I had my interview scheduled on 08/20/2008 @ 11:00AM. It took about 45 minutes. It was a tragedy compare to many people on this forum. I assure you that you don’t push me again to change my ID from Badluck to good luck anymore after you read my tragedy. Passport and a picture ID were the requested document in our interview letter only.
My wife and I were there 15 minutes before the interview. I was the winner. We gave our interview letter to the window. After 5 minutes waiting around 10:50AM an officer called our names and said “follow me please” so seriously.
We smiled and said “Hello” she replied so formally with out any sign of smile. We followed her to her office.
o: abbreviation for officer
m: abbreviation for me
( ): my explanations
o: Do you have a cell phone with you?
m: No ma'am (because we knew the rules and kept them in the car)
(A man came in)(He did not talk at all till end of interview)
o: Oh, he is an officer and you will answer him if he ask you questions.
(She did not introduced him by name. it was so weird, two officers interviewing us?!!)
o: please have a sit
(We sat and I noticed that she turned the camera on).
o: Oh, did I tell you my name? My name is ---- and I am going to interview you today.
o: Please stand and rise your right hand “do you swear that you say the truth?”
m: yes , I do
my spouse: yes , I do
o: you can sit now.
(She opened our file and start with my I-485 asking bit by bit and putting a red checkmark beside them. Except some numbers like visa#, A#, I-94#. She asked me all the questions on part 3)
o: where were you born?
m: Iran ma’am.
o: let me see your original certificate of birth and passport.
(I gave her both. And she compared them with the translation that she had on my file)
o: show me your original I-20 and student ID
(she asked me questions from my I-20 like expiration date , name of school, major, degree, etc)
o: did you received your EAD and AP?
m: yes ma’am.
o: did you use them?
m: no ma’am
(She took our I-94 from our passport and staples them in our file with herself)
o: do you have any U.S. degree?
m: I have a B.S. from my country and am pursuing my M.S.degree currently and (She didn’t let me finish)
o: So, you don’t have a u.s. degree.
o: are you currently employed?
m: yes ma’am, on campus as a graduate assistant
(my school contract was on my file and she was looking at but that was for last spring semester)
o: do you have a proof?
m: Yes ma’am
(Fortunately, I had my contract for Fall 2008 and showed her)
o: well, I saw your overseas property, assets and your statement of account but I can not accept them because I am not able to verify them. (I had money about 4 times of poverty line in my saving account only, plus the title deed and assessment certificate of our house and a piece of land)
o: do you have cash in us banks?
m: yes Ma’am
o: show me your last three us bank account.
(I showed her and my balance was about $25000 for the past 4 months)
o: these are not enough money to sponsor yourself and your wife. Do you have any other document to show that you are financially stable?
m: Yes ma’am . I have a sponsor.
(I already submit the original I-134 with supporting evidence when I filed. She searched for my Affidavit of support for a few second)
o: I do not see any “Affidavit of Support” on your file.
(I got shocked and worried)
o: I do see one I-134 for your wife only and that is useless because she is your derivative. I have to approve your case first.
(I had a copy of my I-134 and showed her)
o: but this a copy
m: I am sorry, I sent the original when I applied.
o: I do not know, it is not on your file and I can not accept copy. Plus, I want to do some research to make sure I-134 is applicable for your case. I think you should submit the long form.
m: But, I consulted an attorney and I am sure that is the correct form.
o: as I said I have to do some research about that.
o: probably, you will receive a request for additional document for your Affidavit of support and financial
(I don’t want to be paranoid but it was so strange that my I-134 was the missing document between the 200 pages of my file)
(any way she continued with my medical papers, checking them bit by bit, asking questions that who was my doctor? Where did I do the medical exam? Did I finished all my immunization, where did I do my blood test .etc. and finally checking all my federal and state taxes and asking for 2007 Tax return transcripts and W-2 that I had and showed her.)
(She did almost the same thing for my wife, except the financial part plus she asked for certificate of marriage and asking general questions about the date of marriage etc.. my wife also has graduate assistant because she is a graduate student too. And showed to the officer and the officer simply ignored that)
(I was worried about our name check too. so when she finished with my wife’s tax return as the last part, I said)
m: I have a question, may I ask?
o: go a head
m: I asked for name check expedite process when I did my infopass last time. I want to know if our name check is back or not.
o: No, not yet (she showed me a paper for a second from distance that I could not see any thing that)
o: see, we asked for you to expedite your security check and still nothing
o: you know, many of DV applicants lose their cases because of two things, FBI name check and 30 September due date.
m: I hope, it will not happen to me. I have another question
o: go a head
m: is there any way that we follow up our case with you other than customer service hot line and infopass like we call? because it is too difficult for us to drive to your office here for infopass.
o: I am not going to give your status over the phone and under the law I have 90 days to decide about your case. If you did not hear after 90 days schedule an infopass.
m: I am sorry but I do not have 90 days till end of 2008 DV program.
o: well, I have nothing to say and I have to repeat and repeat.
(She switched off the camera and stood. we stood too)
o: ok, don’t forget to take your cell phones!!!!
m: thank you, we already kept our cell phones in the car ( she even could not remember that we did not bring our cell phones in. Yes, because we were all tired it took about 45 minutes)
I am so worried now, she kept us in a very gray area (no white, no black) and I do not know what to do.
Good luck guys,
My wife and I were there 15 minutes before the interview. I was the winner. We gave our interview letter to the window. After 5 minutes waiting around 10:50AM an officer called our names and said “follow me please” so seriously.
We smiled and said “Hello” she replied so formally with out any sign of smile. We followed her to her office.
o: abbreviation for officer
m: abbreviation for me
( ): my explanations
o: Do you have a cell phone with you?
m: No ma'am (because we knew the rules and kept them in the car)
(A man came in)(He did not talk at all till end of interview)
o: Oh, he is an officer and you will answer him if he ask you questions.
(She did not introduced him by name. it was so weird, two officers interviewing us?!!)
o: please have a sit
(We sat and I noticed that she turned the camera on).
o: Oh, did I tell you my name? My name is ---- and I am going to interview you today.
o: Please stand and rise your right hand “do you swear that you say the truth?”
m: yes , I do
my spouse: yes , I do
o: you can sit now.
(She opened our file and start with my I-485 asking bit by bit and putting a red checkmark beside them. Except some numbers like visa#, A#, I-94#. She asked me all the questions on part 3)
o: where were you born?
m: Iran ma’am.
o: let me see your original certificate of birth and passport.
(I gave her both. And she compared them with the translation that she had on my file)
o: show me your original I-20 and student ID
(she asked me questions from my I-20 like expiration date , name of school, major, degree, etc)
o: did you received your EAD and AP?
m: yes ma’am.
o: did you use them?
m: no ma’am
(She took our I-94 from our passport and staples them in our file with herself)
o: do you have any U.S. degree?
m: I have a B.S. from my country and am pursuing my M.S.degree currently and (She didn’t let me finish)
o: So, you don’t have a u.s. degree.
o: are you currently employed?
m: yes ma’am, on campus as a graduate assistant
(my school contract was on my file and she was looking at but that was for last spring semester)
o: do you have a proof?
m: Yes ma’am
(Fortunately, I had my contract for Fall 2008 and showed her)
o: well, I saw your overseas property, assets and your statement of account but I can not accept them because I am not able to verify them. (I had money about 4 times of poverty line in my saving account only, plus the title deed and assessment certificate of our house and a piece of land)
o: do you have cash in us banks?
m: yes Ma’am
o: show me your last three us bank account.
(I showed her and my balance was about $25000 for the past 4 months)
o: these are not enough money to sponsor yourself and your wife. Do you have any other document to show that you are financially stable?
m: Yes ma’am . I have a sponsor.
(I already submit the original I-134 with supporting evidence when I filed. She searched for my Affidavit of support for a few second)
o: I do not see any “Affidavit of Support” on your file.
(I got shocked and worried)
o: I do see one I-134 for your wife only and that is useless because she is your derivative. I have to approve your case first.
(I had a copy of my I-134 and showed her)
o: but this a copy
m: I am sorry, I sent the original when I applied.
o: I do not know, it is not on your file and I can not accept copy. Plus, I want to do some research to make sure I-134 is applicable for your case. I think you should submit the long form.
m: But, I consulted an attorney and I am sure that is the correct form.
o: as I said I have to do some research about that.
o: probably, you will receive a request for additional document for your Affidavit of support and financial
(I don’t want to be paranoid but it was so strange that my I-134 was the missing document between the 200 pages of my file)
(any way she continued with my medical papers, checking them bit by bit, asking questions that who was my doctor? Where did I do the medical exam? Did I finished all my immunization, where did I do my blood test .etc. and finally checking all my federal and state taxes and asking for 2007 Tax return transcripts and W-2 that I had and showed her.)
(She did almost the same thing for my wife, except the financial part plus she asked for certificate of marriage and asking general questions about the date of marriage etc.. my wife also has graduate assistant because she is a graduate student too. And showed to the officer and the officer simply ignored that)
(I was worried about our name check too. so when she finished with my wife’s tax return as the last part, I said)
m: I have a question, may I ask?
o: go a head
m: I asked for name check expedite process when I did my infopass last time. I want to know if our name check is back or not.
o: No, not yet (she showed me a paper for a second from distance that I could not see any thing that)
o: see, we asked for you to expedite your security check and still nothing
o: you know, many of DV applicants lose their cases because of two things, FBI name check and 30 September due date.
m: I hope, it will not happen to me. I have another question
o: go a head
m: is there any way that we follow up our case with you other than customer service hot line and infopass like we call? because it is too difficult for us to drive to your office here for infopass.
o: I am not going to give your status over the phone and under the law I have 90 days to decide about your case. If you did not hear after 90 days schedule an infopass.
m: I am sorry but I do not have 90 days till end of 2008 DV program.
o: well, I have nothing to say and I have to repeat and repeat.
(She switched off the camera and stood. we stood too)
o: ok, don’t forget to take your cell phones!!!!
m: thank you, we already kept our cell phones in the car ( she even could not remember that we did not bring our cell phones in. Yes, because we were all tired it took about 45 minutes)
I am so worried now, she kept us in a very gray area (no white, no black) and I do not know what to do.
Good luck guys,
