Upcoming Interview questions

[DevinCal 0]

Hello, I am new to the forum. Great board you guys got here.

I've got a few questions and wanted to solicit some opinions.

Just some background –

• Wife and I met in August 2008

• We have phone/text records showing that we have been communicating quite frequently since then.

• We have both have been on three trips via airplane since 12/08 (San Diego, L.A., Cabo San Lucas, Mexico), of which we have all the email itinerary confirmations.

• My wife was here on J1 Visa and has been working at her job since 5/07.

• We just got married (02/10).

• We had a civil ceremony, and did not have any family present, since we are planning on going back to her home country next year and doing an ‘official’ wedding/reception there.

• We have opened two bank accounts in both of our names; she has also added me to her retail store credit cards.

• Since marriage we now both live together,

• Interview is set for last week of May in San Jose, Ca

So the question is, do you foresee any issues if/when they ask about the marriage and who was present? Also, should we tell them about our plans to do an ‘official’ wedding next year back in her home country of Sri Lanka? Or is that opening a can of worms that we do not want to?

Thanks in advance.

-Dev

[VanessaTony 3,567]

** moved from "Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from Family Based Visas" to "Adjustment of Status from Work, Student, & Tourist Visas" as you are adjusting from a J1 visa and the prior forum is for K1, K2, K3 & K4**

[EmVee 4]

I also had a small wedding ceremony here, only my sisters-in-law and a couple of friends were able to attend. My husband's parents were on vacation at the time (we decided to get married too late for them to reschedule the trip) and my mother couldn't fly here on such short notice. So we will be having a bigger wedding next year when we save up for it.

The issue didn't really arise at my interview, as the IO barely asked any questions and didn't want to see any photos. But if you're questioned, I don't see why it would be a problem to say you just went ahead with the civil ceremony now, and you're planning a bigger wedding for family later. I'm pretty sure a lot of people do it that way, when the wedding isn't a pre-planned one.

The important thing is just to make sure you have plenty of evidence showing you are both living together at present, and have co-mingled assets. You mentioned a bank account and stuff, so that's good. Bring anything else you think would work - I even brought our joint gym membership and Netflix account info! The better prepared you are, the easier it will be.

Good luck!

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

The AOS interview is not a test with trick questions, and it's not like an interview where you are applying for a job and 20 other people are sitting outside waiting to get the very same job.

The I.O. will talk to you and he or she will try to get a feeling on whether your marriage is real or not. The best way to prepare for this is to be honest, 'cause it's easy to make a mistake when remembering on what answer you two agreed.

One or two days before the interview, talk to your wife about the normal things of life. Talk about your wedding and your plans on doing the "formal" one in her home country. Basically, go over things one more time without trying to prepare anything. That's the best you can do and it will come over as honest, as it is honest.

To this day I don't know what perfume my wife uses, or what hair shampoo, or what her Uncle's name was, so don't try to remember stuff that you didn't talk about before. What they expect you to do is being honest and to know stuff that would be normal for a married couple. If you say you drink coffee in the morning, and your wife says you drink warm milk, you have a problem.

[trillium13 84]

The AOS interview is not a test with trick questions, and it's not like an interview where you are applying for a job and 20 other people are sitting outside waiting to get the very same job.

The I.O. will talk to you and he or she will try to get a feeling on whether your marriage is real or not. The best way to prepare for this is to be honest, 'cause it's easy to make a mistake when remembering on what answer you two agreed.

One or two days before the interview, talk to your wife about the normal things of life. Talk about your wedding and your plans on doing the "formal" one in her home country. Basically, go over things one more time without trying to prepare anything. That's the best you can do and it will come over as honest, as it is honest.

To this day I don't know what perfume my wife uses, or what hair shampoo, or what her Uncle's name was, so don't try to remember stuff that you didn't talk about before. What they expect you to do is being honest and to know stuff that would be normal for a married couple. If you say you drink coffee in the morning, and your wife says you drink warm milk, you have a problem.

The above post is good advice.

It is unlikely that you will be asked any in depth personal questions at the initial interview. If they have any question about the validity of your marriage, you will probably have a second interview. That's the one that is more difficult. It doesn't happen often I don't think-at least I don't hear too much about it on here.

If you have a truly bona fide marriage it will show not only through your physical evidence but by the way you interact together. It's their job at USCIS to figure this stuff out, if your marriage is valid, they will know. They really aren't out to trick you.

We were VWP adjusters and they only asked us very basic questions. I think most interviews go that way.

Good luck!

Oh! Forgot to add that we only had a simple courthouse wedding. Just the Justice and his girlfriend and 2 other people. We did have some pictures from that but it was certainly no big affair. I don't think that's so uncommon. It wasn't a problem.

Edited May 5, 2010 by trillium13

[DevinCal 0]

thanks for all the great info, we will put it to use.

[sasaqlain 24]

Hello, I am new to the forum. Great board you guys got here.

I've got a few questions and wanted to solicit some opinions.

Just some background –

• Wife and I met in August 2008

• We have phone/text records showing that we have been communicating quite frequently since then.

• We have both have been on three trips via airplane since 12/08 (San Diego, L.A., Cabo San Lucas, Mexico), of which we have all the email itinerary confirmations.

• My wife was here on J1 Visa and has been working at her job since 5/07.

• We just got married (02/10).

• We had a civil ceremony, and did not have any family present, since we are planning on going back to her home country next year and doing an ‘official’ wedding/reception there.

• We have opened two bank accounts in both of our names; she has also added me to her retail store credit cards.

• Since marriage we now both live together,

• Interview is set for last week of May in San Jose, Ca

So the question is, do you foresee any issues if/when they ask about the marriage and who was present? Also, should we tell them about our plans to do an ‘official’ wedding next year back in her home country of Sri Lanka? Or is that opening a can of worms that we do not want to?

Thanks in advance.

-Dev

I wish you Good Luck for your up-coming interview. Almost everybody that gives you any advice will tell you to be confident and natural, but having said that, don't overdo it. Don't make it look like you have been preping for for an exam. Honestly, We with the exception of the paper documentation, that we had prepared in detail, we were just a normal couple who woke up early and left for the interview. Till this day, I don't know what color toothbrush my wife uses or what color clothes she was wearing last weekend. I believe that stuff is too Hollywood now.

Take everything that you think is relevant to strengthen your case. Joint Leases, Joint utility bills, Credit Cards, Mortage, Bank Account statements, Wedding pictures, Any trips or vacations together. I for one, don't think affadavits or letters/emails have the same impact on cases anymore, thus never bothered with either. In todays time, these things can be acquired and falsified easily. I didn't even have my Birth Cirtificate and our IO laughed and said, not to worry as he knows how easy it was to obtain one in my homecountry for a bribe. He just accepted my Passport. That was the only document I didn't possess. Be Yourself. A COUPLE.

[DevinCal 0]

thx saspk.

[Mavisgrind 1]

We went to the San Jose USCIS for our interview and had no problems at all (except for the fire alarm which emptied the building and caused us to have to go through the security twice!). I was carrying two large shopping bags full of documentation including our wedding photo album, trip photos, family photos, pictures with execs from my company (a large, well known tech company), financial data including deeds, bank statements, tax returns, and al the rest. We had gone over all the details from the house (colors of everything, where everything was, as well as names, birth dates and anniversaries of all the relatives. The only questions the interviewer asked was where we met, when did we decide to get married, and a couple of other things I can't remember. We never had to open the bags for anything - until after the interview when I mentioned I had brought the wedding album and several people wanted to see just for fun.

The most important thing is to be yourself. They expect that you will be nervous. After the wedding itself, this is the most important thing you've done. But if you look comfortable with your spouse and and like you're really in love, it will make all the difference.

All the other stuff is important but you are your own best witness.

Best regards and wishes!

[Alla 3]

I was carrying two large shopping bags full of documentation including our wedding photo album, trip photos, family photos, pictures with execs from my company (a large, well known tech company), financial data including deeds, bank statements, tax returns, and al the rest.

I was worried that only me and my husband will look like idiots at the interview with all the stuff that we are planning to bring. I was going to cut it to minimum but I guess I better bring everything.

[trillium13 84]

I was worried that only me and my husband will look like idiots at the interview with all the stuff that we are planning to bring. I was going to cut it to minimum but I guess I better bring everything.

It would look much worse if they asked you for something you didn't bring.

Kidding aside, it will make you feel more confident to bring all your stuff with you, it helps a lot to feel prepared. We brought a ton of stuff that wasn't looked at but we were glad we brought it anyway.