Stokes interview

[Jamaican Luv 13]

true true.. because there is something not right here. what would set off a stokes interview anyway? I dont know to much about it, but I do know just like everybody else said, its not a joke.

[Anh map 2,098]

In the state of New Hampshire car insurance is only a requirement if you have a loan/lease on the car,and only because the banks require it, or if you are under the age of 25.

OP isn't in NH. Car insurance is likely a small part of the circumstances.

[HeatDeath 430]

The car insurance thing is almost certainly a technicality that they're just using to justify the Stokes interview on paper.

OP: Use the search function on this page: look up "Stokes interview" in quotes and read everything you can find. Have your husband do the same.

While you are doing that, find a good immigration lawyer with experience in Stokes interview preparation and pay him whatever he wants for several hours of phone training with you and your husband! [immigration law is federal, so don't feel constrained to search locally - you can get an immigration lawyer based anywhere in the country.]

Stokes interviews are serious like a corpse. They only occur when something has gone terribly wrong - the consular officer has an unshakable gut feeling that something is wrong with your case. He wants with all his heart to issue a denial outright but doesn't feel like he has the evidence to make a denial stick. A Stokes interview is a legally-sanctioned fishing expedition to obtain that evidence.

They are designed to be as clinically unambiguous as possible. You and your husband are separated. You are then asked several hundred occasionally very personal questions. As is your husband, separately from you. There is a certain percentage, unknown to us, of answers you must agree on. If your answers disagree on even one answer too many (we do not know what the threshold is), they will deny you, and appealing a failed Stokes interview is almost impossible.

Assume that the consular officers want to deny the visa, have already decided to deny the visa, and are hostile to you from the minute you enter the consulate/embassy.

Lawyer up, now, or start planning to live in your husband's country. If you go into a Stokes interview without several hours of professional preparation, and extensive practice on your own after you will regret it.

Edited May 1, 2012 by HeatDeath

[HeatDeath 430]

Everything I just said applies regardless of whether the Stokes interview is being executed by consular officers at a consulate/embassy or by USCIS officers at a USCIS field office in the US. Stokes interviews are bad news, and warrant immediate, urgent, and conscientious preparation, with the help of a legal professional.

[jdh 103]

I dont understand why they want a stokes interview because of car ins.? is that what Im reading right? That doesnt make sense to me at all. Unless there was something else that went on?

That is not why, I would guarantee there is more to it. As I posted earlier, we have been given very vague and small tidbits of info on this posters case.

[DC85 113]

The car insurance thing is almost certainly a technicality that they're just using to justify the Stokes interview on paper.

OP: Use the search function on this page: look up "Stokes interview" in quotes and read everything you can find. Have your husband do the same.

While you are doing that, find a good immigration lawyer with experience in Stokes interview preparation and pay him whatever he wants for several hours of phone training with you and your husband! [immigration law is federal, so don't feel constrained to search locally - you can get an immigration lawyer based anywhere in the country.]

Stokes interviews are serious like a corpse. They only occur when something has gone terribly wrong - the consular officer has an unshakable gut feeling that something is wrong with your case. He wants with all his heart to issue a denial outright but doesn't feel like he has the evidence to make a denial stick. A Stokes interview is a legally-sanctioned fishing expedition to obtain that evidence.

They are designed to be as clinically unambiguous as possible. You and your husband are separated. You are then asked several hundred occasionally very personal questions. As is your husband, separately from you. There is a certain percentage, unknown to us, of answers you must agree on. If your answers disagree on even one answer too many (we do not know what the threshold is), they will deny you, and appealing a failed Stokes interview is almost impossible.

Assume that the consular officers want to deny the visa, have already decided to deny the visa, and are hostile to you from the minute you enter the consulate/embassy.

Lawyer up, now, or start planning to live in your husband's country. If you go into a Stokes interview without several hours of professional preparation, and extensive practice on your own after you will regret it.

disagree with you, the appeal could be granted based on what you can proof, or what u can feed ur case so it looks more legitimate . Coz, the appeal office can override the officer's deicion , and if u have a case at the court obviously the court has the powerful to grant a benfit or strip benfits.but, the problem with the appealing that is time consuming.

sometimes they do Stokes interview on the spot, and A friend of mine had almost three hours interview, but finally he got approved. and I want to bring an issue, I would really recommend you to have a lawyer, for 2 reasons, in case of denial, God forbid, the lawyer will write down all the questions and your answers, so he can prepare for the case in the court. during the interview the lawyer can do Nothing. and you will only have a psychological support , because u will have somebody on your side, so it helps you to stay calm which is very important.

My suggestions:

1- try to be closer to your spouse because this is will help you to know more details about each other.

2- start with your spouse reviewing your whole relation, before you met till this day.

3-be smart and try to open the interviewer's eye about some situations which prove the Bona fide marriage. because then the interviewer will try to compare the details between both of, [ this what helped my friend]

finally, practice + the physical evidence , gather as much as you can, sometime a receipt for something small could approve your case. Just prepare and be confident

----------------------------

Finally I would say this my opinion , and I wish you all the best.

[bigdog 376]

From your answers seems like you need an attorney asap. Normal is to be joined, medical, sss, on all-insurances, bank accounts, social security, costco etc. Get an attorney to get you organized.

[Jamaican Luv 13]

disagree with you, the appeal could be granted based on what you can proof, or what u can feed ur case so it looks more legitimate . Coz, the appeal office can override the officer's deicion , and if u have a case at the court obviously the court has the powerful to grant a benfit or strip benfits.but, the problem with the appealing that is time consuming.

sometimes they do Stokes interview on the spot, and A friend of mine had almost three hours interview, but finally he got approved. and I want to bring an issue, I would really recommend you to have a lawyer, for 2 reasons, in case of denial, God forbid, the lawyer will write down all the questions and your answers, so he can prepare for the case in the court. during the interview the lawyer can do Nothing. and you will only have a psychological support , because u will have somebody on your side, so it helps you to stay calm which is very important.

My suggestions:

1- try to be closer to your spouse because this is will help you to know more details about each other.

2- start with your spouse reviewing your whole relation, before you met till this day.

3-be smart and try to open the interviewer's eye about some situations which prove the Bona fide marriage. because then the interviewer will try to compare the details between both of, [ this what helped my friend]

finally, practice + the physical evidence , gather as much as you can, sometime a receipt for something small could approve your case. Just prepare and be confident

----------------------------

Finally I would say this my opinion , and I wish you all the best.

if they do on the spot stokes interview how are they gonna get the spouse if overseas? (im not the poster, but just wondering)

[Anh map 2,098]

if they do on the spot stokes interview how are they gonna get the spouse if overseas? (im not the poster, but just wondering)

Stokes interview is a planned event.

[DC85 113]

if they do on the spot stokes interview how are they gonna get the spouse if overseas? (im not the poster, but just wondering)

Let me ask you a question how you gonna adjust your status if your spouse is overseas.

[DC85 113]

Stokes interview is a planned event.

Disagree with you [ it varies from local office to another]

let's take a look about what are the possible outcome from the I-485 interview:

1- the officer is convinced that the marriage is bona fide marriage and the approval will be on the spot.

2-the officer is convinced that the marriage is a sham marriage and you will receive the denial letter on the mail.

3- the officer is not sure and he/she can't make a decision in the case or suspicious about the marriage. and here there are different scenarios:

A- the officer could conduct stock interview by separating the couples and dig very deep on their relation until he/she reach a decision.

B- could send you home and transfer the case to other unit, the fraud unit, and they could ask you for a second interview - stock interview. Or , they could come to your house investigate through your work and other stuff, and you will receive your approval letter later on. I have a friend , he had his interview and he didn't receive a decision from the officer. a week later 2 immigration officers went to his wife work, who is the petitioner ,and they asked her supervisor if the husband come usually to her work or if he calls her blah blah . and they asked the supervisor not to inform the wife about their visit. later on, my friend told me around 7 in the morning, his wife was leaving the house to go to work, when 2 immigration officers stopped her and asked her to go back to the house and they asked her about her husband, she told him he is still in bed, she woke him up and they start checking the house and they even checked their laundry to see if their laundry are together which obviously means that they live together, then they left, and after a week he received his approval notice

I believe sometime the process could change from office to office and how the officer look at the case.

[DC85 113]

Because I don't' think there is a law by USCIS it says if your don't do well on the first interview you will have a second one, it's all based on the case, the officer, and your local office.

Just be prepared and find a good lawyer WHO has a good experience with your local office and their officers.

Edited May 1, 2012 by myafi1985

[DC85 113]

I wanted to share this link with you, to have an idea about the stock interview

http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/the-dreaded-separated-marriage-interview-stokes-interviews

[yasjay001 0]

Thank you guys for all your feedback. In fact, our first interview was fine and our lawyer said that is very common with that officer to call people back for a second interview. I gave her a bunch of documents that have both our names like: joint accounts, life insurance, dental insurance, dish bill, internet bill, a receipt of a TV purchase and affidavit of support from some friends. I do not think that the car insurance was the problem. It's just luck. Now, I have this year's tax return, a phone bill that has both names and more letters from friends. I have photo album unfortunately my wife does not like taking pictures but we have pics taken on different occasions. We are preparing for it. Any more advice would be appreciated.

Thank you again

[DC85 113]

since the lawyer is familiar with this officer habit, So, just be prepared and be confident