A Terrible Green Card Interview ! What options do I have?

X

xbsd

Registered Users (C)
(Also posted this on the April filers thread, but thought posting here would get me more responses --- and I really need them)

Hi, Thought I'd share my experience at the visa office today. I had my Visa interview scheduled today and went early to the visa office. I have been living with my wife for almost two years while as a boyfriend-girfriend and finally last year we decided to get married. My wife who is a US Citizen filed for my green card recently after we got married. The interview began.

Officer: (to my wife) When did you move in with him ?
My wife : Since 2007
Officer (raising eyebrows): So you were living with him before the two of you got married.
My wife: Yes
Officer: That is very odd. This is the first time I have heard that an Indian couple was living together before they got married.

..... what could we say.

My wife has been looking for a job recently and it's not that easy to get into one these days. But the officer thought different.

Officer (To my wife): So you're not working ?
My Wife: No
Officer (To my wife): So, you mostly stay at home ?
My Wife: Yes, cooking, etc
Officer: Are you,... ummm, did you arrange that you are going to stay at home and he is going to work -- is that why you are applying for his GC ?

... Next -- I had prepared all my application papers (I-130, 485, etc) very thoroughly when I mailed my package in April, after reading suggestions on this forum and other sites and sent as much evidence as needed, even did the Acco punch on the top of the documents to file them as suggested on the INS website. But the officer thought different ....

Officer (To me): Who prepared your documents ?
I: I did
Officer: How many times have you done this before?
I (surprised): Never, ....
Officer: hmmm, (raising eyebrows),hmmm it looks like an attorney prepared your documents ... (she wasn't convinced)

---------------

And so it went. At one point she asked me what proof do you have that she lives with you. I show them the joint lease, the joint bank acct. statements, the joint income tax return, etc ... and nothing seemed to satisfy her and she kept saying, "not enough". I felt like asking what she needed, but didn't want to sound demanding, so I refrained.

What can I say ... . She told us that she will have to check with her supervisor and then she'd let us know by mail. I am preparing myself for the worst case scenario. I was on H1 before this and filed I-485 via marriage in April, when the officer heard that me and my wife was living before we got married, she got suspicious from that time on she wouldn't stop asking questions. I even showed her proofs of places we had been to while we were dating, airline receipts,... everything you can think of, but she was stuck on the fact that "Indians don't stay together before marriage". It seemed to me that telling everything truthfully was the mistake we did ?! There are so many indian couples in the US, who are boyfriend-girlfriend who live with each other and get married. Even my most conservative friend from Dharwad, from a very religious family started living with his wife once their marriage had been finalized ...

So, my question to the members on this forum is this ---

1) What happens if they reject the GC Application? Do I have any recourse ?
2) I have been working at a big well-known company as a full-time employee for almost 5 years... they know that I am currently on EAD -- Does the EAD stay valid if the reject my GC ? When do I have to tell my employer about this ?
3) Has anyone else experienced a similar situation ? Can you please share your experience if you did ... .

Thanks,

- Nataraj.
 
1) you can appeal
2) If the GC is rejected your EAD is voided. But they probably aren't going to reject your case right away, you'll probably get the Stokes interview if they weren't happy with this one.
 
First, as said you can appeal. But frankly your interview didn't sound that horrible IMHO. And she has to run it through the supervisor anyway WHO will make an actual decision also based on looking through your docs. I'd relax a little and wait for at least a month for the response back. If there is no violations and you submitted enough docs to make supervisor happy the worst case scenario is STOKES. But there are people even on this forum who had it and got approved. So don't worry in advance!
 
I think you are in good shape as you provided them all the documents. They will not deny your case but under unusual circumstances they will send you a letter saying "Intent to deny" and give you a time limit to submit proof that your benefit is bonafide.

You should get an attorney if that happens.
 
xbsd said:
(Also posted this on the April filers thread, but thought posting here would get me more responses --- and I really need them)

Hi, Thought I'd share my experience at the visa office today. I had my Visa interview scheduled today and went early to the visa office. I have been living with my wife for almost two years while as a boyfriend-girfriend and finally last year we decided to get married. My wife who is a US Citizen filed for my green card recently after we got married. The interview began.

Officer: (to my wife) When did you move in with him ?
My wife : Since 2007
Officer (raising eyebrows): So you were living with him before the two of you got married.
My wife: Yes
Officer: That is very odd. This is the first time I have heard that an Indian couple was living together before they got married.

..... what could we say.

My wife has been looking for a job recently and it's not that easy to get into one these days. But the officer thought different.

Officer (To my wife): So you're not working ?
My Wife: No
Officer (To my wife): So, you mostly stay at home ?
My Wife: Yes, cooking, etc
Officer: Are you,... ummm, did you arrange that you are going to stay at home and he is going to work -- is that why you are applying for his GC ?

... Next -- I had prepared all my application papers (I-130, 485, etc) very thoroughly when I mailed my package in April, after reading suggestions on this forum and other sites and sent as much evidence as needed, even did the Acco punch on the top of the documents to file them as suggested on the INS website. But the officer thought different ....

Officer (To me): Who prepared your documents ?
I: I did
Officer: How many times have you done this before?
I (surprised): Never, ....
Officer: hmmm, (raising eyebrows),hmmm it looks like an attorney prepared your documents ... (she wasn't convinced)

---------------

And so it went. At one point she asked me what proof do you have that she lives with you. I show them the joint lease, the joint bank acct. statements, the joint income tax return, etc ... and nothing seemed to satisfy her and she kept saying, "not enough". I felt like asking what she needed, but didn't want to sound demanding, so I refrained.

What can I say ... . She told us that she will have to check with her supervisor and then she'd let us know by mail. I am preparing myself for the worst case scenario. I was on H1 before this and filed I-485 via marriage in April, when the officer heard that me and my wife was living before we got married, she got suspicious from that time on she wouldn't stop asking questions. I even showed her proofs of places we had been to while we were dating, airline receipts,... everything you can think of, but she was stuck on the fact that "Indians don't stay together before marriage". It seemed to me that telling everything truthfully was the mistake we did ?! There are so many indian couples in the US, who are boyfriend-girlfriend who live with each other and get married. Even my most conservative friend from Dharwad, from a very religious family started living with his wife once their marriage had been finalized ...

So, my question to the members on this forum is this ---

1) What happens if they reject the GC Application? Do I have any recourse ?
2) I have been working at a big well-known company as a full-time employee for almost 5 years... they know that I am currently on EAD -- Does the EAD stay valid if the reject my GC ? When do I have to tell my employer about this ?
3) Has anyone else experienced a similar situation ? Can you please share your experience if you did ... .

Thanks,

- Nataraj.
Click to expand...

She is just giving you a hard time. Relax, you will get your GC!
 
..... what could we say.
++++++++++++++++++
You should have produced evidence of what you said.
++++++++++++++++++
(she wasn't convinced)
++++++++++++++++++
Again you should have produced evidence.
 
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