Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

After the wedding you must file for the Adjustment of status, which is form I-485, form I-765 which is the work authorization permit(good for 1 yr), form I-864 which is another affidavit of support and form G-325A which is another Biographic information document. All these forms are included in the change of status package, which can be obtained through the INS.




Documents you will need to bring with you when you go and file for the Adjustment of Status:
  1. Birth certificate
  2. 4 photos (2 sets of 2): Identical natural color photographs of yourself taken within 30 days of the application. Photo must have a white background, be unmounted, printed on thin paper and be glossy and retouched. They must show three quarter frontal profile showing the right side of your face, with your right ear visible and with your head bare. The photo must be no larger the 2x2 inches. Lightly right your A# on the back of each photos
  3. Have the form G-325A filled out
  4. A copy of your I-94 card (You will receive this card at your POE).
  5. A promise of employment letter or Affidavit of support(form I-864) where you must show all the papers that you showed originally for the first affidavit of support Form I-134)
  6. A copy of your approval letter(That your visa was approved)
  7. A copy of your marriage certificate



After the I-485 is filed the INS will call you or mail you a letter with a time and date to take your fingerprints. And after that it takes about 12-18 months to get news from that



After the I-765 is filed (The work authorization permit) it can take up to 90 days before you get it



After you get your EAD(work authorization), you can go to your nearest Social Security office with your birth certificate,passport, marriage certificate, EAD and apply for a social security number. Takes about 2 weeks to get it.I dowloaded and printed the SS5 form(form to apply for a SS#) at the Social Security Site.




Fees and Time Frame
  1. $150 for office fee
  2. $25 for fingerprints, sometimes done on the spot, sometimes at a later date.
  3. $70 for the I-765 (Work permit, good for 1 yr). Some INS offices can give you the card on the spot and some others don't. If you don't get it you will get a letter by mail within 90 days, telling you a time, date and place to show up with the documents you will need to bring with you. They will then give you your card
  4. $130 for the I-485 Adjustment of Status. Can take up to 18 months before you get news from this. No hurry!



My Personal Time Frame
  1. July 2, 1998: I filed my I-485 (Change of status) and my I-765 (EAD)


  2. July 18, 1998: Got my photocopies of the forms I filled out at the INS in Trenton, NJ


  3. August 2, 1998: Received my receipt stating the arrival of my I-765 and my I-485 at the main office. They had until October 12, 1998 to send me my EAD and until May 10, 1999 for my I-485


  4. October 19, 1998: Still did not receive anything concerning my EAD, so I called INS and they told me to go directly to the main office to get it. They also said that I had to go there around 4:00 in the morning because people wait in line starting at that time. If you want to make sure to be served get there early.


  5. October 28, 1998: Going to the INS in Newark. I will let you know what happens


  6. October 28, 1998: Went to the INS in Newark at 4am to find out that they only serve people with an appointement on Wednesdays...ARGH!!!


  7. October 29, 1998: Went back to INS. Got there at 5am and there was already a line of about 50 people waiting. They weren't kidding went they said 4am! The doors opened at 7:30am. An immigration officer came out to tell us that they only issue 25-30 EAD a day and that they would tell us when the 25-30 has been issued so that we don't wait for nothing. I got scared at that point...!! First I waited 3 hours before I saw someone. The first immigration officer you see is only to make sure you have all the documents needed to get the EAD. (Bring with you photocopies of your I-485 and your I-765, letter showing that your 90 days waiting period is over with (for the EAD), marriage certificate, birth certificate, approval of visa, canceled check, passport, alien card, citizen's birth certificate). If you have all the documents needed they then send you to this other room with a number. When your number is up, you see another immigration officer who looks up your name in the computer and then gives you back all your papers and sends you to another room where you wait again! Then they call your name again, asks you if you have ever been arrested in the US, if you have ever had any problems with an immigration officer and if you have ever applied for a work card. Then you wait again. They call your name for a picture and then they give you your card. Finally got my card at 4:00 pm. Whew!!!!!! What a work out!!!. The card is good for one year.


  8. November 2, 1998: Going to apply for my social security number


  9. November 13,1998: Got my SS card...:) (hope it's not bad luck cause I got it on a friday the 13th!! Heehee!)

  10. May 26,1999: My 300 waiting days are over and I still didn't get any news regarding my I-485 change of status request, so I wrote a letter stating that I didn't get any news as of yet.


  11. August 16,1999: I didn't get any letters back from the immigration so I wrote another letter regarding my change of status. Well my EAD card will expire in october and it looks like I will have to ask for a renewal for another year. Does the fun ever stop!!!! haha


  12. August 21,1999: Got a letter from the INS office in Cherry Hill,NJ for an appointment regarding an EAD. After calling the INS in Newark to find out what this was about (Cherry Hill office has no listed phone number) they told me to just go since it was probably a response to my letter. I went and it turned out to be for my initial EAD and not a renewal. More wrong information from the INS! What do we pay these people for!!! :))


  13. October 19,1999: Went to the INS office in Newark to get my EAD renewed since I am still awaiting my I-485 interview. Stood in line, outside, in the damn cold freezing my friggen ass off from 4:30 to 8:00 (deja-vu!!). Once we we're inside, they told us they did not do EAD renewal in person, that we had to file by mail which would take 90 days (translated in 180 days in human time!). PLEASE, IF YOU SEE THAT 4 MONTHS BEFORE YOUR EAD EXPIRES YOU HAVE NOT GOT ANY NEWS FROM THE INS, FILE FOR YOUR I-765 (RENEWAL OF EAD), BECAUSE THE INS WILL NOT BEND THE RULES NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SITUATION IS. Whew! Just don't want someone to do the same mistake I did. So now that my EAD will expire next week, I must resign from my job and apply for my rewal. Oh well, looks like I am getting a 3 month vacation.


  14. October 28,1999: EAD expired so I had to quit my job


  15. October 29,1999: Filed out the I-765 form and sent it in for renewal of EAD.


  16. November 3,1999: Got forms from the INS to sign for my renewal of EAD


  17. November 4,1999: Sent the forms back signed.


  18. February 2,2000: Got my interview letter for my renewal of EAD. The interview is February 14. Amen to that!!


  19. February 14,2000: Went for my interview, still had to wait like 2 hours to get it, but I got it. Off to work I go!


  20. October 31,2000: Yeahh baby!!!! I got my interview date for my adjustement of status and green card!! Going November 30,2000 at 11PM. Below you will find forms and proof I had to bring.


  21. November 30,2000: Had my Adjustement of Status interview. We got there 20 mins early and sat in the waiting room. They called us in 10 mins early. We walked in the interview room (we we're not videotaped) and we we're sworn in. They asked my husband for ID (he gave them drivers license and birth certificate). Then he asked my husband when and where we we're married. He then turned to me and asked me where and when I was born, the name of my parents. He then asked to see wedding pictures and asked questions about the people in the pictures (who they were). He then explained that I had to go to PA to get my fingerprints taken and that as soon as he received the results of the fingerprinting he would send me a letter stating that my ajustement of status was approve and I could then go to that same office (cherry hill, NJ) and get my passport stamped with the I-551 (temporary green card) stamp until my green card arrived in the mail. So we then went to PA and got the fingerprints taken (it was all digital) and that was that! All we have to do now was wait for the results.


  22. December 12,2000: Got the letter stating the I was approved for permanent residence and that I could go to Cherry Hill, NJ office to get my passport stamped


  23. January 2,2001: Went to the cherry Hill office and got my passport stamped (make sure to bring ID and that letter). Now waiting for my green card to arrive by mail


  24. Feburary 12,2001: Received my green card in the mail. What a sense of relief and yes I balled my eyes out!!




    25. Document I brought for the adjustement of status interview



    1. Letter stating the date and time of your interview


    2. Filled out and notorised I-864 with tax returns from the pass three years.


    3. Valid passport


    4. I-94 arrival card


    5. Birth certificates


    6. Any form of ID (driver's license, Social security card, EAD card, passport, ect...)


    7. Current employment letter stating, salary, period of time you've been working there, since when you've been there


    8. Divorce decree if any


    9. Proof that you are still a couple (anything that is in both names...Bills, insurance policies, bank accounts, credit cards, 401 K, health insurances, loans, mortgage, correspondance with both names on it.)


    10. Wedding pictures, pictures where you are together (they love that!)


    11. Marriage certificate


    12. Make copies of everything, they love when you are prepared..:) We had a folder with originals (in case they wanted to see them), a folder with copies for them and a folder with copies for our own records.






    Back to K1-Visa page