Jan Schaumann

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Hello,

We just had our AOS interview in NYC, so here's a quick summary for those
interested:

Interview was scheduled for 10:30am at 26 Federal Plaza. My wife and I
arrived at the building at about 9:30am, to find two significant lines.
One line lead to a door with a sign stating that it was for people "with
no appointment or infopass", but the person there told me, when asked,
that this was the right line for me anyway. The other security person for
the other line told me that his line was the right line. I believed him
and got in his line, which turned out to be the correct line.

After about 45 minutes of waiting, we got through security, took the
elevator and entered a room with approximately 300 people waiting. I
handed over the letter stating the time of the interview and was asked to
sit down and "listen for your name".

After 2 hours of waiting, we were called and entered an office with an
immigration office who asked to see our passports and made us swear to
speak the truth etc.

She first asked my wife:

- where did you meet your husband
- where was your husband born
- when was your husband born
- does your husband work
- where does your husband work
- how long has your husband worked there
- did you meet your husbands family
- when did you get married
- where did you get married
- do you have any children
- have you been married before

She then asked us to show what documents we had brought:

- birth certificates for both of us
- bank statements for joint accounts
- joint credit cards
- joint lease statements
- my insurance statements showing my wife as the primary beneficiary
- letters of employment
- most recent tax returns
- a number of pictures from the wedding (she kept one of those), from
recent (and not so recent) trips and with our families

She then asked me:

- where was your wife born
- when was your wife born
- what is your wifes full name
- what is your full name
- what are your parents' names
- when did you get married
- where did you get married
- do you have any children
- have you been married before
- have you been a member of a terrorist organization
- have you been a member of a communist organization
- have you ever been arrested
- have you solicited prostitution
- have you aided anybody to illegaly enter the country
- have you ever been deported
- have you ever been in front of an immigration judge
- what is your social security number
- when was your wife born (yes, again)
- when did you get married (yes, again)
- what is your address
- what is your phone number

She returned my wife's passport, kept mine and left the room. When she
returned she said that she would enter a note in my passport that my
application was pending. Which she did, with a pen (no stamp, nothing
official).

That was it. Back to waiting to hear from them and see what they decide.
The whole thing took about 4 hours + commute.

Note: I did not bring an up-to-date letter of employment, nor recent
paystubs. The letter of appointment stated to bring these as part of the
affidavit of support *unless previously sumbitted*. Since we already had
submitted the affidavit of support together with the original application,
I didn't bring those. She seemed to understand but made a point of
pointing out that people change jobs and might be earning a lot less now
than, say, a year ago. So better bring up-to-date copies of those
documents, too.

-Jan

--
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot
of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.
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Noorah101

Hi Jan,

Did the Officer indicate the reason for the pending status? Was it that your security check is still pending?

Congratulations on getting the interview done.

Best Wishes,
Rene

Jan Schaumann

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* Noorah101 wrote:

    > Did the Officer indicate the reason for the pending status?

She did not.

    > Was it that your security check is still pending?

I don't think so. I think it's because of my visa hiccup several years
ago.

In a nutshell: I entered the US on an F1 visa, changed it to an H1B a few
years later, but didn't get the actual visa into the passport. Next time
I traveled abroad and returned, I couldn't be let into the country (for
lack of having an actual visa), had to turn around ("voluntarily withdrew
my application to enter"), got the visa at the embassy abroad and was let
in three days later.

This happened about 5 years ago and I've since travelled numerous times
and even renewed my H1B and travelled with the new H1B visa, but this of
course always shows up whenever they swipe my passport, so I guess that's
the reason she couldn't make a decision right away.

- -Jan

- --
DON'T PANIC!
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[email protected]

- have you been a member of a communist organization

wow - they are still asking this one? What if you said yes? Surely
that should not be a negative - if so, the ACLU should have something
to say.

- have you solicited prostitution

this one doesn't apply to me either - but like it or not, prostitution
is legal in parts of Nevada - isn't it? So why not ask:

- Do you chew 'backy?
- Ever flipped off an Illinois driver?
- Ever had sex with a man?

ok I'm kidding - but do ya know what I mean?

Rob