Hi everyone!
I wanted to say a BIG thank you to everyone here (in particular to the Super Mods, contributors, and everyone who diligently updated the spreadsheet).
Great news - I had my interview at 8am today, and at 7pm my status was changed to "New Card Being Produced". I think (hope) this means I'm in the clear now!
I didn't need to ask any questions along the way, because everything here was so detailed and well-thought-out. But I wanted to pay it forward and contribute my share of the data for anyone it might help. (I've also updated the spreadsheet!).
Please feel free to ask any questions - happy to answer and help however I can! And sorry in advance for the lengthy writeup, I want to be as detailed as possible.
Details:
Australian E3 --> AOS DV
FO: New York, NY
Lockbox: Chicago, IL
Payment Method: Money Order
Month Current: June 2022
AOS pack sent: 30th June
Bio: 08th August
Interview: 23rd August (8am)
Card Being Produced Status: 23rd August (7pm)
Travel Authorisation: Received (still pending)
I made a few key mistakes:
1. Paperwork sent way too early (see below)
2. Submitted my DS-260 way ahead of time (see below)
3. Used Google Authenticator for my online 2FA (see below)
The first 2 mistakes were made before I found this forum and the resources it provides. I wish I'd found it earlier, but the good news is it doesn't seem to have hurt my application in the end (gratefully).
DS-260: I submitted my DS-260 the day I received my KCC notification, and spent the next ~18 months incredibly stressed about it once I learned more. If you're reading this for 2023 and beyond, DON'T do this. I followed the instructions in the links that were sent, and I'm sure I've shaved a few years off my life with the stress it caused me.
Paperwork: Sent in 2021, and again in June 2022. I actually misread the original notification and thought I was meant to apply in 2021. Whoops! They kindly sent it back to me with a letter stating I was a year early, and to include their letter on the top of my package when I resubmit after my number becomes current in 2022.
My AOS pack was extremely detailed, it had sections with colour-coded tabs, and I put a lot of time and effort into trying to make it as organised and easy as possible for anyone receiving it to find exactly what they needed. I also included some extra stuff in the hopes that I'd front-load my data and skip the interview at a later date (no such luck).
Medical: Your medical is valid for 2 years after being issued. So I kept the one I did back in 2021 when accidentally submitting early. This is worth noting because they changed the medical form in 2022 to include Covid vaccines. This was not an issue for me, however, as I was able to show my Covid vaccination proof on the spot.
Payments: I sent everything via money order, which was great because I could see when it was cashed. I also had to break up my payments as the max you can send via a single money order is $1,000.00 USD. I didn't know if this would be a problem (the AOS fee is $1,140), but I made sure this was detailed in my pack and it seems it wasn't a problem.
Online account: Okay so, here was my biggest stressor for a little while until I figured it out. I set up my online account in June of 2021 using Google Authenticator, and in August of 2021 my phone suffered severe water damage and couldn't be turned on again. For those who don't know, Google Authenticator is ONLY stored locally (e.g. not on the cloud), and my backup codes were also saved locally to my phone. Even the PDF that you get with your 2FA codes was only saved to the files/downloads folder on the phone itself. So I knew my email and password, but couldn't authenticate once I got a new phone. USCIS was absolutely no help whatsoever in resetting the code. Do NOT use a locally stored authentication method; instead use text, email, or something like Authy to authenticate. If you DO use a locally stored 2FA, save the back up codes to another device. If it's too late for you, and you're reading this now after your phone has also taken a swim, there are two workarounds (both worked for me):
1. If you have the receipt number for your case, you can search it on the USCIS case status page.
2. Alternatively, you can create a new account with a new email and password, and link a previously linked receipt number. So don't panic (like I did!).
The good news is, every update came quickly in the mail. So not too much lost in that regard.
Okay, onto the fun stuff:
Bio appointment: NY office - entrance is easy enough to find. Look for the hanging American flags. Not much to report here other than you should really get there at your timeslot, and not more than 5 mins earlier or they'll send you away. I arrived only 15 mins early and was turned away until 5 mins before my appointment. Once they let you in, you'll go through security (similar to an airport). Then you'll head upstairs and given a ticket number. They'll call you up when they're ready, ask you for your ID and your appointment letter. They'll ask you to sanitise your hands, 10-print you, and take your pic. Then you get to fill out a customer satisfaction survey and leave. Whole thing took ~30 mins door to door, and the appointment was only 5 mins of that. No questions asked in this part, and the staff were really nice.
AOS interview: NY office - enter on the Lafayette side. My appointment was at 8am, I arrived at 7:30 and saw a queue of hundreds of people. I thought I'd have to wait in this queue, but it seems this is for walk-ins. If you have an appointment, ignore this line and do not join it. Head up to the security guys and let them know what time your appointment is and they'll send you right to security. They will ask you to wait until 10 mins before your appointment. So keep that in mind. Security is once again airport style, then you head upstairs. They ask you to check in, and it's similar to the DHS process when you enter the US. They have the camera for facial recognition, and they take your index finger prints. Then they give you a ticket number and tell you to wait.
I noticed that everyone being called was being called by their full names, so I was listening for mine. If they give you a ticket number, they'll call that, not your name. I was led to a room out the back (not the main area) to do my interview. Totally enclosed office, which was nice.
You'll be asked to turn off your phone before the interview. They'll ask you to swear an oath to tell the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Then they ask you a series of questions - nothing too crazy here, mostly just generic stuff like when you last entered the US, your employment history, if you've ever overstayed a visa or lied about a visa app, etc. and then the yes/no questions you answered on the I-485.
At the end, my interviewer said I'll need to pass a background check, but she would be recommending me for approval. She also said pretty positive things like "WHEN you get your greencard" and talked about keeping my address current so I didn't "miss the card", and the future of "applying for citizenship", etc. I felt pretty good leaving the interview, but she didn't say that it was approved, nor did I leave with a visa stamp in my passport.
According to the clock on the wall, the interview started at 8:20am, and I was on my way home by 8:40am.
After that, I frantically checked for updates all day like a crazy person, and at 7pm it updated to say my card was being produced. I am surprised it updated on the same day, but I'm really grateful for it.
Now to frantically check the mailbox like a crazy person...
I owe the absolute world to this community, so if you have any questions, please let me know!
