Passport stamping at San Jose

A

apun_ka_gc

Registered Users (C)
Does any one have any experience with passport stamping after I-485 approval at the San Jose INS office or know about other's experiences?

I saw that San Jose doesnt have the infopass appointment system.

Here are my details:
EAC 02 191 5xxxx
ND : 05/10/2002
AD : 04/30/2004
 
Congrats....

Hi apun_ka_gc,
Congratulations ....
Below given are the stamping experiences of some people told in this forum.
Can you share about your case details?. It seems like you filled your case in Vermont service center and now living in CA. Is it possible to go and get stamping in CA service center. Why i am asking is i moved from CA to MA and maintaining my friend address in CA. If possible, please share about your case details and which address you are maintaining in your file, whether MA address or CA address. Thanks.

Stamping Experience
===============
Tips for stamping at San Jose
Stand in the appointment queue; The security announces about the appointment line.

Documents that need to be submitted
approval letter
advance parole - current
ead- current
photos - 2
i 94

No questions asked.
*********************
http://boards.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?threadid=120164

Thanks......
 
Thanks for the info bendon. I filed my case with VSC from Boston and moved to california recently. Specifically I moved after having my EAD for 1.5 years. My lawyer told me that it is ok to move around anywhere in the US so long as the job is similar. Each time I moved (couple of times while at Boston), I have promply filed AR-11 for change of address, wrote a letter to VSC stating my new address and also called them and changed my address (phone message says Naturalization applicants, but you can change too!!). I did not use any proxy addresses.

I got no RFEs and no interviews. I have an approval letter stating that I have to go Boston INS for passport stamping. But I am going to try walkin at San Jose.

I had to do a second finger print recently at Boston and I walked in to San Jose ASC. Everything went seemlessly, so far!!

If any one has any experience with walk-ins at San Jose specifically for passport stamping, pls let me know.

Thanks and Good Luck to all those awaiting ...
 
Thanks for sharing the info.
Please post your experiences after passport stamping at San Jose. It will be very very helpful for lot of people who lives in another state with CA address in their file..
Thanks in advance.
Good Luck...
 
my 485 stamping experience in San Jose.

I went to San Jose center on last thursday(05/13/04) at around 6:30AM in the morning and only 1 person was standing in the appointment line.

YES,you can stand in the appointment line.

IMPORTANT:Once you enter the building,you have to go thru the security like in airport,so don't have too many things because,after security if you take long time to put your belt,watch,shoes,etc...too many people will go before you to get the token.

You will quickly loose the advantage of entering thru the appointment line.

The key is NOT just entering the room but to get the token.

I advise people to go WITHOUT writst watches,belts if possible,NO shoes and JUST carry the docs mentioned in the 485 approval with a single folder and HAVE your wallet and key in hand to put it in the belt..

As soon as your stuff comes out of the security system and take,rush to the window to get the token.

I got the 2nd token and it took only 10mins to get the stamping. I entered the building around 7:20AM and came out at around 7:40AM.

So,try to be there around 6AM and stand in the appointment line.
 
one more thing...

don't do the smart thing of 'asking the security about whether you can stand in appointment line or not'...one guy with the same approval of 485 asked and security asked him to go & stand in the non-appointment line...

I am sure it might have taken easily half a day or so for him :-(

If you read carefully in the appointment line board ,it says,"any approved INS letters.." You have an approved letter and don't ask him.

good luck.
 
Finally I got the passport stamping done at San Jose today. I just followed bigshot's suggestions. (My I-485 approval letter said that I have to go to Boston INS office since I started my GC processing when I was working in Boston. I recently moved to the Bay area).

- Reached INS office at 6:30am. There were two queues.
One of them was for "appointments only" with about 5 people in it and the other was for non-apptmt with about 50+ people already. (An interesting fact: the guy who was standing first in the non-apptmt line got there at midnight and the second guy was there from 2am!). Even the appointment line builds up pretty quick when it gets close to 7am. Be there by 6-6:30 to be sure.

- Just stand in the "appointments only" queue. Dont bother asking the security. They will let in all the appointments cases before even starting the other queue.

- At 7:10 I got in. Security looked at I-485 approval letter (he doesnt read it, so out of state applicants need not worry!) and a photo id.

- Next is the annoying security check. Remove shoes, belts, any sort of metal chains, finger rings. Try to avoid these if possible (not a big deal). They specifically dont let in any cell phones with cameras. Leave those in the car.

- After the security check, walk straight ahead and stand in the next line to get a token. Dont waste time here. Others might jump ahead.

- The lady giving the token saw my I-485 letter from Boston and asked me if I live in San Jose. I said Santa Clara county and that was it. No one verified that I really do live here!!

- Waited for about 20 minutes and my number was called.

- Gave my I-485 approval letter, passport, old/new APs, EAD, I-94, 2 photos
(That is all that I took with me). Signed and took (index only) finger print.
Was asked to wait.

- 20 minutes later, I got my passport back with the stamp on it. The temporary GC is valid for 1 yr (if your passport doesnt expire before that).

If you get there by 6:30 _atleast_, you are likely to be out by 8:30am. It was not all that crowded inside for the first few hours.

Thats all folks!
 
I was there too, First in the Appointments line

Had the Same experience like apun_ka_gc. though I was First in line with my Family.
was out by 8.30. Even my kids did not miss their school.

Bottom Line Go in early around 6:30 AM Stand in the Appointments line, and you will be out in max 2 hours.
 
Congratulations.....

Hi Apun_ka_gc,
Congratulations...
I really appreciate you very much for the details you gave. Actually i had planned to come to CA to get my PP stamp once i get approval. After reading your post, i have decided to give it a try in Boston office itself.
My hats off for you man...

One more question, did you have to fill any form to mention your new address?. You had to fill or officer filled the address from your file?.

Thanks....
 
I dont think the officer did anything with my address. I used the pen just to sign couple of times when asked to :) I didnt give my new address either.

I did write a letter to USCIS, Vermont Svc Center with my new California address and filed an AR-11 form.

-Anoop
 
i gave the address...

hmm...the officer asked me to write the address in a form where I want the card to be mailed.
 
Good for you bigshot. Tracking the plastic card is a different monster, but less worrysome. I am relieved to get the stamp on my passport. So no worries for another year.

I'll try to call the Svc Center once again to make sure that my address is updated on file.
 
I got it done today at SJ INS office. Went there abt 7:30 AM, stood in the appointment line.
My token was called at 9:00 AM and I was out by 10:00 AM. Pretty much straight forward. They didnt ask me anything..
Handed over the

Approval letter.
I-94
2 Pics
EAD, AP
 
stamping in san jose 05.20

Hi everyone!
I know this is going to piss off some people, but here is our stamping experience.
I-485 approved on April 23, but went only today to get passport stamped. Arrived at San Jose at 10:30 a.m. Officer told us there were no more numbers available and advised us to come back another day at 7:00 a.m. and stand in the appointments line. But when we told him we were coming from over the hill he let us in and told us sometimes they let people who come from far away get in. However, the woman at the information desk didn't ask us where we were coming from and just went on and handed us the number. It was 10:38. Our number was called at around 11:30. At 12:00 we got our passport.
We went in there only with the documents requested in the approval letter: I-94s (we have 2 each because we extended our Hs but never went out of U.S. since and he wanted them both.), original approval letters, pictures and passports. He asked for the EADs and APs but it didn't matter we didn't have them. We told him that it didn't say in the letter to bring them over. However, officially, you are supposed to cary both EAD and AP with at all times. That was his point.
Stamp is valid 1 year. He said green cards should arrive in about 12 months.
Good luck to everyone.
Bic
See approval history at http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=124309
 
I got a request from us_immigrant asking if the INS security or immigration officer checked my drivers license to verify local address.

Answer: NO. Security looked at my passport to verify my picture. The lady giving out the tickets asked if I live in the Santa Clara county (since my approval notice said that I have show up in the Boston INS office). I just said yes. Immigration officer didnt ask any questions.

Hope that helps!
 
Hi apun_ka_gc,

Thank you very much.


apun_ka_gc said:
I got a request from us_immigrant asking if the INS security or immigration officer checked my drivers license to verify local address.

Answer: NO. Security looked at my passport to verify my picture. The lady giving out the tickets asked if I live in the Santa Clara county (since my approval notice said that I have show up in the Boston INS office). I just said yes. Immigration officer didnt ask any questions.

Hope that helps!
Click to expand...
 
One simple question.

Since by now I have accumulated 3 EADs and 3 Advance paroles, do I have
to turn all of them in? Or just the current EAD and current Advance parole
is okay?
 
I had 2 EADs and 2 APs(2 copies each).

I misplaced one of the copies for my second AP. The immigration officer just took what I gave. Take all of them and turn it in. The GC stamped on the passport says "Employment Authorized".
 
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