Approved after 2 months - Thanks VJ and its members

[dumb_elephant 0]

Hi everyone,

just want to say a big thank you to this community. I filed my AOS package (I-130, I-145, I-131, & I-765) on August 24 this year and this past Thursday we had our interview in Newark, NJ. It took 10 minutes and she approved us on the spot! She said the whole package was in such good order, hence everything moved along so quickly - which obviously is all thanks to the comprehensive and very helpful guides posted on this website. I can write more about the interview experience later if anyone is interested. Either way, just want to say a big thanks to all of you and hopefully I can pay it forward to future applicants.

Cheers,

F

[Know_Ledge 6]

Hi everyone,

just want to say a big thank you to this community. I filed my AOS package (I-130, I-145, I-131, & I-765) on August 24 this year and this past Thursday we had our interview in Newark, NJ. It took 10 minutes and she approved us on the spot! She said the whole package was in such good order, hence everything moved along so quickly - which obviously is all thanks to the comprehensive and very helpful guides posted on this website. I can write more about the interview experience later if anyone is interested. Either way, just want to say a big thanks to all of you and hopefully I can pay it forward to future applicants.

Cheers,

F

YAY!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!

[jkelly07 120]

congratulations,

[mrrb30 0]

Congrats.

I would be interested in hearing a detailed account of your experience

[Alex13 5]

Awesome, congratulations! I was approved last Friday and got my GC in the mail today.

[dumb_elephant 0]

Great Alex! Such a relief, isn't it!?

@mrrb30: I will write a detailed account of my experience soon. My sister is coming to visit from Sweden on Tuesday, so the wifey had me on cleaning duty today.

[daryl&lada 8]

Congratulations!!!

[Know_Ledge 6]

@mrrb30: I will write a detailed account of my experience soon. My sister is coming to visit from Sweden on Tuesday, so the wifey had me on cleaning duty today.

happy wife, happy life....

[R_N_M 4]

Congratulations

[GnBnL 50]

Awesome! yes, VJ saved me! yay for VJ!

[Sirdaniel42 86]

Congratulations

[Leatherneck 693]

Congratulations!

[A P 1]

Congratulations! Do you mind posting the order of your application so we all can learn from it? Thank you so much!

[dumb_elephant 0]

Thanks everyone for the all the congrats!

As promised, here is my experience with the interview process:

On a rainy and cold Thursday we had an appointment in Newark, NJ at 2.30pm. We arrived 35 minutes early, went through the metal detectors, and were directed to the 13th floor - which when I know think about it, is nothing for the superstitious. On the 13th floor we were greeted by a security guard who on a happiness scale between 1 and 10 would be a minus 1. However, somehow in her misery she managed to tell us to go through the door and up to the window were a receptionist asked us for our appointment letter and IDs. She quickly looked them over and asked us to have a seat among the other anxiously waiting couples. Around 2.25pm I heard my name called over the speakers. We were let in by the interviewer and she took us to her office in the back. She told us to raise our right hand and asked "Do you swear to tell the truth..?"; which we obviously answered "yes" to. The whole interview after that was very quick, like 10 minutes - she was very friendly and said everything was easy as the paperwork was so neatly put together (Thanks VJ). I figure I will make a short list of the questions she asked:

1. Can I see your passport? When was the last time your entered the US (whilst looking at my I-94). After I answered correctly, she ripped it out.

2. How did you meet?

3. When and where did you get married? Was it a small/large ceremony? How many people were there? Do you have photo of the ceremony? - we did and she asked us to identify the people in the photo (which was the justice of peace, us, and my wife's parents). She also asked if she could keep the original, as they like to have an original photo on file. I had sent them this photo plus 6 additional photos of us in New York, Sweden, Miami, Costa Rica, and Hawaii printed on regular printer paper in my original application.

4. Do you have evidence supporting your marriage in addition to the original marriage license (lease, car insurance, joint bank account, etc). We had brought our current and last lease which have both our names on them. We also brought a joint bank statement (which had our last address on them and we had to explain that we have not updated our address with our bank yet since we moved in August aka I forgot).

5. You are adjusting from a J-1 - what did you do while on your J-1? Do you have your I-20 - which I did.

6. She asked me a couple of the screening questions, that is, are you a communist, nazi, terrorist, etc? Most of the questions she did not ask, however, I saw her just checking them off assuming I am not here to overthrow the government.

That was pretty much it in terms of questions. She did mention that she checked my wife's salary (don't know how - maybe tax return?), so we never had to show her the tax returns, letter for employer, pay stubs or W-2s we brought. She also mentioned that my medical looked great and I was up to date on vaccinations. Other items we did not have to show, which we brought, were: original birth certificate (both mine and my wife's), my wife's passport, photos (except for the ceremony one), and NOAs. Also, I should mention, neither of us wear a wedding ring (we are having a bigger ceremony next year, when we will exchange rings in front of both our families and friends).

The interviewer told us she would recommend that I get a green card and that I will receive it within 30 days, probably less. Success! As I walked out through the waiting room I could not help feel a bit bad for the people in there who do not know about this community and probably waste thousands of dollars on lawyers..

Please let me know if you have any further questions. I believe my case was so quick because everything was in order and I finished both my undergraduate and graduate studies here. That is, I have been here since 2002 on two F-1s, a J-1, and two OPTs.

[patriciameas 0]

awesome, congratulations!

Edited November 1, 2011 by patriciameas