Rockgurl

So the day has come! I was terribly concerned the government shutdown would abort my chance at interviewing tomorrow but apparently all offices are open and upholding their appointments. So, what do I need to know? What should I bring? I know I have to bring my marriage certificate as I got married after I filed, but what else?

Hoping your pearls of wisdom calm my frayed nerves!

rpjs

The only thing that the officer really wanted to see and kept was my tax returns (transcripts in my case). She did ask about my childhood name-changes and I had the documentation for them with me but before I could get it out she said not to bother as the copies I supplied at my immigrant visa interview in London were still in my file.

Bit surprised that USCIS is open, but as they're funded by user fees not general taxation I guess that's why.

chawkins99

I had my biometrics appointment for the Green Card on day 1 of the last shutdown in 2013. Wondered the same but they were open as usual.

Nutmegger

My interview was eons ago, so probably whatever I did is now out of date -- and I can't recall anyway! My only memory of the whole thing is that it went very rapidly, was totally stress-free, and the agent and I spent most of our time chatting about what I should call myself on the naturalization certificate!

So I can tell you nothing substantive, but can wish you all the best and tell you that there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

Maste

I wouldn't worry about the shutdown, apparently it's ending today already.

Rockgurl

Well I did the interview. It was quite stressful as there was no parking and it was raining really hard so thankfully my wife drove me so I didn't have to walk 4 blocks in the rain. I was half an hour early but they kept us waiting in the lobby in a very long line to go through security so I was 15 minutes late but thankfully my lawyer was able to walk right in and register me. Then they had the gall to ask me why I was late! I even had to write it down. As soon as I got in I was taken into the interview room with my lawyer.


I passed the reading and writing portion easily and then got 6 questions correct so they didn't ask me anymore. Then she went through the application very carefully. I had to give details about a traffic ticket I got for a tail light out, and also a speeding ticket which she grilled me about. This made me quite nervous as I had read that they didn't care about driving issues. Then what through me for a loop was that she wanted to know all about my wife's ex-wife....I didn't have any documentation for that as I didn't expect to be questioned about it...it wasn't my marriage. Luckily I knew her name and when they got married and divorced. She said they were going to investigate that further and I had to write all the details I knew about it down. I'm hoping it wasn't flagged just because I'm queer.


In the end I was not approved there and then and I was slated for further investigation. My lawyer is puzzled by this as she can't see a thing that makes me not approvable but she thinks it's because this particular agent is new and may not be able to approve me on her own as she used to have a menial desk job and recently became an agent. Just my luck. My lawyer is returning to the building for another matter Thursday so she is going to check on the progress and she thinks it's ridiculous I wasn't approved immediately. She did assure me not to be worried because there's literally no red flags in my history other than being gay. Has anyone else been questioned about their spouses ex-spouse? Seems odd to me.


So....more waiting. Just glad to have that over and done with.

Rete

Jim wasn't and he had two of them before me. But then again, he got LPR status based on our marriage and his file contained all his former marriage and divorce documents.

Chalk it up, as your attorney said, to her being new. She will have to run this by her supervisor in any case, any probably will be approved by the supervisor at that time.

Jim also had a ticket for going through a red light but took the court documents with him so it wasn't an issue.

Rockgurl

Thanks Rete, good to know. I wasn't asked for any documentation regarding the speeding ticket, but she seemed more interested in my wife's ex-wife. My lawyer never mentioned that I might need that info and I've never read of anyone having to do so. Just seemed odd to me. My lawyer is an immigration lawyer and goes there all the time. She was surprised too.

Bob

Congrats and good luck with the approval bit. I can't imagine it being a problem though

Rockgurl

Thanks Bob. Let's hope! I'm just anxious to be done with this after so many years.

Rete

You didn't immigrate on a marriage based visa and being lesbian marriages have not been legal for all that long. While she is probably looking to see if your wife has been legally married and divorced before, she might also be looking to see if your marriage is lawful. But in either case, it doesn't matter as your relationship has no bearing on your eligibility to naturalize. Just a confused new agent whose knowledge of what is or is not acceptable isn't complete.

Rockgurl

I would assume that if she wanted to know if my marriage was lawful she'd only have to look at the marriage certificate I presented to her. And as you correctly stated, my visa was not marriage based, so does she really have grounds to question my wife's prior marriage? It irked me.

Nutmegger

Sounds as if the officer was a total newbie and a bit nervous about making a mistake. Perhaps she was thrown off by the fact you were accompanied by an attorney and thought there must be some deep dark reason! -- I don't know any native English speaker who has used an attorney for naturalization. Anyway, it's all over now, and I'm sure that all will be well.

Rockgurl

Well I have legal insurance through work so I figured I'd make good use of it and have my case done by an attorney, and also because I'm in grad school and very distracted/busy. I'd rather have a second set of (informed) eyes on my documentation. I hope you're right and all will be resolved soon.

rpjs

At my interview (in Manhattan) the officer said that she was recommending approval but that the final decision would be by her supervisor, and that was standard practice. I dare say at a small USCIS office that could happen on the spot but any biggish one it'd take a day or so - I think my officer said it'd probably be done later that day. I never got any specific notification that I actually was approved other than a letter a few weeks later with my oath ceremony date.