Interview done. Approved on spot. GC received.

[4EVER]

Hi, everybody! Apologies in advance for this looooooong post lol. Sharing with you our AOS interview experience. We had our interview last Aug 31, my conditional GC arrived 10 days (Sept 10) after that.

USC hubby and I met in 2009, became an LDR couple in Jan 2017, I entered US for 3rd time with B2 visa in June 2017, married in Sept 2017, filed AOS application Nov 2017.

PD 11/22/2017
Field Office: Helena, MT

We brought 3 folders:
Folder 1 (colored; copy for IO): Evidence of Bona Fide Marriage [fastened and divided into 4 sections: Cohabitation/Relationship/Photos/Financial Commingling - see attached photo]
Folder 2 (B/W; our copy): Clone of Folder 1
Folder 3: Civil/Legal Documents/USCIS Application Forms [in ringbinder with transparent sheets; we put the original and punch-holed duplicate of a civil doc in one sheet, back-to-back, for easy retrieval]


TABLE OF CONTENTS (special thanks to TOC and AHCD advocate, UScitizenFilingforspouse; and Emerald 2020 for the format):

EVIDENCE OF BONA FIDE MARRIAGE

EXHIBIT 1
EVIDENCE OF COHABITATION:
LEASE; NATURAL GAS; ELECTRICITY; INTERNET; USPS INFORMED DELIVERY; MAILS/CARDS SENT TO OUR ADDRESS

(1.A). LEASE
*Copy of Month-to-Month Rental Agreement listing Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary as joint tenants
*Payment receipts from December 2017 to August 2018 issued by landlord to both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Communication between landlord and Petitioner/Spouse Beneficiary

(1.B). NATURAL GAS
*Copy of Service Agreement with YYYY XX showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshot of Online Account Registration email confirmation from YYYY X sent to joint Yahoo! Email address
*Screenshot of YYYY X Profile page showing joint Yahoo! Email address under 'Contact Information'

(1.C). ELECTRICITY
*Copy of Service Agreement with YYYY X showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Monthly Bills with Payment Receipts for the months of November 2017 to August 2018
*Screenshot of Online Account Registration email confirmation from YYYY X
*Screenshot of YYYY X Account Summary page showing joint Yahoo! Email as the account email

(1.D). INTERNET
*Screenshot of YYYY X online bills from June 2018 - August 2018 sent to joint Yahoo! Email address
*Screenshot of YYYY X Account Information page showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshot of YYYY X Email Billing page showing joint Yahoo! Email address as the billing email

(1.E). USPS INFORMED DELIVERY
*Copy of Welcome Letter from USPS for using Informed Delivery addressed to both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshot of USPS Account Profile page showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshots of select Daily Mail Digests sent to joint Yahoo! Email address:
**** **** Mails from Department of Veteran Affairs addressed to Petitioner
**** **** Mails from USCIS addressed to Spouse Beneficiary
**** **** Mails addressed to both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
**** **** Tracking alerts for incoming packages

(1.F). MAILS/CARDS SENT TO OUR HOME ADDRESS


EXHIBIT 2
EVIDENCE OF RELATIONSHIP:
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE; RELATIONSHIP TIMELINE; ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVES; EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION; COMMUNICATION LOGS; SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE; VETERINARY CLINIC INVOICE

(2.A). MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

(2.B). RELATIONSHIP TIMELINE FROM 2009 TO PRESENT (Illustrated)
*2009: How, When, Where It All Began
*2010-2013: Virtual Friendship
*2014-2015: Separate Ways
*2016: Hello Again
*2017: "We Do."
*2018 and beyond: "We Always Will."

(2.C). ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVES (signed and notarized with 2 witnesses as required under MT law)
*Petitioner Designating Spouse Beneficiary as his Agent
*Spouse Beneficiary Designating Petitioner as her Agent
*Screenshot of Montana's End-Of-Life Registry showing Petitioner and Beneficiary's AHCDs

(2.D). EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
*Petitioner Designating Spouse Beneficiary as Emergency Contact Person:
**** **** Screenshot from Department of Veteran Affairs - MyHealtheVet
**** **** Screenshot from Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP; a service of the Bureau of Consular Affairs-U.S. Department of State)
**** **** Screenshot from YYYY X Clinic
**** **** Screenshot from YYYY X Neurology Clinic

(2.E). COMMUNICATION LOGS
********* Messenger
*Viber
*SMS

(2.F). SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
*********
**** **** Public Status Updates by Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary Tagging Each Other
**** **** Family/Friends Public Posts Tagging Both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Instagram
**** **** Screenshot of Petitioner's Public Profile
**** **** Screenshot of Spouse Beneficiary's Public Profile
*YouTube
**** **** Screenshot of Spouse Beneficiary's channel (highlighting self-made public videos for Petitioner and Mother-in-Law)

(2.G). VETERINARY CLINIC INVOICE
*Showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary


EXHIBIT 3
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE:
PETITIONER AND SPOUSE BENEFICIARY WITH FURKIDS; WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

(3.A). PETITIONER AND SPOUSE BENEFICIARY WITH FURKIDS
*At/In Our Residence (here, we took screenshots from Google Maps showing our address - front and side view - then we took selfies in same location as Google Maps, also took selfies of us in living room, dining room, bedroom, hallway, backyard, driveway; we got the idea from a forum member here - sorry, I forgot the name - but, thank you for the neat idea!)
*In Glacier Park
*Drive and Birthday Picnic for Petitioner
*Birthday Celebration for Spouse Beneficiary
*1st Anniversary of 1st Official Date

(3.B). WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
*With Petitioner's Parents
*With Spouse Beneficiary's Family
*Thanksgiving 2017 With Friends
*Christmas 2017 With Friends


EXHIBIT 4
EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL COMMINGLING:
NOTICE OF BENEFIT DECISION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS

(4.A). NOTICE OF BENEFIT DECISION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS
*Letter dated xxxxxx adding Spouse Beneficiary as Dependent of the Petitioner

(Note: The Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary tried to open joint bank accounts from various banks as 'Evidence of Financial Commingling', but were unsuccessful, as the banks require Spouse Beneficiary's SSN, which she does not have yet pending her adjustment application.)



Prepared By:

_____________________________
YYYY YYYY ZZZ
Petitioner

_____________________________
YYYY YYYY ZZZ
Spouse Beneficiary

End of Table of Contents]


Now...for the INTERVIEW part...

Our interview was at 9:50AM. We got there an hour and a half early so we stayed in the car first and reviewed our folders, practiced Q&A, and prayed some more. We entered the bldg 30 minutes before the appointed time as stated in the interview notice, went thru security check, then directed to a door leading to the lobby. There was just one Hutterite couple waiting in the lobby, and us. After a few minutes, the Hutterite couple were called in, leaving the lobby all to ourselves, so me and hubby took selfies (after getting permission, of course) with the US and USCIS flags lol to pass the time and relieve tension.

Around 10:00 AM, we saw the Hutterite couple being ushered out so we knew we're next. After 15 minutes, the IO came to the lobby and called my name. The IO first asked for our IDs - I gave my passport, hubby gave his driver's license - then she ushered us into her office, swore us in, then did my biometrics (photo capture and fingerprint scan).

After we were seated, she first asked for my I-693 medical report, which I handed to her. She inspected the seal then the report inside, and after she was satisfied with that, said she was going to verify some information on our application forms (so I took out our copies of the I-130 and I-485 forms; gave the I-130 to hubby). The IO went thru the I-130 first with my hubby, asked him about his parents, his previous/current jobs, address history, and his previous (denied) petition connected with his previous marriage which the IO wanted more details of. While my hubby was giving a lengthy account of his previous marriage/petition, the IO was also taking notes, encircling and underlining words. After that part was done, the IO verified his signature on the form. Then she moved on to my I-485. She asked about my birthday, current address, parents' names, my previous job in my home country, and my previous US visits and purpose. Next, the Yes/No questions, then after that, she verified the signature on the form.

She then shuffled the folders in front of her, looked at our I-864 folder, and asked my hubby, 'did someone file with you'? At first, the question confused us lol but after probably 2 seconds, I answered 'yes, we have a joint sponsor'. So the IO just flipped the pages and looked for the joint sponsor's documents. Then she said, 'oh ok, it's here'.

Then she asked us if we have any joint bank account, we said 'we tried but the banks needed my SSN which I didn't have yet'. We added that altho we lacked joint banking, we have joint tenancy and joint utility agreements. The IO nodded and said she understood. She then asked for a copy of the rental agreement, so I handed her our 'Evidence of Bona Fide Marriage' folder, showed her the Contract, and told her the folder was her copy. She took the folder and was impressed with the presentation, noting the itemized table of contents, and thanked us for making her job easier lol. We showed her how to navigate thru the folder. (Our 2-page Table of Contents is fastened on the left side, while the docs are on the right, to make it easier to cross-check. The docs on the right are divided into 4 sections/'Exhibits' with 4 side tabs; the sub-sections for each Exhibit have bottom tabs.) While she was flipping thru the pages, she asked us:

-How and where did you meet?
-When? We said, 2009. IO recalled my first visit was in 2009 so she asked if I already knew my husband before I came to the US. I said, yes. She asked if we were already a couple then. We said, 'No, just friends'.
-Have you met his parents?
-When did you get married?
-Who lives with you in your house? We said, 'just us and our 2 Shih Tzu kids who are waiting in the car outside', which elicited an 'Awww' from the IO lol. She then shared a story about her own furkids.

She continued leafing thru the folder randomly, stopped when she saw our Advance Health Care Directives, and said 'you know, during check-in, some Helena clinics will now ask if you have an advance health care directive..it's good that you have this'. When she got to the photos and saw our residence on Google Map along with our selfies, she remarked 'oh how creative'.

After she's done with the folder, she discussed about the 2-year conditional GC, the removal of conditions, then handed me a piece of paper to sign. Approved on the spot - my GC also shows the date of interview (Aug 31) as my start of US permanent residency.

Days after the interview came a barrage of messages from USCIS and USPS about cards in production and incoming priority mails. My SS card arrived 4 days after the interview. My now-ineffectual EAD/AP combo card was mailed a day before the GC...thank you, NBC, better late than never lol! I received the combo card same day as the I-130/I-485 Approval Notices in mail. Two days after that, came the GC. Yeyy!

THANK YOU TO ALL who shared their creative ideas, valuable knowledge and uplifting experiences. Much much appreciated! Sending virtual hugs to y'all! XOXOX

Good luck and all the best to those still awaiting updates/results. Don't go crazy, get busy. Learn Spanish or sign language. Be patient. Keep the faith.

[WaitedLongEnough]

Hi, everybody! Apologies in advance for this looooooong post lol. Sharing with you our AOS interview experience. We had our interview last Aug 31, my conditional GC arrived 10 days (Sept 10) after that.

Hubby and I met in 2009, became an LDR couple in Jan 2017, I entered US for 3rd time with B2 visa in June 2017, married in Sept 2017, filed AOS application Nov 2017.

PD 11/22/2017
Field Office: Helena, MT

We brought 3 folders:
Folder 1 (colored; copy for IO): Evidence of Bona Fide Marriage [fastened and divided into 4 sections: Cohabitation/Relationship/Photos/Financial Commingling - see attached photo]
Folder 2 (B/W; our copy): Clone of Folder 1
Folder 3: Civil/Legal Documents/USCIS Application Forms [in ringbinder with transparent sheets; we put the original and punch-holed duplicate of a civil doc in one sheet, back-to-back, for easy retrieval]


[Start of: TABLE OF CONTENTS (special thanks to TOC and AHCD advocate, UScitizenFilingforspouse; and Emerald 2020 for the format):

EVIDENCE OF BONA FIDE MARRIAGE

EXHIBIT 1
EVIDENCE OF COHABITATION:
LEASE; NATURAL GAS; ELECTRICITY; INTERNET; USPS INFORMED DELIVERY; MAILS/CARDS SENT TO OUR ADDRESS

(1.A). LEASE
*Copy of Month-to-Month Rental Agreement listing Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary as joint tenants
*Payment receipts from December 2017 to August 2018 issued by landlord to both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Communication between landlord and Petitioner/Spouse Beneficiary

(1.B). NATURAL GAS
*Copy of Service Agreement with YYYY XX showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshot of Online Account Registration email confirmation from YYYY X sent to joint Yahoo! Email address
*Screenshot of YYYY X Profile page showing joint Yahoo! Email address under ?Contact Information?

(1.C). ELECTRICITY
*Copy of Service Agreement with YYYY X showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Monthly Bills with Payment Receipts for the months of November 2017 to August 2018
*Screenshot of Online Account Registration email confirmation from YYYY X
*Screenshot of YYYY X Account Summary page showing joint Yahoo! Email as the account email

(1.D). INTERNET
*Screenshot of YYYY X online bills from June 2018 - August 2018 sent to joint Yahoo! Email address
*Screenshot of YYYY X Account Information page showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshot of YYYY X Email Billing page showing joint Yahoo! Email address as the billing email

(1.E). USPS INFORMED DELIVERY
*Copy of Welcome Letter from USPS for using Informed Delivery addressed to both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshot of USPS Account Profile page showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshots of select Daily Mail Digests sent to joint Yahoo! Email address:
**** **** Mails from Department of Veteran Affairs addressed to Petitioner
**** **** Mails from USCIS addressed to Spouse Beneficiary
**** **** Mails addressed to both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
**** **** Tracking alerts for incoming packages

(1.F). MAILS/CARDS SENT TO OUR HOME ADDRESS


EXHIBIT 2
EVIDENCE OF RELATIONSHIP:
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE; RELATIONSHIP TIMELINE; ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVES; EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION; COMMUNICATION LOGS; SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE; VETERINARY CLINIC INVOICE

(2.A). MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

(2.B). RELATIONSHIP TIMELINE FROM 2009 TO PRESENT (Illustrated)
*2009: How, When, Where It All Began
*2010-2013: Virtual Friendship
*2014-2015: Separate Ways
*2016: Hello Again
*2017: ?We Do.?
*2018 and beyond: "We Always Will."

(2.C). ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVES (signed and notarized with 2 witnesses as required under MT law)
*Petitioner Designating Spouse Beneficiary as his Agent
*Spouse Beneficiary Designating Petitioner as her Agent
*Screenshot of Montana's End-Of-Life Registry showing Petitioner and Beneficiary's AHCDs

(2.D). EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
*Petitioner Designating Spouse Beneficiary as Emergency Contact Person:
**** **** Screenshot from Department of Veteran Affairs - MyHealtheVet
**** **** Screenshot from Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP; a service of the Bureau of Consular Affairs-U.S. Department of State)
**** **** Screenshot from YYYY X Clinic
**** **** Screenshot from YYYY X Neurology Clinic

(2.E). COMMUNICATION LOGS
********* Messenger
*Viber
*SMS

(2.F). SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
*********
**** **** Public Status Updates by Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary Tagging Each Other
**** **** Friends Public Posts Tagging Both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Instagram
**** **** Screenshot of Petitioner?s Public Profile
**** **** Screenshot of Spouse Beneficiary?s Public Profile
*YouTube
**** **** Screenshot of Spouse Beneficiary?s channel (highlighting self-made public videos for Petitioner and Mother-in-Law)

(2.G). VETERINARY CLINIC INVOICE
*Showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary


EXHIBIT 3
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE:
PETITIONER AND SPOUSE BENEFICIARY WITH FURKIDS; WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

(3.A). PETITIONER AND SPOUSE BENEFICIARY WITH FURKIDS
*At/In Our Residence (here, we took screenshots from Google Maps showing our address - front and side view - then we took selfies in same location as Google Maps; we got the idea from a forum member here - sorry, I forgot the name - but, thank you for the neat idea!)
*In Glacier Park
*Drive and Birthday Picnic for Petitioner
*Birthday Celebration for Spouse Beneficiary
*1st Anniversary of 1st Official Date

(3.B). WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
*With Petitioner's Parents
*With Spouse Beneficiary's Family
*Thanksgiving 2017 With Friends
*Christmas 2017 With Friends


EXHIBIT 4
EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL COMMINGLING:
NOTICE OF BENEFIT DECISION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS

(4.A). NOTICE OF BENEFIT DECISION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS
*Letter dated xxxxxx adding Spouse Beneficiary as Dependent of the Petitioner

(Note: The Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary tried to open joint bank accounts from various banks as ?Evidence of Financial Commingling?, but were unsuccessful, as the banks require Spouse Beneficiary?s SSN, which she does not have yet pending her adjustment application.)



Prepared By:

_____________________________
YYYY YYYY ZZZ
Petitioner

_____________________________
YYYY YYYY ZZZ
Spouse Beneficiary

End of Table of Contents]


Now...for the INTERVIEW part...

Our interview was at 9:50AM. We got there an hour and a half early so we stayed in the car first and reviewed our folders, practiced Q&A, and prayed some more. We entered the bldg 30 minutes before the appointed time as stated in the interview notice, went thru security check, then directed to a door leading to the lobby. There was just one Hutterite couple waiting in the lobby, and us. After a few minutes, the Hutterite couple were called in, leaving the lobby all to ourselves, so me and hubby took selfies (after getting permission, of course) with the US and USCIS flags lol to pass the time and relieve tension.

Around 10:00 AM, we saw the Hutterite couple being ushered out so we knew we're next. After 15 minutes, the IO came to the lobby and called my name. The IO first asked for our IDS - I gave my passport, hubby gave his driver's license - then she ushered us into her office and swore us in.

First, she said, she was going to verify some information on our application forms (so I took out our copies of the I-130 and I-485 forms; gave the I-130 to hubby). The IO went thru the I-130 first with my hubby, asked him about his parents, his previous/current jobs, address history, and his previous (denied) petition connected with his previous marriage which the IO wanted more details of. While my hubby was giving a lengthy account of his previous marriage/petition, the IO was also taking notes, encircling and underlining words. After that part was done, the IO verified his signature on the form. Then she moved on to my I-485. She asked about my birthday, current address, parents' names, my previous job in my home country, and my previous US visits and purpose. Next, the Yes/No questions, then after that, she verified the signature on the form.

She then shuffled the folders in front of her, looked at our I-864 folder, and asked my hubby, 'did someone file with you'? At first, the question confused us lol but after probably 2 seconds, I answered 'yes, we have a joint sponsor'. So the IO just flipped the pages and looked for the joint sponsor's documents. Then she said, 'oh ok, it's here'.

Then she asked us if we have any joint bank account, we said 'we tried but the banks needed my SSN which I didn't have yet'. We added that altho we lacked joint banking, we have joint tenancy and joint utility agreements. The IO nodded and said she understood. She then asked for a copy of the rental agreement, so I handed her our 'Evidence of Bona Fide Marriage' folder, showed her the Contract, and told her the folder was her copy. She took the folder and was impressed with the presentation, noting the itemized table of contents, and thanked us for making her job easier lol. We showed her how to navigate thru the folder. (Our 2-page Table of Contents is fastened on the left side, while the docs are on the right, to make it easier to cross-check. The docs on the right are divided into 4 sections/'Exhibits' with 4 side tabs; the sub-sections for each Exhibit have bottom tabs.) While she was flipping thru the pages, she asked us:

-How and where did you meet?
-When? We said, 2009. IO recalled my first visit was in 2009 so she asked if I already knew my husband before I came to the US. I said, yes. She asked if we were already a couple then. We said, 'No, just friends'.
-Have you met his parents?
-When did you get married?
-Who lives with you in your house? We said, 'just us and our 2 Shih Tzu kids who are waiting in the car outside', which elicited an 'Awww' from the IO lol. She then shared a story about her own furkids.

She continued leafing thru the folder randomly, stopped when she saw our Advance Health Care Directives, and said 'you know, during check-in, some Helena clinics will now ask if you have an advance health care directive..it's good that you have this'. When she got to the photos and saw our residence on Google Map along with our selfies, she remarked 'oh how creative'.

After she's done with the folder, she discussed about the 2-year conditional GC, the removal of conditions, then handed me a piece of paper to sign. Approved on the spot - my GC also shows the date of interview (Aug 31) as my start of US permanent residency.

Days after the interview came a barrage of messages from USCIS and USPS about cards in production and incoming priority mails. My EAD/AP combo card was mailed a day before the GC...better late than never NBC lol. I received the combo card same day as the I-130/I-485 Approval Notices in mail. Two days after that, came the GC. Yeyy!

Thank you to all who shared their knowledge and experiences. Much much appreciated! Sending virtual hugs to y'all!

Good luck and all the best to those still awaiting updates/results. Don't go crazy, get busy. Learn Spanish or sign language. Be patient.

🙂 Thanks for sharing your journey! Great read ! Congrats !!!

[LoveDreams]

Congratulations!!! Seems like the interview went very smoothly. Thanks for sharing your experience

[Godobo]

Hi, everybody! Apologies in advance for this looooooong post lol. Sharing with you our AOS interview experience. We had our interview last Aug 31, my conditional GC arrived 10 days (Sept 10) after that.

Hubby and I met in 2009, became an LDR couple in Jan 2017, I entered US for 3rd time with B2 visa in June 2017, married in Sept 2017, filed AOS application Nov 2017.

PD 11/22/2017
Field Office: Helena, MT

We brought 3 folders:
Folder 1 (colored; copy for IO): Evidence of Bona Fide Marriage [fastened and divided into 4 sections: Cohabitation/Relationship/Photos/Financial Commingling - see attached photo]
Folder 2 (B/W; our copy): Clone of Folder 1
Folder 3: Civil/Legal Documents/USCIS Application Forms [in ringbinder with transparent sheets; we put the original and punch-holed duplicate of a civil doc in one sheet, back-to-back, for easy retrieval]


[Start of: TABLE OF CONTENTS (special thanks to TOC and AHCD advocate, UScitizenFilingforspouse; and Emerald 2020 for the format):

EVIDENCE OF BONA FIDE MARRIAGE

EXHIBIT 1
EVIDENCE OF COHABITATION:
LEASE; NATURAL GAS; ELECTRICITY; INTERNET; USPS INFORMED DELIVERY; MAILS/CARDS SENT TO OUR ADDRESS

(1.A). LEASE
*Copy of Month-to-Month Rental Agreement listing Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary as joint tenants
*Payment receipts from December 2017 to August 2018 issued by landlord to both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Communication between landlord and Petitioner/Spouse Beneficiary

(1.B). NATURAL GAS
*Copy of Service Agreement with YYYY XX showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshot of Online Account Registration email confirmation from YYYY X sent to joint Yahoo! Email address
*Screenshot of YYYY X Profile page showing joint Yahoo! Email address under ?Contact Information?

(1.C). ELECTRICITY
*Copy of Service Agreement with YYYY X showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Monthly Bills with Payment Receipts for the months of November 2017 to August 2018
*Screenshot of Online Account Registration email confirmation from YYYY X
*Screenshot of YYYY X Account Summary page showing joint Yahoo! Email as the account email

(1.D). INTERNET
*Screenshot of YYYY X online bills from June 2018 - August 2018 sent to joint Yahoo! Email address
*Screenshot of YYYY X Account Information page showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshot of YYYY X Email Billing page showing joint Yahoo! Email address as the billing email

(1.E). USPS INFORMED DELIVERY
*Copy of Welcome Letter from USPS for using Informed Delivery addressed to both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshot of USPS Account Profile page showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Screenshots of select Daily Mail Digests sent to joint Yahoo! Email address:
**** **** Mails from Department of Veteran Affairs addressed to Petitioner
**** **** Mails from USCIS addressed to Spouse Beneficiary
**** **** Mails addressed to both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
**** **** Tracking alerts for incoming packages

(1.F). MAILS/CARDS SENT TO OUR HOME ADDRESS


EXHIBIT 2
EVIDENCE OF RELATIONSHIP:
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE; RELATIONSHIP TIMELINE; ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVES; EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION; COMMUNICATION LOGS; SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE; VETERINARY CLINIC INVOICE

(2.A). MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

(2.B). RELATIONSHIP TIMELINE FROM 2009 TO PRESENT (Illustrated)
*2009: How, When, Where It All Began
*2010-2013: Virtual Friendship
*2014-2015: Separate Ways
*2016: Hello Again
*2017: ?We Do.?
*2018 and beyond: "We Always Will."

(2.C). ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVES (signed and notarized with 2 witnesses as required under MT law)
*Petitioner Designating Spouse Beneficiary as his Agent
*Spouse Beneficiary Designating Petitioner as her Agent
*Screenshot of Montana's End-Of-Life Registry showing Petitioner and Beneficiary's AHCDs

(2.D). EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
*Petitioner Designating Spouse Beneficiary as Emergency Contact Person:
**** **** Screenshot from Department of Veteran Affairs - MyHealtheVet
**** **** Screenshot from Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP; a service of the Bureau of Consular Affairs-U.S. Department of State)
**** **** Screenshot from YYYY X Clinic
**** **** Screenshot from YYYY X Neurology Clinic

(2.E). COMMUNICATION LOGS
********* Messenger
*Viber
*SMS

(2.F). SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
*********
**** **** Public Status Updates by Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary Tagging Each Other
**** **** Friends Public Posts Tagging Both Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary
*Instagram
**** **** Screenshot of Petitioner?s Public Profile
**** **** Screenshot of Spouse Beneficiary?s Public Profile
*YouTube
**** **** Screenshot of Spouse Beneficiary?s channel (highlighting self-made public videos for Petitioner and Mother-in-Law)

(2.G). VETERINARY CLINIC INVOICE
*Showing both names of Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary


EXHIBIT 3
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE:
PETITIONER AND SPOUSE BENEFICIARY WITH FURKIDS; WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

(3.A). PETITIONER AND SPOUSE BENEFICIARY WITH FURKIDS
*At/In Our Residence (here, we took screenshots from Google Maps showing our address - front and side view - then we took selfies in same location as Google Maps; we got the idea from a forum member here - sorry, I forgot the name - but, thank you for the neat idea!)
*In Glacier Park
*Drive and Birthday Picnic for Petitioner
*Birthday Celebration for Spouse Beneficiary
*1st Anniversary of 1st Official Date

(3.B). WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
*With Petitioner's Parents
*With Spouse Beneficiary's Family
*Thanksgiving 2017 With Friends
*Christmas 2017 With Friends


EXHIBIT 4
EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL COMMINGLING:
NOTICE OF BENEFIT DECISION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS

(4.A). NOTICE OF BENEFIT DECISION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS
*Letter dated xxxxxx adding Spouse Beneficiary as Dependent of the Petitioner

(Note: The Petitioner and Spouse Beneficiary tried to open joint bank accounts from various banks as ?Evidence of Financial Commingling?, but were unsuccessful, as the banks require Spouse Beneficiary?s SSN, which she does not have yet pending her adjustment application.)



Prepared By:

_____________________________
YYYY YYYY ZZZ
Petitioner

_____________________________
YYYY YYYY ZZZ
Spouse Beneficiary

End of Table of Contents]


Now...for the INTERVIEW part...

Our interview was at 9:50AM. We got there an hour and a half early so we stayed in the car first and reviewed our folders, practiced Q&A, and prayed some more. We entered the bldg 30 minutes before the appointed time as stated in the interview notice, went thru security check, then directed to a door leading to the lobby. There was just one Hutterite couple waiting in the lobby, and us. After a few minutes, the Hutterite couple were called in, leaving the lobby all to ourselves, so me and hubby took selfies (after getting permission, of course) with the US and USCIS flags lol to pass the time and relieve tension.

Around 10:00 AM, we saw the Hutterite couple being ushered out so we knew we're next. After 15 minutes, the IO came to the lobby and called my name. The IO first asked for our IDS - I gave my passport, hubby gave his driver's license - then she ushered us into her office and swore us in.

First, she said, she was going to verify some information on our application forms (so I took out our copies of the I-130 and I-485 forms; gave the I-130 to hubby). The IO went thru the I-130 first with my hubby, asked him about his parents, his previous/current jobs, address history, and his previous (denied) petition connected with his previous marriage which the IO wanted more details of. While my hubby was giving a lengthy account of his previous marriage/petition, the IO was also taking notes, encircling and underlining words. After that part was done, the IO verified his signature on the form. Then she moved on to my I-485. She asked about my birthday, current address, parents' names, my previous job in my home country, and my previous US visits and purpose. Next, the Yes/No questions, then after that, she verified the signature on the form.

She then shuffled the folders in front of her, looked at our I-864 folder, and asked my hubby, 'did someone file with you'? At first, the question confused us lol but after probably 2 seconds, I answered 'yes, we have a joint sponsor'. So the IO just flipped the pages and looked for the joint sponsor's documents. Then she said, 'oh ok, it's here'.

Then she asked us if we have any joint bank account, we said 'we tried but the banks needed my SSN which I didn't have yet'. We added that altho we lacked joint banking, we have joint tenancy and joint utility agreements. The IO nodded and said she understood. She then asked for a copy of the rental agreement, so I handed her our 'Evidence of Bona Fide Marriage' folder, showed her the Contract, and told her the folder was her copy. She took the folder and was impressed with the presentation, noting the itemized table of contents, and thanked us for making her job easier lol. We showed her how to navigate thru the folder. (Our 2-page Table of Contents is fastened on the left side, while the docs are on the right, to make it easier to cross-check. The docs on the right are divided into 4 sections/'Exhibits' with 4 side tabs; the sub-sections for each Exhibit have bottom tabs.) While she was flipping thru the pages, she asked us:

-How and where did you meet?
-When? We said, 2009. IO recalled my first visit was in 2009 so she asked if I already knew my husband before I came to the US. I said, yes. She asked if we were already a couple then. We said, 'No, just friends'.
-Have you met his parents?
-When did you get married?
-Who lives with you in your house? We said, 'just us and our 2 Shih Tzu kids who are waiting in the car outside', which elicited an 'Awww' from the IO lol. She then shared a story about her own furkids.

She continued leafing thru the folder randomly, stopped when she saw our Advance Health Care Directives, and said 'you know, during check-in, some Helena clinics will now ask if you have an advance health care directive..it's good that you have this'. When she got to the photos and saw our residence on Google Map along with our selfies, she remarked 'oh how creative'.

After she's done with the folder, she discussed about the 2-year conditional GC, the removal of conditions, then handed me a piece of paper to sign. Approved on the spot - my GC also shows the date of interview (Aug 31) as my start of US permanent residency.

Days after the interview came a barrage of messages from USCIS and USPS about cards in production and incoming priority mails. My EAD/AP combo card was mailed a day before the GC...better late than never NBC lol. I received the combo card same day as the I-130/I-485 Approval Notices in mail. Two days after that, came the GC. Yeyy!

Thank you to all who shared their knowledge and experiences. Much much appreciated! Sending virtual hugs to y'all!

Good luck and all the best to those still awaiting updates/results. Don't go crazy, get busy. Learn Spanish or sign language. Be patient.

Congratulation , I rejoice with you

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your Table of Contents, and detailed interview experience with this forum. You truly took it to the next level. I am going to for sure use it as my template when our interview comes - hopefully, it does not come before 08-2017. I thought it was genius to fasten the TOC to the left side of the folder, and fasten all the evidence to the right side. So simple, yet genius!

I actually had to look up AHCD! Advance Health Care Directive!!!! So funny! Sure, I will gladly and humbly accept the TOC and AHCD title. Preparation pays off. Leaving no stone unturned ALSO pays off. You made very easy for the Officer to approve you. Your case wasn't as straightforward as most might think. The ISO could have gotten hung up on your timeline. She remembered you first entered the US in 2009. All I am saying is that left nothing open to interpretation and staged your evidence in way that accurately represented your journey.

Since yours is a tried and true method, I added it to the thread https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showt...097#post581097

Thank you again! All the best,

USCFFS

PS: Remember that you are now on the I-751 Removal of Conditions wagon. They want as many documents as you may have since the date of your marriage until the time you file. See screenshot below.
PS2: The front page of your exhibits are so cool.

[4EVER]

🙂 Thanks for sharing your journey! Great read ! Congrats !!!

Thank you! All the best to you and your spouse.

Congratulations!!! Seems like the interview went very smoothly. Thanks for sharing your experience

Thank you! Yes, thankfully, the IO was a nice lady, I felt at ease right away. She said she's been an IO for many years, after my hubby asked her how long she's been at her job lol.

Congratulation , I rejoice with you

Likewise, Godobo! Cheers! Have you stopped staring at your GC? LOL! I've taken selfies with it haha! Just so happy. Before, without an SSN, EAD, and GC, I felt invisible, now I feel I belong lol. Can't wait for my 1st day at work.

Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your Table of Contents, and detailed interview experience with this forum. You truly took it to the next level. I am going to for sure use it as my template when our interview comes - hopefully, it does not come before 08-2017. I thought it was genius to fasten the TOC to the left side of the folder, and fasten all the evidence to the right side. So simple, yet genius!

I actually had to look up AHCD! Advance Health Care Directive!!!! So funny! Sure, I will gladly and humbly accept the TOC and AHCD title. Preparation pays off. Leaving no stone unturned ALSO pays off. You made very easy for the Officer to approve you. Your case wasn't as straightforward as most might think. The ISO could have gotten hung up on your timeline. She remembered you first entered the US in 2009. All I am saying is that left nothing open to interpretation and staged your evidence in way that accurately represented your journey.

Since yours is a tried and true method, I added it to the thread https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showt...097#post581097

Thank you again! All the best,

USCFFS

PS: Remember that you are now on the I-751 Removal of Conditions wagon. They want as many documents as you may have since the date of your marriage until the time you file. See screenshot below.
PS2: The front page of your exhibits are so cool.

Thank YOU for all that you do for the forum members; you're an angel! Hubby and I will definitely collect evidences, everyday. All the best to you and your spouse!

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Thank YOU for all that you do for the forum members; you're an angel! Hubby and I will definitely collect evidences, everyday. All the best to you and your spouse!

Virtual hug! Husband finally got a job. Thank you for your best wishes!