Approved in Washington, DC

Al Southner

Registered Users (C)
DC filers,

Here is a summary of my experiences: We arrived there @ 10:45am for our 11:15am interview. The office had about 10-12 people and my wife and gave the letter to some old lady there. Who seems to be living of the greencards.... Who am I kidding?:(

We were called at about 11:20am and we were accompanied by a young nice officer to her office. We were sworn in, and she asked for my passport and my wife's passport, copies of joint documentation's proving our relationship: bank statements (4 months), Macy's bill,Verizon & T-Mobile, lease, car insurance and health. I provided her with these documentation and she carefully looked at each one of them and asked questions for clarity. How long is your lease? I gave her two albums, wedding one & another during our courtship dating back to the times when rocks were still wet to enable Moses to write the 10 commandments. :p

She asked me how we met-and told my wife that I needed to answer. So, I told her how we met, which is none of the forum member's business? Where my wife was living when we met? Where I was living? When last did we take a vacation? What I gave my wife for Xmas? vice versa? Name of my mother-in-law and father-in-law, my wife's sisters and brothers, any relatives whom I have met. :confused:

How many people where at our wedding? She was looking at our wedding album, who were the people in attendance? How I got to the wedding, and how my wife got there? Nothing about our honeymoon.... When did my wife graduate from grad school? Which street is the nearest to where we live? Where do I work? What is the name of our Bank? She looked that another album and asked a question about a picture we took in West Palm Beach in 2003. :cool:

She took all our documents and went to do the photocopies of a majority of them and was gone for about 7 minutes. Before she left, she gave me two immigration forms to complete: I-566 and I-503 to basically take away my diplomatic privileges and immunities from certain US President executive orders, tax exemptions and other goodies. She came back and asked me my mum's and dad's name, and the famous questions on Page 3 (I-485). I said yes about engaging to espionage in the US.... She said very impressive and bold. She was making a small talk with my wife about how she was going to deny another couple's petition because the husband has a long arrest history and is a liar. She said that she wanted to have our wedding album for herself when she gets married, so my wife told her where can make one. :rolleyes:

Finally, she printed a document and explained that we need to file jointly in 2009 to remove conditions since our marriage is 18 months. She stamped all my immigration paperwork with an approval stamp, took my passport and stamped it and told me to wait for my plastic card in the mail by December because they are now being manufactured in Burma, and due to recent unrest, there is a backlog. :eek:

My disappointed was on the fact that I no longer have access to diplomatic privileges and tax-exemptions. I am relieved that I don't have to set my foot or see an immigration office for a long-time. When I am ready to file for removal of conditions, I am going to send them a 60lbs case full of documents, so that they can leave me alone. I hope my experiences will help someone. :D
 
Let me be the first to say, Congratulations! :D

So espionage?... I had you for a smuggler, but not a spy :p
 
Last edited by a moderator:
WooHoo! Congratulations Al Southner.

That sure sounds like a lot of detailed questions. I'm not sure I could answer all of them...

hmmm.. what did I get my wife last year for Christmas... :rolleyes:

Way to go. :D
 
DC filers,

Here is a summary of my experiences: We arrived there @ 10:45am for our 11:15am interview. The office had about 10-12 people and my wife and gave the letter to some old lady there. Who seems to be living of the greencards.... Who am I kidding?:(

We were called at about 11:20am and we were accompanied by a young nice officer to her office. We were sworn in, and she asked for my passport and my wife's passport, copies of joint documentation's proving our relationship: bank statements (4 months), Macy's bill,Verizon & T-Mobile, lease, car insurance and health. I provided her with these documentation and she carefully looked at each one of them and asked questions for clarity. How long is your lease? I gave her two albums, wedding one & another during our courtship dating back to the times when rocks were still wet to enable Moses to write the 10 commandments. :p

She asked me how we met-and told my wife that I needed to answer. So, I told her how we met, which is none of the forum member's business? Where my wife was living when we met? Where I was living? When last did we take a vacation? What I gave my wife for Xmas? vice versa? Name of my mother-in-law and father-in-law, my wife's sisters and brothers, any relatives whom I have met. :confused:

How many people where at our wedding? She was looking at our wedding album, who were the people in attendance? How I got to the wedding, and how my wife got there? Nothing about our honeymoon.... When did my wife graduate from grad school? Which street is the nearest to where we live? Where do I work? What is the name of our Bank? She looked that another album and asked a question about a picture we took in West Palm Beach in 2003. :cool:

She took all our documents and went to do the photocopies of a majority of them and was gone for about 7 minutes. Before she left, she gave me two immigration forms to complete: I-566 and I-503 to basically take away my diplomatic privileges and immunities from certain US President executive orders, tax exemptions and other goodies. She came back and asked me my mum's and dad's name, and the famous questions on Page 3 (I-485). I said yes about engaging to espionage in the US.... She said very impressive and bold. She was making a small talk with my wife about how she was going to deny another couple's petition because the husband has a long arrest history and is a liar. She said that she wanted to have our wedding album for herself when she gets married, so my wife told her where can make one. :rolleyes:

Finally, she printed a document and explained that we need to file jointly in 2009 to remove conditions since our marriage is 18 months. She stamped all my immigration paperwork with an approval stamp, took my passport and stamped it and told me to wait for my plastic card in the mail by December because they are now being manufactured in Burma, and due to recent unrest, there is a backlog. :eek:

My disappointed was on the fact that I no longer have access to diplomatic privileges and tax-exemptions. I am relieved that I don't have to set my foot or see an immigration office for a long-time. When I am ready to file for removal of conditions, I am going to send them a 60lbs case full of documents, so that they can leave me alone. I hope my experiences will help someone. :D

Congrats. I had my interview earlier this month and on the West Coast very few people even at USCIS are aware of what A visa's are and what privileges they entail.
 
WooHoo! Congratulations Al Southner.

That sure sounds like a lot of detailed questions. I'm not sure I could answer all of them...

hmmm.. what did I get my wife last year for Christmas... :rolleyes:

Way to go. :D


TN,

Funny enough, my wife and I didn't exchange gifts for our Xmas and I told the officer, we didn't exchange anything, except to enjoy a nice dinner alone at home. So, no need to buy a Xmas gift... One other question she asked,which I forgot to mention was: how did we celebrate Valentine? :)

I told her we didn't, because my wife was in Ethiopia for work. :rolleyes: I like the fact that she could see my wife's passport with her in/out of the US stamps for work. So, just be yourself and relax, there is no need to be a liar and a cheater.... cause a cheetah will maul your behind.:D
 
Congrats, Al Southner! Very interesting story, after an almost year long wait. What prompted you to file for LPR in the first place if you had diplomatic privileges/tax exemptions before, were you going to lose them?

I thought the last product still made in the US would be the GC ... for what it's worth my couple weeks old card says "made in USA" but as we know that could include foreign made components.

I hope you'll stay with this forum, your posts have been very insightful and funny!
 
Another day, wouldn't do it...

Congrats, Al Southner! Very interesting story, after an almost year long wait. What prompted you to file for LPR in the first place if you had diplomatic privileges/tax exemptions before, were you going to lose them?

I thought the last product still made in the US would be the GC ... for what it's worth my couple weeks old card says "made in USA" but as we know that could include foreign made components.

I hope you'll stay with this forum, your posts have been very insightful and funny!



Aus,

No... my wife decided that I should file for a GC to provide me with more flexibility should I decide to enter private sector for more interesting opportunities. I am still with the same organization which issued me the diplomatic visa, but yesterday I had to file couple of papers to relinquish all those perks which comes with the visa, especially tax exemptions, executive orders, and protections from prosecutions...:rolleyes: For example, I could travel to Cuba or Venezuela without the CBP questioning me upon my return, because it is none of their business. Moreover, the CBP cannot detain you while on diplomatic visa, unless the CBP officer intends to lose his or her job..:p

I abhor taxes and social security nonsense in the US, because I consider myself to be a visitor here, life here beyond 2010 is out of question...:(
 
I wonder about the bank statement thing as also the credit cards. I can't put my wife on my account as also, I can't make her a joint owner of any credit cards as she doesn't have a SSN.. My bank will only add someone with a SSN..
 
GrandSport3C, can you add her as an authorized user? I don't believe anything is asked by the major banks other than name. During my interview I informed the officer our cards were "authorized user" not joint and he said it didn't matter, he was just looking for the cards to have the same account number and in both names. I was under the impression there's a bank that openend account to people without SSN (Wells Fargo?) but I might be wrong. Here is some info from Google answers about the topic.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hey Al,did you get your welcome notice and your card production ordered email already?


Pville,

We got a welcome notice in the mail on Monday or so, and the indicate that they will send me a card in the next 3 weeks or so. I don't get emails from USCIS, except that my portofolio online has changed to reflect the status of all my case.

Hope this helps,
 
Pville,

We got a welcome notice in the mail on Monday or so, and the indicate that they will send me a card in the next 3 weeks or so. I don't get emails from USCIS, except that my portofolio online has changed to reflect the status of all my case.

Hope this helps,

Oh okay,I got the welcome notce and the I-130 approval notice,and my 485 status online changed to card production ordered(no email)...I was just wondering trying to estimate when I would get it because I saw that u said your IO said december because of the situation where they make the cards...We should get our cards around the same time since our interviews were 1 day apart...Thanks and good luck!
 
Top