Miserable Infopass Appt.

[kyounes]

So, we sent my husband's I-751 on July 6th or so, they received it on July 12, but did not send a receipt which he needed to extend his permanent residency for 1 year. Yesterday, he had an infopass appointment to explain the situation and get his passport stamped, as his card expires on Friday. (I had previously called the customer service number and was told to do this) Once we go there, they saw us right away, but the lady who helped was completely miserable. When we approached the counter, the situation was explained in plain english, but it seems like she didn't listen to a word that as said. She asked if he sent his greencard in and when he said no, she asked why not and said that it was no good now. DUH! I had told her that it expires on Friday. She then said that if he wanted his passport stamped, she'd need the receipt. That was why we were there! If he had the receipt, he wouldn't need the freakin' stamp. After telling us that our information was incorrect, she took his greencard and passport and told us to sit down. After she took the passport, I noticed that she was flipping through it, so I wanted to let her know that they didn't stamp his passport after our interview since it was expiring about 4 months later. As I started to tell her this, she stopped me and said to my husband, "can YOU talk to me?" So, after about 20 minutes, she she gave him his passport back with a stamp for 6 months (not a year) and KEPT his greencard.

Will this be a problem? I heard once that turning in your gc is like surrendering your pr. There was so much more that she did that was completely rude, but I won't bore you with any more details.

Oh, btw, we got home and guess what was in the mailbox...the receipt with the 1 year extension.

 

[eddie_d]

As I started to tell her this, she stopped me and said to my husband, "can YOU talk to me?" I couldn't believe it. I don't know how other relationships work, but in mine, I do EVERYTHING. I make sure the bills are paid, I make sure everthing is up to date- including my husband's immigration status. He is honestly clueless.

Your husband was the one filing the 751 correct? It is HIS green card correct? I don't see what the issue is if the IO wants to talk to HIM about it. I wouldn't so offended if I were you.

 

[kyounes]

I agree. He was the one filing and he was the one who answered her questions/had the conversation, but honestly, he doesn’t really understand what’s going on. I am the one who sponsored him, so I was at the interview and I just wanted to let her know that the passport wasn’t stamped and that I had the white I-94 in my purse if she needed it. I was just trying to be helpful and quite honestly, I posted to see if someone thought it would be a problem that she took his physical card and to show that even SHE was not informed on immigration law, not to have someone tell me how I should or shouldn’t feel.

FYI-if she wanted to talk to him, she could and DID. I was just adding a note (that my husband didn't even think of) and she acted like I was breaking the law and only HE was allowed to address her. If this whole process is based on our marriage, I can't help but feel a little involved.

 

[kyounes]

Also, is the 1 year extension letter with your passport enough? Or does the expired greencard need to be presented with the receipt letter?

 

[sarrebal]

I agree. He was the one filing and he was the one who answered her questions/had the conversation, but honestly, he doesn’t really understand what’s going on. I am the one who sponsored him, so I was at the interview and I just wanted to let her know that the passport wasn’t stamped and that I had the white I-94 in my purse if she needed it. I was just trying to be helpful and quite honestly, I posted to see if someone thought it would be a problem that she took his physical card and to show that even SHE was not informed on immigration law, not to have someone tell me how I should or shouldn’t feel.

FYI-if she wanted to talk to him, she could and DID. I was just adding a note (that my husband didn't even think of) and she acted like I was breaking the law and only HE was allowed to address her. If this whole process is based on our marriage, I can't help but feel a little involved.

Eddie was right.
He's over 18 and he's responsible for his immigration status, not you.
Unless you're his legal guardian, he should have talked to the immigration officer.
Your job was limited to file the I-130 and attend the interview for AOS. And co-signing his I-751.
Unless he signs a power of attorney to you, the immigration officer could refuse to speak to you about his immigration status.

Regarding his status, I'm not sure about it because I will be in the I-751 in about 2 years.
But I don't think he should have given up his green card.
The 1-year extension is valid with the expired green card. Then, when he receives the I-751 approval notice, he has to go to the DO, give up his expired green card (possibly get a stamp on his passport) and a new 10-year green card is ordered.

 

[kyounes]

I understand that and I know that I do more than I am responsible for, but I wasn’t even asking her a question about his case. I was just trying to help. Would it have been better if I just didn’t tell her that I had the I-90 in my purse? I mean, my husband wasn’t thinking of that and I thought that was what she was looking for.

 

[pianoplayer]

I understand that and I know that I do more than I am responsible for, but I wasn’t even asking her a question about his case. I was just trying to help. Would it have been better if I just didn’t tell her that I had the I-90 in my purse? I mean, my husband wasn’t thinking of that and I thought that was what she was looking for.

Honestly, I do not see what the OP did wrong. People are quite correct in saying that it was her husband who should have done the talking. But since when can she not ask a question or remind of something related to her husband's case?

While I agree that the officer's response should not be taken too seriously, it does seem to infer some rudeness ---- it could have been handled more diplomatically.

The stamp will suffice for the next 6 months ---- the OP should simply get another stamp after 6 months have passed and her husband does not yet have his unconditional GC.

 

[kyounes]

I know this is stupid, but what is OP? I don't really understand why everyone is obsessing on that point. When I was talking about the officer, it was because she didn't know what she was talking about. 1) she said that we were supposed to send in his conditional card with the I-751, 2) she said that stamping a passport as evidence of permanent residency while a I-751 is processing (with no receipt as of 2 months) was not correct procedure, 3) that she could only do something if he had his receipt with the LIN#, 4) that it doesn't matter when a passport expires-they always stamp it and didn't seem to know that they also stamp a white I-90 card for 1 year instead and 5) took his greencard which I'd never heard of. FYI, I was EXTREMELY polite when I did speak and only did so to explain why we were there at first (and then to show her the I-90-which is when she interrupted me and wanted my husband to explain it to her even though he couldn't read my mind). After that, she asked my husband questions about his address, why we came all the way to minneapolis, etc. and he had to correct her about the expiration date of his card. I know that I'm oversensitive which is why I reacted on here the way I did, but I guess I'm used to the other forums I belong to where people are there to help and not yell at you at every possible chance. That's something I've noticed around here; people love to get all fired up and comment even when they can be of no help. I guess everyone else here is lucky enough to have a spouse/family member who does take it upon themselves to keep track of their immigration status, but evidently I am not that lucky. When we first filed the papers three years ago, I was the one who did most of the research/filled out the forms since I was more comfortable/confident in my abilities to do so without error, so this was the first time there was an issue in which I guess I was NOT supposed to be involved (even though I had to co-sign the forms). I don't get it. It's not like I was taking over his appointment asking questions about another case or anything. I was just offering information, as my husband didn't realize what she was looking for. I just hope that nothing else goes wrong. I would like to avoid this forum if possible seeing as how everyone seems to have something against everyone else. What's in the past is in the past and what's been done is done. When people come on here looking for advice, they're looking for advice on what they should do in the future...not how they should've acted/felt. I've seen it on here too much and it's sad.

 

[kyounes]

Eddie was right.
Your job was limited to file the I-130 and attend the interview for AOS. And co-signing his I-751.
Unless he signs a power of attorney to you, the immigration officer could refuse to speak to you about his immigration status.

I'm also required to attend the interview if we're required to have another one. Where do you draw the line? When am I officially no longer involved in this case? The fact of the matter is I am the one who petitioned for him and without that (and without our relationship) this case wouldn't even exist. I guess I have a hard time knowing when to remove myself from the situation. If I have to put my name on something and sign it, it's for a reason. Plus, they should be happy that I care. (I don't actually mean they should jump up and down with joy, but it shouldn't be such a problem) We're obviously not being fraudulent and isn't that the whole point of conditional residency?

 

[machelon]

kyounes...don't worry about silly comments from people like Eddie...trying to hold you back from helping your husband. I completely understand you...as a wife and petitioner and someone who understands the process better you have all the rigth to help him. Immigration laws and procedures are complicated, very inefficient, and officers are many times plain clueless about their own jobs....but thats another subject.
Keep informing your husband about the USCIS processes, keep researching them yourself as well, don't feel too intimidated, you just have to play by the rules...
Try to be polite with the officers...although I gotta say...i have failed that advice many times myself.
Good luck....and like someone else told you here...your husband case should be Ok.

 

[Sapphie]

We too had a miserable InfoPass appt. The officer who interviewed us was very rude and didn't listen to us either. She basically was asking for additional proof that we couldn't possibly provide and when our attorney politely asked her about this, the officer said "Can you stop antagonizing me and let me do my job?". I was so shocked at her rudeness I could hardly answer any questions. I had actually thought about filing a formal complaint to the Attorney General or somebody after my husband received his green card.

We later found out through our attorney that this officer was let go

 

[sarrebal]

I'm also required to attend the interview if we're required to have another one. Where do you draw the line? When am I officially no longer involved in this case? The fact of the matter is I am the one who petitioned for him and without that (and without our relationship) this case wouldn't even exist. I guess I have a hard time knowing when to remove myself from the situation. If I have to put my name on something and sign it, it's for a reason. Plus, they should be happy that I care. (I don't actually mean they should jump up and down with joy, but it shouldn't be such a problem) We're obviously not being fraudulent and isn't that the whole point of conditional residency?

Hey, I think you taking complete care of your husband's immigration process is a nice thing, don't get me wrong.
I just said that the immigration officer could pretend to speak just to him if he/she wants and you should have not felt offended by that. That's it.

 

[machelon]

Sarrebal....Kyounes has ALL the right to feel however she wants to feel. You are no one to tell her how to feel about some dumb officer talking at her or her husband.
I am sick of people in this board trying to preach on the behaviour, or feelings of others.
If you are on the side of the IM officers...go get a job there (i'm sure its no challenge) and you can preach all you want all day.

 

[sarrebal]

Sarrebal....Kyounes has ALL the right to feel however she wants to feel. You are no one to tell her how to feel about some dumb officer talking at her or her husband.
I am sick of people in this board trying to preach on the behaviour, or feelings of others.
If you are on the side of the IM officers...go get a job there (i'm sure its no challenge) and you can preach all you want all day.

First of all, people could feel whatever they want.
But I find your perception of the rules and the law very funny. Probably you ended up in the wrong country.
She wants to talk to the immigration officer on behalf of her husband. That's fine to me and a caring thing indeed. Unfortunately the law says that the beneficiary is ultimately responsible and the immigration officer is right to want to talk to him.
There's no war between immigrants and immigration officers if the law is respected and rules are followed.
You're sick of people on this board? My friend, we're in a free country (and I came from a free country), nobody forces you to come on this board.
Have a nice day and good luck for your immigration process, you definitely need it.

 

[kyounes]

machelon, thanks for your replies. You really made me feel better about the situation. It's comforting to know that there are some people on here who are in similar situations and can understand what others are going through and help if/when they can. I can't wait for this whole process to be over. I feel like everytime we have to deal with it, we're made to feel like we did something wrong. My husband and I were so young (17!) when we started this process and we've both learned a lot since then, but it wasn't easy. I was happy to find this forum, as we do not know many people in similar situations, but I find myself wondering why so many try to as machelon said, "trying to preach on the behaviour, or feelings of others." I know it's a free country and I totally support freedom of speech, but sometimes the whole process is a little overwhelming and you just need some kind advice. I guess one really great thing about this whole process is that it has made my husband and myself really appreciate how lucky we are to get to be together and as we approach our 3rd anniversary (next Tuesday) we're happier than ever.

 

[sarrebal]

machelon, thanks for your replies. You really made me feel better about the situation. It's comforting to know that there are some people on here who are in similar situations and can understand what others are going through and help if/when they can. I can't wait for this whole process to be over. I feel like everytime we have to deal with it, we're made to feel like we did something wrong. My husband and I were so young (17!) when we started this process and we've both learned a lot since then, but it wasn't easy. I was happy to find this forum, as we do not know many people in similar situations, but I find myself wondering why so many try to as machelon said, "trying to preach on the behaviour, or feelings of others." I know it's a free country and I totally support freedom of speech, but sometimes the whole process is a little overwhelming and you just need some kind advice. I guess one really great thing about this whole process is that it has made my husband and myself really appreciate how lucky we are to get to be together and as we approach our 3rd anniversary (next Tuesday) we're happier than ever.

Again, I didn't preach on anybody's feelings.
But again, your husband applied for a benefit, then the benefit adjudicator has the right to talk to him. If the IO is happy with talking just to you, then it's great, but if he/she pretends to talk to your husband, then you might feel whatever you want, but the IO is right.
I hope I made it clear.

 

[kyounes]

I don't necessarily think you were telling me what to feel. Either way, it doesn't matter because my husband and I were the ones there, so only we'd know how we "should" feel about it. Well, the first time we filed anything, I was required to file a petition for him, so the whole case seems relative to me, which maybe leads to confusion. Also, I didn't ask the officer to talk to just me. I just initially explained that I had called the customer service number (you have to call before 6, but my husband isn't done with work before then), she asked him a bunch of questions, we sat down, and everything was fine. Then, when we went back up, I was going to stay sitting down, but my husband gestured for me to follow him, she asked him some more questions, they talked, she asked for his passport, and when I saw her flipping through it I thought maybe she was looking for his original stamp (which my husband didn't think of), so I started to say that I had it in my purse if that's what she was looking for and she interrupted me and wanted my husband to tell her like me talking to her was illegal. He didn't know what I was going to say-he unfortunately can't read my mind, so I just gave it to her and he explained that his passport at the time was expiring, so they gave him the card I had handed her. I really don't think I did anything wrong. Actually, I know I didn't. I didn't answer any questions for him or anything, I was basically just there because he'd never driven to the city before and I needed him to navigate while I drove. I don't know why this issue because such a hot one. My whole problem with the situation was that she took his card and I didn't know if that was normal and I was really questioning it since she didn't seem too informed on the other issues at hand. That's all. I actually wasn't that upset about it until I started reading posts on here when people were saying how right she was, but I knew that they weren't there and they didn't know how it happened. Maybe I should have explained it better, but really, it doesn't matter. We ironically recieved the 1 year extension letter/receipt that same day in the mail (2 1/2 months after filing) and he'll be eligible to apply for citizenship before it expires. At least with those forms, it's a little more obvious who's a part of the process.
Oh, btw, good luck at your interview.

 

[tsnbagman]

First of all, people could feel whatever they want.
But I find your perception of the rules and the law very funny. Probably you ended up in the wrong country.
She wants to talk to the immigration officer on behalf of her husband. That's fine to me and a caring thing indeed. Unfortunately the law says that the beneficiary is ultimately responsible and the immigration officer is right to want to talk to him.
There's no war between immigrants and immigration officers if the law is respected and rules are followed.
You're sick of people on this board? My friend, we're in a free country (and I came from a free country), nobody forces you to come on this board.
Have a nice day and good luck for your immigration process, you definitely need it.

sarrebal, I never saw you posting angry stuff like this before. Hope everything is alright with you. Good luck with the interview if I do not talk to you before that.

 

[eddie_d]

First of all, people could feel whatever they want.
But I find your perception of the rules and the law very funny. Probably you ended up in the wrong country.
She wants to talk to the immigration officer on behalf of her husband. That's fine to me and a caring thing indeed. Unfortunately the law says that the beneficiary is ultimately responsible and the immigration officer is right to want to talk to him.
There's no war between immigrants and immigration officers if the law is respected and rules are followed.
You're sick of people on this board? My friend, we're in a free country (and I came from a free country), nobody forces you to come on this board.
Have a nice day and good luck for your immigration process, you definitely need it.

AMEN!!

I am always amazed at the mentality some people have. The USCIS has to re-arrange their rules, regulations and laws around to suit them and not the other way around.

 

[machelon]

AMEN!!

I am always amazed at the mentality some people have. The USCIS has to re-arrange their rules, regulations and laws around to suit them and not the other way around.

USCIS does not care how their rules, and especially thier retarded procedures affect other people. But thats NOT what we are not concerned about here.
We are talking about the advices givien in this board. I think we are here to HELP people and not question their feelings. Lets not pretend to be IM-officer advocates.