Travel (Advance Parole or AP) & work Permission (EAD)

[yuehan123]

Yeah, we wasted the money on EAD and AP too! Or, did we? It depends on your unique situation.

 

1st- your SO has a family emergency shortly after arrival and desperately wants to fly home before the AOS passport stamp or g/c arrives. Having an AP would be helpful. Would you then consider the money wasted?

 

2nd- You get hung up in the process, for whatever reason, and you do not have an SSN yet. You must have work authorization to get an SSN. Between 74 days after arrival and receipt of green card, it might be very handy to have an EAD, especially if you did not get the SSN on time.

 

Witness, couple "A" (we know them). They didn't get the SSN before 75 days. They didn't take the advice we gave them when my wife translated for them at the County Clerk's civil marriage ceremony. Further, they also ignored my wife's advice to take a translator with them to Tampa for the AOS interview. They chose, instead, to listen to their lawyer who told them 'Don't worry, you don't need a translator (he was not a translator.) The interview will be easy, don't worry."

 

buh, boom, buh bam! Two questions from the VO, no translator and 'Bye, bye this interview is over. Return later with a translator.' However, they did get an SSN sometime after 74 days and before AOS interview approval. By the way, he refused to buy a car for her until after the marriage. Now, she has no state ID, no driver's license (d/l) and no green card. She arrived August 2006.

 

Now, for couple "B" (we also know them.) No SSN, no EAD, no AP and no driver's license, yet fingerprints complete. They were refused at both the d/l office (for ID) and the SSN office- Until we went with her. At SSN office I showed the AOS receipt and the Biometrics stamp on the fingerprint appointment letter to the worker. SS worker took the papers, copied them (no, they will not accept your copies) and looked up some stuff on the computer. Then he gave her a letter which stated "You have applied for a SSN.... When and if, the DHS/INS, or whoever, approves your paperwork, we will mail you the SSN card."

 

On to the local d/l office for a state ID. But, oh, no! The local County Clerk will no longer accept AOS notice of receipt for D/L or ID purposes, it must be the green card. So, we went to the State Office in the next big city to the North. Bingo, we got past the front desk worker (obstacle- they failed to get past here last time) and she will receive her Fl State ID in the mail in about 30 days.

 

Oh, neither guy is a Candle member nor will they even read the site. Too stupid- huh?

[dnoblett]

This will all be not an issue after July 29.

 

AP and EAD will be included in the price of AOS, I suspect that EAD and AP will be authorized on the NOA1 letter for AOS.

 

From USCIS website:

 

 

Q. If an applicant files a Form I-485 to adjust status before the rule is effective, will he/she have to pay for future interim benefits?

 

A. Yes. An applicant for adjustment of status who applies before the fee rule becomes effective will continue to have to file separate applications with fees for employment and travel authorization. Those who file an adjustment of status application (Form I-485) after the new fee schedule is effective will not have to pay the additional fees for employment and travel authorization as these costs have been included in the new adjustment of status application fee.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/Fi...eQsAs052907.pdf

[Randy W]

Thank you - I think that too much has been made lately of the possibility that you may not need them if the green card is fast enough. This money, while "wasted", helps our SO's become fully functional members of our society.

[amerchin]

There's always a good and bad side for combining EAD & AP to the new rates for AOS. It might be more convenient for those who plan to work and travel out of the country within the year. It's a waste of money for those whom will wait to get accustom to their new life here, not traveling nor working immediately, to spend over a grand in application fees will be a waste of money. Traveling because of an emergency is a different situation in itself.

 

As for advices given to other couples:

At the start when I gave advice (that I've learned here) to couples whom didn't heed my advice, I felt a little insulted. I've found out later on that often times people in China will receive false info so that they will hesitate in their actions to the advice you give them. Another problem is that some of them still think (when they first get here) is that the way they do business in China is the way it's done here (probably it's because it's the only way they've known all their life). The last one I could think of is pride. They can't be wrong so they won't follow your advice!

 

My wife and I will still be giving advice to people who will ask for it but it won't bug me anymore if they don't follow it.

[SirLancelot]

There's always a good and bad side for combining EAD & AP to the new rates for AOS. It might be more convenient for those who plan to work and travel out of the country within the year. It's a waste of money for those whom will wait to get accustom to their new life here, not traveling nor working immediately, to spend over a grand in application fees will be a waste of money. Traveling because of an emergency is a different situation in itself.

 

As for advices given to other couples:

At the start when I gave advice (that I've learned here) to couples whom didn't heed my advice, I felt a little insulted. I've found out later on that often times people in China will receive false info so that they will hesitate in their actions to the advice you give them. Another problem is that some of them still think (when they first get here) is that the way they do business in China is the way it's done here (probably it's because it's the only way they've known all their life). The last one I could think of is pride. They can't be wrong so they won't follow your advice!

 

My wife and I will still be giving advice to people who will ask for it but it won't bug me anymore if they don't follow it.

 

Ask your wife if it's like "playing the piano for cows".

She'll understand what that means.

[bosco]

But cows just L-O-V-E Mozart!!! *shrug*