yan+luke

Finally the 2 year green card is in our hands. Actually, it will just be stored away despite that INS recommends to carry it all times. The back has some kind of film type plastic. The funny thing is there are 3 official welcome notices in 3 separate envelopes arrived at the same time. Maybe they will send us 2 more GC later...hopefully not.

Yes, next stop is I-751. The approval letter also has a reminder to do so within a specified 3 months, which is 90 days before the 2 year anniversary of the approval date, and specifies the bad consequences if not doing so. It is very nice that someone hand-wrote the exact dates on the letter to rule out any guessing. Good luck to all.

Good news, one more item adding to our achievement list, the 2-year GC, with our new-born daughter on the top of the list. We just received the letter from BCIS that my wife is granted the conditional GC. The effective date is not the interview date like others have said in the past. It is the date the letter was sent. It said that the conditonal GC will be mailed to us, and if needed, we can make an appointment with the local office to get the stamp on the passport. We will skip the trip, and wait for the GC. Hopefully, it doesn't take months too. It is a relief that my wife's status in US is settled. It is a worry that my wife might travel too much. Just kidding dear. It took us about 2 years from first applying K1 to just getting the conditonal GC. I won't complaint that. It felt like a very long time though because of all the waiting. To be continued ...

Lori, we had the interview on the same date with you in SF. We are still waiting for security clearance and have not received any word from INS. So, we are in the same boat. I will probably check with the SF office soon, and am thinking about hiring an attourney if that helps. Luke

Don, the interviewer took the AP. I think the AP was expired already, and was good for only 6 months. She said since my wife is pregnant, she won't be able to go anywhere anyway. It seems I can re-apply another AP if needed. It was just strange that she took the AP and the I-94 card without any given reason. What number do I use to check my case online? Is the number on any of the papers we received? What is it like? Thanks.

The web email was very helpful to me. http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzho...u/iv/email.html I read from several people in the past mentioning picking up P3 and P4 from the consulate. You don't need a pass. If they reply your email and OK you to pick it up at certain time, just print it out and show it to the guard. It may take up to 2 weeks to get the P3 or P4, since it may be still in the consulate although they said it's mailed, or it might be lost somehow. Hope it still works.

You may want to arrange your finacee to pick up the P3 personally if possible, since it is so close.

We went to the SF office. Things went pretty smooth too. I am hoping for the best. Thanks. BTW, I am going to be a father. It is another thing to wait for, but more predictable.

Dave, did the interviewer took your AP document and the I-94 card too?

Speaking of car, my wife passed the road test on the fourth attempt too. We were so happy. She almost thought people were conspired against her. That is the happy part, and then come the shock. Car insurance for a new driver is so expensive. Then, we received a notice on the same day she passed her test that we need more proofs of immigration status . So, we have to go back to DMV, waited for two hours, and let them copy her EAD card. The particular DMV person didn't wait to copy her AOS receipt. Hopefully, her license will show up in a few weeks. Anyway, I am well trained in patience since the K-1 visa days, and my wife appreciates that very much. Luke

Hi, my wife and I had the K-1 AOS interview this week. Things went pretty well, and I gave the interviewer my 2003 tax, some pictures, bank statements, insurance policies, and employment letter. All the documents needed are there. Most of the questions were directed to my wife to verify what were on the application form. And then, we were told that my wife's security clearance was not there, and we have to wait for a notice in the mail. All we get is a pre-printed generic letter, which has my wife's name on it and states that we had the interview and requires security clearance. The interviewer didn't give us any explanation or how to follow up. Also, the interview took my wife's I-94 card from the passport and the advance parole papers. So, we came out of the interview totally clueless, no stamp. It seems like another waiting game, and this time there is no place to check. Can anyone shed some light on this? Thanks. Luke

Hi, I am married. For the I-485, it needs the I-864 and supporting documents, and the $245 check. However, I am not sure if I need to fill out and include the I-130 form??? Also, I like to make a note. If you can, I recommend to have the vaccinations done where you have the physical in China. My wife and I were planning to have a baby soon, but we found that we have to wait. It is recommended not to become pregnant 1 to 3 months (on the CDC website) after the MMR injection.

Hi, For AOS, I checked SF district office. There is an X indicating mailing in the forms. That means they accept AOS forms by mail only? But I don't know what's next. Do they send you a receipt notice? Nothing to stamp on the Chinese passport indicating AOS status and she can stay is US? The 90 day visa will expire if nothing amends it. From a friend, he said AOS interview will take about 8 months to occur. Also, I heard it is a pain to change her last name to mine. It seems like if she carries the marriage certificate everywhere she goes, she can explain the name change right away.

Hi, My fiancee will be coming next month. POE is SFO. 1. Is there a New Immigrant counter to get her paperwork processed, or just use the Vistors? 2. Should I mail the I-485, I-765, and I-131 materials, or go to the San Francisco District Office personally? Thanks.

My fiancee passed the interview and got the visa on July 3rd!! She got there a little before 8:30am, and came out at about 11:30am, lots of people there but orderly. A young male caucasian interviewed her. He spoke Mandarin with her. At first she had problem understanding his Mandarin, and then she got used to it and understood what he asked. He asked some simple questions: 1. What does your fiance do in US? 2. Does he like his job? 3. How did you know each other? 4. What are your plans in US? 5. How many times have you met your fiance? 6. Can you speak English? For evidence, he only looked at some photos, and didn't look at other things much. We think the photos spoke for us. A picture is worth a thousand words. At the same time, he asked for the required documents one by one. It is strange that he didn't get the affidivit of support from her. Did he forget to get it from her? Finally, he asked her to come back at 2:00PM to pick up the visa. I am glad we hit another milestone. It is a long journey, and I am happy it has just begun. Luke