March 2010 filers

[Dave and Melanie 0]

Maybe the USCIS website had been slow. Suddenly, now all the updates are going through. All I know is in the last week we got EAD card production, Welcome letter, GC production. We did get three touches in a row about a week ago, then BAM!!! Everything at once.

All I know is that it is all good that we are starting to get results.

Edited June 8, 2010 by Dave and Melanie

[CGuerrero 8]

My EAD arrived in the mail yesterday =)

I also got a text yesterday saying that the GC had been sent

My IO told me to drop off my EAD at the USCIS office once I get my green card... does anybody else have to do that, or is it just my officer wanting me to do the 1 hour drive again?

[jimnlena 8]

Maybe the USCIS website had been slow. Suddenly, now all the updates are going through. All I know is in the last week we got EAD card production, Welcome letter, GC production. We did get three touches in a row about a week ago, then BAM!!! Everything at once.

All I know is that it is all good that we are starting to get results.

I really think the new card design had things bottlenecked! It seems like a flood gate has opened now!!

[otta 7]

Hi All,

I've been reading the forum for a while and found all the updates very helpful and reassuring; many thanks to all of you for that! We filed our AOS package in early March and had our interview on June 4th in NYC. Since I just wrote a review for the review section of the site, I thought I'd share my interview experience here too, for all those still preparing for theirs. Currently I'm waiting to hear about AOS approval - it seems it takes just a couple of days after the interview for some people, but many weeks for others... Hmm.

---------

We had our AOS interview in early June and it was fairly painless. The wait was stressful; there was over an hour's delay. We didn't have a lawyer with us and there was no need; we had prepared a lot of documentation and neither one of us had ever had any problems with the law.

We were interviewed by a pleasant man who started by joking about the difficult pronunciation of my last name. During the interview we actually managed to have a conversation on things like cultural events in the city, our pets, and even electric bills :-)

First we had to provide a certified copy of our marriage certificate, my husband's proof of US citizenship, and both of our IDs. The questions we were asked regarding our AOS petition:

1. When did we move in together? Who lived in the apartment first? (the interviewer was pleased both our names were on the lease)

2. Do we know each other's full names?

3. Do we know each other's dates of birth?

4. Do I know my in-laws' names?

5. Was there a wedding?

6. Do we know each other's families?

7. How did we meet?

8. Do we have kids?

9. Do we both work?

He asked for evidence - we showed our joint bank account statements, copies of lease and rent payment checks with both our names, joint insurance etc. He asked for photos, so we showed him an album with about 100 photos. He made it clear it was more than enough, although he went through all of them, making comments about cuisine or travel, which allowed us to keep up pleasant conversation.

The interviewer laughed that often people bring multiple huge albums which is far more than they can or need to see. He also was glad that the bank statements had both our names on it. He said sometimes people bring some statements that have the name of one spouse, and some statements have the name of the other spouse, which is not really a proof.

He finally asked me the long list of questions about intent to overthrow government, prostitution, drugs etc.

At the end, he wrote in my passport that we had the interview and he gave me a sheet saying the file is held for further review. He said he would recommend us for approval, but his supervisor had to review every decision and we would find out within 60 days.

All in all, I really think it tends to be a near-pleasant experience if you don't have anything to hide. Good luck to all!

Edited June 8, 2010 by otta

[mrs.sr 0]

We had our AOS interview in Chicago yesterday. I've posted the same in the review section.

My wife is the US citizen and I'm the beneficiary.

It was scheduled for 11:30am. We got there at 10:30 am,

cleared security, went up to 2nd floor and submitted our interview appointment letter.

The lady at the counter gave us a buzzer and we then waited until 12:20pm for our turn.

Our IO was a male officer who took us to his office, introduced himself and made us take oath to

tell the truth.

He then said "you must be __ and you must be __". He then asked for our drivers license, passports

and social security cards (he said "if you have them"). He noted our new address on our original

application packet we had submitted.

He then went over a checklist of Yes/No questions for me such as "are you affiliated with a terrorist organization" etc etc (no to all) and in the end made us both sign the document.

He then asked my wife if she had given any one else immigration benefits. (She has not)

He then asked for our employment letters and noted my wife's new employment address and position.

He then asked her what she does as her position title was not in the employment letter. He took

notes of this on the application packet.

We recently moved and we told him why we moved and on what date.

He then started going through our application packet and asked her my DOB, the names of my parents

and if she had met them. (She has not as they live overseas).

He then asked if this was our first marriage for both of us(2nd for her, 1st for me), if we have kids or have kids outside this marriage (no and no).

He asked us to describe our relationship and I answered when we met, when we started dating, when we

got engaged and then married. He then asked who attended the wedding and why we had a small wedding. I answered and my wife said "would you like to see pictures" and showed him the wedding album. He looked at a few pictures and said "these are nice". He asked if we had a reception afterwards (no).

He then asked for the originals of my birth certificate, our marriage certificate and divorce decree

from her previous marriage. He then asked my wife the duration of her previous marriage.

He then asked if we have taken any trips and my wife showed him pictures from two more album with pictures of our friends, family, events etc. He asked a few questions like "who is this in this picture" or "what are you doing here".

Since we had recently moved and my wife has a new job, we had prepared a packet with updated bills, insurance cards, copies of our new drivers licenses, 2009 tax, new payslips, retirement account showing each other as beneficiaries, joint lease, medical insurance cards etc. We handed over this entire packet with a cover letter as an update to our application. He seemed to like that.

In the end he said "I'm recommending your case for approval and you should receive your Green Card within 90 days". He also mentioned that we might get the card earlier around 2 weeks but 90 days is

the maximum wait time and we can make an infopass appointment if we don't hear from them.

He removed the I-94 card out of my passport and said he did not need the EAD or AP document.

We asked him if we could travel on AP and he suggested I should wait for the Green Card before

traveling outside the country.

Our interview appointment letter had a mistake in my middle name and he said he'll make a note to fix it. He also mentioned that the name is taken from the applicats birth certificate and checked to make sure the name on the copy of my Birth Certificate was correct.

We then thanked him and he showed us the way out.

Both my wife and I thought that the interviewing officer was very professional, friendly and treated

us with respect.

Let me know if you have any questions and we are happy to answer. Good luck to everyone else.

---

Q: We expected the officer to take our EAD and AP. Does this mean anything?

[M and F 3]

Got our 2nd email and text re EAD. Card production ordered today!!! So we wait for one more text/email right?!

Checked website and apparently got yet another touch today on AOS and AP (but no text or email about them).

Still don't get why our AOS is getting touched last friday, yesterday and today. Weird no?

[Dave and Melanie 0]

Still don't get why our AOS is getting touched last friday, yesterday and today. Weird no?

Ours got touched three days in a row about a week before approval. I don't know if I would "read anything into that", but that is what happened to us.

[M and F 3]

Ours got touched three days in a row about a week before approval. I don't know if I would "read anything into that", but that is what happened to us.

And that would make sense ...except ours is with a scheduled interview which is scheduled for next month

[Jewel-8 21]

And that would make sense ...except ours is with a scheduled interview which is scheduled for next month

If they read your file and knew what a harda$$ you were then they would cancel the interview and just approve you.

[M and F 3]

If they read your file and knew what a harda$$ you were then they would cancel the interview and just approve you.

How cool would that be!!! Lol!

[jimnlena 8]

Got our 2nd email and text re EAD. Card production ordered today!!! So we wait for one more text/email right?!

Checked website and apparently got yet another touch today on AOS and AP (but no text or email about them).

Still don't get why our AOS is getting touched last friday, yesterday and today. Weird no?

After Blackbirds issue with no Documents at AOS interview, I think just be glad they know where they are!!

[Vivi6 12]

Got our 2nd email and text re EAD. Card production ordered today!!! So we wait for one more text/email right?!

Checked website and apparently got yet another touch today on AOS and AP (but no text or email about them).

Still don't get why our AOS is getting touched last friday, yesterday and today. Weird no?

Got 2nd email too! They must have sent ours together! Except as I commented in the April forum, my AP was not there yesterday...USPS might need a few days to get down here to SD!

Now I am worried my AOS has not been touched since biometrics but I don't want to be paranoid so I want to think there is nothing to it...and even if they already moved my file, hoepfully they just forgot to scan the docs

Edited June 8, 2010 by Vivi6

[Vivi6 12]

And that would make sense ...except ours is with a scheduled interview which is scheduled for next month

Maybe they are going to give you an earlier interview? I wonder if that ever happens! Speculation, speculation, speculation!

[M and F 3]

Got 2nd email too! They must have sent ours together! Except as I commented in the April forum, my AP was not there yesterday...USPS might need a few days to get down here to SD!

Now I am worried my AOS has not been touched since biometrics but I don't want to be paranoid so I want to think there is nothing to it...and even if they already moved my file, hoepfully they just forgot to scan the docs

We haven't received his AP yet either. I'm thinking today or tomorrow...

[Vivi6 12]

We haven't received his AP yet either. I'm thinking today or tomorrow...

You're right, it's Ashenflower who received it but it might be because her case is at CSC so it takes no time to get to LA!