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Buffalo NY USCIS Office Reviews
Average Rating: 3.8
/ 5
45 Review(s)
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| Buffalo NY |  Review #20722 on October 25, 2016: |
tulirya
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: Adjustment of Status
[quote name="tulirya" post="8354871" timestamp="1477242213"]
[font='times new roman'][color=#800080]Hi y'all, [/color][/font]
[font='times new roman'][color=#800080]I have been reading this forum since day one of my AOS journey. Now it is time to contribute and share my experience as well, hope that this will help to someone who is preparing docs or simply feels nervous before Interview.[/color][/font]
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I was scheduled for an interview on October 19th 2016, at Buffalo office. Appointment was at 9.45, we went there around 9.15 just to be on a safe side. We hired an attorney because our case was a little bit different from others, I didn't come on K visa and were adjusting my status from J1 ( also visa overstay). Checked in and in 5 minutes the IO called my name, we all stand up and followed her to a small room. She pointed our seats, that is me first then my husband and then on the back seat our attorney. IO was smiling and nice but at the same time very sharp and professional. My husband further noted that she was very good at interviewing.
IO told us to take oaths. Then she started with my husband to go over I-130 petition. Asked his and my name, his and my address, place and date of birth, parents names and was he married before and what he and I do, our occupations.
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Then he turned to me and explained that she will go over I-485 with me very quickly and then she would ask more specific questions from us.
So she went ahead asking the same questions she asked from my husband, following Yes/ No questions from the I-485. The only extra that has been asked from me is when did I enter US, at which airport I arrived and were I inspected by ICE. Were you came as J1 and who was your employer? After I answered she followed with another question, where did you work? Which State? That was all.
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Lastly IO started to ask how did we meet? Who introduced us? Where did we date? Who proposed? After she got all the answers, she asked to see pictures of our baby girl.Â
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That was the end of the interview. She said it is likely to be approved but before she needs to make some background checks. Further she explained how we can apply for Removal of Conditions after 2 years. We said thanks and our good byes and left. Attorney told us that nowadays they don't tell explicitly that they approved or denied your case. After 2 hours my status online changed to[color=#ffff00] [/color][color=#ff0000]Card is being produced[/color], then later in the evening my I-130 and I-485 changed to [color=#ff0000]Case is approved[/color]. On October 22 my case updated to [color=#ff0000]Card is mailed[/color].
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For my interview We took all our original documents, medical exam papers, all the recent bills and 401K, Insurance cards, Credit cards and HSA account cards. She never asked me for anything just took some recent bills to attach to my case. But it is better to be prepared and get all the copies along with original documents. Also make sure to get a lot of pictures as IO might want to see or sometimes even keep them.
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Best of luck to everyone, hope you will get your Green Cards soon!
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p.s. If you guys have any questions, feel free to PM me :idea:[/quote]
| | | Buffalo NY | Review #19344 on April 21, 2016: |
rochestergrad
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: Adjustment of Status
There was a bit of wait (1hr) due to complications from the case before us, but the immigration officer was very nice and friendly once we were called in. Asked some basic questions, asked for more evidence I brought in, some yes or no questions, some jokes along the way, and we were out and approved in 15-20 min!
BTW, our first interview was canceled due to imminent weather. And the second interview was 2 months after that! Buffalo in the winter is tricky!
| | | Buffalo NY | Review #18527 on December 9, 2015: |
neuroticbell
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: Adjustment of Status
Me and my husband arrived at the Buffalo office about an hour early, we drove from PA so we wanted to make sure we were there on time. When we had to go through the metal detectors the guards joked with us asking what we were doing there seeing as both of us spoke perfect English 😁. I found that funny and it put me in a more relaxed mood to be perfectly honest. We went up to the counter and let them know we were there and the waiting began. I think we waited about an hour and a half until the IO called us in. We went in and had to swear to tell the truth. The IO explained to us that the interview was going to take place in 2 parts, one to establish that our marriage was bonafide and the next to establish the legality of my entry in the US. He asked us what we brought as he saw my husband carrying a big black notebook. We showed him the scrapbook, a few extra pictures, letters from family and friends (that were notarized which pleased him). We explained why I was out of status for so long, why we didn't file for my paperwork sooner, why me and my husband didn't have more legal evidence of us being married (leases, bank accounts etc.). He said that although he wished we had more evidence, he understood the situation and that all of the pictures that I have submitted of our marriage through the years was more than enough. So he said on that part he was ready to approve us, sent my husband out and proceeded to question me about my J1 visa. After about 20 minutes of questions he said that something wasn't adding up, that it looked like I applyed for an F1 not a J1 and, although it might of not been my fault and although he believed I was being thruthful, he might have to deny us😢. My face dropped and he began to reassure me that even if that happens it's not the end, I can still file for a waiver. He stepped out trying to find his supervisor, the person who had the ultimate say so, but they were on lunch. He apologized and said he would push as hard as he could for an approval. The interview took about an hour and a half because of my visa issues. I left feeling extremely disappointed and trying really hard to hope for the best. About 2 and a half hours after our interview we got the email that said my card was in production😃. I lost it of course lol. All in all, the Buffalo office was great to me and although it wasn't a smooth interview and we had some issues I couldn't have asked for a more level headed, understanding IO.
| | | Buffalo NY | Review #18521 on December 8, 2015: |
DeKi
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: Adjustment of Status
Based on this first experience (AoS interview), the Buffalo office is very organized and well-run office. We arrived about ten minutes before the 10:45am appointment time, passed through security (very polite) in five minutes after waiting behind three other people, sat down and were called five minutes later.
The interviewing officer, Mark Desmond, was polite and neither friendly nor unfriendly, just professional. After swearing us in, he asked me (the non-USC beneficiary) for my passport. Looking at it, he asked me to pronounce my first name and to confirm the "big date"happened when our documents said it did, then when my most recent entry into the US was and what my mother's and father's first names are. The second series of questions to me were the Yes/No ones. During all of this, he also was marking the same info on the applications forms we had already submitted via mail.
Then he turned to my USC husband and asked him how and when we met ("about three years ago" was a sufficient answer; did not ask about specific day or first date or anything like that), where the wedding took place and how many people were at the wedding.
Then the IO asked what financial and photo evidence we have of our relationship and I gave him copies of all our financial (checking and saving bank statements, several investment account beneficiary info pages where both our names are listed and health insurance shared accounts -- some of these we had mailed already at the time of filing and others we had acquired more recently so they were new) co-mingling and a stack of photos from the two years before we got married, from various travels, as well as at various family holidays. He collected the paperwork and started flipping through the photos. He took one picture out and asked my husband where that was and, upon hearing the response, said "looks like a nice vacation" to which my husband agreed.  The IO asked if he can keep all the materials I gave him, which was fine since we had brought copies.
No more questions were asked or documents requested (as you can imagine, we had brought lots more, including our official wedding album and a scrap+photo book my mother-in-law had made for me from the months of our engagement and various preparations for the wedding). The IO said "According to all our checks, this is clearly a bona fide marriage and you are approved. You will get the card in the mail in 3-4 weeks. You can work, you can travel as you wish. Do you have any questions?" I asked specifically about traveling abroad what I need to do (carry both my passport and my new permanent resident card) and that was that.
It definitely took me longer to write the summary here than the interview itself took (probably about five-seven minutes). We were out of the building and on our way to celebratory lunch in less than 20 minutes total. I received the text and email updates on both the I-485 and I-130 at 5pm and 5:25pm respectively the same day.
If you are in a real relationship and have done your homework the AoS interview is a breeze.
| | | Buffalo NY | Review #17820 on September 20, 2015: |
Wishin-n-hopin
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: General Review
The staff at our local office in Buffalo, NY have always been friendly and courteous. They have always answered any questions we've had, and have been very helpful.
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