Approved! AOS Interview Experience at Manhattan Federal Plaza (May 2019)

[D&D_NYC 58]

Apologies in advance for this truly absurd wall of text, but I wanted to write up my whole interview process in excruciating detail for those doing AOS in NYC at Federal Plaza. I’m a Canadian citizen living in Queens, and did AOS from TN-1 work status. You can find a detailed timeline in my signature.

 

Before the Interview

 

My interview was scheduled for 9:15am on 5/21/2019 at Federal Plaza in Manhattan. We arrived around 8:30am, but did a lap around the block and went in at 8:45, as the notice says not to arrive more than 30 minutes early. People weren’t kidding when they said it was airport style security -- complete with bins and taking shoes off! -- but the lines moved quickly. Once through security, a large sign in front of the main elevator bank clearly noted which offices were on which floors. My notice said to go to the Queens Office on the 9th floor. Once we were in the room, we walked up to the window to get further instructions, and were told that we had to go down to the Queens Office on the 4th floor *groan*. For those curious, there are public washrooms immediately outside the waiting area on the 4th floor.

 

I gave my interview notice to another person behind a window, who called my name and gave me a deli-style ticket number about five minutes later. Every time she called a name, people would jump up with all their stuff in hand, but this is only you getting into the interview queue. The waiting room can get a bit noisy (there’s a TV and phones are allowed) so make sure to listen carefully. The actual officer conducting the interview comes out from the back office with your interview notice and will call your name (and possibly ticket number) when it’s your turn.

 

It was already 9:15 by this point, but the room was packed so we figured we’d be in for a wait. We ended up waiting over two hours, and watched numerous couples/families that came in after us get called into their interviews first. About 30 minutes in, I asked about the delay (having noticed numbers after mine being called) and the woman said that the order of the numbers doesn’t really matter. After another hour passed, my husband went up to ask and the woman said she’d “speak to somebody.” Almost another hour passed before we checked again, and they reassured us that we were coming up. Finally, around 11:30am, we got called into the back offices by Officer Hernandez (OH). I guess the squeaky wheel does get the grease! Still don’t know if our notice got shuffled to the bottom of a pile or what, but it didn’t hurt to ask to ensure we didn’t get forgotten.

 

Interview

 

Once we got to his office and before we even sat down, OH had us raise our right hands and take the oath, then asked us to provide government-issued IDs. I provided my EAD/AP combo card and Canadian passport, while my husband provided his driver’s license (OH ended up wanting a photocopy of the DL and my combo card -- at the end of the interview, I gave him a photocopy of my card that I had brought, but we didn’t have one for the DL, so he needed to make one himself). Next, he took a new photo and my left and right index fingerprints on a digital pad. He also apologized for the long wait!

 

OH explained that he would go through my forms and confirm some information, then ask us some questions about our lives. He would specifically direct questions to either one of us, and asked that we not try to jump in and answer each others’ questions. He went straight into the first section of the I-485, confirming my name, maiden name, DOB, address, previous address, job, my husband’s job, where my parents live, last entry, etc. and checked things off as he went. He asked about when I went to school in the US (which was actually just a 1-credit college course I took as part of a J1 internship program with no home residency requirement) and I explained this to him.

 

Once that was done, OH sat back a bit and starting directing personal questions to us. He didn’t mind if one of us added information to the story after the person he asked was finished talking. I think they want to avoid one spouse jumping in to answer a question clearly addressed to the other. This is generally what I remember us being asked:

 

-How did we meet?

-Where did we first meet in person? What did we do on that first date?

-How long was it between us first connecting online and meeting in person?

-When did that meeting happen?

-How did he feel upon first meeting me?

-When did we see each other again?

-When did we move in together? Why?

-What were my feelings about his place when I moved in?

-What sorts of changes did we make to the apartment after I moved in?

-What is life like together at home?

-Who proposed to whom?

-When/where/how did he propose?

-Why did he feel this was the time to propose? What made him sure he wanted to get married?

-Why did I say yes?

-When/where was the wedding?

-How many people attended the wedding? Were they family, friends or both?

-Who was the best man? Maid of honor?

-Did we go on a honeymoon? Where? What did we do?

 

He clearly wanted to get us talking about our relationship. He didn’t probe much for extra details, though we did add them when relevant (and tried our best not to babble!). A couple times, he would reiterate things we said or confirm timelines. I don’t know if he was trying to trip us up because a few times he would say, “So, you knew each other approximately X years before the wedding” when it was actually less time. In these instances, we confirmed the correct timelines, even if it was approximate. This was all fairly conversational...we joked around a few times, and OH did smile and laugh a bit.

 

After that conversation wrapped up, OH asked what I had brought to the interview. First, I gave him my sealed medical exam, which hadn’t been submitted with my original petition. At no point did he explicitly ask for it, so if you’re bringing it to the interview, don’t forget to hand it over! I had also completed a new affidavit of support with evidence since we had filed a joint tax return since AOS. He did not take the actual completed forms, but kept all the evidence (copies of husband’s W2s + 1099s, 2 months worth of pay stubs, tax transcript, letter from employer, etc.) He asked for originals of the W2s, which was pretty much the only thing I DIDN’T bring, but he said it wasn’t a big deal. I saw so many questions on here as to whether you need to bring an updated affidavit to the interview -- I imagine if it had been a more significant change like a job move, it would have been necessary, but clearly, as long as you can prove the income you have and it’s not changing anytime soon or dipping below the required threshold, you should be fine.

 

Below is the new bona fide marriage evidence we provided. I had all of this listed in order on a “table of contents” on top of the package, and plopped the whole thing down on the desk when OH asked for it. I also had a separate section of my folder with all the originals of everything listed. OH flipped through all of it and asked questions as necessary, then added it to my file.

 

-Copies of our last wills and testaments (OH asked to see originals)

-Copies of Power of Attorney forms (OH asked to see originals)

-Copies of Health Care Proxy forms (OH asked to see originals)

-Updated statements from husband’s bank account (from AOS filing until most recent available) highlighting monthly transactions from me to husband’s checking for rent/expenses and both names on joint savings account

-Copy of 2018 IRS tax transcript for joint return and photocopy of the return check with both our names

-Copy of page from husband’s retirement account correspondence listing me as his trusted contact

-Copy of my proof of coverage statements from husband’s health and dental insurance

-Copy of letter from benefits department at husband’s job, confirming my insurance coverage

-Copy of our medical and dental insurance cards listing both our names (OH asked us to show our physical cards, which we had in our wallets)

-Copy of my insurance claim summary showing husband as plan enrollee and me as patient

-10 new photos (from AOS filing until today) of us with friends/family, with captions (OH asked me to identify each individual in a group photo of our families together, commented on a few photos and confirmed where they were taken/what the event was)

-Copy of Airbnb reservation/trip itinerary made by me for a recent trip with his family

-Copy of Airbnb reservation/trip itinerary made by my mom listing us as guests for Memorial Day trip

 

I also took out originals of birth certificates, marriage certificate, etc. from the original petition in case he needed them, but he said he didn’t. These were listed on the interview notice, so definitely still bring them just in case! Better to be over-prepared, in my opinion.

 

Below is what we originally submitted as bona fide marriage evidence for the I-130 back in December. I had just about all the originals of these in my folder, but he didn’t refer to any of it except the driver’s license.

 

-Copy of reciprocal will/health care proxy/power of attorney application through husband’s job (showing husband naming me as intended beneficiary/executor and vice versa)

-Copy of paperwork to add husband to my 401(k) account

-Copy of letter confirming my married name change on 401(k) account

-Statements from joint savings account (six months worth, highlighting both names on account)

-Screenshots of payments made from me to my husband via our banking app over the last 2 years

-Copy of change of address forms from USCIS/DMV/IRS from when I moved in with my husband

-Copies of our NYS driver’s licenses with the same address

-21 photos of us together and with friends/family (covered early relationship, wedding, right up until we filed)

 

Given that I’ve been living and working in the States for a few years, we certainly had the advantage of lots of evidence/financial commingling on our side that many couples who are newly arrived won’t have. But it was clear to me that it’s the quality of evidence, not quantity that counts. As long as the evidence really shows that your lives are intertwined (or working towards that), and your stories match the evidence, you should be fine.

 

After going through the new evidence, OH went through the I-485 inadmissibility questions one by one, checking them off as he went. He told us then that he had no further questions for us, and that our case would be put into review, and printed a letter/receipt for me stating this. OH explained that they have an obligation to provide a verdict within 120 days, and that we could inquire with USCIS after 90 days. He asked if we had any upcoming travel, and I mentioned that we were planning to travel to Canada over Memorial Day weekend (three days later). He asked if my EAD/AP was a combo card, and then confirmed that I was able to travel and return on AP while awaiting a decision. He had us follow him to the copy machine where he photocopied my husband’s driver’s license and asked us if we had plans for the rest of the day (mostly because we’d been waiting there so long!). Luckily, my husband took the whole day off and my boss let me take a half day. Once he finished making the copy, OH walked us out of the office area and out into the hallway.

 

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the whole interview experience. Officer Hernandez was very friendly, but was still professional and explained every step of the process as we went through it. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting so many casual questions about our relationship, but it’s clear that this is where real couples can shine...when they can recollect moments they've shared, can easily talk about life together/at home, etc.

 

After the Interview

 

After reading so many stories of instant/on-the-spot approvals, I was a bit dejected at not getting confirmation right away, so it was nice to see that other filers on here were put into review as well to know I wasn’t alone! Don’t know if the long weekend had anything to do with the slower approvals or if a week delay is pretty standard. Today, on 5/29/19, I got the “New card in production” update on my case tracker for the I-485, 8 days after our interview and 177 days from the date my AOS package was accepted. Card should be in the mail soon and I’ll update my timeline once it’s in hand!!

 

My TN work status only came up when he asked if I was still with the same employer at the beginning of the interview, which I am. At the end of the interview, OH didn’t take my paper TN I-94 out of my passport, despite it being essentially invalidated by my EAD. I did travel back to Canada over the Memorial Day weekend, but didn’t think to surrender my I-94 to the Canadian official when I crossed (as it tells you to on the back of the paper), which I worried was a big no-no. But it all turned out okay: when I crossed back into the US on AP, I got sent into secondary, waited about 20 minutes, then had a CBP officer return my passport with a new, single-entry I-94 stamped for Advance Parole (he also stamped my actual passport). I was fingerprinted, had my photo taken, and we were on our way.

 

Hope this is helpful to someone out there! VJ has been an amazing source for me throughout this process...not just for information/questions, but for solidarity with others also in the trenches and reassurance that we're all in it together.

 

Now off to start assembling my massive ROC evidence list for my next go-around with USCIS in 2 years minus 90 days

[USS_Voyager 1,971]

17 minutes ago, D&D_NYC said:

After reading so many stories of instant/on-the-spot approvals,

Congratulations! My only comment is I believe the on-the-spot approvals probably are interviewed by a supervisor who has the authority to approve a petition. More junior interviewers do not have that authority and can only make a recommendation for a supervisor to approve. 

[D&D_NYC 58]

Just now, USS_Voyager said:

Congratulations! My only comment is I believe the on-the-spot approvals probably are interviewed by a supervisor who has the authority to approve a petition. More junior interviewers do not have that authority and can only make a recommendation for a supervisor to approve. 

Yes, definitely. I'm just an antsy person and got paranoid after a few days of not hearing anything!

[eckoin 211]

3 hours ago, D&D_NYC said:

Yes, definitely. I'm just an antsy person and got paranoid after a few days of not hearing anything!

Yep, we were technically approved on the spot, as in "you're approved, I'll order the card," and the status changed to "card is in production" about an hour or so after we left the interview. Our IO was obviously a supervisor, and told another IO that she'll be with him in a minute when he was asking a question while she was walking us out. Totally normal, and it's a matter of luck about who gets which IO, though maybe some real complicated cases go to more experienced people. 

[D&D_NYC 58]

23 minutes ago, eckoin said:

Yep, we were technically approved on the spot, as in "you're approved, I'll order the card," and the status changed to "card is in production" about an hour or so after we left the interview. Our IO was obviously a supervisor, and told another IO that she'll be with him in a minute when he was asking a question while she was walking us out. Totally normal, and it's a matter of luck about who gets which IO, though maybe some real complicated cases go to more experienced people. 

We didn't get any sort of verbal approval, only "we'll make a decision in 90-120 days." I think a lot of my unfounded anxiety stemmed from not seeing a ton of interview write-ups mention not getting approved right away (or within a few hours) or being put into review, despite it being totally common. Let it be known! 

[eckoin 211]

1 hour ago, D&D_NYC said:

We didn't get any sort of verbal approval, only "we'll make a decision in 90-120 days." I think a lot of my unfounded anxiety stemmed from not seeing a ton of interview write-ups mention not getting approved right away (or within a few hours) or being put into review, despite it being totally common. Let it be known! 

It's very common on the K1 forum, but you're right, not so much on interview writeups. 

 

I'm guessing people who do interview writeups usually either had a really good experience, or a really bad experience--usually the former. Kind of like restaurant reviews, except switched. But not many in between. 

 

So thank you for sharing! I'm sure it will help calm some nerves. 

[GioRod 69]

Wow congrats thanks for this gives me a good incite as my interview is coming up in about two weeks I'm excited finalllllllyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[A_R 191]

On 5/29/2019 at 12:27 PM, D&D_NYC said:

Apologies in advance for this truly absurd wall of text, but I wanted to write up my whole interview process in excruciating detail for those doing AOS in NYC at Federal Plaza. I’m a Canadian citizen living in Queens, and did AOS from TN-1 work status. You can find a detailed timeline in my signature.

 

Before the Interview

 

My interview was scheduled for 9:15am on 5/21/2019 at Federal Plaza in Manhattan. We arrived around 8:30am, but did a lap around the block and went in at 8:45, as the notice says not to arrive more than 30 minutes early. People weren’t kidding when they said it was airport style security -- complete with bins and taking shoes off! -- but the lines moved quickly. Once through security, a large sign in front of the main elevator bank clearly noted which offices were on which floors. My notice said to go to the Queens Office on the 9th floor. Once we were in the room, we walked up to the window to get further instructions, and were told that we had to go down to the Queens Office on the 4th floor *groan*. For those curious, there are public washrooms immediately outside the waiting area on the 4th floor.

 

I gave my interview notice to another person behind a window, who called my name and gave me a deli-style ticket number about five minutes later. Every time she called a name, people would jump up with all their stuff in hand, but this is only you getting into the interview queue. The waiting room can get a bit noisy (there’s a TV and phones are allowed) so make sure to listen carefully. The actual officer conducting the interview comes out from the back office with your interview notice and will call your name (and possibly ticket number) when it’s your turn.

 

It was already 9:15 by this point, but the room was packed so we figured we’d be in for a wait. We ended up waiting over two hours, and watched numerous couples/families that came in after us get called into their interviews first. About 30 minutes in, I asked about the delay (having noticed numbers after mine being called) and the woman said that the order of the numbers doesn’t really matter. After another hour passed, my husband went up to ask and the woman said she’d “speak to somebody.” Almost another hour passed before we checked again, and they reassured us that we were coming up. Finally, around 11:30am, we got called into the back offices by Officer Hernandez (OH). I guess the squeaky wheel does get the grease! Still don’t know if our notice got shuffled to the bottom of a pile or what, but it didn’t hurt to ask to ensure we didn’t get forgotten.

 

Interview

 

Once we got to his office and before we even sat down, OH had us raise our right hands and take the oath, then asked us to provide government-issued IDs. I provided my EAD/AP combo card and Canadian passport, while my husband provided his driver’s license (OH ended up wanting a photocopy of the DL and my combo card -- at the end of the interview, I gave him a photocopy of my card that I had brought, but we didn’t have one for the DL, so he needed to make one himself). Next, he took a new photo and my left and right index fingerprints on a digital pad. He also apologized for the long wait!

 

OH explained that he would go through my forms and confirm some information, then ask us some questions about our lives. He would specifically direct questions to either one of us, and asked that we not try to jump in and answer each others’ questions. He went straight into the first section of the I-485, confirming my name, maiden name, DOB, address, previous address, job, my husband’s job, where my parents live, last entry, etc. and checked things off as he went. He asked about when I went to school in the US (which was actually just a 1-credit college course I took as part of a J1 internship program with no home residency requirement) and I explained this to him.

 

Once that was done, OH sat back a bit and starting directing personal questions to us. He didn’t mind if one of us added information to the story after the person he asked was finished talking. I think they want to avoid one spouse jumping in to answer a question clearly addressed to the other. This is generally what I remember us being asked:

 

-How did we meet?

-Where did we first meet in person? What did we do on that first date?

-How long was it between us first connecting online and meeting in person?

-When did that meeting happen?

-How did he feel upon first meeting me?

-When did we see each other again?

-When did we move in together? Why?

-What were my feelings about his place when I moved in?

-What sorts of changes did we make to the apartment after I moved in?

-What is life like together at home?

-Who proposed to whom?

-When/where/how did he propose?

-Why did he feel this was the time to propose? What made him sure he wanted to get married?

-Why did I say yes?

-When/where was the wedding?

-How many people attended the wedding? Were they family, friends or both?

-Who was the best man? Maid of honor?

-Did we go on a honeymoon? Where? What did we do?

 

He clearly wanted to get us talking about our relationship. He didn’t probe much for extra details, though we did add them when relevant (and tried our best not to babble!). A couple times, he would reiterate things we said or confirm timelines. I don’t know if he was trying to trip us up because a few times he would say, “So, you knew each other approximately X years before the wedding” when it was actually less time. In these instances, we confirmed the correct timelines, even if it was approximate. This was all fairly conversational...we joked around a few times, and OH did smile and laugh a bit.

 

After that conversation wrapped up, OH asked what I had brought to the interview. First, I gave him my sealed medical exam, which hadn’t been submitted with my original petition. At no point did he explicitly ask for it, so if you’re bringing it to the interview, don’t forget to hand it over! I had also completed a new affidavit of support with evidence since we had filed a joint tax return since AOS. He did not take the actual completed forms, but kept all the evidence (copies of husband’s W2s + 1099s, 2 months worth of pay stubs, tax transcript, letter from employer, etc.) He asked for originals of the W2s, which was pretty much the only thing I DIDN’T bring, but he said it wasn’t a big deal. I saw so many questions on here as to whether you need to bring an updated affidavit to the interview -- I imagine if it had been a more significant change like a job move, it would have been necessary, but clearly, as long as you can prove the income you have and it’s not changing anytime soon or dipping below the required threshold, you should be fine.

 

Below is the new bona fide marriage evidence we provided. I had all of this listed in order on a “table of contents” on top of the package, and plopped the whole thing down on the desk when OH asked for it. I also had a separate section of my folder with all the originals of everything listed. OH flipped through all of it and asked questions as necessary, then added it to my file.

 

-Copies of our last wills and testaments (OH asked to see originals)

-Copies of Power of Attorney forms (OH asked to see originals)

-Copies of Health Care Proxy forms (OH asked to see originals)

-Updated statements from husband’s bank account (from AOS filing until most recent available) highlighting monthly transactions from me to husband’s checking for rent/expenses and both names on joint savings account

-Copy of 2018 IRS tax transcript for joint return and photocopy of the return check with both our names

-Copy of page from husband’s retirement account correspondence listing me as his trusted contact

-Copy of my proof of coverage statements from husband’s health and dental insurance

-Copy of letter from benefits department at husband’s job, confirming my insurance coverage

-Copy of our medical and dental insurance cards listing both our names (OH asked us to show our physical cards, which we had in our wallets)

-Copy of my insurance claim summary showing husband as plan enrollee and me as patient

-10 new photos (from AOS filing until today) of us with friends/family, with captions (OH asked me to identify each individual in a group photo of our families together, commented on a few photos and confirmed where they were taken/what the event was)

-Copy of Airbnb reservation/trip itinerary made by me for a recent trip with his family

-Copy of Airbnb reservation/trip itinerary made by my mom listing us as guests for Memorial Day trip

 

I also took out originals of birth certificates, marriage certificate, etc. from the original petition in case he needed them, but he said he didn’t. These were listed on the interview notice, so definitely still bring them just in case! Better to be over-prepared, in my opinion.

 

Below is what we originally submitted as bona fide marriage evidence for the I-130 back in December. I had just about all the originals of these in my folder, but he didn’t refer to any of it except the driver’s license.

 

-Copy of reciprocal will/health care proxy/power of attorney application through husband’s job (showing husband naming me as intended beneficiary/executor and vice versa)

-Copy of paperwork to add husband to my 401(k) account

-Copy of letter confirming my married name change on 401(k) account

-Statements from joint savings account (six months worth, highlighting both names on account)

-Screenshots of payments made from me to my husband via our banking app over the last 2 years

-Copy of change of address forms from USCIS/DMV/IRS from when I moved in with my husband

-Copies of our NYS driver’s licenses with the same address

-21 photos of us together and with friends/family (covered early relationship, wedding, right up until we filed)

 

Given that I’ve been living and working in the States for a few years, we certainly had the advantage of lots of evidence/financial commingling on our side that many couples who are newly arrived won’t have. But it was clear to me that it’s the quality of evidence, not quantity that counts. As long as the evidence really shows that your lives are intertwined (or working towards that), and your stories match the evidence, you should be fine.

 

After going through the new evidence, OH went through the I-485 inadmissibility questions one by one, checking them off as he went. He told us then that he had no further questions for us, and that our case would be put into review, and printed a letter/receipt for me stating this. OH explained that they have an obligation to provide a verdict within 120 days, and that we could inquire with USCIS after 90 days. He asked if we had any upcoming travel, and I mentioned that we were planning to travel to Canada over Memorial Day weekend (three days later). He asked if my EAD/AP was a combo card, and then confirmed that I was able to travel and return on AP while awaiting a decision. He had us follow him to the copy machine where he photocopied my husband’s driver’s license and asked us if we had plans for the rest of the day (mostly because we’d been waiting there so long!). Luckily, my husband took the whole day off and my boss let me take a half day. Once he finished making the copy, OH walked us out of the office area and out into the hallway.

 

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the whole interview experience. Officer Hernandez was very friendly, but was still professional and explained every step of the process as we went through it. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting so many casual questions about our relationship, but it’s clear that this is where real couples can shine...when they can recollect moments they've shared, can easily talk about life together/at home, etc.

 

After the Interview

 

After reading so many stories of instant/on-the-spot approvals, I was a bit dejected at not getting confirmation right away, so it was nice to see that other filers on here were put into review as well to know I wasn’t alone! Don’t know if the long weekend had anything to do with the slower approvals or if a week delay is pretty standard. Today, on 5/29/19, I got the “New card in production” update on my case tracker for the I-485, 8 days after our interview and 177 days from the date my AOS package was accepted. Card should be in the mail soon and I’ll update my timeline once it’s in hand!!

 

My TN work status only came up when he asked if I was still with the same employer at the beginning of the interview, which I am. At the end of the interview, OH didn’t take my paper TN I-94 out of my passport, despite it being essentially invalidated by my EAD. I did travel back to Canada over the Memorial Day weekend, but didn’t think to surrender my I-94 to the Canadian official when I crossed (as it tells you to on the back of the paper), which I worried was a big no-no. But it all turned out okay: when I crossed back into the US on AP, I got sent into secondary, waited about 20 minutes, then had a CBP officer return my passport with a new, single-entry I-94 stamped for Advance Parole (he also stamped my actual passport). I was fingerprinted, had my photo taken, and we were on our way.

 

Hope this is helpful to someone out there! VJ has been an amazing source for me throughout this process...not just for information/questions, but for solidarity with others also in the trenches and reassurance that we're all in it together.

 

Now off to start assembling my massive ROC evidence list for my next go-around with USCIS in 2 years minus 90 days

Hi D&D_NYC,

Many congratulations on your approval.

I am from Boston and have my green Card Interview in 20 days.

I wanted to ask you some questions regarding marriage proofs. How did you get the following three documents you mentioned above:

Copies of our last wills and testaments (OH asked to see originals)

-Copies of Power of Attorney forms (OH asked to see originals)

-Copies of Health Care Proxy forms (OH asked to see originals)

 

Also, how did you get all of these in original eg. power of attorney, health care proxy forms.

I am a little confused in these things as my husband has listed me proxy in all places like life insurance, accidental insurance, healthcare but he is unable to get any proper letter. It’s just in the form of screenshots as everything is through his employer.

Thanks in advance for helping me out.

[D&D_NYC 58]

12 hours ago, A_R said:

Hi D&D_NYC,

Many congratulations on your approval.

I am from Boston and have my green Card Interview in 20 days.

I wanted to ask you some questions regarding marriage proofs. How did you get the following three documents you mentioned above:

Copies of our last wills and testaments (OH asked to see originals)

-Copies of Power of Attorney forms (OH asked to see originals)

-Copies of Health Care Proxy forms (OH asked to see originals)

 

Also, how did you get all of these in original eg. power of attorney, health care proxy forms.

I am a little confused in these things as my husband has listed me proxy in all places like life insurance, accidental insurance, healthcare but he is unable to get any proper letter. It’s just in the form of screenshots as everything is through his employer.

Thanks in advance for helping me out.

Congrats on your upcoming interview!

 

All of the estate documents were facilitated by my husband’s work. One of his union benefits was the drafting of these documents via a law firm, along with a free consultation. We submitted an application with all our choices, then later went to sign and have the documents notarized. We were each given one original copy of each document by the lawyer, which I made photocopies of to submit at the interview. 

 

You don't absolutely need a lawyer to make a basic will -- we just took advantage of what was offered to us. I believe in order to be valid, it just needs to be dated and signed by two witnesses. A quick Google search of "drafting a will" brought up a number of programs that can help. 

 

For health insurance, once I was on my husband's plan, I was able to contact the provider to request a “proof of coverage” letter. Can your husband ask his employer, or do you have a phone number for your insurance? That would be a good place to start, and they can usually turn around these documents within a few days.

Edited May 31, 2019 by D&D_NYC

[A_R 191]

2 hours ago, D&D_NYC said:

Congrats on your upcoming interview!

 

All of the estate documents were facilitated by my husband’s work. One of his union benefits was the drafting of these documents via a law firm, along with a free consultation. We submitted an application with all our choices, then later went to sign and have the documents notarized. We were each given one original copy of each document by the lawyer, which I made photocopies of to submit at the interview. 

 

You don't absolutely need a lawyer to make a basic will -- we just took advantage of what was offered to us. I believe in order to be valid, it just needs to be dated and signed by two witnesses. A quick Google search of "drafting a will" brought up a number of programs that can help. 

 

For health insurance, once I was on my husband's plan, I was able to contact the provider to request a “proof of coverage” letter. Can your husband ask his employer, or do you have a phone number for your insurance? That would be a good place to start, and they can usually turn around these documents within a few days.

Thanks I will do try that. Also how did you arrange all your paperwork - in a file or using clips?

[D&D_NYC 58]

13 minutes ago, A_R said:

Thanks I will do try that. Also how did you arrange all your paperwork - in a file or using clips?

I had all my papers in an accordion folder, sort of like the one pictured below. I labeled each tab so that I could jump to whatever I needed quickly, and also had a Post-It on the front with the order of the labels just in case. I had my EAD card in the front slot, as well as sections for passports, my sealed medical exam, the new affidavit, new evidence (copies), new evidence (originals), old evidence (copies), old evidence (originals). I kept the copies and originals in the exact same order so that if the officer asked for anything, I'd be able to find it quickly in the stack.

 

I kept all individual pieces of evidence together with paperclips. 

[lms 50]

COngrats!! I got my approval email a day before you! Yay, just got notification it is shipped from KY

[Pitaya 2,576]

6 hours ago, D&D_NYC said:

I had all my papers in an accordion folder, sort of like the one pictured below. I labeled each tab so that I could jump to whatever I needed quickly, and also had a Post-It on the front with the order of the labels just in case. I had my EAD card in the front slot, as well as sections for passports, my sealed medical exam, the new affidavit, new evidence (copies), new evidence (originals), old evidence (copies), old evidence (originals). I kept the copies and originals in the exact same order so that if the officer asked for anything, I'd be able to find it quickly in the stack.

 

I kept all individual pieces of evidence together with paperclips. 

Yep, that set-up looks pretty similar to the system we assembled to keep track of our immigration "stuff." We put original documents in plastic page saver sleeves, with copies clipped together in the front part of the individual pocket(s). 

 

You have the makings for a great cottage industry, catering to the immigration visa seekers. lol...

Good luck on your immigration journey. 

[D&D_NYC 58]

52 minutes ago, lms said:

COngrats!! I got my approval email a day before you! Yay, just got notification it is shipped from KY

Congrats to you as well! Waiting for that update! When I saw you got your initial approval, I was hopeful that mine was coming, and it did update the next day! 

[lms 50]

On 5/31/2019 at 8:00 PM, D&D_NYC said:

Congrats to you as well! Waiting for that update! When I saw you got your initial approval, I was hopeful that mine was coming, and it did update the next day! 

I also already got my card in hand, 4 days after it got approved!