Hi,
I want to share my interim EAD experience. I went to the local office on July 6 in Arlington,VA.
Well, I arrived at INS @ 7:15AM. There were like 250 to 300 people before me. By the time I got my EAD card it was 4:30PM. There is only one person that was helping issues related to work permits. Part of the reason for the delay was they closed early on july 2.
Anyways, be prepared to take day off (for those who are already occupied during the day) when you plan to go for your interim EAD.
I filed the application form for EAD with the help of our lawyer in the Atlanta office on January 8, 2004. Two months later we got the Notice of Action from Missouri office with two dates - Received Date: January 8, 2004 and Notice Date: March 8, 2004, which was a little bit confusing.
My EAD renewal (at VSC) had been pending for more than 110 days, so I decided to go to the CIS office in Bloomington, MN to get an interim EAD.On Jan 22, 04 the temperature was -10F with the windchill of -30F. I arrived at the CIS office at 7.25 AM. The office was already open. Inside, there were already 50 or so people in the line. The security officer gave me a ticket. After waiting in the line for an hour, I finally reached the security gate and went to the waiting room. It was 8.40 AM.
I got my Interim EAD card based on OPT.
I went to the Bloomington USCIS office (MN) around 4:20 am on Jan 7, 2004. As the weather was cold there were not many people. Somebody made a list and I was the fiteenth person.
Around 6 a.m, we made a line based on the list.
The office opened at 6:30 am.
The officer there started work at 7am. She asked me the reason why I was there and gave me a ticket. I got a ticket and went to another office.
Had our EADs done in a day too.My wife had a job offer confirmed but did not have an EAD on the day she received her offer letter.Since we had passed the wait period to qualify for an interim EAD we went on a expedition to the BCIS office at 5am and were among the 20's in the line.Got it done in less than a hour and drove to the nearby office for Photo.Had to wait for the office to open the counters and were one among the first few to get it done.Everything was done by 10.30am and my wife got her job too
"Went to the local Houston USCIS office by 4:50 am on friday Jul 11, 2003 and found myself behind 100 people (folks camping out...looked like a slumber party
. They sure let us in by 6:15am and got a number (186) & processed by around 12:45pm.
Just wanted to share me and my wife's experience in at the Memphis Sub-Office on January 5, 2004. The Memphis office is severely backlogged currently in regards to AOS and EAD applications. We filed the I-765 for my wife on September 10th and hadn't heard anything. After corresponding with our congressional representative, we were told to travel to Memphis (a 350 mile trip) on any Monday to receive an interim EAD. We traveled to Memphis on Sunday to be ready first thing in the morning. Sunday night we decided to check out the office and went to the front door.
I had filed for my EAD renewal 3 months before the expiry date (September 16th). While my EAD was approved a little before 90 days, my wife's EAD was not renewed. They requested additional evidence (marraige certificate and I140 approval notice). After USCIS received the evidence and the USCIS website was updated, we went to Memphis on friday, January 2nd, 2004 (the day of the week when interim EADs are issued in Memphis) hoping that they would issue an interim EAD (since it was more than 90 days after the original receipt notice).
They say about 30 days, but my wife got the letter in 2 weeks. Once she has this letter, it was pretty easy for her to get that interim EAD. They generally dont listen to you...unless you follow their procedures.
1. Got in line at 4:15AM. 8 people in front of me.
2. At 7:30AM, they started taking folks with appointments.
3. At 8:00AM, they started taking walk-ins.
4. After security check, sent to the 3rd floor.
5. Told that computers for the ticket system are down, only I90 applicants can be processed.
6. Started giving out numbers manually. Mine was E0002. I176 receipt was taken.
7. Was sent to the EAD section across the big room.
8. Asked to fill I765 application. I brought one from home.
Philadelphia district office EAD Interview scheduled 2.5 months after filing the marriage-based I485 package. People visiting for appointments need not wait in the line. The interview process is only taking a photo, leaving the finger print. the EAD card was printed out right away. The whole process took about 20 minutes, excluding waiting time in the waiting room.
I would like to first thank you for all your support and help to the
community with their immigration matters.
Here is our ( unpleasant experience ) getting my wife's Interim EAD (we applied Sept 23, 03 ) at San Francisco USCIS.
January 09 2004
8:50 am Got to the USCIS office.
I went at 10.15 am with I-140,I-765 and I-485 receipt, they gave me a token and new I-765 application to be filled up and called me at 2.15 pm. They checked the above documents, Passport and took my photo and gave me EAD instantly.There is no need to take separate photos and go.
I applied for an EAD in April 2004 along with an I-485 etc. The EAD was applied for through e-file.
I heard nothing for 90 days, then made an appointment with Tampa USCIS.
I arrived and was told that as I e-filed the EAD application before I received my I-485 notice of action (but after I sent the I-485 pack) that my EAD COULD be denied. I was told that they couldn't issue an interim EAD and that I'd need to apply again. She then laughed at me and I was asked to leave for no reason.
Published by: Light Reading - Date: July 31, 2003
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv on the article:
"There are eight or nine bills pending with similar provisions [to Tancredo's]," says Rajiv S. Khanna, a lawyer specializing in H-1B visa issues who practices in Arlington, Va. But he thinks the H-1B visa program already has shrunk along with the rest of the economy. "It's down, in my opinion, to 10 percent of what it was."
For more details please see the attachment below.