USCIS Marriage Interview Tips for Immigrants

Immigration Attorneys in New York, Ohio, Georgia and Nationwide

Marrying a U.S. citizen is one way to get a green card and citizenship in the U.S., but there can be challenges to the process. Whether you married in the U.S. or abroad, you will need to undergo a marriage interview with a representative of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The job of the interviewer is to determine if your marriage is "real" or if it is simply a marriage of convenience.

The immigration lawyers at the law office of Margaret Wong & Associates, Co., provide culturally sensitive legal advice to couples facing the marriage interview process. Allow us to help you approach this important interview with confidence. Contact our Ohio, New York or Georgia law office to schedule a consultation with an attorney near you.

Marriage Interview Tip 1: Be Prepared

You will be asked about your relationship - how and where you met, how long you dated. Details that demonstrate you live together can include such things as where you shop, the color of a toothbrush, the names of close relatives, what you did for a recent holiday or vacation.

• It can help if you come to the interview with family photographs, birthday cards and letters, videotapes of celebrations.
• It will help if your marriage took place in public, with witnesses and photographs. If it did not, or it took place overseas, an after-wedding reception may be appropriate.

The interviewer will want to know if your household will be self-supporting. A foreign-born spouse may be asked about his or her employment plans. The U.S. spouse may be asked how he or she will support a non-working spouse. A foreign-born spouse cannot seek public assistance within the first five years of entering the U.S.

• You may demonstrate that you have shared financial obligations by providing documentation of a joint bank or checking account, or bills in both names.

If the foreign-born spouse has children who have not yet arrived in the U.S., you will be asked if and when the children will join you.

Marriage Interview Tip 2: Make a Good Impression

This is one of the most important days of your life together, so do everything possible to make a good impression. Make sure you have your documents neatly ordered and free of errors. Dress appropriately and professionally. Speak clearly, honestly and with sincerity.

Be on time. Although your interviewer may be late, you should be on time or early. It demonstrates how important this is to you and your respect for the processes of the USCIS.

Marriage Interview Tip 3: Cultural Differences

The USCIS does make allowances for cultural differences. For example, persons from cultures in which arranged marriage is the norm may be asked different questions than others. The interviewer is experienced talking to people from many cultures. If you are concerned about cultural differences, you can trust our immigration lawyer to help you prepare.

Contact Us to schedule a consultation.

At Margaret W. Wong & Assoc. Co., LPA, our attorneys help people with all kinds of immigration matters, from employment visas to asylum, throughout the United States. With law offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, MI, and New York City many of our clients come from Cleveland, Columbus, Akron, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Dayton, OH, as well as locations throughout Michigan and New York.