Anyone been approved in Garden City, NY, recently?
- Thread starter SaraJones
- Start date
kachamorich13
New Member
Green Card Interview in Garden City NY in 2007
This site has helped me a lot and therefore I am giving some feed back for those who looks for info in this site.
I had my Green card interview based marriage on April 2nd at 7am. My husband a I were there by 6:30 and there were already lines. I had applied my case in end of October 2006, I received my interview date by april 2nd. I already had my finger print date by November.
The only problem i had was i had no original birth certificate and therefore had to provide enough supporting documents why i did not. Following are the interview scene:
Garden City, NY
1. We stood in the line outside at 6:30am,
2. They called us in for checking through the scanning machine 15 min to 7am.
3. We entered the big room and a lady asked for our interview letter.
4. She asked us to sit on the left side of the room.
5. The same lady came and called bunch of names and took us to the 2nd floor to another waiting room.
6. Most ppl in that room where seemed to be there for marriage based interview.
7. Since my husband and i had all our documents we were not worried.
8. We did not wait very long, possibly 10 min
9. The interview lady called us and took to her room.
10. Before we could sit she asked us to raise our hand and take the oath to tell the truth.
11. Than she asked us to provide her with my ID and passport. and my husbands ID
12. Requested for our current Tax return
13. Requested for our paystabs/job-letter
14. Requested for my husband Citizenship and our marriage certificate original
15. While she had all these she asked my husband the following questions
a. How did u meet ur wife?
b. where does ur wife work?
c. What does she do?
d. Does she have any family in US
16. She asked me the following question:
a. What is ur address
b. where does ur husband work?
c. what does he do?
17. than she asked me some questions that are yes and no.
example: have u ever commited crime etc.
18. She was pleased and said very good
19. Than she asked us to wait in the hall so that she can stamp my passport.
20. We waited for about 20 min, and than my passport was stamped, and i was told that i will get my GC in the mail 3-4 weeks. in the min time i can travel, or work without any problem. The passport stamp is valid for same time as the GC will be.
Hope this helps everyone
This site has helped me a lot and therefore I am giving some feed back for those who looks for info in this site.
I had my Green card interview based marriage on April 2nd at 7am. My husband a I were there by 6:30 and there were already lines. I had applied my case in end of October 2006, I received my interview date by april 2nd. I already had my finger print date by November.
The only problem i had was i had no original birth certificate and therefore had to provide enough supporting documents why i did not. Following are the interview scene:
Garden City, NY
1. We stood in the line outside at 6:30am,
2. They called us in for checking through the scanning machine 15 min to 7am.
3. We entered the big room and a lady asked for our interview letter.
4. She asked us to sit on the left side of the room.
5. The same lady came and called bunch of names and took us to the 2nd floor to another waiting room.
6. Most ppl in that room where seemed to be there for marriage based interview.
7. Since my husband and i had all our documents we were not worried.
8. We did not wait very long, possibly 10 min
9. The interview lady called us and took to her room.
10. Before we could sit she asked us to raise our hand and take the oath to tell the truth.
11. Than she asked us to provide her with my ID and passport. and my husbands ID
12. Requested for our current Tax return
13. Requested for our paystabs/job-letter
14. Requested for my husband Citizenship and our marriage certificate original
15. While she had all these she asked my husband the following questions
a. How did u meet ur wife?
b. where does ur wife work?
c. What does she do?
d. Does she have any family in US
16. She asked me the following question:
a. What is ur address
b. where does ur husband work?
c. what does he do?
17. than she asked me some questions that are yes and no.
example: have u ever commited crime etc.
18. She was pleased and said very good
19. Than she asked us to wait in the hall so that she can stamp my passport.
20. We waited for about 20 min, and than my passport was stamped, and i was told that i will get my GC in the mail 3-4 weeks. in the min time i can travel, or work without any problem. The passport stamp is valid for same time as the GC will be.
Hope this helps everyone
The taxes
Thanks! And Congrats!
Time line:
01/19/07 Sent package
01/24/07 NOA receipt date (MSC)
01/29/07 LUD all
02/01/07 LUD all
02/03/07 NOA For fingerprints on 02/13/07
02/14/07 LUD for I-130 and I485
02/15/07 LUD for I-130 and I485
03/05/07 Recieved NOA for invertiview (City Garden on 04/12/07)
03/29/07 I-130 and I485 LUD
Thanks! And Congrats!
Time line:
01/19/07 Sent package
01/24/07 NOA receipt date (MSC)
01/29/07 LUD all
02/01/07 LUD all
02/03/07 NOA For fingerprints on 02/13/07
02/14/07 LUD for I-130 and I485
02/15/07 LUD for I-130 and I485
03/05/07 Recieved NOA for invertiview (City Garden on 04/12/07)
03/29/07 I-130 and I485 LUD
Last edited by a moderator:
kachamorich13
New Member
dear Jorai,
We filled our last year tax already, made a copy of the signed tax and took that. [ we also took the last 3 years tax just to be on the save side]Tax paper is very important. Also current job letter and pay stabs. If u don't have SS# than I really don't know what to say. maybe someone else can give u advise about the SS#
Wish u all the best.
We filled our last year tax already, made a copy of the signed tax and took that. [ we also took the last 3 years tax just to be on the save side]Tax paper is very important. Also current job letter and pay stabs. If u don't have SS# than I really don't know what to say. maybe someone else can give u advise about the SS#
Wish u all the best.
We were approved in Garden City last week! Here is our story.
My husband adjusted from a K-1 *overstay*. Background: I petitioned him for the K-1 visa but we didn't marry in the 90 days allowed (long story). Anyway, we did marry, and we filed I-130, I-485 and I-765 after meeting with an AILA lawyer at the beginning of January. Everything moved very quickly; he did biometrics at the end of January and was scheduled for an April 2 interview in Garden City around the end of February.
We got out to Garden City around 11 a.m. for our 1 p.m. interview (we drove from our home in Brooklyn). They won't let you in more than 45 mins. ahead of time, so we went to a deli across the street for lunch. We went in around 12:15, metal detector, IDs, all that good stuff.
Once they let you in, you're shown to a very large room with a zillion chairs and 8 windows at the front. You check in at Window 1 with your appointment letter. A little while later they might call up 20 or so people, line you up, and send you upstairs to another waiting room to wait for the interview. That took maybe half an hour from entry to being sent upstairs, and then we waited maybe another half hour to be called for our interview. I think we went in around 1:15 for our 1:00 appointment...not bad.
Our DAO was a middle-aged man, looked and sounded maybe West Indian/Caribbean. Not overly friendly but not rude. He swore us in, asked about the overstay, asked if my husband had had any trouble with the law. He asked if we'd had a medical done here, and I said we'd had the I-693A done here and that it should be in the file (he found it, but the civil surgeon had given us an extra copy just in case). He asked us for any joint documentation and photos; I had our joint lease and some health insurance stuff, and a big photo album that included the pics from our civil ceremony. He flipped through the photo album very quickly and asked to keep one of the wedding pictures. Then he left the room to check up on our case, and came back and said he would have to DENY due to the overstay! eep! I pointed out that I as the original I-129F petitioner filed the I-130 in addition to the I-485, which I thought I was supposed to do. He found the I-130 in our file, looked it over, and left the room again. A few tense minutes passed before he returned, said he would APPROVE us because we filed the I-130, groused a little bit about the overstay, and then took my husband's passport again and removed the I-94 and gave us the spiel about removing conditions. Woop woop!
We were sent back downstairs to the large waiting area. We waited a LONG time for his passport to be sent downstairs and stamped, but about an hour later, we were called up to window 8, asked for ID, and a different guy stamped his passport and again told him about removing conditions. I think we left around 2:45 or so.
His welcome notice was mailed on 4 April 2007, card production ordered 9 April 2007. We are done for 21 months and needless to say very much relieved.
Overall, Garden City was a pretty nice place to interview. No one was unfriendly or unprofessional, and it was pretty spacious--no being stuffed into tiny rooms with hundreds of other people. And free parking to boot. Take it if you can get it!
My husband adjusted from a K-1 *overstay*. Background: I petitioned him for the K-1 visa but we didn't marry in the 90 days allowed (long story). Anyway, we did marry, and we filed I-130, I-485 and I-765 after meeting with an AILA lawyer at the beginning of January. Everything moved very quickly; he did biometrics at the end of January and was scheduled for an April 2 interview in Garden City around the end of February.
We got out to Garden City around 11 a.m. for our 1 p.m. interview (we drove from our home in Brooklyn). They won't let you in more than 45 mins. ahead of time, so we went to a deli across the street for lunch. We went in around 12:15, metal detector, IDs, all that good stuff.
Once they let you in, you're shown to a very large room with a zillion chairs and 8 windows at the front. You check in at Window 1 with your appointment letter. A little while later they might call up 20 or so people, line you up, and send you upstairs to another waiting room to wait for the interview. That took maybe half an hour from entry to being sent upstairs, and then we waited maybe another half hour to be called for our interview. I think we went in around 1:15 for our 1:00 appointment...not bad.
Our DAO was a middle-aged man, looked and sounded maybe West Indian/Caribbean. Not overly friendly but not rude. He swore us in, asked about the overstay, asked if my husband had had any trouble with the law. He asked if we'd had a medical done here, and I said we'd had the I-693A done here and that it should be in the file (he found it, but the civil surgeon had given us an extra copy just in case). He asked us for any joint documentation and photos; I had our joint lease and some health insurance stuff, and a big photo album that included the pics from our civil ceremony. He flipped through the photo album very quickly and asked to keep one of the wedding pictures. Then he left the room to check up on our case, and came back and said he would have to DENY due to the overstay! eep! I pointed out that I as the original I-129F petitioner filed the I-130 in addition to the I-485, which I thought I was supposed to do. He found the I-130 in our file, looked it over, and left the room again. A few tense minutes passed before he returned, said he would APPROVE us because we filed the I-130
, groused a little bit about the overstay, and then took my husband's passport again and removed the I-94 and gave us the spiel about removing conditions. Woop woop!We were sent back downstairs to the large waiting area. We waited a LONG time for his passport to be sent downstairs and stamped, but about an hour later, we were called up to window 8, asked for ID, and a different guy stamped his passport and again told him about removing conditions. I think we left around 2:45 or so.
His welcome notice was mailed on 4 April 2007, card production ordered 9 April 2007. We are done for 21 months and needless to say very much relieved.
Overall, Garden City was a pretty nice place to interview. No one was unfriendly or unprofessional, and it was pretty spacious--no being stuffed into tiny rooms with hundreds of other people. And free parking to boot. Take it if you can get it!
The same here. Got apporoved
We were approved this week. Same as your description for the details of interview, but we got there like only 30 minutes before ,which was perfect. We were called with every body else to go up to the second floor, just after like 10 minutes.
Everybody waits until they get called to the corresponding office with the person who will interview. Could not believe that to such an important event, people decide to be informal, and wear jeans.
Anyways, the lady who interviewed us was not really rude, neither friendly, neither very professional (could have used some courtesy, though). Would say she just focused on doing her job. But well, we don't take it personal and we are more than happy to be done with that!
It was like 10 minutes for us. I had so much papers (read some place that there's no such thing as "too much" when it comes to this) and she did not want all, she said it was enough, that "she was easy to please".
Bank account, letter from bank, health insurance, notarized letters, taxes, pay stubs, letter from job, pictures, travel tickets, cards and all the other papers like birth cert., etc.
She said she would stamped my passport and that we could wait downstairs. We went down, they called us right away in one of the windows, a lady explained to me that I could travel any time and the regular words regarding applying when we reach 2 years and that it was our responsibility to do so.
Questions were like: how did you meet, about each other's family, how may sisters and brothers, she asked my husband what did he see ("besides the look"), to marry me, what did we do for Valentines, if he had met my family, and so on
Applied on Jan. 24th., done in April 12th. Must say I am surprised, I thought it would take at least a year!
Thanks God, we are done!
Good luck and thanks to everybody.
We were approved this week. Same as your description for the details of interview, but we got there like only 30 minutes before ,which was perfect. We were called with every body else to go up to the second floor, just after like 10 minutes.
Everybody waits until they get called to the corresponding office with the person who will interview. Could not believe that to such an important event, people decide to be informal, and wear jeans.
Anyways, the lady who interviewed us was not really rude, neither friendly, neither very professional (could have used some courtesy, though). Would say she just focused on doing her job. But well, we don't take it personal and we are more than happy to be done with that!
It was like 10 minutes for us. I had so much papers (read some place that there's no such thing as "too much" when it comes to this) and she did not want all, she said it was enough, that "she was easy to please".
Bank account, letter from bank, health insurance, notarized letters, taxes, pay stubs, letter from job, pictures, travel tickets, cards and all the other papers like birth cert., etc.
She said she would stamped my passport and that we could wait downstairs. We went down, they called us right away in one of the windows, a lady explained to me that I could travel any time and the regular words regarding applying when we reach 2 years and that it was our responsibility to do so.
Questions were like: how did you meet, about each other's family, how may sisters and brothers, she asked my husband what did he see ("besides the look"), to marry me, what did we do for Valentines, if he had met my family, and so on
Applied on Jan. 24th., done in April 12th. Must say I am surprised, I thought it would take at least a year!
Thanks God, we are done!
Good luck and thanks to everybody.
Last edited by a moderator:
Same thing here. Had the interview at the end of February and still waiting.
Just curious, what does the status say when you check it online?
stubborn_baby
Registered Users (C)
ethanwow, how did you call the Garden City office, could you tell me the phone # please!!!
I am thinking going there on Monday to find out why there is NO information about my case (is pending in garden City) in the main computer system (because of this I can't get EAD). But I am afraid they won't let me in and besides It's a long trip from the place I live and I don't have a car.
It would be so much better just to call them.
Please help me!!!
I am thinking going there on Monday to find out why there is NO information about my case (is pending in garden City) in the main computer system (because of this I can't get EAD). But I am afraid they won't let me in and besides It's a long trip from the place I live and I don't have a car.
It would be so much better just to call them.
Please help me!!!
The phone number was posted in this thread. Many helpful posts and I suggest that you read some of them starting Post #50.
http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=198694&page=4
Press 1 for English and then 0 for the operator. Sometimes operators won't answer the phone. Just keep calling until someone answers.
I did get a hold of the IO. He asked me to give him my case # and phone # and said he will call me back. He did after 10 minutes.
http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=198694&page=4
Press 1 for English and then 0 for the operator. Sometimes operators won't answer the phone. Just keep calling until someone answers.
I did get a hold of the IO. He asked me to give him my case # and phone # and said he will call me back. He did after 10 minutes.
Last edited by a moderator:
stubborn_baby
Registered Users (C)
Thank you so much!!!!! I will call on Monday morning!!!
My interview was on March 20, so it's been almost 18 weeks now!!!
And I applied in September 2005!!!!!
The problem is I can't have EAD because NBC has no information that case is pending............................
My interview was on March 20, so it's been almost 18 weeks now!!!
And I applied in September 2005!!!!!
The problem is I can't have EAD because NBC has no information that case is pending............................
Approval discrepancy
Hello All,
I had my AOS interview on 5/22/07. It went fine except that I had to send in an updated Affidavit of Support which I sent right away. Then I got a second Biometrics appointment for 7/10/07. There has been no LUD since 7/10/07 on the I-485. I-130 was approved June 15th.
I called the IO that interviewed me(Thanks to this forum that I got a number to call!!!). She said that she had approved both the I-130 and I-485 last month..that is June 2007!!! I asked her about my biometrics appointment and she said she had no idea why they needed that. She said that the file was still at Garden City and the system hadn't been updated...for a month???? .
Anyways, I then called the 1-800 number (a total waste of time!!!!). The agent kept on saying that I need to give it 6 months from RD for approval. I reiterated to her numerous times that I just spoke to the IO and she has APPROVED the case.
Does this sound like Name Check issues? I even asked the IO about it and she said that there was nothing that suggested that I am stuck in Name Check.
I have to wait till the end of August, if I don't receive my GC till then I have to call the IO back.
Anyone faced a similar situation? Any input would be helpful.
Thanks and sorry for a reallly looong post.
ssp77
Hello All,
I had my AOS interview on 5/22/07. It went fine except that I had to send in an updated Affidavit of Support which I sent right away. Then I got a second Biometrics appointment for 7/10/07. There has been no LUD since 7/10/07 on the I-485. I-130 was approved June 15th.
I called the IO that interviewed me(Thanks to this forum that I got a number to call!!!). She said that she had approved both the I-130 and I-485 last month..that is June 2007!!! I asked her about my biometrics appointment and she said she had no idea why they needed that. She said that the file was still at Garden City and the system hadn't been updated...for a month????
.Anyways, I then called the 1-800 number (a total waste of time!!!!). The agent kept on saying that I need to give it 6 months from RD for approval. I reiterated to her numerous times that I just spoke to the IO and she has APPROVED the case.
Does this sound like Name Check issues? I even asked the IO about it and she said that there was nothing that suggested that I am stuck in Name Check.
I have to wait till the end of August, if I don't receive my GC till then I have to call the IO back.
Anyone faced a similar situation? Any input would be helpful.
Thanks and sorry for a reallly looong post.
ssp77
Same story
Did you get the GC with your c1/d visa? If you did please I need your advise
johnmaya0@gmail.com
Did you get the GC with your c1/d visa? If you did please I need your advise
johnmaya0@gmail.com
franticsky
Registered Users (C)
if anyone whose name check was pending and interviewd at garden city got an update please please please let me know ,
Look, I don't want to be rude, but it's only been 2 days since your interview. Even Praetorian didn't get his GC in 2 days. I realize that's really hard not to get GC right away, but please be a little bit more patient. There's is nothing you can do right now. If 6 months pass by and you still don't hear anything from them, then I would understand your frustration and then you can start bugging them, senators, etc. But for know - be patient.
Maybe (and I wish you so) your name is going to clear next week.
Good luck!