Just got approved - thank you!

G

GreenLady

Registered Users (C)
I had my interview this morning, and my application was approved!

I'd like to thank everybody on the forum for all the helpful information I've found here. Seriously, this forum saved me thousands of dollars in lawyer fees! My case went very smoothly: all the papers were in order (including filed in the right order), all translations were accepted (again, thank you for telling me how I can get cheap certified translations!!) and I knew what to expect on the morning of the interview.

I wish you all best of luck with your cases!
 
GreenLady said:
I had my interview this morning, and my application was approved!

I'd like to thank everybody on the forum for all the helpful information I've found here. Seriously, this forum saved me thousands of dollars in lawyer fees! My case went very smoothly: all the papers were in order (including filed in the right order), all translations were accepted (again, thank you for telling me how I can get cheap certified translations!!) and I knew what to expect on the morning of the interview.

I wish you all best of luck with your cases!
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Congratulations GreenLady!!! I am happy for you and wish you all the luck in the future.

ssp77
 
Translation

Please can you guide me how do I get my Birth Certificate translated in English. Someone told me that USCIS accepts the transaltion sone by anyone as long as the person is fluent in both languages, is this true? or I will have to get it through some services?
Please guide,
Thanks and Congrats.
 
GreenLady said:
I had my interview this morning, and my application was approved!

I'd like to thank everybody on the forum for all the helpful information I've found here. Seriously, this forum saved me thousands of dollars in lawyer fees! My case went very smoothly: all the papers were in order (including filed in the right order), all translations were accepted (again, thank you for telling me how I can get cheap certified translations!!) and I knew what to expect on the morning of the interview.

I wish you all best of luck with your cases!
Click to expand...

Greenlady we have the same DO, so I'd like to hear the specifics of your case. I am surprised though it took so long for them to interview you. I am trying to get a birth certificate translated from Spanish to English. Where can I do that here in Philly? Advice appreciated :)
 
Can someone direct me to the minimum required set of documentation that is required for the interview? We have been married since end of 2004. We have filed tax returns jointly, have a joint lease. We have a joint checking account, but we dont operate it . A small Fixed deposit that it about a year and a half old. Anything I should do now to be better prepared?
 
swap81 said:
Can someone direct me to the minimum required set of documentation that is required for the interview? We have been married since end of 2004. We have filed tax returns jointly, have a joint lease. We have a joint checking account, but we dont operate it . A small Fixed deposit that it about a year and a half old. Anything I should do now to be better prepared?
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Collect as much financial information that has both your names. Bills, bank accounts, credit cards, insurance policies (auto, health, etc), and the ones u mentioned. You should be good to go.
 
Hello books12345,

I translated my birth certificate myself (because I am fluent in English), and USCIS seemed fine with that. I submitted the following:

- a photocopy of the original birth certificate
- a typed translation
- a "certification" which said:

Certification by Translator

I, (my name), certify that I am fluent in the English and Romanian languages, and that the attached document is an accurate translation of the document entitled “Certificat de nastere”.

Signature,


Date:

(my name)
(my address)

I took these to a notary public, who had me sign the certification and then notarized it (stamped it). That's it.

books12345 said:
Please can you guide me how do I get my Birth Certificate translated in English. Someone told me that USCIS accepts the transaltion sone by anyone as long as the person is fluent in both languages, is this true? or I will have to get it through some services?
Please guide,
Thanks and Congrats.
Click to expand...
 
swap81, your interview notification will include a checklist of all the documents you need to bring. One of the categories is "anything else that you feel would substantiate your relationship" (photos, leases, insurance, property, bank statements, ...). We brought documents to show a joint bank account open since 2005, joint leases going back to 2004, renter's insurance documents, some utility bills (under my name or my husband's name) a few photograps and a few postcards. And of course the marriage certificate!

The officer didn't ask for any documents! He asked whether we had wedding photos, which we didn't (because we didn't take wedding photos), so we showed him the few photos we had brought and told him where each was taken.

Looking at your list of documents, you should probably be fine. Good luck!

swap81 said:
Can someone direct me to the minimum required set of documentation that is required for the interview? We have been married since end of 2004. We have filed tax returns jointly, have a joint lease. We have a joint checking account, but we dont operate it . A small Fixed deposit that it about a year and a half old. Anything I should do now to be better prepared?
Click to expand...
 
Summary of questions at the interview

Ok, last post in the series. Here's how the interview went.

The officer asked us to take the oath, and then we sat down. He asked my husband (the US citizen) where he was born, and it turned out that the officer was actually familiar with that tiny, tiny town in the middle of nowhere! Thus the two of them spent a good portion of the time talking about Wisconsin, about Montana and about small towns in the Midwest. In fact, now that I think about it, my husband did most of the talking and I didn't have to say very much. Some other questions:

- can I see your passports and your driver's licenses?
- is this your first husband / wife?
- what is your complete name? your SSN?
- is your salary supporting only the two of you?
- a random selection of those "are you a terrorist" questions
- what are you studying? (since both my husband and I are students) - this prompted another discussion of current events and science and stuff
- when was the last time you entered the country? which prompted "so you went to Romania after the wedding"? (indeed we did)
- do you have any wedding pictures? (we didn't, and showed a few others)

That's all I can remember. I was almost upset because I've spent the last month stressing about this interview, collecting documents and certified copies and letters and what not, and then the officer didn't ask for anything. Oh well.
 
GreenLady said:
I had my interview this morning, and my application was approved!

I'd like to thank everybody on the forum for all the helpful information I've found here. Seriously, this forum saved me thousands of dollars in lawyer fees! My case went very smoothly: all the papers were in order (including filed in the right order), all translations were accepted (again, thank you for telling me how I can get cheap certified translations!!) and I knew what to expect on the morning of the interview.

I wish you all best of luck with your cases!
Click to expand...

Congratulations! :) We have the same DO and I was taken aback to see your timeline,though. But anyhow am glad everything went well and that the interview was a painless one. Enjoy your life as a LPR :)
 
GreenLady said:
I had my interview this morning, and my application was approved!

I'd like to thank everybody on the forum for all the helpful information I've found here. Seriously, this forum saved me thousands of dollars in lawyer fees! My case went very smoothly: all the papers were in order (including filed in the right order), all translations were accepted (again, thank you for telling me how I can get cheap certified translations!!) and I knew what to expect on the morning of the interview.

I wish you all best of luck with your cases!
Click to expand...

Greenlady, CONGRATS!! :) I'm stressed (like you were before), especially since I haven't received my interview letter (I filed everything on May) I'm on a F-1 visa as well and my husband is a US citizen. Did you have to tell your school about your changing of status? It took INS about 5-6 months to send you the interview letter!! Is that the processing time for F-1 students applying for the GC? Any comment would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
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Thanks GreenLady for the detailed reply and Congratulations too. Also thanks to myRedSkins.
GreenLady said:
Ok, last post in the series. Here's how the interview went.

The officer asked us to take the oath, and then we sat down. He asked my husband (the US citizen) where he was born, and it turned out that the officer was actually familiar with that tiny, tiny town in the middle of nowhere! Thus the two of them spent a good portion of the time talking about Wisconsin, about Montana and about small towns in the Midwest. In fact, now that I think about it, my husband did most of the talking and I didn't have to say very much. Some other questions:

- can I see your passports and your driver's licenses?
- is this your first husband / wife?
- what is your complete name? your SSN?
- is your salary supporting only the two of you?
- a random selection of those "are you a terrorist" questions
- what are you studying? (since both my husband and I are students) - this prompted another discussion of current events and science and stuff
- when was the last time you entered the country? which prompted "so you went to Romania after the wedding"? (indeed we did)
- do you have any wedding pictures? (we didn't, and showed a few others)

That's all I can remember. I was almost upset because I've spent the last month stressing about this interview, collecting documents and certified copies and letters and what not, and then the officer didn't ask for anything. Oh well.
Click to expand...
 
cookies said:
Greenlady, CONGRATS!! :) I'm stressed (like you were before), especially since I haven't received my interview letter (I filed everything on May) I'm on a F-1 visa as well and my husband is a US citizen. Did you have to tell your school about your changing of status? It took INS about 5-6 months to send you the interview letter!! Is that the processing time for F-1 students applying for the GC? Any comment would be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I was an F-1 before I applied to adjust my status. I think you should definetely let your school/international student services know that you filed I-485. I think they will eventually get to know that you did so because your filing for I-485 makes your F-1 visa useless (when you apply for F-1, your only intention is to go to school and return back to your country which they ask you swear that you will not stay after you are finished with your education. when you file for I-485 you let the USA know that you are here to stay and not going anywhere and heck with the F-1, becasue of a certain reason which could be work, spouse, political etc.) i think the most important reason you should let your school know that you are not an F-1 anymore or filed I-485 is that filing I-485 will entitle you to pay in-state tuition. you should go to your school and ask them bona fide resident form (if there is such a thing). along with this form, your I-485 receipt and another proof that you can show you have been a resident of the state more than a year (probably they will give you a list of acceptable documents) will be suffice to pay in state tuition next semester. again this may change school to school and it did work out with my school.
I dont know if being an F-1 could cause your case to go slower than many other cases. honestly, as an F-1 you will never over stay your visa as long as you are a full time student, there are illegals in this forum who got their greencards before even their documents got to the USCIS (figuratively speaking) i start to think that the length of a case more so depent on the officer and/or the office your case is in. this individual might have a complicated case right before yours and you might be stuck behind this case until it is resolved. Again i dont if this is true but there is no other explanation to why some cases might take longer than the others.

hope it helps. good luck
IS


-------------------------
New York City
September 8, 2006: filed I-485,130,765
9/21/2006: receipt notice
01/04/2007: FP (didnt receive anything after 90 days, made an INFOPASS appointment and had my FP taken on the same day)
01/12/2007: received the EAD
04/16/2007: no LUD, no interview notice, wrote a letter to USCIS to expedite my case since I was missing some promising job oportunities, included some emails from companies (Boeing, GE, Rolls-Royce and etc.) indicating that I had to have a secured residency status before they could offer me a job.
04/25-26/2007: received a biometrics appointment letter (guess what a copy of my letter asking to expedite my case was attached to it) for 05/02/2007
05/16/2007: received an interview letter for 06/26/2007
06/21/2007: LUD for both I-485 and I-130
06/26/2007: interview, case was approved, I-551 on the passport
 
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