Alexey
Member
Hey guys, I'd like to give you an update which may be helpful to all but especially to @Kentavar2397 and @tinks1.
My interview in Los Angeles field office ended up being today. I literally just came back home and will explain it in as much detail as possible. It was an amazing experience, and all employees I interacted with were wonderful! So, please don't stress.
First of all, the office is still open. You go through the security line first, where you take your shoes off + put electronics separately into a box. Even though the line was somewhat long, it took 5 minutes for me to get in.
After getting in, I went to the 8th floor where I showed my interview letter and waited in another line to be checked-in. There were only 2 kiosks open when I was there and 7-8 people ahead of me. It took 15-20 minutes for my turn to come. Both employees were so friendly and I overheard them speaking in other languages like Spanish, if you need. There, they took my photo and 2 fingerprints.
After that, I was escorted to a different room where I was the only person waiting. I waited for another 15 mins before my interview started. I was assigned to a wonderful officer, who was a kind gentleman.
Before we started, I presented him the additional documents i didn't submit (employment letter, paystubs, my W2 form from 2019, IRS transcript (although I didn't need it), and my updated I-20 as I applied for STEM to show I was still in F-1 status). I brought both the original and the copy version of my updated I-20 just to save him time from scanning it, and he only kept the copy.
As many others stated here, the interview was very straightforward. The officer went through the I-485 form, asked me questions such as my SSN, last entry date to US, my address, mother's and father's names, whether they live in the US or not, the last address I stayed before moving to US, the very first time I entered the US, my current occupation, if I worked anywhere before that, and some of the questions from I-485 that I already answered no, such as if I am in military. Very straightforward and general questions about yourself. Please don't stress if you don't remember any answers. For instance, I didn't remember the exact address I was living prior to moving the States, but me stating the city and explaining him that i don't recall the exact address was okay. I also didn't remember the exact date when I first came to States (sometime in June/July 2010), but that was also okay.
After the questions, he explained the changes he made (only the address change for my case) and made me sign the paper. Then, he asked whether I'd like to provide additional documents. When I didn't, he asked me to wait in the waiting room until he provided me a paper of his decision. In about another 15 minutes, he provide me a letter that says my application has been approved and my card will be mailed to me within three to four weeks!! Overall, my experience with the whole interview process was so smooth and positive. All USCIS employees I interacted were wonderful.
I must note that I was very well prepared with bringing many documents with me, but I didn't provide them all. Me giving my employment verification letter, paystubs and W2/IRS tax transcript was enough that I didn't even have to give my bank statement --and it wasn't asked. So, as long as you are well prepared based on the recommendations made by this forum, you should be fine. Just remind yourself that these officers aren't there to make the process harder for you. They just want to make sure that you are eligible for the green card and you haven't violated any regulations.
I benefitted so much from this forum, so I'd like to thank everyone for that. Even though I was working with a lawyer, there were major points that we missed and could correct thanks to the information provided here. Hope my detailed interview experience is useful to some, if not to all. I wish you all the best and sending you positive thoughts.
My timeline:
~ 1 October 2019: case was current + sent my paperwork
~ 31 October 2019: gave biometrics
~ 1 November 2019: biometrics were applied
~ mid January 2020: received my EAD card with AP (I didn't have to use it as I was on an F-1 based OPT and applied for my STEM extension in July 2020)
~ early/mid June 2020: applied for expedite request through the USCIS Tier 2 agent; was asked to provide support for evidence a week later but it wasn't helpful. My case was found still within the regular processing times
~ mid June 2020: reached out to Congressman's office to initiate a congressional inquiry (about 2 weeks later, they got a response from USCIS saying they'd assign me an interview within 30 to 60 days)
~ early/mid July 2020: Congressman's office brought my case to the Department of State (a week later, they called me to tell USCIS was planning on giving me an interview date in mid August)
~ End of July 2020: Interview letter was sent
~ 18 August 2020: interview date
I will check exact dates and update the excel sheet later today. Just wanted to update you as soon as possible as others' experiences helped me a lot.Good luck everyone!
Congratulations my friend!!! Such a tremendously long wait you had!!! I’m extremely happy that it is finally over for you with a positive result!
