Ramiyer_21a
Registered Users (C)
Hi All,
Finally after a wait of almost 3.5 years (PD Oct 1997) we finally got our 485 approvals last week and completed the passport stamping procedure today. It was one roller-coaster ride. At times frustrating (mostly) and at times satisfying (the last seven/eight months.)
It is our turn to return the favor. We have immensely benefited from these posting and Ciba’I tracking web-site. I must say this is an exemplary and hats off for your efforts.
Once again thank you all – including but not limited to Ciba, slow poke, Dewdrop, Law offices of Rajiv Khanna.
Ram;
Priority Date: 23 October 1997.
SEAS forward to DOL: March 2000.
DOL Clearance: July 2000.
140 Received date: August 2, 2001
140 Notice date (approval): October 26, 2001
EAD – only for my wife ND: December 4, 2001, Card received mid February.
No Advance Parole.
485 Received Date: December 4, 2001 (WAC 01-052-XXXXX)
485 Notice Date: December 15, 2001
Finger printing: March 3, 2001 at Santa Ana, CA
485 Approval: April 2, 2001 (AVM was not updated until the day before we received the approval notice by mail on April 4, 2001. Did not check AVM afterwards.)
Passport stamping: April 10, 2001
Passport stamping at Westminster, CA.
Taking Ciba’s and others advice from this web-site, we decided to go to the INS office at Westminster, CA instead of Los Angeles, CA. We had originally scheduled to go to INS on Thursday (April 12, 2001) morning around 5:00 AM. But instead we decided we were going to try on Tuesday (April 10, 2001) afternoon.
We (me, wife and our 5 year old daughter) left home around 1:15 PM and arrived at the INS building around 1:40 PM.
Here are the directions to the INS office – if you are traveling on I-5 take 22 West (at the orange crush) and exit Magnolia and go left (South). Left on Hazard and INS entrance is immediately on the right. If you are traveling on 405 exit Magnolia and go right (North.) INS is on the right just before Hazard. I believe you can park in the strip mall and walk to the building. If not just go right on Hazard and right into the INS parking.
There were around 30 people in line before us, and we just got into the line. At this point I was confused why there were so many people standing and if this was the right line. I went up to the window to check for any notice or instructions – of course not. So I just came back and took my position in the line. It seems a lot of people were in the line to ask questions, report lost Green Cards, apply for citizenship etc. – mostly to get some forms/instructions.
We got to the window around 2:15 PM. I told the lady, I was there for passport stamping and she wanted to know if we had our passports, pictures and I-94 cards. She gave us 3 tokens (one for each person) to go into the building.
We took our pictures at COSTCO (again advice from this web-site.) Not only was it inexpensive ($4.99 per person) we got our pictures in less than 10 minutes
The entrance door is on the south side of the building. There was hardly anyone in the waiting room and soon our number flashed. We went up to the counter and the lady officer processed all of us together. She asked for EAD cards, Advance Parole documents and H1B approval notices etc. Luckily, my wife had her EAD card, and I had brought along my H1B approval notice.
We went through the motions of finger printing and signing a form and the officer stamped our passports for a year. Our daughter did not need to be finger printed – children below 14 are not needed to finger print or sign the card. The process took around 5 minutes per person. The officer said our cards should arrive in six to eight months. If they do not arrive with-in a year, we are supposed to go back and get another stamp.
We were out of the building around 2:40 PM.
I am glad we took all of your advice and went to Westminster instead of Los Angeles.
Finally after a wait of almost 3.5 years (PD Oct 1997) we finally got our 485 approvals last week and completed the passport stamping procedure today. It was one roller-coaster ride. At times frustrating (mostly) and at times satisfying (the last seven/eight months.)
It is our turn to return the favor. We have immensely benefited from these posting and Ciba’I tracking web-site. I must say this is an exemplary and hats off for your efforts.
Once again thank you all – including but not limited to Ciba, slow poke, Dewdrop, Law offices of Rajiv Khanna.
Ram;
Priority Date: 23 October 1997.
SEAS forward to DOL: March 2000.
DOL Clearance: July 2000.
140 Received date: August 2, 2001
140 Notice date (approval): October 26, 2001
EAD – only for my wife ND: December 4, 2001, Card received mid February.
No Advance Parole.
485 Received Date: December 4, 2001 (WAC 01-052-XXXXX)
485 Notice Date: December 15, 2001
Finger printing: March 3, 2001 at Santa Ana, CA
485 Approval: April 2, 2001 (AVM was not updated until the day before we received the approval notice by mail on April 4, 2001. Did not check AVM afterwards.)
Passport stamping: April 10, 2001
Passport stamping at Westminster, CA.
Taking Ciba’s and others advice from this web-site, we decided to go to the INS office at Westminster, CA instead of Los Angeles, CA. We had originally scheduled to go to INS on Thursday (April 12, 2001) morning around 5:00 AM. But instead we decided we were going to try on Tuesday (April 10, 2001) afternoon.
We (me, wife and our 5 year old daughter) left home around 1:15 PM and arrived at the INS building around 1:40 PM.
Here are the directions to the INS office – if you are traveling on I-5 take 22 West (at the orange crush) and exit Magnolia and go left (South). Left on Hazard and INS entrance is immediately on the right. If you are traveling on 405 exit Magnolia and go right (North.) INS is on the right just before Hazard. I believe you can park in the strip mall and walk to the building. If not just go right on Hazard and right into the INS parking.
There were around 30 people in line before us, and we just got into the line. At this point I was confused why there were so many people standing and if this was the right line. I went up to the window to check for any notice or instructions – of course not. So I just came back and took my position in the line. It seems a lot of people were in the line to ask questions, report lost Green Cards, apply for citizenship etc. – mostly to get some forms/instructions.
We got to the window around 2:15 PM. I told the lady, I was there for passport stamping and she wanted to know if we had our passports, pictures and I-94 cards. She gave us 3 tokens (one for each person) to go into the building.
We took our pictures at COSTCO (again advice from this web-site.) Not only was it inexpensive ($4.99 per person) we got our pictures in less than 10 minutes
The entrance door is on the south side of the building. There was hardly anyone in the waiting room and soon our number flashed. We went up to the counter and the lady officer processed all of us together. She asked for EAD cards, Advance Parole documents and H1B approval notices etc. Luckily, my wife had her EAD card, and I had brought along my H1B approval notice.
We went through the motions of finger printing and signing a form and the officer stamped our passports for a year. Our daughter did not need to be finger printed – children below 14 are not needed to finger print or sign the card. The process took around 5 minutes per person. The officer said our cards should arrive in six to eight months. If they do not arrive with-in a year, we are supposed to go back and get another stamp.
We were out of the building around 2:40 PM.
I am glad we took all of your advice and went to Westminster instead of Los Angeles.