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Cathy came to America on a K-1 Fiancée Visa. The story of how Cathy came from the Philippines to America is a long and complicated one. The entire visa process was complicated and often very frustrating for both Tom and Cathy.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service: INS)
web site contains detailed requirements for filing the K-1
Fiancée visa. In addition the Houston
District Office of the USCIS maintains the current status for the processing
of various forms. The following table shows how long it took for various events
related to the K-1 Fiancée visa to occur:
K-1 Fiancée Visa Processing
Event
|
Date
|
Day Number
|
| Tom sent I-129F form (Petition for Alien Fiancée) to INS. |
Mar. 18, 1999 |
0 |
| Tom received approval letter from INS. |
Apr. 19, 1999 |
32 |
| Cathy received 1st notice from U.S. Embassy in Manila. |
May 11, 1999 |
54 |
| Cathy attended C.F.O seminar in Cebu City. |
May 20, 1999 |
63 |
| Cathy received 2nd notice from U.S. Embassy in Manila. |
Jun. 25, 1999 |
99 |
| Cathy received Taiwan police clearance. |
Jul. 10, 1999 |
114 |
| Cathy passed medical exam at St. Luke's Medical Center. |
Aug. 5, 1999 |
140 |
| Cathy passed interview at U.S. Embassy in Manila. |
Aug. 12, 1999 |
147 |
| Cathy picked up visa at U.S. Embassy in Manila. |
Aug. 17, 1999 |
152 |
| Cathy flew from Cebu City to Houston, Texas. |
Sep. 7, 1999 |
173 |
The following table shows how long it took for various events related to
the processing of permanent residency (i.e., the green card) in Houston to occur:
Processing of Permanent Residency in Houston
Event
|
Date
|
Day Number
|
| Cathy sent I-485 form ($245) and I-765 form ($100) to INS. |
Nov. 3, 1999 |
0 |
| Cathy sent letter to INS inquiring about her EAD. |
Feb. 8, 2000 |
97 |
| Cathy received 1st EAD (Employment Authorization Doc). |
Feb. 24, 2000 |
113 |
| Cathy applied for Social Security card (SS-5 form). |
Mar. 1, 2000 |
119 |
| Cathy received her Social Security card in the mail. |
Mar. 29, 2000 |
147 |
| Cathy sent letter to INS inquiring about her I-485 status. |
May 10, 2000 |
189 |
| Cathy applied for renewal of her Philippines passport. |
Jun. 13, 2000 |
223 |
| Received INS letter: I-485 processing takes 36-40 months. |
Jun. 30, 2000 |
240 |
| Cathy received new passport (name changed to Marking). |
Jul. 7, 2000 |
247 |
| Cathy sent I-765 form ($100) for renewal of EAD. |
Sep. 25, 2000 |
327 |
| Cathy sent I-131 form ($95) for advance parole. |
Nov. 6, 2000 |
369 |
| Cathy received 2nd EAD (I-688B); expires 1/31/02. |
Dec. 13, 2000 |
406 |
| Cathy received advance parole (I-512); expires 12/18/01. |
Dec. 22, 2000 |
415 |
| Cathy sent I-765 form ($100) for renewal of EAD. |
Oct. 7, 2001 |
704 |
| Cathy received 3rd EAD (I-688B); expires 1/31/03. |
Dec. 17, 2001 |
775 |
| Tom and Cathy requested help from their Congressman. |
Jan. 22, 2002 |
811 |
| Our Congressman informed us that an INS notice for Cathy's
fingerprinting sent on 8/15/01 was undeliverable by the Post Office.
The INS never followed up for 6 months. |
Mar. 1, 2002 |
849 |
| Cathy received her INS notice for fingerprinting to be done
on 4/12/02. |
Mar. 14, 2002 |
862 |
| Cathy had yet another medical exam from an INS approved
doctor. The cost was $332. |
Mar. 16, 2002 |
864 |
| Filled out and notarized yet another affidavit of support
(I-864). This is the third one we've done. |
Mar. 21, 2002 |
869 |
| Cathy was fingerprinted at the INS ASC (Application Support
Center). |
Apr. 12, 2002 |
891 |
| Cathy received notice for the Adjustment Of Status interview
to be held 5/28/02. |
May 10, 2002 |
919 |
| Cathy passed Adjustment Of Status interview. Received
stamp in passport labeled "processed for I-551 ... permanent
residence". The stamp expires on 5/27/03. |
May 28, 2002 |
937 |
| Cathy received NOA (Notice Of Action) from INS Texas Service
Center in Mesquite, Texas. The NOA was for "Creation of Record
of Lawful Permanent Residence". |
Jul. 3, 2002 |
973 |
| Cathy received her Permanent Resident Card (i.e., green
card) in the mail. It expires on 6/28/2012. Hurray!!! |
Jul. 8, 2002 |
978 |
The following table shows how long it took for various events related to
the processing of citizenship (i.e., naturalization) in Houston to occur:
Processing of Citizenship in Houston
Event
|
Date
|
Day Number
|
| Cathy sent N-400 form ($390) to USCIS Texas Service Center. |
Mar. 1, 2005 |
0 |
| Cathy received I-797C Notice of Action indicating that the
N-400 application was received. The priority date is Mar. 2, 2005. |
Mar. 19, 2005 |
18 |
| Cathy received the notice for fingerprinting originally
scheduled for Friday, April 22, 2005. She rescheduled it for
Saturday, May 7, 2005. |
Mar. 28, 2005 |
27 |
| Cathy was fingerprinted at the USCIS ASC (Application Support
Center). |
May 7, 2005 |
67 |
| Cathy received the notice for her naturalization interview
scheduled for Friday, July 8, 2005. |
May 31, 2005 |
91 |
| Cathy passed her naturalization interview at the Houston
District USCIS office. She answered 10 out of 10 questions correctly
on the civics/history test. |
Jul. 8, 2005 |
129 |
| Cathy received her notice for the naturalization oath
ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, August 30, 2005. |
Aug. 4, 2005 |
156 |
| Cathy attended her naturalization oath ceremony and received
her certificate of naturalization. Cathy is now a citizen of the
United States! (2,357 days after Tom first sent the petition for the fiancée
visa) |
Aug. 30, 2005 |
182 |
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