Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

(Part 1)

MANY people had relative petitions filed for them by family members (such as spouse, parent, brother, sister, etc.). After waiting anxiously for several years (sometimes over a decade), the priority date finally becomes current, and they are called by USCIS for their adjustment of status interview. They may think to themselves that because they filed the Petition on their own, they can handle the interview themselves and save money, by not having an attorney with them for their adjustment of status interview.

However, filing a petition and getting it approved is relatively simple, compared to an in-person interview. After all, with a petition, you fill out the form, include supporting documentation, and mail it away to the USCIS. You then receive an Approval Notice from the USCIS in the mail, without ever seeing any Immigration Officer in person.

An adjustment of status interview puts you in an entirely different situation. This may now be the first time that you come face-to-face with an Immigration Officer. At your interview, you may be questioned in detail about your case or petition. This could include the facts about how you entered the US (i.e. under a different name or date of birth), what you have been doing in the US all these years (i.e. have you been working without authorization?), whether you ever applied for any other immigration benefit during that time (i.e. Political Asylum, CSS/LULAC, etc.)

The documents that you submitted when you first filed the petition, as well as the documents you bring to the interview, will be examined carefully by the Immigration Officer, who is highly trained to spot and detect fraudulent documents, such as fake birth certificates, employment letters, tax returns, etc.

Although Officers conducting interviews are courteous, professional, and fair, you could really mess up your case if you don’t bring the proper or complete documentation, don’t provide correct information, start contradicting yourself, start giving evasive answers because you’re confused, tired, or scared. Even if you’re "innocent," it may look like you are trying to hide something or you are lying (even when you’re telling the truth). This could create suspicion in the mind of the Officer. So, even though you may be legitimately entitled to the immigration benefit being sought, you could find yourself being put under investigation, or even having your case denied.