aos interview - sacramento

[stuck_in_manila 0]

after a long long wait, exactly 6 months after the mailing of aos papers, we were finally interviewed!

we were scheduled at 10:45 in the morning. according to google, travel time would be about 30 minutes so we left our place an hour before the appointment. my husband was confident that we'll be at the uscis office with much to spare. he said, " at the very least, we'd be there 15 minutes before the interview." In my head, I was comparing the 15 minute window he appropriated to the 3 hours i allotted for the embassy interview. Guys!

we reached the sacramento area a little past ten, so i wasn't worried coz we still had a little over 30 minutes to spare. unfortunately, we made a series of mistakes:

a. we made a wrong turn, so we had to go around (twice) and finally found the way towards capitol mall road

b. we were unfamiliar with the area so we wasted time looking for the best place to park

c. we decided to park at macy's; it was just about 50 meters away from the building, but if you're wearing heels and you're in a hurry, the 50 meter walk can be excruciating

d. finally, we reached the building with 5 minutes to spare. alas, the security was a bit tight so we wasted a few minutes in the lobby (take off the belt, take off the shoes, etc etc)

e. at 10:44, we finally arrived at the 2nd floor of the building. but, we couldn't find the dang room.

i was just about ready to pull my hair and scream out of frustration when we stumbled on the blasted room.

the good news was, there was no custodian of appointment papers. so, even if we were 2 minutes late, we weren't penalized or scolded or turned away (see, my mind was creating all sorts of scenarios while i was literally running along the corridor like a headline chicken!). we just casually dropped our appointment letter and waited to be called.

so, we waited and waited. and waited some more.

the truth was, the waiting lasted for no more than 20 minutes, it just seemed long. we didn't bring stuff to read, and with nothing to do but wait, my husband was getting a bit impatient. he started questioning why people who arrived after us were interviewed ahead of us. i had to placate him, and ended up bribing him with a good massage when we finally get home in exchange for the day's tribulations. it did the trick, thank god! i wanted a few minutes for myself before the interview. i knew that we'd be called anytime soon, and i was worried that i was not worried at all. did that make sense?

anyways, a petite officer finally called my name and so, the hubby and i followed her to her room. (did i mention that we brought one big expandable envelope with tons of docs - all the docs we're submitted along with the 485 application, originals and copies; other docs showing both our names; and 3 big photo albums. in hindsight, i think that added to my husband's growing irritation. the docs and pictures were quite heavy and i couldn't help carry the stuff coz it was heavy and yes, because i didn't want to crumple my blouse. ha ha ha. he asked why i brought so much pics when his sis in law only brought 5 pics and was approved. i simply answered, "it's better to be safe than sorry.")

now i'm digressing.

back to my story: when we entered the room, we waited to be sworn-in before taking our seats.

the interview per se lasted for no more than 10 minutes.

first, the officer rattled off the questions on form 485... questions about terrorism and other stuff... to which i answered no

second, she asked about my personal infos... name, address, birth date and yes, ss number (which she had to write down on my 485 application coz i only got it after the ead was approved)

third, she asked my husband what happened to his first marriage. he frankly said, " we couldnt agree on where to live and that was that"

fourth, she asked if we had a wedding reception

fifth, she asked if we have pieces of evidence to show that we're living together.

i presented the bank statement, then the lease agreement (copies of which she kept). i wanted to show her other stuff, like the tons of utility bills, cards from relations, etc etc. she said no.

then i said, "we brought pictures, if you'd care to look at them." i really thought she'd say no, or at most, just make a cursory glance. to my surprised, she looked at all the pics ( i think she spent more time on my albums than on my docs! )

she made me sign the 485 form i sent, for the amendments (the ssn number and my husband's cel number)

finally she said, "you're approved. you'll be receiving your greencard within 30 days."

my husband said, "we may transfer to another place by the end of feb, can you tell us approximately when it will arrived?" she answered, "you'll probably get it in 2 weeks"

she gave me a piece of paper, which i only glanced at. she then asked "do you have any questions?"

i smiled and said no.

my husband and i thanked her then, we left the office.

my first thought after leaving the uscis office, "finally i can eat! ha ha ha."

to date, i've received a welcome letter. i suppose the card will arrive next week.

thanks everyone for the help. while i don't post a lot, i do read. i got tons of very insightful information from this site and i'm very grateful.

a year and a half from today, i'd probably start badgering you guys for infos on removing conditions.

tres bien merci!

Edited February 7, 2009 by stuck_in_manila

[stuck_in_manila 0]

ooops...

"headless chicken" not headline! ha ha ha

[KC♥MP 0]

Congratulations!!! . Hope you'll get your GC on the mail soon.

[Jasman0717 9]

Congratulations

[w1331 2]

after a long long wait, exactly 6 months after the mailing of aos papers, we were finally interviewed!

we were scheduled at 10:45 in the morning. according to google, travel time would be about 30 minutes so we left our place an hour before the appointment. my husband was confident that we'll be at the uscis office with much to spare. he said, " at the very least, we'd be there 15 minutes before the interview." In my head, I was comparing the 15 minute window he appropriated to the 3 hours i allotted for the embassy interview. Guys!

we reached the sacramento area a little past ten, so i wasn't worried coz we still had a little over 30 minutes to spare. unfortunately, we made a series of mistakes:

a. we made a wrong turn, so we had to go around (twice) and finally found the way towards capitol mall road

b. we were unfamiliar with the area so we wasted time looking for the best place to park

c. we decided to park at macy's; it was just about 50 meters away from the building, but if you're wearing heels and you're in a hurry, the 50 meter walk can be excruciating

d. finally, we reached the building with 5 minutes to spare. alas, the security was a bit tight so we wasted a few minutes in the lobby (take off the belt, take off the shoes, etc etc)

e. at 10:44, we finally arrived at the 2nd floor of the building. but, we couldn't find the dang room.

i was just about ready to pull my hair and scream out of frustration when we stumbled on the blasted room.

the good news was, there was no custodian of appointment papers. so, even if we were 2 minutes late, we weren't penalized or scolded or turned away (see, my mind was creating all sorts of scenarios while i was literally running along the corridor like a headline chicken!). we just casually dropped our appointment letter and waited to be called.

so, we waited and waited. and waited some more.

the truth was, the waiting lasted for no more than 20 minutes, it just seemed long. we didn't bring stuff to read, and with nothing to do but wait, my husband was getting a bit impatient. he started questioning why people who arrived after us were interviewed ahead of us. i had to placate him, and ended up bribing him with a good massage when we finally get home in exchange for the day's tribulations. it did the trick, thank god! i wanted a few minutes for myself before the interview. i knew that we'd be called anytime soon, and i was worried that i was not worried at all. did that make sense?

anyways, a petite officer finally called my name and so, the hubby and i followed her to her room. (did i mention that we brought one big expandable envelope with tons of docs - all the docs we're submitted along with the 485 application, originals and copies; other docs showing both our names; and 3 big photo albums. in hindsight, i think that added to my husband's growing irritation. the docs and pictures were quite heavy and i couldn't help carry the stuff coz it was heavy and yes, because i didn't want to crumple my blouse. ha ha ha. he asked why i brought so much pics when his sis in law only brought 5 pics and was approved. i simply answered, "it's better to be safe than sorry.")

now i'm digressing.

back to my story: when we entered the room, we waited to be sworn-in before taking our seats.

the interview per se lasted for no more than 10 minutes.

first, the officer rattled off the questions on form 485... questions about terrorism and other stuff... to which i answered no

second, she asked about my personal infos... name, address, birth date and yes, ss number (which she had to write down on my 485 application coz i only got it after the ead was approved)

third, she asked my husband what happened to his first marriage. he frankly said, " we couldnt agree on where to live and that was that"

fourth, she asked if we had a wedding reception

fifth, she asked if we have pieces of evidence to show that we're living together.

i presented the bank statement, then the lease agreement (copies of which she kept). i wanted to show her other stuff, like the tons of utility bills, cards from relations, etc etc. she said no.

then i said, "we brought pictures, if you'd care to look at them." i really thought she'd say no, or at most, just make a cursory glance. to my surprised, she looked at all the pics ( i think she spent more time on my albums than on my docs! )

she made me sign the 485 form i sent, for the amendments (the ssn number and my husband's cel number)

finally she said, "you're approved. you'll be receiving your greencard within 30 days."

my husband said, "we may transfer to another place by the end of feb, can you tell us approximately when it will arrived?" she answered, "you'll probably get it in 2 weeks"

she gave me a piece of paper, which i only glanced at. she then asked "do you have any questions?"

i smiled and said no.

my husband and i thanked her then, we left the office.

my first thought after leaving the uscis office, "finally i can eat! ha ha ha."

to date, i've received a welcome letter. i suppose the card will arrive next week.

thanks everyone for the help. while i don't post a lot, i do read. i got tons of very insightful information from this site and i'm very grateful.

a year and a half from today, i'd probably start badgering you guys for infos on removing conditions.

tres bien merci!

What kind of paper did the officer give you? Did the officer stamp anything on your paperwork and to the piece of paper she gave you?

[payxibka 10,045]

moving to progress reports forum

[noel_jas 0]

after a long long wait, exactly 6 months after the mailing of aos papers, we were finally interviewed!

we were scheduled at 10:45 in the morning. according to google, travel time would be about 30 minutes so we left our place an hour before the appointment. my husband was confident that we'll be at the uscis office with much to spare. he said, " at the very least, we'd be there 15 minutes before the interview." In my head, I was comparing the 15 minute window he appropriated to the 3 hours i allotted for the embassy interview. Guys!

we reached the sacramento area a little past ten, so i wasn't worried coz we still had a little over 30 minutes to spare. unfortunately, we made a series of mistakes:

a. we made a wrong turn, so we had to go around (twice) and finally found the way towards capitol mall road

b. we were unfamiliar with the area so we wasted time looking for the best place to park

c. we decided to park at macy's; it was just about 50 meters away from the building, but if you're wearing heels and you're in a hurry, the 50 meter walk can be excruciating

d. finally, we reached the building with 5 minutes to spare. alas, the security was a bit tight so we wasted a few minutes in the lobby (take off the belt, take off the shoes, etc etc)

e. at 10:44, we finally arrived at the 2nd floor of the building. but, we couldn't find the dang room.

i was just about ready to pull my hair and scream out of frustration when we stumbled on the blasted room.

the good news was, there was no custodian of appointment papers. so, even if we were 2 minutes late, we weren't penalized or scolded or turned away (see, my mind was creating all sorts of scenarios while i was literally running along the corridor like a headline chicken!). we just casually dropped our appointment letter and waited to be called.

so, we waited and waited. and waited some more.

the truth was, the waiting lasted for no more than 20 minutes, it just seemed long. we didn't bring stuff to read, and with nothing to do but wait, my husband was getting a bit impatient. he started questioning why people who arrived after us were interviewed ahead of us. i had to placate him, and ended up bribing him with a good massage when we finally get home in exchange for the day's tribulations. it did the trick, thank god! i wanted a few minutes for myself before the interview. i knew that we'd be called anytime soon, and i was worried that i was not worried at all. did that make sense?

anyways, a petite officer finally called my name and so, the hubby and i followed her to her room. (did i mention that we brought one big expandable envelope with tons of docs - all the docs we're submitted along with the 485 application, originals and copies; other docs showing both our names; and 3 big photo albums. in hindsight, i think that added to my husband's growing irritation. the docs and pictures were quite heavy and i couldn't help carry the stuff coz it was heavy and yes, because i didn't want to crumple my blouse. ha ha ha. he asked why i brought so much pics when his sis in law only brought 5 pics and was approved. i simply answered, "it's better to be safe than sorry.")

now i'm digressing.

back to my story: when we entered the room, we waited to be sworn-in before taking our seats.

the interview per se lasted for no more than 10 minutes.

first, the officer rattled off the questions on form 485... questions about terrorism and other stuff... to which i answered no

second, she asked about my personal infos... name, address, birth date and yes, ss number (which she had to write down on my 485 application coz i only got it after the ead was approved)

third, she asked my husband what happened to his first marriage. he frankly said, " we couldnt agree on where to live and that was that"

fourth, she asked if we had a wedding reception

fifth, she asked if we have pieces of evidence to show that we're living together.

i presented the bank statement, then the lease agreement (copies of which she kept). i wanted to show her other stuff, like the tons of utility bills, cards from relations, etc etc. she said no.

then i said, "we brought pictures, if you'd care to look at them." i really thought she'd say no, or at most, just make a cursory glance. to my surprised, she looked at all the pics ( i think she spent more time on my albums than on my docs! )

she made me sign the 485 form i sent, for the amendments (the ssn number and my husband's cel number)

finally she said, "you're approved. you'll be receiving your greencard within 30 days."

my husband said, "we may transfer to another place by the end of feb, can you tell us approximately when it will arrived?" she answered, "you'll probably get it in 2 weeks"

she gave me a piece of paper, which i only glanced at. she then asked "do you have any questions?"

i smiled and said no.

my husband and i thanked her then, we left the office.

my first thought after leaving the uscis office, "finally i can eat! ha ha ha."

to date, i've received a welcome letter. i suppose the card will arrive next week.

thanks everyone for the help. while i don't post a lot, i do read. i got tons of very insightful information from this site and i'm very grateful.

a year and a half from today, i'd probably start badgering you guys for infos on removing conditions.

tres bien merci!

hi there congrats! i'll have my interview in Sacramento also though I don't have a sched yet but since I filed in Nov. I'll probably have the interview in May or the latest in June. I really appreciate that you shared your experience. My husband had a hard time also finding the location of the USCIS office when he had his naturalization interview. He was so mad that he called me telling me that he could not make it to the interview because he couldn't find the place and that he had no other way to get me here blah blah blah but after 20 mins he called me up and he did pass the interview.....anway congrats again and God bless!

[stuck_in_manila 0]

Congratulations!!! . Hope you'll get your GC on the mail soon.

thankie:)

yup, i'm hoping to get it soon so i can remove a copy of my visa in my wallet! he he he!

Congratulations

thanks a bunch!

[stuck_in_manila 0]

after a long long wait, exactly 6 months after the mailing of aos papers, we were finally interviewed!

we were scheduled at 10:45 in the morning. according to google, travel time would be about 30 minutes so we left our place an hour before the appointment. my husband was confident that we'll be at the uscis office with much to spare. he said, " at the very least, we'd be there 15 minutes before the interview." In my head, I was comparing the 15 minute window he appropriated to the 3 hours i allotted for the embassy interview. Guys!

we reached the sacramento area a little past ten, so i wasn't worried coz we still had a little over 30 minutes to spare. unfortunately, we made a series of mistakes:

a. we made a wrong turn, so we had to go around (twice) and finally found the way towards capitol mall road

b. we were unfamiliar with the area so we wasted time looking for the best place to park

c. we decided to park at macy's; it was just about 50 meters away from the building, but if you're wearing heels and you're in a hurry, the 50 meter walk can be excruciating

d. finally, we reached the building with 5 minutes to spare. alas, the security was a bit tight so we wasted a few minutes in the lobby (take off the belt, take off the shoes, etc etc)

e. at 10:44, we finally arrived at the 2nd floor of the building. but, we couldn't find the dang room.

i was just about ready to pull my hair and scream out of frustration when we stumbled on the blasted room.

the good news was, there was no custodian of appointment papers. so, even if we were 2 minutes late, we weren't penalized or scolded or turned away (see, my mind was creating all sorts of scenarios while i was literally running along the corridor like a headline chicken!). we just casually dropped our appointment letter and waited to be called.

so, we waited and waited. and waited some more.

the truth was, the waiting lasted for no more than 20 minutes, it just seemed long. we didn't bring stuff to read, and with nothing to do but wait, my husband was getting a bit impatient. he started questioning why people who arrived after us were interviewed ahead of us. i had to placate him, and ended up bribing him with a good massage when we finally get home in exchange for the day's tribulations. it did the trick, thank god! i wanted a few minutes for myself before the interview. i knew that we'd be called anytime soon, and i was worried that i was not worried at all. did that make sense?

anyways, a petite officer finally called my name and so, the hubby and i followed her to her room. (did i mention that we brought one big expandable envelope with tons of docs - all the docs we're submitted along with the 485 application, originals and copies; other docs showing both our names; and 3 big photo albums. in hindsight, i think that added to my husband's growing irritation. the docs and pictures were quite heavy and i couldn't help carry the stuff coz it was heavy and yes, because i didn't want to crumple my blouse. ha ha ha. he asked why i brought so much pics when his sis in law only brought 5 pics and was approved. i simply answered, "it's better to be safe than sorry.")

now i'm digressing.

back to my story: when we entered the room, we waited to be sworn-in before taking our seats.

the interview per se lasted for no more than 10 minutes.

first, the officer rattled off the questions on form 485... questions about terrorism and other stuff... to which i answered no

second, she asked about my personal infos... name, address, birth date and yes, ss number (which she had to write down on my 485 application coz i only got it after the ead was approved)

third, she asked my husband what happened to his first marriage. he frankly said, " we couldnt agree on where to live and that was that"

fourth, she asked if we had a wedding reception

fifth, she asked if we have pieces of evidence to show that we're living together.

i presented the bank statement, then the lease agreement (copies of which she kept). i wanted to show her other stuff, like the tons of utility bills, cards from relations, etc etc. she said no.

then i said, "we brought pictures, if you'd care to look at them." i really thought she'd say no, or at most, just make a cursory glance. to my surprised, she looked at all the pics ( i think she spent more time on my albums than on my docs! )

she made me sign the 485 form i sent, for the amendments (the ssn number and my husband's cel number)

finally she said, "you're approved. you'll be receiving your greencard within 30 days."

my husband said, "we may transfer to another place by the end of feb, can you tell us approximately when it will arrived?" she answered, "you'll probably get it in 2 weeks"

she gave me a piece of paper, which i only glanced at. she then asked "do you have any questions?"

i smiled and said no.

my husband and i thanked her then, we left the office.

my first thought after leaving the uscis office, "finally i can eat! ha ha ha."

to date, i've received a welcome letter. i suppose the card will arrive next week.

thanks everyone for the help. while i don't post a lot, i do read. i got tons of very insightful information from this site and i'm very grateful.

a year and a half from today, i'd probably start badgering you guys for infos on removing conditions.

tres bien merci!

What kind of paper did the officer give you? Did the officer stamp anything on your paperwork and to the piece of paper she gave you?

the paper i got was a "hand delivered" approval notice.

it starts with, " you have been granted lawful permanent resident status as of..."

the officer wrote something on my visa, i really can't decipher the entire thing, but one part says, sacramento and the interview's date.

after a long long wait, exactly 6 months after the mailing of aos papers, we were finally interviewed!

we were scheduled at 10:45 in the morning. according to google, travel time would be about 30 minutes so we left our place an hour before the appointment. my husband was confident that we'll be at the uscis office with much to spare. he said, " at the very least, we'd be there 15 minutes before the interview." In my head, I was comparing the 15 minute window he appropriated to the 3 hours i allotted for the embassy interview. Guys!

we reached the sacramento area a little past ten, so i wasn't worried coz we still had a little over 30 minutes to spare. unfortunately, we made a series of mistakes:

a. we made a wrong turn, so we had to go around (twice) and finally found the way towards capitol mall road

b. we were unfamiliar with the area so we wasted time looking for the best place to park

c. we decided to park at macy's; it was just about 50 meters away from the building, but if you're wearing heels and you're in a hurry, the 50 meter walk can be excruciating

d. finally, we reached the building with 5 minutes to spare. alas, the security was a bit tight so we wasted a few minutes in the lobby (take off the belt, take off the shoes, etc etc)

e. at 10:44, we finally arrived at the 2nd floor of the building. but, we couldn't find the dang room.

i was just about ready to pull my hair and scream out of frustration when we stumbled on the blasted room.

the good news was, there was no custodian of appointment papers. so, even if we were 2 minutes late, we weren't penalized or scolded or turned away (see, my mind was creating all sorts of scenarios while i was literally running along the corridor like a headline chicken!). we just casually dropped our appointment letter and waited to be called.

so, we waited and waited. and waited some more.

the truth was, the waiting lasted for no more than 20 minutes, it just seemed long. we didn't bring stuff to read, and with nothing to do but wait, my husband was getting a bit impatient. he started questioning why people who arrived after us were interviewed ahead of us. i had to placate him, and ended up bribing him with a good massage when we finally get home in exchange for the day's tribulations. it did the trick, thank god! i wanted a few minutes for myself before the interview. i knew that we'd be called anytime soon, and i was worried that i was not worried at all. did that make sense?

anyways, a petite officer finally called my name and so, the hubby and i followed her to her room. (did i mention that we brought one big expandable envelope with tons of docs - all the docs we're submitted along with the 485 application, originals and copies; other docs showing both our names; and 3 big photo albums. in hindsight, i think that added to my husband's growing irritation. the docs and pictures were quite heavy and i couldn't help carry the stuff coz it was heavy and yes, because i didn't want to crumple my blouse. ha ha ha. he asked why i brought so much pics when his sis in law only brought 5 pics and was approved. i simply answered, "it's better to be safe than sorry.")

now i'm digressing.

back to my story: when we entered the room, we waited to be sworn-in before taking our seats.

the interview per se lasted for no more than 10 minutes.

first, the officer rattled off the questions on form 485... questions about terrorism and other stuff... to which i answered no

second, she asked about my personal infos... name, address, birth date and yes, ss number (which she had to write down on my 485 application coz i only got it after the ead was approved)

third, she asked my husband what happened to his first marriage. he frankly said, " we couldnt agree on where to live and that was that"

fourth, she asked if we had a wedding reception

fifth, she asked if we have pieces of evidence to show that we're living together.

i presented the bank statement, then the lease agreement (copies of which she kept). i wanted to show her other stuff, like the tons of utility bills, cards from relations, etc etc. she said no.

then i said, "we brought pictures, if you'd care to look at them." i really thought she'd say no, or at most, just make a cursory glance. to my surprised, she looked at all the pics ( i think she spent more time on my albums than on my docs! )

she made me sign the 485 form i sent, for the amendments (the ssn number and my husband's cel number)

finally she said, "you're approved. you'll be receiving your greencard within 30 days."

my husband said, "we may transfer to another place by the end of feb, can you tell us approximately when it will arrived?" she answered, "you'll probably get it in 2 weeks"

she gave me a piece of paper, which i only glanced at. she then asked "do you have any questions?"

i smiled and said no.

my husband and i thanked her then, we left the office.

my first thought after leaving the uscis office, "finally i can eat! ha ha ha."

to date, i've received a welcome letter. i suppose the card will arrive next week.

thanks everyone for the help. while i don't post a lot, i do read. i got tons of very insightful information from this site and i'm very grateful.

a year and a half from today, i'd probably start badgering you guys for infos on removing conditions.

tres bien merci!

hi there congrats! i'll have my interview in Sacramento also though I don't have a sched yet but since I filed in Nov. I'll probably have the interview in May or the latest in June. I really appreciate that you shared your experience. My husband had a hard time also finding the location of the USCIS office when he had his naturalization interview. He was so mad that he called me telling me that he could not make it to the interview because he couldn't find the place and that he had no other way to get me here blah blah blah but after 20 mins he called me up and he did pass the interview.....anway congrats again and God bless!

apparently, there's a public parking area right across the uscis building!

[sj5 4]

Congratulations!

[stuck_in_manila 0]

Congratulations!

thanks po:)

[ThaiStyleUSA 1]

Congrats!

[stuck_in_manila 0]

Congrats!

thank you:)