1. Refresh your memories
The first thing to do is talk to your spouse about your relationship and remember all the essential details such as events and dates and your wedding.
2. Collect your documents
Prepare all the original documents of all the copies you submitted to the government in your green card application package. Some of those documents prove US Citizenship of the Petitioning Spouse, Certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate or naturalization, Your Marriage Certificate, your passport, driver’s licenses, etc.
3. Prepare new evidence
Prepare documents of any other evidence that you realized can help you prove the authenticity of your marriage, and for some reason, you missed to submit it with your green card package. For example, you can include photos where you are together, joint income tax returns and property documents, or similar.
4. Get organized
Put your documents in a folder, and make a chronological order of your photos. The offices will appreciate the neatness of your new package of evidence.
5. Dress Business Professional
No need for a suit and tie, but it is best to dress professional, respectful and comfortable. Make sure to avoid jeans, tee shirts, and revealing clothing since you are entering the government’s building.
6. Be Truthful
The interview is an opportunity to give the officer more information about your life as a couple. So, there is no need to avoid talking about specific difficulties you experienced as a couple.
7. Be Early
Furthermore, we advise you to get to the venue earlier. Since your green card marriage interview will take place in government buildings, you will have to pass specific procedures such as going through metal detectors. Sometimes, there is a line, so calculate that you might wait for 30-45 minutes to enter the building.
8. Speak your mind
Interviewing officers can ask very personal questions, sometimes so do not get surprised. You have a right to let the officer know if you find some of the questions too offensive. Moreover, you can decline to answer.
9. Practice
Don’t skip this step because it is vital to simulate your interview. This is especially important if you deem that one of you will be forgetful, so you will need to make sure that it won’t create discrepancies in your answers. Also, stress can play a significant role and make even people in long-term marriages forget some usual facts. So, practice, practice, practice!
10. Try to enjoy the process
While for many, this will be a very stressful experience, actually, it shouldn’t be. If you get to relax and open up to the interviewing officer, this whole process can turn up into an enjoyable experience. What’s more, as more relaxed as the two of you are, the more the interviewing officer will trust your answers. Funny questions can be remembered as part of your history as a couple.
