Community Post
Our Process
We got married in 11/2023, filed I-130& I-485 together no lawyer I did everything myself on 2/23/2024. My husband was suggesting a lawyer because he had a conditional green card before from his first marriage. He came to the US in 2001, he got married in 2008 and was issued the conditional green card in 2009. They were having difficulties and his ex filed for divorce and never showed up to the appointment to remove the condition. I think he kept getting extensions for a few years because he was trying to obtain it without her-long story. Now he has been without status for years, I knew him for years now we dated went our separate ways and started dating again in 2021. Fast forward to receipt notice and him not having to do Biometrics, so I lived on this app reading comments and hoping and praying. In July I filed for advanced parole for him to go to his grandma’s funeral but two days after I went on the USCIS website and saw where I could request an in person appointment based on the fact that an I-485 was already submitted, this was a Sunday night and they called the following day with an appointment, we rescheduled because we did not have the death certificate on hand so soon but we eventually got it and went to the appointment and he was granted 2 weeks. We left the country for 3 days to attend the funeral and back. Some time in January I called for an update on our case and to see if it was still at NBC and I was told that it has been at our field office (Mt. Laurel) since June of last year. I received an email that an action has been taken on our case I was so excited because I was really hoping for an approval but instead we got a scheduled interview- still happy, because I know we love each other and our relationship is legitimate. This was on 01/16/25, our Interview was scheduled for 02/13/2025. Ever so often I would upload unsolicited evidence to our account like our joint taxes, bank accounts, life insurance, lease and so on as soon as we established them together, also I submitted medical, affidavit of support and all these things initially with the I-130/485. When we got to the interview the officer came to the door and called my husband and I got up and walk towards the door with him and she said, “ No just him you have a seat.” omg that didn’t start well, I sat there for hours can’t see her or him coming to get me, there were other people who came for their citizenship ceremony who were waiting to go to another room to swear in I heard them announcing that the computers are down and the others should return later in the afternoon this down computer was affecting everything because his interviewing officer could not see anything other than what physical evidence we brought which she didn’t care about because she was apparently scolding my husband in there. The door opened and on the top of her voice while ushering out my husband she points to me and was like, “ you can I talk to you?” In my head I’m wondering how is this going this way, nothing I imagined or have ever heard of. My husband sat where I was sitting and I went in. She showed me the seat in front of her desk, I proceeded to sit down then she said, “stand up, raise your right hand,” then she have me swear that what I’ll be saying is true. I did and she asked when and how we met, when we got married, who reached out to who first because she knew that we dated, separated now married. She began to tell me that my husband told her that he lives in NY and he has a NY driver’s license and I’m telling her that he still works in NY we have a lease in NJ, she wasn’t hearing any of that. She said, “I don’t care, this is not a real marriage, I’m sending this case to NY” So I said, “why when we live here in Jersey?” I’m so nervous now because I can’t even think properly because she was very dismissive and whenever I questioned her she gives attitude. She asked me what I wanted her to do, if she should denied this application and I said, “as oppose to?” and she said sending it to NY so I said ok send it to NY. She makes me feel as if it would be sent to NY until there is an opening. But what I didn’t mentioned was that after all of this conversation with her she asked if my husband uses any other name and I told her just the name that we all call him, and she kept asking if any other name and I said no. She was like, “did you know your husband has an arrest record?” I froze, I told her no and omg she went off and I’m like in my head, “what the hell did they find that my husband did not tell me about?” That’s all she gave me but she kep reiterating, ”an ARREST RECORD!” Now even if I could argue anything about marriage legitimacy I couldn’t because of this info in my head I just somewhat gave up, so hurt and confused. I was with her for minutes my husband for hours then she walk me to the door and that was it. My husband kept asking, “babe what did she say?” I’m saying nothing because I’m mad and sad. We got to the car and I told him. This was an arrest way before even his first marriage where he was driving through NJ at the time got stopped by the cops for speeding and he also was smoking prior to and the found that in the car- already smoked half way. This was 2003, my husband said that he was release after they finger printed him no jail time went to court and one of the charges was dismissed and dropped (he only remembered because the RFE had some info about the case... Now he was here driving with a license with a name of a person that doesn’t exist, the ID he showed the cop, they could not find that person after fingerprinting so they knew it was fake. Gentle folks are you all seeing my dilemma? According to my husband that was so long ago-22 years he forgot about it especially because that was never even mentioned when he got his first green card and the case was dismissed, just a whole lot. Long story short we saw a lawyer who calmed down my husband because he was so disappointed. Lawyer said she can’t say he has to have a driver’s license in the state we live that just doesn’t make sense and he also said that that officer doesn’t decide, she can make her recommendation but supervisor have to look at the case and also that they will send an RFE. We became a little relaxed now. They lawyer told my husband to try and get the info from the court so that when the RFE comes there is no delay. Listen, this man has no memory at all, he doesn’t know what township, nothing we are stuck again. 03/04/25 They sent RFE and that’s how we knew about the case and where it all took place then my husband’s memory kept coming back. They gave us 5/30/2025 to respond to the RFEs. This is so long I’m sorry but asked me anything and I’ll tell you, including what they requested and such.
