our case status update - no joy

[jj]

Hang in there Jim; at least you will have 10 year green card.   My girls got their 2 year green card just ordered on 28th of May.  It took my congress person to make a call, and attorney to make a call to Charlotte, which is notoriously slow.  I had good reason to expediate due to aging out of  step-daughter, otherwise I don't think they would have moved much faster.  I think yours is soon if you will be seeing a live person with your 07 tax return.  I think the system as been totally unfair in your case.  Good luck!-jj

[Gator]

THERE IS MOVEMENT!!!

Good luck Jim and Liliya

[ScottinCrimea]

THERE IS MOVEMENT!!!

Quoth Gator after his morning prune juice.   

[KenC]

Quoth Gator after his morning prune juice.   

Scott!!!!!!!!!!
TFF!!!!!
KenC

[UTRO]

Jim, do you have an upate as to how things went today?   

[Jet]

Well, it ain't over yet  We have very good reason to believe it will be over very soon, but I don't want to jinx it...
I'll post more tomorrow, as we'll know more.

[Jet]

Hopefully today was the last time for a very long time that we will ever see this entrance:

It seems somehow fitting to see the holes and stains in the granite face where it used to say:
UNITED STATES
IMMIGRATION & NATURALIZATION
SERVICE
as the only hint regarding what goes on inside the walls of this ominous building.

Today at 7:47am Liliya and Kolya's applications to Adjust Status to Legal Permanent Resident were approved.



Yesterday we arrived at @ 1pm with ALL our documents, including the requested tax return for 2007 and sat in a nearly empty waiting room w/ 5 other couples for the next 2hrs 45min. Each of the other couples were summarily split and interviewed separately for not less than 30 minutes per person. The results seemed to get progressively worse as the time went by culminating in the last wife blasting out of the back office demanding to see a supervisor immediately because she wanted to make sure "That bitch got removed from their case". Then it was our turn, and we were somewhat shocked to be invited in together. The officer started by telling us that it would all be worth the wait because she had some very good news for us - a brief moment of relief... She then asked to see the tax return she'd requested, which we gave her. She looked it over, and asked "Ohh by the way, it seems we're also missing 2004, 2005, & 2006, it's been a long time since you were here last" (No F**KIN SH!T Agatha Cristie  ) We were way ahead of her as we'd printed copies of those as well in anticipation of what *else* they might need. Then she needed to check Kolya's original Birth Certificate to see if it matched the photocopy, you know, the one they checked in Moscow, and again in 2004 and again in 2005  . But alas we had that with us also  So on to a review of the medical records where we hit the brick wall, Seems Liliya's tetnus shot was valid when we applied nearly 5 years ago, but not any more, and Kolya was too young for his when we applied but he's certainly old enough now. So she told us she'd keep our file on her desk for 2 days and that we needed to go see a civil surgeon to have the shots done, fill out the form, have it signed and sealed and deliver it back to her, THEN she would stamp the passports.

So off we trotted to the civil surgeon to get the shots and learn that A) there is no place for the CS to actually sign the new forms & B)These shots were actually covered under the DTP vaccination which was still valid for each of them. Of course neither of these tidbits were revealed until AFTER they collected the $160 not coverable by insurance vaccination fee  :burnedup:. Luckily, this morning, after waiting in line outside since 5:30am, I learned that what we had from the CS was what she was looking for and they were both FINALLY approved, so that the clock can start all over again for Citizenship...

[Admin]

Jim,

Congrats to you ALL!

- Dan

[KenC]

Jet, Liliya and Kolya,
Congrats.  You will be surprised how quickly all this crap disappears from your memories.
KenC

[catzenmouse]

FINALLY!

 

[Son of Clyde]

Congratulations Jet.
How come entrances to all USCIS offices look like entrance to a prison?

[myrddin]

Congratulations, Jet, that's great news!

[START2]

Jim,
   Congrats and here's wishing you and yours well.
   Wondering what happens when the 10 yrs. is up. Does it go another 10 after that? Do the wives more often than not apply for citizenship? We don't have any 10 yr. vets here do we?
    When you applied for this did you pay this new fee of $485+160 for bio or was it under the old fee? I am actually sending ours off tomorrow as the 5th will be the 90 day requiste.


  Hey Clyde, I know you jumped the gun a little. Did they receive your form yet?

[Eduard]

I've been extremely disappointed with bureaucracy here in the US. At times it seems as bad or worse than even in Russia! At least people in Russia have an option to pay somebody on the inside off and things will magically get done quickly and efficiently. Seems like the quality of people they hire to work for government offices here in the US is way below average. Why is that?
Congrats, Jet

[Ronnie]

I've been extremely disappointed with bureaucracy here in the US. At times it seems as bad or worse than even in Russia! At least people in Russia have an option to pay somebody on the inside off and things will magically get done quickly and efficiently. Seems like the quality of people they hire to work for government offices here in the US is way below average. Why is that?
Congrats, Jet

The USCIS officials have only their salaries to sustain them.  Unlike in Russia, where a government job is primo due to the opportunities for "extra official compensation."

On this same note of good news,

Officer Nelson (nice guy) from USCIS called just a few minutes ago to say that Dmitry's I-485 has been approved and he is ordering his greencard.  The officer verified our mailing address and said we should be receiving the card in about 2-3 weeks.  Looks like the long struggle is over for us too, or at least this chapter.

For those who didn't see my thread on K2 don't age out.  We were denied intially because of his turning 21 before the AOS was completed.  We sued pro se in Federal Court and won (Verovkin v Still).  Judge says there is nothing in the law requiring an age test of a K2 upon adjustment..only upon visa issuance.

Our case has helped others avoid deportation as IJ's are unwilling to go against our judge's ruling.

[Jet]

Thanks for the nice wishes everyone!

   Wondering what happens when the 10 yrs. is up. Does it go another 10 after that? Do the wives more often than not apply for citizenship? We don't have any 10 yr. vets here do we?
    When you applied for this did you pay this new fee of $485+160 for bio or was it under the old fee?

I have a long time Finnish friend in West Palm Beach who is on his 3rd 10yr GreenCard who never felt the urge to apply for citizenship and has had no problems in the 29yrs he's been here.

It's been so long now that I don't recall the fee - maybe $355? (vs $1010 if filed today) - We filed in Dec '03 shortly after we married. At least we wont have to spend another $545 on "Removal of Conditions" but to be honest, that's a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of the 9 Advanced Paroles and 5 EADs we already paid for between the two of them.

I've been extremely disappointed with bureaucracy here in the US. At times it seems as bad or worse than even in Russia!

 Seems like the quality of people they hire to work for government offices here in the US is way below average. Why is that?

Totally agree, and on top of the bureaucracy, there are some offices that treat the people coming in worse than sh!t - there is absolutely no reason for that.

As we got to spend so much time with the armed guard in the waiting room yesterday, I couldn't help but notice all the gangland tattoos up both forearms across his   throat and up both side of his neck. His closely shaven hair also highlighted a number of stitch scars on various parts of his scalp. Where do they get these guys, and do they seek them out for effect?

[UTRO]

Very happy to hear your Result!! Congratulations to you and your family!! 

[Eduard]

I understand we are facing a serious demographic problem here in the US, therefore our government is not doing much about stopping the flow of illegals over the southern border. So why in the world are they making it so difficult for RW to come in legally? Women who are well educated, ready to have children which is a positive for demographics problem. Where is the logic?

[Ronnie]

Eduard,

The reason the free flow across our southern border is of no great concern to our government officials has to do with the Security and Prosperity Partnership.  The SPP is the forerunner along with NAFTA of an EU for North America.  The more Mexicans who cross our borders, the more of a fait accompli the formation of the North American Union will be.

It's really a partnership between politicians and bureaucrats wanting more power, businesses wanting fewer restrictions and lower labor costs and the Hispanic population wanting to become the majority in the US.

Once the NAU is accomplished they will push for the next step which will be a World Union or New World Order as GHW Bush called it run by unelected bureaucrats at the UN.  An end to democracy ultimately as most of the world's powerful people believe they alone know what's best and that their views are all that matters. 
Googling spp or nau or new world order or david rockefeller will give you more than enough info including speeches by these elitists on youtube.  They don't hide their intentions too well.

So no, Eduard, there is no inconsistency.  Keeping out non-Hispanic immigrants while tacitly welcoming the inflow from the south is perfectly consistent with eveything you see going on. 

[Ooooops]

I have a long time Finnish friend in West Palm Beach who is on his 3rd 10yr GreenCard who never felt the urge to apply for citizenship and has had no problems in the 29yrs he's been here.

First, congrats on the positive results!   

Second, I thought I've read somewhere long time ago that INS is very disapproving of people extending their GC because the reason for GC is a following citizenship (Uncle Sam needs more taxpayers    )   I guess you prove this wrong with your Finnish friend... 

[ConnerVT]

Green Card holders don't need to pay taxes??!?

Guess I need to tell my wife to stop paying hers...

[Ooooops]

Green Card holders don't need to pay taxes??!?

When they are not in US they don't, do they?

[Jet]

When they are not in US they don't, do they?

Only if they stay outside for more than 12 or 18 months (can't recall the cut-off, but it's the same for citizens) at a time.
Tax law says if you spend at least 181 days in the US you are a legal permanent Resident for tax purposes - GreenCard holder or not.

[Gator]

Jet and Liliya,

Congratulations.  Finally.

During your long delay, what was the longest expiration term that the Florida DMV gave  Liliya for a driver's license.  Sabina's first license expired after one month.  Now that she has the receipt from BCIS for AOS, she can get one good for a whole year.

[Jet]

Yep, one year maximum, and they always based eligibility on her EAD setting the expiration date one day prior to that. For renewals tey would give her a rather nondescript white slip of paper to use as her D/L until the real one was mailed 4 weeks later - can't just walk out with it like you and I.