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| Helena MT |  Review on May 4, 2022: |
Jules_FP
Rating:  | Review Topic: Adjustment of Status
We arrived on time, and the security personnel were kind, understanding and informative. After showing our interview notification letter, they explained every step of the security procedure, which was similar to an airport check: no metal and nothing bulky on your person, everything else on a tub thru the imaging machine.
We were very quickly welcomed by our interviewing officer, male, in his 40s, who led us to his office.
We were asked to take a seat, provide identification, and then swear to only state the truth.
The interview was very friendly and straightforward, which I believe is the IO's way of getting people to be honest about their case and to give out information freely.
We were asked to provide some of the mandatory documents such as the summons letter and the marriage certificate. After that he verified I had provided my overseas medical (DS-3025) from the printed USCIS records he had in his power.
Then, he asked if I "had anything from him", this is, secondary evidence. I provided him with about 10 pictures printed on regular, letter sized paper (as a couple, we dislike pictures and social media, so were a little worried about this part as we have very little online presence and even fewer pictures), which he took without any problems. We also provided 4 short sworn letters from people that knew us: our neighbors, a married couple we had befriended, our church pastor, and my spouse's parents. The letters varied but they all stated that they were aware we were sincerely married and that we lived together, adding usually a simple statement or anecdote of how they knew us. He read each of them, and collected them. When I tried to provide him with our joint tax returns and joint bank account statements he said that he had enough evidence and more was not necessary.
After this, we proceded to the security questions, which were pretty straightforward and sounded mostly like a chore. When asked if I had ever worked in the US without authorization, I answered truthfully that I had had, after which he asked me when and where. He said, "no more issues regarding this, you have an exception as an immediate relative and this cannot affect your Adjustment of Status". After we completed the security questions I had to sign that my updated answers were truthful and correct.
He then proceded to scan every document I had provided, and then returned them all to me.
He informed us that he was approving our petition, and congratulated us. However, the computer system was not letting him approve the case without the I-694 medical form, which was not a requirement in my case as I had filed my I-485 AoS form within one year of my overseas medical examination. He then verified the date of the overseas vaccination record, and that the "completed" checkmark was there. The officer then gave us the "USCIS is unable to complete your case at this time, and is being continued until a final decision can be made" notice. HOWEVER, he assured us he was just going to go get his coworker so he could manually approve our case the same day or the next. He said the green card would arrive in the mail within 2 to 3 weeks.
In spite of the snag at the end, the Helena, MT USCIS Office was quick, friendly and informative.
I would be happy to answer any other questions here for my fellow VisaJourney Montanans.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #31014