Called for AOS interview (from k1)

[gyselle 4]

Hi all,

I just received a letter informing me about my interview date for AOS.

I was on a k1 visa.

I understand most people on a k1 visa dont get interviewed and get transferred to CSC straightaway...should I be nervous?

Is it because when I did my K1 visa interview, my then-fiance and now-husband did not attend?

Anyone has any tips or advice for this interview?

What type of questions can I/my husband expect (i searched this forum and found a few, but not all are specific to K1).

I am a little afraid coz my husband is rather forgetful...so he will know the answer to questions like, "how we met, our wedding dates, how we spent ***" but he might slip up on what we did last weekend; what did we have for dinner last night etc etc. He is a guy after all.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Sometimes it's just random. Don't worry!

[himher 634]

We were interviewed (adjust from K3 which is similar to K1 in that the beneficiary arrives as non-immigrant BUT does not get a SS number for weeks and weeks LOL) for no discernable reason other than fingerprints rejected twice. At any rate it was painless, only took a few minutes, and the interviewer did not ask any significant personal questions (other than asking me my wife's birthday which, thankfully, I nailed LOL)

We brought a photo book with highlights - aka mardi gras, camping, trip to SF, but he wasnt that interested. More to stuff like joint credit cards (he made copies because they both have the same number/just different names) and he caught up on the income stuff (current income, bank statements, etc) because our account was not joint when we filed (no SS# until EAD and EAD was way after we filed) but was joint when we interviewed. He checked drivers licenses for the same address / looked at stuff like car insurance for both names (she was primary on one car, I was primary on the other) and it seemed like he was just verifying that our household looked like a normal household.

Basically he was closing out any questions on the "comingling" thing more than getting into our personal business. It was past "how we met" and more "how we are setting up house after arrival". You should be fine/no worries if you have been going about the normal setting up of household stuff.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Hi all,

I just received a letter informing me about my interview date for AOS.

I was on a k1 visa.

I understand most people on a k1 visa dont get interviewed and get transferred to CSC straightaway...should I be nervous?

Is it because when I did my K1 visa interview, my then-fiance and now-husband did not attend?

Anyone has any tips or advice for this interview?

What type of questions can I/my husband expect (i searched this forum and found a few, but not all are specific to K1).

I am a little afraid coz my husband is rather forgetful...so he will know the answer to questions like, "how we met, our wedding dates, how we spent ***" but he might slip up on what we did last weekend; what did we have for dinner last night etc etc. He is a guy after all.

I think it is more of a 50/50 shot not to get an interview rather than most do not. Ours was transferred to CSC but still got transferred back for an interview. I think it is just random and perhaps for interview quotas. Our interview was extremely easy and lasted no longer than 5 minutes. My advice is bring everything you need and relax.

Edited February 15, 2012 by Jay-Kay

[Travis and Meghan 24]

It probably has a lot to do with your local office. Some of them are really back ed up so they try to adjudicate your AOS without interview to avoid having to make you wait for months for an interview. I've been scheduled for interview also but my local office doesn't seem as busy as some, I've noticed a lot of people from my state get scheduled for interviews.

[7teeners 2]

We just got interviewed last Feb.8 too. From what I remember, we were just asked how we met, then IO asked for some photos which he kept for file. He also asked about stuff we had together (insurance, mortgage, etc).

[gyselle 4]

Ok.

Currently, we only have a joint bank account together, and he has me on his insurance, and we are on the At& T family plan.

Would that be sufficient?

We are currently renting an apartment; he rented before I moved here (hence, its only in his name), and all his bills (internet etc) are in his name because the renewal period isnt up and we havent added me to the apartment since I have NO credit score.

[SF2007 48]

I had an interview for a K1 based AOS last week. Nothing flagged or special about my case, it took about 15 minutes. I read somewhere on VJ they might do it for statistics purposes but I don't know. I suggest you research your local USCIS office for interview reviews here: http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/

Basically, you have to prove you have been married and living a bona fide marriage. The foreign beneficiary will most likely be asked question on the I-485 (pages 3-4) and some other questions too. Mine were in the line of "When did you first meet" and "How long have you been married".

Here is a non exclusive list of things you can bring (you also need to bring everything listed on your appointment letter):

- cards sent from friends to both of you;

- wedding and other pictures of you two since the wedding;

- receipts or pictures of honeymoon if you took one;

- Document proving same domicile: driver's licenses, utility bills with both names on it, etc.;

- Documents proving joint assets/responsibility: joint bank account, health insurance, lease, joint property, AAA membership cards, etc.;

- Letter from employer saying the foreign applicant is the USC's 401k beneficiary and his/her emergency contact;

- We also brought letters from both our wedding witnesses (good local friends) saying they knew us for X amount of time, they saw us last together on Y and that we were a loving couple.

Only thing you need to be added to a utility bill is a SSN. Well worth it for the interview.

Make copies of everything and bring the originals so they can check it's true to it's original. If you don't bring copies, they will have to keep your originals for their records. My interviewing office was mostly interested by our utility bills, joint banking information and cards showing same address.

Good luck!

Edited February 15, 2012 by SF2007

[7teeners 2]

He also made copies of my husband's driver's license & my CA ID since it shows we live at the same address. Other than that, we only had a fax letter from my husband's insurance company showing we were on the same plan. We live with his mother so we couldn't show any lease/mortgages; their family also has a cellphone plan under his mother's name so we couldn't show that either.

When he asked how we met, he was writing stuff down on our file (I guess he wrote it down first then eventually compare it to the orig K-1 petition story my then-fiancee wrote before).

Even though we submitted copies of my birth certificate, marriage certificate, husband's naturalization certificate, the IO also asked to see the originals (he just glanced at it in the clearbook I brought) He asked to see both of our passports too. He even questioned why I submitted the I-693 since I already undergone a medical exam in my home country, I just said I followed instructions about the vaccination record not completed. He gave us the impression we didn't need the I-693 (good thing we only paid $15 for the transcription!). He said since we were just newlyweds, its understandable we didn't have enough documents together yet given at the time of the interview.

Edited February 15, 2012 by 7teeners

[gyselle 4]

Thank you very much for all your comments!

The link was super helpful!

It certainly makes me feel a lot better about the interview.

Its funny coz i havent received any news about by EAD and AP.

[7teeners 2]

You could check the status of your EAD & AP at the USCIS site, just enter in your receipt number found in the I-797C Action of Notice. That's if you've received those in the mail.

[himher 634]

You might recheck on that. I HAD to add my wife to our apt lease as a resident anyway, credit score or not.

Being added to the health insurance plan, being a beneficiary on life insurance, being a beneficiary on retirement/401K, being on the auto insurance, holding drivers licenses with the same address, and being added to the cell phone plan are all common, normal things to do after a couple gets married. You can be added to any credit card with only a SS number, and of course and primary I think they check everyone to see if they have a joint bank account.

We submitted all of the insurance/beneficiary stuff originally, but the SS number/drivers license with bank, credit cards, auto insurance came after filing and before the interview. Advantage of K1 is that the SS number gets obtained up front while K3's have to wait 90 days for EAD then go apply for a SS card and that is long after AOS is filed (usually LOL)

Anyway, if you have a few of these they are all indicators of "co-mingling" and from what we could see more weight was given to stuff like that than was given to pictures, etc.

I heard of one couple in Houston that the interviewer asked if each had a set of keys. They said yes and he asked to see them. He compared the house keys / car keys LOL to see if they were carrying the same keys and told them they were approved.

Smart dude. Most people who are in a business relationship won't go as far as sharing house and car keys.

Anyway, interview is nothing to stress about. The IO is just adding to the file before it is closed out and processed through. K visaholders normally have pretty thin files to start with anyway because there is just not thet much you can accumulate together from separate countries or right after a wedding that would constitute "co-mingling" evidence.

Ok.

Currently, we only have a joint bank account together, and he has me on his insurance, and we are on the At& T family plan.

Would that be sufficient?

We are currently renting an apartment; he rented before I moved here (hence, its only in his name), and all his bills (internet etc) are in his name because the renewal period isnt up and we havent added me to the apartment since I have NO credit score.