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Attending a permanent resident immigration interview can be an intimidating and nerve-racking experience, but the key to success in these interviews is preparation. Here are four ways to prepare for your immigration interview.
- Consult with a Board Certified Immigration Attorney before you apply.
Preparation for your lawful permanent resident interview begins before you submit your application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services “USCIS.” It is best to consult with an expert about your case before you apply. This way you will not only ensure eligibility, but you will have a good idea of how your case process will look. All cases are different and even “clean” cases could run into obstacles like a difficult immigration officer. A good immigration attorney will not only help you file your green card application, but they will personally prepare you for the interview and attend the interview with you.
- Fill your immigration application forms accurately and submit all required documents.
Be truthful and accurate with all the information contained in your resident applications, and be sure to complete the applications correctly. You must also submit all the required documentation with your applications when you file with USCIS. Not doing so can result in your applications being rejected or denied by USCIS.
Submitting required documentation is crucial. If your immigration case is based on a marriage, you will be required to submit documentation that proves the marriage is a good faith marriage. Failure to submit evidence of a good faith marriage can lead an officer to assume that you have a fraudulent marriage and deny your case.
Applicants with criminal history will be required to submit records from the court that handled the criminal matter. Be sure to disclose all criminal and immigration history on your applications. USCIS will take your fingerprints prior to the interview and will find all criminal and immigration history. This is why it is important to tell the truth and bring criminal records with you to the interview. Lying about your past can lead to a denial in your case simply for lying when the truth could have had minimal effect on your case.
Finally, you should be familiar with all the information contained in your green card applications. The USCIS officer will ask you several questions about the information you put in your applications and you will be held responsible for its contents. During the interview you will orally answer many of the same questions that are in the green card application. Conflicting answers can lead an officer to doubt your credibility and deny you for lying.
- Show up early to your interview and treat the experience like the important event that it is.
Get to the immigration office and check in at least 15 minutes early. If you are not familiar with the location of the immigration office, then try to find it sometime before your interview date or plan to arrive early enough to give yourself enough time to find the office.
Receiving your green card means that you have been granted the privilege to be a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The interview is perhaps the most important part of the process of becoming a lawful resident of the United States. Be sure to treat the interview as a very important event.
- Presentation counts.
Dress appropriately for the interview and be respectful of the situation. The USCIS officer holding your interview has tremendous power over something you want – an approval of your lawful permanent resident case! This is not to say that the immigration officer can simply deny your case no valid reason. However, the lawful permanent resident status is a discretionary benefit. This means that an immigration officer can use discretion in deciding whether or not you are worthy of being approved, and a case can be denied even if it has no negative criminal or immigration history. Present yourself and your case well, treat the immigration officer and their duties with respect, and give yourself the best chance for approval!