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| New York City NY |  Review on September 16, 2011: |
VanHouten
Rating:  | Review Topic: Adjustment of Status
We were scheduled for 2:30pm, walked into 26 Federal Plaza at 2:00pm, showed our interview letter in room 800, and were redirected to the 4th floor, where we showed the letter there along with picture IDs, and were told to wait to be called. There were about 30 other individuals in the waiting room.
We waited about 10 minutes, in that time only one other couple was called in. At 2:20pm an immigration officer called my wife's name. It was an african american lady about 35 years old. We followed her to an office, where she instructed us to remain standing, and swore us in. She invited us to sit down, and asked for original passports, birth certificates, marriage license, and any financial, insurance documents and any photographs we would like to present to support our application. While I was taking out the papers, she proceeded to question my wife, shooting out questions one after another.
Where did you meet? What were the circumstances? Who was with you at that time? Did you both know that person before? (It was during vacation in a third country) How did you stay in touch after the first meeting? When did you see each other next? Where was it? (another third country).
At this point she switched over to me: what did you do there? A few more questions about our relationship, our travel while in the US, our wedding (where, when, etc.), did I meet anyone from my wife's family, how many sisters/brothers, any other relatives. Back to my wife with similar questions about my relatives, how many times did she leave the country since arriving in the US. At the same time she was going through the documents, pictures, our wedding album, filing those to the case folder. When she came to a copy of an ultrasound picture (we are expecting a child), she warmed up a bit, and we chatted a bit more about the baby, asked me the due date, name of my wife's doctor and where the doctor's office was located, then asked my wife to stand up, noting that it wasn't really showing yet (but at this point it sounded quite friendly). She asked my wife if we rented or owned, if we had any joint accounts (by that time she already reviewed bank statements and credit card accounts and filed them), asked me the exact full maiden name of my wife and her date of birth, then went with my wife through the list of questions on I-485 (prior arrests, drug dealing etc.), asked if we knew about removal of conditions, and if we had any other questions for her.
We mentioned our plans to travel out of the country in 3 weeks, and she replied that it would take a few more days to get a final decision, but there was no reason for concern as she saw no issues with the case. Once approval is granted, the green card would arrive in 2 to 6 weeks, and in the meantime we could use the advanced parole, which she returned to us along with employment authorization card, also making a copy of I-94 for us, and keeping the original.
Overall the interview took about 25 minutes, we were out at 2:45pm, a bit exhausted but happy.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #8326