Many, but not all, immigration procedures require an interview with an official from the Bureau of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 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 is anything about your background or present circumstances that preclude you from obtaining the immigration status you desire -- the officer does not have anything against you personally.
See What to Expect at a Stokes Interview and Credible Fear Interview: Three Key Issues to learn more.
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.
DO follow the directions of the USCIS officer. If the officer wants to interview you and your spouse separately, that is perfectly appropriate.
DO listen carefully and answer only the question that the officer asks you.
DO bring an interpreter with you if you do not understand English.
DO dress appropriately for the occasion. This is an important meeting for you, and a good impression can't hurt.
DO remain calm. If you don't understand the question, ask the officer to rephrase it. If you really do not know the answer to a question, it is better to admit ignorance than make something up. It also helps to be prepared. If you know there is a part of your application that will raise suspicion, practice a truthful response.
DO show up on time. 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.
DO hire an attorney to accompany you if the thought of going through an interview alone is too overwhelming.
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. Agree before hand on what you will do if a disagreement arises during the interview.
DON'T argue with the USCIS officer. If the USCIS officer says part of your application is incomplete, ask for an explanation and attempt to remedy the situation by using the documents and forms you have brought with you.
DON'T lose your patience with the USCIS officer and refuse to answer questions. Questions that may seem inappropriate or unimportant to you are probably within the boundaries of what is allowed by USCIS policy. Just remember what the pay off is for going through with the interview.
DON'T lie to the USCIS officer. If you feel you have something that would be difficult to explain, hire an attorney. Your attorney should be able to defuse difficult situations during an interview.
Get in Touch with an Attorney to Learn More About Immigration Interviews
While immigration interviews can be stressful, you can learn all about the process and the laws without having to look it up on your own. You can reach out to an experienced immigration attorney in your area to learn more about the interview and the immigration process in general.
