Sanity check before interview

[zeveljones 3]

Hi. My wife (applicant) and I (USC) will be attending our interview tomorrow afternoon. If you don't mind going over our list of things we'll be bringing with us. If any of you would be kind enough to take the time and go over these and let us know if we're missing something - we'd really appreciate it.

We are bringing:

• Interview Appointment Letter
  
• Copy of the complete I-130 + I-485 package as was sent
  
• Copies of my last four paychecks just to show that I am still working at the same job, same terms, etc.
  
• Wife's EAD card
  
• Wife's foreign passport with student visa, entry stamp and I-94 stub
  
• Wife's I-20 (original + copy)
  
• My US passport
  
• Copy of wife's birth certificate (original is overseas packed in boxes due to parent's renovation, therefore unavailable)
  
• My birth certificate (original + copy)
  
• Our marriage certificate with my translation and declaration that translation is accurate (original + copy)
  
• Letter from bank certifying that we have a joint account since 2007
  
• Bank documents in English showing our joint account balance
  
• Documents from my employer and health insurance company showing that my wife is also covered in my health+dental insurance plan
  
• Photo album showing our life together for the past 9 or 10 years and wedding
  
• A couple of print-outs of emails that I sent to friends back in 2007 telling of our marriage
  
• Wife's social security document
  
• Wife's New York State non-Driver ID (it's a temporary document, she recently got it and the actual card hasn't arrived yet by post)
  
• Copy of our current sublet agreement in New York (it's only a copy, because we seem to not have the original, it is very informal anyhow)
  

The few issues that concern us slightly are:

1. we don't have my wife's original birth certificate, only a copy

2. we don't have original sublet agreement, only a copy

3. we don't wear wedding rings

4. we don't have a joint bank account in the US (HSBC bank doesn't allow that before she gets the greencard)

We were wondering if it's advisable to get a letter from someone who knows us for several years and attended our wedding - a mutual friend - stating that he/she knows us and can vouch that we are married and have been living together as a married couple throughout the years.

We look forward to any advice and tips! Thanks!!

[Gandolftheyellow 0]

Hi. My wife (applicant) and I (USC) will be attending our interview tomorrow afternoon. If you don't mind going over our list of things we'll be bringing with us. If any of you would be kind enough to take the time and go over these and let us know if we're missing something - we'd really appreciate it.

We are bringing:

• Interview Appointment Letter
  
• Copy of the complete I-130 + I-485 package as was sent
  
• Copies of my last four paychecks just to show that I am still working at the same job, same terms, etc.
  
• Wife's EAD card
  
• Wife's foreign passport with student visa, entry stamp and I-94 stub
  
• Wife's I-20 (original + copy)
  
• My US passport
  
• Copy of wife's birth certificate (original is overseas packed in boxes due to parent's renovation, therefore unavailable)
  
• My birth certificate (original + copy)
  
• Our marriage certificate with my translation and declaration that translation is accurate (original + copy)
  
• Letter from bank certifying that we have a joint account since 2007
  
• Bank documents in English showing our joint account balance
  
• Documents from my employer and health insurance company showing that my wife is also covered in my health+dental insurance plan
  
• Photo album showing our life together for the past 9 or 10 years and wedding
  
• A couple of print-outs of emails that I sent to friends back in 2007 telling of our marriage
  
• Wife's social security document
  
• Wife's New York State non-Driver ID (it's a temporary document, she recently got it and the actual card hasn't arrived yet by post)
  
• Copy of our current sublet agreement in New York (it's only a copy, because we seem to not have the original, it is very informal anyhow)
  

The few issues that concern us slightly are:

1. we don't have my wife's original birth certificate, only a copy

2. we don't have original sublet agreement, only a copy

3. we don't wear wedding rings

4. we don't have a joint bank account in the US (HSBC bank doesn't allow that before she gets the greencard)

We were wondering if it's advisable to get a letter from someone who knows us for several years and attended our wedding - a mutual friend - stating that he/she knows us and can vouch that we are married and have been living together as a married couple throughout the years.

We look forward to any advice and tips! Thanks!!

As I see it-not having your wife's original birth certificate might prove to be the only stumbling block if they really do want to see it. This stems from experience on the forums of IO's usually asking for it and it being mentioned in the interview letters we receive, in the list of documents we are to produce in the original. However, you can try explaining the situation to the IO and perhaps they may understand. As a downside, they may say that the I-485 will remain pending till you send the original to them. But then, that's a HUGE worst case scenario. You have an interview tomorrow, so stay positive and with regards to the other 3 points-I think you should just explain it to them as honestly as you can. They may prove to be difficult at times, but I'd reckon that the USCIS officers who interview us are trained and know best what to look for.

All the best, and get a good night's sleep!

P.S: Me and my wife don't have a joint bank account and I'm not too worried about it because banks here don't start an account unless you get complete legalization done, and I think the USCIS knows this.

[zeveljones 3]

thanks for your reply Gandolftheyellow!

if the fact that we don't have the original birth certificate for my wife will only delay the process until we show them the original - we'll definitely live with that. she has her work permit - so really no serious harm done. we're just scared of the USCIS denying the application which would completely ruin us, since we've already made some long term plans here in the US and my wife was just offered a teaching job for Fall semester of 2013! We've come across some posts online from couples who seemed to be genuinly married, but were denied none-the-less and the applicant was forced to leave the country... that sort of freaked us out.

anyway, thanks for your positive words. i'll post back tomorrow after the interview to let you know how it went.

[AnotherLostSoul 167]

Hey! I think you'll be fine! All the best, I'll cross my fingers and toes for you guys! Let us know how was your interview!

[MrsB2012 10]

thanks for your reply Gandolftheyellow!

if the fact that we don't have the original birth certificate for my wife will only delay the process until we show them the original - we'll definitely live with that. she has her work permit - so really no serious harm done. we're just scared of the USCIS denying the application which would completely ruin us, since we've already made some long term plans here in the US and my wife was just offered a teaching job for Fall semester of 2013! We've come across some posts online from couples who seemed to be genuinly married, but were denied none-the-less and the applicant was forced to leave the country... that sort of freaked us out.

anyway, thanks for your positive words. i'll post back tomorrow after the interview to let you know how it went.

How did your interview go?

[zeveljones 3]

hi. passed the interview. temp greencard stamped in passport. actual greencard should arrive in about two weeks via post

it went much differently than i had expected. the officer was kind of tough and impatient. she kept taking papers out of our case file, removing them from the two-hole punch binder and asking "why do i need this?, why do i need this?", while waving the papers in her hand. all the papers she was indicating were necessary. Some, for example, were translations of documents that were not in English. I tried to explain, but she just went on to another issue and once again started asking why do i need this? then she got to the part about my wife's fine for fare evasion at the nyc subway system. she asked to see the original fine slip. we only had a copy (didn't occur to me to bring the original). she insisted on seeing the original and said that she'll have to ask her supervisor. we said we have it and could bring it any day, even within an hour. she kept saying we only have one chance. i guess it's a lucky thing she didn't ask to see our birth certificates - since my wife's was only a copy (we were unable to obtain the original for the interview).

strangely, she barely asked us any questions about our marriage and so on. she only asked my wife a few very standard questions. the only thing she asked about our past was how did we meet. she asked to see photos of our wedding and life together and then told us to wait outside while she asks her supervisor about the fare evasion slip. the whole interview was probably less than 20 minutes.

so we waited in the waiting lounge for about ten minutes (or maybe it was much less, just seemed like forever) she came out with an uncharacteristic friendly smile and said its okay, congratulations, your passport was stamped, the greencard will come in the mail, good for one year, can apply for citizenship in 33 months, welcome.

thanks for all your help and support visajourniers!!!