iaink

Howdy all! If you received your advanced parole card / Combo card recently could you let me know how long it took to receive the physical combo card in the mail after you got the approval notification letter?

We are changing status from temp TN visa to perm resident (E-3) and received electronic notification earlier this month that I-131(travel document) and I-765 (Employment Authorisation) applications have been approved via the USCIS online status site, but we have not received the physical "combo card"s yet. Wife and kids are taking offspring #1 up to Canada to start college this weekend, and will need the I-512 endorsed employment card to get back into the States once their quarantine and visit north of the border are done. I'm getting a bit anxious, I thought they would be here by now. Worst case I guess I'll just have to courier them once they get here, but it would be nice to know what to expect of processing times.

Weird thing was we were approved without having done biometrics yet as they were postponed due to Covid two days before our appointment.

Cheers

civilservant

I'd be very surprised if it takes less than 90 days, and not at all surprised if it took 6 months.

iaink

Thats not good. Why so long do you think? Its already approved, I'm just waiting for them to make and send the cards. In another forum a Russian guy said he got his physical card 17 days after the approval notice was sent.

Rete

Excuse me, if I got this incorrect but if your I-485 has been approved and you and your Mrs. and kids are now permanent residents, why would you be receiving an EAD/AP card? They would be invalid if you are a PR. You should be receiving the actual green cards in the mails and yes, they do take up to 90 days (or longer) to be received. If you have the approval in hand for the I-485, then perhaps you can see about making an appointment at a service center to get the I-551 stamp in each of your passports. This is the paper version of the green card and is normally good for one year.

P.S. We are in COVID-19 meltdown and the timelines of others unless it is a timeline for the last month has little to do with what the timeline is at present.

iaink

Sorry Rete, my bad. Approval Notifications were for I-131 and I-765. I-485 is still pending. I've edited the original post to fix it...

I'm hoping to stumble upon a recent recipient who would also be in the "post Covid" timeframe.

robtuck

I received ours about 2-3 weeks after the notification of Approval. Also had similar, sort of with Biometrics. I say sort of because we had gone to have them done before Covid kicked off, never heard anything after until they sent the notification that we wouldn't need to go for a Biometrics appointment as they'll be using ones stored on file. Very odd. I did have a suspicion that mine were not going to be accepted and I'd have to go back again, but all of us got the same receipt. Keeps someone in a job I suppose, creating and printing paperwork.

Noorah101

It is not recommended to leave the USA before having AP in hand, because if the date on the AP turns out to be later than the date you left the USA, it is useless, and you will have abandoned the AOS process by leaving the USA without a valid AP.

Personally I wouldn't risk it.

Rene

scrubbedexpat099

With so many people expediting it is inevitable that regular processing will take longer, last I saw 5 to 7 months would be normal.

neill

Iaink - have you seen a notification on USCIS that says "New Card Is Being Produced" ?

iaink

No, only that the 131 and 765 applications have been approved..."On July 8, 2020, we approved your Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, Receipt Number MSC...." etc

Are they definitely updating the online portal when the card is ordered?....

iaink

Thanks, did you notice if the Online Status changed between approval notice and the cards arriving?

robtuck

Sorry, didn't check - I just assume everything takes month by now. Admin seems to be a USA specialty.

iaink

No kidding, Reams of paper wasted on this so far between the 485 forms and the medical questionnaire. And they have changed the forms mid application so much of it sent more than once now. Plus one letter from USCIS per person per form, so for us 12 letters at a time where one would do. Still, keeps the bureaucrats off the streets I suppose.

tht

a month... that would be fast... I sent a request to the IRS in late Feb for some pretty vanilla form 6166’s. Then after months of the phones saying “there was an error” I got though last week to be told the office had been shut since late March ... I was told they had been printed but were left in the mail out tray... they arrived Monday via USPS dated March 27th...

Noorah101

I'm pretty sure robtuck meant to say "months".

Rene