Calling all K-2 AOSers - past and present

[Georgia16 2,858]

Mine was 19, so yes, on his G-1145 was his name and his e-mail address/phone #.

With 10 years old.... I've just looked again at G-1145 - there is no place for signature there, your daughter won't need to sign this form. So I would write her name, but your e/mail address and phone #.

Okay great! Thank you so much for your help! ...

[Kyle and Linh 64]

Update on our K2 Journey for my son who followed with a 6 month later entry from my wife on a K1 visa.

We were approved and the Green Card for 2 years delivered by mail yesterday

Took longer than my wife's K1. No interviews in either case

Be patient with the K2. As long as your spouse K1 is ok you should be OK

GOOD LUCK TO ALL... BE PATIENT

[Altan2011 3]

08.26.2016 Update. Made the trip to Detroit for our interview. After talking a little with the Field Officer, he found that our daughter's file was in the building (though they had requested Request for Evidence). He tracked it down and we were able to complete all three interviews and approvals. He asked me to describe my wife and how we met, who was present at our wedding. Asked some of the questions from the I-485 form like "have you been arrested".....He asked the kids their address here in the U.S. I had taken a ream of paperwork to substantiate our lives but he did not ask for it. Hope this helps. I had been looking for some insight on the interview process but found little.

[Georgia16 2,858]

08.26.2016 Update. Made the trip to Detroit for our interview. After talking a little with the Field Officer, he found that our daughter's file was in the building (though they had requested Request for Evidence). He tracked it down and we were able to complete all three interviews and approvals. He asked me to describe my wife and how we met, who was present at our wedding. Asked some of the questions from the I-485 form like "have you been arrested".....He asked the kids their address here in the U.S. I had taken a ream of paperwork to substantiate our lives but he did not ask for it. Hope this helps. I had been looking for some insight on the interview process but found little.

Thank you for sharing! ...

And congrats on your approval for the family.

[Georgia16 2,858]

I though K-2 didn't do bio. Just saw someone from August filers with a 8-year old there had to do bio though without paying for it.

I was hoping it wasn't the case since I really don't want him to miss school that day.

[Ksenia_O 696]

I though K-2 didn't do bio. Just saw someone from August filers with a 8-year old there had to do bio though without paying for it.

I was hoping it wasn't the case since I really don't want him to miss school that day.

Since we found out that some 12 years old kids got interviewed, I would not be surprised if 8-10 years K2s had their bio.... Hope, not, but...

Anyway, if you receive K2's bio "invitation", there is nothing can be done, but follow it...

[Georgia16 2,858]

Since we found out that some 12 years old kids got interviewed, I would not be surprised if 8-10 years K2s had their bio.... Hope, not, but...

Anyway, if you receive K2's bio "invitation", there is nothing can be done, but follow it...

We'll see here shortly if he has to come too when I get the letter for bio. The K-2 I was talking about came at same time as the mom.

[ameribrazil 37]

Just wanted to share my story of how the K-2 AOS interviews went for my two stepdaughters this year:

FIRST K-2 DAUGHTER

Age at AOS Interview: 17 years old

Interview Location: USICS Los Angeles Field Office

Interview Time: 1:30pm

Her AOS interview appointment was set at 1:30pm, so I was already nervous - I heard that appointments set in the afternoon if the case had some issues. But I was still optimistic and expecting a smooth appointment.

I was very prepared and brought a copy of her AOS paperwork along with some pictures, copies of her bank statements (for minor children), etc. I did the same for my wife's AOS interview last year so I was a bit confident, until they told us to proceed to a separate room for the interview. Alarm bells flashed immediately in my mind and they were justified as soon as we got there.

The lady who saw us was a small woman who looked Southeast Asian (almost looked Filipino) and not very friendly... actually, that's an understatement. It looked more like an interrogation than an interview. My step-daughter was feeling the hostility and became very nervous, and stuttered a bit when answering some questions. Since she was a minor, I volunteered some information that she wouldn't normally know (i.e. the lady asked if she knew what a K-2 was... what the hell!), but she snapped at me telling me to let my step-daughter answer the questions. So I kept my peace and allowed her to move forward with her "interrogation."

It was a very uncomfortable 30 minutes, and I would've gladly suffered through it if it meant she would be approved on the spot, but the lady started questioning why my step-daughter's AOS wasn't done at the same time as her mother. I reasoned that my wife came to the U.S. first and my step-daughter was designated "to-follow", allowing her to finish high school in the Philippines before she came here. The lady started to look confused and said she has never encountered a case where the K-2 dependent didn't arrive at the same time as the mother, nor has she encountered a K-2 whose AOS was separate from the mother. I again reasoned that my wife arrived first and was already an LPR, and that since my step-daughter arrived a few months later, her AOS was naturally separate, with its own set of forms including the affidavit of support. The lady was still shaking her head and said it's the first time she heard of that!

But the kicker was when she asked if I had my wife's AOS documents. I told her that I did not since my wife already has her green card, and my wife offered to show it to her, but the lady said she needs to verify something since the mother and the child should've filed for AOS together. I showed her our marriage certificate and even her embassy letter and USCIS NOAs showing the names of her two children as dependents. But the lady said she needs my wife's AOS documents. She then said she will need to look it up in their system, and that my step-daughter's approval will be on hold until she can look at those documents. She then gave us a letter showing we attended the interview and that the approval is pending further documents, but it was not an RFE (thank god).

Total elapsed time: 35 minutes.

We walked out of that room wondering what just happened. My step-daughter was asking if the reason she was not approved immediately was that she answered incorrectly, and I told her it wasn't, and explained that we were unlucky to be interviewed by someone who didn't know enough about the AOS process.

Good news was that her AOS was approved eventually - more than three months later... with no explanation as to why it was delayed.

* * * * *

SECOND K-2 DAUGHTER

Age at AOS Interview: 12 years old

Interview Location: USICS Los Angeles Field Office

Interview Time: 10:00am

With our not so good experience with her big sister's AOS interview, I made sure that my younger step-daughter's documentation was front-loaded to hell. I brought her AOS documents, my wife's AOS documents, and even my own Naturalization documents and U.S. passport, in case we encountered the witch lady again. I was carrying two fat folders in my arms filled with those documents and dozens of verification, from pictures to school papers to medical records. I was not taking any chances!

Interview time was 10am, and rumors had it that morning appointments were pretty fast and easy, but I expected the worst. This time our interviewer was a tall, old man who looked Korean, and he was G-R-U-M-P-Y! He wasn't a fan of idle chatter, and was even hesitant to shake my hand. He asked his questions like he was scolding my step-daughter, but I already coached her to keep smiling and answer questions directly. The questions were short and to the point - her address, her age, her birthdate, does she go to school, which school, who her father was, why (the hell) I wasn't her biological father, etc.

The only documents he asked for were our CA IDs, my wife's green card, and my step-daughter's EAD/AP & SS card. He looked at them, stepped out to make copies, came back, returned our cards, and put check marks on documents in a folder. He then signed a letter and told us my step-daughter was approved and to expect her green card in a few weeks. Then, as if as an afterthought, he told us congratulations.

Total elapsed time: 15 minutes.

The K-2 AOS interviews were in direct contrast to my wife's AOS interview, which was very pleasant and cordial, and lasted 8 minutes. Anyway, that's my story and I wish those who will go through the K-2 AOS interview the best of luck.

Just watch out for tiny witch woman and grumpy old fart for those who have interviews in Los Angeles...

Hi Tolitzpogi - this is very insightful and very helpful as I was not able to find anything about K2 interviews. My 3 step children received an interview notice but we were hoping since my wife was already approved that they would get approved automatically. But with our case that wasn't so. We don't even know how to prepare for this interview and what sort of evidence we need to bring. I am waiting for our attorney to get back to us for some guidance. But in the mean time, I have to get all of their documents translated from Portuguese to English. Congrats btw!

[Pitaya 2,577]

~Two postings split to own threads, one due to not being relevant to K1/K2 visa process (moved to new thread in Bring.Fam.Memb of PR to US Forum), the other due to being a somewhat multi-faceted K1/K2/AOS/CRBA(?)/USC case (moved to new thread in Fam.-based AOS Forum).~

Pitaya

VJ Moderation

Edited October 15, 2016 by Pitaya

[johnlei14 0]

Hi Everyone. Quick question. Is it alright to file my AOS for now and then file the AOS for my two K2s probably next year? It seems like USD 1200+ to file for the two of them is expensive. Im thinking maybe i should be able to work first then help my husband with the fees for filing theirs.

[Georgia16 2,858]

Hi Everyone. Quick question. Is it alright to file my AOS for now and then file the AOS for my two K2s probably next year? It seems like USD 1200+ to file for the two of them is expensive. Im thinking maybe i should be able to work first then help my husband with the fees for filing theirs.

Yeah you could do that but it will be A LOT more expensive. And also the fees goes up December 23 so even more expensive.

[Georgia16 2,858]

Anyone know if the K-2 have to be present at the SSN office to get a SSN number or can the parent just go without the child?

[johnlei14 0]

K2s below 14 years old arent given SSN yet. That what the officer from the SSN Office told me.

[Georgia16 2,858]

K2s below 14 years old arent given SSN yet. That what the officer from the SSN Office told me.

No not with only the K-2 visa sorry I wasn't clear his EAD is on it's way and when we get that he can get his SSN number. I'm just unsure if he has to be present or not to get it.

[johnlei14 0]

Oh okay. Yes, he has to be physically there to get one.