My SO's Questions during interview...

[Marriednow 4]

Here are the questions that my SO was asked. It has been a few weeks, so I hope I can remember them all. They will not be in the right order, I am sure, but you will get the idea.'

First let me tell you that we had some red flags: big age difference (27 years), my 3 divorces (last one being July, 2006 but had been married 22.5 years and he is the one who left unexpectedly) , relationship since Nov., 2006. We have no children, so that was not an issue. I had visited him for 3 weeks in March, then 4 weeks in June, with plans for 3 more weeks in Sept. I also realize that not many people can go that much, but I am a teacher at a year round school with that schedule. However, the cost has been hard to cover. Now we are gonna have to work to pay off my skyhigh VISA card. Anyway, as to why we got ours and others didn't, I have no idea. My SO was not nervous going into the interview as he expected to get turned down. The thing I would change would be I would have made a much longer letter addressing all of those issues on our initial application. Sometimes I wonder if they don't care if the poor guys leave. My SO did not make much, etc. I also included the form about my income, can't remember what it is called. I kept sending him things to add to his booklet, but they never looked at them.

Here are some of the things I did: As soon as we applied for the K-1, I contacted my two senators and my congressman, signed releases and sent them a lengthy letter explaining our relationship and Casa's reputation. So they knew what was going on from the beginning. I was soooo very lucky to hear back from all of them with supportive statements. So I called/wrote all of them before his interview and all three wrote emails to Casa saying they were taking an interest in this case and to let them know the outcome. I wrote a detailed 3 page letter addressing all of our red flags and telling them how we would work these out. I included details of all of my trips and stated that I had tickets for the next trip already. I was going to send this with my SO, but my congressman's secretary ended up sending it with her email right before his interview. This might have helped, but who knows? I sent him additional pics and such to add to his packet. Right before his interview, I printed page 1 of all of our Yahoo IM's. She did look at a few of those, but not at the pics.

Anyway, here are the questions as I remember them:

1. What is her full name?

2. Where does she live?

3. Where else has she lived?

4. What does she do for a job?

5. Where did you meet her? She wanted to know the name of the site.

6. Why did you go to that site? (His friends told him about it,)

7. Did you talk to other women? (A few, but not after I met her.)

8. Why did you choose her? He took this opportunity to talk about the stuff we had in common, such as hobbies.

9. Do you talk on the phone?

10. When did you meet?

YOU WILL LOVE THIS ONE:

11. When is your mother's birthday? He told her he wasn't sure, but that he could call his mother and ask her. She said no. But then she asked him if he knew that she was the same age as me (lol). He said yes. She asked him what her mother thought of that, if she was surprised. He told her no, that she loved me, had no problem with that and that here are some pics of us together. But she didn't want to see them. He told her that his family had no problem with that and that they loved me.

12. Where will you get married? He said USA, but she asked "Church or mosque" he said her home.

13. What does your family and her family think of the relationship?

14. How many divorces? Why and when was she divorced the last time?

15. What is last husband's name?

At the end, she looked at a few of our chats. I had sent page one of all of our chats up to that time. But she didn't look at any pics. Anyway, he said she was very nice to him, which totally surprised me.

Hope this helps others. We are doing great, making plans, rushing around. I will keep in better touch in the future, promise.

[Jasman0717 9]

Those were good detail and should help someone following behind you!

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

OMG I was wondering how it went -- congratulations !!! :dance:

I really have to applaud you on the way you handled your application process from start to finish -- you took an extremely pro-active approach. I am sure that the time and effort you spent addressing all the issues that may have been considered "red flags" had a very positive impact on your case.

Your clear and detailed description of the steps you took is excellent information that will certainly help many others. Thanks for taking the time to share with those who will come after

Again, a huge mabrook to you both, and wishing your husband a hearty Welcome to America !

-MK

[Carolyn 1]

How wonderful! Congratulations!

May you have a long and happy life together!

Carolyn

P.S. I'm sure that Casa was scared sh**less to screw up on your habibi's interview--no consulate needs a bunch of congresspeople on their backs! Way to be proactive!

ETA: I was suprised that I was able to write the word ###### without being edited above, so I decided to edit it myself. No need to be swearing on the internet.

Edited October 6, 2007 by Carolyn

[maggieNomar 0]

Congrats on the visa.

[lerry&luisa 0]

Here are the questions that my SO was asked. It has been a few weeks, so I hope I can remember them all. They will not be in the right order, I am sure, but you will get the idea.'

First let me tell you that we had some red flags: big age difference (27 years), my 3 divorces (last one being July, 2006 but had been married 22.5 years and he is the one who left unexpectedly) , relationship since Nov., 2006. We have no children, so that was not an issue. I had visited him for 3 weeks in March, then 4 weeks in June, with plans for 3 more weeks in Sept. I also realize that not many people can go that much, but I am a teacher at a year round school with that schedule. However, the cost has been hard to cover. Now we are gonna have to work to pay off my skyhigh VISA card. Anyway, as to why we got ours and others didn't, I have no idea. My SO was not nervous going into the interview as he expected to get turned down. The thing I would change would be I would have made a much longer letter addressing all of those issues on our initial application. Sometimes I wonder if they don't care if the poor guys leave. My SO did not make much, etc. I also included the form about my income, can't remember what it is called. I kept sending him things to add to his booklet, but they never looked at them.

Here are some of the things I did: As soon as we applied for the K-1, I contacted my two senators and my congressman, signed releases and sent them a lengthy letter explaining our relationship and Casa's reputation. So they knew what was going on from the beginning. I was soooo very lucky to hear back from all of them with supportive statements. So I called/wrote all of them before his interview and all three wrote emails to Casa saying they were taking an interest in this case and to let them know the outcome. I wrote a detailed 3 page letter addressing all of our red flags and telling them how we would work these out. I included details of all of my trips and stated that I had tickets for the next trip already. I was going to send this with my SO, but my congressman's secretary ended up sending it with her email right before his interview. This might have helped, but who knows? I sent him additional pics and such to add to his packet. Right before his interview, I printed page 1 of all of our Yahoo IM's. She did look at a few of those, but not at the pics.

Anyway, here are the questions as I remember them:

1. What is her full name?

2. Where does she live?

3. Where else has she lived?

4. What does she do for a job?

5. Where did you meet her? She wanted to know the name of the site.

6. Why did you go to that site? (His friends told him about it,)

7. Did you talk to other women? (A few, but not after I met her.)

8. Why did you choose her? He took this opportunity to talk about the stuff we had in common, such as hobbies.

9. Do you talk on the phone?

10. When did you meet?

YOU WILL LOVE THIS ONE:

11. When is your mother's birthday? He told her he wasn't sure, but that he could call his mother and ask her. She said no. But then she asked him if he knew that she was the same age as me (lol). He said yes. She asked him what her mother thought of that, if she was surprised. He told her no, that she loved me, had no problem with that and that here are some pics of us together. But she didn't want to see them. He told her that his family had no problem with that and that they loved me.

12. Where will you get married? He said USA, but she asked "Church or mosque" he said her home.

13. What does your family and her family think of the relationship?

14. How many divorces? Why and when was she divorced the last time?

15. What is last husband's name?

At the end, she looked at a few of our chats. I had sent page one of all of our chats up to that time. But she didn't look at any pics. Anyway, he said she was very nice to him, which totally surprised me.

Hope this helps others. We are doing great, making plans, rushing around. I will keep in better touch in the future, promise.

Hi, thanks for the info..did they ask you all of these questions in a private room or in front of everyone in waiting area.

[Sonshyne 2]

Congratulations

[deadbird 2]

wow!!! Congratulations!

[Marriednow 4]

Here are the questions that my SO was asked. It has been a few weeks, so I hope I can remember them all. They will not be in the right order, I am sure, but you will get the idea.'

First let me tell you that we had some red flags: big age difference (27 years), my 3 divorces (last one being July, 2006 but had been married 22.5 years and he is the one who left unexpectedly) , relationship since Nov., 2006. We have no children, so that was not an issue. I had visited him for 3 weeks in March, then 4 weeks in June, with plans for 3 more weeks in Sept. I also realize that not many people can go that much, but I am a teacher at a year round school with that schedule. However, the cost has been hard to cover. Now we are gonna have to work to pay off my skyhigh VISA card. Anyway, as to why we got ours and others didn't, I have no idea. My SO was not nervous going into the interview as he expected to get turned down. The thing I would change would be I would have made a much longer letter addressing all of those issues on our initial application. Sometimes I wonder if they don't care if the poor guys leave. My SO did not make much, etc. I also included the form about my income, can't remember what it is called. I kept sending him things to add to his booklet, but they never looked at them.

Here are some of the things I did: As soon as we applied for the K-1, I contacted my two senators and my congressman, signed releases and sent them a lengthy letter explaining our relationship and Casa's reputation. So they knew what was going on from the beginning. I was soooo very lucky to hear back from all of them with supportive statements. So I called/wrote all of them before his interview and all three wrote emails to Casa saying they were taking an interest in this case and to let them know the outcome. I wrote a detailed 3 page letter addressing all of our red flags and telling them how we would work these out. I included details of all of my trips and stated that I had tickets for the next trip already. I was going to send this with my SO, but my congressman's secretary ended up sending it with her email right before his interview. This might have helped, but who knows? I sent him additional pics and such to add to his packet. Right before his interview, I printed page 1 of all of our Yahoo IM's. She did look at a few of those, but not at the pics.

Anyway, here are the questions as I remember them:

1. What is her full name?

2. Where does she live?

3. Where else has she lived?

4. What does she do for a job?

5. Where did you meet her? She wanted to know the name of the site.

6. Why did you go to that site? (His friends told him about it,)

7. Did you talk to other women? (A few, but not after I met her.)

8. Why did you choose her? He took this opportunity to talk about the stuff we had in common, such as hobbies.

9. Do you talk on the phone?

10. When did you meet?

YOU WILL LOVE THIS ONE:

11. When is your mother's birthday? He told her he wasn't sure, but that he could call his mother and ask her. She said no. But then she asked him if he knew that she was the same age as me (lol). He said yes. She asked him what her mother thought of that, if she was surprised. He told her no, that she loved me, had no problem with that and that here are some pics of us together. But she didn't want to see them. He told her that his family had no problem with that and that they loved me.

12. Where will you get married? He said USA, but she asked "Church or mosque" he said her home.

13. What does your family and her family think of the relationship?

14. How many divorces? Why and when was she divorced the last time?

15. What is last husband's name?

At the end, she looked at a few of our chats. I had sent page one of all of our chats up to that time. But she didn't look at any pics. Anyway, he said she was very nice to him, which totally surprised me.

Hope this helps others. We are doing great, making plans, rushing around. I will keep in better touch in the future, promise.

Hi, thanks for the info..did they ask you all of these questions in a private room or in front of everyone in waiting area.

Here are the questions that my SO was asked. It has been a few weeks, so I hope I can remember them all. They will not be in the right order, I am sure, but you will get the idea.'

First let me tell you that we had some red flags: big age difference (27 years), my 3 divorces (last one being July, 2006 but had been married 22.5 years and he is the one who left unexpectedly) , relationship since Nov., 2006. We have no children, so that was not an issue. I had visited him for 3 weeks in March, then 4 weeks in June, with plans for 3 more weeks in Sept. I also realize that not many people can go that much, but I am a teacher at a year round school with that schedule. However, the cost has been hard to cover. Now we are gonna have to work to pay off my skyhigh VISA card. Anyway, as to why we got ours and others didn't, I have no idea. My SO was not nervous going into the interview as he expected to get turned down. The thing I would change would be I would have made a much longer letter addressing all of those issues on our initial application. Sometimes I wonder if they don't care if the poor guys leave. My SO did not make much, etc. I also included the form about my income, can't remember what it is called. I kept sending him things to add to his booklet, but they never looked at them.

Here are some of the things I did: As soon as we applied for the K-1, I contacted my two senators and my congressman, signed releases and sent them a lengthy letter explaining our relationship and Casa's reputation. So they knew what was going on from the beginning. I was soooo very lucky to hear back from all of them with supportive statements. So I called/wrote all of them before his interview and all three wrote emails to Casa saying they were taking an interest in this case and to let them know the outcome. I wrote a detailed 3 page letter addressing all of our red flags and telling them how we would work these out. I included details of all of my trips and stated that I had tickets for the next trip already. I was going to send this with my SO, but my congressman's secretary ended up sending it with her email right before his interview. This might have helped, but who knows? I sent him additional pics and such to add to his packet. Right before his interview, I printed page 1 of all of our Yahoo IM's. She did look at a few of those, but not at the pics.

Anyway, here are the questions as I remember them:

1. What is her full name?

2. Where does she live?

3. Where else has she lived?

4. What does she do for a job?

5. Where did you meet her? She wanted to know the name of the site.

6. Why did you go to that site? (His friends told him about it,)

7. Did you talk to other women? (A few, but not after I met her.)

8. Why did you choose her? He took this opportunity to talk about the stuff we had in common, such as hobbies.

9. Do you talk on the phone?

10. When did you meet?

YOU WILL LOVE THIS ONE:

11. When is your mother's birthday? He told her he wasn't sure, but that he could call his mother and ask her. She said no. But then she asked him if he knew that she was the same age as me (lol). He said yes. She asked him what her mother thought of that, if she was surprised. He told her no, that she loved me, had no problem with that and that here are some pics of us together. But she didn't want to see them. He told her that his family had no problem with that and that they loved me.

12. Where will you get married? He said USA, but she asked "Church or mosque" he said her home.

13. What does your family and her family think of the relationship?

14. How many divorces? Why and when was she divorced the last time?

15. What is last husband's name?

At the end, she looked at a few of our chats. I had sent page one of all of our chats up to that time. But she didn't look at any pics. Anyway, he said she was very nice to him, which totally surprised me.

Hope this helps others. We are doing great, making plans, rushing around. I will keep in better touch in the future, promise.

Hi, thanks for the info..did they ask you all of these questions in a private room or in front of everyone in waiting area.

THEY ASKED THE QUESTIONS IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. The interviewer was behind the glass window and he was in front of it. I don't see how they could even hear each other. He said there were about 35 people in the room.

[Jenn! 918]

I had visited him for 3 weeks in March, then 4 weeks in June, with plans for 3 more weeks in Sept

...

Anyway, as to why we got ours and others didn't, I have no idea.

I think that's your answer! Or at least partially. Lots of face time can definitely mitigate the impact of other "red flags" that you might have. I think Casa feels it's very important to have a good deal of face time, especially when there may be other so-called unfavorable aspects to your petition.

Congrats!

Edited October 6, 2007 by Jenn!

[chiquita 0]

Here are the questions that my SO was asked. It has been a few weeks, so I hope I can remember them all. They will not be in the right order, I am sure, but you will get the idea.'

First let me tell you that we had some red flags: big age difference (27 years), my 3 divorces (last one being July, 2006 but had been married 22.5 years and he is the one who left unexpectedly) , relationship since Nov., 2006. We have no children, so that was not an issue. I had visited him for 3 weeks in March, then 4 weeks in June, with plans for 3 more weeks in Sept. I also realize that not many people can go that much, but I am a teacher at a year round school with that schedule. However, the cost has been hard to cover. Now we are gonna have to work to pay off my skyhigh VISA card. Anyway, as to why we got ours and others didn't, I have no idea. My SO was not nervous going into the interview as he expected to get turned down. The thing I would change would be I would have made a much longer letter addressing all of those issues on our initial application. Sometimes I wonder if they don't care if the poor guys leave. My SO did not make much, etc. I also included the form about my income, can't remember what it is called. I kept sending him things to add to his booklet, but they never looked at them.

Here are some of the things I did: As soon as we applied for the K-1, I contacted my two senators and my congressman, signed releases and sent them a lengthy letter explaining our relationship and Casa's reputation. So they knew what was going on from the beginning. I was soooo very lucky to hear back from all of them with supportive statements. So I called/wrote all of them before his interview and all three wrote emails to Casa saying they were taking an interest in this case and to let them know the outcome. I wrote a detailed 3 page letter addressing all of our red flags and telling them how we would work these out. I included details of all of my trips and stated that I had tickets for the next trip already. I was going to send this with my SO, but my congressman's secretary ended up sending it with her email right before his interview. This might have helped, but who knows? I sent him additional pics and such to add to his packet. Right before his interview, I printed page 1 of all of our Yahoo IM's. She did look at a few of those, but not at the pics.

Anyway, here are the questions as I remember them:

1. What is her full name?

2. Where does she live?

3. Where else has she lived?

4. What does she do for a job?

5. Where did you meet her? She wanted to know the name of the site.

6. Why did you go to that site? (His friends told him about it,)

7. Did you talk to other women? (A few, but not after I met her.)

8. Why did you choose her? He took this opportunity to talk about the stuff we had in common, such as hobbies.

9. Do you talk on the phone?

10. When did you meet?

YOU WILL LOVE THIS ONE:

11. When is your mother's birthday? He told her he wasn't sure, but that he could call his mother and ask her. She said no. But then she asked him if he knew that she was the same age as me (lol). He said yes. She asked him what her mother thought of that, if she was surprised. He told her no, that she loved me, had no problem with that and that here are some pics of us together. But she didn't want to see them. He told her that his family had no problem with that and that they loved me.

12. Where will you get married? He said USA, but she asked "Church or mosque" he said her home.

13. What does your family and her family think of the relationship?

14. How many divorces? Why and when was she divorced the last time?

15. What is last husband's name?

At the end, she looked at a few of our chats. I had sent page one of all of our chats up to that time. But she didn't look at any pics. Anyway, he said she was very nice to him, which totally surprised me.

Hope this helps others. We are doing great, making plans, rushing around. I will keep in better touch in the future, promise.

i am sure it helps all those waiting for interviews!!!

thanks!

chi

[amrssnowangel 0]

I want to thank you for posting this. I will be going through the Cairo Embassy and am following your example. I have contacted my State Senators and my District Representative. They have agreed to a letter of interest. Do you have a copy of the letter you sent explaining your relationship? What did you put in it?

[polarbear 0]

I want to thank you for posting this. I will be going through the Cairo Embassy and am following your example. I have contacted my State Senators and my District Representative. They have agreed to a letter of interest. Do you have a copy of the letter you sent explaining your relationship? What did you put in it?

I am also going through the Cairo Embassy and am thinking about contacting my State Senators and District Representative. We are waiting on an interview date, but don't have one yet, so I figure I've got a little time.....

Any advice on contacting the representatives or letter formats?

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Good job! Congratulations!

Edited October 18, 2007 by Green-eyed girl

[Imua 0]

Congratulations and your example is inspiring - I will be following your example and contacting Senator Schumer et al. as soon as I file. I am curious, how did you say you would deal with the age difference in your statement on the I-129? I am still working on mine and plan to address our red flags up front as well. my husband and I have a 16 year age gap(me 40, he 24) but no previous marriages or kids on both our sides. We did have a very quick marriage and short courtship/engagement as is typical in Nepali society - the difference is I am a Euro-American...