Q & A Janurary 2, 2005

Q & A 1. 2.

Q&A 1.

Make InfoPass Appointment to Find Out Delayed Green Card Production Status

Chui Reader Asks:

I came to US when I received the green card lottery of DV1 program. However, I have been waiting for 5 months and still have not received the green card. Is there a way to check if they mailed it to a wrong address since I have changed my addresses twice after entering the country? Is there a set time for the program to send out green card? I once rented a room from an America family and found that my letter containing Social Security Card had been opened. At that time, I did not know the importance and did not do anything about it. I’m afraid that the green card might be sent to that address and that my information might be stolen by others. What should I do now?

Dear reader:

Green card processing takes varying periods of time for individuals entering the U.S. from overseas. That is why passports are stamped at the port of entry with temporary evidence of permanent residence (I-551 stamp). I suggest that you make an appointment with the local U.S.C.I.S. office through InfoPass to find out the present status of your card production. The CIS representative should be able to tell you whether the card was mailed and if so whether it was returned to a Service Center. At the same time, you can confirm whether your address has been updated in the CIS computer.

Q&A 2.

U.S. Citizen Can Have His Girlfriend Come to the U.S. Through Any Different Means

Reader asks:

How many ways I could apply for my girlfriend coming to U.S.? Which method is the fastest?
I’m a U.S. citizen.

Dear reader:

A U.S. citizen can have his girlfriend come to the U.S. through many different means. If the relationship has not yet approached the stage of engagement, the girlfriend could perhaps enter the U.S. as a visitor if she already has a visa, if the consular officer agrees to give her one, or if she is visa exempt through being a national of a visa waiver program country. If the girl friend has other purposes in coming to the U.S., e.g.-work or study, she may be able to obtain the appropriate visa for those activities and see the U.S. citizen boyfriend at the same time.

If the relationship has reached the point of engagement, the U.S. citizen could apply for a K-1 fiancee visa on form I-129F with the U.S.C.I.S. service center having jurisdiction over his place of residence. This is usually a quick method to have the girlfriend enter. Following entry, the couple has 90 days within which they must marry to allow the girlfriend to then submit an application for permanent residence. The other alternatives are for the citizen to marry the girlfriend and either apply for a K-3 temporary visa for spouse through form I-129F at the Missouri Service Center of the U.S.C.I.S. or submit an I-130 relative petition for permanent immigration benefits at the service center with jurisdiction over his place of residence.

Copyright © 2003 - 2005 Alan Lee, Esq.
The information provided here is of a general nature and may not apply to any particular set of facts or circumstances. It should not be construed as legal advice and does not constitute an engagement of the Law Office of Alan Lee or establish an attorney-client relationship.