Marriage Green Card Interview Questions

(What USCIS Really Asks in 2026)

​

Many couples worry most about the marriage green card interview.
In straightforward cases, the interview is simply USCIS confirming that the marriage is real and ongoing.

However, interviews can become stressful—or even risky—when there are:

​

• Inconsistent answers

• Limited shared evidence

• Prior immigration violations

• Criminal history

• Previous denials or marriages

 

Understanding what USCIS officers actually ask in 2026 helps couples prepare confidently and avoid preventable problems.

​

For a complete overview of eligibility, timeline, and costs, see our Marriage Green Card FAQ.

​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Speak With an Attorney Before the Interview If:

• You entered without inspection or overstayed
• Either spouse has any arrest history
• You previously filed immigration cases with errors
• You live apart or recently separated
• Your relationship timeline is complicated
• You received a Request for Evidence or prior denial

 

Early preparation can prevent delays, second interviews, or denial.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

1. Basic Relationship Questions

1. When and how did you meet?
USCIS wants a clear, consistent relationship timeline.

2. When did the relationship become romantic?
Officers compare this to messages, travel, and photos.

3. Who proposed and how?
Details help confirm authenticity.

4. When and where was the wedding?
Expect follow-up questions about the ceremony and guests.

5. Who attended the wedding?
 

Officers may compare answers between spouses.

​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

2. Daily Life and Living Arrangements

6. Where do you currently live?
Addresses must match the application and evidence.

7. Describe your home or apartment.
Simple details (bedroom, furniture, layout) are commonly asked.

8. Who wakes up first?
Questions like this test shared daily life.

9. What did you do together last weekend?
Recent shared activity is important.

10. Do you share household responsibilities?
USCIS looks for a normal married routine.

​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

3. Financial and Document Questions

11. Do you have joint bank accounts?
Joint finances are strong marriage evidence.

12. Who pays the bills?
Answers should be consistent.

13. Do you file taxes together?
Married tax filing is significant evidence.

14. Do you share insurance or beneficiaries?
Health, auto, and life insurance are persuasive proof.

15. What joint documents did you bring today?
Always bring updated evidence to the interview.

​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

4. Family and Personal Details

16. Have you met each other’s families?
USCIS expects integration into family life.

17. Do you celebrate holidays together?
Shared traditions help show a real relationship.

18. Do you have children together or plans for children?
Not required, but commonly discussed.

19. What are your spouse’s hobbies or interests?
Basic personal knowledge is expected.

20. What is your spouse’s work schedule?
Officers compare answers for consistency.

​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

5. Immigration and Background Questions

21. How did the immigrant spouse enter the U.S.?
Entry history must match records.

22. Have you ever overstayed a visa?
Honesty is critical—misrepresentation is serious.

23. Have you filed immigration cases before?
Prior filings are reviewed carefully.

24. Do you have any criminal history?
Certified court records may be required.

25. Were either of you previously married?
USCIS verifies divorce validity and timing.

​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

6. Stokes Interviews and Red Flags

26. What is a Stokes interview?
A separate, detailed questioning of each spouse when fraud is suspected.

27. What triggers a second interview?
Inconsistent answers, weak documents, or unusual timelines.

28. Can living apart cause problems?
Yes. Separate residences require strong explanation and proof.

29. Does a large age difference matter?
Not by itself, but USCIS may ask more questions.

30. Can social media affect the case?
Yes. Officers sometimes review public online information.

​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

7. After the Interview

31. Will we get a decision the same day?
Sometimes—but many cases remain under review.

32. How long until approval in 2026?
Often weeks to several months, depending on background checks.

33. What if USCIS issues another RFE?
Respond quickly and completely to avoid denial.

34. Can the case be denied after interview?
Yes, especially for fraud concerns or missing eligibility.

35. What happens after approval?
You receive either a 10-year green card or a 2-year conditional card, depending on marriage length.

 

​You can also review current processing times in our Marriage Green Card Timeline in 2026 guide.

​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

How to Prepare for the Marriage Green Card Interview

Couples can reduce stress and risk by:

• Reviewing the full application beforehand
• Bringing updated joint evidence
• Answering honestly and consistently
• Correcting mistakes before the interview
• Seeking legal guidance when risk factors exist

Preparation often makes the difference between same-day approval and months of delay.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Talk With an Immigration Attorney Before Your Interview

Every marriage case is different.
A brief consultation can help you understand:

• Risk of denial or second interview
• Missing evidence USCIS expects
• Best strategy for approval in 2026

 

If you have concerns about eligibility, travel history, or prior immigration issues, review our full Marriage Green Card FAQ or speak with an attorney before your interview.

​

Early guidance can prevent serious delays and unnecessary stress. ​​Schedule a free consultation with the Law Office of Andrew R. Sones to receive guidance tailored to your situation.

​