Dear Friends
This morning we got passport stamping done at Philly. What a relief ! Everything went fine. Here go the details.
* We were asked for passport style pictures (NOT 3/4 Pictures as stated in the letter), and besides the passports and I-94s, they also wanted our EAD's and AP's. Note that the letter we recieved did not mention the need to bring EADs or APs. Your EAD's and APs are not only unnecessary, but also invalid once you get approval AFAIK. They are only valid when your process is _pending_ (AFAIK)
* The total time we spent was one hour. This was on a wednesday morning, ca 9-10. I would recommend avoiding Mondays, and early mornings, if at all possible.
* No questions asked at all.
* They suggested to call USCIS 1800 number if we don't get the cards in three months. I guess it means they are sending cards in 1-2 months.
* The security guy at the entrance was just a nazi. Don't get intimidated by him. He was extremely rude. He said we couldn't get in without appointment. We said we had a letter telling us to go there, no appointment needed. He said "ah, you have a letter, ok, come in" We are thinking on filing a complaint about this person. He was way off the mark.
* In general, security people were unfriendly, and officers pretty friendly. A second security officer in the waiting room was enough of an as***e as to be sitting there controlling that nobody would roam out of the sitting area. I was trying to walk my little boy around and he wouldn't let me. He did the same with other people with a child,. He would get serious and say "you have to remain seated in this area". I mean come on, we are not criminals, neither animals !
Oh well, that was it
Hope this helps others. Other people might want to post Philly experiences here and keep the thread alive.
Best,
This morning we got passport stamping done at Philly. What a relief ! Everything went fine. Here go the details.
* We were asked for passport style pictures (NOT 3/4 Pictures as stated in the letter), and besides the passports and I-94s, they also wanted our EAD's and AP's. Note that the letter we recieved did not mention the need to bring EADs or APs. Your EAD's and APs are not only unnecessary, but also invalid once you get approval AFAIK. They are only valid when your process is _pending_ (AFAIK)
* The total time we spent was one hour. This was on a wednesday morning, ca 9-10. I would recommend avoiding Mondays, and early mornings, if at all possible.
* No questions asked at all.
* They suggested to call USCIS 1800 number if we don't get the cards in three months. I guess it means they are sending cards in 1-2 months.
* The security guy at the entrance was just a nazi. Don't get intimidated by him. He was extremely rude. He said we couldn't get in without appointment. We said we had a letter telling us to go there, no appointment needed. He said "ah, you have a letter, ok, come in" We are thinking on filing a complaint about this person. He was way off the mark.
* In general, security people were unfriendly, and officers pretty friendly. A second security officer in the waiting room was enough of an as***e as to be sitting there controlling that nobody would roam out of the sitting area. I was trying to walk my little boy around and he wouldn't let me. He did the same with other people with a child,. He would get serious and say "you have to remain seated in this area". I mean come on, we are not criminals, neither animals !
Oh well, that was it
Hope this helps others. Other people might want to post Philly experiences here and keep the thread alive.
Best,
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