Idalia

In our interview letter it said specifically to bring an interpreter if the beneficiary didn't speak fluent english. I don't know if they have spanish speaking officers in our local office (Buffalo) but we were not offered, and actually were advised by our lawyer to bring an interpreter, and went as far as saying that USCIS prefered a same sex interpreter, I imagine in case they have to ask intimate questions (as if that would make it any easier ). It could be anyone, doesn't have to be certified, just fluent in both languages. That said, if they didn't ask you to bring one, maybe they do have officers that speak spanish in their office. Wouldn't hurt to ask beforehand though. Good luck in your interview!!

Idalia

Well, if that doesn't get the point across to the other posters, I don't know what will. Thanks for posting, Idalia. I am sorry you had to go through all that.

Thanks, it wasn't fun at all, and still isn't, we haven't get our $$ back yet and don't expect it anytime soon, but at least we are done for 2 yrs, he has his green card in hand and it is much more at ease about going anywhere. The poor guy was really paranoid after that incident until he got his card in hand. Talk about a rude awakening and a ""Welcome to USA"".

I will tell you what happened to my husband while waiting for our interview. His passport had just a couple of months before expiring so he decided to travel by bus to the Dominican Consulate in NYC to renew it. All is well on his way in, but on his way back, in one of the bus stops he was questioned by ICE. His I-94 had expired a few months back but, we had filled for AOS and he had his interview letter for just a couple of weeks later on his hand. He did not have any criminal background, he has been entering the US with his visa for the past 10 years with no problems whatsoever, his background clean as a whistle, but with interview letter in hand and all, he was detained for being out of status. That threw us in a whirlwind of chaos, looking for $5000 overnight to bond him out, which btw I wont see that $$ for 2 to 6 months, hiring a lawyer to straighten the mess ($$$), delayed our approval because the case had to be approved by not only USCIS but the judge in charge of his deportation case, which delayed his getting his social security card because they kept his passport and we couldn't do anything without it. Anyway, long story short, it does matter when you are going to travel, by any means of public transportation, because it depends on who you get doing the asking. In my husband's case, everyone else including the adjudicator, lawyers, other ICE officers thought he should be set free, but the detaining officer didn't and he was the one in charge. Just my .02 worth, travel with awareness that anything can happen, even when you have done everything right, you are at ICE's mercy.

Idalia

They will adjudicate the i-130 at the time of the interview, at least they did in our case.