On May 3rd, after a long year of waiting, we made the 40 minutes drive to our interview for my green card. Comfortingly enough we had visited the building the interviews were held in, a week before when we went for a meeting with an immigration officer to get some information on our case.
When we walked into the building and through the line to the security check where my purse was scanned and we had to walk through metal detectors; the security officers recognized us from the week before! We told them it was the big day and they wished us luck. I asked an officer where we needed to go for our interview and we were instructed to go upstairs and wait.
We made our way up the stairs to a large room filled with back to back chairs with people from every corner of the world sitting in them. Handing our interview notice to the lady at the desk we took a seat. By this point my heart was pounding. This was it, we were finally here! After a year of waiting we were here doing this for real! We sat for a long time before our interview time neared. As the clock hit 10 0’clock I turned off my phone and waited patiently. Our interview was scheduled for 10.15am and this time quickly came and went and we remained seated. This gave me time to watch how it all worked!
There were about four doors surrounding the seating area where the immigration officers would come out, go to the desk and call the person next in line. I watched intently, seeing how to officers interacted with people. I turned to Adam and said “She looks nice I hope we get her!” Many of the officers did not greet people as they took them through the doors, while others shook hands with a smile and chatted with the nervous people being interviewed.
There was a vast range of people in the USCIS building and looking around it made me wonder what they were all there for! Opposite us sat a couple going through photos while I assume the mans wife, was telling him where the picture was taken who was in it and when. Their names were later called by two separate officers and they went to two separate rooms so I can only assume that they were there that day for a stokes interview. (An immigration interview where spouses are separated due to suspicion of visa fraud) But who knows I could be totally wrong!
Around about 11 o’clock our names were called. Clutching my folder close to my chest, I stood and greeted a very smiley immigration officer who shook our hands and introduced himself very politely! We followed him to a door at the end of the room; everyone watching us, wondering what would await us behind those doors! Through the door we walked down a long hallway of glass window offices, able to see some people being interviewed. When we reached our assigned office, we sat and were asked to stand to take the oath. As we sat again, the immigration officer told us this wouldn’t take long and he would get out of our hair as soon as possible (I thought if anything we would be getting out of HIS hair!). He made a joke that this wasn’t an interrogation and he wasn’t going to shine a light in our faces and shut us in a dark room. This made me totally relax! I had read horror stories online that said do not under any circumstances joke with the immigration officer. So hearing him make jokes with us totally set me at ease!
He started by explaining that he would ask us both separately some questions. He started with Adam, asking his name, date of birth and address. Then came what he called the “Million dollar question”, What is your wedding anniversary. “March 23rd” Easy! I thought. He then asked what year, which to my surprise Adam responded after some hesitation…2013. I looked at him and said jokingly, “No! 2015! We met in 2013 so you’re half right” The immigration officer joked about how he was trying to whisper the year to Adam and he didn’t want to get him in trouble with me! How funny!
Moving on, it was my time for the questions. Again I was asked my name, date of birth and address. He also asked me what my status was when I entered the United States and what date I entered, along with at which airport I landed and was inspected by an immigration officer. Then came the part that nearly had me giggling! When you fill in the I-485 Adjustment of Status form, there is a section that asks a bunch of questions along the lines of; Do you plan to overthrow the government? Have you ever been a prostitute? Have you ever been arrested? Have you ever been a member of any terrorist group? Both the immigration officer and I clearly knew none of this was true. I am a 20 year old girl from the English Countryside, I have not lived a very exciting life! Obviously my answers to all of these were no; he just needed to clarify that my answers on my I-485 matched my answers on the interview day. He asked if we had any evidence that we wanted to submit, to which we handed over the lease to our apartment with both of our names on. He said “Oh this is good.” He took a photocopy and handed it back to us.
He explained that everything was good and there were no issues and that he would make a decision that day. Following that, I would receive an approval letter and my green card in the mail about 3 weeks after this. He never explicitly said that we were approved but given that he explained the approval process, we did not expect to be denied. He asked if we had any questions and we did not, so we shook his hand and he walked us back down the hallway and to the door where we shook hands again.
And that was it! We actually sat longer in the lobby waiting than we did getting interviewed! It was a super easy process and no way near as daunting as I had dreaded it would be.
Our interview was Tuesday May 3rd and I received my approval letter on Saturday May 7th! I danced around the kitchen in excitement! I was ecstatic! They say that the green card should arrive 3 weeks after the approval notice and so far we are at 2 weeks. One more week to go. If we do not receive my green card by next week then I will call and ask where it is! I am so excited for this process to be over! Next is applying for a social security and a drivers license! I am so excited to get a bank account! My UK debit card is not always accepted over here so I have trouble spending money unless it is in cash! It’s the little things right!
victoriasvisajourney 