There are many immigration proceedings that you can prepare for in advance. For instance, maybe you’re trying to become a naturalized citizen. You can study for the citizenship test and prepare for quite some time before you take it.
However, some immigrants who get married may be issued green cards based on their marriage. Before they are given that green card, they may be asked to go through a green card marriage interview. But this is a type of interview that you can’t study for, even though there are some ways to prepare.
Establishing a relationship
What a green card interview is trying to do is to determine that your relationship is real and not fraudulent. You’re not simply pretending to be married so that one person can get a green card. You are genuinely married and you need a green card so that you can preserve that important relationship.
To determine this relationship, the interviewer might ask you about when you met, where you like to go on dates or where you got married. They could ask you about your plans for the future, whether or not you’re thinking about having children and if you own your own home. They may also ask you daily life questions like where you like to go out to eat, what types of presents you buy each other on your birthdays or what your daily habits look like after work.
You can’t study for this because the answers to these questions should just naturally line up. If they don’t, that can be a red flag to the interviewer that your relationship may be fraudulent. Since this is such an important part of attempting to get a green card, it’s very important to understand all of your legal options as you work through this process.