interpreter for parents green card interview?

P

pooq

Registered Users (C)
I am US Citizen and applied AOS for my parents. They are holding the B2 visa now.
Now I need to take my parents for their green card interview

The interview letter is worded as follows:
"if you do not speak english fluently, you should bring an interpreter"

My parents don't speak English.
Can I be the translator or Should I ask a friend to go with us as the interpreter?
Thanks
 
You have an interest in the outcome of the interview, you may be viewed as biased.

How soon after they arrived in the U.S. for their "tourist visit" did they apply for AOS? What was the changed circumstance(s) that caused their simple "visit" to become a permanent move? Did one of them get diagnosed with a medical condition? Did their home burn down abroad? Did war break out back home? What was this SUDDEN change that prompted their planned "visit" to become a quest for greencards?

If you were the Immigration Officer, would you take the word of the child (petitioner?) in the translation of the questions and answers to such questions? Don't even try to say that you would, nobody would believe you.

Get ready for a grilling. If the applicants do not provide an impartial translator, USCIS can get one via telephone OR re-schedule an interview and assign the case to an Officer who is fluent in their language. USCIS has a rather large number of naturalized citizens on the payroll and keeps a roster of language skills available.

Is there no Community Based Organization serving your community that could provide someone to help translate/interpret (a volunteer perhaps)? It would be better.
 
BigJoe5, thanks for your response. Have you ever gone through this process yourself?

I was asked to be a translator before by a coworker for his mom's green card interview in 2001. But during the process, a lot of explanation and translation were done by my coworker. Then my cousin translated for his parents in the gc interview in 2008. Finally my parents asked their friends in the local community, none of them took the translator but their son or daughter who is the sponsor. but these are just a few examples for parents' gc interview for AOS from B2 to GC .

I searched the whole forum but didn't see any related discussion.

I already asked a friend for the help but he will have to take one day off from the work so I am here asking for more information. I will appreciate any other story, experience and advises from other fellow applicants. Thanks.



BigJoe5 said:
You have an interest in the outcome of the interview, you may be viewed as biased.

How soon after they arrived in the U.S. for their "tourist visit" did they apply for AOS? What was the changed circumstance(s) that caused their simple "visit" to become a permanent move? Did one of them get diagnosed with a medical condition? Did their home burn down abroad? Did war break out back home? What was this SUDDEN change that prompted their planned "visit" to become a quest for greencards?

If you were the Immigration Officer, would you take the word of the child (petitioner?) in the translation of the questions and answers to such questions? Don't even try to say that you would, nobody would believe you.

Get ready for a grilling. If the applicants do not provide an impartial translator, USCIS can get one via telephone OR re-schedule an interview and assign the case to an Officer who is fluent in their language. USCIS has a rather large number of naturalized citizens on the payroll and keeps a roster of language skills available.

Is there no Community Based Organization serving your community that could provide someone to help translate/interpret (a volunteer perhaps)? It would be better.
Click to expand...
 
in my experience, they dont let any of the family members translate, we had to wait an hour and a half for one of their interpreters.
 
enochy said:
in my experience, they dont let any of the family members translate, we had to wait an hour and a half for one of their interpreters.
Click to expand...

thank you.
I am thinking different office/officer might have different policy. Has anyone been to Baltimore office recently for parents gc interview? thanks.
 
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I gave uscis a call 1-800-375-5283 the official answer- field office doesn't necessarily need to provide any interpreter and the applicants need to make the effort to get third party intepreter.

I will ask my friend to help. It's not worthy to mess up with USCIS as I already know this rule even though they don't enforce it all the time.
 
Hi

pooq said:
I gave uscis a call 1-800-375-5283 the official answer- field office doesn't necessarily need to provide any interpreter and the applicants need to make the effort to get third party intepreter.

I will ask my friend to help. It's not worthy to mess up with USCIS as I already know this rule even though they don't enforce it all the time.
Click to expand...

Hi,
When you called uscis, did they say you can not be the interpreter? Did you ask them?I am filing for my mom for AOS. I am woundring if i can not go, may be my wife can go?
I will be going to Boston office.
one of my friend filed for their parents, they are in FP stage. I will find out who much were they GRILLED , (as on of the person said) ,LOL. I think my friend is going him self as an interpretor. Let me find out.
 
Yes. I asked. the customer service rep read the policy to me. Basically the family member can't be the interpreter.

Parents gc interview could be easier than the spouse cases which are with more frauds. That could be reason that many officers let it go allowing family member as the interpreter in parents gc interview.

If you are the I130 petitioner, you'd better go. but there is a story earlier in this board that the parents went to the interview by themsleves. the unhappy officer called their daughter for questions and everything was fine.


bigbull99 said:
Hi,
When you called uscis, did they say you can not be the interpreter? Did you ask them?I am filing for my mom for AOS. I am woundring if i can not go, may be my wife can go?
I will be going to Boston office.
one of my friend filed for their parents, they are in FP stage. I will find out who much were they GRILLED , (as on of the person said) ,LOL. I think my friend is going him self as an interpretor. Let me find out.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I took the interpreter to the interview today. the English translation for my notarized birth certificate is missing the birth year. This has never been a problem during my own US green card and citizen applications but was pointed out by the official today. Then I used the same information of the affidavit of support for both my father and mother. I was told I should use different name in the part of the "information on the principle immigrant"

these cost a whole hour of the interview.

and when i leave, another guy was anxious to find an interpreter all over the building for his mother. I am so lucky to have an interpreter with me.
 
pooq,

what's the outcome of your interview.... hopefully they have received the approved letter by mail....

question, what kind of question they asked and what kind of documents we should take with us.... my parents interview is in week and collecting all necessary information ....

Did the interpreter had to translate to your parents or did you end up translating everything ?

Thank you in advance

-Raj
 
My Parents ahd the interview on August 2nd 2011. I went in the office with them. The interview only lasted for 10 minutes. She did only asked
When did u came to U.S?
How many times earlier have you visited to u.s?
Where are u staying right now?
Other yes and No Question from the 485 aplication.
Same question from my mOther and I was the interprater for her.
In the end she took their I 94 and said congratulation u will receieve ur green card in 10-15 days.
 
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