frank1538

The "Welcome to America" letter is our government's attempt at adding a personal touch to the process. All it really means is that the physical green card is in process, but you already knew that. It won't be long now.

You mean the IO bought the pregancy pillow trick? Seriously, congratulations.

Close to the end. Congratulations. Start practicing "I pledge allegiance..."

Not to highjack Matman's thread, but welcome David. February in Beijing? Can you say coooold? Maybe Beijing is far enough north that the residences actually have heat. The fact that you are a lawyer (don't spread that around ) will likely make it easier for you to determine whether specific immigration expertise is needed in the form of another lawyer. Usually, you won't need one, but a number of folks like to have a second set of eyes checking things. Once nice thing about CFL though is that you'll have about 2,000 sets of eyes looking over your shoulder.

So, if I'm reading the replies correctly... The USC files the I-130 (CR-1) in his/her country of residence. The interview is conducted in the country where the alien resides. The USC files the I-129F (K-3) in his/her country of residence. The interview is conducted in the country where the marriage took place.

I'm guessing that most people go with both the CR-1 and K-3 just to have two petitions in the race. I'm also guessing the K-3 usually beats the CR-1 to GZ, but again it's probably a crap shoot. Like Jim said, if the family is around, have pictures taken with them and by them. I do disagree a bit about asking a stranger to take a picture of you together, particularly if you are visiting one of the many tourist spots. Jingwen and I never hesitated to ask some to snap our picture, and it was very rare that someone refused, particularly with a digital camera where you could share the picture immediately. Making a video tape now at this early stage in the process may be premature if you are planning more trips to China during the next year. You'll be surprised how much English (for her) or Chinese (for you) will be learned during a year, but it you still feel uncomfortable as you get closer to the interview, you could consider a video on a subsequent trip. On the question of having to supply the same information multiple times, it is difficult to explain our Department of Redundancy to a foreigner, and the best answer may be simply to say that the process is very complicated and designed to catch cheaters by asking for the same information more than once. Good people like yourselves don't worry about it. Cheaters often can't remember lies told previously. On the other hand, you could try the truth - our government is just not very efficient.

Carl's right. It sounds like she got her I-94 marked and stapled to her passport. This determines her length of stay. This, coupled with her visa is all that's there. She now should go through the AOS process here in the states unless she is planning on returning to China for her immigrant visa interview.

Another major step. Turn it around quickly (but accurately ).

Glad to hear tha it turned out the way it should have. Congratulations and best wishes.

I was about to call BS on the consulate with this, but Lee sort of beat me to it - in a much more civil manner. It seems to me that an inquiry as to the ex's whereabouts may be warranted if something has been brought to the consulate's attention (that dreaded 3rd party issue, for example) that suggests something out of the ordinary. But, as Lee points out, it's like having to prove a negative. Would it be possible for the friend to make contact with the consulate to determine why this information is needed? If the VO can give some further indication as to why, then it might be possible to satisfy the request by other means.

You can get your vaccinations anywhere (make sure you get a record of the shots), but you have to have the civil surgeon sign off on the vaccination supplement form itself.

As a practical matter, it probably turns on how fast she'll get her green card and how soon she wants to go to work. Having said that, Jingwen wasn't planning on working, but we decided to go ahead and get her an EAD. Given that the AOS process in Atlanta was taking 2+ years, our thinking was that it would be good to have some form of federal government ID while we were waiting. She got her green card before the EAD expired. I want to add one more thing. Since we did not apply for the SSN during the first 90 days, getting the EAD also allowed us to get the SS card.

Warmest congratulations.

EADs shouldn't take longer than 3 months. Unless things have changed, if 3 months passes since your notice of receipt, you can make an appointment with the local office and go down and get an interim EAD. Based on your receipts date, it looks like you may have to wait until January. On the question of biometrics, I think others have tried to call for an appointment rather than waiting on USCIS. Maybe it'll work.

Good luck. You're getting close to the end of the entire process.

Technically, a social security number doesn't seem to be required: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13896 but it can be a real pain in the butt if a worker doesn't have one.

Approving AOS cases without an interview is starting to become something more than a rare exception. A number of folks here at CFL, including my wife and daughter, have received their green cards without an interview. Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. I take it you meant 90 before Nov. 22, 2007 to file to remove the conditions on your wife's 2 year card. Just a side note, other than the validity period (2 years vs. 10 years), your wife's 2 year green card is the real thing.

Pre-nups are a matter of choice, and some people feel more comfortable with them. One thing that I haven't given much thought to is the impact if any that the I-864 has on prenups. Since the sponsor will be on the hook to reimburse the government if the immigrant is forced to seek governmental assistance and since the I-864 survives a divorce, my gut tells me that the I-864 could trump a pre-nup when there is a conflict between the two.

Yepper, the first leg went rather fast - must be VSC. But remember, what USCIS gives, GZ often takes away.

Welcome aboard Mat. What's ahead of you is nothing like you've ever experienced before. Here's my suggestion. Don't worry about communication issues at this early stage. Focus on getting to know your SO and if she's the one, start the process. Communication will only get better during the next year and may not even be a problem when it's time for the interview. Jingwen spoke no English when we met, and I spoke only a little putonghua, but we both learned how to communicate. And remember, not all communication is verbal. For example, if your SO brings a mop out of the closet for no reason, she's about to tell you something. Just ask Trigg. Enjoy the ride.

Fantastic. That's the way it should be. Congratulations.

Like I said, a walk in the park. Congratulations and best wishes.

This is one of the things about the AOS process that has always bothered me. We at CFL all know that filing a valid I-485 keeps our SOs legal, but I'll bet it can be a real bit*h trying to explain that to someone who may not be in the know. I guess the moral is like you said. Carry your papers (and a copy of your marriage certificate) with you.

The 90 day marriage is an absolute must, but there is no specific requirement that the AOS paperwork must be filed within 30 days of the marriage. A number of people have had to wait a bit to gather the necessary documents like the marriage certificate. As long as you file the AOS within a reasonable time after the marriage, you should be good to go.

It'll be a walk in the park, but good luck anyway.