AOS Approved!!!

[Kelvin 0]

OK, here's the story...

Our appointment was for 12:50, so we got to downtown LA, across the street from the Federal Building at 11:30, to eat lunch. For some reason we brought the (in)famous X-Ray with us... figured it couldn't hurt. They securtiy guy at the front door said we better not run it through the X-Ray machine! We all had a good laugh about that.

Then came the maze of finding The Room. All the boards seemed to say Room 6001 was on the 8th floor. No, it doesn't make sense... it should be on the 6th floor... but the signs really lead one to believe that it's on the 8th floor. Anyway, it's on the 6th floor.

We got to the room about 12:30 and it was practically deserted. There were two or three cases in front of us, so we put our invitation in the tray and sat down to enjoy the air conditioning.

I saw an officer call in someone ahead of us and he was Mr. Deadpan. Something told me, he was our guy. At about 1:10... he was our guy. He gave us the same deadpan intro speech he gave the other folks. He asked my wife if she could speak English and for the comic relief of the day, she said "probably". He looked at me, muttered "probably" and motioned for us to follow. I should say that in her mind, "probably" meant, "it depends on whether or not you mumble, use big words, or talk to fast". "Probably" was easier to say and communicated (in her mind) what she was thinking.

We got into his office and I was amazed at the number of hole punch paper circles everywhere. All over the floor, his desk... I don't think there was anything not covered with them. I put it out of my mind.

He swore us in then asked the basic questions:

- R U a terrorist, spy, criminal , drug dealer, etc. No, no, no, no...

- Asked if we had kids, verified our address, took our IDs (our CA driver licenses & passports)

- Asked where we met, how long we've known each other (9 years) and confirmed that we were married in Japan.

He asked for documentation showing that we were living together as a family. I provided:

- Apartment lease with both our names

- Bank doc showing our joint savings account

- Insurance stuff from my employer showing her as beneficiary

- Loan contract for her car with both our names on it

- Color photocopies of 2 credit cards and our AAA card (with 90% of the numbers blacked out)

- Joint car insurance stuff

I had our joint 2005 tax return, but it was in a different folder pocket so I forgot to give it to him. He didn't ask for it.

He said everything looked good and he was going to grant the case once he finished a final background check that afternoon (yesterday).

Last night, this was in my email:

On July 25, 2006, a welcome notice was mailed for this case. If 30 days have passed and you have not received this notice. Please call the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283 during business hours.

I cannot express enough my gratitude for all on this forum and the people who run it. I did this whole thing myself, but could not have without this resource. Thank you.

Next stops... a visit with her family back in Tokyo this October. Then Lifting Conditions two years from now.

Kelvin Zero

[hafiz 1]

congrats

[alexil74 0]

congratulations

[anutka 0]

Congratulation

[happyinlove08 0]

Congrats

[*Robert* 2]

Congratulations!!!

[Leasel7 1]

Congratulations!!! I love the "probably" line, sounds like that knocked the interviewing officer for a loop! Guess he hadn't gotten that answer before!

[camaleon 0]

[Rocio 0]

congratulations

[Peter Miami 0]

Congratulations!

Peter Miami

[chagalafamilia 0]

CONGRATULATIONS. I love approvals.

[nayalamb 0]

congrats!

[~*Dorothy*~ 2]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kelvin 0]

Thanks everybody! The actual Welcome Letter arrived today.

KZ

[Gatorfan 0]

Congratulations.