Parent interview - can I attend?

[eckoin 211]

I'm quite a bit of time away from the process, but I was wondering about this. 

 

I will be petitioning my mother to come to the US after I become a citizen. Her English is conversationally good, but I don't think she'd be comfortable answering some of the more technical immigration questions. 

 

Can I go to the interview with her, in part to help translate? Or is that a bad idea (putting words in her mouth and whatnot), and she should just get an interpretor as backup? 

[aleful 1,905]

hi

 

she will be having the interview in her country, in her language. so no need to translate

 

 

[eckoin 211]

3 minutes ago, aleful said:

hi

 

she will be having the interview in her country, in her language. so no need to translate

 

 

Well, she lives in Canada, so it will be in English (or French). She just never really got the hang of technical language, though she can chat in English without issues. Don't ask how--she's lived there for well almost two decades now... 

 

But that's interesting anyway, I would have thought all interviews are in English... Good to know! 

Edited April 7, 2019 by eckoin

[Boiler 43,433]

Check but I assume French is an option.

[eckoin 211]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

Check but I assume French is an option.

Oh no she doesn't speak French at all. I just meant, since I didn't know the interview is conducted in local language, I assume Canada provides both options? My mother comfortably speaks Russian.

[nastra30 1,983]

I doubt they'll let you be her translator. What are the technical immigration language they might ask your mom? I'll assume interviews of parents wouldn't be that 'technical'? 

[eckoin 211]

Just now, nastra30 said:

I doubt they'll let you be her translator. What are the technical immigration language they might ask your mom? I'll assume interviews of parents wouldn't be that 'technical'? 

Hmm, I was thinking back to my green card interview and the I-485 kinds of questions. I know it's not a form for parents, but you know those "are you a terrorist" questions? I'm just worried some of those might confuse her. Or is a parent green card interview just about her biographical data basically? 

[NikLR 13,220]

6 minutes ago, eckoin said:

Hmm, I was thinking back to my green card interview and the I-485 kinds of questions. I know it's not a form for parents, but you know those "are you a terrorist" questions? I'm just worried some of those might confuse her. Or is a parent green card interview just about her biographical data basically? 

It will be a lot more basic than your marriage interview.  There were certainly no "are you a terrorist" questions at my interview in Montreal.  

She should be able to converse with the interviewer but as a USC you can accompany her. 

[eckoin 211]

1 minute ago, NikLR said:

It will be a lot more basic than your marriage interview.  There were certainly no "are you a terrorist" questions at my interview in Montreal.  

She should be able to converse with the interviewer but as a USC you can accompany her. 

That's good to know! I'll probably try to go with her, but I understand that translating is a bad look. We'll just prepare for the types of questions asked. Or maybe I will suggest an interpreter just in case... Frazzled during an interview is probably still not a great look. Thanks! 

[NikLR 13,220]

Not as sure why she'd be frazzled in all honesty.  She wants to move to the USA to be with her family.  As long as she wasnt a member of a communist party in Russia she shouldnt worry at all.   She knows your name, where you live, your spouses name? 

 

In my mind they had no reason to deny my visa so I considered the interview a mere formality.  

 

[eckoin 211]

@NikLR she gets frazzled when signing up for a phone contract. I'm just glad I didn't get that side of genetics if that's what it is. I like to think that, when asked if she were a member of the communist party in the Soviet Union, she'll say, No, because she certainly wasn't. But I can also see her hearing "communist party" and "USSR" and saying, oh yes (I lived there during the communist government). Maybe I'm not giving her enough credit at all, but she still calls me and asks me to tell the young man at the Rogers store that she wants an iPhone, so. 

[NikLR 13,220]

1 minute ago, eckoin said:

@NikLR she gets frazzled when signing up for a phone contract. I'm just glad I didn't get that side of genetics if that's what it is. I like to think that, when asked if she were a member of the communist party in the Soviet Union, she'll say, No, because she certainly wasn't. But I can also see her hearing "communist party" and "USSR" and saying, oh yes (I lived there during the communist government). Maybe I'm not giving her enough credit at all, but she still calls me and asks me to tell the young man at the Rogers store that she wants an iPhone, so. 

Lol! Oh i would go with her then.  And just go over interview type questions in English so she can relax about it. 

[eckoin 211]

48 minutes ago, NikLR said:

Lol! Oh i would go with her then.  And just go over interview type questions in English so she can relax about it. 

Yep, that's the route I think. Thanks! I just wanted to make sure I'm allowed to even go with her (and not have to wait in the lobby), but I'm sure it'll make her feel a lot better having me there. 

[Cathi 5,610]

2 hours ago, eckoin said:

I'm quite a bit of time away from the process, but I was wondering about this. 

 

I will be petitioning my mother to come to the US after I become a citizen. Her English is conversationally good, but I don't think she'd be comfortable answering some of the more technical immigration questions. 

 

Can I go to the interview with her, in part to help translate? Or is that a bad idea (putting words in her mouth and whatnot), and she should just get an interpretor as backup? 

My mother in law applied for a visitor visa and doesn't speak a word of English. She attended the interview alone and the CO conducted the interview in Arabic. She was approved.

[eckoin 211]

Just now, Cathi said:

My mother in law applied for a visitor visa and doesn't speak a word of English. She attended the interview alone and the CO conducted the interview in Arabic. She was approved.

Was that in an Arabic speaking country I'm guessing? I should've mentioned in the OP that the interview will be in Canada, and it's highly unlikely that the IO happens to speak Russian (though stranger things have happened I guess). But yeah, I didn't know that all interviews aren't in English by definition, but in hindsight, that makes perfect sense!