EAS (Employment Authorization Stamp)-JFK, etc.

[RK]

I have read many threads about using JFK as the POE to get an EAS stamp on arrival into the US on a fiancee visa. Has anyone here followed that advice and NOT been able to get the stamp? If not, why?

Also, has anybody here obtained an EAS on arrival into any other POE into the US? Any feedback on what was said to obtain it? I asked the immigration officer about it when I arrived home in Charlotte earlier today after a wonderful visit to Kharkov...he didn't have a clue about it being done here.

[Vaughn]

Welcome home, RK! My wife had to wait over a year for her Social Security number
despite getting the EAS at JFK. Beware the imbeciles at SSA off Albemarle Road....

There was a POE thread in the past that touched on this subject, but I've not yet
found it....

Vaughn

[ecr844]

There was recently some discussion on this in "MAXXUMUSA's" thread I believe on page 3. Not sure of the exact title but it had to do with meeting at SVO in Moscow in August if memory serves.

HTH,
ECR844

[DKMM]

Don't forget, if your wife is going to work within a year of arrival, you can take a moving expense deduction for the cost of her coming here.  You can only write off her and her kids ticket though, not yours.  That includes any extra shipping or heavy luggage charges too.

[MaxxumUSA]

There was recently some discussion on this in "MAXXUMUSA's" thread I believe on page 3. Not sure of the exact title but it had to do with meeting at SVO in Moscow in August if memory serves.

HTH,
ECR844

http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=5329.15

[ecr844]

http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=5329.15

Thank you sir.

[Wayne B]

I have read many threads about using JFK as the POE to get an EAS stamp on arrival into the US on a fiancee visa. Has anyone here followed that advice and NOT been able to get the stamp? If not, why?

Also, has anybody here obtained an EAS on arrival into any other POE into the US? Any feedback on what was said to obtain it? I asked the immigration officer about it when I arrived home in Charlotte earlier today after a wonderful visit to Kharkov...he didn't have a clue about it being done here.

  RK, I don't think that there is such a thing as a EAS stamp...as she is coming here on a K-1/K-2 visa...not a work visa.  She can apply for a SS card, but when she recieves it, it will state on the SS card...not permission for work....The EAS, comes later when you get married and file for AOS. Maybe William will post the legal status of your question...

[RK]

Welcome home, RK!
Vaughn

Thanks, Vaughn...I had a great trip, and I'm already looking forward to going back next month for my monthly trip to Kharkov. Ten visits to Kharkov in the last ten months should help satisfy the ongoing relationship question to the officials!

Wayne...thanks for your feedback. I know there's more to it and they are able to get that EAS stamp while on a I-129F, but from what I am gathering here and there, there is no consistency and lack of knowledge among various immigration officials throughout the cities and airports here. Not that she's going to work the day after she steps off the plane or anything! I think it makes a lot of red tape easier to manage if you get it as soon as possible, especially at the POE. But I'm still learning!

ecr844, Max, and DKMM...thanks for your feedback and I appreciate your time to reply.

[Wayne B]

RK, I got some information...K-1 only, can get a 90 day work authorization...but when the K-1 visa expires so does the 90 day work authorization...then for legal work to continue, she would apply for AOS and file the I-765 form and have to wait for the document....So, yes after obtaining a SS card, then she could work legally until the 90 day K-1 visa expired....I guess that is why there is so much confusion about the EA stamp....It really is not worth getting the stamp for only 90 days minus the time to have the SS card in hand    Anna, recieved her SS card about three weeks after she applied.

[DKMM]

In other words, if you are getting married within a week or two of arrival, there isn't much point in getting the EAS because you can just get it when you apply for AOS after the wedding.  But if you are waiting longer, its probably worth it to get things rolling while she is still here as just a K-1 fiance.

[Wayne B]

I think the most important thing to do is secure her SS card application as soon as she comes...maiden name and after marriage she can change her name after getting the marriage license back. I see no benefit to the stamp...as it will be void after her K-1 visa expires.  She can use her SS# on the AOS paper work (although not mandatory)

[groovlstk]

Depending on where you apply for the card and the relative knowledge of the clerk that serves you, having the EAS stamp on your I94 may give you a little peace of mind that they won't tell her she's ineligible for a SS card. When I was preparing to fly to Moscow and return with my wife after her interview, I would have preferred she arrive at Newark Airport as it's much closer to our home than JFK. However, in reading about others' experience on Visajourney, there seemed to be many who had been (incorrectly) turned away when they went to their SS offices because they didn't have the EAS stamp, so I chose JFK as our POE. FWIW, my paranoia may have been overkill, but so far things w/USCIS have gone smoothly for us. We applied for AOS in March, had biometrics in May, and our initial interview is set for July 31.

[catzenmouse]

Good Luck at the interview Groov! Hope all goes smoothly and they have a day where they actually get the job done right the first time!!!

Wayne,

 Are you sure about the maiden name? We got married first then took our certified marriage license to SSA (before the 90 days were up) and filed for Elena's SSN with her married name. We had to wait on Sergei's SSN until he got his GC.

Ken

[ecr844]

Congrats "groovlstk," Best wishes and I hope you and your wife continue in the fast lane with the feds..
ECR844

[Wayne B]

Ken, I guess I should have wrote  married or madian as long as she is still within her 90 days

[groovlstk]

Thanks Ken & ECR.

After reading what you, Jet, and Bruce went through or are still going through, I'm waiting for something to go wrong, it seems inevitable given their ineptitude 

[Wayne B]

groov, good news and I hope that all goes well....We sent ours off July 9th....let the wait begin

[catzenmouse]

Thanks for clarifying Wayne. Had me confused there for a minute (like that's hard to do!  )

Groov,

 Since it is just your wife hopefully they can get it right the first time. That to me was (and is) the strangest, stupidest part of all this. They did Elena's easily. I would have thought if they were going to have a problem it would have been with her and not with a (then) 4 year old.

 Ah well, leave it up to USCIS to find new, exciting, and creative ways to screw up!

Ken

[Vaughn]

Depending on where you apply for the card and the relative knowledge of the clerk that serves you, having the EAS stamp on your I94 may give you a little peace of mind that they won't tell her she's ineligible for a SS card.

In most cases, that's true. We had the stamp, very clear....authorized to work. No dice
at SSA - for her "information" was not present on the "Save Screen". OK, we'll play the
game. Came back in a week, still nothing. Another week passed, same result, and I visibly
lost all patience, and was hot that I had also taken time off work just to hear their "we're
handcuffed" story. Was escorted from the building by a guard who noticed tears
streaking Elvira's face and hot steam jetting from my ears.

Nothing's automatic. A FSU bride up in Minnesota topped Elvira's local record of a K-1
waiting 16 months for the number. The MN gal waited almost two years. Issuance of
a green card guarantees SSA will accept the application, but some cases roll slowly.

Groov! I wish you both good fortune on July 31st....and spasibo! for all your
good advice throughout our acquaintance on this forum.

Wayne B! That wedding photo you posted is the cat's meow. Your profile
resembles that of a younger James Brolin, lucky devil. Hell, you're lucky on
two counts, we agreed last night that your wife is plain stunning. We really
should begin a new thread on guys like you and me who dared to go it alone,
no forum advice, just gut instinct and common sense.

Vaughn

[MaxxumUSA]

We really
should begin a new thread on guys like you and me who dared to go it alone,
no forum advice, just gut instinct and common sense.

Vaughn

Hi, My name's Dave...

(Hi dave)

I'm a gut instincter!

(hi dave)

LOL

Ok...  start the thread!  I knew nothing and visited Elena without stepping one foot in a forum.  No advice at all actually.  Just blindly went looking for love and happened to find it.

I still don't know much ...  but I go to visit her the fourth time this year in about 7 months and she's coming back with me on our K-1.  Are we fools?  Or are we just plain lucky?  Dunno.  Either way - We are happy!

- David

[catzenmouse]

Maybe you're just happy fools! 

Sometimes it is just right. It took me a long time to get over the over-thinking and over-analyzing of everything. You get to that point where you've looked at the options and you've looked at the two of you together and you just have to either "Do It" or quit.

Congratulations Dave on your recognizing what was right and what you wanted and going for it! Sure, the jury is still out on your future but the jury is not living your life. You and she are happy and working towards a future together. Nothing else really matters.

Ken