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| San Diego CA |  Review on February 28, 2014: |
Lynkali
Rating:  | Review Topic: Adjustment of Status
Interview was at 10:00 a.m. in the Federal Building on Front Street, and was overall a professional experience, no major complaints (see full comments below).
The location is easy enough, although morning rush-hour traffic and an unusual rainstorm made it a little annoying. We left Escondido at 8:05 and were parking at 9:10, so the traffic/weather did add up to extra time. We parked in the Ace Parking Garage right on Front Street -- really close and easy and convenient, but it does cost $8/hour so it's not exactly cheap. (We figured it was worth it, for the one time event.) Horton Plaza parking is probably also an option, but we didn't want to deal with their validation system. Entry into the Federal Building was straightforward: single file security scans like in an airport screening, then you're loose in the lobby with no real directions. Turns out the USCIS office is around the left corner inside, on the first floor, but we did wander a bit before finding where we were supposed to be. Then we checked in at the USCIS window (showed the interview appointment letter) and waited a while, since we were early.
About 9:50 (our appointment was at 10:00) we were called in and walked to our officer's cubicle. We took the oath to tell the truth, then the officer started asking verification questions. As it turns out (in the course of the interview she mentioned several times), she was newly hired and had only been there 3 months, and was still very new to conducting interviews. This meant that she was extra-extra-extra thorough and careful, and she asked us to verify every single bit of information, answer many more (routine) questions than I was expecting, and show originals of every single document we had submitted. I was very glad that I had rounded up every possible original document we possess, and she did ask for the majority of them, at least to glance at. (Birth certificates of course, but also house and car deeds, wills and powers of attorney, bank statements, credit card statements, insurance documents, photos and pictures and travel receipts, you name it she wanted to see it, both original and copy that she initialed as being accurate!)
We didn't feel that she was in any way doubting us -- she was warm and friendly and did repeat that she was still new several times, so it was clearly just a case of on-the-job training. But it did mean that our interview was VERY long compared to others I've seen reviewed: we were speaking with her for 45 minutes, and it was constant verification of every detail imaginable (factual data as well as documentary history of our relationship and family members and even hobbies and interests). Total time after being called in from the waiting room was about an hour.
In the end, she stamped a big red APPROVED and her signature on our file, but then said that she had to have a supervisor's signature as well, since she was new and didn't have final authority. We offered to wait until a supervisor was available, but they were all busy, so she told us to go home and she would call if there was any problem. I asked if we could get a I-551 passport stamp, but she didn't even seem familiar with the concept (again, she was new to this!), and said we could probably make an infopass and come back later to get it, if we really needed it. So we left with only a verbal approval, and we were very relieved to see that our online case status changed to Card/Document Production about 30 minutes after we left the office.
I can't really complain -- she was very professional and warm and even friendly/laughing at times, and I never felt uncomfortable or in doubt about the outcome, but it was LONG and draining and she was so obviously new to the interview procedures, that it did add extra stress and we felt pretty exhausted afterwards from so many detailed questions. Still, no problems at all and the office itself was very easy and convenient.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #13964