Anyone got any experience adjusting status through the Philadelphia field office?

[tab0712 141]

2 hours ago, geowrian said:

Not really a "chat", but here was our experience just over a month ago at the office. Note that our case was definitely on the better side of things...some may have it tougher than we did. We frontloaded various forms of marriage evidence with our AOS packet.

 

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We arrived 15 minutes early and went into the interview door. We passed through security first...no metal, no shoes, no watches, etc. allowed on you, but I told them about my opened orange juice in a bag and the officer was fine with it. Just no eating/drinking allowed inside. They also check the appointment notice letter before the metal detectors, so have that ready.

 

Then is the front desk, who verified our appointment and told us to go to the 2nd floor. 1st floors looks to be for InfoPass appointments.

 

Upstairs was just  large waiting room half full of people waiting to be called. There are 4 doors where they call your name...we had a "2" written on our paper by the front desk person, so we sat near door #2. We waited until about ~5-10 min after our appointment time before the IO opened a door and called my wife's name.

 

The IO we had was a very nice woman...maybe 35-45 years old? She said she reviewed out case already and invited us into her office (there's like 6 offices behind each of the 4 doors in the waiting room). She asked us to stand and then we did the oath to tell the truth. Then she asked my wife how we met, which we said online via the OK Cupid website. Then she went over the I-485 to verify her name, address (we moved, so she updated it), # of marriages, where she was born, and a few other items on it. Then she went page by page asking a few of the questions from the I485 (i.e. are you a spy? Have you ever murdered somebody? etc...all directly from the I-485).

 

Then she said that's all she had and asked us if we had any questions before she approves us. I asked about the address in the system to make sure she gets the green card at the new address, which she verified was already updated in her computer system. I also asked if her existing AP was valid to use for a trip next month, and she said that's fine to use even if the I-485 is approved before her return.

 

Overall, we were in and out in like 5 minutes and we were smiling with her and such the whole time. We had a mountain of papers to show (new home's title, trips we made, etc.) but she didn't ask for them and I wasn't going to volunteer them when she said we were approved already. I can take "yes" for an answer. haha My wife was happy but a little annoyed and disappointed since we had so much to show and it wasn't needed.

 

She said the green card should arrive in about 3 weeks. Not sure if that's true, but I wasn't going to say anything. haha

NOTE: It arrived about 2 weeks later.

 

Then we spent the rest of the day seeing Philadelphia (since we live ~2.5h-3h away).

Thank you so much for posting. Were you allowed to take cell phones in? I haven't seen where you can't, but they weren't allowed in the K1 interview, and we are probably taking the train in since I live just outside the city and the train in a couple blocks away. I wouldn't know what to do with a phone if we couldn't. 

[geowrian 22,338]

36 minutes ago, tab0712 said:

Thank you so much for posting. Were you allowed to take cell phones in? I haven't seen where you can't, but they weren't allowed in the K1 interview, and we are probably taking the train in since I live just outside the city and the train in a couple blocks away. I wouldn't know what to do with a phone if we couldn't. 

Yes, we took our cell phones.

Edited December 9, 2018 by geowrian

[tab0712 141]

Interview was on Thursday, and he got notification of green card being produced on Friday....YAY!!!! Here is how it all went.

 

We decided to drive in and there was a spot right out front that had a 2 hour max meter. Paying $2 vs the $20 for the day was a great start. I knew our interview wouldn't last longer, so I wasn't worried about going over. 

The guys at security was very nice and smily, as were the women behind the service desk. We went up to the second floor and sat by door 1. We were about 20 minutes early for our 11:30 time, so we can to decompress and watch others get called, and a few leave. The Immigration officers that came out to get people seemed up beat and greeted us in the waiting room each time too. That helped the nerves as well. 

Our interviewer Stuart was awesome. He was thorough and asked questions based of the I-485, but then through casual conversation he "analyzed" our relationship. We were in there for about an hour, but that's because my husband and the interviewer talked about random things. He ended it with that he can't see why we wound't be approved, and he will put the recommendation for approval. 

When we submitted the AOS back last November, we had just recently moved to the US and I wasn't working, so my dad who was the Co sponsor for the K1 was also the co sponsor for the AOS. I started working in February and have a larger yearly income than my dad, and I filled out the Affidavit of Support and obtained all the supporting documents, BUT he said since my dad was already approved as a co sponsor, he didn't need my stuff. I was a bit surprised by this. I took a butt load of pictures from last November through early this month, but he only took 4. He also took supporting evidence of: our mutual bank account, health insurance he is listed as spouse, Our Philadelphia Zoo renewal membership that lists both our names,  and a letter from my dad that we are living at his home that he owns for as long as needed. When he asked for supporting evidence he said quality over quantity. So definitely keep that in mind. 

 

Good luck to everyone that is going through Philadelphia. I hope you have the experience we had. 

 

 

 

[vaidy88 3]

Finally, On 01FEB2019, my status changed to Interview was scheduled and received the letter today (07FEB2019) for Interview at Philadelphia FO. My interview date is on 13Mar2019. 

Edited February 8, 2019 by vaidy88

[C90 376]

11 hours ago, vaidy88 said:

Finally, On 01FEB2019, my status changed to Interview was scheduled and received the letter today (07FEB2019) for Interview at Philadelphia FO. My interview date is on 13Mar2019. 

Congrats! Can you please fill out your timeline so others get an idea of the estimated wait time (besides the USCIS processing times)

[Tella&T 188]

I also got my interview letter but for  March 14. ( filled out the timeline already)

Wondering about medical though. Do I have to redo it? The one for K1 visa was done in October 2017.

[C90 376]

3 hours ago, Martella&T said:

I also got my interview letter but for  March 14. ( filled out the timeline already)

Wondering about medical though. Do I have to redo it? The one for K1 visa was done in October 2017.

If you did your medical overseas and your DS-3025 (overseas medical vaccination sheet) is marked as complete you don't need a new medical.

 

Some officers may try to RFE you for the fact that it's expired now, but your medical had to be valid at the time of applying for AOS. You could take a print from their website where this is stated https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume8-PartB-Chapter3.html

[Tella&T 188]

7 hours ago, C90 said:

If you did your medical overseas and your DS-3025 (overseas medical vaccination sheet) is marked as complete you don't need a new medical.

 

Some officers may try to RFE you for the fact that it's expired now, but your medical had to be valid at the time of applying for AOS. You could take a print from their website where this is stated https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume8-PartB-Chapter3.html

Thank you so much. That's a great help!

[vaidy88 3]

I have updated my timelines and find below the same. 

 

Regards,

Vaidy

Edited February 9, 2019 by vaidy88
edition