Interview letter - interpreter

[PLFahr 0]

If anyone can provide any opinion or information on the following it would be greatly appreciated. 

We have received our interview letter for our AOS marriage, but the letter does not state any information regarding an interpreter.  The interpreted language would be for Spanish. 

Should we take a physical interpreter or have one of phone ready?

Does anyone have any experience using a friend as an interpreter?

[Fe.Ta 874]

10 hours ago, PLFahr said:

If anyone can provide any opinion or information on the following it would be greatly appreciated. 

We have received our interview letter for our AOS marriage, but the letter does not state any information regarding an interpreter.  The interpreted language would be for Spanish. 

Should we take a physical interpreter or have one of phone ready?

Does anyone have any experience using a friend as an interpreter?

It is recommended to have them in person.  We had a friend on the phone and the officer was quick to challenge us as to why we did not have one in person, especially because you are not supposed to have your phone out during the interview, etc. because they don't want people recording interviews and such.

When I was doing my research for this back in 2020, it said it would be preferred if the person was not as close just to avoid people being sneaky.  But, again, it depends on the officer.

Our officer had been doing this for 20 years and close to retirement, so I bet she had seen enough things to not feel comfortable with a friend on the phone.  The feedback we got from her after the interview and approval was:

• Having the phone out like I did could have resulted in immediate denial if she wanted.
• If an interpreter is needed, it is better to have them in person so the USCIS officer does not think you are trying to pull something.
• The preference is for it not to be a family member or friend, but it appears with this one they are a bit more flexible.

Our officer let me be the interpreter for my husband because we are both native Spanish speakers and because my husband understood basics such as all the yes/no questions to be able to answer without me interpreting.  However, she was very clear and strict to let me know to only translate exactly what she was saying nothing less or more and that if she thought I was trying to give "extra information", she could give us a denial.

After all the stress, she approved us and literally told us "I knew I was going to approve you as soon as I saw you walking towards me because doing this for so many years you normally can tell by looking at people, how they are with each other, and you were carrying a ton of packets" (LOL).  In my mind I was glad, but I thought to myself "then, why scare me with all of this?"  But, I bet she was just being thorough.

[PLFahr 0]

Fe. Ta, thank you for the detailed response