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Marriage Interview
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You met, fell in love and married an American citizen. Congratulations! You and your husband filled out, paid a lot of filing fees and finally received a letter scheduling you and your spouse to come in on a certain day and a certain time. Before I tell you to be prompt but not to expect them to be the same, I have to advice you that the law at all marriages is to be a fraudulent during the first two years. Another words the immigration law assumes that all marriages are fraudulent, or fictitious, or done for business or immigration purposes. What it means that it is up to you and your spouse to prove that you have married for love and for no other reason. Of course no law can expect you to prove that you have married for love, so the American immigration law requires you to prove your cohabitation that you lived together for the last 3 years, more on that proof in a second.
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The writer of this article will assume that the reader of this article married for love and no for no other reason. The writer of this article is well aware of the fact that many couples out there do not fit that definition. The writer of this article can only state that this article is only meant for people who are in need of explanation of the requirements imposed by law and it is not intended as a guide on how to defeat it. For the purposes of this article the writer assumes that your spouse will show up with you and both of you will be prompt. The writer also will assume that you spent considerable amount of time preparing for an interview, in terms of brining in the required documentarily for the interview. Upon reporting to the immigration office you will register your names at the appropriate window, which may also require you to leave the interview letter with them, you will also be asked to wait until your name or number if given to you be called.
When your name is called you will come to a door where an immigration officer will ask you to follow him or her to the office. Their office may be no more than a cubicle in the middle of the floor or may afford you the privacy of a real office. The first thing the officer will ask you to do is to take the oath by raising your right hand and swearing to tell the truth. It is an important act because any falsehood you state after the oath will be a federal offence and a crime, called perjury, and if discovered, will result in criminal prosecution and deportation, not to mention denial of your application. The officer may then immediately ask for your foreign passport and a green card and proceed to ask you various questions concerning your travel and your residence as evinced by your documents. My strong suggestions to you at this point as you politely answer initial questions is to place a large photo album on the officers desk. By large I do not mean the size of the album itself but rather the numerous photographs it should contain. It may be 4 - 6 photographs per page or just one. The important part that it is going to show your dating scenes, your wedding, your visits to each other parents, or 60-80 photographs showing you in different clothes, different seasons, different haircuts and different settings, but always together with your spouse and sometimes surrounded by loved ones.
At time the immigration officer will look at the photo album right away. If it happens, great, do not interrupt and wait for questions if any concerning people in the photographs. If on the other hand the officer is still involved in reviewing your passport and or other documents contained in you file feel free to open up your photo album, and proudly say here are the pictures of my wedding, as if you were sharing them with a friend. The worst that can happen will be that the officer may appear rude (and you don't care). The point is as soon as the officer will see all the pictures of the depth of the relationship between you and your spouse the officer is more likely to finish the interview quicker and with positive results for you. By the same token, the officer, impressed by your photographs is less likely to torture you with personal questions.
With respect to personal questions expect to name parents and sibling of your spouse, for each spouse. Also please be aware that depending on your geographical location, the scope of questions may differ. So, please, be also aware of major anniversary dates as well as favorite colors of each other. Last but not least if you are facing a question but you simply do not know to say it honestly I do not know, I do not remember (I do not care). Namely, do not make up an answer. It is better to admit your luck of knowledge and may be offering an explanation than be caught in a false one. For example, if an American citizen of a foreign spouse cannot, shall not, will not name the names of the parents of his or hers spouse then the simple explanation is that they are unpronounceable, and point to the pictures showing the together and describe the events when they were together. Don't worry, the officer will understand. Be also prepared to the line of questions on how you have met. Once again, honesty is the best policy. If you met on a train station, or a discothÉque, and spent the very night together then do not be embarrassed to admit it because it adds to your credibility.
All of the important documentary proof will be listed on the interview letter from the immigration. For the purposes of this article you should bring with you a photo album, apartment or a house lease or rental agreement listing both of you as tenants, checks or statements from joint checking account, joint credit card bills, bills from local electrical and gas companies issued for both of you, the same applies to cable and telephone bills. If you do not have those try to get magazine subscriptions on your names, postal envelops showing both your names, and bring sworn affidavits from you neighbors and friends stating that you lived together at your address for certain period of time. Additionally your American spouse will have to sign an affidavit of support which meets or exceeds the current poverty guideline. Financial deficiency of the affidavit of support can be cured through a joint co-sponsor or real estate or other assets. Needless to say that by the time of the interview you will have completed your biometrics and or fingerprints.
If you were arrested for any reason prior to the interview, you
should not go to the interview alone, and should hire a competent
and experienced immigration lawyer to represent you during the interview.
Many arrests and even convictions may be forgiven or even overlooked
but only if they are disclosed and explained in a timely fashion.
The immigration officer will require an original certificate of
disposition and a thorough explanation of what happened. It will
be your lawyer's task to successfully complete it. On the same note
if for whatever reason the immigration officer suspects fraud on
your part and will either reschedule the interview or will conduct
the separate interview you should hire an experienced immigration
lawyer as soon as possible, because that is the only useful advice
that you can get from reading this article.
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For those who are guided by their love do not fear anything at all because truthful answer on sensitive topics or questions will explain away differences in races, differences in ages, differences in appearances, health or financial status. Another words, if a Caucasian man always preferred dating oriental women and finally married one, he should say so, and vice versa. If a younger woman prefers the wisdom of an older man she should say so. If a younger man prefers the financial stability of an older woman and all the comforts of a home she provides, he should say so. And so on. Last but not least be prepared as mush as you can, bring your entire file with you including all original documents, prepared copies of all originals so you could leave it there if necessary and let the truth guide you in answering difficult questions.
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