u/Few-Salamander-1921

Wanted to share since Stokes/separated interviews can be nerve-wracking.

Timeline (slightly rounded dates for privacy):

• 02/25/2026 – Filed concurrent AOS (I-130/I-485/I-765/I-864)
• 03/03/2026 – RFE: joint sponsor required (most recent tax return below poverty line despite spouse‘s recent raise)
• 03/17/2026 – RFE response received (added joint sponsor)
• 03/05/2026 – Biometrics scheduled
• 03/21/2026 – Case moved to “actively reviewing” right after biometrics were taken
• 03/24/2026 – Interview scheduled / updated status
• 04/30/2026 – Interview (separated / Stokes-style)
• 05/11/2026 – I-130 approved
• 05/23/2026 – I-485 approved

Interview:
Separated interviews caught us off guard for a first marriage case. Questions were very detailed:

• apartment layout + daily routine
• relationship timeline + milestones
• finances + shared accounts
• family + travel history
• proposal / wedding details
• proof of pregnancy

Answers matched closely. No extra documents requested.

At the end, the officer said they were waiting on updated background/security revalidation, so no decision on the spot.

Post-interview:
Went into “active review” immediately after. That waiting period was honestly the worst part mentally.

Then:

• I-130 approved first
• I-485 approved ~10 days after I-130

No NOID. No second interview. No further RFE.

Just posting because I know separated interviews can feel like a bad sign in FOs that don’t usually have them — in our case it wasn’t.

Not that I ever thought it matters for AOS but I am from the 75 countries.

My wife and I applied for marriage-based adjustment of status (I am the beneficiary).

We filed concurrently at the end of February (I-485, I-130, I-130A, I-765, I-864). Biometrics were completed in March and our interview was scheduled pretty quickly afterward.

We submitted a large amount of evidence including:

- joint bank account statements

- joint car/health/renters insurance

- joint lease and rent statements

- utility statements in both names

- beneficiary verification letters for investment accounts

- notarized affidavits

- ~30 photos covering a 2+ year relationship

- pregnancy test + ultrasound documentation

Our interview was on May 1st. The interview ended up being separated/Stokes-style, which surprised both us and our lawyer because apparently that is uncommon at our field office, especially for a first interview.

The officer asked a lot of detailed questions separately, but based on discussions afterward and our lawyer’s feedback, our answers matched very closely.

At the end, the officer said they could not approve the case yet because the file still needed the updated biometrics/background re-vetting that USCIS recently started doing. They estimated it could take around 2 weeks, but possibly up to 90 days.

We were not asked for additional evidence and no inconsistencies were brought up during or after the interview.

Has anyone here gone through a separated/Stokes-style interview and still been approved without issues afterward? If so:

- how long did approval take?

- did you receive a NOID/RFE first?

- or did the case just approve normally after review?

Would especially appreciate hearing from anyone who interviewed recently after the new re-vetting/background check changes.