Originally Posted by
Want GC Soon
Hi Folks,
"Yes" "Yes" I am atlast approved. I wanted to let you all know that my GC Interview at Newark, NJ went well today (08/05/2005) and I am atlast "APPROVED". But since my employer filed me in EB3, I wasn't able to get my passport stamped today. The officer stamped my A number with the date on the passport.
After coming into US in 1998 and didn't have any plans of settling down in US and so didnt apply for my GC until Nov 2003 using Substituted Labor.
Our appointment was at 1pm today and we entered Newark at 12:30pm, completed our security check, proceeded to 13th floor at 12:45pm and gave our interview letter at the reception window. The receptionist asked if we had a lawyer, I replied "No".
She took the interview letter and said that I would be called soon. I waited, waited and waited........ They didnt have a wall clock on the waiting room and I didnt take my cell phone as I left it in the car and didnt wear a watch. So, I didnt know what the current time was but I knew that I waited for a long time. My wife was with me and I asked her to have something in the 2nd floor and she brought me a muffin and when I was eating outside (Eating/Drinking is strictly prohibited in the waiting room), I checked with the security officer as what the time is. She said its 2:45pm and asked me to check with the receptionist again. When I asked the receptionist she said that the officers have gone out to lunch and probably they will call you once they return. We waiting patiently for our turn. There were atleast 75 people in the waiting room.
At 3:10 pm, a middle aged lady called my name and asked me to follow her. She took the fingerprints/signature first and asked us to follow to her cube. She asked us to take the oath and said "OK", I have so many things to ask you. I was nervous in the beginning but still didnt show it on my face and was pretending cool.
She asked my wife's birth certificate as she didnt have it. We got my wife's birth certificate day before yesterday(08/03) from India after a great struggle of 6 months and it was delayed by the courier for almost 10 days because of rains in Bombay. So the six month wait on the Birth Certificate atleast helped us to answer the first question.
Then the officer asked me how many years was I on F1 status. I have 6 H1Bs and 1 F1 in the past 7.5 years, and I replied 18 months. Then she was asking me as why your sponsoring employer didnt hire you even though I have an EAD through him. She asked me if I still have plans to join my future employer (Remember, I have never worked for the sponsoring employer till date), she asked me where I am working and I replied NY. She asked my paystubs with my current employer and asked if I have an offer letter from my future employer. I replied "YES", she looked at it and started calculating my salary which was more than 100% from my future employer and asked me an explanation on that as well. I gave her a good explanation and she was happy.
Then she asked me about 2004 tax returns, my H1 copy for my last employer. I gave her copies. She then asked me if I have 2 photographs for both me and my wife. I replied yes and handed over the photos and she looked at my wife's pictures and said that they are small and you need to take pictures again and come back again today. She gave us a letter stating that we need 2 photographs and we went to 972, Broad Street and took 4 pictures for $10.00 and came back to Immigration office and handed them again to the Immigration Officer and asked if every thing is ok. She said that everything is complete and we dont need to come back for any interview and once the visa numbers are available in October, we will get the Green Card directly to our address. The officer confirmed if we are still staying in the same address and I replied "Yes".
I asked the officer that I have plans to go to India in Dec as I havent been to India for the past 6.5 years and showed her my air ticket. She said that I would 99.99% get my GC before then or to have a cushion, better apply "Advance Parole" so that your travel plans are not messed up.
The officer took all (5 - I94's) for me and one I94 for my wife and didnt take my old Advance Parole and EAD's.
She then shook hands with me and said you are all set and I am sorry that I couldn't give you a stamp today because of visa number unavailability. She also said that priority dates may even go backwards after a few months. Even for the people who are interviewed, once the visa numbers are available they will go through "priority date" first before they start issuing the green cards. This was the news that I got from my officer.
Even though I have double masters and have over 12 years of experience my employer screwed me in applying through EB3, which I wasnt aware until last month.
My Story:
Labor: Priority Date: May 2001 - Labor Substitution
EAD/AP/140/485 - Applied Nov 2003
1st EAD/AP - Approved (Interim) given for 1 yr - Feb 2004
140 - Approved - June 6, 2004 - No RFE
Finger Prints given - October 30, 2004
Case Transferred to Newark - Dec 10, 2004
Case Enquiry in Newark in person - Jan 10, 2004 - got a confirmation that
my file was received on Dec 15, 2004
Received Interview Letter - June 19, 2005
Interview Date - August 5, 2005
Approved - August 5, 2005
No RFE at any Stage
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Another story: - GC Inteview in Newark, August 5, 2005 @ 1:30pm
There was another Indian guy who had also been interviewed on future employment today at 1:30pm. He had brought his lawyer and paid a wholesum amount of $500.00 for 2 hours.
His labor is substitution and was on 'C++' programming. You know what, his immigration officer asked him to write a "C++" program and since this guy had lost touch in C++, he had few errors in syntax and the immigration officer corrected his program and said that he was once a "C++" programmer and approved his Green Card today since he was under EB2 category.
A friendly advise, if your labor is mentioning a different skill and if you have never worked in those skill sets, and if the file is transferred then better learn something about the skill set.
I have heard of writing programs in Madras, India or in Indian Consulates but this is the first time I heard that they have been asked for GC interview.
Again, I would like to thankyou all for all the support, encouragement, cooperation in getting my GC approved and I wish you all good luck.
I hope that my posting even though its very long, would atleast help a few who are waiting for their interview this month and for the months to come.
Good Luck and Wish you all the Best.
Krishna
"Hardwork Pays Always & Laziness Pays Just Now"
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