Yuna

Just curious, what do people wear to the interview appointment? I'm assuming it's a little like dressing for a job interview, or no? I work at a university and most of us all look a little more polished than grad students, but definitely still very casual.

I wore a casual dress to the interview, just something that you'd normally wear to work, I suppose? I saw a guy wearing shorts and t-shirt for his appointment...and sandals. I'd say just dress like you're normally going to work. And congrats on the interview date!

And good luck Ally for next week!!

My interview was at 11.45--got there at 11.30 and they seemed to be a little behind. We were called around 12ish. The interviewer made us do the oath thing and started asking questions.

She asked me if I had been in the US before with my B2 visa. Then she asked my husband about his naturalization timeline (which was really odd--even my lawyer thought it was odd that she asked about when he naturalized and even about his reentry permit). Anyway, then she asked me what was the purpose of trip to the US. She mainly focused on trying to see if there was a preconceived intent of immigrating when I arrived on the B2 visa, I believe.

She asked us where we met (online, then she asked what made us join the website, why we started talking), when we met, when we became a couple, when did we decide to get married, if we've met each other's parents (and she asked my husband if he asked my dad's permission to marry me). She also wanted to see the wedding album and we submitted the home and auto insurance (she did not really take the other proofs). Then it was the usual are you a terrorist question.

At the end of the interview, she told us that she needed to review my case before she can make a decision, so we were kinda bummed. My lawyer said that we did well and he said he'd be surprised if we weren't approved, so that gave us slight comfort.

And we got a text message about 10 minutes ago and my I485 is updated to card production! So I guess that means I'm approved, I'm hoping!

So yeah, I think the questions they ask would be very specific pertaining to your situation (like mine was more towards determining my preconceived intent, didn't really ask much about our relationship. We brought four photo albums and she only took a look at the wedding album). Good luck to the rest of you!

Thanks Ally!

And good luck for Hy Vong!

On a side note, I thought it was gonna take longer to get SSN, but I received the card pretty fast. Got my EAD last Wednesday and applied for SSN on Thursday. I got the card in the mail on Monday--thought it was gonna take 1-2 weeks to get here. Not complaining though!

Oh wow that's a lot!

So far I have

* bank statements with both of our names

* DH's life insurance listing me as beneficiary

* our daughters birth certificate

* our lease from our house showing both our names

* a million photos of us together and us with each others families

* post cards sent to us from my family from over the years with both our names on it

That's about it

It should be enough , none of our utility companies want to add me to the account since I have no SSN , and we don't have any memberships and we have prepaid phone plans

I also never have had a license in Holland so I can't get my DL real quick after I get my EAD + SSN either.. So can't add me as a driver to insurance yet..

I think it should be fine.

Yeap, I think yours should be enough as well--but we can't just help but be paranoid regarding this situation, I guess? And about the car insurance, you can be added to it even though you don't have a driver's license. We called the insurance company to ask for a quote as to how much his premium would be if he were to add me (that was before I got my learner's permit) and the insurance agent said that I should be added to the policy because we live in the same household, even though I am not a driver. It doesn't matter even if I had a driver's license in my home country (which I did not), as long as you are in the same household, you must be added.

The policy might vary from company to company, but you should definitely call your insurance and ask them!

Yuna , what evidence do you have so far?

So far, I have:

- Joint bank account from when we were in Singapore and a joint bank account here after we got married

- Lease from Singapore and the lease here with my name on it

- Plane tickets and hotel reservations with our names on it

- Joint tax return for 2012

- Car insurance, medical insurance, property insurance, and life insurance with each other as the beneficiary

- Gym membership showing me as a "family addon"

- Cellphone bill with our names as well as his parents' (it's a family plan)

- Photos of us together as well of us with each other's family

- Driver's license showing our current residence address (not sure if this counts, but my lawyer told us that it might)

That's all I can think of that we have. I have been added to the utility bill but my name doesn't show on the statement.

Yuna almost a week until your interview. Are you ready?! I'm excited for you. Lol

Thanks Liz! I'm excited and super nervous at the same time--trying to figure out what other proofs I can bring with me... We have plenty yet it just doesn't seem enough in this kind of situation. This is the moment that I'm glad that my husband is slightly OCD in terms of keeping documents...

Got another email and text this morning with the same "EAD in card production" like 5 days ago LOL..

Yeah they do that, I got another email a few days after my initial email and then a tracking number on that day or a day later, I think. That means the card should be mailed soon!

My husband had the same issue. We filed the forms under his legal name and write down the other names on "other names used". However, to tie up the loose ends and to avoid problems, our lawyer advised him to do a legal name change to what he commonly uses, which we did.

I'd say write it as Christopher J. Groh, list his other names under other names used. As for the legal name change, I do not know if it is absolutely necessary, but we did not want to risk confusion and he did not want to keep his legal name anyway, so we did it. Hope that helps!

Chase would let you be added to her account; I got my name added to my husband's account just fine (without SSN/EAD). Just make sure you bring two forms of ID, and a translation if it's in a language other than English.

Got an email saying that the EAD is in card production and the AP is approved as well. Yay!

Well at least I got something: my hubby's i765 was approved and sent to card production on may 3.

That's awesome, congrats!

So if we get our EAD before the green card and apply for SSN, do we have to update the SSN again once we have the green card?

I'm starting to look for jobs now, but afraid that it might be harder since I don't have a US degree or any experience (which seems to be the case, reading around the finding work in the US forum).

Woke up with great news this morning.

A text saying my case had updated.

Interview notice was mailed today , interview is June 3d!

Woohoo!

That's awesome! Congrats!

I got the text interview notice the same day that I got the mail, so the hard copy might already be there for you too?

Hope the rest of you will get your interview date soon as well. Time to collect all those evidences and hoping that it would be enough :\

Got my interview scheduled for May 23! Haven't gotten the letter yet, but the online info says that it's scheduled at National Benefits Center. I think that's just the online status though, read around that the letter should state the local office. Won't know till the letter gets here.

My status was changed to ready for interview on April 10, so it's about 2 weeks to get the interview date. Good luck to you guys and hope you get your interview date soon as well

I tried to do walk in yesterday and was turned down. Got there at 8am and there were about 2 walk-ins as well. The person said that they were not accepting walk-in that day since the office was pretty crowded. I'd say it's a matter of luck depending on when you go to the office. Guess I'll just wait till my appointment date...

None of my case number works as well. :\ Got my NOAs on Monday and got the biometrics appointment letter today! Scheduled for April 8. Hoping to do walk-in for the biometrics. Hope you guys will get yours soon as well

Got my check cashed last night as well! Just have to wait for the physical letter to get here, yay!

Yay to those who have gotten the texts/emails!

I'm not gonna get any text since I did not sign up for them :\ Guess I'll have to do that once I get my case number from the physical NOA. For those of you who have received the texts/emails, is the check cashed on the same day? That's gonna be my only indication that the NOA is *hopefully* coming soon

My package was delivered on the 8th as well... My lawyer did not sign me up for the text/email notification; he personally thought it could be unreliable sometimes, so I wouldn't know until the physical NOA gets here. I'm just keeping an eye to see if the checks are cashed, that would probably be a good indication on when we'll get the NOA?

Finally mailed the application today--a little worried but hopefully everything will go well. Good luck to all of you!