Adjustment of Status - I-485

Hi everyone in the forum :-)

I wanted to share with you all my interview experience since this website has helped me so much with my application I thought my experience could be helpful to you.

First I am going to give you some info about my case.

I came in with a F1 student visa at the beginning of January 2015.
Graduated in 2017 and then got married with my husband (USC) in 2018.
My husband was previously married but it was my first marriage.

We filed for adjustment of status in July 2018; went to get my fingerprints taken in august 2018 received my EAD card in November 2018.

On august 6 2019 they sent us a notice inviting us for an interview in San Fernando Valley (CA).
I did not submitted my medical exam so I went to take it 3 weeks ago and it was ready in one week.

JOINT EVIDENCES we brought to the interview;
-Joint tax returns for 2018
-over a year bank statements from two different banks
-over a year credit card statements
-copies of debit and credit cards and originals ( the officer asked for those)
-rental agreement notarized and with copies of my in laws driver licences. ( we rent a one bedroom next to my in laws house. So they wrote type of rental agreement verifying the monthly rent, bills included in the rent, size of the apt and they wrote both our names in it). it must be notarized!
-medical insurance with me added as a spouse through my husband job
-life insurance with me added as a spouse
-costco membership card
-cars insurances
-AAA membership card
-dental and vision insurance through my husband with me added as a spouse
-flag staff amusement park yearly membership pass
-certificate of our dog with both names of my husband and I in it
-post card from friends and my family
-junk email for proof of address
-pictures ( about 84 in different places, travel, frinds, some with my husband family )
-itineraries of hotels and Air B&B

OTHERS;
-My husband pay stubs for the last two months
-last two months paystubs of my previous job ( I am not working now )
-My husband divorce decree from his previous wife
-My husband birth certificate
-my husband passport
-Cerfified marriage certificate
-My passport
- I 94 and travel history
- EAD card, advance parole, and also EAD card from when I was on OPT
-my birth certificate and translation
-medical exam sealed
-My driver's licence
-My SSN
-My previous I20s

We got there 45 mins earlier than our appointment time. There were not so many people we passed through security fast. They registered us at the first window then they gave us a number and told us to have a seat and wait to be called by our number.

After about 35 mins an officer called our number. Our appointment was at 12;15 and we got in at 12:25.

The officer was young I would say around his early 30. He was polite not friendly not unfriendly something in the middle... I was pretty sure he was going to separate us but he did not.

He made us rise our right hand and swear that we would say the truth.

He started to ask my husband questions about where he lived where he worked and the date of divorce of his first marriage ( which he forgot because he was nervous even though it was in the I130 lol so he told him an approximate date ) then he asked him the date of our wedding. He also asked about his previous marriage why did it end. He asked him if he knew my parents names.
Then he asked for his birth certificate and passport. He did not want to see the divorce decree because we sent it already in July with the AOS application.

Then he started to ask me my documents. Passport, EAD cards, AP document.
And then he asked questioning me about my i 485 form. He asked to confirm my current address, where I lived before, if I knew my in laws names and he went through all of the questions in my I 485.

After verifying my signature he asked me what evidence I wanted to provide to proof that our marriage was real.

I gave him all our joint documents and explained to him what was inside. Our joint tax returns, over a year bank statements with copies of our debit and credit cards. (he also wanted to see the actual cards). Junk mail, post cards.

We brought original and copies but he only asked me to give him the copies. Apart from the marriage certificate and my husband birth certificate which he wanted to see the originals. And passports of course.

He was very happy that we were very well organized with everything.

He then started to look at our album of photos.
NOTE: my husband does not get along with his family very well so we did not have many pics with them. The officer asked why we did not have many pics with his parents and he explained to him that he is not close to them. The officer said he understand his situation because he does not get along with his family either but they like to see family pics because many people do not have a real marriage and they only do it to get a green card. Thankfully, I get along very well with my in laws and I provided pictures of myself and them in my in laws house :-)
The officer was not impressed with the pictures with the two of us. The only pics he took were some with friends and family and some from the wedding and our trips. He Also collected the one with only me and my parents in law (oh and my dog :-D he actually laughed at it lol).

He took for his own records: our joint documents copies, bank statements copies, tax returns copies, travel itinerary and hotel itineraries and about 10 pictures. He also took a copy of my driver's license that I had ready for him :-).

After that he started to ask both of us how did we meet, when when we first met, who proposed, how did it turn romantic, if my husband proposed with a ring, where he proposed if he had met my parents yet.

They were kind of simple questions but all the process took about an hour.

He then asked to see my medical exam he opened it and said it was ok.

After carefully reviewing our package, he told us that he could not say it officially but he was going to approve our case :-) I was shocked literally lol. He then said it was only going to be a conditional green card because we have been married for less than a year. We then thanked him for approving us and interviewing us.

So if I can give you a suggestion take lots of pics with the family :-) even if your USC spouse is not in them,.

I had two folders. One was filled with the original documents and evidences and the other was filled with copies of the originals. the officer liked that we had all the copies already made for him. The officer did not take the whole folder but I had to take out the copies from the each plastic sheet myself and give them to him.

Inside each folders there were plastic sheets with all the documents and evidences divided by categories. In each folder I attached a sticker with a caption of what was inside. For example;
JOINT DOCUMENTS:and inside that plastic sheet there was the rental agreement, medical insurance etc.
BANK STATEMENTS;
JOINT TAX RETURNS;
BENEFICIARY DOCUMENTS;
PETITIONER DOCUMENTS;
And so on.....

That way I knew what to grab right away when the officer would ask for a specific document.
I had it all organized and easy to find :-)

So in the end I had 2 big folders and an album of photos

I hope my experience will be helpful for your AOS interview and thank you so much for helping me in this journey. I hope my card will get here soon in the mail so we can finally go visit my family in my home country. Oh I am Italian btw I forgot to mention it :-)

Good luck every one