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IMMEDIATE, NO RESERVATION I485 INTERVIEW APPROVAL , FLORIDA PD- July 2017
Hello everyone
Today July 31, 2018 at 10:15 am (started at 10:33 am) my hubby (US Citizen) and I went for the I485 interview. The 20 minutes of chatter was simply amazing. In fact, we could not in our right mind call it an interview. It was a sweet, flowy, smooth, unhinged, heart to heart conversation with the Interview officer, my hubby and me. We received an unrefuted approval instantly. The immediate ON THE SPOT approval was not without a substantial display of creditable evidence (see our list below). She told us that we went way over and above the requirements to satisfy the burden of proof. However, I also believe that the relaxed and genuine flow of the conversation among all was equally based on an already established communication between hubby and I in our little family. So, it is also good to demonstrate good, relaxed yet professional rapport with your partner in front of the officer.
Ok on to the details.
We arrived at 9:45 am. After waiting in the holding area, we were called in to a private office by our interview officer at 10:33 am. We were asked to raise our right hand to swear to tell the truth (we were not asked to stand). We were each asked for a form of identification. We gave our passports, we also had our driver?s license.
She then proceeded to ask me five general and preliminary questions then about 5-6 questions from the YES and NO section of the 1485 form.
The five early questions (for me) were:
1. What is your full name?
2. What is your date of birth?
3. Where were you born?
4. What is your address?
4-6 I485 YES or NO questions
5. Is this your first marriage?
Then five (5) questions for hubby (US citizen)
1. What is your full name?
2. What is your date of birth?
3. What is your address?
4. How many times were you married?
5. Is this your first time petitioning for someone?
After that she asked about our community and where it was located. She was blown away by the fact that we had printed and provided her with photos of the house (rear and front showing our vehicles) as well as copies of map showing where we lived. The maps included aerial views of the actual building.
After that it was a fast moving 15 minute free-flowing conversation which included topics like how we met, where we met, places we have worked, exciting places we have visited, pets etc. As the conversation ensued we handed photocopies of all our evidence to her (see list below). She returned all our texts (402 pages), ******** comments, yahoo emails to us with the explanation that she does not want to hold on to our personal conversations.
In wrapping up, I asked her if she wanted a new medical record, she was pleasantly surprised and said wow, ?I was just about to tell you that the one in the initial package has expired?. She repeatedly thanked us for being so organized. I handed the sealed, recently completed medical to her.
She handed us two papers to affix our signatures. Paper 1 was a written document of an oath for us committing to having supplied truthful evidence and answers. Paper 2. Was section 216 notice of the I485 approval and what we will expect to be on the card in the mail.
We were not told when to expect the GREEN card, but we were told that when we receive it we can put the EAD away as it will now stand as a work permit. We were and are not anxious about getting the actual green card, we are just thankful the day was a success.
The interview/ professional conversation ended at 10:53 am.
Lessons learned, or points noted
1. Pray, meditate, believe, relax, keep open communication with your spouse about the immigration process.
2. Each applicant?s immigration story might be similar but not the same, stay focused.
3. Be MORE THAN prepared. All our docs could ONLY fit in a wheeled stationery cart, so we wheeled it in. It made a GREAT impression. The IO was very grateful for the
way the docs were organized, grouped, clipped and labelled.
4. Provide ALL originals and take along PHOTOCOPIES of each original and hand the copies to the IO.
5. The IO may not even look through all photocopies nor the originals. Our IOs eye scanned the photocopies and did not ask for any originals.
6. The IOs are impressed with preparedness. So, prepare and make an excellent presentation.
7. The IOs REVIEW and are very aware of the background of the interviewees, they peruse and are very knowledgeable of the contents of your initial package. I believe in
some cases, if not all, the result of an application/case might be pre-determined before the interview.
8. Smile and relax in the interview.
9. Take a sealed medical report with you if your interview date is one year, even by a day, from the application or initial medical date.
10. Take all updated documents, if required, but also even if you just have a ?hunch?.
11. There were no cross-examination questions. Not all interviews will be interrogative.
12. We will get a 2 -year conditional green card, because we have not reached our second-year anniversary (this we already anticipated).
13. Immigration interviews should not intimidate anyone, so do your absolute best, plan, use evidence that is available or applicable to you, not one that others suggest, but ones that show proof that you are living together, ones that you can defend and explain.
14. At 3:00 pm, yes on the same afternoon of the interview we got a text saying there is an update on USCIS.gov
15. I checked USCIS.gov notice it read, NEW CARD IS BEING PRODUCED.
Our list
Documents
Mine (actual name is used)
1. All recent I797 receipts (I485 and I765 renewal)
2. My -copy of driver?s license
3. EAD-approval notice
4. Biometrics notice
5. I130 receipts
6. Police record
7. J1 waiver, I-94
8. Copy of Passport, EAD, Old passport-used pages
9. SSN copy and self-certification form
10. Copy of Marriage license
11. Copy of Birth certificate
Hubby?s documents (actual name is used)
1. Driver?s License
2. Copy of Passport
3. Copy of birth certificate
4. SSN
Housing
1. Maps indicating location of apartment
2. Colored pic of front and rear of apartment
3. Apartment mail list with our names on list
4. Rental contract with both names on it
5. Hubby?s Voter?s ID
6. Library Cards (for both)
Finance
Tax
1. Last year?s Joint Tax Return
2. Our state Taxes
3. Supporting Tax Docs W-2, 1098, 1099 (Both)
Bank
1. Statements from Joint Bank Account
2. Actual copy of voided check (both names on check)
3. Credit score (for both)
4. Bank communication to me on individual bank Acc# (to our address)
5. My other bank info mailed to our address
Credit Card
1. Debit cards for Joint Account personalized with family photo on them (both)
2. Statements showing cards link to same bank account
3. Credit cards with individual name but same account number displayed (both)
4. Store cards with individual names but same account number displayed (both)
Bills
1. Electricity bill with both names on them
2. Receipts from stores showing both names
3. Veterinarian invoice with both names
4. My graduate school bill mailed to home address
5. Amazon purchase in both names mailed to our address
6. Auto mechanic Invoice and receipts showing we paid for each other?s car
7. Internet bill to address in my name
8. Phone bill in to address with both names
Vehicles
1. Picture of both front & rear of vehicle in front of our apartment
2. Registration for each of our vehicles
3. Title for each vehicle
4. Auto insurance with both vehicles in hubby?s name
5. Auto insurance with hubby?s name added on to (my initial insurance)
6. Copy of the paperwork for the car windshield decal to apartment complex
7. Picture showing decals on both our vehicles? windshield
Insurances
1. Health insurance policy with both our names on it
2. Renter?s Insurance policy with both our names on it
Employment
1. My employment contracts
2. My paystubs that span the previous 6 months
3. Professional Certificates from State
4. Initial employment papers that list hubby?s name as emergency contact
Hubby
1. Hubby?s Personnel employment Form
2. Hubby?s Paystubs spanning previous 6 months
Mail
1. Letters from both sides of families.
2. Copies of letters, gifts and pictures of gifts from friends and family
Relationship
1. Our online profile pages (where we met)
2. Print out of our inbox messages
3. Cards, mails and messages sent to each other with gifts while dating
4. Samples of emails sent to each other while dating
5. Birthday cards
6. Airline tickets visits to and from each other while dating
7. Copy of seasonal pass with both our names on it.
8. My workplace visitor stick-on card when hubby visited me at my workplace
9. Pre-marital counselling emails between councilor and us.
10. Hotel registration card and receipts with both names
11. Amusement park picture of us both on rollercoaster (screams and all)
12. Amusement park tickets (2)
13. Holiday card with our photo on it that we sent friends and family
14. ******** profile page with comments from friends and family on anniversary and picture as couple
15. Show tickets and photos of us at show
16. 402 pages of phone text pages between us both including pictures of items each other asked the other to buy.
17. ******** messages between us both
18. Email summary of all the emails between us.
Pictures
Approximately 250 pictures (with detailed descriptions with date, names, locations, and events)
1. Pics from when we first met
2. Visits in each other?s home
3. Photos showing trips we took
4. Visit to his parents? home
5. Hanging out with my co-workers at Thanksgiving, Christmas
6. Events with neighbors
7. Pics with walks in the neighborhood
8. Pics of us inside the home
9. Our Wedding pics
All pictures were placed on Microsoft Word up to 3-5 pics on each page with detailed caption for each. We had 68 pages of pictures, totaling 250.
Today July 31, 2018 at 10:15 am (started at 10:33 am) my hubby (US Citizen) and I went for the I485 interview. The 20 minutes of chatter was simply amazing. In fact, we could not in our right mind call it an interview. It was a sweet, flowy, smooth, unhinged, heart to heart conversation with the Interview officer, my hubby and me. We received an unrefuted approval instantly. The immediate ON THE SPOT approval was not without a substantial display of creditable evidence (see our list below). She told us that we went way over and above the requirements to satisfy the burden of proof. However, I also believe that the relaxed and genuine flow of the conversation among all was equally based on an already established communication between hubby and I in our little family. So, it is also good to demonstrate good, relaxed yet professional rapport with your partner in front of the officer.
Ok on to the details.
We arrived at 9:45 am. After waiting in the holding area, we were called in to a private office by our interview officer at 10:33 am. We were asked to raise our right hand to swear to tell the truth (we were not asked to stand). We were each asked for a form of identification. We gave our passports, we also had our driver?s license.
She then proceeded to ask me five general and preliminary questions then about 5-6 questions from the YES and NO section of the 1485 form.
The five early questions (for me) were:
1. What is your full name?
2. What is your date of birth?
3. Where were you born?
4. What is your address?
4-6 I485 YES or NO questions
5. Is this your first marriage?
Then five (5) questions for hubby (US citizen)
1. What is your full name?
2. What is your date of birth?
3. What is your address?
4. How many times were you married?
5. Is this your first time petitioning for someone?
After that she asked about our community and where it was located. She was blown away by the fact that we had printed and provided her with photos of the house (rear and front showing our vehicles) as well as copies of map showing where we lived. The maps included aerial views of the actual building.
After that it was a fast moving 15 minute free-flowing conversation which included topics like how we met, where we met, places we have worked, exciting places we have visited, pets etc. As the conversation ensued we handed photocopies of all our evidence to her (see list below). She returned all our texts (402 pages), ******** comments, yahoo emails to us with the explanation that she does not want to hold on to our personal conversations.
In wrapping up, I asked her if she wanted a new medical record, she was pleasantly surprised and said wow, ?I was just about to tell you that the one in the initial package has expired?. She repeatedly thanked us for being so organized. I handed the sealed, recently completed medical to her.
She handed us two papers to affix our signatures. Paper 1 was a written document of an oath for us committing to having supplied truthful evidence and answers. Paper 2. Was section 216 notice of the I485 approval and what we will expect to be on the card in the mail.
We were not told when to expect the GREEN card, but we were told that when we receive it we can put the EAD away as it will now stand as a work permit. We were and are not anxious about getting the actual green card, we are just thankful the day was a success.
The interview/ professional conversation ended at 10:53 am.
Lessons learned, or points noted
1. Pray, meditate, believe, relax, keep open communication with your spouse about the immigration process.
2. Each applicant?s immigration story might be similar but not the same, stay focused.
3. Be MORE THAN prepared. All our docs could ONLY fit in a wheeled stationery cart, so we wheeled it in. It made a GREAT impression. The IO was very grateful for the
way the docs were organized, grouped, clipped and labelled.
4. Provide ALL originals and take along PHOTOCOPIES of each original and hand the copies to the IO.
5. The IO may not even look through all photocopies nor the originals. Our IOs eye scanned the photocopies and did not ask for any originals.
6. The IOs are impressed with preparedness. So, prepare and make an excellent presentation.
7. The IOs REVIEW and are very aware of the background of the interviewees, they peruse and are very knowledgeable of the contents of your initial package. I believe in
some cases, if not all, the result of an application/case might be pre-determined before the interview.
8. Smile and relax in the interview.
9. Take a sealed medical report with you if your interview date is one year, even by a day, from the application or initial medical date.
10. Take all updated documents, if required, but also even if you just have a ?hunch?.
11. There were no cross-examination questions. Not all interviews will be interrogative.
12. We will get a 2 -year conditional green card, because we have not reached our second-year anniversary (this we already anticipated).
13. Immigration interviews should not intimidate anyone, so do your absolute best, plan, use evidence that is available or applicable to you, not one that others suggest, but ones that show proof that you are living together, ones that you can defend and explain.
14. At 3:00 pm, yes on the same afternoon of the interview we got a text saying there is an update on USCIS.gov
15. I checked USCIS.gov notice it read, NEW CARD IS BEING PRODUCED.
Our list
Documents
Mine (actual name is used)
1. All recent I797 receipts (I485 and I765 renewal)
2. My -copy of driver?s license
3. EAD-approval notice
4. Biometrics notice
5. I130 receipts
6. Police record
7. J1 waiver, I-94
8. Copy of Passport, EAD, Old passport-used pages
9. SSN copy and self-certification form
10. Copy of Marriage license
11. Copy of Birth certificate
Hubby?s documents (actual name is used)
1. Driver?s License
2. Copy of Passport
3. Copy of birth certificate
4. SSN
Housing
1. Maps indicating location of apartment
2. Colored pic of front and rear of apartment
3. Apartment mail list with our names on list
4. Rental contract with both names on it
5. Hubby?s Voter?s ID
6. Library Cards (for both)
Finance
Tax
1. Last year?s Joint Tax Return
2. Our state Taxes
3. Supporting Tax Docs W-2, 1098, 1099 (Both)
Bank
1. Statements from Joint Bank Account
2. Actual copy of voided check (both names on check)
3. Credit score (for both)
4. Bank communication to me on individual bank Acc# (to our address)
5. My other bank info mailed to our address
Credit Card
1. Debit cards for Joint Account personalized with family photo on them (both)
2. Statements showing cards link to same bank account
3. Credit cards with individual name but same account number displayed (both)
4. Store cards with individual names but same account number displayed (both)
Bills
1. Electricity bill with both names on them
2. Receipts from stores showing both names
3. Veterinarian invoice with both names
4. My graduate school bill mailed to home address
5. Amazon purchase in both names mailed to our address
6. Auto mechanic Invoice and receipts showing we paid for each other?s car
7. Internet bill to address in my name
8. Phone bill in to address with both names
Vehicles
1. Picture of both front & rear of vehicle in front of our apartment
2. Registration for each of our vehicles
3. Title for each vehicle
4. Auto insurance with both vehicles in hubby?s name
5. Auto insurance with hubby?s name added on to (my initial insurance)
6. Copy of the paperwork for the car windshield decal to apartment complex
7. Picture showing decals on both our vehicles? windshield
Insurances
1. Health insurance policy with both our names on it
2. Renter?s Insurance policy with both our names on it
Employment
1. My employment contracts
2. My paystubs that span the previous 6 months
3. Professional Certificates from State
4. Initial employment papers that list hubby?s name as emergency contact
Hubby
1. Hubby?s Personnel employment Form
2. Hubby?s Paystubs spanning previous 6 months
1. Letters from both sides of families.
2. Copies of letters, gifts and pictures of gifts from friends and family
Relationship
1. Our online profile pages (where we met)
2. Print out of our inbox messages
3. Cards, mails and messages sent to each other with gifts while dating
4. Samples of emails sent to each other while dating
5. Birthday cards
6. Airline tickets visits to and from each other while dating
7. Copy of seasonal pass with both our names on it.
8. My workplace visitor stick-on card when hubby visited me at my workplace
9. Pre-marital counselling emails between councilor and us.
10. Hotel registration card and receipts with both names
11. Amusement park picture of us both on rollercoaster (screams and all)
12. Amusement park tickets (2)
13. Holiday card with our photo on it that we sent friends and family
14. ******** profile page with comments from friends and family on anniversary and picture as couple
15. Show tickets and photos of us at show
16. 402 pages of phone text pages between us both including pictures of items each other asked the other to buy.
17. ******** messages between us both
18. Email summary of all the emails between us.
Pictures
Approximately 250 pictures (with detailed descriptions with date, names, locations, and events)
1. Pics from when we first met
2. Visits in each other?s home
3. Photos showing trips we took
4. Visit to his parents? home
5. Hanging out with my co-workers at Thanksgiving, Christmas
6. Events with neighbors
7. Pics with walks in the neighborhood
8. Pics of us inside the home
9. Our Wedding pics
All pictures were placed on Microsoft Word up to 3-5 pics on each page with detailed caption for each. We had 68 pages of pictures, totaling 250.
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