Pls. help!! Does I140 NIW based I485 need an interview before approval???

givemegreencard

Registered Users (C)
Dear gurus,

My friends' I485 NIW cases were approved and their I485 cases were interviewed in Buffalo before these cases got approved. They told me that all NIW cases will get interviewed in a local office for I485 processing.

Is that right? Does any body has got I140NIW based I485 approved WITHOUT interview?

Thanks a lot.

RD: 04/2003
FP1: 03/2004
AP: ???
 
mostly all require interviews

givemegreencard said:
Dear gurus,

My friends' I485 NIW cases were approved and their I485 cases were interviewed in Buffalo before these cases got approved. They told me that all NIW cases will get interviewed in a local office for I485 processing.

Is that right? Does any body has got I140NIW based I485 approved WITHOUT interview?

Thanks a lot.

RD: 04/2003
FP1: 03/2004
AP: ???

the pattern seen on this forum is that all NIW based I-485 were transferred to local office for interviews.
 
please take a look at the following link. I really don't see why NIW should transfer to local office if the applicant has legal immigration status. :confused:

Any ideas? any exceptions? or this rule is too new to have a case?



http://www.usvisahelp.com/nw_vol4_iss4.html

USCIS Issues Revised Interview Waiver Criteria for I-485 Applications for Adjustment of Status

USCIS has discretion to interview any Adjustment of Status applicant, but in most cases interviews are waived. Currently interviews are waived if:

The principal applicant is employed by the same petitioner who submitted the approved underlying employment-based (I-140) petition

The principal applicant has been approved as an alien of extraordinary ability or alien of exceptional ability and is otherwise eligible for adjustment of status

The principal applicant has been approved as an outstanding professor or researcher, or a multinational executive/ manager and has a continuing offer of employment from the same petitioner who submitted the underlying approved petition

Adjustment applicants who received national interest waivers based on performing primary medical care to a medically under-served area who demonstrate that they intend to continue according to the terms and conditions of the underlying petition.

USICS issued a memo on January 5, 2005 revising the situations in which cases should be sent to local offices for interviews. Prior to the memo, cases would be automatically transferred if there was a need for validation of identity or legal status; if it was questionable whether the alien was admissible or there was apparent fraud; if there were multiple adjustment of status applications filed, or an A-file could not be located at the time of adjudication. However, the memo advises Service Centers not to send applications to local offices for interviews where there is a need to validate legal status, unless a determination of legal status cannot be obtained through file review and/or by requesting additional evidence from the applicant. In addition, cases should no longer be transferred to local offices for interviews where there have been multiple filings, until USCIS issues an RFE seeking evidence to clear up any issues surrounding the multiple filings. This will give Adjustment of Status applicants a chance to respond to an RFE rather than going for a USCIS interview in many cases. Also, where an A file is lost, officers are now advised to create a temporary file rather than transferring the case to the local office for interview. And finally, the memo advises that not all “hits” in USCIS’s IDENTS database should be referred to local office for review, as many of the hits in the database are for immigration violations that have already been resolved. Instead, officers will only send cases with “questionable” IDENT hits for interviews. In sum, the memo should cut down on the number of applicants called in for Adjustment of Status interviews
 
I think it is random.
My NIW (I-140 approved in July 2003) was transferred to Baltimore office for interview, now I am waiting. There were some more NIW people interviewed and approved recently at Baltimore office.
 
niw referrals

ag28 said:
the pattern seen on this forum is that all NIW based I-485 were transferred to local office for interviews.
i agree all NIWS are referred.
mine is an exception, since i had an approved OR petiton as well.
 
arjundc said:
i agree all NIWS are referred.
mine is an exception, since i had an approved OR petiton as well.

Hi, Arjundc:

How many I485 did yoou file?

If you have two approved I140(OR & NIW) and one I485, How does INS determine which petition you I485 is associate with?
 
good question

Robert8 said:
Hi, Arjundc:

How many I485 did yoou file?

If you have two approved I140(OR & NIW) and one I485, How does INS determine which petition you I485 is associate with?
good question, something that i have pondered with a lot and have not got very clear answers from my lawyer.

firstly, u file just 1 485 (this is better for you, in terms of money as well as less confusion and chance of interview)

140 file as many as u can qualify.

when u file 485, ur lawyer usually specifies which 140 it should be linked to. in case he/she does not or that u r not sure which 140 will succeed, u can just file based on 140 applicaTION(S).

ONCE 140 gets approved, ur lawyer can send in writing to vermont (etc) which 140 the 485 needs to get linked to.

however, according to lawyer, INS is arbitary in deciding which 140 to link to. usually it is the one that is first approved. Othertimes, it may or may not heed your lawer's directive.

but in my case, i think it goes with the first approved 140. also, i think my lawyer had requested OR as he was sure i would get that approved.
 
Thank you for you response.

Given this uncertainty and high likelihood of interview for NIW,

It might do good to withdrawn a pending NIW ASAP if other petition is approved.

Do you agree?
 
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