Philadelphia Interview Review

I just had my Green Card Interview for the Philadelphia Office.

Just a background- my I-485 was submitted Jan 23rd

No updates have ever been received via email, text or on either account (myaccount, or USCIS)

I received my letter for my Green Card Interview one month ago

I have not received my EAD- my case went straight to Interview!

The interview was on time, and lasted approx 20-30 minutes. (cannot remember exactly how long)

The officer was friendly but professional

My photo was taken, my fingerprint was taken.

Both my husband and I were to stand and take an oath of honesty

The officer proceeded to ask both of us questions from my I-485 to verify information

In fact most of our questions were straight from the 485

We were asked for proof of our relationship

I submitted: 

PHOTOS:    a few from our wedding ceremony (non-legal), some from our Court legal marriage ceremony, approx. 6-8 new photos of us on different visits and our honeymoon, and a few photos of us and our dogs together.  The officer took 4 photos- one of our wedding ceremony, one from the courthouse ceremony, and two of us and our dogs.  He liked the dog ones and I told him the reason I included them was to show that the dogs lived together in the same country!

JOINT ACCOUNT INFO- the officer wanted to see bank statements that were recent which we had two months worth

LIFE INSURANCE POLICY- to show that I was my husbands beneficiary

PENSION PLAN- to show that my husband was my beneficiary

TAXES- we filed joint taxes

(since we are living with family and are in the process of buying a house, we did not have any other financial commitments to show like a mortgage, lease or bills etc. however he felt that what we showed was significant enough)

SKYPE LOGS- to show a continued relationship from the date of filing the I-129 until Immigration Date

PROOF FROM I-129- I brought photocopies of the proof we had submitted with our I-129 package as he did not have it in my file.  I have heard others bring their I-129 package with them, and I am glad I did.  This was the majority of the proof we had to prove our bonafide relationship as my husband and I have known each other for 15 years, we had a variety of proof such as photos, boarding passes, itineraries from emails, tickets, email correspondence summaries etc. The officer asked for my photocopies to include in my file. 

The officer stated that the green card would be a conditional 2 year card, and we would have to continue to prove our relationship at the next interview which would include proof from today onwards, and that all the information I submitted today will remain in my file to refer to at the next interview.

He also asked how we met and what happened through the 15 years.  He was friendly and chatted with us even about his own wedding when we explained how we had a ceremony in Canada, but legally married in the U.S. etc.

he concluded the interview stating that the Green card usually takes 2-5 weeks to get in the mail and that we would be notified in approx. 2 years when the next interview would be for the 10 year Green card. 

Since our appointment form asked us to bring several things that he didn't ask for, I asked to confirm that he had them in my file for example my Immunization form and certified Marriage certificate to which he said yes.

And that was pretty much it.

I am still shocked that we got a green card interview 4 months after submitting as when I check the USCIS website, the processing times still list 9.5-19 months!!

Good luck to everyone, I hope things move smoothly and fast.

My Interview happened on Sept. 6th. in Montreal Canada.  I had read other reviews which were very helpful. I had to pick up my Medical package from Medysis the day of my interview. Medysis opens around 6:50am. If you have to pick up your medical the day of your interview, GO EARLY! By the time I walked to the consulate from Medysis, it was approx. 7:15 and there were already people lined up.

ENTRANCE
You will wait in line outside until a guard comes out and asks everyone to have the "interview appt. letter" and passport ready. You enter the entrance of the building, and wait for a person at a podium to enter details of your passport and interview information into the system, places a sticker on your passport and directs you to the security area. They also give you a plasticised paper, asking you to sort out your documents in a certain order when you get upstairs. This will have a number on it. I was number 10.  PLEASE NOTE- it doesn't really matter what time your interview time is, it is basically first come first serve.  So GO EARLY!!

SECURITY
***Please note: no food or drinks are allowed. No electronics are allowed. If you bring your phone- they will give you a ticket stub to pick it up later.

Your items go through x-ray. I forgot I had a USB stick and a small mini power bank in my purse. They just wanted to know what it was, but allowed me to keep it.

Once through security, you go downstairs to the elevator. If you have forgotten to bring passport sized photos with you, there is a little photo booth that charges $10 for the two photos you have to submit. Alternatively, if you remember to get photos the day before, there is a Pharma Prix (Shopper's Drug Mart) at the corner of St. Catherine Street and St. Alexandre (near the consulate) where you can get passport photos.

You go up the elevator to floor 19 (the only floor you are allowed to go to) and then enter a large room filled with chairs.  There are bathrooms, and two vending machines (very sparse).  If you are diabetic, I believe you can bring in food.  I had food and the security guard asked if I was diabetic (which I am not) So I expect you would be allowed as the 'food' upstairs is junk food in a vending machine.

Then you wait.......and arrange your papers.
This is what they asked us for:

DOCUMENT LIST
1- Passport (remember to take a photocopy of the biographic page- it does not have to be in colour)

2. Medical package (do not open this package) Also, if you are wondering, you get to keep your x-ray on CD, and a copy of your immunization records. I believe you will need this further down the road but cannot comment on when yet.

3. Long Form Birth certificate (and make a copy as well). I have heard others on here not have their long form certificate and it was accepted, but if you need your long form, you can order it online through service canada (https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-or-replace-ontario-birth-certificate)

4. Petitioners Affidavit of Support- for K1 Fiance Visa this is the I-134. You also need the petitioners most recent Taxes, and I believe you need the W2 as well. I submitted it, but I am not sure i had to have it.

5. Police Records check. In Canada, I have had to have several police records checks for my work in healthcare. I have always had a physical seal imprinted on my certificates. This is the first time I ordered one when it was available online. It did not have a physical seal. I thought this might be an issue. It was not.

6. Petitioners Intent letter. VERY IMPORTANT- this letter must be dated within 30 days of your interview date.

7. Two passport photos (U.S. sized photos, are different than Canadian)

8. Appt. letter with proof of payment- this will be the printed appointment letter, it will say the fee was paid. This is all I needed. If you haven't paid your fee online, you can pay in person at the cashier's window in that large room. You can do this once you have been called up to see your paperwork. I do not believe this delays you during the day. The person before me had to do this, and he was still on time to being called for his interview before me.

Please keep in mind, this is the paperwork they asked for that day, but you still should have all of your paperwork that is required in Packet 3/4. They may ask for all of it. But they did not the day of my interview.

So, you wait to be called. As number 10, I waited about 1 hour 15 minutes for my turn. My interview time was 7:30 which is the earliest. The first people in line I believe were done the whole process in and hour and a half. My whole process as being # 10, from start to finish was 2 hours. So the earlier you go, the less time it will take. When I left at 09:30, there were people with #35 seated who had appt. times at 09:00. Just to give you a reference of how many people are interviewed. And I don't know how many after I left.

CALLED TO FIRST WINDOW
Once you are called to a Window (#1-5) they are very friendly, ask you for your paperwork, confirm details etc. If you forgot to get photocopies, they will allow you to have them, BUT, you have to pay $1 each. You will have to go to the cashiers Window, pay for the photocopies, grab the receipt, and then go back to the window you were at. So don't waste time, Bring photocopies! They will ask you questions like if you have ever been in trouble with the law, if you have every been married etc. They also take your digital fingerprints. This process took less than 10 minutes.

Then you wait again......

Windows 6-12 are the interview windows. Some people were being called to window #19- and were called by name. Still can't figure out what people did when they were there.  You do see people coming out of the interview area with big smiles on their faces which is really nice to see.

INTERVIEW WINDOW
I was called to window 7. This is where the interview happens. You stand there for about 5 minutes, being asked questions. You don't even realize the interview was happening.
Questions I got asked:

A. Have you ever been married
B. Have you ever had trouble with the law (this does not include parking tickets, speeding tickets, littering tickets etc.)
C. Have you ever lived outside of Canada
D. What does your fiancee do for a living
E. Where does your fiancee live
F. Does your fiancee live along
G. How did you and your fiancee meet ( I told them we met in 2003)
H. What happened from 2003 until now
I. Have I signed up for the courier to return my passport

Then the officer said "Well the interview just happened" and proceeded to ask me to swear in, using my fingerprints while I decree that everything in my application was truthful etc.  She give me paperwork (pink and white sheet) with instructions on how to get my passport, expected arrival time etc. And some other documentation. And that was it. I had to ask if I was approved, I was, but I needed to hear those words.

Very anticlimactic but thrilled that it was that easy.

A few comments I had head from other people in the waiting area- some people were worried that they would be asked about when their wedding was, what point of entry they were going to use, the date they were entering the U.S. I d not know if anyone got asked these questions. I was prepared with EVERYTHING. I am glad I didn't have to use everything I had, but I didn't leave anything to chance.

I was an excellent experience, and I wish you all the best! (search for my Medical in Montreal Review)