I wanted to give the forum an update on my case and share some information that might be helpful for someone out there. While I have asked the forum for advice in the past and have rarely gotten responses I have chosen not to blame some of you that might benefit by some of the information I will share with you here.
I had my 1st interview for a conditional Green Card (CR6) based on marriage at the Miami, Fl office on Monday May 18th. The interview was scheduled for 10:00am and my wife and I arrived at 9:30. The room was packed...absolutely packed...250+ people. We had our name called at 12:35pm. There were folks there since 7:00am waiting for a 8:00am appointment that still had not been called yet. At any rate, we went in for the interview. We had a ton of stuff with us 2 albums of pictures 80+ pictures, (2) 2-inch binders with shared documents, tax returns, banks statements, holiday cards, credit card statements, insurance paperwork, three large folders with wedding cards, wedding registry registration, christmas cards, plane tickets from holiday travels, future travel plans, etc.
We were placed under oath immediately when entering the office and we were asked a number of questions from the forms that were already submitted. Our address, birthday date and phone number. She double checked all the forms-fingerprints, medical exam. She asked for updated pay stubs from my financial sponsor and checked original birth certificates.
The interviewer was very professional and friendly. She kept apologizing for the long wait. The actual interview was extremely painless--it took about 15 minutes. He left at one point to have as he said "my case signed off on by a supervisor". After he returned (about a minute later) he said my case was approved and that he would stamp my passport with the Temp I-551 in case I needed to travel. He stamped my passport (really simple stamp--in red ink) and said that I should received my conditional green card in about 2-6 weeks. I handed him my EAD card and AP but he insisted that I hang on to it and just shred it when I received the Green Card in the mail.
He never asked one question-except to request a required piece of documentation. While he was away getting my case signed off on he asked that we set aside about 6 pictures and about 4 separate documents that showed joint ownership. I actually gave him about 8 pictures and about 6-7 documents but he insisted that it was not necessary as he "just wanted to include a few things--no big deal".
At any rate with that said I suppose the next step is receiving the actual card. As in indicated I got the temp I-551 stamp in my passport the same time and it was actually offered up by him without me having to ask.
Of all the unpleasant experiences I had had at the foreign embassy or even at the point of entry--this experience was actually pleasant. He was very professional and not mean at all. I wish you all had the kind of experience I had. Apart from the obvious 2 1/2 hour wait the actual interview was truly painless.
Good Luck to each of you.
Below is a time line that might be helpful to some of you.
Forms submitted/send to MSC: Dec 19, 2008
Receipt Notice marked: Dec 26, 2008
Receipt Notices (all of them over a 3 day period) arrived by mail at my place: Jan 8-10, 2009
Finger Print notice arrived: Jan 9, 2009
Finger Print appointment: Jan 15 (I-485); Jan 20 (I-765)
Received RFE Notice: Feb 20, 2009
Responded to RFE Notice: Mar 10, 2009
Received AP by Mail: April 8, 2009
Received EAD by Mail: April 14, 2009
Received letter for I485 initial Interview: April 27, 2009
Initial Interview date: May 18, 2009 10:00am
I had my 1st interview for a conditional Green Card (CR6) based on marriage at the Miami, Fl office on Monday May 18th. The interview was scheduled for 10:00am and my wife and I arrived at 9:30. The room was packed...absolutely packed...250+ people. We had our name called at 12:35pm. There were folks there since 7:00am waiting for a 8:00am appointment that still had not been called yet. At any rate, we went in for the interview. We had a ton of stuff with us 2 albums of pictures 80+ pictures, (2) 2-inch binders with shared documents, tax returns, banks statements, holiday cards, credit card statements, insurance paperwork, three large folders with wedding cards, wedding registry registration, christmas cards, plane tickets from holiday travels, future travel plans, etc.
We were placed under oath immediately when entering the office and we were asked a number of questions from the forms that were already submitted. Our address, birthday date and phone number. She double checked all the forms-fingerprints, medical exam. She asked for updated pay stubs from my financial sponsor and checked original birth certificates.
The interviewer was very professional and friendly. She kept apologizing for the long wait. The actual interview was extremely painless--it took about 15 minutes. He left at one point to have as he said "my case signed off on by a supervisor". After he returned (about a minute later) he said my case was approved and that he would stamp my passport with the Temp I-551 in case I needed to travel. He stamped my passport (really simple stamp--in red ink) and said that I should received my conditional green card in about 2-6 weeks. I handed him my EAD card and AP but he insisted that I hang on to it and just shred it when I received the Green Card in the mail.
He never asked one question-except to request a required piece of documentation. While he was away getting my case signed off on he asked that we set aside about 6 pictures and about 4 separate documents that showed joint ownership. I actually gave him about 8 pictures and about 6-7 documents but he insisted that it was not necessary as he "just wanted to include a few things--no big deal".
At any rate with that said I suppose the next step is receiving the actual card. As in indicated I got the temp I-551 stamp in my passport the same time and it was actually offered up by him without me having to ask.
Of all the unpleasant experiences I had had at the foreign embassy or even at the point of entry--this experience was actually pleasant. He was very professional and not mean at all. I wish you all had the kind of experience I had. Apart from the obvious 2 1/2 hour wait the actual interview was truly painless.
Good Luck to each of you.
Below is a time line that might be helpful to some of you.
Forms submitted/send to MSC: Dec 19, 2008
Receipt Notice marked: Dec 26, 2008
Receipt Notices (all of them over a 3 day period) arrived by mail at my place: Jan 8-10, 2009
Finger Print notice arrived: Jan 9, 2009
Finger Print appointment: Jan 15 (I-485); Jan 20 (I-765)
Received RFE Notice: Feb 20, 2009
Responded to RFE Notice: Mar 10, 2009
Received AP by Mail: April 8, 2009
Received EAD by Mail: April 14, 2009
Received letter for I485 initial Interview: April 27, 2009
Initial Interview date: May 18, 2009 10:00am
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