Five Common Topics Covered at the Green Card Marriage Interview (With Questions).

For most, if not all marriage based green card applications, the marriage interview is an inevitability. As a part of the application process, USCIS immigration officers are tasked with assessing the bona fides of your marriage, i.e., whether you're in an authentic or sham marriage with your partner. In addition to reviewing the evidences submitted to prove the validity of your marriage, the officer will conduct an in-person interview that will act as the final inspection of your relationship and whether, all things considered, the application should be approved or denied.

Unfortunately, there are no publicly available resources provided by the government for the questions that can or will be asked during the green card marriage interview. However, through the network of immigration attorneys who have attended countless interviews with their clients, we have noticed similarities in the types of questions asked and the most common topics covered. Below is a compiled list of five common topics and some questions that may come up within each:

Development of Relationship

These questions will be centered around the beginnings of your relationship with your spouse. The officer will want to establish a record of how the couple met, how their relationship progressed and the circumstances that led towards engagement and eventual marriage.

How did you first meet?
Where did you go on your first date?
How often did you see each other?
What were some vacations you went on together?
Where did you go? Did anyone go with you?
Where was the engagement ring purchased?
How did the proposal happen?
Was there an engagement party?
Who did the wedding planning?
Who picked the wedding venue?

Details About the Wedding

For this topic, the questions will likely focus on the actual day of the wedding and/or the planning leading up to the ceremony and reception.

Where did the bride purchase her wedding dress?
What color was the groom's suit?
How many guests were at the wedding?
Did you hire a photographer/videographer for the wedding? If so, who did you hire?
What was the couple's first dance song at the reception?
Who were the best man and maid of honor?
How many groomsmen and bridesmaids were there?
What was the menu at the reception?
Where was the wedding cake purchased from?
Was the ceremony in a church/temple/mosque/court house?
Did the couple write their vows?
Who put the down payment for the venue, food, flowers, etc.?

Characteristics/Details about Your Spouse

For these questions, the officer will be focused on how well you know one another and hope to distinguish whether you are a real authentic couple.

How many siblings does your spouse have?
What are your spouse's parent's names?
What is your spouse's middle name?
What is your spouse's birthday?
Does your spouse have any tattoos or notable scars?
What TV shows or movies does your spouse enjoy watching?
What is your spouse's favorite color?
Where did your spouse go to high school, college, etc.?
What town did your spouse grow up in?
Who is your spouse's best friend(s)? What is your spouse's favorite place to travel too?
What are your spouse's hobbies?
Does your spouse have a driver's license? Own a car? What kind of car do they drive?

Finances / Marital Property / Liabilities

This line of questioning will focus on the couple's finances, more specifically, whether they have joint accounts, co-ownership over property, etc.; frankly anything that shows you have joint control over your assets and liabilities as a married couple.

Do you have joint bank accounts? At which banking institution are the accounts?
Do you own any property together? House? Cars?
Who pays the bills?
Are you filing joint tax returns or do you plan too?
Do you have life insurance policies, IRAs, Retirement Accounts? Who are the beneficiaries?
Do you have joint credit card accounts? Shared liabilities? Mortgages?
Did you sign a lease together?
Whose name is on the utility bills?
Do you have any insurance policies together? Home? Rental? Car?
Are either of you on a health insurance plan?

Daily Routines

This topic will cover the daily routines of the couple. It often stems from the same questioning as above, around characteristics of your spouse, but these questions will focus more specifically on nuances of your daily routines that only could be known if you are truly living together and building a true marital relationship with one another.

What time does your spouse wake up every day?
What time does your spouse typically go to bed?
What side of the bed do you both sleep on?
Does your spouse typically eat breakfast before they leave for the day, if so, what do they often eat?
What time does your spouse leave for work?
What time does your spouse typically return home from work?
Who cooks dinner?
If you have any pets, who takes care of them? Walks the dog? Feeds the cat?
Who showers first in the morning?
Do you or your spouse have any daily/nightly habits?
What does your weekend often look like?
What time do you put the children to bed? (If applicable)
Who takes the children to school/day care?
Does your spouse drive or commute to work?

Depending on the evidences that were submitted with your application, the immigration officer may be inclined to only ask a few questions. However, if you only submitted sparse or questionable evidence, be prepared to answer a series of questions that will dig at the legitimacy of the relationship. Regardless, you may not know the answers to every single question, which is okay. For example, not everyone knows their spouse's favorite color; however, if you don't know your spouse's birthday or whether they have siblings, you might find yourself in a situation that results in a denial of your application.

If you have any questions about the green card marriage interview or the green card process in general, please do not hesitate to contact us to set up a consultation with one of our qualified immigration attorneys, who are best suited to advise you on these matters.

Disclaimer: This blog post and similar posts are not to be considered as providing legal advice. The discussion here is meant for educational and informational purposes only and shall not create an attorney-client relationship with the readers of this content.