An attorney at the USCIS interview would: Provide Clarifications, Explain Facts and Provide Legal Arguments. If there is a need to clarify a question (by the adjudicator) or an answer (by the applicant), it is the attorney’s role to “jump in” and provide such clarification in order to keep the interview on track.
Jan 23, 2018 · THE DOs. DO prepare for the meeting. Bring copies all of your forms and all your document originals. You should be able to respond to questions about your forms without extensive referencing and confusion. DO be prepared to answer personal questions if you are at an interview related to your marriage to a U.S. citizen.
Jun 22, 2021 · If your changes include an arrest or other immigration issues, speak to an immigration attorney before attending your I-485 interview. RECOMMENDED: Adjustment of Status Denial Due to Changes in Circumstances. Typical Questions at an I-485 Interview. The typical adjustment of status interview lasts approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
You can have a lawyer accompany you to your USCIS interview, even if you only just hired the lawyer. It doesn't matter that you've never told USCIS that you'll be bringing an extra guest. On the day of the interview, the lawyer should simply hand the USCIS officer a form called a G-28 to show that he or she now represents you.
Both the interviewee and the interpreter will be asked to sign this form at the start of the USCIS interview. The form declaration states that the interpreter must accurately, literally and fully interpret for both the interviewee and the interviewing officer. It also reminds the interviewee that an interpreter might hear personal information ...
There are immigration attorneys who will agree to attend just for an interview as long as they can review the file ahead of time.Jan 27, 2022
During your naturalization interview, a USCIS officer will ask you questions about your application and background. You will also take an English and civics test unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver. The English test has three components: reading, writing, and speaking.
An attorney at the USCIS interview would: Provide Clarifications, Explain Facts and Provide Legal Arguments. If there is a need to clarify a question (by the adjudicator) or an answer (by the applicant), it is the attorney's role to “jump in” and provide such clarification in order to keep the interview on track.Jun 28, 2019
If you fail any of the tests at your initial interview, you will be retested on the portion of the test that you failed (English or civics) between 60 and 90 days from the date of your initial interview. See 8 CFR 312.5(a) and 335.3(b).Sep 16, 2021
Usually, the USCIS officer conducting your green card interview will tell you whether your green card is approved directly after your interview. But in some cases, the USCIS officer will need to put off the final decision due to a lack of evidence.Mar 15, 2022
120 daysIt is common for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) to take quite some time to issue a formal decision in a Naturalization case after the applicant has his/her interview. As a matter of regulation, USCIS has 120 days to issue a decision.
You can check your case status by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283. You will need your receipt number when you call in. This is useful if you do not have access to a computer to check your green card status.Jul 6, 2021
After you complete the interview successfully, the USCIS officer will start the process of ordering a Green Card for you. There are certain cases where the USCIS does not require the applicant to appear for an interview. In such cases USCIS will mail the decision to the applicant.
The travel document usually arrives within 150 days (sometimes longer) after submitting your application. You can't leave the country until you have your approved travel document in hand, so you should expect to spend the 3–5 months after submitting your green card application in the United States.
DON'T joke around with the USCIS officer. In particular, avoid joking or sarcasm related to drug dealing, communicable diseases, bigamy, or smuggling people into the country. DON'T argue with your spouse or other family members in the middle of an interview.Jan 23, 2018
USCIS has the authority to record naturalization and green card interviews. In some offices of USCIS, the recording is obvious as the image of the person or people being interviewed appears on the monitor of the person conducting the interview.
Here are some reasons that the immigration authorities might appropriately, under the law, deny your application.Health Related. ... Criminal Related. ... Security Related. ... Public Charge. ... Immigration Violators. ... Failure to Meet Application Requirements. ... Failure to Attend Appointments. ... Denial of Underlying Visa Petition.More items...
An attorney at the USCIS interview would: Provide Clarifications, Explain Facts and Provide Legal Arguments. If there is a need to clarify a question (by the adjudicator) or an answer (by the applicant), it is the attorney’s role to “jump in” and provide such clarification in order to keep the interview on track.
Similarly, if the case has an outstanding factual or legal issue, it is the attorney’s role to draw the adjudicator’s attention to such facts or legal arguments and make them on behalf of the applicant. Example:
In our experience, having an attorney at the USCIS interview does not impact the application or the interview negatively. We have heard applicants express concern that bringing an attorney with them to the interview makes the adjudicator think that there is something “wrong” with the application or that they have something to “hide.”.
In particular, avoid joking or sarcasm related to drug dealing, communicable diseases, bigamy, or smuggling people into the country. DON'T argue with your spouse or other family members in the middle of an interview. Agree before hand on what you will do if a disagreement arises during the interview.
USCIS officers are notoriously difficult to reach and requests for changes in interview times are not well received. If you fail to show up for your appointment, you may have to endure a lengthy process to get another interview.
Being prepared and not arousing suspicion will make the USCIS interview as pleasant as possible. The tenor of each interview will depend on the personality of the USCIS official with whom you meet, so it is almost impossible to be entirely prepared. It is important to remember, however, that it is the USCIS official's job to determine whether there ...
The reasons for requiring an interview may include: Need to confirm the identity of the applicant;
For family-based applications, USCIS generally requires the Form I-130 petitioner to appear for the interview with the principal adjustment of status applicant.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance addressing the general policies and procedures of adjustment of status as well as adjustment under section 245 (a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). No historical versions available.
Unmarried children (under 14 years of age) of lawful permanent residents if they filed a Form I-485 on their own (or filed a Form I-485 together with their family’s adjustment applications and every applicant in that family is eligible for an interview waiver).
USCIS may waive the personal appearance of the military spouse petitioner; however, the adjustment applicant must appear for an interview. USCIS makes every effort to reschedule these cases so that both the petitioner and adjustment applicant can attend the interview before deployment.
An officer may encounter instances in which it may be appropriate to waive the personal appearance of an applicant or petitioner due to illness or incapacitation. In all such instances, an officer must obtain supervisory approval to waive the interview.
USCIS may waive the personal appearance of a U.S. citizen spouse petitioner who is incarcerated and unable to attend the adjustment of status interview. In these situations, the adjustment applicant must appear for an interview.
At the interview, the USCIS officer or Embassy official will ask if you have had any life changes that may have affected your application and may have caused an answer on your application to change since you applied. They are looking for things like a change of employer, change of address, birth of a new child, etc.
Sometimes after your initial interview, the officer will call you and your spouse back for a second separate interview. The interviewers for these kinds of interviews are often officers from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Fraud Detection and National Security Unit.
In many cases, the interviewing officer will let you know that your case is approved at your interview! You can expect to receive your Green Card in the mail some 2 to 3 weeks after your case is approved.
These include any children's birth certificates, joint lease and mortgage statements, joint bank account statements, joint credit card statements, etc.
For all application types, the goal of the interview questions is to make sure that the information that you provided on your application is consistent with your answers at the interview. The interviewing officer will also have a secondary objective that will be different for each application type.
According to interview guidelines, the interpreter must strictly translate what the interviewing officer asks, without adding their own opinion, commentary, or answer to their translation. The interpreter must bring their government-issued I.D.and complete an interpreter's oath and privacy statement at the interview.
The government may decide to invite you for a second interview if they believe there's more to verify in your background or your relationship with your spouse or family member. If that happens, you will receive a new appointment notice from USCIS or your local U.S. embassy or consulate in the mail.
The USCIS officer will likely ask if you have any life changes that may affect your adjustment of status application. The officer is looking for anything that may change an answer on your application. Some examples include the birth of a child, new employer, or new address. If your changes include an arrest or other immigration issues, ...
The typical adjustment of status interview lasts approximately 20 to 25 minutes. After introductions and swearing in, that doesn’t leave much time for questioning. It’s also not necessary to memorize answers to any questions. For the most part, the USCIS will ask you questions about your application and ask you to verify or explain certain answers. If you’ve truthfully answered questions on Form I-485, there’s no reason to be nervous or anxious.
The USCIS appointment notice will include a list of items to take to your I-485 interview. Follow the directions on your appointment notice, but this list will get you prepared for the I-485 interview. You should expect to take the following items: 1 A government-issued photo identification such as a passport (even if expired) but can also be any other government-issued photo ID like a driver’s license. 2 Appointment notice (I-797C, Notice of Action) for your I-485 interview. 3 A complete copy of your adjustment of status application package. In addition to Form I-485, have available any other forms (e.g. I-130, I-130A, I-864, I-131, I-765) you may have submitted. 4 Originals of any supporting documents that you submitted to USCIS with the adjustment of status application. Especially important examples include birth, marriage and death certificates as well as divorce decrees (if applicable). 5 Your passport (unless you are in certain categories such as refugee/asylum). 6 Any other travel documents, for example your advance parole permit if you traveled while awaiting your interview. 7 Doctor’s report from your required medical examination on Form I-693 (if you did not submit this report with the original adjustment application). 8 If applying based on employment, an up-to-date employment verification letter from your employer, documenting continued employment at a specified salary. 9 If applying based on marriage, copies plus originals of documents showing your shared life, such as a joint lease or mortgage, joint bank account or credit card statements, children’s birth certificates, and so on.
USCIS will generally schedule the interview at an office nearest you. In some areas of the country, this may require a long drive and an overnight stay. For family-based I-485 applications, USCIS generally requires both the applicant and petitioner to attend the I-485 interview.
An immigration officer may exercise discretion to allow a friend of the applicant to act as interpreter. If the officer is fluent in the applicant’s preferred language, the officer may conduct the examination in that language without use of an interpreter.
Use of an Interpreter. An applicant who is not fluent in English may require the help of an interpreter for the I-485 interview. Also known as a translator, the interpreter should be a disinterested party. In other words, the interpreter should not have a clear bias.
If all goes well, you’ll be a permanent resident (green card holder) at the end of the interview. Interviews are a standard part of the process after filing Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status. The I-485 interview is almost a certainty if you submitted an adjustment of status application on the basis of marriage.
The USCIS officer begins the interview by asking you to raise your right hand and swear to tell the truth during the interview.
Once there, you'll need to check in with the person at the desk or window, or follow instructions for checking in with your interview notice. Then, wait for your name to be called.
If you are denied, you should receive a piece of paper from the USCIS officer explaining the reasons. You can choose to appeal or to simply reapply. Don't reapply, however, unless you understand why you got denied and your new application will be different and will likely cause USCIS to approve you this time.
If all goes well at the interview, the USCIS officer will tell you that you have been approved and might hand you a piece of paper containing information about your swearing-in ceremony. In some parts of the United States, you have a choice between going to a court-run or a USCIS-run ceremony.
The job of the USCIS officer during the interview is to decide whether you are eligible for citizenship. The information and documents you gave when you applied could raise concerns with the officer, particularly if you have committed crimes or have done anything that might affect the officer's opinion about your "moral character."
When it's your turn, a USCIS officer will call you in to a private office or cubicle where the interview will take place.
The worst thing you can do at a citizenship interview is to lie to the officer because you think the truth will hurt your chances at citizenship . Even if the question is not relevant to the officer's decision, your citizenship can be denied on grounds that you were not truthful during the interview.
It's not easy to get into the rhythm of having someone interpret for you. You'll need to speak relatively slowly, and stop every few sentences, in order to give the interpreter the chance to fully hear and then repeat your words in English without forgetting what you said.
So it's possible that you can find an adult friend (not a family member or your lawyer) who is capable of handling this role.
Both the interviewee and the interpreter will be asked to sign this form at the start of the USCIS interview. The form declaration states that the interpreter must accurately, literally and fully interpret for both the interviewee and the interviewing officer .