I am not complaining. I am really just wondering. Maybe the department assigned for card production was so busy since USCIS has a new ID system for the green card.

She led us to her office, and sworn us in. She looked through our papers first and asked for all our identifications. He gave his passport and driver’s license, and I gave my passport, social security card, and EAD card. She verified the information on the papers we sent, then threw questions while inspecting.

How did we meet? (for both of us)
What’s your name? (for wife)
What’s your birthday? (wife)
Address? (wife)
Social security number? (wife)
All the yes/no questions in the I-485 form. (wife)

Well, I can’t remember now what other questions were asked, but they were all related about information found in the papers we submitted. She also asked us about our financial relationship. Since we didn’t have a lot, she accepted our bank statement and debit cards. She left to make photocopies of those and all our identification cards she got. When she returned, she told us our case was approved, and explain about the conditional residency.

We left the office overwhelmed that this a little over a year journey finally came to a happy ending. We had one year and nine months before we face the USCIS processes again for the removal of conditions application.

Receiving this card in the mail makes me more confident on applying for jobs. Yeah, I already started looking for jobs from the day I received the notice via email, but before the card arrived I had no idea when exactly would it be in my hands. When within 30 days? I could not start working without it. So, now I don’t have to worry if I will receive interview invitations. That really matters because there’s a quick turn-around on job offers in Odesk.com.

The EAD card will be useless though once my green card will be approved. The green card already covers my right to work in US.

Based on the timeline I have seen on VisaJourney members, the card should arrive next week. It would be great to have a job before my husband’s birthday so I can get a job online and able to buy him a birthday present. If the card will not arrive next week, no problem.

Following are all the forms we sent to USCIS with links to the webpage where we had downloaded them. Forms are grouped according to K1 Visa application and AOS application.

K1 Visa (Fiancee Visa) Application

• I-129F – My US Citizen fiance filled out and signed this form since he was the petitioner. It asked both of our information and a description of how we met in the past two years.
• G-325A – My fiance and I filled out this form separately. It’s a biographic information form where we had input birth, and parents information. We also listed our addresses and employment history in the last five years. At the time we had applied, there are four pages of the form (same content) together with the instruction. Today, there is only one page with the instruction.

Adjustment of Status (AOS)* and Employment Authorization Application

• I-485 – This form is for applicants who want to register as a permanent resident or to adjust status. Since I only had 90 days to legally stay in US with my K1-visa, I had to marry within that period and adjust my status as a “spouse of a US Citizen”. It is not necessary though that I had to apply for AOS within 90 days as well, but it is advisable not to stay out-of-status. As soon as we had our documents ready, we sent out our application. (Correct me if I am wrong, but I think, less than 180 days of out-of-status may be forgivable depending on your circumstances.)
• I-864 – The Affidavit of Support form filled out by my US Citizen spouse. He had to input his financial information and attached tax documents and other documents that support his claims on the form.
• I-864A – This is the contract between the sponsor and a household member. My father-in-law filled this out so that we can meet the poverty guidelines. We live in the same house anyway, so this is the right form for him. Just like the initial sponsor, my father-in-law had to submit a copy of his tax returns of the three most recent tax years and any document that support his claims on the form.
• I-765 – To legally work in US, it is a must to apply for an employment authorization. Although the green card covers my right to work, the adjustment of status application timeline varies from applicant to applicant. It is advisable then to apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) together with the AOS application, so that I can apply for jobs even my AOS application is still pending. (The EAD application is free anyway when you submit these two applications together.)
• G-325A – Biographic information form again, but this time, just filled out by me.
• G-1145 – We opted to send this form so that we get an electronic notification that our application has been received in their office. This notification may be via e-mail or SMS.

* From a non-immigrant to immigrant status

I religiously check our mailbox everyday and for me, the journey to the mailbox is enjoyable. You don’t know what you will get that day. But last Friday, I did not check the mail myself. It slipped my mind actually. Our mail usually arrives by 10:15 in the morning, so when my father-in-law came in at 1:00 PM and told me I got mail, I exclaimed  “Oh yeah! The mail!”. I went excitedly to the counter where our new mails usually are  and I got more excited when I saw who’s it from. It’s from the USCIS! The US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

So guess, what’s inside? Well, you already know. It’s the request to appear for an interview regarding my adjustment of status application. It indicated that my husband will have to go with me since the adjustment is based on marriage, and it listed the items and documents I need for the interview, and the schedule of course which is a little above 30 days from the day I got the appointment letter.

From the list of items to bring, there are several forms being asked that we already submitted to USCIS: Forms I-693, 864, 864A. I thought I have to bring them again, but the letter says no need if the requested documents are already submitted.

Now, I am worried if I need another certified copy of my Birth Certificate because I already sent one with the original package. Actually, it was my only certified copy that I brought in US. Just to be sure, I had asked my mom to get me one in the Philippines and sent it to me ASAP.

Also, we don’t have enough joint assets and liabilities since we are just starting. We live with his parents rent-free so they pay all the utility bills too and most of our food. We just buy our snacks and personal necessities. Aside from that we really don’t have other household expenses. We opt not to get any insurance yet since we can’t afford to buy the best one at the moment. So, I hope our joint bank account will be fine.

Hoping for the best.

Even though I was so happy to read the email from the US Embassy in Manila, I couldn’t jump for joy since we weren’t calling yet at that point. Geeze. We had to postpone it for a month. Geeze again.

At 1:30 in the afternoon today, we arrived at the Support Center. It is a small office at the back of the shopping area. There were about three cars parked in front of it, which was a positive sign for us; it’s not crowded. When we came in the room, there were about 5 people sitting in the waiting area. I walk passed through them and handed my notice to the officer sitting at the reception desk. He was neither smiling nor friendly. He asked for my ID and he looked at it. Then he clipped the notice, information sheet, and my passport on the clip board, and told me to fill out the sheet.

The form was about the basic information about myself, including the A# which can be found in my K1 Visa. After filling it out, I returned everything to the officer. He signed the sheet. Stamped and signed the notice too. After that, he asked me to go to the next cubicle where a lady officer was waiting for me.

I gave the lady the papers I showed the first officer, and she input the data on the machine. I was glad I brought my Social Security Card with me because she asked me my number. While she was reviewing the data, I glanced on the other side, and noticed another applicant having her biometrics taken. It was just a quick glance because the lady officer assisting me called my attention, and told me the biometrics fingerprint scanner was ready. She then scanned my fingerprints with the biometrics reader.Then,  she redid some prints that weren’t clearly scanned, but it didn’t take her long. After she was satisfied with the results, she took my picture. And that’s it. She gave me a survey form before I left, and I filled it out.

We left the support center at 1:45. If I remembered it right, there were no people waiting in the area when we left, if I am wrong, there could only be one person waiting. Those people I saw seated when my husband and I arrived the center looked like they had other purpose.

The letter included our Case number that starts with MNL2009….

Then, it also has the Embassy location which is in Manila:

Manila
Embassy of the United States, Visa Unit
1201 Roxas Blvd.
Manila
Philippines

Once the case had been transferred to the embassy in the Philippines, me, as the fiancee applying for the visa would receive a packet from USEM Manila to inform me how to apply for a K1 Visa and tell me the fiancee visa requirements. Chris and I were already knowledgeable at this point what we needed since we had always checked the USEM Manila website for K1 visa application process.

K1 Visa is considered an immigrant visa although listed as non-immigrant, if I understood it right. Because the fiancee/fiance once married will at most times will stay in the US with the spouse.

So what we would do now was to wait for the confirmation from USEM, so we could start the process. Although we could already start small steps like getting the Certificate of No Marriage. Within the same week we got the notification, I went to the NSO office at East Avenue, Quezon City to get my CENOMAR.