How to Prepare for AOS Initial Interview?

[Anonymous NY 1]

Hello all!

I filed my I-130 with I-485 in December and have just received a letter to request for AOS initial interview in mid March (in the Garden City office in NJ). I am a little nervous about it, honestly. It probably is irrational

1. Anyone care to share their experience and what kind of questions we should be expecting?

2. We have not opened any joint accounts yet as we thought I cannot open one without a SSN and a valid I-94 (it is expired right after we submitted our petition).

3. My husband owns the property we live in so there would be no joint mortgage documents.

Any sharing and advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you very much in advance.

Cheers,

Ginny

[nadia33 0]

Hello all!

I filed my I-130 with I-485 in December and have just received a letter to request for AOS initial interview in mid March (in the Garden City office in NJ). I am a little nervous about it, honestly. It probably is irrational

1. Anyone care to share their experience and what kind of questions we should be expecting?

2. We have not opened any joint accounts yet as we thought I cannot open one without a SSN and a valid I-94 (it is expired right after we submitted our petition).

3. My husband owns the property we live in so there would be no joint mortgage documents.

Any sharing and advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you very much in advance.

Cheers,

Ginny

HI, I am just in your situation, I have received today the letter for the interview in March and I am very nervous. One of the things that worries me is that we don´t have any joint mortgage documents either or utilities bills because the house where we live is a house he bought before we got married. We share accounts, a life insurance and a family membership of a gym. Of course we have a lot of photos together. I am wondering if this is enough.... I will try to get more information about it and I will tell you.

[Carlawarla 1]

You can be placed on utility bills usually without too much effort. If you partner has health insurance or life insurance benefits, he/she would have had them changed to show you on their insurance, or you as a beneficiary. Take copies of those things. You'll have your marriage certificate, pictures of the wedding. Get a library card. Did you apply for a SSN card? If so, get on their bank accounts. Get a joint credit card. Usually your partner just has to phone the credit card company and request another card in your name.

Look in the Guides to see what other information you could bring. Look on other threads in the section of people attending interviews and what they're bringing. Read threads here in this forum from people who attended interviews and see what they wrote about what questions they asked.

There is a review section here on VJ as well where people listed how their interview went if they went to one, and might answer any of your questions.

Best of luck!

[JeremyR 8]

Is it really a requirement to have an SSN and an unexpired I-94 to be named on a bank account in NY? Unless there's a state law prohibiting it or your spouse's bank's own rules, you should be able to be added without much hassle. There's no federal law requirement that you have those documents

I've been on my wife's account in GA for months now. I showed nothing but my passport (my I-94 was 4 months expired at least), proof of old foreign address and my birth certificate. She wrote all zeros in for my social security number and asked me to simply let them know when I have one. I believe that some banks may require you to sign a declaration for the IRS that the bank then keeps on file (although I didn't have to).

Bear in mind that it's probably not an every day situation for your average bank employee to be asked to add a non-resident to an account - some of the bank's employees might not have done it before. If you get turned down, you can always ask the manager if they're right, or try a different branch to see if you get the same answer.

If it's just a bank policy that they don't accept non-residents then you might consider switching to a new bank that's a little more immigrant friendly?

Edited for typo

Edited February 18, 2009 by JeremyR

[Anonymous NY 1]

Thank you all for the tips!!

I found this post that may be helpful to those who have their interview coming up too:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...=154623&hl=

[Anonymous NY 1]

BTW, is prenuptial agreement not a valid proof?