ClassyBee

Approved at the interview!
 
PD 12/20/2016 Atlanta
Our interview was scheduled for today. Interview was at 8:30am and we left home at 7am (usually takes 45mins to drive there so we had 45 extra minutes in case of bad traffic). So happy for the extra time cause we had TERRIBLE traffic driving there and just arrived 1 minute before our interview was scheduled. We rushed into the building at 8:23am and were so lucky that there were no security lines or check in lines.
We checked in at 8:29 and at 8:30 our interviewing officer called us in. She swore us in, asked for our id's and passports.
Next, she asked my wife (petitioner) to confirm her own name, address, birth date, phone number and signature.
She then asked me (beneficiary) to confirm my name, address, birth date, phone number and signature.
She asked us how we met and then left to make copies of our documents. She returned and asked the Yes/No questions and then looked through our photos. Didn't ask anything about them but my wife pointed out who was who. She asked if we had any extra documents to give her and we gave our new lease, car insurance documents, health insurance documents. (we had already submitted stuff with our application)
We have been married for 3 years and we lived for the past 2 years in my country (Sweden) and so she asked my wife how that experience was.
Finally, she printed out something and said she was recommending us for approval.
We thanked her and left. The interview took exactly 17 minutes (I timed it:). She was very professional but not chatty at all (which suited us fine).
About 10mins after we left, we got an email that my card was in production. Yay!

Hey y'all this is what I have so far gathered for our interview 
Birth certificates for both of us. Originals
Marriage certificate, certified copy with the courthouse stamp
Lease
Credit card statement 
Life insurance benefits 
Health insurance 
Dental and vision insurance 
401k listing me as the beneficiary 
Receipt of pet adoption
(All document listed above are in both of our names) 
Passports 
Wedding pictures 
Pictures
I 20 from when I was a student 
Joint tax return 
Joint checking and saving accounts 
Documents from our joint sponsor 
Medical already submitted back in December but it DOES include the gonorreah test results 
If you can think of anything else we need please let me know!! 

My mom got her GC last friday.. marking the end of this journey.
I am really grateful to the This group & VJ community for the invaluable resource you guys are... 
 
Special thanks to  @Megha13 , @trpr . In Early May, once you both confirmed your local offices had scheduled interview when the USCIS website was showing processing July 2016 cases. It gave me the conviction that some offices are not as bad as USCIS.gov processing times showed,
Hence I did MN field office a favor by ensuring my file is NOT added to  their backlogged workload (Thus filling AR11)
 @TJSEE ,  @jamaicanwifey  no hard feelings    I understand. 
 
Lastly, if you may, please update your timeline (not just signature) It provides more accurate useful VJ stats for processing times.
 
 Sincere apologies too for the disagreements, distractions etc
 
Best of luck to the rest still waiting... Greenlight should be around the corner here soon
 
 

No good reason at all. Went to the DMV and got it changed 

Finally, I have my Interview scheduled on August 17th. 

Yay!!! Approved on the spot for the same-sex marriage interview at Santa Ana Office. The officer is cool and nice but he is very throughout!!!! So be prepared and stay easy!!! Nothing to hide if you are authentic!! I will post about the interview later!! Thank you guys all!!! 

Based on the latest data for the Seattle office, they've processed around 22 days of cases over a 30 calendar day period. 
Which puts December filers in the 'we'll get to you in late September' bucket.
 
(The previous data set I had recorded in my notebook showed they processed around 15 days of cases over a 30 day calendar period).
 
This makes me a little sad because it's further out than I'd like, but this really is napkin-scribble maths at this point.
We know these data points are delayed, not necessarily accurate, and cases are unlikely to be handled purely chronologically.
 
So for all I know I could get an interview request next week. 
 
But I doubt it.
 

Regardless of same state or different states.
 
The interview will be for the I-485 only ( as the interview letter addressed to your parent should state) and not for both-130 & I-485. Your parent is the applicant (for the I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status). You should remember you are neither the petitioner or filer for this app.
The I-130 will of course need to be approved for the I-485 to be approved (or both concurrently approved as in most AOS cases) but you will not be interviewed for the I-130, Thus you as an I-130 petitioner is not required be at the I-485 interview.
Note : an I-130 interview for the USC petioner can be required in very rare cases before i-130 approval
 
You can definitely go to interview to act as a morale booster to your parents or interpreter if they speak or understand limited English. But you will not have any direct part in the interview. 
 
In a reverse scenario, parent filling for minor child AOS, The parent will have to be at the interview, same with spouse AOS petitions etc. But I can tell you as far as i know ,in your case, you are not be required to be.
Be mindful of loose misleading info/recommendations if you call USCIS customer care or schedule info pass so you do not stress out or incur unnecessary expenses.
 
If your parents are comfortable staying here as long as..., I'd say you can let the AOS app be and wait it out.
Mine came to visit, and is understandably homesick... plus patience is not one my virtues either
Procrastination on the other hand seem to be my BFF lol
 
 

Correct, The interview is for the I-485. However, Per info-pass info, the I-130 will go in the same file as the I-485. 
In a child filing for parent AOS, the petitioner (child) is not required to attend the interviewer, If you did, you can only go as an interpreter or so. Not sure you will be allowed to say much or they will have any questions for you. My mom was basically asked questions about the I-485 form she filled out.
 
Please note that most parents will get interview waiver. (so you may still get waiver even if you filed an AR 11) But interview waiver could take longer as they approved for such at MSC/NBC (national) level and not local office. ( once at local office = interview likely) how soon? depends on processing times
 
So I'd say "move to the mountain", if you may. For me, I was facing having to re-book flight for a 3rd time (at increasing cost) and the possibility of another medical I-693 due to submitted medical expiring before interview). So I gambled to switch office (As nothing is guaranteed with USCIS). But base the decision more from the conviction that St Paul field office was not going any where at least based on the data from USCIS website itself).
 
I'm just glad to share and maybe someone, someday may find this info useful too as I have benefited from VJ over the years myself. 
 
Best of luck on your journey
 

MN has  been slow at least since latter 2015, so I'm not sure about the move this April as being the reason. Perhaps AOS cases are  low priority for MN office.
The stats are indeed grim for MN.
For family based AOS apps in Minnesota from:
06/01 to 09/30/2016, Received: 927   Approved cases: 97   Pending: 3130
10/01 to 12/31/2016, Received: 1034 Approved cases: 201 Pending: 3507
In comparison to Detroit local office
06/01 to 09/30/2016, Received: 1067 approved cases: 1232 Pending: 1950
10/01 to 12/31/2016, Received: 1113 Approved cases: 797 Pending: 2520
 
So as the pending cases keeps increasing, it  will take even longer for newer cases to be resolved.
I mean, how does MN approve less than 300 cases in 6 months when Detroit office is approving over 2000 cases in same period?
 
Sources: 
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/Reports and Studies/Immigration Forms Data/Adjustment of Status/I485_performancedata_fy2016_qtr4.pdf
 
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/Reports and Studies/Immigration Forms Data/Adjustment of Status/I485_performancedata_fy2017_qtr1.pdf

Oh dear, My Mom's I-693 (medical) expires by October ending. Hopefully I wont have to spend much on getting a new I-693
add to the fact that I have had to spend $300+ to change her flight (Until GC is on hand) as I do not want her subject to secondary inspection while travelling on AP.
Based on VJ posts, while most Field offices are approving cases 6 months or so past the websites processing dates, MN cases being worked on could actually be earlier than website processing dates.
USCIS Tier II officer confirmed cases (I130 & I-485) are still at NBC 2 weeks ago. So, I really am contemplating changing location (state) for the only I-485 at this point. My mom has been visiting her cousin in another state anyway and she likes it there.
it seems an overdo, but could save some agonizing wait time.
Bigger lesson: To never procrastinate any immigration app
 
Apologies for the rant

Just a short story about my interview...
 
Got there half an hour early, went through "customs", everyone was really friendly. Sat in the waiting room, and the officers I did see were all smiles. I got a really good feeling about them. We were called in maybe 20-25 min after our scheduled appointment time, and the guy seemed pretty laid back. He swore us in, and then started asking us general questions. Birth dates, where we were born, how did we meet (we met online, so he asked us which website, etc), what our address was, asked to see wedding pictures, had a laugh with my husband about "never wanting to move to Canada", asked me all those questions about being a communist, etc that are on the I-485 form.
 
Then, he asked to see my long form Canadian birth certificate. Eek, I didn't have it. In Canada there are two types of birth certificates, and I had the short form one only. He let me call my Mom to see if she had it (he would have accepted just a picture of it), but she didn't have it either. Then after a few other questions, he said he was going to approve the I-485 as soon as we mail in a copy of my birth certificate. I asked if this happens often, he said yeah it's no big deal. He said our I-130 is approved. Cool.
 
So, we went home and I ordered a copy of my birth certificate ASAP. Then I went to check myUSCIS, and it says the I-485 is approved? Weird. But as soon as I get that birth certificate copy I'm gonna mail it in anyway, we'll see what the letter in the mail says about the I-485.
 
So, a little mishap on my part, but all in all I am happy. I hope you all have good experiences too. Cheers!

I'll schedule an infopass/speak with tier 2 officer if you dont get any update by end of the week. 
But don't stress, It's probably approved, if your i-130 is already

Congrats!
Also, good to note that Philadelphia Field office(your local office) says processing as at July 2016 on USCIS.gov.
Yet you filed in december and got a date already. 
So I guess those processing times are not really accurate.

Which is your local office please? 
I'm trying to check your case's timeline deviation from the processing time as stated on uscis.gov

H1B. There isn't any interview. My case status changed from biometrics to card production.

Received the much anticipated EAD "we mailed... card" notifications. 
Fingers crossed on receiving card this week, probably next week

Mine isn't expensive at all but I buy it from my home country. It's a ppo plan. I pay $400 for 9 months. 

It gets delivered. Signature certainly not required

Not so much approve as it is verifying with USCIS that you are validly authorized to work......meaning it is not case file sittiing on a desk at USCIS,
it's no different from DMV verifying your immigration status with USCIS before issuance of Drivers licence even after you present a physical unexpired GC

That is not correct.
One can travel with a valid H1B visa since it allows dual intent. 
However, it remains  advisable (but not required) to have an approved advance parole(AP) for back up.
Hypothetically, if the H1B employment is unexpectedly ended while one is still abroad,  the AOS would also be considered abandoned without an AP..
So Keep your travel plans flexible, and be ready to return to USA anytime for AOS interview etc

I think these threads cause more anxiety than they are worth!

You have 2 options
1. Call IRS and standby a fax machine and after verification, they can fax it to you..
2. Walk into your local IRS office and they will print it off for you. No appointments necessary

Why didn't he get a social security card without the restrictions? I applied for jobs recently and only use my DL and SSC. I asked if they wanted to see GC/ extension letter, they said No. I just made sure I had my A# when filling out I-9 form. I don't even think employers should be asking for GC if you can present other documents from the list. He shouldn't have any problems though.

It seems to me that some of the other posters feel entitled to get approved immediately, don't forget that we are still staying at someone else's 'house' here and unless we become US Citizens we will never be considered an equal member of society from a status perspective.
I would rather wait an extra 2 months if it means that I don't need to take a day off to go do an interview or jump through other hoops. The fact that we're paying quite a bit of money for every step of the process does not mean they owe us anything.
What difference does it make anyway? We all have our letter that allows us to stick around and do whatever we want until the end of this year or early 2015, just chill out and enjoy the upcoming spring weather.