My gc Stamping experience At San Diego
Hello all,
Got the Temp GC Stamping done today at the San Diego Downtown Office, Had it Originally scheduled at San Jose But did it at San Diego as this is where I live now.
Read through a lot of other San Diego postings warning not to go in the mornings but being the early bird, the temptation and excitement to start early was too much for me. So I got up at 5:00AM and reached the office (Which opens at 7:00AM) at around 5:45AM, there was already a big line of about 80 people assembled and waiting to get into the building (I guess I was not the early bird after all! around 9:00AM there was hardly any line to get into the building! I think this is the best time to come here. Anyway Now remember this, you will face two lines one to enter the building and the other in the INS office to get a ticket NO).
I got in line, things didn’t start moving until around 6:30 AM or so, Finally after a one and a half Hour wait I reached the End and commenced to the security check point, security was slow and thorough, please make sure you don’t carry any coins or metal on your person, remove any thing like jacket/belt or specs put them in box or directly on the X-ray conveyor to be scanned (It is same like at airports). I had problem with a 1 cent lodged deep inside my jeans, it was almost impossible to detect by a physical search but the machine just wouldn\'t let me through. I was then scanned by a hand held scanner which beeped at the location where the coin was, once removed I was finally cleared, Phew.
Now inside the building, the INS office is on the left as you enter from the security check; you cannot miss it, as this is the only place with a serpentine queue. In this line the wait starts again, it took me another hour to get a token NO But surprisingly after a 35 min wait my NO was called.
I commenced towards the Window. The officer was very polite, I handed over my passport, original approval receipt, two ADIT photos and a copy of my driver’s license (This is Imp, please take a copy of your id with you, I didn’t, locating a photocopier within the building was an extremely hard task) I was not asked for my AP or my EAD, he took my i-94 and then proceeded to fill in the i-89 form, he was extremely fast, my fingerprint and signature on the form were taken, finishing which he took my passport and got the pressurized INS seal on it, He then stamped the red i-551 stamp and wrote my A#, WAC no\'s and date card applied etc details on the passport. He gave the usual "card will come in 6-8 months" and "have a nice day". He didn’t formally welcome me to the US as I had read is usually done, Was expecting it but I guess the officer didn\'t go for this formality, anyway I was too relieved and tired for anything else. I just proceeded out of the building, strangely I did not feel as excited as my I-485 Approval.
All in all I would say an in-between experience neither good nor bad. After seeing the conditions at the INS, I would have to admit that short on staff the INS is doing a good job taking care of all these flood of cases coming in, I think the same applies to all the service centers. My advice to all the other i-485 waiters will be to have patience and you will have good results out very soon. All feeling\'s/emotions put aside, I got the stamp all in one piece so no harm done. As far as i am concerned, my wait for the card Begins again. Till then, CHEERS!!!.
Have fun!!