Getting settled post marriage with the US spouse in America is a can of worms. A little mistake can create barriers in union with the better-half.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) holds all responsibilities to carry on all formalities ethically. Be it rendering K1 or K3 visa for marriage or H1 B visa for business travel, it looks after every matter that is concerned with the immigration process.
After getting the K-1 or K-3 visa for solemnizing marriage with the US partner, the immigrant spouse must apply for a change of status. Green card awards this status. But getting it is not like a piece of pie. The foreign spouse has to pass through the ordeal of ‘question-n-answer’ round at the USCIS office. The interview goes on and finally, the permanent residency is awarded.
But out of around 45K immigrants, only a few enable to get it. Most of them fail in the green card marriage interview in the US. So, this blog surrounds that specific interview and the tips to crack it.
- Be Punctual: Don’t be late for the interview. The coolest way to get off the grudge of the USCIS officers is to reach half an hour before the scheduled time of interview. It’s better to mark presence in the pair.
- Dress Properly: I’m not saying that you have to dress like to kill. But your dressing should be impactful, sober and sophisticated. You have to put on formals for looking good before the federal. Bear in mind that you are going for one-o-one round in the federal building.
- Be ready with all documents: The officers would appreciate with a whole heart if you come with all the documents of marital relationship. If there is any marriage certificate from the foreign country where matrimony took place, take it along. If there is no such proof, apply for it. Don’t forget to apply for the certificate attestation in India at MEA office and embassy. These proofs can be:
- Wedding invitation
- Wedding photograph/portfolio
- Birth certificate
- Birth certificate of children (if any)
- Property papers
- Photographs
- Marriage certificate
- Joint bank account
- LIC or any other insurance document and so on.
- Be a good listener: It is advisable to mark your presence at the federal building with a fresh mind. Be ready to all ears and answer accordingly. The interview will go on around 30 minutes. So, carry all the documents in organized format.
Don’t try to be over smart while providing additional answers to the simple question. Make eye-contact while talking and be patient while answering.
- Don’t sound fake or unnatural: Don’t be the story-teller. If you don’t remember the date or time of first meeting before marriage, confess that you don’t remember. Creating a story may reflect you fake or sound unnatural. The officers can be skeptical, then.
- No specific query: No specific questions are there in preparation for the interview. All questions would be spun around the marriage, such as when did you meet first, which gift your husband gave after marriage and so on.
- Ask from the marital history: Most of the questions would have the dash of history of the relationship. For example, was it the arrange marriage or love marriage? When did you meet and where for the first time? And so on.
Therefore, memorize all such things and be ready to answer in the short fragment of time.
- Do you know each-other well?
The officers will try to identify the truth of your relationship. The way you show your mutual understanding while answering will satisfy them. But if the answers of both do not match, they can run “Stroke interview”.
In the stroke interview, each spouse has to counter the questions separately. The queries will be very common and easy to answer. At the end, the officers will match the answers of identical questions. In case, they find any difference, they can reject your petition for the green card.
- Test of mutual understanding: The officers would be adept at noticing your gestures and body language. If they trace any sign of fake relationship via your talkative nature or too much of clarifications, they would reject the petition.
- Take assistance: If you have any immigration attorney, take along. And face the interview with him/her. You can premeditate or consult the attorney for taking a few vital tips for facing that interview.
