F-1 visa during OPT to GC

Prior visas: b1/b2 and J1

Timeline:
Feb 9, 2026 — Mailed
Feb 10, 2026 — Received
Feb 17, 2026 — Money taken from account
Feb 21, 2026 — Biometrics scheduled
Mar 11, 2026 — Biometrics appointment
Mar 27, 2026 — Online account updated: interview scheduled
Apr 17, 2026 — Interview
Apr 22, 2026 — Approved
Apr 27, 2026 — Notification that card was produced
Apr 28, 2026 — Card shipped (USPS notification)
May 2, 2026 — Card received

Interview day:
The interview was very chill. There were two agents because the one interviewing us was new and in a training period. We treated them like normal people, shook their hands, and said “nice to meet you” when they called us in. While he was starting the system, we talked about the city we live in and the weather — the interviewing agent was foreign as well.

He asked my husband questions first: name, DOB, SSN, how we met, when we started dating, and a general summary of the relationship. My husband actually got the date we started dating wrong, but it was no big deal.

The agent asked if we wanted kids. My husband explained that not really, but that we may adopt in the future. The agent kind of paused and looked at me to see my reaction, and I agreed. I explained that I never really wanted biological kids either, but that if I ever decided to have children, I would prefer adoption. I mentioned this was actually one of the major topics we aligned on early in the relationship.

While he typed, he would confirm information my husband mentioned. Since my husband brought up that I work at a law firm as an associate, the agent became interested in our finances. He basically said he was not concerned because he understood we were above the required financial threshold.

The agent also asked my husband if we argue. My husband answered, “Often, but who doesn’t? We talk things through and keep living life.” I looked at him like “?!” and laughed nervously lol.

Then the agent asked me to confirm my personal information, asked about my job, and confirmed some documents related to past visas. I had a J-1 visa about 10 years ago, so they asked about the DS-2019. I explained that I did not have a waiver letter for the two-year home residency requirement because I had actually returned home and stayed there for 9 years before later coming back on an F-1 and then applying for adjustment of status.

He then started asking the standard yes/no questionnaire questions, but before that he asked my husband if he knew about the questionnaire and then asked if I was comfortable answering it.

Whenever the agent was typing or waiting for the system to load, he would casually talk with us. We talked with both agents about things like moving to the city we live in, whether they could choose where they worked, etc. My husband is a veteran, so they also asked him about his military experience, but it did not feel related to the interview itself.

Honestly, it felt more like a conversation where everyone was getting to know each other. I know that may sound weird, but that is genuinely how it felt. There was no hostility, no invasive questions about sex, and nothing uncomfortable.

Before finalizing everything, the agent asked my husband if he knew my parents’ names. My husband mixed up my mom’s last name, and I corrected him, but the agent jokingly said I should not have done that lol. I apologized, and then he asked me my husband’s parents’ names, which I answered correctly.

At the end, he asked if we had any questions. I asked about the expected timeline because my husband was planning to travel to my home country for an extra class related to his master’s degree, and I wanted to go with him to visit my family. The agent asked for the dates and said he could not promise anything, but that he would do his best to get everything done before then — and he did!

He did say that he wished all cases were so easy as ours and that we should feel good about the process. He gave us the white paper before we left. Interview total time was about one hour.

Background:
We did not have many photos with my husband’s family because we got married within our first year of dating, and most of his family lives out of state. The house is only under his name because he purchased it before meeting me. We also had almost no photos with my family because they have never met him in person yet. However, we did have photos with friends from both sides.

We have a joint bank account and joint credit cards, I pay the utilities, we buy groceries together, we have car insurance together, and we are each other’s beneficiaries on our life insurance policies. His grandmother, brother, and one of my friends wrote affidavits saying they knew us before and after we met and that the marriage was legitimate and not for immigration purposes.

We did everything ourselves, but we both have backgrounds that helped us understand the system and what kinds of evidence carry more weight, so we tried to put together the strongest package possible.

We also uploaded more photos, bills, and travel tickets from trips we took between filing and the interview date.

My advice for the interview is this: show confidence. If you do not have anything to hide, you will probably be fine. Nobody’s story is perfect, and every couple has little quirks or imperfections in their history. Be comfortable with the flaws and realities of your relationship, and be prepared to explain anything that may seem out of the ordinary.

Feel free to ask any questions, I owe this community A LOT for all the reassurance and guidance I received throughout the preparation process, filing, and interview journey!