Local US CIS Office Review: Newark NJ
Review Topic: cis_topic
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
December 15, 2007 |
| Embassy Review : |
Hi everyone!
I'm very pleased to say that my husband's Adjustment of Status was approved today at our interview in Newark, New Jersey. My husband added me to his bank account the night before our interview, and we asked for the photocopy of the sheet they wanted us to sign. Additionally, I had my financial planner add my husband as a benificiary on my retirement fund. We also had copies of our credit cards, phone bills, important email conversations, train tickets, bus tickets, our itinerary for our trip to India next month, and from our trip over Labor Day weekend.
Our appointment was scheduled for 8:30 on the 15th floor of 970 Broad St. We arrived in the building about 8:00, cleared security at the Walnut street entrance, and proceded to the 15th floor. When we presented our reciept to the guard who told us that we would have to go to the 13th floor. We took the elevator down two floors and arrived on the 13th floor. There were two people that were standing guard in front of the door we were supposed to enter. Each person had their own podium and they were checking IDs and notices. We were checked and directed to procede towards "Window 1". We appeared at window 1 and waited a few minutes as the women behind the counter organized some papers she was holding. Afterwards she took our notice and instructed us to have a seat and wait for our name to be called. We did not bring cell phones or watches so we did not have any idea of what time it was or how long we were waiting.
We were called in by a gentleman in his 40's with a slight eastern European accent. As you probably know from reading this thread I was extremely nervous about this interview because we were living apart, and had what I felt was limited financial comingling. I thought we would be separated from the get go and viciously questioned. But the officer was very welcoming, and very polite. After we were sworn in he asked for ID, we both showed our passports. My husband's I-94 was not there because it had fallen off the staple in the passport, he asked specifically for that and then stapled it to the file. My husband said that we were planning on going to India next week and might need the card. The officer said that we would not need it, and continued to attach it to the file.
At this point we looked at each other and grinned because we knew this was a good sign. The officer then looked at his I-485, and asked if we both lived at my husband's address. My husband said, no, she goes to college in XXXXXXX so she lives with her parents, He then checked the I-130 and confirmed my address. And confirmed with me, that my parents house is closer, and I said "yes, its only about 5 miles from college" He seemed satisfied with our answer.
He asked my husband where he worked, and then said, "Oh yes, I've heard of them, they're well known, but certainly not well regarded" He asked my husband if his company had filed for his greencard, and he replyed no. He asked if his company applied for an H1B, and my husband said no, they applied for an L1B visa. He said that he's an intracompany transfer, and cannot quit his job unless he goes back to India completes some resignation formalities. Our officer said, "yes, that makes sense."
He asked when we met. We explained that we are from the same town in India, although I was born in the US. My cousins are good friends with my husband, and that we had an arranged marriage. My husband mentioned that he remembered seeing me when I visited the town in 1997, to which I replyed that: "I was only 9 then, so I don't remember him... I think the first memory I have of him is from my trip in 2003" The officer found that hilarious, and laughed with us.
He then asked us for some financial documentation. I explained that since we live apart, we didn't open an account until the previous day since we have to open the account in person. I showed him the papers we signed in the bank the previous day. I also showed him a copy of the contract I signed adding my husband as a benificiary on my retirement policy. I showed him the confirmation printout from their webpage, and mentioned that the company made a mistake and keyed him in as my "sister". The officer found this very funny, and went on to say that he found that very unbelievable since my husband's name is one of the most masculine in the whole world.
He added these documents to the file, and then asked to see some pictures. I told him that I had an album but wanted to remove one photograph of my husband and I where I am not wearing my Hijab (the scarf I wear for religious reasons in front of males that are not: my father, brothers, uncles, grandfathers, husbands, or father in laws). He said that was fine. We went through the pictures together. One of the comments he made was that the ponchos at niagara falls were yellow, not blue, and I said that was b/c we didn't take my husband on the Maid of the Mist, only to Cave of the Wind. I added that he was still bitter about that, and the officer said "don't worry, the view is much better from the Canadian side, so its good that you didn't go, now you can go again and see it from the other side." He finished up our pictures, and gave them back.
He told us that we had assembled a very impressive case, and that he would be approving us. He said that he was relieved to see that my Husband's FBI check had cleared because that usually causes problems with people. He then stamped a bunch of things and then asked when we were planning to go to India. My husband said that we leaving next Saturday and the officer mentioned that we would not get our physical card by then, he said that he would stamp his passport so that he can travel inside and out of the USA, for the next one year. We said that would be great. He then went into details about removing conditions, and said that we should file the forme I 751 around December 1st 2009, so that we would have atleast 2 weeks to fix any problems that might arise. He also added that he knew we had a few problems this time so it would be smart to file it earlier for the permanent card. We both said thank you, and he led us to the exit.
We are both SOO relieved, and now I can go back to buring my head in the pile of books I have to study until next Thursday!  |
| Harassment Level : |
Very Good |
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ver 5.0