AOS from VWP overstay approved
Jul 28th 2009, 10:38 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 41
AOS from VWP overstay approved
Well what a ride it's been. Always one for following my heart over my head, we didn't submit our AOS package until March 21 this year after a VWP overstay of about 20 months. (I met my husband while on vacation here).
Today, after a *very brief* and very smooth interview in Sacramento, I was approved for my conditional green card. The actual process with the USCIS was the model of a smooth speedy AOS application even though, throughout, my stress levels were off the meter. But I'm glad it's over and looking forward to the next bit in 21 months.
Thanks everyone here for your support. I haven't posted often during the process, but, when I have, your advice has been clear and sensible.
cheers petals
Today, after a *very brief* and very smooth interview in Sacramento, I was approved for my conditional green card. The actual process with the USCIS was the model of a smooth speedy AOS application even though, throughout, my stress levels were off the meter. But I'm glad it's over and looking forward to the next bit in 21 months.
Thanks everyone here for your support. I haven't posted often during the process, but, when I have, your advice has been clear and sensible.
cheers petals
Jul 28th 2009, 10:50 am
#2
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 35,082
Re: AOS from VWP overstay approved
Congratulations to you!
It must be a relief to not have that hanging over your head. Just three years to naturalization now!
It must be a relief to not have that hanging over your head. Just three years to naturalization now!
Jul 28th 2009, 11:14 am
#3
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Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 58,687
Re: AOS from VWP overstay approved
Congratulations!
Rene
Rene
Jul 28th 2009, 3:21 pm
#4
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 232
Re: AOS from VWP overstay approved
Congrats 
Jul 29th 2009, 12:45 am
#5
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,476
Re: AOS from VWP overstay approved
That's good to hear petals.
Jul 29th 2009, 2:07 am
#6
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,131
Re: AOS from VWP overstay approved
Congratulations
Jul 29th 2009, 2:10 am
#7
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: AOS from VWP overstay approved
Well what a ride it's been. Always one for following my heart over my head, we didn't submit our AOS package until March 21 this year after a VWP overstay of about 20 months. (I met my husband while on vacation here).
Today, after a *very brief* and very smooth interview in Sacramento, I was approved for my conditional green card. The actual process with the USCIS was the model of a smooth speedy AOS application even though, throughout, my stress levels were off the meter. But I'm glad it's over and looking forward to the next bit in 21 months.
Thanks everyone here for your support. I haven't posted often during the process, but, when I have, your advice has been clear and sensible.
cheers petals
Today, after a *very brief* and very smooth interview in Sacramento, I was approved for my conditional green card. The actual process with the USCIS was the model of a smooth speedy AOS application even though, throughout, my stress levels were off the meter. But I'm glad it's over and looking forward to the next bit in 21 months.
Thanks everyone here for your support. I haven't posted often during the process, but, when I have, your advice has been clear and sensible.
cheers petals
Jul 29th 2009, 5:04 am
#8
Account Closed
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 16,266
Re: AOS from VWP overstay approved
Well what a ride it's been. Always one for following my heart over my head, we didn't submit our AOS package until March 21 this year after a VWP overstay of about 20 months. (I met my husband while on vacation here).
Today, after a *very brief* and very smooth interview in Sacramento, I was approved for my conditional green card. The actual process with the USCIS was the model of a smooth speedy AOS application even though, throughout, my stress levels were off the meter. But I'm glad it's over and looking forward to the next bit in 21 months.
Thanks everyone here for your support. I haven't posted often during the process, but, when I have, your advice has been clear and sensible.
cheers petals
Today, after a *very brief* and very smooth interview in Sacramento, I was approved for my conditional green card. The actual process with the USCIS was the model of a smooth speedy AOS application even though, throughout, my stress levels were off the meter. But I'm glad it's over and looking forward to the next bit in 21 months.
Thanks everyone here for your support. I haven't posted often during the process, but, when I have, your advice has been clear and sensible.
cheers petals
Besides the congrats to you -- it struck me that you were approved by the SAME field office which summarily had an applicant like you removed from the United States last year.
BTW, although your case is an example that VWP's can, and do, adjust to CR/IR status, there are still dangers in the process.
Congratulations.
Jul 29th 2009, 5:41 am
#9
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 41
Re: AOS from VWP overstay approved
Yes, I agree. Things could have gone terribly wrong for us too. Hubby and I had discussed a contingency plan had I been taken into custody yesterday. ie him moving to another country so that we could be together etc.
We over-planned as is turned out (over-planning is better than under-planning IMHO). Our I-864 was borderline and we took a new one with us including my income. The officer looked puzzled and asked why we wanted to submit it as the I-864 had already been approved. I tucked the new one back into my folder and said nothing more about it. The interviewing officer was particularly keen on the little photobook I had printed up for the occasion. (20 photos in a cute booklet from photoworks for about $12, seemed the tidiest way of keeping the photos together).
My overstay or why it took so long for us to apply wasn't even mentioned. He asked some very basic questions of how we met. Funnily, on one of my forms, we had the zip code wrong and hubby, quite naturally as he's a "talker" launched into a little anecdote about how our mail sometimes gets lost, especially gifts from my mum. Hubby didn't even realise his little story was music to the officer's ears lol
To be perfectly honest (and I'm not being racist here, just stating an observation), we are a middle aged, middle class, white couple who presented well. We were from the same age group and demographic as the interviewing officer. I'm sure that commonality contributed to the ease of the interview on the day. I'm absolutely not saying race or demographics should play a part in the process, it shouldn't at all! I was raised during the horrific years of the white Australia immigration policy (I'm British and Australian)
However I suspect, due to human nature, it's an unavoidable factor, for good or bad, in some cases some of the time.
cheers petals
We over-planned as is turned out (over-planning is better than under-planning IMHO). Our I-864 was borderline and we took a new one with us including my income. The officer looked puzzled and asked why we wanted to submit it as the I-864 had already been approved. I tucked the new one back into my folder and said nothing more about it. The interviewing officer was particularly keen on the little photobook I had printed up for the occasion. (20 photos in a cute booklet from photoworks for about $12, seemed the tidiest way of keeping the photos together).
My overstay or why it took so long for us to apply wasn't even mentioned. He asked some very basic questions of how we met. Funnily, on one of my forms, we had the zip code wrong and hubby, quite naturally as he's a "talker" launched into a little anecdote about how our mail sometimes gets lost, especially gifts from my mum. Hubby didn't even realise his little story was music to the officer's ears lol
To be perfectly honest (and I'm not being racist here, just stating an observation), we are a middle aged, middle class, white couple who presented well. We were from the same age group and demographic as the interviewing officer. I'm sure that commonality contributed to the ease of the interview on the day. I'm absolutely not saying race or demographics should play a part in the process, it shouldn't at all! I was raised during the horrific years of the white Australia immigration policy (I'm British and Australian)
However I suspect, due to human nature, it's an unavoidable factor, for good or bad, in some cases some of the time.cheers petals
