How did you prepare for the Interview?

[Afrilaskan Queen 0]

Hi Fellow VJ'ers,

I've often read on the site that individuals here feel if you prepare your foreign SO very well that the interview will likely result in success. I'm not so sure it's that simple but I would like to hear any and all tips about how to prepare and have a smooth interview. How do you pinpoint the issues that may arise in your own interview so that you are prepared to address them?

I'm asking this question because I am so concerned about doing this correctly. Some people are very good at interviews for jobs etc, I'm definately a nervous wreck popping xanax and such...lol. The best way for me to combat is to prepare.

For example, today it occured to me that between visits me and my husband had to be separate for about 2 years, never thought of it as a issue because there were valid serious reasons for the length of time - however, another VJ post indicated they were concerned how that would be viewed. Point being, I never thought about it as something to defend against potentially - are there other areas of concern that will need to be addressed that I'm not aware of. Any pointing in the right direction is most appreciated!

Also how do you handle inappropriate questions asked? You cannot record or have a transcript and last time my guy was asked inappro. questions.

Thanks,

[reeses16 8]

You would prep for it the way one would for any interview.

(1) Review the paperwork- its the USC who normally does most of the work. So your foreign SO may not be as familiar with specific dates, and titles of positions you held in the past. Also you can help with the pronunciation of places. I always had a lot of problems remembering and saying the names of places in Ethiopia that I was not personally familiar with; my hubby had the same problems with US cities. But if you followed the VJ guidelines your SO and you should both have exact copies of your petition and additional evidence, this makes it easier to review the paperwork together on the phone.

(2) Mock interview- Focus on questions from the paperwork. Do not ask it in an orderly way. They CO will most likely ask questions related/based on the paperwork somehow. Through in random questions to see how your SO thinks on their feet and how they approach questions they don't know. Also advise them on the eye contact, voice, and remind them its okay to ask for help understanding a question ("can you please repeat the question?" I didn't understand, can you ask the question differently?".

In regards to inappropriate questions. My hubby was never asked any, but his plan was to respond tactfully and succinctly.

[Afrilaskan Queen 0]

You would prep for it the way one would for any interview.

(1) Review the paperwork- its the USC who normally does most of the work. So your foreign SO may not be as familiar with specific dates, and titles of positions you held in the past. Also you can help with the pronunciation of places. I always had a lot of problems remembering and saying the names of places in Ethiopia that I was not personally familiar with; my hubby had the same problems with US cities. But if you followed the VJ guidelines your SO and you should both have exact copies of your petition and additional evidence, this makes it easier to review the paperwork together on the phone.

(2) Mock interview- Focus on questions from the paperwork. Do not ask it in an orderly way. They CO will most likely ask questions related/based on the paperwork somehow. Through in random questions to see how your SO thinks on their feet and how they approach questions they don't know. Also advise them on the eye contact, voice, and remind them its okay to ask for help understanding a question ("can you please repeat the question?" I didn't understand, can you ask the question differently?".

In regards to inappropriate questions. My hubby was never asked any, but his plan was to respond tactfully and succinctly.

Reeses16,

Thank you for these suggestions and some of your experience. I read through all of the info on VJ. We should have copies of the petition, it is irretrievably gone, but should match the I-129 petition. We sent an addendum just to be certain all the dates were written correct on the I-130 that was done over 2 years ago that we have no copy of... [yes, that has made me nervous! it was done a year prior to the I129.]

Thank you for your suggestion on pronunciation, I too cannot pronounce some of his family's name's etc.. easily, very good point!

When I read through the potential interview questions on this site I was struck by the oddness of some of the questions. For example, vehicle license number??? I would never know that and I can't imagine memorizing such a fact would be considered normal, we're not FBI here...lol. Are you really supposed to know the answer to that odd of a question?

Also another question I have is if asked for where your relative live's, how specific do they want - like address or just the general area?

Thank you for focusing my mind. I have read individuals being asked highly person questions about their marriage and I wondered what that was all about, since there is nothing of that nature in the approved petitions.

Bye for now,

[reeses16 8]

I'm not sure what the potential interview questions you looked at were. But some of them only apply to certain stages. For example, when were were engaged and my then fiance lived in Ethiopia there would be no reason for him to know my vehicle license plate number. (In fact, if I was a CO and a fiance could answer this question it might make me suspicious. I would think they just memorized a bunch of facts about someone, not that they were in a relationship ). If he was asked this at the K1 stage, I would have expected him to say something like "I don't know her plate number. But I know she drives a black ford truck and she talks about how much she loves having a truck. I think I have a picture of her with her car in my album." Now if we were married,and at an AOS or ROC interview I would expect him to say something like "I don't know our license number, but its in our insurance documents, I can show you the paper work from the insurance company." This is just speculation, but I would think there are different expectations at different phases, and that there can be a range of acceptable answers.

I think its fine just to know in general where relatives live- like neighborhood, city, or state. No need to get into house number etc.

Highly personal questions are not common. My attitude is that they are of course inappropriate, but the CO/Interviewer has something I want (an approval) and if I or my hubby need to answer the question we will. There is a tactful way to answer everything. For example, if you are asked "How often do you have sex?" Depending on how private a person you are you can answer the question or say, "I think that question is a little too personal. But I will tell you that my husband and I have a happy sex life that we both enjoy."

As far as not having a copy of your documents, you could just fill out new ones and send them to your husband so that the two of you can practice.

I also wanted to mention again to give your hubby advice about eye contact and voice. In some cultures it is rude to look someone in the eye or talk loudly. But the COs are Americans and they may perceive someone who refuses to look them in the eye or speaks very low as deceptive. Even check the inflection of your SOs voice. When they answer a question, does it sound like they are answering or rather that they are answering a question with a question.

I don't think everyone practices to this extent. But my hubby was nervous and it made us both feel better prepared for the interview.

[Afrilaskan Queen 0]

I'm not sure what the potential interview questions you looked at were. But some of them only apply to certain stages. For example, when were were engaged and my then fiance lived in Ethiopia there would be no reason for him to know my vehicle license plate number. (In fact, if I was a CO and a fiance could answer this question it might make me suspicious. I would think they just memorized a bunch of facts about someone, not that they were in a relationship ). If he was asked this at the K1 stage, I would have expected him to say something like "I don't know her plate number. But I know she drives a black ford truck and she talks about how much she loves having a truck. I think I have a picture of her with her car in my album." Now if we were married,and at an AOS or ROC interview I would expect him to say something like "I don't know our license number, but its in our insurance documents, I can show you the paper work from the insurance company." This is just speculation, but I would think there are different expectations at different phases, and that there can be a range of acceptable answers.

I think its fine just to know in general where relatives live- like neighborhood, city, or state. No need to get into house number etc.

Highly personal questions are not common. My attitude is that they are of course inappropriate, but the CO/Interviewer has something I want (an approval) and if I or my hubby need to answer the question we will. There is a tactful way to answer everything. For example, if you are asked "How often do you have sex?" Depending on how private a person you are you can answer the question or say, "I think that question is a little too personal. But I will tell you that my husband and I have a happy sex life that we both enjoy."

As far as not having a copy of your documents, you could just fill out new ones and send them to your husband so that the two of you can practice.

I also wanted to mention again to give your hubby advice about eye contact and voice. In some cultures it is rude to look someone in the eye or talk loudly. But the COs are Americans and they may perceive someone who refuses to look them in the eye or speaks very low as deceptive. Even check the inflection of your SOs voice. When they answer a question, does it sound like they are answering or rather that they are answering a question with a question.

I don't think everyone practices to this extent. But my hubby was nervous and it made us both feel better prepared for the interview.

Reese's16,

Thanks again for all this helpful information, I too do not want my Hubby to be nervous so I too think it will make us BOTH feel better - lol. Thanks for the extra pointers about body language and voice, like you were saying every culture has a different set of unspoken ques. I am nervous about that just because my own husband is very shy in many respects and will worry about whether he may stammer if he does not feel calm and well prepared.

Also appreciate your point of view on the context of the questions. Like your example of the license plate. That's what concerns me, my Hubby tends to speak the minimal to others, it's easier for him to open to me... I'm concerned he will be so shy that he doesn't make it personable. Somehow I have to help him see that he can draw his heart out for the interviewer, not just for me and our close family.

p.s. I found the mock interview questions here on the site, under beneficiary and petitioner questions.

Thank You Kindly,

[Zee Bee 61]

Liek reeses said, a lot of the work is done by the USC in terms of putting the petition together. I made a copy of the petition for my SO and had him look it over so that he knew what information I submitted to USCIS.

When it came close to time for the interview we went over the sample interview questions that are posted here on VJ as well as every consulate review for Accra. We looked at the experiences that people had (good and bad) and then tried to see if there was anything in our relationship that may put up a red flag. Then I had one of my sisters do a mock interview with him over the phone.

Also, I made a fact sheet about myself and my family as well as other things that may come up in the interview, like things you would never think to remember (like what kind of car I drive, what I do for a living, where I went to grad school). Not that he did not know these things, but just to have them on paper and in front of him so that he is on the ball.