9/20/07 K-3 AOS Interview Completed /Overview

[DC Sparrow 0]

Hello Everyone,

Well the long-awaited AOS interview was today, and here is the scoop:

Our interview was scheduled for 9:00 Am in Phila, and we live in central PA area. We left house at 5:30 Am, and arrived at USCIS Phila at 8:00 Am (an hour early... but glad we left extra early because I-76 was backed up with traffic for 45 minutes due to morning rush hour). Found the Callohill USCIS office very easily. Two-hour Parking is available on right side of building (metered parking).

We went through Security and the guard at the door asked for our Interview Letter. After exiting the metal detector area, I saw our Interview Letter sitting in a green plastic basket by the conveyor belt, and I picked it up and took it with us up to the 3rd floor where there was a waiting room (temp. was pretty warm in there). We proceeded to the front window of the waiting area where a receptionist asked for our Interview Letter and kept it (...glad I picked it up down in Security because no one says anything to you). We took a seat with about four other couples/families waiting (everyone was dressed Casual and we were in Business dress, but I'd say go as you feel best). Since we arrived an hour early, we sat and chatted for 50 minutes until 8:55 Am when the door opened and a woman called my husband's name (Note: 5 minutes earlier than our appt., so don't assume they will be running late because you may get called early).

The Interview Officer (who was also dressed Casual in a black zipped jogger jacket) was an African American woman, about 36, who was direct and professional, but not very personable. She lead us to her office and asked us to remain standing and swore us in, then to be seated. We had a black tote bag with us with all our documents / photos. She first asked us to see Passports, Driver's License, or a form of photo ID. She looked at those and removed my husband's I-94 from the passport. She took two phone calls during our interview, and one time she went out of the room also (and took our file with her). There was a camera in the room, but they did not use it for anything for the interview. She said you already have the photos in your file, so there is no need to take photos. She asked my husband the list of "no" questions and checked those off as she went along on her paperwork in our file laid out in front of her. She did alot of initialing and notes in red ink as she was flipping through the papers. She asked us for proof of marriage / co-habitation, and we supplied copies of utility bills, etc. When we started to verbally list / show her what was being offered, she said there was no need to show her, she would just include them in the file. She then proceeded to two-hole punch all the copies we gave her and insert them into the file, and as she was doing this, she asked these questions to both of us:

- how many marriages have you had?

- is this your first marriage?

- how many children do you have in this world?

She closed our file, and said, "Since you're I-130 has already been approved, you're basically approved for AOS pending the FBI background check. This could take one week or more. We are not able to predict how long it takes. Once the FBI sends us those results, you'll hear from us, and if everything is fine, you'll receive your Green Card in about two weeks after that."

We told her since we opted not to file the EAD along with the I-485 originally in May recently, because we saw many people getting the EADs at almost the same time as the Green Card. She said, " it's up to you to file for EAD or not. You may get the Green Card in a week or not, but it's completely up to you. There are no guarantees how long the name check will take."

We thanked her and left the office and went back down, past Security and out. We were only in the interview 15 minutes (went in a 8:55 Am and were out by 9:10 Am). My husband and I were completely shocked at the simplicity of the whole thing, when we had prepared so many documents, photos, etc. for past four months, and she never even looked at ONE photo, and did not keep any for the file. We could only surmise that they had everything they needed, and since the I-130 was approved back in Jan 2007, they had nothing more to review/ approve, other than proof of our living together, as husband and wife. It was a phenominal relief to have the whole thing over with, and now we can relax and start enjoying life without worrying about what documents to keep, what to copy, where everything is, etc. etc. On the positive side, we now have this fantastic black tote that carries all of the most pertinent life documents in it that we can rely on to find just about anything we need ! :-)

Good luck to anyone out there heading to Philadelphia USCIS soon for your AOS. It was a brief, pleasant experience.

[lynamon 0]

Congratulations ... sounds like everything went very smoothly

[Sonshyne 2]

Congrats and thanks for sharing

[~*Maria*~ 1]

Congratulations

[~Nini~ 2]

Great review! Congratulations

[Dakine 26]

Hello Everyone,

Well the long-awaited AOS interview was today, and here is the scoop:

Our interview was scheduled for 9:00 Am in Phila, and we live in central PA area. We left house at 5:30 Am, and arrived at USCIS Phila at 8:00 Am (an hour early... but glad we left extra early because I-76 was backed up with traffic for 45 minutes due to morning rush hour). Found the Callohill USCIS office very easily. Two-hour Parking is available on right side of building (metered parking).

We went through Security and the guard at the door asked for our Interview Letter. After exiting the metal detector area, I saw our Interview Letter sitting in a green plastic basket by the conveyor belt, and I picked it up and took it with us up to the 3rd floor where there was a waiting room (temp. was pretty warm in there). We proceeded to the front window of the waiting area where a receptionist asked for our Interview Letter and kept it (...glad I picked it up down in Security because no one says anything to you). We took a seat with about four other couples/families waiting (everyone was dressed Casual and we were in Business dress, but I'd say go as you feel best). Since we arrived an hour early, we sat and chatted for 50 minutes until 8:55 Am when the door opened and a woman called my husband's name (Note: 5 minutes earlier than our appt., so don't assume they will be running late because you may get called early).

The Interview Officer (who was also dressed Casual in a black zipped jogger jacket) was an African American woman, about 36, who was direct and professional, but not very personable. She lead us to her office and asked us to remain standing and swore us in, then to be seated. We had a black tote bag with us with all our documents / photos. She first asked us to see Passports, Driver's License, or a form of photo ID. She looked at those and removed my husband's I-94 from the passport. She took two phone calls during our interview, and one time she went out of the room also (and took our file with her). There was a camera in the room, but they did not use it for anything for the interview. She said you already have the photos in your file, so there is no need to take photos. She asked my husband the list of "no" questions and checked those off as she went along on her paperwork in our file laid out in front of her. She did alot of initialing and notes in red ink as she was flipping through the papers. She asked us for proof of marriage / co-habitation, and we supplied copies of utility bills, etc. When we started to verbally list / show her what was being offered, she said there was no need to show her, she would just include them in the file. She then proceeded to two-hole punch all the copies we gave her and insert them into the file, and as she was doing this, she asked these questions to both of us:

- how many marriages have you had?

- is this your first marriage?

- how many children do you have in this world?

She closed our file, and said, "Since you're I-130 has already been approved, you're basically approved for AOS pending the FBI background check. This could take one week or more. We are not able to predict how long it takes. Once the FBI sends us those results, you'll hear from us, and if everything is fine, you'll receive your Green Card in about two weeks after that."

We told her since we opted not to file the EAD along with the I-485 originally in May recently, because we saw many people getting the EADs at almost the same time as the Green Card. She said, " it's up to you to file for EAD or not. You may get the Green Card in a week or not, but it's completely up to you. There are no guarantees how long the name check will take."

We thanked her and left the office and went back down, past Security and out. We were only in the interview 15 minutes (went in a 8:55 Am and were out by 9:10 Am). My husband and I were completely shocked at the simplicity of the whole thing, when we had prepared so many documents, photos, etc. for past four months, and she never even looked at ONE photo, and did not keep any for the file. We could only surmise that they had everything they needed, and since the I-130 was approved back in Jan 2007, they had nothing more to review/ approve, other than proof of our living together, as husband and wife. It was a phenominal relief to have the whole thing over with, and now we can relax and start enjoying life without worrying about what documents to keep, what to copy, where everything is, etc. etc. On the positive side, we now have this fantastic black tote that carries all of the most pertinent life documents in it that we can rely on to find just about anything we need ! :-)

Good luck to anyone out there heading to Philadelphia USCIS soon for your AOS. It was a brief, pleasant experience.

Don't dance yet!!!

Hope you get the GC soon as if she didn't stamp your PP and took the I-94 from your PP you'll have to get AP to leave and return if an emergency should pop up before you get the GC.

Same thing happened to us on the K3 but the IO told us my wife had to get AP.

Told us we'd get the GC in 2 weeks but didn't happen!

I think they messed up on ours and yours as the K3 is supposed to be good for a 2 year mulitiple entry!

Without a stamp and without a I-94 you can't go anywhere without AP.

Edit!Opps! You can go but not return!

Edited September 21, 2007 by beckypua