Adjustment of Status - I-485

Hello Members,
Sharing my journey and sincerely hope someone will be encouraged!

F1 married to USC in February 2015
AOS Package filed in July 2016
Concurrent Filing Forms I-130 / I-131 / I-765 / I-485
PD - August 2016

Combo Card received end of October 2016
First interview July 2017 - no decision - case must be reviewed
Life goes on - Traveled - Worked - Lived Life - Renewed EAD/AP as needed

FAST FORWARD to 2018
12/25/18 - Received Stokes Interview letter / Interview date 1/22/19 (Merry Freaking X-Mas USCIS - goddammittt!!!)😂

INTERVIEW DAY 1/22/19 @Federal Plaza🏛
Note: We did not use a lawyer
The normal questions.... bla bla bla bla
Tricky questions... 1) how did we find the apartment 2) did we look together 3) what bus spouse takes to work
4) how many floors the building has 5) Landlords name and day/how rent is paid 6) How many area rugs, pieces of furniture etc... 7) Describe the proposal 8) Colleges each went to 9) Trips with and without each other 10) Families that have visited since we're together 11) Laundry/Garbage days

I was interviewed first for 65 minutes - my husband for 60 minutes - we were asked all the questions in the book😩
It was beyond intense😩.....beyond..😳
We had about 6 discrepancies in our answers and were reunited to clarify them at the end.
The key is to know each other....and know what your spouse might say to a particular question..
For example, when they asked me how many floors the building has I could have said the exact number cuz I know how many....but I purposely did not say the exact number because I know my husband does not pay attention to such details.... I said I'm not sure - and gave a range....and true to form, my dear husband also gave a range👌🏽😀👌🏽 - so our answers were considered a match in that case 😄
PLEASE NOTE: "I don't know" and " I don't remember" are your best friends.
Only give a specific answer when you are 100% sure your spouse's answer will be the exact match.... 👍🏾
Now don't get me wrong....of course you NEED to know things like what size bed or your spouse's birthday lol
By the time I was done, I knew we nailed it (assuming they were going to ask him the same questions and they did)💃🏾

DOCUMENTS WE SUBMITTED:
3 joint bank accounts
2 joint credit cards
Electricity in both names
Cable/Internet with my name as account partner
Joint Gym Membership
Joint AARP Membership
Life Insurance - both as beneficiary
Retirement Fund with both names
Proof of travels and hotel stays
Movie Tickets / Comedy Club Tickets
Receipts for furniture purchased
Lease in both names and receipts for rent paid
Both Drivers License showing current address
Both job letters and paystubs
Album with pictures since we met
Postcards to each other
Postcards from family overseas
Other misc junk mail - lots of that
Joint tax returns filed since 2015

In the end, the I-130 was approved on the spot. The I-485 was held for review pending updated medical. Of course the one we submitted back in 2016 was expired, but in our shuffle and hustle to get everything else together for the 2nd interview, we forgot all about the medical. It also was not listed among the list of items to bring to the stokes interview - so an easy oversight on our part🙃. Plus I found this forum after the stokes interview and I'm sure I would have read somewhere to bring updated medical to 2nd interview.....but anyway....

Received I-130 Approval letter and RFE for medical days after the stokes

2/28/19 - I Dropped off Medical in Person to Federal Plaza, as they requested

(Ok - so this part was the most emotionally draining era of my life.) THE WAIT...THE WAIT...THE WAIT...😩😡😩😡

I literally checked my online status 1Million times a day, no joke.... And checked our mailbox every damn day wondering.,...oh geez - how difficult is it to just open a bloody envelop - confirm I don't have dog fleas....then lift a finger and click "make card" 🗣🗣 KMFT!!!! (even though I know I would get a text first with status update, I kept checking my way into frustration daily 😀😨😀😨)

(My ISO clearly was on vacation, I consoled myself constantly)

You kinda try to shift your focus on other things, but you drift right back to the darn GC and where it's at....right😎

5/10/19 - FINA-FREAKING-LLY - text message and email that "NEW CARD IS BEING PRODUCED" 💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾

IN CONCLUSION:
As frightening as a stokes interview is, you will be successful with proper preparation. It's not easy by no

means, but it's abso-freaking-lutely possible to maneuver through it successfully. The decision to get an attorney is a

personal choice. My position is it could raise further suspicions - so we opted to put the work into preparing and GO

FORTH boldly in the name of GOD who never fails when you put your trust in Him. So that's a decision that you have

to make personally - then once you make it - you then make it the right decision for you by becoming a vibrational

match to your own decision. Just choose to get one or not - then stay in alignment to your choosing - and never look

back once you decide. Any split energy whatsoever will kill you in this whole process... comprehende?
 (READ THAT AGAIN)

That's all folks!!