AOS Interview

SHELLYandFCO · November 23, 2007

Thought I'd share our AOS Interview experience in San Diego...

Received a voice mail message on 11/20 from an Immigration Officer asking us to arrive early (3 hours early). So of course, I broke into a panic that I wouldn't have everything ready on time. Received a phone call this morning at 8:30 from the same IO who asked if we could come in early to which I agreed.

Finished putting the finishing touches on the packet we were taking, then off we went. Arrived at the Federal Building, walked into the Citizen & Immigration Office and the room was packed. I thought, oh great, they want us here early to sit and wait. Anyhow, I was worried that the parking meter would run out as I only put in enough for an hour. So, I rushed back to the car a block away and by the time I returned, we were being called in.

The IO escorted us through an office filled with cubicles and areas separated by partitions. The first order of business before we could be seated was to be sworn in, pledging to tell the whole truth.

The IO asked for us to provide our identification (my Driver's License and his Mexican Passport). We were then seated and the IO began flipping through our 3" thick file so quickly, I thought he would rip the pages. He would flip, stop on a page, flip back to the front, check mark one of the boxes then begin flipping frantically.

Questions asked:

What date did you enter the U.S.?
Have you left the U.S. since entering?
Asked USC if I was married before?
Asked if I had Divorce Decree.

He then began flipping through the file frantically again, so fast I thought that the rubber piece on his finger would fly off. Flip forward, flip backward, back to the front, check mark more boxes.

The IO began asking the questions from the I-485 (note, he shortened the questions):

Have you ever been arrested?
Have you ever engaged in sabotage, kidnapping, political assassination, hijacking or any other form of terrorist activity?
Have you within the past ten years been a prostitute or intend to engage in such activities in the future?
Have you ever been deported from the United States, or removed from the United States at government expense?
Have you engaged in any unlawful commercialized vice, including, but not limited to, illegal gambling?
Have you illicitly trafficked in any controlled substance, or knowingly assisted, abetted or colluded in the illicit trafficking of any controlled substance?

As my husband answered each question, the IO checkmarked the box in red ink.

The IO then opened the Mexican Passport, unstapled the I-94 from my husband's passport. I quickly asked if he was going to give the I-94 back to which he said no. I protested indicating that I needed to be sure that I would not need it (having heard how expensive they are to try and replace), then was advised that the I-551 stamp was all we needed. I asked him if he needed anything else as I had everything they had requested in the Appointment Letter, to which he said no.

Then he asked the following:

Do you have any dependents?
What date were you married?

He then stood up and said everything was good and that he just needed his supervisor's approval. He returned 30 seconds later with a women that couldn't have been more than 20 who started flipping through the file. She asked the other IO if he had the Affidavit of Support, the Marriage Certificate and the Divorce Decree....I suppose those must be the top three things; make sure the USC can support the immigrant and to ensure the marriage is valid. Anyhow, the female IO, grabbed the passport indicating that she would be right back after she stamped the passport.

She came back with passport in hand. Told us that we would receive the Green Card in two weeks. I commented on how quick that seemed to be to which she responded that they are processing the GC's very quickly lately (I'm sure many of you would disagree!). She said that my husband is free to work and travel and that 3 months from our 2 year mark, we would apply to remove the conditions and at 3 years from today, my husband could apply to become a USC. She handed my husband the passport and said Congratulations and Happy Thanksgiving. Whew....it's over, we did it, we survived.

From the long laundry list of items needed according to the appointment letter, the only item we had to surrender was the appointment letter and the I-94 from my husband's passport. I spent hours putting my whole package together and preparing my husband for any possible question they might ask. Better prepared than not I suppose!

Hope I haven't forgotten anything.

Edited November 23, 2007 by SHELLYandFCO