K1 approved, got married but now stuck.

[sharanjit]

Hey there expert advisors,

I arrived in US in Oct 04 and got married on Dec 11th. I filed 1-485 on Jan 7th and have been waiting ever since. I was under the impression it would only take a few months. I thought all the hard work was in getting the K1. Then i learnt about EAD and applied for that on April 19th. I need to know what else i am missing and what i can do to speed it up.

1. I do not have an SSN yet as i was told i could not get one with a K1. My K1 has expired so what can i do now?

2. How long does EAD processing take?

3. How long does 1485 actually take and is there anything else i can do to get my life started over here? E.g. other forms to apply.

4. Should i get a lawyer?

Thank you so much,
Sharanjit (Originally from Singapore, studied in Toronto, now in Vermont)

 

[Cherylmae]

I also filed my I485 on February 11th and have already been approved. You did not mention which Service Center you were dealing with. I dealt with the Houston office. Did you ever receive a receipt notice that they received your application. I received my work authorization (a separate form I filed) back in April so was able to get my SSN). However I had my interview for permanent residency 3 weeks ago on June 10th and received approval 1 week ago. You should check with the Service Center to see if they have your application. Also, it states that your K1 visa is good for 90 days from the date of entry, otherwise you need approval from Homeland Securtiy to extend your stay. When I checked with Immigration on this issue they informed me that by adhering to the guidelines of "getting married within the 90 day time frame" is approval from Homeland Security. As I stated, we were married in July, and did not file until February so no need to worry on that part. I hope this helps. You can go to www.bcis.gov and check the processing times for the various service centers as well. If you have a receipt number you can also check the status of the application on line.