Marriage based AOS Interview Experience - VWP

[BritGirl88 43]

Hi All,

 

I just wanted to share my AOS Interview experience. I hope this helps someone as I remember how nervous I was before my interview and reading experiences really helped.

 

Background: I arrived through VWP from UK. Husband is a US born Citizen. Filed for AOS in Dec 2016. Received EAD & AP in March 2017. AOS Interview in May 2017. AOS approved on the same day.

 

My appointment was at 8.30 and we arrived about 15 minutes early, checked in at reception and then waited in the waiting room to be called. We were called in exactly on time and led to our IO's office. 

 

Documents we brought with us:

- My EAD card

- My SSN

- Both our passports

- Certified copies of both our birth certificates

- Certified copy of marriage license 

- Joint tax returns

- Joint bank account statements (we brought 4 months worth but he only kept one)

- Medical Insurance cards (I am beneficiary on Husband's policy)

- Car insurance insurance policy (both our names on policy)

- Joint apartment lease

- Scans of our credit cards (I am an authorized user and so the numbers are the same)

- Scans of our drivers licenses (showing same address)

- Flight confirmation emails of trips we took together after marriage

- Cards that were sent to us after marriage and wedding cards

- Photos (dating life, wedding, after marriage including pics w/ friends and family)

 

Once we entered the office, we were sworn in and then took our seats. Our IO asked for my husbands proof of citizenship (we provided his birth certificate and passport) and my passport and birth certificate also. He tapped away at his computer for a while and readjusted the papers on the table without saying much. He asked for my SSN and then explained how the interview would be conducted. The first part would be focused on the legitimacy of our marriage and then the second part would be to see if I was eligible (criminal history etc etc).

He asked us our full names and addresses and then asked how we met, asked me if I have met my in-laws and what their names were and what my husbands DOB (date of birth) was. He then asked my husband what my DOB was and what our date of marriage was (he made a joke about how he always asks the husbands that question to see if they answer correctly and if they don't, he likes to see the look on the wife's face and the interaction between them after that lol).

He then asked me what documents I had to prove the legitimacy of our marriage and I showed him what I had. He took copies of the lease, medical insurance cards, car insurance policy, 1 month bank statement, the scans of our licenses and credit cards and told me to pick out some photos for him to put in the file. Lastly, he asked about our engagement and who proposed marriage and if we can tell him how it happened. I told him and he then joked about how romantic it was and that  he might cry lol. That concluded that part of the interview.

 

The second part was just  him just asking yes/no questions from the I-485 form and that was it.

He explained the conditional GC to us (because we have been married less than 2 years) and how to remove the conditions after 2 years (less 90 days) and then said we make a beautiful couple and he wishes us all the best. He told me he had recommended me for approval and that I should receive my GC within 3 weeks. I checked the website at about noon that day and it had been updated to say my AOS had been approved and my GC was being produced.

 

The whole thing was about 30 mins and most of that time was just him typing on the computer and adding things to the file.

 

I read a lot about people being really nervous about questions on whether you intended to stay in the US at the time of entry on a VWP and how to prove you didn't have intent. None of those questions were asked at all. He was concerned about the legitimacy of our marriage and nothing else.

 

Hope this was helpful.

 

Questions welcome

[blk 87]

1 hour ago, BritGirl88 said:

Hi All,

 

I just wanted to share my AOS Interview experience. I hope this helps someone as I remember how nervous I was before my interview and reading experiences really helped.

 

Background: I arrived through VWP from UK. Husband is a US born Citizen. Filed for AOS in Dec 2016. Received EAD & AP in March 2017. AOS Interview in May 2017. AOS approved on the same day.

 

My appointment was at 8.30 and we arrived about 15 minutes early, checked in at reception and then waited in the waiting room to be called. We were called in exactly on time and led to our IO's office. 

 

Documents we brought with us:

- My EAD card

- My SSN

- Both our passports

- Certified copies of both our birth certificates

- Certified copy of marriage license 

- Joint tax returns

- Joint bank account statements (we brought 4 months worth but he only kept one)

- Medical Insurance cards (I am beneficiary on Husband's policy)

- Car insurance insurance policy (both our names on policy)

- Joint apartment lease

- Scans of our credit cards (I am an authorized user and so the numbers are the same)

- Scans of our drivers licenses (showing same address)

- Flight confirmation emails of trips we took together after marriage

- Cards that were sent to us after marriage and wedding cards

- Photos (dating life, wedding, after marriage including pics w/ friends and family)

 

Once we entered the office, we were sworn in and then took our seats. Our IO asked for my husbands proof of citizenship (we provided his birth certificate and passport) and my passport and birth certificate also. He tapped away at his computer for a while and readjusted the papers on the table without saying much. He asked for my SSN and then explained how the interview would be conducted. The first part would be focused on the legitimacy of our marriage and then the second part would be to see if I was eligible (criminal history etc etc).

He asked us our full names and addresses and then asked how we met, asked me if I have met my in-laws and what their names were and what my husbands DOB (date of birth) was. He then asked my husband what my DOB was and what our date of marriage was (he made a joke about how he always asks the husbands that question to see if they answer correctly and if they don't, he likes to see the look on the wife's face and the interaction between them after that lol).

He then asked me what documents I had to prove the legitimacy of our marriage and I showed him what I had. He took copies of the lease, medical insurance cards, car insurance policy, 1 month bank statement, the scans of our licenses and credit cards and told me to pick out some photos for him to put in the file. Lastly, he asked about our engagement and who proposed marriage and if we can tell him how it happened. I told him and he then joked about how romantic it was and that  he might cry lol. That concluded that part of the interview.

 

The second part was just  him just asking yes/no questions from the I-485 form and that was it.

He explained the conditional GC to us (because we have been married less than 2 years) and how to remove the conditions after 2 years (less 90 days) and then said we make a beautiful couple and he wishes us all the best. He told me he had recommended me for approval and that I should receive my GC within 3 weeks. I checked the website at about noon that day and it had been updated to say my AOS had been approved and my GC was being produced.

 

The whole thing was about 30 mins and most of that time was just him typing on the computer and adding things to the file.

 

I read a lot about people being really nervous about questions on whether you intended to stay in the US at the time of entry on a VWP and how to prove you didn't have intent. None of those questions were asked at all. He was concerned about the legitimacy of our marriage and nothing else.

 

Hope this was helpful.

 

Questions welcome

 

Hi

Congrats to you both, when we went for my AOS just over three years ago, the immigration officer had a very relaxed manor & most of the time he was talking to my wife about the different US Army postings as my wife's dad was in the Army.

It didn't feel like an interview more like a little chat lol. 

 

Brian

[BritGirl88 43]

12 minutes ago, blk said:

 

Hi

Congrats to you both, when we went for my AOS just over three years ago, the immigration officer had a very relaxed manor & most of the time he was talking to my wife about the different US Army postings as my wife's dad was in the Army.

It didn't feel like an interview more like a little chat lol. 

 

Brian

Thanks so much!! It was the same with us. It was really like a chat, we felt so at ease. Most of the time the IO was talking to my husband about sports and how cold it was living up north. Pleasant experience.

[Dashinka 24,512]

Congrats!  And thanks for the review of the experience.  These are always helpful to those preparing for an interview.

Edited May 20, 2017 by Bill & Katya

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

***** Moving from AOS from Family Visa to AOS from Tourist Visa forum *****

[Xomxot 1]

Congrats, I wish I knew that long time ago.