Adjustment of Status - I-485

EB2 + NIW applicant (UK citizen) and spouse (former USSR citizen)

28-07-2017 application i-485, i-130, i-131 sent
08-08-2017 received by USCIS
28-08-2017 biometrics taken

20-05-2018 case transferred to Missouri NC, 10 days later application approved
13-08-2018 notice interview scheduled
15-09-2018 EAD/Advance Parole combo received
26-09-2018 interview in Fairfax, VA

We went with a lawyer, however in retrospect it wasn't necessary. The lawyer basically sat behind us and didn't have to intervene.

Office is located on a 2nd floor of a nice building, about 30 min drive from downtown Washington DC. We got there 30 min early to park - there's a big parking structure nearby $7 / day. Almost all spots were occupied.

Reception on first floor - thorough security check (like in airport), don't bring food or drinks. We gave our original notices to the reception, she checked us in quickly. Proceeded to 2nd floor, another reception - a bit more serious lady, she took our notices for the officer and asked to wait for our names to be called.

We sat in the waiting room with about 40 other people. Some were waiting for citizenship interviews, some for GCs, all cases processed together. Every 5-7 minutes a new name was called, an officer stepped out and invited interviewees to his/her office. There's a water fountain, small play corner for kids and a bathroom in the waiting area. Most people were not accompanied by lawyers.

Interviews are quite private, not in open space cubicles we were expecting. Our agent came about 5 min. after scheduled time. She was a competent young lady, who greeted us "This is rather a chat about your life and your relationship, less of an interview". This immediately brought a positive tone to our conversation. She checked us in digitally (fingerprints & photo), verified IDs against the biodata and took our oath to state the truth. Very calm, professional attitude. No gotcha questions or power trip mania.

Questions asked first my spouse, then of me:
- your name and DOB
- name of your parents
- how long did it take to finish the PhD dissertation
- did you like your university
- where did you meet
- how long have you been married
- have you been married before
- do you live in separate cities? why? how often do you see each other? (I am currently on a long-term job assignment on the West Coast)
- have you ever been out of status
- have you ever violated traffic code (yes, we both had parking tickets, she questioned in what circumstances we received it)
- a standard set of questions related to your legal and criminal record in this or any other country.

The interview lasted about 30 min. At the end she said she was satisfied with our file and will be recommending us for approval. She also noted that producing a GC will take several weeks as there is a backlog in background security checks. And that we should just be patient.

- currently waiting for GC update. It's been 35 days since interview.

I hope this helps! Feel free to ask me any questions.