AOS interview NYC conditional GC granted :)
Jan 30th 2001, 9:03 pm
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi everyone, we haven't posted in AGES. But today my husband was approved (conditional).
Quick review of our timeline before I fill you in on our interview. He was out of status
for over a year but entered the country legally as a visitor.
We married 6/99 Filed 8/99 (w/ a lawyer) Received receipts etc... 9/99 Received EAD appt
for 12/99 10/99 EAD received 12/99 Received AOS interview letter 12/99 for 1/01
(obviously) Renewed EAD this month since interview was after the expiration date.
Okay the appt. was for 12:30. I had to run over to the IRS for printouts of my last 3
years tax returns so we came into Manhattan early (VERY early) incidentally the IRS office
at 290 Broadway (across from 26 fed plaza) is a great, fast moving very professional
office. Then we ran to Staples for copies of everything we had (yes terrible I know, but
we have both been in school and working and just did not get all the copies made) We got
to the INS at 11:00 and they had us lined up in the pouring rain for a bit. AOS was on the
8th floor today (I *think* sometimes it is on the 5th) Hubby handed in his appt, letter
and we settled in for the wait. 12:30 appt was called at 2:00.
We stood for the oath and then sat handed her the originals of our Identification
documents along with the copies. She then took our entire stack of documents originals and
copies in seperate piles.
She began questions which to me were not so bad. She asked him more than me, about where I
worked, where we lived, my kids names and schools, (we don't have children together) She
questioned me a LOT about my job. Then she looked at pictures, asked where my family was,
I explained we were estranged, she asked why, I said just some bad history, she accepted
that, asked who stood up for me at the wedding, asked for pictures NOT at the wedding,
which were in the stack we had handed her.
My husband actually made a mistake on the phone number when she asked him and I thought it
was all over!. But it is a number with a pattern, and it is easy to get backwards, I guess
when she said "What?" and he repeated it correctly she decided to let it go. I was
terrified, how could he say our phone# wrong?
The interview was about 20 minutes, with another 20 or so of her putting papers in the
folder, printing some things out.
Then she had us sign a form that explained his conditional status opened his passport and
STAMPED it. YAY!!!!!
these are the documents the lawyer said we needed, the ones we had and the exact order we
had them ready for the interviewer.
Originals and copies of ID passports, naturalization papers, Birth cert, any other ID
(Copy of passport not needed, Naturalization documents cannot be photocopied BTW by law)
We handed in My Birth Cert/Social Security Card/State ID/Job ID with copies of all, and
husbands Passport, Driver's license, birth cert and soc. sec card w/ copies of all except
his passport.
Original and Copy of Marriage Cert-we handed in both
Medical Letter (The sealed med exam envelope)
Affadavit of support original only
Copies of tax returns 1997,98,99 (I only had 99, the others were destroyed when a pipe
broke in my apt. and we only had the federal not the state)
Tax return printouts called from 1722 I had from 1997, 1998. The lawyer said they usually
want them in ADDITION to the copies of your returns. (but she didn't seem to care)
Originals ONLY
Job Letters original only, We had one from hubby's job, My office would not give me a
letter so we handed in my job assignment letter with copy, most recent paystub with copy
and a copy and original of the Social security statement of earnings.
Bank letter, original only, we had it done yesterday
Bank statements original and copies, we brought all but handed in the ones from when we
opened the account and the current, originals and copies.
Children's birth certificates, original and copies (we have no children together so it did
not apply to us)
Utility bills, original and copies 4-5 months, I had the light and gas, which are in both
names and the cable and phone in my name and handed in the originals and copies.
Lease/Mtge or deed and rent receipts copies and originals. My landlord does not give
receipts. I handed in a lease the original and copy. (It's in my name only)
"Anything Else" Originals and copies, I handed in the copies of our insurance cards
showing he is on my insurance, a copy of the union papers showing he was added to thos
benefits, and copies of the credit cards we share.
Photos originals, we handed in pics from the wedding, a couple from a dinner we went to
and a couple from around the neighborhood (we are not big on pictures) She specifically
asked for pics NOT at the wedding, and for family and friends in the photos. She lingered
on that for awhile.
We were out of the building before 3
the lawyer claimed she is one of the most
difficult interviewers and mean, but I really didn't find her so terrible. She definately
had attitude, but really asked nothing over the top, nothing personal.
Quick review of our timeline before I fill you in on our interview. He was out of status
for over a year but entered the country legally as a visitor.
We married 6/99 Filed 8/99 (w/ a lawyer) Received receipts etc... 9/99 Received EAD appt
for 12/99 10/99 EAD received 12/99 Received AOS interview letter 12/99 for 1/01
(obviously) Renewed EAD this month since interview was after the expiration date.
Okay the appt. was for 12:30. I had to run over to the IRS for printouts of my last 3
years tax returns so we came into Manhattan early (VERY early) incidentally the IRS office
at 290 Broadway (across from 26 fed plaza) is a great, fast moving very professional
office. Then we ran to Staples for copies of everything we had (yes terrible I know, but
we have both been in school and working and just did not get all the copies made) We got
to the INS at 11:00 and they had us lined up in the pouring rain for a bit. AOS was on the
8th floor today (I *think* sometimes it is on the 5th) Hubby handed in his appt, letter
and we settled in for the wait. 12:30 appt was called at 2:00.
We stood for the oath and then sat handed her the originals of our Identification
documents along with the copies. She then took our entire stack of documents originals and
copies in seperate piles.
She began questions which to me were not so bad. She asked him more than me, about where I
worked, where we lived, my kids names and schools, (we don't have children together) She
questioned me a LOT about my job. Then she looked at pictures, asked where my family was,
I explained we were estranged, she asked why, I said just some bad history, she accepted
that, asked who stood up for me at the wedding, asked for pictures NOT at the wedding,
which were in the stack we had handed her.
My husband actually made a mistake on the phone number when she asked him and I thought it
was all over!. But it is a number with a pattern, and it is easy to get backwards, I guess
when she said "What?" and he repeated it correctly she decided to let it go. I was
terrified, how could he say our phone# wrong?
The interview was about 20 minutes, with another 20 or so of her putting papers in the
folder, printing some things out.
Then she had us sign a form that explained his conditional status opened his passport and
STAMPED it. YAY!!!!!
these are the documents the lawyer said we needed, the ones we had and the exact order we
had them ready for the interviewer.
Originals and copies of ID passports, naturalization papers, Birth cert, any other ID
(Copy of passport not needed, Naturalization documents cannot be photocopied BTW by law)
We handed in My Birth Cert/Social Security Card/State ID/Job ID with copies of all, and
husbands Passport, Driver's license, birth cert and soc. sec card w/ copies of all except
his passport.
Original and Copy of Marriage Cert-we handed in both
Medical Letter (The sealed med exam envelope)
Affadavit of support original only
Copies of tax returns 1997,98,99 (I only had 99, the others were destroyed when a pipe
broke in my apt. and we only had the federal not the state)
Tax return printouts called from 1722 I had from 1997, 1998. The lawyer said they usually
want them in ADDITION to the copies of your returns. (but she didn't seem to care)
Originals ONLY
Job Letters original only, We had one from hubby's job, My office would not give me a
letter so we handed in my job assignment letter with copy, most recent paystub with copy
and a copy and original of the Social security statement of earnings.
Bank letter, original only, we had it done yesterday
Bank statements original and copies, we brought all but handed in the ones from when we
opened the account and the current, originals and copies.
Children's birth certificates, original and copies (we have no children together so it did
not apply to us)
Utility bills, original and copies 4-5 months, I had the light and gas, which are in both
names and the cable and phone in my name and handed in the originals and copies.
Lease/Mtge or deed and rent receipts copies and originals. My landlord does not give
receipts. I handed in a lease the original and copy. (It's in my name only)
"Anything Else" Originals and copies, I handed in the copies of our insurance cards
showing he is on my insurance, a copy of the union papers showing he was added to thos
benefits, and copies of the credit cards we share.
Photos originals, we handed in pics from the wedding, a couple from a dinner we went to
and a couple from around the neighborhood (we are not big on pictures) She specifically
asked for pics NOT at the wedding, and for family and friends in the photos. She lingered
on that for awhile.
We were out of the building before 3
the lawyer claimed she is one of the mostdifficult interviewers and mean, but I really didn't find her so terrible. She definately
had attitude, but really asked nothing over the top, nothing personal.
