Stamping experience and good bye !
We got our passports stamped on Sep 01 (Last Wednesday).
Appointment time: 11:45 AM
Reached the center at 11:35 AM
Entered thru' security and collected our token (D530) at counter # 3
Waited for 1 hour and then were called at counter # 3 and were told that
someone will immediately take care of our stamping.
Within 5 minutes our number was called at counter # 10.
It took the IIOfficer about 25 minutes to complete the stamping for both myself and my wife.
We had two different appointments but only one of those was used and we went together to the same IIOfficer.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
We consider ourselves extremely lucky for having our approvals within 70 days
and I want to convey my heartiest wishes to everyone for their speedy approvals and completion of immigration process.
Here is a brief outline of our 'immigration' past:
- Entered US in Sep 1996
- Started my third job with a decent bay-area based consulting company (A)
in Dec 1997
- company A filed labor certification in last quarter of 1999
- Labor certification ( company A) approval in First quarter of 2000
- I-140 (EB3) approval (company A) received by end of 2000
- Client company (B) made an offer in Dec 2000
- Company B made it clear that I cannot continue as contractor all the way
till my 485 processing gets done, which might have taken another year.
- Negotiated with company B for sponsorship of GC and sponsoring of H1/L1
in case I had to leave US after completing 6 years and not getting further
H1 extensions.
- Left company A and joined company B on H1 in June 2001
At this point I pretty much knew that my chances of getting a GC were
diminishing.
But the job market at that time and the knowledge about strong position
of company B even during bad economy led me to leave my current GC
processing with company A and join company B.
(The AC21 was not a 'law' at that time, late 2000-early 2001 !)
- Aug 2001: Labor certification started by company B
- Aug 2002: Labor certification case sent to Federal level
- Sep 2002: Got an H1 extension (7th year) based on approved labor/140
from previous employer (A)
- Aug 2003: Labor certification was sent back from DOL (region) to state
level for revalidation.
- Sep 2003: Got an H1 extension (8th year) based on pending labor
certification application from employer B
- Dec 2003: MIRACLE happened, came to know from attorney that she
has received my labor certification.
(Later on learned that that had to do with the lobbying done by AILA
against the auto-remand procedure used by California region DOL office.
My case was sent back to Federal level from state and was immediately
approved)
- Jan Feb March 2004: family visits to India, lawyer recommneded to file
for 140/485 together for me and my wife after our arrival in US from india
Trip. Had no clue whatsoever about this CSC pilot program.
- March 2004: After coming back from india I read about this pilot program !
Started working on putting together things for 140/485 applications.
- June 2004: Our lawyer finally sent the applications (EB2) to CSC
- July 2004: Fingerprinting done on 24th July
- Aug 2004: Received EAD/AP approvals on Aug 10 / Aug 13th
23rd Aug 2004: Learned from our lawyer about the 140/485 approvals !!!
1st Sep 2004: Stamping done at San Jose
Now hoping to receive the cards before end of October 2004.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
As you folks might already have noticed that there is a gap of 5 months
between my labor approal and 140/485 application. That is the purest luck !!
And I must thank my family for making us visit them during that time frame which delayed our 140/485 applications and made them fall in the pilot
program.
Best of luck to all those waiting for their approvals !!!
Good Bye !!!
M.K.