Interview preparation

[Hadeer 1]

Hi,

Is there anything i should be aware of ahead of my immigration interview or what i should prepare myself for? And it will be at Cairo Egypt if that would make difference.

[Vickys_Mom 230]

You need a copy of everything that's been submitted to USCIS for your immigration visa.  My mother-in-law is going to have a binder with probably 3-5cm of paper in it when she goes to her embassy interview.

 

You need an original copy of any document you didn't send to USCIS.  For example, I sent a copy of my wife's birth certificate and brought the original to her interview.

 

Yes, they should have access to everything you've submitted.

Yes, the interviewing officer may not ask for any of the documentation.

Bring it anyway.  If they ask for something and you didn't bring it you've given them a reason to reject the application.

 

They will probably send you a letter or email with instructions on what to do.  Follow it exactly.  Even if what they're asking for seems stupid...follow it exactly.

 

If they say "show up 30 minutes early", plan to be there an hour early and go sit somewhere nearby for 30 minutes.  DO NOT BE LATE.  Take the earlier bus.  Leave earlier if you are driving.  "I was stuck in traffic" is not a good excuse.

Be calm and respectful with the interviewing officer.  The officer may closely question things you say or did.  The questions might seem personal or might make you uncomfortable.  Answer them anyway.  If you don't understand a question, say you don't understand and ask them to repeat the question. 

 

DO NOT LIE.  They will make you swear an oath that what you're saying is the truth.  Take that to heart.  Even if it seems like something trivial, be honest about it.  Assume that everything you say will be written down and might come back up again at any point throughout the life of your visa or if you naturalize.

 

This one is tougher:  answer the interviewing officer's questions honestly, but don't try to tell them too much.  You can answer a question like "do you speak English" with "yes".  You don't have to say "yes, I learned it in primary school, again in secondary school, I studied it in college, and I've forced myself to speak English to everyone I've met in the last year."  Giving too much information in your answer to a question may cause the interviewing officer to ask you more questions.  Keep it simple for the both of you.  If you give an answer and they ask you for more detail you can provide it then.

 

Convince yourself before you go in that your application for a U.S. immigrant visa is solely at the discretion of the interviewing officer.  Do not think that you have a right to a visa.  You don't.  You're asking to come to the United States.  You're not demanding it.

 

Get a good night's sleep.  Be of the mindset that you're going to be successful in your interview.  Don't think of it as an interrogation.  They want to ask you some questions and see how you answer in person.

 

If they give you a form that asks for additional information, don't freak out.  If they tell you a decision can't be made at this time, don't panic.  If you log in and see your status has been updated to "refused", know that USCIS uses "refused" when someone is going through Administrative Processing.  It doesn't mean "rejected".  Many applicants see "refused" right after their interview.

 

DO NOT assume you're leaving the embassy with a visa.  Do not make any plans based on your anticipation of a visa.  Some people spend weeks, months, or even years in Administrative Processing.  Until you have it in your passport, don't buy any plane tickets.

 

Regards,

Vicky's Mom

 

[A& Everything 5]

On 1/29/2023 at 3:04 AM, Hadeer said:

Hi,

Is there anything i should be aware of ahead of my immigration interview or what i should prepare myself for? And it will be at Cairo Egypt if that would make difference.

If may I ask when will you conduct your interview and how long wait time from DQ to your IL interview date?

[Hadeer 1]

5 minutes ago, Marcuszi said:

If may I ask when will you conduct your interview and how long wait time from DQ to your IL interview date?

The interview was yesterday and it took almost 25 months

[A& Everything 5]

1 minute ago, Hadeer said:

The interview was yesterday and it took almost 25 months

I hope everything went great. 25 months kinda crazy!

What was your visa category? 

[Hadeer 1]

Just now, Marcuszi said:

I hope everything went great. 25 months kinda crazy!

What was your visa category? 

They requested additional information and it's IR1 and IR2 i guess

[A& Everything 5]

12 minutes ago, Hadeer said:

They requested additional information and it's IR1 and IR2 i guess

I got DQED couple days ago and I was wondering how long it's gonna take to get to the interview.

If you let me know more how was your interview going what questions and what they asked for?

[Hadeer 1]

Dear friends,

 

I was just checking my spouse and my son's case status and found that my husband's case "Refused" while my son's case "Ready" and is written that he is awaiting for his interview.

 

This is confusing because the consular requested additional information and has returned both passports to us so i thought both cases would be refused.

 

Does any one understands why or if this is normal in similar cases.

[powerpuff 6,732]

It’s normal, I wouldn’t worry about it. Online updates aren’t perfect and sometimes lag behind