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| San Jose CA |  Review on September 19, 2006: |
Miwa
Rating:  | Review Topic: Adjustment of Status
We reached the office about 35 minutes prior to our interview time (10.30am). Husband (USC) had a can of diet coke with him and we found out that on top of cell phones, PDAs and laptops, we cannot bring in food or drink in. We finished the diet coke before entering where the security checked our ID (passport for non-USC, DL for USC) and our appointment letter. Our files and novels (brought them just in case we needed to wait) went through the x-ray machines with husband's shoes. We were then directed to 2nd floor and instructed to put our interview notice in a box in front of a window.
During the course of our wait, we noticed that 2 other couples were late for their interview as the officers would call their name and asked them why they were late. One had an interview at 8.30am but was there only at 10 am. However, the officers (one Caucasian white haired gentleman, the other a Chinese middle aged man) discussed on how to fit them in to the packed schedule. They were very polite. Both couples were lucky as when the officers called out the names of other people (I counted at least 3 names), no one answered. Hence, the officers were able to interview those 2 couples eventhough they were late.
We were called in by a lady at approximately 10.45am (we didn't wear our watches). We were brought in to her room and she asked us to keep standing and raise our right hands. She fiddled with the camera abit (it's an old, bulky Panasonic camera) and sworn us in.
She went through my file which she had opened in front of her desk. My file was at least 2 inches thick! She was very thorough and asked us questions such as:
- Have I been working in US?
- (Separately) Is this our respective first marriages? Do we respectively have any children?
- My phone number and the house phone number
- Have I or my husband used any other name before?
- How did we meet?
- Some of the questions from the list of questions on the AOS application (did I ever commit a crime, used false documentation for immigration purposes, etc)
- When did I visit US (This was when she noticed my cancelled B1 visa with 2 entry stamps)? For how long was I here? Have I ever overstayed? Why was I here during both occassions?
- Do I drive? (I replied that I have passed my driving test but I am waiting for my EAD or green card before I get my DL)
- Have I gone back to Malaysia?
- To my husband (USC), she asked him if he was working and where does he work?
- Where did I get my TB test done? She looked through the DS-3025 (?) that I submitted and looked puzzled. We promptly provided her with the I-693A vaccination supplement and she was happy to see it.
- Proof of our relationship after getting married. (I provided a tenancy agreement, letter from our bank (indicating joint bank accounts), letter from his company (indicating that I am insured under his name for health insurance), copy of 401k beneficiary form that he filled out recently naming me as a beneficiary and car insurance with our names on it)
- Photos
- Has my husband take me anywhere for a vacation?
- Has my husband ever submitted copies of his passport or birth certificate to the USCIS? (We said yes, and she had to go through the file to find it)
- How long did our K-1 visa process take? (She said that we were lucky to get our visa in 9 months)
- She noted that my husband bought the engagement ring a month after we started dating.
She was very thorough with my file (going through page by page). She told us that our file looks ok but unfortunately, we are still pending the FBI name check which we may get either tomorrow or in 6 months time, it is out of her hands. I was informed that if I passed, I will get an approval notice, followed by a green card 3 weeks later. If I did not pass the FBI name check, she will have to call me in again.
She noted that my AP & EAD application was wrongly sent to San Jose office as they no longer process it there, which explains why my application is nearing 90 days and I have no sign of both of them. She will return them to the Chicago office tomorrow and they will process it there for me. However, since I made my application in June, she is sure that they will process my application according to the date I submitted them.
By the way, I am convinced that the "Are you working? Are you driving? Have you gone back to Malaysia?" are trick questions designed to catch me if I did those illegal things, especially since she saw those applications (unapproved) before she asked me those questions!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #856