Stop going to school [F-1] after applying for green card?

[johnick]

Hi.

If I [an international student on F-1 in California] & my wife [who is a US Citizen] apply for my green card [adjustment of status] and work permit, can I stop going to my school immediately while the paperwork is being processed by the INS [right after we mail it]? Can I stay legally in the US while the whole paperwork/procedure is in progress and not go to school?

If it is possible, is there a standard procedure for that or do I simply stop going to school? It seems the school or their officers know nothing about such information.

Any advice or info on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[vissu2020]

Since your green card is through family i.e. through a marriage to US citizen, you can continue with your schooling while your green card is in process.

[snathan]

Originally Posted by johnick

Hi.

If I [an international student on F-1 in California] & my wife [who is a US Citizen] apply for my green card [adjustment of status] and work permit, can I stop going to my school immediately while the paperwork is being processed by the INS [right after we mail it]? Can I stay legally in the US while the whole paperwork/procedure is in progress and not go to school?

If it is possible, is there a standard procedure for that or do I simply stop going to school? It seems the school or their officers know nothing about such information.

Any advice or info on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

As your AOS is already applied, you are fine. Make sure that USCIS got your papers and you got the receipt.

This is not a legal advise and please check with attorney.

[glus]

Originally Posted by johnick

Hi.

If I [an international student on F-1 in California] & my wife [who is a US Citizen] apply for my green card [adjustment of status] and work permit, can I stop going to my school immediately while the paperwork is being processed by the INS [right after we mail it]? Can I stay legally in the US while the whole paperwork/procedure is in progress and not go to school?

If it is possible, is there a standard procedure for that or do I simply stop going to school? It seems the school or their officers know nothing about such information.

Any advice or info on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

If you got married to a U.S. Citizen and it is a real relationship, you are not required to maintain a legal status to be able to adjust to that of a perm US resident. Once you file 485, you do not need to attend school any longer as you are considered in "Authorized Period of Stay, " until a final decision on your I-485 is made.

[Raj Iyer]

Yes. You can provided you made a legal entry to the U.S.

[johnick]

Thank you all! 2 more questions please:

1 : What do I tell my international student office after the I-485 is filed? Do I tell them something like "I have filed the I-485 form & am applying for adjustment of status so please update your records to show that."

I am trying to see if I can make it easier, in terms of terminology and language, to let my ISO [international student officer] know about it, regardless of me stopping school immediately.

2 : Does applying for AOS & GC mean that my intent is to live here for longer amounts of time? Would that mean that if I stop going to school, or pause it for the semester [withdraw], it will not look bad at the interview since I am applying for the AOS/GC already and am showing intent for permanent residency? I just want to make sure about the interview itself too. Or do the interviewers not care about that since we are doing everything legally and for real?

Thank you! I really appreciate your help on this.

[johnick]

Hi!

Ok, so I applied for the green card and yesterday received the receipt notices in the mail that the USCIS has received the documents. I am very happy.

So I have a question please: do you have any suggestion so to what I can do to withdraw from school at the moment? Is there a procedure to it, or do I simply go to my ISO [international student advisor], show them the receipt notice? Or do I have to wait for the "approval" notice? [is "approval" notice different than the receipt notice?]

Thank you!