USCIS Interview 7/3 - AOS Atlanta Field Office

[TwoSwifts 25]

Hello Everyone,

 

I wanted to share our USCIS interview experience at the Atlanta FO yesterday (7/3). We are a B2 Tourist marriage-based AOS. I'm the husband (USC), and my wife is Brazilian. We were married in September of 2024 (Arrived in Orlando in March of 2024), and filed our I-130, I-485, I-765, and I-131 collectively in mid-January (1/14/25) through a local attorney. My wife was technically on an overstay at that point, but our attorney advised that this would be forgiven since she is the spouse of a US Citizen, and her overstay was very minor given the date we filed. I imagine we could have DIY'd, but I'm a firm believer in making sure everything is correct, and done right, so I'm not opposed to the extra cost of having representation. My wife's nerves have been running rampant throughout this process due to the media and multitudes of news sources sensationalizing the sensitivity around immigration and the stories being reported on. While our journey is entirely legal and the "right way", she has been in a near panic thinking ICE would be lurking in every corner of the AOS building just itching to haul her away. This is certainly not the case, nor would it happen, and I can personally attest to the fact that the only uniformed people at the building were the general security staff that screen you before entering the building.

 

Our appointment was scheduled for today @ 9:55am. We arrived around 9:10am. Our attorney arrived around 9:20am, and we explicitly followed their instruction not to enter until we were all collectively together. After entering, we proceeded through security with no issues. Everyone was relatively pleasant at this point. Immediately went to check-in and my wife had her picture taken and biometrics scanned. We were issued a call-number and were checked-in @ 9:41 am. Proceeded to the 3rd floor waiting room, and hunkered down for the wait. After several others passed us by, we were called in by our IO around 10:10am.

 

First impressions are always on deck, and she presented herself as a very pleasant person at the jump. Did not have any kind of demeanor that indicated she was terse, stern or unnecessarily serious. She greeted us very kindly and led us back to her office. She had a huge L-Shaped desk, so I took the opportunity to say..."Fancy Desk!!". She looked at me with a semi-sarcastic and smiling facial expression and said..."You sure...Really?". More or less breaking the ice between us and made me confident that being in her presence would not be daunting or overbearing. Prior to taking our seats, she swore us in, and the interview began.

**We were never separated** (This may not be the case for everyone, but this factor alone was a calming element to the experience as well)

 

Additional Context: In between some of the questioning, she took time to make entries on the computer, take notes and engage with us in a pleasant, sometimes comical back and forth conversation keeping the air in the room light. Clearly their systems were acting a bit slow, so to break up the monotony we had several moments of light and fun banter. We joked about coffee and the effects of caffeine as I have a very social personality, so she picked on me and asked if I had had coffee that morning because I can be talkative and friendly. This resulted in her openly admitting that she can't start the day without it, lifted her coffee thermos up like a trophy, and showed that she had caffeine pills in her desk. She also picked on me about stapling things in our supporting documentation as it made scanning more cumbersome. She said jokingly..."Next time...don't staple everything"...to which I said..."There shouldn't need to be a next time...this is forever right?"...to which she responded.."Yes, we don't want to see you back here unless it's to apply for her citizenship". All in all, very light-hearted and normal conversational banter.

 

Questions Asked:

(To Both) What is your spouses full name? What is their DOB? Is this both our first time filing a petition for marriage-based AOS?

 

(To My Wife) Did she come here for the purposes of Immigration benefits? When she applied for her visa, what did she say was the purpose of her visit? What made her say "Yes" to my proposal? Did she work before receiving her EAD? Did she drive? Did she overstay her visa? Did she have a State-issued ID? Is she currently working? And of course...General I-485 Q&A (Yes/No) stuff

 

(To Me) How did we meet? (This was asked to both, so for clarity we asked her who should answer). What led to the proposal, and when did I propose? What were the reasons for proposing to her?

 

After all of the questions, she did ask for any other supporting evidence we wanted to submit with regard to show anything we had jointly. We submitted Life Insurance and Medical Beneficiary documents, 2024 Tax Filings, Joint Bank Account Statement, Affidavits from friends, additional pictures (we have tons, so she only asked for 4 pages worth), Sam's Club, Costco, and finally a cruise booking confirmation for both of us next year. All the while she was very pleasant to speak to, and was not brooding or overbearing. The interview lasted about 45 minutes in total.

**Side Note ~ She did have my wife sign an admission statement on a tablet to the aspect of answering "yes" to overstaying her visa. (While generally concerning, we have to remember that her overstay is forgiven based on legal marriage to a USC)

 

Upon conclusion of the questioning, scanning documents, and entries on the PC she handed us back the remainder of our supporting evidence documents (she made copies) and ID's indicating the interview was complete. We waited to ultimately hear that we had been approved on the spot, but instead, she made the comment: "This part is done, and you should receive a notification in the mail, I can't give you the time frame on that, but your case remains under review and if we need anything else, we'll contact you.". At that point she handed me a document stating the same. "Case is under review". Our attorney's opinion along with ours is that the interview went extremely well, and there's shouldn't be any reason to think we won't receive an approval soon. The agents have absolutely no obligation to offer any information regarding approval or denial after the interview is complete. We are subject to their process and responses whether we like it or not.

 

I will close with this: Not the outcome we were really wanting today, but she did make a couple comments during the interview that indicated it went very well...One being..."Yes, we don't want to see you back here again unless its for her application for citizenship." I don't think she would have said that if there wasn't a possibility of us receiving her GC. The collective opinion was that the IO did not have the authority to approve the GC on the spot, and needed a supervisor's sign off first. (I could see her filling out a form that said "Supervisor Review: AOS". So now we wait!! We feel confident, but until the cases move to "Approved", we aren't fully satisfied. We are a simple case, no historical legal issues, and just two people eager to move forward in our marriage and in life. To those who have pending interviews, our advice is to be prepared, organize and have ready to present additional evidence, and just be calm, relaxed, and answer the questions honestly and genuinely. Remember you are a valid, true and bonafide relationship, so there shouldn't be any reason to be nervous about the process. You only have the truth to tell. The continued wait will be a frustrating period of time for us, but good luck to everyone out there!! Your dreams will be realized!!  

Edited July 4 by TwoSwifts

[OldUser 9,885]

Thank you for detailed report @TwoSwifts!

Jokes and comments about officer's desks / looks etc are a bit risky. Glad you got an adequate person adjudicating case.

[Crazy Cat 44,427]

I think you will receive good news soon.  Keep an eye on the USCIS status.  Remember to collect evidence for your I-751 through the next 2 years.  Collecting pieces of evidence of a bona fide marriage along the way will make the removal of conditions paperwork a lot easier. Good luck on the rest of your journey.

[TwoSwifts 25]

39 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Thank you for detailed report @TwoSwifts!

Jokes and comments about officer's desks / looks etc are a bit risky. Glad you got an adequate person adjudicating case.

Agree....I don't advise everyone use a tactic like that and risk getting off on the wrong foot when it can be avoided to start. I would say I get a pretty good read on people very quickly by how they immediately introduce/present themselves from their expressive engagement. She was all smiles from the start, and definitely welcoming. My comment to her about her desk was complimentary, and not condescending, but if I had detected that she was just straight up business and nothing less, I wouldn't have even remotely attempted to make the comment. I would have just matched the person's energy. Serious and straight to the point.

I feel fortunate that we were able to joke around with her, and her with us...Afterall, she is a normal person and human being despite having the power to decide our future...so full respect to her was shown at all times.

[Edward and Jaycel 1,903]

Thanks for sharing!! Jaycel an I have our interview in just under 3 weeks so this is nice to read 🙏

[TwoSwifts 25]

1 hour ago, Edward and Jaycel said:

Thanks for sharing!! Jaycel an I have our interview in just under 3 weeks so this is nice to read 🙏

Awesome to hear you got your interview too!! I wish you and Jaycel all the blessings, well wishes and strength as you get to this next step!! Hopefully we'll get some really positive news here very soon!! It really will mean the world to us!!😊🙏   

[Edward and Jaycel 1,903]

46 minutes ago, TwoSwifts said:

Awesome to hear you got your interview too!! I wish you and Jaycel all the blessings, well wishes and strength as you get to this next step!! Hopefully we'll get some really positive news here very soon!! It really will mean the world to us!!😊🙏   

Thank you sir much!! We’re praying for a decision for you guys next week!! 😊

[TBoneTX 47,500]

Such a literate, detailed report will be of interest and comfort to others, assuredly.

 

Elaboration on Crazy Cat's recommendation about collecting evidence for Removing Conditions:  I took everything that  might remotely support evidence of our relationship and threw it all into a box.  I had a computer folder for online material.  When it was time to file the I-751, I had the high-class problem of deciding what NOT to include.

 

In addition (actually, before anything), shop for a lawyer who can draft wills, medical & financial powers of attorney, and similar estate documents.  These make superlative evidence for Removing Conditions, and they're even more crucial to have in "life."  Remember that if you move from one U.S. state to another, your will may need to be redone.

[Sam Burns 197]

19 hours ago, TwoSwifts said:

This is certainly not the case, nor would it happen

Uh we’re seeing it happen every day

[TwoSwifts 25]

2 hours ago, Sam Burns said:

Uh we’re seeing it happen every day

You are welcome to comment on cases where this might happen to someone with complex and questionable immigration circumstances that could warrant a detention. I'm not going to get into nuance with you. I am specifically speaking to our case and others who have matching scenarios where no laws have been broken, no outstanding or extenuating legal issues exist, and the current process is being followed legally and ethically. I'm also speaking to my personal observations of our location visit. There were no officers in sight other than the ones I mentioned. We can't continue to fear monger the community of potential immigrants and their partners who have adhered to the process as the law provides. The media and its current polarization is spreading unwarranted fear into the hearts of those who have nothing to be worried about, and our case proves that. My intention is to pass on that confidence to others who are in the process on equal footing. In addition, our attorney consoled any concerns we had by stating that in 20 years, not one of their bona fide cases ever had an issue at a FO, and we're a prime example of that.

I'll leave the floor open to anyone who wants to comment on this thread where they were detained at an AOS Interview and had not one blemish against their bona fide case..

[TBoneTX 47,500]

OP, your literacy and powers of expression are probably superior to any that I've ever seen on this site.

I say this regardless of whether I agree with you or not.   

I hope that you stay on VJ and contribute as you can.

[TwoSwifts 25]

For anyone following this thread, and were curious about any updates. So far, we're into Tuesday 7/8 and both the I-130 and I-485 sit at "Interview Was Scheduled".....Haven't even seen them advance to "Under Review". Of course this wait is extremely frustrating, but the wheels of government can turn slow, and just like an elevator, pushing the button 100 times doesn't make it come any faster. Patience is truly a virtue here, but I can honestly say that my wife's nerves are through the roof, and the anxiety of having to wait is palpable. Hopefully some great news will follow soon, but I wanted to keep everyone updated as best I can.

Stay Positive and Believe!! 

[Edward and Jaycel 1,903]

2 minutes ago, TwoSwifts said:

For anyone following this thread, and were curious about any updates. So far, we're into Tuesday 7/8 and both the I-130 and I-485 sit at "Interview Was Scheduled".....Haven't even seen them advance to "Under Review". Of course this wait is extremely frustrating, but the wheels of government can turn slow, and just like an elevator, pushing the button 100 times doesn't make it come any faster. Patience is truly a virtue here, but I can honestly say that my wife's nerves are through the roof, and the anxiety of having to wait is palpable. Hopefully some great news will follow soon, but I wanted to keep everyone updated as best I can.

Stay Positive and Believe!! 

 

I have seen many reports of interviews/approvals and in a lot of the cases the status never changes to "Being Actively Reviewed" and just goes straight to the "Case Approved" status. Hoping it comes for you soon!  

[TwoSwifts 25]

1 hour ago, Edward and Jaycel said:

 

I have seen many reports of interviews/approvals and in a lot of the cases the status never changes to "Being Actively Reviewed" and just goes straight to the "Case Approved" status. Hoping it comes for you soon!  

I've seen the exact same in addition to posted comments that a few days passed before anything updated. Given we interviewed on the day before the Federal holiday, I knew the weekend would truly be a long one...LOL!! We're 2.5 days in and nothing feels out of sorts for me at this stage as waiting is part of the gig!! This one just happens to be the most intense of them all. 😊🙏

[Edward and Jaycel 1,903]

1 minute ago, TwoSwifts said:

I've seen the exact same in addition to posted comments that a few days passed before anything updated. Given we interviewed on the day before the Federal holiday, I knew the weekend would truly be a long one...LOL!! We're 2.5 days in and nothing feels out of sorts for me at this stage as waiting is part of the gig!! This one just happens to be the most intense of them all. 😊🙏

 

Oh I can only imagine!!  Our interview is two weeks from tomorrow and I just know we're gonna be refreshing the portal a few times a day and checking for emails starting the day after. LOL