Stokes Interview

[Usagi_tsukino 89]

2 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

You don't see the reasons, but they doubt your motives for getting married.  What is clear to you isn't to them. 

No, seriously there is no reason to doubt anything. We are going through this because the officer did not read the case carefully, if you read our noid (link above) you'll see. The officer's arguments are all wrong. Well, except for one - we did not change addresses on w2s, that the only correct argument she made. Everything else is pure disorganization on uscis part, they should pay more attention.

Edited August 24, 2017 by banana_princess

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

We had a stokes at our AOS interview, were separated and asked about 50 or more questions each.
We were asked everything from general questions to very specific questions.

How much money has he send home

Names of siblings
Interaction of me with his family

His and my previous relationships
Why I ended my previous relationship from about 9 years ago

Intimate sexual questions I am not going into here 

Do we attend church
Were he has friends
Trips taken
What was the wedding night like, what did we do 
Who pays when we eat out
What do we have in common
Who handles the finances
Who is more dominant
Why did we engage on the 1. trip
Does he have kids  

We met 2009 online.
We met face to face 2010, engaged.
Filed K1 = 16 months in AP, visa refused, petition returned.
5 trips to visit him.
Second K1 filed,front loaded, #25 pounds of evidence, approved 2014, married.
Filed AOS May 2015, lots of mingled evidence.
Interview Sept 2016, stokes, went well.
Home visit July, 2017, went well  (thread title = Surprise home visit, AOS). Investigators came from TX, our field office backlogged.
Numerous service requests, senator inquiry, Ombudsman throughout the entire journey.
Case sitting on IO's desk waiting for review from home visit according to service request, out of security checks.
Waiting, not risking WOM.
Happy for 8 years, 3rd wedding anniversary soon.

Red flags perhaps  = USC naturalized  / USC had previous K1 and broke off that relationship 9 years ago / trips to Turkey both of us /
                  
In a nut shell, they will ask questions on whatever your red flags are, whatever they do not like, to see if you come up with the same
answers. We had slightly different answers on stuff that didn't matter, on about 2 questions. IO said she will wrap up the case in 2-4
weeks, it turned into a home visit almost a year later still waiting. There was a boat load full of quality evidence from 2009-current
with our K1 and AOS.
 

[Sunnyland 639]

OP, you might want to watch that movie Green Card starring Gerard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell. It shows the case of stokes interview pretty well. They probably suspect that your friend married to stay in US, so he better be prepared for all kinds of questions.

 

2 hours ago, amul said:

From what I have read and heard, a Stokes interview can be brutal, intrusive and almost hostile. 

 

Exactly. Intrusive and hostile like a visit to the gynecologist I'm sure.

[Usagi_tsukino 89]

Our was not brutal, the most intimate question was about scars/tatoos : )  I just thought it was ridiculously dumb  (i mean, did they seriously expect us to get those questions wrong? )

Edited August 25, 2017 by banana_princess

[Auds 223]

With a genuine marriage shouldnt most couples be fine??

 

i would have been excited to give a stokes interview perhaps to show them how much we know each other 🤣

 

Just generally i thought reason for fear is when it's not a genuine marriage. 

[Paatay Khan 16]

13 hours ago, amul said:

From what I have read and heard, a Stokes interview can be brutal, intrusive and almost hostile. 

 

Also, your friend might want to join VJ as well, so that the seasoned VJers can offer the appropriate suggestions "in person". When it comes to immigration woes, especially something like a Stokes interview, the whole Chinese whispers (telephone game) thing can create unnecessary static.

 

Wishing him the best.

Thanks for your response and I'll fwd your message.

13 hours ago, Longingfor said:

The interview will be deeply intrusive and very personal. They will interview your friend and his wife separately so they better have a bonafide marriage. This is done to verify answers. Hope they truly know each other. Your friend should also brace himself for a surprise home visit either before or after the interview.

Yes, I have heard similar esp the home visitation part. Thanks

[Paatay Khan 16]

4 minutes ago, Auds said:

With a genuine marriage shouldnt most couples be fine??

 

i would have been excited to give a stokes interview perhaps to show them how much we know each other 🤣

 

Just generally i thought reason for fear is when it's not a genuine marriage. 

Some people tend to be nervous even when they're doing the right thing, it's human nature. 

[Paatay Khan 16]

10 hours ago, Sunnyland said:

OP, you might want to watch that movie Green Card starring Gerard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell. It shows the case of stokes interview pretty well. They probably suspect that your friend married to stay in US, so he better be prepared for all kinds of questions.

 

Exactly. Intrusive and hostile like a visit to the gynecologist I'm sure.

Righto! Ill suggest that movie to him, thanks!

[Paatay Khan 16]

10 hours ago, Ebunoluwa said:

We had a stokes at our AOS interview, were separated and asked about 50 or more questions each.
We were asked everything from general questions to very specific questions.

How much money has he send home

Names of siblings
Interaction of me with his family

His and my previous relationships
Why I ended my previous relationship from about 9 years ago

Intimate sexual questions I am not going into here 

Do we attend church
Were he has friends
Trips taken
What was the wedding night like, what did we do 
Who pays when we eat out
What do we have in common
Who handles the finances
Who is more dominant
Why did we engage on the 1. trip
Does he have kids  

We met 2009 online.
We met face to face 2010, engaged.
Filed K1 = 16 months in AP, visa refused, petition returned.
5 trips to visit him.
Second K1 filed,front loaded, #25 pounds of evidence, approved 2014, married.
Filed AOS May 2015, lots of mingled evidence.
Interview Sept 2016, stokes, went well.
Home visit July, 2017, went well  (thread title = Surprise home visit, AOS). Investigators came from TX, our field office backlogged.
Numerous service requests, senator inquiry, Ombudsman throughout the entire journey.
Case sitting on IO's desk waiting for review from home visit according to service request, out of security checks.
Waiting, not risking WOM.
Happy for 8 years, 3rd wedding anniversary soon.

Red flags perhaps  = USC naturalized  / USC had previous K1 and broke off that relationship 9 years ago / trips to Turkey both of us /
                  
In a nut shell, they will ask questions on whatever your red flags are, whatever they do not like, to see if you come up with the same
answers. We had slightly different answers on stuff that didn't matter, on about 2 questions. IO said she will wrap up the case in 2-4
weeks, it turned into a home visit almost a year later still waiting. There was a boat load full of quality evidence from 2009-current
with our K1 and AOS.
 

Thanks for giving out the details on your interview. Much appreciated.

[amul 229]

11 hours ago, Sunnyland said:

OP, you might want to watch that movie Green Card starring Gerard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell. It shows the case of stokes interview pretty well. They probably suspect that your friend married to stay in US, so he better be prepared for all kinds of questions.

Yes, it was some movie! Ahh, that scene was something!

 

11 hours ago, Sunnyland said:

 

Exactly. Intrusive and hostile like a visit to the gynecologist I'm sure.

Ummm, errr -- I take the 5th! 

[sparkles_ 456]

Expect your friend to feel violated after it. Ours was one, but then again my husband had to 2 step adjust from removal proceedings so it was expected. They can be shorter, they can be long, they can involve both parties being separated. We had a home visit as well. IO will ask questions and try mind games with you. As in doubling back and saying "but I thought you said X?" Knowing fully well you said Y, they just want you to restate or break and fall apart under pressure if it was a lie. They will use scare tactics like saying "I don't think a part of your petition has been done properly" like they did with us as well, anything to get a reaction. The best thing I could advise is learn stoicism. We stayed stone faced the whole time. 

 

If your friend is ill informed and yet has a lawyer, it might be time for a new lawyer. 

Edited August 25, 2017 by sparkles_

[Usagi_tsukino 89]

3 hours ago, Auds said:

With a genuine marriage shouldnt most couples be fine??

 

i would have been excited to give a stokes interview perhaps to show them how much we know each other 🤣

 

Just generally i thought reason for fear is when it's not a genuine marriage. 

Yeah, I was even disappointed lol i thought it would be tricky but no. But again you know, slightly different choise of words could change things, or you could just forget something. Like I forgot my own job lol. Well thats human's mind. (The officer messed up my A number. So she should understand lol) And also technically there was one more question I thought we answered slightly differently, but when the lawyer showed me the transcript it didn't sound like it - the choice of words did it.

Also I read a story when a couple was asked about what color is their blanket and one said green, another one said brown. Because to one it looked green to the other one it looked brown : )

So I guess people could be nervious. I was just mad at the whole situation.

Edited August 25, 2017 by banana_princess

[caliliving 606]

Geeze tbh a stokes is like the last straw. They are pretty much saying "we don't believe u r a real couple"

Why does the OP have red flags? Age, religion. 

[amul 229]

3 hours ago, Sam Mirza said:

Thanks for your response and I'll fwd your message.

Yes, I have heard similar esp the home visitation part. Thanks

I found this blog post that might help -- I feel that it covers all bases pretty well. http://rjtimmigration.com/lawyer/2012/05/28/Permanent-Residence-or-Green-Cards/So-you’ve-been-scheduled-for-a-Stokes-interview--What-now_bl4235.htm

 

This part especially: "

The problem with the Stokes questions is not that they are difficult, but that they require us to remember details we may deem insignificant and easily forget.  For instance, why do I need to remember the color of the curtains or my spouse’s pajamas?  Well in the Stokes context these minute details make a difference.  Also, again when you’re nervous you tend to forget many things you may know perfectly well otherwise.

 

My third piece of advice is to answer the question asked and think before you speak.  Now that may sound simple or obvious.  However, many people race to answer a question quickly and then say the wrong thing, when had they paused and thought about the question, they would have answered correctly.  Also, be concise with your answers, the officer does not want to know extraneous details about your life in the answer.  It may only cause the officer to delve deeper and create unnecessary confusion.

 

Finally, it may be comforting to know that you do not need to get every single question correct in order to pass your Stokes interview.   As noted above, you will be given the opportunity to clarify discrepancies."

 

I was rear ended and had to take legal action and in the legal proceedings, I had to practice answering only what the attorney would ask, which I realized was harder than expected for me! Everyone is different, but I tend to lalala when I am nervous and give details that are not pertinent, so I really had to reel myself in and stay calm, breath, think and respond and stay concise.

 

Bottomline, the officer will not be asking you anything other than your daily life with your spouse. You are not going to be asked to explain the quantum field theory, so I do not see a reason to "study" anything.

 

Staying calm is the key. Nerves get the best of us and we look nervous when we have no reason to be. I know, we both were so nervous on our interview -- on the surface you could see that we were, but all of our answers were dead on since we lived these facts.

 

My motto is, expect any and all questions, breath, think and answer.