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Do USCIS or consulates call recommenders?

Key answer

It happens, though not often: the community has seen consulates call recommenders after the interview, sometimes in Russian. Warn your recommender that a call may come. A separate risk: a letter in flawless English from someone who cannot speak it looks odd if a call happens.

Community answers

The answers below are translated from the original Russian - the language of the community chats.

  • Both I and my recommenders were called after the interview - specifically from the consulate. They spoke with an accent, but in Russian.

  • If you arrange with a recommender, inform them that a call is possible with a series of questions - this is honest and reduces panic in the moment.

  • If a person struggles to speak English but 'wrote' a long letter in English and then cannot explain themselves over the phone - it looks strange. Keep this in mind when selecting recommenders.

  • In the O-1 process at the consulate, they may call and verify, including the employer. For EB-1A, recommenders are typically not called - such cases are rarely encountered in the community. However, letters must still be authentic and verifiable because the officer can check the signer through public sources.

The answers are anonymized community experience from the public chats, not legal advice. Officers may decide similar cases differently.

Sources

All questions on: Recommendation lettersAll questions on: Consulate and interview

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A reference page built from community experience, not legal advice. Requirements and practice change - verify on uscis.gov.

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