Urgent: I-485 cover letter & advance parole ?s

02-18-2004, 08:16 AM

I'm a US citizen. I married an Ethiopian last month here in the US.
She is here on a student visa and has been legal the entire time. We
are mailing her I-485 tomorrow (with other required docs) to change
her status to conditional permanent resident based on our marriage.
Three questions:
1. Cover letter: What should I include in (and exclude from) the cover
letter?
2. Advance parole: We are applying for advance parole (I-131) for 2
trips: (a) she wants to travel to South Africa in mid-May 2004 for a
grad school-related program; (b) we plan to travel to Ethiopia in Dec
2004 for a marriage ceremony. Are we likely to get advance parole and,
if so, will she get it by May?
3. Should I use paper clips, staples, or nothing to organize the
I-485, I-131, I-765, G-325A, etc. (and respective fees)? And can I use
personal checks to pay the fees?

Any tips or troubleshooting would be greatly appreciated!!