+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

Interview-Do both of us need to be there?

nortena

Star Member
Dec 14, 2011
72
0
Texas
Category........
Visa Office......
Ottawa
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
08/07/2013
AOR Received.
25-07-13
Med's Done....
08/03/2013
Interview........
Waived
Passport Req..
Waived
LANDED..........
22-03-2014
Please please help, IF called to an interview do both of us need to be there?

We will be submitting an application soon to be processed in buffalo. He is a canadian PR and I'm a US citizen, he can't come to the US and getting a visitors visa will not be easy, what do you suggest we do? Thank you so much for your responses. :)
 

humpakwatankaylog

Hero Member
Nov 4, 2011
242
19
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
nortena said:
Please please help, IF called to an interview do both of us need to be there?

We will be submitting an application soon to be processed in buffalo. He is a canadian PR and I'm a US citizen, he can't come to the US and getting a visitors visa will not be easy, what do you suggest we do? Thank you so much for your responses. :)
It depends but mostly they have the other person(sponsor) over the phone but the applicant in person if they call both to interview. But mostly they don't ask the sponsor to attend the interview.
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
123
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Given that the only applicants going through Buffalo that I've heard have an interview requested were NOT U.S. citizens, I think chances are you will not have an interview. If Buffalo DID request an interview, they would note whether it would involve your spouse as well. Of course it makes sense you would want to travel together, whether for an interview or for landing (which again, you are not required to have your sponsor present for). Like I said though, I have not heard of any U.S. citizens being asked for an interview by Buffalo so you most likely have nothing to worry about. Make sure your spouse is residing in Canada while the application is being processed as he is a PR and not a citizen.

nortena said:
Please please help, IF called to an interview do both of us need to be there?

We will be submitting an application soon to be processed in buffalo. He is a canadian PR and I'm a US citizen, he can't come to the US and getting a visitors visa will not be easy, what do you suggest we do? Thank you so much for your responses. :)
 

rjessome

VIP Member
Feb 24, 2009
4,354
212
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Interviews in overseas sponsorships are for the Applicant only. The sponsor is not interviewed UNLESS they happen to be there and agree to be interviewed with their spouse. It's interesting because it's a very different procedure than inland. But it is not a requirement that the sponsor attend the interview. As another poster said, if the VO has questions for the sponsor, they will call them on the telephone. But that doesn't happen often.
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
123
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
We recently had someone on the Buffalo thread report that he (the PA and not a U.S. citizen) received an interview request from Buffalo stating that both he and his wife were to attend in late April. It makes sense given the variation among embassies in how they process, and probably also the fact that Buffalo is the closest of the overseas processing centers to the Canadian border and hence the feasibility, that they have that option at their discretion over there.
rjessome said:
Interviews in overseas sponsorships are for the Applicant only. The sponsor is not interviewed UNLESS they happen to be there and agree to be interviewed with their spouse. It's interesting because it's a very different procedure than inland. But it is not a requirement that the sponsor attend the interview. As another poster said, if the VO has questions for the sponsor, they will call them on the telephone. But that doesn't happen often.
 

scarycemetery

Hero Member
Oct 13, 2011
397
4
Category........
Visa Office......
Damascus
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
22-11-2010
Doc's Request.
16-08-2011
File Transfer...
10-01-2011
Med's Done....
09-11-2010 and 04-11-2011
Interview........
24-11-2011
Passport Req..
19-01-2012
VISA ISSUED...
23-01-2012
LANDED..........
09-02-2012
It depends. I am staying with my husband in his country while his application is being processed. He had an interview on Nov. 24th so I went with him to the embassy. I wasn't expecting to be called in but they did because my husband had mentioned that I was waiting outside for him.

Usually they will just interview the person being sponsored, but in some cases they can interview both either in person or by phone.
 

rjessome

VIP Member
Feb 24, 2009
4,354
212
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
ddobro2 said:
We recently had someone on the Buffalo thread report that he (the PA and not a U.S. citizen) received an interview request from Buffalo stating that both he and his wife were to attend in late April. It makes sense given the variation among embassies in how they process, and probably also the fact that Buffalo is the closest of the overseas processing centers to the Canadian border and hence the feasibility, that they have that option at their discretion over there.
That's rare. In all the years I've been on this forum and practicing that's the first time I've heard of a SPONSOR being instructed to attend an interview for an overseas application. And the VOs don't necessarily have the discretion to instruct the sponsor to travel for an interview if it's not the SPONSOR'S country of citizenship or residence. What if the SPONSOR was inadmissible to the US for some reason or had other reasons for being unable to travel? No, I don't believe they can compel the SPONSOR to travel. If they wanted to interview them the SPONSOR could insist it be done in Canada or by telephone.
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
123
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
I'm confused here. I thought the issue was whether they ask the sponsor to attend, not the principal applicant....

rjessome said:
That's rare. In all the years I've been on this forum and practicing that's the first time I've heard of a PA being instructed to attend an interview for an overseas application. And the VOs don't necessarily have the discretion to instruct the sponsor to travel for an interview if it's not the PA's country of citizenship or residence. What if the PA was inadmissible to the US for some reason or had other reasons for being unable to travel? No, I don't believe they can compel the PA to travel. If they wanted to interview them the PA could insist it be done in Canada or by telephone.
 

rjessome

VIP Member
Feb 24, 2009
4,354
212
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
ddobro2 said:
I'm confused here. I thought the issue was whether they ask the sponsor to attend, not the principal applicant....
DUH! I and shouldn't be answering questions late at night! I'm going to modify my answer above to subsitute PA to SPONSOR. Sorry for the confusion.
 

jacobsdennis

Full Member
Oct 21, 2011
47
0
Edmonton, Alberta
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
20-12-2010
AOR Received.
19-01-2011
File Transfer...
07-03-2011
Interview........
07-12-2011
Passport Req..
07-12-2011
VISA ISSUED...
07-12-2011
LANDED..........
07-12-2011
nortena said:
Please please help, IF called to an interview do both of us need to be there?

We will be submitting an application soon to be processed in buffalo. He is a canadian PR and I'm a US citizen, he can't come to the US and getting a visitors visa will not be easy, what do you suggest we do? Thank you so much for your responses. :)
Nortena, my partner and I JUST went through this with Buffalo. He received a letter from Buffalo stating that we BOTH had to attend an interview at their office. It was approximately 2 months from the date of the letter. I am a Canadian citizen and he is a Filipino citizen and the US granted him a 10-year multiple entry Visitor visa! He was granted PR immediately following the interview and landed that same day! They interviewed him for approximately 40-50 minutes and they called me in at the end for about 10-15 minutes.

Hope this gives some insight from someone who just did all of this!
 

ddobro2

Champion Member
May 4, 2011
2,589
38
123
Montreal, QC Canada
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo, NY
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Ah ok, so you and NYQUE both.
jacobsdennis said:
Nortena, my partner and I JUST went through this with Buffalo. He received a letter from Buffalo stating that we BOTH had to attend an interview at their office. It was approximately 2 months from the date of the letter. I am a Canadian citizen and he is a Filipino citizen and the US granted him a 10-year multiple entry Visitor visa! He was granted PR immediately following the interview and landed that same day! They interviewed him for approximately 40-50 minutes and they called me in at the end for about 10-15 minutes.

Hope this gives some insight from someone who just did all of this!
 

scarycemetery

Hero Member
Oct 13, 2011
397
4
Category........
Visa Office......
Damascus
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
22-11-2010
Doc's Request.
16-08-2011
File Transfer...
10-01-2011
Med's Done....
09-11-2010 and 04-11-2011
Interview........
24-11-2011
Passport Req..
19-01-2012
VISA ISSUED...
23-01-2012
LANDED..........
09-02-2012
rjessome said:
That's rare. In all the years I've been on this forum and practicing that's the first time I've heard of a SPONSOR being instructed to attend an interview for an overseas application. And the VOs don't necessarily have the discretion to instruct the sponsor to travel for an interview if it's not the SPONSOR'S country of citizenship or residence. What if the SPONSOR was inadmissible to the US for some reason or had other reasons for being unable to travel? No, I don't believe they can compel the SPONSOR to travel. If they wanted to interview them the SPONSOR could insist it be done in Canada or by telephone.
If you read carefully, I said I am staying in my husband's country. Also that I wasn't compelled to go to the interview, but just was waiting outside while my husband had his. They called me in because I happened to be there.
 

rjessome

VIP Member
Feb 24, 2009
4,354
212
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
scarycemetery said:
If you read carefully, I said I am staying in my husband's country. Also that I wasn't compelled to go to the interview, but just was waiting outside while my husband had his. They called me in because I happened to be there.
I was responding to ddobro2, not your comment. And yes, I've seen similar situations to yours where, since you are there and willing, they will ask you to be interviewed as well.
 

Ninjaturtle

Member
Jan 2, 2012
11
0
scarycemetery said:
If you read carefully, I said I am staying in my husband's country. Also that I wasn't compelled to go to the interview, but just was waiting outside while my husband had his. They called me in because I happened to be there.
Hello! I just wanted to know if they asked you question or you just attended to your husband's interview? My husband is living in the US as a student, I was not asked to be at the interview, but will go anyways because I figure it looks good and I want to support my husband all the way in this process. Thanks! :)
 

Mark5

Star Member
Dec 13, 2011
55
0
Sorry, just to add my two cents too....
We received a letter last month that both me and my spouse (Applicant & Sponsor) must attend an interview next month @month ish. so we are in the process of getting him a visiting Visa to USA. Basically i believe they have implemented a new rule for non-US citizen applying through outland or choosing buffalo as there processing center.