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DV 2021 AOS Only

raphael1899 said:
Interview Experience -- Boston FO

I just came back from my interview, and here's my experience. My interview was at 9:30 and I got there at 9:00. My lawyer was there to meet me. We checked in and waited in the waiting room for about 5 minutes before an officer called my name.

She checked my driver's license, passport, and SNN card. She started with questions about my education (what I studied, where, and for how long). She asked me to see a transcript from my undergraduate college to prove that I attended. She said the I-20 is not enough. I did not have a transcript for my undergrad (only my current Master's program) but I had my official Bachelor's diploma and she said that it was totally fine.

Then she moved on to all the yes/no questions from the I-485. The only question she asked about my finances was "How do you pay your bills?" and I said that I have an on-campus job and savings, and she never asked for any documents.

Interestingly, I did not include my DV fee receipt in my AOS package and she did not ask for it at the interview, so I am not sure if she knew whether I paid the fee or not in another way.

At the end of the interview, which lasted exactly 12 minutes, she said that she approved my case and I will receive my card soon and if I don't get it within 30 days to get in touch with USCIS. When I left the building, I checked my case status and it said "Interview was completed and my case must be reviewed." It updated again after 2 minutes to "New Card is Being Produced."

Mom, Susie...there are no words to express my gratitude for all the help, support, and patience. I would not have been able to do this without you. What you both do here truly helps people change their lives, and I will always be grateful for that.

I will keep updating my timeline and help others! If there is anything anyone would like to know about my experience that they think could be helpful to them, please ask!
Click to expand...
Great, congratulations. Thank you for your update.
 
raphael1899 said:
Interview Experience -- Boston FO

I just came back from my interview, and here's my experience. My interview was at 9:30 and I got there at 9:00. My lawyer was there to meet me. We checked in and waited in the waiting room for about 5 minutes before an officer called my name.

She checked my driver's license, passport, and SNN card. She started with questions about my education (what I studied, where, and for how long). She asked me to see a transcript from my undergraduate college to prove that I attended. She said the I-20 is not enough. I did not have a transcript for my undergrad (only my current Master's program) but I had my official Bachelor's diploma and she said that it was totally fine.

Then she moved on to all the yes/no questions from the I-485. The only question she asked about my finances was "How do you pay your bills?" and I said that I have an on-campus job and savings, and she never asked for any documents.

Interestingly, I did not include my DV fee receipt in my AOS package and she did not ask for it at the interview, so I am not sure if she knew whether I paid the fee or not in another way.

At the end of the interview, which lasted exactly 12 minutes, she said that she approved my case and I will receive my card soon and if I don't get it within 30 days to get in touch with USCIS. When I left the building, I checked my case status and it said "Interview was completed and my case must be reviewed." It updated again after 2 minutes to "New Card is Being Produced."

Mom, Susie...there are no words to express my gratitude for all the help, support, and patience. I would not have been able to do this without you. What you both do here truly helps people change their lives, and I will always be grateful for that.

I will keep updating my timeline and help others! If there is anything anyone would like to know about my experience that they think could be helpful to them, please ask!
Click to expand...
Congratulations!
 
Here are some important steps of my application process and some tips for future applicants.

- Package delivered on 10/21
- NOA letter received on 12/10 after 7 long weeks! Meanwhile, I realized I wrote my first name and last name swapped in i-485 and submitted a typographic error request. During my inquiries, I learned my file was in Newark FO and FO said I need to submit supporting documents to prove the change to NBC. Mom said it is not necessary and it can be fixed during the interview but I sent the documents to NBC on 12/28 because I was scared that it could create a problem during my bio. I believe this was the biggest mistake that I did.
-Bio in 01/13. I indicated the name error and the correct version of my name was added as previously used names. This is very important because if it was not added, the background check might be repeated after the name update.
-A long waiting period for the interview. I did several service requests about interview notice and got the same response from the FO saying "we are working on it, thank you for your patience". I also made inquires about the name update and learned it was still swapped. I created typographic error request again and FO said I should send supporting documents to NBC, again. I tried talking to a tier 2 agent. In this process, I found Emma is the best tool to create this kind of requests.
-03/11 Expedite request- The tier 2 agent I was talking to did not know about DV cases and when I said about the time limitation, he said the case is still in NBC and he created an expedite request to NBC. So here is the reason why my interview came so slow. I think after I sent the supporting documents about my name mistake to NBC, it created a bug in the system and even though my case was sent to FO before, it appeared as it is at NBC therefore FO could not schedule an interview. Trying to solve the name error did not help with anything but slowed down the process even more.
-04/14 infopass with FO. He said case is in the office and waiting to be assigned to an IO. About my name mistake, he said the only person that can fix this is the IO and he said my interview will be scheduled soon.
-04/15 FO called to say the interview was scheduled for the next week. We started collecting all documents and practicing for the interview. We got married after the selection so we were expecting to have questions like marriage-based interviews. We had a huge folder to prove our relationship showing joint accounts, lease, previous travel tickets, hotel bookings, the courses we took together, social media accounts, 300+ pictures, Amazon purchases history.
-04/22 Interview day. Officer was friendly. Straightforward questions about I-485. I felt like he was not very experienced in DV cases because I read in the forum that the only DV IO in Newark was a female. He asked what courses I am taking this semester and he asked how I am working as teaching assistant. I said I am allowed to work at school with my F-1 status. He asked if I was required to do a medical exam. I said I submitted it and I have a copy of the form with me. He took our lease and joint account papers and said our preparation is more than enough. He said he would recommend approval and we will get GC or RFE in 2 weeks.
-04/29 Name updated
-05/03 RFE about work authorization! We sent documents and highlighted related sections from SEVIS/Employment from ICE, Handbook for Employers M-274 from USCIS website, F-1 On-Campus Employment Eligibility Letter by Designated School Official, Copies of I-20's, Enrollment certification, transcript, SSN copies. Delivered on 05/05.
-05/11 Submitted a service request for not receiving approval. In the "Provide Last Action on the Case" section, I wrote "response to RFE was delivered on 05/05." I used to write the last action that I can see in myuscis account when creating service requests but I think this is an effective way to communicate with the FO.
-05/13 Card is being produced. It's quite faster than I expected since we got RFE.

My suggestion is, do not hesitate to use the tools that you can if you think your case is stuck somewhere. If I did not create expedite request to NBC, my case would still be in NBC. If I did not do Infopass, I may still be waiting for an interview letter. If I did not create the service request for approval, my RFE may still be waiting to be delivered to IO. Read previous threads to find applications related to your situations over and over again and you will find something new all the time. Also, keep in mind that Mom is always giving the right suggestion.
 
raphael1899 said:
Interview Experience -- Boston FO

I just came back from my interview, and here's my experience. My interview was at 9:30 and I got there at 9:00. My lawyer was there to meet me. We checked in and waited in the waiting room for about 5 minutes before an officer called my name.

She checked my driver's license, passport, and SNN card. She started with questions about my education (what I studied, where, and for how long). She asked me to see a transcript from my undergraduate college to prove that I attended. She said the I-20 is not enough. I did not have a transcript for my undergrad (only my current Master's program) but I had my official Bachelor's diploma and she said that it was totally fine.

Then she moved on to all the yes/no questions from the I-485. The only question she asked about my finances was "How do you pay your bills?" and I said that I have an on-campus job and savings, and she never asked for any documents.

Interestingly, I did not include my DV fee receipt in my AOS package and she did not ask for it at the interview, so I am not sure if she knew whether I paid the fee or not in another way.

At the end of the interview, which lasted exactly 12 minutes, she said that she approved my case and I will receive my card soon and if I don't get it within 30 days to get in touch with USCIS. When I left the building, I checked my case status and it said "Interview was completed and my case must be reviewed." It updated again after 2 minutes to "New Card is Being Produced."

Mom, Susie...there are no words to express my gratitude for all the help, support, and patience. I would not have been able to do this without you. What you both do here truly helps people change their lives, and I will always be grateful for that.

I will keep updating my timeline and help others! If there is anything anyone would like to know about my experience that they think could be helpful to them, please ask!
Click to expand...
Congratulations! I also had my interview today at the same Field Office. My interviewer was very polite and patient.

My interview questions were similar, mainly follow-ups on the information I provided on the I-485. The interview started with me providing state ID (expired but the interviewer said okay), passport, and SSN card.

In addition to confirming the information on the form are correct, the interviewer also asked about my previous visits to the US, including whether the visits were on B/J visa, and whether my J-1 visas are subject to the 2-yr home residency restrictions. They asked for proof regarding my J-1 visits (I provided school letters).

The interviewer concluding the interview by saying they have all information needed and the green card will be mailed to your address, which I took as my case being approved verbally. My case status changed to "New Card Is Being Produced" within 30 minutes after the interview. I will keep sharing my updates on the timeline.

Thank you to @Sm1smom and other folks for your advice. Also, thanks to @raphael1899 for suggesting I contact the Congressperson!
 
gg96 said:
Here are some important steps of my application process and some tips for future applicants.

- Package delivered on 10/21
- NOA letter received on 12/10 after 7 long weeks! Meanwhile, I realized I wrote my first name and last name swapped in i-485 and submitted a typographic error request. During my inquiries, I learned my file was in Newark FO and FO said I need to submit supporting documents to prove the change to NBC. Mom said it is not necessary and it can be fixed during the interview but I sent the documents to NBC on 12/28 because I was scared that it could create a problem during my bio. I believe this was the biggest mistake that I did.
-Bio in 01/13. I indicated the name error and the correct version of my name was added as previously used names. This is very important because if it was not added, the background check might be repeated after the name update.
-A long waiting period for the interview. I did several service requests about interview notice and got the same response from the FO saying "we are working on it, thank you for your patience". I also made inquires about the name update and learned it was still swapped. I created typographic error request again and FO said I should send supporting documents to NBC, again. I tried talking to a tier 2 agent. In this process, I found Emma is the best tool to create this kind of requests.
-03/11 Expedite request- The tier 2 agent I was talking to did not know about DV cases and when I said about the time limitation, he said the case is still in NBC and he created an expedite request to NBC. So here is the reason why my interview came so slow. I think after I sent the supporting documents about my name mistake to NBC, it created a bug in the system and even though my case was sent to FO before, it appeared as it is at NBC therefore FO could not schedule an interview. Trying to solve the name error did not help with anything but slowed down the process even more.
-04/14 infopass with FO. He said case is in the office and waiting to be assigned to an IO. About my name mistake, he said the only person that can fix this is the IO and he said my interview will be scheduled soon.
-04/15 FO called to say the interview was scheduled for the next week. We started collecting all documents and practicing for the interview. We got married after the selection so we were expecting to have questions like marriage-based interviews. We had a huge folder to prove our relationship showing joint accounts, lease, previous travel tickets, hotel bookings, the courses we took together, social media accounts, 300+ pictures, Amazon purchases history.
-04/22 Interview day. Officer was friendly. Straightforward questions about I-485. I felt like he was not very experienced in DV cases because I read in the forum that the only DV IO in Newark was a female. He asked what courses I am taking this semester and he asked how I am working as teaching assistant. I said I am allowed to work at school with my F-1 status. He asked if I was required to do a medical exam. I said I submitted it and I have a copy of the form with me. He took our lease and joint account papers and said our preparation is more than enough. He said he would recommend approval and we will get GC or RFE in 2 weeks.
-04/29 Name updated
-05/03 RFE about work authorization! We sent documents and highlighted related sections from SEVIS/Employment from ICE, Handbook for Employers M-274 from USCIS website, F-1 On-Campus Employment Eligibility Letter by Designated School Official, Copies of I-20's, Enrollment certification, transcript, SSN copies. Delivered on 05/05.
-05/11 Submitted a service request for not receiving approval. In the "Provide Last Action on the Case" section, I wrote "response to RFE was delivered on 05/05." I used to write the last action that I can see in myuscis account when creating service requests but I think this is an effective way to communicate with the FO.
-05/13 Card is being produced. It's quite faster than I expected since we got RFE.

My suggestion is, do not hesitate to use the tools that you can if you think your case is stuck somewhere. If I did not create expedite request to NBC, my case would still be in NBC. If I did not do Infopass, I may still be waiting for an interview letter. If I did not create the service request for approval, my RFE may still be waiting to be delivered to IO. Read previous threads to find applications related to your situations over and over again and you will find something new all the time. Also, keep in mind that Mom is always giving the right suggestion.
Click to expand...
Awesome! Congratulations :)
 
bbs01 said:
Congratulations! I also had my interview today at the same Field Office. My interviewer was very polite and patient.

My interview questions were similar, mainly follow-ups on the information I provided on the I-485. The interview started with me providing state ID (expired but the interviewer said okay), passport, and SSN card.

In addition to confirming the information on the form are correct, the interviewer also asked about my previous visits to the US, including whether the visits were on B/J visa, and whether my J-1 visas are subject to the 2-yr home residency restrictions. They asked for proof regarding my J-1 visits (I provided school letters).

The interviewer concluding the interview by saying they have all information needed and the green card will be mailed to your address, which I took as my case being approved verbally. My case status changed to "New Card Is Being Produced" within 30 minutes after the interview. I will keep sharing my updates on the timeline.

Thank you to @Sm1smom and other folks for your advice. Also, thanks to @raphael1899 for suggesting I contact the Congressperson!
Click to expand...
Another great news! Congratulations to you too :)
 
Generous said:
Hey, anyone receive DV payment receipt sent later than April 21?

I filed April 21 and hasn`t received yet.
Click to expand...
We sent money order April 26. It was cashed May 3. Still waiting the receipt. USPS says label created, but not yet in their system to track.
 
bbs01 said:
Congratulations! I also had my interview today at the same Field Office. My interviewer was very polite and patient.

My interview questions were similar, mainly follow-ups on the information I provided on the I-485. The interview started with me providing state ID (expired but the interviewer said okay), passport, and SSN card.

In addition to confirming the information on the form are correct, the interviewer also asked about my previous visits to the US, including whether the visits were on B/J visa, and whether my J-1 visas are subject to the 2-yr home residency restrictions. They asked for proof regarding my J-1 visits (I provided school letters).

The interviewer concluding the interview by saying they have all information needed and the green card will be mailed to your address, which I took as my case being approved verbally. My case status changed to "New Card Is Being Produced" within 30 minutes after the interview. I will keep sharing my updates on the timeline.

Thank you to @Sm1smom and other folks for your advice. Also, thanks to @raphael1899 for suggesting I contact the Congressperson!
Click to expand...
That's awesome! Congrats, my friend!
 
Thought I would also share my full experience with DV process as I had a roller coaster experience and will benefit people to circumvent from hitting walls


My case is a AOS and FTJ

October 2 – File sent to USCIS . I did early filing ( 1 month ahead). No issues

November 2 -payment cashed

November 9 – NOA received – I realized the DOB was wrong in my receipt. It was an error on my side where I had the the year wrong . Called USCIS the same day – the front desk person put in a typographical error request. About 4 days from the request I got an email from FO saying I can get the DOB error corrected at the interview so I let it be rather than filing another application with correct DOB ( This was Moms advice too).

Waited till February 2021 – did not get a bio notice. I made a request to talk to a tier 2 agent. Got a call after 16 days. Luckily this agent was very helpful. Explained my situation and told him that I was on a tight timeline since I have to do FTJ. He scheduled my biometrics over the phone and said my notice will arrive soon.

Tip - when calling USCIS - on the first prompt say technical support ...on the second prompt also say Technical support - you will be connected to an agent right away .

March 2 – did my bio – I just told the lady at the location about my DOB error. She said to get it adjusted at the interview . No issues bio was done

March 5 – FO sent an email stating they had an interview cancelled on march 16 and if I would be willing to take it. I replied yes. I also requested them to send the interview notice via email just in case.

March 7 – received interview notice

March 16 Interview – Interview took abt 10 minutes. The officer went over the i485. That was it. I got the DOB error fixed. I had a huge file with me to provide any originals if he asked.. but he did not ask for anything in fact I didn’t even have to open my file. The officer said "I can approve your case"- and tried to do it on the system and said there is a clerical error and KCC had not sent the file. He said this is his first time handling a DV case and needs to contact a supervisor. I said do you have a timeline- the officer said 2 days max. That’s was it I left the office !!

Stressful 1 month after the interview- I heard nothing after the interview. The status said DOB updated. I was on h1b and to makes things worse.. I get a call from my staffing agency stating they are closing down and to transfer the h1 ASAP. (Cherry on top!)…..

KCC nightmare - Week after the interview I emailed KCC to ask if USCIS requested my file. After 2 weeks the reply they sent was –“ Call USCIS at 1800…” BS. I sent them an email again clearly mentioning what was going on – guess what after 2 weeks they emailed the same template –“ Call USCIS at 1800…”.
Patiently I replied again – then some one at KCC replied that “I had a case of 2 and only paid for 1”. I was fuming at this point!!. I replied to them that the other person is FTJ. They could not still fig it out although I had ds260 filed and also sent them a cover letter stating clearly the other person is my wife doing FTJ. Anyways after explaining all that the reply I got was “Call USCIS at 1800…” BS. At this point I had enough. I literally sent an email with block capitals which might have shook the whole KCC yelling at them to stop sending template replies and to read the emails properly – Luckily it worked they replied the same day telling my file was sent to USCIS. Lost about 1 month here with KCC cos they take 2 weeks for a reply!!

Waited 2 weeks after that – checking the status everyday no change!

May 3rd-submitted a congressional inquiry

May 10th– received response from congress case worker – the response said “The case is under review with IO and we have alerted the Officer"

May 11th– New card in production- I don’t know if it was the congressional inquiry but it worked

May 14th– “we mailed your new card”

Next burden is FTJ. I hope itll go smooth and hope to not to go bald by the time I meet my wife from all the stress :D
 
Last edited:
gg96 said:
Here are some important steps of my application process and some tips for future applicants.

- Package delivered on 10/21
- NOA letter received on 12/10 after 7 long weeks! Meanwhile, I realized I wrote my first name and last name swapped in i-485 and submitted a typographic error request. During my inquiries, I learned my file was in Newark FO and FO said I need to submit supporting documents to prove the change to NBC. Mom said it is not necessary and it can be fixed during the interview but I sent the documents to NBC on 12/28 because I was scared that it could create a problem during my bio. I believe this was the biggest mistake that I did.
-Bio in 01/13. I indicated the name error and the correct version of my name was added as previously used names. This is very important because if it was not added, the background check might be repeated after the name update.
-A long waiting period for the interview. I did several service requests about interview notice and got the same response from the FO saying "we are working on it, thank you for your patience". I also made inquires about the name update and learned it was still swapped. I created typographic error request again and FO said I should send supporting documents to NBC, again. I tried talking to a tier 2 agent. In this process, I found Emma is the best tool to create this kind of requests.
-03/11 Expedite request- The tier 2 agent I was talking to did not know about DV cases and when I said about the time limitation, he said the case is still in NBC and he created an expedite request to NBC. So here is the reason why my interview came so slow. I think after I sent the supporting documents about my name mistake to NBC, it created a bug in the system and even though my case was sent to FO before, it appeared as it is at NBC therefore FO could not schedule an interview. Trying to solve the name error did not help with anything but slowed down the process even more.
-04/14 infopass with FO. He said case is in the office and waiting to be assigned to an IO. About my name mistake, he said the only person that can fix this is the IO and he said my interview will be scheduled soon.
-04/15 FO called to say the interview was scheduled for the next week. We started collecting all documents and practicing for the interview. We got married after the selection so we were expecting to have questions like marriage-based interviews. We had a huge folder to prove our relationship showing joint accounts, lease, previous travel tickets, hotel bookings, the courses we took together, social media accounts, 300+ pictures, Amazon purchases history.
-04/22 Interview day. Officer was friendly. Straightforward questions about I-485. I felt like he was not very experienced in DV cases because I read in the forum that the only DV IO in Newark was a female. He asked what courses I am taking this semester and he asked how I am working as teaching assistant. I said I am allowed to work at school with my F-1 status. He asked if I was required to do a medical exam. I said I submitted it and I have a copy of the form with me. He took our lease and joint account papers and said our preparation is more than enough. He said he would recommend approval and we will get GC or RFE in 2 weeks.
-04/29 Name updated
-05/03 RFE about work authorization! We sent documents and highlighted related sections from SEVIS/Employment from ICE, Handbook for Employers M-274 from USCIS website, F-1 On-Campus Employment Eligibility Letter by Designated School Official, Copies of I-20's, Enrollment certification, transcript, SSN copies. Delivered on 05/05.
-05/11 Submitted a service request for not receiving approval. In the "Provide Last Action on the Case" section, I wrote "response to RFE was delivered on 05/05." I used to write the last action that I can see in myuscis account when creating service requests but I think this is an effective way to communicate with the FO.
-05/13 Card is being produced. It's quite faster than I expected since we got RFE.

My suggestion is, do not hesitate to use the tools that you can if you think your case is stuck somewhere. If I did not create expedite request to NBC, my case would still be in NBC. If I did not do Infopass, I may still be waiting for an interview letter. If I did not create the service request for approval, my RFE may still be waiting to be delivered to IO. Read previous threads to find applications related to your situations over and over again and you will find something new all the time. Also, keep in mind that Mom is always giving the right suggestion.
Click to expand...
Congratulations! :)
 
bbs01 said:
Congratulations! I also had my interview today at the same Field Office. My interviewer was very polite and patient.

My interview questions were similar, mainly follow-ups on the information I provided on the I-485. The interview started with me providing state ID (expired but the interviewer said okay), passport, and SSN card.

In addition to confirming the information on the form are correct, the interviewer also asked about my previous visits to the US, including whether the visits were on B/J visa, and whether my J-1 visas are subject to the 2-yr home residency restrictions. They asked for proof regarding my J-1 visits (I provided school letters).

The interviewer concluding the interview by saying they have all information needed and the green card will be mailed to your address, which I took as my case being approved verbally. My case status changed to "New Card Is Being Produced" within 30 minutes after the interview. I will keep sharing my updates on the timeline.

Thank you to @Sm1smom and other folks for your advice. Also, thanks to @raphael1899 for suggesting I contact the Congressperson!
Click to expand...
Congratulations!:)
 
bbs01 said:
Congratulations! I also had my interview today at the same Field Office. My interviewer was very polite and patient.

My interview questions were similar, mainly follow-ups on the information I provided on the I-485. The interview started with me providing state ID (expired but the interviewer said okay), passport, and SSN card.

In addition to confirming the information on the form are correct, the interviewer also asked about my previous visits to the US, including whether the visits were on B/J visa, and whether my J-1 visas are subject to the 2-yr home residency restrictions. They asked for proof regarding my J-1 visits (I provided school letters).

The interviewer concluding the interview by saying they have all information needed and the green card will be mailed to your address, which I took as my case being approved verbally. My case status changed to "New Card Is Being Produced" within 30 minutes after the interview. I will keep sharing my updates on the timeline.

Thank you to @Sm1smom and other folks for your advice. Also, thanks to @raphael1899 for suggesting I contact the Congressperson!
Click to expand...
Congratulations!
 
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