AOS interview next week- concerns :( Help needed

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

1 hour ago, Timona said:

 

 Why don't you just became a therapist/ counselor? You always calm peoples nerves and have so much patience in explanations.

Haha, you're too kind! I try!  

[Timona 4,208]

6 minutes ago, USC4SPOUSE said:

Haha, you're too kind! I try!  

 

Make it a side hustle. You may as well be sitting on a talent. 

I have no patience anymore. Being a TA during my school days might have ruined me. I explain 3 different ways in an aim to understand. Beyond that, I become murm.

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

4 hours ago, donna777 said:

Thank you again for your detailed reply! and for reading that huge essay. 

Ok so when we filed he literally sent off the absolute basics, birth certs, marriage certs, death certs, my husbands credentials etc. Total basics. I asked when we would provide all of the bonafides etc, and he said no no we prepare a package to give them on your day of interview. I remember being very stressed out about this with my husband and saying that I really wanted to send as much information as we have available to them anyway. I couldnt understand how an officer could decide in 30 minutes glancing over information he'd never seen before. So I prepared everything because I was going to insist that the lawyer send some evidence of our being a family etc. My husband and I kept arguing and my husband kept saying he's a lawyer! he's been doing it for 28 years he must know what he's talking about. (My husband doesnt say those things about him anymore). So in the end I said ok fine, and none of our bonafides were sent. Now my lawyer wants all of our bonafides (originals) dropped off to him...because his office is still closed due to Covid and we havent been able to meet with him in person during this whole time. I'm not comfortable with anything that he is going to do, so I'm making copies of absolutely everything before I hand anything over.

 

Thank you very much I'm going to double check the forms etc again and just try to do what we can and hope for the absolute best.

@donna777 great advice and assessment from @Nitas_man. 

They did not check our keys or anything like that but our Field Office typically interviews the US Citizen first and then intending immigrant. We sent 12 lbs of evidence and that still happened. It is nothing to be worried about. That is still not considered a Stokes Interview where they drill you with nonsensical questions about your day to day.

 

Now, knowing that you did not send bona fides. Two things can happen. Your officer may be super chill and go with the motions OR may be worked up trying to understand the timeline because there are no bona fides. Be prepared for either one. (I know of a couple who had been married for 10+ years with kids

 

Why do lawyers still do this? Here is my theory. When you apply for AOS from a K-1 visa, all you send with you AOS package is your marriage certificate showing the marriage occurred within 90 days. Pre-Trump, k-1 AOS applicants would get their conditional green card by mail and very rarely there was an interview. If there was, then you would bring to the interview evidence since the date of the marriage. 

 

if you do that when you adjust from ESTA or F-1, that can sometimes lay the foundation for a tense interview. Why? Because to the officer, it may look like the couple met on Monday, married on Wednesday and filed for AOS on Friday. That is why the consensus on the forum (for the most part) is to front-load evidence with your petitions.

 

Either lawyers confuse things with the way you do it with k-1s or they do it on purpose so that the interview is a little harder and they can later say "see...? That officer was tough! It's a good think you hired me". But really the lawyer caused the problem by not sending any evidence of bona fide marriage.

 

Thus, if the officer seems tense and inquisitive, that is probably where that is coming from. Knowing that, I would bring evidence that predates your marriage. Just so they can see the history of your relationship. Sometimes people even put together a timeline. This helps you both stay organized in your description of your relationship and will help the officer, too.  I do not think you'll have issues but just be prepared.  

 

 

Edited July 16, 2021 by USC4SPOUSE

[donna777 28]

5 hours ago, USC4SPOUSE said:

@donna777 great advice and assessment from @Nitas_man. 

They did not check our keys or anything like that but our Field Office typically interviews the US Citizen first and then intending immigrant. We sent 12 lbs of evidence and that still happened. It is nothing to be worried about. That is still not considered a Stokes Interview where they drill you with nonsensical questions about your day to day.

 

Now, knowing that you did not send bona fides. Two things can happen. Your officer may be super chill and go with the motions OR may be worked up trying to understand the timeline because there are no bona fides. Be prepared for either one. (I know of a couple who had been married for 10+ years with kids

 

Why do lawyers still do this? Here is my theory. When you apply for AOS from a K-1 visa, all you send with you AOS package is your marriage certificate showing the marriage occurred within 90 days. Pre-Trump, k-1 AOS applicants would get their conditional green card by mail and very rarely there was an interview. If there was, then you would bring to the interview evidence since the date of the marriage. 

 

if you do that when you adjust from ESTA or F-1, that can sometimes lay the foundation for a tense interview. Why? Because to the officer, it may look like the couple met on Monday, married on Wednesday and filed for AOS on Friday. That is why the consensus on the forum (for the most part) is to front-load evidence with your petitions.

 

Either lawyers confuse things with the way you do it with k-1s or they do it on purpose so that the interview is a little harder and they can later say "see...? That officer was tough! It's a good think you hired me". But really the lawyer caused the problem by not sending any evidence of bona fide marriage.

 

Thus, if the officer seems tense and inquisitive, that is probably where that is coming from. Knowing that, I would bring evidence that predates your marriage. Just so they can see the history of your relationship. Sometimes people even put together a timeline. This helps you both stay organized in your description of your relationship and will help the officer, too.  I do not think you'll have issues but just be prepared.  

 

 

Yes in all honesty I'm starting to believe its just because our lawyer is useless and probably nearing retirement and doesn't feel like doing it anymore  . I really cant thank you enough for all of your advice, its really helped me an awful lot, so much so that even my husband told me to thank you from him  . I guess we're down to last minute preparations this weekend and then the big day Thursday eeek. I'm going to draw up a timeline also because that seems like a really good idea. Trying to be as organized as possible with thousands of pieces of paper, I think being organized will help hugely. Keep everything crossed for us! Thanks again! and again!

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

Just now, donna777 said:

Yes in all honesty I'm starting to believe its just because our lawyer is useless and probably nearing retirement and doesn't feel like doing it anymore  . I really cant thank you enough for all of your advice, its really helped me an awful lot, so much so that even my husband told me to thank you from him  . I guess we're down to last minute preparations this weekend and then the big day Thursday eeek. I'm going to draw up a timeline also because that seems like a really good idea. Trying to be as organized as possible with thousands of pieces of paper, I think being organized will help hugely. Keep everything crossed for us! Thanks again! and again!

You're BOTH so welcome! What kind of world would this be if we did not help each other out?  

I am glad you're going to draw up a timeline. You'd be surprised how two people can recall dates and events differently. Ask my husband when we got married - he does not know. He knows it was warm. Thus, it had to be summer. LOL. I know it was a Wednesday at 3pm. 

You're going to be fine! I can't wait to hear that you got approved and got your 10 year green card.  

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

@donna777 and last but not least, look your best! We wore suits and so did our lawyer. You could not tell who the lawyer was. USCIS has a class bias. Our attorney told us that and we followed her advice. We were approved the day after the interview.  

[donna777 28]

1 minute ago, USC4SPOUSE said:

@donna777 and last but not least, look your best! We wore suits and so did our lawyer. You could not tell who the lawyer was. USCIS has a class bias. Our attorney told us that and we followed her advice. We were approved the day after the interview.  

We are all set, we literally went shopping for suits for the whole family practically ... slightly less formal for the kids but still super smart. They are 11 and 13 and have been requested to attend. We're at the Hartford office and have been told that's standard for them. Thank you!!

[donna777 28]

On 7/16/2021 at 6:17 PM, USC4SPOUSE said:

You're BOTH so welcome! What kind of world would this be if we did not help each other out?  

I am glad you're going to draw up a timeline. You'd be surprised how two people can recall dates and events differently. Ask my husband when we got married - he does not know. He knows it was warm. Thus, it had to be summer. LOL. I know it was a Wednesday at 3pm. 

You're going to be fine! I can't wait to hear that you got approved and got your 10 year green card.  

Hey! So we got to our interview this morning, it was due for 9.25am but they said there was a backlog and expect a wait. I think we went in around an hour later. Anyway we had a really nice guy, very friendly but professional (I was beyond nervous but I didn't fall apart or anything)  . Well we took a whole forest of trees with us to show him. Our lawyer gave them the basics that we had up front (joint credit cards, doctors emergency contact, school contact etc). We were not asked for any supporting evidence other than those things the lawyer gave. He went through the form, we fixed the errors arghhh hehe. Then he really only asked me how my previous spouse passed away, how I met my current husband and a little bit about the wedding. Then he wrapped everything up, the children were not interviewed and he didn't actually ask me any questions from their forms. At the end he gave me a letter that said it was a continuation and that they needed to review it and either 3 things would happen. 1. they would request more information 2. They would issue the cards in the mail 3. They would deny the application. So when we came out I still felt concerned, my husband wasn't worried at all because the interview was a positive experience and the lawyer felt the same way. So at that point I resigned myself to not knowing anything for maybe up to 45 days.

But....I just checked the status of my case online....and cannot believe it...our new cards are being produced!!!

So after telling my family, I wanted to come straight here and thank you again for your enormous help in the most stressful time of my life. Seriously cannot thank you enough. 

This forum and you are an absolute blessing, and until you've been in this situation you could never know. Thank you, thank you!!

[oneoftheunderdogs 99]

3 hours ago, donna777 said:

Hey! So we got to our interview this morning, it was due for 9.25am but they said there was a backlog and expect a wait. I think we went in around an hour later. Anyway we had a really nice guy, very friendly but professional (I was beyond nervous but I didn't fall apart or anything)  . Well we took a whole forest of trees with us to show him. Our lawyer gave them the basics that we had up front (joint credit cards, doctors emergency contact, school contact etc). We were not asked for any supporting evidence other than those things the lawyer gave. He went through the form, we fixed the errors arghhh hehe. Then he really only asked me how my previous spouse passed away, how I met my current husband and a little bit about the wedding. Then he wrapped everything up, the children were not interviewed and he didn't actually ask me any questions from their forms. At the end he gave me a letter that said it was a continuation and that they needed to review it and either 3 things would happen. 1. they would request more information 2. They would issue the cards in the mail 3. They would deny the application. So when we came out I still felt concerned, my husband wasn't worried at all because the interview was a positive experience and the lawyer felt the same way. So at that point I resigned myself to not knowing anything for maybe up to 45 days.

But....I just checked the status of my case online....and cannot believe it...our new cards are being produced!!!

So after telling my family, I wanted to come straight here and thank you again for your enormous help in the most stressful time of my life. Seriously cannot thank you enough. 

This forum and you are an absolute blessing, and until you've been in this situation you could never know. Thank you, thank you!!

Congratulations, after reading this thread, I am happy to hear it worked out for you!!

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

6 hours ago, donna777 said:

Hey! So we got to our interview this morning, it was due for 9.25am but they said there was a backlog and expect a wait. I think we went in around an hour later. Anyway we had a really nice guy, very friendly but professional (I was beyond nervous but I didn't fall apart or anything)  . Well we took a whole forest of trees with us to show him. Our lawyer gave them the basics that we had up front (joint credit cards, doctors emergency contact, school contact etc). We were not asked for any supporting evidence other than those things the lawyer gave. He went through the form, we fixed the errors arghhh hehe. Then he really only asked me how my previous spouse passed away, how I met my current husband and a little bit about the wedding. Then he wrapped everything up, the children were not interviewed and he didn't actually ask me any questions from their forms. At the end he gave me a letter that said it was a continuation and that they needed to review it and either 3 things would happen. 1. they would request more information 2. They would issue the cards in the mail 3. They would deny the application. So when we came out I still felt concerned, my husband wasn't worried at all because the interview was a positive experience and the lawyer felt the same way. So at that point I resigned myself to not knowing anything for maybe up to 45 days.

But....I just checked the status of my case online....and cannot believe it...our new cards are being produced!!!

So after telling my family, I wanted to come straight here and thank you again for your enormous help in the most stressful time of my life. Seriously cannot thank you enough. 

This forum and you are an absolute blessing, and until you've been in this situation you could never know. Thank you, thank you!!

See...??? Congratulations!!! You took control of the situation, did everything you had to do and it worked out beautifully!!!  💯