stamping experience in Phoenix

P

phoenixsaint

Registered Users (C)
Dear forum members,

I'd like to start a thread to talk about stamping experience in Phoenix.

My wife and I just got I-485 approval but have not received the approval notices through mail. My daughter still has RFE pending.

Preliminary knowledge I have is: go to INS office with approval notice, passport, previous EADs, APs. Go to appointment line?
And that's about all.

All feedback are welcome and appreciated. Non-Phoenix experience can also help as well.

Thanks.

Phoenix Saint.
 
We did our stamping in Phoenix on the 29th of March.
The documents listed are correct as well as two immigration photos are needed. We reached there by 7.05 am and we were out by 9.15 am. They said that it will take 4-6 months to get the cards but they came within three weeks. They did not take our EAD's or AP's. As far as I could see there is only one line, no specific appointment line.

Good luck

Rox
wac02055XXXX
 
Rox,

Thanks for your input. What would be a good day to go? That is
have less people waiting.

Also, I gather that you did take your EADs, APs? For the immig
photos were they the same spec as for the I-485/EAD? Once you
get in the INS building did you end up going to the big room full
of waiting chairs (same place you go to for EAD) or was it a
different area?

Thanks again.

By the way, congrats on your approval as well as your speedy plastic card.

Phoenix Saint.
 
PhoenixSaint,

What is RFE for your daughter. I am in a similar situation. RFE has been issued for my wife and daughter. I am the primary applicant and my case is still not approved.
 
codex,

The RFE for my daughter was to redo the medical exam: at the time that we did I-485 she was not yet 15 and (in hindsight on the unwise advice of the medical doctor who did the exam, or it may have been my lawyer) had done a partial medical exam (did not do complete adult exam but a partial exam). Even though in theory they should require procedures based on the point of application, of course INS always likes things their way.

I guess they figured that NOW she is 17 going on 18, so they want a complete adult medical exam, and there's no arguing with INS. Give'em what they want.

Anyways, hope this helps. By the way, my wife and I have already got our approvals. It's just the daughter now.

Phoenix Saint.
 
Rox and any others:

I got my approval notice through the mail and it says to go to
the Phoenix INS between 8am-2pm on weekdays.

When's a good time (days, times) to go to avoid the delays?

Also, they need 2 immig photos, do you know any place that does
good photos with cheap/reasonable prices? I was going to Sears for previous photos but they're really expensive.

Thanks a lot.

Phoenix Saint.
 
go to walgreens to take the pictures. It is cheap. Like $8. I am thinking about going on Monday to the Phoenix office to get my passport stamped. Hopefully it doesnt take too long...
 
go to walgreens to take the pictures. It is cheap. Like $8. I am thinking about going on Monday to the Phoenix office to get my passport stamped. Hopefully it doesnt take too long...
 
go to walgreens to take the pictures. It is cheap. Like $8. I am thinking about going on Monday to the Phoenix office to get my passport stamped. Hopefully it doesnt take too long...
 
sid89,

are you sure that Walgreens does the pictures according to the
INS ADIT spec? That's too cheap man! But I ain't complainin.

others:

My daughter still has not got her approval due to RFE, once she
gets it, do I or my wife need to accompany her to Phoenix INS
to get her passport stamping? She's currently 17 years old.

Thanks.

Phoenix Saint.
 
Phoenix Saint

Best day in my mind would be a Wednesday. Try and reach there before 7am. We got our photos from Moto Photo. They do a great job. It is located on the SW Corner of Alma School Road and Elliot.
It costs about $10 per person for 2 photos.

Good luck

Rox
 
Thanks Rox,

We went to MotoPhoto like you said, and worked out just fine.
They actually charged $7.50 for 2 immig photos (cheaper than
Walgreens) and did a fine job.

We actually went to Walgreens in our neighborhood first, but the attendent did not impress us as professional as she did not look like she'd taken immig photos before. Also, the setup was kind of shabby, leading us to worry about whether INS will reject the photos and we'll have to go through the hassle of doing it again.

So we took the extra drive time to go to the one on Alma School and Elliot and do regret having done so. When our daughter gets her approval we're planning to get her photos there as well.

God, I wish I'd have know this earlier since I spent a lot of money of expensive immig photos in our neighborhood (Sears Portrait? forgot the name of that place...). Anyway it's over and done with.

We're planning to go get our passport stamping next Monday morning with the photos etc. We will keep you guys updated on how it fares.

Thanks.

Phoenix Saint.
 
Update on stamping:

Hi people,

We (wife and I) went to the Phoenix INS with our approval notices, passport (I-94), 2 ADIT style photos each, EAD, APs around 8:40AM this morning (Monday), we were out at 11AM. So it took around 2 1/2 hours altogether.

Waited in line from outside the bldg. which was not bad, it just took around 7 minutes to get in the bldg. They asked for notices so we showed them. Got waiting numbers of 049 and 050.
After the first floor employee checked our purpose (asked for notices) she checked our photos to make sure we did not wait in vain. Told us to go to the second floor all the way left.

That's where we waited for over 2 hours. When our number finally came up, I went with my wife to the counter where her nubmer was called, the officer (middle-aged lady) asked what my relatiship was and after I told her I'm the husband, she took both our passports, photos, approval notices, checked our driver licenses. I'd taken my APs, EADs, and also the original approval notices but she did not ask for it so I didn't give it to her. My approach is give them only what they ask for.

Then she took us inside and took our signatures and fingerprint of the index figner and told us to wait until she calls us again.
Waited maybe about 15 minutes and she had the passports all stamped and returned to us. I asked her whether both me and my wife need to accompany our daughter (17yr old) when she comes for her passport stamping and the officer said only one of us can come. AS long as we're in by 1:30pm she said that was ok.

My overall comment: the lady officer was very nice and courteous, did not give us any trouble at all.

Bottom line, we finally got our stamping on our passports.
By the way, the parking fee is $2 all day. Also, even though I'd taken the original approval notices (sent to my lawyer) I gave them the courtesy copy that came to me and the officer did not have any problem with it, she just took copies of it and returned the courtesy copy back to me.

Now the only thing that remains is getting our daughter's passport stamped when she gets her approval, and getting our
plastic cards.

Hope this helps somebody.

Thanks.

Phoenix Saint.
 
Thanks phoenixsaint. It definitely helps because I need to do the same thing this week. Did they give you an estimate of when you will receive the card??
 
sid89,

Sorry, I forgot to ask. I was just glad to get the passport stamped and I was asking about whether we should accompany our daughter when she comes for stamping that I forgot to ask that important question.

Anyways, I heard someone say it takes many months but that they actually received it in something like 3 weeks?
I'm not sure. When you go, be sure to ask that question and update all of us here.

Thanks.

Phoenix Saint.
 
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