celebfail

Hey guys,

Just wanted to make a post to tell you all about my experience.

My now wife and I met on a cruise ship, as we worked on there. She is from Florida and I am from England.

After leaving the ships we went back and forth to visit each other, and as she is a professional dancer she wanted to move to NYC to be closer to Broadway etc.

So on my last visit to see her in Florida before she left for NYC, We decided we didn't want to be apart from each other. So I didn't go home..

Long story short, we moved to New York together. We filled out all the paperwork on our own, without a lawyer.. trust me you really don't need a lawyer, its easy!

I submitted my application for adjustment of status and working authorization at the same time, around 1 week after my 90 day visitor visa expired.

We submitted it in Dec 09, within 1 month I received my working authorization and SSN.. then had my interview 2 months later (Yesterday).

We took pictures of us from all over the world together, we took utility bills with both our names on, and a letter from our landlord.

The officer that interviewed us asked each of us basic questions about our partner, what our parents did etc. then took a look through the pictures, he then took 1 picture for his file.

After about 10mins (which was prob the longest 10mins of our lifes) he said congratulations I am going to approve your application... I then got a stamp in UK passport and he said the greencard will follow in the mail in a few weeks.

fatbrit

Wow! Instant citizenship! Whatever will they think of next?

SultanOfSwing

Instant citizenship was certainly a stroke of luck, but it was nice of them to give him his greencard anyway. Or was I reading that incorrectly . . . ?

fatbrit

You read it the same way as me.

Elvira

<<<sigh>>>

You are handing out guarantees, are you?

SultanOfSwing

Thought so!

fatbrit

Congratulations BTW. We're only pulling your leg!

BTW, you'll become a permenant resident, not a citizen. Mark your diary 20 months from the date you get it -- further action is need then.

Also, you were lucky. Had you pulled this stunt on, for example, shore leave, the outcome might not have been as expected. Some folks need lawyers, some don't! Some are lucky, some aren't!

Rete

Thanks for the report and I'm glad you were successful as a Do It Yourselfer.

HOWEVER, you apparently do not have a grasp of immigration nor the process you went through.

1. You did not apply for a work visa nor were you given one. You applied for work authorization and received an employment authorization card.

2. You have not become a US Citizen. You have become a US Conditional Permanent Resident and will be eligible to apply for US citizenship 3 years (less 90 days) from the date of your approval for conditional status. And that is only IF you remain married to your US Citizenship wife.

3. Since you didn't mention that you were a Conditional Permanent Resident but assumed you were a US Citizen, please be aware that you have to apply to remove the conditions 90 days before the expiration on the green card which will arrive in the mail. IF YOU DO NOT, you will lose your residency status and will face deportation.

Now I will leave it to you to do the research on removing conditions and what information/evidence is required.

Read the instructions for form I-751 found on the USCIS website.

For becoming a US Citizen, you need to read thoroughly the Guide to Naturalization, part of form N-400 and also found on the USCIS website.

I'm assuming you know what their URL is. Well since assume makes an ass of you and me quite often, the URL is www.uscis.gov

Noorah101

Congratulations.

You should stress the fact that you entered on the VWP, not on your crewman's visa. If you had entered the USA on that visa, you never would have been able to adjust your status.

When you say you submitted an application for a working visa....I assume you meant the employment authorization document (EAD) which comes along with the AOS. Not a work visa.

Not working visa....you mean EAD.

I doubt very much that's what he said, unless he mis-spoke. You won't be approved for citizenship. You got approved for permanent resident status (green card).

Ah, this is correct information. You received an I-551 stamp (green card), and the plastic one will come in a few weeks in the mail.

Rene

Noorah101

Why did you enter the USA on that visit using the VWP instead of your crewman's visa?

Rene

celebfail

I got my words wrong.. Sorry yes I got my green card and I know this is a conditional residency.

And yes when i meant the working visa, i again got that technically wrong. Its the authorization.

However Rete you are wrong, its not 3 years.. it's 2 years. 90 days before my 2 year conditional is up I have to send in the paperwork for the full green card.

I find it funny how a lot of the replies are with a hostile tone, I don't really care if others think they know the process and law better than I do.

I just posted my experience for others in the same situation

I didn't enter on my C1D visa because its just a pass through visa, it just enables workers to be able to 'pass through' the united states to get some where else, its not a visa to enable you to visit or stay.

Noorah101

Oops...wrong words again...it's not a "full green card". It's just a 10-year green card.

Nothing wrong with that, we're just coming along behind you to clear up any misunderstandings for others who read your post.

Just for my own curiousity sake, how long can you be in the USA passing through on the C1D visa? Is there a time limit, like 24 hours or something?

Rene

LBJR07

is this story real?!

Noorah101

Actually, the VWP doesn't enable you to stay, either. But it does enable you to visit for up to 90 days.

Rene

jeepgirluk

Many of us have used the visa processes available. The replies to your post are actually quite tame. Well done to you. It makes me wish I hadn't wasted time, money and energy on a K1.