My wife and I received our interim EADs at the Chula Vista, San Diego office on March 23rd 2004. Here is a summary of our experience which might help others.
a) our I-140 and I-485s were filed in Aug 2003 (so this was way past our 90 days).
5:15am: Arrived at Chula Vista BCIS office. About 40 people in line ahead of us. Plenty of free parking. Spent the next hour and a half dozing in line (take a jacket and something to sit on).
6:45am: A security officer came and separated us into 2 lines by asking us what we were there for.
7:15am: Made our way inside office. Security check said "no cameras". My cell phone had a camera, so I put it in my jacket pocket and slid it through the X-Ray device. Officers didn't have a problem. If anyone asked them about camera-phones, they were asked to leave it in the car. I didn't ask obviously.
8:00am: Met an officer who saw our paperwork (I-485 filing receipt, EAD filing receipt). He calculated 90 days and realized we were way past that mark and asked us to provide copies of these receipts (which I didn't have). He asked me to run outside and make copies at the nearby copy center.
8:15am: Back armed with copies of I-485 receipt, EAD filing receipt and EAD application. Got a token number and was asked to wait.
8:30am: Our token number got called. This guy wanted copies of our driver's licenses (which I didn't have). So again, sprinted out made copies got back.
8:40am: Came back armed with copies or driver's licenses. He kept typing things into the computer and finally stamped "Approved" on our EAD applications. He put the validity for 240 days. I asked about longer, he said thats the max. Asked us to sit in and said we would be called.
9:00am: Called by cashier who gave us a "0-dollar receipt" (i.e. we didn't have to pay anything) and told us to go to room 116.
9:05am: In room 116, we submitted the above receipt and was asked to submit my previous EADs and then told to sit.
10:00am: Finally called inside. Photographs, fingerprints taken. I wanted my previous EADs returned, they said "no". They did give me a copy of my previous EADs, however.
10:30: Left Chula Vista armed with iEADs valid for the next 240 days.
Really..no hassles, my only advise is, take copies of everything, get there early and get there in the middle of the week.
cheers...
a) our I-140 and I-485s were filed in Aug 2003 (so this was way past our 90 days).
5:15am: Arrived at Chula Vista BCIS office. About 40 people in line ahead of us. Plenty of free parking. Spent the next hour and a half dozing in line (take a jacket and something to sit on).
6:45am: A security officer came and separated us into 2 lines by asking us what we were there for.
7:15am: Made our way inside office. Security check said "no cameras". My cell phone had a camera, so I put it in my jacket pocket and slid it through the X-Ray device. Officers didn't have a problem. If anyone asked them about camera-phones, they were asked to leave it in the car. I didn't ask obviously.
8:00am: Met an officer who saw our paperwork (I-485 filing receipt, EAD filing receipt). He calculated 90 days and realized we were way past that mark and asked us to provide copies of these receipts (which I didn't have). He asked me to run outside and make copies at the nearby copy center.
8:15am: Back armed with copies of I-485 receipt, EAD filing receipt and EAD application. Got a token number and was asked to wait.
8:30am: Our token number got called. This guy wanted copies of our driver's licenses (which I didn't have). So again, sprinted out made copies got back.
8:40am: Came back armed with copies or driver's licenses. He kept typing things into the computer and finally stamped "Approved" on our EAD applications. He put the validity for 240 days. I asked about longer, he said thats the max. Asked us to sit in and said we would be called.
9:00am: Called by cashier who gave us a "0-dollar receipt" (i.e. we didn't have to pay anything) and told us to go to room 116.
9:05am: In room 116, we submitted the above receipt and was asked to submit my previous EADs and then told to sit.
10:00am: Finally called inside. Photographs, fingerprints taken. I wanted my previous EADs returned, they said "no". They did give me a copy of my previous EADs, however.
10:30: Left Chula Vista armed with iEADs valid for the next 240 days.
Really..no hassles, my only advise is, take copies of everything, get there early and get there in the middle of the week.
cheers...