What is in the packet you get at the interview ?

[Ide & Sam 1]

So after my fiance and I were approved for the visa the interviewer gave him his passport with the visa and a big envelope sealed up with tape and told us not to open it until he arrived in the US...ok...whats in this envelope !! We're dying to know !

We were joking that it was probably a 100 dollar gift certificate to best buy, some IMAX theater tickets, a bunch of credit card applications and hallmark card from Obama saying welcome to the USA

Edited November 16, 2011 by Ide & Sam

[arnaudgf 1]

Mmmm just to make sure you understood. YOU are not to open it. The envelope is for the CBP officer that will inspect you at POE. YOu better not open it before or you'll get in a lot of trouble.

It only contains your paperworks (forms, evidences etc) and your medical. Sorry, no gift certificate

[Inky 1,110]

All your papers are in it. Your entire file and medical. DO NOT OPEN THIS.

You may get to see some of it at POE when you enter to the USA if they open it in front of you. I had to bring TWO envelopes because our file was so large. I saw lots of papers with red writing on it and forms and all kinds of things.

again DO NOT OPEN IT!

If you open it you cannot enter the USA until you send it back to the USEM and have them reseal it.

[Gosia & John 0]

all the documents you have submitted are in there so DON'T open it

[raymaga 25]

Best wishes for your new life together in the U.S.!!!!

[ann and aties 9]

Ide and Sam, I'm pretty sure it contains an American Express gift card and a season pass to the Giants games. And if you are REALLY lucky it will have some free tickets to those ferries that travel across the bay - wouldn't that be fun to go on?

I will have some details on a Havana/Los Angeles flight for you soon, so you don't have to meet him in Miami if you don't want. Or, he can check it out himself at Havanatur. It flies every Wednesday!

[evelyn1140 18]

Ide and Sam, I'm pretty sure it contains an American Express gift card and a season pass to the Giants games. And if you are REALLY lucky it will have some free tickets to those ferries that travel across the bay - wouldn't that be fun to go on?

I will have some details on a Havana/Los Angeles flight for you soon, so you don't have to meet him in Miami if you don't want. Or, he can check it out himself at Havanatur. It flies every Wednesday!

I like your sense of humor... GOOD

[at long last 58]

Hi All

I have read over and over about this sealed packet which I WILL NOT OPEN...lol... BUT what I haven't found was ...Do we get to keep the contents after the POE officer inspects them? If our medical report is in there, is that the same report we have to use for AOS?

Sigh yet more questions....

thanks for your answers.

Terri

[gna781 1]

haha thats reeally funny this made my night thanks!

[arnaudgf 1]

Hi All

I have read over and over about this sealed packet which I WILL NOT OPEN...lol... BUT what I haven't found was ...Do we get to keep the contents after the POE officer inspects them? If our medical report is in there, is that the same report we have to use for AOS?

Sigh yet more questions....

thanks for your answers.

Terri

Mmmm I don't remember them giving me anything back, maybe some of the proof we have met in person (I do not remember if it was at the consulate or POE that I got these back). You only need the vaccine report for AOS, I hope you got a copy before submitting it for the visa.

[HeatDeath 430]

Hi All

I have read over and over about this sealed packet which I WILL NOT OPEN...lol... BUT what I haven't found was ...Do we get to keep the contents after the POE officer inspects them? If our medical report is in there, is that the same report we have to use for AOS?

Sigh yet more questions....

thanks for your answers.

Terri

No, you do not get to keep the contents. They get sent directly to your local USCIS office, where they form your permanent immigration file.

Yes, your immigration medical report is in there. No, you don't need a copy of it for AOS.

I should clarify that one, based on an interesting experience I had and some history from people's experiences here.

After my K1 Consulate interview in Vancouver in April 2009, the clerk who gave me my passport-with-visa and sealed envelope said to me "The sealed envelope has 3 copies of your medical. Ask the officer at the PoE for one of them."

The envelope was sealed, so obviously I didn't open it. Two months later, at PoE, I quoted the clerk from the consulate and asked for one of the copies of my medical. The officer (who was very gruff) asked why I needed it. I said, tentatively, that I thought I needed it for AoS. He shrugged and gave it to me. So I did end up with a copy of my medical.

I have since found out from people here that this is very unusual, and that the vast majority of CBP officers won't give you anything from that packet even if you tell them G-d Himself said you should get it. Either way, this clearly didn't cause any problems, since my AOS was approved in less than 90 days with no interview.

And no, you don't need your full medical report for AOS. As long as you have your vaccination information, which the immigration medical clinic should have given you in a separate, NON-sealed envelope, a civil surgeon in the US can copy (you'll hear the word "transcribe") that on to a Form I-693 for a nominal fee (no more than $30-$50), and you're good to go. The I-693 is sealed by the civil surgeon in an envelope and you include that sealed envelope in your AOS packet. Some people don't even get an I-693 and still do fine.

Where some people have run into problems is: apparently under some circumstances the full medical report, which is in your sealed packet and is supposed to get sent, with the rest of those papers, to your local USCIS office, can get separated from your file. Then when USCIS goes to adjudicate your AOS, they can't find the medical report and issue a RFE for it. At that point your option is to use the immigration liaison of your congressmen or senator to fight it, which often works, or to take the path of least resistance and drop another couple hundred dollars for a new physical from a local civil surgeon in the US.

But it's very rare that this happens - and I think they've mostly fixed whatever problem in their processes that was causing lost medicals. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[Inky 1,110]

Hi All

I have read over and over about this sealed packet which I WILL NOT OPEN...lol... BUT what I haven't found was ...Do we get to keep the contents after the POE officer inspects them? If our medical report is in there, is that the same report we have to use for AOS?

Sigh yet more questions....

thanks for your answers.

Terri

NO you do not keep anything of it. It gets mailed to USCIS. If not you will never AOS or finish any of your immigration.

[brian_n_phuong 193]

They will return the IMAX theater tickets which will be in a small sealed bag. DO NOT OPEN this sealed bag untill surrendered to the ticket agent at the appropriate IMAX theater PoE.