If you’re married, you can get a green card for a spouse who is not a citizen of the United States. This process is designed to make it so that couples who tie the knot can stay together easily. The government wants to keep families together and does not want to have to deport one spouse while the other stays.
That said, the immigration agencies and courts are also aware that people may attempt to game the system by getting married just to get a green card. The goal of this process is not for someone to marry, get their card, and then get divorced a few weeks later. It’s to keep real couples who are romantically involved together. To determine if the marriage is legitimate, they will interview the couple and ask them questions like:
- Where did you go on your first date?
- Where did you meet before you even started dating?
- When was the first time that you met?
- Where do you live now?
- Do you have any pictures that prove you’re living together?
- What movies do you like to watch together?
- Where do you like to go out to eat?
- When does your spouse tend to go to bed or get up in the morning?
- Does your spouse have any distinctive marks you should know about, like a tattoo?
- Do you have any pet names for each other?
The idea behind these questions is that a married couple should be able to answer them with ease, whereas a couple that only pretended to get together will not know the answers or will provide different answers. It’s very important to know what to expect from your interview.