- What You Should and Should NOT DO at an Immigration Interview
If you wish to immigrate to the United States, most immigration-related procedures, including obtaining an Adjustment of Status, require you to participate in an interview with a representative from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Receiving the notice of your interview can be stressful, as you might start to worry about the specifics of your interview. Our office realize that the tone of the interview will largely depend on the personality and mood of the official conducting it, as well as your unique circumstances. This means that no two interviews are exactly the same. It is important to keep in mind that the official’s job is to find out if there is anything that should prevent you from getting the immigration status you want. As you get ready for your immigration interview, there are some things you should do and things that you should not do.
What You Should DO
- DO ensure that you are as prepared as possible for your meeting. This means bringing copies of your documents and forms. It also means that you should review your paperwork so that you can answer questions without fumbling through sheets of paper.
- DO dress appropriately and pay attention to your physical appearance. Making a good impression can help set a positive tone with the USCIS official.
- DO be on time. Immigration officials are extremely busy, which means that tardiness or a no-show could leave you waiting many weeks or months for a new meeting.
- DO be ready to answer questions of a personal nature. This is especially likely if your interview is related to your marriage to a United States citizen.
- DO be attentive and follow any directions given by the USCIS official. If the official wants to speak separately with you and your spouse, it is within the official’s purview to do so.
- DO have an interpreter come with you if you do not speak or understand English fluently.
- DO be courteous and polite at all times.
- DO listen to the official’s questions and only answer what is being asked.
- DO stay calm. If you are having trouble with a question, you can ask the official to rephrase it. It is also better to admit that you do not know a particular answer than to make up a story.
- DO enlist the help of an attorney to go with you to your meeting to ensure your rights are protected.
What You Should NOT DO
- DO NOT try to make jokes with the USCIS official. Jokes about drugs, diseases, terrorism, smuggling, or bigamy are especially inappropriate.
- DO NOT speak over your spouse or any other family member during the interview. You should also never argue with your spouse in front of the official. Decide ahead of time how you will handle disagreements.
- DO NOT argue or fight with the USCIS official. If the official says that some part of the application package is missing, politely ask for clarification, and try to find a solution using the paperwork you brought.
- DO NOT get impatient or angry with the official and stop answering questions. Even questions that might seem impertinent or inappropriate to you are most likely perfectly allowable under USCIS policy.
- DO NOT lie or attempt to mislead the USCIS official. Under no circumstances should you tell the officer anything that is not true. If something in your application package or personal history will be tough to explain, our attorneys can help you come up with a way to manage the situation.
If you have been scheduled for an immigration interview, contact our office at 508-388-2999 to get the guidance you need.