Finally another interview (Merged Threads)

[northusa44 4]

Ok! After waiting almost a year to reschedule my parents-in-law consular processing green card interviews, they have a new interview date. (2022 interview had to be canceled due to covid) Here's to hoping this will be a good end to 3+ years of trying for their green card.

A couple of questions for now (I am sure there will be more):

1. We just saw that last year, prior to when their first green card interview was supposed to be, NVC sent a request for our 2021 taxes. (we filed 2020 taxes with the I-864/I-864A) Somehow we missed that message and so never sent the 2021 taxes in the NVC system. We are thus planning to upload both 2021 and 2022 into the NVC system prior to the interview. Does that make sense to everyone? I wouldn't think the delay would be an issue?

 

2. Both my wife and I finished grad school in the last year and now make significantly more than we did when we filed the I-864/I-864A way back in 2021. From reading through forum posts, it sounds like the best thing to do is to get employment verification letters, two paystubs for both of us, and write a brief letter of explanation, and have my parents-in-law take it with them just in case they want to see more financial ability on our end (we were perhaps $10,000 over the minimum when we filed the I-864s). Is that right?

 

Thanks as always for any and all responses/help!  

Edited November 3, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[northusa44 4]

My parents-in-law finally have another green card interview scheduled at the consulate. For those of you who have seen my posts, it has been a long three years, but hopefully they are almost there.

Two quick queries as we prepare for their interview:

 

1. We just noticed that the NVC had asked for 2021 taxes prior to their initial (but later canceled) interview date last fall. Somehow we missed this and did not upload the taxes (for the I-864s we had used our 2020 taxes). I assume the thing to do is to upload both 2021 and 2022 now (since another year has passed) into the NVC system?

 

2. Both my wife and I recently finished grad school and now have much higher paying jobs than our old ones (our combined I-864/I-864A in 2021 had our household income only about $10,000 more than what was necessary for sponsorship). After reading forum posts, it sounds like the thing to do is to have them bring our employment verification/salary letters as well as paystubs to the interview (as well as our deed for our house)?

 

Thank you very much in advance to any and all help! (thought I posted this last night, but don't see it in my content; mods feel free to delete one of these if I did in fact post this somewhere)

[Crazy Cat 41,981]

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[Vickys_Mom 230]

Yes, upload both the 2021 and the 2022.  I got an RFE for my mother-in-law's interview because they wanted to see our 2022 tax transcript (which didn't exist when we did the support forms the previous year).

 

And yes, bring the current paystubs.  The deed to the house is fine, but they're more concerned about income than assets.  (If the deed to your house has both names on it, that's a nice supporting document for proving you're still married and acting like a couple.)  We didn't go to the interview, but my mother-in-law took copies of our paystubs with her.  I don't know if they asked to see them or not.

 

Regards,

Vicky's Mom

[northusa44 4]

2 hours ago, Vickys_Mom said:

Yes, upload both the 2021 and the 2022.  I got an RFE for my mother-in-law's interview because they wanted to see our 2022 tax transcript (which didn't exist when we did the support forms the previous year).

 

And yes, bring the current paystubs.  The deed to the house is fine, but they're more concerned about income than assets.  (If the deed to your house has both names on it, that's a nice supporting document for proving you're still married and acting like a couple.)  We didn't go to the interview, but my mother-in-law took copies of our paystubs with her.  I don't know if they asked to see them or not.

 

Regards,

Vicky's Mom

Thanks, very helpful! Now I forget--do they prefer transcripts over returns? Or is either fine to attach for 2021 and 2022?

[northusa44 4]

And another query as we prepare: just to confirm, the consulate could technically ask for an original of any of the many documents we submitted with the NVC application, correct? I would assume that there are some (such as our passports) that they would in practice not ask for? Does anyone happen to have any thoughts on the sort of documents that consulates most want to see originals for? We have originals of everything, but there are privacy/fear of loss/security issues, etc. in sending some overseas, thus the query. Obviously my parents-in-law will have originals of everything on their end. Thanks to all who reply!

[Chancy 6,241]

On 11/7/2023 at 9:03 PM, northusa44 said:

the consulate could technically ask for an original of any of the many documents we submitted with the NVC application, correct?

 

The originals/certified copies of the visa applicants' civil documents are required for the consulate interview.  As for the petitioner's documents, typically for IR5 cases, only the petitioner's birth certificate is required to be original/certified copy, but best to check the instructions from the consulate.

 

[northusa44 4]

On 11/9/2023 at 7:29 AM, Chancy said:

 

The originals/certified copies of the visa applicants' civil documents are required for the consulate interview.  As for the petitioner's documents, typically for IR5 cases, only the petitioner's birth certificate is required to be original/certified copy, but best to check the instructions from the consulate.

 

Thanks, very helpful!

[northusa44 4]

We are getting pretty close to their interview. My parents-in-laws have prepared a whole bunch of original documents with notarized gongzhengchu translations, including for birth certificates, marriage certificate, and hukou. They are taking evidence of the real estate they own and passports, as well as their (good) police records, and the various interview registration paperwork. They are also taking original document w/gongzhengchu notarized translations for my wife's birth certificate, as well as copies of our passports, I-864 and I-864As (one each), and my wife's naturalization certificate. They will be doing their medical exam a week or so before the interview.

 

We also provided them with tax records （including W-2s) covering the years since we filed the I-864 and I-864 A, as well as for our home and our new (much higher paying) jobs--we are almost three times the 125% poverty level for our household number now (we included both employment verification letters and pay checks). We also wrote up a quick letter to the officer to explain the new/better income and bigger house.

 

So we have prepared everything that the interview checklist they provided us asked for. A few quick questions:

1. Are we missing anything else that might be helpful?

2. Does anyone have experience with the Guangzhou consulate and how the interviews go, especially for parents? 

3. Our lawyer said he does not think it necessary to refill I-864s and I-864As to have ready for the new income/jobs; instead, he suggested we do what we have done by providing the employment verification letters and paychecks. What does everyone here think? I know some will prefill these and have them ready to hand in if asked for--in addition to what our lawyer said, we are frankly concerned that my parents-in-law (who have very limited English ability) will get confused by all the paperwork and hand over the wrong thing. But we might do it if people here think it is a good idea.

 

As always, many thanks in advance!

[Chancy 6,241]

On 11/18/2023 at 8:59 PM, northusa44 said:

Are we missing anything else that might be helpful?

 

Check here for the published interview checklist for Guangzhou -- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/GUZ-Guangzhou.html#pre_interview_checklist

 

[northusa44 4]

On 11/21/2023 at 1:36 PM, Chancy said:

 

Check here for the published interview checklist for Guangzhou -- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/GUZ-Guangzhou.html#pre_interview_checklist

 

Thanks! Yep, that is the checklist we have been working off of.

 

For anyone--any questions in particular that they should be prepared for? I am assuming questions will basically be about parent-child relationship with my wife and plans for living/work once they come over here? My MIL's interview is very soon--fingers crossed!