Carla’s Green Card was conditional for two years, so the next stage was to get the conditions removed and apply for a permanent 10-year Green Card. We had to do the “Removal of Conditions” within 90 days of the expiration date on the 2-year card. For the first time in our immigration process, we decide to manage without the help of an immigration attorney.

Here’s our timeline for the process:

September 5th, 2014 

We downloaded the I-751form and instructions from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website.

September 8th, 2014

We asked a couple of our friends to write affidavits attesting to the reality of our relationship. These are letters stating how they knew us, and confirming that they’d had regular contact with us and believed that our marriage was genuine. The USCIS website says that each affidavit must be detailed, giving information on who the person is, the person’s address, how they know you, and how exactly they’re able to confirm the validity of your marriage.

September 17th, 2014

We began collecting documents and evidence to accompany our application:

• A copy of the front and back of Carla’s two-year conditional Green Card;
• The lease for our apartment naming us both as joint tenants;
• Documents showing joint debts and liabilities, such as credit cards, loans and utility bills;
• Documents showing joint ownership of properties or assets, including insurance policy documents, bank statements and tax returns;
• Travel itineraries and hotel bills from trips we’d taken together; posters from handbell concerts we’d given together as a couple;
• Several sheets of photos showing the two of us together, including lots of us with family and friends. We put these on letter-size paper, and included details such as when and where the photo was taken, and who was in each photo with us:
• Correspondence addressed to both of us, including Christmas and birthday cards, and wedding invitations;
• Two affidavits written by friends who knew us and were willing to state their belief that our marriage was genuine (see paragraph above for details).

October 17th, 2014

We took copies of everything: the I-751 form, affidavits, photos, and other original documents. Note: We sent copies of everything, NOT originals. 

October 18th, 2014

We mailed our fat package of forms and documents to the USCIS California Processing Center in Laguna Niguel, CA.

October 23rd, 2014

Our package came back to us because we’d missed a signature on one section of the I-751, and we hadn’t enclosed a payment large enough to cover the fees for the biometrics exam. Boo.

October 30th, 2014

We sent the package (with completed I-751 and new payment amount) to the USCIS again.

November 7th, 2014

We received a letter giving us a date for a Biometrics Appointment in San Jose – November 25th. It also confirmed the extension of Carla’s 2-year conditional residence, for a further year. We’d be able to continue using the old Green Card (plus the letter) as identification when traveling in the USA, while they processed our I-751 application.

November 25th, 2015

This was the day for Carla’s biometrics appointment. Officially the low point of our entire immigration experience. The usual airport-style security, followed by difficulty in understanding the accents of the staff there in the San Jose USCIS Field Office. After that, fingerprints and photo taken by an officer who seemed to be completely non-verbal, communicating only in a series of grunts without using any actual words at all. There was chair-kicking (not by Carla), a generally hostile attitude, lots of scowling, and the fingerprints had to be done several times each because of errors. Biometrics appointments are intimidating enough without that kind of stuff… but we got through it, and that’s what matters, of course.

Then we waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

June 8th, 2015

Yay! We received a letter from the USCIS! But boo… it was a REQUEST FOR EVIDENCE. That’s definitely not a good thing. But we were relieved to find that it was just another missing signature, so we signed the form and sent it back again.

Then we waited.

July 18th, 2015 

We received a notification saying that Carla’s new Green Card would soon be on its way…

and…

July 27th, 2015

The ten-year Green Card arrived! That means we can stay together, and Carla is officially a Permanent Resident of the USA. Before the ten years are over, we’ll have to renew the card… but that’s far in the future. For now, we’re happy to celebrate being free from immigration paperwork for a while!

Please remember that all information given is from our own personal experience only – from some years ago! We’re not immigration experts, and nothing on our website should be construed as legal advice, or relied upon for your own visa process. Every case is different – and for expert help and advice, we would always recommend that you contact an immigration attorney.

If you’d like to talk to us about your own visa experience, or your long-distance relationship, you’re welcome to get in touch with us on our Facebook page. We can’t give legal advice or financial help, but we’re always happy to hear from people in long-distance relationships, so if you’d like to talk anything through with us, please get in touch.

© Larry and Carla Sue