probingoduke

Hello to all. Thank you so much for your advice, encouragement, help and compassion. We had our interview in the morning at the Boston, MA office.
 
I'm going to try and keep this detailed for anyone looking for tips/guide. Please feel free to ask any questions.
 
TLDR:
Our PD: Feb 21, 2020. Package sent without I693.
Mid march: Received notices.
June RFE: For Birth Certificate. Received in early June. Responded within a week. We were able to get my BC online and sent supplementary evidence like school marksheet.
July I693 Deficiency Notice
Early August: Reached out to Congressman's office in August and coincidentally/thanks to inquiry by CM office we got our i485/i765 bio for Aug 11.
Aug 11: 4hrs after bio I765 updated to show fingerprints were taken. 12 hrs after bio I485 updated to show fingerprints were taken.
Aug 17: I485 updated to 'Ready to schedule interview.
Nov 1: Received 2 mails (no online status update). 1 for bio appt for i131 set for nov 10. 2 for interview notice set for nov 18.
Nov 10: 1 hour after bio I131 updated to show Fingerprints were taken.
Nov 18: 1 hour after interview I485 changed to 'New card being produced'. I130 changed to 'Interview was completed and case sent for initial review.
 
Tips for Boston office:
Dress business casual. Prefer not to wear a suit. Try taking public transport.  If driving in, prepare for $$$ parking. Multiple garages near building but bad sign directions. Typically takes us 30 mins to reach office but today all routes had accidents so it took us 1 hour 40 mins. Always account for the unknown. Or get a new yorker partner like me. You will most likely be separately interviewed. Typically, the petitioner goes in first with all docs and evidences. Boston officers are generally very friendly. If you have an attorney, the officer can offer you to go in with your spouse instead of going in with your attorney. Our attorney recommended going in with them instead. Entrance foe visitors is on Cambridge street so try looking for signs or park at Boston food market garage. When you enter the building, you will be asked to remove belt, shoes and jacket like at an airport TSA. Account time for that. When you enter the interview waiting hall you will be asked 'have you been outside mass in the last 14 days?' Package preparation:
The interview notice comes with a list of items to be brought. Just focus on that. We hired an attorney so he gave us a run through of the same and did a 'prep interview'. We made one folder to keep documents in the series mentioned as per the interview letter: Interview letter & Passports, I693, I864, BC and so on. Try getting tax transcripts from IRS website right away Try getting a letter from your bank/cc company sharing that you own joint cards and accounts. We made another folder for the 'thick materials' like 12 months of bank statements, 12 months of CC statements, 12 months of phone bills and since we don't have a lease as proof of living together we had collected mail over the year. We also made 3 photo albums. 1 depicting our story on how we met and all. 1 of our small wedding ceremony. 1 of our rescue animals (my wife runs a rescue so we have saved about 150 animals. Try making a similar album for hobbies/things that you and your partner do together (it will help, can even just be an album of your messages etc.) We had also printed out all our air/bus/hotel/Airbnb reservations and tickets. Receipts for gifts we got each other. We also asked our friends to write letters stating how long they knew us, when they met us last and all. Backpacks/luggage are not allowed. Try preparing to have a transparent bag or hand carry docs with you. Questions asked (overall interview time 45 mins). Very conversational:
 
My wife went first and after taking an oath was asked the following:
Drivers license and Passport to verify her name, address (how long she has lived there) and parents name. Any former names If this was her 2nd marriage and what her ex husbands name is Why first marriage ended and when did he move out How we met Did her ex ever meet me Proof of bonafide marriage: Photo album How many pets and their names/breeds How we first met, what we did on our first date, when I met the pets, how i liked them Took tickets to events we attended and Airbnb reservations. Took CC Letter, tax transcripts My work status, what kind of job i did, work from home or on site, what my company did, what my work status was What visa I had and previously had Whether she had any dietary restrictions (she saw that I got her vegan cake) What was our fav restaurant What we liked to cook at home When I went vegan How her business was going with covid Then I was called in and after oath was asked (conversationally):
Drivers license and Passport to verify my name, address, and parents name. Any former names If this was my or wife's 2nd marriage and what her ex husbands name is When did ex husband move out When did i move in How we met Did her ex ever meet me How many pets and their names/breeds How we first met, what we did on our first date, when I met the pets, how i liked them What things we did together My work status, what kind of job i did, work from home or on site, what my company did, what my work status was What visa I had and previously had Whether I had any dietary restrictions What we liked to cook at home How her business was going with covid Then we went through our I485 questions (whether I'm terrorist, communist etc)
Took photo with webcam.
Took index fingerprints on both hands.
Confirmed 1 change that I was unemployed since we filed and I signed on that
 
Then she said I should be getting a letter soon and it may be my GC for 2 years. Briefly told me about ROC. She was shocked that I had 2 appts for bio.
 
We thanked her and that's all.

Hello to all. Thank you so much for your advice, encouragement, help and compassion. We had our interview in the morning at the Boston, MA office.
 
I'm going to try and keep this detailed for anyone looking for tips/guide. Please feel free to ask any questions.
 
TLDR:
Our PD: Feb 21, 2020. Package sent without I693.
Mid march: Received notices.
June RFE: For Birth Certificate. Received in early June. Responded within a week. We were able to get my BC online and sent supplementary evidence like school marksheet.
July I693 Deficiency Notice
Early August: Reached out to Congressman's office in August and coincidentally/thanks to inquiry by CM office we got our i485/i765 bio for Aug 11.
Aug 11: 4hrs after bio I765 updated to show fingerprints were taken. 12 hrs after bio I485 updated to show fingerprints were taken.
Aug 17: I485 updated to 'Ready to schedule interview.
Nov 1: Received 2 mails (no online status update). 1 for bio appt for i131 set for nov 10. 2 for interview notice set for nov 18.
Nov 10: 1 hour after bio I131 updated to show Fingerprints were taken.
Nov 18: 1 hour after interview I485 changed to 'New card being produced'. I130 changed to 'Interview was completed and case sent for initial review.
 
Tips for Boston office:
Dress business casual. Prefer not to wear a suit. Try taking public transport.  If driving in, prepare for $$$ parking. Multiple garages near building but bad sign directions. Typically takes us 30 mins to reach office but today all routes had accidents so it took us 1 hour 40 mins. Always account for the unknown. Or get a new yorker partner like me. You will most likely be separately interviewed. Typically, the petitioner goes in first with all docs and evidences. Boston officers are generally very friendly. If you have an attorney, the officer can offer you to go in with your spouse instead of going in with your attorney. Our attorney recommended going in with them instead. Entrance foe visitors is on Cambridge street so try looking for signs or park at Boston food market garage. When you enter the building, you will be asked to remove belt, shoes and jacket like at an airport TSA. Account time for that. When you enter the interview waiting hall you will be asked 'have you been outside mass in the last 14 days?' Package preparation:
The interview notice comes with a list of items to be brought. Just focus on that. We hired an attorney so he gave us a run through of the same and did a 'prep interview'. We made one folder to keep documents in the series mentioned as per the interview letter: Interview letter & Passports, I693, I864, BC and so on. Try getting tax transcripts from IRS website right away Try getting a letter from your bank/cc company sharing that you own joint cards and accounts. We made another folder for the 'thick materials' like 12 months of bank statements, 12 months of CC statements, 12 months of phone bills and since we don't have a lease as proof of living together we had collected mail over the year. We also made 3 photo albums. 1 depicting our story on how we met and all. 1 of our small wedding ceremony. 1 of our rescue animals (my wife runs a rescue so we have saved about 150 animals. Try making a similar album for hobbies/things that you and your partner do together (it will help, can even just be an album of your messages etc.) We had also printed out all our air/bus/hotel/Airbnb reservations and tickets. Receipts for gifts we got each other. We also asked our friends to write letters stating how long they knew us, when they met us last and all. Backpacks/luggage are not allowed. Try preparing to have a transparent bag or hand carry docs with you. Questions asked (overall interview time 45 mins). Very conversational:
 
My wife went first and after taking an oath was asked the following:
Drivers license and Passport to verify her name, address (how long she has lived there) and parents name. Any former names If this was her 2nd marriage and what her ex husbands name is Why first marriage ended and when did he move out How we met Did her ex ever meet me Proof of bonafide marriage: Photo album How many pets and their names/breeds How we first met, what we did on our first date, when I met the pets, how i liked them Took tickets to events we attended and Airbnb reservations. Took CC Letter, tax transcripts My work status, what kind of job i did, work from home or on site, what my company did, what my work status was What visa I had and previously had Whether she had any dietary restrictions (she saw that I got her vegan cake) What was our fav restaurant What we liked to cook at home When I went vegan How her business was going with covid Then I was called in and after oath was asked (conversationally):
Drivers license and Passport to verify my name, address, and parents name. Any former names If this was my or wife's 2nd marriage and what her ex husbands name is When did ex husband move out When did i move in How we met Did her ex ever meet me How many pets and their names/breeds How we first met, what we did on our first date, when I met the pets, how i liked them What things we did together My work status, what kind of job i did, work from home or on site, what my company did, what my work status was What visa I had and previously had Whether I had any dietary restrictions What we liked to cook at home How her business was going with covid Then we went through our I485 questions (whether I'm terrorist, communist etc)
Took photo with webcam.
Took index fingerprints on both hands.
Confirmed 1 change that I was unemployed since we filed and I signed on that
 
Then she said I should be getting a letter soon and it may be my GC for 2 years. Briefly told me about ROC. She was shocked that I had 2 appts for bio.
 
We thanked her and that's all.

Congratulations to you both! Here’s wishing you peace and happiness with your significant others.
 
can you please share your experience and the questions you were asked?

Congratulations! Amazing news and thanks for sharing. Happy for you and your other half.

Congratulations! Amazing news and thanks for sharing. Happy for you and your other half.

Good morning everyone, we just got a USCIS mail today. As you might have read, I got a mail on Saturday for my AP biometrics appointment in Boston set for November 10. I have already given my biometrics in August(for i485 and i765) so this is a repeat notice.
 
Today's notice is for our interview. It's set for November 18 in Boston. We did not get any online update as has been the theme for a lot of us here.
 
Any tips are for the interview is as always appreciated! Thank you everyone and keep the spirits up. Feb filers are finally being remembered.

Good morning everyone, we just got a USCIS mail today. As you might have read, I got a mail on Saturday for my AP biometrics appointment in Boston set for November 10. I have already given my biometrics in August(for i485 and i765) so this is a repeat notice.
 
Today's notice is for our interview. It's set for November 18 in Boston. We did not get any online update as has been the theme for a lot of us here.
 
Any tips are for the interview is as always appreciated! Thank you everyone and keep the spirits up. Feb filers are finally being remembered.

USCIS has a huge issue not updating online status. I'm 100% sure that the notification was for your file getting fingerprints applied. Have faith!
 

Happy to note that most folks here have got their biometrics on file. I'm hoping this translates to a push for most of us also getting their EAD's next.
 
Today marks the 8 month point for our case and 2.5 months since biometrics. Our special request is still awaiting action. 
 
Congressman's office has been helpful but 2 days back they got a dumb response from USCIS. Our congressman's office had reached out with a status inquiry to find the current location and status of our case. The response they got instead was the standard 'If you want to expedite your case please provide a 12 page proof of expeditious request processing requirement.'.
 
Thankfully the congressman's office was equally irritated at the response and immediately shot back a reply that this was not what was asked. The waiting game continues for now  

Anyone completed the 7.5 month mark and still waiting for bio appointment or EAD?
 
Our case at NBC had biometrics applied on August 11 and will complete 7.5 months on Monday.  I'm planning to seek my congressman's help and put in an 'out of normal processing time' request via the website too. I will also be calling to find a tier 2 agent and ask them.
 
Just looking for any other folks on similar boats?

Happy Monday folks! I have been keeping an eye on the EAD approval tool here on VJ and have been noticing a spike in late march/early April filers. I haven't seen any Feb. filers being approved, are most folks here already in EAD/AP approved status?

Yes, don't lose hope. Explain to them what the link is about and how your biometrics has been delayed for x months without any directions. I have been through this and its horrible how they are asking you to find a corner in a circular room.

Congratulations and thank you for such a detailed post!

Not  yet, our lawyer recommended that its useless at best but he was planning to file for us at the 6 month mark but of course that's the day the processing times changed to 28.5 months. I'm waiting for 9/21 to file it as that will mark 7 months since starting the process and would be 2 months since we received last communication of action on our case

Have seen this happen a few times now, best thing would be to go! Or seek help via congress folks. The thing is that the officer might/might not note that you are not going to attend the appt as you already have the card and that might cascade to a different avalanche altogether. 

Its completely random. Applicants like me have been waiting more than a month and some folks here have got approval within 24 hours. 

Congratulations! Thank you for keeping us posted!
Congratulations! Thank you for keeping us posted! Do go to the bio appointment!
Congratulations! Thank you for keeping us posted!

Congratulations and thank you for such a nice post!

Congratulations! Its indeed good news!

Wow what a ride! Congratulations and best of luck!

Thank you everyone for posting updates and sharing your stories. I'm a recent visitor to the forums and a feb filer (AOS-Marriage based).
 
I never knew this forum existed and to read about everyone's updates give me and my wife hope and encouragement to keep going on.
 
My bio was on 08/11 and we filed i485,130,131,765 on 02/21. I485 is now ready to schedule interview but 765 is still at FP were taken. 
 
My local CIS is Boston, MA but as per receipt numbers everything is at NBC. I'm hoping to get the card soon as I have been off work for about 2 months now.

No spouses were not allowed. They give you sanitizer and there's a poster with symptoms listed. You have to verbally answer yes/no to 'if you have any symptoms shown here'