Same date/time for mine and wife's interview - will we have interview together ?

S

sudipto

Registered Users (C)
My wife and myself applied for citizenship together and our applications were filed at the same time (though sent in different envelopes). So far our processing is going hand in hand and we had the same fingerprinting date.

We have recently got our interview letter, and we have been given the exact same date and time (needless to say, same location).

Will we have a common interview (i.e. the same immigration officer interviews both of us together) ? Can any of you speak from your own experience if you had a similar situation ?

I am wondering if we should take one set of common documentation (tax return, marriage certificate etc.) or take two sets.

Thanks in advance for any feedback from anyone with personal experience (or if you know first hand from any of your friends etc.)
 
I would say that is highly unlikely and that is why it is a great idea to go prepared for separate interviews. In case you end up with the same officer, one will be called after another. The time for an appointment means that you have to show up at that time; the actual time is always much later.

In a remote case that you do end up together, all you have wasted is a little bit of money on photocopying.
 
My spouse and I had same times and were IVd by different IOs in separate rooms. The only "extra" doc we took was the marrg certf, one of us had the original and the other took the copy. But it is not a big deal and you can tell the IO if s/he asks that the original is with your spouse . We took our own DL, GC and took our birth certf and SS cards just becasue we had it.
 
aabbcc11 said:
My spouse and I had same times and were IVd by different IOs in separate rooms. The only "extra" doc we took was the marrg certf, one of us had the original and the other took the copy. But it is not a big deal and you can tell the IO if s/he asks that the original is with your spouse . We took our own DL, GC and took our birth certf and SS cards just becasue we had it.
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Did you not take the tax return stuff ? Reading the document checklist, it wasn't clear to me if the tax returns are required only for marriage based naturalization or in all cases (ours is green card based naturalization).

So I was planning to take it just in case.

Sounds like we will go with an extra set of docs ... oh well, would have liked to spare a few trees :(
 
Hi, My wife and I had interviews at the same location and at same time. But we were interviewed by different officers.
My question: Why do they need marriage certificate if you are applying based on 5 years rule? My wife was asked for marriage certificate, but she did not have one with her. Luckily, the officer had one on her file (we went for GC interview at the same DO). So everything went well. But my question is - why do we need marriage certificate? My wife got her GC via marriage. But we both stayed in US for 5 years after the GC. So, we both are independently eligible for citizenship irrespective of our marriage and/or marriage status.
 
The tax returns may be used by marrg based n400 or people with long absences to prove residency. We did not need it and were not asked for it.

We basically took a few sheets of paper in thin files, stuff like gc, ss card etc. I am very much against the needless paperwork that people here insist on carrying. So do spare those trees!
 
josil said:
Hi, My wife and I had interviews at the same location and at same time. But we were interviewed by different officers.
My question: Why do they need marriage certificate if you are applying based on 5 years rule? My wife was asked for marriage certificate, but she did not have one with her. Luckily, the officer had one on her file (we went for GC interview at the same DO). So everything went well. But my question is - why do we need marriage certificate? My wife got her GC via marriage. But we both stayed in US for 5 years after the GC. So, we both are independently eligible for citizenship irrespective of our marriage and/or marriage status.
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My wife is changing her last name as part of the N-400 application, so she is required to take the marriage certificate. I will carry a copy with me just in case.

Did your wife changed her name as part of this process ? If not, she should not have required the marriage certificate.

While I am all for saving trees (and really do try it whenever I can), dealing with USCIS is one thing I am not going to take any chances and would rather have my "belts and suspenders" on.
 
sudipto said:
My wife is changing her last name as part of the N-400 application, so she is required to take the marriage certificate. I will carry a copy with me just in case.

Did your wife changed her name as part of this process ? If not, she should not have required the marriage certificate.

While I am all for saving trees (and really do try it whenever I can), dealing with USCIS is one thing I am not going to take any chances and would rather have my "belts and suspenders" on.
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josil said:
Hi, My wife and I had interviews at the same location and at same time. But we were interviewed by different officers.
My question: Why do they need marriage certificate if you are applying based on 5 years rule? My wife was asked for marriage certificate, but she did not have one with her. Luckily, the officer had one on her file (we went for GC interview at the same DO). So everything went well.

But my question is - why do we need marriage certificate? My wife got her GC via marriage. But we both stayed in US for 5 years after the GC. So, we both are independently eligible for citizenship irrespective of our marriage and/or marriage status.
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I dont think she should have been asked for the Marriage certificate, since she applied based on 5-year rule only.

Weird...but this is why people end up carrying a truckload of documentation :eek:
 
No, it is just a coincidence that both have the same interview time, but the interview will be separate. So, two separate sets of documents, however keep in mind that most of the documents are not really needed at an interview. If your naturalization is not complex you just need passport to show your trips, green card, drivers license and that's pretty much it.
 
CrossHairs said:
I dont think she should have been asked for the Marriage certificate, since she applied based on 5-year rule only.

Weird...but this is why people end up carrying a truckload of documentation :eek:
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Exactly - your IO can ask for anything, and all you can do is be prepared with the most likely docs.
 
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