If you’re seeking a green card through marriage, you and your spouse will need to attend an interview at a local USCIS office. This article will guide you on preparing for the green card marriage interview. Firstly, remember not to memorize or rehearse answers. This will make you sound unnatural and can trigger red flags.
Be on time
When USCIS receives your marriage-based green card application, they will send you an interview notice. This is the last big step in the process and it can be the most stressful. When you and your spouse attend the interview, a USCIS officer will be there to ask questions regarding your relationship. They may ask about how long you and your spouse dated, what food was served at your wedding, and even what time your spouse wakes up in the morning.
These questions are designed to determine whether or not your marriage is authentic. It is important to be prepared for the interview and to answer these questions correctly. If you are not, your case may be denied on the spot. To help you prepare, sit down with your spouse and refresh your memory about your relationship. Also, gather all of the original documents that you submitted to USCIS in your green card application package. These can include passports, birth certificates, and prior divorce documents.
Be prepared to answer questions
The interview is an opportunity for USCIS to verify the information in your marriage green card application. The officer will ask questions about your and your spouse’s life together. These can be personal in nature, such as what each of you does for a living and how you met your spouse. The interviewer may also ask about your family, including children, parents, and siblings.
Applicants should be prepared to answer these questions, and should not be afraid to be honest. The officer is looking for authentic information, not a fake façade of an idyllic marriage. The more authentic the information provided, the easier it will be for the interviewing officer to approve your application. However, applicants should avoid rehearsing or memorizing their answers, as this will sound unnatural and could raise suspicions of fraud. Instead, it is best to discuss the questions with an immigration attorney. This will help couples prepare for the questions and practice answering them in a way that is most natural.
Be honest
Honesty is a core strength that can help you during the green card marriage interview. The interview is conducted by USCIS officers and is designed to detect any signs of fraudulent behavior or inauthentic relationships. This is done by asking a variety of questions about the couple’s relationship. Some of these questions may seem innocuous but others might be more probing, such as ‘what color are your sheets’ or ‘where did you last go on vacation?’
Remember that you will be sworn in during the interview and therefore, you are legally obligated to tell the truth. Trying to hide or conceal information is dishonest and could result in the denial of your application or even arrest. Couples should try to be relaxed during the interview and not act overly affectionate or uncomfortable. Memorizing answers can sound rehearsed and raise suspicions of fraud. If you cannot recall an answer, it is better to say you don’t know rather than lie.
Be prepared to provide evidence
USCIS may ask you and your spouse to answer questions about how the relationship started and progressed before becoming engaged and married. It’s important that you both tell a consistent story and have the same memories of these events. This will help show that you and your spouse established a genuine marriage.
USCIS officers might also separate you and your spouse and conduct one-on-one interviews with each of you. These are referred to as Stokes interviews. They are conducted by officers in the Fraud Detection and National Security unit, and they are used to identify red flags such as an extremely short marriage, very different cultural backgrounds, or even different addresses showing up online for the two spouses.
To prepare for these types of interviews, couples should sit down together in the weeks leading up to the interview and take inventory of important dates and events. They can also practice by doing mock interviews with each other to simulate the experience and make sure they are on the same page about their relationship history.