note, I'm a naturalized citizen originally from Thailand. My wife came to the US ten years ago also from Thailand.
While we definitely didn't expect our case to be simple or typical, we never imagined years of USCIS purgatory.
2020-04: I-131 Advanced Parole renewal was granted. Even though our attorney advised us to play it safe and remain in the US, my wife needed to travel home to take care of her aging mother. A week before she's schedule to come back to the US, we get the interview notice for 2020-10-08. Wow, after all these years, we finally got the interview.
2020-10-08: They day we've been waiting for. We have an interpreter. Our attorney is there. Things seem to go fairly smoothly. However, we get the letter that our case must still be reviewed.
2021-03-25: I-130 is Approved. No change on the I-485 status (which incidentally still only shows as 2017-10-27 - Case Received).
2021-04: More inquiries about the status of I-485. You would think that once the I-130 was approved, the I-485 would follow shortly. Yeah.
2021-05: So about 2.5 weeks ago, we get yet another interview date. Yes, we're very concerned about a Stoke Interview. Our attorney thought it would be strange to Stoke us after approving the I-130 but we needed to prepare for all possibilities.
2021-05-27
Yesterday was the interview. When it's our turn, I was asked to wait outside. ****, we're getting Stoked. Before being called in, our attorney pointed out other couples where first only the beneficiary would be taken inside, then come out, and the petitioner would go inside. So while my wife and attorney are inside, I'm waiting and watching this happen to all these other couples.
Then my wife comes out and I figure it's my turn. Nope, she said we're done. Okay so where is the attorney? My wife explains that the IO asked our attorney to stay back for a minute. So that's a bit strange, no?
Finally the attorney comes out and said the IO just wanted to have a chat with her about our process. There was nothing bad but she did not want to discuss it until we went outside. Hmmm, more intrigue. The IO wanted to explain to our attorney why our case took so long and that he personally spent more time on it than any other case. He needed to clear up some open questions regarding my wife's history, name changes, and such. Hence the reason for a second interview.
I was kind of dumbstruck; the IO basically missed these questions the first time! We should have been done with this months ago.
2021-05-28: That's today. Our I-485 case status was updated to Card is being produced.
