removal of conditions

[Apk1]

My wife received notification that the removal of the conditional basis of her permanent resident status has been approved.
 The form letter indicates that she must now obtain a new alien registration receipt card (form I-551). It instructs her to bring her passport and (3) recent passport photos to the service office listed at the bottom of the letter....in California
 An additional form attached to the approval letter instructs us to apply for an appointment to bring in the photos and passport on line with USCIS at www.uscis.gov and use the InfoPass appointment scheduler selection.
 
My wife thinks she will receive her new green card in 30 days after the appointment, the letter tells us to expect it within 6 months...
 does anyone have recent experience with this?

[RfB]

... in response to removal of conditions, posted by Apk1 on Dec 27, 2004

Don't forget that the photos are now the straight on front passport view, not the 3/4 view as before.  My wife got the new permanent green card rather quickly after the interview.

[Sunny]

... in response to removal of conditions, posted by Apk1 on Dec 27, 2004

Both my wife and son received their green cards less than 30 days after their interview.  This was earlier this year at the Immigration office in downtown Los Angeles (August).  You should certainly do some inquiries about your own case.

[Ray]

... in response to removal of conditions, posted by Apk1 on Dec 27, 2004

My wife’s I-751 was approved in March of this year. When we went in to the local office (Chula Vista) as instructed in the approval letter, they took her old Green Card and placed an I-551 stamp in her passport. They said it should take about one year to receive the new Green Card and we are still waiting over 9 months later.

California has been really slow in making up the new Green Cards, but the stamp in her passport is essentially the same as a card itself and is good for one year. It would be a good idea if your wife’s passport is current and not due to expire in the very near future.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Ray

[Apk1]

... in response to Our experience, posted by Ray on Dec 28, 2004

My wife needs to travel back to Russia someday in the near future do to her sick mother...will the stamp they place in her passport be enough to travel out of the country with?  And yes, we already have her passport renewed...

Is this appointment an interview? or just a time frame to keep the lines shorter?  

My last question...is there any forms we need to fill out while we wait for her appointment date? The approval letter just mentioned the pictures (full face) and her passport.

[Ray]

... in response to a question, posted by Apk1 on Dec 28, 2004

The stamp in her passport is the same thing as a Green Card and she should have no trouble traveling and re-entering the country with it.

The only problem I have heard of was in Manila last year where one airline wouldn’t let you board with only the temporary I-551 stamp. It seems that some enterprising Filipino had made up his own fake rubber stamp and was charging folks $10,000 to stamp their passport for them (LOL). For a time, they required those passengers without the actual card who were boarding flights headed to the U.S. to first obtain a letter from the U.S. Embassy confirming their legal status. I think the U.S. Government was fining the airline $1,500 for every passenger with illegal documents who arrived in the States.

If the letter from CIS said your petition was approved, then there is no interview and there are no more forms to fill out. We just brought the approval letter, 3 photos, her Green Card, and passport. It took about an hour or so but we just walked in with no appointment. The InfoPass system wasn’t in use when we did this, so it’s something new and like you said, probably just to manage the lines in your case.

Ray

[Stevo]

... in response to removal of conditions, posted by Apk1 on Dec 27, 2004

ggg