The goal of a green card marriage interview is to ensure that the marriage is legitimate. When someone marries a U.S. citizen, they can use that relationship to get a green card and become a permanent resident. But the government wants to ensure that people aren’t trying to defraud the system by pretending to be married just for the green card application.
As such, the questions asked during a green card marriage interview typically aren’t things that you can study for in advance. They may be simple things like asking when the two of you met, where you like to go on dates or how the proposal happened. The interviewer may just ask about your division of household labor, if the two of you have talked about having children or what habits you have at home. All they’re looking for is relative consistency in the answers to show that you do live together and have a real relationship.
Why supporting documents can help
When you understand that the interview is just designed to prove the legitimacy of the marriage, you can see how helpful it may be to provide supporting documents. Some examples include:
- Letters that the two of you have written to each other
- Copies of email messages or social media messages
- Pictures and photographs that you’ve taken together over the years
- Copies of joint bank statements, utility bills and other documents showing your financial codependence
- Copies of your tax returns
- Authentic identification, like a driver’s license
- A copy of your marriage certificate
Even the simplest things can have a drastic impact on your case. It’s important to know what information to gather and how to approach the green card marriage interview. It’s also wise to look into your legal options at this time because the interview can have such a major impact on your future in the United States.