If you had an actual i-751 interview, what did they ask you? What documents did they require?

[Pbl 192]

Hi, everyone!

 

I'm either too anxious or too burnt out to find the answer to this question (and I searched in the search box)... LOL...

 

I have my interview in a week and am finishing organizing all the supplemental paperwork (all sort of financial documents from the last 3 years, pictures, our son's birth certificate, etc.).

 

If you had an actual interview to remove conditions, what questions did they ask you? What documents did they require? Did they ask your partner questions too?

 

Thank you!

Edited July 19, 2023 by Pbl

[OldUser 6,639]

I didn't have interview for ROC, but I'd think you'll be asked:

- Places you and your spouse lived and worked since meeting until now

- Important dates (birthdays, marriage, moving to places etc)

- Questions about prior relationships (marriages, divorces) and kids (if any)

- Questions about relatives

- Your immigration history (if long and / or complicated)

- Your criminal history (if any)

- Whether your US citizen spouse sponsored anybody before

- Personal questions about you and your spouse

- Your travel history

 

There's always a chance you and your spouse can be split and questioned separately (stokes interview).

 

Be sure to prepare well and take a lawyer with you if you can afford it.

[Pbl 192]

@OldUser, thank you for taking the time to answer. I appreciate your contributions to this forum and have my fingers and toes crossed that you get your ROC interview waived, and quickly. Hm, I had not considered an attorney (have not used one yet), but your suggestion makes me want to think more about it and maybe revisit my decision. Not sure we can afford one at the moment, so that is a factor to consider too. I’ll have to look into that.

 

We had a stokes interview for the i-485 and it was unexpected and stressful (you can see my post about it in my history, I think). I’m still at a loss as to what prompted the stokes interview. The only thing that comes to mind is that I am 8 years older than my husband. That interview was in Sacramento.
 

This one will be in San Francisco. They scheduled my i-751 with my n-400 (so a combo interview).
 

At this point, I’ve been with my husband for 7 years, married for 5. We have a son (20 months old, born here) a mortgage, cars, and a dog together. Our finances are 100% combined. Neither of us has any criminal history. Neither of us were involved with immigration before. I was married before (11 years together, married for 5). He was never married before me. We both have solid jobs (he works in healthcare management and I work for the Courts).

 

I would appreciate if you could elaborate a little further on the advantages you see in retaining a lawyer at this stage, considering the background history above. 
 

Thank you again. You rock!

[carmel34 3,625]

My husband is also from Brazil, and he had his combo interview for I-751 and N-400 a few weeks ago at the Atlanta USCIS field office.  Given everything you have shared, I do not think that hiring an attorney for the interview is necessary, unless you are a worrier and having a legal representative at the interview would increase your peace of mind.  The evidence of your marital relationship sounds very solid.  They will likely invite both of you into the interview room for the I-751 and may ask both of you questions.  My husband and I were asked a few questions about how we met and who proposed, why we sold our house in California (seemed obvious, we moved to Georgia for work), and if we had any new financial co-mingling evidence since filing the original I-751 two years before (we gave the officer IRS tax return transcripts for 2021 and 2022 and quarterly joint bank account statements for the last two years).  We had two very thick file folders with much more financial evidence but were not asked to provide more.  Our age gap is 27 years, so much more than your 8.  The officer then asked for photos which we gave him.  He flipped through the photos and then said the I-751 was approved and asked me to leave.  He then conducted the naturalization interview with my husband by reviewing all of the N-400 form questions, did the English test (reading: Who can vote?  writing: All citizens can vote.), and asked six of the 100 history/civics questions, all answered correctly (he had studied them every evening for three months) and the interview was over.  His oath ceremony was a few weeks later and he's now waiting for his US passport to be processed and delivered.  If you are well prepared you have nothing to worry about.  Good luck with the interview!

Edited July 20, 2023 by carmel34

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

13 hours ago, Pbl said:

Hi, everyone!

 

I'm either too anxious or too burnt out to find the answer to this question (and I searched in the search box)... LOL...

 

I have my interview in a week and am finishing organizing all the supplemental paperwork (all sort of financial documents from the last 3 years, pictures, our son's birth certificate, etc.).

 

If you had an actual interview to remove conditions, what questions did they ask you? What documents did they require? Did they ask your partner questions too?

 

Thank you!

Wife and I had a combo interview in December 2022.  The officer checked our IDs and Driver's Licenses for same address.  He asked how we met.  He wanted to see proof of relationship since filing the original I-751 (March 2019).  I gave him bank statements and leases.  He was specific about leases showing signatures of both of us, and the paperwork trail from filing date until interview.  I came fully prepared for everything he asked.  Yes, he asked both of us questions.  It was easy.   He then escorted me out, and continued wife's N-400 interview.

Edited July 20, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[Pbl 192]

@carmel34, your insight is much appreciated as well as the info you shared on your husband's combo interview. Thank you!

 

I feel that we have extensive documentation to share as evidence of our relationship being legit. We will bring little exhibit A to the interview too, LOL. I guess my anxiety is just inherent to the process in general, not due to any specifics of our case.

 

Congrats to you guys, it must feel great to not have to think about USCIS anymore, haha

 

@Crazy Cat, thank you for sharing your story. I have read several of your contributions in this forum and appreciate you a lot. You are very generous with your knowledge. We are bringing all sorts of documents in case they ask for it (mortgage, bank, and credit card statements, vehicle insurance, water bills, our son's birth certificate, pictures, etc. Being as prepared as possible can't hurt.

 

 

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

27 minutes ago, Pbl said:

vehicle insurance,

I forgot.  He wanted to see that, too...That seemed to carry substantial weight, showing us both as drivers for the same vehicle.  ..I had it in my stack.  Thank you for the kind words.

Edited July 20, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[Sarah&Facundo 595]

We were also one of the few lucky couples selected for a ROC interview last year. We were completely confused as to why. We are both pretty young and never married before, we are the same age, both speak English, we both work, own a car, have 100% joint accounts, health insurance, etc. But, sometimes it happens. 

 

Anyway, we were baffled trying to figure out what went "wrong" and how they were going to "grill us" at the interview. But honestly, we were in and out in 5 minutes. They asked the same basic questions we were asked at the AOS interview that is listed on the I-485 sheet. She asked each of us to share what the other person does for work and a few basic things like that. Our ROC was approved within an hour of us leaving. So, we still have no idea what triggered it. It definitely wasn't something we needed a lawyer for, and honestly, we never entertained it. That was our experience. Good luck!

[Pbl 192]

@Sarah&Facundo, thank you for sharing your interview story with me! I hope our interview goes as smoothly as yours did! Yeah, I guess I'll never know what triggered their stokes interview. I'll always be curious, lol

 

I will definitely come back to report my experience, as I believe this topic can be useful (or at least informative) for future users as well!

[Redro 4,611]

14 hours ago, Pbl said:

@Sarah&Facundo, thank you for sharing your interview story with me! I hope our interview goes as smoothly as yours did! Yeah, I guess I'll never know what triggered their stokes interview. I'll always be curious, lol

 

I will definitely come back to report my experience, as I believe this topic can be useful (or at least informative) for future users as well!

After reading your stokes interview post I'm guessing

1.) You could have been chosen for stokes because the IO wanted some practice 

2.) The IO recognized your husband from the photos and didn't remember quite why... so decided to conduct a stokes interview

3.) random selection for stokes interview. 

 

I can understand your anxiety over the next interview. But, the way you write is extremely clear and coherent. And it sounds like your relationship is solid. I don't think you need a lawyer. And I think any questions they ask you, you can answer in your sleep. 

 

Good luck! 

[Pbl 192]

@Redro, thank you for your comment and for the reassurance. Your hypotheses for the stokes interview make sense.  Your comments in this forum are so logical and level-headed, and I feel fortunate that you took the time to comment on my topic as well. 

 

I am glad most commenters do not think we need a lawyer. At this point, five days out, I'm not even sure it would make any sense to retain one. 

 

Time flies - and drags at the same time...

[hannac 37]

On 7/20/2023 at 7:53 AM, carmel34 said:

My husband is also from Brazil, and he had his combo interview for I-751 and N-400 a few weeks ago at the Atlanta USCIS field office.  Given everything you have shared, I do not think that hiring an attorney for the interview is necessary, unless you are a worrier and having a legal representative at the interview would increase your peace of mind.  The evidence of your marital relationship sounds very solid.  They will likely invite both of you into the interview room for the I-751 and may ask both of you questions.  My husband and I were asked a few questions about how we met and who proposed, why we sold our house in California (seemed obvious, we moved to Georgia for work), and if we had any new financial co-mingling evidence since filing the original I-751 two years before (we gave the officer IRS tax return transcripts for 2021 and 2022 and quarterly joint bank account statements for the last two years).  We had two very thick file folders with much more financial evidence but were not asked to provide more.  Our age gap is 27 years, so much more than your 8.  The officer then asked for photos which we gave him.  He flipped through the photos and then said the I-751 was approved and asked me to leave.  He then conducted the naturalization interview with my husband by reviewing all of the N-400 form questions, did the English test (reading: Who can vote?  writing: All citizens can vote.), and asked six of the 100 history/civics questions, all answered correctly (he had studied them every evening for three months) and the interview was over.  His oath ceremony was a few weeks later and he's now waiting for his US passport to be processed and delivered.  If you are well prepared you have nothing to worry about.  Good luck with the interview!

How was your interview at the Atlanta office? I have mines tomorrow.

[Pbl 192]

@hannac Good luck on your interview tomorrow! Do come back to share how it went!

[Pbl 192]

I was reading the forum and just found out that the evidence submitted for the i-751 should be from the wedding date on, not from the i-751 filing date on. It looks like tomorrow will be a very busy day for me, lol

[OldUser 6,639]

57 minutes ago, Pbl said:

I was reading the forum and just found out that the evidence submitted for the i-751 should be from the wedding date on, not from the i-751 filing date on. It looks like tomorrow will be a very busy day for me, lol

Instructions say submit evidence from day of marriage. However, many people had success submitting only evidence since becoming LPR until I-751 filing.

If you want to be bulletproof, have evidence since beginning of marriage. Occasionally, USCIS lose some docs or not have them in the system. So it doesn't hurt to have it all. Especially if you had stokes in the past and may potentially have stokes again for ROC.

 

Make sure to practise some questions and answers with your spouse. Make sure you both know answers to common questions about each other and your relationship history.

Edited July 25, 2023 by OldUser