Legal Blog
Fiancé(e) or Spouse Based Petitions – Interview Preparation
Marriage Based Petition – Interview Questions
During a marriage based green-card interview, you and your spouse or fiancé(e) will be asked a series of questions by the United States immigration authority. For an adjustment of status or visa interview, typically you will only be asked a few questions. However, a “stokes interview,” where you and your spouse or fiancé(e) may be interviewed separately to compare answers, could occur if the immigration authority is suspicious that your marriage is a fraud.[1]
The following is a list of sample questions asked during your interview. These questions are written by NOLO, an organization which offers online legal resources. Many of these questions are drawn from actual interviews:
Development of Your Relationship
- Where did you meet?
- What did the two of you have in common?
- Where did you go for dates?
- When did your relationship turn romantic?
- How long was it before you decided to get married?
- Who proposed to whom?
- Why did you decide to have a [long, short] engagement?
- Did your parents approve of the match? Why or why not?
The Wedding
- How many people attended your wedding?
- Did each of your parents attend?
- Where was the wedding held?
- Was there music or other entertainment?
- What kind of cake (or other food) did you serve?
- Who were the bridesmaids/groomsmen?
- How late did the guests stay?
- Did the bride change clothes for the reception?
- Did you serve liquor? What kind?
- Did anyone get drunk or otherwise embarrass themselves at the reception? Who? Describe.
- What time did you and the [bride or groom] leave the reception?
- Did you go on a honeymoon? When did you leave? How did you get there? What airlines?
Regular Routines
- Who gets up first? At what time?
- How many alarm clocks do you set in the morning?
- Who makes breakfast?
- What do each of you eat for breakfast?
- Does your spouse drink coffee in the morning?
- Who is your spouse’s employer? What is the location of your spouse’s workplace? What is the name of your spouse’s boss?
- How much does your spouse earn every month or year? How often is your spouse paid?
- What time does your spouse arrive home from work?
- Who cleans the house?
- What day is your garbage picked up?
- Who takes care of paying the bills?
- Do you have a joint bank account? Where?
- Do you have a cat, dog, or other pet? Who feeds it? Who walks it (or cleans its kitty litter box, cage, etc.)?
- Do you and/or your spouse attend regular religious services? Where?
- Where do you keep the spare toilet paper?
- Does your spouse take any regular medications?
The Kids
- Who picks up the children at school?
- Who packs lunches for the kids?
- What are their favorite toys/activities?
- What are their least favorite foods?
- Which children (if any) still use a car seat?
- What is your usual babysitter’s name?
The Cooking
- How many times a week on average do you eat out?
- What is your favorite restaurant for special occasions? For weekly outings?
- Who does most of the cooking?
- Who does the grocery shopping? Where?
- Is there a particular food that you eat every week?
- What is your spouse’s favorite/least favorite food?
- What color are the kitchen curtains?
- Do you have a barbecue grill? Do you use it?
- Is your stove gas or electric?
Other Family Members
- Have you met each other’s parents?
- How often do you see each other’s parents? Where do they live?
- When was the last time you saw them? Where? For how long?
- On important holidays, do you buy individual gifts for your parents-in-law? Do they buy individual gifts for you?
- How do each of you get along with your parents-in-law?
- How many brothers and sisters does your spouse have? What are their names?
- Which other members of your spouse’s family do you see frequently? When was the last time you saw them? What did you do together?
Home Technology
- How many land-line telephones are in your house? Where are they?
- What type of mobile phone does your spouse have? What’s the phone number?
- How many televisions are in the house? In which rooms? Do you watch shows together, or separately? Name one show you always watch together.
- Do you record any television shows?
- Do you subscribe to a DVD rental or streaming video service?
- What company provides your cable service? Internet service?
- How many computers, laptops, or tablets are in the house? What kind are they?
- Does your spouse listen to the radio? What station?
- What kind of car does your spouse drive?
In the Bedroom
- What size is your bed (Twin, Queen, or King)?
- Do you have a regular mattress, futon, or waterbed?
- How many windows are there in your bedroom?
- What color are your spouse’s pajamas?
- Who sleeps on each side of the bed?
- What form of contraception (birth control) do you use?
- When was your wife’s last menstrual period?
- Where do you keep your toothbrushes? What kind of toothpaste, soap, and shampoo does each of you use?
- Do either of you read or watch TV before going to sleep? Do you have lamps next to your bed?
- Have you ever had an argument that resulted in one of you sleeping in another room? Who, and which room?
- The Rest of the House
- Do you live in a home or apartment? Who pays the mortgage or rent? How much is it?
- Do you have a garage? Who parks in it? Do you use a garage door opener?
- Is there a carpet in your front hallway? What color? Is your sofa a regular one or does it have a pull-out bed?
- Have you ever had houseguests sleep there?
- What type of curtains or window coverings are in your living room? What color?
- How many staircases are in your house?
- How many sinks, toilets, and showers are there in your house or apartment in total?
- Do you leave any lights on when you go to sleep at night?
Celebrations
- When is your spouse’s birthday?
- What did you do for your spouse’s last birthday?
- What did your spouse give you as a present for your last birthday?
- How did you celebrate your most recent wedding anniversary?
- What religious holidays do you celebrate together?
- What’s the most important holiday of the year in your household? Where do you typically celebrate it?
- Have you and your spouse gone to see a movie or other form of entertainment lately? When, and what did you see?
- What did the two of you do last New Year’s Eve? Fourth of July?
- Who takes pictures at important family occasions?
- If you were an immigration officer, what would you ask? Try to imagine possible questions and ask them of each other as you prepare for your visa or green card interview.
[1] https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/fiance-marriage-visa-book/chapter13-20.html