Scientist

Got my green card in the mail!!!!!

Didn't expect to see it so soon - although only the principal green card arrived. My spouse and kids are still waiting for theirs. The green card looks nice and green, all snazzy with the chip in it, and all the state flags/presidents at the back on the strip. Even got a neat metal foil envelope to keep the card in to prevent people from snooping on it

Ha, we going on vacation next week staying in Arizona for a few days as well so I better keep it with me in case we get stopped with the new laws in effect

Congratulations, ValerieA, great news!

So I have a question...people say that they are bringing their old passports, are these only the passports since your last entry/last visa or all of the passport you have ever had?

For us those where only the passports that we had when living abroad (UK, US) since you can keep your passports then (invalidated). At least for us if we renew passports in our own country they are taken in (as they are property of the state), unless there is current visa in it.

I have a slight emergency.

I had only one certified copy of my birth certificate, which I sent to USCIS along with the other papers. I had my mom send me two more certified copies from the government on Mexico via Express Mail. The package was supposed to arrive 3 days ago and it basically just dropped off the face of the earth (it's been In Transit from Salt Lake since Wednesday). How IMPORTANT is it I have copies of my birth certificate, if the last one I had I sent to them?

Don't worry - the file the IO will have on his desk contains the original papers you sent in (I-485's, incl. your certified copy of your birth certificate). Tell them what they have is actually your original and maybe swap it for the copy you have !

I feel so torn between bringing enough evidence and too much evidence.

I want to be ready to pull stuff out if they ask, but at the same time don't want to go overboard and cause suspicion.

There is nothing as bringing too much evidence. For our (luckily) easy interview I had three attache sized bags with me - one for the real important stuff (originals, primary proofs, copies), one for supplementary proof (basically pick a couple of different bills/statements throughout our years of marriage, early, middle, current + a big binder a lawyer once made us for UK residency), and one bag with photo albums.

Yeah, I probably went overboard with the evidence as I only had to open one folder in the first bag... but I had enough to back things up if asked for.

The guards and the IO didn't bat an eye - they are used to it (the amount of bags/evidence). The shorter your relationship is, the more you want to be able to make sure you can proof things.

I'm just worried that some of the pieces of evidences are only printouts from internet/websites.. not actual letters/statements that were sent to us, mainly because we just thought of getting these things recently..

Even printouts are good evidence - nowadays more and more businesses are providing internet-only receipts so don't worry about it. My work doesn't provide paper statements for salary anymore, or even for W2's, so I printed these out (and an old 2007 W2). Memberships, travel, insurance papers, etc there is not requirement as far as I see it to have this on original official (colour) letterheads, certainly not notarized.

My last three years of Tax returns I just has a printout from TurboTax and the printout of W2 (didn't go through the official IRS thing).

Your 'primary' proof - passport, other state issued photo ids, marriage certificate (notarized / valididated if married abroad helps), birth certificate (original, or notarized certified copy) need to look as good and official as you can make them.

[ I noticed during our interview the IO took good notice of the stamps and signatures on the birth certificates ]

The more you can substantiate you living together (even from printouts) the better.

We got the EAD!!!! Came in the mail yesterday - good guess engineer.

Congratulations Leigh Ann, good to see there is progress in your case!

Had our interview this morning, and got approved

We arrived about an hour early (~ 8am) just to make sure we wouldn't be caught in rush hour or road work. Gave us some time to relax in the car, and have some coffee and breakfast.

At 8:30 we entered the USCIS building, had to go through the customary security check (show interview letter, show passports), and then we were directed to the waiting room for the interviewees. At 8:30 it was totally empty, we dropped our interview letters in the box (no-one at the reception) and started the wait. A couple arrived about twenty minutes later, and that was how busy it was for the interviews!

Exactly at 9:00 am the IO came to the reception, picked up the sheets, and went to his office. He came back a few minutes later to invite us all in (myself, spouse, and our two kids). After taking the oath, we were seated and he started to go through the documents (basically their copy of the I-485). For all of us, he basically want systematically through the form and confirmed the data on it (full legal name, birth date and place, father and mother's name, when and where we entered the US last, confirming the yes/no questions [military training, drug trafficking, member of communist party, etc, you know the lot; he did this for the kids as well although we were allowed to answer for them], and finally confirming the signature on the form).

He then asked to see the original birth certificates and marriage certificate and checked whether this was exactly the same as the copy we send in.

For all of us, he took the I94 out and checked the visa number against what we had on the forms.

The only questions NOT related to checking the forms where directed at the kids (more as chit chat: what grade are you going to, how do you like it in the US).

After that, he notified us that we are approved and we should get the cards within 20 to thirty days in the mail...

I was kinda stunned it went so fast (10 to 15 min max for the four of us) - I was woefully OVERprepared for the interview with regard to documentation I brought. I even asked if he wanted to see my original degree and/or letter of the employer (required for DV) but that was not necessary. So in the end, at least for my case, I didn't need tax papers, joint financial statements, joint house ownership papers, pictures, etc and all the copies I made were not needed either, and the passport photo's also not.

However, I guess it is better to be overprepared than underprepared and not have the documents if by chance he would have asked for it.

I am relieved everything went smoothly, and I must say the IO we had was very professional and friendly.

Now the wait is for the precious cards

Scientist, I am too lazy to look through this thread - what time is your interview tomorrow? I expect you to post your experience within half an hour of that time.

The interview is at 9:00 am Central, ValerieA, it will take us a bit to get back though (one to 1.5 hour), so I'll let you know soon after!

So we have our interview tomorrow, I'll share my preparation checklist with you for the documents I am going to bring - we are married 13 years now and have two kids ; hopefully the burden of proving a 'real' relationship is less. We are lucky to go though AOS via DV Lottery instead of EB1/2, so we don't have to proof income of have letters of support. Still, obviously to be prepared we will bring foto albums and financial records.

Original documents:

===================

1. Current photo-id (passport) for all

2. Old passports for all

3. Birth certificates for all (incl. international version)

4. Marriage certificate (original - lucky I found it, and a certified copy we made years ago)

5. Proof of eligibility (i.e. original of DV letter)

6. Proof of paid DV fee for all.

7. Originals of all immigration related papers (i.e. any notice relating to AOS, as far as possible any notice relating to H1B/H4)

8. Proof of education >= 12 years or 2 years work experience in last 5 years in job category 7+:

8a. original contract letters current employer

8b. letter on employer's letterhead showing current pay (not strictly necessary afaik in my case)

8c. copy of letter of previous employer showing 9 years of work experience (original was sent for H1B)

8d. Full publication list, + screenshots last 5 years of articles in online journals or PubMed

8e. Original university terminal degree + certified translation (certified copy)

9. (copy of) the medicals

10.Tax records last three years (printout of TurboTax + W2's + printout receiving tax return on bank account)

11. House title papers, mortgage, car insurance, year 2006-2009 summary overview bank account printout (joint names myself and spouse)

12. A few photo albums over the years

13. Oh yes, last minute passport photo's each 2 (not sure if needed but it was mentioned on the interview letter)

Copies of everything

====================

Special notes:

a. Current passports: id page, I94 front & back, H1B/H4 stamp if on other page, H1B/H4 visa page

b. No copies of old passports.

c. I'm not bringing copies of foto's

d. Copies of I-485, G-325 as we submitted them

That's about it... fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Congratulations Besaangel, and thank you for sharing your interview experience with us!!

It is so true that VJ is addictive I managed to stay off the last few days, but just want to congratulate everyone who got an interview letter in the past few days, and chin up for those who are still waiting: I am sure they will arrive soon!

We got our interview letter :dance: :dance:

Congratulations!!! When I read this I just quickly had to check the USCIS web site but no further touches... but on a hunch send my son to the mailbox and our interview letter as also arrived!!!!

No e-mail or sms... they just appeared

Ours is on July 16 at 9am in Omaha.

The list of required documentation on the list also showed I-864's, but as far as I know this is not required for DV so will just bring my own W2's etc (which are also not required for DV if I am correct).. But better safe than sorry

Hope the good news will come to all your mail boxes soon as well!

Okay, I know this is a long shot but does anyone know how long it takes for them to get you biometrics results.

We had our biometrics at 2pm in Omaha, and the same day we got touched (so my assumption is that they should have your biometrics data the same day).

The review and comparison of your name + biometrics against all the databases that I don't know how long it takes (if it comes back with 'no hit').

Had our biometrics appointment yesterday - surreal experience - it looked like except us there where no other customers in the whole building

Our son (13 yo) had to do full biometrics as well, our daughter (9 yo) just had her picture taken, she had to write her name, and an index finger scan (just like it was mentioned here on the forum).

All our forms (4x I485, 1 x I765) got touched yesterday as well - strangely enough it still shows 'Acceptance' for two of our I485 forms.

One step closer

I have been a bit quiet on the forum Our biometrics appointment is coming up tomorrow, so I am preparing for that. We didn't do a walk-in as I read here and in other sites that our Omaha office runs a tight ship and the walk-in reject rate is high. A week or two extra doesn't matter to us anyway.

We will be bringing the kids as well, as they also got appointments for biometrics (they are 13 and 9). Does this have to do with the new green card design, or is it just a overzealous worker who sent out the appointments for minors?

Hi, Scientist! Where are you in your process?

Hi ValerieA,

I sent the AOS for myself, wife, and kids on the 1st of May and received last week the notice for all of us to take biometrics on June 9. So I guess the process only continues after the fingerprints & photo's, or are other checks done on their side in the meantime?

Newcomer here, congrats to all who are in the process in getting their greencard!