Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

It's not a church thing. Quebec is able to do many things not allowed in the rest of Canada for two reasons: 1) Quebec's legal system is descended from civil law and not common law; and 2) Quebec is not a signatory to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The practical upshot of this is that Quebec can and does do things differently than the rest of the country.


Well, that's the fault of Bill 101... nothing really to do with #1 and #2 above. In order to pacify the Quebecois, the federal government of Canada allowed Quebec to enforce its own language laws - French only with English optional, whereas, in the rest of the country, the law mandates both French and English when dealing with any branch of the government... municipal, provincial, or federal.

Ian

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

In article <[email protected]> ,
ian-mstm <member2954@british_expats.com> wrote:

[cut]

    >> AFAIK, it's the norm in Quebec, because the [catholic] church is in
    >> charge
    >> of much bureaucracy there (for historical reasons, I guess), and that
    >> branch
    >> of the church has apparently evolved into a pure bureaucracy.
    >> It costs something like $2000-3000 to change your surname in Quebec
    >> after
    >> marriage. I'm not kidding - I've had various people tell me so who
    >> lived IN
    >> Quebec - which is why it is the norm, I would guess. And I THINK it
    >> involves
    >> a lot of paperwork too.
    >> Even then, I know at least one couple who felt it was important enough
    >> to
    >> change her surname to her husband's surname to pay the $2-3K. My guess
    >> is
    >> that if it was more reasonable ($100-200), it would be MUCH more
    >> common. Not
    >> sure what the custom in France is, but my guess is that it would fall
    >> into
    >> the western european norm(?) of changing the surname of the wife to
    >> that of
    >> the husband.
    >> Why does Quebec do this? I have a feeling it's the same reason that
    >> they
    >> have a rule that French signs must be bigger than English signs, and
    >> that a
    >> business MUST have a French sign, but an English sign is optional,
    >> etc.
    >> They want to play up their importance, and by having more people
    >> registered
    >> in Canada with French surnames, they feel more important.
    >> I guess I wanted to say: just because it's the norm in Quebec, it does
    >> NOT
    >> mean it's the DESIRED norm, nor does it reflect on the rest of Canada.
    >> MH
    >It's not a church thing. Quebec is able to do many things not allowed in
    >the rest of Canada for two reasons: 1) Quebec's legal system is
    >descended from civil law and not common law; and 2) Quebec is not a
    >signatory to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The practical
    >upshot of this is that Quebec can and does do things differently than
    >the rest of the country.

Right. However, it is my understanding that the act of changing one's name
is ADMINSTRATED BY the church, (not MANDATED by the church - I didn't mean
to imply that). That is what I was told by Quebecois when contracting in
Montreal. Perhaps I misunderstood.

MH

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

I think you misunderstood. The church is not involved. The difficulty in changing names is due to Quebec's use of civil law as opposed to common law.

That said, I had many Quebecois friends when I lived near the Ontario/Quebec border and it was not at all uncommon for them to blame the church for just about everything! Of course, in Canada, it's pretty common to be both devoutly religous and blasphemous at the same time! :)

Ian

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

In the US, too. GWB, anyone?

Ok....... back on topic, since this has NOTHING to go with the OP's original question!

~ Jneney

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

Perhaps he meant his wife was going to be *in* her friend's wedding -- as in, she is a bridesmaid. (He wrote "on" -- perhaps a typo.) If that is the case, I can understand why she would be reluctant to back out at the last moment. An AOS interview can be rescheduled, even if problematic; husband won't get deported just because they tried to reschedule their interview. Whereas, friend is (hopefully) only getting married once, has accounted for you in the wedding party, matched you up to a groomsman by height, you have purchased your hideous lilac dress and dyed shoes to match, etc., and let's face it, your average American who doesn't have to deal with USCIS would never understand you *ditching* her a month before her wedding (please recall that bride is in full bridezilla mode by now) in order to attend an immigration interview. I would think twice too.

Besides, maybe our OP could use a little bit more time to get his paperwork to reflect the fact that they're married. It's not just the neighbors who would be suspicious, given that they don't seem to have *any* financial comingling.

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

hcj,

A good analysis of both situations.

Regards, JEff

hcj1440 wrote:
    > Perhaps he meant his wife was going to be *in* her friend's wedding --
    > as in, she is a bridesmaid. (He wrote "on" -- perhaps a typo.) If that
    > is the case, I can understand why she would be reluctant to back out at
    > the last moment. An AOS interview can be rescheduled, even if
    > problematic; husband won't get deported just because they tried to
    > reschedule their interview. Whereas, friend is (hopefully) only getting
    > married once, has accounted for you in the wedding party, matched you up
    > to a groomsman by height, you have purchased your hideous lilac dress
    > and dyed shoes to match, etc., and let's face it, your average American
    > who doesn't have to deal with USCIS would never understand you
    > *ditching* her a month before her wedding (please recall that bride is
    > in full bridezilla mode by now) in order to attend an immigration
    > interview. I would think twice too.
    > Besides, maybe our OP could use a little bit more time to get his
    > paperwork to reflect the fact that they're married. It's not just the
    > neighbors who would be suspicious, given that they don't seem to have
    > *any* financial comingling.
    >
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

In article <[email protected]> ,
ian-mstm <member2954@british_expats.com> wrote:
    >> In article <[email protected]> ,
    >> ian-mstm <member2954@british_expats.com> wrote:
    >> [cut]

[cut]


    >> Right. However, it is my understanding that the act of changing one's
    >> name
    >> is ADMINSTRATED BY the church, (not MANDATED by the church - I didn't
    >> mean
    >> to imply that). That is what I was told by Quebecois when contracting
    >> in
    >> Montreal. Perhaps I misunderstood.
    >> MH
    >I think you misunderstood. The church is not involved. The difficulty
    >in changing names is due to Quebec's use of civil law as opposed to
    >common law.
    >That said, I had many Quebecois friends when I lived near the
    >Ontario/Quebec border and it was not at all uncommon for them to blame
    >the church for just about everything!

Hmm. Well, that IS possible - that the person we spoke to in Quebec while
contracting there was "projecting", although she seemed quite intelligent
and lucid...

MH

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

You guys are incredible. Thank you very much for all your advice!
Reading between the lines I got the subtle vibe that postponing the interview is not a good thing. So we are going to the interview and postponing the flight.

Let me ask some other questions real quick, while we are at it...

- do I have to worry about the fact that I have never received an appointment for having my fingerprints taken? They sent me a letter saying they would send me an appointment but then never did. Should I phone and ask? Does that have to be taken care of before the interview?

- there is still no work permit, not after 90 days, not after 30 days after the 90 days (first phone call) and not 30 days after the 30 days after the 90 days (second phone call). I made an infopass appointment to get an interim permit. Should I ask them about the fingerprints while I there?

- I would very much love for a lawyer to prepare us for the interview. Does anybody know what that could cost? Or does anybody even know an affordable one in Los Angeles?

- I am trying to get our names on as much paperwork as possible together. Phonebills seem to be more difficult than I thought. Are there any ideas other than the usual ones out there of paperwork that is easily, legally and quickly done - like AAA cards or something?

- I tried to get onto my wife's health insurance but appearently you can only change things about the policy once a year. Is there a way around that?

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

Probably not! With most health plans, you can make changes only once a year except in the case of life-changing events... such as marriage. If you weren't joined to the plan within a month or so after your wedding, you'll have to wait for the anniversary of the plan to come around again.

Ian

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

Yes. Your petition cannot be approved until your security check is finished. Since you have not had your biometrics you cannot be approved. I would call the 1-800 number (the only time I would advise this) and see if you can line up an appointment for the biometrics.

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

I called them a minute ago. They told me they couldn't do anything to get me a biometrics appointment unless it said on the letter "Call USCIS to schedule an appointment" which it doesn't. It says "USCIS will schedule your biometrics appointment". It didn't seem to irritate them that I received that letter in December and that nothing had happened about that yet. I was told that I would just have to go to the AOS interview without having had my biometrics taken.

Aren't the biometrics a requirement for the work permit, too? Is it any wonder that I didn't receive mine after 90 days, called, was told an investigation would be started and I should call again in 30 days, called again in 30 days, was told another investigation would be started and I am still waiting for it? Maybe I don't know enough about it but it seems to me you don't have to investigate much to find out that it is probably the biometrics thing that is delaying the work permit...

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

Hi Leander,

Definitely make an Infopass appointment and go in person. Chances are, they'll do your biometrics at that time, and you'll get your EAD shortly after that in the mail. Also let them know you haven't done the biometrics for your AOS yet either (have you?), so they can do that also. Hopefully the security check will be done by the time of your interview. But definitely, this calls for an in-person visit to your local office via Infopass, not calling the 800 number anymore.

Best Wishes,
Rene

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

Thanks again, all of you. I followed your advise and everything happened pretty much as you predicted it would. When I went to my infopass appointment I brought up the biometrics. What the 800 number hadn't been able to figure out after two 30-day-long "investigations" took the officer at the counter about ten seconds. She said my work permit had been approved in February (which would have been within the predicted 90-day-period) but I hadn't received it because they can't give it to me without the biometrics. I don't know if anyone would ever have sent me an appointment to do the biometrics had I not asked for it. But now that I did it only took a couple of seconds more. The officer told me she couldn't give me a temporary work permit as my regular one had already been approved but she could schedule an appointment for the next morning so that I could get the biometrics for the work permit done as well as for the 485. I asked her how my chances were that they have the security check done before my interview. She shook her head and said fingerprints went through within a day but the name check would take months, maybe years. She told me that she the day before someone came in who had had his interview two years ago and his security check still hadn't been completed. I guess that is the horror scenario but it made me a little less optimistic about the checks being done before my interview. So be it.

I did the biometrics, we have our wedding album and finally got our names together on car insurance, health insurance, life insurance, SBC bill, mobile bill, AAA bill and a savings account. I hope they won't make a big deal out of the fact that all that paperwork was generated within one week after us getting the invitation to the interview...

I know this is a beginner's question but let me ask anyway. I am still a little confused about how many interviews there are. From posts here I got the impression that there is this interview and then there might be another one once we want to remove the conditional status. Then again, on the site that collects the reports of people's experiences (mainly K-1... does that interview differ much from the 485 interview?) it states:

"The most important part that everyone is waiting for is the interview. Somehow, if you passed the first interview, there is still another process that you will be going for, the Adjustment of Status, a long awaited actual interview with all the evidence to become a (conditional) permanent resident. You need to supply proof that you maintain a valid marriage.".

This interview we are going to have in early June is our very first interview. Also, on the invitation it says "initial interview". So is there going to be another AOS interview? And if yes, how is that going to be different from the first one?

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

That's just some kind of standard verbage, and there is usually just one AOS interview...unless they ask you to return to turn in more papers or something...but that's not the norm. So just one AOS interview.

Then, if you need to remove conditions, you'll do that in 2 years, and you may be called for an interview for that, but that's also not the norm. Most conditions are removed w/o an interview. They sometimes randomly call people to interview just as quality control, or if they REALLY have doubts...but most likely not.

Then you won't have another interview unless you apply for citizenship, then you'll have one for that.

Best Wishes,
Rene

Re: 485 interview timing - reason to worry?
 

Is INS known to still investigate or do house visits or whatever they do after approving a conditional greencard? Can we expect to hear from them at all within the next 2 years?