USCIS Agents unannounced home visit after ROC Approve and GC in hands ???

[sirvang 18]

So its been almost a month since my wife GC was approve and was mail to us. This morning around 9am 2 USCIS agents shows up at our house.

They introduce themselves as USCIS Investigator (Showed us their USCIS Badge) and ask to see my wife GC, Passport, and State DL. And also ask me for my State DL.

 

Here what they ask:

 

How long are we married?

How many child do we have?

Do we both own any cars?

Do we own or rent the house we live in?

 

After writing a few notes on a notepad/clipboard they just left in a all Black Ford Explorer.

 

Has anyone in the US experience this kind of home visit by USCIS? Is it common?

 

Edited March 22, 2019 by sirvang

[Roel 7,191]

Not common but it happens. 

[Zaczon 62]

10 minutes ago, sirvang said:

So its been almost a month since my wife GC was approve and was mail to us. This morning around 9am 2 USCIS agents shows up at our house.

They introduce themselves as USCIS Investigator (Showed us their USCIS Badge) and ask to see my wife GC, Passport, and State DL. And also ask me for my State DL.

 

Here what they ask:

 

How long are we married?

How many child do we have?

Do we both own any cars?

Do we own or rent the house we live in?

 

After writing a few notes on a notepad/clipboard they just left in a all Black Ford Explorer.

 

Has anyone in the US experience this kind of home visit by USCIS? Is it common?

 

Never heard of this but its possible especially when after going through your documents and find any reason to doubt you.

They could follow up just to be sure.

 

[WaterLeaf 199]

How could I tell if this is not a fraud/someone else claiming to be USCIS to get personal info?

[Zaczon 62]

5 minutes ago, WaterLeaf said:

How could I tell if this is not a fraud/someone else claiming to be USCIS to get personal info?

You have a point though.

Because this is very strange.

23 minutes ago, sirvang said:

So its been almost a month since my wife GC was approve and was mail to us. This morning around 9am 2 USCIS agents shows up at our house.

They introduce themselves as USCIS Investigator (Showed us their USCIS Badge) and ask to see my wife GC, Passport, and State DL. And also ask me for my State DL.

 

Here what they ask:

 

How long are we married?

How many child do we have?

Do we both own any cars?

Do we own or rent the house we live in?

 

After writing a few notes on a notepad/clipboard they just left in a all Black Ford Explorer.

 

Has anyone in the US experience this kind of home visit by USCIS? Is it common?

 

Write an email to USCIS to ask them if they know anything about this and what that was about.

[sirvang 18]

9 minutes ago, WaterLeaf said:

How could I tell if this is not a fraud/someone else claiming to be USCIS to get personal info?

 

9 minutes ago, WaterLeaf said:

How could I tell if this is not a fraud/someone else claiming to be USCIS to get personal info?

They will bring your info you send to USCIS with them such your SSN and Case Number. And also show you their USCIS Badge/ID and give you their contact card.

 

And a quick search of VJ forums do show that a few VJ member also got unannounced home visit from USCIS.

Edited March 22, 2019 by sirvang

[Hypnos 6,576]

It's far from common but it's happened before.

 

Something important to note is that it doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong, because the agents have to be trained in discerning legitimate relationships from fakes, and so it doesn't necessarily mean you are considered to have done something wrong just by virtue of them showing up. You also don't even have to let them in your residence if you don't want to. If your RoC was already granted and the green card is in your hands then you aren't beholden to them in any way.

[GBOS 198]

2 hours ago, sirvang said:

So its been almost a month since my wife GC was approve and was mail to us. This morning around 9am 2 USCIS agents shows up at our house.

They introduce themselves as USCIS Investigator (Showed us their USCIS Badge) and ask to see my wife GC, Passport, and State DL. And also ask me for my State DL.

 

Here what they ask:

 

How long are we married?

How many child do we have?

Do we both own any cars?

Do we own or rent the house we live in?

 

After writing a few notes on a notepad/clipboard they just left in a all Black Ford Explorer.

 

Has anyone in the US experience this kind of home visit by USCIS? Is it common?

 

Did you ask why they are there?

[sharin 41]

4 hours ago, Hypnos said:

It's far from common but it's happened before.

 

Something important to note is that it doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong, because the agents have to be trained in discerning legitimate relationships from fakes, and so it doesn't necessarily mean you are considered to have done something wrong just by virtue of them showing up. You also don't even have to let them in your residence if you don't want to. If your RoC was already granted and the green card is in your hands then you aren't beholden to them in any way.

Unsettling part of this experience, how to really identify if they were not fake USCIS Agents.

I mean anyone can show any badge and risk exposing your family members / kids to strangers by letting them in. 

Edited March 22, 2019 by sharin

[nintendoswitch 39]

Did you call USCIS? 

[Ash.1101 1,755]

1 hour ago, sharin said:

Unsettling part of this experience, how to really identify if they were not fake USCIS Agents.

I mean anyone can show any badge and risk exposing your family members / kids to strangers by letting them in. 

Honestly if they showed up here, after my husband already has his 10 year GC in hand. I would ask them why they were there, and to confirm personal information, such as last four digits of one of our socials, case number, etc.

If they couldn't do that, then I would tell them we'd be glad to speak to them at the local service center, and then see where that goes.


Not that I imagine fraud happens often, but it's one reason that we don't really talk to much about my husband being an immigrant. Luckily for us, no one's even guessed he was an immigrant until he mentions he was from Canada.


With all of that said though, they can come visit any household with an immigrant when ever they want as long as it's not often enough to constitute as being considered harassment.

I would call USCIS to confirm that it was a legit visit and that everything that happened was through USCIS and not just an attempt at identity theft or a way to scout out your home/property for future break-ins.

Edited March 22, 2019 by Ash.1101

[NikLR 13,220]

I tell everyone I'm from Canada lol.  

[nullaccount234 882]

1 hour ago, sharin said:

Unsettling part of this experience, how to really identify if they were not fake USCIS Agents.

I mean anyone can show any badge and risk exposing your family members / kids to strangers by letting them in. 

I was walking home a few years ago in the middle of the night when a car stopped slightly in ahead of me, just by the curb. A man comes out, looks completely civilian, introduces himself and flashes a police badge. At this point I realize that I would never, ever be able to tell a fake one from a real one. The thing that did make him seem like a real policeman to me was actually not the badge but the fact that he had a radio on him that he spoke into. He needed to check my ID for some not immediately evident reason, I believe he said he was looking for someone who was lost or something. 

 

Anyway, I'm still not sure what you're supposed to do in situations like that. It can definitely be a bit unsettling.

[xillini 71]

43 minutes ago, Ash.1101 said:

Not that I imagine fraud happens often, but it's one reason that we don't really talk to much about my husband being an immigrant. 

That is absolutely true. 

 

If one challenges immigrants by using profanity or provocative words against immigrants, (fully being aware that he is an immigrant and that as soon as police comes in and just have police arrest him for no valid reasons), many would guess he would have to go thru much tougher scrutiny due to arrest records and finger print captured during booking, which may or may not be used against his further immigration benefits (such as I 751 or N400) just because he had an arrest records that will complicate the case and alerts reviewing immigration officers to pay full attention. 

 

Even if an USC punch immigrant's face first for no reasons, and they defend themselves for self-protection, the chance is likely that both will be arrested by police (again it kinda of depends on circumstances). While it may or may not hurt the USC depending on how lawyered up they are, it would effectively hurt immigrants for immigration benefits since USCIS considers charge itself as a serious violation and can take further appropriate actions. 

 

So technically and practically, some Americans (such as MAGA supporters) have arguably unlimited weapons to build their own cases against any immigrants they just hate for no reasons, and effectively make their life much tougher and bullied in 2019's US by USCIS. Basically we live in a world where immigrant status itself can be targeted by someone and can accelerate into extenuating circumstances. 

[mindthegap 2,521]

After ROC approved? 

 

Edited March 22, 2019 by mindthegap