Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485)
These were the documents we submitted for Ging's AOS, and at the same time, Ging's application for Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
Our Adjustment of Status Application Package
- Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status/AOS) - filled up and signed (4 pages)
- Form I-765 (Employment Authorization Card/EAD) - filled up and signed (1 page)
- Form I-131 (Advance Parole) - filled up and signed (3 pages). Since Ging is on K3, she didn't need to apply for the advance parole to go and travel out of the country for at least 3 years. But we thought of getting one anyway as we wanted to be sure of everything. Call us paranoid, but that was what we were, LOL!
- Form G-325A (Biographic Info) - filled up and signed (2 pages)
- 6 pcs. passport photos
- Form DS-3025 (Vaccination Document Worksheet) from St. Luke's (with civil surgeon's stamped name on the sheet. Original copy)
- Form I-693 (Medical Examination & Vaccination Supplement Form) and PE results (in sealed envelope) Click HERE to download the fillable form.
- Copies of both our passport's biodata page, (1 copy each) and visa & I-94 card of Ging.
- Copy of our marriage certificate
- Copies of both of our birth certificates (1 copy each)
- Copy of our I-797C (Notice of Approval/NOA2) of our I-130 petition. (see below)
- Form I-864 (Affidavit of SUpport) - notarized, by a notary public and signed by Craig.
- Employment letter and bank statements of Craig.
- Copies of W2's and ITR's 2002-2004
NOTE: You can download the above mentioned forms directly from USCIS website for FREE. These forms are also fillable through pdf (adobe) format.
Or else, you can click the forms to get you to the actual form and directly fill them up online if you wish, afterwhich you can download them except for Form DS-3025 which can be only given to the applicant after her medical examination from St. Luke's Extension Clinic.
The I-797C Notice of Action (aka) NOA-1:
This notice is usually the first letter from the USCIS informing the applicant that application has been received. This notice is more popularly known as "NOA-1".
The I-797C Notice of Action (aka) Biometrics Appointment Notice:
Or else, you can click the forms to get you to the actual form and directly fill them up online if you wish, afterwhich you can download them except for Form DS-3025 which can be only given to the applicant after her medical examination from St. Luke's Extension Clinic.
The I-797C Notice of Action (aka) NOA-1:
This notice is usually the first letter from the USCIS informing the applicant that application has been received. This notice is more popularly known as "NOA-1".
The I-797C Notice of Action (aka) Biometrics Appointment Notice:
Ging was scheduled April 28, 2006 for her biometrics but we were out of town then. She went the following Wednesday with the same time as soon as she was able
as noted on the schedule instructions.
Ging was given one biometrics schedule for both her application for Adjustment of Status (AOS) and her Apllication for Employment Authorization (EAD).
The I-797C Notice of Action - Interview Notice (AOS)/I-485:
Our AOS Interview Experience:
Ging was given one biometrics schedule for both her application for Adjustment of Status (AOS) and her Apllication for Employment Authorization (EAD).
The I-797C Notice of Action - Interview Notice (AOS)/I-485:
(Request for Applicant to Appear for Initial Interview)
Our AOS Interview Experience:
Our interview gave us a big question mark since the
officer didn't confirm us if we were approved or not. We finally figured
out the right answer after Ging received her green card on the mail after 3
weeks!
Our Interview:
(Aug. 30, 2006 – 9:15am)
USCIS, Baltimore, MD
We arrived at USCIS, Baltimore exactly at 9:15am with still me catching my breath! We were supposed to arrive 45 minutes from our home, but there was a bit of traffic downtown.
Our Interview:
(Aug. 30, 2006 – 9:15am)
USCIS, Baltimore, MD
We arrived at USCIS, Baltimore exactly at 9:15am with still me catching my breath! We were supposed to arrive 45 minutes from our home, but there was a bit of traffic downtown.
After 1 hour, Ging's name was called
by a nice young guy. And yes, we were able to get his name, David
Gaisford. We would say, he is a very detailed officer and this was what
happened:
He told us to both raise our right hands to swear the truth and nothing but the truth! LOL. Then we both sat after that.
CO: (Consul Officer) G: (Ging) C: (Craig)
CO: Is ur lawyer not coming today?
US: No, he’s not.
CO: Okay, I need u to sign this, both of you just to prove that ur lawyer was not here today.
Then after the signing, he asked Ging's passport, her EAD card & her SSN. He also asked Craig's passport plus his driving license. We gave what he requested. He detached Ging's I-94 card from her passport, took a glance at Ging's EAD & SSN, Craig's passport and his driver’s license. He confirmed our home address, after which he returned all of the documents he asked.
He then started scanning our papers and Ging said she was dumbfounded when he asked her this:
CO: So, did u have a K1 previous petition? With _______(name of my exbf).?
(Ging didn’t expect this question, since it wasn’t even touched at the US embassy, Manila. Of course, not everybody knows Ging's past immigration history here, but it is a long story to tell again…she posted this at asawa.org)
G: Yes, sir.
CO: What happened? Did you come here in the US during that petition?
G: No sir. The relationship didn’t work out. But he didn’t cancel the petition.
C: (in support to Ging's answer) Ya, it was very exhausting on her part, but I had to marry her just to prove to her that I really love her. I also have been talking to an immigration officer about this, and he told me on what to do. I am sure of myself I did the right thing.
CO: ( to Ging): Okay, when did he first contacted u? (Ging gave him the date)
CO: (to husband): What website is that?
C: FFF. (then he added some more answers!)…etc…
CO: (to Craig): When did u get married?
C: Oct. 24, 2004
CO: How many times did u visit her? The dates?
C: (Gave dates.)
CO:(to Ging): So,how many visitors there were in ur wedding?
G: About 150 or so sir. That was the amount of guests we had which we had already paid to the hotel for the reception.
CO: I see. Can I see ur wedding photos? (Gosh! It’s good we brought our wedding photos…actually, the one that Ging showed at her visa interview, which also includes our engagement, honeymoon photos and family, friend photos.) We offered to show him further our most recent photos here in the US during our travel, and he said, wow!)
Then we also offered to give him our joint bank statements and accounts, insurance, credit cards. He only asked for photocopies of them. It’s good we photocopied every documents.
CO: Do you have ur 2005 ITR?
C: No, because we are filing for an extension, since ours was a joint ITR. But I can give u my recent pay stubs plus my employment letter?
(We also gave him the form 4868 application, just to show proof that we are doing the file extension.)
CO: Sure, that’s fine.
CO: (to Ging): Can I see ur original birth certificate? (Then he noticed Ging's misspelled name on it, and we told him it is, but there is an annotation below already, so he said, oh, good, that’s good…I didn’t see it!)
CO: How about ur wedding certificate? (we showed him, and when he saw it he said, oh, u got one already on ur file! Sorry.)
He also asked the usual yes/no questions about terroristic activities which of course all of Ging's answers were NO.
Now this is the part where Ging got paranoid!!!...
CO: Do you have the original I-130 petition with you?
G: Huh! What do u mean sir?
CO: I mean the form.
Now, this is the one that we weren't aware about…he wants the I-130 filled up form, original copy.
G: No, but I got a copy at home. I actually got an interview date for that at US embassy, manila last May 15, 2006, but we didn’t attend to it because I am already here in US when they informed us about it.
CO: Oh, I see, I know what you meant! I am giving you this blank form to fill up and sign, just for our file.
Then he gave us a blank I-130 form and requested us to fill it up, and sign it after which he requested us to give it to the receptionist’s window together with a referral slip with his name on it. Then he said we were done and can go home.
It was uncomfortable for me to walk out from that room without his firm decision of approval but he said he got what he wanted and that we would gonna hear from them through mail. We shook hands and my hubby said thanks a lot. He said ur welcome! And off we go.
Ging was getting paranoid,
and kept asking if we did it good. Craig was assuring her not to worry about it coz she did good.
Perhaps Ging was worrying too much then because of too much reading from previous AOS experiences in different immigration forums, LOL!
The CO didn’t put a stamp (whatever that is) on Ging's passport which we usually read from previous experiences, and he didn’t give us any letter or infos regarding the removal of conditional status and about I-751 filing etc…
He told us to both raise our right hands to swear the truth and nothing but the truth! LOL. Then we both sat after that.
CO: (Consul Officer) G: (Ging) C: (Craig)
CO: Is ur lawyer not coming today?
US: No, he’s not.
CO: Okay, I need u to sign this, both of you just to prove that ur lawyer was not here today.
Then after the signing, he asked Ging's passport, her EAD card & her SSN. He also asked Craig's passport plus his driving license. We gave what he requested. He detached Ging's I-94 card from her passport, took a glance at Ging's EAD & SSN, Craig's passport and his driver’s license. He confirmed our home address, after which he returned all of the documents he asked.
He then started scanning our papers and Ging said she was dumbfounded when he asked her this:
CO: So, did u have a K1 previous petition? With _______(name of my exbf).?
(Ging didn’t expect this question, since it wasn’t even touched at the US embassy, Manila. Of course, not everybody knows Ging's past immigration history here, but it is a long story to tell again…she posted this at asawa.org)
G: Yes, sir.
CO: What happened? Did you come here in the US during that petition?
G: No sir. The relationship didn’t work out. But he didn’t cancel the petition.
C: (in support to Ging's answer) Ya, it was very exhausting on her part, but I had to marry her just to prove to her that I really love her. I also have been talking to an immigration officer about this, and he told me on what to do. I am sure of myself I did the right thing.
CO: ( to Ging): Okay, when did he first contacted u? (Ging gave him the date)
CO: (to husband): What website is that?
C: FFF. (then he added some more answers!)…etc…
CO: (to Craig): When did u get married?
C: Oct. 24, 2004
CO: How many times did u visit her? The dates?
C: (Gave dates.)
CO:(to Ging): So,how many visitors there were in ur wedding?
G: About 150 or so sir. That was the amount of guests we had which we had already paid to the hotel for the reception.
CO: I see. Can I see ur wedding photos? (Gosh! It’s good we brought our wedding photos…actually, the one that Ging showed at her visa interview, which also includes our engagement, honeymoon photos and family, friend photos.) We offered to show him further our most recent photos here in the US during our travel, and he said, wow!)
Then we also offered to give him our joint bank statements and accounts, insurance, credit cards. He only asked for photocopies of them. It’s good we photocopied every documents.
CO: Do you have ur 2005 ITR?
C: No, because we are filing for an extension, since ours was a joint ITR. But I can give u my recent pay stubs plus my employment letter?
(We also gave him the form 4868 application, just to show proof that we are doing the file extension.)
CO: Sure, that’s fine.
CO: (to Ging): Can I see ur original birth certificate? (Then he noticed Ging's misspelled name on it, and we told him it is, but there is an annotation below already, so he said, oh, good, that’s good…I didn’t see it!)
CO: How about ur wedding certificate? (we showed him, and when he saw it he said, oh, u got one already on ur file! Sorry.)
He also asked the usual yes/no questions about terroristic activities which of course all of Ging's answers were NO.
Now this is the part where Ging got paranoid!!!...
CO: Do you have the original I-130 petition with you?
G: Huh! What do u mean sir?
CO: I mean the form.
Now, this is the one that we weren't aware about…he wants the I-130 filled up form, original copy.
G: No, but I got a copy at home. I actually got an interview date for that at US embassy, manila last May 15, 2006, but we didn’t attend to it because I am already here in US when they informed us about it.
CO: Oh, I see, I know what you meant! I am giving you this blank form to fill up and sign, just for our file.
Then he gave us a blank I-130 form and requested us to fill it up, and sign it after which he requested us to give it to the receptionist’s window together with a referral slip with his name on it. Then he said we were done and can go home.
It was uncomfortable for me to walk out from that room without his firm decision of approval but he said he got what he wanted and that we would gonna hear from them through mail. We shook hands and my hubby said thanks a lot. He said ur welcome! And off we go.
Ging was getting paranoid,
and kept asking if we did it good. Craig was assuring her not to worry about it coz she did good.Perhaps Ging was worrying too much then because of too much reading from previous AOS experiences in different immigration forums, LOL!
The CO didn’t put a stamp (whatever that is) on Ging's passport which we usually read from previous experiences, and he didn’t give us any letter or infos regarding the removal of conditional status and about I-751 filing etc…