AOS interview rescheduled due to lack of translator

[Jonathan Matthies 1]

All I can say is boo. Katya could have understood the USCIS Officer if he was willing to talk slower or repeat questions in a different manner. From the start of the interview he made it clear that she was expected to answer his questions; either herself or through a translator. Since I failed to bring a translator, he stopped the interview after 1 question. He was clearly not willing to "work with us" at all; and I suppose I understand. It is a lesson learned and we will bring a translator next time. Of all the outcomes, I did not expect this one. She understand 90-95% of everything we speak about, we rarely have to consult the laptop to translate something. But in an environment such as this, I can see his point of needing perfect communication between all parties involved.

So a 3 week ensues for another form to arrive, with an undetermined wait time after that. And then 4-6 weeks after that for the green card to arrive.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

All I can say is boo. Katya could have understood the USCIS Officer if he was willing to talk slower or repeat questions in a different manner. From the start of the interview he made it clear that she was expected to answer his questions; either herself or through a translator. Since I failed to bring a translator, he stopped the interview after 1 question. He was clearly not willing to "work with us" at all; and I suppose I understand. It is a lesson learned and we will bring a translator next time. Of all the outcomes, I did not expect this one. She understand 90-95% of everything we speak about, we rarely have to consult the laptop to translate something. But in an environment such as this, I can see his point of needing perfect communication between all parties involved.

So a 3 week ensues for another form to arrive, with an undetermined wait time after that. And then 4-6 weeks after that for the green card to arrive.

Alla is an interpretor for USCIS, they get requests from applicants and call her for appointments. The ST Albans office has three Russian interpretors on call that we know of and have met, Alla is the only native Russian speaker, the other two are Americans that lived for many years in Russia. If you request a translator/interpretor they will provide it.

If you look around the local office there, you will find, somewhere, a multi-ligingual poster telling you that you can request an interpretor.

[visaveteran 1]

All I can say is boo. Katya could have understood the USCIS Officer if he was willing to talk slower or repeat questions in a different manner. From the start of the interview he made it clear that she was expected to answer his questions; either herself or through a translator. Since I failed to bring a translator, he stopped the interview after 1 question. He was clearly not willing to "work with us" at all; and I suppose I understand. It is a lesson learned and we will bring a translator next time. Of all the outcomes, I did not expect this one. She understand 90-95% of everything we speak about, we rarely have to consult the laptop to translate something. But in an environment such as this, I can see his point of needing perfect communication between all parties involved.

So a 3 week ensues for another form to arrive, with an undetermined wait time after that. And then 4-6 weeks after that for the green card to arrive.

Sorry to hear about the set back. I have a motto about this whole process: "Nothing is easy!"

[slim 1,514]

I have a motto too - If the interviewer is being a jack@$$, contact their supervisor.

Were you thinking she'd go in there and be OK without a translator? Also, did she do her interview in Moscow in English or in Russian?

[Jonathan Matthies 1]

I have a motto too - If the interviewer is being a jack@$$, contact their supervisor.

Were you thinking she'd go in there and be OK without a translator? Also, did she do her interview in Moscow in English or in Russian?

Her interview in Moscow at the US Consulate was completely in Russian.

I figured she'd be fine after a couple questions and she calmed down. The more nervous Katya gets, the less understanding of English she posesses. I absentmindedly answered the first casual question for her, I said Yes, and was immediately reprimanded for speaking out of turn. I was told I cannot answer for her in a very strict, condescending tone. I figured, fine, this would be a strict interview but Katya can get through it. The question he asked was if she had her EAD cards, which she did. She misheard EAD as EID, or ID, and was confused. We never called the documents EAD, so the correlation was not there in her mind. She had not calmed down and was still visibly shaking. It was at this time he said the interview probably would not continue, due to the language gap.

He asked us to stand and recite the pledge. She paused after he finished, as did I. I was waiting for her to answer first because I knew the test he was running. But I answered first and he stopped the interview right there. She understood the pledge she was reciting, I knew this (and she confirmed my suspicion post interview) - but he had obviously heard enough. He first told me that he was the most senior officer at the Colorado branch, having been there 17 years, then he then gave an example as to why he had stopped the interview. He said that perfect communication was needed between himself and Katya because "If I asked her the question: 'Have you ever been a member of the Communist party or a member of a terrorist group', and she answered yes, I would have to push this button under here and you would be taken away be the people on the floor above me (pointing upwards) and asked questions the entire weekend. You don't want that, bring a translator."

The interview ended then, he apologized to me by name, but not to Katya; and then we left.

I'm more upset at myself for not even thinking of this as a possibility. But it happened, and now I'm left wondering what else will be brought up at the next interview. I'm assuming it will be with the most senior officer again, so I may bolster my documentation further. Get more pictures taken, get joint checks printed (we never write checks, so I never ordered any in her name), put her on my mortgage, water/cable/phone bill, blah blah blah blah.

[shikarnov 7]

Her interview in Moscow at the US Consulate was completely in Russian.

I figured she'd be fine after a couple questions and she calmed down. The more nervous Katya gets, the less understanding of English she posesses. I absentmindedly answered the first casual question for her, I said Yes, and was immediately reprimanded for speaking out of turn. I was told I cannot answer for her in a very strict, condescending tone. I figured, fine, this would be a strict interview but Katya can get through it. The question he asked was if she had her EAD cards, which she did. She misheard EAD as EID, or ID, and was confused. We never called the documents EAD, so the correlation was not there in her mind. She had not calmed down and was still visibly shaking. It was at this time he said the interview probably would not continue, due to the language gap.

He asked us to stand and recite the pledge. She paused after he finished, as did I. I was waiting for her to answer first because I knew the test he was running. But I answered first and he stopped the interview right there. She understood the pledge she was reciting, I knew this (and she confirmed my suspicion post interview) - but he had obviously heard enough. He first told me that he was the most senior officer at the Colorado branch, having been there 17 years, then he then gave an example as to why he had stopped the interview. He said that perfect communication was needed between himself and Katya because "If I asked her the question: 'Have you ever been a member of the Communist party or a member of a terrorist group', and she answered yes, I would have to push this button under here and you would be taken away be the people on the floor above me (pointing upwards) and asked questions the entire weekend. You don't want that, bring a translator."

The interview ended then, he apologized to me by name, but not to Katya; and then we left.

I'm more upset at myself for not even thinking of this as a possibility. But it happened, and now I'm left wondering what else will be brought up at the next interview. I'm assuming it will be with the most senior officer again, so I may bolster my documentation further. Get more pictures taken, get joint checks printed (we never write checks, so I never ordered any in her name), put her on my mortgage, water/cable/phone bill, blah blah blah blah.

The guy sounds like a #######. But that aside, he did do you a favor. If she had answered yes to the wrong question, it could have been quite bad... Although, I still find it interesting that they ask if you were ever a member of the Communist Party and that such an an affiliation - past or present- would be cause to be "taken away by the people on the floor above." Hell, I know US Citizens that are more communist in mind and ideology than many former party members (if there were any non-party members in the USSR to begin with).

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Her interview in Moscow at the US Consulate was completely in Russian.

I figured she'd be fine after a couple questions and she calmed down. The more nervous Katya gets, the less understanding of English she posesses. I absentmindedly answered the first casual question for her, I said Yes, and was immediately reprimanded for speaking out of turn. I was told I cannot answer for her in a very strict, condescending tone. I figured, fine, this would be a strict interview but Katya can get through it. The question he asked was if she had her EAD cards, which she did. She misheard EAD as EID, or ID, and was confused. We never called the documents EAD, so the correlation was not there in her mind. She had not calmed down and was still visibly shaking. It was at this time he said the interview probably would not continue, due to the language gap.

He asked us to stand and recite the pledge. She paused after he finished, as did I. I was waiting for her to answer first because I knew the test he was running. But I answered first and he stopped the interview right there. She understood the pledge she was reciting, I knew this (and she confirmed my suspicion post interview) - but he had obviously heard enough. He first told me that he was the most senior officer at the Colorado branch, having been there 17 years, then he then gave an example as to why he had stopped the interview. He said that perfect communication was needed between himself and Katya because "If I asked her the question: 'Have you ever been a member of the Communist party or a member of a terrorist group', and she answered yes, I would have to push this button under here and you would be taken away be the people on the floor above me (pointing upwards) and asked questions the entire weekend. You don't want that, bring a translator."

The interview ended then, he apologized to me by name, but not to Katya; and then we left.

I'm more upset at myself for not even thinking of this as a possibility. But it happened, and now I'm left wondering what else will be brought up at the next interview. I'm assuming it will be with the most senior officer again, so I may bolster my documentation further. Get more pictures taken, get joint checks printed (we never write checks, so I never ordered any in her name), put her on my mortgage, water/cable/phone bill, blah blah blah blah.

Couple of ground rules. It is HER interview, not yours. You do not need to be present. They do not need to let you in. Sit there like a potted plant and do not speak at all unless he specifically asks you a question.

You don't need checks, you have a joint bank statement? Bring that. Checks are BS, you can order checks that say anything on the internet...even with pictures of kittens on them. The bank doesn't even care what name you put on the checks. They only care about the account number. Joint bank accounts are good, medical insurance, car insurance, joint credit cards, having her listed with your employer as an emergency contact, etc. Utilities are kind of BS, you can add anyone to a utility bill...it means nothing, it is your house, if they split you are still stuck for the electric bill. Joint lease or mortgage/deed is good also. We didn't have to present ANY evidence, but I brought lots. Check the I-751 forum, I have a pinned topic there with an interview with a VSC director. It relates to I-751 specifically but the evidence that is beneficial is similar. IF your wife has a child, an excellent source of evidence is medical and school records which list you also as a "parent", but it is certainly not necessary.

Get an interpretor or ask them to get one (I do not know if you have to pay for it, Alla is paid by USCIS and submits a form to them for her time, but I do not know if they bill the applicant) Then go and keep your mouth shut unless spoken to.

[slim 1,514]

Her interview in Moscow at the US Consulate was completely in Russian.

I'm guessing the interviewer knew this ahead of time and said to himself, "if she comes in here without a translator, she better be speaking perfect English. If not, I'm not even gonna mess with it. She can come back next time with a translator." I bet he had his mind already made up.

I'm more upset at myself for not even thinking of this as a possibility. But it happened, and now I'm left wondering what else will be brought up at the next interview. I'm assuming it will be with the most senior officer again, so I may bolster my documentation further. Get more pictures taken, get joint checks printed (we never write checks, so I never ordered any in her name), put her on my mortgage, water/cable/phone bill, blah blah blah blah.

I don't think you need more evidence next time, just a translator. While having checks and her name on your bills could help, it doesn't mean you have a bonafide relationship and she's moving on with life in America as your spouse. What they're really looking for at the AOS interview is this young(er) woman who agreed to come here to pursue a life together with you isn't here to pursue a life on her own or with a questionable group of people. They want to make sure you weren't simply the green card guy.

Checks and bills could be good and since it's not that much of an effort, sure, go ahead and do them. But, what's probably more important is making sure she knows things like where you work, what you do there, where your family lives, what you did before she met you, what the address of the house you live together in is, etc. Don't let her get tripped up on questions she should know, even in English.

While the interview is to determine if she's eligible for a green card, it's more to determine that she's not here for some "other" purpose. The first indication of that could be if she can't even understand what's going on. The second could be if she doesn't really know or interact well with the guy who brought her in. Make sure she can answer (in Russian and English) questions about your daily life and things about work and family, etc.

Don't take it too seriously though, hell, I said the wrong date for our marriage when I went in there. (Then again I think that sort of sealed the deal. We had a female interviewer and when I said the wrong date, my wife smacked me on the arm, corrected me, and gave me "the look." The woman interviewing us just nodded and said, "ummm hmmm." I think we passed right then and there.)

The guy sounds like a #######. But that aside, he did do you a favor. If she had answered yes to the wrong question, it could have been quite bad... Although, I still find it interesting that they ask if you were ever a member of the Communist Party and that such an an affiliation - past or present- would be cause to be "taken away by the people on the floor above." Hell, I know US Citizens that are more communist in mind and ideology than many former party members (if there were any non-party members in the USSR to begin with).

I don't think this guy was doing any favors, I think he'd been there 17 years and he just wasn't going to deal with another immigrant that couldn't speak English. I'm suspecting the MOB thing came into play too, but without seeing the picture of the guy's fat old wife sitting on his desk, I can't say. The general consensus of folks in the States seems to be if someone marries a young attractive woman from the FSU and they can't speak any English then there's no way they could have a happy life together and she's just using him for a green card. Many of these federal employees feel it's their civic duty to "right the system" not by making it more difficult on the couple, but just by following the letter of the law exactly as it says on paper.

Could she have passed without a translator? Probably. But, did the interviewer have to make the extra effort to hold ESL sessions in his office? Absolutely not. I'm suspecting this guy wasn't genuinely interested in Katya's well being, only in making his day a little easier and making the couple go through the extra effort of a few more months together and one more visit to his office. "Well, if she sticks it out with this guy a little longer... maybe she really does love him."

And "seeing the guys upstairs?" Come on. Who is this guy, J. Edgar Hoover?

I find it quite ironic that we're on a communist witch hunt yet we start interviews with the pledge of allegiance. I can't really think of a more communist thing to do. "Hold on, before we get started, let's pledge our allegiance - in English - to this flag." Last time I checked, the pledge was optional. It's always optional. It means nothing if it's mandatory.

We're coming up on my wife's naturalization interview and subsequent oath cermony soon. It's still a few months off but the more and more I read that oath, the more and more I don't like it. While I don't mind folks taking an oath, it just seems that this one is a little forced. - Yet we're keen on stopping communism. Come on, America!

[WARREN-IRINA 1]

There is a question on N-400 regarding affiliation with communist party. It reads like that: "Have you ever been a member of or in any way associated (either directly or indirectly) with the Communist party?"

This seems not to be a large problem as

On July 12, 1999, Sergei Nikitich Khrushchev and his wife, Valentina, became naturalized citizens of the United States.

The interviewer may be still locked up in the cold war frame of mind like a lot of people I meet.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

There is a question on N-400 regarding affiliation with communist party. It reads like that: "Have you ever been a member of or in any way associated (either directly or indirectly) with the Communist party?"

This seems not to be a large problem as

On July 12, 1999, Sergei Nikitich Khrushchev and his wife, Valentina, became naturalized citizens of the United States.

The interviewer may be still locked up in the cold war frame of mind like a lot of people I meet.

I do not know what the problem was. Alla answered "yes" to being a Komsomol member. No question was ever asked, she was approved without question. The SAME IO gives another applicant grief because she was a Komsomol member. The ONLY thing Alla could surmise was that when asked for "how long" she answered "About 10 years" Alla told her (in Russian) "You would have had to be the President of the Komsomol to be in it that long" But she answered what the woman said and then explained she thought that was wrong since it was a high school/college thing and she should have been in about 7 years, tops. At any rate, it was required membership and did not indicate any political preference of the students for whom membership was mandatory.

And yes, it is generally accepted that many people may have been involved with communist parties in various countries for various reasons which have no adverse affect on the United States and pose no threat to the US.

Alla said the interviewer acted like it was the first person he ever heard of from the USSR, so I don't know what his frame of mind is (if any)

One never knows if it is the real reason or just an excuse while they check something else out. At any rate, the person got approved now. I have since heard from another woman, an aquaitance of Alla's, that when she went through her AOS about 15 years ago they also held her up because she had been in the Komsomol. ????

[slim 1,514]

Most of the girls going through now are too young to have been anything more than Pioneers. Regardless, it's not like the interviewer has the working knowledge to distinguish between a 34-year-old former Pioneer or a 44-year-old former Komsomol member. They simply don't know the difference and for them, a 34-year-old former Pioneer who answers "yes" to being a former member of the communist party could be the same as a KGB operative who battled the Contras in '84.

But... that's not the point here.

The point is there was an interviewer who wasn't being very receptive to someone who didn't understand his English very well. I doubt he cut the interview short to safeguard her from being waterboarded because of her party affiliation. I believe he did so after viewing her file, seeing she'd spoken Russian in Moscow, and then deciding he wasn't going to deal with her English aptitude issues.

For folks reading this thread who are coming up on an AOS interview or the like, if your SO spoke their native language at the interview in their home country - bring a translator to their AOS interview. If they spoke English at their home country interview it's reasonable to believe they could speak English here as well and that should be noted at the time of the interview if language issues arise.

Even if they've been here for several months to a year it's possible they could've picked up enough English or practiced to the point where they're now proficient. But, as seen in the OP, you could run into an interviewer who's had 17 years of experience and isn't going to deal with anyone who he thinks should've brought a translator based on how they spoke at their home country interview.

This had nothing to do with party affiliation.

[baron555 934]

He asked us to stand and recite the pledge.

Really? I don't know if I know is by heart anymore; they don't recite that before a NASCAR race or a Hawks game, so I'd be lost also.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Really? I don't know if I know is by heart anymore; they don't recite that before a NASCAR race or a Hawks game, so I'd be lost also.

Not the Pledge of Allegience, Phil. A pledge to tell the truth, the whole truth...etc. You can brush up by watching an old re-run of Perry Mason. The pledge is given to the applicant to reassure the answers on the I-485 were true, at least they have you saying so under oath. YOU will not have to pledge anything regarding that form. It is possible they may give you an oath to tell the truth IF they are going to ask you questions, but I doubt it.

An interviewer with the seniority of the one Alla interviewed with ought to damn well know the dfference between a 34 year old and 44 year old and what level of participation they had in the Komsomol in the FSU or ####### is he doing giving out green cards? How could he possibly be protecting us from terrorists, spies and triple polio if he has no clue?

Alla speaks English perfectly well, even (technically) better than most Americans, except for the heavy accent, but she had her visa interview in Russian, she was nervous and did not want to make mistakes. Of course, we had no questions at the interview except from the guy that collects documents before the "interview". She had her AOS interview in English, such that it was.

If your spouse is uncomfortable, bring or request an interpretor, why take chances? I agree the interviewer seems to have been unreasonable on this day, but they can do it.

[slim 1,514]

Really? I don't know if I know is by heart anymore; they don't recite that before a NASCAR race or a Hawks game, so I'd be lost also.

It'll come back to you. When I first said it after not saying it for about 20 years I thought to myself (as we were already saying it) "Oh #######. I forgot the words." But that muscle memory of repetition every day as a 3rd grader came back and my mouth was moving even though my mind wasn't.

I was actually kind of surprised!

Not the Pledge of Allegience, Phil. A pledge to tell the truth, the whole truth...etc. You can brush up by watching an old re-run of Perry Mason.

I totally missed that too. I thought they did the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of the interview and that's what struck me as being kind of weird. "We're going to ask if you're a communist... but first pledge allegiance to our flag."

If it was the Perry Mason pledge I totally understand now.

The pledge is given to the applicant to reassure the answers on the I-485 were true, at least they have you saying so under oath. YOU will not have to pledge anything regarding that form. It is possible they may give you an oath to tell the truth IF they are going to ask you questions, but I doubt it.

It's been quite a while but I want to say at the interview I went to (initial AOS) they said something to the effect of "do you swear all of the answers you provide today will be true?"

An interviewer with the seniority of the one Alla interviewed with ought to damn well know the dfference between a 34 year old and 44 year old and what level of participation they had in the Komsomol in the FSU or ####### is he doing giving out green cards? How could he possibly be protecting us from terrorists, spies and triple polio if he has no clue?

While I'll agree in theory... if we're relying on our USCIS interviewers to stop those things we've already lost the battle. Yes, the interviewer should not hand a green card to a possible terrorist or communist, but, it seemed to me the interviewer wasn't doing anything more than making sure the paperwork matched the people sitting in the office. I didn't really get that vibe that the interviewer was the line in the sand that keeps our borders safe.

Should they know the difference between Komsomol and Pioneers? Maybe. But it seemed to me their job wasn't to make that determination at the interview, only to make sure that the woman who listed Komsomol on her form was the same woman sitting in front of him and she did, indeed, live with that guy who sponsored her over here, they somewhat match, and she seems genuinely interested in life here in America and doesn't appear to be a prostitute, junky, or not know that guy at all. Prostitute and junky are somewhat evident to a casual observer. Spy? Not so much, even to a trained eye. While I'm sure USCIS employs counterespionage agents, I doubt they often conduct green card interviews with 24-year-old women from the Russian Far East who marry RUB forum members.

Alla speaks English perfectly well, even (technically) better than most Americans, except for the heavy accent, but she had her visa interview in Russian, she was nervous and did not want to make mistakes. Of course, we had no questions at the interview except from the guy that collects documents before the "interview". She had her AOS interview in English, such that it was.

And the interviewer probably determined that Alla could do the interview in English just fine and therefore proceeded in English. If he would've been in a pissy mood that day, perhaps he could've said, "I don't want her to answer a question incorrectly so I'm going to terminate this interview now." It's also quite possible that given your situation the determination was made prior to the interview to not ask any questions at all. Your situation is quite different than the OP's and that's why I still maintain the language issue had almost nothign to do with the interviewer's decision to stop the interview.

If your spouse is uncomfortable, bring or request an interpretor, why take chances? I agree the interviewer seems to have been unreasonable on this day, but they can do it.

I was uncomfortable yet I didn't have an interpretor. My wife had no problems with the interviewer or with the English, but again, our situation is not the same as the OP's. I would suggest to anyone in a similar situation as the OP, unless you're 100% sure your wife understands and speaks English just fine - schedule an interpretor for the AOS interview. It has a lot less to do with the language than with the "overall picture" of things. Having that interpretor there could show the interviewer you're serious, and maybe instead of listening for perfect English, that's what they're actually looking for.

[Jonathan Matthies 1]

Pledge and Oath were interchangeable to me at the time I posted, I was still shell shocked over what transpired. Sorry for the confusion. I, too, haven't had to recite the pledge of Allegiance since Elementary school.

I'm still upset over how the interview transpired, but we now have more time to prepare. We can find a good translator who should help Katya feel more comfortable. and then we should nail the second interview. I expect Katya will be able to answer every question without need of the translator, and with that in mind I want to have the same interviewer simply to show him that his initial appraisal of her was dead wrong.