Green card interview

[Chad_Laura]

Hello, first time posting here, my wife and I have a green card interview on March 28, I am confused if she needs another medical examination? She is from Mexico and had examination in November 2016 for fianc? visa, we married in USA January 2017, priority date of documents April 3 2017, im guessing she does but is somewhat confusing, any help is appreciated.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Hello, first time posting here, my wife and I have a green card interview on March 28, I am confused if she needs another medical examination? She is from Mexico and had examination in November 2016 for fianc? visa, we married in USA January 2017, priority date of documents April 3 2017, im guessing she does but is somewhat confusing, any help is appreciated.

The I-693 you submitted is now expired. If you go to the interview without one, you're leaving that variable up to chance. I would not risk it. Most k-1 AOS cases are adjudicated without an interview and you get your conditional Green Card in the mail. So your case might have triggered a fraud alert - it's possible, OR it might have been selected at random. Either way, I wouldn't rely on the discretion of the ISO to accept an expired I-693. That's my humble opinion.

[flyforever85]

What are the chances to get an interview if I (the beneficiary) entered in USA with an H1B? I'm just curious. I personally never read stories of people who got the green card without an interview and I'd like to know what is their status to avoid the interview.

[azblk]

What are the chances to get an interview if I (the beneficiary) entered in USA with an H1B? I'm just curious. I personally never read stories of people who got the green card without an interview and I'd like to know what is their status to avoid the interview.

100% only K1/K3 visa entrants might get a interview waiver for marriage based AOS and that because they get interviewed at consulate or embassy.

[tomjerry111]

Hello, first time posting here, my wife and I have a green card interview on March 28, I am confused if she needs another medical examination? She is from Mexico and had examination in November 2016 for fianc? visa, we married in USA January 2017, priority date of documents April 3 2017, im guessing she does but is somewhat confusing, any help is appreciated.

Please get New Medical Exam (I-693) with you for an interview because your previous Medical exam expired all ready as its more than a Year. Don't take a risk to get a RFE after an interview for I-693 that could delay your process. so I think better you should take it with you at the time of an Interview.

[Chad_Laura]

Thanks, we are doing another I-693, it is complete except waiting on if blood test if need another chest x-ray or not, I called uscis twice and got two different answers so it?s confusing. I guess I was always planning there being an interview, from what I?ve read seems like many marriage based green card applications require one. One more question is we have a 1 year old daughter, will she be able to go to interview?

[Chad_Laura]

My wife did have an interview in Ciudad Juarez before entry, but I wasn?t allowed to go to interview.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

My wife did have an interview in Ciudad Juarez before entry, but I wasn?t allowed to go to interview.

Hi again,

someone else asked in the forum how long the I-693 is valid for. Thanks to another member, @azblk, I looked at it a second and third time and deciphered what the instructions actually say. Here's what I found - straight from the policy manual:
To be considered valid, the medical examination report must submitted to USCIS less than one year after completion of the examination and the benefit application may not be adjudicated more than one year after the date the medical examination report was submitted to USCIS.
At the time of adjudication, USCIS will use the date they received the I-693 to determine if it is more than one year old.

In plain English:
Jan 1st, 2017 - Medical exam done
Jan 1st, 2018 - ONE YEAR DEADLINE TO SUBMIT/RECEIVE
Jan 1st, 2019 - One year deadline to adjudicate

So the issue that people are running into and why there is a misconception that the medical exam is only valid for 1 year is because it can be that way if say, you submit it right away with your I-485. Then, your interview is scheduled 13 months later, like in my state. So right there and then, you have an expired I-693. You had a year to submit it but you used up that window by sending it in right away. Then the interview took 13 months to come by; and for that medical exam to be valid, the case had to be adjudicated within one year.

I hope this helps. If anything you're going in well prepared. I just wanted to make sure that I corrected my previous entry because clearly, I, like most people, had misunderstood the instructions. Here is a link to the policy manual. Scroll down to C. 4. Hover your cursor over citation 22 & 24.

https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume8-PartB-Chapter4.html#S-C-4

All the best!

[boogiewoogie]

Hi again,

someone else asked in the forum how long the I-693 is valid for. Thanks to another member, @azblk, I looked at it a second and third time and deciphered what the instructions actually say. Here's what I found - straight from the policy manual:
To be considered valid, the medical examination report must submitted to USCIS less than one year after completion of the examination and the benefit application may not be adjudicated more than one year after the date the medical examination report was submitted to USCIS.
At the time of adjudication, USCIS will use the date they received the I-693 to determine if it is more than one year old.

In plain English:
Jan 1st, 2017 - Medical exam done
Jan 1st, 2018 - ONE YEAR DEADLINE TO SUBMIT/RECEIVE
Jan 1st, 2019 - One year deadline to adjudicate

So the issue that people are running into and why there is a misconception that the medical exam is only valid for 1 year is because it can be that way if say, you submit it right away with your I-485. Then, your interview is scheduled 13 months later, like in my state. So right there and then, you have an expired I-693. You had a year to submit it but you used up that window by sending it in right away. Then the interview took 13 months to come by; and for that medical exam to be valid, the case had to be adjudicated within one year.

I hope this helps. If anything you're going in well prepared. I just wanted to make sure that I corrected my previous entry because clearly, I, like most people, had misunderstood the instructions. Here is a link to the policy manual. Scroll down to C. 4. Hover your cursor over citation 22 & 24.

https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume8-PartB-Chapter4.html#S-C-4

All the best!

thanks, i wish i read through all these forums before submitting that. I submitted it right away with my 485 and didnt know you would just get the yellow courtesy letter and play it by ear until you actually have your interview and bring it then.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

thanks, i wish i read through all these forums before submitting that. I submitted it right away with my 485 and didnt know you would just get the yellow courtesy letter and play it by ear until you actually have your interview and bring it then.

I JUST learned this myself. Of course, we would all get it right away if USCIS were to write instructions in clear English. In theory, you could stretch the validity of it up to almost 2 years.

[Chad_Laura]

Thanks for clarifying, we have the i-693 complete, I?m glad we did because I also realized when she got medical exam first time she was 6 months pregnant so there was a couple vaccinations they would not give her, so have them complete now.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Thanks for clarifying, we have the i-693 complete, I?m glad we did because I also realized when she got medical exam first time she was 6 months pregnant so there was a couple vaccinations they would not give her, so have them complete now.

Great! That worked out then. Some unsolicited advice for you:
- If you have copies of the forms you filed, bring them with you. A good portion of the interview is spent verifying the information on the forms is accurate; e.g., dates and such. Having copies with you allows you to feel in more control and not feel like you're being interrogated about details you may or may not remember. You can ask the officer what form and what page he/she's looking at and then you find it on your end and done.
- Bring updated bank statements, mail pieces, school records, day care bills, health insurance, life insurance - anything that shows both names.
Bring copies of those documents so that the officer can keep them. Often times people bring originals and the officer has to go make copies. Photos - same thing. Select a few that you're comfortable leaving behind.
- Be early. Test the route the day before and figure out where you would park. You do not want to miss this appointment.

Best of luck!

[azblk]

- Bring updated bank statements, mail pieces, school records, day care bills, health insurance, life insurance - anything that shows both names.
Bring copies of those documents so that the officer can keep them. Often times people bring originals and the officer has to go make copies. Photos - same thing. Select a few that you're comfortable leaving behind.

Every time he has to get up to go make a copy of something is less time he has to interrogate you

[Chad_Laura]

Hello again, had interview today, were the last ones called in and let us go together, pretty basic questions, he asked to see passports, I-94 about travel and the medical that?s it, we brought pictures, taxes, evidence of relationship and many many things and didn?t look at any of it. He said he has to have his supervisor approve it, but said was 99% likely unless was something crazy he couldn?t even think of, then talked a little how the provisional green card works, would have liked a decision but he sounded like was going to happen.

- - - Updated - - -

I asked him if he wanted to see taxes or pictures or anything else and said it?s ok you might need some of that when you have to get the other green card. So I hope we find out soon

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Hello again, had interview today, were the last ones called in and let us go together, pretty basic questions, he asked to see passports, I-94 about travel and the medical that?s it, we brought pictures, taxes, evidence of relationship and many many things and didn?t look at any of it. He said he has to have his supervisor approve it, but said was 99% likely unless was something crazy he couldn?t even think of, then talked a little how the provisional green card works, would have liked a decision but he sounded like was going to happen.

- - - Updated - - -

I asked him if he wanted to see taxes or pictures or anything else and said it?s ok you might need some of that when you have to get the other green card. So I hope we find out soon

Congratulations! It sounds like it went very well. No hiccups or missing documents. You know, sometimes they have to check in with their supervisor for reasons that may be unrelated to the strength of your evidence. That ISO may be new and just now flying solo. As such, you still have to run your decisions by your superior. My point is don't stress about it, go on about your life and wait for your approval.
All the best!