The green card marriage interview is an important part of the green card process and both the partners must attend the interview. Applicants can take the stress out of the situation through careful preparation. First thing they need to do is to gather the documents that they need for their interview. The list of documents they need can be found on their interview notice.
People believe that the easiest way to get a green card is through marriage, and this makes them get involved in marriage fraud. They get married to U.S. citizens only to get green cards and to settle in the U.S. People seeking to immigrate to the U.S. need to remember that marriage fraud is a punishable crime that can result in jail or deportation. To prevent marriage fraud, USCIS requires both the sponsors and the beneficiaries to appear for interviews.
Following are some simple tips that will help those getting ready for marriage green card interviews.
Do not be late: Applicants can find the scheduled interview time on their interview appointment notices. They will need to arrive at the interview location at least 45 minutes ahead of their scheduled interview time.
Dressing tips: Applicants need to present themselves well. The immigration interview is a formal situation and the immigration officers are likely to judge the couple by their outward appearance. So they will need to be careful about the clothes they wear for their interview. They must dress conservatively and avoid flip flops and shorts.
Don’t carry electronic gadgets: Applicants must not carry with them their cell phones with camera functions and other electronic gadgets as such things are not allowed in the federal building where they will be interviewed.
Listen to questions and answer appropriately: Specific questions will be asked by the interviewing officer for which the interviewer will expect specific and direct answers. The couple needs to wait for the interviewer to ask them questions and must keep their answers short. They must not be talkative. They need to give an impression of being well organized.
Know about your husband or wife well: At the interview, the couple will need to prove that they are both living together. This will help them prove that their marriage is legal. Immigration officers also want the couple to demonstrate that they know well about each other. Interviewing officers will ask them certain questions about their husband or wife such as their date of birth and daily routine. The couple will generally be interviewed together. They will be interviewed individually if the officer doubts the validity of their marriage. Applicants can quiz each other prior to their interview on their personal information and this will help them to answer questions in case they are interviewed individually.
Proof of marital relationship: Documents to prove the validity of the marriage must be submitted during the interview. Applicants must bring original documents and a set of duplicate copies. They need to bring their marriage certificates, documents that have both their names, such as their joint bank account statements, lease or mortgage, joint credit cards, health or life insurance, birth certificates of their children with both their names featured and other financial documents. The documents can be organized and clipped together and handed over to the immigration officer in a stack.
Pictures and text messages: Pictures of the couple snapped from their wedding, trips and events with family members can be used to show that they are living together and that their marriage is real. The couple can save text messages and emails they have sent each other. This will help them to show the immigration officers that their relationship is genuine and that have been talking to each other consistently.
Nothing to memorize: There is nothing to memorize and there are no prescribed interview questions. All the questions asked at the interview will be about their marital relationship. Likewise, they must not guess anything. They can say “I don’t know” or “I don’t remember” if they do not know the answer for a particular question.
If the interview goes well, the interviewing officers will tell the applicants that they will be issued green cards. But this does not apply to all the applicants. Some may not receive a decision soon after their interview and they may be told that they will receive a decision in the mail. In case additional information is required, immigration officers will decide on the cases after the applicants submit the required evidence.
