Ranger Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 Dealing with the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) here in America has been a constantly frustrating experience. We've been waiting over 2 years for my wife's adjustment of status to permanant resident (Green Card) and have had to file for Advance Parole 3 different times so we could travel to Thailand. Each filing meant 2 trips to the local office, 1 to file the paperwork and one when it was done (once it was approved in less than a week, another time took more than 3 months and another visit to find out what the hell was going on). Each visit was the same, wait in line for 2 hours, get a number, sit and wait for 2 more hours, etc. Hundreds of other people doing the same thing, arrrggghhhh!!!! The only place I dread going more than this is Walmart ::. The wife wanted to pay them another visit to see if they were ever going to give her a Green Card, so we arrive to find a sign on the door saying "Effective Dec 1st 2004, nobody will be seen without an appointment". So, we go home and I get online to make the appointment at www.uscis.gov "Sorry, no appointments available at this time, try again later". The guard had told us that might happen and to try again after Midnight. Tried again and viola, an appointment available for the very next morning. We arrive with appointment letter in hand, and are let in to discover about 5 people waiting inside instead of the usual 200. Within 5 minutes, we are speaking to an officer. He agrees it shouldn't be taking 2 years and goes in the back to check it out. 5 minutes later and we're led to the back where another officer pulls our file and does the interview right away and grants her permanant residency right then and there :). After seeing the new system in place, it's hard to imagine they didn't figure this out years ago!! Well, no it's not, we are talking about the US government . Now, besides making an appointment online (called InfoPass), you can also E-file quite a few of the applications, including the one for Advance Parole travel document, which thankfully we won't need to do anymore. You can also track the status of your case online and print any and all forms. I will no longer dread trips to the immigration office (next one will be for Citizenship), now I just gotta work on Walmart ::. Ranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 Don't be surprised if somebody in the Government screws things all up. I know one woman who has been trying for over 20 years to become a citizen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 I enjoyed your story. When my wife immigrated here we did it on and I-130 so did not have to go through the AOS. And even though it may have been a bit quicker to go that route at the start I feared visiting the LA office. We just did an appointment for a new green card as her permanent residence was approved and we did that with an appointment through Infopass. That worked really well as the appointment was for 8:00AM and we were out of there by 8:30AM. The Walmart thing though I think you should not even bother with those bastards. When the US is a burned out rusting mess of scavaging looters I thing the blame will be equally shared by Walmart and the Republican Party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted January 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 The Walmart thing though I think you should not even bother with those bastards. When the US is a burned out rusting mess of scavaging looters I thing the blame will be equally shared by Walmart and the Republican Party. Now that is funny!!! :bow: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2005 Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Ranger, This is our situation exaclty. My wife filed her I-485, for adjustment of status, in August, 2002 here in New York. We have been waiting for an interview ever since. Are you saying that you just scheduled an interview on your own and that she got the green card starmp as a result? Khun Pad Thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted January 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 KhunPadThai said:Ranger, This is our situation exaclty. My wife filed her I-485, for adjustment of status, in August, 2002 here in New York. We have been waiting for an interview ever since. Are you saying that you just scheduled an interview on your own and that she got the green card starmp as a result? Khun Pad Thai We scheduled an appointment to discuss the case and the officer decided to conduct the interview on the spot and gave us the green card stamp right then and there. The actual green card will be mailed in "3-6 months", but she's legal now with the stamp in her passport. I'm sure this would have never happened under the old system as they would have had several hundred people in the waiting room and would have never considered actually "helping" someone. The guy that did our interview had been to Thailand before in the 70's when he was in the air force and we spent more time talking about Thailand than actual interview questions (which were all basic and friendly). Not sure if New York has adopted the new system yet, but go online and see if you can schedule an appointment. Good luck. Also, you can file the I-131 (Advance Parole/permission to travel) online now and pay the fee with a credit card. Ranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2005 Report Share Posted January 3, 2005 Yes! I went online and made an appointment for tomorrow! That is not to say that they will agree to decide on her I-485 then and there, but I am encouraged by your example. Will post the results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted January 4, 2005 Report Share Posted January 4, 2005 How long had you been married when you applied for the AOS? I could be wrong here, but don't you have to have been married for 2 years to eligible for the unrestricted Green Card? I know that if you go the spousal visa route if you have been married less then 2 years your wife is given a conditional green card and you must apply for the AOS. If you have been married more then 2 years, she is given an unrestricted Green Card on entry. TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted January 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 TH, We applied for the AOS about 5 months after we were married, but since it took them over 2 years to finally approve it, she was given an unrestricted green card good for 10 years. She'll be able to apply for citizenship in July (3 yrs married). Ranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2005 Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 You were lucky, Ranger. We were at the BCIS in Manhattan on Monday for an appointment at 1:30 PM. Arrived at 1:15, waited on line until almost 3:00 only to be told that her I-485 application had been sent to Missouri for processing and they can't do anything in NY. The lady did give me some good advice. Apparently in Missouri they let our application gather dust in a pile while they schedule interviews for those who applied in 2004. We applied in 2002. We will have to write to Missouri to ask for our interview. Very discouraging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.