Leigh Ann

Thanks guys!!

We had our interview today...and we were approved!!! Not on the spot (I just got a text message, 12 hours later....not like I was counting the hours (or minutes) or anything.... ), but as long as we're approved, we'll take it.

He asked kind of a lot of questions--well, maybe not a lot but they seemed different from the typical questions people ask. Funny fact: our interviewer was also African. Nigerian, hubby says.

Before the oath, he asked us for our IDs- passports & driver's licenses. Hubby doesn't have a DL so I said so and he asked me how he got around.

He asked me what kind of work I did since I'm an attorney. He tried to make a joke, but it fell way flat.

Made us sign a waiver since the lawyer on our forms wasn't there. Made us stand up & take the oath.

Then he asked:

Husband

How did you meet?

What were you doing in Cape Town?

Where were you working?

What was your spouse doing in Cape Town? I had to drill that into his head before the interview.

So your wife went to law school. Do you have any kind of schooling?

How do you pronounce your name?

Phone number

Some (not all) of the inadmissibility questions

Were you born in Zimbabwe? Are you a national of Zimbabwe?

My birthday

Me

So, you were going back and forth from Boston to Cape Town while you were in school?

Did you go to college at the same place you went to law school?

So, you met someone from Zimbabwe. What did your parents think?

Where did you get married - church or courthouse?

What kind of church?

Who was there?

Have you been to Zimbabwe?

Have you met "his people"?

Name, address

There may have been more, but I can't remember that right now.

He asked us for proof. I gave him photos, and started naming everyone. He took a few, and then told me that was enough. I guess the stack of photos was starting to bore him. Then he asked for other documents. I gave him our flight itineraries, which I don't think he was much impressed by since he asked for something joint that we had together since he's been in the States. I gave him our bank account statement, health insurance, and vision/dental insurance, and he said that was enough--though I had more to give.

He took his I-94 so I figured that was a good sign. He copied my DL & hubby's EAD, as well as our marriage license. He told us that he'd review the application at the end of the day and he'd make a decision today. At the end, he asked if hubby was going to go to the same school I did. I laughed and said we didn't want to move back to Boston so I didn't think so. Also figured his joking around was a good sign.

Anyway, we're approved now. Free from USCIS until May/June 2012 (or so, I think - too excited to ensure I'm counting properly right now!)!!! Totally thrilled.

Do you mean to say that traveling on Advance Parole is illegal? Why, then, do they issue Advance Parole? I do understand though, that I should not travel without the AP document while adjusting my status. Can you please clarify/shed some light on it? Thanks!

Ack, sorry. I didn't read closely, thought you were just traveling before you got AP. No, traveling on AP should be fine. Apologies.

Well, I am adjusting my status from B1/B2 visa. Would it be not possible to travel on AP to my home country before I get my greencard? I have read some people say that one should not leave without the greencard in hand!

NO! Do not do that. It's considered abandoning your application for the green card. You will have to refile, and getting back into the country after having filed an AOS form is not going to be particularly easy.

I got the first txt & email!!! Now it feels real!! :dance:

Application Type: I485 , APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS

Your Case Status: Card/ Document Production

On August 18, 2010, we ordered production of your new card.

Blue dots: I-485 went to Card Production o I-130 still in Initial Review but was touched.

Exciting!

Congrats!!!!! That's so weird, but you're approved - YAY!!!

Good luck hoppla! And good luck in a few days to you too Candy!

Leigh Ann, I went to the lawyer's office yesterday and they gave me copies on everything they sent in with the application.He said we shouldn't need it since they should already have it but you never know with USCIS. He told us that here in the south some IOs are on a power-high and just want to make you feel little, but most of them are nice (in regards to interracial couples etc.).

Then we had the mock interview and it was fun!! He went through everything from swearing and the No, No, No questions (hubby got offended by some of them...like Have you ever been a prostitute? He told my lawyer "that's my wife they will be asking that, it upsets me". Needless to say, he has never gone through any USCIS processes before, I'm kind of used to it). We could ask almost all the questions, except for when he asked my husband how much my car payment is, bc I have never told him I think. I had the car when we met and have just kept paying on it, almost done now though.

He said we had okay evidence for just being married for 6 months, but if we could get some more then we should. There is not really any time left so I will go with what we have. He didn't think we would have any problems and that we should be out of there in about 10 min so he didn't see the need for him to come with us to the interview. Sorry, this was long...but I promised I would come back and tell you

Thanks for the report back! That is good to know re: interracial couples. I'm glad the lawyer said that it didn't seem as though you would have any issues. Hope that relieves some anxiety before the interview. Don't stress - I'm sure it's going to be a breeze!

Congrats to everyone on the progress!

Have to agree with you there!

:lol:

Yeah, but my dad's name isn't even that hard to pronounce or spell haha ! It is just not a name you would find here, but it is not easy for a Texan

Southerners....it doesn't take much sometimes.

Yeah, I'm excited for the test questions they will ask tomorrow, mostly bc I want to see how much he remembers He's got a hard time with my dad's African name haha!

Haha, I can totally see that. I called to add him to my credit card, and (like everyone else), the guy was quite clearly confused by the "complexity" of the name. Luckily, he goes by an English name normally.

No, I still have to go there to get all the docs they have. I told them I don't want them to come to the interview with us, but preparation is free and since I have to go there anyway we might as well do it.

Yeah, it will be okay I'm sure. My hubby doesn't worry at all, so that is good balance. We have been practicing a few questions since he has a bad memory

That makes sense. Glad it will be useful, regardless.

That is a good balance. We've been asking each other random questions. He forgets the details on some things so we need to keep going over it, I think, just for my own sanity.

Yeah, I guess I will bring everything I can think of in an extra folder.

You could just print out the email from the LL, just in case. Are you renting/owning or staying with someone?

I will post it here for sure, we will stay in Dallas overnight so I might have to try to post from my phone I'm not sure if the lawyer's advice will be helpful, you know how they have been earlier regarding the RFE and all, but I'll let you know.

That's what I think too. We're renting so I'll just print them out and hope it's not an issue.

Hah, I think I'm more interested to see what advice they have to see how helpful it will be rather thank seeking actual advice. Based on their prior record, that's questionable. But I hope you don't make a trip for nothing.

Haha! Yeah, I wasn't worried until I realized that it was less than a week away and now I'm stressing I wish you were my IO too, that would have been great! Haha!

Haha, I was so confident it would go so smoothly until reading the Garden City post. I need to take your comment about worrying not helping anything seriously. Hubby tends to get nervous though so the more we can prepare, the better, I think.

Yeah, that is probably a good idea. We have our interview preparation tomorrow as I mentioned before, so I will ask my lawyer what they think as well (not that they have been very helpful so far ) I just feel like we should have so much more since we have been together for over 2 years, but I didn't know that we would be dealing with this back then so I didn't save stuff. Do you think I should bring the receipt for the ring and ear rings he bought me for xmas last year (I will be wearing them as well as my wedding ring, bc I always do)?

It can't hurt. I've read people's accounts of where they were getting a K-1 visa and they used that as proof.

I hope they'll be able to tell that there are people who don't have it all together because they were focused on being together, not on immigration.

This lease thing is bothering me. I wish we had a written one, but our LL is out of the country until November so that's a no-go.

I'll be interested to see what your advice your lawyer has for you. Will you post it here?

Looks like you have more than enough. We don't have health and life insurance and we were members at the same gym, but I canceled mine (his is frozen since we don't live close to any of their gyms but will move in Jan 2011). We were going to get a family plan but it doesn't make sense right now since we're low on cash and he is on his mom's family plan. Thinking about asking our neighbors to write an affidavit. Also might print out a couple of the emails from the destination wedding planner since we're planning our big wedding right now, don't have any contracts yet though...only emails and quotes from her in pdf.

Hmm, maybe we can include that sort of stuff in a separate file and then bring it out if they ask for more evidence? I think that's what I might do.

Good I was worried before but worrying doesn't help.

I think it depends on what other evidence you're bringing. I thought about bringing phone bills where they can see we call each other ALL the time since when we first met in 2008 but decided not to.

This is what I've got:

-Marriage license

-Lease & renewal of lease for our apt.

-Drivers license with the same address on both

-Joint savings account at a Credit Union

-Joint checking account at my bank (just added him last week lol)

-Renters insurance

-Wedding invitation with both our names on envelope

-Thank you card from my mom after she visited us

-Photos

That's all.

Okay, thanks for the list.

Ugh, I need to change the address on my driver's license and get him a state ID.

I hope by then we'll have:

Marriage license

IDs (maybe)

Joint banking accounts

Joint credit card

Health insurance for both of us

Life insurance w/ him as beneficiary

Maybe joint Y membership (but it will take effect on 9/1 so I'm not sure if we'll have any documentation of it yet).

A bunch of wedding cards - I'm going to take a bag of them.

A note from the pastor of a church we visited with both of our names in it.

Pictures - tons, from when we lived together in Cape Town, visiting his family in Zim, and a bunch of different places in the States, including our wedding.

Travel itineraries (flying back and forth from GA to Boston etc)

Passport with stamps to Zimbabwe to visit his family

Affidavit from my mom

Cards mailed to both of us (separately) from my mom to our address in Boston

Postcard from a friend addressed to both of us

Emails (?)

Joint phone bill

Trying to think of something else from our time in Cape Town, but I'm not sure what we have -- pictures, obviously, and some emails maybe.

We don't have the lease, but I have emails from our LL with information about the house referring to me and him in it. I'm not sure whether to take it or not?

We also have phone bills, but when he was in Cape Town and I was here (the first part of last year; that was expensive!). I don't think I'll take those either though. It's like we're trying too hard or something.

And yes, crossing fingers for non-racists everywhere...and world peace!

Yes....that too, most definitely.

But you're not going to Garden City for your interview I've heard about this before and was worried because I'm mixed (mother is white and father black) but probably more considered "black" here in the south just because of my skin color and my hubby is white...even though he looks latino. We have less than they did too, but I don't think we need to worry (nor you or I) because these kind of people come 1 in a million....or at least I hope so!

I hope so too! I wasn't that worried about it, but we've been trying to get some things together, and now it's just freaking me out a bit. Crossing our fingers for non-racist IOs in TX & GA!

Question: what do you (or anyone else) think about bringing stuff like emails to your family/friends that include references to your spouse? I have a bunch of emails referring to him, and emails telling my family about him....I'm not going to bring them all obviously, but was thinking about printing out a couple. What do yall think?

I'm so sorry to hear that! Best of luck at the Stokes interview.

Congrats on all the approvals/receipts (of green cards) guys! So exciting!

It looks like they are so many nice IOs in garden city I didn't see any one that was not friendly there

Apparently there's one racist person (towards mixed couples) there. I just read this: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/269369-our-sad-interview-experience-in-garden-city/page__pid__4124157#entry4124157

It's worrying me because we have less evidence and my husband is black while I'm white. And this is the south. Fingers crossed!

I just don't feel comfortable taking my friend's pr card (she is supposed to keep it with her at all times, right?). I think they should be able to understand that. We're going to the lawyer's office tomorrow for interview preparation so I will ask them as well to make sure.

Need to check earlier posts to see how everyone divided their docs into seperate files etc. I might go to Walmart today to buy folders.

I was wondering if you were asking because you weren't comfortable asking. I can understand that---seems like if you have a copy, that should be fine. Hopefully the worse they would do is ask you to bring it back or something? I'm guessing that they wouldn't even do that. I'm taking the birth certificates because well...it's my parents, and it's easy to ask them. Good luck preparing!

Thanks Valerie! I won't bring them. I will just make sure they give me all the docs (they are 1hr away...aaargh). Now I just need someone to confirm or deny that I have to bring my co-sponsor's permanent residence card (already sent in a copy and will bring that)

I'm taking my parents' birth certificates as proof of citizenship. I think it's best to have the originals. ETA: Even if they don't ask for it. I'd just rather have everything there rather than having to go back.

My husband and I tried for a walk-in bio appointment this morning in Boston although our actual appointment is this Friday in Rhode Island and were told they were too busy. Unfortunate as it means a day off work to drive to Rhode Island and we work 10 minutes from the ASC in Boston. There were other people ahead of us who seemed to be trying for early appointments and were told to sit and they would try to be seen - I assume they were assigned the Boston ASC which meant they had a better chance than us. Oh well, at least we tried.

Sorry! I think it must just depend on how busy they are. It wasn't super busy at all when I went so I think that made them take my client without hassle. Also, it might have helped since I was there, and he didn't speak English...

WOW! Well, we can scratch my last few messages (is there a way to delete posts?) My mother, after insisting she didn't have one, FOUND MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE!!! It was a deep and involved search that took a few hours, but she found it! All I can say is PPPPPHEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW. I was NOT stoked waiting six months to continue this process. Thanks for your help on this Harpa -- alas I can let this one rest.

I'm still wondering whether I should send links to internet articles regarding my civil disobedience arrest or whether y'all think it would do more harm than good? (see my question above)

And again a big PPHHHEEEEWWWWWW -- I'm going to my wedding relaxed now (it's in 1.5 hours!!!)

Cheers,

Simmy

Whew! Glad your mom found it! I had to deal with the SA embassy in NYC last year. They helped me out big time, but it was not a pleasant experience, at all.

I don't think it would be harmful, but it's pretty much certain that you're going to get an RFE regardless.

And yes, I knew it had resumed processing because of the internet notifications, as Jim mentioned.

Enjoy your wedding!!

ah yes, okay. this makes sense. Would the RFE then add a lot of time to the process, if any?

Yes, your case is on hold (i.e. there is no processing while the RFE is out) until you submit what's requested in the RFE. Time depends on how long it takes before you can send it back.

All in all, you'll have to decide whether you want the delay to be before you send the application or the potential delay with the RFE, but that'll only be a delay if you don't have the materials by then.

You can see the timeline between when I submitted and got the RFE in my signature.

But then, when I send in the information once it arrives from the RCMP (which I'm expecting to take a while), when I send that on to USCIS, can I be sure that it'll be matched up with my file (by this point I'll at least have an NOA number to send along with it). This would certainly speed things up if it can be done, but can it?

No, you definitely cannot be sure that it will be matched up with your application. The way I see it is that you have 2 options. 1) Wait until you have everything and submit it all together. 2) Submit it when you're ready otherwise, and wait for an RFE requesting the report, and then submit it along with the RFE form back. You'll have 87 days from the time the RFE is sent to you to send it back so if you go that route, make sure that you feel confident that you'll have it by then or you'll be denied for not complying with the RFE.