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Adjustment of Status - I-485

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Houston AOS Experience
Been a silent reader on this site for a couple years, and this site has helped me a great deal. As a result, I want to post my experience, and answer any posed questions to help a fellow immigrant, as this is a long, expensive, mentally exhausting process.

Moved to the US: December 2013
Status: F1
Major: IT
GPA: 3.8
Petition for OPT: Successful
Petition for STEM Extension (24 Month): Denied. Reason: Applied with 17-month STEM SEVIS form
Appealed the Denial: I sent off the application after the date the 24 Month SEVIS was to be released (Date clearly stated this). Instead of Sending an RFE for the update form it was denied.
Appeal Decision: Reversed and the case was reopened. Received STEM EAD about 2 weeks after
Proposed: December 2015
Marriage Date: May (Late) 2017
PD: 8/10/2017
Biometrics: 11/22/2017
EAD Produced: 12/20/2017
EAD mailed: 1/15/2018
EAD Delivered: 1/20/2018
Interview Date: 3/21/2019
Field Office: Houston
Interview Time: 11:00 am

Arrived on time and checked in half hour early with my spouse. Beneficiaries were being called pretty quickly. Must have been a good day because everyone was smiling that I saw after their interviews.

We were waiting for about an hour before being called. As we walked to the door lady greeted us warmly and apologized for being late. She then instructed us to follow her.
She was pleasant but at the same time, you could tell she had a low tolerance for nonsense.
She swore us in and asked us to sit. She took my picture and asked me to place any documents that I need her to see on the desk.
She then asked my wife the following questions;

1. When did we meet
2. Where did we meet
3. Give her details on the relationship from the time we met.

She then asked me the following;
1. When was out first date
2. Where was the date
3. What was the occasion
4. What was the name of the place that we went for our date
5. Who else (if any) was at the date
After which she started to randomly ask us questions:
1. When did we get engaged?
2. Who proposed
3. When did was the proposal
4. She then asked the exact date of the proposal
5. When did we get married?
She also asked why we took almost two years to get married. Told her it takes time to plan a wedding, and we knew we were in this for the long haul so there was no need to rush. I wanted her to have the best wedding experience I can provide. She smiled and nodded her head in agreement at the response
6. Where did we get married?
7. Who Paid for the wedding expenses
8. How many people were at the wedding
9. Do we live together
10. Address
11. Did we ever move
12. If so the address
13. Have we ever lived apart since we moved in together?
14. If we ever changed addresses, what date did we do so
15. What date did officially move in together?
16. Who decided that we were going to live together
17. Do we have any children?
18. Names of the children
19. Date of birth of children
20. Asked my wife if she ever met my parents
21. Their names
22. Where do they live
23. How often does she speak with them?
24. She asked me about her parents too but not a lot of questions. All she asked was if I ever met her parents
25. She also asked my wife if she ever went to visit where I’m from (Caribbean). She then asked why not? My wife then mentioned, we just had a baby, planned a wedding and it was not the best economic decision to push for that, in such a short time after such major expenses. I then chimed in and stated PLUSSSSS she does not want to make her first visit without me 😊, the IO laughed out Loud.

She basically wrote down everything in chronological order and reviewed. She was nice but very through and professional. She then proceeded to ask me the Yes and No questions, which I answered accordingly.
We are very professional, so our documents were well placed in a binder, with a table of contents page and tabbed.
She then asked for the binder and started to search through for the documents she wanted.
She then started to talk to my wife casually, and asked her to tell her about our relationship, like what we do daily, for leisure etc. while she looked through the folder.

At this point about 25 minutes has elapsed so she asked to help her find some documents, she told me what she needed, and I gave them to her.

She did not take much:
1. Most recent tax documents
2. Statement of one of our bank accounts (joint)
3. Child’s birth certificate
We also made a photobook at Shutterfly (like I said we are very thorough) with about 40 photos, for them to keep if they want.
She looked through the photobook. Said our daughter was beautiful and started to look at us to dispute who she looks like.

At this point about half hour has passed.
I also walked with our wedding album which is also a photobook to provide further photo support
She looked through the book, asking questions about each photo, commented us on the beautiful wedding photos.
She did not keep the photobook we printed for them, nor asked for any photos for records, seems she was more than convinced.

Then she was like “ ya’ll gonna get me in trouble for staying too long on your interview.. lol”
Our 2 year anniversary is about three weeks away. She then stated

“If it were up to me, I would give you the 10 year, BUUUT the law states you have to be married for 2 years so your green card is going to have a condition” In my mind I was like *** THANK YOU LORD!!! *** but kept my composure. Though my wife did well she was super nervous, and you could see the burden lifted off her when she said that.
She then put the Stamp in my passport, gave me the approval letter, and told me that the card will be processed and delivered within a few weeks.
If I need to do anything the stamp carries the same weight as the card. She advised that if I am going to travel before the card arrives I can use the passport stamp and the approval letter.
At this point about 40 minutes has elapsed.
She then walked us to the door, told us to take care of each other, we shook her hand told her thank you and we left.

The best advice I can give is when it comes to providing documents, its better to have more than less. If you have too much, you just simply go back home with them, if you have too little, that can determine you wait for months or get denied.
The approach I took was to think of every doubt that they would have and provided the necessary documents or took the necessary precautions.
I also went ahead and did another medical report, without them asking. That was the first thing she asked for.

My next step is to go through the process of removing the condition in about 9 months as the conditional GC expires in one year *based on the stamp in my passport*

ALMOST HOME!!!
I will be happy to answer any questions

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