Jane Green
Registered Users (C)
Today is my lucky day. I got that I-551 stamp. 
Finally. Today, 1/23/2006 at Tampa DO.
The worse thing about my interview was that they schedule us for 7 AM and since we live in 2 hrs-drive from Tampa we had to wake up at 4 AM
in a morning to be there in time. But I have to tell you – it is such an enjoyment to drive on I-75 at that hour. 
We got there at 6:30, got called in at 7:10 and at 7:35 we were done.
We had a very nice lady-officer to interview us.
She swore us in and then asked for our driver’s licenses and passports.
We gave her DLs. She looked at them, then returned back to us.
Then I gave her my expired national passport, my husband’s expired US passport and my son’s national passport (still valid). She took my original I-94, returned passports to us, didn’t ask or comment anything about it being expired. She already had a copy of my husband’s birth certificate on file so she didn’t said anything about his expired passport either.
Then she asked for my and my son’s medical. I gave envelopes to her; she opened them up and put in files.
And then the questions started…. She asked a lot of them, but nothing “tricky”. All the questions were from our I-130 and I-485 applications and when she asked the question she looked either at my husband or at me for an answer.
Questions she asked me: My full name, my address, city I was born, my husband’s first name, my husband’s middle name, his birthday, was he ever married and if he had any children. Then he asked questions from I-485 (all those “have you ever…”).
Questions she asked my husband: country I was from, my parents names, had he ever met them, when my birthday was, had I ever been married before, how many times, how many children I had.
Question she asked my son: how old was he.
She asked my husband when we met. It was back in 2000 actually…and we didn’t start dating right way, so he had to think about it for a while. When he answered, she asked me if that was right. I said yes.
She asked me when I got divorced, then she asked him when we got married.
She asked me when was the last time I traveled overseas. I told her - last summer. She asked what document I used. I show her my and my son’s RTDs (INS travel passports). She checked them out, took our I-94s and returned the documents to me.
She asked about our 2004 tax returns. I gave it to her (we filed jointly).
Then she asked if we had employer’s letters and pay stabs for her. We did and I gave her all that, plus 2005 W-2 forms.
Then she said “OK, do you have anything else in both names from the time you been together?” I said “Oh, yes! All the way back to 2002!” she said ‘Good, just put everything on the table”. I put my pile of documents, like join bills, car insurance, joins checking account statements with some cashed checks signed by both, property tax bill and bunch of miscellanies staff, like receipts, club memberships, school’s records when my husband listed like a second parent and some other stuff.
She look trough all of it, put checkmark by our names on every page and she took everything way. Didn’t make any comments, didn’t ask any questions. The last paper in that pile was a 11X9 printout of our web album’s front page. She look at it, smiled, put her checkmark and took it too.
Most of the staff I gave her was photocopies. I had another file with originals, but she didn’t ask.
Then she went “your GC will come in a mail in about two to three months….” And me, disappointly: “but I have more to show you!” She smiled “ Yes? Like what?”
I put two photo albums on her desk (we have a big family ) and I opened 4-page folder full of letters and cards from friends and relatives. She gave in into my enthusiasm and let me show her some pictures of two of us and together with family at different times and different places. She took one picture with just two of us for her file. She didn’t look at letters and cards.
She asked for my and my son’s passports again. I knew where she was going with that and told her that since my passport expired long time ago I don’t want it to be stamped.
She said fine and stamped my RTD. Then she repeated that we would get green cards in a mail in 2-3 months, maybe sooner. And that was it.
Questions she didn’t ask – new Affidavit of support. I had two new (one for me, one for my son) prepared, just in case. She didn’t need them.
Also, she asked absolutely nothing about my past immigration history. I been living in this country since 1994, and when I filed my marriage based I-485 I already had one pending in NSC (asylee adjustment). She didn’t even ask what happed to that application and if I closed that case or if it’s still pending…. She didn’t even ask if I was legal all these 11 ½ years or anything like that. It’s like I just arrived in US two months ago...
All questions were strictly related to my present marriage and this I-485.
She didn't even ask about my EAD (and I have 5 of them, all expired). I got unrestricted SS back in 2004 and stopped renewing EADs, also my DL is valid for 7 years and I have a stamp “employment authorized” on my I-94.
So maybe because I never applied for EAD with MSC based on my marriage, she probably assumed I haven’t ever applied for one? Oh, well, she didn’t ask and I didn’t volunteer. I just expected a lot more questions and going into more details then she actually did.
I took a lot more with us to the interview then was really needed, but I am glad we didn’t forget or missed anything. I am relived that all this anxiety and long-long waiting is finally over. Three more years and I’ll get rid of INS for good.
Thank you all of you guys and girls who supported me and shared their time and knowledge to answer my questions when I had some. Good luck to you all, who is still waiting for the interviews and I’ll see you on the citizenship forum!
Jane the “Green Card holder”
Finally. Today, 1/23/2006 at Tampa DO.The worse thing about my interview was that they schedule us for 7 AM and since we live in 2 hrs-drive from Tampa we had to wake up at 4 AM
in a morning to be there in time. But I have to tell you – it is such an enjoyment to drive on I-75 at that hour. We got there at 6:30, got called in at 7:10 and at 7:35 we were done.
We had a very nice lady-officer to interview us.
She swore us in and then asked for our driver’s licenses and passports.
We gave her DLs. She looked at them, then returned back to us.
Then I gave her my expired national passport, my husband’s expired US passport and my son’s national passport (still valid). She took my original I-94, returned passports to us, didn’t ask or comment anything about it being expired. She already had a copy of my husband’s birth certificate on file so she didn’t said anything about his expired passport either.
Then she asked for my and my son’s medical. I gave envelopes to her; she opened them up and put in files.
And then the questions started…. She asked a lot of them, but nothing “tricky”. All the questions were from our I-130 and I-485 applications and when she asked the question she looked either at my husband or at me for an answer.
Questions she asked me: My full name, my address, city I was born, my husband’s first name, my husband’s middle name, his birthday, was he ever married and if he had any children. Then he asked questions from I-485 (all those “have you ever…”).
Questions she asked my husband: country I was from, my parents names, had he ever met them, when my birthday was, had I ever been married before, how many times, how many children I had.
Question she asked my son: how old was he.
She asked my husband when we met. It was back in 2000 actually…and we didn’t start dating right way, so he had to think about it for a while. When he answered, she asked me if that was right. I said yes.
She asked me when I got divorced, then she asked him when we got married.
She asked me when was the last time I traveled overseas. I told her - last summer. She asked what document I used. I show her my and my son’s RTDs (INS travel passports). She checked them out, took our I-94s and returned the documents to me.
She asked about our 2004 tax returns. I gave it to her (we filed jointly).
Then she asked if we had employer’s letters and pay stabs for her. We did and I gave her all that, plus 2005 W-2 forms.
Then she said “OK, do you have anything else in both names from the time you been together?” I said “Oh, yes! All the way back to 2002!” she said ‘Good, just put everything on the table”. I put my pile of documents, like join bills, car insurance, joins checking account statements with some cashed checks signed by both, property tax bill and bunch of miscellanies staff, like receipts, club memberships, school’s records when my husband listed like a second parent and some other stuff.
She look trough all of it, put checkmark by our names on every page and she took everything way. Didn’t make any comments, didn’t ask any questions. The last paper in that pile was a 11X9 printout of our web album’s front page. She look at it, smiled, put her checkmark and took it too.
Most of the staff I gave her was photocopies. I had another file with originals, but she didn’t ask.
Then she went “your GC will come in a mail in about two to three months….” And me, disappointly: “but I have more to show you!” She smiled “ Yes? Like what?”
I put two photo albums on her desk (we have a big family
) and I opened 4-page folder full of letters and cards from friends and relatives. She gave in into my enthusiasm and let me show her some pictures of two of us and together with family at different times and different places. She took one picture with just two of us for her file. She didn’t look at letters and cards. She asked for my and my son’s passports again. I knew where she was going with that and told her that since my passport expired long time ago I don’t want it to be stamped.
She said fine and stamped my RTD. Then she repeated that we would get green cards in a mail in 2-3 months, maybe sooner. And that was it.
Questions she didn’t ask – new Affidavit of support. I had two new (one for me, one for my son) prepared, just in case. She didn’t need them.
Also, she asked absolutely nothing about my past immigration history. I been living in this country since 1994, and when I filed my marriage based I-485 I already had one pending in NSC (asylee adjustment). She didn’t even ask what happed to that application and if I closed that case or if it’s still pending…. She didn’t even ask if I was legal all these 11 ½ years or anything like that. It’s like I just arrived in US two months ago...
All questions were strictly related to my present marriage and this I-485.
She didn't even ask about my EAD (and I have 5 of them, all expired). I got unrestricted SS back in 2004 and stopped renewing EADs, also my DL is valid for 7 years and I have a stamp “employment authorized” on my I-94.
So maybe because I never applied for EAD with MSC based on my marriage, she probably assumed I haven’t ever applied for one? Oh, well, she didn’t ask and I didn’t volunteer. I just expected a lot more questions and going into more details then she actually did.
I took a lot more with us to the interview then was really needed, but I am glad we didn’t forget or missed anything. I am relived that all this anxiety and long-long waiting is finally over. Three more years and I’ll get rid of INS for good.
Thank you all of you guys and girls who supported me and shared their time and knowledge to answer my questions when I had some. Good luck to you all, who is still waiting for the interviews and I’ll see you on the citizenship forum!
Jane the “Green Card holder”
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