Green Card Marriage Process
What is Asked in the Interview?
The green card marriage process is a little more complicated than the Fiance Marriage Visa. Its the process which happens after your fiance has already become your wife or husband. The formal name is Adjustment of Status. Why is it called adjustment? For one very important reason, it converts the K1 Visa into a Green Card. The fiance moves into a permanent resident of the United States of America. But there are conditions that the spouse must follow.
The spouse becomes a permanent with the understanding that the Green Card is only for a two year period. After that time, the application process will need to start all over again to remove the conditions. The conditions state the foreign spouse must stay married for two years. After the two years are up, the spouse must reapply to remove all conditions. After three years of being married, the spouse has the right to become a U.S citizen.
It is extremely important to make copies of all your K1 Visa documentation. A lot of the same documentation used for the K1 Visa application will be used for the I-485 Adjustment of Status Green Card. At this time it is a good idea to review all old documents.
During the green card interview, both the husband and wife will need to attend. The officer will have a complete portfolio of everything that was sent to the USCIS since the inception of the K1 Visa process. Be prepared to answer questions about the relationship. Some questions that can be asked are location of residency in the U.S.A, day to day activities and other personal questions that pertain to the couples personal life.
What Happens If The Questions Are Answered Wrong
Two things can happen. First the couple may be separated from each other. The officer will ask a set of questions to the husband and then request the husband return to the waiting room while the same set of questions are asked to the wife. If the answers are completely wrong a Green Card can be denied. It is not too common for something like this to happen to a couple that is well prepared for the interview. No matter if the couple is married; the immigration officer still has the right to deport the spouse.
The second thing that can happen is the Green Card is immediately denied without further questioning. Yet this is only done in extreme cases. There is also the possibility of the officer requesting the couple return for further questioning at a later time.
Deportation is possible, yet not common. The spouse is only protected once he or she becomes a U.S.A citizen. Only after that happens will they be safe from deportation. In the meantime, all interviews are crucial and no laws can be broken by the foreign spouse. Breaking a law can result in immediate deportation.
How To Prepare For The Interview?
Get a good night’s rest. Looking tried and stressed is not a good thing. The officer will think you are nervous and have something to hide. Study each other’s behavior at home and be able to speak to these behaviors. The officer may ask very detailed questions like what is served for dinner. What kind of toothpaste is used in the house? What time does the spouse get up for work? These simple questions should be known to the spouse.
The couple needs to know without fail how and when they met. Where did they meet for the first time? How many times did they meet? How long did they date before deciding to marry?
If the couple goes into the interview prepared, the officer will have little doubt in the validity of the marriage and easily approve the Green Card. Contrary to popular belief, the couple does not need a legal professional in the interview with them. The couple can easily complete this process on their own.
