Just married-AOS Detroit question
Sep 27th 2001, 8:53 pm
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi everyone, I need advice about the AOS: Me and my american fiance got married on
Sept. 22nd, and my fiance visa will expire on Oct. 22nd. Do we have enough time to
file for the AOS? Should we mail to the Detroit INS or go there in person? I
appreciate any advice!! Claudia
Sept. 22nd, and my fiance visa will expire on Oct. 22nd. Do we have enough time to
file for the AOS? Should we mail to the Detroit INS or go there in person? I
appreciate any advice!! Claudia
Sep 27th 2001, 9:03 pm
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Congratulations Claudia.
Detroit used to do 'same-day AOS' for those married on K1s, I'm sure others here will
tell you if it still does. If yes, get your papers together and GO THERE! 3 weeks
should be enough time to get the papers together, but check the office hours so you
get there when they're open - I'm not sure how up-to-date the experiences below are:
http://www.kamya.com/aos/michigan.html#detroit
>
>
will
>
>
Detroit used to do 'same-day AOS' for those married on K1s, I'm sure others here will
tell you if it still does. If yes, get your papers together and GO THERE! 3 weeks
should be enough time to get the papers together, but check the office hours so you
get there when they're open - I'm not sure how up-to-date the experiences below are:
http://www.kamya.com/aos/michigan.html#detroit
>
>
will
>
>
Sep 27th 2001, 11:51 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
You have 90 days from the time you entered the US. When did you enter the US? (Is
that what you mean by the visa expiring, or did you have to enter by 10/22 ?)
As for Detroit AOS - WALK IT IN. You'll get an instant AOS and not have to wait. If
you mail it in, you will have a MUCH longer wait for the green-card.
>
>
>
>
that what you mean by the visa expiring, or did you have to enter by 10/22 ?)
As for Detroit AOS - WALK IT IN. You'll get an instant AOS and not have to wait. If
you mail it in, you will have a MUCH longer wait for the green-card.
>
>
>
>
Sep 29th 2001, 6:38 am
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
[email protected] (jkorf1)
>
>
>
>
Go there definitely,arrive early,get all your papers in order and everything will be
fine.Here is our experience. We arrived at the Detroit INS Office at 6:30 a.m. to
find free parking within the gates of the building. (There's a wrought iron fence
surrounding the building, so you can enter on the right-hand side of the building and
park in the back). Right away we noticed the small shop everyone talks about where
you can get last-minute immigration photos, notarization, etc., and it's literally
right across a small street you can easily walk to (within about 20 steps or so).
Also, the INS lets you get photo retakes there if the photos you bring with you do
not meet requirements (for shadows, sizes, etc.). Just bring cash with you as two
photos cost us about $15.00 - not bad though.
Anyway, there were approximately ten or fifteen people ahead of us in line already
waiting. At about 6:40 a.m. a security officer told us to have any papers we needed
ready, and that after passing through the metal detector we would receive a number
and be called up to the counter to submit our documents. We took our seats and
enjoyed watching the Lion King, and were called up to the counter by about
7:15 to submit our I-485, I-131, I-765, I-864, 9003, I-797, as well as the marriage
license, translated birth certificate, and copy of the passport with the K1 Visa
and I-94. We also had personal checks already made out to the INS for each
application ($220 for the I-485, $100 for the I-765, $95 for the I-131, and $25 for
fingerprinting). As a side note, I also had a ton of documentation with my I-864
since I was a full-time student the last two years and my income was lower than the
poverty level. Because of this, I had my letter of employment, paycheck stubs, five
years worth of tax returns and IRS transcripts, and a letter of
certification/transcripts from my university to prove I was a full-time student
during that time period. I had earned well above the poverty level before that
time, so I thought the two years' prior tax returns would help create a better
financial picture for me. Needless to say, the woman only took the I-485, the I-864
with the letter of employment and the most recent three years of tax returns, as
well as the I-797, marriage cert, birth cert, and passport copies. She told me that
if the INS officer interviewing us needed to look at the additional info, I could
give it to him at that time. She was very pleasant. Moreover, she did not take the
I-765 or I-131, since Detroit is still doing instant processing. But perhaps the
best part was that she only requested the check for $220. That was all. She took
the papers, gave us a small receipt, and told us to wait until our name was called
for the interview. She was very pleasant.
We waited until about 9:15 or so, watching more Disney movies to pass the time.
Finally, a man came out and called our name - he actually called me by my maiden
name, as I was the petitioner. But we went together, obviously, into the back of
the building and were seated at a small desk surrounded by cubicles. Before we took
our seats though, he swore us in, asked my husband for his passport, and took his
fingerprint right there. Then he went to make some photocopies of the passport,
etc., and asked us to have a seat. He made us feel extremely comfortable - to be
honest with you, he appeared to be one of the most laid back people I have ever
met. When he came back, he looked at the I-485, asked us a few basic questions such
as how did we meet, when did we meet, when did we decide to get married, etc. He
also asked my husband a few questions from the I-485 itself, about crimes, etc.,
and obviously the answers were no. Then he looked at the marriage cert, the birth
cert, the passport photocopies, and finally he came to the I-864. All he did was
see that it was notarized, and asked me what my profession was. After that, he
showed us the I-551 stamp in the passport and was explaining to us how we had to
file for permanent residency within 90 days of two years from today, etc. Then he
said that the I-551 stamp was good for conditional residency, work authorization,
and travel - no need for advanced parole at all. Also, he said that the conditional
green card would arrive in the mail within 10 to 12 months, as they mail the whole
packet back to Nebraska for processing. He did ask us to get two new photos made
across the street and to just drop them back at the front of the office as well.
And then he congratulated us and wished us a great day! A total of about fifteen
minutes max! Wow!
Needless to say, the process went great for us. Everyone seemed to be pleasant and
courteous and helpful. Obviously the hardest part was just the wait, but the Disney
movies on the TV helped pass some of the time - great for kids if you plan on
bringing them! It probably helped that we had all of our papers well-organized and in
order, and were just as pleasant to the INS officers as well. Good luck to anyone
else applying in Detroit - hope this helps!
>
>
>
>
Go there definitely,arrive early,get all your papers in order and everything will be
fine.Here is our experience. We arrived at the Detroit INS Office at 6:30 a.m. to
find free parking within the gates of the building. (There's a wrought iron fence
surrounding the building, so you can enter on the right-hand side of the building and
park in the back). Right away we noticed the small shop everyone talks about where
you can get last-minute immigration photos, notarization, etc., and it's literally
right across a small street you can easily walk to (within about 20 steps or so).
Also, the INS lets you get photo retakes there if the photos you bring with you do
not meet requirements (for shadows, sizes, etc.). Just bring cash with you as two
photos cost us about $15.00 - not bad though.
Anyway, there were approximately ten or fifteen people ahead of us in line already
waiting. At about 6:40 a.m. a security officer told us to have any papers we needed
ready, and that after passing through the metal detector we would receive a number
and be called up to the counter to submit our documents. We took our seats and
enjoyed watching the Lion King, and were called up to the counter by about
7:15 to submit our I-485, I-131, I-765, I-864, 9003, I-797, as well as the marriage
license, translated birth certificate, and copy of the passport with the K1 Visa
and I-94. We also had personal checks already made out to the INS for each
application ($220 for the I-485, $100 for the I-765, $95 for the I-131, and $25 for
fingerprinting). As a side note, I also had a ton of documentation with my I-864
since I was a full-time student the last two years and my income was lower than the
poverty level. Because of this, I had my letter of employment, paycheck stubs, five
years worth of tax returns and IRS transcripts, and a letter of
certification/transcripts from my university to prove I was a full-time student
during that time period. I had earned well above the poverty level before that
time, so I thought the two years' prior tax returns would help create a better
financial picture for me. Needless to say, the woman only took the I-485, the I-864
with the letter of employment and the most recent three years of tax returns, as
well as the I-797, marriage cert, birth cert, and passport copies. She told me that
if the INS officer interviewing us needed to look at the additional info, I could
give it to him at that time. She was very pleasant. Moreover, she did not take the
I-765 or I-131, since Detroit is still doing instant processing. But perhaps the
best part was that she only requested the check for $220. That was all. She took
the papers, gave us a small receipt, and told us to wait until our name was called
for the interview. She was very pleasant.
We waited until about 9:15 or so, watching more Disney movies to pass the time.
Finally, a man came out and called our name - he actually called me by my maiden
name, as I was the petitioner. But we went together, obviously, into the back of
the building and were seated at a small desk surrounded by cubicles. Before we took
our seats though, he swore us in, asked my husband for his passport, and took his
fingerprint right there. Then he went to make some photocopies of the passport,
etc., and asked us to have a seat. He made us feel extremely comfortable - to be
honest with you, he appeared to be one of the most laid back people I have ever
met. When he came back, he looked at the I-485, asked us a few basic questions such
as how did we meet, when did we meet, when did we decide to get married, etc. He
also asked my husband a few questions from the I-485 itself, about crimes, etc.,
and obviously the answers were no. Then he looked at the marriage cert, the birth
cert, the passport photocopies, and finally he came to the I-864. All he did was
see that it was notarized, and asked me what my profession was. After that, he
showed us the I-551 stamp in the passport and was explaining to us how we had to
file for permanent residency within 90 days of two years from today, etc. Then he
said that the I-551 stamp was good for conditional residency, work authorization,
and travel - no need for advanced parole at all. Also, he said that the conditional
green card would arrive in the mail within 10 to 12 months, as they mail the whole
packet back to Nebraska for processing. He did ask us to get two new photos made
across the street and to just drop them back at the front of the office as well.
And then he congratulated us and wished us a great day! A total of about fifteen
minutes max! Wow!
Needless to say, the process went great for us. Everyone seemed to be pleasant and
courteous and helpful. Obviously the hardest part was just the wait, but the Disney
movies on the TV helped pass some of the time - great for kids if you plan on
bringing them! It probably helped that we had all of our papers well-organized and in
order, and were just as pleasant to the INS officers as well. Good luck to anyone
else applying in Detroit - hope this helps!
