colin57

On 9/25/2019 at 11:39 PM, UktoTexas said:

I had my interview on Tuesday in Houston so here is my account of our experience of the interview. We arrived in good time , however we had quite a wait as it was very busy. Myself and my husband were both called through to be interviewed and I was asked for my EAD, marriage license. all birth certificates (we have 2 children together, both children were born in America) and all of our SSN cards and both of our passports. I had only taken my SSN card as I don't think it was requested for anyone else's. I apologised and said that I didn't have them with me. My husband knows his number and offered to tell the officer but he declined and said that he will look it up. I was then asked questions from the form we submitted. The interviewer asked my husband how we met, our address and the birth dates of our children. He was also asked him what my parents names are and if he had ever met them. I was then asked to name the state and city we had got married in, the wedding date and who attended. He asked me the date twice throughout the interview. 

I was not asked to show any of the documents that I had prepared in my file that they ask for, such as the W-2's, pay stubs, proof of joint assets  or photos. 

At the end he did his own photocopies of documents then said that he will review my case and if I don't receive any correspondence from him within the next 2 weeks I should expect to receive my green card within 4-8 weeks. 

The interview was about 20 minutes long, he did not want to chat just direct answers and did not want any paper work unless he had requested it.  I had put some on his desk and he asked me to put it away. 

We had also taken our youngest child who is 5 months old and I was holding him when we sat down , however I was asked to pass him to my husband to hold for the interview. Although the interview itself is not difficult, it is the intensity of it that makes it daunting.

Good luck to everyone who is still waiting. This has been a long journey. 

 

 

It sounds like you had a difficult guy! you had a tougher time than us, I guess 'they' do so many interviews that it is just another case in front of them, some interviewers seem to have lost sight of the personal side and for us we have our future riding on this interview, when I read reports from the people here on the VJ site some seem as if they have had an easy time and being told at the interview that they were approved along with "Welcome to the USA"!  lucky them.  I did read somewhere that if the interviewer is a junior they have to consult with their supervisor before the case is approved but it was only someone's theory.  I guess you were feeling as we did after the interview a little 'flat' and after months and months of waiting it is still going on dreading each mail delivery in case there is a letter from the USCIS? I am assuming that you have informed delivery from the post office where you live and you have signed up to the USCIS site for updates on your case?

I truly hope the wait isn't too long before you get your Green Card, let everyone here know when you do. 

On 9/12/2019 at 2:23 PM, UktoTexas said:

Hi, it's been a while since I've been on this thread as I have been patiently waiting for my interview. A date has finally been scheduled and is in 2 weeks in Houston, TX. I'm a little nervous and am in the process of checking all the documents needed. If anyone has a list of what they took, that would be a great help. 

Good luck to anyone who is still waiting x 

We took originals of our marriage certificate,  my SSN, my  work authorisation and our passports along with  a few photo's from our wedding, thanks giving and Christmas, a few letters and cards with the envelopes The interviewer did his own copies although we had some for him but the interviewer really wasn't interested I sort of made him take the photo's since we spent quite a while putting the file together, I was a little put out that he didn't say yes there and then but hinted that we were approved but would ask us for any more info after he looked the paper work if he needed any, the next day we got notification that a new card was being issued and a few days later it arrived. the best thing to do is try to find out on the VJ site what people have taken to the office you are going too since every office seems to look at different things. we wish you the best of luck. everything should be ok, not easy I know but just try and relax and be yourselves.

8 minutes ago, Naes said:

Had the interview today! And got card in production in about 2 hours! Finally can relax a bit  

 

Thank you all who’s with us in this journey!

Congratulations, it's been a long time coming, I don't know how you feel but to us September 2017 seems a life time ago!

On 5/10/2019 at 8:55 AM, LLNCE NIKOLOVA said:

Hi all!

My interview was on the 6th in Baltimore. 

The officer was a little weird and tried to confuse the hell out of us, asking the same questions 3 times, verifying our address, etc. Tried to make jokes "i am trying to confuse you to catch you lying" - that was the one that made me feel very uncomfortable. 

We did not have a lease together, since we live in a family property and sounded like just bills and insurance with both our names were not enough for him, to prove our relationship. My husband asked "what about the marriage certificate" and the officer said " well now a days anybody can just get married, this does not mean your relationship is bonafide" .. this just made me feel terrible. So overall ... we left with a bitter feeling.. BUT two days later - I got notification the case was approved and that the card is being produced. 

Thank God! Finally... The long wait is over ... for now. 

 

Good to hear you got the card, it sounds like that guy was a real jerk, it is a tense enough time at the interview without someone making it worse, the guy at our interview appeared to be bored if anything, just a civil servant doing a job and we had to wait  days to find out too, the people who are approved on the spot are lucky! Again congratulations. 

35 minutes ago, Mr & Mr said:

But thats the point, youve sent all your paperwork, you got EAD and AP. So thats it, green card its just a card, same as AP doesnt garantee anything. You shouldnt be worry about anything while you waiting for your GC, just let it go. Once it will pass normal timeframe, then yes, you can start thinking about it. If they loose something, thats gonna be theirs fault, even if you will have to submit paperwork again, you will dont have to wait again that long wait, they should take you right after. 

We are happy that ive got EAD and AP, so i can live here normally, having a job, travel, etc. Once they ready, im glad for them. The worst part of this process when we wanted to be on harry, it was visa process, as we wanted to be next to each other asap, now we are together, i have all documents that i need (as i said before "for normal life") and just forgot abour uscis for sometime. 

THIS PART IS TO EVERYONE, NOT DIRECTLY TO YOU:

Some people are crazy even to wait for a letter in mailbox. You got approved for AP or EAD, you see this update, so just patiently wait for a letter, we all know that letters goes about 10 days in avarage, so just wait. The worst part that people dont even read previous comments from other users,just lazy i guess, but instead of asking so simple questions over and over again, just scroll feed and read, sometimes you can even find answers for questions that you will have in future. Some people still waiting for even status update, and you going crazy with this stupid questions " when i will get the letter and card" - never, that was just a joke update on uscis page. Really, people, be patient. All goes as it should be. All in our lives as it should be. 

You are already with your loved one, so just enjoy your life together, once something change, you will get your "happy letter" in mailbox and email. 

Peace and live to everyone.

P.S. and yes, you are really welcome to share your stories of your interview experience, your process experience, all what people really should know about the process.

Wise words my friend, people are over stressing, I think it causes a lot of worry when others people are getting a head of others in the time line, I was surprised we had our interview now, I really didn't expect it until June / July time, but as you wrote we are here with our loved ones,  try and relax and enjoy life, I know I have been since my arrival in August last year, it is nice to have some down time from working!

10 hours ago, AnJay said:

Thank you for the review as its my office too and not too many people from WI on here  

I do get asked by people I meet why did you come and live in Wisconsin, like I should really go and see a physiatrist!

A few things I should have included in interview review. The guy was the typical 'bored government official' but he was ok,  he didn't us ask for any photo's or other proof of a relationship but we had spent over 2 days putting the folder together so as far as I was concerned he was darn well going to take some of it! so I all but forced him to put some photos and other papers we brought into the file, I am not sure if it is the right thing to do but as we left I shook his hand and said "thank you" which seemed to surprise him. One other little point, like us, everyone waiting for their interview were quite well dressed.

So we now get 20 months off before we have to start with the 10 year green card, we should have known this wasn't going to be easy!

3 hours ago, BVGApeach said:

Hi all - we had our interview yesterday (11 months after filing for AoS) and we were approved. I think we were in there for less than ten minutes. Our interviewer wanted to know if we had met each others' parents, and she asked my husband to clarify his military service and weapons training, and if we had any evidence of ongoing relationship and that was it! She was very nice and professional. Right after we left, we got the notification that our card was being produced.

 

Now I've got RoC on my mind... 

Congratulations to both of you, I am pleased everything went well, it has been a long journey for all of us. we have our interview in 12 days time, hopefully ours will only take 10 minutes!  

1 minute ago, AnJay said:

Yeah i had my bio done in the beginning of January and really liked the friendly staff:) Trying to figure it out when i will get my EAD and interview:) 

Good luck on your interview! 

Thanks, the interview reviews for the Milwaukee office seem ok.  I found the VJ time line about right for the EAD & Advance Parole, hopefully your time line will be about right too.

2 hours ago, AnJay said:

Hi, thats nice! My local office is Milwaukee also, but I am december 2018 filer:) 

How long did you wait till interview was sheduled? I am very curios because not many people from Wisconsin:) 

I am pretty sure everything will be fine. Share your experience please after the interview. Thanks.

ps. nevermind, I checked your timeline;)

I will share our experience, if you haven't had your biometrics yet I found the people in the MKE department very nice and friendly, as I said I was shocked, maybe even disbelieve that we might be one month away from me becoming a permeant resident, as with almost everyone it has been a long, almost 2 years since we started getting the paper work together.

Hi Everyone,

Just to keep people informed as to how the USCIS are working though the files,  A letter arrived today informing us that my AOS interview has been scheduled for April 16, 2019 in downtown Milwaukee, it was quite a shock to say the least as I only got my EAD card about 4 weeks ago and wasn't really expecting the interview before May since it is 174 days since we sent the paper work off and the average time is 256 days in MKE. hopefully everything will go ok. 

Hi everyone.

Just and update and to let everyone know how the USCIS are doing,  in the mail today was a letter informing us that my AOS interview has been scheduled for April 16, 2019 in downtown Milwaukee. It was a bit of a surprise since I only got my EAD card a month ago and I wasn't really expecting this until May at the earliest. Hopefully everything will go ok.

22 hours ago, LydiaP said:

Alex received his EAD card this past Monday! We're thrilled. He already had an interview and was hired on the spot at Costco, which is a dream for us. 

Now to wait on our scheduling for the green card. We didn't apply for AP because we have no funds for him to leave the country right now anyway.

I am so pleased the EAD card arrived and Alex has a job so fast. Over the last couple of years we have found the VJ site is very helpful and useful, but the one down side, and the hardest part, is when you see others moving forward and you still waiting.

Again congratulations. 

On 3/5/2019 at 3:02 PM, Naes said:

Yesss yess yessssssss yes 

Card is in production! Yes!

Hi Naes, I am so pleased you are getting the card soon, I am sure we all feel the same when we get our cards, on one hand relief we have it, but a little guilt that others are still waiting. So next your driving test and buying a car and finding a job?

31 minutes ago, Naes said:

I’m giving them this week....

Hi Naes, I am so sorry you are still waiting for your card, I feel bad telling you, but my combo card arrived a few days ago, the 15th I think, since our timelines have run pretty much parallel for the last 18 month hopefully your card isn't so far way.

Apart from your card delay I hope you are finding life in the US is what you hoped it would be. 

On ‎2‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 10:35 AM, LydiaP said:

I'm so upset right now. our EAD has been sent to Lee's Summit, MO and they are just processing June. We're closest to the USCIS office in Omaha (that's where my husband got his fingerprints done) and they are processing past our due date so I called today to find out what's going on and was told by the phone update that our application was in MO. Anyone else having this issue?

 

 

Hi LydiaP, If it's any help my EAD & AP came from the office at Lee's Summit, MO a few days ago, dated 2/13/19 we sent off the paper work mid September last year, and got the NOA @ September 24, so it may not take to long for your card to arrive. 

Hi Everyone, We got notification in the mail today that my EAD and AP have been approved from 02-08-2019, card will follow they say. we applied for all three parts on September 2  2018 with NOA on September 15, I had my bio on October 10, here in Milwaukee, a quick process, about 20 minutes including waiting, very nice people and it without any problem, so, just waiting for the interview, but at least we are a step or two closer, it has been a long 18 months since we sent the I-129f in!

9 hours ago, Annaguilar said:

Any september filer who got approved of ead/ap yet? 😊😊😊

Hi,     No, nothing for me yet, we filed mid Sep and got the NOA September 25, I had my biometrics 10 Oct..... so just waiting! the VJ time line is slipping back too, the Government shut down shouldn't affect the USCIS but it seems to be!

I am hoping that the estimated dates are slipping back because people on the VJ site not updating there time lines.

5 hours ago, colin57 said:

So just copy over whatever required.  you do wonder why we have to send everything again when really all the USCIS need to see is the marriage certificate , but that's the civil service the world over it just loves paperwork I guess. I don't miss drama at all, I am getting to old for drama, I want a nice quite life  that's why you won't catch me watching 90 day fiancé ….. I have a strong urge to kick the tv screen in! 

It seems that we have 4 envelopes coming in todays mail from the USCIS...… they look the same as the ones people have scanned on the VJ pages....  it's going to be a long wait till 4 or 5 pm when the mail guy gets here...…..

Update:  We got 3 x NOA1's covering all 3 parts of the AOS and a biometrics appointment on Oct 10 at 11am about 20 minutes away downtown in Milwaukee. Another step along the way!

1 hour ago, jhart1981 said:

I kinda like that it's quieter and less hectic on this side of the fence. The scans (thanks @Naes!) were great for keeping our hopes high, but after we got our NOA2 the shine of the conversation kinda wore off and it started to feel like an odd blend of an emotional support group and an IT help desk in there. So I stopped reading. But after your standard Chinese-American wedding at a Greek restaurant in Tennessee, it's now back for the AOS fun!

 

I have to say that the paperwork for the AOS was a lot less effort than I thought it was going to be.I did no research and for some reason was thinking I'd had to send all the photos and stuff again, so I was relieved to see that's for the I-130 folks' AOS applications and not those of us who have been down the K-1 route already. So that was a pleasant surprise. Plus all of the important research was already done, so just copy over whatever is required.

 

The wife is keeping busy learning how to cook western stuff, which she is amazingly good at. I took her along on one business trip to Miami, and we have another trip planned in a month - to SF, LA, Phoenix, and Miami (ugh) again. I used to live in California and loved it, moved back to the South to spend quality time with my parents and siblings, and am starting to think this is too close! Cali is more home than anywhere else.

 

If you miss the drama of the K-1 threads, I recommend 90 Day Fiance. I avoided this show until now and thought I'd hate it but it's hilarious. Does it paint us in a bad light? Yeah, probably. Is it completely Hollywoodized? Could be. But it's nice to watch these (mostly) morons and have my wife cuddled up next to me knowing we're living in a completely different situation.

 

Biometric appointment coming in the mail today... woohoo

 

 

 

 

So just copy over whatever required.  you do wonder why we have to send everything again when really all the USCIS need to see is the marriage certificate , but that's the civil service the world over it just loves paperwork I guess. I don't miss drama at all, I am getting to old for drama, I want a nice quite life  that's why you won't catch me watching 90 day fiancé ….. I have a strong urge to kick the tv screen in! 

It seems that we have 4 envelopes coming in todays mail from the USCIS...… they look the same as the ones people have scanned on the VJ pages....  it's going to be a long wait till 4 or 5 pm when the mail guy gets here...…..

On ‎9‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 6:29 PM, Naes said:

Sooo.....Do you guys also feel like we are a really small bunch here in September? 

It would seem so, I guess humans are a very fickle race, now that the V J community has helped them though the K1 part not many people want to share the next step,  or maybe their lives are as exciting as ours, this is all I have to write!

We sent the AOS papers off two weeks ago hopefully putting everything together the same as others have done from this site,  so far haven't hear anything from the USCIS, hopefully it will be in the next few days. We are just a little anxious since we are at the time when we should be getting a reply.

As with most of you I am trying to keep busy, running errands,  sorting though the garage throwing out all the dried up rusty cans etc and there is yard work to do now the leaves are coming down,  I am also looking at snow blowers on Craig's list and I am going over to see one ..... well a man got to have these toys  essential pieces of equipment even if you probably won't need to use it, next I just need to justify needing that Ford 350 super duty truck...…… I know, It's all an ego thing with men.

9 minutes ago, SanaW said:

Hi guys I have a question that one of you can help answer, so we are trying to get Social Security for my Husband he came here on a K1 visa and we went to our local SS office with his passport, I94 and our marriage certificate and they told us that because his status change because we got married it needs to change on the I94 as well and I printed out the I94 and it still says that my fiance came to the US on Fiance Visa and the lady told us that we need to go to the immigration office and have his status changed and then we can apply for his SS! I though a person can hold an SS on fiance visa, is anyone else having the same problem? and you guys please advice me on what to do! 

Hi, I am in Milwaukee, WI and I got my SS card without problem after we were married, but I had read that some SSA officers were saying the same as you found, it seems that many officers don't know that because we are here on a K1 and a current I94 we can apply for a SS card, I only took the application, my passport and I94, plus document RM 10211.530 (see the link below) which I didn't need, and was very carful what information I volunteered, the guy never asked if I was married and I 'forgot' to mention it, I was there 20 minutes while he entered the info and he said the card would be with me within four weeks and it arrived in three.

This is where I got my info from:  http://www.visajourney.com/content/ssn     You could go back to the SSA with the RM form and see what they say or try another office and hope nothing is in the system,  any VJ's have any idea's? 

On ‎9‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 5:27 PM, Naes said:

Yes pleaseee, I’d like a nice text message by Friday 😊 I really want in before 11th, just in case not to get stuck with the new regulations about rfes.

Hi @Naes, our time lines are still running parallel it seems! (we filed on Sep 15 /2017) how are you doing? how is married life? I guess your cats are happy to have you there full time! my dogs came over on the same flight as me at the end of July, despite my concerns they flew pretty well.  we were married just a head of you on the 14th but I see you are just a head of us with the AOS and EOD etc, so a quick question, how many photos did you enclose with the package? we can't decide if they just want 2 or 2 for the AOS and 2 for the EOD? any advise would be appreciated, Thanks.

As others have commented it is good to see familiar names on the forum and I hope everyone is making progress with the next stage of their lives.

22 hours ago, John & Rose said:

I will be  filing I-130s for my soon to be wife and her two children. I understand that each person should be on a separate form. Does that mean 3 fees too?  On the K-1 derivatives on the petition are included at no additional cost. I am just starting to do my homework and don’t want to miss anything. 

For what my opinion is worth John I think you are doing the right thing by getting married, it isn't fair on Rose to keep her waiting while the USCIS process another I-129f, a few weeks ago Colleen and I were talking about what we would do if we were to be declined and we felt the course you are taking would be the one we would take. 

1 minute ago, John & Rose said:

I have letters from the police department and the court stating that the records have been shredded.  I don't think that relieves the requirement.  I think the best I can do is see if the lawyer kept copies.  If not I dont have access to them anymore.  

why does life have to be such a Bi#ch all the time. As you said you were ticking yes in the box asking about arrests etc at least you will have corrected the problem from last time, all I can think is to give them a detailed statement on the additional evidence page,  the problem is, as we all know, to getting everything right first time..... every time.  Colleen and I have spent a lot of time worrying and stressing about getting the paper work right, we are both getting tired with the strain and like yourself we are both professional people