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AOS Interview Experience *Tucson*

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AOS Interview Experience *Tucson*

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Old Oct 1st 2001, 12:10 pm
  #1  
Andrew Ayre
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We went for our interview on Monday September 24th at the INS office in Tucson.

The appointment was for 3pm and we were called in at about 3:10pm. The lady who
interviewed us was very nice and chit-chatted a lot, especially about the current
events. We were sworn in and sat down and then she starting updating the information
in her file on us - biographical type information. Where do you live now? When did
you move? Who do you work for now? When did you start working there? I notice that
she had both change of address forms that I had submitted on both occassions that I
moved and she was checking the information on those forms was correct. Also she
confirmed that I entered on a H-1B visa and that I was no longer working for the
company that sponsored me for the visa. Then she started asking how we met, ask me
the names of my wife's parents, asked my wife the names of my parents, whether she
had met my parents, where I was born, and she was checking all this information on
birth certificates etc. Also whether we had a big wedding. We answered no and
explained why we didn't have a reception and she didn't ask any more questions about
it. Then she asked for various documents. For some she wanted copies, for others she
wanted to see the originals, and for some she wanted to see the original then asked
for a copy. Stuff like birth certificates, marriage certificate, divorce decree, etc.
(for you Brits out there who have a short and long birth certificates, I submitted
the short one with my application but in the interview they wanted to see the long
one - which I had thankfully). She asked if I had ever had any problems entering the
US, to which I said no. She also asked if I had ever been arrested for crimes I had
committed either in the US or UK, again the answer was no. I had an updated affidavit
of support which she took and returned the two affidavits which I had submitted with
the application (at the time of filing the application I had not been living with my
wife for 6 months and she does not meet the poverty income, so we had to find a
co-sponsor - my brother-in-law). I asked her if that meant my brother-in-law would no
longer be financially responsible for me, to which she said yes. She asked if I had
left the US since filing the application. I had, quite a few times using advance
parole. She didn't ask for a list of dates or places. She asked what brought me
"here" (Tucson or the US I'm not sure which she meant) and I replied "my wife".
Afterwards I asked my wife if I had been asked that question twice in the interview,
because it felt like I had and she said yes! I gave the same answer both times, but
left me wondering if that was a one of those tricks to try and see if I was lying or
something...

Anyway, she finally said that everything was in order and I was approved! She then
took my finger print twice, got me to sign a card and then took my passport away to
be stamped. She then told me several times to remember to get the conditions removed
in two years time. And that was that. Total length of interview - about 40 minutes,
although it felt like only 10 minutes! Oh, also she took my EAD and Advance Parole
off me. I was worried that with the recent events, and having been re-fingerprinted
only recently the FBI would not check them in time for the interview, well I guess
they must have. I was fingerprinted for the second time on August 28th 2001, less
than a month before the interview.

I was told that it would take 6 months for my card to arrive. The interview letter
said the interview would be videotaped, however neither of us remember seeing any
kind of camera in the office.

As an aside, we went on vacation to Mexico the next day. We return on Saturday and
had no problems either at the border crossing (Lukeville, AZ) or the Border Patrol
checkpoint about 15 miles into the US. Infact the Border Patrol guy and the
INS/Customs guy at the crossing were both very friendly.

I hope this account helps someone else, especially those as frustrated as I was with
a lack of information on Tucson.

Andy

--
Andrew Ayre (replace nospam with earthling to reply)
 
Old Oct 1st 2001, 9:43 pm
  #2  
Mhaley12345
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Congratulations Andy.....hope our experience goes as smoothly. How have you liked the
Arizona heat?!!

Margaret...Fl., but lived in Phoenix for several years. Paul..Fl...formally UK
 
Old Oct 1st 2001, 10:12 pm
  #3  
Doug Melville
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Thanks for that Andy, since my fiance and I will be using the Tucson Office... the
time i was there i think they were just stunned to see a non-mexican face.

I am just thankful we dont have to use Phoenix, and Tucson is only 2 hours away.

Doug

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Old Oct 1st 2001, 11:57 pm
  #4  
Andy Platt
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Congrats! Nice post. What was your timeline?

One interesting thing is that you say it was your wife that brought you to the US but
you came in on an H-1B?

BTW, your brother-in-law was never financially responsible for you because the
I-864 affidavit of support doesn't become legally enforceable until you are a
permanent resident.

Andy.

--
I'm not really here - it's just your warped imagination.

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Old Oct 2nd 2001, 4:25 am
  #5  
Andrew Ayre
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Posts: n/a
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Timeline:

Married: November 1999 Applied for PR: November 1999 Fingerprinted: January 2000
Fingerprinted: August 2001 Interview Letter arrived: end of August 2001 Interview:
24th September 2001 (1 year, 10 months since applying)

The funny thing about that is that is that when I applied they said it would be 2
years, 6 months until the interview. When I renewed my EAD in July 2001, they said it
had increased to 3 years until the interview, so I wasn't expecting the interview for
another year!

I applied for Advance Parole twice. The first time they told me it would take a month
and it did. That was in November 1999. The second time they told me it would take two
months and it took two weeks! That was in August 2001. I applied for an EAD twice.
Both times they give me the date to pick up the card on the spot when you hand over
the application. Each time (November 1999 and July 2001) the appointment to pick up
was a month from giving them the application.

The H-1B is dual-intent anyway. Originally I came into the US (to Dallas infact) on
the H-1B to be a little closer to my future wife (we were not engaged or married when
I entered). We decided to get married about 6 months after I had entered and then we
filed the paperwork and I moved to Tucson.

Regarding the affidavit of support, just out of interest, does that mean that you
don't actually have to file change of address forms for co-sponsors until after the
interview?

Andy Platt wrote:

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[usenetquote2]> > We went for our interview on Monday September 24th at the INS office in Tucson.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > The appointment was for 3pm and we were called in at about 3:10pm. The lady who[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > interviewed us was very nice and chit-chatted a lot, especially about the current[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > events. We were sworn in and sat down and then she starting updating the[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > information in her file on us - biographical type information. Where do you live[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > now? When did you move? Who do you work for now? When did you start working[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > there? I notice that she had both change of address forms that I had submitted on[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > both occassions that I moved and she was checking the information on those forms[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > was correct. Also she confirmed that I entered on a H-1B visa and that I was no[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > longer working for the company that sponsored me for the visa. Then she started[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > asking how we met, ask me the names of my wife's parents, asked my wife the names[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > of my parents, whether she had met my parents, where I was born, and she was[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > checking all this information on birth certificates etc. Also whether we had a[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > big wedding. We answered no and explained why we didn't have a reception and she[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > didn't ask any more questions about it. Then she asked for various documents. For[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > some she wanted copies, for others she wanted to see the originals, and for some[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > she wanted to see the original then asked for a copy. Stuff like birth[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > certificates, marriage certificate, divorce decree, etc. (for you Brits out there[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > who have a short and long birth certificates, I submitted the short one with my[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > application but in the interview they wanted to see the long one - which I had[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > thankfully). She asked if I had ever had any problems entering the US, to which I[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > said no. She also asked if I had ever been arrested for crimes I had committed[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > either in the US or UK, again the answer was no. I had an updated affidavit of[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > support which she took and returned the two affidavits which I had submitted with[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > the application (at the time of filing the application I had not been living with[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > my wife for 6 months and she does not meet the poverty income, so we had to find[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > a co-sponsor - my brother-in-law). I asked her if that meant my brother-in-law[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > would no longer be financially responsible for me, to which she said yes. She[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > asked if I had left the US since filing the application. I had, quite a few times[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > using advance parole. She didn't ask for a list of dates or places. She asked[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > what brought me "here" (Tucson or the US I'm not sure which she meant) and I[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > replied "my wife". Afterwards I asked my wife if I had been asked that question[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > twice in the interview, because it felt like I had and she said yes! I gave the[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > same answer both times, but left me wondering if that was a one of those tricks[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > to try and see if I was lying or something...[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > Anyway, she finally said that everything was in order and I was approved! She[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > then took my finger print twice, got me to sign a card and then took my passport[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > away to be stamped. She then told me several times to remember to get the[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > conditions removed in two years time. And that was that. Total length of[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > interview - about 40 minutes, although it felt like only 10 minutes! Oh, also she[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > took my EAD and Advance Parole off me. I was worried that with the recent events,[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > and having been re-fingerprinted only recently the FBI would not check them in[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > time for the interview, well I guess they must have. I was fingerprinted for the[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > second time on August 28th 2001, less than a month before the interview.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > I was told that it would take 6 months for my card to arrive. The interview[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > letter said the interview would be videotaped, however neither of us remember[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > seeing any kind of camera in the office.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > As an aside, we went on vacation to Mexico the next day. We return on Saturday[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > and had no problems either at the border crossing (Lukeville, AZ) or the Border[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > Patrol checkpoint about 15 miles into the US. Infact the Border Patrol guy and[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > the INS/Customs guy at the crossing were both very friendly.[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > I hope this account helps someone else, especially those as frustrated as I was[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > with a lack of information on Tucson. [/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > Andy[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > --[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > Andrew Ayre (replace nospam with earthling to reply)[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> >[/usenetquote2]

--
Andrew Ayre (replace nospam with earthling to reply)
 
Old Oct 2nd 2001, 4:33 am
  #6  
Andrew Ayre
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I'd say the heat is great, but that would get me lynched around here....

MHALEY12345 wrote:

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--
Andrew Ayre (replace nospam with earthling to reply)
 
Old Oct 2nd 2001, 4:35 am
  #7  
Andy Platt
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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months
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Ah, that makes sense. You came in on an H-1B to be closer to your girlfriend who then
became your wife. My "timeline" could look like that was what happened with me but
the I-129 application had already been made by my employer before I met my wife
(though I got the actual visa after meeting her).

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Yes that's correct. There was a memo that clarified this a year ago.

[usenetquote2]> > > The interview letter said the interview would be videotaped, however neither of[/usenetquote2]
[usenetquote2]> > > us remember seeing any kind of camera in the office.[/usenetquote2]

That's an observation that's been made at many INS offices!

Andy.

--
I'm not really here - it's just your warped imagination.
 
Old Oct 2nd 2001, 12:29 pm
  #8  
Oyvind
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi, Andy...

Very nice and very interesting... The time lines are very useful...

Maybe it would be an idea if you put your information up on the following site:
http://www.kamya.com/aos/

Best Regards, $Oyvind

On Tue, 02 Oct 2001 00:10:23 GMT, Andrew Ayre <[email protected]> wrote:

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