Does anyone front-load their AOS package?

[payxibka 10,044]

Actualy it is the lockbox that verifies fee payment and doesn't issue a case number until it does clear

[Nitas_man 3,100]

3 hours ago, Nat&Amy said:

The NBC will merely check the basics and if your payment cleared. Nothing else. If you send an application with 5 pages or 50, at the end of the day it is not the NBC that will spend time looking at it. To say that frontloaded applications would cause problems is speculation at best.

 

To the OP, I offered my own experience frontloading and yes, it helped my case because otherwise the officer would not have been able to make a decision before I even entered her room for the interview. So I am reluctant to tell someone not to send documents when those are available and when there is evidence that IOs look at them before the interview.

I concur on this.  Why not?  We’ve been seeing RFE’s on AOS cases for evidence.  

I say gather everything it and send it in.

[lonesurvivor 48]

We front loaded ours with lots of pictures, joint health insurance, bank accounts and authorized credit card user, cell phone bills flight itinerary and hotels together, gym membership and dog adopted together, etc and our interview is in 3 weeks, with no rfes. I did it for the reason a couple mentioned, so our interview is mostly a formality because I knew I would be nervous and I already am my interview is on the 24th. 

[payxibka 10,044]

14 minutes ago, Nitas_man said:

I concur on this.  Why not?  We’ve been seeing RFE’s on AOS cases for evidence.  

I say gather everything it and send it in.

I sent just the marriage certificate,  no RFE

[Allaboutwaiting 2,500]

34 minutes ago, lonesurvivor said:

We front loaded ours with lots of pictures, joint health insurance, bank accounts and authorized credit card user, cell phone bills flight itinerary and hotels together, gym membership and dog adopted together, etc and our interview is in 3 weeks, with no rfes. I did it for the reason a couple mentioned, so our interview is mostly a formality because I knew I would be nervous and I already am my interview is on the 24th. 

Your case is different as you are adjusting from a tourist visa, meaning you filed an I-130 with the I-485, so what you sent is the required evidence. It was not front loading. 

[Loren Y 2,732]

7 hours ago, Nat&Amy said:

I frontloaded my application with all evidence of bonafide marriage we had (join bank accounts and credit cards, a couple of wedding pictures, leasing contract in both names, etc) and when we got to our interview the IO was waiting with an approval notice she had produced the night before, right after reviewing our file.

 

Applied in Dec 2018, got GC in  March 2019. 

 

So yes, frontloading might make things easier because it gives the officer the chance to analize your evidence before you go to the interview, which is in many cases a mere formality to confirm some info and check some boxes. Even though it is not mandatory, I still have to hear about the cons of frontloading (spoiler alert: there are NONE). So if you have good, solid evidence, send it. 

This is exactly what I did, joint bank accounts, credit cards, car title and registration in both out names, medical insurance, 401k beneficiaries , etc, only a few examples of each. My interview is now less than a month away, I too am hoping to walk in pick up the approval notice and walk out. I will post the results of my interview when it happens.

[WaterLeaf 199]

8 hours ago, Nat&Amy said:

I frontloaded my application with all evidence of bonafide marriage we had (join bank accounts and credit cards, a couple of wedding pictures, leasing contract in both names, etc) and when we got to our interview the IO was waiting with an approval notice she had produced the night before, right after reviewing our file.

 

Applied in Dec 2018, got GC in  March 2019. 

 

So yes, frontloading might make things easier because it gives the officer the chance to analize your evidence before you go to the interview, which is in many cases a mere formality to confirm some info and check some boxes. Even though it is not mandatory, I still have to hear about the cons of frontloading (spoiler alert: there are NONE). So if you have good, solid evidence, send it. 

I've read across this forum that mentions those who had frontloaded the AOS package, the state of CA could get an interview waiver. Only in CA.

[payxibka 10,044]

3 minutes ago, WaterLeaf said:

I've read across this forum that mentions those who had frontloaded the AOS package, the state of CA could get an interview waiver. Only in CA.

Huh?

[Pitaya 2,576]

9 hours ago, Nat&Amy said:

I frontloaded my application with all evidence of bonafide marriage we had (join bank accounts and credit cards, a couple of wedding pictures, leasing contract in both names, etc) and when we got to our interview the IO was waiting with an approval notice she had produced the night before, right after reviewing our file.

 

Applied in Dec 2018, got GC in  March 2019. 

 

So yes, frontloading might make things easier because it gives the officer the chance to analize your evidence before you go to the interview, which is in many cases a mere formality to confirm some info and check some boxes. Even though it is not mandatory, I still have to hear about the cons of frontloading (spoiler alert: there are NONE). So if you have good, solid evidence, send it. 

We did front-load our I-129F for the Guangzhou consulate, that seemed to be the prudent thing to do when dealing with a tough consulate.

 

We submitted our, not front-end loaded, K1 and K2 AOS/EAD/AP (double the fun  ) on  17 Aug 2012, the wife and stepson got their GC, after the interview from hell, on 30 Nov 2012.  The stars, the moon, and the tides were all lined up perfectly. We burned some joss to the gods afterwards.... 

 

There are so many other internal and external factors that can alter timelines during AOS processing, that to attribute quick success to one type of form preparation is a bit of a canard. 

 

YMMV.

[geowrian 22,335]

We did frontload with a few (under a dozen), high quality, items. The IO at the interview said they reviewed our case prior to the interview, and the interview was very quick and very simple. Just a few questions from the I-485 and verifying that our address change was in the system. It was a pleasant experience. YMMV

 

In our case, I thought the limited frontloading was helpful, especially since Manila (where we got the K-1 visa) COs only looked at the relationship evidence in passing...there was no record of what we provided them to get the visa.

Edited September 6, 2019 by geowrian

[Scandi 3,970]

Nah, I didn't send anything with my AOS application other than what was required. No proof of bonafide marriage at all. I brought a ton of evidence to the interview but the officer wasn't interested to see any of it. The AOS interview was the easiest step of my immigration process this far. Took 10 minutes and I was approved on spot.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Scandi

[Scandi 3,970]

7 hours ago, Nat&Amy said:

To the OP, I offered my own experience frontloading and yes, it helped my case because otherwise the officer would not have been able to make a decision before I even entered her room for the interview. So I am reluctant to tell someone not to send documents when those are available and when there is evidence that IOs look at them before the interview.

I sent no evidence at all and my approval notice was already printed by the time of the interview. The officer didn't want to look at any of the evidence I had brought with me either.

 

So yes, you can absolutely be "pre-approved" without any evidence whatsoever.

[stacyt 209]

Hi! Good luck with everything!

 

yes, it is true that everyone gets an interview. But, how long and hard the interview is, depends on the package. 

 

A lot of people here will tell you that there is no need to do it, and it's not mentioned anywhere on the USCIS site. And some people do get away with not doing it and still getting an easy interview. Not everyone though. 

 

Well, I can tell you a story from my experience. Per advice of my lawyer, I loaded my package as much as I could (yes, it was not easy to gather all these in just a few weeks, but I did my best): 

- Health insurance

- joint mobile phone bills

- joint utility bills

- joint bank account

- tickets and bookings from traveling together (before and after me coming to the US)

- pictures of us together, us with a family and friends (from before and after me coming to the US)

- affidavits from 2 friends and 2 family members that they are aware of us being a couple and they've seen us together and wish us a long a happy life together

- whatever wedding itinerary we had, bills paid etc.

(all this in addition to standard list of USCIS requirements).

 

I also sent the list to a few of my friends who were going through adjustment from K-1 at the same time (we met on this forum and became friends in real life). 

 

As a result, all of my friends and I had a super short and basic interview. They pretty much said "we already have enough evidence in the file, no need to add anything"  - they only took updated financial docs and that's about it. Very basic questions, like "what language do you speak with your spouse's family?" "how did you guys meet?" "when did you meet in person for the first time?" "when was your wedding?"

Nothing like some people say - what side of the bed you sleep on or what's your toothbrush color lol. Super chill and friendly. We were approved the same day. And my IO said this was a GREAT package and I should make sure to prepare the same one for removal conditions, this will help to avoid having to go for an interview. 

 

Sorry for a long post lol. Hope it helps

[p-ana 933]

4 hours ago, Scandi said:

Nah, I didn't send anything with my AOS application other than what was required. No proof of bonafide marriage at all. I brought a ton of evidence to the interview but the officer wasn't interested to see any of it. The AOS interview was the easiest step of my immigration process this far. Took 10 minutes and I was approved on spot.

My experience was about the same and I only sent in a copy of my marriage certificate

[Nat&Amy 623]

2 hours ago, p-ana said:

My experience was about the same and I only sent in a copy of my marriage certificate

 

7 hours ago, Scandi said:

I sent no evidence at all and my approval notice was already printed by the time of the interview. The officer didn't want to look at any of the evidence I had brought with me either.

 

So yes, you can absolutely be "pre-approved" without any evidence whatsoever.

I never mentioned anywhere that people will not get approved if they don't frontload their application. Congratulations to you both for not needing them, but please note that lots of things have changed in immigration in two/three years (from your timeline I see that your AoS was either in 2016 or 2017) and also that not needing evidence at all (not even at the interview!) might mean that they made a decision based on the documents they had on file for your K1. In which case...my point remains: that they do look at the documents they already have before you set foot in their office.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Nat&Amy