What information does VO have before the interview

[woainilin]

Last night I was considering .. what information does the VO have prior to the interview.

 

Up until the point of the interview GZ only has the I-129 and the request for VISA which is returned after the P3 is sent. After that the beneficiary has all the information that GZ asked for and they bring it to the interview But this interview is normally very quick, does the VO see all this information prior to the interview? If so when do they request this?

 

Thanks

Toni

 

Thanks

[Feathers268]

At the interview, The VO will have everything you or your fiancee have ever sent. They will also have collected all of the P4 documents in the morning to review before having him back in the afternoon for the actual interview. I can't remember the complete list, but after the medical, he will get a checklist of what to bring when picking up the med results and they will seal them in the correct order for the interview.

After he gets the visa, that package will then go with him though customs and be sent to USCIS. I remember seeing pictures I sent with the original I-129 at Jen's AOS interview.

[warpedbored]

This has been a subject of considerable debate. According to USCONGUZ the file isn't looked at until the interview. Many have a hard time believing this and still speculate the decision is made before hand. If not the decision is made on very little information and a 5 minute interview.

[woainilin]

This has been a subject of considerable debate.  According to USCONGUZ the file isn't looked at until the interview.  Many have a hard time believing this and still speculate the decision is made before hand.  If not the decision is made on very little information and a 5 minute interview.

233251[/snapback]

But if they information they have prior to interview is only the I-129 information. then what could they be basing a decision on ? This is very basic info and normally at least 1 year old.

[david_dawei]

The short answer is: Do you meet all the requirements ?

- eligibility (nothing makes you ineligible--namechecks, fraud, etc)

- documents are correct

- financials are correct

 

 

They have all the information from:

- I-129 petition (includes G-325, intent to marry, pictures, etc);

- P3 docs (includes DS-230 and OF-169 checklist);

- P4 docs brought to the interview (DS-156/K, DS-157, etc)

- medical exam results

- Namecheck results

- POSSIBLY (and most likely) a case with markings that the VO should pay attention to...

 

For lack of a better example; think of it as a credit card application where you send in an application with all the required info and a credit report is also run on you.. they decide based on this info: Is the information correct, consistent, truthful, valid, meeting the requirements for eligibility and to cover use of the card...

 

In the case of the VISA interview, there is an additional, and final step (hopefully) that is required of the process and gives the authority to a VO to state whether the case requirements are all meet; In what seems perfunctory manner, a few questions are asked that reveal the consistency of the case or some inconsistency (they suspect or are digging for).

 

The VOs, which are akin to interrogators are trained for this job and their fast review is hopefully not their own decision, but the entire course of the process's review (ie: case has all the info and probably marks or checks at different stages... another review possibly at the day of the interview since papers are turned in and must be inserted into the case)...

 

I tend to see those 5 minutes as his final stamp that everything in the case is "good to go" and he verifies that with a face-to-face to see if the beneficiary is not displaying any appearance inconsistent with the case.

 

One issue sometimes raised is how much more should a person put into the case at various stages... My feeling has always been that of a minimalist; give them what they ask for. I have one personal deviation from that at the I-129F petition (my intent letter contained brief detail of the evolution of the relationship, carefully tied back to proofs submitted in that petition)... I believe the more you add the more scruntiny they can apply. Let them ask something at the interview if they need... IMO...