Immigrants can get green cards in many ways. For example, some immigrants apply to the green card lottery for the chance of being one of thousands of people eligible for permanent residence. Others may find employers or educators willing to sponsor their immigration.
A common way people immigrate to the U.S. and get permanent residence is through marriage. A spouse of a U.S. resident could get a green card through an application process. Part of this process is undergoing an interview to show that the marriage isn’t a fraudulent agreement for the sole purpose of obtaining immigration benefits.
The interview may include questions for the immigrant and spouse. Here are some questions that may be asked:
Who is your spouse?
Questions like this may have obvious answers. However, if a marriage was fraudulent, then the interviewee may not know any personal details about the person they married. The interviewee may not know where their spouse was born, what they do for a living, what their hobbies include or even their spouse’s full name. These kinds of things may be common knowledge for immigrants who are in true marriages.
How did you meet your spouse?
It may be important for the interviewer to ask both the spouse and the immigrant this question. An answer to this question will likely be similar for both the spouse and the immigrant if the marriage isn’t for fraudulent means. If the marriage is fraudulent, then the story of how the couple met may not align. For example, one person could say they met through a friend and the other could say they met at a bar.
What is your married life like?
There may be personal questions that go into the immigrant’s life. These questions may ask the immigrant if they have any kids, what types of work they’ve done and about their hobbies and friendships. These kinds of questions can help build an idea for the interviewer about the life the immigrant will lead in the U.S. These questions may be less important than other ones, but they can still greatly impact the final decision.
The immigration process is by no means easy. Many immigrants don’t get the opportunity to build a life in the U.S. because they lack legal knowledge. Reaching out for legal help may give immigrants better chances to live in the U.S.