frank1538

There is a link to the Triggictionary somewhere, but no direct spell check. Trigg might be along to tell you where to find that Triggictionary... 189505[/snapback] For those of you whose digits have a mind of their own, you can try http://www.iespell.com/download.php - not a bad spell checker for IE. I offered this to Trigg once, but it contained none of his words, so he axed it.

Welcome Patrick. There's a world of experience here at CFL. Please let us know how we can help. Best of luck.

I might be inclined to try to call first. If you call, you might be prepared to have your daughter available to verify that you can speak on her behalf. I presume you received an RFE (Request for Evidence). The RFE can be very confusing since it often asks for many things at the same time, and you have to decide which of the things actually applies to your situation. Sometimes talking to a live person helps in understanding what USCIS is really looking for.

Are you sure they're asking for a full medical exam and not the I-693 vaccination supplement? K-2 children do not need a medical exam IF they received one as part of the visa process AND the exam was less than a year old when you filed the I-485 to adjust status. This is from http://uscis.gov/graphics/i-693faq.htm "...Ks: If you were admitted to the United States as a fiance(e) (K-1), child of a fiance(e) (K-2), Spouse of a U.S. citizen (K-3), or child of K-3 (K-4), and received a medical examination prior to admission, then you do not require another medical examination as long as your application for adjustment of status (Form I-485) is filed within one year of your overseas medical examination. You will, however, be required to submit a vaccination supplement with our adjustment of status application. The vaccination supplement must be completed by a designated civil surgeon." My step daughter received a medical exam in China, and we filed her I-485 within a year of that exam, so we did not have to get another exam for her. We did, however, have the Civil Surgeon complete the I-693 vaccination supplement which was put into a sealed envelope by the Civil Surgeon and sent with the I-485 application. Hope this helps.

I used Eric's listing as a guide - http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3980 If I recall, the G-325A (bio form?) is just for your wife.

This is from http://uscis.gov/graphics/citizenship/M-618.pdf "...As a permanent resident, you have the right to: • Live and work permanently anywhere in the U.S. • Apply to become a U.S. citizen once you are eligible. • Request a visa for your husband or wife and unmarried children to live in the U.S. • Get Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicare benefits, if you are eligible. • Own property in the U.S. • Apply for a driver’s license in your state or territory. • Leave and return to the U.S. under certain conditions. • Attend public school and college. • Join certain branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. • Purchase or own a firearm, as long as there are no state or local restrictions saying you can’t."

Yeh, I think the I-824 is the correct form: http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/I-824.pdf I think the fee is now $200 and if you believe the processing dates for VSC, it looks like about 6 months to process the form.

It feels good, doesn't it? Congratulations.

Hearty congratulations and best of luck to you both.

I'm too old to recover from your post's title. You gotta stop doing that. Congratulations.

Sometimes our government is like a bad penny - always showing up, but at least perseverance does pay off. Now, I'll make a prediction. After USCIS cashes your $180 check for the EAD, you'll get a notice that your step daughter's AOS has been approved therby eliminating the need for the EAD.

Sometimes the problem is in the delivery of the response. This reminds me of my old college days when a student in history class came out of left field with a statment about something. It was pretty clear the student didn't have the foggiest idea of what he was saying. The professor could have called the student an idiot for not knowing what he said. Rather, the prof said something like "well, you may be right, but if you are, then all that I've learned over the past 20 years may soon go down the drain."

There was a time when newbies on CFL were called "fresh fish" - taken from "The Shawshank Redemtion" and referring to the new prison inmates. Some people forget that they too were once fresh fish and ignorant of the process. Everybody started out with virtually no knowledge, but a few who now know a thing or two about the process find it frustrating that a newbie would ask a question that to a more experienced individual would sound like a "stupid" question. Remember though, the only stupid question is the one not asked. Oh, and one more thing. A person can be knowledgeable and still be a total idiot. CFL has its share of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I remember the first time Jingwen and I met. I had my translator and a rudimentary vocabulary, purportedly putonghua, but decidedly American accented. Jingwen spoke no English but what she did saved the day. She had sat down with a friend who spoke English and had written out a 100 or so phrases in English and Chinese - things like "Are you hungry?", "Do you like?", "Let's eat/take a cab/rest, etc." - everyday expressions. It really helped. She eventually bought a translator, but used it very little. My putonghua improved, and I relied less on my translator. Eventually we both became rather proficient in CFL's official language - Chinglish.

Ying's recent biometric notice had AOS and EAD combined. Is this different than past practice ?? imply something really good is going to happen ?? 187239[/snapback] Just to confuse things a bit, Minghao, my step son, received his "Welcome to America" letter and on the same day received two notices to schedule biometrics for his AOS. WTF, particularly since the USCIS website said the cards had already been ordered. When I called USCIS on this, the guy was as perplexed as I was. He said see if the green card comes in the next couple of weeks. If so, toss the NOAs on the biometrics. If not, it might mean that the first two tries at biometrics didn't take. Never a dull moment.

I'm a little confused with the nomenclature. If you are asking whether your step daughter needs to file the I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Satus) to get a two year green card, the answer is yes. If you are asking whether she needs to file the I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) to get a two year green card, the answer is no. If you are asking whether she needs an EAD to work, the answer is yes, at least until she receives her green card (2 or 10 year). Also, if you want to get her an "authorized to work" Social Security card before she gets her green card, you will need an EAD. Once she has her green card, she can get an "authorized to work" Social security card without needing the EAD. Lastly, when her AOS (Adjustment of Status) is approved, she will get her green card, usually within a short period of time after approval unless she gets hung up in the security checks. Confused? Welcome to the world of immigration.

If I recall correctly, the I-130 cut off for a step child is 18. In other words, as long as you were married before the step child turned 18, you should be okay with the I-130. However, age 16 may have some significance. For example, police clearance certificates are required for applicants age 16 or older, and there may be other requirements associated with turning 16 prior to the interview.

A nice way to start the new year. Ain't it nice?

Tigress' recommendation is the only way to go - you gotta get to FBI at this point. Here is an old link (2003) that discussed one man's struggles with the name check process. Take a look and see if it offers any help. http://boards.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=136848 One word of caution. The link contains a number of names and phone numbers and while the link is in the public domain, I would prefer that the contact information not be shown on CFL. Good luck.

Getting the P4 is good news indeed. Congratulations and good luck.

Like your timelines says, time to rock 'n roll. Good luck.

One down, one to go. Congratulations on your step son's interview. Hope all works out for the best with the security clearance snafu.

Welcome to CFL. Don't believe anything we tell you about the visa process - we're just trying to mess with your mind. As you will quickly find out, most of us have already been through the ringer during some part of the process, and the effect on us is something like --> Seriously, you will find a lot a good information here, but you need to pay special attention to those posts that explain how to remove Cheeto's stains and dust. Otherwise, your long distance computer enhanced relationship will come to a screeching halt. Good luck during the process.

After the K-1 lapses, your spouse has two choices: 1) wait for the I-485 to process, get the green card, and then get the SS card or 2) go ahead and apply for the EAD now, pay the fee, get the EAD, and then apply for the SS card. Technically, EADs are supposed to be issued within 90 days of filing. If not issued by then, you can usually get an interim EAD on the spot locally which then can be used to get your SS card. Some folks also think you can get a SS card even if you're not authorized to work.

Part of our collective problem is that we tend to think logically and rationally. I guess we (myself included) forget that sometimes we have to think like a bureaucrat: "if the system says so, it must be correct". Well, I guess more fingerprints are in order. My step son had to go twice for his AOS biometrics. As far as delaying the green card, I would hope not, but let me ruin your day. Jingwen and the kids all filed at the same time. It took a year for Jingwen and her daughter to get their green cards (one set of fingerprints). It took my step son 10 months longer (two sets of fingerprints). While I would not attribute the extra time to duplicate fingerprints (his case was transferred to CSC while the other files were not), it does make me wonder. Good luck.