March 2013 Filers

[Blue Bianchi 77]

Congratulations!

Approved on the spot after a 10 minute interview in Jacksonville, Florida today. Details to follow ;-)

[Ebbie 1]

Here's hoping!! I'll keep the filers updated. Thanks Blue!!

I'll keep checking on you Ebbie I hope you continue to update the group. I know the March Filers have been quiet lately. That's how it is, I think. But I consider myself a straggler because my IO took her sweet time to approve my case after the interview. Got a text message today that my card has been mailed. Hope it gets here safely and that there are no typo errors on the card!

[Morningmist 76]

Got Approved by IO on the spot but status hasn't been updated online.

[Morningmist 76]

It was a very confusing interview.

[ddkorestin 10]

Got Approved by IO on the spot but status hasn't been updated online.

hopefully u will get an update very soon if not u might have to wait for few weeks or so

[Morningmist 76]

OK.

[Blue Bianchi 77]

I had to wait 21days before my status was updated. When it gets to 30 days, get an Infopass appointment. Hang in there!

OK.

Why was it confusing? Care to share your interview story?

It was a very confusing interview.

[Morningmist 76]

I had my interview at Atlanta field office around 12:45pm. As the instruction said we arrived just under 30 minutes before. Went to the reception got a token/ticket and went to the second floor and waited. We waited for an hour when the guy from the reception came and said he gave us the wrong ticket. So we went downstairs and got a new one. 5 minutes after we went back up a lady IO came and asked for our ticket number and I gave her my ticket and appointment letter. She said she didn't have our file with her and she needs to get it and read it. 2 minutes later another lady IO with a trainee guy IO comes and she asked for the ticket number we had before. I could see she had our file. So we explained that another lady came and took our new ticket number and appointment letter. 10 minutes later we went inside with the first lady IO. She wasn't unfriendly but she wasn't smiling either. Swore us in and then she said she hasn't read our file so it will take some time. We sat like for 10 minutes awkwardly while she read our file. She then kind of pounced on us about our lease. My apartment management made us sign "electronically" so our lease doesn't have either of ours signature. She wasn't pleased about that. I said " I have mail with me that we both received at the address" and she seemed to cool down then. Then she made my husband verify his information and identity and she made me verify my identity. Asked about my H1B visa and where I was at it. Told her I was still currently with the same company. Then she asked me how I met my husband. Explained that to her. My husband did interject a few times by adding a few details here and there. Then she went through any other extra paperwork we had, including ultrasound pictures of my 5 month old in utero baby. My husband explained to her what was what in the pictures. Then we gave her 22 pictures of us together including wedding pictures. All of which she kept.

Then she said she will let us know of her decision in 2 to 3 weeks. We nodded and I was mentally preparing to leave when she said "well I have made my decision already I will probably approve the case. She then gave us the talk about the GC being conditional and we need to file ROC and that I will qualify for Citizenship after 3 years when I stay married to my husband. Then I asked her what my current status is and if I can continue to work at my company. She said your H1 is void and you will be under permanent residency. How do I tell the folks at work that? She said I could keep my EAD although she should technically take it. And I can use that in the meantime. She took my I-94. And then we left.

But when I came back here and I read the statuses. I realized: She didn't stamp my passport or make me sign anything. Or give me a welcome letter. I gave her my I-94 by asking her if she needed this. She didn't ask for it. She took it saying " yes you probably wont be needing that". And now no status update. So I am definitely confused.

[Morningmist 76]

Oh and she did the I-485 yes and no questions and Asked my husband if I was the only one he sponsored for a GC. He mentioned that he was a third party contact for his ex-wife's dad's I-130 application. This was before she asked me about my H1.

[Morningmist 76]

Blue Bianchi, did you have to make an info pass appointment to find out about your status?

[Morningmist 76]

Blue Bianchi, did you have to make an info pass appointment to find out about your status?

Also, when did you let your company know about your change in status? I read your posts and it seems you are changing from H1B as well. Did you wait for GC to be in hand?

[Blue Bianchi 77]

Hi Morningmist,

I ended up not having to have to make an Infopass appointment, as I got the approval status update 22 days after my interview. I had been planning to make the appointment on day 30.

I could have discontinued my H1B when I got my EAD, but I decided to just wait for the GC because I didn't want to have to update twice. My H1B is still good for a year.

I feel ya. It's very unsettling to not to get updates on your status post-interview when other applicants around you get updates just a couple of hours after their interviews. Take deep breaths and be patient a little longer. Then make that Infopass appointment if you don't hear any news after 30 days.

Keep us in the loop, okay?

Best,

BB

Also, when did you let your company know about your change in status? I read your posts and it seems you are changing from H1B as well. Did you wait for GC to be in hand?

[Morningmist 76]

Thanks! All my stuff got updated last night. *Phew*

[Kpo87 1]

Received my "Welcome to the United States of America" letter today :-)))

So here is our story.....

Our interview in Jacksonville, Fl was at 2pm on monday 29th July 2013, we arrived at the building at 1.30pm and went through airport style security. Security officers very friendly and chatty. We sat in the waiting room for around 30 minutes when my name was called by a female IO. She swore us in before we sat down. She asked us questions from our application form, more so to confirm the answers. She then asked us to tell her a little bit about ourselves, like how we met. She seemed very interested in what we had to say, and the interview felt more like a friendly conversation. She was happy with all the evidence we had submitted with the application, particularly our names on our house and utility bills. I had a big binder and folder, both full, with me but she did not ask to see any more evidence/documents. She asked us if I had met my husbands family, and if he had met my family, and then asked me to pick a few photos out of the 90 I had brought in an album, as she simply cant accept the whole thing. To which I picked out photos of us with my family and with his family in a variety of situations, holidays together, bridal shower, July 4th etc. She seemed very happy with that, so began to say when I get my Green Card I'd need to remove the conditions in 2 years etc, and asked us to sign a form, to which we got a copy. At this point she hadn't said the words "you are approved", so I asked her, and she said "yes, you are approved" and smiled. Although she wouldn't have needed to say those words for us to know that we were, as the interview seemed to go great from start to finish. But it is still nice to hear those words, even just for reassurance :-). She then said that's all she needed, and we all stood up and we shook her hand and thanked her The whole interview seemed to last about 10 minutes.

During the interview we wouldn't have thought this, however, in hindsight we very much feel that our approval was already decided before we even walked through the door, and that the interview, for us, was a formality. I'm not suggesting that this is the case for everyone, as already proven, each case is very unique. This is our personal experience and we couldn't be more happy with how it went. It is such a huge relief, and weight off the shoulders.

I hope that sharing our experience will help many of you. I certainly know that for me, I enjoyed reading everyone's interview experiences. It really prepared me. My motto has been "fail to prepare, prepare to fail". We took everything we could think of, with us, "just in case", if we felt it had any relevance. In the end she didn't need to look at any of it. However, If we didn't have it with us, even for our own peace of mind, it could have been a different story.

Now we can finally start living a "normal" (whatever that is ;-) ) life together. I even have a job interview lined up for tomorrow. This has been quite a week!! I, of course will still be checking in here to see how everyone is coming along, and will be more than happy to answer any questions if you feel it might help your case.

[Blue Bianchi 77]

Thanks for sharing this!

Received my "Welcome to the United States of America" letter today :-)))

So here is our story.....

Our interview in Jacksonville, Fl was at 2pm on monday 29th July 2013, we arrived at the building at 1.30pm and went through airport style security. Security officers very friendly and chatty. We sat in the waiting room for around 30 minutes when my name was called by a female IO. She swore us in before we sat down. She asked us questions from our application form, more so to confirm the answers. She then asked us to tell her a little bit about ourselves, like how we met. She seemed very interested in what we had to say, and the interview felt more like a friendly conversation. ....