Tips on How to Survive a Marriage Interview

Getting married and living together are not necessarily easy for some couples especially if you marry a U.S. Citizen.

Marriage Visas
The legal implications of Marriage Visas

You will be interviewed by a representative of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services for you to get a marriage-based immigrant visa, regardless on whether you got married abroad or in the USA. The marriage interview itself is not simple or easy. In fact, some have even described it as painful and grueling.

However, you can make it easier on yourself by preparing for it. One of the things that you can do is to gather all the documents that you will need which is actually listed down on the interview document that you will receive. So make sure that you have every item on the list. Also make sure that you are on time for your interview. It is better if you arrive earlier than your scheduled time. Plus ensure that your lawyer is present during the interview. Choose what you will wear for the interview as it is extremely important because it is the first thing that the interviewing officer will notice. Thus, opt to wear something conservative and formal. Dress as if you are going for a job interview or to church. The marriage interview itself only lasts for 15 minutes, so make sure to keep your answers short and concise. Listen to what is being asked and answer every question thrown at you. If you do not know the answer to the question, just say that you do not know or you do not remember. Remember, the same set of questions will be asked to your spouse. So if your answers are different, it will trigger suspicion. Plus make eye contact, smile, be friendly, shake hands and everything will be alright because nothing is more suspicious than a fidgety applicant.

Going through the marriage interview and getting a marriage-based immigrant visa for you to live together with your spouse are hard but it is not impossible. All you really got to do is to prove that your marriage is true and genuine and not a sham.