We finally received our I-485 Approval from the VSC two weeks ago on Sept. 16th 2004. We got our passports stamped this morning 10/1 at Newark.
After waiting 31 harrowing months for I-485 and almost four years since the beginning of the entire process, this ordeal is finally over. We had two fingerprints taken, 4 EAD and AP applications done, several senatorial inquiries, one trip to the walk-up window in St.Albans (when it was still open) and one ombudsman inquiry. Not sure what finally triggerred the approval or if it was just that the officer finally got to our case, but we are finally approved! We received 4 emails from USCIS on 9/16/04 stating that our cases have been approved. We did not have any RFEs or transfers and I was always with the same employer. All key dates are below for those of you who are interested.
The stamping experience was pretty straightforward - it is in a different building than the fingerprinting building; this one is MUCH more modern, organized and has a systematic token system of first-come first-served and the people are extremely nice. You also absolutely require an Infopass appointment although the approval notice says that you can go on any Wednesday from 8am-12pm. They were NOT allowing anyone in today at Newark without an Infopass appointment despite the fact that the approval notice says that, so please get one and ignore what the approval notice says about when to go. The approval notice also says to bring the old ADIT side-profile photos but we saw several people being turned away because they brought those despite the fact that their own approval notice says that! Please take the new front-format passport photos. As with everything else, the USCIS is still behind in updating their own approval forms to conform to their own new rules!
Another word of advice for those going for stamping in Newark - the Social Security office is on the 10th floor of the same building (USCIS is on the 3rd). You should go in there to remove the non-immigrant employment restriction. It literally takes 5 minutes and requires your old cards and a very simple form. Your SS# stays the same but the card's employment restriction is removed (if your card says Valid for Employment with INS Authorization Only - the new card will not say this anymore for immigrants). Strongly suggest that you do this while you are in the building, as it takes very little time and that hassle is also out of the way.
During the course of the past 4 years this forum has been a phenomenal help. When you think no one else can understand what you are going through, it was always nice to turn to this forum for help, guidance or even just to vent or listen and share in other people's experiences and deal with the mess that is the System. Thanks so much to all and to Rajiv Khanna for maintaining this great public service site.
We will keep visiting but I think the days of checking every few hours are finally over! Good luck to all, and for those of you still waiting, it may seem trite to say it, but yes, there IS a light at the end of the tunnell.. even for those of us who waited for so long and passed up many dreams during the process.
Thank You and Good Luck to All!
=====================
Key I-485 Dates:
RD: 2/13/2002
FP1: May 2003
FP2: March 2004
AD: 9/16/2004
P'port Stamped: 10/1/2004
No RFEs, No Transfer
Same employer throughout
Senator Inquiries done between March and September of 2004
Walk up to St.Albans Visitor Window 8/30/2004 (the window is now closed)
Ombudsman EMail sent in early Septermer of 2004
After waiting 31 harrowing months for I-485 and almost four years since the beginning of the entire process, this ordeal is finally over. We had two fingerprints taken, 4 EAD and AP applications done, several senatorial inquiries, one trip to the walk-up window in St.Albans (when it was still open) and one ombudsman inquiry. Not sure what finally triggerred the approval or if it was just that the officer finally got to our case, but we are finally approved! We received 4 emails from USCIS on 9/16/04 stating that our cases have been approved. We did not have any RFEs or transfers and I was always with the same employer. All key dates are below for those of you who are interested.
The stamping experience was pretty straightforward - it is in a different building than the fingerprinting building; this one is MUCH more modern, organized and has a systematic token system of first-come first-served and the people are extremely nice. You also absolutely require an Infopass appointment although the approval notice says that you can go on any Wednesday from 8am-12pm. They were NOT allowing anyone in today at Newark without an Infopass appointment despite the fact that the approval notice says that, so please get one and ignore what the approval notice says about when to go. The approval notice also says to bring the old ADIT side-profile photos but we saw several people being turned away because they brought those despite the fact that their own approval notice says that! Please take the new front-format passport photos. As with everything else, the USCIS is still behind in updating their own approval forms to conform to their own new rules!
Another word of advice for those going for stamping in Newark - the Social Security office is on the 10th floor of the same building (USCIS is on the 3rd). You should go in there to remove the non-immigrant employment restriction. It literally takes 5 minutes and requires your old cards and a very simple form. Your SS# stays the same but the card's employment restriction is removed (if your card says Valid for Employment with INS Authorization Only - the new card will not say this anymore for immigrants). Strongly suggest that you do this while you are in the building, as it takes very little time and that hassle is also out of the way.
During the course of the past 4 years this forum has been a phenomenal help. When you think no one else can understand what you are going through, it was always nice to turn to this forum for help, guidance or even just to vent or listen and share in other people's experiences and deal with the mess that is the System. Thanks so much to all and to Rajiv Khanna for maintaining this great public service site.
We will keep visiting but I think the days of checking every few hours are finally over! Good luck to all, and for those of you still waiting, it may seem trite to say it, but yes, there IS a light at the end of the tunnell.. even for those of us who waited for so long and passed up many dreams during the process.
Thank You and Good Luck to All!
=====================
Key I-485 Dates:
RD: 2/13/2002
FP1: May 2003
FP2: March 2004
AD: 9/16/2004
P'port Stamped: 10/1/2004
No RFEs, No Transfer
Same employer throughout
Senator Inquiries done between March and September of 2004
Walk up to St.Albans Visitor Window 8/30/2004 (the window is now closed)
Ombudsman EMail sent in early Septermer of 2004