Interview in 2 weeks, need some help please

[chaimdan]

Hi Guys,

My interview is in two weeks, I have a few questions. Would greatly appreciate anyone with experience who can answer these questions.

A. Do I need to have a US driver license with my current address on it to bring to the interview? Or can I explain that I haven't gotten around to it yet (just recently 2 weeks ago received my SSN and then we had a baby so things are super busy and I would rather not go get it till things settle down a bit... Currently I have a Canadian license) The only official US ID I have is my EAD with this address.. (also mail to my address credit card, local bank, etc...)

B. My wife hasn't been working since she became pregnant and I too don't work (as I just got my EAD recently, and I am finishing some personal religious studies) therefore we have a joint sponsor, I already submitted his tax forms and pay stubs a few months ago with my entire package, is this enough or do I need something more for the interview? IS it a problem that I currently don't work if I am being supported by my parents? and do I need proof? Does my official sponsor need to be paying my bills or is it just to be official?

C. Can someone please confirm that it's okay to bring our baby with us?

D. After our wedding we left the country a few times and reentered. On my last entry I was stopped and questioned and finally let in (we both entered in separate lines.) Can anyone direct me to any info as to what intention is not permissible for reentry and what the policy is? (I applied two months after I reentered...)

Thanks so much in advance! Chaim

 

[patty579]

I'm not sure about all of your questions, but
A. Do you have a passport? I would bring that for ID. As for an ID with your address, I didn't have one and it was ok.

B. Provide the originals and photocopies of the documents regarding your joint sponsor that you submitted with your application. If there are any updates, bring documents showing these, too. (E.g. if your joint sponsor has a new job, bring a new employment letter) I don't think you need anything else, but do wait for more opinions on this!

C. I believe you even SHOULD bring your baby with you! Bring his/her birth certificate with you, too. I read about a lot of interviews where they brought their kids/babies. It will probably cut your interview down to 10 minutes!
Congratulations, by the way!!

D. I have no idea or experience with that, sorry.

Good luck to you!!!

 

[pianoplayer]

I'm not sure about all of your questions, but
A. Do you have a passport? I would bring that for ID. As for an ID with your address, I didn't have one and it was ok.

B. Provide the originals and photocopies of the documents regarding your joint sponsor that you submitted with your application. If there are any updates, bring documents showing these, too. (E.g. if your joint sponsor has a new job, bring a new employment letter) I don't think you need anything else, but do wait for more opinions on this!

C. I believe you even SHOULD bring your baby with you! Bring his/her birth certificate with you, too. I read about a lot of interviews where they brought their kids/babies. It will probably cut your interview down to 10 minutes!
Congratulations, by the way!!

D. I have no idea or experience with that, sorry.

Good luck to you!!!

I agree with the above advice. On point D:
It is hard to answer your question since you did not say which visa you entered under all those times. The problem you may encounter, if it is e.g. tourist visa, student visa is that you were married at the time and had immigrant intent, i.e. you were not planning to enter for the purpose of that visa. Entering on a nonimmigrant visa with immigrant intent is illegal. Do expect to be questioned about this. I think you should be OK in the end due to your marriage, but it may be frowned upon. You may want to consult an attorney who can review the exact facts of your case, just to make sure there are not any major glitches. And you and everyone in this situation, LEARN A LESSON FROM THIS, DO NOT DO THIS. It is in fact illegal and you do risk harming your case. Enter on the proper visa or if you do AOS, wait until you receive the GC or get AP(if you do not have overstay issues) before you travel.

 

[eddie_d]

Why on earth would you want to bring a baby to a crowded, government office where you could be in a waiting room for an hour or more? If nothing else do it as a courtesy to the other people there so they won't be subjected to a screaming baby for their hour long wait.

I'm sure the kid's BC will be just as effective.

PS: Yes I know I'm a horrible human being for not liking babies/children, no need to tell me.

 

[chaimdan]

Why on earth would you want to bring a baby to a crowded, government office where you could be in a waiting room for an hour or more?

The Reason I would bring a baby is because I won't yet have a birth certificate by then, and therefore bringing him is the next best thing. Besides you don't really leave an infant with a babysitter for a few hours in their first month (at least I wouldn't)

Patty: I do have a Canadian Passport, the reason I asked about the License was because I was under the impression they want to see as much documents with your home address on it, showing your intending on living there... So I'm wondering if bringing a Canadian license would at all be a problem.

Thanks for the replies guys, anyone else care to comment?

 

[rex1960]

The Reason I would bring a baby is because I won't yet have a birth certificate by then, and therefore bringing him is the next best thing...

just curious ... what does that prove ? It could be anybody's baby, couldn't it.

I'm with eddie. Leave the baby at home or bring someone who takes care of it OUTSIDE of that building

 

[patty579]

Yeah, it's important to bring his birth certificate. It's your call whether or not to bring the baby too. I would. But then, I love babies....

 

[pianoplayer]

The Reason I would bring a baby is because I won't yet have a birth certificate by then, and therefore bringing him is the next best thing. Besides you don't really leave an infant with a babysitter for a few hours in their first month (at least I wouldn't)

Patty: I do have a Canadian Passport, the reason I asked about the License was because I was under the impression they want to see as much documents with your home address on it, showing your intending on living there... So I'm wondering if bringing a Canadian license would at all be a problem.

Thanks for the replies guys, anyone else care to comment?

I find it interesting that you decline to say as to which visa you entered the US under. Personally, I would be a lot more concerned about your question D than whether you should/should not bring a baby to the interview. But then again, perhaps, it is a good idea not to give too much info since you are on a public forum. Just a bit of a pointer - if you worry about anything most, it should be Part D.

 

[chaimdan]

Sorry Pianoplayer I was running before....

I did not enter illegaly, I am Canadian and entered as a visitor with no intention to stay. A couple months later we decided to stay and not go back to Canada and that's when I applied.

Re the baby I was just asking a BTW question, I don't consider it too serious of an issue just a yes or no question. I think having one at the interview defenitely cannot cause harm.

Is the fact that neither of us work at all an issue? Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks again everyone

 

[rex1960]

B. My wife hasn't been working since she became pregnant and I too don't work (as I just got my EAD recently, and I am finishing some personal religious studies) therefore we have a joint sponsor, I already submitted his tax forms and pay stubs a few months ago with my entire package, is this enough or do I need something more for the interview? IS it a problem that I currently don't work if I am being supported by my parents? and do I need proof? Does my official sponsor need to be paying my bills or is it just to be official?

You need a co-sponsor, which means he's going to be responsible for you guys. Officially that is. You might want to read more about Affidavit of Support.

 

[pianoplayer]

You need a co-sponsor, which means he's going to be responsible for you guys. Officially that is. You might want to read more about Affidavit of Support.

Yes, and to add to this, no, the sponsor does not actually have to pay your bills - it is for official purposes only. However, LEGALLY the sponsor does accept some heavy obligations for a long time. But in reality, joint sponsors are seldom really called on to support you. Read the form - it explains the obligations very well.

 

[rex1960]

Yes, and to add to this, no, the sponsor does not actually have to pay your bills - it is for official purposes only. However, LEGALLY the sponsor does accept some heavy obligations for a long time. But in reality, joint sponsors are seldom really called on to support you. Read the form - it explains the obligations very well.

Well, some of these obligations sound severe:

If you sign a Form I-864 on behalf of any person (called the "intending immigrant") who is applying for an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to a permanent resident, and that intending immigrant submits the Form I-864 to the U.S.Government with his or her application for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status, under section 213A of the Immigration and Nationality Act these actions create a contract between you and the U. S. Government. The intending immigrant's becoming a permanent resident is the "consideration" for the contract.
Under this contract, you agree that, in deciding whether the intending immigrant can establish that he or she is not inadmissible to the United States as an alien likely to become a public charge, the U.S. Government can consider your income and assets to be available for the support of the intending immigrant.

 

[pianoplayer]

Well, some of these obligations sound severe:

Yes, they are very severe and it is not a contract to enter into lightly. However, if you know the person you are sponsoring very well and you have calculated the risks, it should be OK. The contract is seldom enforced against the joint sponsor, in the sense that most immigrants do not run into that kind of financial trouble. It is when the immigrant goes on certain government benefits, that the govt. can then claim back the money from the joint sponsor.