Interview didn't go well. Detroit, MI

[thatssutoyou]

Here's our timeline.
Jan 3 & Jan 5 = Case received
Jan 29 - Biometerics appt
Feb 5 - RFE I864 tax returns
Sometime in March/April they continued process our case
July 23rd - EAD in hand
Oct 23 - Interview scheduled
Nov 27 - Interview

We ended up being 20 min late because of construction on the highway. (We thought we left in enough time). We checked in. i feel as if our IO was not polite, she didn't introduce herself. Didn't call me by name like all the other officers were doing, she just called us Mr and Mrs (our last name). She went straight to the point, asked us about our wedding our relationship etc. My husband was so nervous he said the wrong wedding date and the Interview went down hill from there. She kept saying I overstayed (I am DACA) and she had to get to the bottom of it. She said we didn't submit a lot of bonafide evidence. I submitted (what I thought was enough), we lost a lot of things due to a flood in the house we were staying in while we were homeless. I don't feel like we got a chance to explain much, once she wrapped it up she said expect a letter in a few days.

On Nov 29 I received a case update that said on Nov 21st my case is ready to be scheduled for an Interview. I called USCIS and they said it was a glitch and to disregard..

I am DACA since 2013. My husband and I were married July 2016 filed and Dec 30 2017 and here we are.

What do I expect? She said she wants to see more, but as of now we haven't heard anything. Has anyone else had any problems with this office? Any bad interview experience?

[WaitedLongEnough]

I am sorry that your husband was nervous , messed up wedding date and everything went downhill from there. Sucks.

I strongly believe that if you went to the interview prepared , all your evidence would have trump that one mess up. You’ve been on this forum since June - long enough to have known that this platform is great and has tons of information to get you prepared.

Here’s your chance to front load all evidence of a bonafide marriage.
Please click on this thread https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showt...interview-tips and start getting ready because they are going to write you seeking more information.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

I am sorry the interview took that unexpected turn. These things are hard to predict, and sometimes nerves just get the best of people. As soon as I read your post, I went to the k i t c h e n and asked my husband - "When did we get married? You have 5 seconds." Blank stare. He said 08-19-2017. That is SOOOOOOOO not the date of our marriage. AND THE CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE IS FRAMED ON OUR WALL. He walks by it 500 times a week.

It is unfortunate because you have been married longer than 2 years and this should have been a straightforward "meet & greet" to hand you a 10 year green card on the spot.

I read on a previous post of yours that you bookmarked the thread with links to evidence of bona fide marriage/etc. You just have to take a look at what you submitted and accept that the officer decided that was not enough. So you are just going to have to show more. You have been married long enough and coming up with a solid paper trail, should not be an issue.

Please read through this thread https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showt...880#post588880 Just scroll down to the most recent list that I posted. Create a word document, and as you read through the examples of Table of Contents, copy and paste any example of evidence that you think you can come up with. Just copy and paste it onto that word doc. And then get to work and put together the evidence.

You may make an Infopass appointment, and drop it off at the field office. The officer will say "no, we do not need any additional evidence at this time". You will politely insist on introducing this stack of evidence to your file.

Then, you need to reach out to your US Senator and they will inquire for you. You may reach out to your US Senator now, but know that they also want to make sure that your marriage is bona fide. So another option is to have the senator submit the additional evidence to the USCIS field office on your behalf.

Do explain your extenuating circumstances. Try to come up with as much evidence as you may have available since the date you met.

All the best to you,

USCFFS

PS: This too shall pass. It's done. Water under the bridge. Just keep your head up. You are a DACA recipient and you've endured harder times. So this too shall pass. The worst that can happen is that they call you for a second interview. Real couples get called for 2nd interviews ALL THE TIME for lack of evidence, saying the wrong thing under pressure - you name it.

Fixing this is within your reach. Just fix it.

[thatssutoyou]

Yes, I went thru the forum. I used the binder idea I saw...everything was organized. I pulled some things out and gave her. When we came home we sat down and started realizing all types of things we should have submitted and began preparing. I used the checklist that came with the notice. I felt like I was prepared, but nerves got the best of both us. Like everyone in here, we've been thru so much and for it to be THEE day and moment to shine...it was just disappointing. But I will take all suggestions. Thank you guys for all your help and words. I absolutely love this forum.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Yes, I went thru the forum. I used the binder idea I saw...everything was organized. I pulled some things out and gave her. When we came home we sat down and started realizing all types of things we should have submitted and began preparing. I used the checklist that came with the notice. I felt like I was prepared, but nerves got the best of both us. Like everyone in here, we've been thru so much and for it to be THEE day and moment to shine...it was just disappointing. But I will take all suggestions. Thank you guys for all your help and words. I absolutely love this forum.

I must ask, though. Did you send evidence of bona fide marriage with your AOS package? Or did you only submit the marriage certificate?
It sounds like you brought plenty of evidence to the interview. The issue is that it seems like all these new officers that just finished training are sometimes really going by the book.

The I-130 instructions state on page 3/12:

"Evidence. At the time of filing, you must submit all evidence and supporting documentation listed in the General Requirements section of these Instructions. USCIS may issue a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) or a Denial Notice for petitions filed without the required supporting evidence."

It is possible that the officer formed an opinion about your case as she reviewed your file before your interview. If there was no evidence of bona fide marriage, then maybe that hit the wrong key from the getgo.

But again, it's done.It is just good for others to hear and learn from your experience.

All the best,

USCFFS

[k6543]

Here's our timeline.
Jan 3 & Jan 5 = Case received
Jan 29 - Biometerics appt
Feb 5 - RFE I864 tax returns
Sometime in March/April they continued process our case
July 23rd - EAD in hand
Oct 23 - Interview scheduled
Nov 27 - Interview

We ended up being 20 min late because of construction on the highway. (We thought we left in enough time). We checked in. i feel as if our IO was not polite, she didn't introduce herself. Didn't call me by name like all the other officers were doing, she just called us Mr and Mrs (our last name). She went straight to the point, asked us about our wedding our relationship etc. My husband was so nervous he said the wrong wedding date and the Interview went down hill from there. She kept saying I overstayed (I am DACA) and she had to get to the bottom of it. She said we didn't submit a lot of bonafide evidence. I submitted (what I thought was enough), we lost a lot of things due to a flood in the house we were staying in while we were homeless. I don't feel like we got a chance to explain much, once she wrapped it up she said expect a letter in a few days.

On Nov 29 I received a case update that said on Nov 21st my case is ready to be scheduled for an Interview. I called USCIS and they said it was a glitch and to disregard..

I am DACA since 2013. My husband and I were married July 2016 filed and Dec 30 2017 and here we are.

What do I expect? She said she wants to see more, but as of now we haven't heard anything. Has anyone else had any problems with this office? Any bad interview experience?

Thats really unfortunate.
I recently had my interview in MA state.
First she took my wife as she is petitioner & later called me separately.
After sometime, she called my wife in, asked few questions again.
She asked marriage date, which I gave it wrong. she said I do not think that's the date.
I insisted it is....
she started looking at the papers to find marriage certificate & wallah!! She was right... I said wrong marriage date.
I said I thought the day it got stamped is the day it is official, she explained the day the guy, in our case Imaam as we're muslims join us together in marriage, we're married.
she was good after that, I thought we're done..
at the end of the interview, she said I'm approving your case.

Moral of the story,
Do not lose hope if it is a genuine marriage. It may take sometime but it will eventually happen.
As long as your husband has EAD, work legally here, he should be fine.
Maybe hire a community lawyer who work for less money to reply any notice you receive.
Do not involve any senator or govt guy unless you feel it is very very necessary. the IO working on your case feels pressured if you do so (it's natural). I do not like my manager pressuring me for work which I anyway have to do it.
I hope you get what you want.

[18klavo]

Is like my interview and Im a daca recepient too. But my interview was on nj. I got the wedding date wrong by a day lol, I was nervous and had an exam the same day after the interview, couldn't sleep the days before. (too many exams from my teachers). He gave me the case completed but must be reviewed. I was dissapointed by that, all the time I had to prepare and I feel like I messed up. The IO was good and I hope he understood I was nervous. I didn't get a ead because I already had one from daca, but is expiring on april. I hope I get a decision soon, so I don't have to spend money doing the ead. Good luck and let's see what happens.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Is like my interview and Im a daca recepient too. But my interview was on nj. I got the wedding date wrong by a day lol, I was nervous and had an exam the same day after the interview, couldn't sleep the days before. (too many exams from my teachers). He gave me the case completed but must be reviewed. I was dissapointed by that, all the time I had to prepare and I feel like I messed up. The IO was good and I hope he understood I was nervous. I didn't get a ead because I already had one from daca, but is expiring on april. I hope I get a decision soon, so I don't have to spend money doing the ead. Good luck and let's see what happens.

If you are adjusting status based on your marriage to a US citizen, then you may apply for EAD/AP at no extra cost. It will take some time to process, but you could also request to expedite based on job loss/ job offer/ financial hardship. The criteria is on the USCIS website. Just look it up.

The take home message is that preparation is KEY. Not knowing when exactly you got married, gives the wrong impression. It is as simple as that. Not sending all your evidence of bona fide marriage with your AOS filing, may also give the adjudicating officer AND your interiviewing officer, the wrong impression. No matter how long you have been married - PREPARATION IS KEY.

[thatssutoyou]

Hey guys! Yes I submitted bonafides with the application, I guess it wasnt enough. An update: we received a notice of an i130 follow up Interview at the end of this month. We are diligently preparing for the 2nd 'go round.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Hey guys! Yes I submitted bonafides with the application. We recieved a notice for an i130 follow up Interview at the end of this month. We are preparing now.

Awesome! Congratulations on that quick turn around! I have a friend who interviewed in early May 2018. Then, heard nothing for several months until they reached out to their US Senator, who informed about a month ago that they are in line for a 2nd interview. They are still waiting.

I strongly recommend that you hire an attorney to go to the interview with you. Second interviews are typically Stokes Interviews. They can be intense or not. It is key to have an attorney with you who will ensure that you are treated fairly and afforded due process. The presence of a lawyer has a way of prompting everyone to behave professionally.

I must ask for the the benefit of others in this forum. You mentioned you submitted evidence of bona fide marriage, and the offer deemed it insufficient. Therefore, it would be good for others to know what you had submitted with your application. Then, people would have a better idea.

All the best,

USCFFS

PS: The second interview is your opportunity to introduce additional evidence of bona fide marriage to your file. Anything and everything that suggests that your marriage is bona fide is fair game. Get down to minuscule details - all the better.

I strongly recommend that you get a notarized Advanced Health Care Directive and a Financial Power of Attorney. USCIS takes those two documents very seriously.

[thatssutoyou]

Hey yall!!! Sorry for the wait, but My GOD is awesome. Ok, when we submitted the package I submitted the joint account change form, land contract, life insurance papers, and a few other things. When we got there we didn't really have much new to submit. Our second Interview was 12/28 8am. This time we had affidavits, a STACK of pictures, the deed, phone bill, a year worth of bank statements. I left and went to the bathroom and came back and she had already called him in. We had a different officer, she was nice, friendly...her energy was different. She brought him back after 30 min and called me in. She only asked some general questions....probably 20min at most. Then she brought my husband back in. We were there for an hour tops. She asked him to pick out of the stack what he wanted to submit, apparently she didn't want all that stuff. About an hour and a half later we got the email notification saying "My New Card Is Being Produced".

Trust God!!!!!!!!!!

Also, we didn't have an attorney. Couldn't find one out of the places we called within the 2 week span to take our case.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Hey yall!!! Sorry for the wait, but My GOD is awesome. Ok, when we submitted the package I submitted the joint account change form, land contract, life insurance papers, and a few other things. When we got there we didn't really have much new to submit. Our second Interview was 12/28 8am. This time we had affidavits, a STACK of pictures, the deed, phone bill, a year worth of bank statements. I left and went to the bathroom and came back and she had already called him in. We had a different officer, she was nice, friendly...her energy was different. She brought him back after 30 min and called me in. She only asked some general questions....probably 20min at most. Then she brought my husband back in. We were there for an hour tops. She asked him to pick out of the stack what he wanted to submit, apparently she didn't want all that stuff. About an hour and a half later we got the email notification saying "My New Card Is Being Produced".

Trust God!!!!!!!!!!

Also, we didn't have an attorney. Couldn't find one out of the places we called within the 2 week span to take our case.

That is AWESOME NEWS!!! Congratulations on your 10 year-green card! I am glad it all worked out for you! Thank you for sharing your experience. I think your experience will be helpful to other couples who have been married longer than 2 years by the time they have their interview. No matter how long you have been married, USCIS still wants to see concrete evidence of bona fide marriage.

All the best!

USCFFS

[thatssutoyou]

Thank you!!!! This forum has helped me so much. I pray it helps others!

[bethzly]

How was everything