Interview worries; genuinely married couple without typical proof?

A

ajde

Registered Users (C)
Hi guys,

My husband and I have been married for 2.5 years and together for almost 4. We're about to go in for our green card interview next week and I'm a little nervous. He's from Mexico City and I'm an American citizen. We've gotten all our required documents together but I'm worried about the support information for our marriage. What we have going for us is that we've been married for a while, that he's well-educated and speaks near-perfect English, and we have plenty of personal (i.e. pictures) evidence from our years together. However, we have some stuff going against us, and I'm very worried it'll look bad.

*We didn't have a big wedding - we were very, very poor and just had a small get-together at his friend's house, no family (my husband has no family in the state and I only have my dad, who doesn't really approve of my husband). Just a few pictures of us with cake. I hope they can understand that.
*We've been living together for 3.5 years but have only had a lease together since March 2009, when we renewed the lease my husband had at our current apartments. Trying to get a document from our landlord saying we've been living together since March 2008, since we've been living here for 1.5 years but my husband was the only lease-holder initially.
*No utility bills, insurance or hardly anything else together. Husband doesn't have insurance of any kind and I'm on my dad's insurance.
*I forgot to change my physical address until last March, even though I was already using my address with my husband on various documents

What we have going for us:

*A lease at least since March 09 (and hopefully a document verifying that we've been living together since March 08)
*A doc from March 08 saying I could pick up my husband's fedex packages at our apartment
*We at least have rental insurance with both our names, and my husband's paid my gym bill for years
*I am the beneficiary on a college saving fund for his son/my step-son
*A police report from when my husband thought his car had been stolen from years ago using my number as contact
*My medical bills and other documentation sent to the address where we lived together even though I wasn't on the lease
*I loaned some of my college savings to my step-son's mother to pay for her car, have a document of that
*I'm pretty sure my husband's been on my bank account for years even though he's never used it
*Pictures from years of trips, with his son, mom and sister, personal documents, etc

Is this going to be anywhere close to enough?

We are a real married couple but have kind of a weird case, since we're both poor, don't have a lot of the regular stuff married couples have and he's a bit older than me (9 years). We've talked to immigration lawyers about our case and they've said (3 of them) it's a "done deal" but I can't help but be so worried. My husband keeps telling me to calm down, but I'd just like to hear about other married couples who don't look like the typical real thing. Did you get a Stokes? Did you pass? How was it?

Thanks!
 
Oh, and my husband has already received travel authorization, his EAD (employment authorization document) and his social security. Does that mean anything? I wouldn't think they'd give it to him if he didn't appear to be a good candidate.
 
You should be fine! Your marriage is bona fide and you've been together for a long time, that's all that matters. Even if you don't have a lot of "documents" you have your testimony of your experience, which should be plenty.

My spouse and I recently married and applied directly after, we were not living together at the time of application due to work circumstances. But we have a very long history together and other proofs and will be living together soon so I would certainly expect that "nontraditional" circumstances are not grounds for denial.

I don't think that the travel/work documents mean that they necessarily think you have enough evidence until your interview, but if they thought that you needed a lot more documentation I imagine they would have sent an RFE. In any event, stop worrying, relax, and see what happens. The best thing to do in the meantime is establish other forms of documentation, bring them to the interview, be relaxed and truthful and you should not have an issue.
 
Hi ajde,

I think your husband is right that you are more worried than you ought to be. Here is what you should know: you will get approved eventually. Hopefully, as in the majority of cases, quickly even with the documents you listed. However, I'm afraid the I-765 EAD and the travel voucher do not mean much in terms of being a good candidate for an I-485 approval. Unfortunately, they are entirely distinct and they only serve to allow him to function as a resident while you wait for the I-485 decision. It is not an indication of anything else.

My wife's I-485 just got approved a week ago and we had weaker documentation than you did. Granted, it took us a very frustrating 2 1/3 years from the day we filed, but we did get it.

You can read our story in this post here:
forums.immigration.com/showthread.php?t=252355
 
Can you also get 2-3 letters from your friends or neighbors that you both are living together for 4 years and marriage is real? It certainly won't hurt.

Frankly, people have different interview experience but from what I read for most time it's a pretty pleasant one. For some IO ask just almost nothing except couple pics.
 
KittenKat, I didn't think about the letters. I'm sure I could get some from friends and family. I did just get a letter from my landlord saying that we've been living together since March 08 (even though I wasn't on the lease) which is helpful, and I have bills going to that address to corroborate it.

Aosing, that must have been a little complicated to explain your living situation! It sounds like things went okay for you and your husband, though, which is great. Life isn't always so clear-cut that every married couple does the typical thing. Heck, I'm the only one of my friends who's going to college and working crappy jobs while also being married with an 8-year-old stepson, so I don't really fit the traditional way of life for any age...

Soul77, congratulations! Although reading your story really makes me nervous thinking about getting together all that stuff. I'm a pack rat too but I'm just 22 so I hardly have any documentation from my life... well, I guess if the same thing happens to us, we'll just have to grin and bear it since I'm sure we'll be on leases together from now on anyway, and at least my husband can officially work in the States.

It's easy to focus on the worst-case scenario, but I guess I'll try to calm down and think of all the proof we do have. Shoot, if it calls for it, I even still have the very first voicemail he ever left me (Nov. 11, 2005). Thanks for the advice everyone!
 
It's very important to just tell the truth at your interview.
You won't be the first poor couple that they see.
I don't think that the age difference will matter as it is not much.

Those letters from friends need to be in the form of a sworn affidavit.
Those pictures will be the best thing. Make sure there are plenty with you AND your husband together with other people in the photos.

I really don't think you have anything to worry about.
I have less than you and I am not worried about my interview. My husband is 13 years older than me. Our house is still in his and his ex-wife's name because it costs $1000 to change that. We met online and have only been married for 9 months.
So.. see... you shouldn't worry :)

Good Luck :)
 
Great, BornintheRSA - Congrats on your marriage and I hope all goes well for you! I'm glad you're feeling confident - it makes me feel a little better.

I hope they can see the ease we have together as a couple and family with his son. One problem is that we don't have a ton of pictures of us with our friends, because my husband isn't very social and prefers to just spend time with me and his son ever since most of his close friends moved to California, but we do have many pictures of us with my mom, his mom, his son and I, and a bunch in different locations (concerts, hiking, at the park, 4th of July, Christmas, museum) and times over the years. I figure that's the next-best thing to pictures with friends.
 
I thought the same about the docs, but I found out that EAD and Advance parole mean nothing. They give them to everyone.
 
ajde said:
Hi guys,

My husband and I have been married for 2.5 years and together for almost 4. We're about to go in for our green card interview next week and I'm a little nervous. He's from Mexico City and I'm an American citizen. We've gotten all our required documents together but I'm worried about the support information for our marriage. What we have going for us is that we've been married for a while, that he's well-educated and speaks near-perfect English, and we have plenty of personal (i.e. pictures) evidence from our years together. However, we have some stuff going against us, and I'm very worried it'll look bad.

*We didn't have a big wedding - we were very, very poor and just had a small get-together at his friend's house, no family (my husband has no family in the state and I only have my dad, who doesn't really approve of my husband). Just a few pictures of us with cake. I hope they can understand that.
*We've been living together for 3.5 years but have only had a lease together since March 2009, when we renewed the lease my husband had at our current apartments. Trying to get a document from our landlord saying we've been living together since March 2008, since we've been living here for 1.5 years but my husband was the only lease-holder initially.
*No utility bills, insurance or hardly anything else together. Husband doesn't have insurance of any kind and I'm on my dad's insurance.
*I forgot to change my physical address until last March, even though I was already using my address with my husband on various documents

What we have going for us:

*A lease at least since March 09 (and hopefully a document verifying that we've been living together since March 08)
*A doc from March 08 saying I could pick up my husband's fedex packages at our apartment
*We at least have rental insurance with both our names, and my husband's paid my gym bill for years
*I am the beneficiary on a college saving fund for his son/my step-son
*A police report from when my husband thought his car had been stolen from years ago using my number as contact
*My medical bills and other documentation sent to the address where we lived together even though I wasn't on the lease
*I loaned some of my college savings to my step-son's mother to pay for her car, have a document of that
*I'm pretty sure my husband's been on my bank account for years even though he's never used it
*Pictures from years of trips, with his son, mom and sister, personal documents, etc

Is this going to be anywhere close to enough?

We are a real married couple but have kind of a weird case, since we're both poor, don't have a lot of the regular stuff married couples have and he's a bit older than me (9 years). We've talked to immigration lawyers about our case and they've said (3 of them) it's a "done deal" but I can't help but be so worried. My husband keeps telling me to calm down, but I'd just like to hear about other married couples who don't look like the typical real thing. Did you get a Stokes? Did you pass? How was it?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I have a friend who married a woman whom he just recently met at the time (she was on a B1/B2 visa and was visiting with her parents). They fell in love and got married within 4 months of meeting each other. So yeah, they didn't have a ton of joint documents/pictures/whatever either. The woman is a US citizen now and they have one child. My point is, some couples have less than what you have, and I am assuming this is not uncommon. Some couples just have whirlwind romances and that's just the way it is. When my friends were interviewed, they were married for less than a year, though the woman was already pregnant with their child then (perhaps that was considered solid proof!) :)

Good luck to you and your husband!
 
hello every body,i had my interview on April29th,2009 for I-485,i came on K-1 visa and my husband applied for me and I came on Jan 22,2006.First interview didn,t go very well,they asked to send medical form and rental agreement ,which we sent,so we received a letter for 2nd interview on Jul27.On rental agreement ,we had my husband,s ex-wife,s name on it due to some financial problems.since My husband has three kids from his ex-wife who live with us,so his ex didn,t have any problem cosigning the rental agreement.We are thinking that might be the reason for being called for second interview.If some one has this kind of experience,please write us back since we have only three days left for the second interview,,any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.We love each other so much that we can,t even think to be separated for one moment,,,thanks in advance
 
Manoali said:
hello every body,i had my interview on April29th,2009 for I-485,i came on K-1 visa and my husband applied for me and I came on Jan 22,2006.First interview didn,t go very well,they asked to send medical form and rental agreement ,which we sent,so we received a letter for 2nd interview on Jul27.On rental agreement ,we had my husband,s ex-wife,s name on it due to some financial problems.since My husband has three kids from his ex-wife who live with us,so his ex didn,t have any problem cosigning the rental agreement.We are thinking that might be the reason for being called for second interview.If some one has this kind of experience,please write us back since we have only three days left for the second interview,,any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.We love each other so much that we can,t even think to be separated for one moment,,,thanks in advance
Click to expand...
pls hurry up i m much worried for my 2nd inter
view becoz it will be tomarrow thanks every body
 
hello every body,i had my interview on April29th,2009 for I-485,i came on K-1 visa and my husband applied for me and I came on Jan 22,2006.First interview didn,t go very well,they asked to send medical form and rental agreement ,which we sent,so we received a letter for 2nd interview on Jul27.On rental agreement ,we had my husband,s ex-wife,s name on it due to some financial problems.since My husband has three kids from his ex-wife who live with us,so his ex didn,t have any problem cosigning the rental agreement.We are thinking that might be the reason for being called for second interview.If some one has this kind of experience,please write us back since we have only three days left for the second interview,,any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.We love each other so much that we can,t even think to be separated for one moment,,,thanks in advance
 
its very very urgent i have stoke interview tomorrow,pls some body help me i have medical insurance with my husbands name,i m the benificary from his work,joint bank accounts, joint credit cards,a few photos,sams club membership,
i had my interview on April29th,2009 for I-485,i came on K-1 visa and my husband applied for me and I came on Jan 22,2006.First interview didn,t go very well,they asked to send medical form and rental agreement ,which we sent,so we received a letter for 2nd interview on Jul27.On rental agreement ,we had my husband,s ex-wife,s name on it due to some financial problems.since My husband has three kids from his ex-wife who live with us,so his ex didn,t have any problem cosigning the rental agreement.We are thinking that might be the reason for being called for second interview.If some one has this kind of experience,please write us back since we have only three days left for the second interview,,any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.We love each other so much that we can,t even think to be separated for one moment,,,thanks in advance
 
First of all you should have started your own thread, not hijacked another, spamming four times won't speed things up. You didn't say why your first interview "didn't go so well."
Take all of your documentation to the second interview, tell the truth, and if you have a genuine marriage you should be okay. If there are other people with knowledge you can get affidavits from them too. You can find plenty of other threads here on stokes interviews to know what to expect. Nobody here can help you with your interview, since you have to answer questions yourself based on your own relationship. The kinds of questions you will be asked are the types of questions any couple in a marital relationship should be able to answer.
 
Manoali said:
its very very urgent i have stoke interview tomorrow,pls some body help me i have medical insurance with my husbands name,i m the benificary from his work,joint bank accounts, joint credit cards,a few photos,sams club membership,
i had my interview on April29th,2009 for I-485,i came on K-1 visa and my husband applied for me and I came on Jan 22,2006.First interview didn,t go very well,they asked to send medical form and rental agreement ,which we sent,so we received a letter for 2nd interview on Jul27.On rental agreement ,we had my husband,s ex-wife,s name on it due to some financial problems.since My husband has three kids from his ex-wife who live with us,so his ex didn,t have any problem cosigning the rental agreement.We are thinking that might be the reason for being called for second interview.If some one has this kind of experience,please write us back since we have only three days left for the second interview,,any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.We love each other so much that we can,t even think to be separated for one moment,,,thanks in advance
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Also, didn't you say your interview is both tomorrow and in three days? That's confusing. Like aosing said, there are many threads about stokes interviews, and many resources online (try googling "what to expect stokes interview") and you'll probably find out what you need. It sounds like you have a lot of information together so if you're a genuine marriage, I don't know why you'd feel so worried. The only reason why I'm worried about my interview is because I don't have the same kind of evidence with my husband. In any case, please do research or at least start your own question before trying to take over someone else's question.
 
Ajde, the best of lucks, hope all goes well.

Being nervous about the whole thing is unavoidable, doesn't matter if you have all documents or just some. However, it is critical to show some documents as proof that you are tied to each other, such as lease agreement.

Big wedding and age difference, I had this against me, we didn't have any wedding at all and our age difference is +10years.

When you are a genuine couple the IO's sense it. They will still try to get a hold of documents for their records but you'll be fine.
 
ilovethe80s said:
When my friends were interviewed, they were married for less than a year, though the woman was already pregnant with their child then (perhaps that was considered solid proof!) :)
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It's not solid proof of anything, unless they've submitted a pre-natal paternity test. You are right that everyone's situation is different, and bona fide couples should not worry if they've done their homework, even if the relationship has been short. Not saying there aren't bona fide spouses who have been denied on that grounds, but I don't think it is too frequent.
 
Thanks banano1842 - IO's probably have to look at couples, real and fake, day in and day out, and after a while, I would guess that they start to get a feel for how real couples interact. Considering I have talked to my husband literally every day for the last three years, except for a few months here and there when I travel out of the country and we have to email instead, I think we'll show ease together. Although, I just asked my husband a bunch of questions (where EXACTLY did we meet? What was the name of the club? What's my mom's maiden name) and he's like, "Uh..." So we better do a quick refresher :) He knows it all, it's just that our personal history is more my area of expertise...
 
ajde said:
Thanks banano1842 - IO's probably have to look at couples, real and fake, day in and day out, and after a while, I would guess that they start to get a feel for how real couples interact. Considering I have talked to my husband literally every day for the last three years, except for a few months here and there when I travel out of the country and we have to email instead, I think we'll show ease together. Although, I just asked my husband a bunch of questions (where EXACTLY did we meet? What was the name of the club? What's my mom's maiden name) and he's like, "Uh..." So we better do a quick refresher :) He knows it all, it's just that our personal history is more my area of expertise...
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No kidding. My husband and I were living together for 10 years before we even got married. And we were married for 5 years when we were interviewed, so total of 15 years as a couple. It isn't a stretch to say that some of the questions we had to prepare for were like digging up ancient history! :)
 
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