December filers

[marie09 5]

A quick ques...On my interview letter it says only I-485..Is that how it is for everyone else? i had also submitted Form I-130. There hv been no touches or any communication on that ... Is this normal ??

Yes that's normal! The interview letter will say its for the I-485... Good luck

[lovelyalex 99]

Hey Alex,

You don't have to get the restriction removed but it's definitely recommended once you have your green card - at some point in the next 2 years...

I'm actually going to get mine done soon, maybe tomorrow... I've been putting it off as the SS office is 50 mins drive... These are my reasons for getting it changed:

1) In the fall I am going to grad school and started filling out financial aid forms... Was about to submit when I read the instructions. Apparently they verify your status/details with social security to check you are a citizen/perm resident. It said if you recently became a permanent resident, to make sure you've removed the restrictions on your social security card as otherwise you'll verify on the SS check as ineligible... Of course probably easy to appeal but I figured why delay things further...

2) Also on the I9 employment form you legally don't have to show your green card when you get hired if you have a driver license/state id/school id plus an unrestricted social security card... Which is great in the unlikely event you were to lose your green card and be job searching at the time... (the replacement takes 3 months!) An employer has to see your green card if your social security card was never changed...

Congrats again on your Green card! And good luck to everyone with upcoming interviews!

My GC came in the post today and we went to the SS office and got a new one. We had to go anyway to get one for our daughter, so luckily we saved me another trip! The last thing now on my list is to get my drivers license. And a job obviously haha!

[Laura & Kyle 16]

My GC came in the post today and we went to the SS office and got a new one. We had to go anyway to get one for our daughter, so luckily we saved me another trip! The last thing now on my list is to get my drivers license. And a job obviously haha!

That's wonderful! I'm glad you were able to get it all done! Good luck with finding a job. Kyle has applied to a couple of places so we'll see how that goes. Good luck on your driver's test!

laura

[Val Marty 1]

Congratulations lovelyalex, this is great news. I hope you find a job soon. I have been applying for jobs like crazy and nothing...I might have to work something low paid meanwhile....

[longey 1]

I just returned from my interview. It was... weird, but eventually successful. *phew*

Schedule for 10:35, we arrive at 10:15 but don't get called in before 11:30 or so. The officer is not really friendly but also not rude (We had a bit of a hard time understanding him since he was slurring somewhat). He lead us to his office and asks us to have a seat. He proceeded to inform us that this it his last interview for the day and he hopes to keep it short (at this point I think to myself that is a good sign). He looked at our file, and confirmed our address. He asks to see our DLs and passports, but never actually looks at the passports. He picks up the DLs and notices that the addresses on them are not updated. I inform him that the CA DMV does not issue a new DL in case of an address change, but he says that's not true (quote from DMV website: "A new driver license, identification card or registration card is not issued when changing your address."). At this point he remembers that he needs to swear us in and does so.

He then hands us back a bunch of documents that we mailed with our initial application, including a set of 20 photos documenting our relationship and wedding day, since "he doesn't need those". I point out that I have a new passport since the old one expired in January, but he only waves his hand and says something along the lines of "don't bother unless I ask for it"...

He inquires about my studies (what program? which major?) and asks me to confirm my student status (I'm on F-1 visa) and I point to my valid I-20 and show my student ID. He says he needs to see a diploma, but I say I haven't graduated, so I don't have that. He asks for a curriculum and I say I didn't know that would be required. He goes on to give a little speech about how he has to confirm a) that that the marriage is real and b) that I have properly maintained my status. I point him to the recent (this academic year) signature on my I-20. While he looks at that I offer my payroll statement from last month (from the University) and start going through my folder to get it out. But before I can find it he says never mind and asks my wife how and when we first met. She says it was through mutual friends and I explain a bit more. He notes that it was only about 3 months after my initial arrival in the US and wonders if I had intended to come here to get married all along. I said no, I came to study and made friends in the process, and we also didn't actually get engaged until more than 2 years later.

He asks about other evidence and I show him our joint lease (which he should already have had on file, but he takes a copy anyway) and hand him a recent bank statement showing my wife and I as a joint owners (which we also already submitted in December). He asks for life insurance (which we don't have) and medical insurance (which comes through our respective jobs). I say I have a full set of wedding pictures if he's interested but again he waves his hands and tells me to just pick out two. I then offer other pictures of us visiting each other's families, but he's not interested. I take out our wedding venue rental contract which both our names on it, which he inspects and adds to the file. At this point he says "Oh, where's your I-94?" and I point to my expired passport, he takes it out and adds it to the file.

Lastly, he asks whether by any chance "there's a baby inside" my wife. We respond that we actually just had a home test come out positive and will see a doctor later this week (even though it could be a false positive, given my wife's medical history).

He then makes a few notes in the file and starts flipping through it, seemingly randomly and without actually paying attention. Finally, after a minute or two he, he says since we got married only recently he will approve me for a 2-year GC. I ask about removal of conditions but he basically cuts me off and points to a form he's filling out and says it's all on here.

He gets up and asks us to follow him, walks to the photocopier out in the hall and makes a copy of the form, which he hands then to me. Hurrying out behind him, I ask about a trip I have to make for work at the end of the month and how I should go about that. He just says "don't travel unless you have received your green card", to which I point out I might not get it in time, that the trip is for work and that the travel date is not up to me. He tells me to come back to their office in that case and bring the removal of conditions form with me. And with that we say goodbye and head out of the building...

Some things I found peculiar: The officer never had a look at our passports, my wife's naturalization certificate, or my birth certificate. He never really went over any of the information on the original application forms other than the address. I also had a bunch of other documents (tax stuff for 2009, etc.) that I didn't dare to bring up after he cut me off right at the beginning...

All in all, it was definitely a strange experience and quite different from what I had expected. But in the I'm just glad it's over, at least until 19 months from now.

[marie09 5]

I just returned from my interview. It was... weird, but eventually successful. *phew*

Schedule for 10:35, we arrive at 10:15 but don't get called in before 11:30 or so. The officer is not really friendly but also not rude (We had a bit of a hard time understanding him since he was slurring somewhat). He lead us to his office and asks us to have a seat. He proceeded to inform us that this it his last interview for the day and he hopes to keep it short (at this point I think to myself that is a good sign). He looked at our file, and confirmed our address. He asks to see our DLs and passports, but never actually looks at the passports. He picks up the DLs and notices that the addresses on them are not updated. I inform him that the CA DMV does not issue a new DL in case of an address change, but he says that's not true (quote from DMV website: "A new driver license, identification card or registration card is not issued when changing your address."). At this point he remembers that he needs to swear us in and does so.

He then hands us back a bunch of documents that we mailed with our initial application, including a set of 20 photos documenting our relationship and wedding day, since "he doesn't need those". I point out that I have a new passport since the old one expired in January, but he only waves his hand and says something along the lines of "don't bother unless I ask for it"...

He inquires about my studies (what program? which major?) and asks me to confirm my student status (I'm on F-1 visa) and I point to my valid I-20 and show my student ID. He says he needs to see a diploma, but I say I haven't graduated, so I don't have that. He asks for a curriculum and I say I didn't know that would be required. He goes on to give a little speech about how he has to confirm a) that that the marriage is real and b) that I have properly maintained my status. I point him to the recent (this academic year) signature on my I-20. While he looks at that I offer my payroll statement from last month (from the University) and start going through my folder to get it out. But before I can find it he says never mind and asks my wife how and when we first met. She says it was through mutual friends and I explain a bit more. He notes that it was only about 3 months after my initial arrival in the US and wonders if I had intended to come here to get married all along. I said no, I came to study and made friends in the process, and we also didn't actually get engaged until more than 2 years later.

He asks about other evidence and I show him our joint lease (which he should already have had on file, but he takes a copy anyway) and hand him a recent bank statement showing my wife and I as a joint owners (which we also already submitted in December). He asks for life insurance (which we don't have) and medical insurance (which comes through our respective jobs). I say I have a full set of wedding pictures if he's interested but again he waves his hands and tells me to just pick out two. I then offer other pictures of us visiting each other's families, but he's not interested. I take out our wedding venue rental contract which both our names on it, which he inspects and adds to the file. At this point he says "Oh, where's your I-94?" and I point to my expired passport, he takes it out and adds it to the file.

Lastly, he asks whether by any chance "there's a baby inside" my wife. We respond that we actually just had a home test come out positive and will see a doctor later this week (even though it could be a false positive, given my wife's medical history).

He then makes a few notes in the file and starts flipping through it, seemingly randomly and without actually paying attention. Finally, after a minute or two he, he says since we got married only recently he will approve me for a 2-year GC. I ask about removal of conditions but he basically cuts me off and points to a form he's filling out and says it's all on here.

He gets up and asks us to follow him, walks to the photocopier out in the hall and makes a copy of the form, which he hands then to me. Hurrying out behind him, I ask about a trip I have to make for work at the end of the month and how I should go about that. He just says "don't travel unless you have received your green card", to which I point out I might not get it in time, that the trip is for work and that the travel date is not up to me. He tells me to come back to their office in that case and bring the removal of conditions form with me. And with that we say goodbye and head out of the building...

Some things I found peculiar: The officer never had a look at our passports, my wife's naturalization certificate, or my birth certificate. He never really went over any of the information on the original application forms other than the address. I also had a bunch of other documents (tax stuff for 2009, etc.) that I didn't dare to bring up after he cut me off right at the beginning...

All in all, it was definitely a strange experience and quite different from what I had expected. But in the I'm just glad it's over, at least until 19 months from now.

Congrats Longey, that sounds like a strange but good interview! Our interview never looked at birth certificates, photos or even the marriage cert - though did look at our passports. I guess different IOs look at diff things...

Congrats again at being done for a year and nine months ! woop woop! :dance:

[Laura & Kyle 16]

Congrats, longey! I'm so happy you were approved. It did sound like a very weird interview. I too woudl have been trying to show him stuff even if he didn't initially ask for it... hehe Weird he didn't ask about stuff you included initially either. Did he ask the standard i-485 questions about did you ever..blah blah blah?

Anyways, congratulations on the GC! Let us know when you get it.

[longey 1]

Did he ask the standard i-485 questions about did you ever..blah blah blah?

No, not a word. The only thing he referred to from the application forms was our address...

[lovelyalex 99]

No, not a word. The only thing he referred to from the application forms was our address...

congrats longey... and another wee little congrats for the possible positive pee stick! x

[mofope 0]

I just returned from my interview. It was... weird, but eventually successful. *phew*

Schedule for 10:35, we arrive at 10:15 but don't get called in before 11:30 or so. The officer is not really friendly but also not rude (We had a bit of a hard time understanding him since he was slurring somewhat). He lead us to his office and asks us to have a seat. He proceeded to inform us that this it his last interview for the day and he hopes to keep it short (at this point I think to myself that is a good sign). He looked at our file, and confirmed our address. He asks to see our DLs and passports, but never actually looks at the passports. He picks up the DLs and notices that the addresses on them are not updated. I inform him that the CA DMV does not issue a new DL in case of an address change, but he says that's not true (quote from DMV website: "A new driver license, identification card or registration card is not issued when changing your address."). At this point he remembers that he needs to swear us in and does so.

All in all, it was definitely a strange experience and quite different from what I had expected. But in the I'm just glad it's over, at least until 19 months from now.

Hey Longey,

Congratulations on you approval... and the wait is over for another year and 9months.. yay!

[mofope 0]

So i finally got my card in the mail yesterday.. yay! it took a while to get it because i had gone back to have them produce it in married name so they had to cancel the first production since i received the email stating production ordered.

So now i have my GC in my married name and can go remove the restrictions on my SS card.

More good news! I got a job offer yesterday too.. It was like a double whammy!

Thanks for all your support VJ!

[lovelyalex 99]

ooooh congrats! what job will you be doing?

[student28 0]

So i finally got my card in the mail yesterday.. yay! it took a while to get it because i had gone back to have them produce it in married name so they had to cancel the first production since i received the email stating production ordered.

So now i have my GC in my married name and can go remove the restrictions on my SS card.

More good news! I got a job offer yesterday too.. It was like a double whammy!

Thanks for all your support VJ!

Congrats !!! That is great !!!!!!

[mofope 0]

ooooh congrats! what job will you be doing?

Thanks lovelyalex and student28...

I've been so busy working, i don't even have time to come online...

I really do miss coming to VJ

Well, I am an administrative assistant for a Health Center....

Its fun and exciting....

What is everyone up to these days?

[Val Marty 1]

Quick question: Did they ask to see the USC's birth certificate at the interview? My husband didn't have his and we didn't send it with the applications, and now he has ordered it but it still hasn't arrived. Our interview is in a week and I am worried it will not arrive in time. They said it takes 15 days, but 15 days have passed and nothing.