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| Chicago IL |  Review on May 7, 2019: |
MM&CS
Rating:  | Review Topic: Adjustment of Status
We had our interview at the Chicago Field Office this morning. We dressed nicely, not fancy, but cute sweaters cause it was grey and rainy and gross, and dress slacks, and sneakers cause neither one of us is so vested in making a good impression we're walking 4 miles in Chicago in the cold and wet in heels! 😂
We walked in, went through security, up to the second floor and were pointed to the check in window by a very sweet, very cheerful guard. They asked if we were waiting on a lawyer or translator (no), then stamped our interview letter, gave us a receipt with a number on it, and told us to go sit by door 1. We got there at 9:11, our interview was at 9:30. By the time we got in, got through security, and got checked in, it was 9:25. At 9:36, our IO came out (not from door 1, I'd like to point out, but from the 'emergency exit only' door at the other end of the wall 😂) and called our number.
We got let into his office, and he had our file out and ready to go. He swore us in, and asked us to put away any electronics. (I'd brought my tablet with because finals are this week and every spare second available has been study time).
He started with me (USC), asked me my full name, DOB, address. Any kids? Former marriages? He asked for a copy of my divorce records from the previous marriage, and spent about 5 minutes flipping through them. (At that point he'd asked me my DOB three times, while flipping through the paperwork, and now this? I was doubting my own DOB, and wondering if I was still married to the jerk!😂)Â
Then he turned to my wife, and ran through the yes/no questions from the application again. Are you a criminal? A drug runner? Did you tell anyone you were a USC? Are you working? Any kids? Any other marriages? After that, he took her picture, and index fingerprints. He asked me how we met (both transformers nerds on Tumblr), when we started dating (after we met in person, and realized we were both dorks that had been crushing on each other for almost a year), and when I proposed (when I flew halfway round the world and chucked a ring box at her head while jet lagged AF 😂). He asked her if she'd met my family (yes), when we got married, where (in the park, with a friend who was ordained overseeing the little ceremony. He got hung up on that for a minute, asking if we were married in the court house? no? In a park? By who? In a park? Really?). Asked if we'd had a celebration (not really. We explained we were going to have a proper ceremony and celebration on an anniversary after I graduate from the respiratory therapy program next year).Â
He asked us for our birth certificates, passports, goverment issued IDs, then asked if we had anything to prove we had a bona-fide relationship. I gave him a copy of our joint bank account statement, a printout that showed she was on my health insurance, a cell phone bill with both of our names on it, and a handful of pictures of us together. He looked at them but didn't ask any questions about anything. He made a couple notes on the application and said that he was going to give us a receipt for the interview, and he would have to review our case and he'd let us know by mail within a month if there was anything else he needed from us, and did we have any questions for him? I asked him if he wanted our joint tax return for this year, and he said yea, if you have it.Â
I gave it to him, and explained that it shows I made less last year than the minimum requirements ($333 less than the minimum....good job me), but that was because I had worked a single week at my old job last January as an independent contractor, and my school fried brain didn't even think when I filled out my schedule C and took my deductions. I had quit that job the end of December 2017, because I'd found a better job that would provide for me and my future wife, but I'd agreed to work that one week in January to help out. I had a print out of my bank account showing I had 3x that amount in my savings account. He took it all, said thanks, and led us back out. We went to a coffee shop, grabbed a bite, went back to the hotel and pack, and drove the 3 hours home. As we walk in the door, my phone dings an update on the USCIS tracker app. I'm thinking it'll say something like 'RFE has been sent' or 'in processing'. Nope.
NEW CARD IS BEING PRODUCED
5 hours from the time we left his office, to this update.
It was a quick, painless process, and for as busy as the place was, it was fairly calm, and apparently went well enough! 😂
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #26121