update on changing status to permanent

[DonP]

Most everyone here won't know me, as I am more of a lurker than anything else, but every now and then I come out and share some thoughts and experiences.

Well my update is something interesting as I recently put in the paper work to make my wife and her daughter permanent residents and not conditional. I was told to send it tot he same District Office I had been dealing with in Norfolk, Va. Well it sat their for a month or so and then my whole application was sent back tome and I was informed to send it to Vermont. I now only had 65 day to get it there and approved or her green card was going to expire.

Yo my surprise, in less than 2 weeks, the INS in Vermont sent us a letter extending her time here for another year while they process the paper work. They informed me it would take a year to process our request for removing the status and if I hadn't hear from them in that time, to contact them.

Now I don't know about you, but that seems a little strange to just extend a year and say it will take longer than ususal to process our request.

Prior to this, all our paper work and approval processes had gone very smoothly and faster than most of the time I had seen posted here.

At any rate, I was wondering if any one else has run into this recently?  I figure it has something to do with the terrorist stuff and prevention methods going on, but I just wasn't expecting them to delay another year.  They did however cash the check, so I guess that is good news.

Well hope all is well for everyone else and that you all get to find a very special RW to bring you as much happiness as I have had in the 2 years I have been married thus far.

DonP

[Jersey Mike]

... in response to update on changing status to permanent, posted by DonP on Jan 31, 2003

Don,
I am at the same stage - have a couple of Q's.  Did you use form I-751 for removal of conditions?  How much evidence of legit marriage did you provide?  Did they ask for follow-up interview?  I am in the process of assembling the paperwork now.  Thanks in advance for your response.

[KenC]

... in response to Re: update on changing status to permane..., posted by Jersey Mike on Feb 3, 2003

Mike,
I took the approach that it was better to be overly prepaired so as not to take any chances.  I put a folder together in a 3 ringed binder complete with tabs for the INS.  Tab headings: 1)Legal documents (marriage license, both birth certificates, passport, visa copies ect). 2)Joint accounts, travel & leases. 3)Financial. 4)Corresponence 5)Photos  Our interviewer just flipped through the folder very quickly without really reading anything.  A few superficial questions later, we were out the door.  No sweat.
KenC

[thesearch]

... in response to update on changing status to permanent, posted by DonP on Jan 31, 2003

Good to hear from you again. How have you adjusted to being a father? I can not remember if your new family encluded a boy or girl in addition to your wife.

Be glad that you got her and her child over here before the 9-11 event affected everything.

[DonP]

... in response to Hey Don, posted by thesearch on Jan 31, 2003

I have a daughter from the marriage. She will soon be 12 going on 20!! She continually tests our limits and boundaries, but she is a very sweet and intelligent girl. She has been on the honor roll every quarter but the first one when she first got here, and just got her latest report card with all A's!! Yeah I'm proud fo her.

It is quite a bit of adjustment sometimes, but still worth every minute of it.

I hope everything continues to go well with you.

Take care all.
DonP

[Griffin]

... in response to update on changing status to permanent, posted by DonP on Jan 31, 2003

My wife's "4 to 6 week" K-3 visa took six months.  There is a post below indicating we have stopped processind AOS applications.

Maybe if we start a rumor that terrorists plan to lace tax returns with anthrax some good can come of all this fear and trembling.

[Edge]

... in response to Everything has slowed to a crawl or stop..., posted by Griffin on Jan 31, 2003

I am not so sure that the INS has stopped processing AOS countrywide because my wife just received her interview and the stamp in the passport this month.  It took about 11 months after filing here in Denver.  Everything looked like business as usual the two times we went to the local INS office.  People were arriving for their interviews.  The current timeline they had posted for AOS was 10-15 months.

El Gordito.

[John F]

... in response to update on changing status to permanent, posted by DonP on Jan 31, 2003

Hi Don.  I remember some of your prior posts.  We just finished the removal conditions process when my wife and her daughter received their 10 year green cards in the mail last week.

From what I can determine, the entire INS system has been thrown into a standstill due to some special processing for Quatemala alien processing.  It seems INS was given something like a March deadline to have it finished so they responded by not processing anything but this Quatemala project.

Now, about the 1 year extension.  That is a standard extension given everyone.  We sent our Removal of Conditions paperwork to INS, Texas on Sept. 10.  About two weeks later we got the same letter, 1 year extension, and a lengthy estimate for processing.  What really happened is that in November we got a letter saying the removal of conditions had been approved and to take passports, photo's, and money to the local INS office.  So, in November my wife got the removal of conditions written into her passport and we were told the cards would be sent by mail.  We received them this past week.

The message is .... you received a form letter and the dates really don't tell you a whole lot.

[DonP]

... in response to Re: update on changing status to permane..., posted by John F on Jan 31, 2003

Thanks for the update. My wife was more worried than I was, as she knew her expiration date was coming up. Hopefully her 10 year green card will come as quickly as yours did.