Hello my dear fellow travelers,
I would like to bade thanks to the users who have congratulated me ( a lot of you guys, please do not make me name you individually, lol) ; I am also wishing good luck to the users who are getting ready for their interview.( Hope this post help you guys ... prepare for your interview, you can congratulate the approved one later
)
To begin with :
Please read the post by adeboi on page 22, in the July 2011 filers forum page, he has done an excellent job on his experience write up. Very detailed and with some very important observations. My experience will just add on to his post.
GC interview, October 7, 2011 (DO, ASC: Atlanta, Georgia)
I arranged my paper work in the following manner:
Folder 1:
Beneficary : ME
1. Original interview notice
2. Passport, expired, attach a copy of the applied form
3. I 94
4. Birth Certificate : Submitted and The new one issued
5. Marriage Certificate and Marriage license
6. Social Security Card
7. No Arrest Record document
8. All immigration related documents : I 20 two copy with SEVIS
9. State issued Drivers License
10. Letter from Land lord, covering lease, and him witnessing my marriage
11. EAD card
12. Biometrics, I797 for I 130, 485, 765
13. Letter from Mom (mother in law), her witnessing our marriage, and her contribution
Petitioner : USC
1. Drivers License, (copy with old name)
2. Drivers License with new name
3. birth certificate
4. Federal Tax Return, 2010, 2009
5. W-2 from previous year
6. Letter and pay stub from current employer
7. JOB License
8. Social Security Card, Old and New (with name change)
9. No arrest record documents
Proof of Joint Marriage
1.Marriage Ceremony Program
2.Bank Statements
1.Bank statement-proof of joint account
2.List of checks cleared from joint account in past 6 months
3.Copy of random checks cleared from joint account
4.Two copies of emails from bank notifying of direct deposit from her employer
5.Email notifying of bill paid to credit cards and joint car insurance
3.Five pages of credit card statements from different cards showing jointly purchased items
4.Hotel receipt from trip taken together
5.Car Rental receipt showing husband and wife as drivers
6.cell phone bill showing I was added to her cell phone account
7.Bill Statements
1.Cable-home address
2.Car Insurance -joint account and joint P.O Box address
3.Cell phone bill -joint P.O. Box address
8.Copy of my passport application receipt showing her as spouse
9.Facebook pages
1.mine showing married to her and picture taken by her mother
2.her showing married to me and profile picture of couple together
3.Third person showing us as couple
10.Order copy from Fed Ex showing labels made with joint names and address
11.One page showing copies of driver's license, social security cards and car insurance for both us
12.Pictures
Additional evidence:
Folder 2:
Scrapbook
Wedding Cards
Folder 3:
Photo Album
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Our appointment was at 8.00 am. We reached there by 7.30. The security checkpoint made everybody entering the office take their shoes and belt off. Then go through a metal detector, just like airports.
We checked in at 7.47 am and was instructed to go to the third floor. We went and sat down, and within ten minutes were called by a nicely dressed female officer* (Note 1, see below)
FOLLOW ME PLEASE..(I smiled at her and said Good Morning, she smiled back and returned the gesture, I held the door behind her and addressed my wife, "after you baby") followed IO to her office
We were asked to take oath.
(After oath, before she can say anything, my wife and I both gave her a copy of marriage license, the date was wrong , 2010, instead of 2011, she takes it, puts it in her file, give us back the one we originally submitted)
LET ME SEE YOUR PASSPORT AND BOTH OF YOUR IDS..(handed her expired passport, new one was not ready yet, she did not ask , I did not volunteer that it was expired, takes the I 94 out, looks at the visa issued page, checks with her record, that file was very very thick, checks the rest of the page of passport and satisfied no more activity, stamps something on my I 485 application form, gives me the passport back, keeps our Drivers license)
I AM FINE WITH YOU GUYS, JUST CURIOUS ....( *Note 2)
HOW DID YOU MEET?
WHEN DID YOU MEET?
WHEN WAS THE FIRST DATE?
WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO GET MARRIED?
WHY DID YOU MARRY SO QUICK?
HOW MANY GUYS DID YOU MEET? ( to my wife)
HOW MANY FEMALES DID YOU DATE? (to me)
DO YOU PLAN TO HAVE ANY CHILDREN?
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
ASK ABOUT 8 QUESTIONS FROM I 485.....(all answered no)
.........(starts chatting with us, in between our answers, we are told several times, it is just a formality, we are already approved)
(Out of a blue very sternly to me) SO FROM THE GET GO YOU WERE LOOKING FOR A MARRIAGE?
( I told her in a matter of fact tone, calmly that I was looking for a companion, and none of us wanted to live in SIN, I was looking very straight in her eyes, I noticed she was watching my wife and me, my wife grabbed my hand, as I grabbed hers....*see note 2 please)
YOU ARE APPROVED, YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR CONDITIONAL GREEN CARD IN TEN DAYS.
ARE YOU GOING BACK TO HOTEL? ( I say I need to rest, my wife says she is ready to go home, I agreed we need to let our pets out, I notice the IOs eyes soften, she goes out make copies of our licenses, then give us the license back, escort us half way out, as I was walking out, for some reason I decide to turn back and notice, she was observing us, I smiled at her and wave bye, she did not smile but does wave back.)
We go to our car, we kissed, we were both glad the interview was over, we hug and smile at each other and kiss again, ( I am not sure if this is the case, but something in me was telling me we were still being watched)
We come to the hotel, within an hour and half, received a text card production ordered.
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Note 1: I am about 80 percent sure, the same officer was watching us the whole time while we were in the waiting room.
Note 2: She was comforting and being nice with us saying you are ok, you are approved, then out of a blue getting stern with me she noticed my wife's reaction. I am thinking she was relying on body language and our chemistry, rather then any documents.( We have submitted plenty and took a bunch with us, she did not look at any documents nor asked for the ones we took with us)
....................That concludes my interview experience.....................................
MY two cents for the users who are going through the interview:
My wife and I were so stressed, that four days leading to the interview we fought and bickered and snapped at each other more then we have done so in our entire relationship combined. Guys, if the IO denies your application, you can go the immigration court to reverse the outcome. This knowledge comforted us, hopefully it will comfort some of you as well.
Please do prepare, it will give both of you confidence, but do not try to be prepared to death, too much emphasis on preparation may get you worried and make you forget the stuff you generally know about each other. If by sheer out of luck you get an a** h** IO then no matter how much you prepare, the IO will still ask you questions that even somebody who was married for a long time wont be able to answer. (Example from my research : whats your wifes hair dressers name?, on your last get together what was your mother in law wearing(the couple in question had submitted a picture of the family get together)
Body language and chemistry ( I honestly believe most of the sham marriage fails here, genuinely married couple please note, comfort each other, be nice to your spouse, there is an immigration court if the IO does not agree with you, so the interview is not where all options end)
No matter how courteous, professional, nice, friendly,chatty, I have become your best bud, the IO acts with you, do not let your guard down, the IO is doing a very important job, and he/ she on the interview table to do his / her "job". Watch the tone the IO is taking, if the IO wants straight answer or wants a little bit clarification...answer accordingly.
Documents, documents, documents....thats what the USCIS depends on.
I was worried to death because day before the interview a "so called friend " called me and told me about several guys getting deported, their wives crying, blah blah blah. ... Please be prepared for the worst, but please BE POSITIVE, when you reach the USCIS office, be nice to people there, smile at them, say GOOD MORNING or AFTERNOON, (helped us with stress)
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I will be glad if this post helps any married couple who were in our shoe, we were less worried about getting green card then the fear of separation.
GOOD LUCK to us all
