grouchy

Hi,

So have our AOS interview on Wednesday, 33 months after filing. I've spent alot of time putting tons of info together (joint financials, photos, and the usual stuff--a truckload. Not to mention our baby). I also got letters from 3 friends, one of whom is a respected state court judge. I'm curious though whether those who have had their interviews found that the DAO looks at the letters from friends, etc, or if they discount them as unimportant and don't even bother to look at them (perhaps I shouldn't have bothered with the letters, but better too much than too little).

nettlebed

From the posts I have seen here what the AO looks at varies wildly from case to case.

Our AO told us that she usually has a pretty good idea of how the case is going to go before she even meets the people at the interview. In our case, she looked at virtually nothing we had brought to substantiate the genuineness of the marriage: no letters between us, no 'phone records, no nothing, except a couple of wedding photographs, and she said that was only because she wanted to see the dress my wife had worn.

She did look at the latest IRS filing, but I think that was just about it. I think in most cases, experienced AOs have made their minds up before the interview, and their are only a few cases where they need to get into the nitty-gritty. Our AO told us afterwards that she basically needed a couple of minutes watching our body language and behaviour to validate the tentative decision she had already made.

Anyway, good luck! It seems like a big thing going in, but really, it was quite anti-climactic as an event for us..

grouchy

That's weird-how would they know from your bare AOS filing that your relationship is genuine? Since you don't provide proof of relationship at that time. In ours, we have been waiting for an interview for 3 years and have since had a baby, not to mention lots of joint stuff over the last 3 years.

Rete

Curious as to why you are bringing letters then? Seems like overkill to me.

JEff

grouchy,

    >From the anecdotal evidence that I've seen very few USCIS officers look
at letters from friends and relatives, primarily because very few
applicants offer such letters for them to look at.

Regards, JEff

grouchy wrote:
    > Hi,
    > So have our AOS interview on Wednesday, 33 months after filing. I've
    > spent alot of time putting tons of info together (joint financials,
    > photos, and the usual stuff--a truckload. Not to mention our baby). I
    > also got letters from 3 friends, one of whom is a respected state court
    > judge. I'm curious though whether those who have had their interviews
    > found that the DAO looks at the letters from friends, etc, or if they
    > discount them as unimportant and don't even bother to look at them
    > (perhaps I shouldn't have bothered with the letters, but better too much
    > than too little).
    >
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

grouchy

Yes, you are right, probably overkill.

I am in my 30's and hubby is in his 20's (you cannot tell from looking at us). I (the USC) make quite a bit higher salary than he does, and I have been married before although he hasn't. We met when I was on vacation 4 years ago and he entered as a K1. Since age/salary disparity has been mentioned in this forum before as something CIS looks at, I guess I figured overkill was better. But we have lots of joint financial docs, photos, trips together, and baby so I guess I shouldn't be worried. And the relationship is very strong and loving one! But one can't help it (the pre-interview jitters).

Rete

I've never seen any issue regarding the woman earning more than the man. If that were the case, we would have been in deep because my salary is nearly 4x his.

grouchy

Glad to hear it. I'll post our interview experience on Thursday.

nettlebed

They don't KNOW, obviously, but the AO said that it's relatively easy in a lot of cases to make the assumption that that the case is genuine on the basis of the filed case (e.g., the UK doesn't generate a lot of immigration fraud), and then on the basis of the couple's behaviour in the interview to make the final decision that the case is genuine.

You say "you don't provide proof of relationship", but we did submit a marriage certificate with the filing, and although that is not proof positive, it is at least a good start.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

A lot of factors go into it. First of all -- do you have the DAO from Hell or a reasonable human being. You may have a Jekyll & Hyde DAO and it depends what side of the bed they got up on.

"High Fraud Country" involved? [The continuim is low fraud -- medium fraud -- high fraud -- Nigeria].

Quite often, the couple just "looks married."

BTW, your posting reminds me of an old story about the late Sam Williamson [whose son Peter still practices in Houston and is a wonderful man]. Sam was was a crusty character who was quite agressive for his clients -- one of his famous followup letters involved a couple such as you -- in which Sam gave the INS hell for even thinking about doubting the marriage of this US citizen to the "very handsome, obviously well hung gentleman." I still not at that phase of life yet BUT I did couch an objection in open court that "based upon the State Department Country Report, you are giving credence to a foreign police agency that would have done the Gestapo proud."

hcj1440

LMAO!

The "well-hung" young gentleman had me rolling as well.

I like your lawyer jokes.

Hypertweeky

Hey there
I didn't bring any affidavits from friends, neither she asked for them. In fact she wasn't very demanding!
My take on this, take it, it is better to have it and don't need it than need it and don't have it!
Good Luck!!

Folinskyinla

BTW, don't worry about your high salary -- that is actually a positive point when you think about it. One "profile" that can cause problems is the POOR single mom.

Also, you don't give your ethnic background. In one ethnic group that I'm aware of, highly educated gainfully employed women commonly marry men with less education and economic prospects.

grouchy

Don't know if we're a 'typical' couple, but we happen to be as nuts about each other as when we first married almost 3 years ago, and are nuts about our baby daughter. My ethnic background is mixed--German/Irish/Greek. My hubby is Albanian and is also Greek Orthodox like me. But he was living and working in Greece, legally, when I met him (about 10% of the population in Greece is Albanian and have whatever the Greeks call green cards). He would have much preferred that I move to Greece rather than him coming to the U.S., but I couldn't do that as I couldn't practice law there (I do international trade law). I certainly didn't have it in my mind to marry someone who was less educated--it was a vacation fling that turned serious. My ex-husband was another lawyer, and he wasn't nearly as compatible, loving and supportive. And my beloved current hubby is very smart, just grew up in a country that had been economically devastated by years of Communism. I've been to Albania to meet my in-laws and it was very beautiful with great beaches and incredible ancient Greek ruins--I am sure if and when the politicians get their act together they could have great tourism. But I have no idea where it stands on the 'fraud continuum'.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

You don't have to be "typical" -- just for real.

You have a child together? I often joke with my clients that their child is "evidence" and besides being cute, is "strong evidence" at that.

BTW, one of my little "tricks of the trade" is to suggest taking the kid to the interview and have DAD hold the child.