Hi. Thank you all for your info.
I've got my interim EAD today from the San Jose BCIS office today. I tried to be there before 6 a.m., but lost directions and arrived at 6.10. The line was going pretty fast. I was in the builduing at almost 8 a.m., I got token number 39. Then I had to wait almost two hours in the lobby: they processed about six numbers/hour then they suddenly sped up. They called my number at around 10 a.m. and unlike others I had to wait about an hour for processing my documents. They say that they were performing a background check on the spot. I was out at 11.30
I really don't know exactly what documents you should bring; I didn't have the copy of my I-485, I just had my husband's (the primary); the officer asked for mine, but it seemed that he got along with my husbands as well.
One thing that I am not very happy about is that on line
15 on the EAD application form ("current immigration status")
he cut my "dependent of H category worker" and wrote instead "AOS pending". I tried in vain to convince him that I am on H status (I didn't have my H4 new approval, but it didn't seem to matter anyway). Other officer that was behind told me that had nothing to do with my H and that I am still on H4, but for EAD pruposes I am considered AOS pending, since H4 is not allowed to work.
The EAD is valid 8 months starting today.
We had RFE pending on the 140 for three months (RD- 01/21/03, RFE - 03/18/03, RFE received 06/12/03, still pending), but we responded on June 12th. So the theory with the clock that quits when you get RFE and restarts once you resond fortunately didn't hold in my case.
I don't know when they stopped giving away numbers: I tried asked, but the man at the front door wouldn't remember. Anyway, if you need to go there just for some questions, don't go in the morning because it's useless to stay in the line for so long when you can walk in later, toward the end of the program and not wait in any line.
Thursday seems to be a pretty god day to go there, because it has short programm (7-12) and people think they might not get in in such a short time so they don't show up.
Bring a sweater with you because it is freezing in there and you have to wait a lot.
The BCIS employees were very helpful and nice. So I think I will stop insulting them because I realized it's not their fault, but the system's.
I have a couple of questions, though, about the EAD:
1. Is this an interim EAD or THE Ead? I've checked my case status online and it says it is still pending. Will I receive another EAD in the future or just a notice that it has been officially approved? (My brand new A # is right on the EAD plastic card).
2. In case I want to use this EAD, what's next? I've heard SSN. If I go and get an SSN it means that I give up H4, since H4 is not allowed to have a SSN, right?
It's a short victory. I'm still worried until the I-140 is cleared.
Bic.