Frustration after successful AOS interview

[xiaobu]

We just finished our interview yesterday and we passed!

We are real happy about it, but this morning, we went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get an ID for my wife, and they said that the NOA 797C documents and the approval letter were still not enough to get an ID or a drivers license.

 

We have completed everything successfully. Our Employment Authorization Document was submitted (with check cashed by USCIS) over 2 1/2 months ago, and still has not been approved.

 

This is extremely frustrating.

 

My wife has been in the U.S. for 6 months, and she still cannot:

Legally drive

Open a bank account

Legally work

 

In other posts, I've read that during the AOS interview, you should ask for the I-551 stamp, and the officer said they don't do stamping anymore (this is in California). So this approval paper that they gave us yesterday is worthless basically. The officer said we could wait anywhere from 1-6 months, but she said it would probably be around 1 month.

 

Maybe we just have to continue to be patient. But, any feedback on how I can get my wife driving legally, working legally or opening a bank account would be great.

 

By the way, our interview was successful due to the great advice given on this site. Thanks so much.

 

 

-xiaobu

[Randy W]

We just finished our interview yesterday and we passed!

We are real happy about it, but this morning, we went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get an ID for my wife, and they said that the NOA 797C documents and the approval letter were still not enough to get an ID or a drivers license.

 

We have completed everything successfully. Our Employment Authorization Document was submitted (with check cashed by USCIS) over 2 1/2 months ago, and still has not been approved.

 

This is extremely frustrating.

 

My wife has been in the U.S. for 6 months, and she still cannot:

Legally drive

Open a bank account

Legally work

 

In other posts, I've read that during the AOS interview, you should ask for the I-551 stamp, and the officer said they don't do stamping anymore (this is in California). So this approval paper that they gave us yesterday is worthless basically. The officer said we could wait anywhere from 1-6 months, but she said it would probably be around 1 month.

 

Maybe we just have to continue to be patient. But, any feedback on how I can get my wife driving legally, working legally or opening a bank account would be great.

 

By the way, our interview was successful due to the great advice given on this site. Thanks so much.

 

 

-xiaobu

 

 

Did they say that the "Welcome to the US" letter would be in the mail, or was it only the interview that was passed? Are you waiting for an FBI background check? Otherwise, it should be closer to 2 weeks.

 

The EAD card would confer all those rights in most states, but I think California requires a green card for a driver's license.

[tywy_99]

With a successful interview, with any luck, you should receive the card in the mail in as little as two weeks. A "Welcome to the United States" letter should precede it.

 

-good luck

[panthr]

We have completed everything successfully. Our Employment Authorization Document was submitted (with check cashed by USCIS) over 2 1/2 months ago, and still has not been approved.

 

This is extremely frustrating.

 

My wife has been in the U.S. for 6 months, and she still cannot:

Legally drive

Open a bank account

Legally work

 

We are in the same situation. We got here in the beginning of May. She got one of those Social Security cards with "Valid for Employment Only...". She went for her Learner's Permit tests which she passed only to find out that. on the past friday, the North Carolina legislature passed a law requiring that she have an EAD card.

[jwmurphy]

I find it ironic how much trouble everyone is having trying to follow the process and get a drivers license but there is so much talk about illegal aliens should be able to get driver licenses.

[tonado]

Does your wife have a SS number?

[esun41]

As for a bank account, my wife needed two forms of Gov't issued I.D. and a SS#. We were in California at that time and B of A allowed her on my account with her Chinese passport as one form of I.D. and her USA K-1 visa as the other as both were deemed to be Gov't issued. From what we were told at the Hemet, California DMV office, they would accept her payment (of course ) for a state issued I.D. card but had to wait until she adjusted status (Green Card) until we would receive the actual card.

I see why the DMV wouldn't give your wife I.D. but the bank account issue has me stumped.

[bosco]

Our bank (Wells Fargo) just asked for two pieces of I.D. to open an account for Ling. We used her Chinese passport and her English-translated birth certificate from our interview kitchen sink.

 

We used the same I.D. at DMV to first, get an Oregon I.D. card which has since been replaced with her driving learners permit.

Edited July 20, 2007 by Ling-Curt (see edit history)