If you’re an immigrant who has gotten married to a citizen, one of the benefits is that you can seek a green card. On account of your marriage, this will typically be granted so that you can stay indefinitely with your new spouse. For instance, if you came to the U.S. on a student visa, you may need a green card after graduating and getting married.
However, marriages that lead to green cards have to be legitimate relationships. You cannot use them as a legal technicality, as a way to get a green card by “marrying” a friend or a classmate. People have tried to do this by getting legally married when no romantic relationship existed, and this is prohibited.
Passing the interview
To pass this interview, you will need to answer questions about your life together, with the goal of proving that you are really a couple. Sample questions include:
- What is your address? How long have you lived there?
- Is this the first place you lived after your marriage?
- What was your wedding like? Where was the ceremony?
- Were family members from both sides at the wedding?
- Do you have pictures from the wedding and the reception?
- What does your typical daily schedule look like? Who wakes up first, goes to bed first, etc.?
- Did you choose your wedding rings together? Where did you get them?
- When was the first date that you went on? Who set it up? Where did you go?
- How long did you date before getting married?
- Do you have any children? Are you planning to?
- How do you divide up the chores around the house?
You don’t always have to get things exactly right. For instance, if you say you dated for nine months before getting engaged and your spouse says it was 10 months, that is probably fine. However, if you say it was nine months and they say it was three years, that tips off the interviewer that something is amiss.
It can make you nervous to go to this interview, even when you know your relationship is real. Be sure you understand all of your options and your legal rights.
