Oshun

one post removed - let's not label members as nazi sympathizers please, it generates reports.

It's a misrepresentation if the information you provided was false. It's material if truthful information could have changed the outcome. In a Stokes interview, the intention is to find out if both spouses provide the same answers to the same basic questions. Not providing the same answers will definitely affect the outcome, so ANY answer given in a Stokes interview is material.
No to the first two points. Many couples on this forum are a different race and from a different country than their spouses, and few have to go through a Stokes interview. Her first marriage is the one factor that stands out. Whenever a US citizen has a second or subsequent marriage to an immigrant then they go back and look at the previous marriage to see if there were any signs of fraud. If they find any then the second marriage is going to be very closely scrutinized. I am 99% certain this is what happened in your case.

Maybe because others do not understand the fact that a doctor from another country can not just practice medicine in the US, this is confusing for them.
I know a lot of women who are doctors in their own lands but couldnt afford to do the study that would allow them to be qualified in the US and the doctors that I do know who were going through this had to train for at least a couple of years in order to pass the exams for the US.
I am assumimg you come from one of the countries that are involved in some aspect of civil uprisings but that wouldnt cause you to fail your interview as there are background checks that you have undergone.
The problem is the officer may not have believed that your marriage was genuine and not meeting your wifes kids is a HUGE red flag.
If you went to your first interview with Stokes already prepared then its clear that there was a matter that they felt needed to be delved into from the start. Is there anyone who may have sent a letter or called the USCIS to say that you have a sham marriage?
Why did you think you needed a lawyer in the first place? Seems like a pretty straightforward case to me.
What you need to do now is regroup and get your head back in the game.
Forget the old lawyer. As soon as she called me Dumb I would have stopped checks.
Find a new lawyer who can actually help you with your case. All is not lost but every second you spend dwelling on what you did wrong doesnt help the fact that you may be moving to a denial.
Or perhaps you will get card is in production email.

JimVaPhuong is correct in that they must have already flagged your file prior to the interview. Many of the posters here are also correct in that you should fire your lawyer. The name calling and flawed preparation is absurd.
We already know that that your wife’s prior marriage and child situation was the first major flag, but that can be overcome, especially since she had children with him. Jims detail of this was spot on when it comes to the lack of relationship she has the with kids. It’s just not common to be married to someone and not know their children.
Here are my questions..
You said that your wife and you are different races. If you can, please tell us what each of you are? This is important to know because they do take cultural/ethnic differences very seriously especially if there are other stark differences in your overall situation.
Are you also different religions?
Is there an age difference? If so who is older?
At the interview, were you IMEDIATELY separated, or after an initial interview together?
You mentioned that your wife does not have her kids due to finances. Does she make a living comparable to yours?
Now, none of these things singularly have a major detrimental effect, but one of them could be the straw that broke the camel’s back in addition to flawed answer..... Again, none of these FACTS are reasons for a denial, but they are cause for heightened scrutiny.
For eg...
If a blond eastern European, walks in with an Asian American; they happen to have a 15 year age difference where the woman is older and has children that her new husband has not met, and the USC previously married a foreigner AND the USC is less educated and much poorer than the beneficiary...hmm..... That is not an automatic denial, but there are reasons to be very suspicious so you may go through more to prove your relationship.
Perhaps the answers to my above questions will give us all a little more color to this picture, or maybe not, but all must be considered. Remember, you are always able to appeal with a better lawyer if all does not go well, just take this a learning experience moving forward. If you are truely married, you can prove it and panicing will only make things worse. Just tell the trush if you have to come back and you will be fine. USCIS is not in the business of punishing loving couples for no reason.
You still have not got a denial so….

I would think that you need to at least TRY to get the I-94 replaced, to show that you attempted to get it. It is required documentation. If you can't obtain it, then you at least can show it no longer exists in record.
Showing that you had a visa issued to you doesn't prove you entered the country using it.

My situation is very similar to yours in that for over a year my husband and I lived apart. I lived in the midwest, and he in the NE and I finally moved last year. So we have a 2.3 year marriage but only 1 year worth of common 'stuff.' This is what I've gathered to help explain the time apart (mind you, we have not yet filed but will in a few weeks).
1. Had my former supervisor write a letter stating that I had been trying to move/transfer to be with my husband - it finally happened so yipe! . If she can get something like this from her supervisor, that may be helpful. *Any independent testimony is better than family members that the USCIS may feel would do so just to help you out....
2. Got all my phone records showing that we talk/text everyday. The oldest I have is from mid 2009. You incurred expenses traveling back and forth since you see each other every 4 weeks (plain tickets or even gas receipts, EZ pass?). All this can show that you made a lot of effort to see each other.
3. All our current documents are joint evidence and strong pieces so, once I moved, we did all the things that loving couples do. Open up back accounts.... and fight about money
4. Its life. We love each other and it will show. I have evidence showing we did everything we could to finally live together, and now we do...
My advice is that if you can wait till your spouse moves.... WAIT. I only say this because I would think its easier to prove to someone that you will do anything to be with your love, once you've succeeded in doing the 'anything.' If you are on a work visa and it doesn't expire for some time, you have nothing barring you from waiting before you file.
If you wish to get it done sooner rather than later, you still have evident showing you love each other and can still be successful without any obstacles.... Just be prepared to answer those questions and show all that you have done to be together and you'll be fine. Good luck!!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/272191-i485-denied-help-asap/
Found it!!!