A number question

T

TNguy78

Registered Users (C)
Once you get an A number, does that stay with you from then on?

I had once applied for PR and got my 1-140 approved (employment based) and I was in the I-485 process when I lost my job because of a company buyout. This was back in 2000-2001. The I-485 was then withdrawn because I was unable to find another job quickly, so I had to return to Canada. But, on the I-485 withdraw letter that the lawyer sent to Immigration it has my A number on it.

Do I use that same A number on all of my I-130/I-485, etc forms?

I was given a Notice to deny on my I-485 petition because I did not go for my fingerprinting, but that was because I left the country. My lawyer then sent in a request to have the I-485 withdrawn. Will this past Notice to Deny and subsequent request to have the I-485 withdrawn cause any issues with me now attempting to do my family based (now married to a USC) petition?
 
I don't have an attorney. I'm doing this as a family based petition and didn't think I needed an attorney to fill out the forms and submit them.

The attorneys that I mentioned from were from my old work from 6 years ago.

Maybe I need to rethink that idea? :confused:
 
TNguy78 said:
Once you get an A number, does that stay with you from then on?

I had once applied for PR and got my 1-140 approved (employment based) and I was in the I-485 process when I lost my job because of a company buyout. This was back in 2000-2001. The I-485 was then withdrawn because I was unable to find another job quickly, so I had to return to Canada. But, on the I-485 withdraw letter that the lawyer sent to Immigration it has my A number on it.

Do I use that same A number on all of my I-130/I-485, etc forms?
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Yes your A# stays with you forever, this is the way DHS keep track of us immigrants. Also you should use it on all your forms.
 
trinigirl said:
Yes your A# stays with you forever, this is the way DHS keep track of us immigrants. Also you should use it on all your forms.
Click to expand...

Actually they do change some of them depending on how you filled, my frend had a new A # after she filed for GC, from the previous one she did a couple years ago and divorce the guy in less than 6 onths and witdrew her application.
I am stiil yet to find out why they do that, "Change some and don"t change others"...
Or i guess one of thoes USCIS secrete code to track down... immigrats.. with specal conditions...lol..:)
 
some of them are temporary, like for students... and they do not stay with the aliens forever.

some of them are permanent, and they stay with you for life, even after you become a citizen, like in our case.
 
godisgoodtome said:
Actually they do change some of them depending on how you filled, my frend had a new A # after she filed for GC, from the previous one she did a couple years ago and divorce the guy in less than 6 onths and witdrew her application.
I am stiil yet to find out why they do that, "Change some and don"t change others"...
Or i guess one of thoes USCIS secrete code to track down... immigrats.. with specal conditions...lol..:)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info on that, something new I learned today but LOL, I wonder what they do with the old one , I bet they keep it on a file with the new, so it stays with you forever.....life, hell either way it's in your file, period.:rolleyes:
 
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I'd go as far to say you definitely want to put your old A number on the new application. Doing so should simplify your life later on because (with luck) it means USCIS won't start a new file for you. Quite a few people end up with a long wait during naturalization because USCIS "discovers" they have a second A file, which must then be transferred from central storage.
 
Thanks everyone for the insight. I didn't even realize that I had an A# until I found the letter from the lawyer to USCIS requesting that the petition be withdrawn. I knew I had the letter and it was in a file, but until I found it, I didn't know I had a real A# assigned.

To answer TheRealCanadian...
Long story short...
- I was working for a company and was just a month or two into the I-485 in early 2001.
- My company bought another company and decided to go with the other companies IT systems and my whole department was laid off.
- I was told that since I was on an H1 (the EAD and AP had not been approved yet) and the H1 job was gone, that I had to find another job very quickly or leave the US.
- My old company also told me they were cancelling my greencard, which would have invalidated by EAD and AP if I had gotten them.
- I had no other options for work so I left the US and got a job back in Canada (I was the only income earner for a family of 5, so I needed work FAST)
- The whole portability issue with the I-485 was still up in the air then as to how USCIS was going to apply the new rules. Although, the I-485 had NOT been in for 180 days yet anyway, so that was probably moot.
- Once I left the US, the I-485 was consided abandonded.
- Plus, I figured I was doing the only thing I was legally allowed to do anyway, leave the US and return to Canada.

During the next 12 months back in Canada, apparently the USCIS had issued my fingerprinting notice - but I didn't get it and then they issued an Intent to Deny letter. My lawyer then sent in a request to have it withdrawn so that a denial would not show up on my record.

Over the past 3 years I have been studying the immigration rules much more closely and have a much better idea of whats going on. I will not be blindly lead by an "immigration" lawyer again - especially one that works for an employer and not for the employee.

Ok - so it wasn't really all that short.

One "good" thing about all this is that by the time I was ready to file for PR again (family based this time), I had accumulated enough credits with the SSA that I can fill out the I-864w form - I'm exempt from having to have a sponsor. So, no hassle with W2's, tax returns, letters from employers or anything else like that.
 
I have an A# from an approved I140 (from my current job). I used this while filling out forms for family based. USCIS is using the same A# for family based also.
 
The main reason I asked, was that my A# was from a previous I-140/I-485 filing that was later withdrawn.

I can understand if you have a current filing with them and you have an A#, but mine was from 6 years ago.

But just to be safe - I will include my old A# on the forms and I will include my copy of the letter that my lawyer sent in to USCIS to have my old case withdrawn. I will also include a short explanation of it in my cover letter.
 
I-485 Standard Operating Procedure

Multiple ANumbers
Multiple A-Number discrepancies will be handled by Case Resolution Unit
(CRU). Once CRU has resolved the discrepancies, the file will be forwarded
to Data Entry for receipt of the I-485. If multiple A-Numbers have already
been assigned to the applicant, annotate the processing worksheet. This
worksheet identifies which A-Number to use for the I-485 and alerts the File
Maintenance Unit (FMU) to request the remaining relating A-Numbers from
the File Control Office (FCO) for consolidation purposes.

My input is to use the old one no matter how long it's been.

If you need to read more on what they do from beginning to end here is a link Click
 
TNguy78 said:
I was given a Notice to deny on my I-485 petition because I did not go for my fingerprinting, but that was because I left the country. My lawyer then sent in a request to have the I-485 withdrawn. Will this past Notice to Deny and subsequent request to have the I-485 withdrawn cause any issues with me now attempting to do my family based (now married to a USC) petition?
Click to expand...

Thought I'd give a bit of an update. I found the Receipt Notices for my previous I-485 and thought I'd enter it on the USCIS website just to see what *they* think the final status is. They were going to deny the I-485 because I didn't do my fingerprinting and I had left the country for a year, but my lawyer sent a letter requesting to have it withdrawn - but I never heard anything back.

Here is what USCIS says:
Receipt Number: AAAxxxxxxxxxx

Application Type: I485, APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS

Current Status: We received your withdrawal and mailed you a notice.

On <date>, we mailed a notice acknowledging withdrawal of this application or petition. If at some point in the future you wish to pursue the benefits provided by this application or petition, you must file a new application along with all applicable fees and evidence.
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Thank goodness, they have it as a withdrawn status and not a denial! :eek:
 
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