Dogderf

My question involves adoption but not of a child. My stepdaughter is 23 years old has been in the US for nearly 5 years and is planning on applying for citizenship next year. She has expressed interest in being adopted. Are there any issues - pros and cons - that I should be aware of? How difficult would the process be and does she need to have her citizenship first? Thanks.

If my wife travels to China without her "new" green card, should she expect any troubles when she returns? She has her "old" (expired) green card but also has the USCIS letter that states her card has been extended for 1 year. Will that work? Thanks.

Yay! Brief recap/timeline of I-751 Filing for wife & Daughter: - I-751 form submitted via mail - received at VT Center: 2/4/09. - Received I-797 (NOA) for Biometrics on 2/12/09. - Biometrics completed on 3/14/09. (BTW: both wife & daughter did Bios on same date even though they had different appointment dates - just ask) - I-797 (NOA) received to say 'Card Has Been Ordered' on 7/14/09. - I-797 (NOA) received to say 'Congratulations! Your request for the removal of the conditional basis of your permanent resident status has been approved' - received 7/18/09. - I-551 (Green Cards) received 7/20/09. This was actually pretty quick. So I am pleased. Thanks to CFL for all your help and support! Fred

- I submitted my I-751 packet for wife and daughter and the VT Service Center received it on 2/4/09. - Received I-797C on 2/12/09 stating Biometric appointment for wife will be 3/14/09 and for daughter will be 3/24/09 - arrived for 3/14/09 Biometrics appointment and asked if we could get both wife & daughter done - receptionist said yes (we were the only ones in the entire waiting room, so obviously they were not busy) - So now it's a "wait and see" as to whether we get to have an interview - or they send us a notice saying that the 10-year cards are being processed. Am I correct that most have to wait a year (give or take) for this to happen?

Well, in the continuing saga, I have now received a 2nd Notice of Action - the second has the full amount of my check noted in the "Amount Received" line. The verbiage is exactly like the first I received but of course it has a different Receipt Number in addition to the different $ amount. I suppose to be safe, I should refer to and bring both copies to biometrics??

Thanks Lee. That's good to know. So you're saying I won't get a 2nd NOA for the daughter (prior to the Biometrics appointment letter) showing a charge of $80 for that service - or are you saying they don't/won't do that? The I-797C I received today has only my wife's name on it - saying "Your conditional resident status is extended for a period of one year." My daughter tells me she is in need of something to send to the college she is applying to, indicating she is a resident in good standing. Is that true? Also - does the fact that I received the NOA imply that, once the bio is taken care of, that we're good-to-go - no interview, etc.? Thanks again.

I submitted my I-751 packet and the VT Service Center received it on 2/4/09. Today I received a Form I-797C/Receipt Notice for my wife. I also included her daughter on the original I-751 form and made the check out for the appropriate amount ($465 fee + $80 Bio for wife + $80 Bio for daughter = $625.00). However the "Amount Received" line reads $545.00. I see no indication via online banking that they have cashed the check. Should I assume there will be a separate NOA/I-797C yet to come for the daughter? Or should I start freakin' out? Thanks. Fred

Thanks Randy- Yeah, it looks like you guys are all set. Good to hear from you. Take care!

I'm about to send in my I-751 bundle. I hope I have everything, but we'll soon find out. Did I see somewhere that someone suggested sending the paperwork in some sort of binder, notebook or folder? That sounds like a good idea but not sure what kind binder would be appropriate. Thanks for any input. Fred

My step-daughter is finishing up her 2 years at the local community college and will be applying to a new university for the next school year but her current (2 year) GC expires in March. We are in the process of getting the 'removal of conditions' and applying for the 10 year version. She needs to send in all the pertinent documents fairly soon to meet the admissions deadline(s). Will there be a problem if the copy of the card she sends in is (technically) expired?

Silly question - but here goes: Upon filling out the I-751, the line on the form where I put the information for our daughter (Part 5) doesn't allow enough space in the box marked "If in US, give address/immigration status" if I type in the info. Can I use the box(es) below that line to give that information - or will it get rejected because I didn't "follow the instructions"? Or should I just try to hand-write the info in really, really small print? I know the section says (Attach other sheet(s) if necessary). But I didn't think that's what they were referring to. Has anyone had this question before? Thanks.

Greetings all: In preparing to file the I-751, regarding the "Letters from Friends" requirement - I didn't notice anywhere in the verbiage that would eliminate having those letters written by a relative (daughter, sister, etc.) - or did I miss that part? What's the ruling on that? Thanks- Fred

Thanks Randy- I'll get that done asap. Hope that doesn't cause any grief or cost me any fees. Per the I-751 form, I'll file the form and pay the fees ($465 for fee and $160 for 2 Biometrics = $625) and wait till they notify me about where to go for bio services - right? Also, from what I understand, this next step (Removal of Conditions) doesn't involve an actual face-to-face interview, just submitting the form, fees and as much 'proof' material as I can gather. My 'window' opens in December. Thanks again. File the AR-11 NOW for your wife, and am I-865 for yourself, NOW. The online form is for pending applications.

I entered the address change online several months ago, but only recently realized that I did not get any sort of confirmation of it. Is there going to be a problem when I file my I-751? Thanks for any input.

I would assume these are K-3/4 visas, she will need to be careful to not let that expire. She should also file for AOS and get the K-3/4 renewed before it expires as well. It is doubtful she has an SSN card because she was married in China, unless she arrived on a CR-1, in which case a green card should have been mailed to her home address. But depending on her arrival date she may need to apply for removal of conditions if a CR-1 and if it is past the expiration date on the card she may be out of luck. If their visa has expired or the CR-1/2 green card has expired it is possible she could be ordered removed. You might want to get some clarification on her visa status and the appropriate dates so you can offer her valid information. My wife has a friend who entered on a K-1 visa and it has been almost a year since entry, for some reason her husband tells her he doesn't have the money for file for AOS. As far as I know, they came on K3/4 Visa. What's a CR-1?