Anyone been approved in Garden City, NY, recently?
- Thread starter SaraJones
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ceecee said:
The lawyers get annoyed caz they think they big shots or they just full of themselves nothing else..this is not a litigation that you cannot talk to the opposing party without counsel. They just your rep in the immigration matter and they really have no standing..ALso mostly its the paralegal who handels imm stuff not the lawyer.. as for their legal advise..in family based matters they have only so much to say.... in my opinoin you should do what you can caz lawyers will usually ask you to wait and USCIS it may be years...
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ceecee said:
My lawyer knows. We communicate every month or so and I update him on my progresss. His services were very helpful since I was very young when i filled out my I-130 and not aware of the forum when I did my I-485. He was very helpful in the interview when I had a problem with the officer telling me I wasn't eligible for AOS, my lawyer put the officer right back in his place and almost made him admit he was wrong (they rarely do that). So I'm glad I had a lawyer with me but I know in the same hand he doesn't care about my case as much as I do and he is not going to make calls for me (he probably would for some $$$) or visit any office on Infopass etc. If I'm not sure about anything I plan on doing, I call him and he guides me.
Interview at Garden City on 20th April, 2006
Hi folks,
Just came back from my I-485/GC Interview at Garden City. I could not get the approval stamp. The officer wrote down on my passport '485 Pending'. No stamp on the file folder also. But she said that we are waiting for some more papers from the National Benefits Center (Lee’s Summit, MO 64064). Then she will approve my case!!!! We had send the I-864 and Medical Form to the National Benefits Center in Feb 2006, as we got a letter for 'Missing Initial Evidence' from them this Feb.
We were so depressed after the interview. Now we do not know how many months will it take more to get the GC.
The officer said that since your 485 is Pending, I can use my AP (Advance Parole) to go out of the country (But then what was the use of this interview!!!). And if I go out using AP, and then while I am still out, my GC gets approved. What will happen when I return back to US using my AP ?
Please helpppppppppp...
Thanks,
Arjun
Hi folks,
Just came back from my I-485/GC Interview at Garden City. I could not get the approval stamp. The officer wrote down on my passport '485 Pending'. No stamp on the file folder also. But she said that we are waiting for some more papers from the National Benefits Center (Lee’s Summit, MO 64064). Then she will approve my case!!!! We had send the I-864 and Medical Form to the National Benefits Center in Feb 2006, as we got a letter for 'Missing Initial Evidence' from them this Feb.
We were so depressed after the interview. Now we do not know how many months will it take more to get the GC.
The officer said that since your 485 is Pending, I can use my AP (Advance Parole) to go out of the country (But then what was the use of this interview!!!). And if I go out using AP, and then while I am still out, my GC gets approved. What will happen when I return back to US using my AP ?
Please helpppppppppp...
Thanks,
Arjun
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Arjun, I just went out of the country on AP after my interview. Same thing with me- wrote 'pending' in passport. My lawyer told me, if GC gets approved while I'm out, it's not the end of the world, but it will make things a bit messy. I believe you'd have to go to the US embassy in whichever country you're visiting, etc.
But, I took the risk anyway- I figured, there's no way I'm getting approved within one month of my interview- when most others have been waiting forever. There's no way I could get that lucky. Of course, i was right
Coming back in was no problem at all- a breeze.
I know others who are planning on travelling too- and I guess it really depends if you want to or not. I, for one, cannot stay stuck in one place for too long- due to work and a constant craving to travel- so I would always take the risk. I'm going out again in a cpl of months. I'm not going to put my life on hold for this thing to come through- it will, when it will- and hopefully it will be while I'm in the US.
Jdawg, yes, I will ask for an inquiry. My lawyer himself had said right after interview that he'll do so, after waiting one month- so perhaps he has already. Just haven't had the time to get in touch with him yet. Maybe tomorrow.
But, I took the risk anyway- I figured, there's no way I'm getting approved within one month of my interview- when most others have been waiting forever. There's no way I could get that lucky. Of course, i was right
Coming back in was no problem at all- a breeze.
I know others who are planning on travelling too- and I guess it really depends if you want to or not. I, for one, cannot stay stuck in one place for too long- due to work and a constant craving to travel- so I would always take the risk. I'm going out again in a cpl of months. I'm not going to put my life on hold for this thing to come through- it will, when it will- and hopefully it will be while I'm in the US.
Jdawg, yes, I will ask for an inquiry. My lawyer himself had said right after interview that he'll do so, after waiting one month- so perhaps he has already. Just haven't had the time to get in touch with him yet. Maybe tomorrow.
justfiled,
A fellow member of this thread, Jamstones, just told me via private message that he received the approval/welcome notice on april 17th, his interview was on march 13th.
He and I had the same officer. I guess its good news for you, yours should be just around the corner. In my case it makes me wonder if something is pending.
A fellow member of this thread, Jamstones, just told me via private message that he received the approval/welcome notice on april 17th, his interview was on march 13th.
He and I had the same officer. I guess its good news for you, yours should be just around the corner. In my case it makes me wonder if something is pending.
Just came back from Federal Plaza.
Officers were very helpful, first went to 3rd floor and then to 8th floor. 3rd Floor officer told me 1st database showed case had not yet been approved, 2nd database showed that officer approved and sent to another agency for GC processing. He said I should go to 8th floor and they should be able to help. On 8th floor, while i was waiting to be called, I saw several people getting their passport stamped, obviously my hopes went up. At the window, a very nice lady told me that case was approved at interview but it is still pending security clearance. I asked if it was FBI name check and she didn't really wanna go into and said that there are alot of people to be processed and it takes time and advised me to renew my work permit, which expires in a month.
I'm already formulating a plan, I'm nbt going to sit around and wait.
Officers were very helpful, first went to 3rd floor and then to 8th floor. 3rd Floor officer told me 1st database showed case had not yet been approved, 2nd database showed that officer approved and sent to another agency for GC processing. He said I should go to 8th floor and they should be able to help. On 8th floor, while i was waiting to be called, I saw several people getting their passport stamped, obviously my hopes went up. At the window, a very nice lady told me that case was approved at interview but it is still pending security clearance. I asked if it was FBI name check and she didn't really wanna go into and said that there are alot of people to be processed and it takes time and advised me to renew my work permit, which expires in a month.
I'm already formulating a plan, I'm nbt going to sit around and wait.
Hi justfiled,
Thanks for the info. BTW when did u go for the interview and did u get u''r GC till now ?
Regards,
Arjun
& bps01,
Basically I took all the immigration documents with me that I had for the last 4 years, with photocopies of each and every documment. The interview was pretty simple: when did u get married ? what visa status was u'r wife here ? did u go out of the country and on which visa ? And ofcourse take all joint statements documents with you: bank statements, car/house statements, health insurance, 401K/ROTH IRA Beneficiary statements etc...Be relaxed and cool
Best of luck,
Arjun
Thanks for the info. BTW when did u go for the interview and did u get u''r GC till now ?
Regards,
Arjun
& bps01,
Basically I took all the immigration documents with me that I had for the last 4 years, with photocopies of each and every documment. The interview was pretty simple: when did u get married ? what visa status was u'r wife here ? did u go out of the country and on which visa ? And ofcourse take all joint statements documents with you: bank statements, car/house statements, health insurance, 401K/ROTH IRA Beneficiary statements etc...Be relaxed and cool
Best of luck,
Arjun
Jdawg, I really don't see myself being approved anytime soon but maybe that's just me being pessimistic.
Arjun, had my interview March 16th and officer wrote 'pending' on my passport. Didn't tell me if background check is over or not. So I'm not sure what I'm waiting for.
but maybe that's just me being pessimistic. Arjun, had my interview March 16th and officer wrote 'pending' on my passport. Didn't tell me if background check is over or not. So I'm not sure what I'm waiting for.
No reason. Just said something to the effect of: I'll review your case and you will get an answer in a few weeks.
We then asked her if FBI check is pending. She said: Oh, yes, I'll have to check on that too.
That was that! She seemed very stiff and obstinate through out the interview so I didn't see much point in pestering her. Doubt I'd have gotten any more satisfactory answers.
Btw, I'm having trouble logging into uscis.gov, anyone else having this problem too?
We then asked her if FBI check is pending. She said: Oh, yes, I'll have to check on that too.
That was that! She seemed very stiff and obstinate through out the interview so I didn't see much point in pestering her. Doubt I'd have gotten any more satisfactory answers.
Btw, I'm having trouble logging into uscis.gov, anyone else having this problem too?
EEeeeeee
I got approved. I got approved. I'm so sorry guys, I don't mean to rub it into your faces, I really don't, because I know what it felt like when everyone was getting approved all around us, but as you can well imagine, I'm so excited, my hands are still quivering.
I had as usual checked my online status twice today- morning and afternoon. No update. Pfft. Then I left home for about 2 hrs, and came back, there were 6 emails from USCIS waiting for me! 4 of them said the same darned thing! That my I130 was approved. Then 2 other emails saying: a welcome letter for my I485 has been mailed to me today.
Just over 5 weeks from interview date for me. My friend (who had her interview 2 mths before me) still hasn't heard anything yet. Her interview was in Jan sometime.
I got approved. I got approved. I'm so sorry guys, I don't mean to rub it into your faces, I really don't, because I know what it felt like when everyone was getting approved all around us, but as you can well imagine, I'm so excited, my hands are still quivering.
I had as usual checked my online status twice today- morning and afternoon. No update. Pfft. Then I left home for about 2 hrs, and came back, there were 6 emails from USCIS waiting for me! 4 of them said the same darned thing! That my I130 was approved. Then 2 other emails saying: a welcome letter for my I485 has been mailed to me today.
Just over 5 weeks from interview date for me. My friend (who had her interview 2 mths before me) still hasn't heard anything yet. Her interview was in Jan sometime.