Local US CIS Office Review: Los Angeles CA
Review Topic: cis_topic
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
June 24, 2024 |
| Embassy Review : |
My wife (a US Citizen) is my sponsor, and I am the beneficiary. I am an Indian National with an Indian Passport and am working on an H1B visa in the US. We married a year ago and filed for GC on 04/12/2021.
We received our NOA for I-130, I-765, I-131, and I-485 on 05//01/2021. Biometrics were taken on 07/15/2021. We received the NOA for our AOS interview on 10/10/2021 and attended it on 11/10/2021 at the Los Angeles Field Office.
Our interview time was set for 11:30 AM, and we live east of Pasadena, CA. So we drove to LA downtown and parked across the Mall of LA. Most of the stores, including the restrooms, are closed.
We arrived at the office at 9:30 AM and got in line, which was long and curved around the building, at 9:45 AM. After five minutes of standing in the queue, a security guard asked and checked about the appointment letters and politely showed some applicants standing in a separate line. We realized the line was for AOS interview candidates when he asked us to join the line, which consisted of about 12 people. Once he combed everyone with AOS interview appointments, he led us to a different door, which led to the federal building. A security guard told us that it is a federal building and that we will go through a security check. They asked if anyone was carrying a gun or knife, etc. They asked us to put backpacks, wallets, watches, and other items in the pocket. We were asked to remove our shoes as well. Overall, the security people were friendly. The security check took less than five minutes. I was carrying my backpack full of documents, so it was heavy. They sent my bag twice to get extra layers of contents inside. The AOS interviews happen on the 8th floor, and the room we were allotted to is 8024. We used the restroom downstairs and took the elevators upstairs. By 10:10 AM, we stood in line to check-in.
The waiting area in Room # 8024 is spacious, and chairs were spaced out to give the attended a six ft. social distance. There are six counters; if I recall correctly, only three are being operated. By 10:20 AM, we were at the counter, and the lady took our IDs and appointment letters. She scanned it and took my two index finger scans and my picture. She asked us to wait in the 8024 area (then I realized there was another waiting room, 8059). We stayed for a good 75 minutes or so. By the way, the bathrooms are across room 8024, but we did not use them as we saw two people almost missed the call by IO; however, the officer allocated a few extra minutes for the person to show up. There were two doors to interview offices, labeled as Door #1 and Door #2. There was also an announcement speaker, which was weak, and please pay attention if the room was loud with people talking.
At 11:43 AM, an IO called my name to come to Door #2. My wife and I walked to the door, and the officer introduced herself as Ms. Chavez. She was calm and neutral. We followed her into her office, and she took us for our oath. Once it was done, she asked us to sit next to each other, and she sat across from us at her desk. There was a temporary transparent barrier on her desk for COVID-19 prevention. She asked me if I had an I-693 medical evaluation and Vaccination record; I said yes and handed the sealed I-693 to the officer.
The officer asked for my wife’s name and if she was a US citizen by birth or by naturalization, for which my wife gave her name and US citizenship by birth. She asked where she was born and what address she lives in now. My wife told the officer the current living address and added I live with my husband, and this is him with I am here for this interview. The officer also asked what she did for work and how long she had worked there. The officer asked my wife to show our joint financial documents, for which my wife gave her our joint bank statements, lease, and joint credit cards, which show we both are using and payments made with our names, utility bills, car titles, and DLs with the same address. The officer skimmed through them. She asked my wife how we met and how long it took us to meet after messaging on Tinder, for which we met via Tinder, and it only took 2-3 days to meet in person after texting. She asked my wife if she had ever been married in the US or anywhere outside the US. My wife answered No.
Then, the officer asked me to state my name and what I do for work in the US. I answered, and she also added that I work in the US on a temporary work visa and answered yes. She asked about the type of work I do and where we are both married. I described my work and gave the date of our marriage. I offered our original certified marriage certificate, and she said she didn’t need it as she had a photocopy from our application packet. She also asked me 10-12 Yes or No questions, which I answered No as they are. She asked me if I was ever married in India or US, and I said no.
The officer asked me since I was born and raised in india; Indian culture has a significant portion of marriages arranged. How did my parents feel when I told them about my love and plans of marrying my wife. I told her my parents belong to different castes in India, and theirs was also a love marriage and because they had no problem with me marrying my love. Officer asked me what a caste is, and I explained, and she took notes on that. She asked if my parents ever knew if they were married to my wife and if they ever saw us or visited us in the US. I answered my father passed away in 2010, and the officer said she was sorry to hear that. And I continued that my mom was happy when she heard I was marrying my wife, and she gave her blessings. I added that we chatted with my family once every 2-3 days, and my wife spoke with them.
One of the yes or no questions was if someone had ever applied for a green card on my behalf. I said yes, and it was my previous employer. She asked me if it was an employer-based GC, and I said yes. She added that I have an I-140 and you are waiting for PD to be current, and I said yes.
The officer also asked us how often we take trips; we said since both doses of vaccination, we have been traveling together once every six weeks or so; she said it was good to hear. We offered her our boarding passes, and she skimmed through them and kept the file with her. I also showed her my Google location history (Google Maps -> Timeline, it will only work if you have Google location activated), from the first date we met to all of our travels together. When offered, she was surprised and asked me who would do this. I explained, I always activated google location history and realized I could use it to document to show we have been traveling together. She kept the document.
We asked her if she wanted to see our photographs together and gave her two albums, one before the wedding and another one with after-wedding pictures. The officer asked us for photos of us together from our marriage until now, and we gave her about 45, and the officer kept them in the file. I also asked if she wanted to see our communication record, and she took it, skimmed it, and returned it to me.
I double-checked and took copies of everything except our car titles, and I was embarrassed when the officer asked if I had copies of them. I said I forgot to get the photocopies, and she said, not a problem. We can ask her if we have any questions once she comes back from photocopying our DLs and car titles. Once she returned and handed us our car titles and DLs, I asked her what was next and when we would hear about the AOS decision. She said she would call me ( took my cell phone number) if she needed anything by 11/17/2021. If I don’t get a call from the officer in a week, that means the green card will be sent by mail; it will be issued for two years until our second wedding anniversary. The officer then added that USCIS would not send any notification to alert the sponsor and beneficiary to apply for removal of conditions (I-751) 90 days before the expiration of the conditional green card. We have to track it and use it. I asked in the case if she needs any documents from me, should I mail them to her? She answered, no, don’t send it by mail, as receiving is a hassle. If I need any documents, I will tell you what that would be and receive an RFE. Once you have all the requested information, bring them in person and hand them to me in person by using your RFE as an appointment letter. We thanked the officer for her time, and she walked us out to the door. The interview concluded at 12:47 PM, so 64 minutes.
Even though the officer did not give her a decision after the interview, my wife and I felt good about how the interview went.
Today is 11/16/21; I have not received any phone calls or emails from USCIS regarding further information, so fingers crossed. I will update any new information as soon as I get it from USCIS.
On a side note, the morning before our interview, we got a notification email from USCIS that my AP had been approved. Two days later, my EAD was approved. As of 11/15/2021, USCIS has updated that my EAD has been mailed to me.
Overall, we had a pleasant experience with the interview process.
Update as of 12/01/2021: USCIS updated my case status to "New Card is being produced". 12/10/21: Card was received.
09/07/23: I-751 for ROC was filed and received NOA for 48 months. |
| Harassment Level : |
Very Good |
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ver 5.0