ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionAdvance parole questions while awaiting removal of conditions
Thank you everyone for your responses. And yes I know a green card is for lawful residence not visitation, I was just concerned that once it expired it wasn't valid, but now I know it is renewed for a year I feel much better.

Thanks again, this is such a great resource and some of you are very kind in your replies.

Lily
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-09-24 13:53:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionAdvance parole questions while awaiting removal of conditions
Thanks. So if i get my NOA 2 I can travel? I have looked at the timelines and it seems to vary for NOA 2, but is it likely to come by christmas?

So I CANNOT apply for AP with removal of conditions at all? If no noa 2 comes, i just cant leave? i need a little clarification on all of this.

do you think it looks good :unsure: ?

Thank you VVVK, that is much clearer! You have made my day! :dance:
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-09-24 12:26:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionAdvance parole questions while awaiting removal of conditions
Hi,

I am here in the US on a 2 year PR card, which expires on October 10th. I have applied to have conditions removed (well I am about to mail it in!) and just realized that I will have a problem being able to go home to Europe for Christmas.

I have a few questions.

1) I received Advance parole 2 years ago when I applied for my original PR card. Can I use that to travel now or has its use expired?

2) How long do advance paroles normally take to process and is the cost a separate $300 on top of the filling fee to remove conditions?

3) I have a 10 year B1 visa from when I was an intern at the UN that is still good, so could I leave, and re-enter on that if my conditions have not been removed by Christmas (which I doubt!)

Thanks very much for your help,it is appreciated.

Lily
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-09-24 12:17:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionRFE but trouble with evidence
Thanks w8ing long time, you are so right! I think I was a bit tentative the first time around and didn't put enough evidence in, but now I realize I just have to throw the entire book at them!

So let this be a lesson to everyone who hasn't filed, send everything the first time. so silly of me not to! :bonk:

Lily

Edited by lilycarter, 01 February 2011 - 09:32 PM.

lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-02-01 21:32:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionRFE but trouble with evidence
Yes A & A we did list each other and have included the 2008 tax returns this time.

And no he wasn't the co-sponsor, I didn't need one, but he is listed as my husband on the federal loan agreement which we both signed.

We also have some records and receipts from the dentist and doctor when I had things done and he paid, so I think that is good too.

Trying to just get everything we can possibly think of.

Thanks
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-02-01 16:55:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionRFE but trouble with evidence
ah ha! good idea, I will make sure we both send the same one!

I feel much better. I am in school and have lots more evidence; federal loan papers signed by us both since 2009, all our old taxes, and a letter from the school saying I am studying here and that they have known us since June 2009.

Also got bank account statements paying the cable bill etc. They aren't actual bill statements, but bank acct statements with the amount & account bill numbers on it, and shows we have both paid the same bills since 2008 for our address.

Also got even more tickets home to the UK for us both from Christmas, pictures etc,but I do not think they help that much as they have a lot already. but it can't hurt. I feel like they will have a wonderful overview of our extended families life after this!

SO, gathering another huge stack of stuff...want to get it sent back ASAP as I do not like having this hanging over me!

Thanks again
Lily
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-02-01 14:10:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionRFE but trouble with evidence
Thanks, I think you are right. We are both writing letters to that effect, explaining details, with more evidence to illustrate our situation. I am also having our financial aid officer at school write a letter, with all my applications for scholarship and financial aid with my husband's details and signature on it going back to June 2009, so I hope that will help. Do you know by any chance if I should I get all these letters notarized or is that not necessary as they are not the actual affidavits?

Also I am going to send everything with our joint address on it , although I feel residency is already established, but it can't hurt! Maybe some more affidavits but we sent 3 already so I am not sure they will help.

Thanks again, this is such a great resource, I feel so upset about this RFE, and its good to get some rational & kind feedback from people who also have been through the same process. I think its especially hard as we have never had a bump in the road with immigration before so it has been a nasty shock :(

Lily
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-02-01 10:11:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionRFE but trouble with evidence
Thanks for the replies.

We have of course filed every year, but only once jointly as we just filed separately the first year for student loan purposes (I am a 2nd year RN nursing student)

We also sent pictures, letters, and already an affadavit from our landlady stating the we have lived here since September 2007. She also sent in the affadavit that accompanied my initial application for residency in 2008, so there is consistency there.

As for the opening a joint account now, the request asks for evidence proving marriage of the last 2 years, so one opened now seems to prove nothing, but I guess we could try.

I am thinking maybe I can have my nursing school write something up, and just write a letter explaining our situation. What concerns me is even if they are sympathetic and understand our scenario, it still doesn't count as evidence! We could produce 100 addafavits from friends and family, but the hard evidence they require is not available.

And yes we have netflix etc, and ample mail addressed to us here showing residency, but they want to see our assets merged, which is hard when you don't have many.

Thank you again
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-01-31 23:48:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionRFE but trouble with evidence
Hi Everyone

I just re-posted this here as I think I posted it in the wrong thread sorry.

Congratulations to everyone who received their Greencards :dance: !

I also filed in October, and have just received an RFE for more evidence. We submitted a lot of evidence, but they must consider it soft evidence (which it is), as we now have this RFE. We submitted affadavits, 1 tax return, travel itineraries, and some personal things, but this is clearly not enough.

Our problem is we have not had a joint bank account, utility bills or credit card statements or ANY of the harder evidence which they requested. We do not even have a lease as we lease from this elderly polish lady who we pay in cash month to month. We have also been broke since I moved here as my husband lost his full-time job and we he has only been doing smaller jobs, so we have no joint health insurance, or legal records,NOTHING!

I am so concerned as we cannot just produce this stuff, but we have lived together here since September 2007. We sent affadavits so I really do not know what else we can do. Is there any way we can just request an interview, as that would probably be better at this point, as anything we send in will be yet more soft evidence :-(

Also do you think a backdated lease could work, as I think our landlady would write us one, but if its recent I am not sure it would hold any water?

Also I have to leave the country in March and am now worried this will make it difficult to get back in, or is that just me over-reacting!?

Thanks, and sorry to drop a sad bomb on the thread, as its full of such lovely news recently!

Lily
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-01-31 22:06:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionInterview :-(
Thanks Bob, that makes me feel better! I think we will be fine, but I just can't believe we have to accumulate the exact same evidence as they already have?! It seems so strange, and they didn't even tell us in the letter to bring documentation! How are people supposed to know that without visajourney lol :bonk:
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-03-25 16:44:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionInterview :-(
Thanks for the responses. I have seen the few interview threads on here, and googled but there doesn't seem to be a great deal out there about it. I am not too worried about the questions though, and I am sure we can answer anything they ask us, but one thing I am confused about is whether or not we need to take all the same evidence we submitted as RFE?

We submitted loads of stuff; extra loan info from my nursing school with our names on it, medical/dental bills, household bills, tickets home, more affadavits etc, but a few threads say they ask for these things again!? We compiled a huge 2 inch file and I hoped that they would have it with them at our interview, as this seems sensible, but I am not sure now. Do we really have to duplicate all the same evidence we have submitted once already or just tax forms and leases?

I have tried to call them but its like ringing a black hole and no-one answers.

This has definitely put a downer on my weekend. My husband seems to think its not going to be a problem, but I think the fact they are even interviewing us is a worry, as we have never had an interview before. Sigh :unsure:
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-03-25 08:19:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionInterview :-(
Firstly congrats to all who have been approved and got their green cards, that is amazing :dance:

We had a letter for an interview in April today, which I am a bit disappointed in as we submitted a bunch of extra evidence, but I am also a bit relieved as I think in an interview we can show them once and for all that we are for real.

Anyway just wanted to update and wondered if anyone had any tips or suggestions, or had dealt with an interview recently (it will be in NYC).

Thanks
Lily
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-03-24 18:49:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionPhotos for interview
Ah thank you so much! I will give an extensive report, although I have two 12 hour shifts in the ICU Fri/Sat so it will probably be next week lol! We will take extra pictures and cards and everything I can think of! :dance:
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-04-05 16:21:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionPhotos for interview
Yes I don't know either, it seems odd, but I think they are passport pictures. Good luck with yours!
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-04-05 12:37:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionPhotos for interview
Hi All, We have our interview on Thursday and I have been asked to bring photos "the exact specifications of your alien card". I just wanted to ask anyone who might know, is this just standard US passport photo? I have my alien card to take with me to the photographers, I just wanted to ask someone who had maybe had an interview?
Thanks
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-04-05 09:45:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionInterview low-down NYC
Thanks everyone! Sorry for the delay in responding, and yes I am very excited!!! I just hope she wasn't telling me that to get us out of the office lol :dance:

Have a great weekend!
Lily
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-04-09 15:25:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionInterview low-down NYC
Hey All,

So we had our interview today, and it was not what I was expecting at all. The lady called us, and asked us straightforward questions like where did each-other work/study (addresses), when was our last trip, did we have children, if we had been separated since we got married, for recent pictures and then said we could go and sit down whilst she photocopied my husband's passport.

When she came back out to return the passport, we asked to go back in to see her, as I was a bit confused and worried as I thought we would find out what the decision was and also was surprised we didn't get more questions. So, my husband asked for us to return for some clarification.I then explained that I thought we would have the personal questions etc as this was our first ever interview with USCIS. She expressed surprised and seemed pleased that this was our first interview, and said it was probably because we had a good case when we filed for our K1 fiancee visa. She also explained that the personal questions are not common, and that every case is very different.

I explained that I was concerned as we didn't have a lot of the financial evidence as times have been tough (thank goodness my husband got a good job at a bank in February :dance: , but that was after the application) and that we had none of the "co-mingling" of assets that the RFE had asked for. anyway she said that the finances were a very small part of it, which surprised me. She said that the USCIS understood people couldn't provide all that evidence, and that you "can't give us what you don't have". I even said I wanted my husband to put me on bills for the AOS and she agreed with him that you should never do something just for immigration, if it doesn't make sense( he didn't want my credit to possibly get messed up).

I also showed her my wedding dress and bill, as now we are financially solvent again we are having a proper ceremony in Italy this summer, and she said what a lovely dress it was and asked to photocopy that. We also explained we don't have rings, again as we were broke, and she said it really didn't matter, they understood, and that it wasn't what was important.

She was very cool and helped me to calm down, as I was really quite upset as I thought (stupidly) that if she didn't ask us many questions it meant we wouldn't get approved. She even said "don't worry you'll get another green card" (although not sure that is a definite confirmation so not getting excited). When we walked out my husband joked with her that "thank goodness you let us back in or I Would have had a meltdown on my hands" and they both laughed about it.

All in all it was quite an odd but good experience. She told us never to listen to other people or go online to check things out (lol and here i am on VJ) as not one single case is the same. She said they just wanted to check we were still together, and living as a couple. That was all they were really concerned about, and at some time during the immigration process they like to see everyone for an interview.

SO, sorry if it doesn't all make sense. I didn't want to write every last thing and make the post too long, but feel free to ask me questions and I hope this is the right forum.

Thanks :star:
Lily
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-04-07 19:54:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionI-751 October 2010 Filers
Hi Everyone

Congratulations to everyone who received their Greencards :dance: !

I also filed in October, and have just received an RFE for more evidence. We submitted a lot of evidence, but they must consider it soft evidence (which it is), as we now have this RFE. We submitted affadavits, 1 tax return, travel itineraries, and some personal things, but this is clearly not enough.

Our problem is we have not had a joint bank account, utility bills or credit card statements or ANY of the harder evidence which they requested. We do not even have a lease as we lease from this elderly polish lady who we pay in cash month to month. We have also been broke since I moved here as my husband lost his full-time job and we he has only been doing smaller jobs, so we have no joint health insurance, or legal records,NOTHING!

I am so concerned as we cannot just produce this stuff, but we have lived together here since September 2007. We sent affadavits so I really do not know what else we can do. Is there any way we can just request an interview, as that would probably be better at this point, as anything we send in will be yet more soft evidence :-(

Also do you think a backdated lease could work, as I think our landlady would write us one, but if its recent I am not sure it would hold any water?

Also I have to leave the country in March and am now worried this will make it difficult to get back in, or is that just me over-reacting!?

Thanks, and sorry to drop a sad bomb on the thread, as its full of such lovely news recently!

Lily
lilycarterFemaleUnited Kingdom2011-01-31 21:18:00