Since people want to know what happened at the interview:
As far as experience is concerned, I will not bore you with a blow by blow (oops!...don't disturb the peace!) account of how many stairs I climbed etc...
In San Jose, you leave your interview letters in a box by the window in room 200, and wait for the officer to call your name. If you have small kids, there is a play area with toys and books.
The officer is usually nice (so I am told by the attorney). Mine started by swearing me in (raise your right hand and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so Help you God). Now this officer was nice to the extent that she called me in ahead of the family. My attorney says they usually do this so as not to potentially embarass anyone. (Think: "Saaaay.... Daddy! Din' know you got handcuffed and stuff...Keewwl! ).
She said that the reason for the interview was due to there being an arrest record, and wanted to know what happened to the case. I showed her the:
(a) court order to pay a fine and 2 years INFORMAL probation
(b) court order, 3 months later, showing they determined that fine was paid, and that probation too was being terminated. Case closed
(c) record clearance papers of a further 3 months later (this, BTW is as good as not recognized by the USCIS)
She then wanted to know in my own words what happened. I told her. I also told her that the cop was overzealous and that I never hit anybody, both of which are aboslutely true. (The cop had been actually trying to explain to me why he had thought it fit to arrest me, till I told him to shut his face and not try to justify his actions. I refrained from telling the Immigration Officer that piece of info) Perhaps the fact that I had not hit anybody helped.
She told my attorney: "Everything else is in order... and I can approve the family today, once I do the IBIS checks". I waited outside till she did the checks (took about 15 minutes), and she called the family in and stamped our passports. Before that, she asked some random questions like have you ever been a member of a communist party, been on welfare in the US, been arrested anywhere else... basically a subset of the standard I-485 checklist of questions. She specifically asked for and took the original of the EVL (only start date, position and salary required), copies of last 3 years tax returns (I noticed her quietly checking the gross income line)
She also had us sign what I think she called I-89s. These are cards where your index finger print and signature goes... and they make the plastic cards from that. (No, I don't know what they use for guys who don't go for interview!)
Sounds simple... and was, except that we talked and talked and talked all the while... about books, films, The Bourne Trilogy, Matt Daemon, Robert Ludlum, Hollywood, conservative middle America, Immigration officer's home town, her university, souped up muscle cars with Hemi engines, and several such other important immigration matters, as well.
Took from 12:50 to 2:30 PM along icluding time to come up for air during the above talks.
She was a nice white haired old lady too... won't mention her name.... but you would be lucky to get her as your interviewer.
Do take an attorney, by all means, if the expense is not a concern. The good ones know all the officers, and that is a great ice-breaker. The officers expect you to bring an attorney anyway!
As far as experience is concerned, I will not bore you with a blow by blow (oops!...don't disturb the peace!) account of how many stairs I climbed etc...
In San Jose, you leave your interview letters in a box by the window in room 200, and wait for the officer to call your name. If you have small kids, there is a play area with toys and books.
The officer is usually nice (so I am told by the attorney). Mine started by swearing me in (raise your right hand and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so Help you God). Now this officer was nice to the extent that she called me in ahead of the family. My attorney says they usually do this so as not to potentially embarass anyone. (Think: "Saaaay.... Daddy! Din' know you got handcuffed and stuff...Keewwl! ).
She said that the reason for the interview was due to there being an arrest record, and wanted to know what happened to the case. I showed her the:
(a) court order to pay a fine and 2 years INFORMAL probation
(b) court order, 3 months later, showing they determined that fine was paid, and that probation too was being terminated. Case closed
(c) record clearance papers of a further 3 months later (this, BTW is as good as not recognized by the USCIS)
She then wanted to know in my own words what happened. I told her. I also told her that the cop was overzealous and that I never hit anybody, both of which are aboslutely true. (The cop had been actually trying to explain to me why he had thought it fit to arrest me, till I told him to shut his face and not try to justify his actions. I refrained from telling the Immigration Officer that piece of info
) Perhaps the fact that I had not hit anybody helped.She told my attorney: "Everything else is in order... and I can approve the family today, once I do the IBIS checks". I waited outside till she did the checks (took about 15 minutes), and she called the family in and stamped our passports. Before that, she asked some random questions like have you ever been a member of a communist party, been on welfare in the US, been arrested anywhere else... basically a subset of the standard I-485 checklist of questions. She specifically asked for and took the original of the EVL (only start date, position and salary required), copies of last 3 years tax returns (I noticed her quietly checking the gross income line
)She also had us sign what I think she called I-89s. These are cards where your index finger print and signature goes... and they make the plastic cards from that. (No, I don't know what they use for guys who don't go for interview!)
Sounds simple... and was, except that we talked and talked and talked all the while... about books, films, The Bourne Trilogy, Matt Daemon, Robert Ludlum, Hollywood, conservative middle America, Immigration officer's home town, her university, souped up muscle cars with Hemi engines, and several such other important immigration matters, as well.
Took from 12:50 to 2:30 PM along icluding time to come up for air during the above talks.
She was a nice white haired old lady too... won't mention her name.... but you would be lucky to get her as your interviewer.
Do take an attorney, by all means, if the expense is not a concern. The good ones know all the officers, and that is a great ice-breaker. The officers expect you to bring an attorney anyway!
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