My Peruvian Girlfriend

Now starts the waiting game. If you filed for an EAD, your spouse will get their Employment Authorization Document approved in 30 to 90 days and will be scheduled to have their picture taken and to have their EAD card issued.

After your spouse has received their EAD, the real wait begins. I-485's can take several months to couple years for approval, and often leaves the petitioner feeling completely hopeless of ever receiving approval. DO NOT GIVE UP! Though it seems like forever, the CIS will eventually get to your petitions!

Your spouse may also be required to have a medical sometime during the AOS process. The medical must be done by a CIS accredited doctor. Your CIS office should give you a list of CIS accredited doctors in your area, if not check with your local office to get one. The medical exam can cost anywhere from $100-200 dollars, many physicians will not take a check, but only accept cash. Be prepared of the cost before your spouse gets this done. It would be wise to collect their vaccination information before going to the appointment as the doctor will need to have record of them. At the appointment your spouse will be tested for TB, AIDS and Syphilis. If they do the skin test for TB, they will be required to return to the CIS doctors office to have the site checked before they finish the exam paperwork. Note: Some CIS Offices allow you to schedule your appointment when you want, as long as it is done before the AOS appointment, check with your CIS office to see how they handle CIS medical exams before filing your AOS paperwork.

Your spouse will be required to have biometrics taken at some point including fingerprints and photo's. This can typically precede the interview date by up to 15 months, however is ussually much closer. Eventually you will receive a letter from the CIS informing you of your interview date. You and your spouse will need to bring supporting evidence of the relationship... i.e. photos, joint checking account, joint lease, joint mortgage, and birth certificates of children if any etc. Also, it is very important to bring the current passport of the applicant, as the CIS will stamp his/her passport with the I-551 stamp if they are approved. This stamp is proof of permanent residency that can be used until they receive their greencard. This normally can take up to six months. The interview is fairly painless and may be video recorded and lasts between 15-30 minutes.