I-130 Interview with petitioner?

[Damjan 0]

I filed an I-130 on February 14th 2010 for my wife and patiently waited and kept checking every day. Today on Friday the 13th the case was finaly updated from initial review. now it says:

Testing and Interview

Your case has been transferred to a local office and an interview will be scheduled. You will be sent a notice advising you of the date and time of your interview. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.

I am really confused now i believed that interview will be with my wife at the embassy. The did not requested any additional evidence, so i am not sure what they need from me. I never heard of petitioner having an interview. has anybody else experienced the same?

I don't have anything to hide but i am a bit nervous. I hope they wont grill me there with some details from years ago and deny us for something silly. Should be calm or should i get some legal help? I just cant afford this application to get denied because is been years since we live this separate lives. I became a citizen in January this year. Anybody knows any beneficiary that had an interview.

[LotofPatience 65]

I filed an I-130 on February 14th 2010 for my wife and patiently waited and kept checking every day. Today on Friday the 13th the case was finaly updated from initial review. now it says:

Testing and Interview

Your case has been transferred to a local office and an interview will be scheduled. You will be sent a notice advising you of the date and time of your interview. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.

I am really confused now i believed that interview will be with my wife at the embassy. The did not requested any additional evidence, so i am not sure what they need from me. I never heard of petitioner having an interview. has anybody else experienced the same?

I don't have anything to hide but i am a bit nervous. I hope they wont grill me there with some details from years ago and deny us for something silly. Should be calm or should i get some legal help? I just cant afford this application to get denied because is been years since we live this separate lives. I became a citizen in January this year. Anybody knows any beneficiary that had an interview.

I don't think you need to worry about. This is very rare to interview the petitioner, probably this might include your biometrics (finger print) as well. I think it is just to ensure the validity of your petition. Take your entire file of all immigration papers that you have since coming to the U.S.

Good luck!

Loto

[LotofPatience 65]

Damjan, couple of questions:

1) Do you have any criminal actions against you?

2) Had your wife been in the U.S anytime in the past?

3) Do you and your wife have big age gap?

4) Did you marry in the past and if yes legally divorced it?

5) Is your current marriage legal?

Loto

[Damjan 0]

Hi Loto,

for the first 3 questions answer is no. I was legally separated even divorced before legally remarried.

all these questions about divorce and date of new marriage I was already asked on citizenship interview they seemed to have no problem with it and my naturalization certificate says married.I am not so sure what is illegal marriage i guess you meant illegal as getting married before getting divorced or so. I am quite sure that did not happen as i had to submit the divorce summons as i applied for the marriage licence. NSO in Philippines were pretty nosy and they verified everything couple of times.

therefore I don't think there is any issues with legality. I am very meticulous when it comes to legal documents as i had to deal with a lot bureaucracy trough my life. I have no clue what they want from me that they don't know already.

Thank you for your help, sincerely,

D

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

We've seen a few petitioner interviews/ biometrics on here recently, but afaik, it's always been when the petitioner had a criminal record.

[LotofPatience 65]

Hi Loto,

for the first 3 questions answer is no. I was legally separated even divorced before legally remarried.

all these questions about divorce and date of new marriage I was already asked on citizenship interview they seemed to have no problem with it and my naturalization certificate says married.I am not so sure what is illegal marriage i guess you meant illegal as getting married before getting divorced or so. I am quite sure that did not happen as i had to submit the divorce summons as i applied for the marriage licence. NSO in Philippines were pretty nosy and they verified everything couple of times.

therefore I don't think there is any issues with legality. I am very meticulous when it comes to legal documents as i had to deal with a lot bureaucracy trough my life. I have no clue what they want from me that they don't know already.

Thank you for your help, sincerely,

D

Ok Damjan.

Some more questions:

1) Did you include the copy of your divorce decree while sending the I-130 petition?

2) Is this the first time your current wife getting married? If no, did you include the copy of her divorce decree and was that divoce legal?

3) What all the documents you included in I-130 to prove the marital relationship with you and your wife?

As Penguin pointed out, petitioner will be interviewed if there is any criminal issue. But in your case you are sure that it was not the case. However, review with them. They will most probably have a copy of all your background checks done. Answer them truthfully and if you are sure there is no adverse issues in your case, this interview will be just fine.

Loto

[Darnell 8,478]

I've not seen a letter referenced 'like this' , ever, here at VJ.

OTOH, I have seen USCitizen biometrics done , prior to any I-130 approval - this is usually centered around prior felony convictions or VAWA-related issues or some 'IMBRA issue'.

What will they be 'testing' you, about ?

IF I have to guess, though -

I'll say something wonky came back on the namechecks on YOU, and you'll need to bring yer entire casefile of stuff, from the time you immigrated to USA to citizenship status, all divorce paperwork, and maybe the SSN and current address of any ex-wife still in USA. It may be, that you two (you and the ex) still have a joint account floating around, somewhere, somehow.

A backgrounder on namechecks - http://www.usaimmigrationattorney.com/SecurityNameChecksAndAdministrativeReview.html

Good Luck !

Edited August 14, 2010 by Darnell

[Damjan 0]

I am quite sure I had never knowingly violated any to me known laws and was never arrested or anything similar. i had few speeding tickets in my life that is all. my current wife was never married or engaged or even been in any kind of serious relationships before.

I do remember that my ex-wifes lawyers asked for restraining order because i was apparently "yelling at her" when trying to save our marriage. but i never came close to her after that and I don't even know where she lives now.

maybe is really the best that i get a lawyer to help me out. I would love to go to interview by myself because i really don't think i did anything wrong but then again what if my interviewer has a bad day or just maybe hate the "my type" kind of people and screw me just because she/he can?

so if my I-130 get denied can i appeal or I have to do it allover again?

thank you everybody you have been of great help.

best luck to every one of you.

[Damjan 0]

Loto: I am 100% sure everything is clean on her site, beside that if they had problem with her they would ask her on interview and they probably will. there must be something about me that they want to know.

best,

Damian

[Damjan 0]

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/269743-fraud-indicators/

after reading this topic slowly make sense. time between marriage and divorce was very short and we speak two completely different native languages so i guess that also raised suspicion. My family couldn't attend the wedding because tickets were very expensive and my sister had two toddlers at home at the time.

LOTO: all of my paperwork before the divorce was trashed including my other belongings. I was basically left with my wallet and bicycle, so i don't have much of my paperwork available except of the green card copy and N-400 application.

Maybe the best is just go to interview alone and explain the whole thing. My question that remains is: if my I-130 gets denied can i still appeal after that? I just can't imagine what will i do if somethings go wrong , since I cant change any of the facts and my new I-130 would be pretty much the same. I cant imagine life without my wife, so there must be a way out of this even if my I-130 gets denied for some reason.

[LotofPatience 65]

http://www.visajourn...aud-indicators/

after reading this topic slowly make sense. time between marriage and divorce was very short and we speak two completely different native languages so i guess that also raised suspicion. My family couldn't attend the wedding because tickets were very expensive and my sister had two toddlers at home at the time.

LOTO: all of my paperwork before the divorce was trashed including my other belongings. I was basically left with my wallet and bicycle, so i don't have much of my paperwork available except of the green card copy and N-400 application.

Maybe the best is just go to interview alone and explain the whole thing. My question that remains is: if my I-130 gets denied can i still appeal after that? I just can't imagine what will i do if somethings go wrong , since I cant change any of the facts and my new I-130 would be pretty much the same. I cant imagine life without my wife, so there must be a way out of this even if my I-130 gets denied for some reason.

Damian,

Based on all your statements in this thread, I feel that this interview is just to clarify some basic stuff in I-130 petition. So, I feel you will not have any problem with it. They just can NOT deny your I-130. There is always way to fight with the USCIS if I-130 denial happens except the denial that conflict with the National security, beneficiary/petitioner's serious criminal convictions, Serious bad record with FBI etc.

Restraining order is not an issue. I am 100% sure on it.

Loto

Edited August 14, 2010 by LotOfPatience

[Damjan 0]

Thank you for your time LOTO, I really appreciate your help and concern for my situation.

best,

Damian

[Damjan 0]

Hi Everybody:

just to update you on my case. My case was transferred to SF Valley regional office and as soon as i got the letter from them i book an info pass online to go downtown and find out whats going on and when will be the interview. encouraged by Loto i shook off the unesiness and birocracy fobia and just went there by myself. as i arrived they made me wait few hours in room 101 and was watching cnn and play w my iphone. so they call me to the window around noon and tell me what alredy states the letter ive got. i tell them ill be leaving the country and i dont want to miss my interview and been waiting and so on..

so they make a phone call and lady says you want to upstairs now? i say sure why not. i want another 2 hours there and was alredy afternoon had to call work to take whole day off. then an officer comes out and i go in and gee raise the hard swear tell nothing but truth and i was in the middle of interview..

was not pleasant in any way. many questions dated like years ago go and forth some things i could even remember anymore clearly. why it was quite intense and exhausting they didn't really cross any lines and be insulting in anyway. the problem was apparently that i got married to quckly after the divorce was told at the end and my I-1330 got approved. ill never forget that day. was almost 4pm, didnt eat the whole day was sent home in the mid of the day to get more evidence etc..

anyway, case was sent to NVC god bless. i am traveling to phils on 10/08 hope i can finish NVC part by then. shouldnt be a problem we have the original docs and i have a job taxes are paid.

good luck to everyone of you, especially to LOTO!

[msd 3]

Wow! Congratulations on passing this step. Sounds really intense. I hope the rest goes more smooth for you!

[LotofPatience 65]

Hi Everybody:

just to update you on my case. My case was transferred to SF Valley regional office and as soon as i got the letter from them i book an info pass online to go downtown and find out whats going on and when will be the interview. encouraged by Loto i shook off the unesiness and birocracy fobia and just went there by myself. as i arrived they made me wait few hours in room 101 and was watching cnn and play w my iphone. so they call me to the window around noon and tell me what alredy states the letter ive got. i tell them ill be leaving the country and i dont want to miss my interview and been waiting and so on..

so they make a phone call and lady says you want to upstairs now? i say sure why not. i want another 2 hours there and was alredy afternoon had to call work to take whole day off. then an officer comes out and i go in and gee raise the hard swear tell nothing but truth and i was in the middle of interview..

was not pleasant in any way. many questions dated like years ago go and forth some things i could even remember anymore clearly. why it was quite intense and exhausting they didn't really cross any lines and be insulting in anyway. the problem was apparently that i got married to quckly after the divorce was told at the end and my I-1330 got approved. ill never forget that day. was almost 4pm, didnt eat the whole day was sent home in the mid of the day to get more evidence etc..

anyway, case was sent to NVC god bless. i am traveling to phils on 10/08 hope i can finish NVC part by then. shouldnt be a problem we have the original docs and i have a job taxes are paid.

good luck to everyone of you, especially to LOTO!

Damian, Congratulations :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: for your I-130 approval!!!

I told you right, it will be an additional questioning and not to worry. Glad you passed it!

Even I married 3 months after my previous final divorce date. And we didn't have any issues or any additional questioning last time.

Loto