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10 year green card


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My wife's 2 year green card is going to expire in the beginning of Sept (now middle of June). She flips out when I told her a lawyer is going to cost $1000 to file for a 10 year green card (plus a fee I did not mention as she flips out when any money issue comes up and always asks. Must study receipt after every store visit and drills me on how much each item cost ect.) . I have the money but I try and listen to her. So far I found out I need to file a I 751 form. Do you guys have some places to go to for help? Or do you suggest not to listen to her and just get a lawyer? Sometimes I just wish life with her was easier. I think her Chinese friends tell her it is easy so she assumes it will be easy for me. I have found out a lot today, talked to a lawyer about prices-called a friend-and looked at the USCIS website. I am not sure where to post this or if this site is for questions like this.

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Dont bother with a lawyer, filing the I-751 is not that hard, simply provide evidence of a bona fide marital relationship for the past 2 years.

You will start by studying topics tagged I-751 or ROC

http://candleforlove.com/forums/tags/forums/I-751/

http://candleforlove.com/forums/tags/forums/ROC/

If this guy can DIY, anyone can: http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/47681-10-year-green-card-time/

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More likely than not, the lawyer will tell you to fill out the forms and gather all the proof of relationship anyway. After you do all that you might just as well mail it in yourself instead of paying the lawyer a $1000, plus to mail it for you.

 

Depends on if you got more time than money or vice versa.

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Thanks. I have to admit I was overwhelmed at first. The form was easy to fill out. I am going to attempt it myself. Now it does not seem so bad but when I knew nothing it did. My wife's 26 year old son suddenly passed away this year so that will be a difference in her children. I guess I will just explain it when it comes up. Thanks for the links! I am reading up on the stuff now. I have one lady who is going to write a letter for her. The library here in our small town has a very nice section for helping people learn English. The year plus process to get my wife here was very difficult and long but I think this will be easy compared to that. It amazes me how much better I feel now with a little more knowledge and some help!

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  • 1 month later...

UPDATE: Sent everything in and received a reply one week later! Accidentally put it in overnight mail instead of express and decided to send anyway. Received form saying green card is extended one year and fingerprint and photo scheduling will be sent to us. Wife wants to go back to China to apply for retirement so I am going to study up on some kind of passport stamp I read about because I don't think green card will arrive by then. I read the letter should work unless they don't understand about it. I am curious what minimum retirement ($) is but wife says she does not know. She started working a month ago so I wonder how her job will feel about her leaving to go to China. I think she plans on a few weeks but know she always wants to go 5 months for some reason or other. She has only gone back once for several months. Anyway a thousand bucks saved on the lawyer for 10 year green card so far. Enough information on internet and here to do it easily. Hardest part was waiting for friends and family to send support letter (two to three weeks on most). I sent in 5 letters of support plus cover letter with everything else I could think of.

 

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UPDATE: Sent everything in and received a reply one week later! Accidentally put it in overnight mail instead of express and decided to send anyway. Received form saying green card is extended one year and fingerprint and photo scheduling will be sent to us. Wife wants to go back to China to apply for retirement so I am going to study up on some kind of passport stamp I read about because I don't think green card will arrive by then. I read the letter should work unless they don't understand about it. I am curious what minimum retirement ($) is but wife says she does not know. She started working a month ago so I wonder how her job will feel about her leaving to go to China. I think she plans on a few weeks but know she always wants to go 5 months for some reason or other. She has only gone back once for several months. Anyway a thousand bucks saved on the lawyer for 10 year green card so far. Enough information on internet and here to do it easily. Hardest part was waiting for friends and family to send support letter (two to three weeks on most). I sent in 5 letters of support plus cover letter with everything else I could think of.

 

 

The passport stamp is the I-551 stamp which you can get at an InfoPass appointment. Yes, it can come in handy in case the airport workers don't recognize the extension letter. I-551 is the Form # for the green card itself, but also used for the stamp.

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UPDATE: Sent everything in and received a reply one week later! Accidentally put it in overnight mail instead of express and decided to send anyway. Received form saying green card is extended one year and fingerprint and photo scheduling will be sent to us. Wife wants to go back to China to apply for retirement so I am going to study up on some kind of passport stamp I read about because I don't think green card will arrive by then. I read the letter should work unless they don't understand about it. I am curious what minimum retirement ($) is but wife says she does not know. She started working a month ago so I wonder how her job will feel about her leaving to go to China. I think she plans on a few weeks but know she always wants to go 5 months for some reason or other. She has only gone back once for several months. Anyway a thousand bucks saved on the lawyer for 10 year green card so far. Enough information on internet and here to do it easily. Hardest part was waiting for friends and family to send support letter (two to three weeks on most). I sent in 5 letters of support plus cover letter with everything else I could think of.

 

 

The passport stamp is the I-551 stamp which you can get at an InfoPass appointment. Yes, it can come in handy in case the airport workers don't recognize the extension letter. I-551 is the Form # for the green card itself, but also used for the stamp.

 

Looks like the closest office to us is over 5 hours away. With both of us working and me not wanting to do that kind of trip in one day I may take a chance on the letter. Thanks. It was easy enough to search for the InfoPass appointment.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I thought things were going too smoothly. Got the biometrics appointment 350 miles away. Wife comes out and tells me they want to see the marriage license. Her green card name had her maiden name. I had sent a copy of the marriage license with the application. Her Social security card and State ID were in her married name but that was not good enough. I had the same problem with both those cards. Luckily I have the origionals and an English translation my wife said the immigration officer really liked. I was a little more than vocal when the guy told me we had to come back. So another 350 plus miles and missed days of work for both of us and she got finger printed and picture. She said the guy mentioned I was a little upset and she told him I did not want to miss work. Hope that helps someone else. This is paper work the USCIS asked for and I had sent them to get her here. Seems like they could have said, let me save you an all day drive and let me look in your file. I don't think they keep a file. I have sent them mounds of paper work over the years. I don't know if a lawyer could have tipped me off on that one. Seems like they could have warned me. I never saw that in the instructions anywhere. The paper work just said to bring the green card.

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The Bio-Shop by us is just an outside contractor located in a strip mall. While they are good at taking/transmitting information for USCIS, I don't think they have access to look into a case file on-line and see what it contains.

 

Ours said the same, just bring the green card, and they asked for the passport along with a drivers license too. Lucky we had brought both, as they said they must have 2 forms of ID.

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The Bio-Shop by us is just an outside contractor located in a strip mall. While they are good at taking/transmitting information for USCIS, I don't think they have access to look into a case file on-line and see what it contains.

 

Ours said the same, just bring the green card, and they asked for the passport along with a drivers license too. Lucky we had brought both, as they said they must have 2 forms of ID.

 

Yep, the term is Application Support Center or ASC, all they do is take biometrics and transmit to USCIS, or other agencies that are requesting biometrics.

 

A Field office may have an ASC co-located, with them however an ASC is not a field office.

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The Bio-Shop by us is just an outside contractor located in a strip mall. While they are good at taking/transmitting information for USCIS, I don't think they have access to look into a case file on-line and see what it contains.

 

Ours said the same, just bring the green card, and they asked for the passport along with a drivers license too. Lucky we had brought both, as they said they must have 2 forms of ID.

 

I was hoping for an outside contractor. Instead they sent me to the closest USCIS office two states away. Glad that is out of the way anyway. Is it a crap shoot if they just send the green card or do some people need to go to a final interview? (if anyone knows) Should be soon anyway.

 

She had me pull the trigger on a plane ticket for the first of the year for three weeks to Zhanjiang, China. Would be nice if green card came in time, we have the year extension letter. I have all American cards in married name but passport is still in maiden name. Hope that won't be a problem for her. Price came down $795 from the day before. She only has 2 hours and 25 minutes to go from the international terminal at LAX, go through customs, get her bag and go to the other terminal. I don't think she will make that. Loud argument about that (why do they all yell?) We missed our flight on the first visa but she claims that was due to immigration going so slow (not that many people at the time). I thought she should try and get a ticket with 4 hour layover in LAX like on the way to China. I assume she was mad about that as she thought the price would be more. It has gone up $100 a week later but I think that day would have been OK. Anyone remember LAX time to get bagage, customs and other terminal (flying in from China)? (I appreciate the replies. This web site has helped me on our journey)

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USCIS can and often does interview for removal of conditions.

As long as airfare is booked in the passport names you should have no issues with boarding the plane, however there have been a couple reports where the exit control in China do not understand that the extension letter means entry to the USA is granted by the letter and sometimes refuse to allow travel out of China with an "expired" green-card, forcing a visit to a US Consulate for an I-551 stamp in passport, some schedule an infopass appointment to their field office before traveling and ask for an I-551 stamp in passport. As for the variance in name Married vs Maiden, this rarely causes problems.

My wife traveled to China Passport Maiden name, and Green-card Married name and had no issues.

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USCIS can and often does interview for removal of conditions.

 

As long as airfare is booked in the passport names you should have no issues with boarding the plane, however there have been a couple reports where the exit control in China do not understand that the extension letter means entry to the USA is granted by the letter and sometimes refuse to allow travel out of China with an "expired" green-card, forcing a visit to a US Consulate for an I-551 stamp in passport, some schedule an infopass appointment to their field office before traveling and ask for an I-551 stamp in passport. As for the variance in name Married vs Maiden, this rarely causes problems.

 

My wife traveled to China Passport Maiden name, and Green-card Married name and had no issues.

 

Thanks. Airfare is booked not in passport name. Booked in married name. I could see where that could be a problem, expecially comming back.

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USCIS can and often does interview for removal of conditions.

 

As long as airfare is booked in the passport names you should have no issues with boarding the plane, however there have been a couple reports where the exit control in China do not understand that the extension letter means entry to the USA is granted by the letter and sometimes refuse to allow travel out of China with an "expired" green-card, forcing a visit to a US Consulate for an I-551 stamp in passport, some schedule an infopass appointment to their field office before traveling and ask for an I-551 stamp in passport. As for the variance in name Married vs Maiden, this rarely causes problems.

 

My wife traveled to China Passport Maiden name, and Green-card Married name and had no issues.

 

Thanks. Airfare is booked not in passport name. Booked in married name. I could see where that could be a problem, expecially comming back.

 

 

Actually it causes a problem leaving the USA, the Airlines will have the problem when boarding pass does not match the name in passport.

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