I'm about 3 months away from applying to have the provisions removed from my Residency status. Basically that is when your Visa is based on marriage and you were married less than 2 years when you had your Status change interview (I was about 3 days short!)
I wondered what preparations others have made, if any of you have gone through this stage. I have a rough idea but wasn't going to worry about this one as much as I worried about assembling proof with my wife for the last stage. Did you get interviewed again at this stage or was it a formality?
Thanks for any assistance.
PilgrimPete
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by pilgrim_007 on 2001-10-02 1846 ]</font>
I'm a way off having the second interview, but the first was something of an oddity. It was about 13 months after the wedding we got the call for our grilling. It turns out Charlotte like to make you wait, giving you the full green card to cut down on paperwork I guess. Someone made a mistake and noted our wedding as 99 instead of 00, not noticed until 10 minutes into the pleasantries. Upon discovering that, the kind man took our tax info for the year and told us to wait for the conditional card in the post. He was not interested in other proof as he said it would be examined at the second interview. Knowing the incompetence I have faced down there before, I’m sure the second interview will be a formality as all my info was check first time round!
Hope it all goes well for you, as I’m sure it will.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by Mitch on 2001-10-02 1912 ]</font>
WE had our first "interview" a few months ago. We chatted with the interviewer about our kids, I had to get a copy of my '98 tax returns and that was it. We werer in her office for 20 minutes. She said that very few people get turned down. My husband just received his provisional green card. And I believe we go next year for our final interview. I applied for his fiance visa around May of 1999, he was approved and in the US by October, and we got married in December of 99. So the longest wait was for the interview (little more than a year). Good luck to you.
As you know, you need to file your form I-751 in the 3 months leading up to the 2nd anniversary of getting your conditional PR. I filed mine right on the deadline.
Basically...include EVERYTHING. mortgage in both names, car loans, credit cards, flight tickets showing trips together, telephone bills highlighting calls to England and family in US, bank statements, basically anything which proves beyond a doubt that the marriage was entered into in good faith.
I provided so much evidence that they didn't even require us to interview. I received a form back to say that my petition had been approved.
Now, getting the actual greencard might be a problem, I've been waiting a year and a half for mine. I was able to get another I-551 stamp in my passport.
Regards
Nigel
Thanks for the info Nigel. That's helpful.
Did your old Residency Card expire then and now you just have your passport to validate residency?
We might struggle a bit on the proving the house is jointly owned because it isn't. It's all in my name as I had better credit for the mortgage. Same goes for my car although my wife's car is owned through our company which we are both owners in so will provide that. Otherwise, everything else is joint including bank accounts, bills etc.
Thanks again for some pointers as to what worked for you - sounds like a great way of doing it and although I don't fear an interview, I'd rather not have the hassle if we can convince the INS of our honest intentions without having to travel up there in person.
Don't worry about the mortgage being in both names. I am not mentioned on our mortgage as I didn't yet have a SS# when we bought the house. Instead I filed copies of joint bank statements, copies of our car insurance to show we both live at the same address and drive the same car. They did not interview us again and yesterday I received an extension to my greencard. It was so simple and not half as much work as the rest of our K1 application. Don't worry. The paperwork for this one was easy.
I'm currently in this exact process. I submitted my forms to the INS through my immigration attorney in early September. My current conditional status expired on 10/25.
My attorney told me that I will receive a letter soon stating that I am applying for the removal of conditional status and that I will then be able to take this to the Dallas Service Center to facilitate the I-551 stamp so that I may travel internationally. He said I should get my 10-year green card within a year, but judging by Nigel's story that might not happen!
just done this myself also
my permanent resident card expired on 7/21/01, iapplied with form I751, and $125 to have the conditional status taken off.
I received another letter in the post (like a library notice) that said
name
your alien registration is extended one year - employment and travel authorized.
it then says processing will take 330 days and i should here from them .
Chris
What is the time difference between sending in the I-751, and getting the letter saying the green card is extended? I sent mine off in November 2001, and the card expires Feb 17, 2002 (two weeks).