I-485 for parents - no interview notice but a "Welcome Notice" received???

I

IsaacLi

New Member
Hi All,

My parents are in the I-485 process (I am the petitioner for their application). They got fingerprint done in April 2006. After that, we are waiting for the notice to have interview in the local office, which is San Jose office. If their applications are approved based on the interview, they can get their passport stamped. I think this should be the normal procedure, right?

However, we did not get the interview notice but received a "welcome Notice" on last Friday - 7/7/2006, which is shown on the "Notice Type". The notice said:"
WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

This is to notify you that your application for permanent residence has been approved. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to permanent resident status in the United States.

At the top of this notice you will see a very important number. That is your INS A# (A-number). It is your permanent resident account and file number. This permanent resident account number is very important to you. You will need it whenever you contact us.

We will soon mail you a new Permanent Resident Card. You should receive it within the next 3 weeks. You can use it to show your new status. When you receive your card you must carry it with you at all times if you are 18 or older. It is the law.

Please call us at 800-375-5283 if any of the information about you shown above is incorrect, if you move before you receive your card, or if you don't receive your card within the next 3 weeks. If you call us, please have your A# and also the receipt number shown above available. The receipt number is a tracking number for your application.

Please read the notice that comes with your card. It will have important information about your card, about your status and responsibilities, and about permanent resident services available to you.

Your new card will expire in ten years. While card expiration will not directly affect your status, you will need to apply to renew your card several months before it expires. When the time comes and you need filing information, or an application, or if you ever have other questions about permanent resident services available to you, just call our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 or visit the INS website at www.bcis.gov. (If you are hearing impaired, the NCSC's TDD number is 1-800-767-1833.) The best days to call the NCSC are Tuesday through Friday.

Once again, welcome to the United States and congratulations on your permanent resident status.

THIS FORM IS NOT A VISA NOR MAY IT BE USED IN PLACE OF A VISA."

I am just confused how they can get application approved without an interview? Is it something new or just a mistake?

I checked this forum and noted that couple people met the same situation last year (2005) - also between June and July. Actually, no one received the green card within 3 weeks or even later... The "welcome notice" was said to be a mistake made by INS staff. But finally the INS announced that it was valid. Those people went to their local immigration office by showing the welcome notice to get their passports stamped. I am not sure it's kind of interview but it seems not since the application has been approved based on the welcome notice. What they missed is just the stamp so they went there by themselves to make it up...

I am just wondering whether any people met the same problem this year - 2006? And what we should do with this "welcome notice"? Is it a valid document or another mistake made by the INS? Should we wait 3 weeks to see any green card sent to us?

How about if nothing comes after 3 weeks? Can we make an appointment online and just go to the local office to ask them to stamp for us? Or should I call the 1-800 number to ask what happened? Please advice!!!!!!!!

Thanks a lot for any help you can provide!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I've seen more than a few cases (in CSC) for parents where the case was approved without an interview. Don't worry - most likely the cases for your parents too have been approved without an interiview. Just wait for some time and see if you get the card. Also, try checking what the online status says about the case.
 
It is pretty common now days to get approved for I-485 without an interview.
So, don't worry! Be happy! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Thanks so much!!!!!

Thanks for all your information. It's really helpful!!!

We don't know it's possible to get approval without interview. My friend's parents, who got fingerprint done one day after my parents, received a notice to have interview on 8/15 in San Francisco office. Since we have very similar situations, we just worried that the "Welcome Notice" we received was wrong.

Another weird thing is, I submitted I-130 (immigration petition for my parents) together with I-485. For my parents I-485 cases, the online status said:

"This case has been approved. On July 7, 2006, an approval notice was mailed. If 30 days have passed and you have not received this notice, you may wish to verify or update your address. To update your address, please speak to an Immigration Information Officer during business hours."

Yes, we did received the notice. But when I checked the online status for my I-130, it said:

"This case has been approved. On June 21, 2006, an approval notice was mailed. If 30 days have passed and you have not received this notice, you may wish to verify or update your address. To update your address, please speak to an Immigration Information Officer during business hours."

But until today, I have not received the I-130 approval notice yet. The addresses we used for I-130 and I-485 applications are same. How it comes we already received the one sent out later but not the earlier one????

Well, I guess it's kind of random things??? :rolleyes:
 
We got the green cards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just came home and opened my mailbox. Guess what I saw - my parents' grreen cards!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:p So they do get the green cards without interview!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Their timeline are as below FYI:

3/28/2006 - submit I-130 and I-485 together;
4/26/2006 - fingerprint
7/7/2006 - receive "Welcome Notice"
7/10/2006 - receive Green Card!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for all of your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
IsaacLi said:
Hi All,

My parents are in the I-485 process (I am the petitioner for their application). They got fingerprint done in April 2006. After that, we are waiting for the notice to have interview in the local office, which is San Jose office. If their applications are approved based on the interview, they can get their passport stamped. I think this should be the normal procedure, right?

However, we did not get the interview notice but received a "welcome Notice" on last Friday - 7/7/2006, which is shown on the "Notice Type". The notice said:"
WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

This is to notify you that your application for permanent residence has been approved. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to permanent resident status in the United States.

At the top of this notice you will see a very important number. That is your INS A# (A-number). It is your permanent resident account and file number. This permanent resident account number is very important to you. You will need it whenever you contact us.

We will soon mail you a new Permanent Resident Card. You should receive it within the next 3 weeks. You can use it to show your new status. When you receive your card you must carry it with you at all times if you are 18 or older. It is the law.

Please call us at 800-375-5283 if any of the information about you shown above is incorrect, if you move before you receive your card, or if you don't receive your card within the next 3 weeks. If you call us, please have your A# and also the receipt number shown above available. The receipt number is a tracking number for your application.

Please read the notice that comes with your card. It will have important information about your card, about your status and responsibilities, and about permanent resident services available to you.

Your new card will expire in ten years. While card expiration will not directly affect your status, you will need to apply to renew your card several months before it expires. When the time comes and you need filing information, or an application, or if you ever have other questions about permanent resident services available to you, just call our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 or visit the INS website at www.bcis.gov. (If you are hearing impaired, the NCSC's TDD number is 1-800-767-1833.) The best days to call the NCSC are Tuesday through Friday.

Once again, welcome to the United States and congratulations on your permanent resident status.

THIS FORM IS NOT A VISA NOR MAY IT BE USED IN PLACE OF A VISA."

I am just confused how they can get application approved without an interview? Is it something new or just a mistake?

I checked this forum and noted that couple people met the same situation last year (2005) - also between June and July. Actually, no one received the green card within 3 weeks or even later... The "welcome notice" was said to be a mistake made by INS staff. But finally the INS announced that it was valid. Those people went to their local immigration office by showing the welcome notice to get their passports stamped. I am not sure it's kind of interview but it seems not since the application has been approved based on the welcome notice. What they missed is just the stamp so they went there by themselves to make it up...

I am just wondering whether any people met the same problem this year - 2006? And what we should do with this "welcome notice"? Is it a valid document or another mistake made by the INS? Should we wait 3 weeks to see any green card sent to us?

How about if nothing comes after 3 weeks? Can we make an appointment online and just go to the local office to ask them to stamp for us? Or should I call the 1-800 number to ask what happened? Please advice!!!!!!!!

Thanks a lot for any help you can provide!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

How long it took for the approval? When did you apply for I-485?
 
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