After 10 years of coming to the US, we finally got our green cards. I had put off my green card for several years, till I got married 4 years ago. I started the green card process about 4 years ago with one of my previous employers. However, my job got moved to the west coast, and since I didn’t want to move, I changed employers on H1 status in September 1998. With my next employer, I got the process started in EB1 (Extraordinary Ability) and EB2 categories. The paperwork for the EB1 application took about 7-8 months to put together. Both the I-140s came through at the same time, and so I applied for my I-485 in the EB1 category in January 2000.
At the same time, in January 2000, I got an opportunity to start up a new company at a rather senior level, and so once my EAD came through in June 2000, I used that to change jobs to the start up. Naturally, I needed a new I-140 and applied for it in 07/00. Basically, I got my GC process started all over again. I got that approved in 3 months – again in EB1 category. Then to be completely on the safe side, my lawyers applied for a new I-485 in November 2000. Only later on I discovered that I didn’t need to reapply my I-485 and would have had my Green card a few months back on my previous employer’s January 2000 application.
Anyways, both my wife and I got our GCs approved on 09/07/01 – heard it this morning on the automated voice system - just 14 months after I started my most recent EB1 based I-140 application. Pretty good eh! Looks like VSC IS speeding things up – thought they still have a long ways to go to catch up with CSC.
Over the years, I’ve used and referred to several immigration sites to keep up with changes in INS procedures and policies. This one is by far the best.
Hang in there guys! It’s strange that if you’re NOT an illegal, illiterate, Mexican farm worker, then your only option to get to remain in the US is to get yourself well qualified, and struggle through the GC process.
At the same time, in January 2000, I got an opportunity to start up a new company at a rather senior level, and so once my EAD came through in June 2000, I used that to change jobs to the start up. Naturally, I needed a new I-140 and applied for it in 07/00. Basically, I got my GC process started all over again. I got that approved in 3 months – again in EB1 category. Then to be completely on the safe side, my lawyers applied for a new I-485 in November 2000. Only later on I discovered that I didn’t need to reapply my I-485 and would have had my Green card a few months back on my previous employer’s January 2000 application.
Anyways, both my wife and I got our GCs approved on 09/07/01 – heard it this morning on the automated voice system - just 14 months after I started my most recent EB1 based I-140 application. Pretty good eh! Looks like VSC IS speeding things up – thought they still have a long ways to go to catch up with CSC.
Over the years, I’ve used and referred to several immigration sites to keep up with changes in INS procedures and policies. This one is by far the best.
Hang in there guys! It’s strange that if you’re NOT an illegal, illiterate, Mexican farm worker, then your only option to get to remain in the US is to get yourself well qualified, and struggle through the GC process.
