Preparing for Your Green Card Interview

Clients mention interview preparation in their reviews more than anything else we do, and there is a reason. By the time an interview notice arrives, the paperwork is largely settled. What is left is a conversation, and conversations go badly when you are surprised.

What the interview is actually for

An officer has your file in front of them. The appointment exists so they can confirm three things:

1. That you are who the file says you are. Identity and documents.
2. That the relationship or basis of the petition is genuine. For marriage cases, this is most of the appointment.
3. That nothing disqualifies you. The eligibility questions on the application, asked out loud.

That is the whole agenda. Officers are not trying to trick anyone. They are checking whether what you say matches what you filed.

What to expect on the day

Arrive early, bring the originals of everything you submitted as a copy, and bring your identification. You will likely wait. You will be placed under oath. The officer will go through your application, sometimes line by line, and will ask you to confirm answers you gave months ago.

In marriage cases you are usually interviewed together. Officers can separate spouses when something concerns them, so it is worth being prepared for that possibility rather than assuming it will not happen.

The questions that catch people out

Not the hard ones. The ordinary ones:

• Dates you have not thought about since you filed.
• Addresses you lived at years ago, in order.
• Details about your spouse's routine, family, or work that you know perfectly well but have never said out loud to a stranger under oath.
• Anything in your history that you were hoping would not come up.

None of these are difficult if you have reviewed your own file. All of them are difficult cold.

What preparation looks like

Before your interview, you sit down with us and go through your file the way the officer will. We cover the likely questions, including the uncomfortable ones, and settle the practical details: where to go, what to carry, what to do if you genuinely do not remember something.

That last point matters. "I don't remember" is an acceptable answer. Guessing is not. A guess that contradicts your paperwork creates a problem where none existed.

If you are nervous

Nearly everyone is, and officers see it all day. Nerves are not evidence of anything. What creates problems is being unprepared, contradicting your own file, or answering a question you did not actually understand. Preparation removes all three, which removes most of the anxiety along with them.

After the interview

You may be approved on the spot, asked for additional evidence, or told the case is being held for review. None of these is unusual. If evidence is requested, respond completely and inside the deadline.

Have an interview notice in hand? Request a consultation or call (718) 847-3757 and we will get you ready.

This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.