April 2013 Filers

[CarlaDave 27]

Thank you all for your answers about immigration lawyers.

Is there a reason why you want a lawyer? as a matter of fact there is no reason right now, I did all the paperwork, just wanted to get an idea how much they charge, in case something goes wrong

They won't tell you anything that you can't find out on your own here ... Between VJ and this book:

"Fiancé and Marriage Visas: A Couple's Guide to US Immigration"

We have done very well (so far).

[mtkou8c 0]

Mine has been in 'testing and interview' for exactly 3 weeks. I am freaking out a little. I think I'm gonna call today.

Did you call them ? I'll try tomorrow and see how it goes ..not sure if they let me talk to an immigration officer

[discoverusa 258]

Did you call them ? I'll try tomorrow and see how it goes ..not sure if they let me talk to an immigration officer

I did call and was told to wait another week and if nothing comes I am supposed to call them and they will submit a 'service request' (I am guessing it is sort of a reminder to the local office to look at my case).

Also some very nice person (vj member) wrote back to me about wait time in my local office (Hartford, CT). He waited exactly 2 months from 'testing and interview' until interview notice. So I guess it may be a local issue. It just makes me puzzled to see other people get notices even those who sent paperwork before me. Again, it must be a local processing time.

[mtkou8c 0]

They won't tell you anything that you can't find out on your own here ... Between VJ and this book:

"Fiancé and Marriage Visas: A Couple's Guide to US Immigration"

We have done very well (so far).

I was told that the immigration officers respect couples with lawyers more and ask less questions ,and immigration lawyers at certain local office tend to know all the officers there ..so the interview will be a lot easier...but I don't have one and it seems that they charge too much just to be there at the interview

Thank you for the book,I should consider buying it

[CarlaDave 27]

I was told that the immigration officers respect couples with lawyers more and ask less questions ,and immigration lawyers at certain local office tend to know all the officers there ..so the interview will be a lot easier...but I don't have one and it seems that they charge too much just to be there at the interview

Thank you for the book,I should consider buying it

I would call that (lawyer) a very expensive security blanket. I really don't see the necessity unless your case is complicated.

That book was a godsend! It was very easy to understand and follow. It has a whole section dedicated to questions that could be asked during the interview. As we were reading them, we realized that we could answer them in our sleep! lol

OT: We called about Dave's combo card today ... We'll see if there's any movement within the next couple of days.

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[CiaoBella23 0]

Welcome letter arrived today!!!

[CarlaDave 27]

Welcome letter arrived today!!!

That's so awesome!

Hopefully things will go well for Dave & I next month. We will have to meet up & celebrate!

[CiaoBella23 0]

That's so awesome!

Hopefully things will go well for Dave & I next month. We will have to meet up & celebrate!

Definitely! I'm sure your interview is going to go amazing!!

[Bullan 0]

Yeah. They have sent me four emails so far about the EAD. First one on the 5th, the last yesterday with the tracking number.

So what does the tracking number say? How many days til you should have your card?

[Ty Webb 0]

So what does the tracking number say? How many days til you should have your card?

Got the tracking number on Tuesday, it should arrive today.

[woods15 1]

I would call that (lawyer) a very expensive security blanket. I really don't see the necessity unless your case is complicated.

I agree. I think it's only needed in certain complicated cases. I'll be honest, at first I was really wanting to get one...but my husband just kept reassuring me we don't need one and it will be fine. We are really truly married and in love and that will easily be shown when we go for our interview. I think I was more worried about our case since we did AOS from a B-1 visa. Ha ha I have this weird excited yet nervous feeling towards the interview.... I can't wait to go so we can finally be approved and not have to worry about being separated... but WHAT IF something goes wrong. LOL oh my.

Glad to see everyone is getting some information and/or moving forward!

[woods15 1]

I've been reading up on posts to get our paperwork together for our interview. Did you organize your paperwork any specific way?
Did you have to present documents prior to going into the office for your interview? I think it may just be related to K-1 visas but I've read about going to a window..kind of like a "check in" and providing documentation as they ask for them. Did this happen to you?

I'd like to try and have everything organized so I'm not fumbling around!

Congrats on getting your Welcome letter.. must be a great feeling!

So-- now that ive had a few hours to mentally process the days events!!!

Our interview was for 12:35. We got there at 11:20, parked, and went inside. We went through airport-style screening, taking off our shoes, belt, jewelry, etc, then were instructed up to the interview lobby, where we checked in with the guard and left our letter in a black box to be checked in. And then. we waited

The office was quite a bit behind, so imagine our surprise as we got called in around 1 o'clock with a couple that had an appointment time of over an hour earlier than us. Our IO was a kind Mexican/American man, who smiled a lot from the very beginning, and put us right at ease! He took us back to his office, swore us in before we sat down, then asked for all our passports, birth certificates, and licenses (my husband has 4 from all the countries he's lived and worked in in the past year and a half; he wanted all of them!) Then he asked us-- Tell me about how you two fell in love!

We went back and forth recounting the story, pulling out pictures as we did. We had an entire duffel-sized bag of evidence-- the more the better, in my opinion. The IO laughed and joked with us as we told him our story. He wrote down everything we said, and asked for us to repeat all dates. He then asked for photos-- we handed him 5 scrapbooks from our relationship and an entire photo album of photos he could take. He went through every photo and every page of the scrapbooks very thoroughly! This surprised me.

Next he asked for evidence of joint ownership-- we gave him bank statements, credit cards (he actually made a few copies OF our credit cards!), all my pay stubs from the last few months since we filed, updated tax return, plane tickets, wedding cards, honeymoon info, wedding invitations, etc etc etc. his desk was full of scattered papers and documents. He started typing into his computer, and was silent for a few minutes. Then he flipped through my husband's passport page by page, analyzing every page, analyzing the Esta. More typing. He turned back to us and asked us the i-485 "no" questions, plus a few other questions that threw us a little bit off.

After all that, the IO said that based off what he had seen today, he was going to approve us!! And asked us to wait while he printed out our congratulations letter and instructions on how to renew the green card in 2 years. We were just leaving as the IO asked us to come back, and asked us my husband's date of birth. We told him, and he printed us a few other documents that he said will make it easier for us to do the citizenship process in a few years. Then he shook our hands, and escorted us out!!

WHAT A RELIEF to be done with this entire process!!!! My husband is ecstatic to finally be able to get back to work!!!!!

Oh, and as we walked out and went back to the car, where we had left our phones we saw that 10 minutes after we had walked into the building, we had gotten the approval notice for the EAD. Ironic

YAHOO!!!!!

[ImmemorialN 7]

Our interview has been scheduled for July 16th, in Dallas

[CiaoBella23 0]

We brought an expanding accordion file and I organized everything in there... I had a section for documents to present when they asked me "Do you have anything you'd LIKE us to see?" (2012 tax return, pertinent files and forms, hard supporting evidence), a section for originals of all documents originally submitted, another section for all originals of birth certificates, passports, and marriage certificate, a section for wedding cards and postcards to each other and letters from his family, a section for receipts of dates and groceries on both cards, etc.....

It actually helped a lot; when the IO asked us at the beginning of the interview for all identification documentation, I just pulled out everything from the section of birth certificates/marriage certificates/etc and handed it all to him. He appreciated that it was all so organized and quick. Same when he asked me for any evidence I'd like him to see. Same when he asked for any correspondence between ourselves and from our families.

Most everyone else going into the interviews had nothing more than a small manila folder of documents; so I think whatever you have better than that is already awesome.

Oh and re the window; when we checked in to the lobby, the security guard had us put our interview letter into a black box under a window, which the receptionists then take and use to check you in and to gather all your file and what not for the IO. So that's probably what they referred to. However the receptions don't talk to you or ask you for anything; all you do is slip the letter under the window and wait.

I've been reading up on posts to get our paperwork together for our interview. Did you organize your paperwork any specific way?
Did you have to present documents prior to going into the office for your interview? I think it may just be related to K-1 visas but I've read about going to a window..kind of like a "check in" and providing documentation as they ask for them. Did this happen to you?

I'd like to try and have everything organized so I'm not fumbling around!

Congrats on getting your Welcome letter.. must be a great feeling!