Tweet
I had my marriage-based AOS interview yesterday at 8:45am and I wanted to share my experience since I have received a lot of helpful tips from using this forum and wanted to give back in some way. Before I get started, I wanted to make mention that my wife, who is the petitioner (same-sex marriage) was laid off from her job a couple months ago, received severance pay and just started driving for Uber and receiving unemployment. We didn’t have a joint sponsor.
My interview was in San Antonio, TX. So, we got there 30 minutes before the interview and we were called in right at our scheduled time. I brought a binder with a myriad of evidence that proves our marriage is bonafide, a binder for civil documents, a folder with my wife’s paystubs, 2017 W2 and 2017 tax returns, and a photo album. We were sworn in and the IO asked for our IDs. Throughout the interview he was very blunt and to the point which heightened my anxiety levels a bit. He started off by asking my wife is she was working at the same place. She stated that she wasn’t and told the IO that she got severance pay, drives for Uber now, and receives unemployment at the moment. At that point I thought we were going to be denied, but I kept it together. He then asked if she was working at the time we filed the paperwork and she said yes (which she was). Below are the questions that he asked us:
How did you meet?
What was the name of the website that you met on?
Have you met her parents? (asked to both of us)
Where do her parents live? (asked to both of us)
When did you get married?
Where did we get married?
Who attended?
Have you been married before?
Do you have any kids?
Have you ever filed for someone before? (asked to petitioner)
What are the names of the people in the picture? (Asked to me-spouse beneficiary)
He asked me why I sent in my birth certificate again when it was already in my original file I submitted April 2018. I told him that I got an RFIE and was told to send another copy since they said it was missing—which I did. I knew it was there but wasn’t about to argue with USCIS. I then said that once I contacted my congressman, they let me know via email that the RFIE was sent in error by USCIS. He wanted to see the email so I showed it to him on my phone.
After those questions, he wanted to verify some information (place of birth, have I used any other names in the past, etc.) and then he asked if we had additional documents to add, which I did. He took about 80% of what I had. He asked me if I was working and I told him I received my EAD 4 weeks ago and was just approved to drive Uber. He then proceeded to ask me a few yes/no questions and that was it. We were sitting there waiting for his response and he said we were approved and I would receive my conditional green card in 2-3 weeks! The whole interview took about 40 min. I was super surprised but extremely thankful. After we left, I was in disbelief and was still a bit nervous. At around 6pm last night I got the update that said, “card is being produced”. So that update made it feel very real! I was so stressed for weeks because I thought we would be denied due to our situation. God was definitely on our side, I’m very grateful!! What a lovely way to start off the year.
My interview was in San Antonio, TX. So, we got there 30 minutes before the interview and we were called in right at our scheduled time. I brought a binder with a myriad of evidence that proves our marriage is bonafide, a binder for civil documents, a folder with my wife’s paystubs, 2017 W2 and 2017 tax returns, and a photo album. We were sworn in and the IO asked for our IDs. Throughout the interview he was very blunt and to the point which heightened my anxiety levels a bit. He started off by asking my wife is she was working at the same place. She stated that she wasn’t and told the IO that she got severance pay, drives for Uber now, and receives unemployment at the moment. At that point I thought we were going to be denied, but I kept it together. He then asked if she was working at the time we filed the paperwork and she said yes (which she was). Below are the questions that he asked us:
How did you meet?
What was the name of the website that you met on?
Have you met her parents? (asked to both of us)
Where do her parents live? (asked to both of us)
When did you get married?
Where did we get married?
Who attended?
Have you been married before?
Do you have any kids?
Have you ever filed for someone before? (asked to petitioner)
What are the names of the people in the picture? (Asked to me-spouse beneficiary)
He asked me why I sent in my birth certificate again when it was already in my original file I submitted April 2018. I told him that I got an RFIE and was told to send another copy since they said it was missing—which I did. I knew it was there but wasn’t about to argue with USCIS. I then said that once I contacted my congressman, they let me know via email that the RFIE was sent in error by USCIS. He wanted to see the email so I showed it to him on my phone.
After those questions, he wanted to verify some information (place of birth, have I used any other names in the past, etc.) and then he asked if we had additional documents to add, which I did. He took about 80% of what I had. He asked me if I was working and I told him I received my EAD 4 weeks ago and was just approved to drive Uber. He then proceeded to ask me a few yes/no questions and that was it. We were sitting there waiting for his response and he said we were approved and I would receive my conditional green card in 2-3 weeks! The whole interview took about 40 min. I was super surprised but extremely thankful. After we left, I was in disbelief and was still a bit nervous. At around 6pm last night I got the update that said, “card is being produced”. So that update made it feel very real! I was so stressed for weeks because I thought we would be denied due to our situation. God was definitely on our side, I’m very grateful!! What a lovely way to start off the year.
. No, they didn't ask to see her birth certificate. They just asked for her driver's license and passport. I'm hoping they give it back to you in time for your own peace of mind.
Comment