That was a long interview! No verdict and very nervous.

[FOSSLGRL 63]

Today I (we) had the K1 AOS interview.

 

It was surprisingly long, compared to what others have stated their interview times (between 10-30 minutes).

 

The interview was around 45 minutes and then we were each questioned separately for 20. My case is now pending further review and I will get a decision in the mail within 30-45 days.

 

I did not think there were any flags or anything too unusual... although I would say around half of the questions/time was spent clarifying where we lived and for how long. I answered the same questions several times both with my husband and when I was alone. We have moved a few times since I entered on my K1, not for any suspicious reasons, and I have always updated my address with USCIS when we moved. But if I knew it was going to be such an issue I honestly would have just stayed put until this was over.

 

We have been straight forward and honest about everything from the very beginning. I had a text book of documents but she didn't take anything other than our wedding photo's, bank account, lease, and our latest tax return.

 

I am very concerned that for some reason they will not approve us. My life will literally be in pieces if this happens. I don't think I can stomach the stress of going back to Canada and then trying to have my husband immigrate up there with me. And what's he supposed to do, abandon his kids? It won't be good for anybody.

Edited December 19, 2018 by FOSSLGRL

[Redheadguy03 505]

No immediate answer? The thing about the kids is sad, but unfortunately isn't of concern to immigration. They have to follow the rules. He can stay in the USA and raise his kids it's not what you want, but again it's not immigrations problem. If you have to move to Canada with your husband so be it, immigration is a privilege not a right. 

 

That being said don't sweat it until you have the actual results. 

Edited December 19, 2018 by Redheadguy03

[Villanelle 4,122]

If thats you guys in your profile picture- omg you guys are so cute!! You look about the same age and if you say there are no real flags then you really shouldnt worry. USCIS does do 'quality control' interviews for well...quality control. If for some crazy reason you are denied you can appeal or re-file. You would get a NOID (notice of intent to deny) first where they would have to list out in painstaking detail what the problems are and you can re-butte them. If then denied you can appeal or refile, dont just leave the country. Im sure you are not going to be going anywhere though. Moving around is not a reason for denial. 

[FOSSLGRL 63]

Thanks guys. I guess I was just needing some support. I'm just tired and was hoping to have a decision today.

 

Also we were supposed to travel to Canada to see my family, who I haven't seen in over a year, for Christmas.

 

I am concerned that while I am in Canada, the application will be denied and it will prevent them from letting me back into the US with my AP. Since my parents happen to be US (dual) citizens and live in the US, I will have nowhere in Canada to go. I'd be stuck up there without my belongings, my cat, no home, job, or any means to start over.

 

To add to the stress, somebody attempted to burglarize our house while we were out of town last night for the interview. Now my husband doesn't even want to go on our trip, he said I should go alone.

 

I know that has nothing to do with my case, but it's creating a lot of negative energy on a day that I was anticipating a celebration.

 

Anyways I may just cancel the trip to be safe. That's if I don't get a verdict before we are scheduled to leave.

 

Hopefully I get good news though, and I can write off this post as being a "drama queen".

 

 

[TBoneTX 45,309]

Keep the faith.

-----------------------------------

Thread is shifted from the "AOS from K Visas" main forum to the Case Progress subforum.

[carmel34 3,633]

If you are concerned, then change your plans and go visit your parents for Christmas instead, since they live in the US.  I assume when you say "visit family in Canada," that you are referring to siblings or extended family?  Canada is really cold this time of year anyway.  I would wait until you complete the AOS process, go see your parents for Christmas, and then go visit Canada to see your family in the summer when it is warmer.  I was raised in Canada and I only go visit between July 15 and August 15.  The rest of the year it could be snowing or cold.  The most important person to be with anyway is your husband, and it is so awesome that you are together now.  Many of us are still waiting for that happy day.  Happy holidays and good luck with this crazy process!  

[NancyNguyen 1,657]

I would not stress at all but I am surprised they did the Stokes interview on you guys, AOS from K1. Keep the faith and never give up. 

[FOSSLGRL 63]

23 hours ago, carmel34 said:

If you are concerned, then change your plans and go visit your parents for Christmas instead, since they live in the US.  I assume when you say "visit family in Canada," that you are referring to siblings or extended family?  Canada is really cold this time of year anyway.  I would wait until you complete the AOS process, go see your parents for Christmas, and then go visit Canada to see your family in the summer when it is warmer.  I was raised in Canada and I only go visit between July 15 and August 15.  The rest of the year it could be snowing or cold.  The most important person to be with anyway is your husband, and it is so awesome that you are together now.  Many of us are still waiting for that happy day.  Happy holidays and good luck with this crazy process!  

Sorry, it's confusing. My parents do live in the US but they are in Canada now for the World Junior hockey games. They bought season tickets for all of us to attend all the games together. My brothers are already there too. They are just waiting for me and my husband to arrive.

 

I haven't seen my parents in over a year, despite being in the US, due to them being across the country and conflicting schedules.

 

So this was the big reunion/get together that we had all been waiting for. Since I only have to pay for a boat ride essentially, it was something that I can easily afford.

 

Also, the climate on Vancouver Island is no different than where we are living in Seattle now. Though I appreciate the consideration. At this point I don't care about the weather though, I am dying to see my family again and haven't seen my brothers in forever. We had a falling out when I left Canada to be with my husband and now we are getting along again. My cancelling this trip will likely cause a huge rift in the family. And I certainly won't be welcome to stay with either of my brothers if my AP happens to get cancelled while I am up there. They think I've been reckless and irresponsible by doing this immigration thing and they will feel justified if I get screwed over on account of it.

 

Thank you for your well wishes. I am definitely thankful to be with my husband. It could be much worse. I will certainly visit my parents when I am able or they can visit us now because we finally have our own house again after getting out of a toxic living situation a few months ago.

[FOSSLGRL 63]

56 minutes ago, NancyNguyen said:

I would not stress at all but I am surprised they did the Stokes interview on you guys, AOS from K1. Keep the faith and never give up. 

Thanks.

My husband and I have discussed this at great lengths and there are a couple of reasons why I suspect we are getting extra scrutiny. One major reason is that we lived in the very same house that him and his ex wife lived in back when they were together. Also we have no children of our own yet.

 

If they deny us based on "fraud" it would be a cruel joke. Also I have a lot more evidence to prove we live together and was surprised she didn't ask to see it. She only wanted "4 things".

 

I would at least hope for an RFE at this point.

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2018 by FOSSLGRL

[Boiler 45,525]

Neither thing you mentioned sounds a likely issue.

[Redheadguy03 505]

It's definitely good to have your husband with you. Get a good security system or a guard dog! You said attempted burglary, so I'm guessing they didn't succeed? That's a good thing! 

[moosy 139]

22 hours ago, FOSSLGRL said:

Thanks.

My husband and I have discussed this at great lengths and there are a couple of reasons why I suspect we are getting extra scrutiny. One major reason is that we lived in the very same house that him and his ex wife lived in back when they were together. Also we have no children of our own yet.

 

If they deny us based on "fraud" it would be a cruel joke. Also I have a lot more evidence to prove we live together and was surprised she didn't ask to see it. She only wanted "4 things".

 

I would at least hope for an RFE at this point.

 

 

 

My husband and I are currently living in a rental house that he also lived in with his wife about 8 years ago now. They did not ask anything about this (but it is not like she was still there while I lived here or dated him, as that would be a no no for me personally, although in reality, I am sure that happens plenty with separated couples where the ex-partner does not have an immediate other place to live).

 

We also do not have children of our own, nor will we ever. We did not have a big wedding party nor will we ever have one. That last part was mentioned when they asked how the wedding was (it was just us two in a court where there were maybe 50 other couples at the same time).

None of those things even made the officer look at us like "huh?"

 

We are very untraditional when it comes to US traditions, and I explained that I had not yet switched all the bank accounts to joint, as in the culture I am from, it is encouraged to have both a joint account and separate accounts as well. The officer just said "that's just good sense", so he was fine with that as well.

 

When we explained our marriage proposal was actually a mutual decision he did not bat an eye.

 

When I simply explained that the first time we met it was because I was "quite nearby anyway" as a visiting scholar about a two hour flight away and I felt like I owed it to myself to check it out to make sure we actually had chemistry in person, the officer did not look weirdly at all, either. Our coming together was all quite rational and slow.

 

None of what you said sounds like a red flag.

 

(We got approved on the spot; it still took over two weeks for our greencard to arrive)

 

I am actually assuming that they were doing a bigger interview because they just sometimes do this at random. Quality control like any other business. Perhaps they were wondering why you did not go through your parents' route instead as you mentioned they are both US citizens. I don't know.

But I would not worry too much about this. You will know more in a week or so, as either the old or new website will change. In my case, the old one changed first, then the new website changed on a Saturday night (it sent an email) a week later.

 

It does suck that you will likely not have your christmas together thing (no way are they working next monday) if it does not come through today and you are still able to get your stamp in person. But on the other hand, you knew this would be a possibility with the interview so close.

I also did not make plans to see my parents or family or friends. It has been over two years now that I have seen them, and the first trip will be end of April.

You can do this.

 

 

Edited December 21, 2018 by moosy

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

I am 100% sure that USCIS will approve your case. There are ZERO red flags here. ZERO. You really need to take a deep breath. While you were interviewed at different times, that was not a STOKES interview. They just interviewed one at a time. That's it.

 

The only thing that I can think of is that MAYBE they are making sure that your husband is current on all his child support. Another thing that comes to mind is that most major field offices have hired and trained new officers. Most new officers have to have all their decisions vetted. The officer maybe did not want to share "Hey, I am a nobody. So I have to get this checked"

 

As someone who went through HELL through my own AOS process 22 years ago with minimal evidence BUT had a true marriage, I can tell you that you are fine. We had a Stokes interview for AOS, then a NOID, then another Stokes interview for the I-751 and ANOTHER NOID; the whole nine yards. 

 

There are so many steps they have to take to deny you, and each step provides you with ample opportunity to overload your case with even MORE evidence of bona fide marriage.

 

You did everything right. You came here on K-1, followed the rules and you're CANADIAN. Probably all those address changes are throwing them off. They have to justify their decisions. I would just be patient. 

 

Are you sure that you are not a US citizen already? Is it possible that you derived US citizenship from your parents when they naturalized?

 

If this goes on for too long, say 3 to 4 weeks, then I would reach out to your US Senator(s), and have them shake the tree. Do not be shy to reach out to them. They are very helpful.

 

All the best! Go see your folks and enjoy yourself! You have a true marriage. So really, just enjoy the holidays. You are fine.

 

USC4SPOUSE

Edited December 21, 2018 by USC4SPOUSE

[FOSSLGRL 63]

On 12/20/2018 at 2:07 PM, Redheadguy03 said:

It's definitely good to have your husband with you. Get a good security system or a guard dog! You said attempted burglary, so I'm guessing they didn't succeed? That's a good thing! 

 

Unfortunately our landlord won't let us get a dog but we are currently looking into security systems. Luckily since I don't work at the moment I am home all day anyways. Only gone for 10 min to take my husband to and from work. Currently not leaving the house otherwise until my husband gets his weekend.

 

We were left with a broken window. I can tell that they smashed the window with the end of a crowbar and then tried to use the curved end to pull the window open.

 

The cops treated me like I am some crazy who must have done the damage myself which was disappointing. There is a lot of petty crime in the area, it's not the best part of town...  I guess they just didn't feel like filling out a report or they are trying to keep the crime rate statistics down.

[FOSSLGRL 63]

On 12/21/2018 at 9:06 AM, moosy said:

My husband and I are currently living in a rental house that he also lived in with his wife about 8 years ago now. They did not ask anything about this (but it is not like she was still there while I lived here or dated him, as that would be a no no for me personally, although in reality, I am sure that happens plenty with separated couples where the ex-partner does not have an immediate other place to live).

 

We also do not have children of our own, nor will we ever. We did not have a big wedding party nor will we ever have one. That last part was mentioned when they asked how the wedding was (it was just us two in a court where there were maybe 50 other couples at the same time).

None of those things even made the officer look at us like "huh?"

 

We are very untraditional when it comes to US traditions, and I explained that I had not yet switched all the bank accounts to joint, as in the culture I am from, it is encouraged to have both a joint account and separate accounts as well. The officer just said "that's just good sense", so he was fine with that as well.

 

When we explained our marriage proposal was actually a mutual decision he did not bat an eye.

 

When I simply explained that the first time we met it was because I was "quite nearby anyway" as a visiting scholar about a two hour flight away and I felt like I owed it to myself to check it out to make sure we actually had chemistry in person, the officer did not look weirdly at all, either. Our coming together was all quite rational and slow.

 

None of what you said sounds like a red flag.

 

(We got approved on the spot; it still took over two weeks for our greencard to arrive)

 

I am actually assuming that they were doing a bigger interview because they just sometimes do this at random. Quality control like any other business. Perhaps they were wondering why you did not go through your parents' route instead as you mentioned they are both US citizens. I don't know.

But I would not worry too much about this. You will know more in a week or so, as either the old or new website will change. In my case, the old one changed first, then the new website changed on a Saturday night (it sent an email) a week later.

 

It does suck that you will likely not have your christmas together thing (no way are they working next monday) if it does not come through today and you are still able to get your stamp in person. But on the other hand, you knew this would be a possibility with the interview so close.

I also did not make plans to see my parents or family or friends. It has been over two years now that I have seen them, and the first trip will be end of April.

You can do this.

 

 

 

Thank you. I guess it's just that he and his wife both moved out of the house years ago and then he and I went back to the same house later in life. I have to say the circumstances do sound sketchy especially that my husband had no income while we were there (his business partner made off with the profits and then stole from us).

 

The full story sounds too insane to be real lol but it's completely true. His (now ex) business partner hates me though since I caught him and I wouldn't be surprised if he is interfering with our case.

 

Neither me or my husband have ever lived life the "traditional" by the book way. He and his ex wife also do not have any formal arrangement for child support and custody which our interviewer seemed very confused by.

 

Our type just isn't court/government interference kind of people, we are weird, and also value our privacy and freedom tremendously.

 

I have a feeling the USCIS thinks my husband and his ex-wife are still together. The man she left him for refuses to marry her and I have no doubt her information is still registered at our old address, even though she refuses to step foot there and would never allow the children to visit that property when we were there.

 

I wish they conducted home visits because that would put an end to any suspicions they may have.

Edited December 22, 2018 by FOSSLGRL