Dealing with immigration.
May 6, 2008
Today marks nine months of this deployment. “Only” six more months to go. Six months sounds pretty nice and we have done six months without each other before. So hopefully time will pass quickly.
Today also marks over nine months of dealing with immigration. I have been waiting for my 10-year greencard since July 25, 2007. Last summer my conditional two-year greencard expired and I had to submit my application to ‘Remove Conditions on Residency’. Well, I am still waiting to get approved. My application is way passed the usual processing times and I have been calling the USCIS hotline only to be told that I need to be patient. My extension letter will expire in September which is in three months and I need to know what’s going on. People who are stationed overseas on government orders have done it before. I am not the only person having to deal with it but it seems like noone knows how to help me. I even called the special USCIS military hotline but they couldn’t help me either. A few days ago I contacted the US consulate in Frankfurt and haven’t heard from them since. Usually they are pretty quick about emailing back right away. Well, it is not my fault because we submitted everything on time and even did the exact instructions for people who are filing from overseas. Plus, I am considered a US resident because we are here on orders. We even have a US address, US bank accounts and so on. So I am not really special. I am just like any other US resident. I just hope I will find out more soon.
May 6, 2008 at 4:19 pm
that sucks. dealing with immigration, that is.
when did you file for the 10-year green card. three months before the temporary green card expired? this date is coming up for me and i am hoping i won’t run into the same roadblocks.
good luck.
May 6, 2008 at 5:14 pm
It’s such an ordeal with all the waiting and no one can do or tell you anything but “keep waiting”… we went through the same thing. They cannot penalize people who file on time and do everything right, because it’s not their fault that the USCIS is sooooo far behind! I hope that your paperwork goes through soon. Fingers crossed for you!
May 7, 2008 at 4:11 am
Same problem here. I just got an email stating that my application has been delayed for a background check even though I was already approved by an immigration officer in November. After I still didn’t get my card in the mail I called USCIS in March and now I just got the notice about that check. That must be something new. My extension expires in November and I am not happy about it either. Did you get my email? I wasn’t sure if I sent it to the right adress…
May 7, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Ugh so annoying! I hope it all goes well. What an ordeal…
May 12, 2008 at 11:16 am
crossing my fingers for it all to go well and get done soon!
May 13, 2008 at 4:17 pm
It’s possible that they put it “on hold” and didn’t tell you. That’s what they did with mine….as a “courtesy” I was told, because the wasband and I were overseas as well on orders…I kept waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and nothing happened….I can email you more about it, if you have specific questions. fabulouslyoutthere@yahoo.com
May 20, 2008 at 10:21 am
I had to wait for over 1 year to get my 10-years greencard and I was told that it could take years. A friend of mine got it after three years of waiting. The most important thing is that you get the stamp in your passport every single year as long as you don’t have the greencard in your hand. If you have the stamp you are fine.
May 21, 2008 at 8:14 pm
@San
They say that you can send it in three months before the expiration date. My ran out in January 2007 and we filed it in December 2006. I got mine in April 2008.