Ok,
I just got back and I wanted to let you all know how it went, cause it felt like such an easy process, that I still can't believe it's over.
Our interview was at 10:00 am at the San Francisco office.
We arrived around 9:50 am (parking difficulties). We ended up parking at the corner of Sansome st., which costed $18. At that point I was so nervous that we were gonna be late, I wouldn't have minded paying $100 for parking.
We showed our IDs and interview letter to a guard outside, he told us to do the same again inside. Asked us many times if we had cameras or phone cameras. We went inside the building, showed our IDs and interview letter, and they asked us to put everything in these containers. Very much like airport procedure. Asked for the phone twice again. I made the thing beep, so had to take my shoes off. Apart from that, no prob.
We went to the second floor. Gave our interview letter to the lady at the counter, who told us to sit on a section and wait.
Before we even got to sit, my name was called. They asked us to wait on a hallway, which we couldn't find. After a while of walking around and asking, the officer found us. He was extremely nice and not that formal at all.
He showed us to the office, where we raised our hands and took the oath.
He didn't look at us that often, kept asking in a laid back manner about where we lived, told us some things about his experience in SF. He had our file, and looked through it while he talked. He punched some holes in some things too. He showed us a list and told us to give him all those documents. IDs, SSC, passports, job letter, W-2s. He told us he had the W-2s, so we shouldn't worry about it.
I had a folder full of all sorts of papers, plus a folder of pictures.
He asked my husband how long he's been working at his company. All the time commenting about commute and things like that. We were smiling and laughing often because of his jokes. He was pretty funny, actually.
Then he went into the questions in the application, am I a terrorist, have I been arrested and things like that.
The questions were repeated sometimes, and all the time he kept talking and making jokes, so I'll list them as they come to mind.
When and where we met, did my husband travel again after that (he met me outside the country), who decided to get married, who proposed, why I came to the country, did we go on a honeymoon, who was on our wedding, where we got married (he actually said it, he didn't ask it), did I know his parents, does he know mine, was I working, did I apply for an AP, what languages I speak , and so on. I had a problem at the POE, so he asked me about that. Mentioned the comments they wrote, and apologized that they weren't nice to me .
After that he asked me if there was any supporting evidence I wanted to give him, I gave him our health insurance letter, a copy of the cards, a bank letter from our joint account, telephone bill at my name, electricity bill at his name, cable both names. The lease was in a different pocket of my folder and I forgot to give it to him. He didn't ask for it. He didn't even go through the papers I gave him.
He asked me if there were any pictures. I opened the folder, asked him which ones he wanted to see (had them divided by cities), he said whatever I wanted, I showed the wedding pics first, he took one, said it was a good shot, and gave the other ones back. I took some more out, he looked a bit through those, and he was done.
He didn't ask for an affidavit, didn't ask for anything else.
He told me he was done and that we could go celebrate. Asked us where we were gonna go. Stamped my passport, wrote some things on it, and explained us that the stamp was good for one year, but that I should get the plastic card shortly.
By then I was glowing with joy, wanted to kiss my husband, but thought it wouldn't be appropiate. The officer kept making jokes, saying now we get to go, and so we did. Then I did kiss my husband, though the officer saw us and asked us jokingly to take it outside.
It was a very very very easy process, very smooth, and I thank that officer so much for being that nice. Of all the papers I took, all he kept was the job letter, my EAD, and one wedding pic. I guess I'll keep the folder to send all of that 1 year and 9 months from now . At least there should be some use for it.
I want to thank you all, for giving me info and confidence, and hope that all of you have such a great experience as I did. This gave me back hope in institutions.
I'll start bugging you all again in 1 year and 9 months. Meanwhile, anyone who wants to know about my experience, I'm happy to help.
YAY! Can't believe it's over for a while... No more waiting!!!
Here's my timeline:
04/11/2005 Forms sent
04/13/2005 Forms received
04/18/2005 forms rejected (bad check name)
04/25/2005 forms sent back to me
04/27/2005 forms sent to USCIS (DAY 1)
04/29/2005 forms received again (DAY 3)
05/27/2005 checks cashed (DAY 31)
05/28/2005 Received NOAs for I-130, I-765, I-485 (DAY 32)
06/01/2005 FP and BIO Completed (DAY 36)
06/15/2005 Request for more information (DAY 50)
06/17/2005 Request delivered TO uscis (DAY 52)
07/28/2005 EAD Approved! (DAY 93)
08/09/2005 Approval Notice mailed
08/12/2005 EAD card received (At last!)
09/02/2005 Interview notice received
10/20/2005 Interview at SF office. Passport stamped!!!
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