2024 Update: From K-1 Visa to Adjustment of Status (AOS) Application – My Journey so far

In June 2023, I entered the United States through a K-1 visa and subsequently got married in July. Since this new beginning, I have applied for Adjustment of Status (AOS) and am currently in a waiting phase. This process has not been straightforward, as I also experienced a Request for Evidence (RFE). In this article, I will detail my journey from obtaining the K-1 visa to the present, in chronological order. Additionally, I will share information about the additional documents submitted for the RFE.

Updates

Timeline

June 2023
Arrived in the United States on a K-1 visa
July 2023
Got married
Aug 2023
Applied for Adjustment of Status (AOS).
Aug 2023
Visited the Japanese Embassy to give them the notice of marrage
Aug 2023
Received Notification of Acceptance of AOS Documents
Sep 2023
Recieved NOA1（Form I-485、I-864、I-765）
Sep 2023
Received Biometrics Appointment Schedule
Sep 2023
Received Request for Evidence (RFE) Regarding Form I-864
Sep 2023
Attended Scheduled Biometrics Appointment
Nov 2023
Submited Documents Requested in the RFE (Request for Evidence)
Nov 2023
Received Notification of Receipt of Additional Documents for RFE form USCIS

Thus, the timeline has progressed in this manner.

The submitted documents for REF

As with the K-1, this time’s RFE was also a request for additional documents regarding Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support). Due to my husband’s work, we couldn’t start the process immediately so submitted it online towards the end of November. There was about a three-month deadline for submission.
It’s important to read the RFE letter thoroughly as there is a deadline.

The following are the additional documents we submitted.

Docs

- - The original RFE (a copy of the RFE letter itself was also required to be sent)
  - Form I-864 (no major revisions made, but be careful with missing signatures and dates)
  - Tax Return Transcripts for 2020 to 2022
  - Tax Return for 2022 W-2
  - Most recent Pay Stub
  - Bank balance statement
  - Stock acquisition amount certificate
  - Husband’s employment certificate (including annual salary details)
  - Copy of my husband’s passport & birth certificate

We submitted an overwhelming amount of documents for proof.

It took time not only to gather them but also to submit them.
Due to the website’s structure, we could only upload a maximum of five files, and they also had to be compressed in size.
We combined several documents into one, creating ‘File 1’, ‘File 2’, and so on, for a total of five files.
By the way, we attached a cover letter in the first file.

We sincerely hope that everything is going to be okay!
From what I see around, some people receive a response about 3 months after submitting additional documents for RFE.
Without getting our hopes too high, we’ve decided to patiently wait.